Good reads

[paddy no 11]

Read the 1st book of slow horses by mi k herron

The series deviates not a jot from the book, love the series so will stick with that, the books aren't so well written that I'd be missing loads you not reading them

[paddy no 11]

Station Eleven - excellent post apocalyptic (pandemic) novel. Written before covid so kudos to the author

[paddy no 11]

I am pilgrim - What starts out as a potentially intriguing thriller turns into a steaming turd full of islamophobia and captain America saving the world

[Son of Mathonwy]

Station Eleven - excellent post apocalyptic (pandemic) novel. Written before covid so kudos to the author

Nice book. Kind of on the other end of the spectrum from The Road. Nasty things happen but they don't get the book's whole attention. There's a TV adaptation - have you watched it? (I haven't)

[paddy no 11]

Station Eleven - excellent post apocalyptic (pandemic) novel. Written before covid so kudos to the author

Nice book. Kind of on the other end of the spectrum from The Road. Nasty things happen but they don't get the book's whole attention. There's a TV adaptation - have you watched it? (I haven't)

I haven't seen it, yep definitely on the opposite end of the spectrum to the road. Both are very good, there's bits of the road I can easily recall 10 years later

[Sandydragon]

Politics on the edge by Rory Stewart. Yes it’s a politicians memoir and thus you have to be sceptical over the recollection in places. But illuminating on the state of government and politics in general.

[paddy no 11]

I read shuggie bain based on this thread

I found it pretty tough going for the most part it wasn't until about 100 pages from finishing that I found it easier to read

Based on donnys review I'm sure the bleakness is entirely accurate and hence unsettling.

Few wtf moments including around Willie's return from the war

Well written though I'm not sure I'd recommend it to anyone

*the taxi driver union will have the author black listed

[Donny osmond]

Here's another one for you then paddy:

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller.

I only picked it up in a motorway service station as I'm on a school trip and needed some reading while on the bus.
This is an insanely good book. It's enthralling and emotional and held me right until the final page. I mean, it's just the story of Achilles, it's not new. Just, the way it's written is lyrical and shows an understanding of different aspects of male psyche that is profound. The first half is the most tender, sweetest love story, but the tone changes as the story moves and the main characters grow into their destinies in war, Troy and legend. The change in dialogue and character is very skillfully done and you feel sympathy will all the main characters at all points in the story. It's a tragedy, obviously, but well worth the emotional investment.

[paddy no 11]

Here's another one for you then paddy:

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller.

I only picked it up in a motorway service station as I'm on a school trip and needed some reading while on the bus.
This is an insanely good book. It's enthralling and emotional and held me right until the final page. I mean, it's just the story of Achilles, it's not new. Just, the way it's written is lyrical and shows an understanding of different aspects of male psyche that is profound. The first half is the most tender, sweetest love story, but the tone changes as the story moves and the main characters grow into their destinies in war, Troy and legend. The change in dialogue and character is very skillfully done and you feel sympathy will all the main characters at all points in the story. It's a tragedy, obviously, but well worth the emotional investment.

Lol, I read about 100 pages of this and quit, I was less enamoured with the love story than yourself, I might finish it if the 2nd half is as good as you say

[paddy no 11]

An inconvenient death by Miles Goslett

On the death of Dr David Kelly

The death of Dr Kelly I guess was a huge event in my younger years along with the drama of the dodgy dossier, I picked this up in a hotel in France and got stuck in

It's pretty clear that Dr Kelly died elsewhere to where his body was found on Harrowden Hill

It's most likely he died in the presence of people (spooks, MoD types) who weren't planning on him keeling over and having a heart attack in front of them

The Hutton inquiry is/was an abomination

I'm Interested in other opinions, if you have them?

[paddy no 11]

The Lincoln Highway by amor towles

Bit of hype around this - just found this incredibly tedious and quit 230 pages. Hate quitting books but not worth the time

[Son of Mathonwy]

An inconvenient death by Miles Goslett

On the death of Dr David Kelly

The death of Dr Kelly I guess was a huge event in my younger years along with the drama of the dodgy dossier, I picked this up in a hotel in France and got stuck in

It's pretty clear that Dr Kelly died elsewhere to where his body was found on Harrowden Hill

It's most likely he died in the presence of people (spooks, MoD types) who weren't planning on him keeling over and having a heart attack in front of them

The Hutton inquiry is/was an abomination

I'm Interested in other opinions, if you have them?

Yeah, the whole thing stank.

Blair made sure the inquiry wasn't under oath, so the witnesses could lie to their hearts' content.
Blair lied to the press about Kelly but Hutton gave him a pass.
And that line from Hutton about there being very little blood on the ground because the leaves absorbed it 'like blotting paper' - I'm not a forensic scientist but that sounded like complete bullshit.

[paddy no 11]

Pachinko - generational korean/Japanese work

Set amongst the Japanese occupation of Korea and subsequent partition

The narrative could be described as woe be woman and it may well have been........but it gets a bit much here with women being written out so that new female characters can be written in with a whole new series of problems

Also thought it descended into stereotype and the rhett butler character was ridiculous

Enjoyed the historical narrative can leave the rest

[paddy no 11]

Jesmond ward - where the line bleeds

This was much better, character driven based on two teenage boys in deep south in their post school days

Not often I've read a book where the main characters are black, without them being specifically the accused or victims or their story relates to their relationship with white people. I'd read another from the same author