What are you reading right now?

[VPS]

I have just finished the new Richard Osman book. We solve murders. I still can’t believe that his books are so popular.

 

[kookaburra75]

But have started in earnest the first book in the Great Library series, Ink and Bone by Rachel Caine. Being a librarian I may be biased, but it's got a great premise. The library in Alexandria survived and is the source of the world's knowledge, but at what cost? No one is allowed to keep original books, all must be stored in the library and there are library soldiers who might search for illegal copies. There are dissenters called Burners who feel that knowledge should be free for all, not controlled. I'm about 80 pages in so far and I'm hooked!

It sounds like it's the opposite of the Fahrenheit 451, where books are burned by firemen as the government doesn't want people reading books, as it gives them dangerous ideas which would make them unhappy. A great read when you think Ray Bradbury wrote it in 1953, and amongst the ideas in the book is that people have earpieces in all the time listening so they don't have to interact with others (sound familiar), and watch wall sized TV's where they can be part of the cast on soapies (who wants to be Brooke or Ryde on the Bold and the Beautiful).

I'll have to check it out.

 

[Drakecula]

I'll have to check it out.

Fahrenheit 451 has been on my 'I'll have to read it one day' list. Books about books are good books! Haha.

 

[Foreigner]

 

[MARTINE]

Fahrenheit 451 has been on my 'I'll have to read it one day' list. Books about books are good books! Haha.

The Shadow of the Wind - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

This is one of my favorite books about books— sadly the author Ruiz died age 55 of cancer

 

[kookaburra75]

Fahrenheit 451 has been on my 'I'll have to read it one day' list. Books about books are good books! Haha.

His short story, The Pedestrian is also worth a read. Written in 1951 it almost seems prophetic when you look around at how we live now.

 

[tgh]

Probably belongs in another thread.. but I find books pre-structured as potential movie scripts to be irititating.
It seems there is no way to sort these books as one needs to get into the story before the predictability of the structure becomes evident.
Rant over...

 

[MARTINE]

His short story, The Pedestrian is also worth a read. Written in 1951 it almost seems prophetic when you look around at how we live now.

» RAY BRADBURY IS MY ‘FATHER’ writes Michael Robotham, bestselling author of Say You’re SorryThe Booktopian

I recently heard Michael Robotham speak at a launch and he told of his becoming an author due to Ray Bradbury… and the incredible generosity of the man.

 

[VPS]

» RAY BRADBURY IS MY ‘FATHER’ writes Michael Robotham, bestselling author of Say You’re SorryThe Booktopian

I recently heard Michael Robotham speak at a launch and he told of his becoming an author due to Ray Bradbury… and the incredible generosity of the man.

And isn’t Michael Robotham lovely. How he writes some of the dark stuff he does

 

[Drakecula]

Probably belongs in another thread.. but I find books pre-structured as potential movie scripts to be irititating.
It seems there is no way to sort these books as one needs to get into the story before the predictability of the structure becomes evident.
Rant over...

I take it you've read Matthew Reilly? Haha. He wanted to make movies, but I think his scripts were too costly to make, so he turned to writing novels because you can have an unlimited budget.

So his novels are like reading action movies. I enjoy them, but yes, they fall into a bit of predictability.

Though, he's since written and directed a movie called Interceptor. Like watching a Matthew Reilly novel! Heh.

He's also lovely to chat to, always has time for his fans. I've been lucky enough to meet him several times over the past 20 years.

 

[Cossie]

Received 2 books yesterday and look forward to reading both, dare say neither will appeal to some on here.

The Palestine Laboratory | Book | Scribe Publications

WINNER OF THE 2023 WALKLEY BOOK AWARD WINNER OF PEOPLE’S CHOICE AT THE VICTORIAN PREMIER’S LITERARY AWARDS 2024 SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2024 ABIA SOCIAL IMPACT BOOK OF THE…

scribepublications.com.au

On Palestine by Noam Chomsky

An indispensable analysis of the current challenges in one of the most troubled regions on our planet

www.penguin.com.au

Noam Chomsky is one of my favourite authors.

Bio - Antony Loewenstein

Antony Loewenstein is an Australian/German independent, freelance, investigative journalist, best-selling author and film-maker. He’s the co-founder of Declassified Australia. He’s worked in dozens of countries around the world and was based in South Sudan in 2015 and East Jerusalem between 2016...

antonyloewenstein.com

 

[LizF]

Hello. First time I have ever posted (please be kind if I haven’t posted it properly!). But just thought you guys might all appreciate ‘Round The Bend’ by Nevil Shute. I have somehow ended up with a very old edition from the UK. But think about it every time I fly (esp. via Asia). Don’t agree with some of the religious threads but also think it is written in mind for those agnostics etc from the time. I re-read every couple of years (like most of my fave books!)

 

[9171]

Probably belongs in another thread.. but I find books pre-structured as potential movie scripts to be irititating.
It seems there is no way to sort these books as one needs to get into the story before the predictability of the structure becomes evident.
Rant over...

Any personal rant is valid. And I "get" this one.

Random reply, done with the aim of distraction, is to share my current book challenge.

I read some stuff by Keith Laumer many years ago. The "Retief" series. Suddenly, after about twelve decades, I decided I wanted to read these again. Sure enough, with the advent of "Amazon" and like I can probably source one of Keith's rare paperbacks in mere days. But that would require me to get over my rejection of all that is modern. A deal breaker. That is not the path I choose, never the easy one.

I have instead sworn a sacred oath that I will only seize upon one of Keith's books that is sold in an Op Shop. As in Vinnies or similar. By this diabolical intent, I know that my desire for reading is up against a myriad of confounding influences that sway the cosmos. Clearly the first and biggest challenge is that such a book has been donated to my local charity. The second is that it has been displayed correctly.

 

[DejaBrew]

Welcome aboard AFF @LizF

 

[LizF]

Welcome aboard AFF @LizF

Thank you! Sorry, I am a bit of a ‘lurker’ on this site (more broadly, on any social media) though have been reading since moving over from the UK a few years ago. So have alas not got many Qantas/Virgin tricks that have not already been covered. But do read books voraciously so, having stumbled across this thread, feel like there is some value I could add to try and give back a bit!