The what are you reading at the moment fred

[spud]

Been working my way through a few books lately, a biography and a couple of autobiographies.

 

First one is "Wodehouse - A Life" by Robert McCrum.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Lucid, Rivetting, Supremely Well Told. No Lover of Wodehouse Will Want To Be Without This Masterly Appraisal", according to Stephen Fry. The accolades continue on the flyleaves and all heap praise on this latest biography of PG Wodehouse.

 

I'm a great believer in Wodehouse. If you've got a cold or are generally feeling low, one of the great remedies is a large hot toddy or single malt and an hour or two reading about life at Blandings Castle with Lord Emsworth, his pig and Lord Dunstable's latest attempt at porcine kidnapping or following the exploits of Bertie Wooster and his trusty retainer Jeeves.

 

However, by all accounts, PG Wodehouse was a rather dull and uninteresting chap who spent WW1 in the USA and WW11 in mainland Europe. He was also investigated at various times for his, alledged, inability to manage his income tax in Britain and America. Additionally, while he wrote novels, reviews, film scripts and plays upstairs, his wife, allegedly conducting numerous affairs with an unknown number of male companions, downstairs.

 

There is, therefore, a mass of questions that could be answered about Wodehouse's life. Unfortunately, McCrumb investigates nothing. Instead, the reader is snowed under with a chronology of Wodehouse's life in the most incredible and turgid detail. A typical example being "In July, he continually plugged away at another Jeeves story", then he got a letter, then he went to the US etc etc. I was very surprised that the author did not go into more detail about what Wodehouse had for breakfast. The author also seems fascinating by his subject's finances and finishes off each chapter detailing how much he made that year and reporting his bank balance.

 

I'm stuck on page 181 and although I keep picking it up, the thought of the boredom to come is too much and it returns to the shelf.

 

So all in all, one to avoid.

[spud]

 

I was really looking forward to this. One of the great icons of British rock writes his memoirs, what could be better? Well this book for starters.

 

Tonwshend seems obsessed with detail not just detail, pointless detail. There is so much pointless mutterings in this book, I went from boredom to anger.

 

Here's one example. He tells a story about the Who getting chucked off a plane in the USA, because the flight attendant had overheard a conversation and misunderstood the British meaning of a word. And the point is? There is nothing that leads into the story or anything that leads out of the story. He then goes on to tell a story about him and Joe Walsh. This is about how he has a cassette recording of the evening and they got drunk. That's it. What's on the cassette? What songs did they sing? Why did they get drunk together? He describes Joe Walsh as his friend but he's never been mentioned before.

 

There is one telling piece in the book where he muses on his inability to co-write songs. He concludes that it is "out of my emotional range". I'd suggest that autobiographical writing is also outwith his emotional range.

 

This book offers no insight into Pete Townshend and was extremely disappointing. That's not too say that the guy is dull, just that the subject would have been far better told by a biographer.

[spud]

 

Keith Richards - Life

 

Well this is more like it. Keef tells it all. While Pete Townshend's auto gives the impression of hiding anything that might be construed as negative, Keef tells the whole truth and nothing but the truth. There's real honesty in this autobiography, because Keef doesn't care what you think of him. While Townshend never tires of telling the reader about who he was a fan of, Richards tells you why he was a fan of Chuck Berry and why he wasn't after he met him.

 

I came away, really liking the guy. I don't suppose that I would want him as a mate, a bit quick to resort to extreme violence, but I genuinely enjoyed this book. My only reservation was that I enjoyed the Rolling Stone/Jagger parts more than the reggae band exploits. However, I don't like reggae in the first place and that's not Keef's fault.

[Deevers]

Engine of Destruction - The 51st Highland Division in the Great War - by Colin Campbell. A brilliant read for anyone interested in WW1 can't recommend it highly enough.

[William H. Bonney]

Into the wild by john krakauer. Excellent and tragic book.

[Maple Leaf]

"The Second World War, a complete history", by Martin Gilbert. If you want to learn about WWII and only want to read one book, this is the one to read.

[Don Draper]

My Dad came for a visit and left this:

 

 

Read it, but I wasn't all that impressed.

 

Currently juggling this:

 

 

and this:

 

 

...and quite enjoying both.

[Zico]

Just finished Michael Herr's Dispatches - absolutely superb.

[kylelauren01]

Started reading "How could she?" by Dana Fowley. Co-written by the victim of Scotland's biggest paedophile ring which was based in Edinburgh. Say started, because the first chapter is so harrowing I have put it down for a while. Truly horrific & if ever living proof was needed that child sex abuse is something which should never be treated with anything other than repulse, then this is it.

[Jamhammer]

Just finished this and quite enjoyed it.

 

Got this for me holidays

 

[Gigolo-Aunt]

About 50 pages or so in to this and its such an interesting read. Fighting the Afrika Corps at the moment. Patton is one wild General. It also goes in to good detail about the relationships between the Alias.

 

[superjack]

About to start Skag Boys by Irvine Welsh.

 

Sort of prequel to Trainspotting so hopefully pretty good.

I just finished this last week and was thoroughly impressed.

Had a few major lols reading this, especially when spud gets the famous Dutch singer to her room in the caley hotel and takes sick boys advice about using the backdoor.

[Haken]

'Use of Weapons' is immense. There's a brilliant one-liner in it delivered by the main character - to the guy reading it on the thread above, you'll know it when you come to it.

 

Currently re-reading 'Reaper's Gale', book seven in Steven Erikson's Malazan Books of the Fallen series. I prefer these to A Song of Ice and Fire (the actual name of the Game of Thrones books). They're more complex, wider in scope, and with much greater fantasy elements (which will turn a lot of people off, including those who like GRRM's series). Oh, and the series is finished, which is a bonus.

[Gigolo-Aunt]

Was wanting something a bit lighter to read and forgot in my book pile was the last Rebus book so decided to pick that up. Forgot how much I enjoyed those books although for some reason it does my tits in whenever they say "Big Ger McCafferty"

Edited August 28, 2013 by Gigolo-Aunt

[Currahee!]

Just finished 'The Second Coming' by John Niven.

 

Superb. I couldn't put it down.

[Dusk_Till_Dawn]

Anyone read Red or Dead, the new David peace?

 

Tempted but a lot of people say it's shite.

[Gigolo-Aunt]

Anyone read Red or Dead, the new David peace?

 

Tempted but a lot of people say it's shite.

 

Have read some mixed reviews. Read quite a lot of his previous work and have always enjoyed them - thinking of picking it up for holiday reading.

[Dusk_Till_Dawn]

 

 

Have read some mixed reviews. Read quite a lot of his previous work and have always enjoyed them - thinking of picking it up for holiday reading.

 

Just to warn you, it's 700 pages and 250,000 words long. Very heavy going apparently.

[Gigolo-Aunt]

Just to warn you, it's 700 pages and 250,000 words long. Very heavy going apparently.

 

I'm sure it would be an interesting read but the bit that really interests me is what he has done with the part in his life where he was hanging about the training ground still getting called "Boss" when he had packed in - which in turn had him being asked to keep away as it was not good for the new manager or the players.

[Stuart McNeill]

After watching dexter.

 

Anyone know of serial killer genre type books that are a good read.

 

Whether it be biography of someone working with them, or just made it.

 

Thanks

[Mr Romanov Saviour of HMFC]

Joe strummer book was top quality. I would have have him at least a handy in his prime.

 

On to 'a women in Berlin'. A diary from a woman describing life in Berlin from the beginning to end of the war.

[Coco]

Just finished up a little book by Richard Mabey called Turned out nice then. An insubstantial but charming meander through weather and its impact on people.

 

Next up - CMJ a cricketing life.

[Mr Romanov Saviour of HMFC]

After watching dexter.

 

Anyone know of serial killer genre type books that are a good read.

 

Whether it be biography of someone working with them, or just made it.

 

Thanks

 

Not a book, but YouTube has loads of brilliant stuff on serial killers.

 

Ted bundy's final interview is an incredible piece of footage and I actually found that I liked an emphasised with him in a way. very charming man.

[Shanks said no]

Have just started this and aster falling out of love with his books years ago and having had it on my Kindle for ages I am really enjoying the start at least

Edited August 28, 2013 by godandgorgie2012

[Konrad von Carstein]

After watching dexter.

 

Anyone know of serial killer genre type books that are a good read.

 

Whether it be biography of someone working with them, or just made it.

 

Thanks

 

Currently reading Jo Nesbo's The Snowman, caught me within a couple of pages (Kindle clicks )

[Marvin]

[Coco]

Couple of fiction books off the pile.

 

Enjoyed this. Had read another of Jenkins' books a few years ago which was a bit of a sequel to this one. Wonderfully spare and evocative writing. Couple of mentions for Heart of Midlothian too

 

 

Now reading this ... really enjoying it so far. Bit of an old-style farce.

 

[Gigolo-Aunt]

Just finished Charles Bukowski - Post Office.

 

Incredibly funny as well as very sad in parts. Have read a few of his books now and they have all been such a great read.

[Mr Romanov Saviour of HMFC]

A woman in Berlin is really interesting. Gives a good insight into what Berlin was like when the Russians rolled in and started raping folk all over the gaff.

 

This particular woman ended up making one of the majors fall in love with her so she was out of bounds for the Russians radges when they came for their hole after a litre of vodka. Wasn't really aware of the whole Russian rape thing, pretty shocking and it took about 3 generations of silence for it finally to be discussed. Brought shame on women and German men in particular who felt ther property had been violated by the Russians.

[Gigolo-Aunt]

A woman in Berlin is really interesting. Gives a good insight into what Berlin was like when the Russians rolled in and started raping folk all over the gaff.

 

This particular woman ended up making one of the majors fall in love with her so she was out of bounds for the Russians radges when they came for their hole after a litre of vodka. Wasn't really aware of the whole Russian rape thing, pretty shocking and it took about 3 generations of silence for it finally to be discussed. Brought shame on women and German men in particular who felt ther property had been violated by the Russians.

 

I'm sure I read that it was the first wave of Russian soldiers who were the worst - might have got that mixed up though.

 

Two wrongs don't make a right, but the Germans taken the piss as well with their advance in to the Motherland. Think after the long years of abuse to the Russian people, as well as the land, there was a feeling of retribution, as well as having been fed words of propaganda for the last 4 years. When the seniors are quite happy for soldiers on the front to get seriously drunk, shits gonna happen,

 

Shocking stuff though.

 

If you like your war books, AP - would recommend and excellent book written by a young Spitfire pilot. The guy has a lovely style of writing. Black comedy like war can have but also very powerful.

 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/First-Light-Penguin-World-Collection/dp/0141042753/ref=sr_1_6?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1379102178&sr=1-6&keywords=spitfire+pilot

[Mr Romanov Saviour of HMFC]

 

 

I'm sure I read that it was the first wave of Russian soldiers who were the worst - might have got that mixed up though.

 

Two wrongs don't make a right, but the Germans taken the piss as well with their advance in to the Motherland. Think after the long years of abuse to the Russian people, as well as the land, there was a feeling of retribution, as well as having been fed words of propaganda for the last 4 years. When the seniors are quite happy for soldiers on the front to get seriously drunk, shits gonna happen,

 

Shocking stuff though.

 

If you like your war books, AP - would recommend and excellent book written by a young Spitfire pilot. The guy has a lovely style of writing. Black comedy like war can have but also very powerful.

 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/First-Light-Penguin-World-Collection/dp/0141042753/ref=sr_1_6?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1379102178&sr=1-6&keywords=spitfire+pilot

 

Yep it seemed to be mainly about revenge. To e fair, it's easy for us to sit and say it's shocking, but when you've been fighting a long war, seen and done terrible things and haven't had female company for a long time, it is maybe a bit easier to understand their actions.

 

Nice one, will check out that book.

[Gigolo-Aunt]

Fair points, AP. Would like to think though that the British Tommy would not get up to shit like rape (although plenty looting went on - something Churchill by all accounts was not that bothered about - spoils of war).

 

Trying to pick the right words here, suspect that it is going to come out wrong, and I'm not generalising the Russian army/people as a whole, but some of the troops serving were pretty savage/barbaric - maybe war done that to them.

Edited September 13, 2013 by Gigolo-Aunt

[The White Cockade]

[tian447]

I have gone on a complete reading binge since my last post.

 

So far I have read:

 

"The Stand (The Complete and Uncut Version)"

"Everything's Eventual"

"The Bachman Books (The Long Walk, Roadwork, The Running Man)"

"Duma Key"

 

I am halfway through "Hearts in Atlantis", and I have also re-read "From a Buick 8", "Under The Dome", and "11.22.63"

 

I will never get tired of the sheer genius that is Stephen King. I am making it my goal to read everything he has ever written by the time I am 30 (at the rate I can get through them, it's not going to be difficult )

 

Some of his short stories are just fantastic. One in particular that I love is "The Road Virus Heads North". Scary stuff.

Edited September 13, 2013 by tian447

[Jamhammer]

 

Struggling with this

[Coco]

Fair points, AP. Would like to think though that the British Tommy would not get up to shit like rape (although plenty looting went on - something Churchill by all accounts was not that bothered about - spoils of war).

 

Trying to pick the right words here, suspect that it is going to come out wrong, and I'm not generalising the Russian army/people as a whole, but some of the troops serving were pretty savage/barbaric - maybe war done that to them.

 

I would reckon that few soldiers in history have been brutalised and desensitised (in part by their own side's Commissars etc.) as the Soviet soldiers at the end of the Second World War. And the barbaric actions by them in Eastern Europe were at least tacitly supported from the top - Stalin could understand why a soldier who has gone through "blood and fire and death has fun with a woman or takes some trifle".

[Marvin]

I have gone on a complete reading binge since my last post.

 

So far I have read:

 

"The Stand (The Complete and Uncut Version)"

"Everything's Eventual"

"The Bachman Books (The Long Walk, Roadwork, The Running Man)"

"Duma Key"

 

I am halfway through "Hearts in Atlantis", and I have also re-read "From a Buick 8", "Under The Dome", and "11.22.63"

 

I will never get tired of the sheer genius that is Stephen King. I am making it my goal to read everything he has ever written by the time I am 30 (at the rate I can get through them, it's not going to be difficult )

 

Some of his short stories are just fantastic. One in particular that I love is "The Road Virus Heads North". Scary stuff.

 

My favourite, Stephen King novel. Having said that I am half way through Needful Things and that is really good too.

Edited September 14, 2013 by Marvin

[tian447]

My favourite, Stephen King novel. Having said that I am half way through Needful Things and that is really good too.

 

Absolutely loved The Stand, was an amazing read and I was constantly finding time to read just one more chapter, or even one more page.

 

However, my only problem with it was the ending. The book was so in depth and went on for absolutely ages which was amazing. Then the end seemed to be done very quickly. It felt rushed, and I know if he'd carried on he would have missed deadlines, and the book would have been about an extra 300 pages, but it would have been so much better.

 

Look in the spoiler for what I mean (if you haven't read the book, don't)

 

 

The book spends so much time going through all the characters, and them getting to Boulder via Mother Abigail's, and sorting out everything, and a large chunk takes place in Las Vegas where Flagg is getting everything sorted, but then it seems to be all over so quickly - the nuke goes off, Stu takes about 5 minutes to get back to Boulder, even though it's spread out over the course of an entire winter, then Francine gives birth and the book ends all within a short number of chapters. I wish that while the 4 (and Kojak) of them were on their way to Las Vegas it went on a bit more about what was going on in Boulder. I wish the reunion wasn't so rushed, and that the book just generally didn't end so quickly.

 

[Marvin]

 

 

 

Absolutely loved The Stand, was an amazing read and I was constantly finding time to read just one more chapter, or even one more page.

 

However, my only problem with it was the ending. The book was so in depth and went on for absolutely ages which was amazing. Then the end seemed to be done very quickly. It felt rushed, and I know if he'd carried on he would have missed deadlines, and the book would have been about an extra 300 pages, but it would have been so much better.

 

Look in the spoiler for what I mean (if you haven't read the book, don't)

 

 

The book spends so much time going through all the characters, and them getting to Boulder via Mother Abigail's, and sorting out everything, and a large chunk takes place in Las Vegas where Flagg is getting everything sorted, but then it seems to be all over so quickly - the nuke goes off, Stu takes about 5 minutes to get back to Boulder, even though it's spread out over the course of an entire winter, then Francine gives birth and the book ends all within a short number of chapters. I wish that while the 4 (and Kojak) of them were on their way to Las Vegas it went on a bit more about what was going on in Boulder. I wish the reunion wasn't so rushed, and that the book just generally didn't end so quickly.

 

 

I think that is the case with a lot of good books; if the author spent a little more time on the ending then a very good read such as The Stand would be considered brilliant.

[Debut 4]

Read John Gotti`s book a few weeks ago. Quality stuff.

[MacDonald Jardine]

 

Struggling with this

 

So did I. His books vary between brilliant and awful. His last book is back to form although it's similar to The Crow Road.

[Nookie Bear]

 

I was really looking forward to this. One of the great icons of British rock writes his memoirs, what could be better? Well this book for starters.

 

Tonwshend seems obsessed with detail not just detail, pointless detail. There is so much pointless mutterings in this book, I went from boredom to anger.

 

Here's one example. He tells a story about the Who getting chucked off a plane in the USA, because the flight attendant had overheard a conversation and misunderstood the British meaning of a word. And the point is? There is nothing that leads into the story or anything that leads out of the story. He then goes on to tell a story about him and Joe Walsh. This is about how he has a cassette recording of the evening and they got drunk. That's it. What's on the cassette? What songs did they sing? Why did they get drunk together? He describes Joe Walsh as his friend but he's never been mentioned before.

 

There is one telling piece in the book where he muses on his inability to co-write songs. He concludes that it is "out of my emotional range". I'd suggest that autobiographical writing is also outwith his emotional range.

 

This book offers no insight into Pete Townshend and was extremely disappointing. That's not too say that the guy is dull, just that the subject would have been far better told by a biographer.

 

Have to agree with this, I was very underwhelmed by a much-anticipated book.

 

It seemed very 'flat' and offered little insight beyond what most Who fans already knew. I suppose it is difficult to sort 50 years of music into one book but I was disappointed in the stories behind some of the key events in his life.

 

As usual with these autobiographies, I found the time before they 'made it' to be the most fascinating (their family life, meeting the band for the first time.....little snapshots of 50's Britain) but Pete then seems bored of talking about his career with The Who.

 

And by the end of it I was thinking: "Oi, Townsend. Just give up on the Lifehouse nonsense!"

 

You're right about Keith Rochard's book. An extremely likeable character who seemed happy for folk to accept him for what he was/is. I like the fact that, at no point, does he appear to regret his previous lifestyle nor does he preach about it and his depiction of his relationship with Jagger is interesting.

[AWM]

[Coco]

 

Thought this started off really well, very much a clone of the Ian Fleming books. But overall curiously unsatisfying. I suppose the plot was thin in a few of the Fleming books too. Can't help but read Bond as Sean Connery still.

 

Would love it if we had a vintage Bond film after Craig hangs up his dinner suit

[Martin_T]

A very interesting read so far, 11 kids by 10 women takes some doing if nothing else, quite incredible how bad things were for black players in the early 80's.

[superjack]

I suggested this book on this thread over a year ago, brilliant book. The second one of the trilogy, the secret speech, is even better. One of my all time favourite reads

[dougal]

 

Read this a couple of weeks ago. Thought it was absolutely fantastic. One of the best books I've read in years. Got the other two still to read.

[N User]

Just started Joe Haldeman - The Forever War

 

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

 

Seems similar to Starship Troopers (which is excellent). So far, so good.

[NotVincentGuerain]

open university textbooks.

 

(not actually right now, im watching Alien)

 

the last book i read was "red or dead" David Peace. I only got about 100 pages in. I liked it. I really like David Peace books.

will get it from the library again.

Edited September 28, 2013 by NotVincentGuerain

[Coco]

Finally finished this. An incredible feat of research and scholarship. Found the names of the main players a bit hard going as most not ones I have encountered before. But overall shows just how hideous the Communist totalitarian regimes of the post-War period were.

 

 

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