Books - What are you reading?
Discussion
I've just finished "The Keys of Hell" by Jack Higgins. A British spy helps to retrieve a religious artefact to help destabilise the Albanian government, but it turns out that someone is working against him. A decent enough tale, if a little short. It was originally written in 1965 and "modernised" in 2001, but the modernisation is really just a pre-amble where someone discovers the mission report and tries to hold it against the spy. I have a few more by this author, and I hope they're not all as old.
droopsnoot said:
I've just finished "The Keys of Hell" by Jack Higgins. A British spy helps to retrieve a religious artefact to help destabilise the Albanian government, but it turns out that someone is working against him. A decent enough tale, if a little short. It was originally written in 1965 and "modernised" in 2001, but the modernisation is really just a pre-amble where someone discovers the mission report and tries to hold it against the spy. I have a few more by this author, and I hope they're not all as old.
I have loads of his books - very similar to each other but good easy reading… his earlier books are better…The Eagle Has Landed is his most famous (written originally under his name of Harry Patterson - I think) my favourite though is Solo which is superb
akirk said:
droopsnoot said:
I've just finished "The Keys of Hell" by Jack Higgins. A British spy helps to retrieve a religious artefact to help destabilise the Albanian government, but it turns out that someone is working against him. A decent enough tale, if a little short. It was originally written in 1965 and "modernised" in 2001, but the modernisation is really just a pre-amble where someone discovers the mission report and tries to hold it against the spy. I have a few more by this author, and I hope they're not all as old.
I have loads of his books - very similar to each other but good easy reading… his earlier books are better…The Eagle Has Landed is his most famous (written originally under his name of Harry Patterson - I think) my favourite though is Solo which is superb
Yertis said:
Make back-ups.
They did do & then kept them safe - far away from the capital.At the Villa of the Papyrii, to be precise. On the edge of a quiet little seaside town. (Basic archival safety practice - ask any librarian). A seaside town called Pompeii - what could go wrong?
But at least modern X-ray techniques have finally enabled a start to be made on reading their rolled-up & charred survivors, a century and a half after they were first found. Whose discoveries so far include the complete works of Plato...
Better late than never.
Something a little different.
The ( in diary form ) true story of the development of a unproductive Welsh hobby farm into a successful internet business selling goats milk based soaps and beauty products.
The book combines the business development story along with the family story but more than that, managed to convey the ethos and joy of living with and creating from natural processes.
The ( in diary form ) true story of the development of a unproductive Welsh hobby farm into a successful internet business selling goats milk based soaps and beauty products.
The book combines the business development story along with the family story but more than that, managed to convey the ethos and joy of living with and creating from natural processes.
dark matter by blake crouch.
Sci-fi / sort of philosophical thriller about parallel worlds etc.
Found it quite enjoyable but felt a bit short like the author originally planned to make it a larger book or series and the publisher went nah mate. I am sure some of the science has some sort of basis but some of it might also be codswallop. Didn't interfere too much though!
Sci-fi / sort of philosophical thriller about parallel worlds etc.
Found it quite enjoyable but felt a bit short like the author originally planned to make it a larger book or series and the publisher went nah mate. I am sure some of the science has some sort of basis but some of it might also be codswallop. Didn't interfere too much though!
Maybe this should be in the Historical Fiction Section?
The bookseller of Inverness
Set in the era after Culloden (1745) a murder mystery tale based to an extent on real life, written by a lady who lives in Inverness, an area I know reasonably well. Well reviewed in various publications, i picked this up as I recognised the title from somewhere. I'm not normally one for historic fiction
i found the tale a little slow to start but it gathered speed and interest, I had difficulty with some of the conversations where you get to the point where you're not sure who is saying what but other than that an OK tale.
The bookseller of Inverness
Set in the era after Culloden (1745) a murder mystery tale based to an extent on real life, written by a lady who lives in Inverness, an area I know reasonably well. Well reviewed in various publications, i picked this up as I recognised the title from somewhere. I'm not normally one for historic fiction
i found the tale a little slow to start but it gathered speed and interest, I had difficulty with some of the conversations where you get to the point where you're not sure who is saying what but other than that an OK tale.
Desiderata said:
Something a little different.
The ( in diary form ) true story of the development of a unproductive Welsh hobby farm into a successful internet business selling goats milk based soaps and beauty products.
The book combines the business development story along with the family story but more than that, managed to convey the ethos and joy of living with and creating from natural processes.
A clever reference to the original meaning of tragedy in ancient Greek( 'goat song' ) - or just a nice coincidence? The ( in diary form ) true story of the development of a unproductive Welsh hobby farm into a successful internet business selling goats milk based soaps and beauty products.
The book combines the business development story along with the family story but more than that, managed to convey the ethos and joy of living with and creating from natural processes.
Recent reads
Outbreak by Frank Gardner - okay plot and read, 7/10
Cold People by Tom Rob Smith - bit strange this one, the plot isn't a bad idea but too many glaring holes for me. The gist of it is that everyone on earth is told they have 30 days to get to Antarctica by invading aliens. This never gets elaborated upon despite being a pretty sizeable part of the plot. Second half starts developing characters and what they are up to, it builds towards an interesting potential climax and then just....stops.
Disappointed 2/10
Currently reading Stuart Turton's Last Murder At The End of The World. Again, interesting plot and is a different spin on the whodunnit formula with much bigger consequences for the people investigating said murder. Definitely different and a few things come along that you maybe didn't see coming and i think i know where the plot will go when the big reveal comes but we shall see.
Outbreak by Frank Gardner - okay plot and read, 7/10
Cold People by Tom Rob Smith - bit strange this one, the plot isn't a bad idea but too many glaring holes for me. The gist of it is that everyone on earth is told they have 30 days to get to Antarctica by invading aliens. This never gets elaborated upon despite being a pretty sizeable part of the plot. Second half starts developing characters and what they are up to, it builds towards an interesting potential climax and then just....stops.
Disappointed 2/10
Currently reading Stuart Turton's Last Murder At The End of The World. Again, interesting plot and is a different spin on the whodunnit formula with much bigger consequences for the people investigating said murder. Definitely different and a few things come along that you maybe didn't see coming and i think i know where the plot will go when the big reveal comes but we shall see.
A couple recently :
Pole to Pole by Michael Palin - Palin's travelogue of his journey from North to South Pole. Going through a rough time at the moment and I always fall back on these books for their sheer escapism and Michael's "company" when I need to get my head somewhere calmer. Will always be a 5/5 for me.
Politics on the Edge by Rory Stewart - obviously a man of principles, passion and intelligence and at times he seems to be out to settle some scores (quite rightly in some cases) but it's the shameful state of top end politics that he paints that is so depressing. Fascinating, frustrating and very readable. 4/5
Pole to Pole by Michael Palin - Palin's travelogue of his journey from North to South Pole. Going through a rough time at the moment and I always fall back on these books for their sheer escapism and Michael's "company" when I need to get my head somewhere calmer. Will always be a 5/5 for me.
Politics on the Edge by Rory Stewart - obviously a man of principles, passion and intelligence and at times he seems to be out to settle some scores (quite rightly in some cases) but it's the shameful state of top end politics that he paints that is so depressing. Fascinating, frustrating and very readable. 4/5
I very much enjoyed the Rory Stewart book , as I did his earlier stuff. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry at his tales of working with the heroically stupid and deluded Liz Truss. But I did finish the book feeling a little less warmth to Rory the man - I think because his ambition and self esteem are both so high. But a terrific read , from a decent and extraordinarily clever and articulate man who really is politics' loss.
Tragically I have missed out on Miriam Margolyes' work . Dodged a bullet there ...
Tragically I have missed out on Miriam Margolyes' work . Dodged a bullet there ...
slopes said:
Recent reads
Currently reading Stuart Turton's Last Murder At The End of The World. Again, interesting plot and is a different spin on the whodunnit formula with much bigger consequences for the people investigating said murder. Definitely different and a few things come along that you maybe didn't see coming and i think i know where the plot will go when the big reveal comes but we shall see.
Well,i didn't see the way that went. Currently reading Stuart Turton's Last Murder At The End of The World. Again, interesting plot and is a different spin on the whodunnit formula with much bigger consequences for the people investigating said murder. Definitely different and a few things come along that you maybe didn't see coming and i think i know where the plot will go when the big reveal comes but we shall see.
Unusual plot but ultimately quite clever, didn't see the ending being the way it was and it takes almost to the end of the book for the plot to start giving up some real clues to the ending.
Good read and a fun well written book.
I am now onto The Hawk Enigma by J L Hancock - a military technothriller
I've just finished "The Cutting Edge" by Jeffery Deaver. A Lincoln Rhyme story, someone robs a diamond cutter and the team must try to find out who, and find the witness, while dealing with seemingly unrelated arson incidents. A good story, I enjoy his stuff and haven't read one for a while.
Just finished Ade Edmonson's autobiography Berserker!
A bit disappointing to be honest, I thought there was a bit too much depth into his clearly horrible childhood and not enough into the 80's TV work and his relationship with Rik. Still his life, his story I guess.
The history of him and Jennifer's relationship was nicely written and its good to see a 'showbiz' marriage that clearly still seems to be working.
A bit disappointing to be honest, I thought there was a bit too much depth into his clearly horrible childhood and not enough into the 80's TV work and his relationship with Rik. Still his life, his story I guess.
The history of him and Jennifer's relationship was nicely written and its good to see a 'showbiz' marriage that clearly still seems to be working.
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