Books - What do you recommend? / What are you reading?

[Plain Talker 11]

thank you Captain Swing, that is the very tale I was thinking of. I just could not remember the title.

 

as I said, I can remember how much it freaked me out, as I was only a kid (I think I must have been in the 2nd year of senior school when we studied that, so I'd have been 11 maybe 12 )

 

PT

[Teabag 10]

'Instructions For American Servicemen in Britain 1942'

 

This was originally a pamphlet written by the US War Department in 1942 and now published in a small book form by Oxford University Press. The original pamphlet was distributed to American Servicemen who were to be stationed in Britain preparing for the invasion of mainland Europe. Most of the GI's the document is aimed at had never been abroad before and it gave these young men a snapshot of wartime Britain. It also gives tips to GI's on how to cope with everyday situations in Blighty like attending a football match, catching a train and emphasises the British virtues of fair play and tolerance.

 

It only takes less than an hour to read but fascinating stuff.

[Mathom 10]

urban grimshaw and the shed crew, by bernard hare. a true story about a group of marginalised children and young people, befriended by the author, a former social worker. set in leeds, this is a real eye-opener, equally disturbing and funny, well worth a read, and only £3.75 at tesco!

 

I've just finished that one - didn't take me very long as I just kept reading right through as I had to know what happened to all the kids. It really did help to make sense of why a lot of teenagers getting into trouble are behaving like that. I'd recommend this book.

 

Now I might read something totally different - maybe Mists of Avalon, which is about as far removed as it gets!

[rad 10]

Just read The Defrosting of Charlotte Small by Annabel Giles which was ok if predictable. Reading On Beauty by Zadie Smith now. Urban Grimshaw is on the bookshelf waiting...

[weenireeni 10]

oooh ive bought defrosting pf charlotte small yesterday! came as a double pack for approx £4 from asda, bargain!

[John66 10]

I am half way through "Cheating death stealing life - the Eddie Guerrero story.

I'm not really into wrestling but my son is, he bought the book for me and it's a good read about Eddie's highs and lows in wrestling and in his life.

 

Just bought NickHornby's "Long way down".

[Honkytonk 10]

Trying to finish Life of Pi (yawn). It might well go the way of Catch 22 and On the Road - unfinished and never will be.

 

Also trying to finish the Da Vinci Code, The Tibetan Book of Living & Dying (Sogyal Kimpoche), A taste for Death (Peter O'Donnell) and The Dance of Anger (harriet Lerner).

[Becky2006 10]

weenireeni im going to i keep lokking for them but cant find them anywhere aprt frm shops where they sell them 4 bout 15 quid!

[DanSumption 10]

After about 6 months in which I've hardly had time to look at a book, these last few weeks I've ploughed through several. Mobius Dick by Andrew Crumey and Ludmila's Broken English by DBC Pierre were both good, although not quite as good as I'd hoped - say 4/5 each.

 

But David Mitchell's new book Black Swan Green is every bit as marvellous as I'd hoped. 6 out of 5! His structural games are a lot more subtle than in his last two book, Cloud Atlas and Number9Dreams, which makes it a much easier read. And for anyone who, like me, was 13 in 1982 it will bring back plenty of memories.

[JonJParr 10]

Just read Gordon Ramsay's biography (brilliant!) and Hugh Johnson : My Life Uncorked (again brilliant!) Would recommend both to anyone (the latter only if you're interested in wine...)

[qwerky 10]

spot the god, im dyxlextic

[weenireeni 10]

weenireeni im going to i keep lokking for them but cant find them anywhere aprt frm shops where they sell them 4 bout 15 quid!

 

 

i get books off ebay, if you look on there theyre a 5er at most