Books - What are you reading?
Discussion
AstonZagato said:
I had a few days in Crete, opposite Spinalonga Island so read a few books.
The Island
Victoria Hislop
Not my normal fare - no spies, murders, scantily-clad ladies or helicopter gunships. However, it's about the leper colony at Spinalogna so very topical.
Nicely written, though rather consciously (every noun being given some epithet - e.g tomatoes would be "blood-red").
Thursday Murder Club
Richard Osman
Mildly diverting. Not as amusing or interesting as I thought it would be from the plaudits. However, a reasonable holiday read
Doctor for Friend and Foe
Dr Rick Jolly
Account of the medical teams for the Falklands campaign. Likeable and moving. Quite heavily populated by TLAs. Perhaps a little self-promotional, if one were to nit-pick.
And on That Bombshell
Richard Porter
An insider's view of Top Gear. Written in Richard's amusing style. I enjoyed it.
The Mistress
James Patterson
Beach holiday pulp fiction. Unlikeable main character. Some obvious plot twists, two-dimensional characters.
Mythos
Stephen Fry
Nice anthology of the better known Greek myths. He has a decent attempt at drawing a consistent timeline (which isn't really a thing). Seemed appropriate to read in Greece.
I also read The Island when in Crete and visiting Spinalonga (which I would recommend for a visit if any PHers are ever in Crete). Like you, not my usual go to but I’d finished everything I took with me and there were plenty of copies about. I enjoyed it, and my wife has read some of Hislop’s other books. The Island
Victoria Hislop
Not my normal fare - no spies, murders, scantily-clad ladies or helicopter gunships. However, it's about the leper colony at Spinalogna so very topical.
Nicely written, though rather consciously (every noun being given some epithet - e.g tomatoes would be "blood-red").
Thursday Murder Club
Richard Osman
Mildly diverting. Not as amusing or interesting as I thought it would be from the plaudits. However, a reasonable holiday read
Doctor for Friend and Foe
Dr Rick Jolly
Account of the medical teams for the Falklands campaign. Likeable and moving. Quite heavily populated by TLAs. Perhaps a little self-promotional, if one were to nit-pick.
And on That Bombshell
Richard Porter
An insider's view of Top Gear. Written in Richard's amusing style. I enjoyed it.
The Mistress
James Patterson
Beach holiday pulp fiction. Unlikeable main character. Some obvious plot twists, two-dimensional characters.
Mythos
Stephen Fry
Nice anthology of the better known Greek myths. He has a decent attempt at drawing a consistent timeline (which isn't really a thing). Seemed appropriate to read in Greece.
I picked up a copy of the latest Bosch - The Dark Hours - which I’ll read on my upcoming holiday in July. Between now and then having read the excellent ‘Prisoners of Geography’ by Tim Marshall earlier in the year, I’m going to read his follow up ‘The Power of Geography’
Having read the excellent semi-autobiographical Vietnam novel, "Matterhorn" by the same author, I have just read "Deep River"
It is a big novel following members of a Finnish family who moved to the Pacific North West area of the US in the early 20th century (and remained there) due to problems in their home country.
I really enjoyed it and learned quite a few things (always a bonus) about places I do not know and a period that often does not get much attention.
It is a big novel following members of a Finnish family who moved to the Pacific North West area of the US in the early 20th century (and remained there) due to problems in their home country.
I really enjoyed it and learned quite a few things (always a bonus) about places I do not know and a period that often does not get much attention.
Edited by MC Bodge on Saturday 18th June 09:23
Recently finished "Brothers in Arms" by James Holland. Bascially the story of the Sherwood Rangers Tank Regiment from the Normandy landings to the end of the war in Germany. Up there with the best WW2 factual histories I've read - as accessible and readable as Stephen Ambrose at his best - an awe inspiring story and set of characters brought back to life brilliantly. It certainly deserves the "Band of Brothers" treatment. 5/5
Edited by towser on Saturday 18th June 14:50
havoc said:
wong said:
Just picked up Hitch-hikers guide to the galaxy; Life, the universe and everything and The restaurant at the end of the universe from charity shop.
Oh wow, where have you been for the last 40 years? 
Dated in some ways, but brilliantly irreverent...
wong said:
havoc said:
wong said:
Just picked up Hitch-hikers guide to the galaxy; Life, the universe and everything and The restaurant at the end of the universe from charity shop.
Oh wow, where have you been for the last 40 years? Dated in some ways, but brilliantly irreverent...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hitchhiker%27s_G...
IanA2 said:
Better in many ways than the TV show.
I've just finished "A big boy did it and ran away" by Christopher Brookmyre, and very much enjoyed it. A school teacher thinks he's spotted an old friend at an airport, then reminds himself that said person had died a few years ago in a plane crash. A funny book, the cover compares the author to Carl Hiaasen which is probably accurate, though I enjoyed this more than the most recent Hiaasen book I recall reading, though maybe because it's set locally.
havoc said:
IanA2 said:
Better in many ways than the TV show.
IanA2 said:
havoc said:
IanA2 said:
Better in many ways than the TV show.
I've read (so OT I suppose) Breaking News by Rushbridger. I covers his time as editor of The Guardian, during which he had Assange, Snowden and phone hacking, the last including the battle against Murdoch and the DM. That bit is fascinating. It also covers the switch from old-style printed papers to digital, and online, the transformation being very interesting.
I liked the book but, strangely given he was editor of the paper, it needs editing. He's managed to cram 250 pages into 400 and it suffers a bit.
For anyone involved in old style journalism, or interested in it, together with the changes that digital forced on them, it's a fascinating read. Learned a bit about Assange, little about Snowdon and not enough about the phone hacking. Irritated a bit by the scarce coverage of the biggest scandal in the history of newspapers, I bought Hack Attack by Davies, the chap who broke the story of the extent of the hacking, together with the coverup by, supposedly, the press, the police, the CPS, and the government. Good stuff.
I've got his book Flat Earth News in the loft. I bought it just before we moved, packed it away, and haven't found it since. It's there somewhere.
I liked the book but, strangely given he was editor of the paper, it needs editing. He's managed to cram 250 pages into 400 and it suffers a bit.
For anyone involved in old style journalism, or interested in it, together with the changes that digital forced on them, it's a fascinating read. Learned a bit about Assange, little about Snowdon and not enough about the phone hacking. Irritated a bit by the scarce coverage of the biggest scandal in the history of newspapers, I bought Hack Attack by Davies, the chap who broke the story of the extent of the hacking, together with the coverup by, supposedly, the press, the police, the CPS, and the government. Good stuff.
I've got his book Flat Earth News in the loft. I bought it just before we moved, packed it away, and haven't found it since. It's there somewhere.
If you haven't already read it , I can highly recommend Harold Evans autobiography , My Paper Chase, True Stories of Vanished Times . A wonderful account by a brilliant journalist of the golden years of the broadsheet. From cub reporter to editor of The Times ,then the move to New York - what a life he had .
coppice said:
If you haven't already read it , I can highly recommend Harold Evans autobiography , My Paper Chase, True Stories of Vanished Times . A wonderful account by a brilliant journalist of the golden years of the broadsheet. From cub reporter to editor of The Times ,then the move to New York - what a life he had .
Thanks for the heads up.andy_s said:
Prolex-UK said:
andy_s said:
Prolex-UK said:
The dark hours
Latest balard bosch novel
Just started and very impressef
^ But this first!Latest balard bosch novel
Just started and very impressef
Very good indeed
Set in pandemic so we have covid stuff.. Aftermath of george floyd demos BLM and the jan 6th white house storming going on in the background
Kept it for a 36hr schlep and just finished it - definitely up to snuff, so 5/5, but finished already
- I can't believe I'm now back to itching for the 'next one'!It started well and I wanted to keep reading it late.
Is there a bit more (fair) social commentary in the recent books than the earlier ones or is just because they are very well-known current happenings? (yes, I know there were references to Rodney King etc. in the past).
Without any spoilers, I felt that it went a bit silly towards the end (as some of the Bosch books do). Ballard's behaviour ridiculous at times.
It was an easy read and much shorter than the books I often read.
I would like to visit LA and some of the settings of the books.
Derek Smith said:
coppice said:
If you haven't already read it , I can highly recommend Harold Evans autobiography , My Paper Chase, True Stories of Vanished Times . A wonderful account by a brilliant journalist of the golden years of the broadsheet. From cub reporter to editor of The Times ,then the move to New York - what a life he had .
Thanks for the heads up.Gassing Station | Books and Literature | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff