The Running Grave - Robert Galbraith. As promised by others, a stonker of a read. Great plot, an absolute page turner, and no idea who the guilty party/parties were until the reveal. Only criticism - again, it needs a character list (though I appreciate that could give stuff away unless very well handled).
Finished reading "Among the Thugs" by Bill Buford, American journalist who got involved in football hooliganism in the late 80s. Really good! Anyone have any more recommendations for good football hooligan books, preferably non-fiction.
I really enjoyed 'Running with the Firm' by James Bannon
Finished reading "Among the Thugs" by Bill Buford, American journalist who got involved in football hooliganism in the late 80s. Really good! Anyone have any more recommendations for good football hooligan books, preferably non-fiction.
I really enjoyed 'Running with the Firm' by James Bannon
Steaming in Colin Ward is ok. Mentions Charlton a bit.
Most are similar I find. I enjoyed Soul Crew by Tony Rivers who I know so inn a bit biased. Naughty by Mark Chester is ok as well.
Bought a few charity shop books for our holiday and have nearly finished Hooked by Paul Merson. Never really been a massive fan and thought him to be a bit of a twat but he comes across so well and didn’t realise how deep his demons really were. I know he’s an adult and can make his own decisions but it’s disgusting how much credit he was offered by bookmakers when he was spunking thousand upon thousands every day. Shows the industry up for what it really is. I know they try and play lip service with slogans like ‘when the fun stops, stop’ but in reality, they couldn’t give a shit as long as they’re raking it in. Clubs and organisations that accept sponsorship off them should hang their heads in shame.
I was not much of a reader (a book every year or two at most) and all of the books I was interested in were foreign ones (I don't like reading translated versions) but it was extremely expensive to buy books from overseas. I learned from a friend last year that it's not only expensive but also impossible to import printed matter as an individual now. She later recommended me a website offering a vast variety of ebooks. I've since read 9 books and it is part of the reason why I haven't been posting on CL as often I used to😆
My favourite ones among those are "With the Old Breed" written by WWII veteran Eugene Sledge and "Black Hawk Down" written by journalist/author Mark Bowden. "With the Old Breed" is widely considered as the best memoir about the Pacific theater of WWII and is also one of the books that the HBO limited series "The Pacific" is based upon. I started to read "Black Hawk Down" after I watched the film for a second time in May - first time was back in 2002. The book was a total page-turner for me. Much as I loved the film, I enjoyed the book even more.
I'm now reading "In the Company of Heroes", a memoir written by the pilot Mike Durant who was shot down and taken prisoner by the Somalis in the Black Hawk Down incident. It's an interesting book and for me a sort of an introduction to modern military culture in the US. Very eye-opening.
“The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets’ Nest” by Stieg Larson who didn’t live long enough to enjoy the acclaim of his excellent book. I found the miriad of Swedish names and places difficult to follow at times but the final third of the book was memorable. This was the third of a trilogy.
Surprised if this hasn't been rated on here before, but just finished The Housemaid by Freida McFadden. Gripping from beginning to end full of twists, one of those you can't put down. Netflix due to release the movie I gather.
Dave Grohl's The Storyteller Rattling good read, if you have at least a passing interest in him, his band(s) or rock'n'roll in general He comes across just as well in print as he does in interviews. His accounts of the deaths of two of his best friends and one of his music heroes are touching without ever getting maudlin
Just finished Rory Stewart’s Politics on the Edge which was well written and eye opening about how things work behind the scenes at the House of Commons.
Now onto Tessa Hadley’s short story collection After the Funeral.
Jo Nesbo's The Leopard. A gory tale of a psychopath that leads Harry Hole from Hong Kong to Norway to the Congo and to Germany. Alongside the main plot there's an intriguing love interest (or two) and his dying father to deal with. A ripping yarn once again with plenty to get your teeth into. Also just finished Mick Herron's second Slough House novel - Dead Lions. A spy thriller par excellence, cleverly written with loads of humour and great one liners, as well as some sadness and plot that turns one way and the other right to the end. The kind of book that makes you want to grab the next in the series right away.
I'm well into the 3rd Camino Island book from John Grisham. I like him, his characters feel real and have depth and the Camino series says to me he has found a strong base from which to explore a lot of interesting characters and plots.
I do a lot of reading of totally unknown but prolific authors. You have to kiss a few frogs but the quantity of books, series and stories available on kindle is unparalleled. Its how I discovered JD Kirk, John Birmingham, DC Alden. Its also the best way to read an Irvine Welsh book without some muppet seeing you reading it and talking to you about it and inevitably spoiling it
I've been a John Niven fan since music from big pink and I cannot recommend his last book O Brother enough. Its a departure from his usual style but beautifully written, introspective and has, oddly, given the subject matter a handful of laugh out loud moments. Its rare that I laugh aloud reading books but Niven has found my funny bone a remarkable amount of times
The Pep Revolution .. Marti Perarnau (English translation of course) .. guess who's time at Citteeehhh .. interesting analysis of an intense personality, his tactics and his successes
The Reader (Der Vorleser) by Bernhard Schlink. I'm reading it in both languages.
It didn't click to me initially,until near the end, but it's a great book that raises a lot of interesting question. Aside from it's primary plot, it's really about the numbness felt by all those that witnessed the atrocities of the Holocaust, and the guilt inherited by the next generation of German children, asking their parents "What did you do in the war?", and not knowing what to do with it. Looking bluntly at it, it asks how an ordinary person could be driven to such evil, but in quite an abstract way, with a lack of details to keep it from turning into a book about the war itself.
I really do recommend reading it, just so I have somebody to talk to about it.
Just read two of Val McDermid's Karen Pirie series, Out of Bounds and Past Lying. Both gripping and worth reading. They are not consecutive books in the series, I recommend you try to read them all in order, which I normally do, but I found myself starting this series in the middle so have just read them as I have found them in charity shops. The first finds Karen at a difficult time in her life - no spoilers. A joy rider's DNA provides a link to a cold case, and she inevitably gets involved in another apparent suicide where the investgating officers don't appear to be doing their job as she sees links to a political assasination from 20 years previously. The second is set during Covid, which to me felt so long ago. A slightly far fetched premise, but it makes a good story involving two Scottish detective crime novelists, a love triangle and murder. There's also an intriguing sub plot about a Syrian refugee on the run from hit men from his own country trying to exact revenge for his exposing the evils of their government. As always Karen is fighting not just the bad guys, but her own boss...
Mick Herron, genius! Currently smashing through Caihm McDonnell, brilliant, as are all by MW Craven. Surprised JD Kirk hasn't had more success. Michael Rowbotham has yet to write a mediocre book.
Alas all crime thrillers. Devla Murphy travel books are worth a read. She is insane!
Just finished J.B. Priestley's The Good Companions. Such a good writer, loves his characters. Very long but I hung in and enjoyed the last hundred pages the best.
Comments
Not so much about cycling more about his observations on the places he visited on his bike.
Also using it to help tone my bingo wings.
Rattling good read, if you have at least a passing interest in him, his band(s) or rock'n'roll in general
He comes across just as well in print as he does in interviews.
His accounts of the deaths of two of his best friends and one of his music heroes are touching without ever getting maudlin
Now onto Tessa Hadley’s short story collection After the Funeral.
Always loved his short stories and this is one of his best collections
I do a lot of reading of totally unknown but prolific authors. You have to kiss a few frogs but the quantity of books, series and stories available on kindle is unparalleled. Its how I discovered JD Kirk, John Birmingham, DC Alden. Its also the best way to read an Irvine Welsh book without some muppet seeing you reading it and talking to you about it and inevitably spoiling it
I've been a John Niven fan since music from big pink and I cannot recommend his last book O Brother enough. Its a departure from his usual style but beautifully written, introspective and has, oddly, given the subject matter a handful of laugh out loud moments. Its rare that I laugh aloud reading books but Niven has found my funny bone a remarkable amount of times
The main character, Bunny Munro, reminds me of Patrick Bateman from American Psycho but without all the gory murders, just sex obsessed.
It didn't click to me initially,until near the end, but it's a great book that raises a lot of interesting question. Aside from it's primary plot, it's really about the numbness felt by all those that witnessed the atrocities of the Holocaust, and the guilt inherited by the next generation of German children, asking their parents "What did you do in the war?", and not knowing what to do with it. Looking bluntly at it, it asks how an ordinary person could be driven to such evil, but in quite an abstract way, with a lack of details to keep it from turning into a book about the war itself.
I really do recommend reading it, just so I have somebody to talk to about it.
The first finds Karen at a difficult time in her life - no spoilers. A joy rider's DNA provides a link to a cold case, and she inevitably gets involved in another apparent suicide where the investgating officers don't appear to be doing their job as she sees links to a political assasination from 20 years previously.
The second is set during Covid, which to me felt so long ago. A slightly far fetched premise, but it makes a good story involving two Scottish detective crime novelists, a love triangle and murder. There's also an intriguing sub plot about a Syrian refugee on the run from hit men from his own country trying to exact revenge for his exposing the evils of their government. As always Karen is fighting not just the bad guys, but her own boss...
Alas all crime thrillers. Devla Murphy travel books are worth a read. She is insane!
Now on to the new Robert Harris book Precipice which seems decent so far.