What are you reading tonight?

William the White · Post by **William the White** » Tue Jul 07, 2009 9:20 pm

TANGODANCER wrote:
CAPSLOCK wrote:I like a funny cricket book or two for my jollies

Loved 'Fatty Batter' and highly, highly endorse it

Looking for this years choice

Already picked up Fletchers autobiog, but need some humour

Any recommendations?
Just ben reading in MEN about a new book on cricket and classical music, the two loves of local writer Neville Cardus (died 1975) called Cardus, Celebrant of Beauty, by Robin Daniels. Introduction is by Andrew Flintoff. Bit expensive at £25 but you might get it in thelibrary. Looks good.

Cardus a brilliant writer on cricket - unsurpassed before or since. I have a collection of his reports of Roses matches between the wars (he was cricket correspondent for The Manchester Guardian for decades). A real poet of the game.

Not witty etc but CLR James's Beyond a Boundary is the best social (and socialist) examination of the game it's possible to imagine. A young, clever Trinidadian falls in love with the game and, later, with Marxism - the book contains articles on Garfield Sobers, the three Ws, Leary Constantine, lots of others on the significance of cricket in the W Indies and ones with titles like Dialectical Materialism and the Fate of Humanity.

I love it.

Montreal Wanderer · Post by **Montreal Wanderer** » Tue Jul 07, 2009 9:22 pm

William the White wrote:The most gripping book of the Portuguese holiday was Star of the Sea by joseph o' Connor.

This is an outstanding novel, a mixture of mystery/thriller, historical novel (1840s), chronicle (of the Irish famine and British and Irish infamy in the failure to alleviate it), and also contains an enduring love story. Great characters, vivid language, compelling story telling.

The basic premise is that a (formerly) rich British landowner is on the same vessel as an Irish avenger under instructions to kill him. but, of course, the ship is as rigidly divided into classes as the society they live in - in this case - literally- the first class passengers are guarded from the steerage. Excellent metaphor.

Hugely recommended.

I'll give that a try WtW. I enjoy historical fiction. Currently reading Scarrow's The Generals, volume 2 of his series on Bonaparte and Wellington (having just finished about 8 volumes of his Roman Legion stuff). Of course I was sorry to read of the passing of George Macdonald Fraser since Flashman used to make chuckle.

Prufrock · Post by **Prufrock** » Sat Jul 18, 2009 2:23 am

Just ordered 'Democracy in America' by the man with the triple barreled first name, De Toqueville. Anybody read it? I've read extracts, and seen it referenced lots and lots. That's my pollitical reading for a bit.

Prufrock · Post by **Prufrock** » Sat Jul 18, 2009 2:27 am

Also had a read of the Monster Raving Loony party manifesto. They should be in power. Introduce a 99p coin. Reduce class sizes by making children sit closer together, and giving them smaller desks. Introduce pram lanes in pedestrian areas and require all buildings built near rivers to have foundations made of sponge. Get 'em in.

Bruno · Post by **Bruno** » Sat Jul 18, 2009 8:01 am

Finished 'Stalingrad' and moving onto 'Berlin' by Antony Beevor

Bruce Rioja · Post by **Bruce Rioja** » Sat Jul 18, 2009 9:42 am

Just finished Bollocks To Alton Towers. I'll never be able to drive past a brown sign again without wondering.

TANGODANCER · Post by **TANGODANCER** » Sat Jul 18, 2009 11:16 am

Just started John Grisham's The Painted House. Life amongst the 1950 sharecroppers in cotton-picking land, as seen through the eyes of a young kid. Touch of To Kill a Mockingbird in style.

Dave Sutton's barnet · Post by **Dave Sutton's barnet** » Sat Jul 18, 2009 11:22 am

Bruce Rioja wrote:Just finished Bollocks To Alton Towers. I'll never be able to drive past a brown sign again without wondering.

Spooky - Mrs B is reading that RIGHT THIS VERY SECOND trying to suss what to do with a bored 15-year-old Chicagoan niece and two slightly ill seven-year-olds...

As for me, I've added another to the groaning shelf of must-get-round-to-readings - Capello, by Gabriele Marcotti, the Times journalist whose book with Ginaluca Vialli was perhaps the most intelligent I've ever read at dissecting our beautiful stupid complicated simple game

enfieldwhite · Post by **enfieldwhite** » Sun Jul 19, 2009 11:42 pm

Bruce Rioja wrote:Just finished Bollocks To Alton Towers. I'll never be able to drive past a brown sign again without wondering.

An excellent read.

My ambition is to tick all those days out off my list. Currently on four.......

David Lee's Hair · Post by **David Lee's Hair** » Mon Jul 20, 2009 9:17 am

Currently just reached the Stuarts in An Utterly Impartial History of Britain: (or 2000 Years of Upper Class Idiots in Charge) t'is a good read.

jimbo · Post by **jimbo** » Mon Jul 20, 2009 10:01 am

William the White wrote:
TANGODANCER wrote:
CAPSLOCK wrote:I like a funny cricket book or two for my jollies

Loved 'Fatty Batter' and highly, highly endorse it

Looking for this years choice

Already picked up Fletchers autobiog, but need some humour

Any recommendations?
Just ben reading in MEN about a new book on cricket and classical music, the two loves of local writer Neville Cardus (died 1975) called Cardus, Celebrant of Beauty, by Robin Daniels. Introduction is by Andrew Flintoff. Bit expensive at £25 but you might get it in thelibrary. Looks good.
Cardus a brilliant writer on cricket - unsurpassed before or since. I have a collection of his reports of Roses matches between the wars (he was cricket correspondent for The Manchester Guardian for decades). A real poet of the game.

Not witty etc but CLR James's Beyond a Boundary is the best social (and socialist) examination of the game it's possible to imagine. A young, clever Trinidadian falls in love with the game and, later, with Marxism - the book contains articles on Garfield Sobers, the three Ws, Leary Constantine, lots of others on the significance of cricket in the W Indies and ones with titles like Dialectical Materialism and the Fate of Humanity.

I love it.

Likewise I love a good cricket book. Finished 'Fatty Batter' yesterday myself and really enjoyed it. It's been compared to 'Penguins Stopped Play' and I would say I preferred the latter, so there's a recommendation. Another one I've picked up for the hols is 'Hard Yakka' by Simon Hughes which is supposed to be one of the best around.

hisroyalgingerness · Post by **hisroyalgingerness** » Mon Jul 20, 2009 1:11 pm

David Lee's Hair wrote:Currently just reached the Stuarts in An Utterly Impartial History of Britain: (or 2000 Years of Upper Class Idiots in Charge) t'is a good read.

I enjoyed that, and it led me to go and get a few other books and delve into more detail. I didn't realise for example how little we know about the dark ages...though a big penny did drop at that point as to why it is called the dark ages. So once I've polished off Michael Palin's New Europe that could be next on the list

KeeeeeeeBaaaaaaab · Post by **KeeeeeeeBaaaaaaab** » Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:25 pm

David Lee's Hair wrote:Currently just reached the Stuarts in An Utterly Impartial History of Britain: (or 2000 Years of Upper Class Idiots in Charge) t'is a good read.

It's a good bog book. The one-liners are a bit hit-and-miss, but the book is a good one in the main.

David Lee's Hair · Post by **David Lee's Hair** » Tue Jul 21, 2009 3:13 pm

KeeeeeeeBaaaaaaab wrote:
David Lee's Hair wrote:Currently just reached the Stuarts in An Utterly Impartial History of Britain: (or 2000 Years of Upper Class Idiots in Charge) t'is a good read.
It's a good bog book. The one-liners are a bit hit-and-miss, but the book is a good one in the main.

Bogs/buses same difference.

Bruce Rioja · Post by **Bruce Rioja** » Tue Jul 21, 2009 3:21 pm

enfieldwhite wrote:
Bruce Rioja wrote:Just finished Bollocks To Alton Towers. I'll never be able to drive past a brown sign again without wondering.
An excellent read.

My ambition is to tick all those days out off my list. Currently on four.......

Hmm, now there's a plan. If you're up at Tebay Services and you like blue cheese then I absolutely implore you to buy a chunk of Swaledale Blue from the most excellent shop that they have there. The problem with said shop being though that it's near impossible not to blow about £40 per visit.

ratbert · Post by **ratbert** » Tue Jul 21, 2009 3:40 pm

Bruce Rioja wrote:Hmm, now there's a plan. If you're up at Tebay Services and you like blue cheese then I absolutely implore you to buy a chunk of Swaledale Blue from the most excellent shop that they have there. The problem with said shop being though that it's near impossible not to blow about £40 per visit.

Tell me about it. The Mrs spent our combined monthly wages on cheese and other delights last time we were there.

thebish · Post by **thebish** » Wed Jul 22, 2009 11:33 am

I'm reading the latest Colin Bateman - "Mystery Man"

I have read all his other stuff - good, sound, witty, fast-paced, funny, engaging romps - real bloke-literature.. I like it anyway!

KeeeeeeeBaaaaaaab · Post by **KeeeeeeeBaaaaaaab** » Wed Jul 22, 2009 12:42 pm

David Lee's Hair wrote:
KeeeeeeeBaaaaaaab wrote:
David Lee's Hair wrote:Currently just reached the Stuarts in An Utterly Impartial History of Britain: (or 2000 Years of Upper Class Idiots in Charge) t'is a good read.
It's a good bog book. The one-liners are a bit hit-and-miss, but the book is a good one in the main.
Bogs/buses same difference.

In that they all stink of piss.

Puskas · Post by **Puskas** » Wed Jul 22, 2009 12:51 pm

KeeeeeeeBaaaaaaab wrote:
David Lee's Hair wrote:
KeeeeeeeBaaaaaaab wrote:
David Lee's Hair wrote:Currently just reached the Stuarts in An Utterly Impartial History of Britain: (or 2000 Years of Upper Class Idiots in Charge) t'is a good read.
It's a good bog book. The one-liners are a bit hit-and-miss, but the book is a good one in the main.
Bogs/buses same difference.
In that they all stink of piss.

You need to clean your toilet more often...

superjohnmcginlay · Post by **superjohnmcginlay** » Wed Jul 22, 2009 1:14 pm

The Daily Mash. Most days.

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