What books are we reading at the moment ?

[Mr Larrington]

Finally finished "Not Me" by historian / journalist / newspaper publisher Joachim Fest.  Now on Daniel Kehlmann's "Measuring The World", an entertaining fictionalisation of the lives and works of Alexander von Humboldt and Carl Friedrich Gauss.  No, wait!  Come back!

[jogler]

Peakland Roads & Trackways by A.E.Dodd & E.M.Dodd

If you are at all interested in Roman history in Britain or cartography it's well worth a butcher's.

This book confirms my long held belief that we live on the route of a Roman road

[citoyen]

The Nether World by George Gissing. Like Dickens without the sentimentality. A blend of great storytelling and social commentary. And surprisingly modern in style, especially compared to the likes of Dickens.

And to follow that, I've just downloaded The Likes Of Us - a collection of the short stories of Stan Barstow, today's 99p Kindle bargain of the day. I don't think I've read any of his stuff since I was at school but I loved it then so I'm looking forward to reacquainting myself with it. I'll try to get my son to read them too - he's the same age I was when I discovered Stan Barstow.

(Two good Yorkshiremen there, you'll note.)

[citoyen]

I've also just downloaded The City & The City by China Miéville - currently £1.19 for Kindle. Never read any of his stuff before and I'm not entirely sure it sounds like my kind of thing but well worth a punt at that price and I'm looking forward to giving it a go.

[Mr Larrington]

I've also just downloaded The City & The City by China Miéville - currently £1.19 for Kindle. Never read any of his stuff before and I'm not entirely sure it sounds like my kind of thing but well worth a punt at that price and I'm looking forward to giving it a go.

I read one of his short stories in the breeze-block sized compendium "The Weird: A Compendium of Strange and Dark Stories" recently.  Really rather good.

[Wascally Weasel]

pc, I loved Rosemary Sutcliffe books, too.  I can't remember the title of the one in which a boy has to "slay his wolf", but it was very gripping, though now I guess i'd consider it a bit "wolfist"!

That one is 'Frontier Wolf', another favourite of mine too.  It's one of the loosely connected series of books that goes through from the Roman Period to the late Dark Ages - the connected feature being the dolphin ring worn by the Aquila family and descendants.

I did think what great films they would make until somebody did.  I still somehwere have part of a spec script I started writing for Frontier Wolf...

Another great Sutcliffe book set in the same Roman British period but from the POV of the Dalriads is Mark of the Horse Lord, possibly my favourite book by her.

[Mrs Pingu]

The Prague Cemetery by Umberto Eco.
My word what a ramble it is! He seems to have forgotten what full stops are for as well. Still, it's helping me get to sleep at night, not that I actually need any help in that regard. 25% in and I suspect I may not make it to 50%.

[rafletcher]

"The Sentinel" by Mark Oldfield.  Set between the operations of the Brigada Especiale in post Spanish civil war 1953 Madrid and a modern day attempt to track down the fate of the main protaganist Leopold Guzman.  Interesting to me in giving some insight into the Spanish civil war and it's aftermath. The first in a projected trilogy "The vengeance of memory" series. It's not surpising the Spanish want to forget the war - and as evidence there is the "pact of oblivion" - a general amnesty after Franco's death, intended to draw a veil over the recent past.

[Peter]

pc, I loved Rosemary Sutcliffe books, too.  I can't remember the title of the one in which a boy has to "slay his wolf", but it was very gripping, though now I guess i'd consider it a bit "wolfist"!

That one is 'Frontier Wolf', another favourite of mine too.  It's one of the loosely connected series of books that goes through from the Roman Period to the late Darg Ages - the connected feature being the dolphin ring worn by the Aquila family and descendents.

I did think what great films they would make until somebody did.  I still somehwere have part of a spec script I started writing for Frontier Wolf.

Another great book set in the same Roman British period but from the POV of the Dalriads is Mark of the Horse Lord, possibly my favourite book by her.

Thanks for that WW.  I'll look into your recommendations.  When I was in what is now Zimbabwe, doing VSO, I once sat with some pupils under a tree in the bush and told them the basic story of "Frontier Wolf".  They were spell-bound, which was very gratifying as the Shona have a strong oral tradition.

[tiermat]

Whilst on holiday I read (in no read order):
Damaged by Cathy Glass - one of those f***ked childhood stories that did the rounds a couple of years ago.  Read all a bit too made up for my liking.
The Secret Race by Tyler Hamilton and some other geezer - I liked this, no holds barred, he doesn't come out of it very likeable, but then Lance certainly doesn't, either.
The Big Sea by some academic or other - a history of the Med, meh.
The Phantom by Jo Nesbo - Is that really Harry's last story? I don't believe he is dead, after all the rat can't chew through his chest...

[Eccentrica Gallumbits]

Just started Rod Stewart's autobiography. There's a whole chapter about his hair.  I can't believe I never noticed before that he did backing vocals for Jeff Beck on Hi Ho Silver Lining - but once you know and then you hear it again, it's obvious.

[Peter]

Just started Rod Stewart's autobiography. There's a whole chapter about his hair.  I can't believe I never noticed before that he did backing vocals for Jeff Beck on Hi Ho Silver Lining - but once you know and then you hear it again, it's obvious.

Intentional quote from the lyric?  If so, pretty good!

[citoyen]

The Likes Of Us - a collection of the short stories of Stan Barstow, today's 99p Kindle bargain of the day. I don't think I've read any of his stuff since I was at school but I loved it then so I'm looking forward to reacquainting myself with it.

I'm pleased to report that he's an even better writer than I remembered. Marvellous.

[mrcharly-YHT]

Dervla Murphy's book on the balkans 'Through the embers of chaos'

I normally fly through books. This one is incredibly dense with information. For every village she visits she recounts it's history. Then meets locals of all types and reports what they say, describes the place, the feeling in the air, the landscape. She is amazing and this is a truly incredible book about the region. She visited 3 times to write the book (before and after the war).

[citoyen]

The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga.

Winner of the 2008 Booker. Meh. I get it, but it hasn't really grabbed me.

[LindaG]

This morning, I read 'A Prayer for Owen Meany' (yes, I'm still trudging through it, and it's still good) on the tube, and 'Vet In A Spin' while I was brewing coffee

I just finished A Prayer for Owen Meany. It is wonderful. Why does John Irving have the knack of touching you so intimately with his writing? I cried like a baby at the end. What a gift it must be to write like that.

(sigh).

I regret the fact that I will only read this book for the first time, once in my life.

[Nuncio]

You need a very poor memory.  I've read it twice.  Coincidentally, I  had something in my eye at the end both times.

[L CC]

This morning, I read 'A Prayer for Owen Meany' (yes, I'm still trudging through it, and it's still good) on the tube, and 'Vet In A Spin' while I was brewing coffee

I just finished A Prayer for Owen Meany. It is wonderful. Why does John Irving have the knack of touching you so intimately with his writing? I cried like a baby at the end. What a gift it must be to write like that.

(sigh).

I regret the fact that I will only read this book for the first time, once in my life.

Told you.

It's not as good (IMO) as A Prayer For Owen Meaney or A Widow For One Year. So you can read those next.

It's pretty good though. Just that I liked those others of his better.

(Polite people don't say 'I told you so', apparently. Ooops.)

[Mrs Pingu]

I am still trying to read How to Teach Quantum Physics to Your Dog. I don't think I'm going to fully understand it when I'm finished but I will finish it. Eventually.
At the rate of a page or 2 before I fall asleep it might be a while.

I shall probably need something else to keep me amused while it's raining in Tain while Pingu is 300'd-ing, so I may well crack open the last Iain M Banks novel.

[LindaG]

This morning, I read 'A Prayer for Owen Meany' (yes, I'm still trudging through it, and it's still good) on the tube, and 'Vet In A Spin' while I was brewing coffee

I just finished A Prayer for Owen Meany. It is wonderful. Why does John Irving have the knack of touching you so intimately with his writing? I cried like a baby at the end. What a gift it must be to write like that.

(sigh).

I regret the fact that I will only read this book for the first time, once in my life.

Told you.

It's not as good (IMO) as A Prayer For Owen Meaney or A Widow For One Year. So you can read those next.

It's pretty good though. Just that I liked those others of his better.

(Polite people don't say 'I told you so', apparently. Ooops.)

Oh I could never pass up an opportunity to say 'I told you so.'

Besides, you were right. 

[citoyen]

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy.

Read it many years ago, fancied reading it again. Don't know why but glad I did. Le Carré could turn out a pretty decent spy thriller back in the day, couldn't he.

Haven't read anything he's written since the late 80s though. Might need to do a bit of catching up.

[jogler]

My Time .......Bradley Wiggins

[andrewc]

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy.

Read it many years ago, fancied reading it again. Don't know why but glad I did. Le Carré could turn out a pretty decent spy thriller back in the day, couldn't he.

Haven't read anything he's written since the late 80s though. Might need to do a bit of catching up.

Most of what he's written since is worth reading (if a bit polemical & anti American).   He's becoming more anti-establishment with each book.

[Bledlow]

The Nether World by George Gissing. Like Dickens without the sentimentality. A blend of great storytelling and social commentary. And surprisingly modern in style, especially compared to the likes of Dickens....

(Two good Yorkshiremen there, you'll note.)

I've only read New Grub Street. Got a bit annoyed with Reardon, I'm afraid - as with his modern R4 incarnation.

I feel I should point out that Gissing spent almost 3/4 of his life outside Yorkshire, leaving it when he was 12 & never going back.

[Asterix, the former Gaul.]

John le Carre's 'Smileys People'

and

'Cape of Storms: Trawling off the Coast of North Russia' by Hugh Popham. 

Very good character portraits so far, they haven't actually sailed yet.  The trawler is based in Hull and crews did 21 days away every 23 days.  The author describes an event where, after a voyage extended by weather a vessel reaches Hull only to be shut out at the last minute by the tide.  One crew member leaps over the side to swim ashore never to be seen again.