Books
-
Just finished reading After the Tampa by Abbas Nazari. Well worth a read, given the nature of the topics traversed it isn't always an easy read, but thought provoking.
A much better review than I can write here, including:
Four doors down from the Nazaris in Ballantyne Ave were the Mo’ungas, and Abbas and his brothers quickly became mates with Richie, now an All Black.
Mo’unga remembers them all playing touch rugby, barefooted, down the cul-de-sac, with language barriers never standing in the way of the fun they had.
“The thing that amazes me about Abbas and his family was, when they got to Christchurch, it took Abbas probably two years before he spoke better English than me, and was five-times smarter than me, and you could see the way he applied himself – Abbas was always at the library, reading.
“Him and his family, they were all on a mission when they landed.”
All Black Richie Mo’unga grew up a few doors away from Abbas Nazari in Christchurch, and the pair would join the street’s other kids playing rugby, barefoot on the road. “I’m sure he’d still back himself to put me on my back, now.”Mo’unga says Abbas was a decent rugby player, though they didn’t face each other after primary school.
“Thankfully. Coz he could put me on my backside. He’s a big boy. You see what he’s been through, I think, he’s scared of nothing.”
Abbas played 1st XV rugby, trialled for Canterbury representative teams, and became a devoted Crusaders fan.
From Taliban to Tampa to Aotearoa: One boy's remarkable journey
-
Scar Tissue by Anthony Keidis
A long story about a selfish hedonist who tries very hard to fuck.up his life over and over but it never really goes wrong enough for.him to change.
Yes,.the fucked up childhood is there. But he comes across through almost the whole book as a manchild.
And then the whole thing redeems itself inside the last 5 pages. To the point I think completely different about the whole thing.
And it led me to listen to a bunch of Chili Peppers. BSSM is fucking brilliant. Mother Milk is great. The rest is varying shades of meh. I've seen them live and thr book.kinda explains why I was less impressed than most people, including themselves, seem to be with their act.
I now have Flea's to read so it will be interesting to see two different takes on the same story.
-
@mariner4life said in Books:
Scar Tissue by Anthony Keidis
A long story about a selfish hedonist who tries very hard to fuck.up his life over and over but it never really goes wrong enough for.him to change.
Yes,.the fucked up childhood is there. But he comes across through almost the whole book as a manchild.
And then the whole thing redeems itself inside the last 5 pages. To the point I think completely different about the whole thing.
And it led me to listen to a bunch of Chili Peppers. BSSM is fucking brilliant. Mother Milk is great. The rest is varying shades of meh. I've seen them live and thr book.kinda explains why I was less impressed than most people, including themselves, seem to be with their act.
I now have Flea's to read so it will be interesting to see two different takes on the same story.
Their albums ( with the odd exceptional song ) turned to shit once they got off the drugs in the early 2000s, you can’t just say the word ‘California’ lots and expect people to like your music.
-
@mariner4life I read this book years and years ago. What happened in the last 5 pages that changed it? Honestly can't remember!
Their albums ( with the odd exceptional song ) turned to shit once they got off the drugs in the early 2000s, you can’t just say the word ‘California’ lots and expect people to like your music.
They were still a must buy for me when they released Stadium Arcadium. However, that should never have been a double album. Nowhere near enough good songs of it to justify two CD's (old school). Not even listened to a new album since.
-
-
Real blast from the past -Malice Aforethought by Frances Iles 1931. Popped up on Amazon so gave it a try.
Opens with the immortal ine "It was not until several weeks after he had decided to murder his wife that Doctor Bickleigh took any active steps in the matter"
Terrific read - unusual structure, satirical, darkly comic and an ending which is genuinely "wow!"
-
@mariner4life said in Books:
Scar Tissue by Anthony Keidis
A long story about a selfish hedonist who tries very hard to fuck.up his life over and over but it never really goes wrong enough for.him to change.
Yes,.the fucked up childhood is there. But he comes across through almost the whole book as a manchild.
And then the whole thing redeems itself inside the last 5 pages. To the point I think completely different about the whole thing.
And it led me to listen to a bunch of Chili Peppers. BSSM is fucking brilliant. Mother Milk is great. The rest is varying shades of meh. I've seen them live and thr book.kinda explains why I was less impressed than most people, including themselves, seem to be with their act.
I now have Flea's to read so it will be interesting to see two different takes on the same story.
Their albums ( with the odd exceptional song ) turned to shit once they got off the drugs in the early 2000s, you can’t just say the word ‘California’ lots and expect people to like your music.
thank you, i thought i was alone
-
@kiwiwomble said in Books:
@mariner4life said in Books:
Scar Tissue by Anthony Keidis
A long story about a selfish hedonist who tries very hard to fuck.up his life over and over but it never really goes wrong enough for.him to change.
Yes,.the fucked up childhood is there. But he comes across through almost the whole book as a manchild.
And then the whole thing redeems itself inside the last 5 pages. To the point I think completely different about the whole thing.
And it led me to listen to a bunch of Chili Peppers. BSSM is fucking brilliant. Mother Milk is great. The rest is varying shades of meh. I've seen them live and thr book.kinda explains why I was less impressed than most people, including themselves, seem to be with their act.
I now have Flea's to read so it will be interesting to see two different takes on the same story.
Their albums ( with the odd exceptional song ) turned to shit once they got off the drugs in the early 2000s, you can’t just say the word ‘California’ lots and expect people to like your music.
thank you, i thought i was alone
You’re never alone on the fern. I’ve seen them twice, 92 and 96 and wouldn’t bother again. Their transformation from thrash/punk/funk legends to bubble gum mass market appeal is staggering.
-
@majorrage said in Books:
I read this book years and years ago. What happened in the last 5 pages that changed it? Honestly can't remember!
an actual bit of self reflection and honesty about who he is.
-
Leviathan Falls
Final book of The Expanse series. Without a doubt my favourite sci-fi series.
The 6-season TV series departs from it in a number of ways but it a good companion watch, and how I started into the books.
Amos is the fucking man.
@kirwan said in TV Serieseseses:
@kiwiwomble said in TV Serieseseses:
@kirwan I’m always up for a new book so might be more interesting in that, is the book also called the expanse?
There’s nine books, and a few novellas.
First book is called Leviathan Wakes by James Corey. Pretty entertaining books, with a little more realistic physics, good action and fun mysteries.
Pretty easy reads, with lots of quotable lines.
been keeping an eye on Amazon as already had a backlog of books, just picked Leviathan Wakes up for $5
-
@kiwiwomble said in Books:
Might put this in the movie thread too for obvious reasons
Anyone read other books by Andy Weir? they author of "the Martian"
I loved the film so read the book and very much enjoyed it, did he just hot one rich vein or are his other books good too?
Martian was Apex.
Project hail Mary good fun
Artemis is ok to poor depending on your life perspective
Reading hail mary now, its good so far, does have certain The Martian 2 vibes, a guy on his own trying to work shit out
-
@kiwiwomble said in Books:
@kiwiwomble said in Books:
Might put this in the movie thread too for obvious reasons
Anyone read other books by Andy Weir? they author of "the Martian"
I loved the film so read the book and very much enjoyed it, did he just hot one rich vein or are his other books good too?
Martian was Apex.
Project hail Mary good fun
Artemis is ok to poor depending on your life perspective
Reading hail mary now, its good so far, does have certain The Martian 2 vibes, a guy on his own trying to work shit out
actually really enjoying it, just over half way so im sure there are some rough times coming for our hero...but some of the stuff in the middle has definitely made me fist pump...and almost tear up...if i wasn't so tough and manly
-
@mariner4life said in Books:
Scar Tissue by Anthony Keidis
A long story about a selfish hedonist who tries very hard to fuck.up his life over and over but it never really goes wrong enough for.him to change.
Yes,.the fucked up childhood is there. But he comes across through almost the whole book as a manchild.
And then the whole thing redeems itself inside the last 5 pages. To the point I think completely different about the whole thing.
And it led me to listen to a bunch of Chili Peppers. BSSM is fucking brilliant. Mother Milk is great. The rest is varying shades of meh. I've seen them live and thr book.kinda explains why I was less impressed than most people, including themselves, seem to be with their act.
I now have Flea's to read so it will be interesting to see two different takes on the same story.
I'd listen to them on a boat after a scuba trip, with some cold beer, that was fun. Flea seems the most interesting of the group, hope he writes well.
-
Their albums ( with the odd exceptional song ) turned to shit once they got off the drugs in the early 2000s, you can’t just say the word ‘California’ lots and expect people to like your music.
I think you can in California. Didn't someone on the Rolling Stones mag analyze the effect of drugs on albums and decide 1 or 2 albums at most would be great, then it went bad paranoid/weird and subsequent album quality never recovered (for most groups)...?
Doesn't seem to always affect individual stars though..
-
@kirwan said in TV Serieseseses:
@kiwiwomble said in TV Serieseseses:
@kirwan I’m always up for a new book so might be more interesting in that, is the book also called the expanse?
There’s nine books, and a few novellas.
First book is called Leviathan Wakes by James Corey. Pretty entertaining books, with a little more realistic physics, good action and fun mysteries.
Pretty easy reads, with lots of quotable lines.
enjoying it so far, actually look forward to going and reading it, its very "tight"so far, following the same people but i feel it will open right out at the end
-
random one, never heard of this author Will Wight or his Cradle series, quick read and its some fantasy stuff, but they get 4.5/5 with 14k reviews and 11 of the 12 books in the series are free on amazon/kindle today, snap em up and decide if you like them later
-
Stumbled across, and enjoying, The Murderbot Diary Series by Martha Wells.
So far it is a series of novellas, although later installments are full novels.
It tells the story arc of a security android (in 1st person) who has disabled its control unit so that is independent although masquerading as a normal bot. It likes to spend its time watching serialised soap operas but gets dragged into a series of adventures that bring it closer to sympathetic humans and other bots and despite itself develops 'friendships' and loyalties.
Easy read, fast paced, plenty of action and quite a realistic universe without a great deal of world building.
-
@dogmeat that does sound a fun read, do you have to read the novellas or can you just straight to the novels?
edit: "all systems Red" which seems to be the first collection is only $0.94 on kindle.....another to add to the library
-
@Kiwiwomble I'm on the fourth novella so haven't got to the first novel. I can't therefore answer your question.
However, the novellas are quite long for a novella, and each pick up immediately after the previous one ends, so almost like a long novel in 4 installments. Personally, I'm quite happy with the way it is reading
