#183

heart of a dog was great

now reading if nobody speaks of remarkable things by jon mcgregor who is an author i’ve only just heard of despite living in the same city as him. really enjoying it so far. kind of feels like one of daniel kitson’s plays/long form shows. he’s got a new book out next week called reservoir 13. i’m going to the book launch tomorrow :slight_smile:

#184

I love them all. Best sci-fi I’ve ever read. Iain Banks non-sci-fi novels are also pretty great. I’m fond of The Business, which takes place in Butan.

3 Likes
#185

Prisoners of Geography.

Entertaining, if a little thin on details, account of the history and political identity of the world’s major players.

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#186

Always admired Yoko Ogawa’s writing style (although it trully saddens me that I have to go through translation to enjoy it as it feels like such a “Japanese” kind of writing but, sadly, I can’t learn all the languages in the world). I’m very happy to see her mentionned here! :slight_smile: I read them in french and there doesn’t seem to be that much of her work translated into English language so it’s kind of tricky for me to point readers round here to more of her books but Hotel Iris, Amours en marges, Le Musée du Silence are worth reading for french readers.

2 Likes
#188

if you’re asked to do anything with your phone at that launch… tell me how it goes?

#189

Would have to agree. The Culture books are some of the best books I’ve read, period. Even his mainstream novels, at least the few I’ve read, are fantastic. Such a shame Iain Banks had to go so soon.

3 Likes
#190

OK, wow, I have somehow not read The Hydrogen Sonata yet. In fact, I’m guessing I’ve missed a bunch of Culture novels. I’m gonna have to rectify that after finishing the Liu Cixin Three Bodies series.

The full name of Mistake not… is Mistake Not My Current State Of Joshing Gentle Peevishness For The Awesome And Terrible Majesty Of The Towering Seas Of Ire That Are Themselves The Mere Milquetoast Shallows Fringing My Vast Oceans Of Wrath

That is so awesome.

3 Likes
#191

They did a live thing with haiku salut (ace band from the peak district) rather than the mobile thing. Was ace

#192

Yep - spoke too soon - that’s happening at different things. (I’ll DM in the am!) apologies for any confusion - hope you enjoyed.

#193

So sad. I was just discovering his books then.

I named this granulator after one of my faves:

:slight_smile:

5 Likes
#194

Been continuing my attempt at reading a book (not counting graphic novels) a week. Got through three in March, and will catch up in April.

Finished two books of Croatian short stories (Kontakt, which is sci fi, and Zagreb Noir, which is, well, noir), along with China Miéville’s The Last Days of New Paris.

In graphic novels this month I finished reading volume one of the Poe Dameron solo series (Charles Soule, Phil Noto); all three volumes of The Fade Out (Ed Brubaker, Sean Phillips); volume one of the Midnighter standalone series (Steve Orlando, ACO), now that he’s apparently part of the regular DC universe and actually teams up with Robin, which feels odd; volume one of The Manhattan Projects (Jonathan Hickman and Nick Pitarra); and volume one of Lazarus (Greg Rucka and Michael Lark).

I’m mostly focused now on finishign reading Lost Signals, a collection of short stories by a bunch of different horror authors, and Between Air and Electricity (Cathy van Eck on “microphones and loudspeakers as musical instruments”).

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#195

How is Lazarus? The covers look great.

I found it difficult to manage Manhattan Projects because I usually dislike rewriting real people into fiction (especially sci-fi/fantasy) but I wonder what you thought of it.

1 Like
#196

Lazarus is OK so far. I really liked Gotham Central a lot, which they paired on previously (with Ed Brubaker also writing, very much in that series’ favor). This is very different. So far it’s very plotty, if that means anything. It’s a fun future thriller. It has some of the mournfulness of Queen and Country, which is my favorite thing by Rucka.

I’m not a big fan of rewriting real people into fiction, either. It kept me from digging as deep into Neal Stephenson’s Baroque Cycle, for example, as I have into his other books. That said, Manhattan Projects is so absurd (in a good way) in how far beyond reality it goes that it’s fine by me, and Nick Pitarra’s art on it is just super in its crazed roughness. It reminds me a bit of Michael Fiffe’s Copra in that regard.

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#197

hi Marc, I was just looking online and only finding that book for about $100. Did you get a review copy or actually buy it? Is it really really good?

2 Likes
#198

I got it as a review copy. I’m too early into reading it to say it’s really really good, but it’s certainly “get a copy via the library” good.

#200

ok, thanks. I’ll ask the VCU library to order it when the new fiscal year starts in the summer

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#201

I haven’t, no. I’ll check out Prophet. Thanks. I’ve read (and very much enjoyed) his King City.

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#202

I usually have a few books on my Nook going and I bounce around. I’m reading a lot of classics lately.

Ray Bradbury - The Martian Chronicles
Jules Verne - 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
Greg McKeown - Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit Of Less

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#203

robert heinlein stanger in a strange place original uncut version

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#204

I LOVED Prophet. so imaginative. I guess I’m still going through out and waiting on the next volume from the library.

I enjoyed King City as well.

1 Like