Books -- what are we reading lately?

[Tilacno1 23]

Best books that I have read for years were the millennium trilogy by Stieg Larsson

Starting with the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and followed by two others Great enthralling reads each book is more than 600 pages but just fantastic

Unfortunately he died (young) before the books became a world wide sensation and best sellers

[MM 6,562]

Best books that I have read for years were the millennium trilogy by Stieg Larsson

Starting with the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and followed by two others Great enthralling reads each book is more than 600 pages but just fantastic

Unfortunately he died (young) before the books became a world wide sensation and best sellers

I haven't read or heard of this trilogy, though I do have an unwatched copy of the movie by the same name.

How does the movie hold up to the books?

[tallguy 1,460]

I haven't read or heard of this trilogy, though I do have an unwatched copy of the movie by the same name.

How does the movie hold up to the books?

It's a couple of years since I read these books and they had slipped my mind when I made my initial contribution to this thread.

They are definitely worth a read and the movie sticks fairly closely to the plot. I'd read the books before watching the movie so knew what to expect. The pace of some Scandanavian drama can seem a bit slow if you are used to faster paced American movies but it's worth sticking with them.

[Gary 4,108]

 

I left my 'Nightingale' on a beach chair half-read.........on purpose.

 

When I commuted by train to London........I'd go through 100s of books......Everything from certain authors. Douglas Reeman, Wilbur Smith, Ed MaBain, Tom Sharp......(Had me in stitches......especially 'Porterhouse Blue', Terence Strong, Roald Dahl, Frederick Forsyth, Asimov, Herbert........And loads of one offs......

Then I started to drive in.......hardly read another book except on holidays.

 

I'm thinking of getting a kindle. How easily do they interface with MacBook Pros? Ex wife No.2 gave me one and sent me 1000s of free booksin a zip file ..........And the instructions to convert but I couldn't work it out. Sold the thing and deleted the file.

 

But some publications are only available as ibooks........'Leather' for one...... so I'm sort of more 'incentif'fied' The way things are going books will soon just be things people put on shelves......I feel I'm being left behind.

 

I would guess that you have to use the crappy iTunes to put the books in an Apple computer. I bought an iPod and couldn't put books from my computer into the iPod without that bloated iTunes program.

[Tilacno1 23]

MM sorry but never seen the movie But the books are really fantastic a must read keep you enthralled they are long but just like I said the best books I've read for years and I read a lot of books An amazing heroine features in them all Lisbeth

PS I have ploughed my way through them twice which is highly unusual for me

Edited July 20, 2015 by Tilacno1

[MM 6,562]

So, last month I finally finished the Flashman Papers and was hoping to start something a bit smaller..like a single book series

 

But, I happened to see an announcement that BBC America (what's that?) was going to show a TV series starting October 10, 2015 based on one of the books in Bernard Cornwell's Saxon Stories series.

 

Soooo....I started reviewing what I had read about Saxon Stories, and I had already read 4 of the novels in the series up to the point where the author had written at the time. He has been busy and written another 4 (with a 5th to be released imminently) and so it's game on again with a long series. I only started browsing the books to refresh my memory and was immediately drawn in by the history of the 9th century conflicts between the Danes and the Saxons, and the beginnings of the kingdom called "England" under one ruler.

 

Highly recommended if you have the time...

[Fatboyfat 361]

So, last month I finally finished the Flashman Papers and was hoping to start something a bit smaller..like a single book series

 

But, I happened to see an announcement that BBC America (what's that?) was going to show a TV series starting October 10, 2015 based on one of the books in Bernard Cornwell's Saxon Stories series.

 

Soooo....I started reviewing what I had read about Saxon Stories, and I had already read 4 of the novels in the series up to the point where the author had written at the time. He has been busy and written another 4 (with a 5th to be released imminently) and so it's game on again with a long series. I only started browsing the books to refresh my memory and was immediately drawn in by the history of the 9th century conflicts between the Danes and the Saxons, and the beginnings of the kingdom called "England" under one ruler.

 

Highly recommended if you have the time...

 

Have you read the James Clavell Asian seriesTaipan, Shogun etc. They are "small & compact" but are really good reads IMHO, and an excellent observation of Asian traits.

I am not inclined to recommend Ulysses, which I am trying to read at the moment; and it may well end up "thrown in the bin" during a fit of pique !

Edited August 3, 2015 by Fatboyfat

[midlifecrisis 4,040]

Have you read the James Clavell Asian seriesTaipan, Shogun etc. They are "small & compact" but are really good reads IMHO, and an excellent observation of Asian traits.

I am not inclined to recommend Ulysses, which I am trying to read at the moment; and it may well end up "thrown in the bin" during a fit of pique !

King Rat was the best Clavell novel imho.

[MM 6,562]

Have you read the James Clavell Asian seriesTaipan, Shogun etc. They are "small & compact" but are really good reads IMHO, and an excellent observation of Asian traits.

I am not inclined to recommend Ulysses, which I am trying to read at the moment; and it may well end up "thrown in the bin" during a fit of pique !

LOL. Ulysses! That is one I just haven't had an interest in. I suspect it's as difficult to read as Canterbury Tales.

 

Yes, I have read and enjoyed Clavell's books long ago.,

 

King Rat was the best Clavell novel imho.

I was really impressed by the movie...George Segal was great in that. I can't recall if I read the book or not, because the movie sort of eclipsed my memory of the story.

[midlifecrisis 4,040]

LOL. Ulysses! That is one I just haven't had an interest in. I suspect it's as difficult to read as Canterbury Tales.

 

Yes, I have read and enjoyed Clavell's books long ago.,

 

I was really impressed by the movie...George Segal was great in that. I can't recall if I read the book or not, because the movie sort of eclipsed my memory of the story.

Yes, Segal was great in that role. The movie was pretty fair to the book.

[BigusDicus 9,838]

Have you read the James Clavell Asian seriesTaipan, Shogun etc. They are "small & compact" but are really good reads IMHO, and an excellent observation of Asian traits.

I am not inclined to recommend Ulysses, which I am trying to read at the moment; and it may well end up "thrown in the bin" during a fit of pique !

 

 

I first read Ulysses when I ws in high school. And it was a very tough read. Difficult to follow and similar to reading LeCarre when you sometimes find you are reading the same sentence or paragraph over and over. A comedy group called Firesign Theater performed the last page from Ulysses on one of their albums. And i could not tell you what it was about. I read it again a few years later (and this was all before the grey matter in my brain pickled with vodka and other libations) and I still could not tell you wat it was about.

 

…then I asked him with my eyes to ask again yes and then he asked me would I yes to say yes my mountain flower and first I put my arms around him yes and drew him down to me so he could feel my breasts all perfume yes and his heart was going like mad and yes I said yes I will Yes."

[BigusDicus 9,838]

King Rat was the best Clavell novel imho.

 

 

It was excellent!

[MM 6,562]

 

 

I first read Ulysses when I ws in high school. And it was a very tough read. Difficult to follow and similar to reading LeCarre when you sometimes find you are reading the same sentence or paragraph over and over. A comedy group called Firesign Theater performed the last page from Ulysses on one of their albums. And i could not tell you what it was about. I read it again a few years later (and this was all before the grey matter in my brain pickled with vodka and other libations) and I still could not tell you wat it was about.

 

…then I asked him with my eyes to ask again yes and then he asked me would I yes to say yes my mountain flower and first I put my arms around him yes and drew him down to me so he could feel my breasts all perfume yes and his heart was going like mad and yes I said yes I will Yes."

I remember that from the Firesign Theater album, but I didn't know where it came from.

[midlifecrisis 4,040]

I remember that from the Firesign Theater album, but I didn't know where it came from.

Is that the "How can you be in two places at once?"

 

So long ago.

 

I prefered the Congress of Wonders but had the Firesign Theater's "Don't Crush That Dwarf, Hand Me the Pliers"

[Bushcraft 2,572]

Best books that I have read for years were the millennium trilogy by Stieg Larsson

Starting with the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and followed by two others Great enthralling reads each book is more than 600 pages but just fantastic

Unfortunately he died (young) before the books became a world wide sensation and best sellers

Thanks for this recommendation, I've just devoured all three books and they are absolutely riveting, highly recommended.Outstanding characterisation, storytelling, suspense, the lot.

[Gary 4,108]

I'm now into the Lee Child Jack Reacher series.

[MM 6,562]

Thanks for this recommendation, I've just devoured all three books and they are absolutely riveting, highly recommended.Outstanding characterisation, storytelling, suspense, the lot.

If I ever finish the Saxon Stories series (half way through), I'll jump on these next. Thanks for the confirming opinion, Bushcraft.

 

Now, go download DEUTSCHLAND 83 and check that out.

[jacko 8,786]

I'm now into the Lee Child Jack Reacher series.

They get repetitive quick, really enjoyed reading the first 2 or 3 then got the idea they were being written to a formula!

[ajsp9 18]

A big fan of Tony Parsons and some of which have an Asian theme

 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Tony-Parsons/e/B000APOEMU

[Fatboyfat 361]

Well Ulysses has been consigned to the bin! However, my Thai "missus" (who bought it for me) has retrieved it, and is going to read it !! This should be fun ! She is very learned and can read English but........... Maybe it might just make sense to the standard female Thai logic and understanding !

As for me, I have just started Nicholas Monsarrat's second, but unfinished, "The Master Mariner, Book 2. I have left ths one alone for many,many years on the advice of friends, who reckoned that it would taint ones memory of the excellent Book 1 We'll see.

[9cisco999 107]

In any case there are plenty of books (in English) available on torrents and similar.

Calibre works well - the conversion from one format to another (like .mobi > .epub) can sometimes result in errors but mostly I can ignore them.

 

 

 

 

 

Amazon claims to have well over 1,000,000 books available for a kindle download for free.

 

And those books transfer with ease to a smartphone or tablet.

[chris2004 67]

I've just finished the 19th Jack Reacher book. All great reads. If you like Bernard Cornwell try the Excalibur trilogy, an amazing insight into 8th century England.

 

Topical at the moment is "The Making of the Atomic Bomb" by Richard Rhodes. A fascinating mix of science and history.

[Gary 4,108]

I TRIED to read Ulysses and didn't get very far before I gave up. I much prefer the bang, bang action fiction books. I'm not the cerebral type. I don't care at all for porn but I do like fiction books that keep me interested.

[Idefix 2,275]

"Stan Weinstein's Secrets For Profiting in Bull and Bear Markets"

 

Good to read again the good bases to help doing well in stocks.

 

http://www.stanweinstein.com/

http://www.amazon.com/Stan-Weinsteins-Secrets-Profiting-Markets/dp/1556236832

[Fireman Sam 336]

Just finished a 'Casual Vacancy' by JK Rowling, on the Kindle.

 

Very slow at the start, wouldn't say it was the best read ever but I persevered. I believe it was made into a TV series.

 

 

Regards