What books are you reading for pleasure these days?

Not reading this yet, but I intend to shortly. Any man who leads his troops into battle whilst sat stark naked on a horse gets my undivided attention. I know very little (i.e. NOTHING) about Finland and its history....especially with Russia. Seems a good time to look it up at present.

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I just finished Rubicon, by J. S. Dewes. A mil science fiction tour de force, about a future war in which soldiers are reincarnated into clones whenever they're killed in action. For Sergeant Valero, this has happened 96 times already, and it's getting rather old.

But then she's transferred to a new company, and there are evil robot aliens, rogue AIs, and a surprisingly human story of overcoming depression, finding friendship in harsh places, and perseverance.

Suffice it to say I couldn't put this book down at some point, and had to continue reading at every waking moment. Absolutely brilliant!

And then there's that ending...
 
I've just this morning finished reading Wildwood by Roger Deakin.
Whilst his descriptions of the local trees and woods around his home in Suffolk are interesting, the chapters on the immense walnut and fruit forests of Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan and its people are simply amazing.
It's just a shame there are no photographs within the book.
 
I just finished Rubicon, by J. S. Dewes. A mil science fiction tour de force, about a future war in which soldiers are reincarnated into clones whenever they're killed in action. For Sergeant Valero, this has happened 96 times already, and it's getting rather old.

But then she's transferred to a new company, and there are evil robot aliens, rogue AIs, and a surprisingly human story of overcoming depression, finding friendship in harsh places, and perseverance.

Suffice it to say I couldn't put this book down at some point, and had to continue reading at every waking moment. Absolutely brilliant!

And then there's that ending...
I'm still trying to parse the ending. Also waiting for the next book in the Divide series.
 
I've just this morning finished reading Wildwood by Roger Deakin.
Whilst his descriptions of the local trees and woods around his home in Suffolk are interesting, the chapters on the immense walnut and fruit forests of Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan and its people are simply amazing.
It's just a shame there are no photographs within the book.
Still somewhat of an experiment, but I tend to have a tablet within reach when reading these days, and given that I am prone to reading travel books, I have found joy in putting down the book and look up pictures of things described in whatever book I am reading. Not much more hassle than looking into the picture inserts most books has. :drinks:
 
Finishing reading "A Line in the Sand", a generally compelling post-Iraqi war dramatic thriller/mystery, which delves into some of the darker and bloodier secrets of the war, including crimes committed by amoral American freelance 'contractors' who not only operated with relative impunity, but who, years later, take extreme measures to ensure that details of their former actions can't become public (and thus potentially negatively affect some lucrative business enterprises). Part thriller, part police procedural, part detective story, part war novel and part character study, I'm finding it to be an engrossing 'read'. Kevin Powers, the author, is an Iraqi war vet who received serious critical acclaim for his first novel ("The Yellow Birds", which was inspired by his own experiences in the war). This particular novel has received both praise and criticism but from my own perspective, it's compellingly readable and at times disturbingly fascinating.
 
Figured it was time to grow up, so I started Moby Dick. Loving it so far.
Finished Moby Dick a couple of weeks ago. I really enjoyed the book. The ending felt a little rushed and, hence, slightly anticlimactic, but that didn't really color my impression of the book. I maintain that the writing style is so much more engaging and interesting than any of the other books written around the time and place (early-mid-1800s America) that I've read.

I've come across a few opinions that Melville's style is similar to Cormac McCarthy's, I'm not sure if I agree with that, but I do enjoy authors who let the landscape of the story breathe and spread out, and take time to delve into the philosophies and worldviews of the characters.
 
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