Reading Challenge 2022

[stoneblue]

Four books read so far this year!

1. Serpentine - Jonathan Kellerman. Decent read 6/10
2. A Touch of Daniel - Peter Tinniswood 9.5/10
3. I didn’t know you cared - Peter Tinniswood 9/10
4. Beyond - Stephen Walker 9.5/10

This is a tremendous book. I’ve always been interested in the early days of the Space Race and this book primarily tells the Russian story. Set against the backdrop of the Cold War the author details events leading up to and including the first manned flight by Yuri Gagarin.

This book is meticulously researched and brings to life the excitement and terror of the build-up to and the experience of the flight itself. There is a lot of background information on the attempts of both superpowers to be the first to put a human being in space and the contrasting approach of each. Highly recommended 9.5/10.

 

[JRockBlues]

Getting behind on my reviews again. Here's a couple of the 4 I have read since my last post in this thread:

The Human Division by John Scalzi

The fifth book in the Old Man’s War series is a serialised collection of 13 tales that go into making 1 overall story arc. With the Colonial Union now at loggerheads with Earth after the events of the previous book it seems that to continue with the status quo the CU will need a more diplomatic approach to dealing with the conclave and any other species that are not currently aligned to either group. It mostly follows the creation of a diplomatic fire-team and their first few missions. Is there also something more sinister behind these fires that requires a team in the first place?

Each of the stories contained in the collection has at least some relevance to the overall arc but how much varies significantly. Some are just of the <i>get to know you</i> type while others show the underlying plot more readily. Although each segment has a resolution to that individual part the final denouement is not revealed in this book. Still a fine addition to the old man’s war universe though and definitely worth picking up if you’ve read and enjoyed the previous books in the series. 3½★'s


The End of All Things by John Scalzi

A collection of 4 novella length stories that follows on from where the previous book left off. Where tensions between the Colonial Union, Earth and the Conclave getting steadily worse with the efforts of the mysterious third party known as Equilibrium trying to force conflict between the others by destabilising both from within. Can Equilibrium be stopped and is there any chance that humanity can co-exist in a galaxy that distrusts them at best and hates them at worst?

Spending time with some characters from the previous book was more than welcome (even if one of them was only a brain in a box. The 4 stories come together pretty well to form a final resolution to the series that is a fitting and enjoyable read. 4★'s

 

[JRockBlues]

The Price You Pay by Aidan Truhen*

Affluent drug dealer Jack Price is surprised to learn that the woman who owns the apartment below his penthouse has been murdered execution style. Wondering if this is somehow related to himself he asks around and sets off an incredible chain of events that will change his life forever when a ruthless gang of assassins are put on his trail.

This is a very violent and profanity infested, humorously dark tale that I have briefly described elsewhere as being the illegitimate offspring of Elmore Leonard and Guy Ritchie. This is written in a first person narrative and the pace is pretty much unrelenting. Situations often verge on the absurd but there are also insights into how the world which these people inhabit could be operating right under our very noses utilising the dark web and businesses that operate at the edges of legality. Personally, I loved it but it won’t be for everyone.

PS. Negan’s bat is now my 2nd favourite thing named Lucille. 4½★

*aka Nick Harkaway

 

[Paladin]

1. Winter - Len Deighton - 7/10
2. The Last Great Mountain - Mick Conefrey - 8/10

This chronicles the attempts to climb Kangchenjunga, the world's third highest mountain, and said by many to be the hardest ascent. It covers the first attempt in 1905, to three German attempts in the 1920s, and finishes with the successful British expedition in 1955, two years after Everest was conquered.

I've read many mountaineering books. I can't even watch a YouTube of high outdoor sport without a sense of vertigo, and I have the utmost respect for the bravery of mountaineers.

These attempts on 8,000m + peaks involve putting lives at risk, and there is plenty of loss of life here. The Sherpas too, are a hardy breed, but essential to these expeditions. It's also a fact that all of these attempts rely on an element of luck in that they need favourable weather.

The first man on top of Kangchenjunga was Joe Brown, a builder from Ardwick. City gets a mention too, as the successful climb was two and a half weeks after the 1955 FA Cup final, in which City lost to Newcastle.

 

[kevin horlocks wand]

Four books read so far this year!

1. Serpentine - Jonathan Kellerman. Decent read 6/10
2. A Touch of Daniel - Peter Tinniswood 9.5/10
3. I didn’t know you cared - Peter Tinniswood 9/10
4. Beyond - Stephen Walker 9.5/10

View attachment 36191

This is a tremendous book. I’ve always been interested in the early days of the Space Race and this book primarily tells the Russian story. Set against the backdrop of the Cold War the author details events leading up to and including the first manned flight by Yuri Gagarin.

This book is meticulously researched and brings to life the excitement and terror of the build-up to and the experience of the flight itself. There is a lot of background information on the attempts of both superpowers to be the first to put a human being in space and the contrasting approach of each. Highly recommended 9.5/10.

I will read this . Try moondust by Andrew smith.

it’s about a bloke who interviews all the moon walkers who are alive (it’s obvs a few years old) but a fantastic book . Superb lingers long in the mind.

 

[stoneblue]

I will read this . Try moondust by Andrew smith.

it’s about a bloke who interviews all the moon walkers who are alive (it’s obvs a few years old) but a fantastic book . Superb lingers long in the mind.

Thanks for the recommend, will check it out.

Have you read The Right Stuff by Tom Wolfe? It's a fact/fiction account of the early days of the space race in the USA.

It was later made into a tremendous film...one of the few films that I watch over and over again.

 

[Mozzer]

1. Winter - Len Deighton - 7/10
2. The Last Great Mountain - Mick Conefrey - 8/10

This chronicles the attempts to climb Kangchenjunga, the world's third highest mountain, and said by many to be the hardest ascent. It covers the first attempt in 1905, to three German attempts in the 1920s, and finishes with the successful British expedition in 1955, two years after Everest was conquered.

I've read many mountaineering books. I can't even watch a YouTube of high outdoor sport without a sense of vertigo, and I have the utmost respect for the bravery of mountaineers.

These attempts on 8,000m + peaks involve putting lives at risk, and there is plenty of loss of life here. The Sherpas too, are a hardy breed, but essential to these expeditions. It's also a fact that all of these attempts rely on an element of luck in that they need favourable weather.

The first man on top of Kangchenjunga was Joe Brown, a builder from Ardwick. City gets a mention too, as the successful climb was two and a half weeks after the 1955 FA Cup final, in which City lost to Newcastle.

You might like this documentary on Netflix, he climbs all 14 8000 metre peaks in 7 months.

Watch 14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible | Netflix Official Site

Fearless Nepali mountaineer Nimsdai Purja embarks on a seemingly impossible quest to summit all 14 of the world’s 8,000-meter peaks in seven months.

www.netflix.com

 

[RobMCFC]

1. The Spirit Engineer - A.J.West - 7/10
2. The Lost Man - Jane Harper - 8/10
3. The Fall of Babel – Josiah Bancroft - 5/10
4. The Forest – Michaelbrent Collings – 3/10

The Forest – Michaelbrent Collings​

After the disappointment of my last read, I was looking forward to something new. Alas, The Forest is comfortably the worst book I have read for a very long time. It starts off well enough – two teenagers go looking for a missing friend in the forest. The story is split over two timelines, the other being much later when the two teenagers are married and they are still struggling with what happened back then in the forest and also something much worse later on. I was hoping for a creepy supernatural tale but when it comes, the explanation is so unbelievable that it feels like a rabbit out of a hat and doesn’t make a lot of sense. Plus, some of the book is so boring – the two main characters lose themselves in the mists of the forest and decide to follow the flow of the stream to get out. But wait, after a while, they notice the stream is flowing in the other direction. The author then spends about 20 or 30 pages detailing their thoughts as they reverse course several times, never seeming to get anywhere. To cap it all, if I ever see the phrase “the fog flashed” at any point in the future, I’ll have nightmare flashbacks to this read. He must have used this about 50 times in a short space of time. GET A DECENT EDITOR, MAN!

I like creepy tales set in dark woods, so I was really disappointed with how this turned out. For a better recommendation in this genre, give Blake Crouch’s Pines a go. This is a modern masterpiece and when the revelations come, they are truly jaw-dropping. They even made a TV series based on the trilogy and it’s every bit as good as the book.

 

[Paladin]

You might like this documentary on Netflix, he climbs all 14 8000 metre peaks in 7 months.

Watch 14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible | Netflix Official Site

Fearless Nepali mountaineer Nimsdai Purja embarks on a seemingly impossible quest to summit all 14 of the world’s 8,000-meter peaks in seven months.

www.netflix.com

Thanks for that. I'll watch it at some point.

An American - Ed Viesturs - wrote about climbing all the 8,000 metre peaks without supplemental oxygen. Another good read.

 

[Paladin]

1. Winter - Len Deighton - 7/10
2. The Last Great Mountain - Mick Conefrey - 6/10
3. Pegasus Bridge - Stephen E. Ambrose - 6/10

American historian Stephen E. Ambrose tells the story of the D-Day campaign by the British to take Pegasus Bridge (known at the time as Benouville Bridge) in Normandy from the Germans, making sure it wasn't blown up. They did it.

It's a well researched book, written back in the 1984 in time for the 40th anniversary of the campaign, when many of the soldiers from both sides were still alive. Some of the Germans and British soldiers back then have gone on to become good friends.

I've scored it a six. Although it is well written and well researched, it doesn't quite generate the same level of connection with the characters that is covered by Band of Brothers, another book by the same author. This is probably because we don't stay with the characters for as long as we do in the other book. Also because only one mission is described, whereas we get to know the characters in Band of Brothers over a long period of time.

I wouldn't take this as my first dip into WWII, if you are new to the genre. (I also reassessed the mark I gave to the second in my list.)

 

[RobMCFC]

1. Winter - Len Deighton - 7/10
2. The Last Great Mountain - Mick Conefrey - 6/10
3. Pegasus Bridge - Stephen E. Ambrose - 6/10

American historian Stephen E. Ambrose tells the story of the D-Day campaign by the British to take Pegasus Bridge (known at the time as Benouville Bridge) in Normandy from the Germans, making sure it wasn't blown up. They did it.

It's a well researched book, written back in the 1984 in time for the 40th anniversary of the campaign, when many of the soldiers from both sides were still alive. Some of the Germans and British soldiers back then have gone on to become good friends.

I've scored it a six. Although it is well written and well researched, it doesn't quite generate the same level of connection with the characters that is covered by Band of Brothers, another book by the same author. This is probably because we don't stay with the characters for as long as we do in the other book. Also because only one mission is described, whereas we get to know the characters in Band of Brothers over a long period of time.

I wouldn't take this as my first dip into WWII, if you are new to the genre. (I also reassessed the mark I gave to the second in my list.)

Yes, the “Band of Brothers” book (and of course the series that was based on it) are both superb.

 

[JRockBlues]

Nemesis Games by James S. A. Corey

Book 5 of The Expanse series continues the story of James Holden & crew of the Rocinante after they have returned back through the gate and with the ship in need of major repairs they each decide it’s time to take care of some personal business and head out their separate ways. Alex heads to Mars to try to at leas apologise to his ex-eife for how things turned out, Amos heads back to Earth and the life he left behind to check somebody’s death was as natural as it has been recorded as. If not then he’s prepared to add to the body count to get to who was responsible. Naomi gets a message that the son she left behind, and hasn’t told Jim about, is in trouble and she might be the one to save him. Promising Jim an explanation when she gets back she sets off to do just that. Jim is left behind to oversee the ship’s repairs. Meanwhile, the military arm of the Outer Planets Alliance begins to flex their new-found muscle and begins a campaign against Earth and Mars as the gates being open to so many new worlds has left them as the forgotten members of the human race.

We get to follow along with the 4 separate storylines as they each deal with their individual struggles as conflict rages throughout the solar system as well as hearing from Avisarala & Bobbie Draper for their respective parts too. Not only do we get the usual action oriented storyline and social commentary but also it could be said that this book uses the Belters struggle as an analogy for making certain sections of the workforce redundant through technological developments. One thing is for sure, it’s never dull catching up with these characters. 4½★'s


Babylon's Ashes by James S. A. Corey

Continues on from the previous book (see above) and completes the story arc of the war between the forces led by Marco Inaros against Earth and Mars. A few additional POV characters are added in order to see how events are unfolding at different places but otherwise it's more of the same. Not a bad thing considering my rating for Nemesis Games. 4½★'s

 

[RobMCFC]

Nemesis Games by James S. A. Corey

Book 5 of The Expanse series continues the story of James Holden & crew of the Rocinante after they have returned back through the gate and with the ship in need of major repairs they each decide it’s time to take care of some personal business and head out their separate ways. Alex heads to Mars to try to at leas apologise to his ex-eife for how things turned out, Amos heads back to Earth and the life he left behind to check somebody’s death was as natural as it has been recorded as. If not then he’s prepared to add to the body count to get to who was responsible. Naomi gets a message that the son she left behind, and hasn’t told Jim about, is in trouble and she might be the one to save him. Promising Jim an explanation when she gets back she sets off to do just that. Jim is left behind to oversee the ship’s repairs. Meanwhile, the military arm of the Outer Planets Alliance begins to flex their new-found muscle and begins a campaign against Earth and Mars as the gates being open to so many new worlds has left them as the forgotten members of the human race.

We get to follow along with the 4 separate storylines as they each deal with their individual struggles as conflict rages throughout the solar system as well as hearing from Avisarala & Bobbie Draper for their respective parts too. Not only do we get the usual action oriented storyline and social commentary but also it could be said that this book uses the Belters struggle as an analogy for making certain sections of the workforce redundant through technological developments. One thing is for sure, it’s never dull catching up with these characters. 4½★'s

I read the first book in this series, Leviathan Wakes, several years ago. I enjoyed it, thought it was really well put together but then didn't feel the need to carry on. Whilst I like epic long fantasy books, for some reason I can't put my finger on, I don't have to same love of reading doorstep-sized sci-fi.

I have read Daniel Abraham's "Dagger and the Coin" series and he is a great writer (he is one half of the James S.A.Corey penname) and will probably read his new fantasy book at some point this year.

 

[journolud]

I’m well behind on my reading. Read a couple of Steinbecks but then somehow misplaced Sweet Thursday half way through, thought I might have left it at work on a night shift but seemingly not…

So I picked up To Kill a Mockingbird from a charity shop. Not quite what I was expecting being written from a child’s point of view but very good anyway, I can see what all the fuss is about.

I like courtroom based books as a rule but have become a bit tired of Grisham’s melodrama, have read all the Lincoln Lawyer series which are very good, especially when there is interplay with Bosch (Michael Connolly for those who don’t know). Any recommendations for courtroom books would be appreciated.

I’m currently reading Ruins by Mat Osman, bass player in Suede and brother of Richard Osman. I had no idea he’d written a book till I saw it in a book shop. It’s well written, dual narrative about a washed up rock star who gets shot and killed and his autistic brother attempting to unravel what happened.

Think I’ll have a look at Monkey Arkwright next, will download to the kindle. I’ve heard it’s OK

 

[Out on blue 6]

I’m well behind on my reading. Read a couple of Steinbecks but then somehow misplaced Sweet Thursday half way through, thought I might have left it at work on a night shift but seemingly not…

So I picked up To Kill a Mockingbird from a charity shop. Not quite what I was expecting being written from a child’s point of view but very good anyway, I can see what all the fuss is about.

I like courtroom based books as a rule but have become a bit tired of Grisham’s melodrama, have read all the Lincoln Lawyer series which are very good, especially when there is interplay with Bosch (Michael Connolly for those who don’t know). Any recommendations for courtroom books would be appreciated.

I’m currently reading Ruins by Mat Osman, bass player in Suede and brother of Richard Osman. I had no idea he’d written a book till I saw it in a book shop. It’s well written, dual narrative about a washed up rock star who gets shot and killed and his autistic brother attempting to unravel what happened.

Think I’ll have a look at Monkey Arkwright next, will download to the kindle. I’ve heard it’s OK

Steve Cavenaghs Eddie Flynn books are decent for courtroom stuff

 

[JRockBlues]

I read the first book in this series, Leviathan Wakes, several years ago. I enjoyed it, thought it was really well put together but then didn't feel the need to carry on. Whilst I like epic long fantasy books, for some reason I can't put my finger on, I don't have to same love of reading doorstep-sized sci-fi.

I have read Daniel Abraham's "Dagger and the Coin" series and he is a great writer (he is one half of the James S.A.Corey penname) and will probably read his new fantasy book at some point this year.

They did a good job of adapting the TV series from the books. Shame it got canned bofore they got around to all the books though.

I have the omnibus editions of Abraham's Long Price Quartet to get to at some point. Will probably be sometime after I finish this series first though.

 

[RobMCFC]

1. The Spirit Engineer - A.J.West - 7/10
2. The Lost Man - Jane Harper - 8/10
3. The Fall of Babel – Josiah Bancroft - 5/10
4. The Forest – Michaelbrent Collings – 3/10
5. Black River – Will Dean – 7/10



After the dreadful slog of my last two reads, it’s nice to say something positive about this book. It’s the third in a Scandanavian crime series featuring deaf newspaper reporter, Tuva Moodyson. Having accepted a job in Malmo, Tuva immediately returns to the setting of the last two books, Gavrik, when her best friend and then a second woman go missing.

The author has been clever here in that whilst the setting remains the same, he’s introduced some interesting new elements. This time the action takes place in the summer, so instead of the deathly cold and almost perpetual winter darkness, the characters have to deal with the brooding menace of the Utgard forest in summer, complete with ticks, mosquitoes and vipers. There’s also an additional community on the edge of the forest where a snake breeder, her son who sells car parts on e-bay and a couple of cousins who make their living converting shipping containers into bespoke homes all seem like they might be hiding something. There’s plenty of oddball characters back in town for Tuva to investigate as well, including some returning characters from the previous books, and when you mix all this up with the weirdness of the Swedish festival of Midsommar, it makes for a book that is never dull.

Funny that when I reviewed the second book, I said that I found some of the writing jarring, but in this case, the first-person narrative flowed, and I felt immediately wrapped up in the story. I don’t usually like to read long detective/reporter investigations series, but I have to say that I’ll be back for more of this.

 

[ob]

Just finished The Quaker by Liam McIlvanney. It's about a serial killer in Glasgow during late 1960s. Enjoyed it and thought was ok. Struggled to get into it at times but might be due to so much other stuff going on in my personal life at moment so was just snatching few pages here and there when had time. Next book on horizon is Black Hearts Rising by our very own Rob Campbell

 

[RobMCFC]

Just finished The Quaker by Liam McIlvanney. It's about a serial killer in Glasgow during late 1960s. Enjoyed it and thought was ok. Struggled to get into it at times but might be due to so much other stuff going on in my personal life at moment so was just snatching few pages here and there when had time. Next book on horizon is Black Hearts Rising by our very own Rob Campbell

I know you've mentioned stuff that's going on in other threads and I just wanted to wish you all the best.

How do you find reading or listening to music or whatever with everything else going on? Do you find it a comfort that helps or is it hard to concentrate.

 

[ob]

I know you've mentioned stuff that's going on in other threads and I just wanted to wish you all the best.

How do you find reading or listening to music or whatever with everything else going on? Do you find it a comfort that helps or is it hard to concentrate.

Thanks Rob, just seems to be one thing after another at moment. Not wanting to highjack thread. Running is my go to thing at present, on 'rest days' walking while listening to podcasts and reading are what I try to do. Not had much free time recently and do find it difficult to switch off also finding it hard to concentrate. On those days when working from home just have radio on in background.