What are you reading now

[John83]

I'm also curious about Osman.

A few highlights of recent years.

• Termination shock - Neil Stephenson. Like many of his books, it has polarised readers, but I enjoyed it in spite of its flaws. Nearish future climate change eco-thriller; to say more is to spoil it.
• Sinomania: Writing about China from the London Review of Books. This is a mixed bag of essays, but gives some real insight into China.
• Erebus: The Story of a Ship - Michael Palin. His writing is like his presenting: warm and gently humourous. I knew the story - of the famous lost expedition for the northwest passage - from Dan Simmons book The Terror, named for the other ship in the expedition and now also a miniseries, but it doesn't really benefit from the fictionalisation. Palin's scope is wider, taking in an earlier extended antarctic voyage, but I felt I got to know the people involved better too. It's an easy read, and a fascinating story.
• Murder in Samarkand: A British Ambassador's Controversial Defiance of Tyranny in the War on Terror - Craig Murray. Intermittantly horrifying, frequently funny story of a probably naive ambassador to Uzbekistan who is less interested in British realpolitik and more in calling the local dictatorship out on its bullshirt. I've been recommending it to everyone since I read it.
• This is Going to Hurt: Secret Diaries of a Junior Doctor - Adam Kay. Blackly funny in that way only depressed medicos can be. Kay gave it all up and got into comedy writing instead.

[pineapple stu]

Non-fiction is just too much like work - literally - Stu. I could count on one hand the number of non-fiction books I've read for enjoyment in the last decade. Even then, it's usually a case of dipping in and out rarely reading one from cover to cover.

Funny; I'd say 80% of what I read is non-fiction. Currently reading The Great Influenza by John M Barry, the story of the Spanish Flu. About one-third of the way through it and he's still setting the scene in terms of the impact of WW1 conditions and general medical knowledge. It's...thorough. Probably a bit too thorough is my thinking at the moment.

Also read Who Stole Our Game last month, Daire Whelan's 2006 book on the fortunes of the LoI from the 50s to the 00s. Nothing hugely revelatory in it - certainly for foot.ie posters - and some of what were then contemporary comments haven't aged well (eg describing Shels 2006 as a strong club)

But some of the comments on the new CEO, a guy called John Delaney, are amazing. One or two contributors praise him, but others – behind anonymity – describe him as “the most Machevellian character I have ever met in my life […] exactly what the FAI don’t need”, as a failed businessman (“His other interests in operations, such as a coffee-vending machine, furniture business and a bakery, have all shown accumulated losses over time - €200,000, €36,000 and €460,000 respectively”) and come very close to calling what we now know he was actually doing (“He won’t be able to hide behind in the shadows, which he was able to do as Treasurer. I believe his stewardship as Treasurer was appalling as well. […] I have no doubt that rules were being breached. I am not saying that he has been feathering his own nest. […] Delaney, you see, is not a detailed man. He is careless and he does leave trails behind him and I think he will get careless. But the problem is that means there will be another ****ing shaft and we are back to square one again. He shouldn’t be CEO […] I don’t think he has a passion for football. I think he has a passion for power and this is the only way he will get power.”)

[osarusan]

Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy.

Seeing as he's 89 and Nobel prizes are not awarded posthumously, he must be getting one soon.

[ontheotherhand]

Funny; I'd say 80% of what I read is non-fiction. Currently reading The Great Influenza by John M Barry, the story of the Spanish Flu. About one-third of the way through it and he's still setting the scene in terms of the impact of WW1 conditions and general medical knowledge. It's...thorough. Probably a bit too thorough is my thinking at the moment.

Also read Who Stole Our Game last month, Daire Whelan's 2006 book on the fortunes of the LoI from the 50s to the 00s. Nothing hugely revelatory in it - certainly for foot.ie posters - and some of what were then contemporary comments haven't aged well (eg describing Shels 2006 as a strong club)

But some of the comments on the new CEO, a guy called John Delaney, are amazing. One or two contributors praise him, but others – behind anonymity – describe him as “the most Machevellian character I have ever met in my life […] exactly what the FAI don’t need”, as a failed businessman (“His other interests in operations, such as a coffee-vending machine, furniture business and a bakery, have all shown accumulated losses over time - €200,000, €36,000 and €460,000 respectively”) and come very close to calling what we now know he was actually doing (“He won’t be able to hide behind in the shadows, which he was able to do as Treasurer. I believe his stewardship as Treasurer was appalling as well. […] I have no doubt that rules were being breached. I am not saying that he has been feathering his own nest. […] Delaney, you see, is not a detailed man. He is careless and he does leave trails behind him and I think he will get careless. But the problem is that means there will be another ****ing shaft and we are back to square one again. He shouldn’t be CEO […] I don’t think he has a passion for football. I think he has a passion for power and this is the only way he will get power.”)

Have you read The Ghost Map stu? It wasn't very thorough on the epidemic itself but had great storytelling which focused around a few key characters. An easy read but I enjoyed it.

[pineapple stu]

Nope, but have added it to my to-buy list and will check it out. Makes it book number 60 on my list, in addition to the 30 in my actual reading pile!

[CraftyToePoke]

But some of the comments on the new CEO, a guy called John Delaney, are amazing. One or two contributors praise him, but others – behind anonymity – describe him as “the most Machevellian character I have ever met in my life […] exactly what the FAI don’t need”, as a failed businessman (“His other interests in operations, such as a coffee-vending machine, furniture business and a bakery, have all shown accumulated losses over time - €200,000, €36,000 and €460,000 respectively”) and come very close to calling what we now know he was actually doing (“He won’t be able to hide behind in the shadows, which he was able to do as Treasurer. I believe his stewardship as Treasurer was appalling as well. […] I have no doubt that rules were being breached. I am not saying that he has been feathering his own nest. […] Delaney, you see, is not a detailed man. He is careless and he does leave trails behind him and I think he will get careless. But the problem is that means there will be another ****ing shaft and we are back to square one again. He shouldn’t be CEO […] I don’t think he has a passion for football. I think he has a passion for power and this is the only way he will get power.”)

Good gracious
Magnificent.

[CraftyToePoke]

Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy.

Seeing as he's 89 and Nobel prizes are not awarded posthumously, he must be getting one soon.

An all time favourite of mine there, an absolute must read.
Read once its that unhinged they can't fathom how to make a movie out of it. No beginning, no middle, no end, no real plot & somehow the perfect read.

[dahamsta]

Non-fiction is just too much like work

Agreed. Which is rich considering the amount of Wikipedia articles I read. I'm currently on serial killers having binged Mindhunter.

@ Adam - what's Osman like as a writer? I've riffled through his stuff in book shops but never felt all that tempted. My lowest common denominator go to is historical crime fiction like Edward Marsden's various series (available now in all good, but especially mediocre, remaindered book stores) or cheap, falling apart westerns I read fanatically in my teens. Stuff like JT Edson, Louis Lamour, George G Gilman, and Piccadilly westerns. Some truly dreadful stuff, but undeniably a pleasure at the same time. BTW, if you're tyring to get back into reading but find time is an issue have you thought of novellas or short fiction/short stories?

It's fairly basic stuff really, nothing groundbreaking, mildly humorous which you'd expect from Osman. I'm finding it a bit slow, but then I'm reading it slowly. Just have to see how the mystery aspect plays out. I'll comment on it here when I'm finished, in 2027.

I'd forgotten about the dodgy westerns, I used to read them myself when I was young, I think possibly pre-teen. One of the shops in Youghal I used to visit weekly in the summer had really thin ones, but I loved them. Then I discovered Tintin and Asterisk in Midleton Books!

I used to adore sci-fi short stories - Asimov, Bradbury, etc - but I think I read them all because when I tried that route to get back into reading, that didn't work either. I think I actually need a novel to keep drawing me back in. But I hope I can get back into shorts at some point, perhaps with new authors.

[ontheotherhand]

Agreed. Which is rich considering the amount of Wikipedia articles I read. I'm currently on serial killers having binged Mindhunter.



It's fairly basic stuff really, nothing groundbreaking, mildly humorous which you'd expect from Osman. I'm finding it a bit slow, but then I'm reading it slowly. Just have to see how the mystery aspect plays out. I'll comment on it here when I'm finished, in 2027.

I'd forgotten about the dodgy westerns, I used to read them myself when I was young, I think possibly pre-teen. One of the shops in Youghal I used to visit weekly in the summer had really thin ones, but I loved them. Then I discovered Tintin and Asterisk in Midleton Books!

I used to adore sci-fi short stories - Asimov, Bradbury, etc - but I think I read them all because when I tried that route to get back into reading, that didn't work either. I think I actually need a novel to keep drawing me back in. But I hope I can get back into shorts at some point, perhaps with new authors.

Have you read Exhalation by Ted Chiang? Sci Fi short stories.

I found short stories to be a decent way of getting back in the rhythm of reading but the best way for me was to just pick an easy reading novel or series of novels. Read a few light crime fiction books by Peter May (The Lewis Trilogy) and was able to start enjoying the peace and quiet of sitting down with a book again. For about a month and then I lost it in favour of the tv.....

[dahamsta]

Pretty sure it's on a shopping list somewhere, that or another book by that author, name rings a bell. I don't want to buy any more books though, I've bought so many over the last few years and not read them it's embarrassing at this point. And I've shelved and shelves full of them.

[ontheotherhand]

Reading Prisoners of Geography by Tim Marshall.

He gives a very high level overview of ten major world maps/regions including why they formed and a sort of SWOT analysis to show their position in the world and the tension it creates internally and externally.

Enjoying it so far. It puts everything into very simple terms and gives a nice perspective on why various powers are in conflict or alliance.

[SkStu]

I just finished Uncommon People: The Rise and Fall of the Rock Stars by David Hepworth (a British music journalist and industry guru - was instrumental with NME, Smash Hits, Q and others). The book is a great read, charts the journey of rock music through each year from the mid 50's to mid 90's (each year is a chapter and focuses on one rock star in the chapter; each chapter ends with a bit of a song list/album list for the year). Really engaging book. Loved it.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/...ncommon-people

Just started reading Madhouse at the End of the Earth: The Belgica's Journey into the Dark Antarctic Night by Julian Sancton about the disastrous Belgian-led Antarctic expedition from the very late 1800's that saw the crew get lodged in ice and stranded for about a year without sufficient supplies and food. Complete sh*t show. Only about 40 pages in but it has already got me a bit hooked. As an aside, it was one of Roald Amundsen's first expeditions and it appears he was the one who ultimately ensured they got out of there alive.

https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/54900051

Disclaimer: i tend to love almost every book i read

[SkStu]

Quick question for the readers in here...

do you tend to read from a device (iPad, Kindle, etc) or the old fashioned paper and ink?

I exclusively read printed books.

[pineapple stu]

Printed books exclusively. Kindle just isn't the same. You can't flick back to a point easily, you can't have a proper reading pile, and it just doesn't feel right.

Prisoners of Geography is very good alright. Currently halfway through Putin's People, about the rise of Putin to power in Russia, and his rule to publication (in 2020). Interesting read. What jumps out most at the moment is Putin's tendency to panicked inaction in the face of crisis - Beslan or the Kursk disasters for example. There's a point made that he was closer the start of his reign then and not as attuned to crisis response at the time - but you can imagine a similar response now given Ukraine hasn't rolled over in a week or two as expected.

Also interesting to hear some of the people who put him in power in the first place say that they thought they could control him as he had a low profile and little political experience, but they'd effectively underestimated what a psycho he is

[CraftyToePoke]

Quick question for the readers in here...

do you tend to read from a device (iPad, Kindle, etc) or the old fashioned paper and ink?

I exclusively read printed books.

Paper, always and only.

Having a prolonged bout of attention span struggles though, anyone had that ? & any advice on cracking it ?
I'd have always had a book on the go but the last couple of years it has slipped away & I'd like it back. Read it was smartphone use related maybe in one article but fcuk knows.

[SkStu]

I've gone through a bit of that at times over the last ten years or so - on and off - but on a great stretch now over the last couple of years. I would put my house on it being device related ADD... (on another note, I am completely off of all social media for the last 2 months - facebook. instagram, twitter and reddit - wasnt on any others - and feel brilliant for it)

What has worked for me with reading has been a few things - my advice... to get back on the wagon, pick a book you know you will be really interested in based on the subject matter. Secondly commit to building the habit with 10-15 pages a day and stick to it. Have the next book selected and beside you before you finish the current one. Building the habit is the key for me - that and not taking a break between books. I'm a bedtime reader so I just went to bed 30 minutes early intentionally so i wouldn't be too tired to read.

[ontheotherhand]

I just finished Uncommon People: The Rise and Fall of the Rock Stars by David Hepworth (a British music journalist and industry guru - was instrumental with NME, Smash Hits, Q and others). The book is a great read, charts the journey of rock music through each year from the mid 50's to mid 90's (each year is a chapter and focuses on one rock star in the chapter; each chapter ends with a bit of a song list/album list for the year). Really engaging book. Loved it.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/...ncommon-people

Just started reading Madhouse at the End of the Earth: The Belgica's Journey into the Dark Antarctic Night by Julian Sancton about the disastrous Belgian-led Antarctic expedition from the very late 1800's that saw the crew get lodged in ice and stranded for about a year without sufficient supplies and food. Complete sh*t show. Only about 40 pages in but it has already got me a bit hooked. As an aside, it was one of Roald Amundsen's first expeditions and it appears he was the one who ultimately ensured they got out of there alive.

https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/54900051

Disclaimer: i tend to love almost every book i read

Madhouse was very good although I read Endurance afterwards and it somewhat blew it away.

And I only read paper books. Had a kindle but couldn't get into it. How do you show it off on your bookshelf afterwards?

[ontheotherhand]

Paper, always and only.

Having a prolonged bout of attention span struggles though, anyone had that ? & any advice on cracking it ?
I'd have always had a book on the go but the last couple of years it has slipped away & I'd like it back. Read it was smartphone use related maybe in one article but fcuk knows.

I'd blame the smartphone as well. Awful yokes.

My trick is to pick a book or series of books I've already read and enjoyed and have the nostalgia drag me along until I'm back in a rhythm.....although it must not work that well because I haven't read anything start to finish in months........

[John83]

Reading Prisoners of Geography by Tim Marshall.

He gives a very high level overview of ten major world maps/regions including why they formed and a sort of SWOT analysis to show their position in the world and the tension it creates internally and externally.

Enjoying it so far. It puts everything into very simple terms and gives a nice perspective on why various powers are in conflict or alliance.

I thought he had a pretty good analysis of China and Russia, and after that it declined pretty badly. It felt like he had two good chapters and then had to flesh out a book somehow.

[John83]

Quick question for the readers in here...

do you tend to read from a device (iPad, Kindle, etc) or the old fashioned paper and ink?

I exclusively read printed books.

I spend months per year abroad for work. I prefer paper books even now, but the Kindle's ability to fit a library into a pocket-sized form is invabluable to me. I also like being able to look up an unfamiliar term simply by long pressing it, and highlighting an interesting or funny passage saves it automatically to a clips file that's nice to review once in a while.