Thetownend.com

Ive just finished Dead Men Risen, about the Welsh Guards in Afghan, very good read. and now started a short history of England by Simon Morton, slow going but well worth it.

I've taken a liking to self-help/improvement type books recently. I'm just re-reading Rich Dad, Poor Dad which makes a lot more sense now that I'm a few years wiser.

Soccernomics as a follow-up to The Numbers Game, both variations on the theme of applying statistical analysis/econometrics to football. It's good in places, and a bit Observer Magazine "Oooh, isn's this fascinating?" (no) in others

The Selfish Gene. Again.

Then you might like the one I'm reading at the moment, called War by Sebastian Junger, a journalist shadowing an elite US unit in Afghanistan, but mainly about getting under the skin of what combat is like, and what it does to the minds of people who engage in it. He made the documentary Restrepo on the same topic. Fascinating analysis of how people cope with and even get addicted to the brotherhood and adrenaline surge of war.

Reading a collection of plays from the 60's at the moment, all classic "Angry Young Men" stuff by the likes of Wesker, Arden, Bond, Orton and Osbourne.

"Scars" by Damon Maher

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Scars-Damon-Maher/dp/1921005467/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1390302731&sr=8-1&keywords=Damon+Maher

Oh, sorry, that's the one I wrote, not read.

How fucking sad is that ...

 :nod:

Good plugging! :)

It's not a bad read to be fair (I read it a good few years ago now).

You still in Australia BBJ? No new books on the horizon?

I know. I need a new set of golf clubs.

Well it's out of stock so that could be a good thing or a bad thing.  Sold out because of demand?  Sold out because no stock is required? :)

I fancy some classics  next, maybe sophies choice or catcher in the rye?

Just finished a biography of an interesting Wiltshireman, John Aubrey.  Written by Aubrey Burl, entitled John Aubrey and Stone Circles: Britain's First Archaeologist.

Aubrey lived an interesting life at an interesting time, and was very much a man of that time...an enquiring gentleman polymath, who spunked away the family fortune, on poorly chosen ladies, wine, and the endless pursuit of knowledge.

The Restoration had provided a window of opportunity through which the likes of Aubrey and fellow travellers like Edmund Halley, Robert Hooke, Christopher Wren and the daddy Isaac Newton could climb through producing a golden age, documented by the likes of Samuel Pepys.

Ultimately history has judged Aubrey as something of a dilettante...he wrote copiously on a wide variety of subjects, but was rarely organised enough to publish anything. Even the book most notably associated with him, the somewhat salacious Brief Lives, was compiled from his notes left to the Bodleian Library.  Much of his Wiltshire archaeological stuff is still kicking around in note form somewhere in the Bodleian.

I have just got into the quick reads section at my local library, the last one i read was the grey man by Andy McNab, the next book i have to read is Odd Appocolypse by Dean Koontz. I also have 3 more quick reads as well, 2 by Andy McNab & 1 by James Patterson.

Sounds like a man after your own heart Reg!

The latter I expect!

Ah, so you're the one who read it!

Second one out later this year, mate.

 :nod: without the family fortune.

In Singapore now. Still have place on Oz though, will go back eventually. Enjoying Asia at the moment, good fun.

When I retired I always thought I should read some of the "classics" and have just finished Jane Austens "Pride and Prejudice" and it was hard work! so now have just started Ferguson's autobigraphy and finding it very bitty with lots of name dropping which I would suppose is to be expected.

Nice one mate. At least you don't have to listen to them harp on about how good they are at cricket I suppose.


Take your time. :-) Make sure you get a plug or two in on here then. Genuinely thought Scars was a good read although I'm no literary critic.

I'm reading Trainspotting. Been years since I saw the film, so when I saw this in the library, thought I'd give it a go. Really tough going though, all written in Scottish dialect, although the word cunt seems to be spelt the same as on here, and used about as frequently  :)

I'm reading Stillness and Speed, the Bergkamp bio written by David Winner. It's very good but much like his previous Brilliant Orange, you need to be ready to take a broader view of what is pertinent to the main subject.

Still need to finish The Ball is Round though, which is quite brilliant, but I've got bogged down in the Scandinavian leagues in the immediate pre-WW2 era.

I've gone back to reading older stuff I've missed. Just finished Tunnel in the Sky by Robert Heinlein, and started The Drowned World, by J G Ballard. Oh and Viz obviously.

Halfway through Dr Steven Peters' The Chimp Paradox and it's very interesting, certainly makes you think about why you react in certain ways to certain events. Finding it quite calming in my day to day struggles.

Recently finished Morriseys autobiography. It was good, definitely my book of the week

"Oh, Manchester,  so much to answer for...."

I often find myself using that book as a reference when arguing with creationists, It's about time I actually read it fully myself though!

Thunder and Sunshine by Alastair Humphreys. 

2nd Installment of a chap that cycled round the world, this time from Argentina to Alaska, across to Siberia in winter time, down to China and back to UK.

Before that Maelstrom by San Llewellyn.

"Stoner" by John Williams,brilliant

Hare with the Amber Eyes. Edmund de Waal.....extraordinary portrait of the Jewish aristocracy of Europe at the end of C19th and beginning of C20th with a very personal twist as they are ancestors of the author.

I tried reading the prequel to that & that was hard work so i gave up on it.

currently reading harry redknapp's auto biography

Charlie Brookers latest collection of acerbic bile 'I can make you hate' and re reading / listening to in the car Haruki Murakamis 'Kafka on the shore'.

Reading a few things at once as always:

The latest Michael Connelly - can't remember what it's called but it's one of the Mickey Haller series - googled it - it's "The Gods of Guilt"
Listening to Neal Stephenson's "Reamde" in the car
and slowly chewing through "Le Chien Des Baskerville" to try to improve my French reading fluency a bit

I have just finished Andy mcnab's short story Everything Changes, it is really interesting it is like a mini autobiography but mainly focuses on his army training. It is well worth a read & it is only about 100 pages long.

Larry McMurtry's western epic Lonesome Dove. It's a longun but a goodun!

Not long finished Jonathan Wilson's biography of Brian Clough. Bit number heavy (almost gives every single result of his career) but detailed and impartial insight into one of the biggest figures in British football.

Also recently read Secrets of the Conqueror, really interesting account of the sub that sunk the Belgrano and the other things it got up to during the cold war.

Currently working my way through a couple of Le Carré novels.

I've read a few recently after a bit of a lull.  The Heart of The Matter was very good, although I think I've read enough Graham Greene now.  Then I read Solar by Ian McEwen, which was pretty good and darkly funny in places, I'll read something else of his next.  I felt like reading some old favourites after that and went for Hitchhiker's Guide, and Ham on Rye by Charles Burkowski, completely different and both utterly brilliant.

I'll be book hunting again on the weekend, shame the choice is so dire here.  I may even have to buy a kindle on my next trip to England.

I'm managing the Six Book Challenge http://readingagency.org.uk/adults/quick-guides/six-book-challenge/ (http://readingagency.org.uk/adults/quick-guides/six-book-challenge/) here at our College - a campaign which is aimed at reluctant readers. We've signed up nearly 200 students so far.
My challenge was to read 6 books from genres I never usually read - I'm going for Science Fiction, Thrillers, maybe even Mills and Boon!

I've just read The Lewis Man, a murder story set in the Hebrides. Highly recommended if you're into noir Scandinavian-style crime novels with a strong sense of place.

Just finished (again) Hogfather by Saint Pterry of Pratchett and commenced The Secret Race by Tyler Hamilton and Dan Coyle. An easy and absorbing read.

I like the Lee Child "Reacher series", have read them all except the last edition which is on my list to complete.  Half way through The lost Symbol by Dan Brown with Inferno to follow that up.  As with all Dan Brown books it seems to go slow in the middle and that is where I am, hoping it will get going again soon.

Have also read Fergie's autobiography recently along with Neil Warnocks.  Harry Redknaps will be my next footie autobiography.