Books & Reading Thread 2025

[richardtheref]

22. Black Mad Wheel - Josh Malerman.
3/5. Disappointed after Bird Box. Also I didn't fully understand the ending. Always a problem

 

[Macca77macca]

I am such a FOC I hadn't heard of this bloke , better known as Loki . This book is not released yet but the abridged audiobook is worth a listen . He has some thoughtful and considered things to say about trauma , the media and personal responsibility .

BBC Sounds - Trauma Industrial Complex by Darren McGarvey - Available Episodes

Listen to the latest episodes of Trauma Industrial Complex by Darren McGarvey on BBC Sounds.

www.bbc.co.uk

He wrote a good book “Poverty Safari” which I enjoyed!

I never come to “off topic” but wondered if any book lovers so wandered over here!

I hope you don’t mind if I occasionally join in :)

Any how..I am reading “The Anarchy” by William Dalrymple. Its about the growth of the East India Company and how it took over (and pilfered) India but morphed into Empire. Made me think a lot about stuff.

 

[Paladin]

He wrote a good book “Poverty Safari” which I enjoyed!

I never come to “off topic” but wondered if any book lovers so wandered over here!

I hope you don’t mind if I occasionally join in :)

Any how..I am reading “The Anarchy” by William Dalrymple. Its about the growth of the East India Company and how it took over (and pilfered) India but morphed into Empire. Made me think a lot about stuff.

You are very welcome. It's always good to hear the views and experiences of fellow readers. Many a good book has been picked up following a recommendation or a review on here.

 

[Macca77macca]

I used to read say 20/40 books a year before social media then that went down to around 6 then 1 to 2 for say 3 years stopped using social media now am back to at least 25+ books a years probably read 8 books last 10 weeks! Well into it again!

Social media is shite should be banned..

My reading stopped during pandemic for some reason. But then went on holiday and saw a book at the airport, picked it up and it was brilliant. Got me back in thank the lord. I don’t read anywhere near the amount I want to. Its my job which is more computer/reports/investigation based now which it wasn’t for many years (Nurse).

The book by the way - I can not recommend it enough!

“Panenka” by Ronan Hessian. Its a short novel about an ex professional footballer in an unnamed league (but I think Irish league as writer Irish) and his story .. its so good I loved it.

Hessian a Watford and Bohs fan.

 

[surprisedbygrass]

He wrote a good book “Poverty Safari” which I enjoyed!

I never come to “off topic” but wondered if any book lovers so wandered over here!

I hope you don’t mind if I occasionally join in :)

Any how..I am reading “The Anarchy” by William Dalrymple. Its about the growth of the East India Company and how it took over (and pilfered) India but morphed into Empire. Made me think a lot about stuff.

Thanks . I'm also a newish visitor to " off topic" and the more the merrier ..William Dalrymple is such a great read isn't he ? He does a great podcast called Empire with Anita Anand and their combined knowledge and analysis of Indian history is both entertaining and pertinent . I think I must have got the abridged version on the history of the East India Company in their earliest episodes . Seems City of London "Loads of Money" has a deeper history than Thatcher . It's quite astounding . We destroyed their textile economy and gave them cricket ...

 

[Macca77macca]

He does a great podcast called Empire with Anita Anand

I did not know this! Thanks for the tip

Yes, it’s quite an eye opening read. Also really interesting thinking about how it all worked/evolved into this massive Empire. It makes me think about all these Companies today - esp tech ones.

 

[surprisedbygrass]

I did not know this! Thanks for the tip

Yes, it’s quite an eye opening read. Also really interesting thinking about how it all worked/evolved into this massive Empire. It makes me think about all these Companies today - esp tech ones.

Yes . So many parallels . I'm currently slowly reading Black Lamb , Grey Falcon by Rebecca West . It was written in the thirties on the eve of WW2 and is a deep dive into the history and politics of the Balkans. She was a woman with ten brains and a brilliant writer and so much of what she explored about the mess of empires and how effective divide and rule was as a tool of domination is timeless and universal .

 

[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
9. George Harrison - Philip Norman – 8/10
10. Go to War: Football on the Brink in the 80s – Jon Spurling – 8/10
11. Chasing the Light - Oliver Stone – 8/10
12. The Narrows – Ronald Malfi – 7/10

@richardtheref mentioned Ronald Malfi earlier in the thread, and he was already on my list as an author to try. I was going to say that The Narrows, from 2012, is one of his earlier works but I was surprised to find that his first novel was released in 2000.

This follows the story of a deputy sheriff trying to determine the cause of a series of animal mutilations in Stillwater, rural Maryland. Worse, the mutilations are accompanied by a series of child disappearances. Could the two be linked? Of course, this being a horror novel, something sinister has been swept in by a recent storm and the full horror of what is happening to the town is eventually revealed.

This was a good holiday read. Malfi is clearly a fan of Stephen King, and just like the master, he paints a vivid picture of a small town being overtaken by unspeakable horror. His characters are well defined, and he conjures a superbly haunting atmosphere from the people, buildings and places around the town.

A couple of things did bug me; one minor and one more significant. On the minor front, he kept saying “comprised of”. Any self-respecting writer should know that the “of” is superfluous in this case.

The more significant issue was the info dumping every time we meet a new character. To just list the character’s history and every facet of their relationship with their husband/wife/mother/father over a couple of pages takes you out of the story. Again, any author should be aware of the “show don’t tell” maxim.

Despite these quibbles I did enjoy the story, and I’ll probably read another Ronald Malfi book at some point.

 

[chesterbells]

Just taken delivery of the new Strike novel yesterday so looking for way to getting into the latest doorstopper from Galbraith/Rowling asap :-)

 

[Paladin]

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.

A fascinating biography of two men, intermingled with a history of the Oxford English Dictionary.

Dr W C Minor was an American surgeon who went through traumatic experiences during the American Civil War. He was discharged from service due to his deteriorating state of mind, and ended up living in London, where he killed an innocent man he wrongly suspected to have broken into his rooms. Minor is incarcerated in Broadmoor, and his fragile mind deteriorates further and further.

James Murray is tasked with compiling the Oxford English Dictionary, and advertises to recruit an army of volunteer readers and contributors. Minor, with plenty of time on his hands, succeeds in his job application. He is a prodigious contributor to the new work, and the two men become close friends.

Minor's story is particularly sad. Material for the book is drawn from records from Broadmoor Hospital and the institutions in the USA where he is sent for the final years of his life. Numerous instances of his madness are documented, including the time he amputated his own penis using a penknife in order to prevent himself from committing the sin of self abuse (masturbation).

This is a well researched true story, where the reader will also learn about the history and process of writing a dictionary, as well as the meaning of some obscure words such as sesquipedalian.

 

[richardtheref]

23. The Death Watcher - Chris Carter.
13th in the Robert Hunter series. Always enjoy his books even though I suspect each one is probably the same basic outline. In this 1 the serial killer disguises his murders as suicides. Introduces a couple of characters who may come into the series later.
He also states that the idea came from real life events.

 

[waspish]

Started reading Scott Mariani the Ben Hope series. On the 4th book. Easy reading and you get hooked on them. Good to keep dipping in and out of the series with other books I’m reading..

 

[the blue panther]

As we get near to the anniversary of 9/11, can I give a quick plug to my unique personal and Mancunian take on events having published my book last year "Parallax 9/11 Part One: The Silent Assassin."

Hope some will support me and take a look. Any helpful reviews much appreciated. Available from Amazon, amongst others.

 

[Pancake Arse]

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
9. George Harrison - Philip Norman – 8/10
10. Go to War: Football on the Brink in the 80s – Jon Spurling – 8/10
11. Chasing the Light - Oliver Stone – 8/10
12. The Narrows – Ronald Malfi – 7/10

View attachment 168485


@richardtheref mentioned Ronald Malfi earlier in the thread, and he was already on my list as an author to try. I was going to say that The Narrows, from 2012, is one of his earlier works but I was surprised to find that his first novel was released in 2000.

This follows the story of a deputy sheriff trying to determine the cause of a series of animal mutilations in Stillwater, rural Maryland. Worse, the mutilations are accompanied by a series of child disappearances. Could the two be linked? Of course, this being a horror novel, something sinister has been swept in by a recent storm and the full horror of what is happening to the town is eventually revealed.

This was a good holiday read. Malfi is clearly a fan of Stephen King, and just like the master, he paints a vivid picture of a small town being overtaken by unspeakable horror. His characters are well defined, and he conjures a superbly haunting atmosphere from the people, buildings and places around the town.

A couple of things did bug me; one minor and one more significant. On the minor front, he kept saying “comprised of”. Any self-respecting writer should know that the “of” is superfluous in this case.

The more significant issue was the info dumping every time we meet a new character. To just list the character’s history and every facet of their relationship with their husband/wife/mother/father over a couple of pages takes you out of the story. Again, any author should be aware of the “show don’t tell” maxim.

Despite these quibbles I did enjoy the story, and I’ll probably read another Ronald Malfi book at some point.

I like Malfi, read a few of his books now, and they're always enjoyable. I finished December Park last week and that was another good one as well.
Finished Listen For The Lie by Amy Tintera over the weekend and just started Keep It In The Family by John Marrs

 

[Paladin]

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.

Another SAS memoir, much like all the rest. The main difference with this one is that the author doesn't tell us very much about his SAS career, but he goes into great detail about selection and training for both the Parachute Regiment and later the SAS. Probably the best account of these processes I've read.

Each chapter starts with an inspirational snippet lifted from The Oxford Dictionary of Modern Quotations or similar. This is pretty pointless. The author's dedication and self-discipline shines through though, and this brings grit and authenticity to the experience.

The big let down for me is the narration (I listened to the audiobook). The author read it himself in the style of a ten year old, reading a story aloud to his class, stopping after every fourth word regardless of punctuation. Such a shame, because there's a lot of interesting stuff in the book. The Yorkshire accent is weird too, with 'ck' within a word spoken irritatingly as 't', such as 'knuttles' instead of 'knuckles'. For a few measly quid more, they could have had Sean Bean or Alan Carr or some other better reader. Smacks of a typical Yorkshireman scrimping on cost.

 

[Pancake Arse]

Finished this one the other day. Cracking little thriller

 

[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
9. George Harrison - Philip Norman – 8/10
10. Go to War: Football on the Brink in the 80s – Jon Spurling – 8/10
11. Chasing the Light - Oliver Stone – 8/10
12. The Narrows – Ronald Malfi – 7/10
13. The Siege – BenMacintyre – 9/10

When @Manc baggie reviewed this earlier this year, I put it straight on my TBR list.

The siege at the Iranian Embassy in London, in 1980, was an iconic moment. Like millions of others, I was glued to the screen as Cliff Thorburn squared off against Alex Higgins in the final of the World Snooker Championship. This was rudely interrupted by a BBC newsflash and suddenly we all had box office seats as the SAS blow out the front windows and stormed the embassy.

I’ll never forget that moment, but I was only 11 years old, and I don’t remember much of the aftermath. I don’t know why the siege happened, I couldn’t tell you whether any of the hostage takers survived or how many hostages died.

Ben Macintyre answers all of these questions and more in a superbly researched book. We get to see a lot of what went on behind closed doors in the embassy and see the siege through the eyes of the police negotiators, obviously the SAS themselves and also the government. I also like the context that the author applies and in fact mentions the World Snooker final several times.

Despite the bravery and skill of the SAS, it was revealing to see that not everything went right and there were a few cock-ups along the way, which I guess you’d expect with a situation as tense as this. It was interesting to read that in the wake of the Munich Olympic Massacre, the SAS was tasked with hostage rescue in just such a situation and had therefore been training for this scenario for seven years.

As others have said, It’s a brilliant book that’s well worth anybody’s time.

After a lot of fascinating non-fiction this summer, it’s time to get my teeth stuck into a good bit of fiction, starting with my favourite author’s latest …..

 

[stoneblue]

The Peepshow - Kate Summerscale (Audiobook) - 9/10



Set in post‑war London, The Peepshow revisits the infamous murders at 10 Rillington Place, Notting Hill, in the early 1950s. Police discover the bodies of several young women hidden in the walls and garden of the house, and the story ultimately centres on John Reginald Halliday Christie, a former policeman who lived in the ground‑floor flat.

One key theme is the possibility of a miscarriage of justice: some evidence suggests that Timothy Evans, another tenant at 10 Rillington Place, was wrongly accused and executed for murders that Christie may have committed. Christie gave evidence at Evans’ trial.

Summerscale doesn’t just tell the crime story; she also explores the social and cultural context of early 1950s Britain: the grim living conditions, poverty, class divisions, racism, the rising tabloid press, and the ways in which women—particularly sex workers—were vulnerable and marginalised.

Finally, she examines how the press and public engaged in what she calls “spectatorship” of horror, the consumption of gruesome crime stories, and the challenges of separating sensationalism from truth.

A brilliant read (or listen!)

 

[Macca77macca]

I commented on this book several pages back. I found it excellent. An incredible story. And true.

There is a film in the works. It's almost too extreme to be believable.

I thought this was one of the best books I have read the last year.

 

[stoneblue]

Victory in Australia - Michael Whitehead - 9.5/10 (Audiobook)



This is a brilliant book - a must read/listen for any cricket lover.

It tells the story of England’s Ashes triumph in 1954/55 but it’s much more than just a summary of the 5 test matches. England were captained by Len Hutton — the first professional captain England had in Tests — and the team achieved their first victory in Australia in more than two decades.

The tour began disastrously: England suffered a heavy defeat in the first Test after winning the toss and asking Australia to bat, and things looked bleak. However, they turned the tide, winning the series 3‑1.

Whitehead’s narrative brings in both the match action — fast bowling heroics from Frank “Typhoon” Tyson among others — and the broader social, cultural, and class issues of the time.

The book details the lead up to the tour, particularly the shenanigans over the choice of captain, details how tours worked, and what cricket and test cricket was like in 1950s. It also touches on the fallout from the previous tour to the West Indies, which cost Freddie Trueman his place on the Ashes tour.

I would have awarded 10/10 but the weakness of the audiobook format for me is that the scorecards, bowling figures and various lists etc are read out by the narrator - they simply don’t make the same sort of impact than if they were on the printed page. However the strength of the audiobook format over the written word is that it feels like you are living the action, day by day, session by session.