The GF book thread

[The wanderer]

22 hours ago, Elite said:

City in Ruins by Don Winslow out now, thought it was only being released in a few months for some reason.

 

I'm currently reading What Dreams May Come by Richard Matheson, so once that's done I'll be straight on it 

Ah you’ve answered my question. I read it was due in April hopefully it’s as good as the first two.

[The wanderer]

On 15/03/2024 at 18:29, TheBitch said:

Step forward and receive rep whoever recommended The force by Don Winslow. 
 

“Probably the best cop novel ever written” 

 

Its like The Shield, The Wire and The Godfather wrapped up in 450 pages of brilliance. 
 

The Cartel arrived yesterday so I’ll start that after the next Harry Hole book I’ve got lined up. 

The Cartel is fucking really good , reading it now.

[TheBitch]

On 03/04/2024 at 07:13, The wanderer said:

The Cartel is fucking really good , reading it now.

I’m 100 pages into The power of the dog and absolutely loving it. 

[VladimirIlyich]

On 15/03/2024 at 12:30, Elite said:

Yeah it's really good that. Get on The City of Dreams trilogy if you haven't already.

Does this Don Winslow write cop/crime novels then?

[Sut]

Yes.

[YorkshireRed]

I enjoyed his trilogy including; The Power of the Dog, The Cartel, and The Border.

 

8/20 (average score across the three books)

 

The Force as a stand alone was also a rollercoaster of a read. 

7.5/10

 

Won’t be a shared view on here, but I don’t rate the Danny Ryan books as highly. I’ve read the first two, I’ll read the third, but they haven’t gripped me as much as some of his other efforts.

 

7/10 average score across the first two books of the trilogy. 

[VladimirIlyich]

6 hours ago, Sut said:

Yes.

Cheers. They sound right up my street. Ooerr missus!

[Nelly-Szoboszlai]

I’m on the Don Winslow train too. 
 

300-ish pages into Power of the Dog and enjoying it. Picked up a used version from Amazon for about £3. Had some unused Waterstones vouchers from Christmas so got The Cartel with those. And I signed up for an Audible free trial with 2 book credits, so The Border will be listened to rather than read. 

[The wanderer]

On 05/04/2024 at 17:50, TheBitch said:

I’m 100 pages into The power of the dog and absolutely loving it. 

Just dowloaded an ebook of his last book in this trilogy The Border going to be a ride!!

[SasaS]

Will have to check this Winslow Donny boy out.

[Sut]

The Winter of Frankie Machine is a brilliant read. Only £1.99 on Kindle now, but you can pick it up elsewhere from someone who pays tax.

 

https://amzn.eu/d/2dgrbAS

 

"Frank Machianno is the guy, a late-middle-aged ex-surf bum who runs a bait shack on the San Diego waterfront. That's when he's not juggling any of his other three part-time jobs or trying to get a quick set in on his long board. He's a beloved fixture of the community, a stand-up businessman, a devoted father to his daughter. Frank's also a hit man. Well, a retired hit man.

"Back in the day, when he was one of the most feared members of the West Coast mob, he was known as Frankie Machine. Years ago, Frank consigned his mob ties to the past, which is where he wants them to stay. But a favour called in by the local boss is one Frank simply can't refuse, and before he knows it he's sucked back into the treacherous currents of his former life. Someone from his past wants him dead, and he has to figure out who, and why, and he has to do it fast. The problem is that the list of candidates is about the size of his local phone book and Frank's rapidly running out of time..."

[NoelM]

City In Ruins is a really good conclusion to the Danny Ryan series by Don Winslow. A great collection of characters, some of the side stores were almost better than the main one. 8/10.

[NoelM]

37 minutes ago, NoelM said:

City In Ruins is a really good conclusion to the Danny Ryan series by Don Winslow. A great collection of characters, some of the side stores were almost better than the main one. 8/10.

If anyone has read or knows the story of Homers "The Iliad" then the series, especially the first book is totally based on this. I loved trying to match each Winslow character to a corresponding Greek or Trojan. 

[Elite]

53 minutes ago, NoelM said:

City In Ruins is a really good conclusion to the Danny Ryan series by Don Winslow. A great collection of characters, some of the side stores were almost better than the main one. 8/10.

I'm nearing the end now and would rate the trilogy a solid 9 as I've loved every minute of the entire 3 books. The Danny Ryan character is great, along with all the other characters but I am a massive fan of this type of stuff. 

 

Ari Fliakos is superb narrating, reminds me of Ray Liotta's voiceover in Goodfellas. I think this series is best consumed via Audiobook as he propels it.

 

Now let's hope Austin Butler doesn't butcher the movie adaptation.

[Elite]

Just found out that City in Ruins is Winslow's last ever book. Fuck.

[Sut]

Yeah, he announced this would be the end of his writing career. Think I read something about him wanting to spend as much time and energy on combatting Trump and MAGA as possible.

[Paul]

19 hours ago, Sut said:

The Winter of Frankie Machine is a brilliant read. Only £1.99 on Kindle now, but you can pick it up elsewhere from someone who pays tax.

 

https://amzn.eu/d/2dgrbAS

 

"Frank Machianno is the guy, a late-middle-aged ex-surf bum who runs a bait shack on the San Diego waterfront. That's when he's not juggling any of his other three part-time jobs or trying to get a quick set in on his long board. He's a beloved fixture of the community, a stand-up businessman, a devoted father to his daughter. Frank's also a hit man. Well, a retired hit man.

"Back in the day, when he was one of the most feared members of the West Coast mob, he was known as Frankie Machine. Years ago, Frank consigned his mob ties to the past, which is where he wants them to stay. But a favour called in by the local boss is one Frank simply can't refuse, and before he knows it he's sucked back into the treacherous currents of his former life. Someone from his past wants him dead, and he has to figure out who, and why, and he has to do it fast. The problem is that the list of candidates is about the size of his local phone book and Frank's rapidly running out of time..."

I much prefer his earlier, pulpy crime novels than the big epics he’s ending his career with. 
 

Fascinating that he’s actually retiring as a novelist. You don’t really think of it as a job, but that’s clearly how he sees it. And to be fair, he’s 70, so why not?

[Sut]

Yeah, I just kind of assumed most authors like King and keep cranking them out because they have to, and that if they don't then there's something missing in their lives. Fair play to him.

[Elite]

On 07/04/2024 at 11:28, Sut said:

Yeah, I just kind of assumed most authors like King and keep cranking them out because they have to, and that if they don't then there's something missing in their lives. Fair play to him.

On the subject of King, I'm currently reading Different Seasons and it's staggering how he is able to create such unique stories in totally different genres. I love Stand By Me and like Shawshank Redemption (Prefer The Green Mile) but Apt Pupil was a new one for me, it's great. It's like he's on a completely different wavelength than anyone else in regards to story creation and ideas. I'm sure he's a fucking alien, he looks like one.

 

[Mudface]

10 minutes ago, Elite said:

On the subject of King, I'm currently reading Different Seasons and it's staggering how he is able to create such unique stories in totally different genres. I love Stand By Me and like Shawshank Redemption (Prefer The Green Mile) but Apt Pupil was a new one for me, it's great. It's like he's on a completely different wavelength than anyone else in regards to story creation and ideas. I'm sure he's a fucking alien, he looks like one.

 

 

It's horrible that story, in the best sort of ways. I haven't seen it, but the film adaptation is supposed to be pretty good too.

[Elite]

1 minute ago, Mudface said:

 

It's horrible that story, in the best sort of ways. I haven't seen it, but the film adaptation is supposed to be pretty good too.

Yeah, going to watch that at some point. 

[Mudface]

10 minutes ago, Elite said:

Yeah, going to watch that at some point. 

 

It's on YouTube, 720p only, but still.

 

 

[Rico1304]

On 03/03/2024 at 08:55, Elite said:

Blackwater: The Complete Saga (Michael McDowell) - 8.5/10

 

Generational family saga focusing on a wealthy family in Alabama. It's a slow burn but once you are invested in the characters it was a joy to read. The character development was exceptional, every member of the family had their own arc and everything links together over a span of about 50 years. There is some subtle supernatural stuff which just adds to the lore of the setting the author has created. Highly recommend this one.

 

The Long Walk (Richard Bachman) - 8/10

 

The first book I've read from King under the Bachman alias. I love a macabre, dystopian story and this perfectly fit the bill. Loved all the characters and their back stories, no one does the coming of age type stuff better than King even in this morbid backdrop. Wasn't overly keen on the ending, so lost a point on that but overall very enjoyable book.

 

And Then She Was Gone (Lisa Jewell) - 7.5/10

 

This is the type of stuff my mum reads and I was skeptical as I often pigeon hole books like this as 'Housewife fiction' rightly or wrongly. However, after giving this a chance i enjoyed it. The mystery kept me captivated throughout and it all tied in nicely to give a satisfying outcome.

 

 

Blackwater is absolutely amazing.  One of the best books I’ve read in years.  

[Sut]

2 hours ago, Elite said:

Yeah, going to watch that at some point. 

It's not a bad picture. Bryan Singer made it in between Usual Suspects and X-Men.

[Elite]

3 hours ago, Rico1304 said:

Blackwater is absolutely amazing.  One of the best books I’ve read in years.  

I've got 'Gilded Needles' by the same author to listen to next on Audible.