THE DONSTALK BOOK CLUB

[BigAl]

41 minutes ago, RicoS321 said:

If you've accidentally purchased Born to Run by Christopher McDougall instead, then I can highly recommend it too. You won't look at yer shoes the same again.

Never heard of it Rico, but just googled it and looks like it might be an interesting read.

Do you recommend ?

[RicoS321]

1 hour ago, BigAl said:

Never heard of it Rico, but just googled it and looks like it might be an interesting read.

Do you recommend ?

Yes I do, it's very good. Quite an easy read, and interesting. Not much not to like!

[scotfree]

Just finished Pat Nevin's autobiography. I've always liked Pat, but this book is shite. All he does through it is him saying what a modest, man of the people and how good principled he is. 

[RicoS321]

3 hours ago, scotfree said:

Just finished Pat Nevin's autobiography. I've always liked Pat, but this book is shite. All he does through it is him saying what a modest, man of the people and how good principled he is. 

Next you'll be telling me that Trump's "art of the deal" is self congratulatory pish.

[manc_don]

Any decent new reads around? Christmas coming up so always good to have a book or two ready

[BigAl]

13 hours ago, manc_don said:

Any decent new reads around? Christmas coming up so always good to have a book or two ready

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1913538478?ref=em_1p_0_ti&ref_=pe_3193591_638068191

[RicoS321]

On 04/11/2021 at 19:48, manc_don said:

Any decent new reads around? Christmas coming up so always good to have a book or two ready

Underland by Robert McFarlane is good. I'd recommend it for Christmases.

[RicoS321]

Piranesi by Susanna Clarke was good. Also entangled life by Melvin Sheldrake.

[tom_widdows]

Bob Mortimer, and Alan Davies autobiographies are worth a look

 

 

[RicoS321]

The Kraken Wakes by John Wyndham is worth a read probably. It's very much of its time, whilst being fairly prescient, in that it could have been more or less written today about existing events.

[BigAl]

Bloody January by Alan Parks

Set in Glasgow in the early 70's and featuring Harry McCoy, the most un politically correct police offer ever, even by standards from fifty years ago.

Cracking read, helped for me by knowing so many of the city where it is set.

Part of a series of books and this is a belter of a start.

A new name to me and a welcome addition to the Scottish Noir genre. Already got February's Son (book 2) loaded onto the Kindle and ready to go. 

[scotfree]

Will have to look that one up, Al. Is it a bit like Laidlaw by William McIlvanney? 

[BigAl]

54 minutes ago, scotfree said:

Will have to look that one up, Al. Is it a bit like Laidlaw by William McIlvanney? 

Definitely not dissimilar mate.

Main character in both of those series of books are what I would describe as interesting characters 

[BigAl]

On 27/05/2022 at 08:44, scotfree said:

Will have to look that one up, Al. Is it a bit like Laidlaw by William McIlvanney? 

On the subject of William McIlvanney  I have just finished reading the new Laidlaw book.

Interesting as in it goes back to the start and is his first case. Also  McIlvanney passed away whilst in the middle of writing it, so Ian Rankin actually finished it.

Very decent read in keeping with the other three books in the series.

Definitely recommended

[scotfree]

19 hours ago, BigAl said:

On the subject of William McIlvanney  I have just finished reading the new Laidlaw book.

Interesting as in it goes back to the start and is his first case. Also  McIlvanney passed away whilst in the middle of writing it, so Ian Rankin actually finished it.

Very decent read in keeping with the other three books in the series.

Definitely recommended

I'm reading Skagboys by Irvine Welsh at the moment. But I have Alan Park's books up next. I need to re-read The Laidlaw books again. Have you read any of Liam McIlvanney's books, Al? The Quaker was excellent. 

[BigAl]

5 hours ago, scotfree said:

I'm reading Skagboys by Irvine Welsh at the moment. But I have Alan Park's books up next. I need to re-read The Laidlaw books again. Have you read any of Liam McIlvanney's books, Al? The Quaker was excellent. 

Indeed I have mate.

There was another book released earlier this year also featuring McCormack from The Quaker.

It is called The Heretic and given the fact you like this author, I guarantee you'll like it.

Might go back and read the Laidlaw books again as well.

I have them on my kindle so could rattle through them on holiday later in the summer.

[tom_widdows]

Anyone read this?

Spotted a hardcover copy in a charity shop window today

[manc_don]

Moscow X, part of a series, which I haven’t read but will go back to the start now. Really good read about - fictional FBI and SVR agent trying to run each other.

[scotfree]

 

Just finished this. An amazing read. The author has a masters in English literature and you can see that from the book. His description of the hell he went through cuts to the bone but there are a lot of beautiful moments as well. 

[BigAl]

So having resurrected the music thread it is time to get the book one back up and running.

First thing is first @manc_don I have just read the first Walter Lucius book again as I see that the third one in the trilogy was eventually published. It was every bit as good second time around. Think it must have been eight or nine years ago we were reading them 

[manc_don]

6 hours ago, BigAl said:

So having resurrected the music thread it is time to get the book one back up and running.

First thing is first @manc_don I have just read the first Walter Lucius book again as I see that the third one in the trilogy was eventually published. It was every bit as good second time around. Think it must have been eight or nine years ago we were reading them 

I've been keeping an eye out for this every so often, christ, was it that long ago we were chatting about the first one? Hopefully it's still on my kindle (wherever that is). We've actually joined the local library (I know!) and getting proper books. Been great actually and have started reading a few of the Michael Connelly books, mainly the Harry Bosch series. Been good. Currently reading a Damian Lewis SAS book.

[TheDonbytheDee]

An avid reader and I read just about anything. 

Just finished the autobiography of Cher and now onto a Victorian Detective novel.

To follow, I have a history book about an undercover agent in WW2 and Fraser Clynes book about Arbroath beating Bon-Accord 36-0.

Last week was Men in Love, by Irvine Welsh. It is set in the aftermath from when Renton steals the money at the end of Trainspotting. 

Then I was on the Nicola Sturgeon book.

I used to read political biographies all the time many moons ago, but this was my first one in a good few years.

I struggle to be interested in politics and politicians now

[CurlsLikeTattie]

Just finished The Rose Field - the final installment of Philip Pullman's Book of Dust trilogy. A very satisfying conclusion I thought.

If you like themes of struggles against authoritarian regimes, the corrupt church, fear of a freedom of thought, fear of 'outsiders' corrupting our way of life, then I would give these and His Dark Materials a read. 

I always find the first of the his Dark Materials to be aimed to a younger audience - but as they progress, whilst remaining (technically) young adult there are a lot of philosophical topics in there that us 'proper' adults can get on with.

I never watched the TV series - always afraid to watch things when I have enjoyed the books (also see Game of Thrones for this - can't watch until he gets round to finishing the book series (so never))

[Guest Ajjadeen]

Finished the Wool trilogy recently (Silo on Apple TV) which is a good read. I’m pretty obsessed with the post-apocalyptic genre and also love an actual book so shelf space is getting tricky, think I’ve read most of the decent ones out there and plenty terrible ones. 

Currently reading Ash Sarkar’s Minority Rule. Saw her at Edinburgh book festival and fan boyed a bit. If your politics lean anywhere near angry Marxism (yes, mine do) then it’s a good read. 

[Goldie03]

I'm reading Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell -  beautiful book, very descriptive, a take on Shakespeare's son dying then Hamlet being written.

Film is coming out in January.