The "I am currently reading" thread

[metalman 21]

Just out of interest, which supermarkets have second hand books reappeared in? Certainly the book table at Sainsbury's at Wadsley Bridge hasn't come back yet. Credit though to the Co-op at Stocksbridge who have kept theirs going throughout.

[wearysmith 141]

I picked this up to show support. All the artwork, stories and editing's done by females. A worthy collection of short stories showcasing the fine talent our sisters offer to the genre. I don't know how widely available it is. I picked up my copy at the Sheffield Space Centre on The Wicker.

 

Guys, buy a copy for your daughters, granddaughters, sisters etc 🙂.

 

 

 

[Rockers rule 673]

16 hours ago, metalman said:

Just out of interest, which supermarkets have second hand books reappeared in? Certainly the book table at Sainsbury's at Wadsley Bridge hasn't come back yet. Credit though to the Co-op at Stocksbridge who have kept theirs going throughout.

Hello Metalman.

Both our local Morrisons & Tesco's (Rotherham / Barnsley) have restarted with the donated books but the suggested donation has gone up from 50p to a £1.

Same as our local charity shop used to be 4 for a pound.

It still has the same offer but now has books (on the same shelf) that are individually priced (just to catch you out).

 

Keep safe, read well.

 

A Hard Way Out    Dave Atwell.

Typical 'I used to be a bike gang member till I became a Police informer.

Not dissimilar to some of the NEL (New English Library) books of the 1970's but slightly more modern.

True story (set in Canada) that keeps you interested for the most part of the book but becomes rather sketchy when it comes to the Trial and subsequent witness protection program.

OK, I wouldn't expect to be told what new identity Mr Atwell is now living under or even which State he is living in but the book miss's out with a real ending. Shame.

 

 

 

Edited July 14, 2021 by Rockers rule
additional info

[wearysmith 141]

Here's one I'm a bit late to the party on.

There's lots of nods in style to his old mate Sir Terry Pratchett, but mostly it's like a love letter to the work of Carl Hiaasen.

 

[Guest makapaka]

"If it bleeds" by Stephen King

 

4 short stories. 

Read the first two so far - both very good.

[Rockers rule 673]

William Ash 

 

Under the wire.

 

If there is one wartime book your going to read, this has to be it.

More autobiographical than Story.

From Depression hit Texas William hobo'd across America and joined the Royal Canadian Air Force in 1940.

(a year before his fellow American's decided to join the Party & two years before the Party started)

 

Flying Spitfires out of  the UK William's luck run's out.

Crashing in France was the beginning of hiding, capture, escape, capture, escape, capture.

With an undercurrent of Humor throughout nothing is taken away from the horror of war and the 

camaraderie of those fellow prisoners determined to get back to Blighty.   

 

Fully recommended.

 

Cheapest on Fleecebay £1.99 (including the post)

 

Go on treat yourself.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 17, 2021 by Rockers rule
additional info

[Guest]

London Bridge is Falling Down by Christopher Fowler.  The twentieth and apparently final Bryant and May novel, bar an upcoming short story collection. I'm really going to miss the world of the Peculiar Crimes Unit.  I highly recommend this excellent series.

[metalman 21]

Here's my last month's reading. 

 

Simon Brett - Blood at the bookies. More cosy crime on the Sussex coast: when a Polish immigrant is stabbed outside said establishment, middle-aged sleuths Carole & Jude investigate.

Simon Brett - The poisoning in the pub. A deliberate outbreak of food poisoning is part of an orchestrated campaign against the local.

Simon Brett - The shooting in the shop. A gift shop burns down, and in the ruins is a body with gunshot wounds.

Simon Brett - Bones under the beach hut. Carole rents a beach hut in a neighbouring village for the summer, but it comes complete with some added human remains. Somewhat darker than usual for this series.

 

I thought I'd finish these four off because they're the last ones of the series I've got; I think Pan stopped publishing them in paperback after this one. As a whole, they're OK to while away a few hours - there's no real detection in that Carole & Jude seem to get results simply by pestering people until they let something slip, but the two lead characters are relatable enough and there's usually enough to keep you guessing until the end.

 

Janwillem van de Wetering - Seesaw millions. Van de Wetering wrote a series of excellent crime novels featuring Amsterdam cops Grijpstra and de Gier but this isn't one of them. Instead this is the tale of what happens when old Mr. Sobryne dies and divides his fortune between his three sons and his young mistress and how they contrive to lose it all. Written in his usual idiosyncratic style and still very entertaining.

Dominic Devine - Three green bottles. The murder of a schoolgirl is followed by the apparent suicide of a young doctor and people draw their own conclusions; the doctor's brother isn't convinced however. I've enthused about Dominic Devine (aka D.M. Devine) before, and this is another superlative effort, best read of the month probably. Time someone reprinted his entire oeuvre.

E. & M.A. Radford - Murder jigsaw. Retired colonel on fishing trip is found drowned in Devon river. Inspector Manson, a somewhat Thorndyke-like scientific detective, is on the case. Not bad.

Magnus Mills - The restraint of beasts. Two Scottish fencing labourers and their supervisor go to England for a job. Chaos ensues. As surreal and entertaining as all his books.

Ruth Rendell - Put on by cunning. Famous flautist falls through ice in lake... but was he pushed? Inspector Wexford smells a rat when his estranged daughter turns up to claim his fortune. 

Doug Lansky - Ultimate signspotting.  Photos of daft signs from around the world. An amusing half hour spent.

Fougasse - Drawing the line somewhere. Cartoon book from 1937; maybe our sense of humour has changed a bit because I didn't find it as amusing as the one above.

P. G. Wodehouse - Ring for Jeeves. Jeeves but no Wooster in this one but still very good.

Michael Bond - Paddington on top. More bear-related mayhem. 

 

Now reading: Dell Shannon - Coffin corner. Another Mendoza police procedural from the late 1960s as the squad investigate the murder of a junk shop owner and a possible suicide in a hotel.

[feargal 21]

Swapped a bag of books with my neighbour, so have a few to be getting on with for the summer.   We've had to start initialling them so we don't get the same ones back!

 

Just finished David Baldacci's Walk the Wire which was good if, like me, you sometimes enjoy a mindless page turner with Reacher/Bosch style all-American heroes.

 

I've just started Anno Dracula by Kim Newman, which I'm enjoying so far.. Takes more brain power than the Baldacci, not least because the print is small and I have to wear my reading specs.  😉

[top4718 838]

14 hours ago, feargal said:

Swapped a bag of books with my neighbour, so have a few to be getting on with for the summer.   We've had to start initialling them so we don't get the same ones back!

 

Just finished David Baldacci's Walk the Wire which was good if, like me, you sometimes enjoy a mindless page turner with Reacher/Bosch style all-American heroes.

 

I've just started Anno Dracula by Kim Newman, which I'm enjoying so far.. Takes more brain power than the Baldacci, not least because the print is small and I have to wear my reading specs.  😉

I used to like Baldacci but his books got gradually worse so I gave up, a shame.

[feargal 21]

10 hours ago, top4718 said:

I used to like Baldacci but his books got gradually worse so I gave up, a shame.

Yes, I found that too. This one seems to be a bit of a return to form. 

[top4718 838]

13 hours ago, feargal said:

Yes, I found that too. This one seems to be a bit of a return to form. 

I might give it a go if thats the case.