What are you reading at the moment? Recommendations welcome

[Robert M Derry]

I'm reading The Count of Monte Cristo at the moment. I bought it a few years ago after watching the film, but have always been too intimidated by size. Although now that we've been plunged into another lockdown I've got plenty of time to read!

Enjoying it so far, style is quite dated and it seems to predate the notion of economical writing, but the story is timeless.

 

[RK Wallis]

I've just started reading Malcolm Gladwell's Outliers: The Story of Success which is already fascinating. Rev Peter Laws recommended Gladwell's Talking with Strangers last year on Pop Ups and that was excellent. This one is shaping up as just as good.

 

[Paul Mackay]

It's not that I'm stuck for reading anything at the moment, but it's nice to know what Litopians are reading - might provide valuable material for a writer or a pleasant diversion away from the genre s/he are writing in. I was going to say 'Bookshelf,' but that's recently been mentioned as a possible scam. But it would be quite nice to peruse our own 'Litopian Library' as an accompaniment to local bookshops/Amazon, etc.
Someone in the Welcome Lounge mentioned writing about walking the entire UK coast with his dog, and I asked whether he'd read The Salt Path and Five Hundred Mile Walkies.
No need to write a review, just author, title and genre (if not apparent).

I've just finished Harrow Lake by Kat Ellis a YA Horror. I'm now reading Colin Wilson's Ritual in the Dark (the terrifying thriller of murder most macabre) and for the past few months I've been dipping into Folk Horror Revival: Field Studies, Essays and Interview -Various Authors. The latter has been brilliant for ideas with my WiP and it led to me reading Colin Wilson who I'm enjoying and may never have otherwise discovered.
Anyway, just floating it out there.

I'm about two thirds of the way through Birdbox and really enjoying it. It's brilliant.

 

[RK Wallis]

Just finished Tex Thompson's Forever 51 recommendation. Strong concept, which I loved

 

[Jonny]

Just finished Steve Cavanagh's Thirteen. Very enjoyable and tense crime thriller.

 

[RK Wallis]

Stated Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, definitely stirring!

 

[Julie]

I'm still working through Colin Wilson's Ritual in the Dark. There's lots to like about it - he's good at depicting a character's inner dimension in terms of motives, thoughts, desires - the story itself is moving along, but not as quickly as I'd hoped because writer is stopping along the way to linger on food eaten, drink drunk. It's probably part of the style as it was written in 1960's. Sorry going to have to leave it there - Francesca's come into my little writing studio stinking of something very unpleasant - she's rolled, and I'm going to have to immediately bath her.

 

[KateESal]

I'm back into memoirs (picking up tips, seeing as I'm writing one myself!) and have just enjoyed Sandi Toksvig's Between The Stops, which was a mash-up of memoir, social history and often picked up on political themes, especially relating to feminism and gay rights. If all that sound like a heavy read, it really isn't. Sandi's prose is warm and entertaining, and her endless fascination in the minutiae of human life, coupled with her sardonic humour make it a joy. Recommended.

I'm now most of the way through Bill Bryson's memoir of his 1950s childhood in Iowa, The Life And Times of The Thunderbolt Kid which is every bit as engaging as his other books and has made me laugh out loud, such that I have to be careful if I'm doing a stealth weekend morning read in bed in case I wake up the husband or kids...

 

[Jonny]

I'm back into memoirs (picking up tips, seeing as I'm writing one myself!)

Clive James. Can't recommend him highly enough. I think you'd love his style and humour.

Here's a link to his 2nd (but they're all brill) well worth reading the free sample to see what you think.

Falling Towards England

All five in one ebook here for a steal at £12.99

The Complete Unreliable Memoirs

 

[Jonny]

After reading the freebie I have just bought Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine for my next book. I loved what I read. Thanks for the recommendation @Hannah F

Ebook and audiobook on a deal on Amazon - both together for only £7.00

 

[RK Wallis]

After reading the freebie I have just bought Eleanor Oliphant is Perfectly Fine for my next book. I loved what I read. Thanks for the recommendation @Hannah F

Ebook and audiobook on a deal on Amazon - both together for only £7.00

It's great! I'm already near halfway through. In fact, I can't help wonder if this could be a comp title for you (re: EO is pedantic like someone with OCD)? Great recommendation @Hannah F

 

[Julie]

As I was saying earlier . . . until Francesca came in covered in some kind of poo. . . I started alongside Wilson's book, Lionel Shriver's The Standing Chandelier. I've not got very far yet, and I'm finding it a bit of a chore. It's sort of wordy without being verbose - if that even makes sense. I think it stems from the words she's choosing. Anyway, I'm persevering. In bed, I'm reading A Good Neighbourhood by Therese Anne Fowler, which is okay. For reading in bed. I've just looked at the reviews on Amazon, which mirror the thread I posted about writing outside one's scope of experience. I have to say, that neither book is the kind I choose to read. My other half bought them and if anything else, it seems important to read outside your chosen genre.

 

[David Y]

Halfway through Steve Cavanagh's Fifty-Fifty on Kindle and marked a good half dozen typos and errors already!! Staggered that a 'Richard and Judy' recommended bestseller can be sold like this. Very sloppy. I know I could report them, but I received no thanks for the last bestseller I read that was similarly littered with mistakes. This aside, enjoying this book, the third one of his I've read.

 

[Julie]

Halfway through Steve Cavanagh's Fifty-Fifty on Kindle and marked a good half dozen typos and errors already!! Staggered that a 'Richard and Judy' recommended bestseller can be sold like this. Very sloppy. I know I could report them, but I received no thanks for the last bestseller I read that was similarly littered with mistakes. This aside, enjoying this book, the third one of his I've read.

I've often found pagination and grammatical errors in e-books, I take it that's what you mean. I was reading Agatha Christie, I gave up in the end. You can't beat a good solid book in the hand!

 

[Jonny]

Some transfers to Kindle and other e-book types are diabolical. Often missing page breaks and other general formatting issues too.

But would suggest you battle on with Fifty-Fifty @David Y as it's a great story and a proper page-turner to the end.

I just read it back-to-back with SC's Thirteen and that's also a cracker.

 

[David Y]

I've often found pagination and grammatical errors in e-books, I take it that's what you mean. I was reading Agatha Christie, I gave up in the end. You can't beat a good solid book in the hand!

Thanks, no it's actual typos that have been missed either by the author or proofreaders. For example, one of the characters is called Bloch. At the top of page 136 she is called Block! A trunk of a car, becomes a whole truck on page 152. The world famous Polgar chess-playing sisters are the Folgars on page 29. As early as chapter two, try to make sense of this: 'You can use the time to think about why were you were so late getting here.' Two 'were's. There are others. It adds to the enjoyment, I suppose, spotting them. I'm 83% through now and enjoying it, so would recommend it despite its flaws.

 

[David Y]

Some transfers to Kindle and other e-book types are diabolical. Often missing page breaks and other general formatting issues too.

But would suggest you battle on with Fifty-Fifty @David Y as it's a great story and a proper page-turner to the end.

I just read it back-to-back with SC's Thirteen and that's also a cracker.

I've just passed the bit where he mentions another of his books - Twisted by J. T. LeBeau - sitting on a bookcase. I've heard of product placement but never of advertising one's own book! Clever. If you've not read it @Jonny , I recommend it too.

 

[Geoff]

I have restarted Richard Ford's The Lay of the Land. I read a quarter, but mislaid it, then found it again last week. However with the Triple Trouble Annual Pack 2021 now available TripleTrouble it may go to the back of the line! It doesn't get any better ....

 

[Jonny]

@Geoff I used to love reading annuals at Christmas. We always got Beano, Dandy, The Broons and Oor Wullie.

 

[Hannah F]

@Geoff I used to love reading annuals at Christmas. We always got Beano, Dandy, The Broons and Oor Wullie.

My dad didn't allow comics in the house. He thought they addled your brain, but his father owned a corner shop so, when we visited, what did I read? Comics! I remember Bunty.

 

[Jonny]

My dad didn't allow comics in the house. He thought they addled your brain, but his father owned a corner shop so, when we visited, what did I read? Comics! I remember Bunty.

You missed so much Hannah. Annuals and comics in general were inspirational and such good fun. And of course now with rise of Graphic Novels people like Mr Gaiman have made a bit of a splash.

Well done for reading Bunty on the sly though

 

[Katie-Ellen]

A few days ago, finished a re-read of All That Remains by (Prof) Sue Black

 

[Katie-Ellen]

My dad didn't allow comics in the house. He thought they addled your brain, but his father owned a corner shop so, when we visited, what did I read? Comics! I remember Bunty.

Bunty and Twinkle were special treats when we were poorly. Three of us got measles at the same time, and german measles, and mumps.

 

[Geoff]

Bunty and Twinkle were special treats when we were poorly. Three of us got measles at the same time, and german measles, and mumps.

I can remember being late for school beacuse the Eagle arrived on Friday morning. Dan Dare fighting the Mekons certainly took presidence over 'times table' in my book. although my teachers tended to disagree. My sister had Bunty delivered.

 

[Geoff]

@Geoff I used to love reading annuals at Christmas. We always got Beano, Dandy, The Broons and Oor Wullie

The Bash Street Kids were my favourite. I used to tease my sister she looked like Plug, which usually ended up with me getting into trouble with our mother trellling me to "'stop being horrible to your sister." She was such a snitch.

 

[Geoff]

My dad didn't allow comics in the house. He thought they addled your brain,

In my case he was probably right!!

 

[Victoria Bastedo]

I felt an urge to read this book again: The Scarlet Pimpernel, by Madame Orczy. I remember the first time I read it. I was a teenager, and my mother had given me a set of classics. Oh, how bored I was. Tortuously bored. I tried the Vicar of Wakefield, no. The Man in the Iron Mask. The Count of Monte Cristo. All were thick to my brain, language I barely understood. I liked the title of this. Written by a woman. Hmmm. I picked up The Scarlet Pimpernel and managed to push through and keep awake. How miserable the guillotine. I hadn't realized the French Revolution was like this. Mild interest. All of a sudden, several chapters in, the story began to make sense to me. My brain adjusted to the language. And then I was swept away by a story so unexpected, and brilliant, and rich with emotion and yearning. Wow. Marguerite is such an amazing heroine. She's proud, scared, feverish with strain, anguished. She's picked out by the enemy as being the one person clever enough and brave enough to accomplish the instant spy work he demanded. And the Pimpernel himself. Sighhhhhhhh. There was only one person in France or England smart enough to challenge him. It would never fly these days, for no agent, publisher, editor or impatient reader would last through the first pages. But imagine this plot, so harmonious with the setting, the romance, bravery, nobility, and the childish stubbornness of the rare main characters. My teenage mind lived in a different world when I read it.

 

[Jonny]

What a lovely review / recollection.

 

[Hannah F]

I felt an urge to read this book again: The Scarlet Pimpernel, by Madame Orczy. I remember the first time I read it. I was a teenager, and my mother had given me a set of classics. Oh, how bored I was. Tortuously bored. I tried the Vicar of Wakefield, no. The Man in the Iron Mask. The Count of Monte Cristo. All were thick to my brain, language I barely understood. I liked the title of this. Written by a woman. Hmmm. I picked up The Scarlet Pimpernel and managed to push through and keep awake. How miserable the guillotine. I hadn't realized the French Revolution was like this. Mild interest. All of a sudden, several chapters in, the story began to make sense to me. My brain adjusted to the language. And then I was swept away by a story so unexpected, and brilliant, and rich with emotion and yearning. Wow. Marguerite is such an amazing heroine. She's proud, scared, feverish with strain, anguished. She's picked out by the enemy as being the one person clever enough and brave enough to accomplish the instant spy work he demanded. And the Pimpernel himself. Sighhhhhhhh. There was only one person in France or England smart enough to challenge him. It would never fly these days, for no agent, publisher, editor or impatient reader would last through the first pages. But imagine this plot, so harmonious with the setting, the romance, bravery, nobility, and the childish stubbornness of the rare main characters. My teenage mind lived in a different world when I read it.
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I've seen the film (old film); never read the book. It's going on my tbr list!

 

[RK Wallis]

I felt an urge to read this book again: The Scarlet Pimpernel, by Madame Orczy. I remember the first time I read it. I was a teenager, and my mother had given me a set of classics. Oh, how bored I was. Tortuously bored. I tried the Vicar of Wakefield, no. The Man in the Iron Mask. The Count of Monte Cristo. All were thick to my brain, language I barely understood. I liked the title of this. Written by a woman. Hmmm. I picked up The Scarlet Pimpernel and managed to push through and keep awake. How miserable the guillotine. I hadn't realized the French Revolution was like this. Mild interest. All of a sudden, several chapters in, the story began to make sense to me. My brain adjusted to the language. And then I was swept away by a story so unexpected, and brilliant, and rich with emotion and yearning. Wow. Marguerite is such an amazing heroine. She's proud, scared, feverish with strain, anguished. She's picked out by the enemy as being the one person clever enough and brave enough to accomplish the instant spy work he demanded. And the Pimpernel himself. Sighhhhhhhh. There was only one person in France or England smart enough to challenge him. It would never fly these days, for no agent, publisher, editor or impatient reader would last through the first pages. But imagine this plot, so harmonious with the setting, the romance, bravery, nobility, and the childish stubbornness of the rare main characters. My teenage mind lived in a different world when I read it.
View attachment 7427

I loved this too ... I think I read (and loved) Tale of Two Cities around the same time