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Read The Outsider by Stephen King, which was a typical one of his yarns and very enjoyable. Also read the first of the Earthsea books by Ursula K. Le Guin. It was fine but not exactly gripping considering the reputation of the series. I’ll give the next one a go soon though. 
 

Also enjoyed the BGJ book and am on the Honigstein biography of Kloppo now, Bring The Noise. 
 

Got samples of Crouchie’s book, Shibumi by Travanian (an assassin thriller thing set in Japan) and Turning Blue by Benjamin Myers (a Yorkshire set crime thing) lined up. 

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On 17/11/2019 at 06:24, Paul said:

Just finished Elton John’s autobiography and it was brilliant. I’ve never been a huge fan of his music but this is hilarious. He is totally self-aware and self-deprecating, as well as brutally honest. Plus he’s a massive music (and football) nerd, do there’s loads to enjoy. In short a great read and thoroughly recommended. 

I should read this. I've always thought he was a bit of a dick, but a year or two back he did an interview with Danny Baker on radio 5 and he came across as pretty sound. Going on about when he was a kid playing piano in London pubs etc. 

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On 14/12/2019 at 10:01, Paul said:

Finished Salvation Lost by Peter F. Hamilton this morning. It continues the story of how humanity tries to evade a super race of religious nutter aliens over the millennia and across the galaxy. It was boss. Can’t wait for the final book in the trilogy. 

Thanks for this, just finishing the first one. 

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https://www.hotukdeals.com/deals/50-great-sci-fi-masterpieces-in-1-the-ultimate-sci-fi-collection-kindle-edition-free-at-amazon-3389039

 

I've downloaded this on Kindle. The Ultimate Sci Fi Collection which has 11527 pages brings together over 50 of the greatest science fiction masterpieces ever written!

Featuring:

JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH, by Jules Verne
TWENTY THOUSAND LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA, by Jules Verne
THE MYSTERIOUS ISLAND, by Jules Verne
FROM THE EARTH TO THE MOON, by Jules Verne
AROUND THE MOON, by Jules Verne
OFF ON A COMET, by Jules Verne
DOCTOR OX’S EXPERIMENT, by Jules Verne
THE STEAM HOUSE, by Jules Verne
IN THE YEAR 2889, by Jules Verne
THE TIME MACHINE, by H.G. Wells
THE WAR OF THE WORLDS, by H.G. Wells
THE ISLAND OF DR. MOREAU, by H.G. Wells
THE INVISIBLE MAN, by H.G. Wells
A DESCENT INTO THE MAELSTROM, by Edgar Allan Poe
THE FACTS IN THE CASE OF M. VALDEMAR, by Edgar Allan Poe
SOME WORDS WITH A MUMMY, by Edgar Allan Poe
A TALE OF THE RAGGED MOUNTAINS, by Edgar Allan Poe
FRANKENSTEIN, by Mary Shelley
THE LAST MAN, by Mary Shelley
FLATLAND, by Edwin A. Abbott
LOOKING BACKWARD: 2000-1887, by Edward Bellamy
EQUALITY, by Edward Bellamy
DR. HEIDENHOFF’S PROCESS, by Edward Bellamy
A CONNECTICUT YANKEE IN KING ARTHUR’S COURT, by Mark Twain
THE LOST WORLD, by Arthur Conan Doyle
THE POISON BELT, by Arthur Conan Doyle
AT THE EARTH’S CORE, by Edgar Rice Burroughs
PELLUCIDAR, by Edgar Rice Burroughs
THE LAND THAT TIME FORGOT, by Edgar Rice Burroughs
THE PEOPLE THAT TIME FORGOT, by Edgar Rice Burroughs
OUT OF TIME’S ABYSS, by Edgar Rice Burroughs
BEYOND THIRTY, by Edgar Rice Burroughs
THE BLAZING WORLD, by Margaret Cavendish
ULLER UPRISING, by H. Beam Piper
FOUR-DAY PLANET, by H. Beam Piper
THE COSMIC COMPUTER, by H. Beam Piper
SPACE VIKING, by H. Beam Piper
LAST ENEMY, by H. Beam Piper
TIME CRIME, by H. Beam Piper
EDISON’S CONQUEST OF MARS, by Garrett P. Serviss
THE VARIABLE MAN, by Philip K. Dick
ADJUSTMENT TEAM, by Philip K. Dick
THE HANGING STRANGER, by Philip K. Dick
TRIPLANETARY, by E.E. “Doc” Smith
FIRST LENSMAN, by E.E. “Doc” Smith
THE SKYLARK OF SPACE, by E.E. “Doc” Smith
THE GALAXY PRIMES, by E.E. “Doc” Smith
MURDER MADNESS, by Murray Leinster
THE FORGOTTEN PLANET, by Murray Leinster
THE TIME TRADERS, by Andre Norton
and
KEY OUT OF TIME, by Andre Norton

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48 minutes ago, skend04 said:

https://www.hotukdeals.com/deals/50-great-sci-fi-masterpieces-in-1-the-ultimate-sci-fi-collection-kindle-edition-free-at-amazon-3389039

 

I've downloaded this on Kindle. The Ultimate Sci Fi Collection which has 11527 pages brings together over 50 of the greatest science fiction masterpieces ever written!

Featuring:

JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH, by Jules Verne
TWENTY THOUSAND LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA, by Jules Verne
THE MYSTERIOUS ISLAND, by Jules Verne
FROM THE EARTH TO THE MOON, by Jules Verne
AROUND THE MOON, by Jules Verne
OFF ON A COMET, by Jules Verne
DOCTOR OX’S EXPERIMENT, by Jules Verne
THE STEAM HOUSE, by Jules Verne
IN THE YEAR 2889, by Jules Verne
THE TIME MACHINE, by H.G. Wells
THE WAR OF THE WORLDS, by H.G. Wells
THE ISLAND OF DR. MOREAU, by H.G. Wells
THE INVISIBLE MAN, by H.G. Wells
A DESCENT INTO THE MAELSTROM, by Edgar Allan Poe
THE FACTS IN THE CASE OF M. VALDEMAR, by Edgar Allan Poe
SOME WORDS WITH A MUMMY, by Edgar Allan Poe
A TALE OF THE RAGGED MOUNTAINS, by Edgar Allan Poe
FRANKENSTEIN, by Mary Shelley
THE LAST MAN, by Mary Shelley
FLATLAND, by Edwin A. Abbott
LOOKING BACKWARD: 2000-1887, by Edward Bellamy
EQUALITY, by Edward Bellamy
DR. HEIDENHOFF’S PROCESS, by Edward Bellamy
A CONNECTICUT YANKEE IN KING ARTHUR’S COURT, by Mark Twain
THE LOST WORLD, by Arthur Conan Doyle
THE POISON BELT, by Arthur Conan Doyle
AT THE EARTH’S CORE, by Edgar Rice Burroughs
PELLUCIDAR, by Edgar Rice Burroughs
THE LAND THAT TIME FORGOT, by Edgar Rice Burroughs
THE PEOPLE THAT TIME FORGOT, by Edgar Rice Burroughs
OUT OF TIME’S ABYSS, by Edgar Rice Burroughs
BEYOND THIRTY, by Edgar Rice Burroughs
THE BLAZING WORLD, by Margaret Cavendish
ULLER UPRISING, by H. Beam Piper
FOUR-DAY PLANET, by H. Beam Piper
THE COSMIC COMPUTER, by H. Beam Piper
SPACE VIKING, by H. Beam Piper
LAST ENEMY, by H. Beam Piper
TIME CRIME, by H. Beam Piper
EDISON’S CONQUEST OF MARS, by Garrett P. Serviss
THE VARIABLE MAN, by Philip K. Dick
ADJUSTMENT TEAM, by Philip K. Dick
THE HANGING STRANGER, by Philip K. Dick
TRIPLANETARY, by E.E. “Doc” Smith
FIRST LENSMAN, by E.E. “Doc” Smith
THE SKYLARK OF SPACE, by E.E. “Doc” Smith
THE GALAXY PRIMES, by E.E. “Doc” Smith
MURDER MADNESS, by Murray Leinster
THE FORGOTTEN PLANET, by Murray Leinster
THE TIME TRADERS, by Andre Norton
and
KEY OUT OF TIME, by Andre Norton

Let me know how the Piper ones go.  I’ve read most of the rest. 

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Been reading Ollie Ollertons autobiography 'Break Point.' He's one of the instructors on the brilliant SAS: Who Dares Wins series. It's only £1.89 on Kindle, so if you're into military stuff it's definitely worth buying as he's ex-special forces.

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Just finished Shibumi by Trevanian. It’s about a “culturally Japanese” retired hitman/caver/linguist who has a debt of honour to uphold and what he does when the shit hits the fan. I really enjoyed it. 
 

Started The Hunt For Red October now by Tom Clancy. 

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  • 2 weeks later...

After My Struggle, read (listened to) Knausgard's earlier novel A Time For Everything. Not as monumental, but one thing struck me, the thing that goes some way in explaining the phenomenal success of My Struggle, he is just a great storyteller. People mostly talk about the hype, the gimmick or the inventiveness, the selfless autobiographical honesty, but it was mostly his storytelling excellence that kept me going through the six volumes of Min Kamp. I mean, turning 50 pages on trying to sneak past the nasty neighbour to take the kids to the video store and back into a captivating read is no mean feat.

 

I couldn't be less interested in angels and the Biblical setting of A TIme For Everything and yet I enjoyed it immensely.

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On 18/01/2020 at 15:20, Tourt said:

Binge reading Phillip Lee's, "Bernie Gunter" novels.

 

 

The written words answer to crack cocaine.

 

Finish one and you must have another.

 

Sexy, witty, callous,violent and evil.

 

 

Tremendous entertainment.

 

 

Lee or Kerr?

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12 hours ago, Paulie Dangerously said:

Been reading some children's books recently for work. I'm really enjoying them. Just finished The Firework Makers Daughter by Phil Pullman. Magical 

Roger Red Hat is up there with Papillon and A Brief History of Time. 

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10 minutes ago, Rico1304 said:

I’ve just started the first one, have they been recommended before as I’m sure I’ve read it? Great book though.  

Just finished, The Lady From Zagreb, four more to complete the binge read.

 

 

If The Dead Rise Not, is my favourite so far. Mainly because it was such an unexpected ending.

Little wonder that novel won so many awards.

 

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  • 3 weeks later...

"The Big Short"

 

by Michael Lewis

 

Loved the movie, the book is even better, as it goes into the mechanics of the various financial instruments and also the lives of the protagonists.

 

________________________________

"This Divided Island: Life, Death, and the Sri Lankan War"

 

by Samanth Subramanian 

 

Personalized and episodic history of the post/Sri Lankan civil war period.

 

A bit fluffy at the start, but at the end it's hitting pretty hard.

 

I didn't know a lot about this conflict going in, which made it tougher to fully understand everything in the book.

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On 21/08/2019 at 12:50, Sugar Ape said:

 

 

That’s fair comment, I think they are a bit cheesy when viewed next to a lot of other comparable series which is why it can be hard to recommend them. A sports agent and a Wall Street financier don’t grab the imagination the same way a private eye and an ex-marine do. 

 

They’re probably a level below the Crais and Lehane series but I still think they’re a very good read. From the third novel onwards the plots become more complex and you learn more of the backstory of the characters. They’re definitely worth sticking with. 

 

For me, top tier crime series are:

John Connolly - Parker series 

Robert Crais - Cole/Pike series 

James Lee Burke - Robicheaux series

Dennis Lehane - Kenzie/Gennaro series

Robert B.Parker - Spenser series

 

Level below but still very good:

Harlan Coban - Bolitar series

Michael Connelly - Bosch series

Jack Kerley - Carson Ryder series

Richard Montanari - Byrne/Balzano series

 

I’m just about to start the Max Mingus trilogy by Nick stone again starting with Mr Clarinet. Ex cop and PI is hired to find a billionaires kid who has gone missing on Haiti. Bit different from your standard crime novels with a lot of voodoo stuff thrown in. Recommended. 

You missed Billy Bob Holland series stuff by James Lee Burke too.

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Read a new SF/dystopian future book by Andrew Hunter Murray called The Last Day. It’s set in a future where earth no longer spins on its axis and the world now has permanently uninhabitable zones of hot and cold and a small Goldilocks zone that has the UK at its centre. Britain is controlled by a dictator and the story takes the form of a conspiracy thriller. It’s a good read. Definitely recommended. 
 

Now on Peter Crouch’s second book, which is good, and I’ve downloaded samples of Red Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson, The Clan Of The Cave Bear by Jean M. Auel and The Mermaids Singing by Val McDermid to help decide my next read. 

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