What are you reading and book reviews - Page 53

semi-pro waster · 20-12-2009, 16:50

Been a while since I've updated, not that I've stopped reading but none felt particularly worthwhile to highlight until I recently finished 31 Songs by Nick Hornby - a form of paean to songs he's loved or that have had a profound impact on him. He passionately and eloquently argues the merits of pop music, not the sort of book I'd normally read perhaps but I've very glad I did.

Jingo · 20-12-2009, 18:19

I've just started reading Terry Pratchett's NATION - as it's not a discworld novel I was unsure what to expect but thus far it's captivating, emotive and retains all the charming wit Pratchett succeeds in conveying across all of his work.

Shall keep you posted with a finished review

_dogma_ · 22-12-2009, 03:26

Read a couple of books recently.

Graceling and Fire by Kristen Cashore. Really good books. Could not put them down! First fantasy books I've read in a while. They're a little bit girly in places but I think the target audience is Twilight fans. I wouldn't say they're as lovey dovey as Twilight and they're a little gritty in places.

The Girl who Played with Fire by Steig Larsson. Fantastic! Better than the first. I feel the first is just an introduction to the characters and sets them up nicely for this one. Started on The Girl who Kicked the Hornets Nest now but not far enough into it to say much about it.

Jonny69 · 22-12-2009, 16:04

Prosperity Without Growth - Economics for a Finite Planet by Tim Jackson was hard work but the basic message is we've become too materialistic, consuming too much and we're not happier as a result and we're damaging the environment as a result. Our economic and social model promotes this behaviour so we're locked in. What do we do about it.

I'm now reading Crap at the Environment by Mark Watson who is a comedian. It's a bit of fun about how this guy discovered he wanted to be an environmentalist and his comedy brushes with hardcore environmentalists, Al Gore, skeptics and the press. Something light-hearted to break up the academia.

Also reading The Hitch Hiker's Guide to LCA by Henrikke Baumann. I've been struggling through the two international standards on lifecycle assessment but they're so vague and badly written I thought I'd get a book out from one of the authors which details the history of LCA and where it's come from. Might shed some light on the standards. I also have a Baumann's phd thesis which was setting up lifecycle assessment originally, so that should enlighten me somewhat (if it doesn't just send me to sleep).

SCM · 28-12-2009, 00:49

Robert Jordan book 9 of Wheel of Time series - Winter's Heart slowly working my way through the backlog in this series so i can read my pressy of book 12 in the series as soon as possible.

Kitten · 28-12-2009, 01:19

I'm reading 'The Lady in The Tower - the Fall of Anne Boleyn' by Alison Weir.

semi-pro waster · 13-01-2010, 23:10

Master Of The World by Jules Verne - intriguing science fiction, very easy reading and carries you along nicely but for some reason I thought it would be a somewhat weightier book than it was. Good for a change of pace though.

Now I'm reading Fatherland by Robert Harris, more on this when I'm done it.

Nelson · 18-01-2010, 16:00

I finished The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo last week. The first third has a gradual pace and it quite detail heavy but that just sets things up for the other two acts. I really enjoyed it and I'm lining up ...Who Played with Fire to read next.

While I wait for that though I've got Haruki Murakami's After Dark, one of the few of his I haven't read. I'm only about 30 pages in but I'm loving it already - classic Murakami.

Jonny69 · 18-01-2010, 19:37

Still reading The Hitch Hiker's Guide to LCA by Henrikke Baumann. It's pretty tough going and pointing out all the vagarities of life cycle assessment. The PhD and Licente theses I had from her were tough and repeated a lot of what's in HHG to LCA. Gave up

Got Mike Ashby's Engineering Materials 1 and Engineering Materials 2 to flick through on my desk. Bought them as they will probably prove to be quite a valuable resource.

Also bought copies of HHG to LCA and Our Common Future - World Commission as they are useful books. Read most of the latter on the train but you don't half get some funny looks reading books that look like this:

semi-pro waster · 18-01-2010, 19:39

Finished Fatherland, it's a fairly entertaining read, not threatening to be a classic but well enough told. I did rather think the ending might have been a bit happier than it was but I suppose there was always the message of hope beneath it.

Now I'm reading Quest For The Faradawn by Richard Ford, described on the cover as a blend between Tolkein and Watership Down. I've got a feeling that I've either read it before or started it but I can't remember anything much about it.

20-12-2009, 16:50	#521
semi-pro waster Provider of sensible advice about homosexuals Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: London Posts: 2,615	Been a while since I've updated, not that I've stopped reading but none felt particularly worthwhile to highlight until I recently finished 31 Songs by Nick Hornby - a form of paean to songs he's loved or that have had a profound impact on him. He passionately and eloquently argues the merits of pop music, not the sort of book I'd normally read perhaps but I've very glad I did. __________________ "Your friend is the man that knows all about you, and still likes you." - Elbert Hubbard

20-12-2009, 18:19	#522
Jingo Smother me in chocolate and eat flapjacks with it! Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: North Somerset Posts: 1,854	I've just started reading Terry Pratchett's NATION - as it's not a discworld novel I was unsure what to expect but thus far it's captivating, emotive and retains all the charming wit Pratchett succeeds in conveying across all of his work. Shall keep you posted with a finished review __________________

22-12-2009, 03:26	#523
_dogma_ Long Island Iced Tea Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Kirkcaldy, Fife. Posts: 278	Read a couple of books recently. Graceling and Fire by Kristen Cashore. Really good books. Could not put them down! First fantasy books I've read in a while. They're a little bit girly in places but I think the target audience is Twilight fans. I wouldn't say they're as lovey dovey as Twilight and they're a little gritty in places. The Girl who Played with Fire by Steig Larsson. Fantastic! Better than the first. I feel the first is just an introduction to the characters and sets them up nicely for this one. Started on The Girl who Kicked the Hornets Nest now but not far enough into it to say much about it. __________________

22-12-2009, 16:04	#524
Jonny69 Noob Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Socialist Republik of Kent Posts: 5,032	Prosperity Without Growth - Economics for a Finite Planet by Tim Jackson was hard work but the basic message is we've become too materialistic, consuming too much and we're not happier as a result and we're damaging the environment as a result. Our economic and social model promotes this behaviour so we're locked in. What do we do about it. I'm now reading Crap at the Environment by Mark Watson who is a comedian. It's a bit of fun about how this guy discovered he wanted to be an environmentalist and his comedy brushes with hardcore environmentalists, Al Gore, skeptics and the press. Something light-hearted to break up the academia. Also reading The Hitch Hiker's Guide to LCA by Henrikke Baumann. I've been struggling through the two international standards on lifecycle assessment but they're so vague and badly written I thought I'd get a book out from one of the authors which details the history of LCA and where it's come from. Might shed some light on the standards. I also have a Baumann's phd thesis which was setting up lifecycle assessment originally, so that should enlighten me somewhat (if it doesn't just send me to sleep). __________________

28-12-2009, 00:49	#525
SCM As endorsed by Mr Black Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Hell/Scotland take your pick Posts: 443	Robert Jordan book 9 of Wheel of Time series - Winter's Heart slowly working my way through the backlog in this series so i can read my pressy of book 12 in the series as soon as possible. __________________ The sun is rising The screams have gone Too many have fallen Few still stand tall Is this the ending of what we've begun? Will we remember what we've done wrong?

28-12-2009, 01:19	#526
Kitten Spinky-Spank Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: 668. The Neighbour of the Beast Posts: 11,226	I'm reading 'The Lady in The Tower - the Fall of Anne Boleyn' by Alison Weir. __________________ "You only get one life. There's no God, no rules, except for those you accept or create for yourself. Then once it's over... it's over. Dreamless sleep for ever and ever. So why not be happy while you're here?" Nate Fisher

13-01-2010, 23:10	#527
semi-pro waster Provider of sensible advice about homosexuals Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: London Posts: 2,615	Master Of The World by Jules Verne - intriguing science fiction, very easy reading and carries you along nicely but for some reason I thought it would be a somewhat weightier book than it was. Good for a change of pace though. Now I'm reading Fatherland by Robert Harris, more on this when I'm done it. __________________ "Your friend is the man that knows all about you, and still likes you." - Elbert Hubbard

18-01-2010, 16:00	#528
Nelson Nice weak cup of Earl Grey Join Date: Jan 2010 Posts: 4	I finished The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo last week. The first third has a gradual pace and it quite detail heavy but that just sets things up for the other two acts. I really enjoyed it and I'm lining up ...Who Played with Fire to read next. While I wait for that though I've got Haruki Murakami's After Dark, one of the few of his I haven't read. I'm only about 30 pages in but I'm loving it already - classic Murakami. __________________ You know, in a situation like this, there's a high potentiality for the common mother****er to bitch out.

18-01-2010, 19:37	#529
Jonny69 Noob Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Socialist Republik of Kent Posts: 5,032	Still reading The Hitch Hiker's Guide to LCA by Henrikke Baumann. It's pretty tough going and pointing out all the vagarities of life cycle assessment. The PhD and Licente theses I had from her were tough and repeated a lot of what's in HHG to LCA. Gave up Got Mike Ashby's Engineering Materials 1 and Engineering Materials 2 to flick through on my desk. Bought them as they will probably prove to be quite a valuable resource. Also bought copies of HHG to LCA and Our Common Future - World Commission as they are useful books. Read most of the latter on the train but you don't half get some funny looks reading books that look like this: __________________

18-01-2010, 19:39	#530
semi-pro waster Provider of sensible advice about homosexuals Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: London Posts: 2,615	Finished Fatherland, it's a fairly entertaining read, not threatening to be a classic but well enough told. I did rather think the ending might have been a bit happier than it was but I suppose there was always the message of hope beneath it. Now I'm reading Quest For The Faradawn by Richard Ford, described on the cover as a blend between Tolkein and Watership Down. I've got a feeling that I've either read it before or started it but I can't remember anything much about it. __________________ "Your friend is the man that knows all about you, and still likes you." - Elbert Hubbard