Books & Reading Thread 2025

[Paladin]

Winter in Madrid - C J Sansom - 4/10

Set in 1940 in the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War, with throwbacks to the thirties. Two former pupils of a public school find themselves in Spain. One is an unscrupulous entrepreneur, profiting from the vulnerable. Another is lost, presumed dead, fighting the Fascists in the war.

Although they weren't friends at school, they had a mutual friend who was assigned to find out about the one who was lost, and then later, assigned to spy on the other friend.

I expected espionage, spycraft, deceit, subversion, intrigue, danger and suspense, but the book just didn't deliver. Much of it was predictable, some of it not credible, such as throwing a novice spy into action after three weeks training.

Not the best from Sansom, but all his other books have been enjoyable.

 

[JRockBlues]

Winter in Madrid - C J Sansom - 4/10

Set in 1940 in the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War, with throwbacks to the thirties. Two former pupils of a public school find themselves in Spain. One is an unscrupulous entrepreneur, profiting from the vulnerable. Another is lost, presumed dead, fighting the Fascists in the war.

Although they weren't friends at school, they had a mutual friend who was assigned to find out about the one who was lost, and then later, assigned to spy on the other friend.

I expected espionage, spycraft, deceit, subversion, intrigue, danger and suspense, but the book just didn't deliver. Much of it was predictable, some of it not credible, such as throwing a novice spy into action after three weeks training.

Not the best from Sansom, but all his other books have been enjoyable.

Loved his Shardlake books but I'm glad I've given this one a miss.

 

[Prestwich_Blue]

Just read Vasily Grossman's epic novel 'Stalingrad'. Absolutely fantastic.

 

[Paladin]

Loved his Shardlake books but I'm glad I've given this one a miss.

Same. I've enjoyed the Shardlake series so far. I've read five or six. One of his standalone books - Dominion, is one of my favourite books of recent years. Winter in Madrid just didn't captivate me though. Probably because I've read many excellent spy books and a good few WWII histories and stories, and the main storyline did not include the regular components of a good spy yarn.

 

[TueartsOHK]

I like the few Dicken’s books I’ve read : Oliver Twist, A Tale of Two Cities and especially Great Expectations to name a few. I’m really struggling with Bleak House though - I saw the BBC adaptation and loved it but the book is slow and I’m about to give it up. Anyone else read it and is it worth sticking with it ?

 

[Manc baggie]

Just finished this. Excellent book.

Hard to believe it was 45 years ago to the day that the dramatic siege concluded.

Thanks for the recommendation.

Glad you enjoyed it.
I have read most of his other books & they have all been excellent.
Colditz is another brilliant read.

 

[Paladin]

I like the few Dicken’s books I’ve read : Oliver Twist, A Tale of Two Cities and especially Great Expectations to name a few. I’m really struggling with Bleak House though - I saw the BBC adaptation and loved it but the book is slow and I’m about to give it up. Anyone else read it and is it worth sticking with it ?

I've read all of those, Great Expectations very recently, and enjoyed them all. I thought Great Expectations was a slow burner, so I would say if you enjoyed that, you should persevere with Bleak House. I love Dickens' characterisations, and in my view, Bleak House sees the author at his best in this respect.

 

[TueartsOHK]

I've read all of those, Great Expectations very recently, and enjoyed them all. I thought Great Expectations was a slow burner, so I would say if you enjoyed that, you should persevere with Bleak House. I love Dickens' characterisations, and in my view, Bleak House sees the author at his best in this respect.

Cheers mate that’s good enough for me

 

[RobMCFC]

1. A Lesson in Violence – Jordan Harper - 7/10
2. The Silverblood Promise – James Logan 9/10
3. Exiles – Jane Harper 9/10
4. Palace of Shadows – Ray Celestine 6/10
5. The Wager – David Grann 8/10
6. Grimdark Magazine Issue #40 – 6/10
7. Grimdark Magazine Issue #41 – 6/10

I sometimes read book reviews on the Grimdark magazine website, and I was delighted to discover that their magazine is available on Kindle. The reason for my delight? Scott Lynch has a Locke Lamora short story published in two instalments across issues #40 and #41, so buying each was a no-brainer.

The magazine is actually a combination of short stories plus non-fiction articles and book reviews, but I mainly skipped any non-fiction content, the exception being a review of the upcoming Joe Abercrombie novel, The Devils.

Locke Lamora and the Bottled Serpent is certainly the pick of the bunch across these two issues. This is a nicely done episode from earlier in Locke’s life and doesn’t tie into any of the events recounted in the main series. There’s also a good bit of misdirection between parts I and II, with the opening for the second part veering away from what you thought might happen.

Elsewhere in issue #40, I also enjoyed The Absolute by Aaron Dries, The Dreams of Wan Li by Andrea Stewart and Stones by Anna Smith Spark.

In Issue #41, Bastards and Baguettes by Justin Lee Anderson and Red Hell by Renee Stern were good.

In general, I’d only recommend these magazine issues for fans of the Locke Lamora stories, but I probably won't be buying another issue unless there's something by either Lynch or Abercrombie in there.

 

[Mr Grumpy]

I'm currently half way thorough reading Hyperion by Dan Simmons which has been on my "must read" pile for the last few years.

So far, it is superb SciFi.
I was worried it would be overly fantasy based but that's not the case.

 

[1961_vintage]

1. A Lesson in Violence – Jordan Harper - 7/10
2. The Silverblood Promise – James Logan 9/10
3. Exiles – Jane Harper 9/10
4. Palace of Shadows – Ray Celestine 6/10
5. The Wager – David Grann 8/10
6. Grimdark Magazine Issue #40 – 6/10
7. Grimdark Magazine Issue #41 – 6/10

View attachment 155546View attachment 155547

I sometimes read book reviews on the Grimdark magazine website, and I was delighted to discover that their magazine is available on Kindle. The reason for my delight? Scott Lynch has a Locke Lamora short story published in two instalments across issues #40 and #41, so buying each was a no-brainer.

The magazine is actually a combination of short stories plus non-fiction articles and book reviews, but I mainly skipped any non-fiction content, the exception being a review of the upcoming Joe Abercrombie novel, The Devils.

Locke Lamora and the Bottled Serpent is certainly the pick of the bunch across these two issues. This is a nicely done episode from earlier in Locke’s life and doesn’t tie into any of the events recounted in the main series. There’s also a good bit of misdirection between parts I and II, with the opening for the second part veering away from what you thought might happen.

Elsewhere in issue #40, I also enjoyed The Absolute by Aaron Dries, The Dreams of Wan Li by Andrea Stewart and Stones by Anna Smith Spark.

In Issue #41, Bastards and Baguettes by Justin Lee Anderson and Red Hell by Renee Stern were good.

In general, I’d only recommend these magazine issues for fans of the Locke Lamora stories, but I probably won't be buying another issue unless there's something by either Lynch or Abercrombie in there.

Thought you would be stuck into The Devils!

 

[RobMCFC]

Thought you would be stuck into The Devils!

I’ll probably wait until the autumn.

There’s something about fantasy books that work well for me in that season. Long books to get stuck into when it’s colder and darker.

 

[PinkFinal]

Just got this off Audible

38 Londres Street by Philippe Sands review – Pinochet and the Nazis

A human rights lawyer skilfully gathers the threads that link the former Chilean dictator to a fugitive SS officer

www.theguardian.com

 

[Paladin]

Just got this off Audible

38 Londres Street by Philippe Sands review – Pinochet and the Nazis

A human rights lawyer skilfully gathers the threads that link the former Chilean dictator to a fugitive SS officer

www.theguardian.com

I was looking at that in Waterstones. One of his junior barristers features twice in the book, both briefly. He was a friend and neighbour of mine when I grew up in Wythenshawe in the 60s and 70s. Now a KC, and a Blue. His dad took me to my first City game. Maine Road, late 60s, West Ham. Clive Best played for them - definitely my favourite player with that surname.

 

[Mr Grumpy]

I'm currently half way thorough reading Hyperion by Dan Simmons which has been on my "must read" pile for the last few years.

So far, it is superb SciFi.
I was worried it would be overly fantasy based but that's not the case.

Just finished the 1st book.

Absolute classic sci fi. A+.

 

[richardtheref]

Just finished the 1st book.

Absolute classic sci fi. A+.

This is 1 of my 300 books sitting in my bedroom waiting to be read

 

[Mr Grumpy]

This is 1 of my 300 books sitting in my bedroom waiting to be read

Never fancied it tbh even though I had it sitting in my house for years after buying it on a whim in a charity shop. I thought it would be to "dungeons and dragons" for me.

However, I picked it up a few weeks ago on a whim and was drawn in instantly. Astonishing work.

Must dig out the second book (which I also picked up in the charity shop)

 

[PinkFinal]

If you're interested in true crime this is a must have.
It's about the early 70s Houston serial killer Dean Corll who I would rank as worse than Bundy, Gacy , Ramirez and Manson. A truly evil bastard who's somehow little known.

The Scientist and the Serial Killer by Lise Olsen — Open Letters Review

The quest to identify the last victims of one of America’s worst serial killers

openlettersreview.com

 

[bennyboy]

On a remote Scottish island, Ivar, the sole occupant, leads a life of quiet isolation until the day he finds a man unconscious on the beach below the cliffs. The newcomer is John Ferguson, who has come to evict Ivar.
Beautifully written with the description of the Island giving a great background to the friendship of the two men.
Great short novel.8/10

 

[RobMCFC]

1. A Lesson in Violence – Jordan Harper - 7/10
2. The Silverblood Promise – James Logan 9/10
3. Exiles – Jane Harper 9/10
4. Palace of Shadows – Ray Celestine 6/10
5. The Wager – David Grann 8/10
6. Grimdark Magazine Issue #40 – 6/10
7. Grimdark Magazine Issue #41 – 6/10
8. The Trials of Empire – Richard Swan – 7/10

This is the third and final book in The Empire of the Wolf trilogy, and my thoughts on this echo what I said about the second book. The series tells the tale of a wandering Justice, Sir Konrad Vonvalt, who acts as judge, jury and executioner in the name of the Emperor as told through the eyes of his young clerk, Helena.

The first half of this book was a real slog for me; groups of people wandering around trying to get allies on board for a final battle with rogue priest, Claver, and his followers. Worse than that, for a series that started out with a small amount of magic – just enough to make it mysterious and interesting – the story has gone way beyond the amount of magic that I like in a fantasy setting. Characters spending endless pages wandering about on “another plane” inhabited by demons was a big turn-off.

At 500-plus pages, once again the story felt drawn out and also, as it’s obvious that Helena is now an old woman looking back on her youth, some of the jeopardy is removed. Still, things did improve in the second half and the book was brought to a satisfactory conclusion.