Books - what are you reading just now?

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Bought, but not yet started, both Schmeichel's and Keane's autobiographies for £1 each, both in spotless nick. Found, coincidentally in two different charity shelves in supermarkets.
 
A few days ago I was in the loft looking for something that I never did find whilst up there. However, I did come across my old paper back copies of the James Herriot vet books. Don’t think they have seen the light of day for at least 40 years. I’m halfway through the first book, and find that when there is dialogue from the characters the voice in my head is the same as the characters from the original TV series. 😁
 
Just finished The Salt Path by Raynor Winn.
A true reflection/memoir on the adversities of a couple who lose their home and decide to walk the South West Coast Path.
A cracking read - I’ve moved straight on to the follow up The Wild Silence.
The Salt Path has been turned into a film that will be released in 2025.
 
Prayer for the Dead - James Oswald. Not quite prime Scottish detective series but definitely worth a go. This is the 5th in the series, I am warming to them

An Isolated Incident - JD Kirk. Now this is prime Scottish detective writing. Brilliant stuff.
 
Stumbled across a 'novel reading' Youtube channel and the bloke was talking about reading Anna Karenina. He was talking about how to get the very best out of the great literary novels of writers such as Tolstoy - specifically that you shouldn't rush them - indeed I think he said that it took him 9months to read the 1000+ pages - reading other stuff along the way.

Now I fairly recently read AK and looking back that's my experience - it took my 11 months to read it - reading other smaller stuff along the way. I thought it was just me. I loved it - got really engrossed with the characters - and since the timelines of the novels months and years - taking a break was no big deal. Indeed as Tolstoy wrote and published it in installments he knew that that would be the experience of those reading it at the time.

Anyone else bothered taking the time to read the literary masterpieces of such as Tolstoy - and in a lighter vein those of Dickens.
 
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SwingsitlikeHogan said:
Anyone else bothered taking the time to read the literary masterpieces of such as Tolstoy - and in a lighter vein those of DiDickens.
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I read (books) every day, be it kindle, books bought, or library.
Each has a purpose for me.
In Waterstones recently I came across their Classic collection of bound hardbacks and just loved the tactile pleasure of browsing through them.
So..... I bought the copy of ...... wait for it........ War and Peace 😨
I've given it to my wife to wrap up for Christmas Day as her present to me and I will swear before the family, as a New Year Resolution, to read it.
But, as you say, it will be chunks at a time with definite pauses to read other books.
I suspect I will require a notebook for the numerous characters.
Ive read a few multi decade Ken Follet's so I've had a wee bit of training. 😉
 
Sid Rixon IV said:
I read (books) every day, be it kindle, books bought, or library.
Each has a purpose for me.
In Waterstones recently I came across their Classic collection of bound hardbacks and just loved the tactile pleasure of browsing through them.
So..... I bought the copy of ...... wait for it........ War and Peace 😨
I've given it to my wife to wrap up for Christmas Day as her present to me and I will swear before the family, as a New Year Resolution, to read it.
But, as you say, it will be chunks at a time with definite pauses to read other books.
I suspect I will require a notebook for the numerous characters.
Ive read a few multi decade Ken Follet's so I've had a wee bit of training. 😉
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I too have War and Peace sitting waiting for me…but I think I’ll maybe read Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment first - a dawdle at 462 pages.

I’d absolutely recommend Anna Karenina…what I did to keep track of who’s who was find an online resource that lists the main characters and their relationships. I’d keep referring to that just to remind myself…it’s quite hard keeping hold of the characters as they can have similar names and their names as used by family and friends - these being not their formal names.

I’ve read The Pillars of the Earth by KF and did enjoy it, but as engaging as it was I sense that I didn’t get under the skin characters and get greatly emotionally involved - so though I’ve got another of his tomes sitting on my bookshelf (can’t recall which one) I’m not feeling a great pull to read it. Probably will in time.
 
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SwingsitlikeHogan said:
I too have War and Peace sitting waiting for me…but I think I’ll maybe read Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment first - a dawdle at 462 pages.

I’d absolutely recommend Anna Karenina…what I did to keep track of who’s who was find an online resource that lists the main characters and their relationships. I’d keep referring to that just to remind myself…it’s quite hard keeping hold of the characters as they can have similar names and their names as used by family and friends - these being not their formal names.

I’ve read The Pillars of the Earth by KF and did enjoy it, but as engaging as it was I sense that I didn’t get under the skin characters and get greatly emotionally involved - so though I’ve got another of his tomes sitting on my bookshelf (can’t recall which one) I’m not feeling a great pull to read it. Probably will in time.
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On a suggestion made on this forum, I recently read the series. Decent enough pot-boilers, but if you've read one, then you dont need to read the rest. Essentially it's the same story and same characterisation, set in different eras.
 
backwoodsman said:
On a suggestion made on this forum, I recently read the series. Decent enough pot-boilers, but if you've read one, then you dont need to read the rest. Essentially it's the same story and same characterisation, set in different eras.
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Are you referring to KF?
I read Pillars of the Earth after watching and enjoying the ITV series (still available). Then, earlier this year I bought and read the Armour of Light not realising it was book 5 (PotE being 1) in the series. They're set 600 years apart and I found very little to connect the two other than Kingsbridge.
I enjoyed them both but I'm in no rush to read 2, 3 and 4 because its a "series". I recently bought "Never" by him, yet to be read. With that and WaP I think 2025 is written off! 🫣
 
Sid Rixon IV said:
Are you referring to KF?
I read Pillars of the Earth after watching and enjoying the ITV series (still available). Then, earlier this year I bought and read the Armour of Light not realising it was book 5 (PotE being 1) in the series. They're set 600 years apart and I found very little to connect the two other than Kingsbridge.
I enjoyed them both but I'm in no rush to read 2, 3 and 4 because its a "series". I recently bought "Never" by him, yet to be read. With that and WaP I think 2025 is written off! 🫣
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Yep - referrring to the KF 'Kingsbridge' series. Wont spoil it for others, but similar characters pop up in each book (each book being set about 200years after each other). Maybe its reading the series that does it? (Ps. I enjoyed them)
 
backwoodsman said:
Yep - referrring to the KF 'Kingsbridge' series. Wont spoil it for others, but similar characters pop up in each book (each book being set about 200years after each other). Maybe its reading the series that does it? (Ps. I enjoyed them)
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"Never", contemporary setting, is 800+ pages.
I think he must never sleep.
 
backwoodsman said:
On a suggestion made on this forum, I recently read the series. Decent enough pot-boilers, but if you've read one, then you dont need to read the rest. Essentially it's the same story and same characterisation, set in different eras.
Click to expand...
I’m glad you’ve said that as it’s kind of what I’ve been thinking might be the case; it’s a heck of a commitment reading a book the size of TPotE to discover you’d already been there, seen it, done it.
 
Spook Street, Mick Herron. One of the Slow Horses series, the one that was the most recent series. Another excellent book, he really draws pictures of the people well.

I think I'll hold on now before reading the next book. I love the TV series, I don't want to ruin the next one by reading the book first.
 
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