Jump to content

Recommended Posts

  • 3 weeks later...

Peckhamgatecrasher Wrote:

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

> I finished No Highway by Neville Shute in the wee,

> small hours of this morning. Very nicely written

> and with splashes of humour, slightly frothy in

> places but not in a yukky way.

>


What are the odds, I too read this a couple of weeks ago, it's a cracker! If you like the old lurid Pan paperbacks they have quite a few other Shutes in the the secondhand bookshop by Balham station. Leave some for me, though!

  • 1 month later...

TillieTrotter Wrote:

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

> Just finished a couple of good 'uns. Dissolution

> by C.J. Sansom, a murder mystery set in Henry VIII

> Dissolution of the Monasteries. Very good.

>

> Affinity by Sarah Waters, very sapphic undertones

> with a great twist at the end.


I really didn't like Affinity. But Fingersmith (Sarah Waters again) was amazing, you have to read it. I think it's her best book. But I haven't read NightWatch - has anyone on here?


Currently reading American Gods by Neil Gaiman. It's easy reading, and I'm not feeling too energetic....

After such a long time in the reading doldrums, ie never finding a novel that grabbed me enough to take me away on its full fathom fantasy, or not really ever being arsed to make the effort to truly get stuck in, I have just read "Pictures at an Exhibition" by Patrick Gale. It was brilliant. Amazingly structured, brimming with terrific characters and driven along with brooding multi-faceted storylines. Wow. Why did I not know of this guy before? Anyone else read any of his stuff?
  • 2 months later...

I have just discovered Jan Struther online. She was the author of "Mrs Miniver", articles in The Times that was made into a film.


They are a delicious slice of the thirties and as they are articles, one can dip in and out.


Not as comfortable as squishing up on a sofa, but unless anyone out there has the book form, I shall continue to peer into the screen.

  • 1 month later...

I'm reading Ruskie: Beers, Bears & Babushkas by Matthew Francis (a first effort by a very good friend of mine). His style is very much like the late, great Douglas Adams (not quite as good yet of course!). Here's a a description from http://www.authorhouse.com/BookStore/ItemDetail.aspx?bookid=59114

Ruskie: Beers, Bears & Babushkas shows a picture of Russia, Russian Business and the Russian People as they really are. Admittedly, they don?t all drink copious amounts of Vodka but some of them do. Not all Russian women threaten to cut off their fingers as proof of their love for someone, then again some of them do. In general, Businessmen in Moscow don?t go around shooting their competitors in order to make sure their business succeeds, but, you guessed it, once again some of them still do! Matthew Francis, a young Englishman, arrives to set up a ?Western Style? consulting practice in Moscow and gives a hilarious account of the pleasures and perils of being a Brit in Russia. Faster than a Russian woman chasing a designer handbag, scarier than being threatened by the Moscow Mafia, and sexier than watching Maria Sharapova play tennis in her underwear. Or maybe not! One thing for sure, this is a story of the Real Russia, the Russia you definitely don?t read about in the newspapers!

Check out the 'Roma sub rosa' series. It follows the exploit/adventures of a detective in ancient Rome. It's by a Texan writer called Steven Saylor.


I don't usually re-read books but I've also just re-finished Alistair Mclean's 'Ice station zebra', a cold war classic!

  • 6 years later...
Just finished John Irving's The Water Method Man which I was a bit disappointed with to be honest. Though quite humorous it wasn't really until towards the end that I finally started to quite enjoy it and which by then was too late. Not one of his best. However, I've just started Let It Bleed, which is another Ian Rankin Inspector Rebus detective novel and I know I'm solid ground here as they never disappoint.

Just finished Penelope Lively's "Ammonites and something else". Most succinct description of the Suez Crisis I've ever read. The rest was a bit meh.


Am two chapters in of "The Last Rosette" by one of the Pullein-Thompson sisters. (Can't be bothered to get up and look which one). Absolutely topping. Not for Aquarius Moon and her ilk though, descriptions of fox hunting and hunt carcasse stores abound. I am transported back to my childhood, and I still want a pony for Christmas.

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

    • Most churches rent out halls for children's' parties but rarely adult parties, Christ Church only does afternoon parties,   The East Dulwich Community centre hires out halls to 9 pm only and all music needs to be on a sound restrictor as is in a residential area. St Johns with St Clements have a small hall but not sure if they allow adult parties. Nunhead Green has a newish community centre with a couple of different size halls. Most places seem to charge around £40 ph  with a deposit of £100/200 (returned if no damage or excess cleaning needed.
    • Hello, Recently there have been various comments made on the forum which have resulted in heated discussions being had. I for one, hold up my hand and wanted to personally thank whoever is keeping the forum going.. remember when it was likely to close. We are all adults and should known when it is right to continue or just ignore or if really feel it necessary comment via pm. I have had a long relationship with the forum and have bought, sold, offered advice and in deed made friends on the forum over the years. It is a public forum after all and everyone is entitled to express their opinion and is also free. I am not as tech minded as most but with the season of good will approaching and-knowing in this economic climate how many people are  struggling, I  thought it would be a lovely idea, to perhaps set up a just giving page to raise funds for a local charity who might appreciate a contribution towards their Christmas festivities… On a practical side, might just be to complicated to administer as I am sure all have charities that we support so my other thought was not me, as I am useless but to set up a just giving page and whatever monies are raised, perhaps contribute to the festivities that use to be run by local shops or whatever.. Maybe even use a local church hall and just make it special for perhaps folk that find it difficult to access events or no access for say wheel chair users.. guess really, one is looking for guidance from the church and of course volunteers. Shoot me down if you must or feel the need but this is my view and no, sadly I won’t be around in the months before Christmas but can help remotely.      
    • Hi all Does anyone know someone who can make a window seat cushion and cover? See image of window seat. Thank you.
    • Don't know why but it seems like there have been impromptu fireworks since early September. At one point I even wondered if there was a shooting range or something like that over Dulwich Hamlet way- the direction where the firework sounds seem to be coming from? Is there some kind of new, fireworks craze going on and where are people getting them, out of season?
Home
Events
Sign In

Sign In



Or sign in with one of these services

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