Just read Terry Pratchett's last book - The Shepherd's Crown. I've still got a handful of his books to go through - I love his writing. And there is an autobiography coming out apparently - 7 years after his death.
Books what you is reading
Read a couple books in the last few months
Craig Murray: Murder in Samarkand - interesting autobiographic read by/about Craig Murray's time as the UK's ambassador to Uzbekistan and how he got sacked. His book before about his time in Ghana was good too
Koigi wa Wamwere: Negative Ethnicity - the core concept is sound but was conveyed a bit dull or redundant from a theoretical standpoint, very informative on Kenyan ethnic interrelations and broader modern East African history however.
Marlon James: A Brief History of Seven Killings - novel by Jamaican author James mostly about the attempted assassination of Bob Marley in the 70s and the aftermath of it. Extremely captivating book, very messy and will have you talking like a yardie at the end of it
Umberto Eco: The Search for the Perfect Language - non-fiction book about the history of languages and the idea that all men used to speak one language in the Garden of Eden before the fall of the Tower of Babel. I love linguistics, semiotics and digging into the history of languages fuck if I didn't get close to giving up a couple times already about 100 pages in, challenging read mostly so far.
Donald McRae: Dark Trade - South African journalist who interviewed and spent time with some of the greatest boxers ever, chapters about Tyson Toney Jones de la Hoya Hamed etc, absolute must read for anyone remotely into boxing and even if you aren't you should read it. Best book I've read in a while
Oh I've heard good things too about Seven Killings - thanks for reminding me.
It's really good, highly recommend it.
jones, have you read 'The Language Game'? you might like that
Man, I read THE SEARCH FOR THE PERFECT LANGUAGE so long ago … must've been in the 90s I think … great book. That's where I learnt that my man Leibniz of "inventing calculus" fame was obsessed with the I Ching!
Eco was such a wonderful intellectual, for many reasons but one of the big ones was his generous, avuncular spirit, his stuff is pretty much always good vibes even when he's dealing with difficult subjects.
KingslandBarge wrote:jones, have you read 'The Language Game'? you might like that
Haven't read it yet but I'm pretty sure I bought it a while ago. Might read it soon then, cheers for the headsup.
Burns not sure if that was supposed to be some sly brag but reading Eco as a teenager is not a good look 
Lulz … my dad's a scholar of mediaeval literature (King Arthur mainly, now retired), explains some slightly offbeat reading material both then and now.
Wasn't intended as a brag, that was honestly a great book to read as a teen, mind-expanding stuff but very accessible.
4 months later
Just getting started on the 2022 Booker Prize winner - The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida. Really enjoying it so far - set amidst Sri Lanka's tumultuous and bloody 1980s and early 90s. Has some similarities to Lincoln in the Bardo as the main character explores the afterlife.
6 days later
Read Brett Anderson's early life memoir Coal Black Mornings over Christmas. Wouldn't you know it, the guy has quite the way with words! Thoughtful, funny and moving - and some incredibly unsubtle digs at a lead singer and band who remained nameless throughout...
Looking forward to reading the follow up, Afternoons With The Blinds Drawn.
6 months later
Just read an Australian novel from a couple of years back called Boys Swallows Universe. It's fantastic. It's basically about 2 brothers growing up in a very dysfunctional family environment with a backdrop of murder and drug dealing, but somehow feels like a much lighter adventure and love story. Astonishing debut novel.
Asterix That sounds like a banger, I'm getting Michael Chabon vibes from your description.
I've been reading Putin's People (hey! Guess what that's about) by Catherine Belton on and off over the last year. Just about over half way now. It's really good, but she doesn't really use paragraphs, so it's quite dense - and depressing.
4 months later
Still haven't finished Putin's People, but moved into the world of Audiobooks - mainly because I wanted to listen to Garth Marenghi's TerrorTome. I have no idea what's going on, but it's very funny. I've also got Bob Odenkirk's memoirs to listen to, because I just liked the idea of Bob talking to me for 8 hours.
Anyone read Shantaram? Enjoying it for the most part, but feel like I've been reading it for ages and still barely halfway.
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goon A friend of mine got me it for my birthday about 3 years ago. Despite her telling me it's her favourite book, I looked at the thickness of it and thought, I'm never fucking reading that! I might do one day, but probably not till I've retired - so when I'm 80something...
Anyway, if you make it to the end, let me know if it's worth it.
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Yeah. Someone at work recommended it to me back in 2019. It's taken me 4 years to pluck up the courage. I'm not someone who can read hours on end, mostly limited to my commute and maybe bedtime, so it's slow progress.
Will let you know.
goon I read it many years ago when I was getting into all things Indian. The outsider perspective was pretty compelling to me then. Book itself is pretty pulpy, from what I remember, with a lot of self-aggrandizement on the part of the author.
I remember liking a few bits, and I did read the whole thing, but I am also a completionist by nature.
