To Read or not to Read

an capall said:
Jaysus PJ. I came on to recommend 'Say Nothing' by Keefe and you pull this out.

Anyway, U.S. pulitzer prize journalist dissects Belfast and it's cast of horrible characters in early 70's using the McConville abduction as his pathway into the period. I normally avoid books about Norny like the plaque, but one was well recommended and fasinating.
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If you haven't already Colm, Reddans book on rogues was a easy read
 
There's been some great stories published about the life, treatment and experiences of psychiatric patients from real people the last few years which I am pleased about.

One I saw recently was about a gambling addict amongst other things with the somewhat humourous title 'Might Bite'...I think he may have went all in on that horse and got him sectioned!

I was definately ahead of the curve when I wrote my memoir Section Free in 2013.
 
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It’s fiction but for laugh-out-loud hilarity, get a hold of ‘The Amateurs’ by John Niven, which tells the story of a terrible, high-handicap golfer, who is transformed into a genius player, after being hit on the noggin by a stray drive.

Trust me - the above description doesn’t really do it justice, and you won’t regret it.

If you want something deeper, then try Luke Harding’s ‘A Very Expensive Poison’ which tells Alexander Litvinenko’s story up to the time of his assassination.
 
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Grasshopper said:
It’s fiction but for laugh-out-loud hilarity, get a hold of ‘The Amateurs’ by John Niven, which tells the story of a terrible, high-handicap golfer, who is transformed into a genius player, after being hit on the noggin by a stray drive.

Trust me - the above description doesn’t really do it justice, and you won’t regret it.

If you want something deeper, then try Luke Harding’s ‘A Very Expensive Poison’ which tells Alexander Litvinenko’s story up to the time of his assassination.
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If you want fact, read 'Dream On': One Hacker's Challenge to Break Par in a Year.

I really enjoyed this.
 
The Great War For Civilisation is sitting in front of me for the last 2 months -it looks good when people call but I haven't read 1 of the almost 1500pages.
 
wilsonl said:
If you want fact, read 'Dream On': One Hacker's Challenge to Break Par in a Year.

I really enjoyed this.
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Read this a few months ago, and now know why I'm a rubbish golfer.
Timothy Payne Galway's 'Inner Game of Golf' is another in the same vein, though easier to put into practice.
 
I worked hard on my golf without much success until I found an old copy of Patrick Campbell’s How to Become a Scratch Golfer, circa 1963, which mainly entailed hanging around the clubhouse and putting green, looking the part with a well worn glove and an armoury of plausible excuses if anyone ever saw you hitting a shot. Funny read and although it’s a “vintage” book with price accordingly you can still pick it up cheaply from Amazon or e-bay https://www.amazon.co.uk/Become-Scratch-Golfer-Patrick-Campbell/dp/0218512902
 
Over Christmas:

Prophet Song, disturbing imagining of a despotic political takeover in Ireland. Booker winner, but only my third favourite from the short list. (This Other Eden should have won imo).

Chip War, Chris Miller. The evolution and fragility of the semiconductor industry. I worked in silicon my whole career and found this book compelling. Don't need a techie background to devour this.
 
Mike bought me a book for Christmas called Kick the Latch. It’s about American racing and is up for some awards. It’s based on a series of interviews and is described as ‘vividly capturing the arc of one woman’s life at the racetrack’. Just about to start it.
 
moehat said:
Mike bought me a book for Christmas called Kick the Latch. It’s about American racing and is up for some awards. It’s based on a series of interviews and is described as ‘vividly capturing the arc of one woman’s life at the racetrack’. Just about to start it.
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Finished it. It’s a read in one session book but I spread it out over a few days. Fascinating little book. I’d love to know what anyone more knowledgeable of American racing would think of it. It reminded me a bit of a very condensed version of Jane Smiley’s Horse Heaven.
 
My reads since last update, with my now famous Grasshopper reviews:


The Right To Rule (Ben Riley-Smith) - Treatise of umpteen years of useless Tory Govts, so a combination of schadnefruede and utter despair.

The Fall of Boris Johnson (Sebastian Payne) - exactly what you'd expect, and all the more engaging for it.

Out of The Blue: The Unexpected Rise & Rapid Fall of Liz Truss (Harry Cole & James Heale) - Hastily re-written pre-publication in an attempt to match the speed of the idiot Truss's downfall.

Billion Dollar Whale (Tom Wright & Bradley Hope) - Recommended. Tale about how one brazen maniac managed to take advantage (birds, booze, the fu*cking lot) of the corruption around the Malaysian Sovereign Wealth Fund.

Politics On the Edge (Rory Stewart) - A crie-de-couer about the wretched state of UK politics, written by a man seemingly in denial about his true political alignment.

Flawless (Scott Selby & Greg Campbell) - True-story about the world's largest-ever diamond heist in Antwerp.

Mafia Republic (John Dickie) - Historical and contemporary account of Cosa Nostra, Commorra and 'nDrangheta crime organisations.

Blood Covenant (Michael Franzese) - Biographical account of made-man/captain in the Colombo family, who found God and left the Mob largely unscathed. Get's a bit 'praise Jebus' in parts though.

Gomorrah (Roberto Saviano) - The book which inspired the TV series.

But What Can I Do? (Alastair Campbell) - downloaded but not started.


Seems I still spend a fair amount of my time reading about cu*nts of one type or another.
 
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I’m so depressed by current political stuff ( mainly the thought that Trump might actually be president again: I mean, how can it even be possible??) that I’m reading all the children’s fantasy fiction that I bought for my granddaughter. I need pure escapism. ( I have just bought Rory’s The Places Inbetween, though).
 
Grasshopper said:
My reads since last update, with my now famous Grasshopper reviews:


The Right To Rule (Ben Riley-Smith) - Treatise of umpteen years of useless Tory Govts, so a combination of schadnefruede and utter despair.

I will download a few of these and try them
The Fall of Boris Johnson (Sebastian Payne) - exactly what you'd expect, and all the more engaging for it.

Out of The Blue: The Unexpected Rise & Rapid Fall of Liz Truss (Harry Cole & James Heale) - Hastily re-written pre-publication in an attempt to match the speed of the idiot Truss's downfall.

Billion Dollar Whale (Tom Wright & Bradley Hope) - Recommended. Tale about how one brazen maniac managed to take advantage (birds, booze, the fu*cking lot) of the corruption around the Malaysian Sovereign Wealth Fund.

Politics On the Edge (Rory Stewart) - A crie-de-couer about the wretched state of UK politics, written by a man seemingly in denial about his true political alignment.

Flawless (Scott Selby & Greg Campbell) - True-story about the world's largest-ever diamond heist in Antwerp.

Mafia Republic (John Dickie) - Historical and contemporary account of Cosa Nostra, Commorra and 'nDrangheta crime organisations.

Blood Covenant (Michael Franzese) - Biographical account of made-man/captain in the Colombo family, who found God and left the Mob largely unscathed. Get's a bit 'praise Jebus' in parts though.

Gomorrah (Roberto Saviano) - The book which inspired the TV series.

But What Can I Do? (Alastair Campbell) - downloaded but not started.


Seems I still spend a fair amount of my time reading about cu*nts of one type or another.
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Nice list Nick

I'll download a few and see what similar I've read this year
 
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Not read the Post Office Scandal but have recently been watching Jason Beer in court (on Youtube). Absolutely fascinating. Can't wait for Paula Vennells to give her evidence.

Tentative link to bring my post back to horse racing. If you haven't yet read "Post Office" by Charles Bukowsi then I suggest that now would be as good a time as any
 
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