Reading: The Book Thread
- Taipan
- Posts: 13931
- Joined: Sat Mar 14, 2020 1:48 pm
- Location: Essex Riviera!
- Has thanked: 15937 times
- Been thanked: 10241 times
Re: Reading: The Book Thread
David Canter - Criminal Shadows, Inside the Minds of a Serial Killer
It's about investigative psychology but actually reads (almost) like a novel.
It's about investigative psychology but actually reads (almost) like a novel.
- rodbargee
- Posts: 1020
- Joined: Sat Mar 14, 2020 1:30 pm
- Location: N Yorks
- Has thanked: 353 times
- Been thanked: 979 times
Re: Reading: The Book Thread
Erebus by Michael Palin.
a fascinating read about the life of this ship and the Terror that was in the forefront of discovering Antartica. as well latterly its Re- discovery at the bottom of the Arctic ocean where it came to rest during its attempt to find the NW PASSAGE.
Palin writes very well and you can almost hear him as you read. Paperback often bundled with another of your choice on those tables you get in bookshops...dont let that put you off.
a fascinating read about the life of this ship and the Terror that was in the forefront of discovering Antartica. as well latterly its Re- discovery at the bottom of the Arctic ocean where it came to rest during its attempt to find the NW PASSAGE.
Palin writes very well and you can almost hear him as you read. Paperback often bundled with another of your choice on those tables you get in bookshops...dont let that put you off.
-
- Posts: 3189
- Joined: Mon Mar 16, 2020 3:45 pm
- Location: RoI
- Has thanked: 1264 times
- Been thanked: 1188 times
Re: Reading: The Book Thread
Ideal way to out the intellectuals, so that, post the Covid-19 apocalypse, they can be rounded up and terminated with extreme prejudice?
I've just taken delivery of a new biog of C de G by Julian Jackson.
I've just taken delivery of a new biog of C de G by Julian Jackson.
- Horse
- Posts: 11549
- Joined: Sun Mar 15, 2020 11:30 am
- Location: Always sunny southern England
- Has thanked: 6185 times
- Been thanked: 5087 times
Re: Reading: The Book Thread
Yes, excellent, I read it fairly recently.rodbargee wrote: ↑Sun Mar 15, 2020 12:17 pm Erebus by Michael Palin.
a fascinating read about the life of this ship and the Terror that was in the forefront of discovering Antartica. as well latterly its Re- discovery at the bottom of the Arctic ocean where it came to rest during its attempt to find the NW PASSAGE.
Even bland can be a type of character
-
- Posts: 41
- Joined: Wed Mar 18, 2020 9:24 pm
- Has thanked: 8 times
- Been thanked: 15 times
Re: Reading: The Book Thread
The Lighthouse Stevensons by Bella Bathurst. Fantastic account of four generations of Stevensons building ridiculously difficult engineering projects on offshore rocks only above water half the time. Skerryvore will be engraved on your soul...
- Yorick
- Posts: 16735
- Joined: Sat Mar 14, 2020 8:20 pm
- Location: Paradise
- Has thanked: 10261 times
- Been thanked: 6885 times
- Horse
- Posts: 11549
- Joined: Sun Mar 15, 2020 11:30 am
- Location: Always sunny southern England
- Has thanked: 6185 times
- Been thanked: 5087 times
- rodbargee
- Posts: 1020
- Joined: Sat Mar 14, 2020 1:30 pm
- Location: N Yorks
- Has thanked: 353 times
- Been thanked: 979 times
Re: Reading: The Book Thread
A Poem
Thought for Today
or lift up your hearts
The Radio saws up God in
four minute, 45 second chunks
With some music and a voice
More solemn than the dawn.
Men from high rise flats
float down, if the lift is working,
or walk: much thought
is given to the prelates warning.
When you use machines, or kill
your chickens, farming,
No doubt all workers bend
A meditative mind
On ditches full of blood
in far off places
As the politician flies
(The holy word unheard)
between the slum and sun
impervious and self satisfied.
Thought for Today
or lift up your hearts
The Radio saws up God in
four minute, 45 second chunks
With some music and a voice
More solemn than the dawn.
Men from high rise flats
float down, if the lift is working,
or walk: much thought
is given to the prelates warning.
When you use machines, or kill
your chickens, farming,
No doubt all workers bend
A meditative mind
On ditches full of blood
in far off places
As the politician flies
(The holy word unheard)
between the slum and sun
impervious and self satisfied.
-
- Posts: 264
- Joined: Mon Mar 16, 2020 4:17 pm
- Has thanked: 201 times
- Been thanked: 213 times
Re: Reading: The Book Thread
I'm far from being an avid reader , but I've had this itch I've been meaning to scratch for half a blooming century ! I went to a good Grammar School but struggled with " Maffs " . In the final year ( 5th form ) , we had a great Maths Teacher who made up some of the lost ground but didn't really have enough time to help me with a decent insight into............Calculus............ I sort off accidentally bought this book off Amazon .
Infinite Powers by Steven Strogatz
Haven't quite finished it yet , but it's extremely readable , with lots of maths history and loads of examples from first principles . Marcus du Sautoy's job is still quite safe . If your good old fashioned maths is ok , but falls at Calculus , you might enjoy it.......... ( I actually intend to read it through again to try and absorb a bit more ! )
Infinite Powers by Steven Strogatz
Haven't quite finished it yet , but it's extremely readable , with lots of maths history and loads of examples from first principles . Marcus du Sautoy's job is still quite safe . If your good old fashioned maths is ok , but falls at Calculus , you might enjoy it.......... ( I actually intend to read it through again to try and absorb a bit more ! )
Re: Reading: The Book Thread
Two books on the go over the weekend - I've just finished reading Spitfire Pilot by David Crook, DFC and first published in 1942 - it's based on his quite personal wartime diaries in 609 Squadron, Royal Auxiliary Air Force during the Battle Of Britain. Some of his combat reports are included. It's quite sad to read his thoughts for the future, knowing (from the introduction) that he was killed in 1944 during a training op off the Scottish coast in a photographic reconnaissance Spitfire. He left a widow and three children.
It's currently 99p for the Kindle version on Amazon.co.uk.
I've just started re-reading Lankhmar by Fritz Leiber, for the first time in a few years. Collected tales of Fafhrd & The Grey Mouser, classic sword-and-sorcery, if you like that sort of thing.
It's currently 99p for the Kindle version on Amazon.co.uk.
I've just started re-reading Lankhmar by Fritz Leiber, for the first time in a few years. Collected tales of Fafhrd & The Grey Mouser, classic sword-and-sorcery, if you like that sort of thing.
- wheelnut
- Posts: 2223
- Joined: Mon Mar 16, 2020 4:36 pm
- Has thanked: 904 times
- Been thanked: 998 times
Re: Reading: The Book Thread
Skyfaring by Mark Vanhoneacker.
A day in the life of a long haul airline pilot. Not what you would expect; almost poetic.
A little hard going in the middle but well worth a read.
A day in the life of a long haul airline pilot. Not what you would expect; almost poetic.
A little hard going in the middle but well worth a read.
- Rockburner
- Posts: 4371
- Joined: Sun Mar 15, 2020 11:06 am
- Location: Hiding in your blind spot
- Has thanked: 7810 times
- Been thanked: 2526 times
Re: Reading: The Book Thread
Currently trying to remember who's who in The Three Body Problem.
non quod, sed quomodo
- Skub
- Posts: 12166
- Joined: Mon Mar 16, 2020 5:32 pm
- Location: Norn Iron
- Has thanked: 9819 times
- Been thanked: 10141 times
Re: Reading: The Book Thread
Not long finished The Expanse by James S.A.Corey series of books for the second time.
Just finished The Insitute by Stephen King.
Currently A Conspiracy of Bones by Kathy Reichs.
Just finished The Insitute by Stephen King.
Currently A Conspiracy of Bones by Kathy Reichs.
"Be kind to past versions of yourself that didn't know what you know now."
Walt Whitman
https://soundcloud.com/skub1955
Walt Whitman
https://soundcloud.com/skub1955
-
- Posts: 647
- Joined: Mon Mar 16, 2020 4:52 pm
- Location: Just across the border in the Republic
- Has thanked: 257 times
- Been thanked: 328 times
Re: Reading: The Book Thread
Yeah, that was a bit of a problem. Good read though.Rockburner wrote: ↑Thu May 14, 2020 10:50 pm Currently trying to remember who's who in The Three Body Problem.
Blundering about trying not to make too much of a hash of things.
-
- Posts: 37
- Joined: Fri Mar 20, 2020 5:33 pm
- Has thanked: 46 times
- Been thanked: 16 times
Re: Reading: The Book Thread
SAS Italian Job: The Secret Mission to Storm a Forbidden Nazi Fortress by Damien Lewis. My first go at one of his books.
The initial interest was that it contains details of a local (to me) war hero, and the grandfather of a work colleague of my wife, David Kirkpatrick who died in 2016. He played the pipes for a rag tag bunch of resistance fighters led by the SAS in Italy in WW2. You can read his story in this link https://www.pressreader.com/uk/scottish ... 2499561720
He's recently had a memorial erected to him in the town.
Just started it so I don't have a review yet.
The initial interest was that it contains details of a local (to me) war hero, and the grandfather of a work colleague of my wife, David Kirkpatrick who died in 2016. He played the pipes for a rag tag bunch of resistance fighters led by the SAS in Italy in WW2. You can read his story in this link https://www.pressreader.com/uk/scottish ... 2499561720
He's recently had a memorial erected to him in the town.
Just started it so I don't have a review yet.
-
- Posts: 11232
- Joined: Mon Mar 16, 2020 6:40 pm
- Location: The road of many manky motorcycles
- Has thanked: 607 times
- Been thanked: 4124 times
Re: Reading: The Book Thread
I'm a voracious reader, I can read a book in a day if I like it, but I prefer a lot lower brow reading material to you lot.
But just to throw something in, try The Black Bats series by Ochil Kinnaird
But just to throw something in, try The Black Bats series by Ochil Kinnaird
Honda Owner
- Skub
- Posts: 12166
- Joined: Mon Mar 16, 2020 5:32 pm
- Location: Norn Iron
- Has thanked: 9819 times
- Been thanked: 10141 times
Re: Reading: The Book Thread
Not me. I love a good story and don't give a flying spanner which prize it didn't win or which critic I've never heard of rates it highly.Julian_Boolean wrote: ↑Fri May 15, 2020 3:41 pm I'm a voracious reader, I can read a book in a day if I like it, but I prefer a lot lower brow reading material to you lot.
"Be kind to past versions of yourself that didn't know what you know now."
Walt Whitman
https://soundcloud.com/skub1955
Walt Whitman
https://soundcloud.com/skub1955
- hilldweller
- Posts: 234
- Joined: Mon Apr 06, 2020 12:09 pm
- Location: Macclesfield
- Has thanked: 73 times
- Been thanked: 51 times
Re: Reading: The Book Thread
I've got quite a few bike touring books from Amazon Kindle. All for little money and usually a good read on the basis of read about it don't do it.
The feature that runs through most of them is "leap off bike grabbing the bog roll and hide behind the nearest bush". Somehow I really can't get excited about that.
The feature that runs through most of them is "leap off bike grabbing the bog roll and hide behind the nearest bush". Somehow I really can't get excited about that.
Brian
Re: Reading: The Book Thread
I remember reading that when I was in school, probably 45 years agoHarry wrote: ↑Fri Mar 20, 2020 6:31 am Left for Dead - Nick Ward
About the 1979 Fastnet race, I think it's a very one-sided version but it reads well, I finished it in two sittings.
Before that it was The Devils Guard - George Robert Elford, about Nazi soldiers in the Foreign Legion during the Indochina Wars, also a good read.
I'm currently struggling through Frank Herbert's Dune series. I'm on the third of five books but I'm losing interest rapidly. Time for a change I think.