The Beastie BoysBook, by Adam Horovitz and Michael Diamond (audio). I loved it. Every chapter is either read by a celebrity or one of the two living BBs. It's not exactly literature, very close to casual spoken language, which means it doesn't require 100% focus. It was perfect to listen to at work, and they have a pretty fascinating career trajectory. I took a chance on it because I figured it'd be a casual listen, but I got more than I bargained for. .
Dead if you Don't - Peter James. One of the best Roy Grace novels I have read. Set over 48 hours, it is absolutely gripping. Bomb threats at Brighton's opening Premier League match, Albanian gangs, kidnappings, murders - it's got everything to keep you turning the pages. Because of the short time line, there is much less about Grace's private life than in the normally paced novels, but there is still a hint of something to come in the background.
Mother Tongue - Bill Bryson. Facinating book about the development and change in languages (mostly, but not exclusively English). Even better reading it thirty years after it was written and realising how the use of some parts of language has changed in that (relatively) short space of time.
The speed of change in the past is quite surprising, apparently, even though the language of Chaucer is hard to follow, English 100 years before that would have been completely unintelligble to modern ears.
Someone recommended The Road as one of the greatest books they’ve read (not sure whether it was a wind up) so i was intrigued and bought the book. I must admit I quite liked the doom and gloom as they walked and walked with the occasional incidents along the way. Some quite grotesque and some quite heart warming from the innocent boy. However, americanisms irritated me at times and some sentence I hadn’t a clue what it was on about which doesn’t bode well for me to give it such an accolade.
Now back onto the second book of the Moscow trilogy written by Simon Sebag Monitfirore One Night in Winter.
I just finished Niall Williams - This is Happiness.
If you enjoy evocative prose about people and landscape and chuckle at self-depreciating and witty Irish humour this the book for you. I really enjoyed it, full of soul, very cinematic images and worth reading through lots of descriptions to follow the beautiful narrative. Its based around electricity finally arriving in a small Irish town and the truth behind peoples lives that is then illuminated.
Mother Tongue - Bill Bryson. Facinating book about the development and change in languages (mostly, but not exclusively English). Even better reading it thirty years after it was written and realising how the use of some parts of language has changed in that (relatively) short space of time.
The speed of change in the past is quite surprising, apparently, even though the language of Chaucer is hard to follow, English 100 years before that would have been completely unintelligble to modern ears.
If anyone is fascinated by the English language and likes mysteries, a book I've read is Our Magnificent Bastard Tongue by John McWhorter. It has complexity and needs some concentration to follow the cross threads, but has some nice humour to help you along.
Not just entomology, where he digs out some of the lazy research, but a primer in linguistics.
Utopia Avenue by David Mitchell, novel about a rock band in the 60s. A few cameos from the likes of Bowie, Bolan, Barrett, Marriott and Brian Jones.
David Mitchell is one of my favourite writers but this has had mixed reviews, would be interested what you think of it
I've read all his stuff apart from one. Black Swan Green is brilliant, best childhood novel I've read. Utopia Avenue is definitely not his best work. I persevered to the end but not sure what the point of it was. There are several references to previous works, eg the lead guitarist's name is De Zoot.
The Sleeping Murder - Agatha Christie. The last Miss Marple tale. Having seen two TV movies of the story last year, I was familiar with the plot (the Joan Hickson version is much truer to the book). Though I still couldn't remember "Whodunnit" until about halfway through. It's a gripping enough read, though slightly stilted and of it's time. Which made me puzzled as it was published in 1976. Then when I read up on it, she actually wrote it during the war (hence the use of the "N" word at point, which had surprised me even for a novel written in '76), and signed it over to her husband to be published on her death as a form of pension for him. She also did the same for the last Poirot novel, signing it over to her daughter.
Cockroaches - Jo Nesbo. The second Harry Hole novel. This one set in Thailand, Hole is sent on a mission to investigate the murder of the Norwegian ambassador. Half his supposed allies at the embassy are more interested in avoiding a political scandal than on him solving the case. Gripping story, though sometimes I think the translation from Norwegian is too literal and a little imagination is needed (not necessarily a bad thing).
Despite it being one of my favourite films, one of those that I've seen countless times and will always watch if I'm flicking through the tele and its on, I'd never actually read the book. It was brilliant. Surprised at just how close to the film it was (the first half at least) as most book/film adaptions end up a long way from each other. With a couple of exceptions (the first couple of chapters and the kids switching ages for example) the first half of the book was almost scene for scene. The 2nd half was different to the film. A few more run ins with the T-Rex and it turns out some characters only survived on screen. The kids vs Raptors in the kitchen remains constant and had every bit of tension the film does.
Finished the book Thursday and felt it was only right I watched the film again Friday.
I haven’t read many books but there was one that I read on holiday once that would really love to read again, but I’ve forgotten it!
it was a true story about an author who was telling his own story about his tough upbringing and went on to learn polo in Argentina. I remember him being interviewed on this morning/GMTV about the success of this book that he wrote.
has anyone read it? Can anyone remind me what it’s called or who the author was?
Football Cliches by Adam Hurrey. A tongue in cheek glossary of football speak. The kind of book you can dip into on a short commute or in the loo. Well observed crtique of the kind of thing we hear (and say) all the time without realising how ridiculous most of it is. If you see it in a charity shop for 50p, worth picking up. Or borrow it off a mate, like I did.
Splinter the Silence - Val McDermid. I have not been reading the Tony Hills/Carol Jordan (Wire in the Blood) series in order. I have missed the previous two books so don't know what happened to make this book commence with Carol no longer being in the Police force. Needless to say she is quickly back in the fold, in slightly iffy circumstances. The story is, as always with Ms. McDermid, clever and gripping. The hunt for a serial killer no-one knows is a serial killer until Tony stumbles on it. Various sub-plots abound and it all comes together in a cracking good read.
Picked this up after hearing the recommendation of Bill Bailey, who in turn mentioned that Billy Connolly had considered it the funniest book he'd ever read.
It never quite hit the mark for me. The book's main character, Ignatious J Reilly lumbers from one crisis to the next. He, as a much troubled man gave little reason for me to laugh - apart from one or two notable exceptions.
I was aware that the author had committed suicide before I embarked on this book and maybe this is what led to my uncomfortable feeling throughout.
On completion I read the wiki page about the author. Transpires that the book mirrors a lot of the young, brilliant, funny, tragic professor John Kennedy Toole.
This is Going to Hurt - Adam Kay. The diary of a junior doctor. A real eye opener, hilarious in parts, tragic in others. Shows the frustration of working on the medical side of the NHS while being hamstrung by managers only interested in bean counting. Every MP should read this, as should every NHS manager.
True Blue - David Baldacci. A far fetched, preposterous tale of a wrongly jailed cop trying to get her reputation and job back by cracking a huge crime, involving very very senior US government officials. It stretches reality about as far as it can get. Ridiculous, and brilliant fun to read. Forget any notion of the real world and enjoy a good old fashioned "Boys Own" - well "Girls Own" - action adventure.
I’ve been reading a 1981 NME Christmas special , Keith Peacock gets a mention from Monty Smith in ‘ highlights of the year ! Plus there is a great David Byrne interview.
This is Going to Hurt - Adam Kay. The diary of a junior doctor. A real eye opener, hilarious in parts, tragic in others. Shows the frustration of working on the medical side of the NHS while being hamstrung by managers only interested in bean counting. Every MP should read this, as should every NHS manager.
So good.
The Fireman Sam sponge was one of the worst things I've ever read.
Humans. A Brief History of How We Fucked It All Up, by Tom Phillips. The title says it all. From the dawn of time the human race has made many appauling decisions, collectively and individually. Some motivated by power, some by greed, some by downright stupidity - this takes an amusing journey through some of the tales. We don't learn from history that is for sure.
Common Murder - Val McDermid. Only Ms. McDermid's second book, which shows the author very much as a work in progress. Some slightly clumsy plot devices and conclusions drawn without any real indications as to why show an inexperienced author and possibly a slightly green editor, too. The book was originally published by the Womans Press, which I guess was the only way a book with a lesbian heroine could get on the shelves back in the late eighties? That peripheral characters who pop up just happen to be gay women does become a bit far fetched on occasion.
Mostly set at a thinly disguised Greenham Common peace camp, a crusading journalist becomes involved when her former lover is accused of assulting one of the leading lights of the local NIMBY pressure group. When he is subsequently murdered all eyes point to the lover and the women of the camp. Our hero(ine) sets about proving her innocence with the secret blessing of the local police superintendent (a bit unlikely...). It is a great period piece, for those that remember the campaigners and the days when the only communication you had with the office was a phone box...
Worth a read, if you don't expect the polished, believable prose that Val McDermid turns out later in her career.
Joseph Knox - Sirens. Recommended on this 'ere thread. A cop out on a limb in Manchester's seedy underworld of drugs and crime. A great debut novel, some great characters the only downside a very slightly disappointing ending. Worth reading, and I am already looking forward to getting hold of the follow up.
Joseph Knox - Sirens. Recommended on this 'ere thread. A cop out on a limb in Manchester's seedy underworld of drugs and crime. A great debut novel, some great characters the only downside a very slightly disappointing ending. Worth reading, and I am already looking forward to getting hold of the follow up.
Mmm looks good ... will download this one rather than get the book ... on offer on Amazon
Comments
The speed of change in the past is quite surprising, apparently, even though the language of Chaucer is hard to follow, English 100 years before that would have been completely unintelligble to modern ears.
Now back onto the second book of the Moscow trilogy written by Simon Sebag Monitfirore One Night in Winter.
If you enjoy evocative prose about people and landscape and chuckle at self-depreciating and witty Irish humour this the book for you.
I really enjoyed it, full of soul, very cinematic images and worth reading through lots of descriptions to follow the beautiful narrative.
Its based around electricity finally arriving in a small Irish town and the truth behind peoples lives that is then illuminated.
pages in, very good so far, good evocation of growing up up North in the 1970s.
Not just entomology, where he digs out some of the lazy research, but a primer in linguistics.
Utopia Avenue is definitely not his best work. I persevered to the end but not sure what the point of it was. There are several references to previous works, eg the lead guitarist's name is De Zoot.
Despite it being one of my favourite films, one of those that I've seen countless times and will always watch if I'm flicking through the tele and its on, I'd never actually read the book.
It was brilliant. Surprised at just how close to the film it was (the first half at least) as most book/film adaptions end up a long way from each other.
With a couple of exceptions (the first couple of chapters and the kids switching ages for example) the first half of the book was almost scene for scene.
The 2nd half was different to the film. A few more run ins with the T-Rex and it turns out some characters only survived on screen.
The kids vs Raptors in the kitchen remains constant and had every bit of tension the film does.
Finished the book Thursday and felt it was only right I watched the film again Friday.
it was a true story about an author who was telling his own story about his tough upbringing and went on to learn polo in Argentina. I remember him being interviewed on this morning/GMTV about the success of this book that he wrote.
has anyone read it? Can anyone remind me what it’s called or who the author was?
Picked this up after hearing the recommendation of Bill Bailey, who in turn mentioned that Billy Connolly had considered it the funniest book he'd ever read.
It never quite hit the mark for me. The book's main character, Ignatious J Reilly lumbers from one crisis to the next. He, as a much troubled man gave little reason for me to laugh - apart from one or two notable exceptions.
I was aware that the author had committed suicide before I embarked on this book and maybe this is what led to my uncomfortable feeling throughout.
On completion I read the wiki page about the author. Transpires that the book mirrors a lot of the young, brilliant, funny, tragic professor John Kennedy Toole.
RIP.
Of course we all know that, right?
The Fireman Sam sponge was one of the worst things I've ever read.
The story of leaded petrol is a real eye opener.
Mostly set at a thinly disguised Greenham Common peace camp, a crusading journalist becomes involved when her former lover is accused of assulting one of the leading lights of the local NIMBY pressure group. When he is subsequently murdered all eyes point to the lover and the women of the camp. Our hero(ine) sets about proving her innocence with the secret blessing of the local police superintendent (a bit unlikely...). It is a great period piece, for those that remember the campaigners and the days when the only communication you had with the office was a phone box...
Worth a read, if you don't expect the polished, believable prose that Val McDermid turns out later in her career.