For whom the bells toll is a great read, I didn't find it in anyway tedious, although the snows of Kilimanjaro...not exactly a page turner.

I'm reading 'The Buddha of Suburbia' at the moment, a bit of the auld post colonial lit to flash around to lads who think I'm in the Aryan Brotherhood. Quite  good as it happens, quality sense of humour.

The newest prints of Dune look like total rubbish - all design, no imagination. So I just spent over an hour trawling through AbeBooks until I found a decent copy of the trilogy from an 80s run for not too expensive. The spice must flow.

#587 September 16, 2020, 08:10:14 PM Last Edit: September 16, 2020, 08:14:21 PM by Caomhaoin
Highly frustrating looking for a certain publication of a favourite book, or finding that the one book from an authors back catalogue you want (Max Hastings FFS, the one about James Graham, The Montrose) is almost impossible to find.

Never bothered with Abebooks mind, I'll have a look there.

Edit - Ya, the same hardback copy for silly money I've seen on a few other sites. 100 bar for a record, maybe, as a once off, but a book? Hard to hand it over without feeling a spa.

Quote from: Caomhaoin on September 16, 2020, 08:10:14 PM
100 bar for a record, maybe, as a once off, but a book? Hard to hand it over without feeling a spa.

If you want to own it, then just swallow the pill and buy it. If you just want to read it and can't find a copy, then buy it, keep it safe from your kid's piss, then sell it again when you're finished, potentially even at a profit; what's the point living in your capitalist utopia if you don't even exploit what it affords you???  ;)

The utopia would come crashing down if the bird finds out I spent 100 stones on a book after we just forked out 15 grand for a wedding.

Congrats young Jacob

Sound kid. Some laugh the prices wedding cunts charge though.

Shtop. We scaled back to 50 guests last month. More than made the money back but we still plan to do a proper party when it's safe. N'er a holiday had out of it yet, even.

Quote from: Caomhaoin on September 17, 2020, 12:35:36 PM
The utopia would come crashing down if the bird finds out I spent 100 stones on a book after we just forked out 15 grand for a wedding.

Sounds like all your utopias are falling on your head; Varg didn't mention how expensive traditional women are, did he?  :P :abbath:

Nevermind those traditional women with their boobies and such. Give me a good modern pick n mix lady where every dip is a new adventure.

Let's get back onto books, shall we?

Anyone here read this?   :P




Quote from: Emphyrio on September 17, 2020, 12:54:53 PM
Shtop. We scaled back to 50 guests last month. More than made the money back but we still plan to do a proper party when it's safe. N'er a holiday had out of it yet, even.

I'd hope to get most of the money back, not counting on it though. We're only having 50 guests too but it's a two dayer plus the obligatory spanish wedding free bar which is a killer for cash. The Irish contingent will get my money's worth though.

Reading Hesse's 'The Glass Bead Game'.

Beautifully written (and the translation is magnificent), and more accessible than some of his others. I didn't like the idea of it being 'set in the 25th century' but no spaceships or black lives matter one party state so grand job.

#598 October 11, 2020, 12:36:42 PM Last Edit: October 11, 2020, 12:39:29 PM by Eoin McLove
'The Rise and Fall of Adam and Eve: The Story that Created Us' by Stephen Greenblatt arrived in the post this week. I ordered it after listening to a really interesting interview with him on Lawrence Krauss's Origins podcast and it's sitting there staring at me,  calling to me, but I've already got several books on the go so I'll have to do my best to resist its charms (how appropriate!). I may have had a quick peek at the first page, just to be sure there were no, eh, typos... it's immediately engaging... aaaarrrrggghhhhh.... patience!

Currently reading "Wild & Crazy Guys" - a cocaine and booze fuelled romp through the late '70s and '80s - the heyday of the American film comedy genre. Murray, Chase, Belushi, Martin, Murphy, Ackroyd etc.

Very enjoyable so far.