What are you reading tonight?

[TANGODANCER]

First Bryson I ever read was The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid. Still one of his best for me. Fantastic writer.

[Prufrock]

I'm not entirely convinced WtW hasn't just returned from a round the world cruise funded be the bump his Banana Books shares received not so long ago .

I enjoyed A Hundred Years of Solitude tbf, but not enough that I've picked up any more since.

Currently 3/4s of the way through Neel Mukherjee's The Lives of Others. Really enjoying it, still no idea what's going to happen, but I'm interested to find out.

Finished. Was v good. Probably my favourite of the Booker short-list so far. Not dissimilar to A Hundred Years of Solitude in some way, focussing on one family and their various lives, but without the weird magic shit. And better characters. With a bit of politics thrown in. Recommend.

Just the winner to go now.

[Bruce Rioja]

One for Tango here, I think. Apparently it's available in Waterstone's in town.

[TANGODANCER]

Cheers. I'll look out for it. Was only trying to look up the other day how many cinemas we had in Bolton and district. At one point there were almost 50.

http://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/NEWS/109 ... s_cinemas/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Bruce Rioja]

You're welcome. Aye, the old boy always bangs on about them, especially The Bell(e?) at the bottom of Belmont Road. So that's Father's Day sorted then

[Bijou Bob]

Has anyone here (or in the whole world for that matter) ever read Thackeray's Henry Esmond from front to back? It was required reading in the English syllabus of 1961 - as directed and controlled by the N.S.W. Dept. of Education. I never did get beyond the first couple of chapters. Fortunately it didn't damage my results in the end of year examinations as I still passed them.

I tried again a few months ago (the school copy of the book somehow managed to stay in my possession) with the same result. It may be that I had consumed a little too much wine before the attempt; maybe not enough; maybe memories of the past haunt me?

No, but a similar(ish) story here - had to read Great Expectations for English (Lit) and never got past the first couple of chapters...I have to say anyone who thinks it's a "good read" needs their bumps testing.

Feck in eck, I nearly spat my tea out at that! Great Expectations is an amazing book you peasant!

[Prufrock]

Another excellent article on the state of student politics: http://chronicle.com/article/My-Title-I ... 8lbl9UFg==" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Worthy4England]

Has anyone here (or in the whole world for that matter) ever read Thackeray's Henry Esmond from front to back? It was required reading in the English syllabus of 1961 - as directed and controlled by the N.S.W. Dept. of Education. I never did get beyond the first couple of chapters. Fortunately it didn't damage my results in the end of year examinations as I still passed them.

I tried again a few months ago (the school copy of the book somehow managed to stay in my possession) with the same result. It may be that I had consumed a little too much wine before the attempt; maybe not enough; maybe memories of the past haunt me?

No, but a similar(ish) story here - had to read Great Expectations for English (Lit) and never got past the first couple of chapters...I have to say anyone who thinks it's a "good read" needs their bumps testing.

Feck in eck, I nearly spat my tea out at that! Great Expectations is an amazing book you peasant!

This is good news, because you can officially test your own bumps!

Now if they'd have tested me on NME, I'd have been fine. I did manage to pass the exam...

[clapton is god]

Just finished Mr Mercedes by Stephen King.

Excellent book, departing from Kings usual horror brand for a Police procedural, albeit involveing a retired cop. And for once there was an ending to one of his books that actually made sense rather than being fudged.

I should add that I listened to this book rather than reading it having obtained it from audible.com, a format that I really like.

[TANGODANCER]

For something a bit light, got Jeffrey Deaver's Carte Blanche..a James Bond attempt. Not sure what to expect but, as a fan of the originals, probably disappointment. We'll see.

[clapton is god]

For something a bit light, got Jeffrey Deaver's Carte Blanche..a James Bond attempt. Not sure what to expect but, as a fan of the originals, probably disappointment. We'll see.

Ah, let me know how you find that one. I have it on my 'wish list' at Audible but keep finding something else to buy instead.

[TANGODANCER]

For something a bit light, got Jeffrey Deaver's Carte Blanche..a James Bond attempt. Not sure what to expect but, as a fan of the originals, probably disappointment. We'll see.

Ah, let me know how you find that one. I have it on my 'wish list' at Audible but keep finding something else to buy instead.

Will do.

[LeverEnd]

For something a bit light, got Jeffrey Deaver's Carte Blanche..a James Bond attempt. Not sure what to expect but, as a fan of the originals, probably disappointment. We'll see.

Ah, let me know how you find that one. I have it on my 'wish list' at Audible but keep finding something else to buy instead.

I read sebastian faulks' effort a couple of years ago, Devil May Care. It was good and I keep meaning to try Deaver's.

[TANGODANCER]

For something a bit light, got Jeffrey Deaver's Carte Blanche..a James Bond attempt. Not sure what to expect but, as a fan of the originals, probably disappointment. We'll see.

Ah, let me know how you find that one. I have it on my 'wish list' at Audible but keep finding something else to buy instead.

I wouldn't bother. I thought it was really poor. Deavers uses all the old cliches. Not Bond at all. Nuff said.

[clapton is god]

For something a bit light, got Jeffrey Deaver's Carte Blanche..a James Bond attempt. Not sure what to expect but, as a fan of the originals, probably disappointment. We'll see.

Ah, let me know how you find that one. I have it on my 'wish list' at Audible but keep finding something else to buy instead.

I wouldn't bother. I thought it was really poor. Deavers uses all the old cliches. Not Bond at all. Nuff said.

Obliged. I'll cross it off my list.

[TANGODANCER]

Bought Kings of the Grail ( Torres Sevilla Ortega del Rio, a translated factual work) in hard back, in a sale this morning. Always a sucker for a good Grail tale me.

[KeyserSoze]

Finished The Pyschopath Test by Jon Ronson this week. Very enjoyable and very readable book, though seems very skittish in terms of its stream of thought. Often jumps around without a seeming link. Well worth a read though, and now I'm currently ploughing through So you've been publicly shamed, his latest book.

[General Mannerheim]

Been passed a copy of Boris Johnson's Churchill biography.

Anyone read it? Not sure if it might be a bit heavy for me...?

[Prufrock]

The only review I've read was utterly scathing saying that it's basically a history of Churchill shoe-horned to fit a narrative that compares him to Johnson (both dual UK-US citizenship etc...), and is more about Boris than Churchill. It's basically political propoganda trying to make Boris look ace so he can be PM when Cameron steps down.

Depends what you want though, because he does tend to write well so should be easy to read!

This is pretty much universally accepted (I think) as the best biography of Churchill, though it is quite heavy:

[Harry Genshaw]

Finished The Pyschopath Test by Jon Ronson this week. Very enjoyable and very readable book, though seems very skittish in terms of its stream of thought. Often jumps around without a seeming link. Well worth a read though, and now I'm currently ploughing through So you've been publicly shamed, his latest book.

Be interested to know what you think of this K. I read an extract from it in the Guardian a while back. Looks a good read