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Thread: Anyone read any good books recently ?

  1. #1951
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    Burning Chrome, William Gibson.

    Classic...

  2. #1952
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    The old Adam Hall 'Quiller' novel, The Tango Briefing. I particularly wanted to read this one as I remember that one of the episodes from the 1975 TV series was based on it.

    I found it a frustrating, occasionally irritating but ultimately rewarding read. It’s a cracking story, told in the first person – but bloody hell, he takes his time telling it – in a long-winded, rambling stream-of-consciousness style, sometimes taking in plot aspects that contribute nothing ultimately to the story.

    He also has this little trick of taking you by surprise by casually referring to something you haven’t quite found out about yet, for dramatic effect – “it occurred to me, in one of those stray thoughts that pass through our minds at unlikely moments, that it wasn’t a very easy death I was giving him” – Er, what? Oh, right! Even though he’s got you under armed guard, you’re about to kill him!

    And it gets a bit wearing after a while.

    I honestly think you could improve the book by judiciously removing about 40% of it. It does need an edit. But it won’t get one, and it’s worth a few hours of your time anyway if you’re into this sort of thing.

  3. #1953
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    Read 'Shoe Dog' by Phil Knight whilst on hols.

    A great read about his determination to make Nike a success.

  4. #1954
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    'Wise guys' by Nicholas Pilleggi. The source novel that inspired Goodfellas. Amazing how little Scorsese had to do to the book. A rivetting read, even for someone who has seen the film 10x plus.....

  5. #1955
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    Undermajordomo Minor, by Patrick deWitt.

    Weird, weird, weird... I liked it.

  6. #1956
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    I'm half way through The President Is Missing. Excellent!

  7. #1957
    The late Hans Rosling's Factfullness

    You can get a good idea of his style from his TED talks



    I found the book well worth the time.

  8. #1958
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    Just finished "Travelling in a strange land" David Park. I bought this book after listening to the abridge version on R4s a book at bedtime a few weeks ago.
    Beautifully written, a powerful father and son novel. It's prompted me to explore the writers other works. Excellent.

  9. #1959
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    Reading end of watch at the moment, the last of the Mr Mercedes trilogy.They've been brilliant.
    I stopped reading Stephen King books a few years ago but started re reading the Stand, It, Firestarter, Thinner etc etc, last year.

  10. #1960
    Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruis Zafon - if you like great narrative and atmosphere this is a truly absorbing read.

    Also finished the trilogy: Sleeping Giants, Waking Gods and Only Human - totally different from the above but real page turners.

  11. #1961
    I am just finishing First Light, by Geoffrey Wellum, which this thread prompted me to buy: https://forum.tz-uk.com/showthread.p...eoffrey-Wellum It is a great read. One can never really understand what it was like, but the book makes for riveting reading.

    The other book I have just started is Warsaw 1944, by Alexandra Richie. This followed a visit to Warsaw itself that coincided with the 1st August commemorations, when at 5pm the city comes to a stop to remember the beginning of the uprising. The book makes for some intensely harrowing reading, but the story itself should never to be forgotten.

  12. #1962
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    Just finished Educated by Tara Westover. Incredibly good and well worth a read.


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  13. #1963
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    Just read the drinker by Hans fallada .very bleak and powerful it was written by the author on scraps of paper when he was locked up in an insane asylum under the Nazi's .

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  14. #1964
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    Just finished The Red and Green Life Machine by Rick Jolly.

    Captivating read about setting up and running field hospitals in the Falklands war.

  15. #1965
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    Been reading a few military biogs, Spin zhira and Kisses from nimbus really stood out. If you like that sort of thing then recommended!

  16. #1966
    Quote Originally Posted by Go Big View Post
    Just finished The Red and Green Life Machine by Rick Jolly.

    Captivating read about setting up and running field hospitals in the Falklands war.
    If you enjoyed that you might also be interested to read the obituary of Captain Steven Hughes, Regimental Medical Officer of 2 Para, who sadly died recently:

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/obituari...falklands-war/

  17. #1967
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    Quote Originally Posted by willie_gunn View Post
    If you enjoyed that you might also be interested to read the obituary of Captain Steven Hughes, Regimental Medical Officer of 2 Para, who sadly died recently:

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/obituari...falklands-war/
    Thanks for the link. 60 is no age.

  18. #1968
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    This should be an interesting read.

    Sergei Skripal initially did not believe Russia tried to kill him – book

    ....
    Urban discovered that Skripal spent much of his day watching Russia’s Channel One, a pro-Kremlin state broadcaster. He adopted “the Kremlin line in many matters”, the journalist writes, “even while sitting in his MI6-purchased house”, especially over Moscow’s fraught relations with Ukraine.

    Skripal, a former paratrooper, supported Putin’s 2014 annexation of Crimea and referred disparagingly to Ukrainians as “simply sheep who needed a good shepherd”. Skripal also refused to believe Russian troops had entered eastern Ukraine covertly, saying that if they had, they would have quickly reached the capital, Kiev.
    The book does not answer the key question as to why Skripal’s former organisation – the GRU – tried to kill him shortly before Russia’s presidential vote. His two would-be assassins – Col Anatoliy Chepiga and “Alexander Petrov”, a pseudonym – are career intelligence officers, the government believes.

    LINK
    Fas est ab hoste doceri

  19. #1969
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    Quote Originally Posted by RD200 View Post
    Reading end of watch at the moment, the last of the Mr Mercedes trilogy.They've been brilliant.
    I stopped reading Stephen King books a few years ago but started re reading the Stand, It, Firestarter, Thinner etc etc, last year.
    I also stopped reading King a few years ago but I gave The Outsider a go to see if I could get back into his books.
    It’s excellent, really enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would. There are characters in it that I assume feature in the Mr Mercedes books and a couple of big spoilers but I’m going to have to give them a go now as The Outsider was so good. A definite return to form

  20. #1970
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jacks Dad View Post
    Also Perfume by Patrick Suskind, a tale of a serial killer with a highly developed sense of smell, the writing which captures the odours of 18th century France is amazing. Don't be put off by the dreadful film they made.
    Sublime. An all-time favourite of mine.

  21. #1971
    Quote Originally Posted by Monkey Queen View Post
    Sublime. An all-time favourite of mine.
    Perfume is horrible, but so engrossing.

    I just read the second book in the Southern Reach Trilogy (annihilation, authority, acceptance), 6 months after I read Annihilation. Definitely not as good as the first, but still has some of the creepy, "other" vibe to it. Will probably get around to the third book eventually.

    Reading a bit of Sharpe now :)

  22. #1972
    Quote Originally Posted by mickylall View Post
    I also stopped reading King a few years ago but I gave The Outsider a go to see if I could get back into his books.
    It’s excellent, really enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would. There are characters in it that I assume feature in the Mr Mercedes books and a couple of big spoilers but I’m going to have to give them a go now as The Outsider was so good. A definite return to form
    Yes, you assume correctly. I was reading it as a standalone, then Holly turned up and it immediately put a smile on my face.

  23. #1973
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    Wonderfully evocative book "Perfume", dire movie, I doubt it could ever work as a film until we have smellivision.
    One of my all time favourites.

  24. #1974
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    My current 'favorite' author is an independent by the name of Craig Schaeffer, his books are free with Kindle unlimited and a few quid each without. He spans modern and historic urban fantasy and has a few series running all of which share a 'universe', he leans towards the horror side of the genre but it's totally in keeping with the themes he writes about and doesn't feel gratuitous. If I've recommended him here before I'm sorry to repeat myself but he deserves all the exposure he can get. The final book in the current series and 'universe' cycle is due out at the end of the month so a bump wouldn't hurt.

  25. #1975
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    Into the woods .Clinton Woods , a decent boxing real life story ,if your a boxing fan .

  26. #1976
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    Bullsh*t Jobs
    David Graeber

    I have often wondered how many jobs I have done that have been worthwhile. Only once worked in a manufacturing environment, where we made rubbish all day long (packaging for point of sale). So I have yet to serve a useful purpose work-wise.

    David points out where the bullsh*t jobs are, and also the people that do truly socially useful stuff are the people that get paid the least. Of course he mentioned that solicitors actually lower overall growth. That probably won’t be news to most.
    Last edited by Templogin; 2nd October 2018 at 18:16. Reason: Addition

  27. #1977
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    The Rise of the Robots
    Martin Ford

    How automation is decimating the jobs market, and not just the lower end unskilled jobs, the legal and education professions are getting shaken up too. Even robot arms that can see in 3D to pack shopping in crates precisely.

    Time to learn to grease robots!

    How long until universal income. Ooh! Something for nothing!
    Last edited by Templogin; 2nd October 2018 at 18:09. Reason: Addition

  28. #1978
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    Quote Originally Posted by willie_gunn View Post

    The mismanagement by those in power who conceived and persisted with the plan, even in the face of glaring evidence that the plan itself was destined to failure, is equally shocking. Montgomery comes out particularly poorly.

    Apparently on his death bed Monty asked to be forgiven for all the young boys he sent to their deaths at Arnhem.

    Beevors book on Stalingrad is one of the best books I've ever read, truly shocking!

  29. #1979
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    Quote Originally Posted by Greenman View Post
    Any good autobiographies?

    Read a few recently and seem to like nosing around famous people's early lives.

    Done these so far:-

    Alan Sugar
    Richard Branson
    Simon Cowell
    Morrissey
    Obama
    For me this year:
    Lee Brilleaux - A Biography, but a great insight into the man behind Dr Feelgood
    Wilko Johnson - Excellent, a complete one off!
    Glenn Hughes - Shocking but a good read
    Bruce Dickinson - Very well written, great if you like flying books!

  30. #1980
    Quote Originally Posted by Templogin View Post
    The Rise of the Robots
    Martin Ford

    How automation is decimating the jobs market, and not just the lower end unskilled jobs, the legal and education professions are getting shaken up too. Even robot arms that can see in 3D to pack shopping in crates precisely.

    Time to learn to grease robots!

    How long until universal income. Ooh! Something for nothing!
    Hopefully it will turn out like Iain M Banks's, "The Culture" and not like "Terminator." 👍😎

  31. #1981
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    Bernard Cornwell Warrior Chronicles



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  32. #1982
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    Joel Dicker

    “ THE TRUTH ABOUT THE HARRY QUEBERT AFFAIR “

    An excellent read.

  33. #1983
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    Just finished Peter Crouch - How to be a Footballer, laugh out loud funny!

  34. #1984
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    Just read The Drinker and Once A Jailbird by Hans Fallada.They are powerful bleak books .The author had a terrible life and wrote The drinker on scraps of paper in code whilst imprisoned in psychiatric hospital under the Nazis for trying to murder his wife under the influence of opium .

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  35. #1985
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    Apologies if this one's been previously mentioned I haven't read the whole thread but

    killers of the flower moon
    By David Grann

    Very interesting read about crimes against the native American Indians and it bringing about the beginnings of the F.B.I

  36. #1986
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    Loved the latest Ian Rankin Rebus, In a House of Lies

  37. #1987
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    Salvation by Peter F Hamilton.

    If you are a fan of science fiction you just can't beat Hamilton's books. He writes epic space operas which never fail to impress. This is the first book of a new series he is writing and I highly recommend it.

  38. #1988
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    The Debs of Bletchley Park,
    "Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. The third time it's enemy action."

    'Populism, the last refuge of a Tory scoundrel'.

  39. #1989
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    I’ve just finished reading The Stand for the third time, the last time being about 30 years ago. Such an epic and King’s best, although many from that era were also fantastic. I wish he’d serialise it and release a few new chapters every so often as there’s so much scope for the story to continue.

    Time to dig out Salem’s Lot, Christine etc from the loft.

  40. #1990
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    Circe by Madeline Miller, loved everything about it. Just really,really good storytelling so will be going straight onto The Song Of Achilles next

    If there was a bad books thread then A Secret History by Donna Tartt would be straight in there, previously read The Goldfinch by same author which is fantastic so not sure what went so wrong but it was a real slog getting through it

  41. #1991
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    Terning around the the world by Sam Gambier.

    23 year old Sam cycles around the world. Interesting tale of grit, determination and the kindness of others. Sad to read how many cultures seem to spend so much time off their tits on drugs and alcohol, to the point where they are unconscious in the street.

  42. #1992
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    The English And Their History by Robert Tombs.

    I was looking for a modern English history book that went beyond the usual school textbook lists of kings and battles that I had to wade through as a child, and this fits the bill perfectly. It's a massive thousand page brick of a book, but if you're into history its well written and very compelling.

  43. #1993
    Quote Originally Posted by mickylall View Post
    Circe by Madeline Miller, loved everything about it. Just really,really good storytelling so will be going straight onto The Song Of Achilles next

    If there was a bad books thread then A Secret History by Donna Tartt would be straight in there, previously read The Goldfinch by same author which is fantastic so not sure what went so wrong but it was a real slog getting through it
    Hmm, I have this on the bookshelf, so I think I'l give it a go next. I've just finished Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman and killed it in a couple of days of a staycation at a hotel. I really enjoyed it - it's almost a series of fairy tales,a really light read. It was good.

  44. #1994
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    Quote Originally Posted by benny.c View Post
    I’ve just finished reading The Stand for the third time, the last time being about 30 years ago. Such an epic and King’s best, although many from that era were also fantastic. I wish he’d serialise it and release a few new chapters every so often as there’s so much scope for the story to continue.

    Time to dig out Salem’s Lot, Christine etc from the loft.
    I've read it twice; the first release and then the unabridged release which is 400 pages longer. CBS announced this year that it is making a 10 part mini-series of it.

    Eddie
    Whole chunks of my life come under the heading "it seemed like a good idea at the time".

  45. #1995
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    I read Norse Mythology and enjoyed it so that's why I thought I'd give Circe a go and thought it was far better, I've now got very high hopes for Song of Achilles

  46. #1996
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    Quote Originally Posted by mickylall View Post
    I read Norse Mythology and enjoyed it so that's why I thought I'd give Circe a go and thought it was far better, I've now got very high hopes for Song of Achilles
    I loved Circe, absolutely brilliant. Out of interest, had you read any Greek myths before? I grew up on them, the Odyssey etc., and I wondered if that was why I got so much out of Circe - seeing the other side of the story as it were. It’s so well written though, it stands on its own.

    Not read Song of Achilles yet - I expect that will be interesting given some of the themes hinted at in The Iliad.

  47. #1997
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    Quote Originally Posted by swanbourne View Post
    I've read it twice; the first release and then the unabridged release which is 400 pages longer. CBS announced this year that it is making a 10 part mini-series of it.

    Eddie
    The previous time I read the original version but this time it was the unabridged. I’ll have to keep an eye out for the series but there haven’t been many that have done King’s books justice.

  48. #1998
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    Quote Originally Posted by alfat33 View Post
    I loved Circe, absolutely brilliant. Out of interest, had you read any Greek myths before?
    Not much to be honest, recognised most of the names but not really knowing the back stories I'm sure a lot of it went right over my head but it's such a good book on it's own it didn't lessen my enjoyment of it.
    Think I enjoyed her writing style as much as the story, I'm sure she could make a shopping list sound interesting

  49. #1999
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    Bring It On Home by Mark Blake. Bio of Peter Grant the Led Zeppelin manager. Some great stories of a time gone by...


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  50. #2000
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    Quote Originally Posted by mickylall View Post
    Think I enjoyed her writing style as much as the story, I'm sure she could make a shopping list sound interesting
    I agree, well put.

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