The B&B Book Review - The Bear and Badger

EvilRedEye

davyK wrote:

My local HMV is selling a wide range of paperbacks - 2 for £7. Plenty of really good ones...classic sci-fi etc.

Picked up Hitchens' Arguably and Alan Turing:The Enigma. Both big fat books....bargain!

I've always thought HMV and Fopp are surprisingly decent for books as long as your tastes align with the curation. I got William Gibson's Sprawl books for cheap at Fopp once.

davyK

Some nice editions of Asimov books like the Foundation series and other stuff. Surprised.

davyK

Took delivery of vol. 4b of Art of Computer Programming. Feel duty bound to keep buying these as they are released even though they are damn tough going with challenging maths I likely wont get entirely.

hylian_elf

Took delivery of Roadside Picnic LE!

davyK

nice

Vela

Folio society edition books would give me anxiety given the prices. Holy moly.

I've just ordered Tchaikovsky's The City of Last Chances. Not read anything by him yet, but it looks right up my alley after Mieville's Bas Lag series, and the one I'm currently reading by Brian Catling; Hollow.

hylian_elf

Pratchett. What’s the best one to get someone started on it? Like, they’ll likely take to it and want to read more? Any particular one better for that than the others?

davyK

hylian_elf wrote:

Pratchett. What’s the best one to get someone started on it? Like, they’ll likely take to it and want to read more? Any particular one better for that than the others?

I've only read Mort and really enjoyed it.........but I haven't read more.

EvilRedEye

I believe Mort and Guard, Guards! are the most commonly recommended starting points for Discworld. And then publication order once you're into it. Mort is the earliest one where they've bedded in a bit more and Guards, Guards! is the first one in the most popular sub-series. The first ones aren't awful but you'll probably have a better time reading a couple or more of the more solid ones to make sure you like them before going back to them.

hylian_elf

Mort is one of the few I’ve read and my favourite. So ok. I’ll start with that one for the daughter. See if she likes it.

The Daddy

How old’s the daughter? The Tiffany Aching series are good starting points for younger ones.

hylian_elf

12, gonna be 13 soon.

Gremill

Vela wrote:

Folio society edition books would give me anxiety given the prices. Holy moly.

I've just ordered Tchaikovsky's The City of Last Chances. Not read anything by him yet, but it looks right up my alley after Mieville's Bas Lag series, and the one I'm currently reading by Brian Catling; Hollow.

Haven't read that one, but I've never read a book by AT that I didn't love.

The Daddy

hylian_elf wrote:

12, gonna be 13 soon.

I’d deffo give those a look then:

https://www.goodreads.com/series/96852-discworld---tiffany-aching

I bought them for my 11 year old niece last year.

There’s also been some re-recording of Discworld audiobooks recently with some decent cast members. Might be worth a look, especially if you’ve got some audible free trial options.

Knight

Gremill wrote:

Vela wrote:

Folio society edition books would give me anxiety given the prices. Holy moly.

I've just ordered Tchaikovsky's The City of Last Chances. Not read anything by him yet, but it looks right up my alley after Mieville's Bas Lag series, and the one I'm currently reading by Brian Catling; Hollow.

Haven't read that one, but I've never read a book by AT that I didn't love.

I’m the same. Until I read city of last chances. A real dud in my view. You may well disagree though Vela!

EvilRedEye

Folio Society Ian M Banks anyone?

hylian_elf

Yep. As well as the Clarke and also Monkey. That'll do me for now.

tin_robot

EvilRedEye wrote:

Folio Society Ian M Banks anyone?

Tempted, but I'm not a sufficiently big fan of Consider Phlebas... (Use of Weapons or Player of Games and I'd have jumped in.)

The Daddy

Oh nice. £85 though, maybe not.

Vela

Abridged version of Monkey isn't it?

There's an unabridged version in 4 volumes but not by folio.

Edit: yep, abridged version. Still a fantastic read.

davyK

My Folio wishlist is as follows:

Master and Marguerita
I am Legend
The Hobbit (to go with LotR)
Dracula
Anna Karenina (esp after reading this last year - took we 2 months to pick up a book after that such was its impact)
Clockwork Orange and maybe 1984.
And... Man on the Moon

Vela

Knight wrote:

Gremill wrote:

Vela wrote:

Folio society edition books would give me anxiety given the prices. Holy moly.

I've just ordered Tchaikovsky's The City of Last Chances. Not read anything by him yet, but it looks right up my alley after Mieville's Bas Lag series, and the one I'm currently reading by Brian Catling; Hollow.

Haven't read that one, but I've never read a book by AT that I didn't love.

I’m the same. Until I read city of last chances. A real dud in my view. You may well disagree though Vela!

Well, I just wrapped up Hollow by Brian Catling.

What an incredibly unusual story. 16th century Catholic mysticism, inquisition background and an arcane mission to deliver a very strange package.

It would be more understandable if all sense of coherency wasn't thrown asunder by some business about Heironimous Bosch and ideas made real through art, but only if you're in the right frame of mind.

I'm not sure this sits anywhere in my frame of reference. A little of The Name of the Rose. A little bit of Last Days of New Paris.

On to City of Last Chances

Facewon

Finished first book in the series by ve Schwab about shadows.

I really can't remember the title.

Its enjoyable enough, but holy hell does it get a massive F for the ending. We all know sf/fantasy is gonna be a series, but at least act like you might tie up your story a little bit within each book.

There's ending on a cliff hanger and there's just stopping in the middle.

Started The long way to a small angry planet by Becky chambers.

Quite enjoyable so far.

acemuzzy

* waits for Raiziel *

acemuzzy

I finished The Last Wish finally, and have moved into This Is How We Lose The Time War or whatever it's called. Seems kinda fun this far.

I've also been spring cleaning, including tidying my bookshelves. So I can now actually see them all. Which is nice. And will hopefully tempt me in to reading some more. Should probably shift some off my bedside table too...

Raiziel

Facewon wrote:

Started The long way to a small angry planet by Becky chambers.

Oh boy. Good luck with that one.

acemuzzy

Lol I knew it wouldn't take long...

Vela

I'd like to think that Long Way to a small angry planet and Blindsight are two opposite sides of the same coin.

I can't say either sat well with me afterwards.

Raiziel

I thought Blindsight was phenomenal. One of the two best books I read of that year.

Vela

I'm not saying it's bad, just a really unpleasant outlook.
I think I have an allergic reaction to something so misanthropic.

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