Reading Hardy Women (about the women in the life and fiction of Thomas Hardy) by Paula Byrne. If you love Hardy, you'll enjoy this 600-odd page volume.
Whilst I'm reasonably well read, I realised a while ago that there's a lot of books I haven't got round to reading. Have got through a few classics and am currently on Grapes of Wrath. Gave up on Catcher in The Rye though unfortunately, call me a philistine but thought it was shite.
agree on both counts .. Steinbeck is one of my favourite writers especially on the 1930s 'depression years' in the USA
Whilst I'm reasonably well read, I realised a while ago that there's a lot of books I haven't got round to reading. Have got through a few classics and am currently on Grapes of Wrath. Gave up on Catcher in The Rye though unfortunately, call me a philistine but thought it was shite.
Nearly finished The Black Dog by comedian Kevin Bridges. Brilliant friends and family observation. Picked it up on a whim for £1 in a Charity Shop and can heartily recommend it.
Before that it was Resolution - book 3 in the Irvine Welsh Crime trilogy.
'City in Ruins' .. Don Winslow .. thought he'd retired ? .. anyway, what you'd expect from the master of 'wiseguys' / cartels fiction .. he's in top form here
Also .. Clem Atlee's autobiography and a biography of him and Churchill, both excellent reads. A lot is know about Churchill, Atlee was quite unknown to me, he comes through as a very strong personality as befits the main 'architect' of the welfare state as we know it today, a very interesting man
After two months or so, I finished The Executioner's Song. A book I won't shake for a long time. An amazing account, painstakingly chronicled by Norman Mailer. Unsure how it won the Pulitzer for fiction, as it's clearly anything but fiction. Either way, it was award- worthy. One of the three longest books I've ever read and it really leaves its mark.
Italo Calvino's 'On a Winter's Night a Traveller'. Regarded as a classic but I gave up halfway through. I found it tedious. Wonder what others thought of this one.
Also read Amsterdam by Ian McEwan. Won the Booker back in 98. Perfectly readable novella but nothing particularly noteworthy about it. McEwan has certainly written far better stuff.
'City in Ruins' .. Don Winslow .. thought he'd retired ? .. anyway, what you'd expect from the master of 'wiseguys' / cartels fiction .. he's in top form here
Also .. Clem Atlee's autobiography and a biography of him and Churchill, both excellent reads. A lot is know about Churchill, Atlee was quite unknown to me, he comes through as a very strong personality as befits the main 'architect' of the welfare state as we know it today, a very interesting man
Didn't know Clem had written an autobiography. Read a biography of him ("Citizen Clem") a while back which was excellent. If only we had politicians of his and Churchill's calibre now but Clem would be seen as too uncharasmatic to get anywhere.
'City in Ruins' .. Don Winslow .. thought he'd retired ? .. anyway, what you'd expect from the master of 'wiseguys' / cartels fiction .. he's in top form here
Also .. Clem Atlee's autobiography and a biography of him and Churchill, both excellent reads. A lot is know about Churchill, Atlee was quite unknown to me, he comes through as a very strong personality as befits the main 'architect' of the welfare state as we know it today, a very interesting man
Didn't know Clem had written an autobiography. Read a biography of him ("Citizen Clem") a while back which was excellent. If only we had politicians of his and Churchill's calibre now but Clem would be seen as too uncharasmatic to get anywhere.
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The Autobiography is 'As it Happened' .. I got it (well used and cheap) from Amazon ..
agree with the present class of politician .. Tories/Reform on the make and mostly theoretical 'socialists' who've rarely done a day's proper work and probably shudder at the thought of it lol .. I guess the only real 'idealists' are the Greens and I just can't see a 'Green Govt' in my lifetime
An ambitious attempt at Holocaust satire by a famed Czech author of the era who went into hiding for the duration of the war. Starts with a promising idea, falls away in the middle and ends strongly but tragically. The original concept got lost pretty early on in the plot which was a shame but like many books of the genre it delivers a powerful message.
The Hallmarked Man, love the Strike series but THM was not my favourite - the mystery was a bit confusing (and not convinced the relevalation made a lot of real world practical sense), didn't care enough about the client, and Robin was a bit of a pain most of the book.
Last 4 have had the best two books (Troubled Blood and Running Grave) and two of the weakest (Ink Black Heart and this one) for me.
Currently 75% through John Nivens latest novel The Father's
There are a clump of Scottish writers who build situations really well and some not so well, or much more obviously. What they do share and what John Niven excels at is the dialect and an ability to get humour from some grim stuff.
Its got its twists and turns and I'll be sad when I've finished it
Comments
I like David Peace books anyway, but he's reined in the usual quirks and repetition a bit in Munichs and it works better for it I think.
Very affecting and melancholy look at a tragedy so far.
I loved the Damned United but need to read Red or Dead after this one.
Before that it was Resolution - book 3 in the Irvine Welsh Crime trilogy.
I think this is the only one I haven't read. Although the quality varies a bit I just love his style and storytelling.
Also .. Clem Atlee's autobiography and a biography of him and Churchill, both excellent reads. A lot is know about Churchill, Atlee was quite unknown to me, he comes through as a very strong personality as befits the main 'architect' of the welfare state as we know it today, a very interesting man
Italo Calvino's 'On a Winter's Night a Traveller'. Regarded as a classic but I gave up halfway through. I found it tedious. Wonder what others thought of this one.
Also read Amsterdam by Ian McEwan. Won the Booker back in 98. Perfectly readable novella but nothing particularly noteworthy about it. McEwan has certainly written far better stuff.
Now about 70 pages in to Hanif Kureishi’s Shattered which is very good so far..
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agree with the present class of politician .. Tories/Reform on the make and mostly theoretical 'socialists' who've rarely done a day's proper work and probably shudder at the thought of it lol ..
I guess the only real 'idealists' are the Greens and I just can't see a 'Green Govt' in my lifetime
An ambitious attempt at Holocaust satire by a famed Czech author of the era who went into hiding for the duration of the war. Starts with a promising idea, falls away in the middle and ends strongly but tragically. The original concept got lost pretty early on in the plot which was a shame but like many books of the genre it delivers a powerful message.
detailed, well written, revelatory ..
A must read for any fan of one of the greatest assembly of singers and musicians in musical history and it's founder, the remarkable Berry Gordy
Last 4 have had the best two books (Troubled Blood and Running Grave) and two of the weakest (Ink Black Heart and this one) for me.
There are a clump of Scottish writers who build situations really well and some not so well, or much more obviously. What they do share and what John Niven excels at is the dialect and an ability to get humour from some grim stuff.
Its got its twists and turns and I'll be sad when I've finished it