[cite]Posted By: IdleHans[/cite]How I Escaped My Certain Fate - Stewart Lee
One of those books that makes commuting a positive pleasure - cant wait to get on the train to read it. Has had me in stitches several times already, and the extensive footnotes are full of throwaway jokes. Shows how Lee's comedy is studiously constructed and given a great deal of thought.
Looking forward to reading this next week when I get enough spare time to give it the attention.
[cite]Posted By: IdleHans[/cite]How I Escaped My Certain Fate - Stewart Lee
One of those books that makes commuting a positive pleasure - cant wait to get on the train to read it. Has had me in stitches several times already, and the extensive footnotes are full of throwaway jokes. Shows how Lee's comedy is studiously constructed and given a great deal of thought.
Need a book or two for the Hartlepool away coach, this is on the agenda for sure.
For those like me who like a little light reading on holiday try One Day by David Nicholls. Bloke who wrote Starter for 10. Lovely book, romantic, touching and sad...... And read it quickly before the film comes out and ruins it.
The Ghost was a good read but crap film.
I mainly read cricket books and autobiogrphies. Just read Blair's. I'm sorry but I find him fascinating. I'm a big fan of him.
[cite]Posted By: Chirpy Red[/cite]For those like me who like a little light reading on holiday try One Day by David Nicholls. Bloke who wrote Starter for 10. Lovely book, romantic, touching and sad...... And read it quickly before the film comes out and ruins it.
The Ghost was a good read but crap film.
I mainly read cricket books and autobiogrphies. Just read Blair's. I'm sorry but I fine him fascinating. I'm a big fan of him.
I'm thinking of giving his a go. I can't say how much I hate the man but he does intrigue me
[cite]Posted By: Chirpy Red[/cite]For those like me who like a little light reading on holiday try One Day by David Nicholls. Bloke who wrote Starter for 10. Lovely book, romantic, touching and sad...... And read it quickly before the film comes out and ruins it.
One Day is a superb book, agree with you Chirpy, get it before the film.
Couple of books I've read so far this year that I real like
Alone in Berlin by Hans Falluda, written in the late 40s but amazingly not translated into English until last year. Based on a true story of a working class couple opposed to the Nazis who distribute handwritten postcards denouncing Hitler and his cronies and the Gestapo's hunt for them. The first time I've ever missed my stop on the train because I was so engrossed.
The second in Knyastan's series covering Britain between 1945 and 1979 this is brillian history. So well balanced, covering the big events, politics, sport, art and everyday things like shopping and TV. Analysis is really well interspersed with quotes from letters and diaries from ordinary people. As with the first in the series Knyastan is particularly good on the housing crisis and dilemma between building upwards (horrible tower blocks) or outwards (dreary suburbs with no coommunity despoiling the countryside). I also learnt that Bobby Charlton's debut was against his namesakes.
[cite]Posted By: Bagpuss[/cite]Thought this was worth bumping.
I'm reading "The Small House at Allington" by Anthony Trollope - 5th in his 6 book Barset series. He really knows how to string words together, and if that recommendation isn't enough, he also invented the pillar box.
Before that it was "Black Dahlia" by James Ellroy, which is in the same series as LA Confidential - brilliant crime stories about as far away form the world of Anthony Trollope as possible.
Any Ellroy/Trollope fans out there?
Love Ellroy. Went to see him do a reading in October last year in Bloomsbury. Read all the LA quartet and the underworld USA trilogy. Not read the memoirs though.
Jints, I'm reading Alone In Berlin at the moment. Very good although there's a lot of hype around it currently. On a similar theme I think I prefer the Berlin Noir trilogy by Philip Kerr (but will save judgement til I'm done with AIB).
I love books on football in different parts of the world ? Anyone got any suggestions ? I’ve read mostly everything I could find on Amazon, but maybe there’s some other stuff out there that I’m missing.
After reading this thread I think I’ll give the Derek Dougan auto biog a go – sounds really interesting.
I might be preaching to the converted here, but I just wanted to say that, as most of you are probably aware, many (if not all) local authorities in the country are cutting Library hours, or closing branches all together. Please support your local library if you don't already, they are a vital part of communities, for old and young alike, if you haven't been for a while, and are still under the impression they are dark, dusty places full of battleaxe type librarians, pop along you will be pleasantly suprised! Libraries aren't just about books, many offer internet and wi-fi use, dvds, cds,magazines, and most importantly help and advice on any topic or problem you have. Thanks for listening, it may not make a difference in the short term, but continued use and support will hopefully secure libraries long term future.
[cite]Posted By: bibble[/cite]Keith Richards - Life
Brilliant, one of the best autobios I have read, great tour of dartford at the beginning too!
Highly recommended ... one of the best music books ever ... incredible recall for events considering how out of it he was .... first 100 pages cover Dartford, Bexleyheath, Sidcup etc.
[cite]Posted By: Bagpuss[/cite]Thought this was worth bumping.
I'm reading "The Small House at Allington" by Anthony Trollope - 5th in his 6 book Barset series. He really knows how to string words together, and if that recommendation isn't enough, he also invented the pillar box.
Before that it was "Black Dahlia" by James Ellroy, which is in the same series as LA Confidential - brilliant crime stories about as far away form the world of Anthony Trollope as possible.
Any Ellroy/Trollope fans out there?
Love Ellroy. Went to see him do a reading in October last year in Bloomsbury. Read all the LA quartet and the underworld USA trilogy. Not read the memoirs though.
Jints, I'm reading Alone In Berlin at the moment. Very good although there's a lot of hype around it currently. On a similar theme I think I prefer the Berlin Noir trilogy by Philip Kerr (but will save judgement til I'm done with AIB).
I just finished Blood's A Rover by Ellroy - I enjoyed it (just) but found it quite hard going in terms of understanding all the 60s American slang. I've also read one of the Gunther novels by Philip Kerr, very good.
Thought I'd give Chuck Palahniuk a go considering he's a big name writer and I'd never read anything of his. Let's just say I wish a car hit me on the way to the bookshop. 'Choke' is definitely the stupidest novel I've ever come across. The characters are so one dimensional it's like they were trained by Sam Allardyce.
Also read 'Kafka on the Shore' by Murakami which I thought was superb. Was going to read 'The Wind Up Bird Chronicle' but I get the sense it might be a bit samey? Maybe a Murakami fan could help me out here.
Picked up 'The Game' as well (limited choice of books in cambodia) but was pleasantly suprised. Thought it was well written, a good story and absolutely hilarious in parts. Can't say I see any of the techniques working on some bird in bexleyheath though.
Also read The Count of Monte Cristo which despite lacking in a bit of depth is a cracking story and very enjoyable.
Now I'm reading 'The Undercover Economist' which is a bit preachy in parts but pretty interesting altogether.
[cite]Posted By: Chunes[/cite]
Picked up 'The Game' as well (limited choice of books in cambodia) but was pleasantly suprised. Thought it was well written, a good story and absolutely hilarious in parts. Can't say I see any of the techniques working on some bird in bexleyheath though.
Ha ha i read that years ago and you're right....try any of the stunts round this neck of the woods and you'd end up in A&E quicker than you could say "Average Frustrated Chump"
Also neglects to tell you that one of the main protagonists (Mystery) is 6'4", absolutely minted and looks very much a male model.... which im sure helped him on his conquests.
[cite]Posted By: stonemuse[/cite]Currently reading Our Man in Hibernia by Charlie Connelly ... excellent and includes the usual obligatory Charlton references
Me too Dave...
Just finished The Fry Chronicles and also The Narrows by Michael Connelly - love a Harry Bosch novel me...
"I just finished Blood's A Rover by Ellroy - I enjoyed it (just) but found it quite hard going in terms of understanding all the 60s American slang." Heath Hero
Have you read the first two - American Tabloid and The Cold Six Thousand? Takes a little while to get into the rhythm of Ellroy's writing. By his own admission Cold Six is difficult to read, although plot-wise it's my favourite of the three.
Blood's A Rover is great, particularly the Haiti/DR stuff, but the historical context isn't as exciting as that covered in the first two (both Kennedy and King assassinations, vietnam etc). Plus Big Pete isn't in it and he's Ellroy's best creation.
Also read 'Kafka on the Shore' by Murakami which I thought was superb. Was going to read 'The Wind Up Bird Chronicle' but I get the sense it might be a bit samey? Maybe a Murakami fan could help me out here.
Clunes, I wouldn't say that Murakami's books are exactly samey but they generally do feature a rational person (usually a man in his 20s or 30s) to whom really weird things happen. As it happens, I recall that Kafka on the Shore was something of an exception to this. I personally thought Kafka was one of his weaker novels.
Wind Up Bird Chronicle is excellent but you might consider starting with some of his earlier, shorter, novels to see if you like the style. "A Wild Sheep's Chase" and "The Hardboiled Wonderland..." are my favourites.
You might also enjoy David Mitchell's (from Cloud Atlas rather than Peep Show fame) homage/pastiche of Murakami "Number 9 Dream". Everything Mitchell does is top notch in my view.
Just found this thread. Impressive - I wonder if they've got one on the Millwall forum. I'm half way through Richard Evans' 'Third Reich' series. Superb books.
as I don't know many modern day authors, i always felt confused when I went into a bookshop. so I decided to print out the top 50 most popular books of all time and use that as my reference.
just finished " blood meridian " by cormack mccarthy, which I enjoyed but found the landscape he paints, to be as bleak as " the road ", nevertheless still very enjoyable.
now reading philip pullmans " northern lights " I found it in the sci fi section, clearly a childrens book, as was " lord of the rings " but still enjoyable for adults.
the trouble also with not knowing the current day authors, I always get someone saying read that years ago, which only goes to bl@@dy show how far behind the times I am!%~{>
Probably been mentioned already, but Bravo Two Zero my Andy McNab is a great book, telling of the true story of the infamous mission where they got caught behind enemy lines. McNab isnt the best writer in the world, but you can tell he knows what he is talking about and its a great story.
I would also recomend anything by Dan Brown, his books are very good.
Currently reading "34" by William Burke - about the brother of Hermann Goering who basically spent the war years trying to undo as much of the evil that his brother was involved as he could.
The author - Will is a mate of mine of sorts, being the barman in a pub I used to frequent.
Talking of numbers, 'The 33', the story of the trapped Chilean miners is out tomorrow. Probably best read in a very dark room by torchlight or wearing a miner's helmet & lamp.
Comments
Looking forward to reading this next week when I get enough spare time to give it the attention.
read it a few weeks ago ... very funny.
Fantastic book
Need a book or two for the Hartlepool away coach, this is on the agenda for sure.
Have you given The Amateurs a go yet? Not quite as good as Kill Your Friends but very, very funny indeed.
The Ghost was a good read but crap film.
I mainly read cricket books and autobiogrphies. Just read Blair's. I'm sorry but I find him fascinating. I'm a big fan of him.
I'm thinking of giving his a go. I can't say how much I hate the man but he does intrigue me
Brilliant, one of the best autobios I have read, great tour of dartford at the beginning too!
One for the ladies or your wives/girlfriends is The Source - a manual of everyday magic by Ursula James
If any of you are, or know anyone who is into spiritual awareness, personal empowerment etc then this is perfect.
One for the blokes is Eagle by Jack Hight. Reminds me a bit of Matthew Reilly, Dan Brown etc.
One Day is a superb book, agree with you Chirpy, get it before the film.
Alone in Berlin by Hans Falluda, written in the late 40s but amazingly not translated into English until last year. Based on a true story of a working class couple opposed to the Nazis who distribute handwritten postcards denouncing Hitler and his cronies and the Gestapo's hunt for them. The first time I've ever missed my stop on the train because I was so engrossed.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Alone-Berlin-Penguin-Modern-Classics/dp/014118938X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1297348738&sr=1-1
Family Britain 1951-57 by David Knyastan
The second in Knyastan's series covering Britain between 1945 and 1979 this is brillian history. So well balanced, covering the big events, politics, sport, art and everyday things like shopping and TV. Analysis is really well interspersed with quotes from letters and diaries from ordinary people. As with the first in the series Knyastan is particularly good on the housing crisis and dilemma between building upwards (horrible tower blocks) or outwards (dreary suburbs with no coommunity despoiling the countryside). I also learnt that Bobby Charlton's debut was against his namesakes.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Family-Britain-1951-1957-Tales-Jerusalem/dp/1408800837/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1297348965&sr=1-1
Love Ellroy. Went to see him do a reading in October last year in Bloomsbury. Read all the LA quartet and the underworld USA trilogy. Not read the memoirs though.
Jints, I'm reading Alone In Berlin at the moment. Very good although there's a lot of hype around it currently. On a similar theme I think I prefer the Berlin Noir trilogy by Philip Kerr (but will save judgement til I'm done with AIB).
After reading this thread I think I’ll give the Derek Dougan auto biog a go – sounds really interesting.
Libraries aren't just about books, many offer internet and wi-fi use, dvds, cds,magazines, and most importantly help and advice on any topic or problem you have.
Thanks for listening, it may not make a difference in the short term, but continued use and support will hopefully secure libraries long term future.
Highly recommended ... one of the best music books ever ... incredible recall for events considering how out of it he was .... first 100 pages cover Dartford, Bexleyheath, Sidcup etc.
Really enjoyed this book.
I just finished Blood's A Rover by Ellroy - I enjoyed it (just) but found it quite hard going in terms of understanding all the 60s American slang. I've also read one of the Gunther novels by Philip Kerr, very good.
Just borrowed "One Day" - that's next - agree with the contrast between "Starter for 10" book (brilliant) and film (awful)
Anyone watching the Sebastian Faulks series on the box? This is generating a reading list for me.
Also read 'Kafka on the Shore' by Murakami which I thought was superb. Was going to read 'The Wind Up Bird Chronicle' but I get the sense it might be a bit samey? Maybe a Murakami fan could help me out here.
Picked up 'The Game' as well (limited choice of books in cambodia) but was pleasantly suprised. Thought it was well written, a good story and absolutely hilarious in parts. Can't say I see any of the techniques working on some bird in bexleyheath though.
Also read The Count of Monte Cristo which despite lacking in a bit of depth is a cracking story and very enjoyable.
Now I'm reading 'The Undercover Economist' which is a bit preachy in parts but pretty interesting altogether.
Ha ha i read that years ago and you're right....try any of the stunts round this neck of the woods and you'd end up in A&E quicker than you could say "Average Frustrated Chump"
Also neglects to tell you that one of the main protagonists (Mystery) is 6'4", absolutely minted and looks very much a male model.... which im sure helped him on his conquests.
Great read though.
Me too Dave...
Just finished The Fry Chronicles and also The Narrows by Michael Connelly - love a Harry Bosch novel me...
Have you read the first two - American Tabloid and The Cold Six Thousand? Takes a little while to get into the rhythm of Ellroy's writing. By his own admission Cold Six is difficult to read, although plot-wise it's my favourite of the three.
Blood's A Rover is great, particularly the Haiti/DR stuff, but the historical context isn't as exciting as that covered in the first two (both Kennedy and King assassinations, vietnam etc). Plus Big Pete isn't in it and he's Ellroy's best creation.
Clunes, I wouldn't say that Murakami's books are exactly samey but they generally do feature a rational person (usually a man in his 20s or 30s) to whom really weird things happen. As it happens, I recall that Kafka on the Shore was something of an exception to this. I personally thought Kafka was one of his weaker novels.
Wind Up Bird Chronicle is excellent but you might consider starting with some of his earlier, shorter, novels to see if you like the style. "A Wild Sheep's Chase" and "The Hardboiled Wonderland..." are my favourites.
You might also enjoy David Mitchell's (from Cloud Atlas rather than Peep Show fame) homage/pastiche of Murakami "Number 9 Dream". Everything Mitchell does is top notch in my view.
just finished " blood meridian " by cormack mccarthy, which I enjoyed but found the landscape he paints, to be as bleak as " the road ", nevertheless still very enjoyable.
now reading philip pullmans " northern lights " I found it in the sci fi section, clearly a childrens book, as was " lord of the rings " but still enjoyable for adults.
the trouble also with not knowing the current day authors, I always get someone saying read that years ago, which only goes to bl@@dy show how far behind the times I am!%~{>
I would also recomend anything by Dan Brown, his books are very good.
This is a wind up, right?
The author - Will is a mate of mine of sorts, being the barman in a pub I used to frequent.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Thirty-Four-William-Hastings-Burke/dp/0956371205