Books - What are you reading?

Books - What are you reading?

Author
Discussion

coppice

8,605 posts

144 months

Thursday 2nd April 2020
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Well , here's one post saying he is smart, funny and a useful counterbalance to some of the toxic vitriol spouted by the usual suspects on radio phone ins.

MC Bodge

21,627 posts

175 months

Thursday 2nd April 2020
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coppice said:
Well , here's one post saying he is smart, funny and a useful counterbalance to some of the toxic vitriol spouted by the usual suspects on radio phone ins.
+1. A minority view on the PH forum.

Lets get back to the books.

smn159

12,644 posts

217 months

Thursday 2nd April 2020
quotequote all
MC Bodge said:
coppice said:
Well , here's one post saying he is smart, funny and a useful counterbalance to some of the toxic vitriol spouted by the usual suspects on radio phone ins.
+1. A minority view on the PH forum.

Lets get back to the books.
+2

grumbledoak

31,532 posts

233 months

Thursday 2nd April 2020
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lol

droopsnoot

11,923 posts

242 months

Saturday 4th April 2020
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I've just finished "The law of nines" by Terry Goodkind. Not the kind of thing I usually read, a chap inherits a massive plot of land that has something to do with humans from "another world" where technology doesn't exist but magic does, those still there are trying to kill him so they can do something with his inheritance. Not as bad as my in-depth review suggests, quite readable if a bit magic-y from time to time.


droopsnoot

11,923 posts

242 months

Sunday 5th April 2020
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I've now finished "Die Last" by Tony Parsons. I'm not sure if I've read any of his before, police procedural with people trafficking, a good read though.

havoc

30,052 posts

235 months

Sunday 5th April 2020
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Just about finished this one - think it was recommended on here.

Decent read, not too heavy, some interesting facts and a fairer perspective than the romanticised one we tend to hear about...


downthepub

1,373 posts

206 months

Sunday 5th April 2020
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Started this yesterday after the various puff pieces in the newspapers. Greatly enjoying it, I'm not a Beatles fan in particular, but am interested in how they have been woven into the British psyche over time. Not an in-depth account of the band's history but an enjoyable viewpoint from the author which compares and contrasts the more scholarly tomes on Beatles history.


SistersofPercy

3,355 posts

166 months

Monday 6th April 2020
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downthepub said:
Started this yesterday after the various puff pieces in the newspapers. Greatly enjoying it, I'm not a Beatles fan in particular, but am interested in how they have been woven into the British psyche over time. Not an in-depth account of the band's history but an enjoyable viewpoint from the author which compares and contrasts the more scholarly tomes on Beatles history.

Oh, one to add to my reading list, thanks!

Currently reading Peter Hince - Queen Unseen and really enjoying it. A lovely insight into how the band were in their downtime and on stage from Peter Hince who was Fred and Deaky's roadie.


lowdrag

12,886 posts

213 months

Monday 6th April 2020
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A few to report on after the holidays. "The Lies We Tell" by Niki Mackay. Another female police officer, now a private detective because alcohol problems caused her to leave the force. She is contacted by the wife of a rich film producer because her 16-yr-old daughter has not come home and the search starts. The plot is OK, the girl is found and returned in the end, but why oh why did the author choose paedophilia as the underlying subject? It's OK, but I wouldn't recommend it really.



The next was a present from my daughter, knowing how much I love the film Master and Commander. Another Jack Aubrey novel by Patrick O'Brian called "The Mauritius Command" woven around the capture of Mauritius from the French during the Bonaparte wars. His knowledge of the correct terminology and expressions of the day are superb, and since most of the book is historical fact I thoroughly enjoyed it - especially since we were going to Mauritius! If you like historical novels, this is for you.



Finally, as much as I like the Jack Reacher novels there is, for me anyway, no comparison with the Dave Robicheaux novels by James Lee Burke. His prose is as always outstanding, his descriptive powers making you feel you are there,that you can smell and feel what he is seeing. This, the latest in the series, called "The New Iberia Blues" does not disappoint and was one of those books I just didn't want to end. For me, outstanding.


br d

8,400 posts

226 months

Monday 6th April 2020
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There are twenty books in the Aubrey Maturin series. Well worth working your way through all of them, a fantastic ongoing story.

droopsnoot

11,923 posts

242 months

Tuesday 7th April 2020
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I've just finished "The Fox" by Frederick Forsyth, not read one of his for a while and very much enjoyed it. Autistic teenage computer hacker related, with a bit of cold war thrown in.

andy_s

19,400 posts

259 months

Tuesday 7th April 2020
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Probably going into a 14 day quarantine next week so have gathered a selection:




epom

11,504 posts

161 months

Tuesday 7th April 2020
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Waiting for this to arrive.

denn69

64 posts

51 months

Thursday 9th April 2020
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Apex by Ramez Naam. Book 3 in a suprisinegly awesome Sci-Fi Trilogy.


RC1807

12,531 posts

168 months

Sunday 12th April 2020
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droopsnoot said:
Stuart Macbride is very good, have you tried James Oswald as well?
I haven't. I will have a look.
Thank you!

RC1807

12,531 posts

168 months

Sunday 12th April 2020
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lowdrag said:
...// snip //...

Finally, as much as I like the Jack Reacher novels there is, for me anyway, no comparison with the Dave Robicheaux novels by James Lee Burke. His prose is as always outstanding, his descriptive powers making you feel you are there,that you can smell and feel what he is seeing. This, the latest in the series, called "The New Iberia Blues" does not disappoint and was one of those books I just didn't want to end. For me, outstanding.

I couldn't agree more.
I started reading JLB's work when there was a free copy of Black Cherry Blues stuck on the cover of GQ in the early 90s. I then found a more in Waterstone's and I've now read every book he's written, not only those featuring Dave Robicheaux.
Phenomenal pieces of work.

JLB's writing even inspired me to go on holiday in the Deep South in the late 90s!

droopsnoot

11,923 posts

242 months

Sunday 12th April 2020
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I've just finished "The Fourth Monkey" by J D Barker, police / serial killer, bit of a twist, a decent read.

Prolex-UK

3,061 posts

208 months

Monday 13th April 2020
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RC1807 said:
lowdrag said:
...// snip //...

Finally, as much as I like the Jack Reacher novels there is, for me anyway, no comparison with the Dave Robicheaux novels by James Lee Burke. His prose is as always outstanding, his descriptive powers making you feel you are there,that you can smell and feel what he is seeing. This, the latest in the series, called "The New Iberia Blues" does not disappoint and was one of those books I just didn't want to end. For me, outstanding.

I couldn't agree more.
I started reading JLB's work when there was a free copy of Black Cherry Blues stuck on the cover of GQ in the early 90s. I then found a more in Waterstone's and I've now read every book he's written, not only those featuring Dave Robicheaux.
Phenomenal pieces of work.

JLB's writing even inspired me to go on holiday in the Deep South in the late 90s!
I too have read all his works.

Follow him on facebook. Even his Facebook posts are so descriptive.

He lives in Montana

His daughter Alafair is an author as well who is well worth a read





RC1807

12,531 posts

168 months

Monday 13th April 2020
quotequote all
Prolex-UK said:
I too have read all his works.

Follow him on facebook. Even his Facebook posts are so descriptive.

He lives in Montana

His daughter Alafair is an author as well who is well worth a read
I'm an FB stalker of JLB. I've not yet read any of Alafair's work.

I finished another Stuart MacBride yesterday, "All that's dead", another cheery number... wink

I'm going to read The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga, today.
My daughter read this book for English literature this year. She tells me it's very funny.

(English is taught as a 4th language at her school (although we're an English speaking household), so it's amazing to read her and her friends' essays, which I'd say are A level standard, genuinely!)

Anyway, I look forward to reading something more cheery from today.....

Enjoy your bank holiday, such as you can!