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What are you reading - Part II


jrlx

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16 hours ago, Uncle Uncool said:

:analintruder: Outstanding, Dave! Will check whether Amazon ships to Argieland and will order it right away.

Many thanks for the heads-up, my mate. Highly appreciate it.

Cheers,

 

Unc2

Shouldn't be a problem with Amazon shipping to Argentina, but if there is, pm me with your address and I'll get a copy myself and post it on to you.

 

Cheers,

 

Dave

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With Libraries closed , local shopping become a bit more difficult and perhaps issues with on-line as larger dealers have to protect employees those who use electronic readers such as Kindle might find BookBub.com of interest.   

 

Free and low priced e-books across a wide variety of genres , when signing up identify your preferences and the type of reader used and you will get a daily selection of free and low-priced books (generally between 99 pence and 1.99) to download , downloads are made through existing accounts with whoever you would normally get your e-books from.     

 

Free titles are sometimes Part 1 of a series but it saves wasting money to find out whether or not you might like them.     

 

Their website is also searchable by author/genre and again downloads vary from free to cheap.

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On 22/03/2020 at 10:42, Mr T said:

'The Difference Engine' by William Gibson and Bruce Sterling. Would love to see the latter as a good quality TV series as I think it is too complicated to make a good film

I try to avoid me too posts, but I'll make an exception here. I loved this book when it came out and it's one of the few that I read again and again.

 

As to your point about it making a good tv series, again I'd agree. You made me think of a few other books I've read that I think would make a good film, and these come to mind - with the right director, of course!

 

HMS Ulysses

 

Fade Out by Patrick Tilley (Alien invasion of earth (or is it?)

 

Needle and Eye of the needle by Hal Clement (aliens again)

 

The seven Day Soldiers by Tony Kenrick - inoffensive accountant accidentally steals fortune from criminal, enlists an ex soldier to help him fight off the crook's private army.

 

Help I am bveing Held Prisoner by Donald E Westlake. Not sure how you'ld get over the pronunciation issue with the hero's name, but it is one of the few boks I have read that have left me wheezing with laughter.

 

While my Guitar Gently weeps by Paul Breeze - upcoming guitarist has his life ruined by thugs, takes revenge on them. Set in Stoke on Trent!

 

The testimony of Daniel Pagels by Vickery Turner - a murder is committed but quantum mechanics helps the accused. Yes, quantum mechanics!

 

The Ice Rigger Trilogy by Alan Dean Foster the adventures of galactic hellraiser Skua September and and salesman Ethan Fortune on the frozen planet Tran ky ky.

Edited by Whofan
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Just finished reading David Baldacci’s latest in paperback, One Good Deed.

 

If you like Lee Childs, Vince Flynn and ... errr ... David Baldacci, you’ll probably like this.

 

I can’t decide to be honest what next to read, I’ll pick something from the book stash I’m sure.

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Not wanting to tax my brain too much at the moment, so I'm enjoying the final book in the Dales series by Gervais Phinn. Some of the anecdotes in it are great, especially where one of the teachers explains the origins of the saying, "to freeze the balls of a brass monkey". And before that gets censored, it has nothing to do with what you think it is. It's an old naval term. A monkey was a piece of brass with holes in it that was fixed to the ship, and cannon balls sat on it. In freezing weather the metal contracted and the cannon balls would fall through, hence "to freeze the balls off a brass monkey", and not OF. 

 

John.

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Return to Base by Jesse Richard Pitts, a co-pilot of the 379th BG at Kimbolton.

 

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Very good book; I've not long got back to reading as my concentration isnt the best these days, but i'm enjoying this book; my last book was about The Berlin Wall (Frederick Taylor), a thick book but i got through it, i then returned my gaze on my favourite subject of the 8th, 9th, 12th and 15th USAAF in Europe. My next one will likely be Wild Blue by Stephen Ambrose.

Edited by Markh-75
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Blimey, nobody reading anything? Too busy repairing cars, making models, cooking, etc.  ?

 

I've just finished Department S, by Steve Coll, an account of the difficulties faced by the US in Afghanstan compounded by the Palkistani Intelligence service.

 

Honestly, I thought the campaign in Afghanistan was chaotic, but I've not understood half of it!

 

Currently in the hand (so to speak) is Recursion by Blake Crouch, a sort of dystopian novel about people who suddenly develop a false memory syndrome ......

 

Next in the pipeline will be

 

Had me a real good time, the story of the Faces;

 

Lords of the Desert, by James Barr ( history of Britain's struggle with America to dominate the middle East)

 

Night Time Cool by Jamie Paradise ("Bent Met detective Fred Street rules as the Sheriff of Shoreditch and his conflict with his son Elvis, and hw that affects the crooks that run in Shoreditch".)

 

Only another70 odd in the to read stash after those!

Edited by Whofan
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I’m now reading ‘An Innocent at Polebrook’, very good book and I’ve started on ‘Half a wing, three engines, and a prayer’, bigger, thicker book with small print but a great book.

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I've been ploughing through the 'Horus Heresy' series from Games Workshop's Black Library. I had read the first 10 or 12 a while back, but I restarted and I'm now on book 43 'Shattered Legions'. I am really struggling through this one. Iron Hands are such a dull legion. 

For my birthday  I was gifted a copy of the Night Lords omnibus and the Ravenor omnibus too. I lost some of my Warhammer 40k novels when we moved sometime a few years back. I have read them many times and absolutely adore them. 

 

I have a few non fiction books on the go, including one called 'The Road to Stalingrad' by John Erickson; bought in Oxfam as research for a diorama that I hope to make someday. 

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1 hour ago, Pete in Lincs said:

I read the Steve Marriott biography a few years ago. Very interesting.

 

I'm halfway through Valiant Boys. A good read. 

Was that the Paolo Hewitt b think think I've read it, too.

 

I've also read Kenney Jones' autobiography, which is a quick, if bland read.

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"Out in Front" Witold Lanowski, Polish fighter pilot during Ww2. His story published by his son Kris Lanowski, from his father's diaries & papers. I'm not far into it but finding the details of pre war Poland & the pre war Polish air force very interesting. I've decals for a couple of the aircraft he flew while flying with the 56th Fighter group USAAF after service with 317 squadron RAF.

Steve.

Edited by stevehnz
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I decided to re read one of my favourite crime books, The Sunshine Cruise Company, by John Niven.

 

As simply as possible, 3 60 year old women, one 89 year old woman in a wheelchair, and a 90 year old ex bank robber from the East End, rob a bank after it threatens to repossess one of the women's house, followed to Marseille by a Wilt style accident prone cop,  and you've got the picture. I laughed out loud at this book - every time I read it!

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I'm still reading the kindle edition of:

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I'm going slowly because my German is not as good as it should be... I've read about a third of it. Very grim subject but interesting. There's an English edition as well, if you can't read German.

 

Cheers

 

Jaime

 

 

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Because I started watching the TV series Briarpatch, based upon the the book of the same name and authored by Ross Thomas, I decided to purchase it along with another of his books Voodoo, Ltd.  While I enjoyed Briarpatch the book, I really enjoyed Voodoo, Ltd based upon its colourful characters and location, Santa Monica, West LA and Malibu, areas that I am somewhat familiar with as was the author because it seems he lived in Malibu.  Ross Thomas wrote a number of novels however only three of them contained the same characters as Voodoo, Ltd which was the last in the series.  I have just received the first of his books, Chinaman's Chance, which contained these lively and devious rascals and am anxious to start it. 

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Heres wot i'm reading, starting it this evening! Cracking book!

49802643811_82ff5f70e4_c.jpg

 

This is just a screenshot/sample image; my copy has much more realistic colours and the jacket picture extends to the back. I've read it before but i have other books i will happily read over and over!

Edited by Markh-75
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Half way through Dust on the Sea by Edward L Beach Jnr. He is perhaps better known for Run Silent Run Deep made into a movie with Clark Gable and Burt Lancaster. Not sure what that book is like but from Dust on the Sea he knows his submarines. He should as an ex USN submariner himself. Enjoyable read so far and tempting me to get “Run Silent” next

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I've just finished Spike Milligan's war diaries and am now re-reading Mortimer and Whitehouse's Gone Fishing,

 

Milligan's war diaries are at once very funny indeed and shot through with some really stark unpleasantness.  Every time I read them I see more of the unpleasantness.

 

Gone Fishing is just two blokes talking about why they like fishing - nothing earth-shattering but very pleasant.  Seeing as I can't go fishing at the moment, reading about it is as close as I can get.

Edited by jackroadkill
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I've just finished John Wingate's naval trilogy 'Frigate', 'Carrier' and 'Submarine', published in the 1980's and presumably supposed to be set around then.  It's about a limited war between NATO and the USSR, fought mainly at sea in the North Atlantic and the Barents.  Very enjoyable read, recommended.

 

My next book is 'The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay' by Michael Chabon.  I enjoyed his 'The Yiddish Policemen's Union', so hope this one will be as good, certainly starting off well.

Edited by 593jones
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