December 2017: Reading thread

[Extollager]

Houghton's I Am Jonathan Scrivener is off to a good start. A nondescript clerk in a law office (who is the narrator) applies for a job cataloguing a library and serving as private secretary to Scrivener, whom he has, so far, never met. He is to live in Scrivener's Pall mall apartment, which has some locked rooms. On different occasions, two beautiful women show up, who have latch keys but were not having affairs with Scrivener, and a third person shows up unexpectedly at the door, a man this time. They are all intrigued by Scrivener and don't seem to know a lot about him. The risk for Houghton is that the book may have a big moment(s) that won't justify the building mystery. We'll see. Also reading Streeter's nonfiction The Sadhu from archive.org, about a man of Sikh background who, it seems, was quite famous around 90 years ago, living like a wandering Hindu sannyasin, but with Christian beliefs.

 

[Parson]

The Sadhu from archive.org, about a man of Sikh background who, it seems, was quite famous around 90 years ago, living like a wandering Hindu sannyasin, but with Christian beliefs.

Sadhu Sundar Singh is actually quite famous in some Christian circles. His mystical Christian thinking puts many in mind of a time where there was a more spiritual and perhaps more authentic Christianity. What little I've read by? about? him is quite impressive.

 

[Paul_C]

Due to spending a couple of days visiting my Dad, and his tendency to sleep most of the day, I've finished The Book of Phoenix - Nnedi Okorafor

Very good indeed, but now I have only what's on my Kindle to choose from until I get home.

If I manage to make a decision I'll let you know !

 

[Extollager]

Sadhu Sundar Singh is actually quite famous in some Christian circles. His mystical Christian thinking puts many in mind of a time where there was a more spiritual and perhaps more authentic Christianity. What little I've read by? about? him is quite impressive.

Is there some book (other than this one) or article that you would particularly recommend?

He seems to have been the inspiration for a throwaway line about "the Sura" in C. S. Lewis's kitchen-sink book That Hideous Strength (as in Lewis puts in everything he was interested in but the kitchen sink -- which makes it a wonderful quarry for leads for reading and otherwise investigating).

 

[Paul_C]

I went with Ambiguity Machines: An Examination - Vandana Singh.

 

[Danny McG]

Today I'm having another attempt at Peter Hamilton's Great North Road.

Can't remember why I stopped reading the first time, interesting story so far.

 

[Paul_C]

. . . which turned out to be a short, but very good, story.

I squeezed in Neil Gaiman's How The Marquis Got His Coat Back and next up is Kop - Warren Hammond.

 

[AE35Unit]

Weird. This edition of A Christmas Carol is full of asterixes (asterixi?) * here and * there, but no footnotes or key to explain their reference!

 

[Parson]

Is there some book (other than this one) or article that you would particularly recommend?

He seems to have been the inspiration for a throwaway line about "the Sura" in C. S. Lewis's kitchen-sink book That Hideous Strength (as in Lewis puts in everything he was interested in but the kitchen sink -- which makes it a wonderful quarry for leads for reading and otherwise investigating).

Sorry, It's been years 30 or more since I've read what I read. Have no idea what it was.

 

[anno]

Just finished Spook Street by Mick Herron the latest Jackson Lamb novel - if you like spy type thrillers it’s kind of like Le Carre with jokes, and I mean proper big belly laughing guffaws! Highly recommended and I will now spend some vouchers to attain the set!
Santa brought a GRR Martin graphic novel, the latest genius work from Alan Bennett and a few music biogs so good times ahead...

 

[Vertigo]

Today I'm having another attempt at Peter Hamilton's Great North Road.

Can't remember why I stopped reading the first time, interesting story so far.

I know quite a lot of people grumbled about that book but I really enjoyed it!

 

[vanye]

Yes. So did I. While it was not up there with his best stuff, I found it an interesting read.

 

[Vince W]

. . . which turned out to be a short, but very good, story.

I squeezed in Neil Gaiman's How The Marquis Got His Coat Back

Read this myself a few days ago. It was excellent and make me wish Gaiman would return to London Below.

 

[Perpetual Man]

I've now finished The City of Dragons by Robin Hobb. Review Here

There are worse ways of finishing a reading year.

No more books before the start of 2018 as I dive into the comics and try to finish the bloody things off.

 

[Extollager]

Lost interest in Houghton's I Am Jonathan Scrivener. Expect to reread something by John Wyndham instead.

 

[williamjm]

I finished Steph Swainston's Fair Rebel. Not a bad book, although it perhaps peaked in the middle and the rest of it was a bit predictable at times. I didn't find the villains of the story entirely convincing, while I think they have genuinely good reasons for feeling disaffected their actions do seem ludicrously disproportionate.

Now started James S.A. Corey's seventh book in the Expanse series, Persepolis Rising. I wasn't particularly expecting the book to start in the way it does, but I suppose it does make sense to allow the authors to fully explore the consequences of the ending of the previous book.

Read this myself a few days ago. It was excellent and make me wish Gaiman would return to London Below.

I seem to remember reading that he's working on a sequel to Neverwhere entitled The Seven Sisters. Not sure if there's been any indication of a release date for it.

 

[hitmouse]

I am reading Susan Cooper's The Dark is Rising to my youngest, who is 11, over the Christmas holiday. I last read the book about 20 years ago, and it stands rereading. Really atmospheric fantasy thriller set around the Winter Solstice/Christmas season, centring on an 11 year old boy living in a village in Southern England. Echoes of Alan Garner.
My son is enjoying the story.

 

[Extollager]

Has anyone here read John Masefield's The Box of Delights? Comments? I've only read a few pages so far.

 

[thaddeus6th]

Currently reading Kill Them All by Sean McGlynn.

As an aside, it's striking how many history books have an eye-catching main title, and then a grown-up subtitle, almost as if the former is for casual readers/publishers who want something catchy, and the latter is for people who actually read the book (a bit like the terrible Jeremy Vine CGI during BBC election night coverage. I don't know who they think stays up until 4am watching local election coverage because they want to see Ming Campbell dressed as a rapper...).

 

[hitmouse]

Has anyone here read John Masefield's The Box of Delights? Comments? I've only read a few pages so far.

Yes. Many times since I was a child. A schooltacher read it to me first when I was 10. One of the great children's Christmas stories. Very evocative. There was a pretty good BBC production of it a few years (decades probably) ago which should be on YouTube.
Masefield was a fine poet.