The "I am currently reading" thread

[wearysmith 140]

Yet another Brookmyre.

However, this one is special to me. I worked in the music business for some years and Berlin is one of my favourite cities. A perfect combo.

 

 

Will give him a rest for a while when I've finished this though. A couple of Christmas books need addressing; Billy's autobiography and an overview of Nico's career.

[Mister M 1,608]

On 19/12/2021 at 23:05, Hecate said:

I did too.  I didn't sound too enthusiastic about the latter two thirds, because it wasn't quite what I was expecting, but it is genuinely creepy. Would love to know what you think of it when you've finished.

Yes I agree with your observation about it being split into 2 distinct parts. The first part is great, but the second part at the mansion wasn't as good, or as well defined. 

There are some really good ideas in the book - that all the young people were selected for the experiment because of their disturbed pasts, and I liked that fact that it was really well written, and as you say creepy. 

I thought more could've been made of the Janice Tupp storyline though.

Ideally the first part would've been longer, the second part either condensed or being more conclusive. I liked the epilogue though.

 

Edited December 30, 2021 by Mister M

[cuttsie 1,089]

reading The Promise by Damon Galgut ,  They do not get better than this novel .

[Guest]

1 hour ago, Mister M said:

Yes I agree with your observation about it being split into 2 distinct parts. The first part is great, but the second part at the mansion wasn't as good, or as well defined. 

There are some really good ideas in the book - that all the young people were selected for the experiment because of their disturbed pasts, and I liked that fact that it was really well written, and as you say creepy. 

I thought more could've been made of the Janice Tupp storyline though.

Ideally the first part would've been longer, the second part either condensed or being more conclusive. I liked the epilogue though.

There was just so much more I wanted to know (you probably have the same questions so I'll not mention spoilerish specifics).  I really wanted a more solid resolution to the central disappearance, and the Janice Tupp strand had so much more potential; she really was quite the most fascinating character.

 

It was the epilogue that I found depressing.  I know the whole actions have consequences thing is a whole mess of tropes in spooky fiction, but for the love of god give me a little spark of light in the murk.

 

But anyway, yes, I thought it was a spooky, very creepy tale well told and I'd definitely read more by Will Maclean.

[Guest]

I've just finished Troubled Blood by Robert Galbraith/JK Rowling.  An absolute masterpiece of plotting and cunning misdirection. Loved every page of this great big thoroughly satisfying doorstop of a book. 

[Thirsty Relic 208]

On 28/02/2021 at 20:43, metalman said:

Hillary Waugh - Last seen wearing. Another top class police procedural as police chief Fred Ford hunts the killer of a female college student.

2nd time I've tried replying to this after the editor lost it somehow!

 

I'm not even sure why I landed on this page, as I was looking for something else (the latest comment on this thread).  However, found this - an author I read as  a young teenager with a library ticket to the ADULT Central Library. I liked the gritty cop drama in his work, and read quite a few of them in their plastic coated yellow dust-jackets.

 

To contribute to the thread - one of the books I'm reading now is a Harlan Coben book from his well-loved Mylon Bolitar series.  I'd read them all, but thought he'd stopped writing them.  It turns out he had (last one in 2011, then wrote this one "Home" in 2016).

 

For seasoned Mylon readers (I've not read the Micky spin-offs) it start very differently than you would expect.  I'm about a third through, but its looking good.   For those new to his work, start at the first of the series "Deal Breaker", as there is a timeline that follows through (although you can read them seperately if needed).

[Guest]

I'm reading Murder Isn't Easy: The Forensics of Agatha Christie by Carla Valentine, which is interesting and comprehensive, but the author uses way too many exclamation marks, which annoys me beyond all reason.

[Rockers rule 673]

I always buy a few books for myself as Christmas presents.

(and manage to not open them - usually)

 

Seven years with Banksy.

Robert Clarke. 2012.

 

Excellent insight into Banksy's early coming to prominence from someone who knows him.

Ok you can probably check out Wikipedia and get a lot more information (including his identity) but fully enjoyed learning some of his inner thought and reasoning to the politics behind his artwork .

& there's pictures of his early New York work.

 

Yorkshire, the secret war 1939 - 1945.

Ron Freethy. 2010.

Very much a 'What did you do in the war' book.

Full of personal recollections (and plenty of pictures).

Service men, Female factory workers, Firewatchers, Civil defence OAP's all get a mention.

The book goes a little further, the secret work and plans for sabotage should the German invade are all talked about.

Local canal's were used, factory's shifted production to barrage balloon manufacturing, fishing boats from Hull would be commissioned as mine sweepers etc, etc, etc.

There's a lot more to this book and probably one of the better of its type out there. 

Well worth finding a copy.

 

Tom Kipper - the wartime years.

Peter Sale. 2007.

 

I had no idea what to expect from this book.

A Youngman's recollections of war torn Liverpool soon turned into the strangest thing I've read for a while.

The style of writing is unlike anything I've come across before, but once your into it, it works  .

Basically the book is written from Tom Kippers point of view but with the obvious knowledge of the much wiser author.

Local knowledge and Liverpool humour either baffles the reader or quickly takes you back to a time long gone where innocence and learning the ways of the world went hand in hand (even if they weren't always abiding to the law of the land).

Funny as (fiction come based on real events).

Tempted to say, 'Catcher in the rye' with buckets full of humour.

Best thing I've read this year   .

 

There is an earlier book, Tom Kippers Schooldays.

Gonna have to find a copy.

 

Keep safe and read well  .

 

 

[Rockers rule 673]

My Sh*t life so far - Frankie Boyle - 2010.

 

Bought this years ago and never got around to reading it.

Finally read it and was I in for a treat!

NO - I was in for exactly what I thought I was going to be in for  '

There's tongue in cheek and then there's tongue in places it shouldn't go  .

While a great chunk of the book is an excellent insight into Frankie's early life and career, it, as expected disintegrate into obscene nonsense in places. Worth reading ?

 

 

Edited January 20, 2022 by Rockers rule
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[mikeG 16]

'Never Go Back' by Robert Goddard. I'm only a quarter of the way through but I'm certainly going to finish it.

[Bargepole23 337]

Nighthawking by Russ Thomas, police detective investigating a murder, set in modern day Sheffield. Not bad, not brilliant either.

 

Just starting The Emperor by Ryszard Kapuscinski, about the latter days and downfall of Haile Selassie.

[Rockers rule 673]

A captains duty. 2013.

Richard Phillips with Stephan Talty. 

 

Another charity shop 3 for a £.

Excellent true life account of the captain of a cargo ship hijacked by Somali Pirates.

Because it is joint written by the captain himself, the book captures his thoughts, feelings and the terror throughout.

There did seam to be a distinct line in the second part of the book where the detail of the events become a little blurred.

All in all a very good readable book on a well known story at the time.

Don't know what you'd do in such a situation? read the book, see what captain Philips did and learn what he thinks he would have done differently.

 

Of course once I'd read the book, I then had to watch the film 🙃.

 

So which is the better? the book or the film ?

Read my synopsis in 'Rate the last film you watched'