TIPS, Elroy is great, no doubt about it.
I just finished Neil Stephenson's "Anathem". 900 pages of philosophy and a "World Burner". Pretty hard going at times but if you are a fan of his it's well worth it. Lots of stuff about multi cosmos and leakage between them. Also physics, math and Kung-Fu.
Ted
Hi,
Just finished "Sting of the Scorpion; The inside story of the Long Range Desert Group" which I picked up at a local remainder shop recently. An excellent thrilling read :) , I'm now going to try and get a copy of the Lloyd Owen book "Providence their Guide", which runs along similar lines and having read it before but a looong time ago I think another read is in order,
Cheers, Richie :wink:
I started reading 'Wilt' after Tom Sharpe crashed into my Morris Traveller with his jag, in Dorchester, 20 years ago.
(he crunched my nearside wing, got it fixed, went to his house, he gave me the cash. Nice chap)
Really funny author, you wont be able to hold in the merth :lol: .
I'm reading another Inspector Banks book by Peter Robinson. Excellent story and well-written.
Eddie
Whole chunks of my life come under the heading "it seemed like a good idea at the time".
Homicide- David Simon and Richard Price.
If you liked the wire you will love this.
C.J.Sansom's Revelation, part of the Shardlake series of detective stories (sort of) set in early Tudor England (London, mostly). The whole series is good. Perfect for train journeys.
Best wishes,
Bob
"Goodbye to All That" at the moment. Excellent book, can't really understand how I've never got round to reading it before.
"Moscow Rules" by Daniel Silva. His latest featuring Israeli super-agent Gabriel Allon. I like this character and the series.
Blood River by Tim Butcher
Fascinating account of a journalist tracing Stanley's journey down the R Congo (2004 I think)
Interesting fact: The infrastructure of Congo is in far worse order than it was 100 years ago
Reading this caused me to re-read Conrad's Heart of Darkness
The horror, the horror!
About 9 years ago a colleague had said his wife had got him hooked upon a series of scifi/fantasy books. My colleague (OK, a guy who worked down the hall) is a respected immuno-geneticist and physician, and I think his wife is also a physician, but you still never know about literary taste - smart doesn't mean always mean tasteful. It was the Scifi/Fantasy epic book series "Wheel of Time" by Robert Jordan. It's a series of books on the New York Times Best Sellers List. (I usually stay clear of the NYTBSL books). I think every single book in the series is at least 600 pages long (most are 800p), with one exception. Anyway, about 5 month ago I happen to come across the exception, the prequel, at about 300pg, in the bargain bin at some store for $0.99, in hardcover no less. Anyway, I remembered this guy RAVING about this series, and how he couldn't put it down (he said the same thing, how he generally didn't like fantasy genre, but his wife had goaded him into trying the first book then he got hooked). So, here was the prequel; the start of it all; I wouldn't be starting in the middle of a series like I usually do; it's short; and it's not even $1. What could I loose? And, of course I got hooked too.
So, it took about 2 months, but now approximately 10,000 pages later I'm stuck. I've gone through 11 volumes of a 12 volume series, plus the prequel. I waited and waited and waited, then I did what I promised I wouldn't do; I looked online to see when the next, and last, volume would be published as all the other books had been published within 2 years of each other (and most within 1 year), and the last book was published in 2007 — Robert Jordan died in September 2007. :shock: Sure, there is SUPPOSED to be a ghost writer (literally) cobbling together a final volume 12, which may or may not come out in about a year. But I can't believe I finally started reading this series after not reading it for almost 10 years, then having my legs kicked out from under me by finding out the author was already dead.
BTW - very good series. Has its weaknesses, but Jordan can really pull you in, certainly at the beginning of the cycle, making you care about the characters. Kind of gets a little weak in the middle, but not enough to stop you reading the series (has happened to me with other authors), but gets better again in the 10th and 11th volumes. Still has its ups and downs, but not bad for an epic of such scope/length. Like a lot of good action writers of this generation Jordan had seen military action, he in Vietnam as a helicopter gunner, plus he has had "proper" military training as a student at The Citadel.
As Far as My Feet Will Carry Me: The Extraordinary True Story of One Man's Escape from a Siberian Labor Camp and His 3-Year Trek to Freedom
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Far-Feet-Will-C ... 820&sr=8-2
Barry Sheene's Story - Steve Parrish. Anyone who watched him race, this books a must. Its no holds bared, warts and all. Like all hero's Sheene was larger than life, travelled everywhere in a Rolls, he was known affectionately as the Wing Commander, his squadron made up of others such as James Hunt, George Harrison, members of the Royal family.
The book starts with his tragic death, but soon rewinds into his glory years of the 70's & 80's. Long live heros such as Sheene their like will never be seen again! :D
Rivka Galchen: Atmospheric Disturbances.
Wonderful, and so well written it is hard to believe it is a debut novel. Read it, you wont regret it :)
Cheers,
Mabuse
.
Just finished Woody Guthries' "Bound for Glory" less of an autobiography than a collection of incidents from his life told in fantastic detail. Godd stuff about life as a hobo on the trains and tales of the bar rooms ! :)
Just finished reading "Moondust" by Andrew Smith (talks about the Apollo Moon Programme and in particular Andrew Smith's search for the remaining Moonwalkers and the ensuing interviews). A couple of days ago I re-read James Lovelocks' "The Revenge of Gaia" (about Earth behaving as a living and self regulating organism) and am now re-reading Ayn Rands' "Atlas Shrugged" for probably the 4th or 5th time. Next on the list is "The Making of the Atomic Bomb" by Richard Rhodes...
I never actually managed to make it all the way through Stendhal's The Red and the Black, but I'm now reading his The Charterhouse of Parma and I'm enjoying it.
Best wishes,
Bob
just finshied prisoner of birth by jeffery archer it s superb one of the ebst ive read in the past couple of years
I've just ordered - or I think I have, as I haven't had a confirmation email - Seven Miles Down by Piccard. The book was £8 and the postage £16 - from Ireland :evil:
Currently reading encyclopeadia Metallica. Bloody brilliant but then i would say that:-)
Paul
GOT...TO...KILL...CAPTAIN STUPID!
My Daughter has discovered Douglas Adams Hitchhiker series so I'm a book behind her. She is on book three, they are very fast reads but still fun. We watched the BBC series last weekend. She didn't like Zaphod though.
Don't know why you're complaining. I've been looking for a copy online and the cheapest I've found it US$50 in South Africa, and that's before any postage has been added. Where did you get yours?Originally Posted by Seabadger
Just ordered "The Goshawk" by T H White on recommendation of a friend on the blades forum and I'll let you know how that one goes.
Just finished "Falconer's Tale" by Gordon Kent and while not really about falconry to any great extent it is a well-written and enjoyable novel.
2 good ones :The Damned Utd which will soon be a film and The Diceman which would be a great film but they would probably ruin it like Fear & Loathing In Las Vegas.
Martin
If you're still after a copy of Seven Miles by Piccard, have a look at http://www.abe.co.uk. They have at least one copy at £15.
Regards
Steve
As far as my feet will carry me- Josef M. Bauer
Jeepers he goes through it.
AbeBooks as well. There was one in Germany, which turned out to have already have sold, and one in Ireland, which is the one on the way to me - presumably by flying unicorn, given the price.Don't know why you're complaining. I've been looking for a copy online and the cheapest I've found it US$50 in South Africa, and that's before any postage has been added. Where did you get yours?
Whilst I'm waiting for that, I'm reading "Breaking into Heaven - the Rise and Fall of the Stone Roses" by Mick Midless - a bit gushy but really takes me back - I was a couple of years too young and about 20 miles too distant to really get into the late 80s Manchester scene, but all the bars and gigs that I went to are in the book, and I've finally found out why the sound at Ally Pally improved suddenly about 15 minutes into the set.
I heard a book revue programme on Radio 4 earlier this week and two books they discussed, both by Steinbeck, were:
The Log From The Sea of Cortez
and
Travels with Charley
Has anyone read them and if so, what do they think?
Eddie
Whole chunks of my life come under the heading "it seemed like a good idea at the time".
I've read "Log from the Sea of Cortez", it's not your usual Steinbeck tale but is about his journey with a friend Marine Biologist Ed Ricketts ( apparently who the doc was based on in Cannery Row ) on a boat around the bit of sea between Baja California and Mexico. It's a bit of a "mini darwin" expedition. From what I can remember the book details all the trip and it's stops, hiring and firing, the characters on the boat and stuff about that area in general, a bit of technical sea life info thrown in also, I enjoyed it, but it took a bit of getting into, but then I haven't yet read a Steinbeck book I didn't enjoy ! :) It's one of those books that really 'takes you there' and is a top of the range escape.
I haven't read Travels with Charley as yet,
Cheers,
Richie
Ahhh I remember reading and re-reading The Goshawk as a kid... fantastic book, I loved it. Must look for a copy!
:)
Alan
draz - by the way, if you can't find Seven Miles, drop me a pm and I'll happily lend it to you when I've read it.
Currently finishing off Jenny Uglow's "Lunar Men: The Friends Who Made the Future " - It's about a group of five amateur experimenters from the Midlands in the 1760's (James Watt, Josiah Wedgewood, Joseph Priestley, Matthew Boulton and Erasmus Darwin (Charles Darwin's grandfather). The story talks about the Lunar Society of Birmingham. Great insight into early modern history and the industrial revolution.
Shantaram, talk about strange life....
Gates of Fire: An Epic Novel of the Battle of Thermopylae- Steven Pressfield
i've read gates of fire,very very good.i'm just starting another pressfield book about the long range desert group,the start of the sas.off to a good start will let you know how it goes
cheers,mick
Almost finished "Kill Your Friends", by John Niven - a bit of light relief after ploughing through dense histories of central Europe for a while. It's an amusing book, a little derivative of "American Psycho", but set in the music business in London and much, much closer to home in many other ways - there's a lot of stuff in there that rings a few too many bells. It's not a great book by any stretch, but it's a funny one and will take only a day or two to read.
"Mastery" by George Leonard
interesting point of view of a martial artist, an aikidoist.
got it on emule
Just starting The Pillars of the Earth - Ken Follett, have heard its good? :)
Gomorrah-roberto saviano
Currently reading "The Shack" by WM Paul Young
Zen and Now - On the trail of Robert Pirsig and the art of motorcycle maintenance, written by Mark Richardson, published by Knopf. Read it in one go on a flight from Canada, took several tries to read Pirsig's original. Middle age enjoyment.
I just finished "Redemption Song" the Joe Strummer biography by Chris Salewicz, excellent read, recomended to anyone :)
I am really enjoying the Shardlake series by C.J.Sansom. I am on the second of three "Dark Fire". They are detective/thriller stories based around the happenings of the 16th century, Cromwell, Henry VIII etc.
They would make a good holiday read.
The David Niven autobiographies were fantastic. What a man and what a life.
Just finished this one, so look out people.
I'm just finishing The Siege by Ismail Kadar. It was translated from Albanian to French by Jusuf Vrioni, and from French to English by David Bellos. Even this second order translation reads well, and it is an engrossing story.
Best wishes,
Bob
Generation Kill- Evan Wright
I read a couple of Pat Barker books recently - interesting WWI stories - 'Regeneration' which is the first part of a trilogy which sees Wilfred Owen and Siegfried Sassoon meet in a war hospital in Scotland and 'Life Class' which is about an art student who goes off to work as an ambulance driver during WWI. I'd like to read the other two parts of the trilogy to see how they carry on.
Also read James May's Magnificent Machines which is quite interesting. Much more fulfilling to read than anything Clarkson writes IMO
The Flashman papers, dead funny. I'm up to flashman and the redskins at the minute. Patrick o'briens Aubrey\Maturin (master and commander) series are fantastic too.
just finishing 'the pillars of the earth' by ken follett.absolutely fantastic book,can't recomend it highly enough.it's about the building of a cathedral in 11th century england,i know it sounds boring but this is up there with the best books i've ever read.get it you won't regret it,and at 1200 pages if you don't like it just use it to hit a hoody :D
cheers,mick
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Chasing-Alpha-R ... 1847920365
Just started this, quite interesting.
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