Wot u readin'?

[whatmeworry]

Finished The Finite and the end left me in pieces. Now reading another one for review (Maxine Unleashes Doomsday) which is fun, and a businessy book (Start with Why) which is interesting


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[OhDark30]

Sounds heavy. I’m not sure I could have made it to the end

I’m reading

which is excellent
A range of atmospheric essays about place, with much to chew over

I first got interested in our actual and rather scuffed natural surroundings with this book

His nature writing celebrates the wild breaking through in unpromising places

This is also rather fabulous and another game changer for me:

A celebration of the inbetween, the unplaces: industrial estates, the concreted over, culverted back paths

[boatme99]

I just finished The Path Of The King (1921), by 1st Lord Tweedsmuir, John Buchan, 1875-1940. It's something I stumbled on looking for free books online.
At just over 300 pages it's a series of short stories following a gold ring from a Viking king, handed down through generations into the mid 19th century.
Its based on the premise that Royal blood can be passed on for years, through many types of people, never knowing their true worth until one person finally rises to greatness, yet never realizing whom his ancient ancestors actually were.

I got so engrossed, I read it in two nights.

Finding the book, I dug into the author a bit. What an amazing man! He was a prolific author, among his books is The 39 Steps. Yep, the same that Alfred Hitchcock, and others, made into a famous film. Ive seen 2 versions of the movie.
But it gets better. Mr. Buchan was a lawyer, had lengthy political and diplomatic careers, and even wrote propaganda during WWI, finishing his life as Governor General of Canada.

Where the heck did he find the time to write 29 novels, 42 non fiction books, 10 biographies, poetry, and other papers! Now I feel a slacker!

[tribe125]

Interesting. On this side of the pond, we tend to think of Hitchcock making a film of John Buchan’s ‘39 Steps’.

Say ‘39 Steps’ and the first association is Buchan, then the film(s).

[OhDark30]

I just finished The Path Of The King (1921), by 1st Lord Tweedsmuir, John Buchan, 1875-1940

If you’re enjoying Buchan, check out Andrew Greig


He’s written The Return of John Macnab, a lively modern re-telling using Buchan characters, and is one of my favourite authors and poets
An unusual combination of action (he’s a full on mountaineer) and reflection, he has interesting things to say about identity (another Scot), place, and tides of life
Novels that particularly stand out for me are Electric Brae, When They Lay Bare, That Summer (Battle of Britain)
Summit Fever and Kingdoms of Experience are two of his mountaineering books; In Another Light a moving account of losing his father
Warmly recommended

[Henry Krinkle]

I don't read much fiction nowadays.

[rodia77]

Took up on something light to warm me up to my sunny holiday.



Funny story with this book. Bought the deluxe edition in 2015 but soon after I started reading I learned about Nick Cave's personal tragedy and just couldn't get myself to read on. Then I gifted it to someone important, but the downloaded mp3 audiobook stayed with me. I discovered it a few weeks ago when sorting out my data archives, and here I am catching up with ghosts.

[OhDark30]

A round trip to the Far East on a container ship, with all the boredom, storms, short harbour stays and incident that entails

Plus reflections on modern shipping, hidden from most of us as the source of most of our goods


Recently read this one, the more romantic side of the sea
The author visits rock lighthouses, musing on their hazardous building, the lives of keepers and how they changed navigation
(One effect I hadn’t thought of: before lighthouses, sailors might be so intent on avoiding one reef that they steered onto another!)

Both are engrossing reads

[whatmeworry]

Those both sound interesting.

I just finished this, which is a crime/horror tale set in a small town and was very effective- moving, funny and gripping.


Currently reading All Out War about the Brexit referendum which is fascinating


And ‘To Keep You Safe’ a crime novel which was written by a friend which is very good so far (thankfully)



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[OhDark30]

Will check out Blood Sugar :-)

All Out War was the best Brexit book I read in a recent flurry (also Bad Boys of Brexit by Arron Banks, and Craig Oliver’s Unleashing Demons - interesting what the authors make of each other :-)


This is a chilling look at the spinning world of modern Russia, and Putin’s former spin doctor Vladislav Surkov. Dominic Cummings is a fan, apparently


Apparently new MPs read this for tips
Reminded me why I’m not an MP, as I clearly don’t have the killer instinct