Books & Reading Thread 2025

The total does include a few novella's (ie: 3 from The Murderbot Diaries series) so not quite 50 full books but not too shabby so far.

Seeing as I haven't been detailing my reading here then if anyone wants to knwo what the list does include then it's available at the following link:

My 2025 reading list
What did you think of The Angel's Game?
 
Anyone on here read Iain M Bank's Culture series?
Seen a few people include them in their sci-fi top tens (Use of Weapons and Excession being the usual suspects on the lists). Never read any of his books and wondered if they're a good shout for a sci-fi nerd like myself.
 
Enjoed it a lot. Not quite as good as The Shadow of the Wind but still a very good read. Somewhat darker than the first though. Will definitely be going back to the series at some point.
Yes, that's what I thought. Although when I first read it, I was disappointed by the come down from The Shadow of the Wind. But when I read it again many years later, in preparation for the final book in the series, I really enjoyed it and appreciated how it fit into the overall saga.
 
1. Great Expectations - Charles Dickens. 7/10.
2. Munich - Robert Harris - 5/10.
3. Conclave - Robert Harris - 8/10.
4. Deep Cover - Shay Doyle - 9/10.
5. Winter in Madrid - C J Sansom - 4/10.
6. Red Notice - Andy McNab - 5/10.
7. The Bayeux Embroidery - Howard of Warwick - 7/10.
8. The Heretics of De'Ath - Howard of Warwick - 7/10.
9. Unbreakable - Melvyn Downes - 6/10.
10. Precipice - Robert Harris - 8/10.
11. The Surgeon of Crowthorne - Simon Winchester - 8/10.
12. SAS: My Trial By Fire - Des Powell - 7/10.
13. The Pianist - Wladyslaw Szpilman - 10/10.
14. The Siege - Ben Macintyre - 9/10.
15. The Traitors Circle - Jonathan Freedland - 8/10.
16. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone - J K Rowling - 6/10.

This is the first release of a new Audible series, with full cast and immersive listening. In other words, it's like listening to a film of the complete book.

For me, probably the weakest of the series, but it took me back to the early 2000s, when I would read these stories to my two young boys, and we would become absorbed in the new phenomenon. Visits to the HP World in Watford, and eager anticipation for the film releases were part of the journey. Very happy times as both my lads developed into keen readers.

The production is good, but with the usual pitfalls of using child actors, who aren't always very realistic.

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1. Great Expectations - Charles Dickens. 7/10.
2. Munich - Robert Harris - 5/10.
3. Conclave - Robert Harris - 8/10.
4. Deep Cover - Shay Doyle - 9/10.
5. Winter in Madrid - C J Sansom - 4/10.
6. Red Notice - Andy McNab - 5/10.
7. The Bayeux Embroidery - Howard of Warwick - 7/10.
8. The Heretics of De'Ath - Howard of Warwick - 7/10.
9. Unbreakable - Melvyn Downes - 6/10.
10. Precipice - Robert Harris - 8/10.
11. The Surgeon of Crowthorne - Simon Winchester - 8/10.
12. SAS: My Trial By Fire - Des Powell - 7/10.
13. The Pianist - Wladyslaw Szpilman - 10/10.
14. The Siege - Ben Macintyre - 9/10.
15. The Traitors Circle - Jonathan Freedland - 8/10.
16. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone - J K Rowling - 6/10.
17. The Tapestry of Death - Howard of Warwick - 6/10.

This was a slow burner, but finally finished and I can move on to something completely different.

The third in a long series, in which Brother Hermitage and his new friend Wat, receive the death note of Wat's friend Briston. Wat and Briston have previously made a pact to avenge the murder of the other, upon receipt of the note.

Cut a long and very funny story short, Briston isn't dead after all, but he has fled after being pursued. The eponymous tapestry depicts a number of prominent churchmen and noblemen queueing up to take turns to participate in illicit immortal acts with a local well known and respectable lady, recently deceased.

Briston the weaver is the creator, and the depictions are mere creations from his very vivid imagination. Knowledge about the tapestry is abroad, and many powerful people want to get their hands on it - some in order to protect their own reputations, and some want it for blackmail purposes.

To complicate matters, the hierarchy of the Weaver's Guild want Briston dead for tarnishing the reputation of their ancient and noble craft.

It was another enjoyable read, but entirely futile.

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