What are you reading

[Profpointy]

Just bought the next volume of David Kynaston's series on post war British (mainly social) history

Not read it yet, but have enjoyed all his earlier ones and the somewhat similar series by Dominic Sandbrook

 

[Drago]

Lemmy's Autobiography

 

[Yellow Fang]

Are Hemingway’s books worth it or overrated? I tend not to like the stuff reviews normally rave about: Atonement was one of the very rare books I gave up on for example but I’m considering the Sun Also Rises

IMO overrated. I have read For Whom the Bell Tolls. The weirdest bit about that book was all the swearing was censored. I also read The Old Man and the Sea. My dad liked that book, but I didn't like it so much.

 

[Yellow Fang]

If

"Allan's Wife" H.R. Rider-Haggard

Not as objectionable as the Bulldog Drummond series (or at least, those of that that I've read) but still quite old fashioned in its attitudes. Nonetheless, I'm enjoying the Allan Quatermain series, attempting to read them in the chronological order suggested here. So far, they've rattled along in fine style, and are exciting and enjoyable enough that I find I can overlook their Imperial era outlook on the world.

"The Art of Capataincy"
Very readable book by Mike Brearley about cricket captaincy - some lovely anecdotes, and very readable, despite my being about as likely to captain a cricket team as I am to have the sort of adventure that Mr. Quatermain does.

"The Junkyard Dog" Robert Campbell
I love Robert Campbell's "Whistler" series, and wish that they were easier to get hold of. This book is the start of his Jimmy Flannery series, and so far has the charm and dry wit of the "Whistler" books. If you have a Kindle, this book was free when I got it, and the others appear to be available through the lending library.

If Rider Haggard is not as objectionable as Bulldog Drummond then Bulldog Drummond must be pretty objectionable.

 

[Yellow Fang]

I am reading Moll Flanders by Daniel Defoe. Initially I had sympathy for her. Now I think she should hang.

 

[DCBassman]

I now have four Iain M. Banks books to re-read: Against A Dark Background (1993), Feesum Endjinn (1994), Inversions (1998), and The Algebraist (2004).

 

[Adam4868]

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.
Probably the fourth or fifth time I've read this book by Robert M Pirsig...never disappoints either.First read this as a eighteen year old traveling,a girlfriend introduced me to it so I guess there's the fond memories as well.

 

[stephec]

Just bought the next volume of David Kynaston's series on post war British (mainly social) history

View attachment 743370
Not read it yet, but have enjoyed all his earlier ones and the somewhat similar series by Dominic Sandbrook

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I've read the first one, stays just the right side of university text book for me, but I've never seen any of the others in the shops.

 

[Punkawallah]

Pratchett’s ‘Dodger’. Most entertaining, and probably a ‘keeper’ for re-reading.

 

[Profpointy]

I've read the first one, stays just the right side of university text book for me, but I've never seen any of the others in the shops.

I think the first one was a random buy from a charity shop, then accumulated all the others buying online, and a lot of other books based on references from the Kynaston books,

 

[Gillstay]

Following on from a visit to Dublin. The Riddle of the Sands. Erskine Childers. Very interesting esp with its place in history.

 

[oldwheels]

I am reading Moll Flanders by Daniel Defoe. Initially I had sympathy for her. Now I think she should hang.

Daniel Defoe was a British government propaganda agent so I would keep that in mind when reading anything by him.

 

[Profpointy]

Daniel Defoe was a British government propaganda agent so I would keep that in mind when reading anything by him.

I rather doubt his writing a famous mucky book was anything to do with his government propaganda duties

Incidentally there was a rather good BBC drama series with the lovely Alex Kingston as Moll

 

[Profpointy]

IMO overrated. I have read For Whom the Bell Tolls. The weirdest bit about that book was all the swearing was censored. I also read The Old Man and the Sea. My dad liked that book, but I didn't like it so much.

I liked "To have and have not", a short novel said to be amongst Hemingway's worst for some reason. The film with Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall is loosely based on it. Read For whom the bell tolls as a kid but don't remember much about it

 

[All uphill]

Set in the near future, in a newly unified Ireland. It's that rarest of books, a literary thriller and the writing is poetic Irish at its best.