My Family and Other Animals
Birds,Beasts and Relatives
The Garden Of The Gods
The Picnic And Suchlike Pandomonium
Deric Longdens
Lost For Words ((for Whiskey getting well washed by Derics eccentric mother. Funniest scene I have read in a book. Its a joy! But not a joy for Whiskey as surely Domestos burns even when diluted?))
A Play On Words
The Cat Who Came In From The Cold. ((for Thermal's adventures))
I've just read "How to be lost" By Amanda Eye Ward and thouroughly enjoyed it ,its nmot a hard read but its quite thought provoking , It's being sold as the new Lovely bones but to be honest I cant see why,the only thing they have in common is a missing child
Oh, I just found this forum bit! One of the best books I've read this year and I thought was just amazing was 'The Five People you meet in Heaven'. I would recommend that to anyone, its truly a thought-provoking book.
Somehow, the books I've read so far this year haven't been that great so the best one was probably The Da Vinci Code. But even that I was reading for the second time. Nothing else stands out.
Somehow, the books I've read so far this year haven't been that great so the best one was probably The Da Vinci Code. But even that I was reading for the second time. Nothing else stands out.
Ditto. I've read nothing really great this year, though I had a list as long as my arm for last year.
Shantaram, Time Travelers Wife, Million Little Pieces, Q and A, Norwegian Wood and more.
I quite liked Johnathan Strange though. Someone recommend me a good un I feel literary starved (BTW though don't like Dan Brown books)
Being a Mathematical type bore, I've just finished Alan Turing: The Enigma, which is probably one of the best Scientific biogs, I've read in a long time.
Alan Turing was one of the leading Mathematicians at the now famous Bletchley Park, where he, along with many others, developed the first electronic computing machine to decode the German Enigma encryption device, during WWII.
The character of Turing comes across as a very intelligent, but lonely, driven man, who eventually committed suicide, perhaps related to his homosexuality, in a time of severe repression.
He is now credited as the father of modern computing, so blame him if your Windows XP displays a blue fault page !
Fantastic stuff, and they get better as they go on - "Something Rotten" being the best of the lot.
In case you are interested go to Jasper's website as he is doing a tour in July - I saw him do a reading last year and he was great fun, and signed all kinds of stuff afterwards. His new book, "The Fourth Bear" (not a Thursday Next book) is out in July.
Don't let the title put you off - such a hilarious family comedy-melo-drama! - Found myself laughing out loud and smikring to myself whilst reading this... My only problem with it is that it's too short! - I read it in just one sitting!
My second favourite book of the year after The Kite Runner hilarious
I just bought 'A Short History of Tractors in Ukranian' on a bit of a whim. Looking forward to it after hearing so many people say they liked it.
My personal favourite of the year so far has to be 'We need to talk about Kevin' by Lionel Shriver. It's brutal and ambiguous and I would highly recommend it!
Hmmm... I haven't really read anything that I would consider to be truly mind blowing this year. That said, I rather enjoyed 'Freakonomics' by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner, as it took the rather dry, dull world of economics and injected it with a bit of life so that even I was interested to know the connection between school teachers and sumo wrestlers!
Being a Mathematical type bore, I've just finished Alan Turing: The Enigma, which is probably one of the best Scientific biogs, I've read in a long time.
Alan Turing was one of the leading Mathematicians at the now famous Bletchley Park, where he, along with many others, developed the first electronic computing machine to decode the German Enigma encryption device, during WWII.
The character of Turing comes across as a very intelligent, but lonely, driven man, who eventually committed suicide, perhaps related to his homosexuality, in a time of severe repression.
He is now credited as the father of modern computing, so blame him if your Windows XP displays a blue fault page !
I read that years ago when I think it was called 'the Enigmo of Intelligence. You're right, it's one of the best biographies I've ever read, I think.
For anyone interested in US politics of the middle of the last century, I really recommend this too:
J.Edgar Hoover: The Man and the Secrets
by Curt Gentry
Mine's The Time Traveller's Wife. If you haven't read it and truly enjoy a good book, read it. Fanbleedingtastic. In my top 3 books of all times.
I have to agree - I found The Time Travellers Wife to be the perfect book. It's got such a unique blend of happiness and sadness that sometimes I didn't know whether to smile or cry
I found that the book just flowed from the pages and IMO it was one of the most powerful books I have ever read - a true 21st Century love story!!
I think the best book I've read so far this year is probably Carry On Jeeves (P G Wodehouse), not only because it's more or less the first one I've read since finishing my MA although that was a major factor! I know some people who don't really take to Wodehouse's style but I find it quite soothing for some reason, very light but with a taut plot.
Carry On Jeeves - a choice to be commended, glitterbug. I've got the first edition .... Wodehouse really struggled to write a bad sentence in nearly eighty years at his typewriter, and I've been reading (and re-reading) him since I was a child, so I am slightly biased.
Best books I've (re-)read this year are Paradise Postponed and Summer's Lease by John Mortimer - they helped pass some seriously unpleasant weeks in hospital a few months ago; they nearly distracted me from my situation.
J.Edgar Hoover: The Man and the Secrets
by Curt Gentry
Thats on my 'to read' list.
Best books i've read so far this year are:
The Italian Job by Luca Vialli and Gab Marcotti.
Napoleon and Wellington - a comparison of the two, forgotten the author though.
I just bought 'A Short History of Tractors in Ukranian' on a bit of a whim. Looking forward to it after hearing so many people say they liked it.
My personal favourite of the year so far has to be 'We need to talk about Kevin' by Lionel Shriver. It's brutal and ambiguous and I would highly recommend it!
You will enjoy' Tractors' - not a work of literary genius but a nice read.
I totally agree with 'We Need to Talk about Kevin'. Finished it over a week ago and am still somewhat troubled by it!
Comments
My Family and Other Animals
Birds,Beasts and Relatives
The Garden Of The Gods
The Picnic And Suchlike Pandomonium
Deric Longdens
Lost For Words ((for Whiskey getting well washed by Derics eccentric mother. Funniest scene I have read in a book. Its a joy! But not a joy for Whiskey as surely Domestos burns even when diluted?))
A Play On Words
The Cat Who Came In From The Cold. ((for Thermal's adventures))
Ditto. I've read nothing really great this year, though I had a list as long as my arm for last year.
Shantaram, Time Travelers Wife, Million Little Pieces, Q and A, Norwegian Wood and more.
I quite liked Johnathan Strange though. Someone recommend me a good un I feel literary starved (BTW though don't like Dan Brown books)
I Have that but i havent red it yet.
Isnt it The eternity code
The new one is Opal Decption
Alan Turing was one of the leading Mathematicians at the now famous Bletchley Park, where he, along with many others, developed the first electronic computing machine to decode the German Enigma encryption device, during WWII.
The character of Turing comes across as a very intelligent, but lonely, driven man, who eventually committed suicide, perhaps related to his homosexuality, in a time of severe repression.
He is now credited as the father of modern computing, so blame him if your Windows XP displays a blue fault page !
The Eyre Affair - Jasper Fforde
The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon
In case you are interested go to Jasper's website as he is doing a tour in July - I saw him do a reading last year and he was great fun, and signed all kinds of stuff afterwards. His new book, "The Fourth Bear" (not a Thursday Next book) is out in July.
Just starting to re read the mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley. One of my all time favourite books.
My second favourite book of the year after The Kite Runner
My personal favourite of the year so far has to be 'We need to talk about Kevin' by Lionel Shriver. It's brutal and ambiguous and I would highly recommend it!
I read that years ago when I think it was called 'the Enigmo of Intelligence. You're right, it's one of the best biographies I've ever read, I think.
For anyone interested in US politics of the middle of the last century, I really recommend this too:
J.Edgar Hoover: The Man and the Secrets
by Curt Gentry
I have to agree - I found The Time Travellers Wife to be the perfect book. It's got such a unique blend of happiness and sadness that sometimes I didn't know whether to smile or cry
I found that the book just flowed from the pages and IMO it was one of the most powerful books I have ever read - a true 21st Century love story!!
Best books I've (re-)read this year are Paradise Postponed and Summer's Lease by John Mortimer - they helped pass some seriously unpleasant weeks in hospital a few months ago; they nearly distracted me from my situation.
Best books i've read so far this year are:
The Italian Job by Luca Vialli and Gab Marcotti.
Napoleon and Wellington - a comparison of the two, forgotten the author though.
Looking forward to the Tom Clancy too.
Unashamed tear jerker, but it was charming, and some of the anecdotes really make you think.
By John Bush
Actually brought a tear to my eye when i finished it.
You will enjoy' Tractors' - not a work of literary genius but a nice read.
I totally agree with 'We Need to Talk about Kevin'. Finished it over a week ago and am still somewhat troubled by it!