What books are we reading at the moment ?

[Peter]

I have several of his books and think he's a terrific writer.  On The Beach was a good film and suffered not in the least from having Ava Gardner to look at and Fred Astaire as a most unlikely but believable racing driver.  No Highway was also effectively filmed with James Stewart (himself a highly-promoted airman) as an aeronautical engineer.  I think you'd find that equally gripping, Wow.

[Canardly]

The Forgotten Tragedy, Brian Crabb. Well researched book concerning the sinking of the SS Lancastria just outside St. Nazaire, a few weeks after Dunkirk.  Britains largest ever naval loss and upon which my grandfather died.

[Mr Larrington]

Le Carré may have to be put on hold after “Rabbit Hole”, a brand spanking new offering from Mark Billingham, hopped off the shelf and into my trolley just now.  Not advertised as featuring Thorne but I expect he'll put in a cameo appearance.  He always does, the shameless tart.

About 120 pages in, two killin's and no Thorne yet.  Though his mate Phil Hendricks has had a mention.

[Mrs Pingu]

I am reading the 1st of Anne Leckie's Ancillary Justice trilogy as recommended by Ravenbait ages ago.
It's quite long but it's keeping me amused. Which is good, because I've been recently living on a diet of crime fiction cos no one else can write fast enough. And crime fiction is ok but it's not very nutritious.
(I remember my G'ma reading lots of crime fiction when she used to come up here on her hollybobs. I think I know why now, there's lots of it.)

[Kim]

I am reading the 1st of Anne Leckie's Ancillary Justice trilogy as recommended by Ravenbait ages ago.

I read those a several of yonks back.  It's a real window into the BRITISH tea-drinker mentality

[fd3]

Walden by Henry David Thoreau https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16902.Walden Never heard about this fella before, but an interesting book. I might give the "canoeing in the wilderness" book a go too, as I have been thinking about renting a canoe and revisit the holidays of my youth.

I like to have a couple books on the go, you can vary the style yo7 feel like on the day.
Walden is good, but “on the duty of civil disobedience” is better and generally part of the same book.

[nobby]

Sarah Outen's 'Dare to Do'
Enjoying it then about a third in I thought, I'm not getting anything from this.
Unlike Emily Chapell it is all too sophisticated and sponsored for my taste.

[Mr Larrington]

Another killin'

[Mr Larrington]

After guest appearances by DCI Brigstocke (in a non-speaking role) and Dr Perera, Thorne finally appears on page 374, although the narrator claims she forgot hid name immediately.  Nice twist at the end.  This Unit endorses “Rabbit Hole”.

[ian]

I read a cycling book. Two. They were 99p on Kindle. I'm not as cycling mad as some of you, of course. One about a race down Africa (Mark Beaumont) which while an epic achievement, I'm sure, wasn't a great read, he might be a good cyclist, but less so as a writer. It wasn't awful, but the grandeur of a continent wasn't really captured and honestly, I didn't much care for the being-the-quickest aspect which just led to many of his interactions with the locals as being overbearing. It felt like much of Africa was guilty of being in the way.

The second one I didn't think I'd like, Emily Chappell on being a courier, and mostly I think couriers are pretty much delivery monkeys with a somewhat overstated mythos. But she sold it to me (not enough to do it). Mostly a book about riding a bike without being about riding a bike. Nothing tremendous exciting happened, other than a young woman going about her life (which involved riding a bike for a living), but it's well-written and, in places, rather poignant.

[nobby]

English Pastoral by James Rebanks.

I nearly bought this a couple of times but was unsure and left it. Fortunately, number two daughter has passed it on and I am thoroughly enjoying it.

Unlike Mark Crocker or John Lewis-Stempel it is not a nature book about animals, although they are not ignored. So far (first third), it is about the relentless grind of small scale farming and the different reactions of his father and grandfather, and his mother and grandmother to the work, and his changing appreciation of what he is doing with his life.

[ian]

Getting around to Utopia Street, David Bowie told me to read it.

Yeah, the near-constant full name dropping is a bit annoying, though I suspect I'm blessed by not being particularly au fait with the musical era. He also can't do yer working class.

That said, the story is pulling me along apace.

[fd3]

The City & the City - as Kafkaesque as promised, I think the ending lets it down to some extent.

[rafletcher]

John Connelly’s “The Nameless Ones”. Apropos of which, it can’t be long before the end of the Charlie Parker series.

[ian]

John Connelly’s “The Nameless Ones”. Apropos of which, it can’t be long before the end of the Charlie Parker series.

Oh, that will be sad as I love the books, but the splendidly extended and elegiac story arc has to end somewhere.

[Peter]

Getting around to Utopia Street, David Bowie told me to read it.

Yeah, the near-constant full name dropping is a bit annoying, though I suspect I'm blessed by not being particularly au fait with the musical era. He also can't do yer working class.

That said, the story is pulling me along apace.

Ian, is it actually Utopia Avenue - by David Mitchell?

[nobby]

English Pastoral by James Rebanks.

I nearly bought this a couple of times but was unsure and left it. Fortunately, number two daughter has passed it on and I am thoroughly enjoying it.

Unlike Mark Crocker or John Lewis-Stempel it is not a nature book about animals, although they are not ignored. So far (first third), it is about the relentless grind of small scale farming and the different reactions of his father and grandfather, and his mother and grandmother to the work, and his changing appreciation of what he is doing with his life.

Excellent book by a farmer who cares about the future.

[fd3]

Non-Stop by Brian Aldiss
I am thinking of DNFing after 1/4 of the book, it reeks of 70s amoral tales - I could not give a fig about any of the characters and don't really care what happens.  The bit that goes into their societal values is just irksome.  All I need is another book...

[ian]

Getting around to Utopia Street, David Bowie told me to read it.

Yeah, the near-constant full name dropping is a bit annoying, though I suspect I'm blessed by not being particularly au fait with the musical era. He also can't do yer working class.

That said, the story is pulling me along apace.

Ian, is it actually Utopia Avenue - by David Mitchell?

Yeah, my brain mixed it up with Espedair Street. Despite the minor gripes (and really, Hooley is not on the South Downs, Mr Mitchell), I'm quite enjoying it, even if perhaps isn't up to the standard of some of his previous (that said, I was never struck on number9dream either).

[Regulator]

I'm part way through Tony Kevin's 'Walking the Camino', based on his journey along the Camino Mozarabe and the Via de la Plata.

It's a really good read, if you're interested in that sort of travel writing and meditation on modern life.  I would recommend it... 

[rafletcher]

John Connelly’s “The Nameless Ones”. Apropos of which, it can’t be long before the end of the Charlie Parker series.

Oh, that will be sad as I love the books, but the splendidly extended and elegiac story arc has to end somewhere.

Ah, you misinterpreted my comment I think.  I'd not read more than a few pages, so had (and have) no insight into the potential fate of Parker, rather it was just idle speculation borne out of the lonevity of the series.  FWIW thus far this outing is focussed on his two companions. It is still rather good though.

[nobby]

Hostage by Robert Crais.
Like Lee Child but doesn't put Tom Cruise into the mind's eye.

[ravenbait]

I just took delivery of the remastered, full-colour edition of Danielewski's House of Leaves.

Sam

[ian]

John Connelly’s “The Nameless Ones”. Apropos of which, it can’t be long before the end of the Charlie Parker series.

Oh, that will be sad as I love the books, but the splendidly extended and elegiac story arc has to end somewhere.

Ah, you misinterpreted my comment I think.  I'd not read more than a few pages, so had (and have) no insight into the potential fate of Parker, rather it was just idle speculation borne out of the lonevity of the series.  FWIW thus far this outing is focussed on his two companions. It is still rather good though.

I presume he has an end of the arc in mind, but then who knows, I guess they sell and as long as he writes them I'll keep indulging him.

[ravenbait]

Remembered that I hadn't finished Vandermeer's Hummingbird Salamander, so I've returned to that instead.

Sam