coda Posted November 8, 2012 Share Posted November 8, 2012 Just finished Stuart, a life backwards by Alexander Masters. Profound. It's an upsetting book. If you haven't seen it check out the Tom Hardy film. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villa4europe Posted November 9, 2012 Share Posted November 9, 2012 anyone read the philip kerr bernie gunther books? thinking of xmas presents, my gran is in to crime thrillers but im not sure if the history element will be overpowering Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AVFC_Hitz Posted November 9, 2012 Share Posted November 9, 2012 anyone read the philip kerr bernie gunther books? thinking of xmas presents, my gran is in to crime thrillers but im not sure if the history element will be overpowering If you go a few pages back they're discussed by a few people inc me. I think they're great books and, no, the historical element is not overpowering at all. There is a bit of sexual content though...if your Grand doesn't mind that sort of thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjmooney Posted November 9, 2012 VT Supporter Share Posted November 9, 2012 If you go a few pages back they're discussed by a few people inc me. I think they're great books and, no, the historical element is not overpowering at all. There is a bit of sexual content though...if your Grand doesn't mind that sort of thing. Not just sexual, but rather nasty sadistic sexual. One of the elements that spoils them for me. In that WWII espionage genre, Downing > Furst > Kerr, IMHO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjmooney Posted November 14, 2012 VT Supporter Share Posted November 14, 2012 Finished the LeCarre trilogy (and watched the Guinness TV series). Whipped though: (pretty much in a sitting). Now onto: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjmooney Posted December 20, 2012 VT Supporter Share Posted December 20, 2012 Latest update. Finished the Nabokov (excellent), then read: which was very good indeed. Now on: but mainly: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyh29 Posted December 20, 2012 Share Posted December 20, 2012 having enjoyed the previous 2 works of his that I've read (Death on he ice & Empire of Sand) , I just ordered Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wainy316 Posted December 20, 2012 Share Posted December 20, 2012 Currently on Bill Bryson's 'A Short History of Nearly Everything.' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PauloBarnesi Posted December 20, 2012 Share Posted December 20, 2012 Just finished To Kill a Mockingbird; 30 years after I should have read it in school Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjmooney Posted December 20, 2012 VT Supporter Share Posted December 20, 2012 having enjoyed the previous 2 works of his that I've read (Death on he ice & Empire of Sand) , I just ordered Yeah, I like Ryan, although he can be patchy. He started repeating himself with some of his WWII books, but returned to form with Empire of Sand. Not read anything by him since that one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr_Pangloss Posted December 20, 2012 Share Posted December 20, 2012 Hayashi-Econometrics, **** great fun, not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coda Posted December 20, 2012 Share Posted December 20, 2012 which was very good indeed. I read that a few weeks ago. Some Freudian/Jungian subconscious business going on. It reminded me of 1Q84 in that it was brilliant at times but disappointed overall. He hasn't equalled Wind-Up Bird Chronicle for me. Currently reading this and it's interesting but a bit of an ordeal, not my usual reading material. Most of it is 20 years old but you realise how things don't change, as with the recent HSBC money laundering. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarewsEyebrowDesigner Posted December 20, 2012 Share Posted December 20, 2012 Well, re-reading LOTR in the main, with 'Goodbye to Berlin' by Christopher Isherwood on the side. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Troglodyte Posted December 20, 2012 VT Supporter Share Posted December 20, 2012 I loved Hard-boiled Wonderland and the End of the World. It's great. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PauloBarnesi Posted December 29, 2012 Share Posted December 29, 2012 Sons and Lovers for the first time. Brilliant. Just brilliant Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeyp102 Posted December 30, 2012 Share Posted December 30, 2012 (edited) Some of my favourite books are: Papillon - Henri Charrierre Godfather - Mario Puzo Paul McGrath auto biography Anthony Kiedis auto biography Fatherland, Enigma, Pompeii - Robert Harris Lord of the rings triology - Tolkein Edited December 30, 2012 by mikeyp102 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjmooney Posted January 4, 2013 VT Supporter Share Posted January 4, 2013 This may belong in the New Year's resolutions thread, but I've decided I MUST buy fewer books this year. I was going to say "none", but I know that's unrealistic. I've got a "short list" of books to read, in a case next to the bed that has over a hundred books in it. I'm 59 this month, and time is running out to get through them. Given that this means little or no re-reading, I've spent the last couple of days taking old books to local charity shops. Didn't count them, but it's hundreds - and I haven't finished yet. It feels slightly sad - like saying goodbye to old friends and lovers - but it's also highly cathartic. Clear the decks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarewsEyebrowDesigner Posted January 4, 2013 Share Posted January 4, 2013 (edited) I've got Edward Thomas' Collected Poems on the go, which includes his war diary. He doesn't get taught as much as Owen/Sassoon/Rosenberg in schools, but he's (imo) a far more interesting writer. I've also got some graphic novel called 'Corto Maltese: Ballad of the Salt Sea' too, and it is excellent so far. Edited January 4, 2013 by CarewsEyebrowDesigner 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjmooney Posted January 5, 2013 VT Supporter Share Posted January 5, 2013 Agreed on Edward Thomas, CED. Superb stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leemond2008 Posted January 5, 2013 Share Posted January 5, 2013 I bought two books last night by Thomas ligotti, he apparently takes a lot of influence from Poe and lovecraft which sits well with me as they are two of my favourites. The first one I am reading at the moment is "my work is not yet done" which seems pretty good but I'm still early on in it so I'll say more once I have finished it The second one (the one I am really looking forward to reading) is called something like "teatro grotesco" a collection of short stories. Hopefully I will have found a new author and will be able to delve into the back catalogue and uncover a few gems Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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