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The New Coffee Room

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  3. What are you reading now?

What are you reading now?

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  • T Offline
    T Offline
    taiwan_girl
    wrote on 2 Jan 2022, 03:26 last edited by
    #421

    I am almost finished with the following book:

    alt text

    I wasn't really familiar with this story. Quite interesting. About a unknown young Malaysian guy who was able to get the Malaysian government to set up a soveriegn fund which he controlled and ultimately stole most of the money (hundreds and hundreds of millions of USD). I did do a search and it appears that he is hiding out in China (probably Macau).

    @jon-nyc Have you heard of this case? It seems like it was quite easy for it to happen. Greed on the part of the investment banks, private bankers etc.

    @Axtremus The book gives a pretty bad picture of corruption and politics in Malaysia. I dont know much about government affairs in Malaysia and was wondering if you feel corruption is pretty common there?

    1 Reply Last reply
    • G Offline
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      George K
      wrote on 12 Jan 2022, 18:57 last edited by
      #422

      I read this a long time ago.

      I thought it might be nice to revisit.

      alt text

      "Now look here, you Baltic gas passer... " - Mik, 6/14/08

      The saying, "Lite is just one damn thing after another," is a gross understatement. The damn things overlap.

      1 Reply Last reply
      • M Away
        M Away
        Mik
        wrote on 12 Jan 2022, 19:02 last edited by
        #423

        That's the story he supposedly sold to the movies that bought his house.

        “I am fond of pigs. Dogs look up to us. Cats look down on us. Pigs treat us as equals.” ~Winston S. Churchill

        1 Reply Last reply
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          Larry
          wrote on 12 Jan 2022, 19:53 last edited by
          #424

          image001.jpg

          1 Reply Last reply
          • A Offline
            A Offline
            Aqua Letifer
            wrote on 15 Jan 2022, 15:15 last edited by Aqua Letifer
            #425

            4E5E9B5F-E7D2-4D7E-BD15-40AF8B22AE0B.jpeg

            @George-K : listened to this just last night, all in one go. My wife and I listened to it in the car on the way up to see my in-laws. The book ended just as we pulled into the driveway.

            (By the way, this is the second Scalzi book we've done this with. We started Redshirts on the way up to New Hampshire. Listened to it all in one go, got done right when we pulled into the parking lot.)

            Anyway, this series rocks. Please have Quinto play Tony in the TV series. This SO NEEDS TO HAPPEN.

            Please love yourself.

            1 Reply Last reply
            • G Offline
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              George K
              wrote on 15 Jan 2022, 15:19 last edited by
              #426

              Wasn't it great?

              "Now look here, you Baltic gas passer... " - Mik, 6/14/08

              The saying, "Lite is just one damn thing after another," is a gross understatement. The damn things overlap.

              A 1 Reply Last reply 15 Jan 2022, 15:36
              • G George K
                15 Jan 2022, 15:19

                Wasn't it great?

                A Offline
                A Offline
                Aqua Letifer
                wrote on 15 Jan 2022, 15:36 last edited by
                #427

                @george-k said in What are you reading now?:

                Wasn't it great?

                Freaking awesome. I can't wait for the TV series.

                I'm glad Mason returned.

                Please love yourself.

                1 Reply Last reply
                • G Offline
                  G Offline
                  George K
                  wrote on 17 Jan 2022, 22:22 last edited by
                  #428

                  Finished "Bosch #1" this morning. Great cop story with a worthy twist at the end. None of that was in the TV series.

                  So...I started #2 this afternoon.

                  This is really popcorn, but it's good popcorn.

                  "Now look here, you Baltic gas passer... " - Mik, 6/14/08

                  The saying, "Lite is just one damn thing after another," is a gross understatement. The damn things overlap.

                  G 1 Reply Last reply 19 Jan 2022, 23:11
                  • G George K
                    17 Jan 2022, 22:22

                    Finished "Bosch #1" this morning. Great cop story with a worthy twist at the end. None of that was in the TV series.

                    So...I started #2 this afternoon.

                    This is really popcorn, but it's good popcorn.

                    G Offline
                    G Offline
                    George K
                    wrote on 19 Jan 2022, 23:11 last edited by
                    #429

                    @george-k said in What are you reading now?:

                    So...I started #2 this afternoon.

                    What a fun read. Great twist at the end (as in #1).

                    Just dipped my toe in to #3 this afternoon. It introduces Honey Chandler.

                    I can see this being a MAJOR binge...

                    "Now look here, you Baltic gas passer... " - Mik, 6/14/08

                    The saying, "Lite is just one damn thing after another," is a gross understatement. The damn things overlap.

                    G 1 Reply Last reply 21 Jan 2022, 20:46
                    • G George K
                      19 Jan 2022, 23:11

                      @george-k said in What are you reading now?:

                      So...I started #2 this afternoon.

                      What a fun read. Great twist at the end (as in #1).

                      Just dipped my toe in to #3 this afternoon. It introduces Honey Chandler.

                      I can see this being a MAJOR binge...

                      G Offline
                      G Offline
                      George K
                      wrote on 21 Jan 2022, 20:46 last edited by
                      #430

                      @george-k said in What are you reading now?:

                      Just dipped my toe in to #3 this afternoon

                      Very binge-able. Just finished #3, and I'll dive into #4 tomorrow. Then, it'll be time for a break.

                      Lots of fun.

                      "Now look here, you Baltic gas passer... " - Mik, 6/14/08

                      The saying, "Lite is just one damn thing after another," is a gross understatement. The damn things overlap.

                      1 Reply Last reply
                      • G Offline
                        G Offline
                        George K
                        wrote on 23 Jan 2022, 22:36 last edited by
                        #431

                        Yeah #4 was quite the page turner. Lots of false leads, dead ends, intra-departmental intrigue...

                        Should I do #5 or take a break...

                        Harry...."C'mere. George!"

                        "Now look here, you Baltic gas passer... " - Mik, 6/14/08

                        The saying, "Lite is just one damn thing after another," is a gross understatement. The damn things overlap.

                        1 Reply Last reply
                        • G Offline
                          G Offline
                          George K
                          wrote on 24 Jan 2022, 13:18 last edited by
                          #432

                          image.jpeg

                          "Now look here, you Baltic gas passer... " - Mik, 6/14/08

                          The saying, "Lite is just one damn thing after another," is a gross understatement. The damn things overlap.

                          bachophileB 1 Reply Last reply 25 Jan 2022, 09:49
                          • G George K
                            24 Jan 2022, 13:18

                            image.jpeg

                            bachophileB Offline
                            bachophileB Offline
                            bachophile
                            wrote on 25 Jan 2022, 09:49 last edited by
                            #433

                            @george-k is that the posthumous one? I’m waiting for a relaxed vacation to read that. The last le carre ever. Maybe this summer

                            G 2 Replies Last reply 25 Jan 2022, 12:30
                            • bachophileB bachophile
                              25 Jan 2022, 09:49

                              @george-k is that the posthumous one? I’m waiting for a relaxed vacation to read that. The last le carre ever. Maybe this summer

                              G Offline
                              G Offline
                              George K
                              wrote on 25 Jan 2022, 12:30 last edited by
                              #434

                              @bachophile said in What are you reading now?:

                              @george-k is that the posthumous one?

                              Don't think so. "Silverview" is listed as his last book, published in 2021.

                              https://www.bookseriesinorder.com/john-le-carre/

                              "Now look here, you Baltic gas passer... " - Mik, 6/14/08

                              The saying, "Lite is just one damn thing after another," is a gross understatement. The damn things overlap.

                              1 Reply Last reply
                              • bachophileB bachophile
                                25 Jan 2022, 09:49

                                @george-k is that the posthumous one? I’m waiting for a relaxed vacation to read that. The last le carre ever. Maybe this summer

                                G Offline
                                G Offline
                                George K
                                wrote on 26 Jan 2022, 21:46 last edited by
                                #435

                                @bachophile said in What are you reading now?:

                                @george-k is that the posthumous one? I’m waiting for a relaxed vacation to read that. The last le carre ever. Maybe this summer

                                Not a bad story. THere's a lot of "building the foundation" stuff for the first ¾ of the book. In typical Le Carre fashion, you don't know who's important, and who's not.

                                The last ¼ is absolutely riveting, with great descriptions of an interrogation discussion with one of the principals and depiction of really interesting spy craft.

                                Up next: More Bosch (#5 - "Trunk Music")

                                "Now look here, you Baltic gas passer... " - Mik, 6/14/08

                                The saying, "Lite is just one damn thing after another," is a gross understatement. The damn things overlap.

                                1 Reply Last reply
                                • G Offline
                                  G Offline
                                  George K
                                  wrote on 27 Jan 2022, 22:52 last edited by George K
                                  #436

                                  I love, LOVE, Ben MacIntyre's books ("Operation Mincemeat").

                                  Started this today...

                                  Screen Shot 2022-01-27 at 4.53.31 PM copy.jpg

                                  "Now look here, you Baltic gas passer... " - Mik, 6/14/08

                                  The saying, "Lite is just one damn thing after another," is a gross understatement. The damn things overlap.

                                  G 1 Reply Last reply 28 Jan 2022, 22:09
                                  • G George K
                                    27 Jan 2022, 22:52

                                    I love, LOVE, Ben MacIntyre's books ("Operation Mincemeat").

                                    Started this today...

                                    Screen Shot 2022-01-27 at 4.53.31 PM copy.jpg

                                    G Offline
                                    G Offline
                                    George K
                                    wrote on 28 Jan 2022, 22:09 last edited by
                                    #437

                                    @george-k said in What are you reading now?:

                                    I love, LOVE, Ben MacIntyre's books ("Operation Mincemeat").

                                    Started this today...

                                    Screen Shot 2022-01-27 at 4.53.31 PM copy.jpg

                                    Bumping this for @Renauda who might find it interesting.

                                    "Now look here, you Baltic gas passer... " - Mik, 6/14/08

                                    The saying, "Lite is just one damn thing after another," is a gross understatement. The damn things overlap.

                                    RenaudaR 1 Reply Last reply 19 Feb 2022, 21:10
                                    • G Offline
                                      G Offline
                                      George K
                                      wrote on 30 Jan 2022, 21:09 last edited by
                                      #438

                                      Finished this this morning. Probably one of MacIntyre's best. It's up there with "Mincemeat" and the Gordoyevsky story. The afterword is written by John Le Carre. Le Carre had occasion to meet the guy who confronted Philby in Beirut in 1963, and had several interviews with him.

                                      Le Carre also received an invitation to meet Philby in Moscow.

                                      He declined.

                                      So, as long as I'm doing spies, I thought I'd give this another shot. I started it when it first came out, but lost interest.

                                      alt text

                                      So far, it's VERY James Bond-like. Interesting, perhaps unrelated opening, flashback to past missions, etc.

                                      Oh, and it was written by someone I knew, back in another life.

                                      "Now look here, you Baltic gas passer... " - Mik, 6/14/08

                                      The saying, "Lite is just one damn thing after another," is a gross understatement. The damn things overlap.

                                      G 1 Reply Last reply 3 Feb 2022, 00:32
                                      • G George K
                                        30 Jan 2022, 21:09

                                        Finished this this morning. Probably one of MacIntyre's best. It's up there with "Mincemeat" and the Gordoyevsky story. The afterword is written by John Le Carre. Le Carre had occasion to meet the guy who confronted Philby in Beirut in 1963, and had several interviews with him.

                                        Le Carre also received an invitation to meet Philby in Moscow.

                                        He declined.

                                        So, as long as I'm doing spies, I thought I'd give this another shot. I started it when it first came out, but lost interest.

                                        alt text

                                        So far, it's VERY James Bond-like. Interesting, perhaps unrelated opening, flashback to past missions, etc.

                                        Oh, and it was written by someone I knew, back in another life.

                                        G Offline
                                        G Offline
                                        George K
                                        wrote on 3 Feb 2022, 00:32 last edited by
                                        #439

                                        @george-k said in What are you reading now?:

                                        So far, it's VERY James Bond-like. Interesting, perhaps unrelated opening, flashback to past missions, etc.
                                        Oh, and it was written by someone I knew, back in another life.

                                        Yeah, it was okay.

                                        Not "blow me away I want MOAR" away, but a pleasant-enough waste of a few hours where you don't feel like you wasted a few hours.

                                        Nice twists in the last ¼ of the book.

                                        I was going to start this (and got about 10% of the way through it), but got, well, not bored, but "I'm not ready for this again," so I gave up - for now.

                                        61cParSJTJL.jpg

                                        I think I'll do some more Bosch instead.

                                        "Now look here, you Baltic gas passer... " - Mik, 6/14/08

                                        The saying, "Lite is just one damn thing after another," is a gross understatement. The damn things overlap.

                                        G LuFins DadL 2 Replies Last reply 4 Feb 2022, 13:45
                                        • G George K
                                          3 Feb 2022, 00:32

                                          @george-k said in What are you reading now?:

                                          So far, it's VERY James Bond-like. Interesting, perhaps unrelated opening, flashback to past missions, etc.
                                          Oh, and it was written by someone I knew, back in another life.

                                          Yeah, it was okay.

                                          Not "blow me away I want MOAR" away, but a pleasant-enough waste of a few hours where you don't feel like you wasted a few hours.

                                          Nice twists in the last ¼ of the book.

                                          I was going to start this (and got about 10% of the way through it), but got, well, not bored, but "I'm not ready for this again," so I gave up - for now.

                                          61cParSJTJL.jpg

                                          I think I'll do some more Bosch instead.

                                          G Offline
                                          G Offline
                                          George K
                                          wrote on 4 Feb 2022, 13:45 last edited by
                                          #440

                                          @george-k said in What are you reading now?:

                                          I'll do some more Bosch instead.

                                          image.jpeg

                                          Halfway done. Another good tale. Eleanor Wish returns, and Lt. Billetts is introduced.

                                          "Now look here, you Baltic gas passer... " - Mik, 6/14/08

                                          The saying, "Lite is just one damn thing after another," is a gross understatement. The damn things overlap.

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