What are you reading right now?

Drakecula

Drakecula

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I'd been asked by a few AFFers for an update on house things, and I just haven't had the energy to keep that thread up to date. Sorry. But, you're also keen on news of the library which you knew I wanted. Well please feast your eyes on this beauty! The wheels for the ladder come in February, but I was still able to move it in order to put books up the top.

So in honour of my new library, I'd thought I'd start a new thread to discuss books and what you're all reading right now. I volunteered to be on a panel for an Australian speculative fiction awards so I've been busy reading Australian YA novels, the latest being a story with Aboriginal Australian themes called The Upwelling.

library.jpg
 
I like the library, we need to do something similar. Can you tell me more, is it a flat pack or custom made?

My very short attention span means that I start books and get sidetracked easily.

Lovers, Dreamers and Fighters by Lo Carman. A love story about songs, secret histories and self-invention. About Wendy Saddington, Chrissy Amphlett, Robyn Archer, Renee Geyer and more.

Race Across the World, John Smailes, 1968 London to Sydney car marathon.

Now That I See You, Emma Batchelor.

Neon Lights in Tokyo, Ben Groundwater.

The Great Alpine Contest, Bob Watson, Alpine car rally, world’s second oldest car rally.

However, I spend far too much time on the internet, including here, reddit, news sites and others!
 
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I read every night though not in hard copy. All my books are on my mini iPad. I like something light and easy before sleep so recently it has been the Corfu novels of Gerald Durrell and My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante, though I still have one to go. Also do quite a few older ones (as in the ebooks are free) like Hemingway and Isak Dinesen. Unlike most people I have asked, I quite often enjoy re-reading books several times.
 
tgh said:
I read in ever shorter sessions before sleep, I am currently browsing through the Patrick O'Brian series for the umpteenth time.
An enjoyable recent novel from Amazon Kindle store was : The Watchmaker of Filigree Street by Natasha Pulley
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Interesting. That book started well for me but it went downhill and I really didn’t enjoy it. Everyone likes different books though
 
After about two decades, give or take one, I am re-reading a sci-fi novel I loved. "The Mote in Gods eye", by Niven and Pournelle. It is not about aboriginal things. so perhaps I am not in allignment with this thread?
 
The black sheep said:
After about two decades, give or take one, I am re-reading a sci-fi novel I loved. "The Mote in Gods eye", by Niven and Pournelle. It is not about aboriginal things. so perhaps I am not in allignment with this thread?
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That's a great book - I imagine if they made it into a movie, along with any of the Ringworld books by Larry Niven.

I too read for 20 minutes or so when I go to bed, to slow my brain down. I have Kobo Clara eReader, with a ton of books on it. It's brilliant for travelling, as I can fit it into my jacket pocket. I lean towards science fiction, and recently have enjoyed
- Bone Ship Trilogy by R J Barker
- Weaponized by Neal Asher
- The Kaiju Preservation Society by John Scalzi
- The Murderbot diaries by Martha Wells
 
Seems there's a theme for reading before bed - I too do this, and I usually put an audiobook on to fall asleep to. I need to be careful as to what book I select - sometimes I've picked something that's really interesting and I stay up listening far too long!

On a recent trip to Adelaide I wandered past this place (Biblioteca - bar and book exchange) and will definitely visit again. Sadly it was a bit too late for me to stop in for a drink, but I did go in and browse for a book for plane reading. Picked up a John Grisham book - The Confession. Can't go wrong with a Grisham book I think. I read quite a few in high school and I nearly went to study law because of it. But then realised the books were probably way more interesting than the work lawyers get up to.
 
Love the pro bookcase 😊.

I’m a non fiction guy. Just finished The Last Mughal - the defeat of the last Islamic ruler at Delhi. I was in Yangon in Burma some years ago and, wandering along a ‘suburban’ street, came across his tomb, forgotten and buried for many years. That was my first exposure to the Islamic / Mughal period of India.

DA7E3D15-819D-4A42-86D6-B18E96F4670E.jpeg

Now onto this - much lighter!

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Drakecula said:
Seems there's a theme for reading before bed - I too do this, and I usually put an audiobook on to fall asleep to. I need to be careful as to what book I select - sometimes I've picked something that's really interesting and I stay up listening far too long!

On a recent trip to Adelaide I wandered past this place (Biblioteca - bar and book exchange) and will definitely visit again. Sadly it was a bit too late for me to stop in for a drink, but I did go in and browse for a book for plane reading. Picked up a John Grisham book - The Confession. Can't go wrong with a Grisham book I think. I read quite a few in high school and I nearly went to study law because of it. But then realised the books were probably way more interesting than the work lawyers get up to.
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Definitely go back for a drink. I love that place
 
I attended the Lifeline Bookfair yesterday and picked up some more books (even though as you can see from my shelves, I don't really need more books) and it was glorious. I had finished my John Grisham book and am now reading a book by a different John - John Green, An Abundance of Katherines. I had picked up some books for a friend and this title jumped out at me as I have a friend with the same name so I thought it might be a fun read.
 
Have always been a fan of Napoleonic Naval fiction (the classic being the Hornblower series by C.S. Forester of course) and recently managed to complete my collection of the "Ramage" series by Dudley Pope through some snappy Ebay purchases... (ended up with some duplicates but it was worth it) . Started reading that through again...am currently on volume 9 (of 18) "Ramage and the Rebels". The books are all to some extent stand alone stories.. but of course reading the series in order is more rewarding...
 
I posted this in another thread, I read it a few years ago, bought it from the author at a local market. Love travel books and this one is a bit different.

Once I started reading it, seriously I couldn't put it down, in the words of a mate of his, who unfortunately no longer with us:

"The funniest disaster story you'll ever read." - Sean Lock

Mark Giblin's book, Speed Bump Himalayas.

It's available on amazon, if interested as well as some great reviews on that page.
 

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