I spent 4 months reading 'The Crossing' by Cormac McCarthy. I like McCarthy but that was tough going, albeit rewarding and I loved the ending.
Then I re-read 'The Miracle of Castel di Sangro' by Joe McGinniss. A know-it-all, slightly annoying American details a village's surprise season in Serie B and misadventures off the pitch. A good book despite the author at times.
I have Guy Martin's 'When You Dead, You Dead' to read once Amazon bother delivering.
Then I re-read 'The Miracle of Castel di Sangro' by Joe McGinniss. A know-it-all, slightly annoying American details a village's surprise season in Serie B and misadventures off the pitch. A good book despite the author at times.
Then I re-read 'The Miracle of Castel di Sangro' by Joe McGinniss. A know-it-all, slightly annoying American details a village's surprise season in Serie B and misadventures off the pitch. A good book despite the author at times.
great book
Agreed with that. About McGinnis and about the book, and especially the 'twist' 'at the end
The imagined 'inner life' of the American writer, Henry James. It took me some time to get into this book and I didn't enjoy it as much as the other Tóibín novels that I've read. In fairness, though, it would probably have helped if I'd read previously some of Henry James' work, rather than just a few paragraphs on Wiki.
The Green Road by Anne Enright
Four adult siblings return home for a final Christmas in their old family home on the west coast of Ireland, which their elderly and difficult mother is about to sell. The first half of the book focuses, in turn, upon each of the four at different periods in their life, before moving on to the Christmas homecoming. A fine and insightful novel into dysfunctional families and how the inter-relationships and position of individuals within the family shape their lives as a whole.
The imagined 'inner life' of the American writer, Henry James. It took me some time to get into this book and I didn't enjoy it as much as the other Tóibín novels that I've read. In fairness, though, it would probably have helped if I'd read previously some of Henry James' work, rather than just a few paragraphs on Wiki.
The Green Road by Anne Enright
Four adult siblings return home for a final Christmas in their old family home on the west coast of Ireland, which their elderly and difficult mother is about to sell. The first half of the book focuses, in turn, upon each of the four at different periods in their life, before moving on to the Christmas homecoming. A fine and insightful novel into dysfunctional families and how the inter-relationships and position of individuals within the family shape their lives as a whole.
The Green Road looks good ...added to my reading list.
Then I re-read 'The Miracle of Castel di Sangro' by Joe McGinniss. A know-it-all, slightly annoying American details a village's surprise season in Serie B and misadventures off the pitch. A good book despite the author at times.
great book
Agreed with that. About McGinnis and about the book, and especially the 'twist' 'at the end
I'd rather he concentrated on putting the ball in the net.
Where the bodies are buried by Christopher Brookmyre , hadn't read any Brookmyre for a while. One fine day in the middle of the night is one of my favorite books. This was a good read without the warped humor of some of his other books, but polished it off quickly always a good sign
Reading Respect Yourself, a biography of Mavis Staples of the Staples Singers. I'm enjoying it; I'm a big fan of their Stax cuts especially. The eventual soul giants they grew up with/went to school with/were friends with is staggering: Sam Cooke, Aretha Franklin, Bobby Womack, Jerry Butler. Anyway, I got it for a couple of quid on Amazon, only to find it was signed.... by Mavis Staples.
The three Robert Galbraith (pseudonym for J K Rowling if you've been living in a gave for the last four years) books. Much better written than the Harry Potters books and well worth a read if you like detective novels.
'Sapiens .. A Brief History of Humankind' .. Yuval Noah Harari .. what it says on the label .. superbly written and very informative, though recent theories about 'waterside man' may have usurped many of his worthy assumptions and the perceived truths of others .. well worth a look for anyone interested in biology and history
'Sapiens .. A Brief History of Humankind' .. Yuval Noah Harari .. what it says on the label .. superbly written and very informative, though recent theories about 'waterside man' may have usurped many of his worthy assumptions and the perceived truths of others .. well worth a look for anyone interested in biology and history
I really liked this. Particularly enjoyed the sections about the agricultural revolution and how wheat domesticated humans rather than the other way round.
He's got another one out, though it hasn't been very well reviewed.
The Girl in the Spiders Web. Fourth book in the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo trilogy! Written by David Lagercrantz in the style of Stieg Larsson. If you liked the original books you'll like this as well.
The three Robert Galbraith (pseudonym for J K Rowling if you've been living in a gave for the last four years) books. Much better written than the Harry Potters books and well worth a read if you like detective novels.
I'm on the second one at the moment - I really like the pace of them, doesn't feel like they are trying too hard to be thrillery.
saw this in Tesco's yesterday .. (£9.50 .. bargain) .. is on my list .. just started the B Springsteen autobio ... interesting stuff if a bit vainglorious
Reading a book about the making of Aretha Franklin's first Atlantic Album, I Never Loved A Man They Way I Love You. The title track was cut in Muscle Shoals at Rick Hall's FAME studio with his all-white house band, featuring the likes of the great Roger Hawkins on drums and Spooner Oldham, and with Jerry Wexler co-producing with Hall.
But then came 'The Incident', over which people are deliberately sketchy. What we do know is that a trumpeter (let's call him, oh, I don't know, Ken Laxton) made a drunken pass at Aretha (some say, he grabbed her arse), to which her husband, Ted White, took great exception and, after an altercation where he demands that Laxton is sacked, storms off back to his hotel followed, eventually, by Aretha after she started work on Dan Penn's Do Right Woman. Anyway, cut to later, Rick Hall's started on the vodka and contrary to Jerry Wexler's instructions goes to the the hotel to smooth things over. Before you know it, Hall and Ted White are trying to wrestle each other off the balcony. And the session's blown. White and Aretha fly home separately, Wexler tells Hall he's finished, Aretha goes missing for two weeks, then Wexler has to come up with a ruse to get the Muscle Shoals musicians to the Atlantic studios in New York, but without Rick Hall. The ruse is they're working on a King Curtis album, 'but while you're here guys, let's finish the Aretha album.'
The Return - Hakan Nesser. Detective novel set in an unnamed northern European country written by a Swede. Interesting writing style, seems like a fairly literal translation, so can feel a bit stilted. Lots of characters makes it a bit confusing at times, but it's the fourth novel in the Inspector Van Veeteren series, so if you have read the others it might be a bit easier to follow?
Highly recommend "The North Water" by Ian McGuire which has been long listed for the Booker. An excellent thriller set on a whaling ship in the 1860s featuring a genuinely scary villain up there with Hannibal Lector and Judge Holden.
Currently obsessed by Jack Reacher series. Very formulaematic and bits are samey but somehow good cos you know what's coming. Very addictive. Polish them off in a day, but currently trawling local libraries to find ones not read.
Comments
Then I re-read 'The Miracle of Castel di Sangro' by Joe McGinniss. A know-it-all, slightly annoying American details a village's surprise season in Serie B and misadventures off the pitch. A good book despite the author at times.
I have Guy Martin's 'When You Dead, You Dead' to read once Amazon bother delivering.
The imagined 'inner life' of the American writer, Henry James. It took me some time to get into this book and I didn't enjoy it as much as the other Tóibín novels that I've read. In fairness, though, it would probably have helped if I'd read previously some of Henry James' work, rather than just a few paragraphs on Wiki.
The Green Road by Anne Enright
Four adult siblings return home for a final Christmas in their old family home on the west coast of Ireland, which their elderly and difficult mother is about to sell. The first half of the book focuses, in turn, upon each of the four at different periods in their life, before moving on to the Christmas homecoming. A fine and insightful novel into dysfunctional families and how the inter-relationships and position of individuals within the family shape their lives as a whole.
I'd rather he concentrated on putting the ball in the net.
A visuionary journey from cynicism to shamanism.
Great read and fascinating look into the British Empire, well researched and includes all the major characters of that era.
Superb narrative story-telling and insight into the monarchy of the time and how it impacted on the world.
well worth a look for anyone interested in biology and history
Taken a long time to get round to reading a couple of her books but well worth the wait.
Day Four - Sarah Lotz
Enjoyed 'The Three' but this was a bit of a letdown.
He's got another one out, though it hasn't been very well reviewed.
Enthralling, worrying and interesting.
Well ( ghost ) written and definitely not dull !
A crazy steampunk Sci Fi, violent, absurd, hallucinogenic, and quite brilliant.
But then came 'The Incident', over which people are deliberately sketchy. What we do know is that a trumpeter (let's call him, oh, I don't know, Ken Laxton) made a drunken pass at Aretha (some say, he grabbed her arse), to which her husband, Ted White, took great exception and, after an altercation where he demands that Laxton is sacked, storms off back to his hotel followed, eventually, by Aretha after she started work on Dan Penn's Do Right Woman. Anyway, cut to later, Rick Hall's started on the vodka and contrary to Jerry Wexler's instructions goes to the the hotel to smooth things over. Before you know it, Hall and Ted White are trying to wrestle each other off the balcony. And the session's blown. White and Aretha fly home separately, Wexler tells Hall he's finished, Aretha goes missing for two weeks, then Wexler has to come up with a ruse to get the Muscle Shoals musicians to the Atlantic studios in New York, but without Rick Hall. The ruse is they're working on a King Curtis album, 'but while you're here guys, let's finish the Aretha album.'
There you go, I've read it so you don't have to.
Read the third Algarve, Borkmann's Point, without reading the first two. Read it quickly & enjoyed it.
On a separate note have you read anything by Denzil Meyrick.