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Your current read?


Guest Jake Wifebeater

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I got a case for mine on ebay which cost about 6 quid but is the best one I've seen in terms of protecting it from wear and tear and occasional drops but without making it massive. Its not waterproof but I don't suspect the occasional splash of water would do the kindle too much harm. I've had mine out in the rain, pool side, on the beach etc with no problems.

 

This is the case I've got: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Armel%C2%AE-Leather-Amazon-Paperwhite-Generation-blue/dp/B00DU65V3M

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I finished Fahrenheit 451 last night. A pretty short, easy read about a dystopian future; where books are illegal and everyone's kept happy with shite TV and medication. Quite frightening how close to the bone it seems these days.

 

I still reckon 1984 is my favourite dystopian future story, but this might be a close second.

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I finished Fahrenheit 451 last night. A pretty short, easy read about a dystopian future; where books are illegal and everyone's kept happy with shite TV and medication. Quite frightening how close to the bone it seems these days.

 

Sounds like Brave New World...

 

Super Sad True Love Story by Gary Shteyngart is another good, and darkly comic, contemporary update, I thought. My favourite dystopian read was probably Music, in a Foreign Language (both a more highbrow and everyday feel; like Kafka only not as fucking bland as that guy); though it's another one I read once years ago.

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Sounds like Brave New World...

 

Super Sad True Love Story by Gary Shteyngart is another good, and darkly comic, contemporary update, I thought. My favourite dystopian read was probably Music, in a Foreign Language (both a more highbrow and everyday feel; like Kafka only not as fucking bland as that guy); though it's another one I read once years ago.

 

Nah, some similarities to Brave New World, but not that much. It's worth a read if you have time - you could probably read it in a day.

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I just googled it and completely hadn't realised it was a 1950s book; too many modern works called Fahrenheit something or other (and I guess this is the source of that, now I see...)

 

Anyway, maybe it's more like 1984, from the bit I read on Wiki (won't read any more in case I spoil it). As I mentioned in one post above, people kind of split 1984 and BNW into two different kinds of very prescient dystopian predictions. In the 1984 scenario the state watches your every move, controls you completely and directly, etc. In a BNW, the state on the face of it lets you do whatever the hell you please, and it might even look relatively libertarian (e.g. BNW compared to real world 1930s Britain), but for one reason or another (the state's devious orchestrations, human nature, or some combination of the two) people spend all their wherewithal on vacuous drivel.

 

Or it could be the book doesn't fit into either category. As you were.

Edited by scottyboy
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I just googled it and completely hadn't realised it was a 1950s book; too many modern works called Fahrenheit something or other (and I guess this is the source of that, now I see...)

 

Anyway, maybe it's more like 1984, from the bit I read on Wiki (won't read any more in case I spoil it). As I mentioned in one post above, people kind of split 1984 and BNW into two different kinds of very prescient dystopian predictions. In the 1984 scenario the state watches your every move, controls you completely and directly, etc. In a BNW, the state on the face of it lets you do whatever the hell you please, and it might even look relatively libertarian (e.g. BNW compared to real world 1930s Britain), but for one reason or another (the state's devious orchestrations, human nature, or some combination of the two) people spend all their wherewithal on vacuous drivel.

 

Or it could be the book doesn't fit into either category. As you were.

 

For convenience, it's probably fair enough to say Fahrenheit 451 sits near enough in the middle of these two. They're all essential reads in their own write (LOLZ) and have all hit the nail on the head with their respective themes.

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Any idea if Choke is any good, before I read it?

It's not one of his best. It's alright.

In loose order best to worst:

Haunted, Survivor, Invisible Monsters, Diary, Fight Club, Lullaby, Rant, Choke, Damned (so far), Snuff, Pygmy. I've yet to read Tell-All, Doomed or Beautiful You. It seems to have all gone downhill after Rant.

Edited by Lemonade
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Alongside reading Dracula, I'm reading Voyage of the Harrier by Julian Mustoe - he's the dude that was 'refusing' rescue whilst adrift in the North Sea a couple of months ago. After chatting with him for a good while on the radio on that fateful night, I bought his book from Amazon. He's one of those interesting yet, simultaneously, boring old chaps but his book and voyage is a fairly decent read as he tracks the voyage of the Beagle in his own 25ft boat, the Harrier - that's the one that sank last month.

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Finished Casino ROyale last night and reading a short book on happiness just now but will probably plough through Live and Let Die next, and a few more of the Bonds in order. In the mood for some fairly light stuff at the moment.

I'd recommend some Len Deighton if you're after some easy spy reading. To be fair, I've only read the Ipcress File, but the film of that and Funeral in Berlin are both good so I intend to read more.

I'm eventually going to get into some Le Carre, but for some reason I reckon that's fairly heavy reading. I could be wrong...

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Will give it a lok if the Bond ones give me the bug!

Finshed Lost at Sea by Jon Ronson which was full of interesting articles but they all seemed to just end abruptly and without any kind of closure! From there I've started The Garden of Democracy by Eric Liu and Nick Hanauer which is about the role of government and the role of the individual in the US. Interesting enough so far.

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