What On Earth Happened (The Planet, Life & People From The Big Bang To The Present Day) by Christopher Lloyd. An ambitious history of the planet from the Big bang to the present day (13.7 billion years).
Entertaining from start to finish, using language that doesn´t get bogged down in scientific terms, it covers a wide range of topics including astrophysics, zoology and sociology. Entertaining and informative.
Last book read
Moderator: StanInBlack
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unbroken69
- Ugly
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- Location: Spain
Re: Last book read
Oh the bliss, oh the pleasure caressing your ears.
Re: Last book read
The Beach by Alex Garland - I loved this book and I will definitely never bother to watch the film with Leonardo DiCaprio.......
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Burrows - which was as crap as the title would suggest (damn the book club for choosing that)
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Burrows - which was as crap as the title would suggest (damn the book club for choosing that)
No one can win against kipple.
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Stevie.T-'up north'
- The Man They Love To Hate
- Posts: 935
- Joined: 17 Feb 2010, 15:32
- Location: Yorkshire
Re: Last book read
Still battling with nihilism and existentialism....is it worth it I wonder?
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saminblack
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- Joined: 21 Feb 2003, 14:49
- Location: Bath
Re: Last book read
I have put this review here (although it is on a separate thread of its own) in case anyone checks this in the futurre and is lookign for a good read...
I have just finished reading Nick Hornby’s latest novel called Juliet, Naked which is based around a chap who is somewhat obsessed with his favourite musical artist and spends far too much of his time thinking about him and going onto an internet forum with fellow fans. Yep, thought it sounded familiar!!!
The artist is a singer in the Springsteen/Dylan style whose legend among his faithful is increased because he disappears off the face of the earth after about six albums. So his fans spend all the time on their forum discussing not only his music but what might have happened to him. Unlike us (you know sensible, forum types!!) there are no new albums, gigs or interviews to share so they spend forever debating the meaning of songs and getting excited at bootleg finds or interviews with people who designed the record sleeves etc. It would be like us probably if the band had split after MIB and had all disappeared (perhaps to South America which was their get-out-of-Nice-jail card as I recall).
To add to the mix our main man has a long suffering girlfriend (the real star of the book) who listens to a new release of the demos of one of the albums (that's the Juliet, Naked title) and goes online and say it is crap as much to annoy her boyfriend as to express her views. And lo and behold the artist himself contacts her out of the blue because he thought she was right in her review and they begin a strange romance with the obsessive fan totally in the dark (imagine JJ or High for instance with your partner while you are blissfully unaware!)
It is a lovely book which is as much about relationships as about music and it is clear that Hornby really knows his music and the nature of fandom (he did of course write the excellent High Fidelity). I won't spoil the plot but it is obvious that at some point the fan will meet his hero and you can just imagine the conflicting emotions that yields
Of course the imaginary forum is nothing like ours. There is one guy who goes on late at night to wind people up (as if!) and another who analyses all the lyrics backwards who is found out to be on a psychiatric ward. Any candidates?
A good book – well recommended.
I have just finished reading Nick Hornby’s latest novel called Juliet, Naked which is based around a chap who is somewhat obsessed with his favourite musical artist and spends far too much of his time thinking about him and going onto an internet forum with fellow fans. Yep, thought it sounded familiar!!!
The artist is a singer in the Springsteen/Dylan style whose legend among his faithful is increased because he disappears off the face of the earth after about six albums. So his fans spend all the time on their forum discussing not only his music but what might have happened to him. Unlike us (you know sensible, forum types!!) there are no new albums, gigs or interviews to share so they spend forever debating the meaning of songs and getting excited at bootleg finds or interviews with people who designed the record sleeves etc. It would be like us probably if the band had split after MIB and had all disappeared (perhaps to South America which was their get-out-of-Nice-jail card as I recall).
To add to the mix our main man has a long suffering girlfriend (the real star of the book) who listens to a new release of the demos of one of the albums (that's the Juliet, Naked title) and goes online and say it is crap as much to annoy her boyfriend as to express her views. And lo and behold the artist himself contacts her out of the blue because he thought she was right in her review and they begin a strange romance with the obsessive fan totally in the dark (imagine JJ or High for instance with your partner while you are blissfully unaware!)
It is a lovely book which is as much about relationships as about music and it is clear that Hornby really knows his music and the nature of fandom (he did of course write the excellent High Fidelity). I won't spoil the plot but it is obvious that at some point the fan will meet his hero and you can just imagine the conflicting emotions that yields
Of course the imaginary forum is nothing like ours. There is one guy who goes on late at night to wind people up (as if!) and another who analyses all the lyrics backwards who is found out to be on a psychiatric ward. Any candidates?
A good book – well recommended.
They'll be called the survivors..you know why?....cos they're gonna survive
Re: Last book read
gizzard wrote:Just started 'I Was a Teenage Sex Pistol' by Glen Matlock.
Just finished this, bloody marvelous book!
''I THINK THE STRANGLERS ARE CRIMINALLY VULGAR, VIOLENT AND VORACIOUS, AND I OFTEN WONDER HOW THEY GET AWAY WITH IT.''
Re: Last book read
I play the drums in a band called okay by Toby Litt
Behind the scenes with a Canadian indie band as told by the drummer, Clap (other members: Syph, Mono and Crab). Written as a series of anecdotes as Clap looks back over their career, feeling he is too old for rock ‘n’ roll now he’s in his 40’s!!
Behind the scenes with a Canadian indie band as told by the drummer, Clap (other members: Syph, Mono and Crab). Written as a series of anecdotes as Clap looks back over their career, feeling he is too old for rock ‘n’ roll now he’s in his 40’s!!
No one can win against kipple.
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Freddie Laker
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- Joined: 04 May 2005, 11:29
- Location: Saffron Walden
Re: Last book read
The Venus Fix, a crime thriller by M.J. Rose.
Load of old bollocks.
Bought it to read on a flight, and with about 30 pages still to go, I really don't care whodunnit.
Tim The Tiny Horse is still tops in our house.
Load of old bollocks.
Bought it to read on a flight, and with about 30 pages still to go, I really don't care whodunnit.
Tim The Tiny Horse is still tops in our house.
Re: Last book read
A Madness of Angels by Kate Griffin. Urban magic - nice ideas and a good portrait of London but the action was a bit ponderous sometimes. I couldn't resist it as the fortune teller was the BAG LADY!
No one can win against kipple.
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Alias
- Maninwhite
- Posts: 11558
- Joined: 14 Sep 2005, 12:54
- Location: Horny, but tainted with melancholy.
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Re: Last book read
gizzard wrote:gizzard wrote:Just started 'I Was a Teenage Sex Pistol' by Glen Matlock.
Gizzard, Mon Jan 23, 2003 1.00pm
Just finished this, bloody marvelous book!
Gizzard, Wed Feb 24, 2010 8.00pm
I'm a comedian and poet, so anything that doesn't get a laugh is a poem. B.Hicks.
"Further modulation of the frequency rotation, Triggered waveband activation - near elation"
'Why are you so edgy, kid ?'
"Further modulation of the frequency rotation, Triggered waveband activation - near elation"
'Why are you so edgy, kid ?'
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Alias
- Maninwhite
- Posts: 11558
- Joined: 14 Sep 2005, 12:54
- Location: Horny, but tainted with melancholy.
- Contact:
Re: Last book read
Just finished Andy Summer's book.
Never been a Police fan, but very fine read, for a rock book.
The bits where he was in the Police were the least interesting,
well worth a read, even if you were never a fan.
That, my friend Sam, is how you do a book review.
Never been a Police fan, but very fine read, for a rock book.
The bits where he was in the Police were the least interesting,
well worth a read, even if you were never a fan.
That, my friend Sam, is how you do a book review.
I'm a comedian and poet, so anything that doesn't get a laugh is a poem. B.Hicks.
"Further modulation of the frequency rotation, Triggered waveband activation - near elation"
'Why are you so edgy, kid ?'
"Further modulation of the frequency rotation, Triggered waveband activation - near elation"
'Why are you so edgy, kid ?'