What are you reading right now?

[MrPlum]

Many years ago I used to browse a great website called 'Just One Book', until it became commercial and filled with spam. Have we had anything similar before on HHAD? If not, I think it would be a terrific topic.

[STEVE G]

Just about to start Prague Fatale, by Philip Kerr. I've been saving this. Its another (the 8th) in the Bernie Gunther detective series, this guy being German and operating before, during and after the war - they go back to the 36 Olympics and up to Cuba - and all are based around historical fact (one of his books led me to The Real Odessa by an Argentinian journalist, Uki Goni, which was a brilliant, revealing read).

I love this series of books and always eagerly look out for the next one.

I've just got started on the Berlin Noir trilogy which is his first three books available as a single volume on Kindle and I like his style, it's a bit like Raymond Chandler but set in Nazi Germany.
I sometimes read too many scholarly history books and it makes a change to read something purely for entertainment.

[lomuamart]

Just some suggestions as to books I've read recently:
In no particular order:
Alex Berenson - "The Faithful Spy". Pretty much USA vs Taliban etc. A page turner.
Colin Dexter - "Last Seen Wearing". Not bad although I don't think that Morse transforms to John Thaw as easily as Frost does to David Jason.
Harlan Coban - "Backspin", "Caught" and "Darkest Fear" - the central character is an ex-basketball pro with his own sports company who delves into private eye stuff when times are bad. The wit is right up my street and the plots tight.
Ian McEwan - "Amsterdam" and "Atonement" - a great writer and I've got lots more to read.
Ian Rankin - "Complaints" and "Death is not the End" - another Scottish writer whose books revolve around Edinburgh and Fife. Police stuff and well written.
Janet Evanovich - "Back to the Bedroom". Well, I didn't finish this book. I know she's a big best selling author but I hope some of the other 37 books I've got get better.
Mario Puzo - "The Godfather". Re-read this one and it still stands the test of time.
Martin Cruz Smith - "Gorky Park" - another re-read and still excellent. Arkady Renko is a hell of a character who just about survives as a cynical detective in Soviet Russia.
Neil Gaiman - "American Gods". A bit fantastic and the first book of his that I've read. I'll reserve judgement but I did enjoy it. I suppose the fantasy theme isn't my normal read but he writes well.
Philip Kerr - "March Violets". I'm some 70 pages into this and it looks as good as "Field Gray" that we've touched on before.

Anyway, that's some of them. I'm looking forward to:
Khaled Hosseini - "And the Mountains Echoed". I read "A Thousand Splendid Suns" a few years ago. My Mum lent to me when back in the UK for a while. The author writes really well about Afghanistan. The latter book was about the treatment of women there. Powerful stuff.
OK, so the latest Dan Brown - "Inferno" and the latest Stephen King - "Joyland". Probably both potboilers for around the pool.

A couple I read a little while ago and thought good:
William Landay - "Defending Jacob". Damn good read
Jonas Jonasson - "The Hundred Year Old Man who climbed out of the Window and Disappeared". Excellent and should make you laugh a bit.

[buksida]

I read "A Thousand Splendid Suns" a few years ago. My Mum lent to me when back in the UK for a while. The author writes really well about Afghanistan. The latter book was about the treatment of women there. Powerful stuff.

Reading that now, quite shocking in parts.

[lomuamart]

Yup. Sad really but unfortunately the plight of many women there.

[STEVE G]

After reading and enjoying the Philip Kerr trilogy and noting it's similarity to Raymond Chandler, which I only knew through those old Bogart movies, I decided to read some Raymond Chandler and if you like Philip Kerr, you'll certainly enjoy the original!
I got The Big Sleep, Farewell My Lovely and The Long Goodbye together as one volume from Amazon for about 10 GBP.

[caller]

I'll probably go for that at some stage as the comparison is an ongoing one and not an accident.

Right now, being in LOS myself (Korat), I'm using my kindle for the 1st time and loving it. I've got many books stored, but am currently re-reading Dance Dance Dance by Murakami. He's probably my favourite author and the re-read is as good as a 1st time read. I think it will be IQ84 next, which I bought in hardback when it 1st came out, but never found the time needed to do it justice.

[migrant]

I've got most all the Chandler books they are excellent

[STEVE G]

I've got most all the Chandler books they are excellent

Yes, they've surprised me because well as the wise cracking, tough guy detective stuff that you expect, the author is also a very good observer of life and you really get a feel for the period. You see how nothing changes much as well, I'm presently reading A Long Goodbye, which was published in 1953 and Marlowe is sometimes complaining about facets of modern life-bad TV,commercialism,drugs abuse-that people still complain about today.

[migrant]

I've got most all the Chandler books they are excellent

Yes, they've surprised me because well as the wise cracking, tough guy detective stuff that you expect, the author is also a very good observer of life and you really get a feel for the period. You see how nothing changes much as well, I'm presently reading A Long Goodbye, which was published in 1953 and Marlowe is sometimes complaining about facets of modern life-bad TV,commercialism,drugs abuse-that people still complain about today.

Living near, and often doing something in, Los Angeles, it's great to read his descriptions and compare to present times

[Frank La Rue]

I posted this under "Books" but I'll add it here because I think it deserves promotion;

Tom Clancy and Red Storm Rising, Move over! - here is:

Collin Gee - The Red Gambit Serie

http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_nos ... e+Re%2Caps

You can read the reviews from a multitude of other guys, we are all in awe

[Frank La Rue]

The Forum for the Red Gambit can be found here:

http://redgambitseries.com/

[dtaai-maai]

Relax Frank, we've got the message. He's better than Tom Clancy.

[Frank La Rue]

Relax Frank, we've got the message. He's better than Tom Clancy.

Yeah, but do you read his books?

The increase in first month read of his 2nd novel Breakthrough was enough for him to finance a 1 month research trip to Eastern Europe theaters of tank battles - his factual accounts and his descriptions of strategic deliberations in one - to - one meetings between Stalin and NKDV boss Beria is earth shattering, sending shivers down the reader's spine.

Read and get hooked!