Book thread: what are you reading?

[Wolford6]

Duh.

 

 

Apologies.

 

Though I'd like to read an up-to-date one.

[Ullman]

From The Arctic To Angola - The Adventures Of A Hull Skipper by Danny Platten.

 

A very interesting life story which Skipper Platten punctuates with anecdotes about the Hull trawlers and men that were lost at given times in his life. Some of them evoke very vivid memories for me. I remember Christmas 1966 and the news reaching Hull that the St Finbarr was in trouble off the coast of Labrador. She had caught fire and the skipper had sent out a May Day message on Christmas morning. The father of one of the lads we 'larked out' with was on board and I can still remember being able to feel the anxiety and tension in the local community as we waited for news. We heard later that he had been one of the fortunate ones and had made it into a liferaft (the crew couldn't launch the lifeboat because an electrical fault had caused the davits to become live). He was rescued by another Hull trawler, the Orsino, which was in the area and had picked up the May Day. Sadly, twelve of his crewmates lost their lives that Christmas Day.

[Futtocks]

I don't think I've read a book for about twenty years but, if this woman's written an autobiography, I'd make the effort.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cathy_Smith

That could be interesting!

 

I am currently reading The Spanish Ambassador's Suitcase, a collection of Foreign Office 'funnies' compiled by Matthew Parris.

Edited January 30, 2015 by Futtocks

[clwydianrange]

I've just finished reading Jimmy Greaves' biography. I didn't realise how bad his drinking was. He states that he knows he was a good player cos he's got a load of medals and he's seen old video footage but he can't remember the biggest part of his playing days. He's got a blank of about ten years.

[Futtocks]

I've just finished reading Jimmy Greaves' biography. I didn't realise how bad his drinking was. He states that he knows he was a good player cos he's got a load of medals and he's seen old video footage but he can't remember the biggest part of his playing days. He's got a blank of about ten years.

He was a serious boozehound.

 

That post about the blanks reminds me of the anecdote Clarissa Dickson-Wright told about seeing a big parade in London and asking what it was all about. When told "the Falklands War victory", she realised she had no awareness that any of it had happened, which turned her off alcohol for the rest of her days.

[Futtocks]

Workaholic author Harper Lee to release second book.

[WearyRhino]

Workaholic author Harper Lee to release second book.

I understand Sir John Chilcot is a big fan of Miss Lee's prolific output.

[EssexRL]

A maze of death by Phillip K Dick

I love PKD. Not one of his greatest but still crackin.

[Tiny Tim]

I've been reading quite a few Raymond Feist books recently. Really getting into them.

 

Just about to finish 'Rage of a Demon King' - 3rd (of 4) in the Serpentwar Saga.

[Futtocks]

I've just started 'XIII Inspirations', but have also given into the hype and downloaded the first book in the 'A Game of Thrones' series, to see what the fuss is all about. So that's next on the readig list.

[Cookiepuss]

Almost finished Viv Albertine's autobiography Clothes, Clothes, Clothes, Music, Music, Music, Boys, Boys, Boys. Great evocation of the 70s and the leading characters in punk. Lots of surprising stuff about Sid Vicious.  

[JohnM]

John Le Carre: The Spy Who Came In From the Cold

 

probably the fourth time I've read this but nevertheless its an excellent read

[Amber Avenger]

Just finished ‘Murder on the Orient Express’. Never read it before, and never read any Agatha Christie before actually but I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it  - funny and well paced. I was a bit annoyed as I realised halfway through I’d heard the solution before as it’s quite a famous one but it was still impressive how it all came together.

[Futtocks]

I have just finished Mansour Bahrami's autobiography 'The Court Jester'. A fascinating life, and magnificently indiscreet about his fellow tennis stars. Like French Rugby League players of the past, he was also the victim of a state-backed sporting ban. If you don't know who he is, this might give you the beginning of a clue.

 

Edited February 14, 2015 by Futtocks

[Old Frightful]

On the third of Stieg Larsson's "Millennium Trilogy".

 

Lisbeth Salander doesn't sound like the sort of girl to try taking advantage of...  

[chuffer]

Ian Rankin's Strip Jack, half way through, not bad so far....just finished Mark Rippetoe's Starting Strength as my new years resolution was to join a gym, not so much to "get buff" but certainly to sort myself out with a view to maybe having another bash at low level, amateur RL again one day

[fieldofclothofgold]

Ranulph Fiennes    AGINCOURT   My family ,the Battle for ,and the fight for France.

[Wiltshire Rhino]

Into the Wild - Jon Krakauer

Picked up for 50p from a charity shop. Bargain!

[Jeff Stein]

The Golden Scales by Parker Bilal.

 

I'm a sucker for detective stories set in exotic locations so when The Times on Saturday gave the fourth Makana instalment a cracking write up I thought I would start at the beginning. It has not disappointed as yet.

[Futtocks]

Stephen Leacock (1869-1944) was a Canadian humourist who, in the early part of the 20th century, was one of the most-read authors in the world. Nowadays, he's less well-known, but his absurd short stories and articles are still very funny and well-written. Think of him as being somewhere between Jerome K.Jerome and S.J.Perelman and that is a (very) rough idea of his writing.

As he is out of copyright, I got a 12-volume Kindle anthology from Amazon for 99p! That's good VFM in anyone's book.

[JohnM]

Edgar Wallace's JG Reeder series, as re-awakened recently in Radio 4 Extra

[Wolford6]

The Left Unity Manifesto.

[fieldofclothofgold]

Kingmaker by Toby Clements .At last I've found a novel featuring The Battle of Towton

[Amber Avenger]

For those of you who enjoyed Danny Baker's 'Going to Sea in a Sieve', you might be interested to know that the second instalment of his autobiography is out next week (25th Sept). 

 

If it's only half as good as the first one it will still be well worth the cover price....

 

Finally gotten around to reading this – certainly as good as the first one, in fact I think I’ve laughed more at this one – the yarn early in the book about the family tortoise had me properly chortling. Just read the section on Gazza and I’m not sure what to think really – it was quite touching in a way although the implication that he was quick to embrace the story of his tragic downfall, when he was weary to accept his meteoric rise is rather sad, but telling in its own way.

 

 

Anyway, great book as expected, will be sad when it’s over.

Edited April 8, 2015 by Amber Avenger

[Wolford6]

Kingmaker by Toby Clements .At last I've found a novel featuring The Battle of Towton

 

Have you read the brilliant AA Gill article on it?

(Sunday Times : several years ago)