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This week I have been reading
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Read most of his stuff but a long time ago. The Power & The Glory and The Ministry of Fear were very good.Making_all_the_noise said:Been on a Graham Greene binge recently. Just finished The End of The Affair which was turgid. No idea why I keep reading his books because I've only ever enjoyed one of them (The Quiet American), despite thinking he's quite an accomplished writer. Anyone strongly recommend any of his others?1 -
Try Our Man in Havana is you liked the Quiet American. Monsignor Quixote is fun.Making_all_the_noise said:Been on a Graham Greene binge recently. Just finished The End of The Affair which was turgid. No idea why I keep reading his books because I've only ever enjoyed one of them (The Quiet American), despite thinking he's quite an accomplished writer. Anyone strongly recommend any of his others?1 -
Can anyone recommend a book on Irish history?0
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not read any of them but here are a few to considerChunes said:Can anyone recommend a book on Irish history?
Amazon.co.uk : irish history
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Read this one a while ago. It's fine but very much an overview going back to pre-history. Each chapter just 2-3 pages long so important events are not looked at in any depth.1 -
I've read two books this week while i flop about waiting for hospital dates.Lean Fall Stand by Jon McGregor, who I think is a truly superb writer. A book structured in two main parts, it's the story of an accident at an antarctic station and the subsequent slow recovery story of one of the scientists affected by a stroke during the incident. Not quite his best work (for that see If Nobody Speaks of Remarkable Things and Reservoir 13) but I devoured it and looked forward to picking the book up every night to consume a few more chapters. Mrs Idle is now reading it and seems to be enjoying it as much as I did.The Satsuma Complex by Bob Mortimer. A present from Mrs Idle, I really enjoyed this one too. I think it's slightly better than his autobiography as the writing is a bit more disciplined. It's a mystery set in south London with autobiographical aspects, there's a lot taken from Bob's pre-comedy life as a jobbing solicitor living a solitary life in a crummy flat. Good story that keeps you hooked, very easy to read and as funny as you'd expect with trademark little flights of fancy and nonsensical imagined conversations with squirrels. Very entertaining.1
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Dead Man's Blues by Ray Celestin. The second in the "City Blues Quartet". Set nine years after The Axeman's Jazz, the main protaganists have moved north to Chicago and are both working for the Pinkerton Detective agency. Cracking read, involving Al Capone and his henchmen, and Louis Armstrong is a fringe character once again. Based around true stories with some poetic licence and juggling of the timelines of the real events, it is a great book if you like detective fiction. Can be read as a standalone, but better to read the first one, first.2
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Enjoyed the first in that series1
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Currently reading Blood on the Crossbar, about the ‘78 World Cup & that era in Argentina0
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Sounds like it could be up my street, have ordered the first in series.Algarveaddick said:Dead Man's Blues by Ray Celestin. The second in the "City Blues Quartet". Set nine years after The Axeman's Jazz, the main protaganists have moved north to Chicago and are both working for the Pinkerton Detective agency. Cracking read, involving Al Capone and his henchmen, and Louis Armstrong is a fringe character once again. Based around true stories with some poetic licence and juggling of the timelines of the real events, it is a great book if you like detective fiction. Can be read as a standalone, but better to read the first one, first.
I quite like the inclusion of real life characters in well researched books. I have recently read the Parisians and Goodnight Vienna by Marius Gabriel who does this well imo and I think it adds atmosphere to the book. I googled Dr Asperger after reading Goodnight Vienna and am surprised that his name survives in medical circles given his methods and Nazi past.1 -
Robert Harris' book "Munich" is good if you enjoy that type of thing.Raith_C_Chattonell said:
Sounds like it could be up my street, have ordered the first in series.Algarveaddick said:Dead Man's Blues by Ray Celestin. The second in the "City Blues Quartet". Set nine years after The Axeman's Jazz, the main protaganists have moved north to Chicago and are both working for the Pinkerton Detective agency. Cracking read, involving Al Capone and his henchmen, and Louis Armstrong is a fringe character once again. Based around true stories with some poetic licence and juggling of the timelines of the real events, it is a great book if you like detective fiction. Can be read as a standalone, but better to read the first one, first.
I quite like the inclusion of real life characters in well researched books. I have recently read the Parisians and Goodnight Vienna by Marius Gabriel who does this well imo and I think it adds atmosphere to the book. I googled Dr Asperger after reading Goodnight Vienna and am surprised that his name survives in medical circles given his methods and Nazi past.2 -
This has reminded me to order the 4th in the series. The first three were all very good (and I'm not a huge fan of crime novels).Algarveaddick said:Dead Man's Blues by Ray Celestin. The second in the "City Blues Quartet". Set nine years after The Axeman's Jazz, the main protaganists have moved north to Chicago and are both working for the Pinkerton Detective agency. Cracking read, involving Al Capone and his henchmen, and Louis Armstrong is a fringe character once again. Based around true stories with some poetic licence and juggling of the timelines of the real events, it is a great book if you like detective fiction. Can be read as a standalone, but better to read the first one, first.1 -
I'm about halfway through A Life Too Short, Ronald Reng's book on Robert Enke.
Heartbreaking knowing what the whole thing is leading to.2 -
"The Art of Dying" by Ambrose Parry, follow up book to "the Way of All Flesh". The author is a husband and wife team, one an author, the other a doctor, so you get a nice medical/crime novel set in Victorian Edinburgh, if that's your thing. Very readable.0
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im about a quarter way through Stephen Kings latest ' Fairy Tale' . Never read anything by him before but this has started very good.1
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you have missed out on one of the all time great novelists of any era .. take a look at the long list of his writings contained in the 'introductory' pages of Fairy Tale or on Wikipedia .. not all works of art or genius, but many many are .. enjoycafc4life said:im about a quarter way through Stephen Kings latest ' Fairy Tale' . Never read anything by him before but this has started very good.4 -
Just read a couple. Putting the Rabbit in the Hat by Brian Cox (the actor) his autobiography. A warts n all life story. Lots of practical stuff about acting and stagecraft. Some good tales and anecdotes, he occasionally does not hold back on naming names of people he believes are overrated which is a refreshing change but... but... but... he does sound like he must be hard to work with, which he is sometimes aware of and others, I think not. He mentions a few people who he got on famously with, who he then lost touch with after the production. My impression was that they were kind and put up with him, so he liked them, but they were happy to walk away after the show was over. Those he wasn't so kind to may well have been the ones who told him how many beans make five? I don't know - others may put another interpretation on the situation. Still a good read if you are interested in the behind the scenes work that goes into theatre and film.
Also read the sixth in the Millenium series - The Girl Who Died Twice. David Lagerkrantz's last tilt at the franchise before Karin Smirnoff takes up the mantle. The usual rousing adventure, with lots of action and intrigue. Clever plot twists and realistic dialogue, but I have two criticisms. A minor one - there are a lot of new characters to keep up with, so it's worth making a note of who they are. There is a guide in the front to major characters who recur in the series (including some dead ones) but not to the people unique to this book. The second more major criticism is the slightly one dimensional portrayal of Lisbeth Salander in the story. If you have not read the previous books you would think she is just a bundle of insomniac fury! Still, a good continuation of Stig Larsson's legacy, hoping Ms Smirnoff can continue in the same vein.
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Bournville by Jonathan Coe. It's a warm and funny story of a family from Birmingham but at the same time it's a state of the nation novel that chronicles the changes for good and bad that have taken place here since 1945 and absolutely nails what England has felt like in my lifetime.3
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Left Foot In The Grave ? = Garry Nelson
picked up a signed copy at my local boot sale , 50p , Bargain i thought4 - Sponsored links:
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Halfway through Mother Night by Kurt Vonnegut. Little Miss Idle's boyfriend recommended him and although I know the name I've never read anything by him until now. It's a slim volume but I'm enjoying it a lot and will look out for more of his once my current stack of christmas books has diminished a bit.
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Got any recommendations @Lincsaddick?Lincsaddick said:
you have missed out on one of the all time great novelists of any era .. take a look at the long list of his writings contained in the 'introductory' pages of Fairy Tale or on Wikipedia .. not all works of art or genius, but many many are .. enjoycafc4life said:im about a quarter way through Stephen Kings latest ' Fairy Tale' . Never read anything by him before but this has started very good.1 -
oooh .. long story .. I'll keep it as brief as possible .. his career has various 'themes' throughout his life .. first it was 'horror' and quasi 'science fiction' try 'Firestarter' or the very long 'The Stand' for starters .. he's a great short story writer (try 'Hearts in Atlantis' as a taster) and the collection which includes 'Rita Hayworth and The SHAWSHANK Redemption, the title of the collection escapes me.. and lately he's into crime fiction 'Mr Mercedes' and the following few, based around the 'Finders Keepers' detective agency .. 'Billy Summers' a very recent book is terrific apart from a strange endingcafc4life said:
Got any recommendations @Lincsaddick?Lincsaddick said:
you have missed out on one of the all time great novelists of any era .. take a look at the long list of his writings contained in the 'introductory' pages of Fairy Tale or on Wikipedia .. not all works of art or genius, but many many are .. enjoycafc4life said:im about a quarter way through Stephen Kings latest ' Fairy Tale' . Never read anything by him before but this has started very good.
google 'Apt Pupil' and 'The Mist' excellent short stories .. I could go on .. Amazon is a good source of reasonably priced 2nd hand (or new of course) King books, he is VERY popular .. I must have 20 of his books at least dating from 1970s to now and I reread them quite often, always finding new bits and pieces .. he's a sports and music fan, so lots of references to them, he's VERY 'American' and can sometimes be a bit long winded, but patience will be rewarded
He went through a very bad time in the 80s with booze and dope and the books in that period are i m o not all that, e.g. 'The Tommy Knockers'; ... last resort read his wiki profile which will confuse you even more .. Stephen King - Wikipedia .. I'm sure you'll find a lot to enjoy, if you come across one of his duds, just try another one .. good reading3 -
Thanks for that! I did think Mr Mercedes sounds good so maybe I’ll give that a go next.Lincsaddick said:
oooh .. long story .. I'll keep it as brief as possible .. his career has various 'themes' throughout his life .. first it was 'horror' and quasi 'science fiction' try 'Firestarter' or the very long 'The Stand' for starters .. he's a great short story writer (try 'Hearts in Atlantis' as a taster) and the collection which includes 'Rita Hayworth and The SHAWSHANK Redemption, the title of the collection escapes me.. and lately he's into crime fiction 'Mr Mercedes' and the following few, based around the 'Finders Keepers' detective agency .. 'Billy Summers' a very recent book is terrific apart from a strange endingcafc4life said:
Got any recommendations @Lincsaddick?Lincsaddick said:
you have missed out on one of the all time great novelists of any era .. take a look at the long list of his writings contained in the 'introductory' pages of Fairy Tale or on Wikipedia .. not all works of art or genius, but many many are .. enjoycafc4life said:im about a quarter way through Stephen Kings latest ' Fairy Tale' . Never read anything by him before but this has started very good.
google 'Apt Pupil' and 'The Mist' excellent short stories .. I could go on .. Amazon is a good source of reasonably priced 2nd hand (or new of course) King books, he is VERY popular .. I must have 20 of his books at least dating from 1970s to now and I reread them quite often, always finding new bits and pieces .. he's a sports and music fan, so lots of references to them, he's VERY 'American' and can sometimes be a bit long winded, but patience will be rewarded
He went through a very bad time in the 80s with booze and dope and the books in that period are i m o not all that, e.g. 'The Tommy Knockers'; ... last resort read his wiki profile which will confuse you even more .. Stephen King - Wikipedia .. I'm sure you'll find a lot to enjoy, if you come across one of his duds, just try another one .. good reading1 -
I think it's called four seasons, also includes "the body" which was turned into the film "stand by me". Well worth reading, two of my favourite films from one book!Lincsaddick said:
oooh .. long story .. I'll keep it as brief as possible .. his career has various 'themes' throughout his life .. first it was 'horror' and quasi 'science fiction' try 'Firestarter' or the very long 'The Stand' for starters .. he's a great short story writer (try 'Hearts in Atlantis' as a taster) and the collection which includes 'Rita Hayworth and The SHAWSHANK Redemption, the title of the collection escapes me.. and lately he's into crime fiction 'Mr Mercedes' and the following few, based around the 'Finders Keepers' detective agency .. 'Billy Summers' a very recent book is terrific apart from a strange endingcafc4life said:
Got any recommendations @Lincsaddick?Lincsaddick said:
you have missed out on one of the all time great novelists of any era .. take a look at the long list of his writings contained in the 'introductory' pages of Fairy Tale or on Wikipedia .. not all works of art or genius, but many many are .. enjoycafc4life said:im about a quarter way through Stephen Kings latest ' Fairy Tale' . Never read anything by him before but this has started very good.
google 'Apt Pupil' and 'The Mist' excellent short stories .. I could go on .. Amazon is a good source of reasonably priced 2nd hand (or new of course) King books, he is VERY popular .. I must have 20 of his books at least dating from 1970s to now and I reread them quite often, always finding new bits and pieces .. he's a sports and music fan, so lots of references to them, he's VERY 'American' and can sometimes be a bit long winded, but patience will be rewarded
He went through a very bad time in the 80s with booze and dope and the books in that period are i m o not all that, e.g. 'The Tommy Knockers'; ... last resort read his wiki profile which will confuse you even more .. Stephen King - Wikipedia .. I'm sure you'll find a lot to enjoy, if you come across one of his duds, just try another one .. good reading3 -
A member on here started a thread they had released a book back around October/November time but I didn’t get around to ordering it. Does anyone remember the member or book title ?0
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One of my favourite books of all time is Stephen King's '11/22/63' which is about a time traveller who attempts to prevent the assassination of JFK. 750+ pages but so, so good.
There was also a mini-series based on the book, starring James Franco, which was excellent7 -
The Stand is a great one to start with.Lincsaddick said:
oooh .. long story .. I'll keep it as brief as possible .. his career has various 'themes' throughout his life .. first it was 'horror' and quasi 'science fiction' try 'Firestarter' or the very long 'The Stand' for starters .. he's a great short story writer (try 'Hearts in Atlantis' as a taster) and the collection which includes 'Rita Hayworth and The SHAWSHANK Redemption, the title of the collection escapes me.. and lately he's into crime fiction 'Mr Mercedes' and the following few, based around the 'Finders Keepers' detective agency .. 'Billy Summers' a very recent book is terrific apart from a strange endingcafc4life said:
Got any recommendations @Lincsaddick?Lincsaddick said:
you have missed out on one of the all time great novelists of any era .. take a look at the long list of his writings contained in the 'introductory' pages of Fairy Tale or on Wikipedia .. not all works of art or genius, but many many are .. enjoycafc4life said:im about a quarter way through Stephen Kings latest ' Fairy Tale' . Never read anything by him before but this has started very good.
google 'Apt Pupil' and 'The Mist' excellent short stories .. I could go on .. Amazon is a good source of reasonably priced 2nd hand (or new of course) King books, he is VERY popular .. I must have 20 of his books at least dating from 1970s to now and I reread them quite often, always finding new bits and pieces .. he's a sports and music fan, so lots of references to them, he's VERY 'American' and can sometimes be a bit long winded, but patience will be rewarded
He went through a very bad time in the 80s with booze and dope and the books in that period are i m o not all that, e.g. 'The Tommy Knockers'; ... last resort read his wiki profile which will confuse you even more .. Stephen King - Wikipedia .. I'm sure you'll find a lot to enjoy, if you come across one of his duds, just try another one .. good reading
His short stories are also wonderful.2 -
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