Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat
Chatting => Chatting on the Plot => Topic started by: mumofstig on September 26, 2023, 18:05
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With the change of season upon us, I thought this might interest some of us, especially through the colder months, when there isn't much gardening going on.
Tell us about your favourite books, new ones you have just bought to read, quotes, poetry (yours or published) you get the picture :)
Your starter for 10 which seems apt here. (Remember Bamber Gascoigne?)
"The person, be it gentleman or lady, who has not pleasure in a good novel, must be intolerably stupid."
Jane Austen - Northanger Abbey.
Over to you...
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What a lovely idea, Well my husband unbeknown to me got me 'In the shadow of the rising sun' by Olga Henderson. Surviving A Prisoner of war Childhood. A very good read i can not leave it alone.
Appartently she was on the One Show sometime this year, hubby new i liked those sort of books, i enjoyed
Ann Frank as well.
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Chatting with Mrs Growster earlier this year, 'A town like Alice' by Nevil Shute was mentioned several times as one of our favourite books, and indeed, a quick foray into 'World of Books' and 'Music Magpie' found a copy, and while we were on, I selected a few more for good measure, they were going to cost peanuts!
We both went through 'A town like Alice' in a few days, and were hooked - for the second time!
I first read the story in exactly one day, as I'd refused to move an inch in bed - except for mercy visits - to avoid the impending nasties from mumps! I'd never been so absorbed in a book that quickly before!
The next ones by Nevil Shute have just got better and better, with 'Round the bend' being excellent,'The Far Country' turning out to be a fantastic, emotional yarn, and recently, I finished 'Trustee from the Toolroom', which in my opinion must be one of the best books I've ever read! I was even dreaming about the plot during the only night between starting and finishing the story, and while there was the lingering considered inkling of the outcome, there were so many surprises in the second half that I just couldn't put it down!
I think I've got three more before I've read the lot...
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Looking through my "library" and not including garden books, I have decided to choose Winnie the Pooh for starters. Loved it as a child but, on reading it again not long ago, it's quite deep and there's more to it than one would have realised in earlier years. Poor morose Eeyore, but look how his friends rally round him when his tail comes off. They just love him for what he is. A lesson to be learnt in life. Hunting the Woozle is just a supreme example of two pals doing something so silly but in total innocence at the same time. How often have we been there, well, I think I'm near or at the front of the queue! :lol:
I've also read the book about Spinalonga the leper colony which I have visited twice and it is a beautiful yet wistful place as so well portrayed in the book.
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MOS - fabulous choice of topic and I promise not to do too many replies! :nowink: Here's my poem about our dear late cat called Spikey.
"Spikey's a cat. A dog he's not.
He hunts all night then he sleeps a lot.
Spikey's a tom because he's male.
He is twelve and so is his tail.
Spikey is big. He's got big claws.
He sticks them out of the end of his paws.
Spikey is black. His eyes are yellow.
He really is a splendid fellow."
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I'm' clearing out our bookshelves as we are downsizing, four bed etc, etc, to something smaller. I've re-read all my Mauve Binchy's, keeping them, the Jilly Coopers can go, don't know why they were the books 'I had to have'. All of my Trisha Ashleys are staying as are the Erica James'. Don't you dare remove any of T.P.'s books or I will set Chrsyophrase on you. (Don't think I've spelt his name right, hope he'll forgive me).
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I can really highly recommend Brian Bilston, a poet. His poems are short, sometimes humorous and sometimes thought-provoking.
I bought his "Days like these" book for my Mum - its subtitle is "An alternative guide to the year in 366 poems". She is loving it.
Perhaps a present for someone for their birthday or approaching other festival?
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Bill Bryson is good for a laugh and a read about his views as to where he is and what he thinks of it. The Appalachian trail one is especially interesting and there is a film about it starring Robert Redford and Nick Nolte with Emma Thompson.
Alan Bennett is a different kettle of fish. His "Talking Heads" DVDs are superb. I have his memoirs in a book where he mentions his mum being put into a mental institution which was Lancaster Moor Hospital where I used to work in the lab next door to the mortuary. When his mother died there, he describes the pathologist to a T. His name was Doctor Beeson and I worked with him. A more intelligent person you couldn't wish to find but he had a rather cadaverous face which Alan Bennett found rather un-nerving.
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Ok, another poem from me just to stimulate this thread - yeah right! :lol:
Peek-a-boo!
I can see you hiding over there.
No-one else can see you
It’s not fair!
I tried to tell them yesterday.
Oh! What an altercation.
Because you beggers went and hid
They upped my medication.
Don’t think you’ve got away from me.
I put my pills in matron’s tea!
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We've both been through all the Patricia Cornwell books over the last year or so! There's a new one out now, which looks pretty good! The Scarpetta Novels are all fabulous reading!
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I've also read them but, if I've got the right one, isn't she the one with the irritating know-it-all daughter or niece?
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One of my all time favourite books is "Winterdance" by Gary Paulsen. It's only a smallish book, all about deciding to run the Iditarod, the gathering of the motley dog team and the trials, tribulations and successes of a tough journey. No other book has affected me so emotionally, one minute laughing until it hurt and the next in tears. I have read it over and over and will never part with my copy.
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I've also read them but, if I've got the right one, isn't she the one with the irritating know-it-all daughter or niece?
Yes, that's the one!
Trouble is, she's started writing in the first person present, (not sure if there's such a term), which is sometimes irritating - I may just get it from the library and see what happens!
Mrs Growster is currently devouring all Rebecca Shaw's books - again...
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Try Tess Gerritsen because I got a couple of books from the local library and found they were really good, well written and weren't all the same repeated crimes re-hashed.
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Try Tess Gerritsen because I got a couple of books from the local library and found they were really good, well written and weren't all the same repeated crimes re-hashed.
Many thanks, I'll ask her!
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Ian Rankin Rebus read them in date order as it is an ongoing story cant help thinking of the tv characters when reading Ken Stott etc. also Mark Billingham and Michael Connelly [Harry Bosch].
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Mark Billingham is very good - Thorne is a brilliant character! I've got another one of his stashed away, so will get it out...!
Have you read any of David Hewson's books? Try 'The Killing' Trilogy! Must be read in order for a fabulous read!
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Yes, I've read his books as well.
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I'm reading Seven Stones to Stand or Fall, a collection of short stories that slot into/between the main Outlander series of books (9 so far)
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Having read Nevil Shute's 'On the beach' and finishing it last evening; feeling suitably, and utterly, sadly depressed too, I'm on H.E.Bates 'My Uncle Silas' stories at the moment to cheer myself up...:0(
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Looking out of the back door porch when the sunrise happens and I see the dark silhouette of the leaves on the apple trees, they so remind me of something in the book "The History of Mr Polly" where he describes the same thing about nettle leaves looking like pagodas.
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Just finished Paul Eddington's biog.
He did a heck of a lot more than just 'The Good Life', and 'Yes Minister'! Some of the theatre stories are pretty interesting, and he never seemed to be out of work!
The first time I ever remember seeing him, was in a TV series called 'Hine', back in 1971. He had a part which was diametrically opposite to his Quaker/pacifist views in that particular programme!
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Waiting for my next book, The Princes in the Tower: Solving History's Greatest Cold Case by Philippa Langley, to arrive.
This is the lady, you may recall, whose research lead to the dig that found Richard III.
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Waiting for my next book, The Princes in the Tower: Solving History's Greatest Cold Case by Philippa Langley, to arrive.
This is the lady, you may recall, whose research lead to the dig that found Richard III.
We watched a film about that only recently, but I just cannot remember what it was called!
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Think it was on 3 or 4 days ago, but I missed it. There will be much more detail in the book, though :)
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What channel was that on, please, as I must have missed it and could watch it on catch up.
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Channel 4
https://www.channel4.com/programmes/the-princes-in-the-tower-the-new-evidence
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I watched that - it was utterly fascinating!
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Apols, the article I watched was on YouTube, and just about Richard III...
You can search and find quite a lot of similar items on the main YT website!
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Thanks MoS, I'll give that a look.
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Next book just arrived - The Running Grave by Robert Galbraith (the latest in the Strike series)
:)
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Next book just arrived - The Running Grave by Robert Galbraith (the latest in the Strike series)
:)
That was quick!
I'm afraid that I gave up on 'The Ink Black Heart', as I found the constant 'messaging' pages a bit confusing!
By coincidence, one of our neighbours is David Crabtree, who is assistant director of several Strike films, and I mentioned this to him and he told me that several of his friends in 'the business', thought the same...
Perhaps I should give it another go!
The other books are superb though!
I'm reading 'Young Prince Philip' by Philip Eade at the moment, and that really is an eye-opener! A certain prince in the US could do well to understand what it was really like to become a Royal back then!
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Growster: I'm reading 'Young Prince Philip' by Philip Eade at the moment, and that really is an eye-opener! A certain prince in the US could do well to understand what it was really like to become a Royal back then!
That looks like another one to put on the list... :)
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Next book just arrived - The Running Grave by Robert Galbraith (the latest in the Strike series)
:)
That was quick!
I'm afraid that I gave up on 'The Ink Black Heart', as I found the constant 'messaging' pages a bit confusing!
By coincidence, one of our neighbours is David Crabtree, who is assistant director of several Strike films, and I mentioned this to him and he told me that several of his friends in 'the business', thought the same...
Perhaps I should give it another go!
The other books are superb though!
I'm reading 'Young Prince Philip' by Philip Eade at the moment, and that really is an eye-opener! A certain prince in the US could do well to understand what it was really like to become a Royal back then!
Oh my, I thought it was just me! Love all the books up until the Ink Black Heart - broke the habits of a lifetime and actually pre-ordered it (in hardback) but found it not a patch on the others and really hard going (I almost said 'tedious'.... oh what the heck - tedious!) Shame, so I have decided to view it as an aberration and will be getting the Running Grave before too long. Lets be honest, she has produced some smashing reads, whether the young adult wizarding stuff, the Casual Vacancy and then these Strike books so I feel we should accept that even someone as talented as she clearly is has an occasional 'off day'.
Actually bought a couple of books published by Amazon - 'Sergeant Pilot' (like the author's father, my own father was a (Flight) Sergeant Pilot once old enough (1941 onwards) and the other book was 'On Her Majesty's Nuclear Service' which was a bit of an incestuous read given that I served at least once with the author including the patrol which features largely in the first half of the book.
Reading keeps me sane. Sane-ish. Think I shoudl have my own mug at World of Books I hit their site so often!
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Hamsters, it's a shame about 'The Ink Black Heart', because up to then, I found the Strike novels to be some of the best reads I'd had in years!
I mentioned earlier, that I was reading 'On the beach', which is about as depressing as anything you can get, but totally absorbing - rather like waking from a bad dream, but getting worse...!
However, the rest of his books have now been 'Growstered', and read avidly, and as you mention flying in your family, try some of his stories, if you haven't already! 'Trustee from the toolroom' is possibly one of the best stories I've ever read, and as you're a qaulifieded WOBist, and probably a Serial MusicMagpieist as well, if you haven't read any of his books recently, it's well worth Wiki-ing the story lines, as there are several stories with flight, sailing, engineering and navigation and these subjects just make me close down from the outer world and join in the story!
Happy Christmas to you and yours!
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Hamsters, it's a shame about 'The Ink Black Heart', because up to then, I found the Strike novels to be some of the best reads I'd had in years!
I mentioned earlier, that I was reading 'On the beach', which is about as depressing as anything you can get, but totally absorbing - rather like waking from a bad dream, but getting worse...!
However, the rest of his books have now been 'Growstered', and read avidly, and as you mention flying in your family, try some of his stories, if you haven't already! 'Trustee from the toolroom' is possibly one of the best stories I've ever read, and as you're a qaulifieded WOBist, and probably a Serial MusicMagpieist as well, if you haven't read any of his books recently, it's well worth Wiki-ing the story lines, as there are several stories with flight, sailing, engineering and navigation and these subjects just make me close down from the outer world and join in the story!
Happy Christmas to you and yours!
Thanks, Growster, and a Merry Christmas to you also, same goes for everyone on the site.
Read pretty well all of his books over the years - one random observation is that they contained more than most modern books given that the number of lines per page etc seems to have been rather denser than is the norm these days.
His books used to be fairly popular patrol reading material. One that I still enjoy is 'Round the bend', likewise 'The Far Country' . I often re-read books I have had for years, especially when up and alert (ahem) in the wee small hours and many authors of the period repay a (selective) revisit.
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Next book just arrived - The Running Grave by Robert Galbraith (the latest in the Strike series)
:)
I just started reading a Strike book last night, couldn't put it down and dropped off with book and glasses at about 5.am They are written by JK Rowling AKA Robert Galbraith Excellent reading. I must look for the new one.
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Spend quite a bit of time at the punk festivals at the literary stage.
A lot of poets I like to listen to, one of my favourite is Attila The Stockbroker.
Have a couple of his books and love the poems.
I was gutted to hear of the death Benjamin the other week, loved watching the Life and Rhymes program and listening to a lot of his work.
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I have just finished a Strike novel - Troubled Blood. It is 1076 pages long, so it has taken a little while. I feel like I have lost some friends now. But I do have the new one to carry on. Mrs Bouquet
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Troubled blood is a superb story Mrs B!
Having demolished all the Nevil Shute stories, I thought I'd try another writer from a few years later - Hammond Innes.
I bought five in an omnibus, (WOB), and started to read the first one, which just didn't seem to grab me well, then the second was about whaling, which is an abhorrence as far as I'm converned, so sadly, that ain't a good start!
So it's back to a re-read of 'The Fox', by Frederick Forsyth, and as is the norm with his stories, they start to get exciting from the first page! I read it years ago, and luckily can't remember the plot - so far...!
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Read Trustee from the Toolroom several times and must be due a reread soon. Shute's autobiography is a good read as well; might be there he wrote "An engineer is somebody who can do for ten bob what any fool can do for a pound".
Eric Ambler is good value as well.
I chat to a neighbour who is a Jungian Psychotherapist which led me onto a sort of Jung for Dummies book. OK if taken in small bites
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Many thanks, Candide, that's the one book I haven't read, so just ordered!
'Trustee from the toolroom' is a riveting story - and I might just break my rule and read it again very soon...
I haven't ever tried Eric Ambler for some reason, so will certainly check him out now! Thanks for the tip!
Just ordered 'The art of Coarse Cricket' by Spike Hughes... I must have read the Michael Green books a zillion times over the years, and they always make me laugh, but for some odd reason, through some sort of misguided loyalty to the great man, I've never read this one!
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I love Strike novel, and read them more than once. I am struggling at the moment with "The Silkworm" about a missing author. Is this a spooky book ? If so not good for reading at 3 am maybe. Any readers advice please. Mrs Bouquet
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'The Silkworm' is a superb story Mrs B!
3.00am may be a bit late/early to be reading it, but 'spooky' (e.g.ghostly) stuff isn't really what Strike and Robin go in for and it's not their style! The story is logical, sometimes complicated but well worth getting to the end!
I didn't actually buy it, but Hawkhurst Library complied as they always do!
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Thanks Growster, I have read a good bit now, and ignored the bit about Owen's book and what has happened to him - gruesome. I am intrigued by the outcome, so will carry on to the end. Mrs B
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Just had Charles III - the inside story delivered (it was half price on Amazonia, that's my excuse :D) but I've got to finish The Princes in the Tower by Philippa Langley first, and that's a real whodunnit ::)
My bookcase is filling up quickly, since I stopped watching much on the box :nowink:
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Just read one of the Shetland novels that I picked up on a charity table the other day. Really enjoyed it, was called Blue Lightening by Ann Cleeves. Will go and search out more of them now. Not read any of hers before. I like the tv series so this was a bit of a puzzle to place it within what I’ve seen on screen
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I've just started reading the 'Lessons in Chemistry' By Bonnie Garmus. I carnt leave it alone thoughly enjoying
it :)
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Just read one of the Shetland novels that I picked up on a charity table the other day. Really enjoyed it, was called Blue Lightening by Ann Cleeves. Will go and search out more of them now. Not read any of hers before. I like the tv series so this was a bit of a puzzle to place it within what I’ve seen on screen
Hey Snows, that Shetland quartet looks superb!
I must have spent zillions with World of Books, and now they have another tenner!
Thanks so much for the info - it's what we all do here with exploring new reading, as like Mum, our TV is only rarely peered at these days!
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A gentle plea for help, can anyone tell me how to download "The Bird of Dawning" by John Masefield as an audiobook? I listened to it in serial form via the World Service many years ago.
Free would be nice!
Cheers, Tony.
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I finished the Strike novel "The Silkworm". I found lots of clues whilst reading, so I was fairly sure, who done it :D Mrs B