Books - What are you reading?

[unrepentant]

Skyedriver said:

unrepentant said:

Not read that one, let me know how you get on please.

It’s a fairly dark morality tale. Beautifully written with a perplexing ending. It was his last completed novel and he was awsrded the Nobel prize following publication. I enjoyed it as I did The Waywsrd Bus a few weeks ago.

[droopsnoot]

I've just finished "A History of Winning" by Gerry Johnstone, who was instrumental in the success of Dealer Team Vauxhall in racing in the 1970s and rallying into the 1980s. It's an interesting book, if you're into that kind of thing.

[andrewcliffe]

joshcowin said:

I am currently doing the RED RISING books by Pierce Brown, not my usual thing at all but the first 3 are pretty good. I am 300 pages in to the 4th and its not as good as the first 3 but will continue.

I usually read historical fiction stuff, Conn Iggulden, Bernard Cornwall ... you get the idea. Any recommends? Got a week off coming up.

If you haven't already tried - C.J. Sansom's Shardlake series - Inspector Morse in the 1500's.

[MesoForm]

RizzoTheRat said:

After finishing Guts and Gunships (crap name, decent biography from a Vietnam Huey pilot) the other day,
...

Garrison went out mid way through the war, starting as a slick (transport) pilot then converting to gunships. Mason went out with 1st Air Cav when they first started air mobile operations

Off topic, but this video just popped up on my YouTube feed - it's audio from Garrison (callsign Pigpen) on a mission in Vietnamn.

(a bit sweary)

[jet_noise]

jet_noise said:

The Stranger Times by CK McDonnell
A newspaper dedicated to the weird. Which in its world (our own with added oddnesses) is often real events.

Think Colin Bateman's Mystery Man, Robert Rankin's Brentford trilogy with dashes of Jasper Fforde & Chris Brookmyre.
Quoted reviews are somewhat hyperbolic (as usual) and suggesting Pratchett as a reference is a stretch but if you like well characterised fantastical witty who/howdunnits then this is for you!

And #2 This Charming Man
Continues with an outbreak of toothy sanguinarians which our journalists seek to thwart. While running a newspaper.
Again well written with the odd LOL (yeuch!) moments.

[Skyedriver]

Anyone who has read Hemingway might be interested in the BBC 4 6 episode "Hemingway".
If you read my thoughts on "For whom the bell tolls", i found his life far more fascinating.......

[MC Bodge]

Skyedriver said:

Anyone who has read Hemingway might be interested in the BBC 4 6 episode "Hemingway".
If you read my thoughts on "For whom the bell tolls", i found his life far more fascinating.......

The Radio 4 series was quite enlightening.

Edited by MC Bodge on Thursday 11th April 18:25

[FiF]

smithyithy said:

"Travels with Charley: In Search of America" - reflects a nod to "Travels with a Donkey in the Cévennes" by Robert Louis Stevenson.

Enjoyed Travels with Charley.

[Skyedriver]

Not the easiest of reads and the stories that go along with the main theme are pretty awful to be honest. Mans inhumanity etc
Probably wouldn't select another similar book but if you're into military history and WW2 it's a must read.

[a340driver]

Free - Lea Ypi

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&amp...

Silent Coup - Clare Provost & Matt Kennard

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&amp...

[MC Bodge]

Skyedriver said:

Not the easiest of reads and the stories that go along with the main theme are pretty awful to be honest. Mans inhumanity etc
Probably wouldn't select another similar book but if you're into military history and WW2 it's a must read.

I have this on my book pile. His other books have been excellent, although the subject matter is often horrific.

[andrewcliffe]

Next up is Anthony Horowitz's "Close to Death" part of the Hawthorne series, where a version of Horovitz appears in the story as the sidekick. Once I've listened to that, I'll start the Shardlake series at the beginning.

[Sycamore]

Have just finished The Apollo Murders by Chris Hadfield.
Very good

[droopsnoot]

I've just read "Narrowing the field" by A. P. McCoy. A jockey sets out to take revenge on an owner who he believes cheated his father out of his livelihood. A decent enough story, a bit light on the plot but I'd probably read another.

[ribiero]

droopsnoot said:

I've just finished "A History of Winning" by Gerry Johnstone, who was instrumental in the success of Dealer Team Vauxhall in racing in the 1970s and rallying into the 1980s. It's an interesting book, if you're into that kind of thing.

is this purchasable anywhere?

[droopsnoot]

ribiero said:

droopsnoot said:

I've just finished "A History of Winning" by Gerry Johnstone, who was instrumental in the success of Dealer Team Vauxhall in racing in the 1970s and rallying into the 1980s. It's an interesting book, if you're into that kind of thing.

is this purchasable anywhere?

I don't know if it's in any shops, it was on sale at the NEC Restoration Show, I bought it directly from him. Email is gerryjmotorsport (at) icloud.com

Edited by droopsnoot on Tuesday 23 April 19:14

[MC Bodge]

I have almost finished reading Bring up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel.



I began it some time ago, got half-way through, stopped, and then resumed a couple of weeks ago.

I found myself getting into it in the middle section, but it now feels like a test of endurance. I will hopefully finish it in the next day or two.

Wolf Hall was very good, despite the unnecessarily quirky writing style, but Bring Up the Bodies is just not as interesting. It is shorter than Wolf Hall, but feels very long-winded (Henry VIII contrives the end of a second marriage), petty and most of the characters seem tedious and one-dimensional . It feels as if it is not as clever as the author thought It was.

It seems significantly over-rated.

I doubt that I will read the third book for a very long time, if ever.

Edited by MC Bodge on Wednesday 17th April 20:18

[jet_noise]

andrewcliffe said:

Next up is Anthony Horowitz's "Close to Death" part of the Hawthorne series, where a version of Horovitz appears in the story as the sidekick. Once I've listened to that, I'll start the Shardlake series at the beginning.

Joy! Another series to add to the must read list. I've enjoyed Horowitz's Holmes & Bond novels.

[Huff]

MC Bodge said:

Skyedriver said:

Not the easiest of reads and the stories that go along with the main theme are pretty awful to be honest. Mans inhumanity etc
Probably wouldn't select another similar book but if you're into military history and WW2 it's a must read.

I have this on my book pile. His other books have been excellent, although the subject matter is often horrific.

I read it when released.

Anthony Beevor does great justice to the theme (yet again.. ): it's just that theme is wholesale misery and monumental dirty slaughter, yet - often overlooked as merely 'a nasty skirmish in a wood' - rather than 'Big-Screen' hell, like Stalingrad.

Therefore, also, deserves to have such a good, legible historian, write such a detailed but accessible history of it.
It is not enjoyable - but important.

[Skyedriver]

Huff said:

MC Bodge said:

Skyedriver said:

Not the easiest of reads and the stories that go along with the main theme are pretty awful to be honest. Mans inhumanity etc
Probably wouldn't select another similar book but if you're into military history and WW2 it's a must read.

I have this on my book pile. His other books have been excellent, although the subject matter is often horrific.

I read it when released.

Anthony Beevor does great justice to the theme (yet again.. ): it's just that theme is wholesale misery and monumental dirty slaughter, yet - often overlooked as merely 'a nasty skirmish in a wood' - rather than 'Big-Screen' hell, like Stalingrad.

Therefore, also, deserves to have such a good, legible historian, write such a detailed but accessible history of it.
It is not enjoyable - but important.

I think you have covered that very well. Thanks.
For me, the referring to the various batallions, companies, groups etc often confused me as to whether they were US, GB, German etc