After a bit of light and amusing read of This is going to hurt by Adam Kay I‘ve just started The impossible Revolution (making sense of the Syrian tradegy) by Yassin Al Haj Saleh.
Gave up on the Booker winning Milkman, and then was underwhelmed by Julian Barnes Booker Sense of An Ending. Now on The Shining which definitely didn’t win the Booker.
Bit of recent fiction reading .. 'The Border' by Don Winslow .. a book and author from the very top of the Premier League of super documentary like US crime fiction Recently read a couple by Peter Swanson .. much 'lighter' than Winslow .. very good reads .. he specialises in wicked women .. VERY wicked women ((:>)
Just ordered The Force by Winslow ... hope I enjoy it as I can then start looking at the rest of his books.
Bit of recent fiction reading .. 'The Border' by Don Winslow .. a book and author from the very top of the Premier League of super documentary like US crime fiction Recently read a couple by Peter Swanson .. much 'lighter' than Winslow .. very good reads .. he specialises in wicked women .. VERY wicked women ((:>)
Just ordered The Force by Winslow ... hope I enjoy it as I can then start looking at the rest of his books.
Reading Don DeLillo's Cosmopolis at the moment and finding it frustratingly empty, although its protagonist is a billionaire asset manager so I am guessing that is the point. Disappointing so far though as his White Noise is one of my favourite ever novels. This one just doesn't seem to have the wit or turns of phrase, just an extension of the modern nihilism that made White Noise so brilliant.
Planet Rock magazine & The New Scientist .. I like to pick up a mag from time to time .. I'm dreading the day when all reading matter is 'Kindled' or just online
Planet Rock magazine & The New Scientist .. I like to pick up a mag from time to time .. I'm dreading the day when all reading matter is 'Kindled' or just online
Reading Private Eye that I picked up while in the UK. Should be compulsory reading for every adult in the UK. Especially those that think the blame for the ills of Britain lie elsewhere...
On first chapter of 'Grant' - a new biography of Ulysses S. Grant by American author Ron Chernow. At a 1,000 pages should keep me occupied for a while! Also about to start 'Jackdaws' by Ken Follett, a present from my Daughter. Novel set jut before D-Day involving SOE and the French resistance. Little light reading for the train.
Interested to know what you think about the Chernow book, enjoyed his Hamilton although it was a bit too long.
Nearly halfway through now. Very impressed. Marvellous research and Chernow really brings Sam Grant to life. After leaving the army under a cloud (alcoholism) Grant failed in successive business ventures. The Civil War rescued him career-wise. Have reached the section on his transfer to Chattanooga to replace Rosecrans following the debacle at Chickamaugua.
Just finished “The Girl in the Spider’s Web” by David Lagercrantz. This is the guy who was commissioned to continue the Millennium series written by the late Stieg Larsson, i.e. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo etc.
As it is some years since I read the three books written by Larsson, I can’t say I noticed any difference in style. Would recommend it. Am going straight on to read the next in the series, “The Girl Who Takes An Eye For An Eye”.
I agree, very well done. Not read Eye for an Eye yet.
Have now read Eye for an Eye. Found it just as good as "The Girl in the Spiders Web", so if anyone enjoyed the original Stig Larsson trilogy, you would probably enjoy the two additional novels.
The founder of PayPal and first investor in Facebook. A short and very different take on the future of business success. Essentially claims that if you are trying to do a brand or business better than the next company, you will not make the kind of difference we need in the world today. Points out that the biggest companies now are ones that solved problems and made products we did not even know we wanted or needed 10-15 years ago. He thinks green energy is the future but that current solutions (solar and wind) are dead ends for many reasons. It's an eye opening book that questions "making it big" in the usual ways.
I really liked Gridiron by Philip Kerr in his stand alone books, I agree the Bernie Gunter series brilliant, was not so keen on the football thrillers
agreed .. Gridiron is one example of his versatility .. I recall one 'Gridiron' joke concerning Rock Hudson .. if an author included that kind of joke nowadays, he'd never get published ((:>) .. the football books seem written in haste .. still quite innovative though
ALSO... I see from wiki that 'Greeks Bearing Gifts' will not be his last published book .. there will be a 'Gunther' out next year called 'Metropolis'
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philip_Kerr
unless more masterpieces are found in his desk's hidden drawer or somewhere, Philip Kerr's last book, 'Metropolis' is published today, 4/4/19 .. I have just ordered it
A Quiet Belief in Angels by RJ Ellory. As usual for me, it's a mystery thriller, and as usual for Ellory it is a much more thoughtful and "wordy" novel than most I read. The kind of thing that I think would win awards away from those strictly reserved for the crime/thriller genre.
The mystery part keeps you going right to the very end, it was only when I realised how few pages were left that I got the villain for sure. I wont say any more than that for fear of revealing spoilers, but if you like a good mystery, with some clever characterisations and a bit more depth, I would recommend it.
'Metropolis' by Phillip Kerr. Been waiting for this to be released on the 4/4/2019. Reading avidly but keep thinking how sad that Kerr will not write again. Bernie makes a great anti-heroe and Berlin a perfect setting.
Bit of recent fiction reading .. 'The Border' by Don Winslow .. a book and author from the very top of the Premier League of super documentary like US crime fiction Recently read a couple by Peter Swanson .. much 'lighter' than Winslow .. very good reads .. he specialises in wicked women .. VERY wicked women ((:>)
Just ordered The Force by Winslow ... hope I enjoy it as I can then start looking at the rest of his books.
Bit of recent fiction reading .. 'The Border' by Don Winslow .. a book and author from the very top of the Premier League of super documentary like US crime fiction Recently read a couple by Peter Swanson .. much 'lighter' than Winslow .. very good reads .. he specialises in wicked women .. VERY wicked women ((:>)
Just ordered The Force by Winslow ... hope I enjoy it as I can then start looking at the rest of his books.
you'll enjoy 'The Force' ..
I didn't like it as much as the Power of the Dog and the Cartel. Not sure why, seemed a bit cliched
Bit of recent fiction reading .. 'The Border' by Don Winslow .. a book and author from the very top of the Premier League of super documentary like US crime fiction Recently read a couple by Peter Swanson .. much 'lighter' than Winslow .. very good reads .. he specialises in wicked women .. VERY wicked women ((:>)
Just ordered The Force by Winslow ... hope I enjoy it as I can then start looking at the rest of his books.
Bit of recent fiction reading .. 'The Border' by Don Winslow .. a book and author from the very top of the Premier League of super documentary like US crime fiction Recently read a couple by Peter Swanson .. much 'lighter' than Winslow .. very good reads .. he specialises in wicked women .. VERY wicked women ((:>)
Just ordered The Force by Winslow ... hope I enjoy it as I can then start looking at the rest of his books.
you'll enjoy 'The Force' ..
I didn't like it as much as the Power of the Dog and the Cartel. Not sure why, seemed a bit cliched
agree to an extent .. all his books are a bit over the top t b h .. 'The Border' suffers from the same 'problem' .. that's just his frantic style .. If Tolstoy were alive and writing, Winslow would give him a good run for his money with his casts of thousands .. I still enjoy Winslow though
Had previously read Peter Crouch’s “how to be a footballer”
this week I’ve listened to the audio book. so many funny and interesting stories but importantly I found it much more natural hearing Peter Crouch himself reading it to me. realised how much I’d not taken in reading it first time round
Beneath a Scarlet Sky by Mark Sullivan.
This novel is not a work of narrative nonfiction, but a biographical and historical fiction. It is an epic tale that recounts the life of 17 year old Pino Lella as he faces the horror of the Nazis in Italy and his personal heroic part in the war.
I’ve never really understood the role of Italy during the conflict, but through the narrative this book gives a sense of the time and place and the mess that existed there. From Mussolini and the Fascist regime, the Italian army, the partisans, resistance movement and the German army, who seemingly treated Italy like an occupied land.
I won’t spoil the story in case you decide to read it, or indeed later watch the film that is to be made of by Pascal Pictures starring Tom Holland. Save to say though, it is an incredible story which sometimes pushes the boundaries of belief. However, it is in my opinion well worth the effort. I’m not so sure that one could say it is well written, but the story is king here.
Reading this I made a point of getting the book. Rivetting tale couldn't put it down.
Comments
Nearly halfway through now. Very impressed. Marvellous research and Chernow really brings Sam Grant to life. After leaving the army under a cloud (alcoholism) Grant failed in successive business ventures. The Civil War rescued him career-wise. Have reached the section on his transfer to Chattanooga to replace Rosecrans following the debacle at Chickamaugua.
Am now halfway through Kenney Jones (Small Faces, Faces, Who drummer) bio, Let the Good Times Roll. Another great read.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35995489-the-extraordinary-life-of-sam-hell
The mystery part keeps you going right to the very end, it was only when I realised how few pages were left that I got the villain for sure. I wont say any more than that for fear of revealing spoilers, but if you like a good mystery, with some clever characterisations and a bit more depth, I would recommend it.
this week I’ve listened to the audio book.
so many funny and interesting stories but importantly I found it much more natural hearing Peter Crouch himself reading it to me.
realised how much I’d not taken in reading it first time round