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Brian's Reading List - 2015


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Popcorn by Ben Elton

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Synopsis
Bruce shoots movies. Wayne and Scout shoot to kill. In a single night they find out the hard way what's real and what's not, who's the hero and who's the villain. The USA watches slack-jawed as Bruce and Wayne together resolve some serious questions. Does Bruce use erection cream? Does art imitate life or does life simply imitate bad art? And most of all, does sugar-pie really love his honeybun?
(taken from Goodreads)


My Thoughts

I think that I purchased this book from a second hand store in either 2013 or 2014. I bought the book entirely on the strength of the author, Ben Elton, and his work on British TV shows such as Blackadder. I knew that he had written some books but I had no idea just how many he has written (15 according to Wikipedia) and prior to this I hadn't read any of them. The blurb on the back of the book is very vague so I didn't really have any idea what to expect.

 

I won't really go into the details of the story as I don't want to spoil the book for others who are yet to read it. I will say that it is a very funny book and I enjoyed it immensely. Initially I had some reservations as I struggled to grasp exactly what was going on, but very quickly things made sense and I really got into it. The humour throughout the book is dark, very dark in places, and the body count is fairly high. I wouldn't say that any of the deaths are particularly graphic, I've read worse in Scandinavian crime novels for example. About halfway through, I couldn't help but think of Pulp Fiction and by the end I think I would sum it up as a comedy combination of Pulp Fiction and Natural Born Killers. I would be very interested to see what Quentin Tarantino would make of it should he read it.

 

This book was very enjoyable and I actually laughed out loud a few times. I will definitely be keeping an eye out for more of Elton's work next time I am in a book shop.

 

4/5 (I really liked it).

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Great Gambling Scams by Nigel Goldman

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Synopsis
For many, gambling is a roller coaster of wins and losses, but for some, it's the successful way to a life of untold wealth and luxury. Contained in this utterly gripping book are the secrets of a handful of people who have repeatedly managed to beat casinos and bookies at their own game, carrying out some of the most ingenious gambling scams of all time. Included are the three Eastern Europeans who sat down with almost nothing and walked away from the Ritz Casino's roulette wheel with more than one million pounds in their pockets. Also, the notorious MIT student scam in which students took Las Vegas for untold millions using a mind-blowing card-counting routine. With deception, drama, and vast fortunes involved in these awesome and elaborate plots, every true story collected here recreates the heart-racing buzz of the big win.
(taken from Goodreads)


My Thoughts

I wanted a few light entertaining reads for my time on the beach and at the same time keep my baggage to a minimum. This is where my Kindle comes in, I think it's a fantastic piece of kit and slowly I find myself reading more and more e-books. I hit the Kindle store and bought about 5 or 6 books related to true crime. Inspired by the recent booking of my Las Vegas trip I fancied something related, and decided on this. I have read a few books about casino cheats in the past, specifically, Breaking Vegas by Ben Mezrich and The Great Casino Heist by Richard Marcus.

 

This isn't a particularly long book, about 250 conventional pages and there are, I think, 10 chapters. Each chapter features a different story, some quite famous, some less so, and they are not all about casinos which I found a little surprising. The stories also cover a wide time range, going from the early days of gambling, right through to the modern day. Everything is well explained and even those who are not familiar with gambling should be able to understand what is going on. There is also a glossary at the back of the book to explain certain terms which crop up in gambling parlance. The writing is quite lively and I found the book easy to read and entertaining.

 

The only thing I would label as a negative is that a few of the stories are what I would consider borderline related to gambling. For example, there are a few cases of individuals conning people out of money by setting up fake companies or acting as investment bankers. These people then gambled some of that money away and were eventually caught. To me, this isn't a gambling scam, its theft and the gambling is just the end point for the disposal of the funds. These individuals also always led lavish lifestyles so the money went on other things as well.

 

This was a likeable if unremarkable book.

 

3/5 (I liked it).

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Nausea by Jean-Paul Sartre

 

Great review! :) I have a copy of the book but I don't think I've ever actually read the blurb and so I've had no idea what the book is about. Didn't even know if it's a novel or non-fiction. I'm sorry you didn't enjoy it as much as you perhaps had hoped to. 

 

 

Popcorn by Ben Elton

 

Another great review! :D I'm glad you liked it. I, too, remember that it was very funny, although I have to say that I don't remember one single thing about it :D (Great material for a re-read then...) I've also read Dead Famous by him, and liked that one too. But it's about reality TV so if one's not into it and hates the idea of having to read about it, then I wouldn't recommend it. 

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Buddha Standard Time by Lama Surya Das

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Synopsis
Buddha Standard Time shares one of the great realizations of Buddhism, one that anyone can learn to apply. Buddhist wisdom teaches that the minutes and hours of our days do not simply march from future to present to past-looming, engulfing us, passing us by forever. Rather, each moment is intersected by a fourth dimension, a dimension of timelessness. Only by accessing that timeless dimension, the Buddha believed, can we learn to fully inhabit the now.As an alternative to our ceaseless hustle and bustle, Surya Das offers listeners the possibility of living in Buddha Standard Time. Buddhists and non-Buddhists alike will discover reasons and inspirations, tools and techniques that not only significantly reduce the amount of stress in our lives, but help us find more focus, fulfillment, creativity, and even wisdom. The Buddha knew we're always free to live fully and completely in the present moment, and that doing so frees us from the burden of the past and the anxiety about the future. Living in Buddha Standard Time is in no way antithetical to modern life. Far from being at the mercy of time's demands, we will finally realize that we have, in fact, all the time in the world.
(taken from Goodreads)


My Thoughts

I bought this book a few years ago whilst browsing the shelves for something interesting in the religion section. I was not familiar with the title or author, but the synopsis on the back seemed like something that I would like. I often feel like I never have enough time, and, before I know it, the week is over and I feel as though I've not done many of the things I should have done. I have a decent amount of knowledge about Buddhist concepts so I assumed that I would feel comfortable with the ideas introduced in this book.

 

The basic idea behind this book is that by using things such as meditation we can allow ourselves to not get so caught up with worrying about time. It also introduces an idea that I am starting to try and use, the idea that we should look at our 'to-do' lists and ask ourselves "Do I really need to do this?" This is a difficult thing to adapt to, especially if you rely on lists to get things done, as I do. The author also introduces some science behind certain aspects on mind training. This is used as an additional piece of information rather than a justification for doing certain things but is welcome none the less.

 

As whole, I really liked this book, it is well presented and introduces the Buddhist concepts without dogma. The author also talks about how other religions have practices that also apply to the subject. Although the Buddhist approach is the main one presented, it isn't the only one presented. There are anecdotes throughout about how he has helped people to live a less stressful life. As always, these are to be taken with a pinch of salt as authors always talk about their successes and not their failures. There are small highlighted exercises throughout so if you want to jump straight into the nitty gritty you can.

 

The only thing that I didn't really take on board was some of the more esoteric stuff like chakras and chi. While I appreciate the concepts, they are just not something I subscribe to. This is something that always sits easily with Buddhism as you don't have to believe in anything. As an individual, you choose what you want to use, and discard everything else.

 

I really liked this book. I sent a particular passage from it to my girlfriend and now she wants to read it.

 

4/5 (I really liked it).

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Another great review! :D I'm glad you liked it. I, too, remember that it was very funny, although I have to say that I don't remember one single thing about it :D (Great material for a re-read then...) I've also read Dead Famous by him, and liked that one too. But it's about reality TV so if one's not into it and hates the idea of having to read about it, then I wouldn't recommend it. 

 

I always do the same thing. Unless a book has a profound reaction from me, I often struggle to recall what happened some time later. On occasion someone has started to discuss a book with me that they know I have read and I have no idea if I have read it or not.

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I was googling for a certain book on running and came across this book and thought of you. Have you heard of it or read it? :)

 

I've got a copy of his other book, Born to Run which I still haven't read but I haven't heard of this one. It looks exactly like my kind of thing so I've purchased the Kindle version of it, thanks for the heads up :flowers2:

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You're welcome! :smile2: I too thought it sounded just like your kind of thing :D I love the cover by the way. Not that it's worth mentioning now that you've gotten the Kindle version.... :giggle2: Let's see how you'll like the book when you get to it! 

 

Edit: Some of the Amazon reviews aren't all too generous in their compliments for the book, and some say that it's no Born to Run... So I'm glad that you haven't already read that and so don't have anything to compare it with. I hope you shall like it better than some of the Amazon reviewers! 

Edited by frankie
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The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas by Robin White

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Synopsis
Berlin 1942

When Bruno returns home from school one day, he discovers that his belongings are being packed in crates. His father has received a promotion and the family must move from their home to a new house far far away, where there is no one to play with and nothing to do. A tall fence running alongside stretches as far as the eye can see and cuts him off from the strange people he can see in the distance.

But Bruno longs to be an explorer and decides that there must be more to this desolate new place than meets the eye. While exploring his new environment, he meets another boy whose life and circumstances are very different to his own, and their meeting results in a friendship that has devastating consequences.

(taken from Goodreads)


My Thoughts

I think this book is a relatively recent edition to my collection and I bought it largely because I was familiar with the title. I knew there was a movie based on the book but I have not watched the movie.  I knew that the book dealt with concentration camps during the second world war and I knew that it features 2 small children as the main characters. Aside from that, I knew nothing else about it but I have been looking forward to reading it since I bought it. I didn't wait for the TBR jar to choose this for me, I selected it because it felt like the right time to read it.

 

The book starts in Berlin during the second world war and we see the world through the eyes of 9 year old Bruno. His father is in the German army and due to a promotion they have to pack up and move out of Berlin and to "Out-With". It turns out that "Out-With" is a concentration camp, almost certainly Auschwitz although this is never confirmed. Bruno really doesn't like it there and has constant arguments with his older sister. As a result of having no friends he decides to go exploring and finds a boy called Shmuel on the other side of a wire fence. The boy is wearing the same as everything else inside the wire, striped pyjamas.

 

I will stop here with the details as I don't want to spoil things for anyone else who hasn't read it. Up until the last 3 or 4 chapters I would have given the book 3 stars. It was a good read but it felt a little weak in places and I wondered where the story was heading. The ending of the book however is fantastic, and it had me quite surprised even though in hindsight I think I should seen it coming. I thought about it a fair bit during the night when I was trying to go to sleep and I think the author picked the perfect outcome.

 

I really enjoyed this book, I found it to be a decent read and I would recommend it to people who haven't read it yet.

 

4/5 (I really liked it).

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Great review :)! I bought this book last year based on some people from this forum really liking it. I'm glad I can add your name to that now :). I haven't read the book yet :blush2:, but hopefully I'll enjoy it too. I'm glad you liked it :).

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Glad you enjoyed it, and interesting to read how you found it.  We did this as a book group read a while ago and whilst most people were of the same opinion as you, I found the anachronisms and the suspension of disbelief required just too hard to take, only finishing it because it was a group read.

Edited by willoyd
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I found the anachronisms and the suspension of disbelief required just too hard to take, only finishing it because it was a group read.

This is why I have held off reading it.

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I've never gotten around to reading that one. Both were on the shelves at the same time and I chose The Book Thief over it because the cover was prettier, always meaning to come back to the other. Glad you enjoyed it :)

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Glad you enjoyed it Brian, I found it a very powerful read - although I remember being particularly annoyed by one word which the boy had misheard and then mispronounced as something else - but in English. It wouldn't have sounded anything like that in German!

 

I can't remember what word it was though - Auschwitz? 

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The ending of the book however is fantastic, and it had me quite surprised even though in hindsight I think I should seen it coming. I thought about it a fair bit during the night when I was trying to go to sleep and I think the author picked the perfect outcome.

 

 

This. 100% agreed. I was astonished when I read it! I'm glad you enjoyed the book, and that you kept going :)

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Glad you enjoyed it Brian, I found it a very powerful read - although I remember being particularly annoyed by one word which the boy had misheard and then mispronounced as something else - but in English. It wouldn't have sounded anything like that in German!

 

I can't remember what word it was though - Auschwitz?

Yes - but also true of his mistake with Hitler, who he describes as 'The Fury', rather than 'Der Fuhrer'. 'Fury' has no meaning in German, and I can't see such a mistake being made.

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Yes - but also true of his mistake with Hitler, who he describes as 'The Fury', rather than 'Der Fuhrer'. 'Fury' has no meaning in German, and I can't see such a mistake being made.

'Der Fuhrer' means 'the leader' I believe, I can see how the mistake was made. 'Fury' means something similar to 'anger', right? That is 'Wut' in German, 'woede' in Dutch ('boos' (as in I am angry, or 'boosheid' (the anger) are more commonly used and mean the same thing).

 

EDIT: Sorry, I realise this post doesn't actually add anything to the discussion of the book. I shall read my copy some day and then I can say something more meaningful :blush2:.

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'Der Fuhrer' means 'the leader' I believe, I can see how the mistake was made. 'Fury' means something similar to 'anger', right? That is 'Wut' in German, 'woede' in Dutch ('boos' (as in I am angry, or 'boosheid' (the anger) are more commonly used and mean the same thing).

 

EDIT: Sorry, I realise this post doesn't actually add anything to the discussion of the book. I shall read my copy some day and then I can say something more meaningful :blush2:.

Yes, der Fuhrer means 'the leader'. My point is that a German child, especially of that time, would almost certainly not mix up the German word 'der Fuhrer' with the English word 'The Fury', 'fury' having no meaning as a German word. It would have been extremely unlikely that this child would have even come across the English word, let alone confuse it with one from his own language.

Edited by willoyd
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Yes, der Fuhrer means 'the leader'. My point is that a German child, especially of that time, would almost certainly not mix up the German word 'der Fuhrer' with the English word 'The Fury', 'fury' having no meaning as a German word. It would have been extremely unlikely that this child would have even come across the English word, let alone confuse it with one from his own language.

Yes, that's very true. Sorry for misunderstanding :blush2:.

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Yes, der Fuhrer means 'the leader'. My point is that a German child, especially of that time, would almost certainly not mix up the German word 'der Fuhrer' with the English word 'The Fury', 'fury' having no meaning as a German word. It would have been extremely unlikely that this child would have even come across the English word, let alone confuse it with one from his own language.

 

That struck me while I was reading it as well. I can see what the author was trying to achieve but it's such a ham fisted way of going about it, it stands out a mile.

 

I need to update this thread, I'm a few books behind in my reviews due to my recent travels.

Edited by Brian.
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The Big Fight by Sugar Ray Leonard

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Synopsis
SUGAR RAY LEONARD was one of the greatest boxers ever. An artist and a showman he was always willing to take the difficult fight: his gruelling encounters with Roberto Duran, Thomas Hearns and Marvin Hagler have become legendary.

Ray's autobiography takes you into the ring - with the mind games, brutality and euphroia. But, outside of the ring, Ray's biggest opponent was himself. From early domestic violence and sexual abuse to a blur of fame, sex, greed, drink and drug addiction at the height of his career that cost him so much, The Big Fight is a remarkable portrait of the rise, fall and final redeption of a true fighter in every sense.

(taken from Goodreads)


My Thoughts

This book was a complete impulse buy sometime around Christmas, inspired mainly because of a conversation at work about the best boxers of all time. I am aware of the greats involved in this book such as Duran, Hearns and Hagler, but apart from youtube, I've never seen their fights. Boxing seems to be in a really bad way recently and it seems the industry doesn't know who to blame. Some point fingers at the rise of MMA but in my opinion boxing has lost its way due to boring fights and fighter who always play it safe. I wanted to read about a great period in boxing history from the mouth of one of it's best known fighter.

 

The book starts with a short section on Leonard's early life and then gets straight into the nitty gritty of his boxing life as an amateur. He covers how he got into boxing at an early age and how, once he realised he was good at it, his only aim was to box in the Olympics and try to win the gold medal. He is very honest in that he has no intentions of carrying on boxing past the Olympics and had been aiming to rely on his education to get a normal job. However, a few family issues meant that by going pro he could take care of matters instantly rather that see them suffer. It was at this point that he made a very important decision after taking some advice from Muhammad Ali, not to let anyone own him.

 

This one decision made it possible for him to largely control who he fought, where they fought and meant that he took the majority of the prize fund instead of losing it all to a manager. There are a few people in his life that he credits with helping him make these decisions, people that in retrospect are the polar opposite of him and his upbringing. He talks with great respect and eloquently about his opponents conveying his emotions at the time of the fight and those he feels in the present day looking back. He also talks about his infractions where his personal life is concerned but I feel that he doesn't reveal everything there is to say. He accepts the responsibility for what happened but you can almost sense a 'but' in the air. 

 

This was an enjoyable book that did what I wanted it to do. 

 

4/5 (I really liked it).

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Are you guys talking about the boy saying 'Fury' by mistake when it was supposed to be 'Führer' and 'Outwith' instead of 'Auschwitz'? But wasn't the boy really young, and so how was he supposed to know?

 

Edit: Never mind, I realized that the boy was probably German and so might have been expected to know these things :blush: 

Edited by frankie
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