RobMCFC
Well-Known Member
What did you think of The Angel's Game?
Books & Reading Thread 2025
- Thread starter RobMCFC
- Start date
JRockBlues
Well-Known Member
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.
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.
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.
RobMCFC
Well-Known Member
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.
idahoblues
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- 27 Mar 2009
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Presently enjoying’Crossings’ by Ben Goldfarb
How roads have changed the world
How roads have changed the world
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.
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.
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.
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.
richardtheref
Well-Known Member
29. The Kingdom - Jo Nesbo. 3/5. I love Nesbo but imo this is his poorest effort so far. At 650 pages not a lot happened until the last 100. There is a 2nd book in the series which I will read shortly but not overly enthusiastic at present
stoneblue
Well-Known Member
Two recent reads....
The Bloodless Boy - Robert Lloyd - 7/10
I am a big fan of historical fiction and have read all the output of CJ Sansom and one or two others, so I’m often on the lookout for new authors in this genre. This one came recommended by The Times, the debut novel by this author.
It’s the start of the year, 1678 and London is blanketed in snow. A dead boy is found; the corpse has been drained of blood, a cryptic cipher left alongside the body. This is not the first such grisly find. Robert Hooke, the great scientist and Royal Society member, is asked to investigate. He does so with his assistant, Harry Hunt, who discovers that the cipher was used during the civil war. Their inquiry leads them through political intrigue, religious tension, and scientific rivalry as they confront a conspiracy that threatens the fragile stability of the newly restored monarchy.
This is the first in a series of 3 novels featuring Hooke and Hunt. For me it was a little slow-paced and over descriptive at times but I may look out the other books in the series to see how the characters develop.
Pacific Heights - S R White - 8/10
A waitress is found murdered in the courtyard of a block of flats. Five neighbouring apartments overlook the scene — meaning five people could have witnessed the crime. At first glance it seems like a straightforward case. But when the detectives — Carl “Bluey” Blueson and Lachlan Dyson - interview the witnesses their accounts don’t quite match: each saw different fragments, nobody saw everything. As they try to piece together the truth, it becomes clear that solving the murder is far more complicated than it first appeared.
An above-average thriller and for me the best to date by this author.
The Bloodless Boy - Robert Lloyd - 7/10
I am a big fan of historical fiction and have read all the output of CJ Sansom and one or two others, so I’m often on the lookout for new authors in this genre. This one came recommended by The Times, the debut novel by this author.
It’s the start of the year, 1678 and London is blanketed in snow. A dead boy is found; the corpse has been drained of blood, a cryptic cipher left alongside the body. This is not the first such grisly find. Robert Hooke, the great scientist and Royal Society member, is asked to investigate. He does so with his assistant, Harry Hunt, who discovers that the cipher was used during the civil war. Their inquiry leads them through political intrigue, religious tension, and scientific rivalry as they confront a conspiracy that threatens the fragile stability of the newly restored monarchy.
This is the first in a series of 3 novels featuring Hooke and Hunt. For me it was a little slow-paced and over descriptive at times but I may look out the other books in the series to see how the characters develop.
Pacific Heights - S R White - 8/10
A waitress is found murdered in the courtyard of a block of flats. Five neighbouring apartments overlook the scene — meaning five people could have witnessed the crime. At first glance it seems like a straightforward case. But when the detectives — Carl “Bluey” Blueson and Lachlan Dyson - interview the witnesses their accounts don’t quite match: each saw different fragments, nobody saw everything. As they try to piece together the truth, it becomes clear that solving the murder is far more complicated than it first appeared.
An above-average thriller and for me the best to date by this author.
Your description of the second book brought back memories of "An Instance at the Fingerpost" which investigated a murder from the perspective of four suspects, each with their own individual motive for wanting the victim dead.
stoneblue
Well-Known Member
Funnily enough I have that book sitting on my Kindle App! It's been there for 3 years....I suspect that at some 704 pages, I've been put off by the length of the book. As a FOC, I'll probably find that hard going!
Toffee in peace
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- Everton
Could not recommend this one highly enough. Incredible and at the same time horrific true story of the authors family through the holocaust. A real insight into that period of history.
Blue Maverick
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- 6 Aug 2010
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- 25,293
Aren’t they like £30 a book? I liked the Stephen Fry and Jim Dale ones.
Service Model - Adrian Tchaikovsky
I picked this up after reading the Children of Time trilogy (also heard there's a 4th part to that, er, trilogy, out in March). Anyway, this was a different experience to any of that series, but very enjoyable and a bit of satire for a few chuckles laced throughout.
I picked this up after reading the Children of Time trilogy (also heard there's a 4th part to that, er, trilogy, out in March). Anyway, this was a different experience to any of that series, but very enjoyable and a bit of satire for a few chuckles laced throughout.
chris63
Well-Known Member
Lord of the Rings has to be my favourite book and this book by David Eddings would have to be my next best.
1961_vintage
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- 21 Sep 2009
- Messages
- 16,642
Do you know if this series available for the kindle?
chris63
Well-Known Member
Kindle ?
What's that?
JRockBlues
Well-Known Member
Great starter series into the fnatasy genre, imo.