Read any good books?

[slowmotion]

Try Raymond Chandler. All his Philip Marlowe thrillers are simply excellent. It's a great shame that there are only a handful of them.

https://www.deadgoodbooks.co.uk/raymond-chandler-philip-marlowe-books-in-order/

 

[Scotty55]

+1 for Bernard Cornwell, I've yet to find a bad book from him and he sounds up your street.

Lee Child, the Jack Reacher books have been excellent but the last couple I didn't think were as good - he appears to be sharing writing duties now which may be related...

Read a lot of them a while back, but they became very formulaic. I don't think he's sharing the writing - I think his brother is doing it all now under the pen name Lee Child.

 

[oldwheels]

I heard "The great railway bazaar" read on the radio many years ago and it was indeed very good. Having read his follow up "The old pategonian express" or whatever it was he did very much come across as a miserable sod. He was very scathing about mere tourists whilst he was a "traveller", presumably more worthy as he was determined to have a miserable time whilst they were frivolously enjoying their trip.

Nothing to do directly with Theroux but I think there is a difference between tourists and travellers.
I see a lot of tourists and they very often travel in herds and are more interested in ticking boxes than anything else.
Sea eagles : done that - tick
Otters : saw one yesterday - tick
and so it goes on.
Travellers are more interested in the journey and are more solitary and have more interest in their surroundings. There are a lot of passing touring cyclists for example who I would not classify as tourists.
A fine distinction perhaps but it is there.

 

[GetFatty]

Oh I see. I don’t do twitter. Facebook keeps me in touch with my friends, everything else goes straight over my head.

She's in trouble for suggesting there is such a thing as a woman

 

[cyberknight]

Working through Sagan's book.its ok and worth it but not as good as some I have read

 

[Supersuperleeds]

Read a lot of them a while back, but they became very formulaic. I don't think he's sharing the writing - I think his brother is doing it all now under the pen name Lee Child.

The last one (The Sentinel) he wrote with his brother, who has the pen name Andrew Child. Better off Dead, which is due out in October, is also co written.

 

[Saluki]

She's in trouble for suggesting there is such a thing as a woman

Oh, I see. Do we not exist then?

Finished Book 5 in the series. Seen the television series versions of 1-4 so have now started on book 1. She writes a very good book. Those characters appear so real, you can smell their shampoo.

 

[Gasman]

Anything by Chris(topher) Brookmyre, particularly those featuring Jack Parlabane or Angelique de Xavier although it must be said that while you don't have to be from the West of Scotland to appreciate these books, it certainly helps.

Jay Stringer has written some Glasgow based books with a similar vibe.

 

[Gillstay]

Anything by Chris(topher) Brookmyre, particularly those featuring Jack Parlabane or Angelique de Xavier although it must be said that while you don't have to be from the West of Scotland to appreciate these books, it certainly helps.

Jay Stringer has written some Glasgow based books with a similar vibe.

Yep, Brookmyre is fab, great to see how his books have developed from early editions as well.

 

[Gillstay]

Apt on both counts.

As good as the Great grain Race ?

 

[Eziemnaik]

The Silk Roads - huge in scope and size, never realized how much we owe to Mongols 5/5
Bangkok Days - love letter to a city, full of hilarious stories and Unbelievable characters 5/5
The power of the dog - fictionalised history of the war on drugs, feels like a document 5/5

 

[Arrowfoot]

As good as the Great grain Race ?

You mean Eric Newby's Last Grain Race. Haven't read it. Will it give it go.

 

[Arrowfoot]

[/QUOTE]

I heard "The great railway bazaar" read on the radio many years ago and it was indeed very good. Having read his follow up "The old pategonian express" or whatever it was he did very much come across as a miserable sod. He was very scathing about mere tourists whilst he was a "traveller", presumably more worthy as he was determined to have a miserable time whilst they were frivolously enjoying their trip.

That's well observed and exactly my issue, he'll only travel in sleeper cars on trains, and then in the same breath he berates tourists in 3rd class who aren't "proper" travellers like he is, suffereing for his art.
In Ghost Train he attacks Michael Palin for "not being a proper traveller", assuming he has a make up artist and a man to carry his bags. Paul, I couldn't give a fig, he's a fantastic travel presenter.
And then he likes to spot people reading his books, and takes too much pride in revealing himself as "the great author"! Why he has to mention that is beyond me, just pure ego I presume.

It's a shame because as I say, his accounts are so well written and (generally) a fabulous read.

Try Dervla Murphy's travel books. Keen cyclist as well. Marvellous and always one with the people that she meets. No airs whatsoever.

Never heard of her until I saw a closing down sale at a bookstore and found the only travel book. What a find. Complete contrast to Theorux in the human aspect.

 

[Gillstay]

You mean Eric Newby's Last Grain Race. Haven't read it. Will it give it go.

Yep that's the one and his Short walk in the Hindu kush is good as well.

 

[Gillstay]

Try Dervla Murphy's travel books. Keen cyclist as well. Marvellous and always one with the people that she meets. No airs whatsoever.

Never heard of her until I saw a closing down sale at a bookstore and found the only travel book. What a find. Complete contrast to Theorux in the human aspect.
[/QUOTE]
I like the fact she stats her first bike trip with a .22 pistol in her packing if I remember correctly. Proper travelling, that is !