What are you reading tonight?

[CAPSLOCK]

Pleased you like

On completion, I was sold on Kenny Jackett having Coyles job

[Wandering Willy]

I've just read the first of Edward Marston's Kings Evil series - very gentle, but enjoyable...

I picked them at random from the local library's ebook lending section... of course they come in epub format so you have to accidentally strip the DRM and convert them to mobi before you can load them on your Kindle - but - hey - that's what libraries are for isn't it? free books...

Alright - who are you and what have you done with thebish?

[Gary the Enfield]

I've just read the first of Edward Marston's Kings Evil series - very gentle, but enjoyable...

I picked them at random from the local library's ebook lending section... of course they come in epub format so you have to accidentally strip the DRM and convert them to mobi before you can load them on your Kindle - but - hey - that's what libraries are for isn't it? free books...

this is the blurb..

Set in 17th century Restoration London, this set of three colourful historical mysteries by Edward Marston is sure to enthral. Starring detective Christopher Redmayne and his friend Jonathan Bale as they attempt to unravel several complex and dangerous mysteries, The King’s Evil, The Amorous Nightingale and The Repentant Rake are packed with skilfully portrayed historical detail and are brilliantly evocative. Full of brutal murder, kidnap and plenty of excitement, crime is rife in London and it is Redmayne’s job to put an end to it.


he has quite a nice turn of phrase at times..

I quite liked - "The sun buttered the fields" f'rinstance!

In a similair vein of historical novel meets Tudor timeline I think you may well enjoy these:

http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j& ... j6jpvgEh9w" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[thebish]

In a similair vein of historical novel meets Tudor timeline I think you may well enjoy these:

http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j& ... j6jpvgEh9w" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

you already recommended those to me about 3000 pages back... I read the first one and remarked that it had a touch of the Cadfael about it... you agreed!

[Gary the Enfield]

In a similair vein of historical novel meets Tudor timeline I think you may well enjoy these:

http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j& ... j6jpvgEh9w" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

you already recommended those to me about 3000 pages back... I read the first one and remarked that it had a touch of the Cadfael about it... you agreed!

What about the other five?

[Prufrock]

Just finished Jonathan Wilson's 'Inverting The Pyramid'. Anybody got Owen's address?

[Verbal]

Nice read that, innit? Though not sure that Graham Taylor's Watford deserves as much space as, say, t'other aspects.

His new book 'Richer than God' is out now isn't it? Will hunt that down.

edit: that's David Conn. Oops.

[Verbal]

Just ordered issue five of the Blizzard. Looking forward to it dropping through the door.

[Prufrock]

Nice read that, innit? Though not sure that Graham Taylor's Watford deserves as much space as, say, t'other aspects.

His new book 'Richer than God' is out now isn't it? Will hunt that down.

edit: that's David Conn. Oops.

I dunno, depends what it is. If it is, as a suspect, a book written primarily for English audiences, then it gives a works well as a pretty sobering account of where we are. Belting read though. Quite hard to explain to folk who don't like football why you are reading a three hundred page book on football tactics.

Must be said DSB is the man for reccos atm. Stephen King's 'On Writing', Lanchester's 'Whoops' and now this, three belting books spanning creative writing, financial mayhem, and football tactics.

[Verbal]

Haha, literally just ordered 'whoops' yesterday!

Also ordered this for a mate http://www.amazon.com/Dynamo-Defending- ... 1841153184" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[2399]

Got given the 1st August edition of THE SUN

[TANGODANCER]

Just read The Littigators by John Grisham and The Renegades by Clive Egleton. Both decent reads.

Starting Gerald Seymour's The Collaborator next.

[Prufrock]

I finished the Manhattan Transfer today, as recommended by Bill.

Wow. It's a long time since I've read a book that was as big a revelation. WtW described him as being of the same calibre as his contemporaries Steinbeck and Hemingway, and he wasn't exaggerating.

Imagine a modern fast paced thriller, then imagine the complete opposite in terms of style. It's like watching a film rather than reading a book, a turn of descriptive phrase, a clue left tantalising your imagination. It certainly isn't a quick read, it demands full concentration. You certainly aren't spoon-fed. The plot is non-existent, nothing happens, but we get a serious of snap-shots, maybe five minutes worth at a time, of a range of characters. Some feature more often than others, but the overall is that we get a glimpse of early twentieth century New York. It's truly a 'cinematic' book. Wonderful.

[William the White]

I finished the Manhattan Transfer today, as recommended by Bill.

Wow. It's a long time since I've read a book that was as big a revelation. WtW described him as being of the same calibre as his contemporaries Steinbeck and Hemingway, and he wasn't exaggerating.

Imagine a modern fast paced thriller, then imagine the complete opposite in terms of style. It's like watching a film rather than reading a book, a turn of descriptive phrase, a clue left tantalising your imagination. It certainly isn't a quick read, it demands full concentration. You certainly aren't spoon-fed. The plot is non-existent, nothing happens, but we get a serious of snap-shots, maybe five minutes worth at a time, of a range of characters. Some feature more often than others, but the overall is that we get a glimpse of early twentieth century New York. It's truly a 'cinematic' book. Wonderful.

It is a magnificent book. And I'm so glad you got it. It is demanding, but I think great books repay the effort - you work more, you get more back. It is cinematic in many ways - the tale told in fragments, the vivid, brilliant, detailed visual imagery, the plots and sub plots running in parallel, and the sheer emotional power and pity generated by the tales he tells and the world he reveals. To reach the end of a book like this, for me, is to feel satisfied, and richer for the experience.

The first volume of USA, which is his amazing epic trilogy, and is called The 42nd Parallel, takes it a step further and a step bolder. IMHO the best novel he ever wrote. The final chapter of the final book of the trilogy (called The Big Money) - the chapter is called Vag - is amongst the most powerful fiction I've ever read. It is just 2 and a quarter pages long and starts on page 1182 in the Penguin edition.

In the past, I've found it online by googling... Check out the ending, Pru, it may make you want to start the journey...

[Verbal]

Started reading 'Whoops' over the weekend and I'm already terrified.

[Bruce Rioja]

Tinker of the Week - RJ Ellory


Ellory, the author of A Quiet Belief in Angels and a Simple Act of Violence, tonight apologised for the "lapse of judgment" after he faced a deluge of criticism from fans and rivals.

English writer Roger Jon Ellory, who is known as RJ Ellory by his fans.

He admitted he had used fake identities to write about his own work on the Amazon book site, giving himself five star ratings. He gave his rivals bad reviews and low ratings using the same pseudonyms.
Ellory, one of Britain's leading authors who has won a variety of awards including Crime Novel of the Year 2010, was compelled to apologise after Jeremy Duns, a British spy author now based in Sweden, aired the accusations on Twitter.

The 47 year-old's apology, in a statement to The Daily Telegraph, came amid a storm of condemnation from the literary world over the “unfair” and “misleading” practice, known as “sock puppeting”.


In his fake posts, many of which appeared to have been deleted, he used the names “Nicodemus Jones” and “Jelly Bean” to heap praise on his works. Writing about A Quiet Belief in Angels, which won a host of literary awards and was listed for the Richard & Judy book club in 2008, Ellory described it as a “modern masterpiece” and “chilling”. He also gave it five stars.

The father-of-one, whose 10 novels have sold more than a million copies, added: “Ignore all the dissenters and naysayers, this book is not trying to be anything other than a great story, brilliantly told. Whatever else it might do, it will touch your soul.”
Mark Billingham was among those authors targeted by Ellory.

Ellory, whose real name is Roger Jon Ellory, also attacked his rival authors, including Mark Billingham and Stuart MacBride, under the same assumed identities, in a series of withering posts.
Giving MacBride one star for his work Dark Blood, he wrote last month: “Unfortunately this is another in the seemingly endless parade of same-old-same-old Police procedurals that seem to abound in the UK.”

Later he used the same names in forum posts during a bit of “shameless self-promotion”, in which he also attacked other author before appearing to give himself away by signing off messages with “Roger”.

Mr Duns, 38, born in Manchester, had uncovered Ellory's "long, purple tributes" using a "bit of searching and detective work", after being contacted by a fellow concerned author before taking to the internet to air his claims.
He said tonight that while he had not had any posts written about himself, he wanted to expose the “pathetic” practice.
He told The Daily Telegraph: “I have only met Ellory once and this is not a personal attack, but I feel very strongly that fellow authors shouldn't write reviews about their own ‘magnificent genius’ and slate the work of other hard-working writers without clearly declaring who they are.

"It is not my job to police it, but I think it is important to highlight what is 'below the belt' behaviour, which I have no time for.”
The fake reviews by RJ Ellory were exposed by fellow British author Jeremy Duns (R), who is based in Sweden.

The Crime Writers' Association, whose almost 600 members include Ellory, a former board member, condemned the “unfair” practice as it confirmed it had launched a review after a board meeting last week.
A spokesman said: “We are concerned that they are being misleading to readers and we feel this practice is unfair to authors. It does not fit with our ethos.”

In a statement tonight, Ellory, based in Birmingham, West Mids, apologised for his actions.
"The recent reviews – both positive and negative – that have been posted on my amazon accounts are my responsibility and my responsibility alone," he said.
"I wholeheartedly regret the lapse of judgment that allowed personal opinions to be disseminated in this way and I would like to apologise to my readers and the writing community."
In 2010 Prof Orlando Figes, a leading academic and award-winning historian, confessed to posting similar reviews on Amazon that praised his own work as "fascinating" and "uplifting" while rubbishing that of his rivals.

[Harry Genshaw]

^

Funny thing is last night for the 2nd time this year, an author whose book I'd reviewed on Amazon posted a reply on my review. The 1st time it was an author reacting badly to my 1 star review of her work. This latest response was rather defensive to a book I'd given 3 stars . Touchy lot these arty types

[William the White]

^

Funny thing is last night for the 2nd time this year, an author whose book I'd reviewed on Amazon posted a reply on my review. The 1st time it was an author reacting badly to my 1 star review of her work. This latest response was rather defensive to a book I'd given 3 stars . Touchy lot these arty types

As a playwright you get reviewed everywhere... Press, national, local; online - loads of places; trade mags ('the stage' etc)...

there's one iron law... when you get a rapturous reception for your play there's one review... just one... that absolutely hates it...

This is the review read by your grandma and all the friends of your children...

[Harry Genshaw]

^

Funny thing is last night for the 2nd time this year, an author whose book I'd reviewed on Amazon posted a reply on my review. The 1st time it was an author reacting badly to my 1 star review of her work. This latest response was rather defensive to a book I'd given 3 stars . Touchy lot these arty types

As a playwright you get reviewed everywhere... Press, national, local; online - loads of places; trade mags ('the stage' etc)...

there's one iron law... when you get a rapturous reception for your play there's one review... just one... that absolutely hates it...

This is the review read by your grandma and all the friends of your children...

I'm sure it cant be easy to read poor reviews (not that I imagine your stuff has ever had a bad review Will ) but they are there as a reminder not to get too carried away with the great reviews

[Bruce Rioja]

Please don't tell me that And Did Those Feet ever received a poor review, William.