Jump to content

Recommended Posts

The End of Mr Y by Scarlett someone.

You can borrow my copy if you like.

A clever piece about a PhD student who comes across a secret to do with her ex profressor and goes back in time via some weird concoction and solves a mystery and it's brilliant and I started reading it again as soon as I finished!


I am also following this thread for ideas. I have a week in France coming up with no internet connection and probably not even vodafone either. The book needs to be fabulous...!

I second 'One Day'.


Penny Vincenzi's latest is an excellent beach read apart from it's a bit heavy to hold (I think it's called The Best of Times' or something like that). If you'd like something naff and entertaining Harriet Evans' 'A Hopeless Romantic' is harmless fun although the first chapters were a bit slow. 'A Spring Affair' by Milly Johnson was excellent froth, better than Harriet.


I think the best beach read ever is Penny Vincenzi's 'The spoils of time' trilogy. Oh, so addictive. In the unlikely event that you've never read 'Cloud Atlas' my David Mitchell that is an excellent book as well.


I can't help but mention my favourite book, Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami. I reckon it could just about scrape in as a beach read :))

Ooh, Murakami, good shout - I think I've read all of his, but might trawl the list to make sure.


One Day, I've never even heard of, let alone read, so I will definitely take a look. Although you should know Sean, that being a contrary sort, much like your good self, I have never read Captain Corelli's Mandolin, so everyone else's reading it is something of a turn off.


Notes from an Exhibition I have read and enjoyed, but you're right Citizen, I think it might have lacked the element of froth, of joie de vivre I'm hoping for.


PR, just looked up The End of Mr Y, and this from the Indie: "I don't know any other book that has made me, or anyone, simultaneously ponder the mating logistics of rodents, turn-of-the-century homeopathy and the consequences of time travel." Sounds brilliant and bonkers.

Apathy For The Devil - Nick Kent.

The Hollywood Omnibus - PG Wodehouse.

The Very Best Of Linda Smith.

Watch Your Back - Donald E. Westlake (in fact any of his 'Dortmunder' novels, actually any of his books at all).

Any of the 'Burglar' novels by Lawrence Block.

The Beatles - Hunter Davies (the fourtieth anniversary edition).

All of the 'Hitler' books - Spike Milligan.


I reckon these'll keep the balance between compulsively readable and not being so nauseating as to have to 'appear' on a daytime chatshow or Vanessa Phelps's radio Saturday love-in/shitefestival.


These are books that'll make you look like you 'know a bit' and that you might have 'half an idea' about various things and suchlike, but won't stop anyone coming up and asking 'Fancy a beer'?

Don't know about your good self RosieH, but that's really the only reason I read in public.


Let me know how you get on.

You're not wrong there Honnie. I spent a whole summer in the South of France trying to read Satre's Age of Reason in the belief it might give me some french lady action...in reality dear old Stephanie from Dundee wouldn't have given a shite if it had been Archer....although I have fond memories (of Steph not Satre).

???? Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> You're not wrong there Honnie. I spent a whole

> summer in the South of France trying to read

> Satre's Age of Reason in the belief it might give

> me some french lady action...in reality dear old

> Stephanie from Dundee wouldn't have given a shite

> if it had been Archer....although I have fond

> memories (of Steph not Satre).


Quids, I bet when Steph approached you it was the 'Hell, it's another people' line that hooked her.

Never fails to make one look strangely interesting, that.

???? Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I feel we're missing an opportunity for a

> "Dickens" joke...can someone please set it up?


Q. What might the stage name be of a late 19th century orphan who flees a life of crime, gets set up with a kindly old fellow and then pursues his lifelong ambition of being a world-class contortionist?

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Latest Discussions

    • London doesn’t have a lot of Argentinian places specialising in empanadas, which suggests demand isn’t that great. There are many neighbourhoods with none at all or even nearby.  So for a mini-chain like Chango (several branches in SW London) to open here where there’s already a well established family run place doing the same feels a bit off.  I’ll be giving Chacarero my ongoing custom. 
    • This is so helpful, everyone, thank you. @green bean Yes we have just (as of yesterday) installed the same external blinds you mention! We already had blackout blinds and we now have the external awnings too. Of course that will guarantee the end of the summer sunshine but I can see that they're going to be helpful as they let the light through but not the glare of the sun - I'm fed up of working in darkness with both the blackout blinds closed on sunny days. We'll see how we go with those for a bit but I reckon we'll get a couple of quotes from the other recommendations in case we end up going the whole hog. @penfold Love the idea of getting solar+batteries to offset the electricity usage so will look into that.  Thanks, all.
    • Yes Sally, I've emailed him several times since Xmas. I don't contact Councillors frequently but when I've done so over the years, I've found them generally engaged and responsive. It's unprecedented to just be ignored and, regardless of the query I'm raising, that's worrying from the point of view of  our local democratic voice. Its a Councillors role to represent local people! A different thread on here made reference to a lack of response from one of our ward councillors and, since there are only two, I'm guessing it's the same one. I'm following up my own concern separately but I'm asking on here about whether others have had the same problem. I'd like to think it's a one-off but, increasingly, I suspect it's not. Hope that gives a bit more context!
Home
Events
Sign In

Sign In



Or sign in with one of these services

Search
×
    Search In
×
×
  • Create New...