• 14 Jul 2023, 2:25 p.m.

    I am so unsophisticated as I am looking forward to reading the Red Rising Book "Lightbringer", which is out at the end of the month.

    Science Fiction at it's best.

    People walking around Britain currently doesn't interest me but since I am in my 50's maybe it should.

    Chicago: Still stuck in fantasy land.

  • 15 Jul 2023, 11 a.m.

    While it is about people walking around Britain on one level, on another it absolutely isn’t. Try it.

  • 18 Jul 2023, 1:08 p.m.

    I've spent most of the year so far reading. I've read almost all of the Agatha Christie books (all the Poirot, Miss Marple and other series) as well as many of the stand alone mysteries. If you can allow for the racism of the time, then they're good and easy reads (much better than Moby Dick, a book I never completed).

    I'm also finishing off the Charles Dickens books. I've read most of them, but had never got round to A Tale of Two Cities (not a Tale of Two Titties by the well known Dutch author Charles Dikkens).

  • 18 Jul 2023, 1:39 p.m.

    Best opening lines I've ever read. Brilliant.

  • 18 Jul 2023, 1:43 p.m.

    Indeed it is. One of those openings that many people know without ever having read the book. Incidentally, I re-read Martin Chuzzlewit to ease myself back into Dickens. The part at the start of the book where he describes the wind blowing through the village is simply brilliant.

  • 31 Aug 2023, 9:02 p.m.

    Just downloaded this on your recommendation.

  • 9 Oct 2023, 4:30 p.m.

    Currently reading the Book, "Built from broken". Which is essentially a training/rehab book, but it is written in a way that is far from dry. Chock full of rich anecdotes and humour, it is great reading for the aging individual (that would be all of us!) and how to sensibly train to achieve goals even when we feel like our bodies are falling apart. A lot of it, I know but some of the tip bits are great for my job and my desire to go back to the game I enjoy.

    "When bad things happen, we can choose to let it define us, destroy us or strengthen us". Some philosopher? Nope, Doctor Seuss. Who knew a cartoon cat in a hat could be so wise. Be like Beckham, never ever give up. There is also come really good corrective information for each and everyone of us. Or you could be like Ross Edgley and run a marathon carrying a tree trunk; the mentalist.

    Lightbringer. Book 6 of the Red Rising series was excellent and cleared up some problems with the previous book. If you haven't read any of them then I suggest you do so from the beginning.. "Red Rising". Each book gets better as you go along and when it comes to creative surprises Pierce Brown is the master of them.

    Moby Dick was 500 pages long and took me approx 8 months to read because it was indeed my white Whale and I hated it. Lightbringer is almost 700 pages and i read it in just under three weeks whilst facilitating 220 workouts at work. So, clearly it was an ace book.

    Having a back garden with comfy lawn furniture is my happy place. So I will forever be in debt from buying the house, fixing things that we should have to, and litigation as this cnut who sold us the house deserves everything that is coming to him,, yet it seems worth it.

    Chicago: Back to being bookish.

  • 9 Oct 2023, 5:11 p.m.

    Red Rising is on my 'to read' list heard good thing about it.

  • 9 Oct 2023, 8:28 p.m.

    I am currently reading a book called Station Eleven. It’s a pre / post pandemic novel detailing societal collapse. Cheery read but incredibly well written. Chilling to think how close we came and how thin the divide is between the certainty that our level of civilisation is permanent and living in a state of fear and chaos

  • 9 Oct 2023, 9:13 p.m.

    HBO adapted the book to a series. It’s on their streaming service Max.

    Emily St. John Mandel also wrote Sea of Tranquillity which is a sequel of sorts. Also set in a post pandemic world. Written when she she was in lockdown.

    Chicago: Living in a bubble.

  • 10 Oct 2023, 4:35 p.m.

    Thanks Chicago, I hadn’t realised they had made the book into a film. Finished the book last night. I would recommend it in a thoughtful way. Well constructed and written, with an eye for detail.

    Next book up- Dune, God Emperor

  • 18 Nov 2023, 3:13 p.m.

    I’ve mentioned before what a great writer Elizabeth Strout is. And I’ll say it again. She is a great writer. This is based on me currently reading Lucy By The Sea, which is book 3 in the Lucy Barton series.

  • 18 Nov 2023, 3:47 p.m.

    I don't doubt your word as a gentleman and scholar, oh grim reaper of death. I have to be honest though, just the name and the titles seem to throw that somewhat into doubt.

  • 18 Nov 2023, 3:51 p.m.

    Yeah I know what you mean. But much more respected folk than me like her writing a lot. It’s not sci-fi and there no guns, bombs or volcanoes (or at least not so far) but she writes so beautifully about ordinary people and their doings.

  • 18 Nov 2023, 3:52 p.m.

    I'm with Tricky.

  • 18 Nov 2023, 4:37 p.m.

    Sounds awful. I read for escapism. I don't want to be reminded of every day stuff like that.