'Half a Creature from the Sea: A Life in Stories' by David Almond
From the author of 'Skellig', this is a collection of short stories inspired by Almond's childhood in the north east. Each one is prefaced by a short introduction from him, discussing relevant childhood memories, how and why he came up with the idea for the story and what it means to him. The writing is beautifully evocative and tender and the stories themselves cover a whole range of subjects - bereavement, family, bullying at school, elderly people near the end of their lives, the anxiety to fit in as a young teen and, being the north east, football. Alan Suddick, originally of Newcastle, was one of Almond's heroes and features in one of the author's dream-like stories (I digress, but I did, in fact, spend a lot of time (rather too much) in the late 60s and early 70s making lists of players I wanted for Charlton and Suddick was always in my team - maybe because of his spectacular goals for Blackpool in the Anglo-Italian Cup games, which were televised live on TV ? A small example of the stories' evocative and nostalgic qualities...).
This is not a book I'd have ever usually sought out, given that it's primarily aimed at young teenagers. I did so, however, after it featured in the radio podcast, 'A Good Read'. I'm pleased I did because I found it an excellent and thoroughly enjoyable read.
'My Name is Lucy Barton' by Elizabeth Strout
Lucy Barton, has been in hospital for three weeks, separated from her husband and two young daughters, when her estranged mother unexpectedly turns up to see her over four or five days. Although Lucy is now a successful writer, her mother’s presence reignites memories of a childhood characterised by emotional neglect, poverty and social exclusion. The novel is an interesting, if rather sad, exploration of a daughter-mother relationship, in which that which remains unsaid is more important than that what the characters articulate.
I didn't think it was as good as 'Olive Kitteridge', although maybe that's not a fair comparison given the very different subject matter. Overall, though, I still found it a good read.
Creativity Inc by Ed Catmull, President of Pixar and Disney Animation.
Well worth reading, terrific revelations into the background of the company and many films, plus it's a great book on how to build a productive company and manage well.
Ostensibly a book for managers but combined with an insight into one of the world's most creative companies.
You are Dead, another of Peter James' Roy Grace novels. Proper mad evil serial killer in this one, plus twists and turns to Grace's home life. Cracking read.
Just finishing "Handmaid's Tale" which is an indicator of how slowly I read books these days. That said, it did accidentally correspond nicely to the miniseries by Hulu being released.
I'm thinking of reading "Thirteen Reasons Why" next, the book that the popular Netflix miniseries is based off of (big miniseries theme here for some reason). The show got a lot of stick for how it portrays suicide and mental illness, a lot of it unfair I feel, and I'm quite curious to know what the source material is like.
@SDAddick I've finally finished "All the King's Men". It took me about 5 months to read the first half, then 5 days to read the second half.
Obviously it picked up and the ending is rather dramatic, so it was worth sticking with. It could have been a bit shorter mind, there were 50+ pages devoted to the narrator's relatives during the Civil War.
I didn't think it was overtly political, it was more personal than that. It does provide insight into how a politician may whip up a storm, flout rules to gain advantages and make promises they may not be able to keep. However, I thought it was more character than plot driven, it's not like it was based around one political campaign and how it was won or lost.
Otherwise I have been reading Guy Martin's third book (amusing and interesting if you like him), and next I have Freddie Spencer's autobiography (one of the best bike racers ever). Then I think I'll read another Margaret Atwood.
RedPanda. I have also read, All The Kings Men.very good book.Have you seen the film,if not watch the one with Broderick Crawford,not Sean Penn.The later one was changed to a later era.
Whoever on here recommended Denise Mina, thanks. Just reading the third in the Garnethill trilogy. Wasn't overly impressed to start with but gradually realised that I cared about what happened to the characters, with all their flaws and good or bad intentions.
Whoever on here recommended Denise Mina, thanks. Just reading the third in the Garnethill trilogy. Wasn't overly impressed to start with but gradually realised that I cared about what happened to the characters, with all their flaws and good or bad intentions.
Currently reading 'It couldn't happen here' by Sinclair Lewis which was written in about 1936 but could easily be about Trump and 'Le rouge et le noir' by Stendhal.
RedPanda. I have also read, All The Kings Men.very good book.Have you seen the film,if not watch the one with Broderick Crawford,not Sean Penn.The later one was changed to a later era.
The Monster of Florence, a true story. By Douglas Preston and Mario Spezi. Interesting book about Italy's most famous serial killer ( or killers? ). Detailing the ineptitude and arrogance of the judiciary and the police, and the difficulties of pushing against it in a country where saving face and what's on the surface are far more important than finding the truth and exposing the corruption.
Not a big fan of fiction, and although this is quite a slow book, I've found it hard to put down at times.
It's well known, but if you haven't looked at it before then it's best described as quite a quaint and gentile tale of 1960's Cold War spy catching; with various interesting references to different London clubs and spots. I think - reading between the lines - that it's inspired partly by a failed MI6 operation in Albania at the time. (i.e A senior mole in MI6, a bodged operation in a satellite state (swap Albania for Czechoslovakia), worrying repercussions for US/UK relations.)
Not the biggest fan of Carré's writing style to be honest, I've struggled to keep track of certain scenes - but I'm not sure if that's more an artefact of not having read too much recently. Despite the reservations over his writing style, I'll definitely dive into his other works after this.
Reading Respect Yourself, a biography of Mavis Staples of the Staples Singers. I'm enjoying it; I'm a big fan of their Stax cuts especially. The eventual soul giants they grew up with/went to school with/were friends with is staggering: Sam Cooke, Aretha Franklin, Bobby Womack, Jerry Butler. Anyway, I got it for a couple of quid on Amazon, only to find it was signed.... by Mavis Staples.
One of the strangely overlooked bands of that era.
Sorry if already mentioned but recently finished 1971 never a dull moment by David Hepworth chronicling that year in music. Every month packed with great singles and LP's.
Half way through The Fatal Tree by Jake Arnott. Love all his previous stuff but was struggling with the 18th century criminal slang. Getting into it now.
Read the first four of Jake Arnott's, loved them. Then got to The Devil's Paintbrush. Oh dear. Just couldn't get on with it at all, gave up after 100 pages and never went back.
'The Tobacconist' .. Robert Seethaler .. a little masterpiece
I am also doing research into the development and growth of the USA .. 'American Railroads' (from the Iron Horse to Diesel Locomotives) written in 1947 .. NOT just a book for train spotters but a superb cultural and industrial history inherent with the development of America .. shame it was written before the huge development of the interstate road highway system and the consequent decline of many many railways ..
in a similar vein, John Keegan's 'The American Civil War' is another vital read for anyone interested in America and its often troubled past
I'm reading an oral biography of the Neville Brothers, mostly because I'm a big fan of The Meters. Anyway, there's certainly some entertaining stories. They all suffered their hardships. Aaron was a homeless junkie for a while, Charles did three years in Angola prison... Anyway, well worth it if you're into New Orleans music, but especialy New Orleans R&B, soul and funk.
I thought I’d better have a read of Atwood’s dystopian novel before watching the new TV series with Elizabeth Moss. I found the story absorbing and particularly enjoyed the very unusual style in which it is told. A very good read. As Margaret Atwood has said, it is still highly relevant 31 years on, given the oppressive way in which women are treated in many parts of the world and the number of totalitarian theocratic dictatorships.
‘Sidetracked’ by Henning Mankell
This novel is one of the Kurt Wallander crime series and I thought it was first rate. The plot and level of suspense are very strong but the stellar feature for me was how Mankell draws you into Wallander’s life and thought processes, generating tremendous empathy for an excellent and obsessively dedicated detective who is quite unable to manage his own personal life.
‘The Tobacconist’ by Robert Seethaler
A seventeen year old boy leaves his home in the Austrian Lakes to work in Vienna, just as the Nazis begin to really flex their muscles. A tender story, told in the author’s beutifully crafted and understated style. Whilst I didn’t think it reached the heights of Seethaler’s previous novel, ‘A Whole Life’, I found it a very good read.
The Burgess Boys by Elizabeth Strout
When their sister’s son finds himself in trouble with the police, two brothers return to their hometown in Maine to offer their help. Old tensions rise to the surface, as Strout examines the impact of long-suppressed familial guilt and deception. Very good.
Stoner by John Williams
Originally published in 1965, this novel covers the life and travails of William Stoner, a man born into a dirt poor Missouri family, who nevertheless goes to university and subsequently become a lifelong academic. Along the way, he endures a number of disappointments and his story is, in many respects, a sad and poignant one. I can see that it wouldn’t appeal to everyone but I found it an interesting read.
Comments
From the author of 'Skellig', this is a collection of short stories inspired by Almond's childhood in the north east. Each one is prefaced by a short introduction from him, discussing relevant childhood memories, how and why he came up with the idea for the story and what it means to him. The writing is beautifully evocative and tender and the stories themselves cover a whole range of subjects - bereavement, family, bullying at school, elderly people near the end of their lives, the anxiety to fit in as a young teen and, being the north east, football. Alan Suddick, originally of Newcastle, was one of Almond's heroes and features in one of the author's dream-like stories (I digress, but I did, in fact, spend a lot of time (rather too much) in the late 60s and early 70s making lists of players I wanted for Charlton and Suddick was always in my team - maybe because of his spectacular goals for Blackpool in the Anglo-Italian Cup games, which were televised live on TV ? A small example of the stories' evocative and nostalgic qualities...).
This is not a book I'd have ever usually sought out, given that it's primarily aimed at young teenagers. I did so, however, after it featured in the radio podcast, 'A Good Read'. I'm pleased I did because I found it an excellent and thoroughly enjoyable read.
'My Name is Lucy Barton' by Elizabeth Strout
Lucy Barton, has been in hospital for three weeks, separated from her husband and two young daughters, when her estranged mother unexpectedly turns up to see her over four or five days. Although Lucy is now a successful writer, her mother’s presence reignites memories of a childhood characterised by emotional neglect, poverty and social exclusion. The novel is an interesting, if rather sad, exploration of a daughter-mother relationship, in which that which remains unsaid is more important than that what the characters articulate.
I didn't think it was as good as 'Olive Kitteridge', although maybe that's not a fair comparison given the very different subject matter. Overall, though, I still found it a good read.
Well worth reading, terrific revelations into the background of the company and many films, plus it's a great book on how to build a productive company and manage well.
Ostensibly a book for managers but combined with an insight into one of the world's most creative companies.
It's historic fiction that is quite hard going at times ( over a thousand pages) but enjoyable none the less.
Such a slow reader and some parts are a bit testing.
RIP
I've been reading Year of the Runaways by Sunjeev Sahota - excellent
I'm thinking of reading "Thirteen Reasons Why" next, the book that the popular Netflix miniseries is based off of (big miniseries theme here for some reason). The show got a lot of stick for how it portrays suicide and mental illness, a lot of it unfair I feel, and I'm quite curious to know what the source material is like.
Obviously it picked up and the ending is rather dramatic, so it was worth sticking with. It could have been a bit shorter mind, there were 50+ pages devoted to the narrator's relatives during the Civil War.
I didn't think it was overtly political, it was more personal than that. It does provide insight into how a politician may whip up a storm, flout rules to gain advantages and make promises they may not be able to keep. However, I thought it was more character than plot driven, it's not like it was based around one political campaign and how it was won or lost.
Otherwise I have been reading Guy Martin's third book (amusing and interesting if you like him), and next I have Freddie Spencer's autobiography (one of the best bike racers ever). Then I think I'll read another Margaret Atwood.
I have also read, All The Kings Men.very good book.Have you seen the film,if not watch the one with Broderick Crawford,not Sean Penn.The later one was changed to a later era.
Just reading the third in the Garnethill trilogy.
Wasn't overly impressed to start with but gradually realised that I cared about what happened to the characters, with all their flaws and good or bad intentions.
Funnily enough I didn't fancy it at the time.
Not a big fan of fiction, and although this is quite a slow book, I've found it hard to put down at times.
It's well known, but if you haven't looked at it before then it's best described as quite a quaint and gentile tale of 1960's Cold War spy catching; with various interesting references to different London clubs and spots. I think - reading between the lines - that it's inspired partly by a failed MI6 operation in Albania at the time. (i.e A senior mole in MI6, a bodged operation in a satellite state (swap Albania for Czechoslovakia), worrying repercussions for US/UK relations.)
Not the biggest fan of Carré's writing style to be honest, I've struggled to keep track of certain scenes - but I'm not sure if that's more an artefact of not having read too much recently. Despite the reservations over his writing style, I'll definitely dive into his other works after this.
Half way through The Fatal Tree by Jake Arnott. Love all his previous stuff but was struggling with the 18th century criminal slang. Getting into it now.
I am also doing research into the development and growth of the USA .. 'American Railroads' (from the Iron Horse to Diesel Locomotives) written in 1947 .. NOT just a book for train spotters but a superb cultural and industrial history inherent with the development of America .. shame it was written before the huge development of the interstate road highway system and the consequent decline of many many railways ..
in a similar vein, John Keegan's 'The American Civil War' is another vital read for anyone interested in America and its often troubled past
I thought I’d better have a read of Atwood’s dystopian novel before watching the new TV series with Elizabeth Moss. I found the story absorbing and particularly enjoyed the very unusual style in which it is told. A very good read. As Margaret Atwood has said, it is still highly relevant 31 years on, given the oppressive way in which women are treated in many parts of the world and the number of totalitarian theocratic dictatorships.
‘Sidetracked’ by Henning Mankell
This novel is one of the Kurt Wallander crime series and I thought it was first rate. The plot and level of suspense are very strong but the stellar feature for me was how Mankell draws you into Wallander’s life and thought processes, generating tremendous empathy for an excellent and obsessively dedicated detective who is quite unable to manage his own personal life.
‘The Tobacconist’ by Robert Seethaler
A seventeen year old boy leaves his home in the Austrian Lakes to work in Vienna, just as the Nazis begin to really flex their muscles. A tender story, told in the author’s beutifully crafted and understated style. Whilst I didn’t think it reached the heights of Seethaler’s previous novel, ‘A Whole Life’, I found it a very good read.
The Burgess Boys by Elizabeth Strout
When their sister’s son finds himself in trouble with the police, two brothers return to their hometown in Maine to offer their help. Old tensions rise to the surface, as Strout examines the impact of long-suppressed familial guilt and deception. Very good.
Stoner by John Williams
Originally published in 1965, this novel covers the life and travails of William Stoner, a man born into a dirt poor Missouri family, who nevertheless goes to university and subsequently become a lifelong academic. Along the way, he endures a number of disappointments and his story is, in many respects, a sad and poignant one. I can see that it wouldn’t appeal to everyone but I found it an interesting read.