What are you reading?

[saintbletch]

I'm just getting into 'Cold Granite' by Stuart Macbride, which is yet another grim Scottish crime story in the mold of Rebus or Taggart except even darker. The story revolves around a police manhunt in the granite city of Aberdeen for a serial killer who prays on (and horribly mutilates) very young children - which I'm sure you can appreciate is a pretty hard read at times.

 

Even so I can't put it down.

 

It's an excellent series of books CHAPEL END CHARLIE. The books do tend to be very dark in subject matter but the dialogue and the humour, which is some of the best workplace banter I've read, make the books much lighter. McRae's sweetie eating boss Insch and his lesbian boss Roberta Steel are absolutely hilarious.

 

It's one of the few series of books that I feel would make the transition to television. I'd love to see those characters on the box.

[View From The Top]

Enjoyed A Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes. A short, well written exploration of 60 year old man reflecting on his life, the choices he made, the relationships he's built and the impact of some emotional decisions he made long, long ago. .

 

Next in my pile after I've finished Snowdrops.

Edited 11 January, 2012 by View From The Top

[Orange]

Attempting to read 'A Season With Verona', football travelling book by an Englishmen who followed them around Italy.

[Sour Mash]

Attempting to read 'A Season With Verona', football travelling book by an Englishmen who followed them around Italy.

Good read that, well worth it, although might be a bit dated now, I read it many years ago.

[View From The Top]

Attempting to read 'A Season With Verona', football travelling book by an Englishmen who followed them around Italy.

 

Good book, but a wee bit dated. Read all his other stuff as well, which is decent.

[shurlock]

Attempting to read 'A Season With Verona', football travelling book by an Englishmen who followed them around Italy.

 

IMO best footy book knocking about even if its a decade old. Puts 'racism' and all the other things football and terrace culture get tarred with in proper context and the ending couldn't have been better scripted.

[Orange]

Good book, but a wee bit dated. Read all his other stuff as well, which is decent.

 

Yeah quite old, but got great reviews so thought i'd give it a crack, have had it sitting around for a year or so. Italy is a very interesting country when it comes to geography/football culture i think.

[Orange]

IMO best footy book knocking about even if its a decade old. Puts 'racism' and all the other things football and terrace culture get tarred with in proper context and the ending couldn't have been better scripted.

 

Right, i need to get back into it!

[Ampersound]

The dark tower - Stephen king

It's taken me 3 years to work through 6 previous books to get to this one.

[Saint_Jonny]

 

sci-fi GOLD!

[Dr Who?]

Gridlock - Ben Elton.

 

It is ok but seems very dated already.

[saintbletch]

Next in my pile after I've finished Snowdrops.

 

Funnily enough Snowdrops is in my pile too. I think you must go through the Man Booker long list too View From The Top?

 

Very much enjoyed The Return of Captain John Emmett. Thanks for the recommendation. Really enjoyed the natural, slow pace of the 'investigation' and the fact it took its time to unveil and document the mystery. Thought-provoking and very well written and researched.

 

But it is not "The new Birdsong - only better", as the quote from the Independent review I saw suggested.

 

I see there's a follow on Laurence Bartram novel out too (The Strange Fate of Kitty Easton - Paperback out in April). I'll certainly give that a go.

 

Reading The Importance of Being Earnest at the moment. Read it in college and really enjoyed it. It came to mind the other day and I thought I'd give it another read. Only 66 pages and free on the Kindle so why not. Still makes me laugh.

[View From The Top]

Funnily enough Snowdrops is in my pile too. I think you must go through the Man Booker long list too View From The Top?

 

Very much enjoyed The Return of Captain John Emmett. Thanks for the recommendation. Really enjoyed the natural, slow pace of the 'investigation' and the fact it took its time to unveil and document the mystery. Thought-provoking and very well written and researched.

 

But it is not "The new Birdsong - only better", as the quote from the Independent review I saw suggested.

 

 

Yep, I'm going through the Booker list. Reading Barnes at the moment.

 

Agree that Emmett isn't the new Birdsong. It would hae to be a piece ot total genius for it to be that but it was a very good read.

[pap]

Almost through Vonnegut's Hocus Pocus, which I've mentioned before. It's a delicious swipe at modern culture.

 

Excerpt:

 

Unlike my Socialist grandfather Ben Wills, who was a nobody, I have no reforms to propose. I think any form of government, not just Capitalism, is whatever the people who have all our money, drunk or sober, sane or insane, decide to do today.

 

My first ever Vonnegut, btw. Definitely going to read more once I'm done here.

[Saint_Pedro]

Attempting to read 'A Season With Verona', football travelling book by an Englishmen who followed them around Italy.

 

Blimey - I read that some 10 years ago, and really enjoyed it - a good insight into Italian soccer loyalties

[Saints1980]

I read Snowdrops a couple of weeks ago, thought it was excellent.

[Saints1980]

Currently reading Ablutions by Patrick deWitt. Pretty dark stuff so far.

[View From The Top]

Enjoyed A Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes. A short, well written exploration of 60 year old man reflecting on his life, the choices he made, the relationships he's built and the impact of some emotional decisions he made long, long ago.

 

I enjoyed it too . Beautifully written.

[revolution saint]

Yep, I'm going through the Booker list. Reading Barnes at the moment.

 

Agree that Emmett isn't the new Birdsong. It would hae to be a piece ot total genius for it to be that but it was a very good read.

 

Is birdsong any good? I've nearly bought it a few times but never got round to it mainly because wartime dramas don't really interest me. I did watch the first episode of the dramatisation a couple of nights ago though and underwhelmed isn't the word, I found it very dull which was a surprise given the plaudits the book received.

[saintbletch]

Is birdsong any good? I've nearly bought it a few times but never got round to it mainly because wartime dramas don't really interest me. I did watch the first episode of the dramatisation a couple of nights ago though and underwhelmed isn't the word, I found it very dull which was a surprise given the plaudits the book received.

 

The answer is an unqualified Yes revolution saint. It is a good book but whether you'd enjoy it depends on what you like.

 

I read it years ago and it's still one of the best books I've read. It is predominantly set in the first world war but it explores a division of the army that I didn't even know existed. In that respect it isn't a traditional war time drama and it certainly doesn't look to glamourise war - quite the opposite. In fact the wartime part of the book is just one part of a wider story told over a much longer period of time.

 

I haven't watched the TV adaptation for a couple of reasons. Firstly, a few weeks before it was announced I managed to persuade my 15 year old daughter ( a reluctant reader ) to read it. I used some reverse-psychology by telling her that she probably was a little immature and by telling her that there is a lot of sex in it. That did the trick. So as she's still in the middle of it, as a family we're avoiding the TV version.

 

Secondly, I just don't see how they can faithfully represent the emotion and drama of the book on the TV. If it were the best TV adaptation of a book ever, it would still fail to do the book justice.

 

The final section of the book is utterly, utterly gripping. I had to read it in one sitting and I almost had a physiological reaction to it. Without giving anything away, I felt truly anxious and claustrophobic reading it. I haven't experienced that sort of tension reading a book before or since.

 

If you appreciate a writer who can make the language dance and who draws characters that you become emotionally attached to or repelled by, I'd consider give it a spin.

[View From The Top]

Is birdsong any good? I've nearly bought it a few times but never got round to it mainly because wartime dramas don't really interest me. I did watch the first episode of the dramatisation a couple of nights ago though and underwhelmed isn't the word, I found it very dull which was a surprise given the plaudits the book received.

 

It's one of the best books I've ever read and will be considered a genuine classics in the decades ahead.

 

It's so good that I won't watch the TV version as it could never do the book justice.

 

Others, of course, will hate it.

[View From The Top]

The final section of the book is utterly, utterly gripping. I had to read it in one sitting and I almost had a physiological reaction to it. Without giving anything away, I felt truly anxious and claustrophobic reading it. I haven't experienced that sort of tension reading a book before or since.

 

Totally.

[Pancake]

Struggling to get on with "Let The Great World Spin" by Colum McCann.

[revolution saint]

The answer is an unqualified Yes revolution saint. It is a good book but whether you'd enjoy it depends on what you like.

 

I read it years ago and it's still one of the best books I've read. It is predominantly set in the first world war but it explores a division of the army that I didn't even know existed. In that respect it isn't a traditional war time drama and it certainly doesn't look to glamourise war - quite the opposite. In fact the wartime part of the book is just one part of a wider story told over a much longer period of time.

 

I haven't watched the TV adaptation for a couple of reasons. Firstly, a few weeks before it was announced I managed to persuade my 15 year old daughter ( a reluctant reader ) to read it. I used some reverse-psychology by telling her that she probably was a little immature and by telling her that there is a lot of sex in it. That did the trick. So as she's still in the middle of it, as a family we're avoiding the TV version.

 

Secondly, I just don't see how they can faithfully represent the emotion and drama of the book on the TV. If it were the best TV adaptation of a book ever, it would still fail to do the book justice.

 

The final section of the book is utterly, utterly gripping. I had to read it in one sitting and I almost had a physiological reaction to it. Without giving anything away, I felt truly anxious and claustrophobic reading it. I haven't experienced that sort of tension reading a book before or since.

 

If you appreciate a writer who can make the language dance and who draws characters that you become emotionally attached to or repelled by, I'd consider give it a spin.

 

It's one of the best books I've ever read and will be considered a genuine classics in the decades ahead.

 

It's so good that I won't watch the TV version as it could never do the book justice.

 

Others, of course, will hate it.

 

Thanks both. I should probably give it a go as I do appreciate a book with good characterisation. As I mentioned I really don't go in for war time drama, and the adaptatation was full of period drama manners and dewy eyed glances which probably fail to convey the emotion of the book. Even the trench scenes seemed a little false, and almost polite. You probably did well avoiding the adaptation and at least I've only seen the first episode. It reminded me of "Atonement" - I've not read that book either but pretty sure both books are easily far, far better than their screen adaptations.

[Monk]

GOAL

 

A fantastic insight in to the corruption at FIFA and some pretty juicy accusations made by the writer who went under cover for around 4 years!

Not that any of you need telling this but Blatter really is a corrupt cvnt.

[Dr Who?]

Psychology books. Very interesting!

[saintbletch]

GOAL

 

A fantastic insight in to the corruption at FIFA and some pretty juicy accusations made by the writer who went under cover for around 4 years!

Not that any of you need telling this but Blatter really is a corrupt cvnt.

 

Was going to post that I'd read this too. But I got confused - the book I read was called Foul by Andrew Jennings. Who wrote Goal? Foul, left me feeling both very angry at FIFA/Blatter and completely impotent in equal measure.

[saintbletch]

Just finished The Sisters Brothers by Patrick deWitt and thoroughly enjoyed it. It's set in the US at the time of the gold rush and follows two hired killer brothers (Charlie and Eli Sisters) as they track across the US to kill a man for their boss - The Commodore. The characters are wonderfully drawn and the relationship between the brothers, and in particular their squabbling and petty arguments is totally engaging and believable. They are pretty evil and the book is dark but the killing is handled with just the right amount of irreverent humour that you find yourself warming to them. A great story and a totally unexpected ending. Highly recommended.

[Monk]

Was going to post that I'd read this too. But I got confused - the book I read was called Foul by Andrew Jennings. Who wrote Goal? Foul, left me feeling both very angry at FIFA/Blatter and completely impotent in equal measure.

 

Your right, I was being a ****, it is FOUL!

[saintbletch]

Just read Winter in Madrid by C J Sansom. It's fundamentally a spy story but told through 3 public school friendships, the British class system and a couple of romances - all set against the backdrop of the Spanish civil war. It's a real slow burner but as the strands of the plot start to come together in the last third it becomes really compelling.

 

C J Sansom wrote the Matthew Shardlake series of novels and has a history PhD. His books are so thoroughly researched and educational (but never dry) that you have to keep reminding yourself that some of the events he describes are fictional. It's a very enjoyable and well written book that opened my eyes to a pretty sh*tty time in recent Spanish history.

 

Just started James Joyce's Ulysses. Beautifully written but bugger me it's incredibly difficult to follow.

[SuperMikey]

Just finished reading The Psychopath Test by Jon Ronson, another excellent book by one of the best journalists in the country.

 

It delves into different aspects of Psychology, but it mainly focusses on Psychopaths and how they are best identified. As with all of Ronson's books, everyone is perfectly characterised and you get a sense that you know these people and the inner workings of their minds just from reading a few paragraphs. It looks at psychopaths like Tony, who was locked up in Broadmoor after being coerced into pleading insanity during his GBH case and was (at the time of publishing) in Broadmoor for 17 years and counting, as well as famous CEOs who display psychopathic tendencies, psychopaths in criminal investigations (including quite a fascinating bit on Colin Stagg, the man wrongly accused and incarcerated for the murder of Rachel Nicklinson on Wimbledon Common, and whose niece I know).

 

It also looks at the people studying these psychopaths, like the psychologist who ran an LSD-fuelled 'pod' type experiment in the 1970s where a dozen or so highly dangerous people were locked together, fed LSD regularly and encouraged to express all of their emotions. That experiment led to much higher-than-average re-offending rates amongst the participants, including dozens of killings from a score of inmates just hours after they were released.

 

It might seem a bit morbid from my description, but if you like a bit of pop-psychology and an interesting insight into a fascinating mindset then I recommend that you pick up a copy of this.

[bridge too far]

I'm a huge fan of Robert Goddard (born in Fareham, incidentally) and I've just finished his latest but one novel, Blood Count. Its underlying theme is the Bosnian war. Most of his novels are based on historical events including the first world war.

 

They're all really gripping thrillers and unputdownable.

 

http://www.robertgoddardbooks.co.uk/

 

http://www.robertgoddardbooks.co.uk/books/bloodcount.html

Edited 8 April, 2012 by bridge too far

[Ken Tone]

Thanks both. I should probably give it a go as I do appreciate a book with good characterisation. As I mentioned I really don't go in for war time drama, and the adaptatation was full of period drama manners and dewy eyed glances which probably fail to convey the emotion of the book. Even the trench scenes seemed a little false, and almost polite. You probably did well avoiding the adaptation and at least I've only seen the first episode. It reminded me of "Atonement" - I've not read that book either but pretty sure both books are easily far, far better than their screen adaptations.

 

I read Birdsong some years ago, and really rated it. I gave up on the TV adaptation ... thought it was rubbish. Do read the book.

[pap]

I am re-reading the fourth entry in the Song of Ice and Fire books (a.k.a Game of Thrones).

 

No spoilers, but each chapter is named after a character. It's mostly written in the third-person, but the author italicizes anything in the first-person voice. It's a pretty neat trick. I've wasted my life. I'm 37 years old and am spending my time on an Internet forum. I should have my own harem by now. What the f**k am I doing here?

 

 

Anyway, in the fourth book, he only focuses on half the characters - which meant you discovered little about some of your favourites. I felt like I'd been jipped.

 

Going back with suitably-lowered expectations, I'm really enjoying it for what it is and spending more time absorbing it.

 

Excellent series by the way. I get the impression that George R. R. Martin is quite the anglophile.

[bridge too far]

Having finished my latest Robert Goddard, I'm now reading an Ian Rankin spy novel, Watchman. http://www.ianrankin.net/pages/content/index.asp?PageID=34

and I've also just started reading an unputdownable Nicci French book too. It's called Complicit http://www.niccifrench.co.uk/item.asp?cid=46.

 

Nicci French is actually a husband and wife writing team and I got hooked after reading Blue Monday http://www.niccifrench.co.uk/item.asp?cid=56

 

None of these fall into the chick-lit category

[CHAPEL END CHARLIE]

After seeing it being recommended on here by fellow history enthusiasts I've just finished 'The Time Travelers Guide to Medieval England' by Ian Mortimer, and I much enjoyed it.

 

This is a highly unconventional history book that answers all kinds of questions that you had never even thought to ask, such as the evolving design of 14th century underpants, and how much booze the King would order every year - rather a lot it turns out. Packed with the fascinating detail of every day life, I can honestly say I have never read anything quite like it.

 

I think perhaps the author saves the best for last when he comes to the subject of medieval literature, in particular a old poem called 'Pearl' written so very long ago that even the authors name has become lost in time :

 

So round, so radiant in each array

So small, so smooth her sides were,

Wheresoever I judged gems so gay

I saw her singly above them all

Alas I lost her in a garden

Through grass to ground she fell away

Wounded by love, by love forsaken

I mourn that pearl without a flaw

 

Only later do we learn that the 'pearl' in question is no pretty gemstone lost in the long garden grass, but the authors beloved two year old daughter, who like countless other medieval children destined for a tragically short life, will sleep under that same lush grass forever.

[CHAPEL END CHARLIE]

I've just finished (in record time) the brilliant historical novel Pompeii by Robert Harris - and if you're looking for reading material that is out of the ordinary and yet still perfectly accessible to the general reader then look not further my friends !

 

The Roman provence of Campania August AD79 and the mighty Augusta aqueduct sudden fails near Pompeii, plunging the whole region into crisis. Step forward Marcus Attilius Primus chief hydraulic engineer (or aquarius) of the aqueduct who must immediately restore the water supply, deal with his rebellious workforce, investigate the mysterious disappearance of his predecessor and survive the machinations of viciously corrupt Roman politicians ...

 

... oh and Mt Vesuvius is starting to behave very oddly.

 

Highly recommended.

[ecuk268]

Bring Out the Bodies by Hilary Mantell.

 

The sequel to Wolf Hall continuing the story of Thomas Cromwell as chief advisor and fixer for Henry VIII.

 

Henry has his eye on Jane Seymour and Cromwell has to come up with a way of removing his present wife, Anne Boleyn.

[Saint_Donovan]

Anybody read FINGERPRINTS OF THE GODS By Graham Hancock? It explores the idea of a previous existence of intelligent civilization, way before current sciences estimated dates.

 

absolutely fantastic read with credible evidence and sources

[Saint_Pedro]

Just finished Blue Monday by Nikki French. Most entertaining novel about a psychologist helping (inadvertently) to find a missing boy.

An easy read, but with 2 excellent twists near the end.

Recommended

[CHAPEL END CHARLIE]

Anybody read FINGERPRINTS OF THE GODS By Graham Hancock? It explores the idea of a previous existence of intelligent civilization, way before current sciences estimated dates.

 

absolutely fantastic read with credible evidence and sources

 

Interesting.

 

I shall seek it out in the hope that this author is more than just a latter day Erick von Daniken.

[View From The Top]

Antony Beevor's The Second World War.

 

A truly awesome book.

[shurlock]

Antony Beevor's The Second World War.

 

A truly awesome book.

 

Intend to check it out. Read Stalingrad which I really enjoyed - does battle narratives very well, though sometimes at the expense of losing the woods through the trees.

[View From The Top]

Intend to check it out. Read Stalingrad which I really enjoyed - does battle narratives very well, though sometimes at the expense of losing the woods through the trees.

 

Berlin & Normandy are better than Stalingrad and that was a quality tomb.

 

Normandy is the best military book I've ever read and I'm a WW1 / WW2 geek.

[dune]

Just finished reading this. Brilliant book that is completely biased, and contains a foreward written by the then chief minister.

 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/300-YEARS-BRITISH-GIBRALTAR-1704-2004/dp/B001ACDEAU/ref=cm_cr_pr_pb_t

[CHAPEL END CHARLIE]

I finished 'Innocent' by Scot Turow last week, which is a sequel to the same authors highly successful novel (and film) 'Presumed Innocent'

 

'Rusty' Sabich has rebuilt his career following his sensational acquittal in the Caroline Polhemus murder trial is he is now a senior appellate judge running for election to the State Supreme Court. Then his troubled wife Barbara suddenly dies in what soon become suspicious circumstances, and his old adversary Tommy Molto gets yet another chance to shine a light into Rusty's murky love life - and the evidence against the judge starts to mount up .......

 

If you like courtroom drama anywhere near as much as I do then the Scott Turow really is your man - I actually think he's a better writer than his more successful and prolific contemporary John Grisham.

I find it difficult when reading a book that features characters you have already seen in a film not to picture in your minds eye the actors cast in the original film. I can't help but see Sabich as Harrison Ford of course, but in particular ace defence attorney Sandy Stern will always be Raul Julia to me. What superb performances Julia delivered in every single film of his I have seen, and what a tragedy it is that he died so relatively young.

[GAS]

Graham Greene. 21 short stories. Read it before, but just enjoy his books. Same as music, always come back to what I originally liked.

[Graffito]

100 pages or so into "Spike Island - The Memory of a Military Hospital" by Philip Hoare, the hospital being the Royal Victoria Hospital in Netley. It's an odd mix of history and personal memoire. I know more about Netley Abbey and it's gothic connections than I ever wanted and the RVH so far has barely a mention. The most interesting bit has been a couple of pages on the author's primary school, St Patrick's in Woolston which I went to around the same. He mentions the toilets open to the elements, the ramshackle buildings, the sloping wooden floors, the interminable masses on Wednesdays in the church next door and the fearsome Mrs Clements who wore calipers. Quite a surprise and an odd experience to read something of which I have personal memories. There's also been some interesting history of Spike Island itself, in particular Sholing, including that stretch of scrub land and abandoned orchards that ran along from just below Butts Rd to I can't remember where, it was such along time ago I lived there, where I used to play as a child. Touches on Sholing's connections with gypseys and with the passage of convicts to Australia.

[CHAPEL END CHARLIE]

This heavyweight military history book landed (with a thump) on my doorstep the other day, and such has been my fascination with it I've hardly been able to put it down ever since. For those unfamiliar with the 'After The Battle' format, these publications juxtapose a original WWII photograph with a contemporary photo taken from exactly the same spot (hence the 'Then & Now' of the title) along with a detailed written account of the action.

 

As the title says this book (by the French battlefield researcher Jean Paul Pallud) deals with the German armies epic retreat, or "ruckmarsch", across Northern France after its defeat in the Battle for Normandy. If you can remember the horrific images of the Iraqi Army on the Kuwait highway that came out of Operation Desert Storm then you might just have some idea of the sights to be seen here - except that the Battle for France took place on a vastly larger scale.

 

A huge 50 ton Tiger tank tossed into a ditch as as if it were a child's discarded plaything. Columns of abandoned German armour, mixed up with dead horses and burnt-out trucks amid the chaos of the Falaise deathtrap. The bloody carnage of the Rouen docks after the RAF had paid it a visit. Trust me the sight of a mechanised army being destroyed is not something you are likely to forget in a hurry.

 

In a book that faithfully documents the full horror of war, perhaps the worst of it is a roll of film a German war correspondent (Kreigsberichter) exposed when he came across a convoy of Field Ambulances that had just been strafed near the village of Les Douets. In this battle even the seriously wounded found no pity as their (clearly marked) ambulances were destroyed from the air - you have to wonder whether the pilots saw the Red Cross markings or not, and would it have made any difference if they had ?

 

A beautiful book that deals with what is just about the most ugly subject imaginable.

[El Palo]

Matterhorn by Karl Marlantes, superb fictionalized account of a Vietnam tour of duty. Written by a veteran, a powerful and shocking book. It takes you as close as you would wish to go to combat.