Book recommendation Summary:

[Quinnbeast]

Use of Weapons by Mr. Banks.

WTB GSV. That is all.

[Cacker]

I think I could be content with a Knife Missile Drone, GSV is a bit overkill tbh.

[Quinnbeast]

You're right. The GSV would be a nice alternative to a QE2 cruise perhaps.

Perhaps they'd sell knife missiles in the gift shop!

[Mr.Fishcakes]

Sci-fi Steam Punk

Just finished Iron Council by China Mieville

Set in a steam punk world but in a sort of western type tale. Really excellent book! One section of the book is probably my favourite bit of fiction ever! Also the ending really isn't what you expect

I re-read Perdido Street station by the same author a few weeks ago as well. A brilliant twist at the end!

Fantasy

The Magician's Apprentice by Trudi Canavan
A prequel to the Black Magician Trilogy

A really enjoyable book with a conflict that shapes the world and civilisation in which the trilogy is based. A reasonably original take on the whole magic thing.

The Magicians Guild - book 1 of the trilogy
Quite short but kept me pretty gripped to the end.

Also I finally got round to reading 1984... Bloody brilliant if a bit depressing!

[~Dear Old Granny~]

Idea Man - Paul Allen

Allen was the other half of Microsoft and Bill Gate's co-collaborator.

With reservation. I say that this is not a bad book. But it is written by a nerd not an author, so it gets a bit bogged down in very very boring technical things very quickly and there can't be that many people who spunk up over the architecture of the early processor chips to such a lengthy degree. The language is clunky and unimaginative, but is that a surprise?

Nonetheless, it is enlightening. Reading it for information and the history of MS rather than pleasure would be a fair comment.

However, Allen's life is an enviable one from the point of view that he seems to live the life of a Playboy Bond Villain, without the weird side-kick. Although he may have one of those too (for 10$ billion he can afford two)for all we know.

[Gwil]

Idea Man - Paul Allen

Allen was the other half of Microsoft and Bill Gate's co-collaborator.

With reservation. I say that this is not a bad book. But it is written by a nerd not an author, so it gets a bit bogged down in very very boring technical things very quickly and there can't be that many people who spunk up over the architecture of the early processor chips to such a lengthy degree. The language is clunky and unimaginative, but is that a surprise?

Nonetheless, it is enlightening. Reading it for information and the history of MS rather than pleasure would be a fair comment.

However, Allen's life is an enviable one from the point of view that he seems to live the life of a Playboy Bond Villain, without the weird side-kick. Although he may have one of those too (for 10$ billion he can afford two)for all we know.

FWIW, this generally gets a good - and similar to above - review from the papers!

[Monie]

Idea Man - Paul Allen

Allen was the other half of Microsoft and Bill Gate's co-collaborator.

With reservation. I say that this is not a bad book. But it is written by a nerd not an author, so it gets a bit bogged down in very very boring technical things very quickly and there can't be that many people who spunk up over the architecture of the early processor chips to such a lengthy degree. The language is clunky and unimaginative, but is that a surprise?

Nonetheless, it is enlightening. Reading it for information and the history of MS rather than pleasure would be a fair comment.

However, Allen's life is an enviable one from the point of view that he seems to live the life of a Playboy Bond Villain, without the weird side-kick. Although he may have one of those too (for 10$ billion he can afford two)for all we know.

Is there much in the book about that last part - his Playboy Bond Villain lifestyle? I know he bought the Seattle Seahawks to play real-life Championship Manager type stuff, and that's kinda interesting to me at the minute as they've just come looking for an exclusive deal on our data. Just wondering if there's any info in there in terms of what kind of control he has over them and their purse strings.

[~Dear Old Granny~]

There's a lot of stuff about his philanthropy, which he seems to enjoy talking about and there's a lot about the sports teams he backs - So yes, I think that it would be of interest to you.

I read an article about him in The Sunday Times which outlined his excess spending, so I think I kind of melded the two together. He doesn't talk about collecting fighter jets and yachts and piles of cocaine the size of Ben Nevis at any great length - But in common with every autobiography [which I enjoy] I have read there is a lot of "And there you have it, I was a genius and everyone else was wrong and stupid etc etc"

Except for Jack Dee's - His was funny, introspective and self-deprecating in a way Stephen Fry can only dream under the influence of Peyote about.

[Refugee]

Use of Weapons by Mr. Banks.

WTB GSV. That is all.

Pretty much any of the Culture books (Which I think I've mentioned in this thread before?)

But yes Mr Banks does good sci fi.

I read Wasp Factory the other week and really enjoyed that.

These aren't reading books, but I bought these because I am a massive nerd:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Space-Wars-Weap ... 070641005X
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Quantumscape-Ar ... 1933492511
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Science-Fiction ... 038920319X

Mainly because I saw those original Star Wars concept art and realised I haven't seen any of that sweet 70's 80's scifi art stuff in ages.

Figured I can't be the only person in here who likes shit like:



(I also realise that these aren't really books)

[Monie]

There's a lot of stuff about his philanthropy, which he seems to enjoy talking about and there's a lot about the sports teams he backs - So yes, I think that it would be of interest to you.

I read an article about him in The Sunday Times which outlined his excess spending, so I think I kind of melded the two together. He doesn't talk about collecting fighter jets and yachts and piles of cocaine the size of Ben Nevis at any great length - But in common with every autobiography [which I enjoy] I have read there is a lot of "And there you have it, I was a genius and everyone else was wrong and stupid etc etc"

Except for Jack Dee's - His was funny, introspective and self-deprecating in a way Stephen Fry can only dream under the influence of Peyote about.

Ta for the answer btw!

Just read a book called 'The man who ate his boots' and then a long subtitle about the exploration of the Northwest Passage, which ironically enough is now pretty easy to access due to global warming and polar ice melting and all that jazz.

Title sold it to me, but it's a good read if you're a history guy.

[Defrag]

The Great Gatsby -- The pretty good Gatsby. It has a man in it that says "Old chap" a lot. Granny probably wrote it.

Crime and Punishment -- Slow to get going, but couldn't stop reading it once I'd started. Very, very strange book, but oddly compelling. It's mostly the stream of consciousness of a murdering nutter who is consumed by hallucinations and extreme paranoia.

Brighton Rock -- Also devoured this and would recommend it. Nasty, nasty character in this.

The Importance of Being Earnest -- short, hilarious in parts. No pretensions about being anything other than a fun little story.

A Picture of Dorian Grey -- gave up because it felt like a boring, laboured exercise in trying to be witty at the expense of everything else.

The man who would be King -- short and memorable.

Currently half way through Papillon. Not sure how much tall-tale telling he does, but if even 10% of it is accurate, the man lived a hell of a life. Escape after escape, scheme after scheme, successes after success and failure after failure. Reading his accounts of (mentally) surviving 3+ years of solitary makes you realise just how easy we have it in life. Best book I've read in ages.

Someone should compile a short-and-good list because I like picking up little books and ploughing through them when I can't be arsed starting another big one.

[stoz]

RE above.

Found the Great Gatsby really boring and nearly put it down half way through. Decided to persevere though, and was glad I did as it ends well.

Didn't rate Brighton Rock at all - just couldn't get into it, and found it a bit unsettling - but have enjoyed other stuff by Greene.

Importance of being Earnest is a good read, pretty funny too, but Dorian Gray is even better imo.

As for short to read books (I also like these when I CBA starting something big) 3 men in a boat, if you haven't already, and lucky jim by kingsley amis, both highly recommended.

[Defrag]

I'll give drei men in a boat a punt, cheers

[Cacker]

almost forgot, Spike Milligan's memoirs of his time in the army in WWII are fantastic, sad, funny, hilarious and .. funny. I stumbled across it at the in-laws where they had Monty: His Part in my Victory, from reading the title onwards it was a laugh a page.

"The War (and Peace) Memoirs" by Spike Milligan

The seven memoirs were also recorded as talking books with Spike reciting them in his own inimitable style.
Adolf Hitler: My Part in his Downfall (1971)
Rommel? Gunner Who? A Confrontation in the Desert (1974)
Monty: His Part in My Victory (1976)
This and the previous two books were released and publicised as the first, second, and third part respectively of a trilogy.

Mussolini: His Part in My Downfall (1978)
This was announced as the fourth part of his trilogy.

Where Have All the Bullets Gone? (1985)
Goodbye Soldier (1986)
Peace Work (1992)

[~Dear Old Granny~]

Lucky Jim is good - I didn't like 3 Men so much myself, but it's generally highy rated.

Here are two good ones that are easy reads:

Seasonal Suicide Notes: Roger Lewis.

Really funny bloke who writes about his own eternally hopeless life as a writer (funny as in lol, not 'witty') You can probably read this in two or three bathtimes - Can you guess when I read it?

20 Tales from the War Zone: John Simpson

Well, it's 20 tales of war zones by TV reporter John Simpson who has covered every major conflict in the last 40 years. From being kidnapped in Belfast to dressing as a woman in some sandy shit-hole (can't recall where) to escape detection. Boys Own exciting.

Neither are Shakespeare - But that might be a good thing.

Good call on Spike Milligan's books, they are comedy art. Humour ++ without the mental illness that made so much of his TV work a bit sad. (imho)

[Defrag]

Going to pare down my Papillon review. It ran out of steam towards the end, and I became more and more cynical about his exploits. It's a good yarn, but I sincerely doubt that it's autobiographical.

[larchy]

So, Dance with Dragons was pants. Lost interest now.

[Monie]

Anyone know any good places for obscure ebooks? Or ebooks in general that aren;t on amazon?

[stoz]

Project Gutenberg does free, legal classic books. http://www.gutenberg.org/

[larchy]

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