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Book thread: what are you reading?


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Having lost or damaged various of the volumes over the years, I bought the complete set of 'Flashman' books on Kindle*.

First up, 'Flashman and the Mountain of Light', which concerns the first Anglo-Sikh war (1845-6).

*with a Kindle, you can tap from the text to the historical notes and footnotes, and back again, which is very useful for these books.

Let me never fall into the vulgar mistake of dreaming that I am persecuted whenever I am contradicted.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

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Having lost or damaged various of the volumes over the years, I bought the complete set of 'Flashman' books on Kindle*.

First up, 'Flashman and the Mountain of Light', which concerns the first Anglo-Sikh war (1845-6).

*with a Kindle, you can tap from the text to the historical notes and footnotes, and back again, which is very useful for these books.

 

You're not taking them in order?

 

I love Flashy.

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You're not taking them in order?

 

I love Flashy.

I thought about it, but I hadn't read 'Mountain' for a long long time.

 

But what do you mean by 'in order'? The order that the books were written or Harry's life in chronological order? If the latter, I'd have to stop the 'Redskins' and 'Tiger' books part of the way through and resume them later on...  :P

Let me never fall into the vulgar mistake of dreaming that I am persecuted whenever I am contradicted.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

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I thought about it, but I hadn't read 'Mountain' for a long long time.

 

But what do you mean by 'in order'? The order that the books were written or Harry's life in chronological order? If the latter, I'd have to stop the 'Redskins' and 'Tiger' books part of the way through and resume them later on...  :P

 

Yes, I took them in the order they were written, but I guess once you're familiar with them all then chronological order would also work. Cracking stuff either way, and tbh I don't mind admitting the books shed light for me on areas of history where my knowledge is woeful

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I'm into audiobooks.  I started freshwater angling a few years ago after a 50 year layoff and I find them great.  I finished "The Panther" by Nelson DeMille a while ago and really enjoyed it.

 

It's the 6th book in his 'John Corey' series and it's a great thriller with some cracking one-liners.

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I'm into audiobooks.  I started freshwater angling a few years ago after a 50 year layoff and I find them great.  I finished "The Panther" by Nelson DeMille a while ago and really enjoyed it.

 

It's the 6th book in his 'John Corey' series and it's a great thriller with some cracking one-liners.

Me too!

I'm loving the DeMille books.

I'm on The a Talbot Odyssey at the mo

Have listened to the John Sutter books

Word of a Honor

May Day

Cathedral

By the Rivers of Babylon

The Generals Daugbter

All highly recommended especially those read by Scott Brick.

Ron Banks

Midlands Hurricanes and Barrow

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I'm on book 8 of the Malazan Book of the Fallen series by Steven Erikson.  A tougher read than many books but also thoroughly gripping, some people just can't get the hang of starting book 1 almost in the middle of a story with little forgiveness for those who can't catch up quickly.  The sheer effort that's gone into creating the world it's in is fascinating in itself.

 

Subconsciously I'm slightly dreading finishing the series as I've promised myself I'll re-read Shake Hands With The Devil by Romeo Dallaire once I finish that series.

 

Then in the queue is the newest Rebus book by Ian Rankin then maybe I'll restart the whole Rebus series again.

"When in deadly danger, when beset by doubt; run in little circles, wave your arms and shout"

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I'm into audiobooks.  I started freshwater angling a few years ago after a 50 year layoff and I find them great.  I finished "The Panther" by Nelson DeMille a while ago and really enjoyed it.

 

It's the 6th book in his 'John Corey' series and it's a great thriller with some cracking one-liners.

I've tried audiobooks a few times, but they tend to drift me off to sleep.

Let me never fall into the vulgar mistake of dreaming that I am persecuted whenever I am contradicted.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

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Yes, I took them in the order they were written, but I guess once you're familiar with them all then chronological order would also work. Cracking stuff either way, and tbh I don't mind admitting the books shed light for me on areas of history where my knowledge is woeful

The historical notes are very enlightening and after finishing 'Mountain of Light', I downloaded 'Soldier and Traveller', the memoirs of Alexander Gardner, aka Gurdana Khan, who features heavily in the Flashman book. This is him in his Punjabi/Tartan gear, as described by Flashman.

 

220px-Alexander_Gardner_(soldier).jpg

Let me never fall into the vulgar mistake of dreaming that I am persecuted whenever I am contradicted.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

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I've tried audiobooks a few times, but they tend to drift me off to sleep.

I play mine through the radio whilst I'm driving.

I'm in my car off and on all day so it's ideal for me.

Ron Banks

Midlands Hurricanes and Barrow

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I thought about it, but I hadn't read 'Mountain' for a long long time.

 

But what do you mean by 'in order'? The order that the books were written or Harry's life in chronological order? If the latter, I'd have to stop the 'Redskins' and 'Tiger' books part of the way through and resume them later on...  :P

 

 I have all the Sharpe novels by Bernard Cornwell. You get the same problem with them as some of his later books are 'prequels' to his earlier ones. Makes arranging them on the bookshelf a quandary if, like me, you have slight OCD when it comes to these things. :)

"it is a well known fact that those people who most want to rule people are, ipso facto, those least suited to do it."

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The sad thing about Flashman is that the books contain references to adventures that George McDonald Fraser never got round to writing (Mexico, Khartoum, Wild Bill Hickok, The Boxer rebellion) etc.

 

According to his daughter, the novelist Caro Fraser, he did not leave behind any notes that another author could attempt to work from.

Let me never fall into the vulgar mistake of dreaming that I am persecuted whenever I am contradicted.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

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The sad thing about Flashman is that the books contain references to adventures that George McDonald Fraser never got round to writing (Mexico, Khartoum, Wild Bill Hickok, The Boxer rebellion) etc.

 

According to his daughter, the novelist Caro Fraser, he did not leave behind any notes that another author could attempt to work from.

 

That is a shame. Mark of a great writer though, that 12 books seems so little.

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