What Are You Reading?

[white.grant]

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]

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]

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

Love my sci fi.

 

[JonnyAnchovy]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

I've just started Tristram Shandy

cheers

Grant

 

[JonnyAnchovy]

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]

I've just started Tristram Shandy

cheers

Grant

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

 

[schooey]

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]

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]

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]

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.

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.