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Poul Anderson
Tau Zero is very good, haven't read anything else he wrote.
Downstairs queue. A bigger set upstairs.
Bottom one was a birthday present. I follow them on IG and it's a fun read. Slightly worried I may have been guilty of w*nkernomics when I was younger 🙂
Have gone on a sailing jag:
Hello Sailor, by Dr Hutch - National time-trial supremo is a huge sailing fan, a great book on his attempts to dip a toe back in the sailing world - vast amounts of top-quality self-deprecation and laugh-out-loud humour. A fantastic book. 🙂
A Voyage For Madmen, by Peter Nichols - Outstanding recounting of the 1968 Golden Globe round the world sailing race. The events are just incredible, and this book is SO well-written
Wavewalker, by Susannah Heywood - Fascinating story, zips along at pace. Starts off as an idyllic adventure, quickly and subtly darks a darker turn...
Potholes and Pavements by Laura Laker
https://www.laura-laker.com/book
Slowly reading, as I struggle to get through books these days with so many other distractions. Plus I used to be able to read late at night but now I just fall asleep after a couple of pages.
I'm half way through The Cut Throat Trial by SJ Fleet, aka Secret Barrister.
I'm thinking about starting again because a) I've probably missed a few little nuggets and b) it will postpone the time that I finish it.
Fictional but clearly a lot of first hand experience.
It's rather good and you don't have to have read any of his/her earlier books but you'd be daft not to.
During lunch at work, we were having a conversation about faking suicide and starting a new life, as you do. Which then brought up "The fall and rise of Reginald Perrin" with Leonard Rossiter and someone mentioned it was a book series which was apparently a darker comedy than the TV series, so I have downloaded that to my Kindle tonight and will start it this weekend. quite looking forward to it.
I'm half way through The Cut Throat Trial by SJ Fleet, aka Secret Barrister.
I'm thinking about starting again because a) I've probably missed a few little nuggets and b) it will postpone the time that I finish it.
Fictional but clearly a lot of first hand experience.
It's rather good and you don't have to have read any of his/her earlier books but you'd be daft not to.
In my TBR pile and looking forward to it. 🙂
Shift - the second book in the Silo series. Read the first after the TV show and enjoyed it, so onto the second!
I've just found a copy of The Cement Garden in an Airbnb we are staying in for a couple of days which I'm reading, must be close to 40 years since I last read it. It's both familiar and new at the same time.
"Difficult Women - A History of Feminism in 11 Fights" - surprisingly accessible, engaging and thought provoking. And a nice change after reading Lee Child's The Persuader last week (season 3 of Reacher)
Papillon, was trying to read the second "three body problem" but dog attacked it which to be honest is a blessed relief.
Papillon is a gentle read which is surprising given the violence simmering under the surface.
During lunch at work, we were having a conversation about faking suicide and starting a new life, as you do. Which then brought up "The fall and rise of Reginald Perrin" with Leonard Rossiter and someone mentioned it was a book series which was apparently a darker comedy than the TV series, so I have downloaded that to my Kindle tonight and will start it this weekend. quite looking forward to it.
I picked the compilation up in an Oxfam shop after someone on a different site suggested it. I never quite got the TV series, and tbh didn't quite get why the books were best sellers. They weren't overly funny, and repeating the same thing over and over didn't make them any funnier. They didn't work for me, but I hope you enjoy.
I've just started reading Empires of the Normans - a history of, you guessed it, the Normans! It's slower going than my last few books, very interesting though: for example, because English history started in 1066 when I was at school, I didn't know that William the Conqueror was pretty much invited over by his predecessor and distant cousin, Edward the Confessor; and that in the 60 years before he invaded, England had been ruled by Vikings (Swein and ****) Normans and Anglo-Saxons.
Although I did wonder this morning what happens to men of a certain age that suddenly history books are so appealing... 😆
I'm currently on Indigenous Contintent by Pekka Hämäläinen. It's a history of North America, centring on the long story of its indigenous people, rather than the relatively brief history of its colonisers.
I've read a lot of serious history over the last several years, and this stands head, shoulders and everything else above them all in terms of readability.
Now re-reading "A Short Walk in the Hindu Kush" by Eric Newby. It is still a fantastic book.
Now re-reading "A Short Walk in the Hindu Kush" by Eric Newby. It is still a fantastic book.
I love Eric Newby. I've got a signed copy somewhere.
I'm rereading Lord Of The Rings. I read it two or three times when I was a young teen and loved it, and picked up a copy in a second-hand shop early in the year. I read Fellowship and Two Towers in the spring and am now about twenty pages into Return. By god it's heavy going. I'm getting very irritated with the faux-archaic language (which has got heavier the deeper into the book), the multiple names (which need to be addressed in every conversation, Gandalf, Mithrandir, Grey Wanderer, Geoff..), the slow pace of it, and really the fact that little of interest has happened since the Fellowship split. And the terrible poetry, but that goes without saying surely?
It's interesting that, of the stuff I loved when I was a teen, this is the book that I'm beginning to dislike. Hitchhikers, Earthsea, etc, all great upon rereading but this is ponderous. It's also interesting, to me at least, that the Conan novels predate this, as do Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers and those RKO series. LOTR feels Victorian compared to the SF&F that surrounds it, especially when looking at the stuff that appeared in the next decade after its publication. I'm genuinely disappointed and wondering whether to continue - I know the ending, after all.
Summer holiday list so far
The lock up
Dusk
The heart in winter
Last boat to Tangier
Emperor of Gladness
Wrong place wrong time
Land in winter
Seascraper
Dusk is the best so far. Really unusual
story set in Tasmania
(don’t know why the formatting went crazy)
I'm re-reading Revelation Space. When I first read it I found it a bit heavy. But I think it was mostly because I didn't really understand the universe as I hadn't read anything else from Reynolds. I've since read more from him and have a better grasp of his style and universe. It's much more enjoyable this time around.
I'm about half way through Revelation Space.
Only read Pushing Ice and House of Suns by Reynolds so far, both were great.
Can definitely see me reading the next few in the series...love a big fat space opera.
I'm a third into Black Spartacus - bit of a slow burner, but that dude lived an eventful life....
Ive just finished the DS George Cross series by Tim Sullivan. Very human characters and proper laugh out loud at times.
Just re-read Whit, by Iain Banks. Wasn't one of my favourites on first reading but enjoyed it more than I expected second time round. A little preposterous but the idea of a pseudo-cult-religion living off grid outside of Stirling makes me chuckle, and then of course the realisation of what cousin Morag has been up to.
Have also recently read Chuck Wendig's Black River Orchard. Very Stephen King style horror and thoroughly recommended for something a bit unusual. Basically, addictive apples with bizarre and terrifying consequences. Well worth a read.
Tunisograd by Saul David - the very overlooked allied Victory in North Africa - in comparison to Stalingrad. Well written, mix of personal accounts - and the (vichy) French - well.........
Am back into a mountaineering theme, currently reading 'Conquistadors of the Useless' by Lionel Terray. Have read it before but it is an incredible view of mountaineering before safety advances and tech updates
Most of the way through 'one man and his bike' which is a good book. Very disappointed that the whole coast of Wales and Anglesey got just 10 pages until he reached Cardigan. Anglesey just got a mention.
I dont know if this is reading or playing. fun though.
Anyone got a copy of deathtrap dungeon.
First time playing. BTW.
Omg! I haven't played one of those in YEARS! Enjoy. 🙂
Most of the way through 'one man and his bike' which is a good book. Very disappointed that the whole coast of Wales and Anglesey got just 10 pages until he reached Cardigan. Anglesey just got a mention.
Also currently reading that. He's got to Yorkshire for me. What makes it good is that it's written by a journalist who went for a bike ride, rather than someone who went for a bike ride and wrote a book. I've read a lot of similar books and mostly the writing is poor.
Jill Homer is another journalist who got into endurance sport and has written some great books. I'd also recommend Phil Gaimon - he was an English major as well as being a pro-cyclist.
I've got Mike Carter's motorbike book as well. Reads very similar at the start but I suppose if you haven't read the cycling one you sort of need to know why he's doing it. Only just into that as the cycling book ended up in my car boot after a camping trip and I was part way through that too. Usually only read when camping or on holiday. Will finish the cycling book in next day or two.
The Ganjees! Well, no spoilers but I remember them!
Just finished Tombland by C J Sansom, I really enjoyed it. It covered a period of time that little is commented about England following the death of Henry VIII. I'm almost tempted to reread the whole Shardlake series.
ordered a few stuart maconie books to get me through holiday beachtime, currently enjoying The Full English.
Mosquito - Roland White. I've read at least one other book that covered "Operation Carthage" but having just finished Chastise (Max Hastings, not as good as I hoped and he really does not like Arthur Harris!), I wanted to revisit it.
Read most of White's books, my favourite being "Into the Black"- history of the space shuttle. Historical accuracy that reads like fiction. Also "on the pile" are Paris '44 - Patrick Bishop covering the liberation of Paris that I know next to nothing about and Sky Warriors - Saul David charting British Airborne forces in WW2. Inspired by listen to the We Have Ways podcasts on Market Garden.
Also have Abyss by the aforementioned Hastings, but he's on the naughty step after Chastise, so not getting read for a while.
Always got the fallback of some trashy space opera series if I need some brain out entertainment.
@jimster01 - shall wait for that to come up on Kindle unlimited. Realised I'd read the first 5, but there are two new ones I've not. Always enjoyed the series. Thought the TV adaptation was good as well, shame they canned it!
Squat: A week squatting at Kanye's Mansion
About an Aussie guy who, surprisingly, squats at one of Kanye's mansions in LA.
The last three i've finished are;
Vietnam - An Epic Tragedy by Max Hastings. Brilliant and very sad about the length of an old phone book though.
The Fathers by John Niven. Lovely book.
The Long Shoe by Bob Mortimer. Very enjoyable, as good an author as he is a comedian!
Just started reading "Legacy of violence"by Caroline Elkins. It's a history of the British empire. I'm hoping it's as informative as the reviews say.
but he's on the naughty step after Chastise
I struggle with Hastings, after reading his work on Korea and the many mentions of Chinese "swarms" and "hordes" I've not felt compelled to pick up the books of his I have in my stack
I struggle with Hastings, after reading his work on Korea and the many mentions of Chinese "swarms" and "hordes" I've not felt compelled to pick up the books of his I have in my stack
When was that written? Before I google it, I'm going to guess at 1985, because I'm sure I read it mid/late 80s, and people were less sensitive about things like that back in the Olden Days...
1987!!
Just started reading "Legacy of violence"by Caroline Elkins. It's a history of the British empire. I'm hoping it's as informative as the reviews say.
The only parental complaint I've had in 20 years of teaching was a parent who contacted the school to say they thought I hadn't been positive enough about the British Empire.
The only comment I could think of that I'd made was that it wasn't the worst of empires but that this wasn't really saying mutch.
people were less sensitive about things like that back in the Olden Days...
well quite...I've also read some whoppers in some of his WW2 books,(he's especially fond of the Wermacht and equally disparaging about the Allies) His Vietnam book has nothing to say about Laos and Cambodia.
I think, given that there are writers doing better work these days - Saul David, Daniel Todman, Caddick Adams, I'll be leaving him on the shelf a little while longer
Just finished two audiobooks:
Promised Land by Barack Obama
This is about Obama's early politic career, including his first term in office (up to the Osama Bin Laden mission)...
Fear by Bob Woodward
The latter is about Donald Trump's first term as President. It's mostly compiled from interviews with his various senior staff members, appointees, Republican politicians and/or lobbyists at the time, and is remarkable because many of them soon realized Trump was a moron and actively worked to sabotage his policies/ramblings.
The difference between the two Presidents couldn't be more stark....(understatement of the century!)
Currently reading "Ask a Pro" by Phil Gaimon (ex-road cycling pro and current YouTuber whose specialty is stealing as many Strava KOMs as possible). Anyway, Phil has a wicked sense of humour and rips apart the "glamour" of the Peleton...
Currently on tinker, tailor, soldier, spy and smiley's people is next. Not sure of the order but they are ok must admit the descriptions of smiley aren't what I imagined him to be like.
Currently on tinker, tailor, soldier, spy and smiley's people is next. Not sure of the order but they are ok must admit the descriptions of smiley aren't what I imagined him to be like.
Merlin by Graham Hoyland. About the history of the Merlin engine.