Reading Challenge 2024

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Started doing City players books.
Did the Sergio one a few years back and just finished the Colin Bell book with Ian Cheeseman.
Usual stuff but made better reading because he is The King.
Really enjoyed his football memories and a great read if you are a City fan.8/10.
A bit from his Bury days.

I remember another of my future City teammates, Tony Book, coming to play against us with Plymouth Argyle. They used a sweeper system, which was a strange tactic in those days. It worked for them, though, because we played them twice in the space of just a few weeks and they beat us both times. Booky played in the sweeper role, though, of course, it was their coach, Malcolm Allison, who was responsible for them playing those unusual tactics. He was always way ahead of his time.
I scored my first senior hat-trick in a 6-1 win against Swindon Town in August 1964. Yet another of my future teammates, Mike Summerbee, played for the opposition that day. I remember their goalkeeper being injured during the match and Mike being forced to play for part of the game at right-back.
I'd always been a quiet lad away from the football pitch, a bit of a loner, really, though I never lacked confidence and had no problems mixing with the other players. However, it did come as a bit of a shock when, at the age of 19, I was asked to captain Bury's first team.
 
bennyboy said:
View attachment 70187
Started doing City players books.
Did the Sergio one a few years back and just finished the Colin Bell book with Ian Cheeseman.
Usual stuff but made better reading because he is The King.
Really enjoyed his football memories and a great read if you are a City fan.8/10.
A bit from his Bury days.

I remember another of my future City teammates, Tony Book, coming to play against us with Plymouth Argyle. They used a sweeper system, which was a strange tactic in those days. It worked for them, though, because we played them twice in the space of just a few weeks and they beat us both times. Booky played in the sweeper role, though, of course, it was their coach, Malcolm Allison, who was responsible for them playing those unusual tactics. He was always way ahead of his time.
I scored my first senior hat-trick in a 6-1 win against Swindon Town in August 1964. Yet another of my future teammates, Mike Summerbee, played for the opposition that day. I remember their goalkeeper being injured during the match and Mike being forced to play for part of the game at right-back.
I'd always been a quiet lad away from the football pitch, a bit of a loner, really, though I never lacked confidence and had no problems mixing with the other players. However, it did come as a bit of a shock when, at the age of 19, I was asked to captain Bury's first team.
Click to expand...
I knew Ian Cheeseman in my hospital radio days - we were at Radio Cavell at the same time. He’s a great bloke.
 
bennyboy said:
View attachment 70187
Started doing City players books.
Did the Sergio one a few years back and just finished the Colin Bell book with Ian Cheeseman.
Usual stuff but made better reading because he is The King.
Really enjoyed his football memories and a great read if you are a City fan.8/10.
A bit from his Bury days.

I remember another of my future City teammates, Tony Book, coming to play against us with Plymouth Argyle. They used a sweeper system, which was a strange tactic in those days. It worked for them, though, because we played them twice in the space of just a few weeks and they beat us both times. Booky played in the sweeper role, though, of course, it was their coach, Malcolm Allison, who was responsible for them playing those unusual tactics. He was always way ahead of his time.
I scored my first senior hat-trick in a 6-1 win against Swindon Town in August 1964. Yet another of my future teammates, Mike Summerbee, played for the opposition that day. I remember their goalkeeper being injured during the match and Mike being forced to play for part of the game at right-back.
I'd always been a quiet lad away from the football pitch, a bit of a loner, really, though I never lacked confidence and had no problems mixing with the other players. However, it did come as a bit of a shock when, at the age of 19, I was asked to captain Bury's first team.
Click to expand...

I enjoyed the Mike Doyle book Blue Blood it's exactly like you'd imagine the book he'd write! He was happy to share a fairly blunt opinion on a variety of things.

Just about to read Micah's, hoping it's not the polar opposite ie bland and inoffensive like so many sports autobiographies these days.
 
threespires said:
Finished Act of Oblivion last night, looking forward to discussing as and when.
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One or two sessions left for me to finish the book.

I don't know how many hare still reading, or intend to read soon, but I think it's fair to discuss the book as long as you don't give away what happens to the three main characters.
 
I've never used it before .... a little experiment:-

A-ha! It seems to work
 
threespires said:
I enjoyed the Mike Doyle book Blue Blood it's exactly like you'd imagine the book he'd write! He was happy to share a fairly blunt opinion on a variety of things.

Just about to read Micah's, hoping it's not the polar opposite ie bland and inoffensive like so many sports autobiographies these days.
Click to expand...
Ordered that book today through an Amazon seller.
Just under £4 including postage.
 
Okay, I'll go first....

Act of Oblivion was my suggestion for the “group read”. I chose this book for several reasons, first the fact that historical fiction is one of my favourite genres, secondly Robert Harris is an author whose books I enjoy having read several. Additionally, I have an interest / fascination with history, particularly the period 1500-1700 - sadly I was unable to study history at secondary school so perhaps I am trying to make up for it.

What I am looking for in a good book of historical fiction, whilst accepting that it is a work of fiction, is an authentic feel for time and place and possibly to learn something new about the period. I am not sure that I completely felt that with this book.

Overall I enjoyed the book, but it didn’t wow me. I would award it 6 or 7/10 at best.

I think the nature of the plot may have been part of the reason for this. The author was trying to craft a story around a series of real events and whilst there were many characters and a lot of detail, the plot moved very slowly. I felt it a little drawn out and the book overly long.

For me, Nayler’s pursuit of the regicides wasn’t a thrilling one and I didn’t feel any real jeopardy. The story was a little repetitive……hideout, discovery, then move on.

Also the ending seemed a little contrived, a bit too Hollywood for me!

I will be interested to read and discuss what others thought.
 
Here's my ten pence. A bit hard to pass comment on each others observations without putting them under spoilers too!

As a piece of ‘edutainment’, it was good, I didn’t really know much about the regicides and I enjoyed that the framework within which he developed the story was historically accurate, which I think is his general modus operandi? Other than a few well known exceptions I tend not to read historical fiction but maybe I should try it a bit more.

As an overall story and narrative, I thought it was ok if not quite a page turner though it certainly didn’t feel like a chore to return to it. However, as a piece of writing it got on my nerves a bit, mostly because it felt uneven in several ways.

I felt the pacing was all over the shop, particularly the denouement. The final ‘Hide’ section felt rushed (and not in a good way where the narrative pace increases as the conclusion comes into view); it was almost perfunctory in comparison to the other sections some of which were unnecessarily long. In other areas the pacing was odd with extended focus on some specifics and brief allusion to things that seemed of equal significance; I wondered if this was a deliberate device to show how time would warp and twist in the situation Whalley and Goffe were in.

Characterisations: beyond the three main protagonists the choices on which characters were drawn out a bit more didn’t always make sense to me. The Gookins were painted in more detail than many other characters who were of equal importance to the plot. Maybe this was deliberate to illustrate how their first sanctuary had a greater impact on them and then as their time on the run increased and with each change of location they became number and it became simply about survival.

Within the main characters, Naylor felt a bit one dimensional maybe that was the point…he had become utterly single minded and obsessed. Nonetheless I would have liked a bit more exploration and depth around what was going on in his mind. A case in point is the rationale for him to rediscover his fire and make the final journey at the age he did; I think it needed more psychological exploration than ‘well I’m bored with the missus in France and there’s nothing else for me here, so I’m off in pursuit again’ which didn’t ring true to me. I know Frances subsequent decision to head to America was equally quick but her rationale and motivations felt more realistic.

It obviously did create some investment in the characters because ultimately I was keen for Naylor not to succeed in his mission but I wasn’t hugely invested as you are in the best books..

So overall I’m glad I read it, but I would only go for 3/5 as there were too many things that didn’t quite come off for me.
 
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