# What Are You Reading?



## petesbrew (29/10/10)

Stan Nicholls - Orcs (Omnibus edition)
Arrived on Tuesday from bookdepository.co.uk - Just started it yesterday.


----------



## kuntushi (29/10/10)

Anarchy Evolution: Faith, science, and bad religion in a world without God - Greg Graffin.


----------



## JestersDarts (29/10/10)

The Joe Hunter series by Matthew Hilton - 
Dead Mans Dust
Judgement and Wrath

Just ordered number three


----------



## O'Henry (30/10/10)

Run Rabbit - John Updike
Backyard Homestead - Carleen Madigan
Tasting Beer - Randy Mosher

It's good to have a few on the go.
Textbooks don't count.


----------



## manticle (30/10/10)

Farmhouse ales- Phil markowski.

About to start either Tideland (Mitch Cullin) or the sunset limited (Cormac McCarthy) as well.


----------



## Weatherby (30/10/10)

I listen to talking books in my car, get them from my local library, sure beats commercial radio ads, have really enjoyed, Nicholas Nickleby and Matthew Reily's Jack West series so far.


----------



## Newbiebrewer (30/10/10)

a mix of Dracula and War & Peace, a bit dry in some places


----------



## pk.sax (30/10/10)

Tea time for the traditionally built by Alexander McCall Smith


----------



## yardy (31/10/10)

The Ice Man (Richard Kuklinski) by Philip Carlo


----------



## jlm (31/10/10)

The Battle for Spain-Antony Beevor.



kuntushi said:


> Anarchy Evolution: Faith, science, and bad religion in a world without God - Greg Graffin.


This any good? Saw it being flogged on the BR website recently.


----------



## mkstalen (31/10/10)

Seven Troop - Andy McNab


----------



## bum (31/10/10)

Necrophenia - Robert Rankin


----------



## rotten (31/10/10)

Just started Stephen King - Cell.


----------



## Silo Ted (31/10/10)

Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts is a book that I love & loathe in equal measures. Presently reading it for the third time, and cringing as his drippy metaphors.


----------



## bum (1/11/10)

Been meaning to read that for years but my back just isn't up to it.

aka - tl;dr


----------



## Silo Ted (1/11/10)

> Been meaning to read that for years but my back just isn't up to it.



For such a big book nudging on 1000 pages in paperback edition, it's really a breeze to get through. Junkie Romantic on the lam, a mixture of fact and fiction, makes for a rewarding read. Like I said, I F*ing hate it for a lot of the wanking poetic dialogue, and also the tough guy self description, but it's a well done story. Sadly, most people believe it to be 100% autobiographical, which it is clearly not. For chrissake, the byline in print is SHANTARAM: A NOVEL. No single person could ever have such an experience in the space of a few years. 

The author's spoken-word tours since the success of Shantaram seems to cash in on the fact/fiction crossover. I suspect GDR is actually delusional. 

Exhibit A: 



Yet still, I re-read the bloody thing. Mostly to re-examine the impetus that became an unusually successful bestseller. 



> tl;dr



Old fart question, but what does that mean ? Seen it around the interwebs, cannot decipher.


----------



## bum (1/11/10)

too long; didn't read


----------



## JonnyAnchovy (3/11/10)

Anyone read Pete Brown's Hops and Glory? Worth me getting?


----------



## yardy (3/11/10)

yardy said:


> The Ice Man (Richard Kuklinski) by Philip Carlo




finished this so it's either Hell West & Crooked by Tom Cole or A Fortunate Life by A.B Facey, read both a couple of times each but they never get old :icon_cheers:


----------



## Eater (3/11/10)

the last (most recent) of Peter F Hamiltons super space opera epic series "Evolutionary Void"
Bedside book is Michael Jacksons "Great Beers of Belgium" that i bought back with me from the Germany / Belgium trip.


----------



## white.grant (4/11/10)

Surface detail, Ian M. Banks.
Guantanomo - My Journey, David Hicks.

I also listen to talking books in the car to and from work just finished listening to The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi. It was really good.

cheers

grant


----------



## MeLoveBeer (4/11/10)

Currently reading:

Yeast: The Practical Guide to Beer Fermentation by Jamil and Chris White

Moab Is My Washpot, Stephen Fry's autobiography

Both books are brilliant thus far (though the yeast book is definitely a reference text and not designed to be read cover to cover)


----------



## ramu_gupta (4/11/10)

Just finished Brent Weeks - Night Angel Trilogy
Just started his latest - Black Prism.

Love my sci fi.


----------



## JonnyAnchovy (10/11/10)

Has anyone read 'b is for beer' by Tom Robbins? its had mixed reviews, but I'm wondering how it reads from the perspective of a beer geek. 

I've read his book Jitterbug Perfume, which I thought was really great.....


----------



## petesbrew (10/11/10)

At 7pm tonight it will be "In the Night Garden... The Bouncy Jumping Game."
Hey Look, Iggle Piggle is jumping!
What the...?? Upsy Daisy is jumping too!
Holy Shit even Makka Pakka is jumping!
Well F##k me dead, the Tombliboos are jumping as well!

Honestly some kids books kill more brain cells than beer.
:beerbang:


----------



## peas_and_corn (10/11/10)

_A Feast for Crows_. Not really getting into this one as much as the other books. This is mostly because all my favourite characters are being split off into the still unfinished _A Dance With Dragons_. I'm not really getting into the story surrounding the Iron Islands either, and it's taking up a lot of pages.


----------



## O'Henry (10/11/10)

JonnyAnchovy said:


> Anyone read Pete Brown's Hops and Glory? Worth me getting?



Man the **** up and get it! It is fantastic. I'd say borrow it from Regan, but really, you should buy your own copy. I looked forward to the train trip at 5:30am when I was reading this one. 

Man walks into a Pub is good, very English-centric, but you can ignore from 1950 on, and it is great history. Delves into the origins of what we think of as the 'English Pub' plus loads more. Tells the rise of Lager in England pretty well too. Did I mentioned it was fairly England focused?


----------



## J Grimmer (11/11/10)

just read "alice in wonderland", thought it might be good for my 2.5year old son, maybe in a few years,m about to start the "ass that saw the angel" sounds interesting.

J


----------



## cwbrown07 (11/11/10)

peas_and_corn said:


> _A Feast for Crows_. Not really getting into this one as much as the other books. This is mostly because all my favourite characters are being split off into the still unfinished _A Dance With Dragons_. I'm not really getting into the story surrounding the Iron Islands either, and it's taking up a lot of pages.



I hear you - can't wait for A Dance with Dragons to come out. Having said that, being someone who has been reading the Robert Jordan Wheel of Time (still unfinished... only one to go!!) series since it's inception (first book came out in 1990), you would think I would be used to waiting! If you enjoy GRR Martin I can also recommend the "RRestrospective", which is a collection of his short stories - some of them are crackers.

Have just finished the most recent in the Ghengis Khan series by Conn Iggulden (and those Mongols were bad, bad men) and am just about to start the 'prequel' to the Wheel of Time after years of silent protest for Jordan writing a prequel before finishing the actual series :angry: 

Anyone read anything by Brandon Sanderson (the guy now completing the Robert Jordan series following his untimely death)? I just ordered a trilogy from bookdepository - $15 incl delivery!! Gotta love booko.com.au


----------



## mikem108 (11/11/10)

Just finished 
Anthony Bourdain's 'Medium Raw: A Bloody Valentine to the World of Food' some very funny stuff in there and musings on various food related things from self confessed "snarky" Bourdain

+ getting through Jamils Yeast book


----------



## bconnery (13/11/10)

JonnyAnchovy said:


> Has anyone read 'b is for beer' by Tom Robbins? its had mixed reviews, but I'm wondering how it reads from the perspective of a beer geek.
> 
> I've read his book Jitterbug Perfume, which I thought was really great.....


I love Tom Robbins. I haven't enjoyed his more recent stuff so much but his early work is brilliant for mine...
Even Cowgirls Get the Blues, Another Roadside Attraction, Still Life with Woodpecker...

I read constantly but the only book that has really stood out recently is World War Z, an oral history of the Zombie war. 
Really enjoyed that one.


----------



## manticle (13/11/10)

J Grimmer said:


> about to start the "ass that saw the angel" sounds interesting.
> 
> J




Takes a bit to get into as I think it took the author a bit to get into with his writing style and direction. I found the first part contrived and pretentious (Nick Cave? Pretentious?) but really got into it as it moved along. I think his attempt at trying to mimick Euchrid's speech patterns put me off a little as they are a bit clumsy, particularly at the beginning (and inconsistent).

However the story is dark and fucked up and has a lot going for it.

Death of Bunny Munro shows he learnt a lot from writing his first and his well developed sense of humour shines through in that one.

Now reading - wild brews by Jeff Sparrow. I've also been buying tintin comics as I loved them as a kid and am aiming to have the whole collection at some point. Every month or so I order one from Amazon or BD. They only take about ten minutes each to read now though.


----------



## PomBstard (15/11/10)

O said:


> Just finished reading the 2010 edition of 'Man Walks into a Pub' - 'tis indeed England-focussed but well worth it. In fact, it probably should be required reading for anyone with even the slightest interest in beer of any variety.
> 
> Got Pete Brown's other beers books, "Hops and Glory" next, and then "Three Sheets to the Wind" to finish. Might have a draught or two while I'm doing so.


----------



## white.grant (16/11/10)

I've just started Tristram Shandy

cheers

Grant


----------



## JonnyAnchovy (16/11/10)

O said:


> Cheers for the recommendations - the GF was a fan of Jitterbug Perfume, so I might get these other ones as Chrissy presents for her (read: me, or as least 'us').
> 
> I just finished the audiobook of World War Z. Think it was probably the best audiobook I've ever listened to - it was as if it was written for the format. Cool actors also - Alan Alder, Henry Rollins, Mark Hamill etc etc....


----------



## bum (17/11/10)

Grantw said:


> I've just started Tristram Shandy
> 
> cheers
> 
> Grant


Amazing book. I can't believe he wasn't burned as a witch.


----------



## schooey (17/11/10)

_The God Delusion_ - Richard Dawkins... Hmmm... I would probably class myself more athiest than christian, but Dawkins is as much athiest freak as <insert favourite God botherer here> is a Jesus freak and it gets a bit hard to take...

bum: I would keep your tl;dr stance on Shantaram. GDR has written a book about all the things he wished happened in his life, to cover up a shitty existence that he actually led and has had a pretty good 'Demtel' job done for on selling it. Sham-taram may have been more appropriate...


----------



## rotten (17/11/10)

I recently purchased 'Mild Ale', 'Pale Ale', & 'Brewing the beers you buy'. Enjoyed all, although I wish the Mild & Pale Ale had more recipe info in them. Enough to send you in right direction though.


----------



## bum (18/11/10)

schooey said:


> bum: I would keep your tl;dr stance on Shantaram. GDR has written a book about all the things he wished happened in his life, to cover up a shitty existence that he actually led and has had a pretty good 'Demtel' job done for on selling it. Sham-taram may have been more appropriate...


I heard an interview with him on RRR at the time of release and he spoke openly and at length about how many elements of his memoir were fictionalised and I found that interesting. Obviously not so interesting that I ever bothered picking the weighty tome up in all the time that has passed. Besides, I've read Eggers' A Heart Breaking Work of Staggering Genius in the interim and can't see that being one-upped in the "creative" autobiography stakes. (Funny though, I read the afore mentioned Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman and it exposed AHBWOSG as an utter fraud to me - and then he wrote What is the What with which he utterly redeemed himself. And then I visited his Pirate Supply Store in San Francisco and he doubled up in my esteem.)

And while I'm no Dawkins apologist - it is a bit hard to write a book called The God Delusion and retain any sort of impartiality.


----------



## Silo Ted (18/11/10)

schooey said:


> bum: I would keep your tl;dr stance on Shantaram. GDR has written a book about all the things he wished happened in his life, to cover up a shitty existence that he actually led and has had a pretty good 'Demtel' job done for on selling it. Sham-taram may have been more appropriate...





bum said:


> I heard an interview with him on RRR at the time of release and he spoke openly and at length about how many elements of his memoir were fictionalised and I found that interesting. Obviously not so interesting that I ever bothered picking the weighty tome up in all the time that has passed.



You open up to the inside title page and it says: Shantaram - A Novel

It's the roadshow promotion that skewed the fact from fiction.


----------



## schooey (18/11/10)

bum said:


> And while I'm no Dawkins apologist - it is a bit hard to write a book called The God Delusion and retain any sort of impartiality.



Indeed... but having a firm opinion and being one minded are a little different. After reading it you could easily imagine Dawkins grabbing people from the street like a rabid dog chastising their intelligence for having any sort of faith.



Silo Ted said:


> You open up to the inside title page and it says: Shantaram - A Novel
> 
> It's the roadshow promotion that skewed the fact from fiction.



Yep... I got that. My point was that the sales job was done as much as if the 'novel' factor was very much in the fine print.


----------



## Thirsty Boy (18/11/10)

Grantw said:


> Surface detail, Ian M. Banks.
> Guantanomo - My Journey, David Hicks.
> 
> I also listen to talking books in the car to and from work just finished listening to The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi. It was really good.
> ...




ahh thanks mate, I wasn't aware that that Banks book was out yet.

Did it make your brain hurt?? I like it when he makes my brain hurt.

At least the SF stuff doesn't make me want to hide under the bed and cry like a little girl - cant say the same for his non SF stuff released under just the plain old Iain Banks name.


----------



## kuntushi (19/11/10)

jlm said:


> kuntushi said:
> 
> 
> > Anarchy Evolution: Faith, science, and bad religion in a world without God - Greg Graffin.
> ...


If you've heard Graffin talk before, or read interviews and things, it's basically just like that. He's got a quirky way of explaining things, which I find interesting.


----------



## Yob (5/3/13)

Currently reading IPA, Brewing Techniques, Recipes and the Evolution of India Pale Ale by Mitch Steele (Stone Brewing)

A mighty fine read thus far, debunking the myth that IPA's were made for the India market.. bollox he says, was brewed for 100 years before then... good stuff :super:


----------



## WarmBeer (5/3/13)

peas_and_corn said:


> _A Feast for Crows_. Not really getting into this one as much as the other books. This is mostly because all my favourite characters are being split off into the still unfinished _A Dance With Dragons_. I'm not really getting into the story surrounding the Iron Islands either, and it's taking up a lot of pages.





cwbrown07 said:


> I hear you - can't wait for A Dance with Dragons to come out. Having said that, being someone who has been reading the Robert Jordan Wheel of Time (still unfinished... only one to go!!) series since it's inception (first book came out in 1990), you would think I would be used to waiting! If you enjoy GRR Martin I can also recommend the "RRestrospective", which is a collection of his short stories - some of them are crackers.
> 
> Have just finished the most recent in the Ghengis Khan series by Conn Iggulden (and those Mongols were bad, bad men) and am just about to start the 'prequel' to the Wheel of Time after years of silent protest for Jordan writing a prequel before finishing the actual series :angry:
> 
> Anyone read anything by Brandon Sanderson (the guy now completing the Robert Jordan series following his untimely death)? I just ordered a trilogy from bookdepository - $15 incl delivery!! Gotta love booko.com.au


Necro recommendations (thanks Yob for bringing this back up into the Latest Threads)

Just finished Gardens of the Moon, book 1 of a 10 book series. Full of the whole grim-dark fantasy that GRRM pioneered, then dropped the ball on. Heavy on the magic, battle, intrigue, politics and blood splatter. Not so heavy on 3 page descriptions of pan-fried stuffed eel recipes, or people riding boats for weeks on end. If you liked the first 3 _A Song of Ice and Fire_ books, definitely worth giving it a go.

Also, in a similar vein, Joe Abercrombie's _The First Law_ trilogy. Funny, gruesome, action-packed, morally ambiguous and bloody. Great characters that you will hate, then love, then love-hate. Plus, he writes at an average of a book per year, so you're not left hanging 6 years for the next bloated pile of disappointment.

Brandon Sanderson. He's okay. Mistborn was a bore, but The Way of Kings was great. He's just a little too chaste, it's okay to kill hundreds of innocent folk in battle, but society is going to come to a crash upon the viewing of a bare breast. Mormon sensibilities.


----------



## bum (5/3/13)

Been reading little bits of Mosher's Radical Brewing for ages. Also been reading big bits of the Java API. Little bit sick of alphanumeric characters, to be honest.


----------



## tricache (5/3/13)

Just finished the Batman: The Black Mirror story arc (STFU everyone who thinks comics aren't reading haha) and got to say it was pretty awesome!!


----------



## chunckious (5/3/13)

What yer reedin four?




Sorry, couldn't resist


----------



## jlm (5/3/13)

Chunkious said:


> What yer reedin four?
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Yer meanta chew yer gum first waffle waitress.

Anyway. Recent highlights have been "An American Demon" by Jack Grisham. As a massive fanboy of TSOL (a band) Found this a must read. Even if not a real autobiography good stuff. Finding christ seems like a suitable punishment for someone who was such a renound asshole in the early days of hardcore punk.

"Soldaten, German POW's on Fighting and Dying" by a couple of krauts. Interesting yet depressing. Who would have thought if you put a bunch of young blokes together they'd talk about chicks and getting laid heaps. And war crimes. After that should read some fiction to cheer up a bit....

"Child of God" by Cormac McCarthy. Nope that didn't work. Do love his work though, still intrigued that some one is trying to adapt Blood Meridian into a film.

Noonan's book has been sitting on the bedside table for about 6 months but remains relatively untouched. I'll get around to it one day.


----------



## givemeamash (5/3/13)

AHB


----------



## Bribie G (6/3/13)

Reading, now that's an interesting concept. 

I bought a heap of Terry Pratchett novels a couple of years ago - enjoyed the early ones then he went a bit silly, especially the Take-off of Australia book so I left them all in the lunchroom when I retired. There's a neat little library here in Old Bar and there's a beach down the end of the street. Now that could be a good match - especially since it's stopped feckin raining for 10 minutes.

I can use my Galaxy Note as a kindle but most ebook companies don't want to know me as I'm not in the U S of A (which seems strange as 30% of Americans are functionally illiterate according to surveys).

Can anyone recommend any decent Android App with that really neat "flick to turn the page - wow there it turns and look you can see the corner of the page as it goes by and you get that real cool sound of rustling paper" features? Also a source of E books I can get for free or pay for in Australia?

The only readin' books I've got in the house nowadays are the Helliconia Trilogy, the Silmarillion, Hobbit and LOTR. Might start in on them again. Might go for Red/green/blue Mars trilogy as well as I don't mind Aldiss.

Edit: Well there you go, the Mars series ain't Aldiss. Might be ok nonetheless.


----------



## tricache (6/3/13)

Bribie G said:


> Reading, now that's an interesting concept.
> 
> I bought a heap of Terry Pratchett novels a couple of years ago - enjoyed the early ones then he went a bit silly, especially the Take-off of Australia book so I left them all in the lunchroom when I retired. There's a neat little library here in Old Bar and there's a beach down the end of the street. Now that could be a good match - especially since it's stopped feckin raining for 10 minutes.
> 
> ...


I still find the Kindle good, I can just buy books on Amazon (or get a heap of free ones!!) and I have it setup to sync to my Kindle account. As for the "turn page animation ect" I know the version on my phone doesn't have it but on my iPad it does. Another cool thing with the Kindle account/app it syncs between devices so if I'm reading on my phone and go to my iPad it remembers where I was reading from.


----------



## sp0rk (6/3/13)

Just about to start reading Beer - Tap Into The Art And Science Of Brewing
and
Beer Is Proof God Loves Us

once those are done i guess i'll be starting on Brewing, Science and Practice


----------



## DU99 (6/3/13)

"How to Brew" John Palmer.. AG section


----------



## bum (6/3/13)

Bribie, you can buy books through the Google Play app on your phone. The Google Books app (which you should have unless Samsung removed it) has a 3d page turn animation but no sound.

You can get free books on the internet. Google will tell you where, funnily enough.


----------



## jyo (6/3/13)

Haven't picked up a book in ages. Just started Dirt Music, Tim Winton.


----------



## kymba (9/3/13)

i haven't read a real book in a long time, the last one being 'the plague' by albert camus almost 10 years ago


i want a new book...any thoughts on 'the grapes of wrath'?


----------



## warra48 (9/3/13)

Just finished Uncommon Soldier by Chris Masters. Well worth a read, as it gives a balanced insight into the Aust defence forces and its work, particularly in Afghanistan.

Now reading Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austin. I know, I know, but I'm a softie at heart. It really is quite a pacy read. There's a good reason it's survived now for 200 years as a classic.


----------



## bconnery (9/3/13)

kymba said:


> i haven't read a real book in a long time, the last one being 'the plague' by albert camus almost 10 years ago
> 
> 
> i want a new book...any thoughts on 'the grapes of wrath'?


Grapes of Wrath is an excellent book, but then again I think it is hard to go wrong with Steinbeck in general.
Just re-read it this summer actually. Every bit as good as I remembered.


----------



## manticle (9/3/13)

Been a while since I read anything that wasn't a conservation text (cultural material, not environment) or brewing text.

I used to be an avid fiction reader and now I have been out of study for close to 1 year, I thought it time to get back into some.

Currently part way through Umberto Eco: Name of the Rose.

Loved Island of the day before and enjoying this similarly so far.


----------



## Camo6 (9/3/13)

Two thumbs up for grapes of wrath. Don't be surprised if you start talking in an okie drawl when you put it down tho. On holiday and making my way through a game of thrones. Haven't read much fiction for a few years though i think I'll start the dark tower series again. King at his best imo.


----------



## browndog (9/3/13)

Recently got through the Game of Thrones series and waiting for the next book. Read all Alistair Reynolds books, anyone read him. He is a mind blowing SF writer. Started on Ian M. Banks series with Consider Phlebas which I found a bit of a let down after Reynolds stuff and now on Suzi Quatro's autobiography.


----------



## Mardoo (9/3/13)

Beer Reading: For Love of Hops and The Comeplat Meadmaker.

Fiction: Prince of Ayodhya by Ashook Banker. Great take on the Ramayana.


----------



## Mobbee007 (9/3/13)

browndog said:


> Recently got through the Game of Thrones series and waiting for the next book. Read all Alistair Reynolds books, anyone read him. He is a mind blowing SF writer. Started on Ian M. Banks series with Consider Phlebas which I found a bit of a let down after Reynolds stuff and now on Suzi Quatro's autobiography.


Didn't really care for Reynolds but loved The Skinner by Neal Asher. Actually I haven't read a bad Asher book so far.
Just started re reading Robert G Barretts works after his recent passing. One of the greatest Aussie authors in my opinion. Am also re reading Magician by Raymond E Feist. Just finished The Last Theorem by Arthur C Clarke & Frederick Pohl brilliant book & very sad Clarke is also no longer with us. Also have The World of Null A by A E Van Vogt to start next week
Also hated GRR Martins books so ******* dull that I stopped after 4 books & the tv series is the worst piece of shit I've seen in years imo. Did winter ever come?


----------



## browndog (9/3/13)

RexBanner said:


> Didn't really care for Reynolds but loved The Skinner by Neal Asher. Actually I haven't read a bad Asher book so far.
> Just started re reading Robert G Barretts works after his recent passing. One of the greatest Aussie authors in my opinion. Am also re reading Magician by Raymond E Feist. Just finished The Last Theorem by Arthur C Clarke & Frederick Pohl brilliant book & very sad Clarke is also no longer with us. Also have The World of Null A by A E Van Vogt to start next week
> Also hated GRR Martins books so ******* dull that I stopped after 4 books & the tv series is the worst piece of shit I've seen in years imo. Did winter ever come?


Wow, I just read up on Neal Asher and The Skinner on Wikipedia, looks like my next purchase, thanks RB.


----------



## Camo6 (10/3/13)

Might have to look for this one too thanks rexbanner. Been wanting a good sci fi read for a while. Got four books into hubbards mission earth decology and got sick of the repetitive crap. God knows how he kickstarted such a global following of fruitcakes. I put magician up there with my all time greatest fantasy along with lotr and the hobbit. Was gonna buy it the other day but saw GOT and chose it cos of how much i enjoyed/enjoying tv series. Can anyone recommend any other good sci fi novels to add to my list?


----------



## Mardoo (10/3/13)

Camo6 John Varley's Gaia series and his short stories are a bit of fun.


----------



## Mobbee007 (10/3/13)

Camo there's heaps of older series that are awesome like the Rama series by Arthur C Clarke (pretty much anything he's written is brilliant) or Foundation by Asimov or the mars series by Kim Stanley Robinson that a mate loves but I found too dry (boring) or Ashers Agentl Cormac series is great. Or the Dayworld trilogy by Phillip Jose Farmer. Or try Forever War by Joe Haldeman. I have about 650 books at home most of them pulp scifi the rest fantasy but most of them are 50s-70s golden era stuff not so much new sorry
Or try Robert A Heinlein nearly all of his tie in at some point but he's not everyone's cup of tea.
The Dune series if you haven't read it? But not the last books that were meant to finish it they were bloody terrible imo
Or for fantasy Feist, Eddings (Redmption of Althalus was freaking great) Piers Anthony or David Gemmel to name a few.
Hope that helps?
Totally forgot Enders Game by Orson Scott Card. It's great but the quality deteriorates the further into the series, again imo


----------



## kymba (10/3/13)

I seem to remember the nights dawn trilogy by Peter F Hamilton was a pretty good sci-fi space opera if that's your thing. Mars by Ben Bova was pretty good too. Oh and totally agree with the first 3 or 4 dune books


----------



## Bribie G (10/3/13)

kymba said:


> i haven't read a real book in a long time, the last one being 'the plague' by albert camus almost 10 years ago
> 
> 
> i want a new book...any thoughts on 'the grapes of wrath'?


I've read it twice and it does my head in because it puts you right in your place and teaches you something very disturbing about yourself.

You know what? If you and I woke up tomorrow morning, suddenly transported to the truck with the Joad family heading West - destitute, no mobile phone or credit cards and dressed in farm overalls and boots - Notwithstanding all our vast and superior 21st Century knowledge and education and sophistication, with all we know about Space Travel, the rest of the history of the Twentieth Century and DNA and Facebook and the Internet and LCD televisions and all our practical skills we have picked up ................. There's not one damn fecking thing you and I could do NOT to avoid being inexorably swept along to the same fate as the characters in the novel. Nothing works before its time. What we know would be of no use to us at all.

In fact we would end up worse than the Joads' situation. Steinbeck is brilliant.

After reading the Grapes the first time, after the last sentence of the book I just wanted to go out and bash somebody - which is unusual for me.


Edit: try Tortilla Flat or Cannery Row


----------



## Rowy (10/3/13)

I'm a George MacDonald Fraser man myself. His Flashman series is beyond compare IMHO. A great mixture of accurate history and comedy. Also agree with Rex Banner the Rama series by Clarke was fantastic Sci Fi! I'm reading one of my old John LeCarre' at the moment 'The Honourable Schoolboy'. I loved everything he has written other than the 'Constant Gardener' just couldn't get into it.


----------



## DUANNE (10/3/13)

going through a heap of louis lamour and zane grey westerns atm. short easy entertaining books.


----------



## Camo6 (10/3/13)

Thanks for all the suggestions guys. Might have to hit up the book depository when I get back and buy something other than brewing texts. Have read a bit of Clarke and Asimov but prefer more modern sci fi. I find i prefer the more techno/alien/12 parsec side of sci fi and find the older stuff a bit dated. Happy to be proven otherwise though. Infact one of my favourite books on the shelf is Howards chronicles of conan and for something started in the thirties, that shit kicks ass. Loved dune but struggled through second book (dune messiah?). Couldn't get into eddings p.o.p. Does anyone recall a series by David zyndell (i think). Neverfall or something like that. Would love to read that again.
Anyway probably won't have time for reading after holidays. Be too busy brewing to restock the fridge and doing OT to make up for having to buy craft beer in small coastal towns.


----------



## Mobbee007 (10/3/13)

Love Conan have several different complete collections (different publishers different covers etc) also love Sherlock Holmes the short stories are fantastic. Have a few mates that are into Richard Morgan & China Mieville but I'm not a huge fan.


----------



## felten (11/3/13)

Anything by Alan Dean Foster (not that I've read them all), his Spellsinger series of books would have to be my all time favourite.


----------



## Truman42 (11/3/13)

I'm currently reading Brewing up a business by Sam Calagione, owner of Dogfish Head Brewery in Delaware. 

A great read all about how Sam went from a avid home brewer like us to the owner of a microbrewery and brew pub. 

Lots of good business advice and I recommend it to anyone who wants to one day do the same.


----------



## Florian (11/3/13)

Bribie G said:


> I can use my Galaxy Note as a kindle


Somehow I don't think reading on a non matte display on the beach will be very enjoyable, Bribie, unless it's totally overcast.


----------



## Dave70 (11/3/13)

Just read- Mortality - Christopher Hitchens. 

Just began -The end of faith - Sam Harris. 

Looking forward to starting on Errol Flynn's 'My wicked, wicked ways' after squinting through 330 odd pages of Harris's book. 

More pages - bigger text, that's the go. **** the trees.


----------



## Cube (13/3/13)

Recently Arthur C. Clarke - Odyssey Tetralogy 2001, 2010, 2061, 3001.

For shits and giggles Wil Wheaton - 'Just a Geek' and 'Memoirs of the future'. <----- had me LOL many times.

Second to last book - The life of Galileo.

Re reading Hawkings ' A Brief History of time' and ' A Briefer History of Time'.

Current book - 'Death by Black Hole: And other Cosmic Quandaries' - Neil deGrasse tyson.


----------



## kalbarluke (26/3/13)

Reading a few books at the moment.

Boys of Blood and Bone by David Metzenthen. Just finished today. Okay. A good book for teenage boys.

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert M. Pirsig: Almost finished it and I quite like it but it gets a bit chewy, sort of like Noam Chomsky but in a different way. Trying to figure out if it's genius or psychobabble.

Cry, the Beloved Country by Alan Paton: Just started it (for about the third time).


----------



## Florian (26/3/13)

AHB


----------



## Amber Fluid (27/3/13)

Reading "Yeast" again. Sheesh.. the more I read this book the more I find that I had missed previously. Apart from reading cover to cover it is a good reference book too.


----------



## tricache (27/3/13)

Just got a heap of Star Wars novels last night...looking forward to them since SWMBO is reading Fifty Shades of Grey again


----------



## WarmBeer (27/3/13)

tricache said:


> Just got a heap of Star Wars novels last night...looking forward to them since SWMBO is reading Fifty Shades of Grey again


Guess who's gettin' lucky tonight...


----------



## tricache (27/3/13)

WarmBeer said:


> Guess who's gettin' lucky tonight...


Not me...I will be too busy reading Star Wars :kooi:


----------



## KingKong (27/3/13)

Amber Fluid said:


> Reading "Yeast" again. Sheesh.. the more I read this book the more I find that I had missed previously. Apart from reading cover to cover it is a good reference book too.


I'm also reading Chris White and Jamil Zainasheff's 'Yeast. A practical guide to beer fermentation'. 

A great brewing book, I'm very glad I have it for both reference and expanding my brewing .


----------



## Lecterfan (27/3/13)

Finished the last Bernard Cornwell saxon novel...another cracker (sure, they are all the same, but...meh...they are awesome). 

Trying to read some China Mievelle at the moment but not getting very far...mostly cos my PhD readings are getting in the way. None of which are particularly interesting for anyone other than me.

Keen to read some more Kafka shortly after finally getting around to reading The Metamorphosis.


----------



## browndog (29/3/13)

RexBanner said:


> Didn't really care for Reynolds but loved The Skinner by Neal Asher. Actually I haven't read a bad Asher book so far.
> Just started re reading Robert G Barretts works after his recent passing. One of the greatest Aussie authors in my opinion. Am also re reading Magician by Raymond E Feist. Just finished The Last Theorem by Arthur C Clarke & Frederick Pohl brilliant book & very sad Clarke is also no longer with us. Also have The World of Null A by A E Van Vogt to start next week
> Also hated GRR Martins books so ******* dull that I stopped after 4 books & the tv series is the worst piece of shit I've seen in years imo. Did winter ever come?


I'm really enjoying The Skinner RB.


----------



## Airgead (29/3/13)

I found an old stash of early 50s sci fi on a free ebook server. Its all the old issues of pulp sci fi magazines like Amazing, Astonishing, What If and Analog. This is where the greats like Asimov and Clarke got started. All out of copyright.

There is some fantastic stuff on there. Some really amazing early speculative sci fi. There is also some of the worst, most appalling, sexist, racist, crap you have ever read. You pays your money, you takes your chances.

Cheers
Dave


----------



## browndog (29/3/13)

anyone read any Michael Moorcock ? he wrote some pretty trippy stuff back in the 70s


----------



## kalbarluke (30/3/13)

Michael Moorcock? Sounds like a gay porn star.


----------



## Camo6 (30/3/13)

browndog said:


> I'm really enjoying The Skinner RB.


Thanks for jogging my memory Browndog. Just ordered from book depository.


----------



## Camo6 (17/6/13)

RexBanner said:


> Didn't really care for Reynolds but loved The Skinner by Neal Asher. Actually I haven't read a bad Asher book so far.
> Just started re reading Robert G Barretts works after his recent passing. One of the greatest Aussie authors in my opinion. Am also re reading Magician by Raymond E Feist. Just finished The Last Theorem by Arthur C Clarke & Frederick Pohl brilliant book & very sad Clarke is also no longer with us. Also have The World of Null A by A E Van Vogt to start next week
> Also hated GRR Martins books so ******* dull that I stopped after 4 books & the tv series is the worst piece of shit I've seen in years imo. Did winter ever come?


Really enjoyed The Skinner and keen to read some more of his works. Found a bunch of novels I'd read ages ago and currently rereading First Blood by David Morrell. Makes the Hollywood Rambo look like a bit of a softcock.

Anyone else a fan of Steven Kings Darktower? These have too be my all time favourite novels. A blend of fantasy, sci-fi, supernatural and western.


----------



## manticle (17/6/13)

Slowly making my way through Foucault's pendulum.

Slowly because I don't read as much as I used to and because it's quite dense but Eco has joined the ranks of my favourite authors now.


----------



## AndrewQLD (17/6/13)

Just started 2312 by Kim Stanley Robinson, just finished City of Dragons by Robin Hobb.
Will be re-reading Rama Revealed shortly.


----------



## WarmBeer (17/6/13)

Loving _Malazan Book of the Fallen_ by Steven Erikson at the moment, about half way through the mammoth 10 book story.

Makes GRRM's _A Song of Ice and Fire_ look small in both scope and complexity.


----------



## treefiddy (17/6/13)

Camo6 said:


> Anyone else a fan of Steven Kings Darktower? These have too be my all time favourite novels. A blend of fantasy, sci-fi, supernatural and western.


I've read the first one, but I didn't like it as much as I though I would. Needed more cocaine fuelled fantasticality.

Is it worth reading on?


----------



## Camo6 (17/6/13)

treefiddy said:


> I've read the first one, but I didn't like it as much as I though I would. Needed more cocaine fuelled fantasticality.
> 
> Is it worth reading on?


I think it is but that's because I first read it in a time and age of cocaine fuelled fantacism. The Gunslinger is very different from the ensuing novels but it was written when King was young and the subsequent novels were released over the years and kind of became his magnum opus. If you didn't like the first book you may not enjoy the rest but they do evolve with his writing and if you're a fan of his other works a lot of them tie in with these.


----------



## treefiddy (17/6/13)

I didn't not like it, it just wasn't quite what I was expecting. I know he was pretty young when he wrote it, I just wondered if his drug habits/and or maturity helped in the later books.
I really feel like I should give it another go though.


----------



## Camo6 (18/6/13)

Definitely give it a go. And with all them eyes you'll finish it in no time.


----------



## tricache (18/6/13)

Picked up Tara Moss's Fetish the other week since it was free on iBook and forgot all about it, started reading it the other night and it's actually not too bad!! Murder, models and some guy with a foot fetish (don't worry not a spoiler) :super:


----------



## Weizguy (18/6/13)

_Hell's Angels_: The Strange and Terrible Saga of the Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs by _Hunter S_. _Thompson_

Very early Hunter S. Typical gonzo styled, but nascent. Only a few chapters in


----------



## browndog (18/6/13)

Camo6 said:


> Really enjoyed The Skinner and keen to read some more of his works. Found a bunch of novels I'd read ages ago and currently rereading First Blood by David Morrell. Makes the Hollywood Rambo look like a bit of a softcock.
> 
> Anyone else a fan of Steven Kings Darktower? These have too be my all time favourite novels. A blend of fantasy, sci-fi, supernatural and western.


The Dark Tower series is awesome, I love the way he actually wrote himself into the plot. An amazing imagination.


----------



## bum (18/6/13)

A really ordinary translation of Daodejing. Not sure why I am persisting with it, really.

Just read Jack London's White Fang. Great little book.


----------



## Camo6 (18/6/13)

bum said:


> Just read Jack London's White Fang. Great little book.


There's a blast from the past. Read that book when I was 12 or so. Totally agree. I put it up there with Watership Down.


----------



## Cube (18/6/13)

The physics book : from the Big Bang to quantum resurrection, 250 milestones in the history of physics.

3 minute Stephen Hawking : an instant introduction to the world's second most famous theoretical physicist.

Amazing facts - Australia's southern skies.


----------



## Lecterfan (18/6/13)

bum said:


> A really ordinary translation of Daodejing.


Which translation?

Once talking beyond surface scratching Taoism they are all pretty ordinary unfortunately haha. Thomas Cleary version is nice for some contrast, although speaking to a Taoist lineage holder he still poo-pooed Cleary as getting the underlying metaphysics all wrong as Cleary is personally Buddhist-oriented (according to this guy).


----------



## bum (18/6/13)

James Legge.

On one hand he keeps using the most literal translation for some words then uses parends to offer more contextually "correct" English words to clarify and on the other hand he changes (I assume he does, anyway) the poetry stuff so that it rhymes. In either case it is just really clumsy and horrible to read.


----------



## simplefisherman (18/6/13)

Plus 1 on the Dark Tower series. Recently finished my 3rd re-read of them. Pretty much anything by King gets the thumbs up from me though.

Surprised nobody's mentioned Stephen Donaldson yet (I think... ) , his Chronicles of Thomas Covenant ( now waiting for book 4 of the 3rd chronicles, supposed to be out end of this year ) would be the best " fantasy" style series ever IMO, and if you want sci- fi he's got that covered in the Gap series; high Tech, high drama and some freakin awesome battle sequences, can't wait for someone ( are you listening Chris Nolan? ) to make the movies. His writing style takes a little bit to get used to ( need a dictionary on standby ) but once you get on the wavelength it's bloody hard to put his books down.
" Reave The Just " is a collection of short stories of his which is a good place to start on his books.

Ps. No I'm not his publicist ha ha just a fan...


----------



## Lecterfan (18/6/13)

bum said:


> bum, on 18 Jun 2013 - 7:42 PM, said:
> so that it rhymes.


Eek!


edit - ah yea, ok, a 19th century missionary...not an authority to be trusted on anything Taoist heh heh.


----------



## manticle (18/6/13)

Anyone here an Iain Banks or Iain M banks fan?


----------



## pk.sax (19/6/13)

Auel's Earth's Children series. On the third atm.


----------



## treefiddy (19/6/13)

manticle said:


> Anyone here an Iain Banks or Iain M banks fan?


Consider Phlebas was the first one I read. I found it in one of those freebie book swap bins. I'd never heard of him but gave it a go.

I read it again a couple of years later because I was still thinking about it.


----------



## Dave70 (19/6/13)

Les the Weizguy said:


> _Hell's Angels_: The Strange and Terrible Saga of the Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs by _Hunter S_. _Thompson_
> 
> Very early Hunter S. Typical gonzo styled, but nascent. Only a few chapters in


Hunter got more than he bargained for out of that project.


----------



## browndog (21/6/13)

simplefisherman said:


> Plus 1 on the Dark Tower series. Recently finished my 3rd re-read of them. Pretty much anything by King gets the thumbs up from me though.
> 
> Surprised nobody's mentioned Stephen Donaldson yet (I think... ) , his Chronicles of Thomas Covenant ( now waiting for book 4 of the 3rd chronicles, supposed to be out end of this year ) would be the best " fantasy" style series ever IMO, and if you want sci- fi he's got that covered in the Gap series; high Tech, high drama and some freakin awesome battle sequences, can't wait for someone ( are you listening Chris Nolan? ) to make the movies. His writing style takes a little bit to get used to ( need a dictionary on standby ) but once you get on the wavelength it's bloody hard to put his books down.
> " Reave The Just " is a collection of short stories of his which is a good place to start on his books.
> ...


Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, brilliant series,


----------



## Anthony.R.M (8/7/13)

Mark Bouris- What It Takes


----------



## Clutch (13/7/13)

Gibson's Neuromancer (again), and some Rebus novel.


----------



## sponge (13/7/13)

Just finished Keith Richards autobiography. Quite an interesting read indeed..


----------



## punkin (14/7/13)

browndog said:


> Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, brilliant series,


Bit heavy chewing at times to keep your head in it for me.




Clutch said:


> Gibson's Neuromancer (again), and some Rebus novel.



Great book the Neuromancer, mines way tatted. If you like that you'll like The Celestial Steam Locomotive for sure.


----------



## djar007 (14/7/13)

Just starting brew like a monk. Very interesting. Side note on shantaram. I knew doc when he was writing the book. Saw a lot of the early drafts. He told me lots was fiction based on his experiences. Obviously you can't make money from crime so it was important not to be linked to real events. Amazing bloke. Taught me a lot. Didn't know he wrote another book.


----------



## philmud (16/7/13)

Just bought "Skagboys" by Irvine Welsh from iTunes. Let's see if I can handle reading a book on an electronic device.

I loved Trainspotting, Filth, The Acid House and a few more of his earlier books. Glue and Porno were ok, but a few of his more recent offerings have been awful. Anyone read Skagboys? Is it good?


----------



## Bentnose (13/8/13)

Carte Blanche by Jeffery Deaver, he's the new James Bond author.


----------



## manticle (13/8/13)

Prague cemetery. Decent novel but not holding my attention as much as other Eco stuff.


----------



## petesbrew (13/8/13)

Just finished Magician's End - Raymond E Feist last night.
Awesome.


----------



## tricache (14/8/13)

Old Boy, the manga, which the film was based...really enjoying it!


----------



## punkin (14/8/13)

The adventures of Sherlock Holmes.


----------



## Camo6 (14/8/13)

Found my Tmnt graphic novels. Awesome.
Got 3/4s through Heinlenns starship troopers and couldnt finish. Meh.
Luckily Dune trilogy had just arrived from book depository.


----------



## sponge (14/8/13)

Life after death - Damien Echols

Read and article about this in rolling stone a couple of months back and got given it for my birthday after expressing some interest.

Still telling the tale of his childhood atm, but am quite interested to know how managed to be sentenced to life for a crime he 'didn't commit'...


----------



## manticle (14/8/13)

Be interested in reading that myself sponge, having followed various details of that case for a bit.

Does he write well?


----------



## sponge (14/8/13)

He actually sounds like a reasonably intelligent guy, considering what he's been through and the fairly sub-standard childhood he had.

I'm probably only a 3rd of the way through, but he does write quite well. 

Interested to read the rest and get onto the dealings of the court case, although I only do my reading for when I'm traveling remotely for work, so probably won't get to come back to it for another couple of weeks.


----------



## Bentnose (16/8/13)

The Dreaming Void by Peter F Hamilton


----------



## bum (18/8/13)

War and Peace, if you'll credit that.

You know what? It is actually pretty damned good so far (~10% in). Touch more melodramatic than I imagined. I expect I'd be enjoying it a tad more if I knew anything about the Napoleonic Wars other than that they happened. Oh well. Anyway, don't tell me how they end. SPOILERS!


----------



## krausenhaus (18/8/13)

Skagboys by Irvine Welsh. I can't actually remember the last fiction I read that wasn't by Irvine Welsh.


----------



## manticle (18/8/13)

sponge said:


> He actually sounds like a reasonably intelligent guy, considering what he's been through and the fairly sub-standard childhood he had.
> 
> I'm probably only a 3rd of the way through, but he does write quite well.
> 
> Interested to read the rest and get onto the dealings of the court case, although I only do my reading for when I'm traveling remotely for work, so probably won't get to come back to it for another couple of weeks.


Always sounded reasonably articulate in interviews but that may have just been comparatively speaking considering his peers and elders.


----------



## eungaibitter1 (1/9/13)

"Blood,Sweat & Beers-Oz Rock from the Aztecs to Rose Tattoo", Murray Engleheart.


----------



## Yob (4/9/13)

Go figure...


----------



## Not For Horses (4/9/13)

Just finished Dracula. Great read.


----------



## Camo6 (4/9/13)

Dracula is one of my all time classics. Struggled through it when I was a young teen only to reread it years later to really appreciate it. When it comes to modern vampire novels, Salem's Lot is the ducks guts IMO.


----------



## treefiddy (4/9/13)

Surely you're joking Mr Feynman.

This man should be the epitome humanity. A Nobel prize winner who enjoyed working in strip clubs, a very funny character.
I've never read such a great autobiography.

This is probably what made me read his book.


----------



## Forever Wort (12/9/13)

bum said:


> War and Peace, if you'll credit that.
> 
> You know what? It is actually pretty damned good so far (~10% in). Touch more melodramatic than I imagined. I expect I'd be enjoying it a tad more if I knew anything about the Napoleonic Wars other than that they happened. Oh well. Anyway, don't tell me how they end. SPOILERS!


I slogged through W&P a few years ago. It took two attempts but I ended up enjoying the book quite a lot - very thought provoking. However, given its length, it isn't one I'll be revisiting for at least a few more years yet. The length is justified by its scope but still.



punkin said:


> The adventures of Sherlock Holmes.


Awesome books. I was disappointed by the recent BBC TV series though.

-

And I am reading _Frankenstein _at the moment for book club. I didn't realise it was so inspired by earlier works i.e. "the modern Prometheus", nor how blatantly Shelley writes about her inspirations. I have a week to get it done so hopefully it is doable.


----------



## punkin (13/9/13)

Been stuck with Raymond E Feist lately.

I know it's rubbish, but that science fantasy stuff just grabs me. On about my fifth book in a row in his series about wizards and elves and shit.


----------



## WarmBeer (13/9/13)

punkin said:


> I know it's rubbish, but that science fantasy stuff just grabs me. On about my fifth book in a row in his series about wizards and elves and shit.


Punkin, try some Joe Abercrombie. Dark fantasy, without elves, dwarves, or hobbitses, and a tendency to turn the standard genre stereotypes on their heads.

Wickedly funny and gruesome in equal measures.

A+ from me.


----------



## tricache (13/9/13)

WarmBeer said:


> Punkin, try some Joe Abercrombie. Dark fantasy, without elves, dwarves, or hobbitses, and a tendency to turn the standard genre stereotypes on their heads.
> 
> Wickedly funny and gruesome in equal measures.
> 
> A+ from me.


Going to check him out for sure!


----------



## punkin (14/9/13)

WarmBeer said:


> Punkin, try some Joe Abercrombie. Dark fantasy, without elves, dwarves, or hobbitses, and a tendency to turn the standard genre stereotypes on their heads.
> 
> Wickedly funny and gruesome in equal measures.
> 
> A+ from me.



Thanks i will do that.

I just like the mindless Pfaff sometimes. Fairy floss for the brain. Sometimes it's good not to have to think, and there's only so much TV you can watch.
I do like to have to think sometimes too, and i like it when i'm made to think another way i didn't know about.


----------



## JDW81 (14/9/13)

House of God by Samuel Shem. 

Favourite quote "there isn't a body cavity that can't be reached with a 14 gauge needle and a good strong arm". 

Anyone who works in a hospital will understand.


----------



## browndog (14/9/13)

Blue remembered Earth - Alistair Reynolds

Struggling a bit with it ATM as it is a bit of a departure from his Space Operas, but holding out hope.


----------



## Forever Wort (27/9/13)

So far so good. Starts with the French revolution, gone through Marx and Engels and the Western Europe tri-stream phase. Really enjoying it and learning a lot of details I didn't know and will no doubt forget after a few more beers.


----------



## punkin (28/9/13)

WarmBeer said:


> Punkin, try some Joe Abercrombie. Dark fantasy, without elves, dwarves, or hobbitses, and a tendency to turn the standard genre stereotypes on their heads.
> 
> Wickedly funny and gruesome in equal measures.
> 
> A+ from me.



On the second book of a trilogy from him, Before They Are Hanged now. If you like that writing you will like the ones i was talking about from Raymond E Feist. Very similar, just a little less spitting.


----------



## WarmBeer (28/9/13)

punkin said:


> On the second book of a trilogy from him, Before They Are Hanged now. If you like that writing you will like the ones i was talking about from Raymond E Feist. Very similar, just a little less spitting.


That was my favourite of the trilogy, it's a rollercoaster ride.

_The Heroes_, which occurs after the conclusion of the trilogy, is probably his best work.

Will have another look into Feist then. I'm probably a little biased against him, as the first Fantasy series that ever got me hooked was Magician. I was only 13 years old, and am afraid to re-read incase it cheapens the memory of it.


----------



## tricache (3/10/13)

Just picked up Doctor Sleep (the sequel to The Shinning) a few chapters in and so far so good!


----------



## spog (3/10/13)

Just finished Batavia by Peter Fitzsimons,a bloody good read if history is yor thing.
Half way through Gold by David Hill (the story history of gold mining in oz). A good read. ...cheers..spog..


----------



## brettprevans (28/10/13)

WarmBeer said:


> That was my favourite of the trilogy, it's a rollercoaster ride.
> 
> _The Heroes_, which occurs after the conclusion of the trilogy, is probably his best work.
> 
> Will have another look into Feist then. I'm probably a little biased against him, as the first Fantasy series that ever got me hooked was Magician. I was only 13 years old, and am afraid to re-read incase it cheapens the memory of it.


im reading riftwar series for the first time now. About to finish daughter of the empire.its good reading.


----------



## AHB_Admin (13/11/13)

Purgatorio. Just started it. I have a love of Catholic literature. No, I'm not Catholic.


----------



## brettprevans (14/11/13)

Finished the 'empire series' and into the blood prince trilogy of the riftwars.


----------



## Not For Horses (14/11/13)

Ayn Rand - Atlas Shrugged. About half way through but thinking that it might be enough.
Enjoyed The Fountainhead immensely but I just can't find the same love for this book.
Her philosophies are much more in your face with this one.
It's like yeah Ayn I get what what you're saying but can you just let me enjoy the storyline as well.


----------



## Mardoo (14/11/13)

Purgatorio. Just started it. I have a love of Catholic literature. No, I'm not Catholic.
The Divine Comedy is, like, the totally awesomest trilogy EVER!!! Better than Iron Man. 

All humor aside, truly, truly great and hugely influential on me.


----------



## Mardoo (14/11/13)

"The Rest Is Noise" by Alex Ross
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/392563.The_Rest_is_Noise

If you have even a passing interest in modern classical interest you may find this fascinating. He basically puts the music in its context of history and characters and it's an awesome read, as well as making some sense of some really difficult music.


----------



## eungaibitter1 (14/11/13)

Just finished the Bart Cummings biography "The Master", by Les Carlyon. A great overview of his career and some brilliant photographs.


----------



## wide eyed and legless (14/11/13)

"Secret Scripture" by Sebastian Barry, excellent read, typically Irish. Best for a good laugh "Wilt", "Riotous Assembley", and "Indecent Exposure" by Tom Sharpe, the latter two resulting in his expulsion from South Africa.


----------



## Black Devil Dog (20/11/13)

spog said:


> Just finished Batavia by Peter Fitzsimons,a bloody good read if history is yor thing.


Thanks for the tip spog, I'm currently reading Kokoda by Fitzsimons and I find his writing style quite enjoyable to read.


----------



## HBHB (20/11/13)

I have little trouble putting most books down but Just finished "The Reckoning" The Day Australia Fell by Keith McArdle. One I found difficult to put down and finished in 2 sessions.

Great yarn. Australia invaded by Indonesia & left in the lurch by the UN.

Not flawless, but nonetheless and excellent read.

Martin


----------



## spog (21/11/13)

Black Devil Dog said:


> Thanks for the tip spog, I'm currently reading Kokoda by Fitzsimons and I find his writing style quite enjoyable to read.


 you should enjoy Batavia then,must get his latest about the Kelly gang,heard him interviewed on the radio and it sounds like a good one. ...cheers...spog...


----------



## spog (15/12/13)

Just finished reading. Girt the Unauthorised History of Australia by David Hunt.
Down loaded from Kobo,if you are interested in oz history or not read it,it's a good read that will get you in and give you a bloody good laugh. Cheers...spog..


----------



## spog (15/12/13)

If you get the book,in chapter 10 page 39, is a cartoon which given DucatiBoy Stu's pic in his posts is topical,but OT here to what do you remember as a kid,can anyone name the bloke who use to promote the name of the paint company on the paint tin.
Careful what you say!.


----------



## Bentnose (3/1/14)

Just started reading The Hydrogen Sonata by Iain M Banks, I've read all of his books up to Inversions, but disliked it so much I have read any since. The Hydrogen Sonata seems to be pretty good 65 pages in.


----------



## Black Devil Dog (5/1/14)

Just finished reading Batavia the other day. That is one incredible story, I couldn't put the book down.


----------



## StalkingWilbur (6/1/14)

Hotel Kerobokan. Just finished reading Snowing in Bali. Good googly moogly was that an awesome read. Hotel K isn't as good, but still very much worth the read so far.


----------



## tricache (6/1/14)

Just finished over the holiday break reading two comic series...

Planetary...think X-Files mixed with Heroes mixed with something with superheroes, really enjoyed it!





Transmetropolitan...think Judge Dredd timeframe (almost) with over the top violence and sex but the main character is a journalist, now in my top reads! Great series!


----------



## Liam_snorkel (11/4/14)

Tom Petrie's reminiscences of early Queensland (dating from 1837) (1904)

https://archive.org/details/cu31924063745495

a very informative read for anyone interested in how life was when the white fellas showed up. The customs & practices of the tribes from the Brisbane & surrounding area are described in detail, as well as the wildlife & flora.


----------



## Mardoo (18/4/14)

Vale Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Your fervent imagination drew me out of my hole as a young man. What a wonder you were!


----------



## philmud (18/4/14)

I just finished reading "The Wind Up Bird Chronicle" by Murakami, and am onto "What I talk about when I talk about running". The former was excellent, Kafka on the Shore is next.


----------



## mattymcfatty (18/4/14)

Just started reading 'If on a winters night a traveler' by Italo Calvino.
The idea of reading a book about reading the book you're reading only to find out you're not actually reading said book got me interested. Plus I love the cover art of the vintage classic range.


----------



## Ditchnbeer (2/6/14)

I read "All You Need Is Kill" by Hiroshi Sakurazaka, which has been made into "Edge of Tomorow" starring Tom Cruise. Its a short novel and really well written, I recommend it. Not sure if movie will do it justice, Emily Blunt seems too wimpy for the role...


----------



## mr_wibble (20/6/14)

I couldn't find the word "Cryptonomicon" anywhere in this thread.






http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cryptonomicon

It's two stores that intertwine about a man and his grandson. The grandfather's story takes place during WW2 where he is part of a dis-intelligence unit.
The grandson is in the early 90's setting up a telecoms installation in the Philippines. (ok, i admit that doesn't sound so exciting).

Actually maybe just read the wikipedia link. Their summary is better.

This is my favourite book. You should read it.


----------



## Dave70 (20/6/14)

Iron Coffins. 
Just had my cousin, an ex-serviceman, give this to me. As near as he can triangulate from the RAAF records and Werners account in the book, U-415 was the actual u boat that brought down my grandfathers (flight navigator) Lancaster bomber on D day. The attack is apparently detailed quite comprehensively by Werner. Haven't got to it yet, but feeling a little emotional to be honest.


----------



## Forever Wort (24/6/14)

Good book synthesising most of his ideas. Some essays I hadn't encountered elsewhere and others are becoming quite dated.


----------



## AHB_Admin (24/7/14)

http://mattpolly.com/books/american-shaolin/synopsis/

American Shaolin.


----------



## Forever Wort (24/7/14)

Good old Henan. Many a monk anecdote. 

I am now reading ...


----------



## timmyf (27/9/14)

Just started reading American Sour Beers by Michael Tonsmeire (themadfermentationist.com)




Really good so far, it can see it becoming a trusted and we'll worn reference


----------



## BadSeed (27/9/14)

Mr Wibble said:


> I couldn't find the word "Cryptonomicon" anywhere in this thread.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I loved that book when I first read it.
One of my favourite authors but he lost me with The Baroque Cycle.

ReamDe is a return to form, but he needs an editor.


----------



## BadSeed (27/9/14)

Currently reading this.






I always like musicians autobiographies.


----------



## spog (27/9/14)

Dave70 said:


> Iron Coffins.
> Just had my cousin, an ex-serviceman, give this to me. As near as he can triangulate from the RAAF records and Werners account in the book, U-415 was the actual u boat that brought down my grandfathers (flight navigator) Lancaster bomber on D day. The attack is apparently detailed quite comprehensively by Werner. Haven't got to it yet, but feeling a little emotional to be honest.


I read this ,wow the connection with your family is very interesting.


----------



## spog (27/9/14)

I have just finished read this.


An evil fucker if ever there was one.


----------



## malt and barley blues (28/9/14)

Started reading my way through Tom Sharpe books again, the wife has barred me from reading them in bed because I try to stifle my laughs and the bed shakes. Wilt, is one of the funniest books I have read.


----------



## philmud (28/9/14)

Just finished Murder in Mississippi by John Safran. It's basically a journal of his investigation into the murder of a White Supremacist he'd had contact with. As much as a true crime story, it's a portrait if Mississippi as viewed by an outsider. If you like his TV work, you might enjoy this. There's less focus on humour, but it shares the same dry approach to humanity.


----------



## malt and barley blues (28/9/14)

Watched the SBS documentary, The 60's, brought back memories about how the blacks were treated in America and the colour bar also the movie Mississippi Burning was spot on Governor Wallace got his just deserts, funny how he found God after he was shot.


----------



## tricache (1/10/14)

Just finished reading The Martian by Andy Weir...a great book!! About a astronaut who is part of a landing part on Mars who gets left behind.


----------



## Forever Wort (1/10/14)




----------



## manticle (1/10/14)

> Currently reading this.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Does Bono feature?

I thought it was just me and a mate but I realise we are not alone

http://www.google.com.au/search?q=does+bono+appear+in+every+music+documentary&sourceid=ie7&rls=com.microsoft:en-au:IE-Address&ie=&oe=


----------



## hwall95 (1/10/14)

This.. 


Can't say those who haven't read it are missing out on much unless you either love concrete or required to read it


----------



## wide eyed and legless (24/10/14)

Tackling 2 books at the moment, 3 if you count the dictionary to see what a lot of the words mean that these two conjure up.

Waking up -Sam Harris
Thomas Jefferson Author of America - Chris Hitchens


----------



## philmud (24/10/14)

Reading "the sex lives of Siamese twins" by Irvine Welsh. I loved his early novels & short stories, but this and most of his more recent work is ******* garbage. Lift ya game, ya fookin' daft wee [email protected]#t!


----------



## wide eyed and legless (24/10/14)

Did you read Filth? I see its been made into a movie now.


----------



## Mardoo (24/10/14)

I highly recommend "Feast of Snakes" by Harry Crews for all you fellow sickos.


----------



## philmud (24/10/14)

wide eyed and legless said:


> Did you read Filth? I see its been made into a movie now.


I did, I loved Filth - haven't seen the movie yet, but James McEvoy was great in The Last King of Scotland. I believe Filth has a couple of BAFTA nominations, so I think it's ok.


----------



## wide eyed and legless (24/10/14)

Mardoo said:


> I highly recommend "Feast of Snakes" by Harry Crews for all you fellow sickos.


Looked up "Feast of snakes" don't think I could handle the animal cruelty.I did read "The Painted Bird" some years ago now that book is sick. The author Jerzy Kosinski committed suicide 20 years ago.



Prince Imperial said:


> I did, I loved Filth - haven't seen the movie yet, but James McEvoy was great in The Last King of Scotland. I believe Filth has a couple of BAFTA nominations, so I think it's ok.


I haven't read the book so I just ordered it on your recommendation, I know the movie got good reviews.


----------



## philmud (24/10/14)

Have you read much of his other stuff? Filth is probably my favourite after Trainspotting.


----------



## wide eyed and legless (24/10/14)

No just Trainspotting and The acid house, my favourite Scottish writer is Ian Rankin I have read all the Rebus books found them really hard to put down. Through the first chapter of Filth now.


----------



## Mattress (24/10/14)

I've been reading the Codex Alera series by Jim Butcher.

right up there with the most enjoyable books I've ever read, even after I found out the reason he wrote them
Apparently Jim had a bet with a fellow author at a writers workshop that he could write a successful novel based on any lame idea put forward by the fellow author. His mate chose the roman legion and Pokemon.

Still great books though.


----------



## Ditchnbeer (29/10/14)

Finished Richard Flanagan's "The Narrow Road to the Deep North". Pain, misery, suffering and cruelty - they're all in there. Flanagan also has some thoughts on how people are remembered after their deaths, which can be thought provoking for those who have lost loved ones in real life. For those who enjoy being sad 

Unbroken -The real story of Louie Zamperini actually upset me more, not looking forward to Jolie's movie as no-one wants to see a grown man cry...


----------



## Dave70 (29/10/14)

wide eyed and legless said:


> Tackling 2 books at the moment, 3 if you count the dictionary to see what a lot of the words mean that these two conjure up.
> 
> Waking up -Sam Harris
> Thomas Jefferson Author of America - Chris Hitchens


I downloaded the audio book of Waking Up. Learning that patience is a skill that can be trained has come in handy waiting for my hardcover copy to arrive from the book depo..

The chapter that deals with severing of the brains hemispheres via cutting the corpus callosum and the subsequent studies I found astonishing. When we say we're in 'two minds' about something, we _really are_.

Yep. wiktionary getting a sound workout at my end, thats for sure.


----------



## Forever Wort (31/10/14)




----------



## wide eyed and legless (3/11/14)

The Hand of Captain Danjou.

Five Legionnaires left, out of ammo, surrounded by 2,000 Mexicans, do they surrender ? **** off! Fix bayonets and charge.


----------



## wide eyed and legless (3/7/15)

After reading a shit load of crime novels someone suggested that I try a true crime novel, purchased The secret life of Herman Rockefeller, what an eye opener, can't believe someone worth $400 million would be behaving the way he did, scraping the bottom of the barrel for a cheap thrill.


----------



## bullsneck (3/7/15)

Reading this at the moment (not this cover unfortunately - one of the Penguin Classic covers).
It's a killer. I'd give it my highest endorsement.


----------



## warra48 (4/7/15)

Been on a bit of a classics trip lately.

Read 5 of the 6 Jane Austen published books. Will read the last one soon.

Currently reading Mansfield Park by George Eliot.

Then it will be time to get back into some action and fill the gaps in the Jack Reacher series by Lee Child.

Apart from that, I read AHB each day. Does that count?


----------



## Ditchnbeer (23/7/15)

*I recommend the Mistborn trilogy by Brandon Sanderson. It's an epic fantasy that is deep with a great ending - I couldn't see it coming with 100 pages left. In recent years I have read lots of 'Book 1's' and not continued on with the rest of the books. The first book of Mistborn is called The First Empire and it is fantastic, a great book by itself. So I continued on with book 2 and glad I did.*
*Sanderson completed the last few books of the Wheel of Time series which I am reading book 1 now. *


----------



## philmud (5/8/15)

Just finished The Grapes of Wrath - excellent! I really like Steinbeck and this one appealed to me politically as well as being a good story.
Also reading "Bad Characters" by Peter Stanley, which is about poorly behaved AIF members. So far it's shite - just vague anecdotes about privates getting the clap or deliberately copping a whiff of mustard gas to get the **** away from the front. It's frustrating because the stories are presumably well researched, just poorly relayed by the author. Hoping it improves.

I also just finished "The Prince" by David Marr. It's about George Pell's involvement in the Melbourne archdiocese's response to child sex abuse and it made me really bloody angry.


----------



## Dave70 (7/8/15)

Pell's a slimy obscurantist ****. To put it mildly. 

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-05-20/cardinal-george-pell-tried-to-bribe-paedophile-victim-inquiry/6484420


----------



## philmud (9/8/15)

Dave70 said:


> Pell's a slimy obscurantist ****. To put it mildly.
> 
> http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-05-20/cardinal-george-pell-tried-to-bribe-paedophile-victim-inquiry/6484420


No argument here. I grew up in a very catholic household. While I'm not religious myself I've previously been less than hard on the church around child sex abuse because my own experience didn't reflect the heinous things that have gone on. Reading this essay made me realise what a cop-out that was, and that the church divides the laity this way, and that's why the abuse can occur. Amazing when a book can change you profoundly, but this one made me see that you cannot be on the fence.


----------



## madpierre06 (12/11/15)

Haven't done a lot of reading in years, fell away from at one time almost living in books. I loved the Sven Hassel series, the Les Norton books by Robert G. Barrett (especially the not so subtle factual references, and one book went to Dirranbandi, near St. George where I grew up), Asterix, Robert Ludlum, Freederick Forsyth.....these days all my reading is background to and specific to my studies. Primarily Christian personal and spiritual development and growth, particularly for practical use in the counseling field and my own personal trek through desert country.


----------



## lost at sea (13/11/15)

i work away offshore and taking enough books to sea was always a struggle, buying a kindle when they first appeared was a defining moment, now i read flat out when im away at work, its my escape really, i normally only read non fiction/history/bio's or nautical themed books but i do sometimes enjoy a novel if its based on actual history,

some of the top titles i highly recommend to check out are:

the ghengis khan series by Conn Iggulden: as someone said earlier, that the mongols were bad bad peeps, i disagree and say they were pretty fair for the time in history, they gave you a good chance to surrender, and if you didnt....well thats unfortunate.

1984 and animal farm by orwell, scary to read in this era,

diary of a young girl, by anne frank

mawson and the ice men: by peter fitzsimons

GIRT, the unauthorised history of australia: a humours look at australian history.

Things bogans like: side splitting look at our favorite class of aussies

endurance: shackletons incredible voyage (such a crazy story)

Dont tell mum i work on the oil rigs she thinks im a piano player in a whore house: one of my favorite books ever, i can read it in a single flight to work.

Shadow warrior: true story about Australia's most wanted man in the 90s, dangerous dave. ex SAS soldier turned bank robber and jungle fighter. brilliant read.

Cruiser: by mike carlton

Master and commander: its a 22 book series to which the movie master and commander with russell crow was based on, took me several years to read them all.


----------



## Droopy Brew (19/11/15)

Shantaram was a good read but see it has been discussed early on. Big bastard but good yarn and great characters.


----------



## Dave70 (5/5/16)

Buckled a third of the way through and downloaded the audio book. True story. Chilling how a simple robbery can turn into a slaughter. 








Never even bothered with the paperback. I enjoy Hitches whisky and Rothmans inflected vocal timbre.


----------

