JohnWH
Well-Known Member
Added to my shopping cart. The descriptions do take my interest. Much appreciated.
Recommend a book (4 Viewers)
- Thread starter JAM See
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ajsccfc
Well-Known Member
Not heard of it before but a brief glimpse suggests it's right up my street so I'll have a look for that one, cheers
CCFC_Irish
Well-Known Member
A gentleman in Moscow
ajsccfc
Well-Known Member
I'm making a conscious effort to read more this year and so far so good (although maybe not in terms of variety, another crime book finished and I've started another since)
King of Ashes by SA Cosby, a successful finance wiz returns to his home town when his father has a car accident only to find that it was no accident and is linked to his brother getting involved with some wrong'uns, delves into their family history and his plan to get them all out of trouble. Absolutely unhinged villains, main character wrestling with their morals, little twists without being overly twisty. Listened to this one and the narrator is fantastic too, he's also narrated Cosby's previous books so there's more added to my list.
King of Ashes by SA Cosby, a successful finance wiz returns to his home town when his father has a car accident only to find that it was no accident and is linked to his brother getting involved with some wrong'uns, delves into their family history and his plan to get them all out of trouble. Absolutely unhinged villains, main character wrestling with their morals, little twists without being overly twisty. Listened to this one and the narrator is fantastic too, he's also narrated Cosby's previous books so there's more added to my list.
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ajsccfc
Well-Known Member
Finished The Getaway by Jim Thompson, fucking hell. It's 90% an exciting crime caper with two people on the run after a bank robbery and then becomes a surreal horror, had to read the final chapter twice to take it in properly. They've made two film versions of it with neither even trying to tackle the 'proper' ending, probably for the best.
Next up is James, I loved both Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn and this is a telling of the matter from the viewpoint of Jim, can't wait.
Next up is James, I loved both Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn and this is a telling of the matter from the viewpoint of Jim, can't wait.
Farmer Jim
Well-Known Member
All The Birds Singing - Evie Wyld.
Her writing style reminds me very much of early Iain Banks and in particular his outstanding debut with The Wasp Factory.
A young woman, has ended up as a sheep farmer on an un named Scottish Island, having escaped a life as a teenage prostitute in the Australian Outback, having gone on the run from an abusive sheep farmer she had shacked up with and robbed of all of his money.
Something is killing all her sheep on the farm in Scotland.
The way the story is told is really odd and quite difficult to get your head around to start with :
Her life on the Scottish Island is told in the present tense and her life in Australia is told in the past tense, each chapter alternates between her past life in Australia and her present life in Scotland.
It`s a very well written book, if a little strange ( similar to The Wasp Factory ), but once I got my head around the backwards and forwards of Australia and Scotland time lines.
I`d say it`s one that fans of Iain Banks would enjoy.
Her writing style reminds me very much of early Iain Banks and in particular his outstanding debut with The Wasp Factory.
A young woman, has ended up as a sheep farmer on an un named Scottish Island, having escaped a life as a teenage prostitute in the Australian Outback, having gone on the run from an abusive sheep farmer she had shacked up with and robbed of all of his money.
Something is killing all her sheep on the farm in Scotland.
The way the story is told is really odd and quite difficult to get your head around to start with :
Her life on the Scottish Island is told in the present tense and her life in Australia is told in the past tense, each chapter alternates between her past life in Australia and her present life in Scotland.
It`s a very well written book, if a little strange ( similar to The Wasp Factory ), but once I got my head around the backwards and forwards of Australia and Scotland time lines.
I`d say it`s one that fans of Iain Banks would enjoy.
AOM
Well-Known Member
Read a 'A Short Stay in Hell' recently.
Saw it had been recommended quite often in Horror literature threads on Reddit, and I really liked it.
Feels like a book you spend more time thinking about afterwards compared to how long it takes to read.
The ideas really stick with you and it's a pretty horrifying concept of the real nature of eternity.
Saw it had been recommended quite often in Horror literature threads on Reddit, and I really liked it.
Feels like a book you spend more time thinking about afterwards compared to how long it takes to read.
The ideas really stick with you and it's a pretty horrifying concept of the real nature of eternity.
Ccfcisparks
Well-Known Member
Finished The Day of the Triffids.
Enjoyed it.
Enjoyed it.
Sky_Blue_Daz
Well-Known Member
My daughter bought me Chris Macasusland's book for my Birthday starting that tonight
ajsccfc
Well-Known Member
Enjoyed James, it was faithful to Huck Finn to a point but also took licence to tell its own story by nature of it being Jim's story. Benefitted from being the audiobook version I think as the narrator was fantastic. I had a few minor issues in later chapters but nothing that dulled the story, it's easy to forget how shocking casual racism can be when it's just accepted.
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Skybluefaz
Well-Known Member
Having enjoyed the Reacher TV shows, family bought me 'Exit Strategy' for Xmas. Think it's the 30th in the series and the first I've read. Written by Lee Child's brother Andrew.
Boring plot, dull dialogue. Wouldn't recommend. I don't read a lot of fiction, but I enjoyed doing that for a change. Might give some of the earlier books a go at some point but feeling a bit put off by that stinker.
Boring plot, dull dialogue. Wouldn't recommend. I don't read a lot of fiction, but I enjoyed doing that for a change. Might give some of the earlier books a go at some point but feeling a bit put off by that stinker.
ajsccfc
Well-Known Member
Paradais is an awful story told very well. two boys trapped in life, one a spoilt incel and the other a handyman living in poverty, have a friendship of convenience that sees them build to an abhorrent plan to solve their respective issues that goes as terribly as it possibly can. Quite a short story but told in a stream of consciousness style without chapters which isn't my preference, but works here
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Farmer Jim
Well-Known Member
Just finished Freddie Flintoff`s auto biog - Coming Home.
I`m not really into auto biographies, as they tend to be poorly written and just full of anecdotes, which become pretty boring quickly.
However, this was very good, well written and I thought it was too short, possibly would`ve benefited from being split into two books :
Young Freddie - pre England.
Older Freddie - England and post England.
I found the earlier chapters, about his rise through school boy / youth cricket, into open age, county and then international cricket, just as interesting as when he was playing for England and felt that the book could covered his rise through the ranks as a youngster in more depth - there certainly seemed to be enough material there.
A really good read.
I`m not really into auto biographies, as they tend to be poorly written and just full of anecdotes, which become pretty boring quickly.
However, this was very good, well written and I thought it was too short, possibly would`ve benefited from being split into two books :
Young Freddie - pre England.
Older Freddie - England and post England.
I found the earlier chapters, about his rise through school boy / youth cricket, into open age, county and then international cricket, just as interesting as when he was playing for England and felt that the book could covered his rise through the ranks as a youngster in more depth - there certainly seemed to be enough material there.
A really good read.
JohnWH
Well-Known Member
My copy of Travellers in the Third Reich arrived yesterday. It might be in my to-read pile for a few months but I will get to it as soon as practicable.
Thanks for the recommendation. This is proof of this topic post working
Mercian In Anglia
Well-Known Member
Nathaniel Philbrick- 'In The Heart Of The Sea'.
True story of the voyage that inspired 'Moby Dick'.
True story of the voyage that inspired 'Moby Dick'.
Flying Fokker
Well-Known Member
Really good book. Also A Village in the Third Reich.My copy of Travellers in the Third Reich arrived yesterday. It might be in my to-read pile for a few months but I will get to it as soon as practicable.
Thanks for the recommendation. This is proof of this topic post working
Captain Dart
Well-Known Member
I've finally read them all, including the recent book "The Hallmarked Man", could hardly put them down once I started on them in January.
A few observations.
It's very clever the way she binds a detective story that appeals more to men with the emotional roller coaster of Strike & Robin's relationship (and other more peripheral characters) which is more appealing to women, this captures 2 audiences in a way that a James Bond book or a Danielle Steel romance could. If truth be told I'm beginning to find the emotional bits becoming a little over done.
The stories are all set against the backdrop of real UK news events and in real UK locations described very accurately if you know them yourself.
Isn't it shocking that the main characters lie to each other so much.
JK is a damn sight better than Agatha Christie at misdirection but the final reveal sort of follows Christie's pattern.
JK uses such an extensive vocabulary that I sometimes had to look up some of the words she used!
For the last book I took to making a few notes on the suspects & witnesses that appeared in the books there are so many!
I've discovered there is a Strike fandom site which even has GPS data on the locations that appear in the book.
I'd better find something else to read now.
Sky Blue Pete
Well-Known Member
Loved them tooI've finally read them all, including the recent book "The Hallmarked Man", could hardly put them down once I started on them in January.
A few observations.
It's very clever the way she binds a detective story that appeals more to men with the emotional roller coaster of Strike & Robin's relationship (and other more peripheral characters) which is more appealing to women, this captures 2 audiences in a way that a James Bond book or a Danielle Steel romance could. If truth be told I'm beginning to find the emotional bits becoming a little over done.
The stories are all set against the backdrop of real UK news events and in real UK locations described very accurately if you know them yourself.
Isn't it shocking that the main characters lie to each other so much.
JK is a damn sight better than Agatha Christie at misdirection but the final reveal sort of follows Christie's pattern.
JK uses such an extensive vocabulary that I sometimes had to look up some of the words she used!
For the last book I took to making a few notes on the suspects & witnesses that appeared in the books there are so many!
I've discovered there is a Strike fandom site which even has GPS data on the locations that appear in the book.
I'd better find something else to read now.
torchomatic
Well-Known Member
Brian Lumley's Necroscope novels are ace and well worth seeking out.
Farmer Jim
Well-Known Member
Have you read the Metro series by the Soviet author, Dmitry Glukhovsky ?
If not, I think you`ll like them - post nuclear war Russia, where society has retreated to live and survive in the old underground railway system ( The Metro ).
Kind of like Mad Max, but underground - very well written and a must if you`re into dark sc-fi.
andrew.roberts
Well-Known Member
Anything by Annie Proulx. The Shipping News or any of the short story compilations (Brokeback Mountain is in one of them) are a good place to start.
Story of a Secret State by Jan Karski (the fellow from the statue in the Jewish quarter of Krakow).
The Regeneration Trilogy by Pat Barker.
Story of a Secret State by Jan Karski (the fellow from the statue in the Jewish quarter of Krakow).
The Regeneration Trilogy by Pat Barker.
Farmer Jim
Well-Known Member
Wide Wide Sea - by Hampton Tides.
Brilliantly written chronicle of the third and fatal around the world voyage of Captain Cook, as he sets out to find the then mythical North West Passsge.
The author, Hampton Tides, has the rare ability to turn what could be a very dry subject, into one that`s fascinating due to his easy going writing style and ability to translate " olde worlde " records into easy to understand and read modern English.
I enjoyed this book that much, I`ve just ordered two more by the same author.
Many things blew my mind when reading this book, but the biggest one, was that they were at sea for over five years and that was normal !!
Recommended.
Brilliantly written chronicle of the third and fatal around the world voyage of Captain Cook, as he sets out to find the then mythical North West Passsge.
The author, Hampton Tides, has the rare ability to turn what could be a very dry subject, into one that`s fascinating due to his easy going writing style and ability to translate " olde worlde " records into easy to understand and read modern English.
I enjoyed this book that much, I`ve just ordered two more by the same author.
Many things blew my mind when reading this book, but the biggest one, was that they were at sea for over five years and that was normal !!
Recommended.
torchomatic
Well-Known Member
Thanks, Jim. Will give that a go.
Farmer Jim
Well-Known Member
Start off with Metro 2033, as the others lead on from it.
They`re crying out to be made into films, as all the ingredients are there, particularly if someone like Dennis Villeneuve got involved.
Marty
Well-Known Member
ajsccfc
Well-Known Member
Finished Mother Night a few days ago, despite being a 60-year old book about a Nazi war criminal it's very relevant right now with all the current podcast grifters and manosphere twats distancing themselves from the harm they're causing to impressionable audiences. First Vonnegut I've read but I'll be back in for more I think.
