Reading Challenge 2024

[RobMCFC]

The Lies of Locke Lamora (Scott Lynch) is up there as one of the best books I've read, following @RobMCFC's recommendation. I also read the first of Joe Abercrombie's Rivers of London series, but although it was well written, I didn't feel the need to go back for more. I don't do Fantasy too often, but I suppose I prefer fantasy fiction to be set in other worlds, like Middle Earth.

Joe Abercrombie didn’t write Rivers of London - that was Ben something. Joe’s books are set in a fantasy world. If you like cynical, realistic characters with not much magic, then give The Blade Itself a try. You can thank me later. In fact, given that you listen to a lot of audiobooks, this might be perfect for you - although I’ve never heard it, fans of this series rave about the narration. Must give it a try someday.

My youngest daughter recently read The Lies of Locke Lamora, loved it, and is now on the third book in the series. My eldest daughter is just starting it. My work is done!

 

[JRockBlues]

Joe Abercrombie didn’t write Rivers of London - that was Ben something. Joe’s books are set in a fantasy world. If you like cynical, realistic characters with not much magic, then give The Blade Itself a try. You can thank me later. In fact, given that you listen to a lot of audiobooks, this might be perfect for you - although I’ve never heard it, fans of this series rave about the narration. Must give it a try someday.

My youngest daughter recently read The Lies of Locke Lamora, loved it, and is now on the third book in the series. My eldest daughter is just starting it. My work is done!

Such a shame that Scott Lynch has got the writer's equivalent of the yips. Was originally intended as a 7-book series iirc.

 

[Paladin]

Joe Abercrombie didn’t write Rivers of London - that was Ben something. Joe’s books are set in a fantasy world. If you like cynical, realistic characters with not much magic, then give The Blade Itself a try. You can thank me later. In fact, given that you listen to a lot of audiobooks, this might be perfect for you - although I’ve never heard it, fans of this series rave about the narration. Must give it a try someday.

My youngest daughter recently read The Lies of Locke Lamora, loved it, and is now on the third book in the series. My eldest daughter is just starting it. My work is done!

Apologies for that mix up. It was Ben Aaronovitch. The book was ok, I just couldn't motivate myself to listen to book 2.

Thanks for the recommendation of The Blade Itself. I have just purchased it with one of my Audible credits.

It will have to wait a few weeks though, as I'm half way through Politics on the Edge by Rory Stewart, a really good book, and topical.

 

[RobMCFC]

Such a shame that Scott Lynch has got the writer's equivalent of the yips. Was originally intended as a 7-book series iirc.

Yep. 7 books in 7 years was how it was trumpeted. I’m sure we’ll get the 4th in the next or so but I won’t be holding my breath for the other 3.

Incidentally, I notice that he has had two short stories up for sale for a few years and I’ve never noticed them! Must get around to those sometime.

 

[Paladin]

1. Unruly - David Mitchell - 9/10
2. A Man Called Ove - Fredrik Blackman - 7/10
3. The Book of Doors - Gareth Brown - 8/10
4. Hitler's British Traitors - Tim Tate - 4/10
5. 1984 - George Orwell - 7/10
6. Big Beacon by Alan Partridge - Steve Coogan et al - 6/10
7. The Third Man - Graham Greene - 5/10
8. Politics on the Edge - Rory Stewart - 10/10

I was debating whether to give this a nine. I really enjoyed this book from cover to cover, and didn't want it to end. I can't think of a time I got more enjoyment from a book, so I gave it the full ten.

It's a memoir of the years spent in Parliament by the author, chronicling his fortunate selection, in which he benefits from the need for many brand new candidates following the expenses scandals of the 2000s, through to his being thrown out of the Conservative Party by Boris Johnson, following Johnson winning the leadership election.

Stewart comes across as a man of principles (which you might expect from an auto-biography), and as a highly capable administrator. He describes how he tried to make positive changes in all his junior and ministerial roles, despite incredible obstacles and opposition. You can see how he adapts his approach as he gains experience.

His working relationships with a number of senior ministers and PMs are interesting. Cameron tolerated him, and reluctantly rewarded him with some minor roles, although never really trusted him. Truss was his boss at one point, and was reluctant to give him any real authority. May was quiet and sincere, and allowed Stewart to get on with his jobs with little interference. It was obvious she trusted him as his reputation grew.

David Gauke, Nicholas Soames and Kenneth Clark became his political allies as he became a realistic challenger to Boris to be party leader in 2019. His campaign failed though, due to some unfortunate circumstances (being stitched up in TV debates and some political back stabbing).

Johnson, who he holds in high contempt, kicked Stewart out of the Conservative Party when he became PM. Stewart did not want to run as an independent, so he left active politics.

Regardless of political persuasion, this is a fascinating insight into modern politics. It's a shame Stewart is out of it.

 

[ob]

Just finished Birdman by Mo Hayder. Think it was recommended on here and I'd give it maybe a 3.5 out of 5. Decent enough crime novel

 

[stoneblue]

8. Politics on the Edge - Rory Stewart - 10/10

Thanks for this review. Have been debating whether or not to get this book myself so I think I will now.

 

[RobMCFC]

1. Fairy Tale – Stephen King - 5/10
2. Wolf Pack – Will Dean - 7/10
3. A Small Death in Lisbon – Robert Wilson - 6/10
4. A Man Called Ove – Fredrick Backman – 8/10
5. Tomorrow's Children – Daniel Polansky – 3/10
6. The Mobster’s Lament – Ray Celestin – 8/10
7. Priest of Crowns – Peter McLean – 9/10
8. Get It On: How the ‘70s Rocked Football – Jon Spurling – 9/10

This is a really good book for anybody who grew up watching football in the 1970s. Rather than a blow-by-blow account of the big games and tournaments, it’s more about the characters that evolved as football headed into a more commercial era. Author Jon Spurling certainly knows his stuff, having interviewed many of the protagonists over the years.

It was good for me to read about the events of the first half of the decade, as I only started watching football in the mid-70s (my first FA Cup final was Southampton beating United; my first European Cup final was Liverpool’s first win in 1977 and Argentina ’78 was my first World Cup).

The majority of the book covers the big characters of 70s football: Don Revie, Bill Shankly, Bob Paisley, Alf Ramsay, Malcolm Allison, George Best, Tommy Docherty, Kevin Keegan, Stan Bowles and of course, Brian Clough. What’s good is that it’s not just a book full of anecdotes, it puts football in the 70s into context with what was going on around it. Whilst it’s mostly about football, it also ties into the political landscape of the time; the governments of Heath and Wilson and also the culture and music.

But as well as the big names, there are also some unexpectedly entertaining chapters covering lesser-known characters such as Bert Patrick, who managed to get the backing of Don Revie such that his new Admiral brand became the supplier of the England kit as well as some of the most garish kits of the 70s, some of which feature in the photos in this book. Then there was an artist called Paul Trevillion, who created the “Super Leeds” brand, again with the help of Don Revie. The chapter on Stan Bowles is entertaining, not least because it covers his woeful performance in The Superstars 1976. The first chapter, covering the 1970 World Cup panel, is also an interesting look at the birth of the TV pundit.

Near the end of the book, there’s a chapter on racism in football. The first half of the chapter covers the time of Phil Walker and Trevor Lee, a couple of black players at Millwall, and the way they were taken to heart by the Millwall fans at the same time as those same fans shouting racist abuse at visiting black players. The second half covers Laurie Cunningham, Cyrille Regis and Brendon Batson’s time at WBA. Whilst I remember those three players, I don’t remember that as a result of their impact, Subbuteo made a WBA team with three figures painted black.

The final chapter summarises Brian Clough’s remarkable feat at Nottingham Forest: taking them out of Division Two, winning the title and then winning the European Cup in consecutive seasons. I assume that his second European Cup will feature in the sequel. Whatever we think about Pep and that Scottish bloke over in Trafford, surely Clough’s is greatest achievement in club management?

The books mentions that the author is writing a sequel that covers the 1980s, and I notice that this is out in September. Definitely one I’ll be reading as well as some of Jon Spurling’s other football books.

 

[stoneblue]

The Man in the Bunker - Rory Clements 7/10



This is the 6th novel in the Professor Tom Wilde series.

It is now 1945 and the war has just ended. However, there is some doubt about the fate of the Nazi leader, Adolf Hitler. Many believe he is dead, having killed himself in his Berlin bunker, but no body has been found. Others believe that he is alive having escaped and theories abound as to what has become of him. Professor Wilde is enlisted to find the truth behind his death. An interesting take on the “what happened to Hitler after the war" question, with an unexpected ending. A decent read for fans of this author.

Other Recent Reads

In my last post I mentioned that I had fallen behind with updating the thread with all the books that I've read recently. Here's a couple of the best ones.

Holly - Stephen King 8.5/10



The Holly of the title is Holly Gibney who has appeared in a number of Stephen King books, having first appeared in the excellent "Mr Mercedes" series.

Holly is a private investigator and is asked by a client to look into the disappearance of her daughter. The police have concluded that she has left the area but the missing girl’s mother is not convinced. As Holly investigates, she discovers some more missing persons and begins to wonder whether there is a serial killer at work.

In another narrative strand we meet the perpetrators and some of their victims. I don’t want to give away any spoilers but suffice to say they are not quite what you’d expect and their actions can best be described as macabre.

I really enjoyed this book, for me not as good as “Billy Summers”, but highly recommended for Stephen King fans.

Cover the Bones - Chris Hammer 8/10



I was first introduced to the Aussie noir genre through this forum - Jane Harper. Looking for other similar authors, I came across Chris Hammer and now for me he is one of its best exponents.

A body has been discovered in an irrigation canal, the artery running through Yuwonderie, a man-made paradise on the edge of the Outback. The victim has been stabbed through the heart, electrocuted and dumped under cover of night, and detectives Ivan Lucic and Nell Buchanan are tasked with investigating.

This is an involved tale told through 3 differing timelines - the fictional Eden that is Yuwonderie is controlled by 7 families and as the story develops, secrets going back decades rise to the surface. Another excellent read from an author at the top of his game.

 

[stoneblue]

Even Dogs in the Wild - Ian Rankin 8/10



I watched the latest reboot of Rebus on BBC recently and decided it was about time I read one of the books. I didn’t know whether to start at the beginning (there are 24 to date) or just jump in anywhere. I decided upon the latter - I had seen an interview with author Ian Rankin and Richard Rankin (no relation) on BBC Breakfast a while ago and they spoke about the detective so I felt that I knew a little about him. This is book 20 in the series.

There are two main plot lines, the first centres on an investigation into the death of a prominent legal figure and the discovery of a note containing a death threat. The second concerns a power struggle for Edinburgh between Ger Cafferty a long-time adversary, new kid on the block Daryl Christie and an outfit from Glasgow who have come ostensibly looking for a missing driver.

Rebus has now retired and left the force but gets drawn in on a consultative basis and soon become front and centre of the investigation. The story is satisfyingly intriguing, moves along at a decent pace and eventually reaches a satisfactory conclusion. I didn’t feel that I had missed anything by making this my first, but not last Rebus story, other than the occasional reference to some of the characters’ back stories. Recommended.

Note - the title of the book is a song by The Associates, which is referenced in the book.