dougal Posted May 22, 2021 Posted May 22, 2021 1 hour ago, Konrad von Carstein said: Wait a minute... There's a tv show based on the books? Whats it called? 1 hour ago, Lemongrab said: I didn't know there was a series, I'll have to have a look a that. Cheers. 👍 It's called The Last Kingdom Quote
Konrad von Carstein Posted May 22, 2021 Posted May 22, 2021 1 hour ago, dougal said: It's called The Last Kingdom That's about King Arthur and the Vikings is it not? Quote
dougal Posted May 22, 2021 Posted May 22, 2021 16 minutes ago, Konrad von Carstein said: That's about King Arthur and the Vikings is it not? We might be talking a out two different things. The series I'm talking about is about Alfred, Uhtred and the Vikings based on the Bernard Cornwell books. Apologies if you thought I meant a TV series based on the Simon Scarrow books, it's not, although having read the first couple of them it would be a great source material for a show. Quote
Konrad von Carstein Posted May 22, 2021 Posted May 22, 2021 52 minutes ago, dougal said: We might be talking a out two different things. The series I'm talking about is about Alfred, Uhtred and the Vikings based on the Bernard Cornwell books. Apologies if you thought I meant a TV series based on the Simon Scarrow books, it's not, although having read the first couple of them it would be a great source material for a show. We were at x purposes, but it's all good I think done well the Macro and Cato stories would make a brilliant series of films or a TV series. Adam Driver is Cato and Dave Bautista is Macro in my minds eye when reading the books. Quote
dougal Posted May 30, 2021 Posted May 30, 2021 Just finished this. Extremely far fetched as always but still enjoyable. Quote
JudyJudyJudy Posted May 30, 2021 Posted May 30, 2021 (edited) Patricia Highsmith My favourite crime writer . She writes so well about flawed characters who tend to get involved in a crime unintentionally and things seem to spiral out of control . Or often writes about someone being obsessive about something or someone . Like this one I’m currently reading which is about a family who become estranged to dangerous levels when some of them Become bible thumpers . She also wrote “ The talented Mr Ripley “ “ Stangers on a train “ and other classics . A great author . Edited May 30, 2021 by JamesM48 Quote
FWJ Posted June 1, 2021 Posted June 1, 2021 Recently read ‘Travellers in the Third Reich’ by Julia Boyd. It’s letters etc from people visiting Germany in the 30s A very interesting read with a growing sense of unease as the years pass up to 1939. Quote
dougal Posted June 3, 2021 Posted June 3, 2021 Number 9 in the series and still very entertaining. Quote
dougal Posted June 11, 2021 Posted June 11, 2021 Number 10 in the series but wasn't overly impressed with it. Hopefully the final 3 return to form. Quote
dougal Posted June 19, 2021 Posted June 19, 2021 Very decent thriller that fans of Dan Brown or Andy McDermott would enjoy. Quote
Kiwidoug Posted June 19, 2021 Posted June 19, 2021 John Mortimer, the Rumplple Omnibus, all three of them. Brilliant. Quote
Kiwidoug Posted June 19, 2021 Posted June 19, 2021 Just now, Kiwidoug said: John Mortimer, the Rumplple Omnibus, all three of them. Brilliant. Rumpole Quote
the general Posted June 20, 2021 Posted June 20, 2021 The Young Team .. graeme Armstrong Brilliant novel set in airdrie Quote
Auld Reekin' Posted June 20, 2021 Posted June 20, 2021 Picked it up for £1.50 at a local charity shop and I reckon I'm around £1.35 down on the deal. The signs of the decline in his writing were all too evident in the predecessor to this, 'Perfidia', but this one's even worse. I'd really enjoyed his LA Quartet novels (including LA Confidential) and his Underworld USA Trilogy, and thought he provided a unique and distinctive voice in American crime fiction, but this is shite. And very, very, long... (Less than a hundred pages to go though, thank feck!) His writing now lacks any discipline and for much of the time is just re-hashing what he's written before. It offers little that's new: it's almost like it's written by someone determined to parody Ellroy rather than by Ellroy himself. Apart from the very obvious defects in the novel, the thing that annoys me most about it is his constant use of "quite the...", rather than "quite a..." in the characters' dialogue. It's very much an Americanism, and I know he's American, but I very strongly doubt that anyone was actually phrasing a sentence that way in the USA of the 1940s where the novel is set. An example of this would be: "In 'This Storm', Ellroy has written quite the bad novel...", instead of "In 'This Storm', Ellroy has written quite a bad novel...". Its constant use throughout is very irritating. Quote
Helzibob Posted June 20, 2021 Posted June 20, 2021 Just finished the prosecutor by Afzal Nazir. Pretty interesting insight into the crown prosecution service and their staff. Quote
dougal Posted June 30, 2021 Posted June 30, 2021 Read these 2 recently. The Lovers is another good Charlie Parker thriller that I found a little creepy in places. The Chestnut Man is the first novel from the writer of The Killing (Forbrydelsen). I think it would make a good mini series. Plenty going on and a few red herrings around. Quote
benny Posted June 30, 2021 Posted June 30, 2021 (edited) The search for a lost Caravaggio masterpiece. Cracking read. Edited June 30, 2021 by benny Quote
Shanks said no Posted July 3, 2021 Posted July 3, 2021 Really good read and I resisted googling the outcome before the finish. Love the Spartans of Greece Quote
dougal Posted July 4, 2021 Posted July 4, 2021 18 hours ago, The Frenchman Returns said: Really good read and I resisted googling the outcome before the finish. Love the Spartans of Greece His books on Caesar (Emperor series) and Genghis Khan (Conqueror series) are excellent too if you haven't read them. Quote
Shanks said no Posted July 4, 2021 Posted July 4, 2021 19 minutes ago, dougal said: His books on Caesar (Emperor series) and Genghis Khan (Conqueror series) are excellent too if you haven't read them. Started with the War of the Roses series, really good and have the Conqueror series on my Kindle but want to choose the right time to binge on it. Quote
Ulysses Posted July 4, 2021 Posted July 4, 2021 I started reading this a couple of months ago, stopped because I mislaid the book, and then picked it up again. The writer lectures in the Department of English Literature at the University of Edinburgh. Basically, it speculates on how cities will fossilise over millions of years into the future, and branches out from that into discussions of the beginning of the Anthropocene era and other environmental stuff. It's a good read, though I must admit it's a bit depressing in parts. Quote
NANOJAMBO Posted July 5, 2021 Posted July 5, 2021 Really good take on the potential break up of the UK and the influence of English nationalism / Brexit in potentially hastening the outcome. Quote
dougal Posted July 7, 2021 Posted July 7, 2021 Typical James Patterson fare but a no thinking easy and entertaining read. Quote
CF11JamTart Posted July 14, 2021 Posted July 14, 2021 I've just finished Pat Nevin's book "The Accidental Footballer". Decent read, definitely worth a look. Quote
Auld Reekin' Posted July 14, 2021 Posted July 14, 2021 56 minutes ago, jonesy said: It's funny how folk can have such differing opinions. I love Ellroy's style, its tightness, its staccato rhythm. Yes, I agree that he has become a bit of a caricature of himself, but that - for me, at least - doesn't detract. He'll never top the Underworld USA series when he was clearly at his peak, but this is still good stuff. His character portrayals are mesmerising. I also really liked Ellroy's writing up until the last two books. I don't mean that they are really terrible books compared to the thronging multitudes of really, REALLY, terrible books out there, I just think they are poor compared to much of his previous work. It'll probably take some very positive reviews and feedback before I pick up another new book by him though, sad to say... I wonder how his novel featuring Bill Clinton is coming along. His stated intention was to wait until Clinton dies and then publish - so it's presumably not going to be a complimentary portrayal - but given that he's only 1.5 years younger than Clinton it'll be interesting to see who snuffs it first* and what transpires! (*Unless it's me. If so, I don't suppose I'll be interested at all...) Quote
Shanks said no Posted July 22, 2021 Posted July 22, 2021 I know she has sold 35 million more books than me but I didn't get it. May seem a strange thing to say but the violence / reaction just didn't ring true. Won't be rushing to read more of her works Quote
Shanks said no Posted July 24, 2021 Posted July 24, 2021 As it says on the cover, I just couldn't put it down, great story. Quote
Ulysses Posted July 24, 2021 Posted July 24, 2021 Just bought two books of Irish poetry last week (as in, poetry written in the Irish language), and I've been dipping in an out of them since. Duanaire an Chéid (Anthology of the Century) is a selection of poems from the 20th century, and includes several that I studied at school. IDEO Locator (the "you are here" dot on a map) is a collection of poems by a young Donegal fella called Dubhán Ó Longáin which was published last year. Quote
heartgarfunkel Posted July 25, 2021 Posted July 25, 2021 Will Sergeant out of Echo & The Bunnymen’s autobiography. Tremendous read. Quote
dougal Posted August 11, 2021 Posted August 11, 2021 3 decent but different crime novels. One set in Canada, one in Greece and one in South of England. All worth a read. Dead Tomorrow was the best of the 3 imo. Quote
William H. Bonney Posted August 11, 2021 Posted August 11, 2021 I recently read the first 2 novels in the Harry hole series by jo nesbo. The bat and cockroaches. I found the latter extremely slow and I can’t see myself reading anymore by him. Quote
benny Posted August 11, 2021 Posted August 11, 2021 Empire of the Summer Moon. The rise and fall of the Commanches.Brutal but brilliant read so far. Quote
JWL Posted August 11, 2021 Posted August 11, 2021 Just took delivery of this today. Should be some decent wee stories in there. Quote
dougal Posted August 11, 2021 Posted August 11, 2021 11 hours ago, Furious Styles said: I recently read the first 2 novels in the Harry hole series by jo nesbo. The bat and cockroaches. I found the latter extremely slow and I can’t see myself reading anymore by him. No word of lie, but those two are easily the worst of the series. If memory serves it was the 3rd and 4th books which were first published in English and after a few more had been published in English to some success they then went back and published the first two books looking to jump on the bandwagon despite them being pretty poor books. Quote
dougal Posted August 11, 2021 Posted August 11, 2021 10 hours ago, benny said: Empire of the Summer Moon. The rise and fall of the Commanches.Brutal but brilliant read so far. If you've not read it then I'd recommend Bury my Heart at Wounded Knee by Dee Brown. It's excellent. Quote
dougal Posted August 16, 2021 Posted August 16, 2021 First in his China series. Thoroughly entertaining and fast paced novel. Would definitely recommend it. Quote
spud Posted August 17, 2021 Posted August 17, 2021 Haven't been on this thread for a while, so no idea if this has been mentioned before. Gerlach was a Lieutenant with the 14th Panzer Division at Stalingrad. He was wounded and captured by the Soviets. While a prisoner he wrote of his time in Stalingrad but the Soviets found his manuscript and confiscated it. He was released back to Germany in 1950 and through hypnosis he tried to remember what he had written, eventually publishing his remembered recollections as "The Forgotten Army" in 1957. In 2012, a German researcher, Prof. Carsten Gansel found the original manuscript in 2012 in a Moscow archive. The above is the original novel written by Gerlach as a prisoner. It's a fantastic, if sometimes, harrowing read, all the more important as it describes first hand what the Germans went through in the famous siege. Quote
spud Posted August 17, 2021 Posted August 17, 2021 On 11/08/2021 at 22:28, benny said: Empire of the Summer Moon. The rise and fall of the Commanches.Brutal but brilliant read so far. Just a wee aside. Quanah Parker's mother was Cynthia Ann Parker who was captured by Commanches as a nine year old. Cynthia's "rescue" was the, admittetly loose, subject of John Ford and John Wayne's magnificent film "The Searchers". Quote
dougal Posted August 21, 2021 Posted August 21, 2021 An enjoyable novel similar to The Da Vinci Code and others of the same genre. Interesting thing is no one seems to know who the author is. It's apparently a well established best selling author but no one knows who. Quote
dougal Posted August 23, 2021 Posted August 23, 2021 Typical James Patterson. Moves along at far speed. Enjoyable enough but will never win any awards. Quote
benny Posted August 23, 2021 Posted August 23, 2021 On 11/08/2021 at 11:28, benny said: Empire of the Summer Moon. The rise and fall of the Commanches.Brutal but brilliant read so far. Brilliant interview with S C Gwynne and Joe Rogan on Spotify. Quote
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