The Book Thread

This was a page turner

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If books are angry with TV, they must now be furious with Smartphones.

Read Wolf Hall, worthy of the praise it recieves. Gonna have a lighter book before moving onto the second in the trilogy, a nice mental amuse bouche to cleanse my brain before tackling Bring out the Dead

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I am firing up the nerd signal here. I was looking for something to send to my 16 year old nephew and found a box set of books about the first age. Those are familiar to most fans of the Tolkeinverse, but then I stumbled upon something I didnt know existed

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Fall-Númenor-complete-Middle-earth-depicted/dp/0008655677/ref=sw_img_d_pb-allspark-smartwagon_4?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=0008655677&pd_rd_w=5HV4q&content-id=amzn1.sym.e76ad2d1-4583-4667-ba74-e700fa3ccfa5&pf_rd_p=e76ad2d1-4583-4667-ba74-e700fa3ccfa5&pf_rd_r=01RW7WV3K3B9V4BJ3FC3&pd_rd_wg=AUmdm&pd_rd_r=d56f079e-056a-4cd4-a718-67a16746d62a

This seems to be the closes thing there is any narrative of the second age, which is what Rings of Power is supposed to be telling. Could be interesting and seems well received based on the reviews

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Seems interesting. Anyone has read it?

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I haven’t and will add to my list.

Been reading Hans Fallada and Philip Kerr recently of course the former was there but I do think Kerr and his character do a good job.

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Finally finished “Joy of Life” web novel, which took me several months to complete, which was a nice break from non-fictions. I have decided to pick up something that has been sitting in my e-book library, which I have been reluctant to read, but knowing that I shall: “Japan’s Holocaust: History of Imperial Japan’s Mass Murder and Rape During World War II” by Bryan Mark Rigg. Last time when I read something similar (“The Rape of Nanking” by Iris Chang, or the genocides in the Balkans, Rwanda), they affected my psyche deeply. Revisiting the topic with a more in depth look with this new book would probably put me in a dark place (damn it, I have been reading too many current affairs, history and political books that put me in many dark places!).

Since I last posted in this thread, I have read quite a number of interesting books:
Serious stuff:

  • The Lost City of Z: A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon by David Grann
  • The White Darkness by David Grann
  • The Riders Come Out at Night: Brutality, Corruption, and Cover-Up in Oakland by Ali Winston & Darwin Bondgraham
  • Pegasus: How a Spy in Your Pocket Threatens the End of Privacy, Dignity, and Democracy by Laurent Richard & Sandrine Rigaud
  • They Called It Peace: Worlds of Imperial Violence by Lauren Benton
  • Flying Blind: The 737 MAX Tragedy and the Fall of Boeing by Peter Robison
  • Nuclear War: A Scenario by Annie Jacobsen
  • Means of Control: How the Hidden Alliance of Tech and Government Is Creating a New American Surveillance State by Byron Tau

Funny stuff:

  • How to Be an Ex-Footballer by Peter Crouch*
  • How to Survive History: How to Outrun a Tyrannosaurus, Escape Pompeii, Get Off the Titanic, and Survive the Rest of History’s Deadliest Catastrophes by Cody Cassidy
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Inspired by @Maria’s AFCON thread…here’s a book I had to read at uni, but one of those I have returned to often…

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Thank you @SBYM, I will check this book out.

It’s an easy read, but not at all pleasant…

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I had to read that at school…never again. :see_no_evil_monkey:

Heart of Darkness instead?

:laughing:

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Have you read Half of a yellow sun @SBYM?

I read it a few months ago, thought it was incredible.

Also picked up Disgrace by Coetzee which is very good.

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I’m currently reading Angela Merkel’s autobiography.

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Apologies for the lazy question in advance but is there a chapter on Russia and more specifically Germany’s enthrallment to Putin in the 90s-2010s. Would be interested to see if her view evolved at all?

The question is from a distant view so please ignore if the question is too ignorant or basic…

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I haven’t, no.

Will look it up.

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She only came to power in 2005.

Her government weren’t the only ones considering what happened to economies across Europe.

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It’s tremendous, give it a go if you’re wanting something African.

Definitely read it before the boring slog that is The Heart of Darkness.

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It’s 100 pages. I read it on a bus journey from Lincoln to Skegness, taking 10 minutes off to admire Horncastle on the way.

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I know. Still, as I said, a boring slog.