What’s everyone reading at the moment

Just finishing Arsene Wenger - My life in red and white - decent read 👍

Really interesting about how he changed the game with fitness and tactics. Any young manager should read it.
 
Since lockdown I have focused on World War II and post war novels by Vasily Grossman and Heather Morris:
Grossman - Stalingrad: Everything Flows; The Road; and Life and Fate.
Morris - The Tatooist of Auschwitz; and Cilka's Journey.
Both compelling reading, superbly written.
 
Machines Like Me’ by Ian McEwan

Took me a while to get in to it but just binge read it today and worth persevering with 👌
 
emmykoistangerine said:
Would recommend David Goldblatts' 'The Age Of Football' as a quarantine football read! It's a real magnum opus on the impact and status football has all across the world and its geopolitical implications. Otherwise fiction-wise I'm reading Milan Kundera's 'The Joke' and non-fiction Naomi Klein's 'On Fire'.
Click to expand...

was a great help on JD1 Young MR Goldblatt 👍🧡👍🧡⚽️🧡⚽️🧡👍👊
 
Just started Running with the firm, about the undercover police operation infiltrating Millwall in the late 80’s, if you like your horror read Jack Konrath books, quality👍
 
Davepick said:
I'm currently reading 'Down Under'.
His descriptions of places in Oz are excellent, and good for a laugh.
Excellent author.
Click to expand...

Got it in one Dave.

His observational skills are quite something and he employs them in everything he does. From humorous anecdotes to serious commentary on wherever he travels to.

Down Under is brilliant, and having lived there many decades ago he has got most things Aussie spot on. The crocodile story mid to late book is powerful and shattering and left me contemplating for quite a while afterwards. Shows the absolute wildness and danger the great southern land can provide outback 🇦🇺

His new one The Body is laugh out funny and educational in equal measure. Leaves no (gall)stone unturned 😄
 
Wizzerboy said:
How the hell the hacienda lasted as long as it did beggars belief.
That lot couldn't run a bath, great story though 👍
Click to expand...
So sad that they put up those flats instead. Some great stories in there - sadly was at the tail end of Manchester's Drug scenes and the criminals took the place over.
 
Ballysboots, did you watch the recently shown film 'A walk in the woods'? Robert Redford played Bryson.
I don't think Redford did him justice, but it wasn't bad.
 
Davepick said:
Ballysboots, did you watch the recently shown film 'A walk in the woods'? Robert Redford played Bryson.
I don't think Redford did him justice, but it wasn't bad.
Click to expand...

No but I do own a copy of the film on DVD. Enjoy watching it every now and then and I think Redford played him as well as any one could of and we must pay tribute to him as it was his love of the great book that got Hollywood interested and eventually to make the film.

His character was somewhat overshadowed by Nick Nolte's tour de force as his old travel buddy Katz.
Loved the scene early on in the movie when they were catching up after years since their European escapades.

Bryson - " So what have you been doing these last 40 years Katz?"

Katz - " Oh let me see, I done a lot of drinking, chased a lot of pussy and the rest of it I wasted" 😁
 
I've just finished Tyler Hamilton's "The secret race" which one the William Hill sports book of the year. (Winners of this award are very good books) he was a pro cyclist who won gold medal in the Olympics and was a team mate of Lance Armstrong. It's a remarkable book and it answered the question that I've had over many years, how to drug cheats beat the tests? Highly recommend it and it doesn't cast Armstrong as a nice bloke...
I've also just started Andre Aggasi's autobiography which was heavily recommended
 
bally, the part which made me laugh out loud was about the little girl with the builders. I nearly fell out of bed (I read in bed at night).
So funny.
 
Davepick said:
bally, the part which made me laugh out loud was about the little girl with the builders. I nearly fell out of bed (I read in bed at night).
So funny.
Click to expand...

Ha ha yeah good stuff dave. You'd have emulated the weighty Katz when he collapsed the bunk bed on top of the unsuspecting bonce of Bryson 😄
 
Before The Coffee Gets Cold
A book,but written by a Japanese play writer. Started well 👍
 
As my favourite book of all time is Crime and Punishment, by Fyodor Dostoevsky, I've been told on Instagram by one of my musical heroes I must read The Brothers Karamazov.

So that is what I'm on with. It is longer than War and Peace and described as one of the most complex novels of all time!
 
I love reading but normally confined to half an hour before bed. So last few months have loved spending a couple of hours a day (at least) discovering new books and absolutely loving it.

I have always dismissed Frederick Forsyth books as a bit 'old man' based on pure ignorance. Started with the Negotiator and The Kill list and just finished The Deceiver - imagine Tinker Tailor Spy but much more interesting and you won't be disappointed.

But must recommend The North Water by Ian McGuire - think of Moby Dick but reimagined by Quentin Tarantino. Graphic, gory but I read it in a day.
 
Last edited:
Just finished Ben Kane’s first part of a trilogy on Richard the first

Now revisiting ‘ This Sceptred Isle ‘ on audiobook
 
James Deegan-Once a pilgrim a recommendation by Newbury One off here cracking read a bit like Dan spider Shepherd-The Stephen Leather series.
 
emmykoistangerine said:
Would recommend David Goldblatts' 'The Age Of Football' as a quarantine football read! It's a real magnum opus on the impact and status football has all across the world and its geopolitical implications. Otherwise fiction-wise I'm reading Milan Kundera's 'The Joke' and non-fiction Naomi Klein's 'On Fire'.
Click to expand...

Yes it’s good - I’m on with James Montague’s 1312 Among The Ultras - interesting .... Argentina - Brazil - to Europe .... ✊
 
Doing a bit of Stephen King, re reading The Stand... Love the book. Then moving onto Salem's Lot
 
Currently reading 'Berlin Game' by Len Deighton. Pretty good, if somewhat dated.
This a.m. in Tescos I bought 'Blue Moon' Lee Childs latest.
 
Recently read :-
Above Head Height A Five-A-Side Life - James Brown - if you've played it definitely worth a read
The Ginger Man - J.P. Donleavy
The Associate - John Grisham

...all good stuff

Just reading
MASH: A Novel About Three Army Doctors - Richard Hooker
...laugh out loud funny despite the backdrop of trying to reassemble people shredded by flying metal.
 
Davepick said:
Ballysboots, did you watch the recently shown film 'A walk in the woods'? Robert Redford played Bryson.
I don't think Redford did him justice, but it wasn't bad.
Click to expand...
Dave, The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid is a great read if you like Bill Bryson
 
Horror On The Links - Seabury Quinn; Toast - Nigel Slater; Night Terrors - E.F. Benson; Horror Gems Vol 1. All short stories except Toast, but the way Slater writes it feels like short stories.
 
No One Cares About Crazy People, Ron Powers
Love Is Never Enough, Beck
All Quiet on the Western Front, Remarque

All worth a read if you're looking for recommendations
 
Just finished Adam Hall; The 9th Directive which was really good.

Now picked up Personal by Lee Child.

Ongoing are books on the Spanish Civil War by Helen Graham and Paul Preston (which is a re-read because I think some things required knowledge before reading), with books by Felix Morrow and George Orwell (A Homage to Catalonia) should, but won't complete my reading on the subject.

Mask of Dimitrios by, err, name escapes, is on the shelf waiting to be brought down.

Mathematics for the Million also gets a half hour run when the mood fancies.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top