Best reads - Club Together Book Club?

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  • Wherenext
    Wherenext Club Member Posts: 10,592 ✭✭✭
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    edited January 2021 #542

    Well, I bought it as I like the characters in this series.smile

  • Tinwheeler
    Tinwheeler Forum Participant Posts: 23,135 ✭✭✭
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    edited January 2021 #543

    Fair enough. Enjoy!

  • brue
    brue Forum Participant Posts: 21,176 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited February 2021 #544

    I gave up listening to the Radio 4 rendition of Richard Osman's "The Thursday Murder Club"...kept falling asleep and missing bits. I bought the book instead and I can see why it's been so popular, a good read, a sense of humour and some crimes to solve, I got to the end of it last night and enjoyed it. Quite a long book, broken down by character parts and some short chapters. A nice lockdown read! smile

  • Wherenext
    Wherenext Club Member Posts: 10,592 ✭✭✭
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    edited February 2021 #545

    Enjoyed a book by a new to me author, Colin Falconer. Lucifer Falls, the first in a current 4 book series of a Detective George based in London. Already ordered the second book from the library.

  • Wherenext
    Wherenext Club Member Posts: 10,592 ✭✭✭
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    edited March 2021 #546

    Both the second and third books by Colin Falconer, Innocence Dies and Angels Weep in the D.I.George series were excellent.

    If you like Tom Thorne books by Mark Billingham then you'll like this newish series.

  • Wherenext
    Wherenext Club Member Posts: 10,592 ✭✭✭
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    edited March 2021 #547

    Also just finished Mark Billingham's latest Tom Thorne book, Cry Baby which was a nice departure from his most recent escapades, being set in the 1990s.

    Currently reading Martin Walkers latest Bruno book, Shooting at Chateau Rock. Enjoying it.

  • brue
    brue Forum Participant Posts: 21,176 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited March 2021 #548

    I'm reading Bill Bryson's "Shakespeare."

    Young Bill Shakespeare had to leave London and go home due to the plague so it sort of fits in with modern times. It's a fact finding book, mercifully short but interesting, a pity we know so little about him but it brings things to life.

  • Wherenext
    Wherenext Club Member Posts: 10,592 ✭✭✭
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    edited March 2021 #549

    I've enjoyed every book Bill Bryson has written Brue and keep meaning to get this one out of the library so thanks for the prompt.

  • brue
    brue Forum Participant Posts: 21,176 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited March 2021 #550

    It's more scholarly than his usual books WN, but I've enjoyed it as it's not a lengthy tome! 

  • Wherenext
    Wherenext Club Member Posts: 10,592 ✭✭✭
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    edited March 2021 #551

    Brue, I've just ordered it from the library before I forget.smile

    Also ordered a William Shaw book, Deadlands, the third in the D.I.Cupidi series with a hold on number 4 The Trawlerman when it comes out this year. It's a while since I read books 1&2 so am looking forward to it. Wonder if Nellie has read Deadlands yet as he likes this series as well?

    This latest lockdown has been good for catching up with my reading if nothing else.

  • moulesy
    moulesy Forum Participant Posts: 9,402 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited March 2021 #552

    I'm just chortling my way through Stuart Macbride's latest offering "The Coffin Maker's Garden". 

    Features ex DI Ash Henderson - the same grisly subject matter and (very) dark humour as the Logan Macrae books - possibly more of the former and less of the latter.

    Very entertaining if you like that sort of thing (which I do!) smile

  • nelliethehooker
    nelliethehooker Club Member Posts: 13,636
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    edited March 2021 #553

    Have read Deadland, and I see that the first 3, The Birdwatcher, Salt Lane and Deadlands, are available as a combination for £2:99 on Kindle at the moment. 

    WN, the next in the series is Graves End which comes before The Trawlerman, neither of which I've purchased yet.

  • Wherenext
    Wherenext Club Member Posts: 10,592 ✭✭✭
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    edited March 2021 #554

    Picked Deadlands up from the library yesterday so that's my reading for the weekend sorted.

  • brue
    brue Forum Participant Posts: 21,176 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited April 2021 #555

    I'm a bit late to it but I'm reading the highly popular Salt Path by Raynor Winn ( a Christmas present.) Based on the "true" events of a couple made homeless and tackling the SW coast path as a way to "find" themselves again. I know people love this book but I'm finding it annoying. When the seagull lurked near the longed for half pasty I knew what was coming...there are only so many contrived events that can happen on the SW coast path. A shame they didn't pay for the camp site in St Ives but couldn't resist Rick Stein's expensive chips.....very readable. wink

  • DavidKlyne
    DavidKlyne Club Member Posts: 13,857 ✭✭✭
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    edited April 2021 #556

    Margaret has just finished reading the Rose Code by Kate Quinn. It is a fictional account of a group of females recruited to work at Bletchley Park at the start of the war. She enjoyed it as it had local interest but perhaps even more topical was the one of the heroines  had a affair with Prince Phillip in the fictional book!!!

    David 

  • Wherenext
    Wherenext Club Member Posts: 10,592 ✭✭✭
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    edited April 2021 #557

    This has just arrived in my ebook inbox but it will have to wait as I am reading the latest Reacher book. Goodness knows why as I haven't "enjoyed" one of his for the last 3 or so outings.

    Must give the library a gee up and see what's happening with my Bill Bryson request.

  • Wherenext
    Wherenext Club Member Posts: 10,592 ✭✭✭
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    edited April 2021 #558

    Well isn't that strange? Got a call from the library today. The Bill Bryson book is in.laughing If only that worked with the lottery (and if only I played it!).

  • nelliethehooker
    nelliethehooker Club Member Posts: 13,636
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    edited April 2021 #559

    For Michael Connolly fans his Fair Warnings, the latest Jack McEvoy novel, is available on Kindle at the moment for 99p.

  • Wherenext
    Wherenext Club Member Posts: 10,592 ✭✭✭
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    edited April 2021 #560

    Picked up Graves End from the library yesterday along with the Bill Bryson book.

    Just reading The Coffin Makers Garden as mentioned by Moulesy as it's time restricted, i.e. has to go back soon.

    Funnily enough I didn't find  Connelly's Jack McEvoy a very easy person to have empathy with, not like Bosch. Still well written but not one to be repeated for me.

  • nelliethehooker
    nelliethehooker Club Member Posts: 13,636
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    edited May 2021 #561

    For those that like Scottish detective books there is a series of 6 by G R Jordan, based mainly on the Scottish Islands, in sale for 99p for the set at the moment on Kindle.

  • DavidKlyne
    DavidKlyne Club Member Posts: 13,857 ✭✭✭
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    edited May 2021 #562

    Just finished a fascinating book called "What Does Jeremy Think". It is a biography of the late Jeremy Heywood written by his wife Suzanne. He was eventually Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Civil Service. It charts his career from when he worked for Norman Lamont through all PM's since then to Theresa May until his untimely death in 2018. I think we often don't realise how much various Governments rely on Civil Servants and the serious role they play is so far removed from the comical Sir Humphrey!!!

    David

  • Wherenext
    Wherenext Club Member Posts: 10,592 ✭✭✭
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    edited May 2021 #563

    Picked up library book today. Born in a burial Gown by MW Craven.

    Slowly working my way through Bill Brysons Illustrated Shakespeare, half an hour a day. I've read it before but Brue reminded me of it a while ago and it's amazing how much one forgets and how quickly. Thoroughly enjoyable though.

  • Wherenext
    Wherenext Club Member Posts: 10,592 ✭✭✭
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    edited June 2021 #564

    Finished the Craven book. Looking to reserve the second one in the series now.

    Bryson went back before we came away and I'm satisfied that Johnson won't add to the nations understanding of the Great Bard.

  • moulesy
    moulesy Forum Participant Posts: 9,402 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited June 2021 #565

    I'm reading Richard Osman's debut novel " The Thursday Murder Club". I've been resisting up to now because I think books written by TV personalities often turn out to be pretty pointless (see what I did there? wink). But in fact it's a very clever murder mystery and very, very wittily written. Nothing very intellectual but easy holiday reading and you can bet your life it'll be turned into  TV series before too long. smile

  • DavidKlyne
    DavidKlyne Club Member Posts: 13,857 ✭✭✭
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    edited June 2021 #566

    Margaret has given me the book to read, although I don't usually bother with fiction. Haven't started yet. She has now read it twice and been very disappointed with the simplicity of it. Margaret reads a lot of detective based fiction and likes to be challenged when reading. I have heard that it is already going to be made into a film.

    David

  • Goldie146
    Goldie146 Club Member Posts: 2,448 ✭✭✭
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    edited June 2021 #567

    I've just dowmloaded it onto my Kindle ready for our holiday next week. I'm still not sure if I will like it, having read reviews, but the price has come down. I've a stack (virtual) of books now ready for all the sitting in the sun we're going to do. We save on weight and storage etc by me using my Kindle and my husband taking real books.

  • brue
    brue Forum Participant Posts: 21,176 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited June 2021 #568

    I enjoyed reading it, I bought the book and and liked the people observations in it, nothing like your average detective/thriller, quite a good tale in itself.

    I'm reading about The Fens at the moment (kindle) a non fiction book by Francis Priyor. It's all about his life and archaeology works. A lot more organised farming in the Bronze age than people realised and some nice writing about previous generations. The poet John Clare gets his praise.

    My kindle didn't work properly on our last break, all set to enjoy a political diary and nothing happened. I think I've sorted it now but it pays to take a real book just in case!

  • Wherenext
    Wherenext Club Member Posts: 10,592 ✭✭✭
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    edited June 2021 #569

    I have in the past resorted to reading an Ordinance Survey map for pleasure. I'm still looking for the life that someone told me to get.😁

    Resorted to Kindle at the moment and reading a book I bought at the beginning of first lockdown, Martin Cruz Smith, The Siberian Dilemma. I think Moulesy has read it. Enjoying it.

  • Goldie146
    Goldie146 Club Member Posts: 2,448 ✭✭✭
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    edited June 2021 #570

    I started reading it yesterday, and have given up today. I realised I didn’t like the style of wring or cared about any of the characters. And it’s not a school “set book” so I feel no compulsion to plod through to the end.

    i realise I must be in the minority and I can’t even give it away as its on my Kindle!

    Now I am well into P D James’s first Dalgleish book - Cover her Face. It’s a long time since I read it, and I only vaguely remember the plot. Very well written and I love it!

  • moulesy
    moulesy Forum Participant Posts: 9,402 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited June 2021 #571

    It's definitely a "marmite" book, Goldie - love it or hate it! wink

    I enjoyed it, but I have to say, I'm staggered that Richard Osman won "author of the year" based on it!  surprised