What are you reading tonight?

[LeverEnd]

The Spanish Game by Charles Cumming.
Intelligent and enjoyable spy thriller. he's been favourably compared to John le Carre and Len Deighton.
I've never read many spy thrillers but I'll read more of this guy, and maybe pick up some of the old classics as well.

If nothing else read le Carre's 'Tinker, Tailor' and 'Smiley's People'. There a lot more by him I'd recommend but those two are simply superb.

Cheers I'll try to get round to one or the other. My dad had a couple of his, but I never got round to reading them.
I did read Deighton's Funeral In Berlin as a youngster but don't remember much about it other than that I didn't enjoy it.

[bobo the clown]

^^ Well as they are sequential I'd suggest you get round to them in the order given !

There is a 3rd ('The Honorable Schoolboy') which goes between but, in fact, can be dutifully ignored and you'd not know.

[Lost Leopard Spot]

^^ Well as they are sequential I'd suggest you get round to them in the order given !

There is a 3rd ('The Honorable Schoolboy') which goes between but, in fact, can be dutifully ignored and you'd nit know.

... The lamplighters would know.

[Bruce Rioja]

Anyone on here read The Blind Assassin? And if so, is it any good?

[KeyserSoze]

Currently reading Jolly Lad John Doran's autobiography essentially about living oop north, battling alcoholism and music. A lot of anecdotes about drugs and piss-artist adventures so far, and quite an easy read, though i imagine i'm not far enough along to be in the section where things take a dark turn. Lots of mentions of old-school venues and local bands might jog some fond memories for those who went gigging back in the day, i imagine.

[LeverEnd]

Anyone on here read The Blind Assassin? And if so, is it any good?

I've read it and yes, I thought it was brilliant. I've read a few of Atwood's and this was the best.

[William the White]

I'm currently reading Ben Okri's Booker winner of 1991 The Famished Road. It's my sister in law's copy - she lent it to me years ago with huge recommendations and it's just sat there sulkily ever since on the Shelves of Shame. It is wonderful, inspired, poetic, original, vivid, moving and at times heart breaking.

It's the arrival of this year's Booker shortlist that has made me decide on a Booker blitz - clearing the great unread winners and short listees from previous years before moving onto this year's selection. There were 19 of them, I discovered.

So far I've read J G Farrell's 1973 (!) winner, The Siege of Krishnapur - rock solid good story, told well, without tricks or much in the way of imagination, but excellent story telling.

Then, Ian McKewen's Amsterdam (1998 winner) - I've only really liked one book by this writer. And this isn't it.

So finish the Okri and there'll be 16 to go.

Mmmm...

[Lost Leopard Spot]

Got back in tonight to find my missus (if I've got one) has bought me a token 60th birthday (of course I'm only 15 really) present, after we'd agreed not to buy anything at all [ for reasons that are neither ascertainable nor comprehensible. Probably coz I don't have a birthday or summat].
But, whatever, and no I had no idea it was due out, I'm now looking forward to Make Me.
Probably start it after a tomorrow's pint in Rammy...

[TANGODANCER]

I'm now looking forward to Make Me. Probably start it after a tomorrow's pint in Rammy...

It will probably be just as readable as the rest of the Reacher novels, but the title sounds more like a rebellious fourteen year old than a battle scarred ex serviceman.

[LeverEnd]

I've only really liked one book by this writer. And this isn't it.
Mmmm...

Which one Will? I'm a big fan of his, though not every novel. On Chesil Beach is fantastic.

[William the White]

I've only really liked one book by this writer. And this isn't it.
Mmmm...

Which one Will? I'm a big fan of his, though not every novel. On Chesil Beach is fantastic.

A Child in Time is the one I really liked. I haven't actually disliked any. Always readable. rarely gripping is my experience.

[Prufrock]

Gaaaah I missed it by 99 pages. That's what I've got left of The Narrow Road to the Deep North which I started last week.

Let me know if/when the Book People come up with their usual offer will you, old sport?

Fininshed The Narrow Road to the Deep North a couple of weekends ago. The best of the six and a worthy-winner IMO. The only one of the six that stayed with me when I wasn't reading it and led to a fair bit of reflection of life, love and death.

Now reading Moby Dick. Not far through yet so no opinion, but I laugh every time I open it. Is this the worst ever book cover?



Outstanding work.

Off to Tenerife for a week on Sunday. I'm taking "What's Left?" Nick Cohen's polemic on how the left has lost it's way, George Dangerfield's "The Strange Death of Liberal England", along with the lighter (literally) of this year's Booker Shortlist.

[TANGODANCER]

Now reading Moby Dick. Not far through yet so no opinion, but I laugh every time I open it. Is this the worst ever book cover?

Call me Ishmael. I'm even better known than Ronnie Pickering....

[Worthy4England]

Dunno about the worst, it's certainly one of the largest...

[thebish]

Dunno about the worst, it's certainly one of the largest...

is it the large-print version from the library??

[William the White]

Have now finished Ben Okri's brilliant The Famished Road which takes the life of a poverty-racked African township, in the era shortly before independence, to mythic proportions, with prose of poetic ambition and the ability to combine the violent, shocking, terrifying, puzzling and - from time to time - absurd and hilarious.

If anyone here likes the work of Gabriel Garcia Marquez and/or Salman Rushdie at his best (Midnight's Children, The Satanic Verses, Haroun and the Sea of Stories in my judgement) - and I've not seen a massive amount of evidence of that among the regular readers - they would, I think, find this book a real delight.

I've just got down from the top Shelf of Shame Kiran Desai's The Inheritance of Loss, which won the Booker of 2006, and was gifted it by a good mate as a Christmas gift that year. And, despite two false starts, I've yet to read.

This time...

[William the White]

Manchester Literature Festival starts in 3 days. Loads of events...

http://www.manchesterliteraturefestival.co.uk/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Il Pirate]

Manchester Literature Festival starts in 3 days. Loads of events...

http://www.manchesterliteraturefestival.co.uk/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The Isle of Wight literary festival starts next Friday. Up to press I've got tickets for 'Whispering' Bob Harris. Maybe buy for Michael Morpurgo tomorrow, 'though I'd like to attend the Peter & Dan Snow event.

[William the White]

I finished Kiran Desai's The Inheritance of Loss this morning. The Booker winner of 2006.

Compelling, rewarding and profoundly pessimistic novel. Glad to have read it. Wouldn't read it a second time.

[thebish]

not tonight, but when they are published, I shall certainly be reading these...

forget the booker shortlist!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-34503866