Planet Rugby Forum

Currently reading Mick Herron's Slough House/Jackson Lamb Series. This is about a fictional small and shabby annex of MI5 which is a dumping ground for spies who have cocked up and are left to rot doing mundane and tedious counter terrorism analysis/archiving tasks in the hope they will resign and save the service the bother of sacking them.

Good light hearted reading but satirical and cynical too. This bunch of misfits may have failed in active work but are desperate to redeem themselves by unofficially getting involved in ops to earn a return to the real world of spying.

John le Carre it isn't but they are entertaining reads. It would make for a decent TV adaptation.

slick wrote:

Half way through this. Absolutely loving it, haven't read a laugh out loud book for a while and this is one.

Read that recently. It was definitely a good read and funny, but I didn't quite reach laugh out loud levels.

Just finished reading Barry Unsworth's Sacred Hunger. Absolutely fantastic historical fiction ostensibly about a slaving vessel and its crew. The book is really a lot deeper than the slaving backdrop, and you had a really strong view of how the personalities of the protagonists had a lasting impact throughout the tale.

Only 7 Booker winners left for me to read now. Onto James Kelman next.

For anyone here that is a fan of J.V. Jones you'll know that she mysteriously left her last series unfinished and no one knew what was going on. Here website or twitter hadn't been updated for years and she had basically dropped off the face of the earth.

I was on twitter the other day and she popped up with a tweet. turns out she's been having a hard time with a divorce, depression, nearly losing her house etc... trying to get back on her feet and start writing again. She's started a Patreon page for anyone interested. I've signed up for a few dollars a month which i see as worthwhile for an author that I've enjoyed immensely over the years.

The page is here for anyone that may be interested:
https://www.patreon.com/jvjones

Also check out her books if you are into Fantasy and haven't read them.

Reading Bill Brysons The Mother Tongue about the English language. Fascinating book. Anyone who insists on speaking "proper" English can get fcuked

Just finished Zadie Smith's "White Teeth" 9/10, very funny.

Gordon Bennett wrote:
Read that recently. It was definitely a good read and funny, but I didn't quite reach laugh out loud levels.

Just finished reading Barry Unsworth's Sacred Hunger. Absolutely fantastic historical fiction ostensibly about a slaving vessel and its crew. The book is really a lot deeper than the slaving backdrop, and you had a really strong view of how the personalities of the protagonists had a lasting impact throughout the tale.

Only 7 Booker winners left for me to read now. Onto James Kelman next.

Barry Unsworth is brilliant. Ruby in her Navel is another awesome novel set in the Kingdom of Sicily under the Normans.

village wrote:

Gordon Bennett wrote:
Read that recently. It was definitely a good read and funny, but I didn't quite reach laugh out loud levels.

Just finished reading Barry Unsworth's Sacred Hunger. Absolutely fantastic historical fiction ostensibly about a slaving vessel and its crew. The book is really a lot deeper than the slaving backdrop, and you had a really strong view of how the personalities of the protagonists had a lasting impact throughout the tale.

Only 7 Booker winners left for me to read now. Onto James Kelman next.

Barry Unsworth is brilliant. Ruby in her Navel is another awesome novel set in the Kingdom of Sicily under the Normans.

I'll have a dash at that once I've finished the pile of 10 books I'm working through at the moment.

Onto Saville by David Storey now. 5 Bookers left after this, then I've got a couple of Richard Flanagans to work through. Looking forward to Death of a River Guide having rafted the Franklin River a couple of years ago, and I did think The Narrow Road to the Deep North was excellent.

Read quite a bit oh Dalrymple and reckon this is his best work yet - well recommended;

flaggETERNAL wrote:Reading Bill Brysons The Mother Tongue about the English language. Fascinating book. Anyone who insists on speaking "proper" English can get fcuked

His travel oeuvre obviously has its fans and has payed the bills but it is, for the most part, knockabout repetitive stuff. His more considered work, which he demonstrated for the first time with The Mother Tongue, are of an entirely different level.
At Home, on the surface, might have appeared to be an uninspiring subject, but as a gifted raconteur he wove a wealth of anecdote, history and observation into a compelling and endlessly interesting read. In One Summer: America 1927, he pulled off essentially the same trick with a splendid series of oddball vignettes about the background to events and personalities of that era. He's a fine writer, when he makes the effort.

Reading AA Gill, pour me a life, great read, he was a funny fcuker.

A staggering work of profound genius.

Red Chopper wrote:Read quite a bit oh Dalrymple and reckon this is his best work yet - well recommended;

Yes, same here. Enjoyed that.

If you have Prime, Prime books and mags and comics has come to the UK

Works on apps as well as kindles and fire tabs. It also works with calibre and apprentice alf. I'm not sure if the very latest version of kindle PC will work though, you might need the slightly older one.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/kindle-dbs/fd/ ... p-prime-pr

https://www.amazon.co.uk/kindle-dbs/fd/ ... 71a4b09731

Enemy of the State by Tommy Robinson is quite the book.

About the Battle of Poltava. Absolutely brilliant book told from the Swedish perspective, with fairly horrific detail.

Ready Player One - hilariously awful 2/10 just because it made me laugh it was so bad
All the Light we Cannot See - fantastic. Just a lovely story very well written 9/10
Great Expectations - not my Favourite Dickens 7/10
Water for Elephants - got a bit dust in my eye at the end. 8/10

started reading the Dark Tower series, just on the first one but nearly finished it, it's really good so far. Quite a simple intro to the world but Stephen King really knows how to build a world. Looking forward to moving to the second one

Just finished Absolute Friends John le Carré; bloody good read

Lady P wrote:Reading the Boucherie Ovalie book at the moment. Good fun but I need an online dictionary. Invariably there is a word in the book not on the online dictionary but I take the approach that it is probably just another word for penis.

Edit: other than that it's all Annabel Karmel and Each Peach Sodding Pear Plum.

Le meilleur livre du monde

I need to get it


PS it cauld also be a french yeebism

As per Chuckles' thread, finished Night Watch last night. Timing was entirely coincidental.
Such a good book. Would be amazing to see a decent budget TV adaption of it.

Summer reading season in the sun is approaching, so have a few sci-fi books lined up for holidays.

What's on your list? I'm looking for a couple of good series' to read. Just started the Dark Tower series and probably going to go through the whole of ASOIAF again at some point, though something similar (and not as intense) in between would be good

Ulsters Red Hand wrote:What's on your list? I'm looking for a couple of good series' to read. Just started the Dark Tower series and probably going to go through the whole of ASOIAF again at some point, though something similar (and not as intense) in between would be good

Brandon Sanderson's mistborn series might be right, and he's finished that. His stormlight series is very good but just two books so far. Anthony Ryan did a really good series, Blood song iirc book 1 was amazing and so books 2+3 fell short. David Eddings belgariad if you want an easy entertaining read. Robin hobbs books on Fitz are very good, I think assassins apprentice is the first. Also look at Brian Staveley, Mark Lawrence and Michael J Sullivan (Sullivan's has the bigger series, the other 2 have done sets of 3 books).

Saw mention of the Takeshi Kovacs trilogy on here last week, so going to grab the first book on my Kindle. Thinking of getting some non-fiction as well. The State of Africa was mentioned also recently on here as worthwhile read about Africa post colonialism. Also watched the Siege of Jadotville recently, which is vaguely related.

Boobs not Moobs wrote:

Ulsters Red Hand wrote:What's on your list? I'm looking for a couple of good series' to read. Just started the Dark Tower series and probably going to go through the whole of ASOIAF again at some point, though something similar (and not as intense) in between would be good

Brandon Sanderson's mistborn series might be right, and he's finished that. His stormlight series is very good but just two books so far. Anthony Ryan did a really good series, Blood song iirc book 1 was amazing and so books 2+3 fell short. David Eddings belgariad if you want an easy entertaining read. Robin hobbs books on Fitz are very good, I think assassins apprentice is the first. Also look at Brian Staveley, Mark Lawrence and Michael J Sullivan (Sullivan's has the bigger series, the other 2 have done sets of 3 books).

I'll maybe try it. I've never read that much fantasy tbh, more action/crime/thriller but I did really enjoy A Game of Thrones and enjoying the gunslinger so far. Heading away for 3 weeks in about a month so i'm assuming i'll have a bit of spare time to read a bit so will stock up, probably on my kindle for the ease

As an exercise in patience and tolerance for all forms of literature I've been slowly making my way through the BBC 100 books to read before you die list. Sadly Time Travellers Wife was on this which have just finished and now want to stab someone in the face. My god what an absolute pile of wank. How the f uk is it on there?!

Nolanator wrote:Saw mention of the Takeshi Kovacs trilogy on here last week, so going to grab the first book on my Kindle. Thinking of getting some non-fiction as well. The State of Africa was mentioned also recently on here as worthwhile read about Africa post colonialism. Also watched the Siege of Jadotville recently, which is vaguely related.

Recently finished Prisoners of Geography by Tim Marshall which I thought was excellent if you are after any more non-fiction suggestions. Found myself saying "ahh of course" out loud quite a bit when reading it.

HKCJ wrote:As an exercise in patience and tolerance for all forms of literature I've been slowly making my way through the BBC 100 books to read before you die list. Sadly Time Travellers Wife was on this which have just finished and now want to stab someone in the face. My god what an absolute pile of wank. How the f uk is it on there?!

I just opened Guardians version, then checked over here and you're doing a version. So I thought I'd pop the link here for you https://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/ ... -full-list

Haven't read it yet.

I've read it now, very dated, very victorian. Despite all I've read I've only read 10. Of those I'd agree with Coetzee's Disgrace without a doubt.

Cheers for that Boobs. All subjective of course but a very different list that

Ulsters Red Hand wrote:

Boobs not Moobs wrote:

Ulsters Red Hand wrote:What's on your list? I'm looking for a couple of good series' to read. Just started the Dark Tower series and probably going to go through the whole of ASOIAF again at some point, though something similar (and not as intense) in between would be good

Brandon Sanderson's mistborn series might be right, and he's finished that. His stormlight series is very good but just two books so far. Anthony Ryan did a really good series, Blood song iirc book 1 was amazing and so books 2+3 fell short. David Eddings belgariad if you want an easy entertaining read. Robin hobbs books on Fitz are very good, I think assassins apprentice is the first. Also look at Brian Staveley, Mark Lawrence and Michael J Sullivan (Sullivan's has the bigger series, the other 2 have done sets of 3 books).

I'll maybe try it. I've never read that much fantasy tbh, more action/crime/thriller but I did really enjoy A Game of Thrones and enjoying the gunslinger so far. Heading away for 3 weeks in about a month so i'm assuming i'll have a bit of spare time to read a bit so will stock up, probably on my kindle for the ease

try Joe Abercrombie's First Law trilogy if you enjoyed those two series.

Say one thing for Ruggabugga, say he gives good book recommendations....


I'm a bit fictioned out at the moment so just started this. Only started last night but seems to be pretty well written so far:

RuggaBugga wrote:

I'm a bit fictioned out at the moment so just started this. Only started last night but seems to be pretty well written so far:

Dan Jones writes very good historical books, quite different and much more analytical than his TV programmes which are quite obviously tailored for those with a more casual interest in matters historical. Masses of citations and well sourced material and offers plenty of further reading material for more niche aspects

Downloaded Yanis Varoufakis' latest book, Adults in the Room.
Only on the 3rd chapter but already its a massive fudge you to the EU
Obviously I need to read a few other takes on what happened to Greece to get a more rounded view but some of the stuff he says about how the EU structured the bailout is criminal.

tabascoboy wrote:

RuggaBugga wrote:

I'm a bit fictioned out at the moment so just started this. Only started last night but seems to be pretty well written so far:

Dan Jones writes very good historical books, quite different and much more analytical than his TV programmes which are quite obviously tailored for those with a more casual interest in matters historical. Masses of citations and well sourced material and offers plenty of further reading material for more niche aspects

Good to hear. Was a bit worried by the subtitle.

I've actually decided I might start with the Norman conquest and work through the various dynasties. Can any of the history buffs recommend some good material. Not too heavy, not too light preferably.

Started American Gods. Still early days and I've no idea what's happening, besides filling in a few blanks myself; but I'm thoroughly enjoying it.

Somehow I've never read Gamain before. Next up is probably Good Omens (as a Pterry fanboi). What else should I stick on my reading list?
I do love reading a good book for the first time. Not something I've actually done much in the last few years.

I'd like to get a friend a book for her birthday. She's well educated and interested in politics and culture.

I could just google it but I thought I'd try tap you guys in case you have any good ideas.

Any suggestions?

ed. going three pages back it looks grim.
Google it is.

On the suggestion of the missus just finished Goldfinch by Donna Tartt. Did look on here and a few of you had recommended it. Whilst she can write a nice sentence or paragraph she is a bit like Haruki Murakami in that the story never fcuking goes anywhere and the characters are just wholly unsympathetic. Hated it.

Revisiting glen Duncan's the last werwolf, really enjoy his books, interesting and appropriate mantra 'kill, eat, fuxk'

I lucifer was a great book too, the devil back on earth in a broken down body, contemplating ageing

Nolanator wrote:Started American Gods. Still early days and I've no idea what's happening, besides filling in a few blanks myself; but I'm thoroughly enjoying it.

Somehow I've never read Gamain before. Next up is probably Good Omens (as a Pterry fanboi). What else should I stick on my reading list?
I do love reading a good book for the first time. Not something I've actually done much in the last few years.

I'm very jealous of you getting to read good omens for the first time. Its on my desert island list

Nolanator wrote:Started American Gods. Still early days and I've no idea what's happening, besides filling in a few blanks myself; but I'm thoroughly enjoying it.

Somehow I've never read Gamain before. Next up is probably Good Omens (as a Pterry fanboi). What else should I stick on my reading list?
I do love reading a good book for the first time. Not something I've actually done much in the last few years.

American Gods is fantastic. I just downloaded the tv show too, looking forward to getting stuck into that.

Hilary Mantel’s hotly anticipated final instalment to her Man Booker-winning Wolf Hall trilogy is unlikely to appear next summer, the author said this week. Responding to a question from the audience in her latest Reith lecture for the BBC, she said it was “increasingly unlikely” the book would be published in 2018 as she had previously hoped.

Asked about the final instalment, Mantel said: “It simply depends when it comes in … you know, publishing goes in seasons. If I can get it [finished] early in the new year, it might very well come out in later summer. But I have to say that this is looking increasingly unlikely.”

The book may not appear until 2019, said Mantel, who denied that her failure to finish the novel to schedule was a sign of reluctance to write about Cromwell’s execution in July 1540. “People ask me if I’m having trouble killing off Thomas Cromwell. No, why would I?”

Nolanator wrote:Started American Gods. Still early days and I've no idea what's happening, besides filling in a few blanks myself; but I'm thoroughly enjoying it.

Somehow I've never read Gamain before. Next up is probably Good Omens (as a Pterry fanboi). What else should I stick on my reading list?
I do love reading a good book for the first time. Not something I've actually done much in the last few years.

Neverwhere, Sandman.