Books & Reading Thread 2025

[stoneblue]

2. A Clear Blue Sky - Jonny Bairstow, Duncan Hamilton



Have been away for a few days and only had the kindle app on my iPad with me so I read this.

For non-cricket fans, Jonny Bairstow is an England cricketer, whose father, David Bairstow also a former professional cricketer, committed suicide. Jonny, then aged 8, his mother and younger sister came home and found him hanging from the staircase.
His father had worries over his business, an impending drink driving case and his wife had been diagnosed with cancer just 3 months earlier and he’d been suffering from depression and stress. Like many of his generation he kept it largely to himself.
I’m not usually a huge fan of the sports (auto)biography genre, I find them a bit formulaic, but the fact that his father’s death had such a profound effect on him makes this an interesting read.
Wisden Book of the Year, 2018.

 

[RobMCFC]

2. A Clear Blue Sky - Jonny Bairstow, Duncan Hamilton

View attachment 66230

Have been away for a few days and only had the kindle app on my iPad with me so I read this.

For non-cricket fans, Jonny Bairstow is an England cricketer, whose father, David Bairstow also a former professional cricketer, committed suicide. Jonny, then aged 8, his mother and younger sister came home and found him hanging from the staircase.
His father had worries over his business, an impending drink driving case and his wife had been diagnosed with cancer just 3 months earlier and he’d been suffering from depression and stress. Like many of his generation he kept it largely to himself.
I’m not usually a huge fan of the sports (auto)biography genre, I find them a bit formulaic, but the fact that his father’s death had such a profound effect on him makes this an interesting read.
Wisden Book of the Year, 2018.

I remember the David Bairstow suicide very well.

I used to watch cricket religiously when I was a kid - went to the test at Old Trafford every year. I lost touch when it disappeared from terrestrial TV in 2005 and Ive never really regained the interest. I would never have believed that but there you go.

Jonny Bairstow seems to have a had a decent career and good luck to him.

I read Duncan Hamilton’s Brian Clough book years ago and it was superb. I assume it’s the same author.

 

[stoneblue]

I remember the David Bairstow suicide very well.

I used to watch cricket religiously when I was a kid - went to the test at Old Trafford every year. I lost touch when it disappeared from terrestrial TV in 2005 and Ive never really regained the interest. I would never have believed that but there you go.

Jonny Bairstow seems to have a had a decent career and good luck to him.

I read Duncan Hamilton’s Brian Clough book years ago and it was superb. I assume it’s the same author.

Yes, it’s the same Duncan Hamiton, I think he’s written or co-authored a good number of sports books….I’m fairly sure that I’ve read the Brian Clough one too, many years ago.

It’s a shame that you’ve lost interest in cricket….I meet up with my old Uni mates once a year for a day at a test, at either Trent Bridge or Headingley. I love the atmosphere of a packed house at a test match.

 

[jimmy blue shoes]

Just finished "A thousand splendid suns" by Khaled Hosseini. Even more heartbreaking now the Taliban are back in Kabul.

 

[ob]

Finished 'Bob No Ordinary Cat' this afternoon. Not everyone's cup of tea but I loved it. My other half bought me it for Christmas due to fact we have got a rescue cat and don't know it's history just like the one in the book. Ours was rescued from a burnt out house in which the owners died. She lived on in the house as a stray for about 18 months until rescued. No one knows her name or what age she is. She's got called Phoenix and they think about 10. We've had her for almost 2 years now. Anyway I loved it lol. Started The Cross by Steve Cavanagh as recommended on here

 

[stoneblue]

Just finished "A thousand splendid suns" by Khaled Hosseini. Even more heartbreaking now the Taliban are back in Kabul.

Brilliant book!

 

[supercity88]

Just finished "A thousand splendid suns" by Khaled Hosseini. Even more heartbreaking now the Taliban are back in Kabul.

Probably my favourite book that.

 

[inchy14]

I’m aiming for 26 books in total this year after being inspired by this thread, watch far too much tv late in the evening and going back to reading instead.

Just finished #1 ‘A time to Kill’ by John Grisham.
Started #2 ‘fire & blood’ by George Martin.

With this and my running it’ll be a busy year.

Do audiobooks count….

 

[PragueBlue]

Mistakenly put this in the 2022 thread, so just moving it here:

Got 6 of Agatha Christie's plays for Christmas, we well as a biography on her and her autobiography. Have so far read The Mousetrap and Witness for the Prosecution. Both excellent stories but I have seen them already so pretty much knew the story. Just started on Spider's Web, which is a story I don't know.

I read mainly in Czech to keep my language level up, so don't mind reading books that I have already read in English, or ones that I know the story of. Looking forward to getting to the autobiography but will work my way through the plays first.

 

[RobMCFC]

I’m aiming for 26 books in total this year after being inspired by this thread, watch far too much tv late in the evening and going back to reading instead.

Just finished #1 ‘A time to Kill’ by John Grisham.
Started #2 ‘fire & blood’ by George Martin.

With this and my running it’ll be a busy year.

Do audiobooks count….

Yes audiobooks count.

The “challenge” part of the thread title was lifted from the original 2021 reading thread - it’s nice to have a target, but the thread is more about sharing what we are each reading, reviewing what we’ve read and thereby passing recommendations on to each other.