Books To Recommend ?

Just finishing Manchester's Finest about the Munich disaster. A decent read, though more of a personal memoir of the author's experience and at times the writing is a shade 'simple'. Nevertheless, leaves no doubt the effect the disaster had on the lives of so many, and the city as a whole.
 
G-G said:
The Brothers Of Gwynedd - Quartet by Edith Pargeter
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Any good? Gwynedd's where some of my family live so I'd probably find it quite interesting (providing the answer to the question was 'yes'
of course!)
 
imagine said:
Any good? Gwynedd's where some of my family live so I'd probably find it quite interesting (providing the answer to the question was 'yes'
of course!)
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They are about the story of the last Llewellyn and his brothers, particularly David - I would say worth reading as she tells the story very well. She has a 'old fashioned' way of writing which sometimes doesn't seem to flow very easily, but maybe I am being picky.
Also writes under the name of Ellis Peters, so may know some of those works.
 
mrussell said:
Good: The Book Thief -- unusual & v. readable. Poor: The Kite Runner -- prosaic, predictable & formulaic, imo.
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I loved the Kite Runner and could not find my way into the Book Thief.

Just read "The Guernsey Literay and Potatoe Peel Pie Society " by Mary Ann Shaffer and loved it - actually finished it in one day! great read. a real find.
 
G-G said:
The Brothers Of Gwynedd - Quartet by Edith Pargeter
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Her "The Heaven Tree" trilogy is very good, too. Moving without being soppy or over-emotional. Again, based in the Wales/Shropshire area.

I must have read it about 10 times now. Never want to lose it off my bookshelf.
 
Mmm, with Crazyhorse about THE BOOK THIEF - did a quick flip through the intro pages, then read the back third of the book. Unnecessarily dense and elliptical writing, I thought, peppered with surprisingly bad analogies at times. Yes, a bit original in that Death is the narrator and therefore tells the story of the characters, but the essence of the book is Holocaust survival, and I suspect there are a lot of nonfiction books on the subject which draw us more authentically and directly into the subject. At times, I irritatedly felt that the book was more about the author's penchant for a curiously-phrased sentence than its content.
 
redhead said:
Her "The Heaven Tree" trilogy is very good, too. Moving without being soppy or over-emotional. Again, based in the Wales/Shropshire area.

I must have read it about 10 times now. Never want to lose it off my bookshelf.
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Someone has loaned me the second book, thinks they have the first and thrid but can't find them. I think I will try and buy them anyway, but a little intrigued as the second book cover states something about 'in the time of King John' but he was dead by the date the book starts?
 
Currently reading the latest Wilbur Smith, Assegai, and I can confirm that it is up to his usual high standards. Perhaps vegetarians might wish to give it a miss though.
 
G-G said:
Someone has loaned me the second book, thinks they have the first and thrid but can't find them. I think I will try and buy them anyway, but a little intrigued as the second book cover states something about 'in the time of King John' but he was dead by the date the book starts?
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You really need to start with the first book, G-G as it sets the scene for the characters who follow, particularly as the whole trilogy revolves around one in particular and his influence. As he is only encountered in the first book, you will find great slices of meaning missing.
 
redhead said:
You really need to start with the first book, G-G as it sets the scene for the characters who follow, particularly as the whole trilogy revolves around one in particular and his influence. As he is only encountered in the first book, you will find great slices of meaning missing.
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Yes thanks I have had the second book for some time but have put off reading it just for that reason. Very difficult to find a new print of it/them and I am not keen on buying second hand books. I was going to have another look today and see if I can find them.
 
G-G said:
Yes thanks I have had the second book for some time but have put off reading it just for that reason. Very difficult to find a new print of it/them and I am not keen on buying second hand books. I was going to have another look today and see if I can find them.
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You will be looking for:

The Heaven Tree;
The Green Branch;
The Scarlet Seed.

(Can't remember which order the second and third are in, think that's right.)
 
Thanks very much Redhead - that is the correct order.
I have The Green Branch - have ordered the other two from Amazon second hand as cannot find new prints of them except at around £45 a pop!
 
G-G said:
Thanks very much Redhead - that is the correct order.
I have The Green Branch - have ordered the other two from Amazon second hand as cannot find new prints of them except at around £45 a pop!
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Bloody hell - are they that rare?

I'd flog you mine for a tenner apiece but I'm rather attached to them.
 
Just finished The Kite Runner - blown away by it. Not seen the film yet but I do intend to read his other books.
 
R J Ellory's Ghostheart is absolutely superb. An earlier novel than, and far better than the much more well known A Quiet Belief In Angels which is a good book in itself.
 
krizon said:
Mmm, with Crazyhorse about THE BOOK THIEF - did a quick flip through the intro pages, then read the back third of the book. Unnecessarily dense and elliptical writing, I thought, peppered with surprisingly bad analogies at times. Yes, a bit original in that Death is the narrator and therefore tells the story of the characters, but the essence of the book is Holocaust survival, and I suspect there are a lot of nonfiction books on the subject which draw us more authentically and directly into the subject. At times, I irritatedly felt that the book was more about the author's penchant for a curiously-phrased sentence than its content.
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It's not about Holocaust survival, at all, Krizon. I cannot remember the last third of the book per se; should you read it in the normal way, you could well be intrigued.

As for the Kite Runner -- I found it prosaic, predictable.

All a matter of taste, of course.
:)
 
I found The Book Thief gripping - and in its way, it is about Holocaust survival inasmuch as one of the characters is trying to avoid capture and deportation to the death camps.

I've just ordered Charlie Brooks' Citizen from Amazon - it has some very good reviews, four stars overall, so that's my commuting reading sorted for the next few weeks.
 
Currently reading The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon. Anyone else read it?
 
Just finished Shadow of the Wind - truly one of the best books I have ever read. Apparently it is the second most successful Spanish book afer Don Quixote, selling over 10 million copies. I would recommend this to anyone. Just about to go and get Angels Game by same author.
 
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