Having read all the books I guess you build up your own vision of how Grace should look. John Simm doesn't fit my vision. I think of someone taller and more thickset. Didn't Grace have some connection with the police rugby team.
It's the same with Rebus. I always thought Ken Stott was a better fit for Rebus rather than John Hannah.
Have just finished The Giver of Stars, a novel by Jojo Moyes having heard her describe the book on Saturday Live on the radio.
Story covers an initiative promoted by Eleanor Roosevelt in the late 1930s to promote literacy and education (particularly women) to those in more isolated areas. Story is set in Kentucky where a group of women set up a so-called "packhorse" library, riding out each day to far flung homesteads to lend people books. A lot of the story is around how these women overcome antagonism towards the initiative by some (particularly men) in small town Kentucky and their personal relationships (yuk!) but on the whole I quite enjoyed it.
Going on next to a Jo Nesbo/Harry Hole book and then maybe Richard Osman's book.
The other book I heard about recently which sounds interesting, again on Saturday Live, is "Treasures of World History: The story of civilization in 50 documents" by Peter Snow (he of the election swingometer) and his wife Ann Macmillan. On the radio, Snow said that they tried to select 50 documents that depicted world history, some (e.g. the Magna Carta) more obvious than others.
This is a short book featuring, but not exclusively, the famous 19th and early 20th Century cricketer WG Grace.
It probably does help to have an interest in the game of cricket but there is comment also on Victorian Society as the lives of the participants in the 1898 Gentlemen v Players Match, which, by design, coincided with WG's 50th Birthday hence the title, are analysed making the book an interesting social commentary as well as 'a cricket book' as the divisions in cricket at the time, exemplified by Gentlemen and Players, are considered in a broader context.
I enjoyed it and it is only 150 pages or so.
I have been inspired now to read Robert Low's biography entitled W.G. I will report further in due course.
I really like David Knystan though I wish he'd hurry up with the next volume of his New Jerauslam series.
I read Richard Tomlinson's biog of WG earlier this year. It was fine in terms of narrative but didn't leave you with much of an idea of what WG was like as a man. Hope you get better insights with Robert Low's.
Yesterday, I finished The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead. It took me a while to get into his groove, if you will. However, this is a moving and often shocking story, familiar territory but with some dramatic surprises.
"The Vig" by John Lescroart. The second in the Dismas Hardy series. You can see how Lescroart has developed as a writer from his debut. The plot flows a lot better, and the main characters are becoming like old friends. It is - of course - a murder mystery, but without the body of the main victim. The direction changes throughout the book and keeps you guessing, the way that Hardy works things out is very well explained, so that you come to the same conclusions as he does at the same time. I look forward to the third in the series.
I’ve just finished “The Gate House” by Nelson DeMille, an author I hadn’t come across before. It was a book you never wanted to put down though at nearly 900 pages there was no choice. It was written mainly in the first person, exciting and laugh out loud funny especially John Sutter’s comments about his mother who he loathed and his parents in law, the same. Thoroughly recommend it.
I’ve just finished “The Gate House” by Nelson DeMille, an author I hadn’t come across before. It was a book you never wanted to put down though at nearly 900 pages there was no choice. It was written mainly in the first person, exciting and laugh out loud funny especially John Sutter’s comments about his mother who he loathed and his parents in law, the same. Thoroughly recommend it.
DeMille is prolific .. try 'Gold Coast', written 30 years ago but still relevant
I’ve just finished “The Gate House” by Nelson DeMille, an author I hadn’t come across before. It was a book you never wanted to put down though at nearly 900 pages there was no choice. It was written mainly in the first person, exciting and laugh out loud funny especially John Sutter’s comments about his mother who he loathed and his parents in law, the same. Thoroughly recommend it.
DeMille is prolific .. try 'Gold Coast', written 30 years ago but still relevant
I’ve just finished “The Gate House” by Nelson DeMille, an author I hadn’t come across before. It was a book you never wanted to put down though at nearly 900 pages there was no choice. It was written mainly in the first person, exciting and laugh out loud funny especially John Sutter’s comments about his mother who he loathed and his parents in law, the same. Thoroughly recommend it.
DeMille is prolific .. try 'Gold Coast', written 30 years ago but still relevant
I’ve just finished “The Gate House” by Nelson DeMille, an author I hadn’t come across before. It was a book you never wanted to put down though at nearly 900 pages there was no choice. It was written mainly in the first person, exciting and laugh out loud funny especially John Sutter’s comments about his mother who he loathed and his parents in law, the same. Thoroughly recommend it.
DeMille is prolific .. try 'Gold Coast', written 30 years ago but still relevant
Sorry about the repeats. Don’t know what went wrong there.
My niece bought me this as a birthday present, seems to have had good reviews but can’t really get into it but persisting!
Only half way through and no guffaws or laffs really so far, a couple of sniggers maybe!
It reads a bit like a Carry On film bit of a preposterous farce but without Babs Windsor’s boobs!
It's good fun, but don't bother wih the sequel which was just the author cashing in on his success. The one about the King of Sweden is quite good though.
I’ve just finished “The Gate House” by Nelson DeMille, an author I hadn’t come across before. It was a book you never wanted to put down though at nearly 900 pages there was no choice. It was written mainly in the first person, exciting and laugh out loud funny especially John Sutter’s comments about his mother who he loathed and his parents in law, the same. Thoroughly recommend it.
DeMille is prolific .. try 'Gold Coast', written 30 years ago but still relevant
I’ve just finished “The Gate House” by Nelson DeMille, an author I hadn’t come across before. It was a book you never wanted to put down though at nearly 900 pages there was no choice. It was written mainly in the first person, exciting and laugh out loud funny especially John Sutter’s comments about his mother who he loathed and his parents in law, the same. Thoroughly recommend it.
DeMille is prolific .. try 'Gold Coast', written 30 years ago but still relevant
I’ve just finished “The Gate House” by Nelson DeMille, an author I hadn’t come across before. It was a book you never wanted to put down though at nearly 900 pages there was no choice. It was written mainly in the first person, exciting and laugh out loud funny especially John Sutter’s comments about his mother who he loathed and his parents in law, the same. Thoroughly recommend it.
DeMille is prolific .. try 'Gold Coast', written 30 years ago but still relevant
Sorry about the repeats. Don’t know what went wrong there.
Some Lie and Some Die - Ruth Rendell. One of the Inspector Wexford series. Compared with modern detective thrillers, a bit slow moving. Plenty of "purple prose" and her obsession with describing flowers and trees is also apparent. But it is a good story, and Wexford is very likeable as a character. I will read more of her books, but just once in a while.
Have just finished the exciting thriller “Hellbent” by Gregg Hurwitz. They always seem to get well known writers write a recommendation in the front. David Baldacci wrote - Read this book. Thank me later.
I’ve just finished “The Gate House” by Nelson DeMille, an author I hadn’t come across before. It was a book you never wanted to put down though at nearly 900 pages there was no choice. It was written mainly in the first person, exciting and laugh out loud funny especially John Sutter’s comments about his mother who he loathed and his parents in law, the same. Thoroughly recommend it.
DeMille is prolific .. try 'Gold Coast', written 30 years ago but still relevant
Quite a few have recurring characters so make sure you don’t read out of order.
One of my favourite books of his is The Charm School
Comments
It's the same with Rebus. I always thought Ken Stott was a better fit for Rebus rather than John Hannah.
Story covers an initiative promoted by Eleanor Roosevelt in the late 1930s to promote literacy and education (particularly women) to those in more isolated areas. Story is set in Kentucky where a group of women set up a so-called "packhorse" library, riding out each day to far flung homesteads to lend people books. A lot of the story is around how these women overcome antagonism towards the initiative by some (particularly men) in small town Kentucky and their personal relationships (yuk!) but on the whole I quite enjoyed it.
Going on next to a Jo Nesbo/Harry Hole book and then maybe Richard Osman's book.
The other book I heard about recently which sounds interesting, again on Saturday Live, is "Treasures of World History: The story of civilization in 50 documents" by Peter Snow (he of the election swingometer) and his wife Ann Macmillan. On the radio, Snow said that they tried to select 50 documents that depicted world history, some (e.g. the Magna Carta) more obvious than others.
"The really stupid thing about him, above all the other stupid things, was that he was a Millwall supporter"
This is a short book featuring, but not exclusively, the famous 19th and early 20th Century cricketer WG Grace.
It probably does help to have an interest in the game of cricket but there is comment also on Victorian Society as the lives of the participants in the 1898 Gentlemen v Players Match, which, by design, coincided with WG's 50th Birthday hence the title, are analysed making the book an interesting social commentary as well as 'a cricket book' as the divisions in cricket at the time, exemplified by Gentlemen and Players, are considered in a broader context.
I enjoyed it and it is only 150 pages or so.
I have been inspired now to read Robert Low's biography entitled W.G. I will report further in due course.
I read Richard Tomlinson's biog of WG earlier this year. It was fine in terms of narrative but didn't leave you with much of an idea of what WG was like as a man. Hope you get better insights with Robert Low's.
My niece bought me this as a birthday present, seems to have had good reviews but can’t really get into it but persisting!
Only half way through and no guffaws or laffs really so far, a couple of sniggers maybe!
It reads a bit like a Carry On film, bit of a preposterous farce but without Babs Windsor’s boobs!
Lifts the lid on life in North Korea and people trafficking between NK and China. Truly shocking.