I am reading this FANTASTIC booker shortlisted work by a Sri Lankan writer called A Passage North- its really well written and i found myself absolutely immersed into the book. Its by Anuk Arudpragasam. I am also reading Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates- its a national book award winner!
I'm currently reading Dickens' The Pickwick Papers and hope to get it finished over the Christmas period. Very amusing thus far.
"Preoccupied with a single leaf, you won’t see the tree. Preoccupied with a single tree, you’ll miss the entire forest. Don't be preoccupied with a single spot. See everything in its entirety...effortlessly. That is what it means...to truly "see." "
Currently reading Musashi's Book of Five Rings and The Lord of The Rings: Fellowship of the Ring. I really enjoy a good book. Though I've loved the Peter Jackson films for years this is actually the first time I'm actually reading the book!
"as I roll along I begin to find.. things aren't always just what they seem.."
Ive been reading Next by Michael Crichton. I was going to put it in the charity shop with a few others that have sat on my shelf for some years but I thought I'd give it a go now that I have a commute to read it on.
I'm about 1/3 through and it's decent. Haven't read any novels in many many years so took me a while to get into it. I am having moments where I sort of get lost in the fiction which is something I've struggled to do when I've tried reading recently so that's good. Like moments where you kind of snap out of it and you realise you are just reading words on the page rather than just imagining what you are reading if you get what I mean.
@LordSteev just finished up Snow Crash, a great recommendation so thanks. Will definitely dive into more Neal Stephenson books. Next up The Three-Body Problem.
Haven't really been gaming for the last few weeks and it's refreshing to just get through book after book for a change.
I am a massive Stephenson fan after randomly stumbling onto him coz I needed a hefty sci-fi something some years back. Snow Crash is great I would recommend Diamond Age next, or maybe Reamde or maybe Anathem.
(Sorry to butt in - like I said, fan boy!)
“We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful about what we pretend to be.”
Have been reading "Shuggie Bain" by Douglas Stuart, which won the man booker prize 2020. I've been on the record before as often having an issue with media coming from Scotland being relentlessly gritty. Your first thought when someone says they are reading a novel set in Scotland is not typically to think "ooh wonder if its a rom-com". Standard portrayals are of economic deprivation, drugs, violence and crime. This book ticks all of the above with some sectarian divide 80s Glasgow thrown in for good measure. However, despite having some of those well worn tropes, it's a fascinating and achingly sad story of addiction and its effect on a family with some surprisingly funny and relatably human dialogue. I'll be upfront , some of it is harrowing and has descriptions of domestic violence and sexual abuse, its not for the faint hearted but I've been really enjoying it. Compelling stuff so far and well worth a read.
@R1spam You’ve basically described exactly why I’ve been avoiding that book. I’m also pretty worn down with the relentless ‘grittiness’ of really anything set in Glasgow. I mean ok, we have our fair share of problems, but it does feel amplified to the point that any kind of positive representation is drowned out. I read quite a lot so at least hearing that the book is as good as its reputation means I might give it a go.
@nessisonett it just gets too much, doesn't it? Glasgow gets a disproportionate share but I'm originally from Dundee, which also typically gets hammered. I was watching the NoClip documentary about DMA designs and the GTA series when I realised that part of the reason I was enjoying it so much was seeing Dundee portrayed positively, such a breath of fresh air!
@R1spam My sister went to Dundee Uni so I was up there quite a bit over the last 10 years. Definitely doesn’t deserve the ‘Scum-dee’ label, it’s a lovely city even if the weather’s very windy!
@lolwhatno The thing to remember is that Stephen King wrote that book while on booze and cocaine. Which explains some of the plot. Just wait until you get to the famously controversial bits and then your earlier gripes will seem silly.
In the middle of Martha Wells Murdebot series. It's fantastic! I recommend it to any sci-fi fan. It takes place in space . The main character is a security robot who just wants to hang out and watch TV series.
Just finished Son of a Liche, part of the Dark Profit Saga. Brilliant fantasy comedy, really enjoyed it. Not just comedy though, it tackles some hard topics without being too depressing about them. Third book should be out this year, really looking forward to it.
@Elodin I've heard a lot of good things about the MurderBot series, I've just started The Culture series so maybe I'll look into it when I finish those.
@LieutenantFatman I'll look into that always up for some fantasy. Would you class it as grim dark or not quite in that vein?
@MightyDemon82
I wouldn't say it's quite grim dark. It takes the d&d or video game system where heroes have to be a certain level to be able to take on a particular quest and then puts that into a living, breathing world. It's very cleverly written.
All the protagonist characters are very believable with their flaws and skeletons in the closest they'd rather forget about. And of course with this hero rank system in place, there are those who always seek to exploit and manipulate the situation to their own ends.
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