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This week I have been reading

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  • Heard a little about Evy Poumpouras, enough to make me want to know more.

    A Special Agent for the United States Secret Service for over 12 years, worked on the Presidential Protective Division for President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama. Has protected presidents George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and George H.W. Bush. A criminal investigator, has worked undercover, been an interrogator for the Secret Service’s elite polygraph unit, highly trained in the art of lie detection, human behavior, and cognitive influence. Evy’s heroic efforts as a first responder during the 9/11 terror attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City earned her the U.S. Secret Service Valor Award. 

    If that's not enough Evy is an adjunct professor for The City University of New York, where she teaches criminal justice and criminology.  Evy holds an MA in Forensic Psychology and an MS in Journalism from Columbia University.

    That said, I found her book 'Becoming Bulletproof' really boring.  Not the story of daring doo that I'd hoped for.  It is basically a very American self help book in the art of taking care of yourself and mental strength. I gave up on the book soon after deciding that I had no intention of introducing myself at the local police and fire stations.  I also figured that I wouldn't be asking the security guard at the mall to walk me to the car. 

    Evy talks a lot about the F3 response (flight, fight or freeze).  I'm afraid I froze at about page 75.  
  • Territory of Light by Yuko Tsushima - about half way in, very good so far.
  • stonemuse said:
    The Institute - Stephen King ... back to his best, excellent read

    @Lincsaddick @Fanny Fanackapan

    Preordered the paperback which releases on Thursday based on this recommendation!
  • I’ve never been interested in hoolie books but found this in a charity shop. Really good read.
  • I’ve never been interested in hoolie books but found this in a charity shop. Really good read.
    Got that a while back, good read 
  • edited July 2020
    The Olivetti Chronicles

    If you liked John Peel you will find it entertaining if a little cringe inducing in the entries from the early 70s.
  • After finishing the Ken Follet triology on the WW1, WW2 and post WW2 And for a lighter read I whizzed through Andrew Sachs autobiography. It has links to WW2 and his family getting out of Berlin and then settling down in London. He has attempted lots of humour through this book which sometimes went elsewhere. But the latter part seemed to run out of steam and filled with synopsis of plays etc. What did come across was an extremely nice man. That I can confirm as being his neighbour for a number of years. 
  • RedRyan said
    stonemuse said:
    The Institute - Stephen King ... back to his best, excellent read

    @Lincsaddick @Fanny Fanackapan

    Preordered the paperback which releases on Thursday based on this recommendation!
    My copy arrived today.

    Can,t wait to devour it !
  • edited July 2020
    The Keys to the Street - Ruth Rendell. First novel of hers that I have read. A standalone story that while it is never boring, it plods a bit at times. Set around Regents Park the murderous part of the plot deals with someone killing homeless people, but it is mainly about a young woman and her relationship with her abusive former fiancee, and the stranger to whom she anonymously the donated bone marrow that saved his life. 

    The author also seems to have an obsession with describing flowers on the trees and bushes in gardens and the park.      
  • Patti Smith’s Just Kids. Really interesting on the late 60s / early 70s music and arts scenes and really well written.
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  • For anyone who has been working their way through the David Lagercrantz continuation of the Stieg Larsson Millennium trilogy.

    Lagercrantz‘s third book (the sixth in the series) titled The Girl Who Lived Twice is currently on special offer at £0.99 on Amazon for the Kindle edition until midnight on 31 July.

  • Just finished the trilogy of Cicero books by Robert Harris. Another great recommendation from this thread. 

    NLA was like a harder looking modern day version of Cicero last Friday in Woolwich. 
  • A Sorrow Beyond Dreams by Peter Handke. Poignant book about life, death, suicide. Not for everyone, perhaps, but wonderful writing by a controversial guy, and great storyteller.
  • Just finished the trilogy of Cicero books by Robert Harris. Another great recommendation from this thread. 

    NLA was like a harder looking modern day version of Cicero last Friday in Woolwich. 
    They're fantastic. If you fancy some more Roman fiction and haven't read it yet, I Claudius more or less continues the story
  • Waging heavy peace, Niel Young,  pretty much as you would expect but a nice little book. 
  • Back to Iain M Banks; having left my copy of Feersum Endjinn on a plane last year and having recently read Diary Of A Bookseller (which is OK) I decided to get a second-hand hardback copy. When it arrived from Abe Books I found it to be a signed copy! I’m reading it again now and I love the quirkiness of it and the descriptions of the sheer scale of the “fastness”. Today I received hardback copies of Inversions and Look To Windward and one of these is signed too. He must have signed a lot of books!
  • Little Bones by Sam Blake. First novel by the publishing consultant turned author Vanessa O'Loughlin. Set mostly in Dublin the heroine is a kickboxing, bright Garda detective called Cathy Connelly. She has also discovered that she is pregnant from a one night stand with a friend. Despite the unlikely premise, she is a very believable character. The book isn't perfect, I was just a little confused on occasion, but the story is clever and original and I really enjoyed it. I will be keeping my eye out for the next two books in the series.   
  • For anyone who has been working their way through the David Lagercrantz continuation of the Stieg Larsson Millennium trilogy.

    Lagercrantz‘s third book (the sixth in the series) titled The Girl Who Lived Twice is currently on special offer at £0.99 on Amazon for the Kindle edition until midnight on 31 July.

    Many thanks for reminding me as I didn't realise he had written 3 books. 
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  • Dead Lions - Mick Herron

    2nd in the series of 'failed' MI5 officers. Just as good as the first book and I am not surprised the author has picked up so many awards. 

    Have already purchased the 3rd and the 4th in the series. 

    Comparisons have been made to Len Deighton, Graham Greene, and Evelyn Waugh, although I see him as a stand-alone. A thriller writer who can combine spies, humour, parody, and great characters. Rumours are that Gary Oldman is being lined up to take on the lead role in a movie of the first book, Slow Horses ... hope it's true. 
  • I shall keep a look out for him D. Looks like they would be right up my street. Cheers mate. 

  • I shall keep a look out for him D. Looks like they would be right up my street. Cheers mate. 

    you will definitely enjoy it P
  • 'Masked Prey' .. John Sandford .. he is in his mid 70s and has been writing this stuff for over 30 years .. and just gets better and better .. police and political novels at their very best

    Been reading lots of other stuff as well .. variety is the spice of  ............
  • Heard a little about Evy Poumpouras, enough to make me want to know more.

    A Special Agent for the United States Secret Service for over 12 years, worked on the Presidential Protective Division for President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama. Has protected presidents George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and George H.W. Bush. A criminal investigator, has worked undercover, been an interrogator for the Secret Service’s elite polygraph unit, highly trained in the art of lie detection, human behavior, and cognitive influence. Evy’s heroic efforts as a first responder during the 9/11 terror attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City earned her the U.S. Secret Service Valor Award. 

    If that's not enough Evy is an adjunct professor for The City University of New York, where she teaches criminal justice and criminology.  Evy holds an MA in Forensic Psychology and an MS in Journalism from Columbia University.

    That said, I found her book 'Becoming Bulletproof' really boring.  Not the story of daring doo that I'd hoped for.  It is basically a very American self help book in the art of taking care of yourself and mental strength. I gave up on the book soon after deciding that I had no intention of introducing myself at the local police and fire stations.  I also figured that I wouldn't be asking the security guard at the mall to walk me to the car. 

    Evy talks a lot about the F3 response (flight, fight or freeze).  I'm afraid I froze at about page 75.  
    I bought this as I am into self defence, fitness, combat and all that .. I don't think this is a book to sit down and read cover to cover .. it's more of a manual. Use the index and find what you want, read it in small bursts .. AND don't mess with Evy ((:>)
  • I’ve never been interested in hoolie books but found this in a charity shop. Really good read.
    “Found this in a charity shop...”

    that old chestnut 😉
  • Been catching up on my back issues of VOTV recently.
  • One Two Three Four The Beatles in time.

    A very pleasant read, crammed with anecdotes and nostalgia.  Just right for a little escape from the difficult times we face today.

    One thing that really struck me is the similarity of the two photos below.  The pose, the newspaper, the fire, the bookcase. Bottom one is John Lennon's Aunt Mimi with a photograph of the superstar in the background.  The top one is my Mum with a photograph of your's truly superstar  'airy arsed engineer' (retired) in the background. 


  • Not reading but finished the audiobook on the Birdsong book. Loved the book, one of the very few books I read twice, audiobook is superb too

    Would highly recommend if you have any interest in WWI novels 
  • One Two Three Four The Beatles in time.

    A very pleasant read, crammed with anecdotes and nostalgia.  Just right for a little escape from the difficult times we face today.

    One thing that really struck me is the similarity of the two photos below.  The pose, the newspaper, the fire, the bookcase. Bottom one is John Lennon's Aunt Mimi with a photograph of the superstar in the background.  The top one is my Mum with a photograph of your's truly superstar  'airy arsed engineer' (retired) in the background. 


    Will try and get hold of this. I really liked 'Ma'am Darling', Craig Brown's earlier book. The success of 'The Crown' has led to really big sales in the USA.

    A remarkable similarity in the two photos - except for the TV in Lennon's Aunt Mimi and the piano in your mum's.
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