Karsa Orlong
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Posts posted by Karsa Orlong
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Finished The Fuller Memorandum by Charles Stross. 'Twas okay, but my enjoyment was slightly dampened because I didn't realise, until after I bought it, that it's the third book in a series
Now reading Lee Child's first Jack Reacher novel, Killing Floor
I've read several of the others but not this one, for some reason 
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Just bought 61 Hours, Lee Child's latest Jack reacher paperback. Half price 'Book of The Week' in Smiths
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I bought Nemesis yesterday. I was tempted to buy all the rest as well, but forced myself not to. I'm really looking forward to it but I'm determined to read some other books first otherwise I'll rush through all the Nesbo books too quickly and I'd rather savour them. It is sitting on the shelf taunting me, though
Mac, there's one particular plot thread that I suspect carries over into Nemesis, so it'll be interesting to know if/how it affects your enjoyment of the book.
Without turning the thread completely over to Larsson, I agree about Lisbeth - brilliant character. My only problem with The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo was that she felt like the only real character in it - everyone else just seemed to be there to provide info dumps or for Mikael to jump in bed with!
I have the others ready to read but Nesbo's dragged my attention away from them, so not sure when I'll get to them.I'm curious as to why the first two Harry Hole novels, The Bat Man and The Cockroaches, haven't been translated into English? From reading interviews with Nesbo, I understand they were far simpler affairs, and that with The Redbreast he kicked everything up a few notches, maybe that's why? It would still be interesting to read them, to fill in some of the background, as Harry's adventures in Australia and Thailand are mentioned a few times in The Redbreast.
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Blast Waterstones and their 3-for-2's. I went in to get Jo Nesbo's Nemesis and Robert Harris's Imperium but, as the latter was in the 3-for-2 deal, I naturally had to find two other books to get, so also ended up with Martyr by Rory Clements and The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson. I do try to stay away from bookshops, honestly, but buying books seems to be a bit like a drug at the moment
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Yeah, I read Neverwhere recently and thought it was fab
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Had a quick search and couldn't see a thread about this Norwegian author. I've just finished reading The Redbreast and am very impressed. I know there's at least one other person here who's read his work, so what do you think?
Here's the blurb for The Redbreast, courtesy of his website:
Not all angels are heaven-sent. I am one such angel.And I have come to pass judgement.
On the living and the dead...
Down on his luck, Detective Harry Hole is having a rough time. Reassigned, having caused a high-profile embarrassment,
he finds himself lumbered with surveillance duties. But working alone is just the way Harry likes it and it’s not long before he discovers that a rare, high-calibre rifle, a type favoured by assassins, has been smuggled into the country.
When a former WW2 Nazi sympathiser is found with his throat slit, Harry suspects a connection. As his investigation unfolds and the bodies mount up, it becomes clear that the killer is hell-bent on serving his own justice. But who is he? And what is the link to events that took place over 50 years ago? One thing is for certain: He must be stopped.
First thing to say, I thought the characters were great - flawed, witty and very human. The plot itself is a wonderfully tangled web with plenty of twists and turns, and I found that the non-linear structure - which jumps between events in the 'present' day (2000) and World War II - added an extra layer to an already intriguing story. There are also a few real edge-of-your-seat passages that he carries off brilliantly.
I saw a poster on the tube this morning promoting Nesbo as 'The next Stieg Larsson', which I found slightly patronising. I can see where the comparison comes from but, based on this and The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, Nesbo's writing is a cut above, in my opinion. Can't wait to read more
You can read the opening of The Redbreast here:
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On a side note if you like battles and a more sweeping use of the time period with pompeii, crassus and caesar etc - conn ingulden four emperor books were great although less legal and politically detailed.
Ah, that's interesting, thanks, cos I was looking at those as well. Someone also recommended Colleen McCullough's 'Masters of Rome' series to me - have you read any of those? Must admit, I'm kind of put off by the fact that she wrote The Thorn Birds ... !
I'm going to pop into Waterstones and pick up Imperium (amongst other things!) today. Might get Pompeii as well, or one of the Iggulden's you mentioned. Just as I started working my way through my TBR pile, too
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Just wait till you read Jo Nesbo's Nemesis.
Can't wait!
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Jo Nesbo is evil! I've just been reading a particular sequence of events in The Redbreast - one of those sequences where he telegraphs what's going to happen and then proceeds to wring every last drop of suspense out of it. Brilliantly written, perfectly orchestrated. He's evil I tell you!
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Sign Of The Times by Queensryche
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It's next on my list of books to buy, that's for sure!
I didn't actually say that you don't need to read the first book, just that I still enjoyed Lustrum immensely even without having read Imperium, as you can tell from my comments, above. I'm certainly looking forward to an enhanced re-read of Lustrum at some point, even though I've only just finished it.
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Ooh, how was The Demolished Man?
It was great fun! Very inventive and slightly insane. I didn't like it quite as much as The Stars My Destination, but that's a pretty high bar to jump over, imo
Going to read the Charles Stross book after I've finished my current read, so I'll let you know what it's like
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Well at least you're giving it a go
You obviously need to drink more Robert Harris coffee
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Since last posting I've read Lustrum by Robert Harris and The Demolished Man by Alfred Bester, and am now about 250 pages into The Redbreast by Jo Nesbo
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The blurb, courtesy of Amazon:
Rome, 63 BC. In a city on the brink of acquiring a vast empire, seven men are struggling for power. Cicero is consul, Caesar his ruthless young rival, Pompey the republic's greatest general, Crassus its richest man, Cato a political fanatic, Catilina a psychopath, Clodius an ambitious playboy. The stories of these real historical figures - their alliances and betrayals, their cruelties and seductions, their brilliance and their crimes - are all interleaved to form this epic novel. Its narrator is Tiro, a slave who serves as confidential secretary to the wily, humane, complex Cicero. He knows all his master's secrets - a dangerous position to be in. From the discovery of a child's mutilated body, through judicial execution and a scandalous trial, to the brutal unleashing of the Roman mob, Lustrum is a study in the timeless enticements and horrors of power.I bought this on a bit of a whim. I didn't realise that it was the second book in a trilogy and, fortunately, it didn't matter because it stands alone perfectly well. I'd been seeing the posters for it regularly on my tube travels and, having been watching Spartacus: Blood & Sand (not that that tv show particularly reflects history!), my curiosity about Ancient Rome had been piqued. So, when I saw this book in Waterstones' 3 for 2 offer it leaped out at me.
Lustrum tells the story of five years in the life of Cicero, from his year as Consul to the following years on the Senate, and his manoeuvring and battles with all the people named in the blurb above, particularly Caesar. I don't know a lot about those times - and someone who has studied the period might find fault with this book, I really don't know - but I found it absolutely enthralling. From the first page to the last I had a real struggle to put it down. Harris tells the story in first person from the viewpoint of Cicero's secretary, Tiro. His writing style flows beautifully and gives the story an energy and pace that I had not expected at all. With all the conspiracies and backstabbing that goes on, and the number of characters involved, it could quite easily have been confusing - but it isn't. The characters leap off the page and you can imagine that this is how they really were. Naturally, Cicero's speeches play a large part in the novel and Harris works them in seamlessly. Considering it's a book essentially about politics it is amazingly tense and exciting and - most importantly - easy to follow.
I found this to be a brilliant, thrilling novel. If it has done one thing, it has made me hungry to find out more about the period in which it is set, and the people it portrays, and I don't think you can pay a historical novel a higher compliment than that.
Highly recommended
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Apart from C J Sansom's Shardlake books, the novel that springs immediately to mind is Wolf Hall which, being about Thomas Cromwell, features Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn quite prominently. I thought it was brilliant
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I finished A Maiden's Grave last night. It was my first Deaver. At the start I thought I wasn't going to like it. Then it got very tense and exciting and I loved it - right up until the last 30 pages where it seemed, to me, to go completely off the rails. All the way through something was niggling at the back of my mind, one particular thread that none of the good-guy characters seemed to pick up on when it was 'smack-you-in-the-face' obvious. Even though that thread turned out to be the big twist I still thought he executed it well, but then he opted for a Hollywood style ending which I found very disappointing, which is a real shame because up until that point I thought it was brilliant.
Still, one of the best thrillers I've read for a while, so I shall definitely look into getting some more Deaver
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I finished Jeffery Deaver's A Maiden's Grave last night (well, early this morning, actually!). Next up is Lustrum by Robert Harris.
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I think James Ellroy is fantastic. Be warned: his writing style is brutal - be prepared for it to smack you around the head and leave you a bit dazed. As he's progressed he's started to use very short sentences and seems to choose each word for maximum effect. He uses a lot of slang and street-talk and his characters are always painted in shades of grey. He's brilliant at taking real-life events and working his stories around them.
I started with L.A. Confidential. I'd never read any Ellroy before seeing the film, so it seemed the obvious place to start. It's actually the third book in his L.A. Quartet, but I don't think it made any difference to me when I read it, so if you're looking for a safe place to start - and especially if you liked the film - that's probably it. If you're a completist, though, go for The Black Dahlia.
If you're feeling brave, go for the Underworld USA trilogy. This one does have to be read in order, so start with American Tabloid (which is probably my favourite crime novel I've read to date), then The Cold Six Thousand, then Blood's A Rover (which I've yet to read).
Hope you enjoy whichever you choose
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It's also followed by the woeful Howard Keel version of The Day of the Triffids!
I know it's very far removed from the book, but I love it! It's one of my favourite sci-fi movies.
There's something wonderful about those old sf movies, but I must admit The Day of The Triffids isn't one of my favourites. Now, if it were the original Invasion Of The Body Snatchers or The Day The Earth Stood Still I'd be glued to the screen
Shall probably try and watch part five of the Pillars Of The Earth mini-series tonight.
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1. Age (<18, 18-24, 25-34, 35-44, 45-54, 55+)
44
2. Gender
Male
3. What do you read on a daily basis? (blogs, newspapers, books, etc.)
Books, newspapers
4. How often do you read for fun in a week?
Daily
5. What time of day do you like to read?
Evening, morning - usually when I'm most alert.
6. Where do you read?
At home, on the tube
7. How many books have you read in the last 6 months?
40
8. What type/genre do you enjoy reading most?
Fantasy/sf, crime/mystery/thriller, history
9. Why do you read? (entertainment, relaxation, learning, etc.)
All of the above. The genres I read tend to be pure escapism.
10. What barriers prevent you from reading more?
Work!
11. Do you think reading for fun is important?
Yes
12. Do you fold page corners or use a bookmark?
Bookmark! I don't even break the spines on my books, let alone fold page corners.
13. Do you prefer to read to music or in silence?
Silence
14. Do you discuss books with your friends?
Yes
15. Do you borrow books from the library?
No, don't have a library near me
16. Do you borrow/loan books from/to friends?
Occasionally but, like Kylie, I do it with a great deal of trepidation - unless it's a book I don't want
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Started reading Jeffery Deaver's A Maiden's Grave last night. It's the first book of his that I have read. After the first few pages I was a bit unimpressed. A hundred and fifty pages later I had to force myself to put it down and go to bed
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Thanks for the tip ! I might just get that one on my TBR list for later, after I read the whole series then. Is that one as well documented?
Even moreso, probably. There's a thread about it here: http://www.bookclubforum.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/4739-wolf-hall-by-hilary-mantel/
and you can read an excerpt here: http://www.amazon.com/Wolf-Hall-Novel-Hilary-Mantel/dp/0312429983/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1282633056&sr=8-1#reader_0312429983
I bought the rest of the Shardlake novels yesterday, although I'm not going to read them all at once. If they're all as good as Dissolution I kind of want to make them last a while and savour them
Jo Nesbo
in Crime / Mystery / Thriller
Posted
Cool! I wish I could write as well as he does and play the guitar (although not at the same time, obviously!).
I made the schoolboy error of starting Nemesis at about 11pm last night. Am feeling very tired this morning
I read two other books in between The Redbreast and this, then I just couldn't wait any longer