Off Topic The Review Thread

[Steelmonkey]

Has anyone on here got an e reader? My wife wants to buy me one for my birthday later this month instead of carting loads of books on holiday. She said she doesn't know what one to get. Has anyone got one and would you recommend it?

I read loads of books and was very dubious about an e-reader. My wife bought me a Kindle, nothing fancy, and it's very good. I still like a physical book but my Kindle is dead handy. I've been firing through some of the back catalogues of my favourite authors. If you know where to look, you can get lots of books for free or very cheaply. I got given a USB with 10,000 books on it by a friend....should keep me going a while.

Which reader to buy woukd be very much down to personal preference - do you want a tablet that you can use for other stuff, or a reader that just does that? I like the kindle I've got, it has a matt screen which is backlit but also operates well in sunlight (ideal for holidays). It has wifi for downloading books, but no browser only access to the book store. It also has bluetooth if you are into listening to audiobooks (not something I've found interesting yet although my work colleague has them on all the time). It's about £85 from Amazon...

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B09SWRYPB2/?tag=not606-21

 

[QPR999]

I have a Kindle Paperwhite, use it when I’m travelling. Massive memory, will hold thousands of books, you only need to be online to download them, battery lasts for weeks, light as a feather, no glare from the screen, easy to read, all in all I really like it. Takes a bit of time to get used to how you navigate around, and not so hot on books with illustrations like maps.

Thanks for that mate, I think I'll go for a Kindle. Do you have an 8GB or a 16GB and is it the waterproof version? Not that I think it really matters.

 

[QPR999]

I read loads of books and was very dubious about an e-reader. My wife bought me a Kindle, nothing fancy, and it's very good. I still like a physical book but my Kindle is dead handy. I've been firing through some of the back catalogues of my favourite authors. If you know where to look, you can get lots of books for free or very cheaply. I got given a USB with 10,000 books on it by a friend....should keep me going a while.

Which reader to buy woukd be very much down to personal preference - do you want a tablet that you can use for other stuff, or a reader that just does that? I like the kindle I've got, it has a matt screen which is backlit but also operates well in sunlight (ideal for holidays). It has wifi for downloading books, but no browser only access to the book store. It also has bluetooth if you are into listening to audiobooks (not something I've found interesting yet although my work colleague has them on all the time). It's about £85 from Amazon...

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B09SWRYPB2/?tag=not606-21

I prefer physical books too Steels, but I think a Kindle might be the way ahead for reading fiction, especially when travelling. I just want to read on it, I can use my phone for any other stuff. Thanks for the great reply.

 

[Hammersmith bookie]

Just watched Litvinenko on ITVX , excellent acting all round. Highly recommend it, and anyone anywhere in any doubt just how big a **** Putin is, should be made to watch this !

 

[sb_73]

Thanks for that mate, I think I'll go for a Kindle. Do you have an 8GB or a 16GB and is it the waterproof version? Not that I think it really matters.

8gb, it holds over 5,000 books and although I hope I live a very long time there’s no way I’ll get through that many. Especially as I tend to fall asleep after a few pages, no matter what time of day, unless I’m sitting bolt upright at a table or something. Besides, you can remove them from the device once you’ve read them if you need more space - you still ‘own’ the book, and can download it again at any time.

I had an original Kindle, the new ones are much, much better.

Watching Godfather 2 on Film4 at the moment. It really is a work of brilliance all round. Hypnotic, though reopens the discussion about glamourising crime. I think Pacino does a brilliant job of making Michael Corleone cold, nasty and unlikeable. But it’s hard not to root for de Niro as the young Vito in Little Italy.

 

[QPR999]

8gb, it holds over 5,000 books and although I hope I live a very long time there’s no way I’ll get through that many. Especially as I tend to fall asleep after a few pages, no matter what time of day, unless I’m sitting bolt upright at a table or something. Besides, you can remove them from the device once you’ve read them if you need more space - you still ‘own’ the book, and can download it agin at any time.

I had an original Kindle, the new ones are much, much better.

Watching Godfather 2 on Film4 at the moment. It really is a work of brilliance all round. Hypnotic, though reopens the discussion about glamourising crime. I think Pacino does a brilliant job of making Michael Corleone cold, nasty and unlikeable. But it’s hard not to root for de Niro as the young Vito in Little Italy.

I think I'll go for an 8GB then, I don't think I'll need 5,000 books. I'm just in the process of chucking out hundreds of physical books in a decluttering clear out.

Just discovered a new writer, Noah Boyd. I really enjoyed his first book 'The Bricklayer.' Hooray! I thought as I discovered a new author that I enjoyed. I went to look for further books by him only to find that he only wrote another two books before he passed away.

Francis Ford Coppola was ahead of of his time as a film director. Some of his cut shots were simply amazing.

 

[Hammersmith bookie]

I think I'll go for an 8GB then, I don't think I'll need 5,000 books. I'm just in the process of chucking out hundreds of physical books in a decluttering clear out.

Just discovered a new writer, Noah Boyd. I really enjoyed his first book 'The Bricklayer.' Hooray! I thought as I discovered a new author that I enjoyed. I went to look for further books by him only to find that he only wrote another two books before he passed away.

Francis Ford Coppola was ahead of of his time as a film director. Some of his cut shots were simply amazing.

I like his 70's films, but some of the dross he made in the 80's was appalling. A shake he never matched the quality of films like The Conversation. Have you seen the film Heart of Darkness with John Malkovich and Tim Roth ? Based on the novella the same as Apocalypse Now was.

 

[sb_73]

On the Godfather has anyone seen Coppola’s recut and re edited version of Godfather III, I think it’s called Coda: The death of Michael Corleone? Think he did it 2 or 3 years ago. If it’s no better than the original film I really don’t want to see it, so far below the first two it’s ridiculous, but if any of you lot think it’s worth the effort I’ll give it a go.

 

[Staines R's]

I think I'll go for an 8GB then, I don't think I'll need 5,000 books. I'm just in the process of chucking out hundreds of physical books in a decluttering clear out.

Just discovered a new writer, Noah Boyd. I really enjoyed his first book 'The Bricklayer.' Hooray! I thought as I discovered a new author that I enjoyed. I went to look for further books by him only to find that he only wrote another two books before he passed away.

Francis Ford Coppola was ahead of of his time as a film director. Some of his cut shots were simply amazing.

Watch out on throwing those old books away mate. I did that and regretted it after a few days and I still do.
Nothing special but a lot of military, war and hooligan books. Dunno why I miss having them there but I do….next my Mrs wants me to get rid of my 1000 + CDs……but that ain’t happening anytime soon

 

[Steelmonkey]

Watch out on throwing those old books away mate. I did that and regretted it after a few days and I still do.
Nothing special but a lot of military, war and hooligan books. Dunno why I miss having them there but I do….next my Mrs wants me to get rid of my 1000 + CDs……but that ain’t happening anytime soon

I've got about 2500 CDs gathering dust in my basement, and even though I don't have a CD player anymore these will be going nowhere.

Had the same dilemma with about 300 vinyls until it became all the rage again, and I'm pleased to say I never ditched one of them. They get the occassional airing on my deck now amongst all the new additions.

Still got a mountain of films on VHS too, but can't really see them making a comeback. I've had a cull of the books a few times, but very selective. Kept all my Irvine Welsh, Christopher Brookmyre and Bernard Cornwell from my fiction section, and a fair few reference books.

 

[Hammersmith bookie]

On the Godfather has anyone seen Coppola’s recut and re edited version of Godfather III, I think it’s called Coda: The death of Michael Corleone? Think he did it 2 or 3 years ago. If it’s no better than the original film I really don’t want to see it, so far below the first two it’s ridiculous, but if any of you lot think it’s worth the effort I’ll give it a go.

I've seen it and apart from the first 20 mins there really isn't much difference at all. As you say it was a very poor relation to the first 2 films. There's still no improvement on Sofia Coppola's performance, but that would be an impossibility. Sadly this film lacked the Robert Duvall character , which did so much to interweave the stories of the first 2 films. I wouldn't bother with it if I was you

 

[sb_73]

I’m not a box set type, but the wife has had a few things on recently.

The ‘updated’ Sex in the City. Clearly trash and very easy to ignore when it’s on.

Mare of East Town( I think) with Kate Winslet and a criminally underused Guy Pearce (really good actor). Gritty, very well acted, but man I’m sick of cop shows where women are treated horribly. Ignored most of it. One excellent moment but won’t do a spoiler.

Big Little Lies. Obviously very squarely aimed at the female market. Rich women have problems and all the male characters are evil or weak. Again, easy to ignore though Laura Dern was good and did some excellent swearing.

Just started (first episode) Succession. This was the one I was kind of looking forward to. Very well written and acted, even this early you can tell Brian Cox is having fun and taking the piss. Sadly every character is on the wrong end of the likeability scale, I couldn’t care less about any of them already, would like them all to fail, quickly if possible. At least (so far) it’s not driven by a woman or women being abused. Will be easy to ignore if we persist with it.

Madmen the only series I’ve been nearly hooked on, though there were two or three series of that, lost in the middle of the 90 odd episodes, which passed me by. The one I would have loved to have been addicted to, American Gods, was ****ed up and abandoned after straying too far from the source material.

It saves me a lot of time, this box set allergy.

 

[Uber_Hoop]

I’m not a box set type, but the wife has had a few things on recently.

The ‘updated’ Sex in the City. Clearly trash and very easy to ignore when it’s on.

Mare of East Town( I think) with Kate Winslet and a criminally underused Guy Pearce (really good actor). Gritty, very well acted, but man I’m sick of cop shows where women are treated horribly. Ignored most of it. One excellent moment but won’t do a spoiler.

Big Little Lies. Obviously very squarely aimed at the female market. Rich women have problems and all the male characters are evil or weak. Again, easy to ignore though Laura Dern was good and did some excellent swearing.

Just started (first episode) Succession. This was the one I was kind of looking forward to. Very well written and acted, even this early you can tell Brian Cox is having fun and taking the piss. Sadly every character is on the wrong end of the likeability scale, I couldn’t care less about any of them already, would like them all to fail, quickly if possible. At least (so far) it’s not driven by a woman or women being abused. Will be easy to ignore if we persist with it.

Madmen the only series I’ve been nearly hooked on, though there were two or three series of that, lost in the middle of the 90 odd episodes, which passed me by. The one I would have loved to have been addicted to, American Gods, was ****ed up and abandoned after straying too far from the source material.

It saves me a lot of time, this box set allergy.

I’m with you all the way, G. Can’t be arsed with any of these series. Haven’t got the patience. Fed up with people who start sentences with “oh, you really must watch…”

Er, no.

 

[kiwiqpr]

Er no
Haven't heard of that one
I have all five series of the wire which I got five or six years ago
only watched series one so far
You really must watch that one Uber
As should I

 

[Uber_Hoop]

Er no
Haven't heard of that one
I have all five series of the wire which I got five or six years ago
only watched series one so far
You really must watch that one Uber
As should I

I’ve made a note to not watch The Wire after I’ve finished not watching Breaking Bad.

 

[Steelmonkey]

I’m with you all the way, G. Can’t be arsed with any of these series. Haven’t got the patience. Fed up with people who start sentences with “oh, you really must watch…”

Er, no.

Thought you'd said you'd just finished the Porn Hub box set, and were moving on to the Only Fans Special Edition next.. plenty of arse-ing in that I'd guess

 

[Uber_Hoop]

Thought you'd said you'd just finished the Porn Hub box set, and were moving on to the Only Fans Special Edition next.. plenty of arse-ing in that I'd guess

Almost correct… but it was Bangkok Chickboys.

 

[Wherever]

Almost correct… but it was Bangkok Chickboys.

A good twist at the end

 

[kiwiqpr]

A good twist at the end

Was it a happy ending

 

[Uber_Hoop]

A good twist at the end

Well, you’ve gotta wring out every last drop.