What are you reading tonight?

[William the White]

Very rarely read fiction but am currently half way through - The ragged trousered philanthropists and really enjoying it. Incredible that something written over 100 years ago is still so relevant today. I imagine some of the comment re religion would have upset many folk all them years ago

Absolute classic! And becoming more relevant daily.

[Prufrock]

'My Paper Chase: True Stories of Vanished Times' the autobiography of former Sunday Times editor Harold Evans. Really enjoyed it. Fascinating insight into investigative journalism, and his life growing up in't north dragging himself through uni despite failing the 11+ and his subsequent rise and rise. Defo recommend.

[General Mannerheim]

finished Will Storr's Supernatural. really thought (hoped) it'd change my outlook, it did his, but it didnt mine.

onto Furious Cool now, a Richard Prior biography.

[Burnden Paddock]

Picked up a real bargain yesterday, from the book shop in the Millgate centre in Bury. All books for sale at £1. Picked up the following.

Living the Dream - From Cockles Field to the Millennium Stadium (BWFC)
Colin Todd's autobiography
Ronnie Whelan's autobiography
Rodney Marsh's autobiography (yes, he's a cock, but there should be some interesting tales in there).
A book on Chelsea's first PL winning season, written by Harry Harris and focusing on Mourinho

They should keep me busy for a while!

[Bruce Rioja]

Colin Todd's autobiography

I believe that he doesn't like us lot very much?!

[Burnden Paddock]

Colin Todd's autobiography

I believe that he doesn't like us lot very much?!

I'll let you know!

[jaffka]

Colin Todd's autobiography

I believe that he doesn't like us lot very much?!

really?

[Bruce Rioja]

Yeah I think it was William that told me. Anyhow, apparently it's in his book so perhaps BP can confirm how it's worded, if you'll be so good, Fella.

[LeverEnd]

One autobiography I won't be reading is Jimmy Bullard's 'hilarious' (according to the Mail) tome. What an absolute tw@t. Although it appears David Bentley is worse

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/footba ... gland.html

[TANGODANCER]

Just finished Reginald Hill's Death's Jest Book. Excellent.

[Prufrock]

Currently reading Clive James' Cultural Amnesia, which is fabulous, but hasn't helped by adding frequently to my 'must read list'. Since I started putting it together about 12 months ago it's got 216 books on it, of which I've managed to get through 15 .

[Burnden Paddock]

Colin Todd's autobiography

I believe that he doesn't like us lot very much?!

really?

Having read just past the chapter on BWFC, i'm none the wiser on what he thinks of us tbh. The only references made on the behind the scenes goings on were, that we got in a new FD, that Fat Phil took on more responsibilities and that he got on with Gordon Hargreaves and was still in touch with him when the book was published in 2008. He resigned as the club wouldn't invest and sold Frandsen on the cheap, which we all knew anyway.

His 'story' lasts for 155 pages, with approximately another 50 odd pages on stats. It's quite possibly the blandest thing that I've ever read, with no insight into the personalities that he played/managed alongside, with the exception of a couple of stories about Frank Worthington. He barely makes reference to BR other than to say that he was grateful to him, for giving him the call to work with him.

It's also littered with mistakes including spelling SJM name wrong; signing Mark Lee from Southampton and selling Tomo to Liverpool.

I can't complain for a £1 (even though I just have) so if anyone still fancies a read of it afterwards, you're welcome to it!

[Bruce Rioja]

Sounds like you've read it so that we don't have to, BP. So on that front - Cheers

[Beefheart]

Currently reading Clive James' Cultural Amnesia, which is fabulous, but hasn't helped by adding frequently to my 'must read list'. Since I started putting it together about 12 months ago it's got 216 books on it, of which I've managed to get through 15 .

More books than I tend to manage to read in a 12 month period...My brother on the other hand gets through about one a week on average. I just find it easier to watch movies!

[thebish]

just heard that Maya Angelou has died...

[William the White]

Currently reading Clive James' Cultural Amnesia, which is fabulous, but hasn't helped by adding frequently to my 'must read list'. Since I started putting it together about 12 months ago it's got 216 books on it, of which I've managed to get through 15 .

Mmm... the List of Shame...

216 books... 15 down in 12 months... so still over 200 to go... Excellent! I feel this has traction... Have you sorted it into an order of merit? Or, perhaps, categories?

Four years on a desert island should sort it though...

[Prufrock]

Currently reading Clive James' Cultural Amnesia, which is fabulous, but hasn't helped by adding frequently to my 'must read list'. Since I started putting it together about 12 months ago it's got 216 books on it, of which I've managed to get through 15 .

Mmm... the List of Shame...

216 books... 15 down in 12 months... so still over 200 to go... Excellent! I feel this has traction... Have you sorted it into an order of merit? Or, perhaps, categories?

Four years on a desert island should sort it though...

At the time I thought I'd copy the Lovefilm system. I wrote them down with numbers and then used a random number generator from the internet to pick what to read. That's not really worked though. Whereas a film is only an hour and a half commitment, it doesn't really work if you pick a book you're not really feeling at the time, so I ended up skipping stuff.

It's on paper atm, but I mean to type it up. Will stick it up on here if I do (though I wont want any bloody suggestions to go on it!). Perhaps it could do with categorising. I think I need to up the ante though.

[thebish]

^ ditch the gf - then you'll have more time...

[Prufrock]

Currently reading Clive James' Cultural Amnesia, which is fabulous, but hasn't helped by adding frequently to my 'must read list'. Since I started putting it together about 12 months ago it's got 216 books on it, of which I've managed to get through 15 .

Finished Clive James on the train yesterday. If you're interested in any of: literature, music, art, 20th century history or politics (and who isn't interested in at least one of those?!) then you should read this book. Brilliantly written and always engaging and illuminating.

Today I read the Testament of Mary by Colm Toibin. I came on here to post about it vaguely remembering someone had read and raved about it. In my search I came across this, which given the context of my list of shame made me chuckle:

The Booker shortlist novels were delivered today. I am, of course, looking forward to reading all of them. They are on the third shelf of the shelves of shame.

Colm Toibin's The Testament of Mary/i] looks the kindest to me - a mere 104 pages. Eleanor Catton's The Luminaries is the most intimidating at 832 pages ad 2lbs 6 0z - just over a kilo...

There are now 74 residents of the shelves of shame.

This factor of course played no part in my choosing it, and I've since found out there's a stage version in London atm which sounds like a plausible, and better, reason to have read it now.

I then found Billy's actual review which is absolutely spot on:

Colm Toibin's Booker shortlist The Testament of Mary is not likely to win many friends from catholic Orthodoxy. This is no divine holy mother, but a torn-apart human one, nearing the end of her life, who has to live with witnessing the death of her only child. She is doubtful about the miracles, she considers the disciples a bunch of misfits, she knows his father is her husband, and, in any case, such a death, even if it saved the world, was not worth the agony of her son.

And none of this had to happen, he was bright, intelligent, he could have made his way in the world. And she stubbornly refuses to accept the version being written by two of his disciples, who have hidden her away on Ephesus and are writing their Gospel.

I thing this is moving, harrowing at times, tragic and compellingly heretical. At the end Mary no longer goes to the synagogue. She attends the other Temple, from where she takes for her comfort a little statue of the goddess Artemis.

The stage production in New York was picketed by offended Catholics. A pity. This is a Mary that rings true.

Tremendous. 104 pages. About two worthwhile hours to read it.

Fantastic book that seems to have got a load of people who can't have read it in a fuss because it sounds like the sort of thing they're expected to be against. Brilliant book on the human condition. There's a fabulous bit (which I'll try not to ruin) where we're reminded she's a grieving wife as well as mother. All the negative reviews I found misunderstand this bit, suggesting to me that the first person didn't get it, and then the rest haven't read it but just copied. Wholly recommend.

[Harry Genshaw]

Halfway through Ten men dead, the story of the Republican hunger strikers. Rather worryingly, it's given me a grudging admiration for Thatcher