THE DONSTALK BOOK CLUB

[swaddon]

I can recommend "Be Good, Love Brian" by Craig Bromfield.

It's about the author's time living with Brian Clough as a boy.

[TheDonbytheDee]

1 hour ago, swaddon said:

I can recommend "Be Good, Love Brian" by Craig Bromfield.

It's about the author's time living with Brian Clough as a boy.

I think I read this a few years ago.

The lad ended up living with the Coughs on and off from his teens into adulthood and ended up shitting on them.

Not a bad read at all, if the same book, which I think it is.

[RicoS321]

19 minutes ago, TheDonbytheDee said:

The lad ended up living with the Coughs on and off from his teens into adulthood

Should have got that seen to.

[tom_widdows]

'Ring the bells' by C.K McDonnell.

 

Latest in his 'Stranger Times' series and particularly enjoying the idea of a 'shopping mall santa' being taken over by an ancient demon/god to bring about the destruction of humanity

[TheDonbytheDee]

Read two Autobiographies this week Kevin Rowland, of Dexys Midnight Runners fame and Peter 'Budgie' Clarke of Siouxsie and the Banshees.

Both good reads, both very dark in places, both fucked up guys, who managed to turn things around for the better.

 

I also read two Alan Bennett novellas, which were both excellent.

One of the books,  used the Queen as a reading champion and the other about a care home through Covid.

I've seen his stuff on TV and film, over the years, but hadn't read anything of his.

[Don Julio]

Just read Departure(s) by Julian Barnes - the last book he says he’ll write. Not a novel per se, more an exploration of life, death and relationships.

i haven’t always enjoyed his later work but thought this was great. Devoured it in a couple of days as was off work.

[Bukta Bertie]

Recently read 'Fascism A Very Short Introduction' by Kevin Passmore.

Published by Oxford University Press.

It was surprisingly interesting. I thought it was important to get a grip on what the fascist ideology actually was and as I suspected the word is being misused by the people who typically throw around slurs without knowing what they mean. 

[blinlemon]

9 hours ago, TheDonbytheDee said:

Read two Autobiographies this week Kevin Rowland, of Dexys Midnight Runners fame and Peter 'Budgie' Clarke of Siouxsie and the Banshees.

Both good reads, both very dark in places, both fucked up guys, who managed to turn things around for the better.

 

I also read two Alan Bennett novellas, which were both excellent.

One of the books,  used the Queen as a reading champion and the other about a care home through Covid.

I've seen his stuff on TV and film, over the years, but hadn't read anything of his.

I went to Kev’s book tour in Edinburgh in July. He was interviewed by his fellow Midlander Stewart Lee. Utterly fabulous. Word of a new album on its way this year, and if Dexys tour it, I suppose I’ll have to attend for what I think would be the 13th time. 

[Bukta Bertie]

Searching for the Young Soul Rebels is one of my all time favourite LPs.

Never saw them play though. 

[Mason89]

6 minutes ago, Bukta Bertie said:

Searching for the Young Soul Rebels is one of my all time favourite LPs.

Never saw them play though. 

Greatest debut album of all time. Shove your stone roses up yer farter 

[Bukta Bertie]

1 minute ago, Mason89 said:

Greatest debut album of all time. Shove your stone roses up yer farter 

A rare moment of agreement there.

Sublime. 

 

[swaddon]

I've just seen that the Top Red that is Sir Alex Ferguson has a new book coming out this October called "Games of my Life", where he looks back at 21 matches in his career which stood out.

There's bound to be one or two Dons games featured.

[TheDonbytheDee]

Scattershot - Bernie Taupin

Only thing I knew of this man, was he wrote songs with Elton John.

I read a lot of biographies of footballers and musicians, as along with books, that is my three main hobbies, Fitba, Music and Books.

When it comes to biographies, the best ones are usually from folk you know least about and this Bernie Taupin book is one of them.

The guy can write and tell a story and not much people he hasn't met throughout his life.

[BigAl]

On 25/03/2026 at 09:33, TheDonbytheDee said:

Scattershot - Bernie Taupin

Only thing I knew of this man, was he wrote songs with Elton John.

I read a lot of biographies of footballers and musicians, as along with books, that is my three main hobbies, Fitba, Music and Books.

When it comes to biographies, the best ones are usually from folk you know least about and this Bernie Taupin book is one of them.

The guy can write and tell a story and not much people he hasn't met throughout his life.

This is the sort of book I listen to via Spotify whilst out walking my dog.

Just checked and available on premium , so will be giving this a listen in the coming weeks.

I read on my kindle mostly, although pick up the odd new paperback and also second hand ones from charity shops but they tend to be police procedural and physiological thrillers. Favourites in those genres are Karin Slaughter and Michael Wood (Olivia Darke series). Just checked and I'm currently on my twenty ninth book of 2026 so far. Target is to exceed the eighty six I read during 2025. 

[TheDonbytheDee]

2 hours ago, BigAl said:

This is the sort of book I listen to via Spotify whilst out walking my dog.

Just checked and available on premium , so will be giving this a listen in the coming weeks.

I read on my kindle mostly, although pick up the odd new paperback and also second hand ones from charity shops but they tend to be police procedural and physiological thrillers. Favourites in those genres are Karin Slaughter and Michael Wood (Olivia Darke series). Just checked and I'm currently on my twenty ninth book of 2026 so far. Target is to exceed the eighty six I read during 2025. 

That's a good effort on the books Al.

I usually read 2-3 a week, but have struggled to find good fiction recently, so my book rate has slowed to one a week, two at a push.

Most of what I get comes from Libraries with charity shops throwing up an occasional gem.   

[blinlemon]

I read David Peace’s The Damned United when it was published, I went to see the film, and SM’sW burned me a copy of the audiobook narrated by John Simm. The last-named is my favourite of the media used, and I’m listening to it again on Spotify. Simm gets it 100% on the money. 

I keep buying Canongate Classics from charity shops and am nearly finished The Gowk Storm by Nancy Brysson Morrison, and have Guy McCrone’s Wax Fruit Trilogy coming up next. I started reading Five Rivers Met On A Wooded Plain by Barney Norris on Kindle, but will need to start it again, as it was weeks ago I began reading it and it’s vague in my heid. Part 1 of The Island Book of Records which could act as a dining table has been sampled, but it is standing upright in Aberdeen during my enforced residence in Weegieville. It’s for browsing and marvelling at the discs’ sleeve art rather than reading fae front to back. Part 2 is where it really kicks off though, but at £80 a time (I’ve seen generously-discounted offers) it’s currently “non-essential”.  

[BigAl]

Nae sure if any of you have watched any of the Chris Broad YouTube stuff called rather cleverly Abroad In Japan ?

Whilst I haven't so far that is probably down to never having heard of him but was given a copy of his book, also called Abroad In Japan, which turned out to be an excellent read.

Highly recommended folks 

[Ajja]

Anyone ever ventured into the world of Pratchet? I’ve never bothered, always felt it would be verging on a kids book but I’ve taken the plunge and started The Long Earth series. Mainly because I’ve run out of good post apocalyptic/alternative society stuff to read. 

[TheDonbytheDee]

12 hours ago, Ajja said:

Anyone ever ventured into the world of Pratchet? I’ve never bothered, always felt it would be verging on a kids book but I’ve taken the plunge and started The Long Earth series. Mainly because I’ve run out of good post apocalyptic/alternative society stuff to read. 

Tried some of his books, but couldn't finish them, just not my thing. 

I haven't a clue what it was I read as it was many year ago. 

[Ajja]

20 minutes ago, TheDonbytheDee said:

Tried some of his books, but couldn't finish them, just not my thing. 

I haven't a clue what it was I read as it was many year ago. 

Cheers. That hasn’t lifted my confidence I’ve never thought of it as my thing either but thought I should try as I’ve been told it’s worthy. Will see. 

[Mason89]

1 minute ago, Ajja said:

Cheers. That hasn’t lifted my confidence I’ve never thought of it as my thing either but thought I should try as I’ve been told it’s worthy. Will see. 

I liked Mort but I tried a few others and it wasn’t really my thing either. Have you read Post - Apocalyptic Nomadic Warriors? I’m just about to start but I canny really be arsed 

[Ajja]

5 minutes ago, Mason89 said:

I liked Mort but I tried a few others and it wasn’t really my thing either. Have you read Post - Apocalyptic Nomadic Warriors? I’m just about to start but I canny really be arsed 

Is that part of the Duck and Cover series? I’ve read about it but it felt a little too comic bookie for me. I like the rebuild society type post apocalyptic stuff more than the navigating wasteland style. That said, I’ve wasted far too many weeks of my life chewing through some dreadful zombie box sets. The Undead 26 book series was a particular dark spot but it got me through Covid

[RicoS321]

4 minutes ago, Ajja said:

Is that part of the Duck and Cover series? I’ve read about it but it felt a little too comic bookie for me. I like the rebuild society type post apocalyptic stuff more than the navigating wasteland style. That said, I’ve wasted far too many weeks of my life chewing through some dreadful zombie box sets. The Undead 26 book series was a particular dark spot but it got me through Covid

Have you read "earth abides" by George R Stewart? It's post apocalypse, from memory. It was written around the time @BigAl went to school I believe, just after the war. The apocalypse would have occurred in the nineties. Which could be true, but everyone was too spaced out on E's to notice. 

[Mason89]

Great times 

[Ajja]

50 minutes ago, RicoS321 said:

Have you read "earth abides" by George R Stewart? It's post apocalypse, from memory. It was written around the time @BigAl went to school I believe, just after the war. The apocalypse would have occurred in the nineties. Which could be true, but everyone was too spaced out on E's to notice. 

Yes! It’s the greatest of all the ones I’ve read. Absolutely loved it, right up my street! The post war and early stages of the Cold War were the best time for those types of novels. Everyone was gripped by the fear of mass destruction, some belters in that era. 
 

They made a TV series recently which wasn’t great of course. 

Edited April 28 by Ajja