Which Book Are You Reading thread

[Dr Curmudgeon]

You'd like Recollections of a bleeding heart by Don Watson as Australian politics seems to be your thing.

It's a portrait of Paul Keating.

View attachment 3404

Although Keating described this book as a massive betrayal (IIRC), it's really more about the author IMHO. By his own admission, Watson kept trying to involve himself in the action, completely failing to understand that it wasn't his job.

Interesting read, though.

 

[Dr Curmudgeon]

Keep the political dribble out of this thread please, we have plenty of other places on this forum to do so.

In that case, I'm not sure I should mention Margaret Hickey's latest An Ill Wind.

It's a whodunit set in the fictitious town of Carrabeen in rural Victoria. A local philanthropist and wind farm promoter is found hanging from the blade of one of the local wind turbines. Looks like a suicide at first glance, but it soon becomes apparent that there's a lot more to it.

The book portrays a fair bit of back and forth about the politics of wind farms and their impact on the local community: loss of arable land, perceived side effects, the pros / cons of philanthropy. Interesting sketches of the various points of view.

 

[Decentric]

In that case, I'm not sure I should mention Margaret Hickey's latest An Ill Wind.

It's a whodunit set in the fictitious town of Carrabeen in rural Victoria. A local philanthropist and wind farm promoter is found hanging from the blade of one of the local wind turbines. Looks like a suicide at first glance, but it soon becomes apparent that there's a lot more to it.

The book portrays a fair bit of back and forth about the politics of wind farms and their impact on the local community: loss of arable land, perceived side effects, the pros / cons of philanthropy. Interesting sketches of the various points of view.

Thanks for this suggestion, Dr C.

 

[Decentric]

Although Keating described this book as a massive betrayal (IIRC), it's really more about the author IMHO. By his own admission, Watson kept trying to involve himself in the action, completely failing to understand that it wasn't his job.

Interesting read, though.

Another interesting recommendation.

Ta.

 

[Decentric]

THE HALLMARKED MAN: ROBERT GALBRAITH ( JK Rowlings)

Setting: current England /UK

Genre : crime fiction

Number of pages: 896

Why I chose the book?

Have read all the other 7 books in the series and loved them.

Review:

The protagonists are Private Detective Agency bosses, Cormoran Strike and Robin Ellacott.

Themes in this plot involve freemasonry, the silver antiques trade, media corruption, mental health issues, secrecy involving the military and intelligence services, human trafficking and the relationship between the protagonists.

A woman, Decima Mullins, a restauranter, contacts the Strike/Ellacott Agency to find out whether who she perceives as her partner, is still alive. The police haven't established a definite identity for a body discovered dead. Decima thinks it could be who she perceives to be her partner as the dead person.

The plot is very complex. There are so many characters it is hard to remember them all. IMO it is brilliantly crafted and very entertaining. However, the person who recommended Robert Galbraith to me, couldn't read past 200 odd pages in this book. She stopped reading in utter frustration! She has read all the previous Strike books too.

IMO it is unequivocally close to being the best fiction book I've read! There is superb characterisation, and I thought a great deal of humour. RG uses lots of improvised spelling to indicate various accents and affectations of characters. I could just picture them! It irritates others though.

I like the long length of circa 900 pages with all the entertaining characters and twists and turns in the complex plot. Many times one is led to believe a perpetrator could be possible, then the character dissipates as a suspect.

Then there is the recurring theme in all RG's Strike books, where the bread and butter, more mundane work in the Detective Agency ( 6 PIs employed) is tailing a lot of people contracted by their partner/wife/husband to find out if they are having affairs? They have all sorts of amusing names for the tailed unfaithful partners, or sometimes innocent partners, who have no idea they are being surveilled by a tag team of PIs.

Moreover, Robin and Cormoran are strongly attracted to each other romantically. Both are constantly unsure of the other's romantic feelings towards each other. They are best friends though. I think it is amusing. However, some female readers in particular, I know, are becoming infuriated that no romantic relationship occurs between them after reading all 7-8 books! Both are mindful they don't want to spoil the agency, where they love doing the PI detective work.

RG says she doesn't write romance novels, and wants to keep the genre exclusively crime.

The Hallmarked Man is brilliant IMO. Some others don't agree though.

 

[Dr Curmudgeon]

Operation Mincemeat by Ben Macintyre.

An account of a British WW2 deception operation. The body of a Royal Marine was found floating off the coast of Spain in April 1943. It had a briefcase attached containing top secret letters, implying an immanent Allied invasion of Greece and Sardinia.

All fake. The body was actually that of a Welsh homeless person who'd died from ingesting rat poison. The documents were designed to mislead, implying that the actual planned invasion of Sicily was just a diversion.

Macintyre provides an interesting and very readable account about how the ruse was developed, how it was executed, how the Nazis came to accept the fake story as genuine, and the effects the operation had.

 

[Decentric]

Operation Mincemeat by Ben Macintyre.

An account of a British WW2 deception operation. The body of a Royal Marine was found floating off the coast of Spain in April 1943. It had a briefcase attached containing top secret letters, implying an immanent Allied invasion of Greece and Sardinia.

All fake. The body was actually that of a Welsh homeless person who'd died from ingesting rat poison. The documents were designed to mislead, implying that the actual planned invasion of Sicily was just a diversion.

Macintyre provides an interesting and very readable account about how the ruse was developed, how it was executed, how the Nazis came to accept the fake story as genuine, and the effects the operation had.

Good recount, Dr C.

I've seen this movie advertised somewhere on one the the screening services. Will have to have a look at it. I think it is starring Colin Firth.

I haven't seen the book in bookshops - yet.

 

[Decentric]

THE HALLMARKED MAN: ROBERT GALBRAITH ( JK Rowlings)

Setting: current England /UK

Genre : crime fiction

Number of pages: 896

Why I chose the book?

Have read all the other 7 books in the series and loved them.

Review:

The protagonists are Private Detective Agency bosses, Cormoran Strike and Robin Ellacott.

Themes in this plot involve freemasonry, the silver antiques trade, media corruption, mental health issues, secrecy involving the military and intelligence services, human trafficking and the relationship between the protagonists.

A woman, Decima Mullins, a restauranter, contacts the Strike/Ellacott Agency to find out whether who she perceives as her partner, is still alive. The police haven't established a definite identity for a body discovered dead. Decima thinks it could be who she perceives to be her partner as the dead person.

The plot is very complex. There are so many characters it is hard to remember them all. IMO it is brilliantly crafted and very entertaining. However, the person who recommended Robert Galbraith to me, couldn't read past 200 odd pages in this book. She stopped reading in utter frustration! She has read all the previous Strike books too.

IMO it is unequivocally close to being the best fiction book I've read! There is superb characterisation, and I thought a great deal of humour. RG uses lots of improvised spelling to indicate various accents and affectations of characters. I could just picture them! It irritates others though.

I like the long length of circa 900 pages with all the entertaining characters and twists and turns in the complex plot. Many times one is led to believe a perpetrator could be possible, then the character dissipates as a suspect.

Then there is the recurring theme in all RG's Strike books, where the bread and butter, more mundane work in the Detective Agency ( 6 PIs employed) is tailing a lot of people contracted by their partner/wife/husband to find out if they are having affairs? They have all sorts of amusing names for the tailed unfaithful partners, or sometimes innocent partners, who have no idea they are being surveilled by a tag team of PIs.

Moreover, Robin and Cormoran are strongly attracted to each other romantically. Both are constantly unsure of the other's romantic feelings towards each other. They are best friends though. I think it is amusing. However, some female readers in particular, I know, are becoming infuriated that no romantic relationship occurs between them after reading all 7-8 books! Both are mindful they don't want to spoil the agency, where they love doing the PI detective work.

RG says she doesn't write romance novels, and wants to keep the genre exclusively crime.

The Hallmarked Man is brilliant IMO. Some others don't agree though.

Postscript to this book review.

After someone showed me a Guardian review of the earlier Robert Galbraith Strike series book, Ink Black heart, who only gave it 2 stars, I saw a Guardian review today by a different reviewer, who liked The Hallmarked Man as much as I did.

 

[LFC]

I'm reading whilst travelling Auto Action and Australian Muscle Car mags, riverting stuff to me

 

[erogenouszone]

I'm reading whilst travelling Auto Action and Australian Muscle Car mags, riverting stuff to me

I used to read Street Machine as a young lad.

 

[Football us life]

Has anyone been watching the modern tv adaption of the Parisian detective 'Maigret' on the ABC?

Well for anyone interested in crime fiction the author of the 'Maigret' series Georges Simenon wrote about 75 novels featuring the detective in early to mid 20th century Paris, griity, realistically brilliant drama's which delve into all the city's immersive settings - the cafe' scene, the bistros, the nightclubs, the canals, the shopping districts and residential streets....

With each book is a self-contained mystery so you'd have no need to read in order.

Classic French crime fiction....

Also for anyone who has seen the Lupin series on Netflix which is again a modern adaptation, this time of the classic Arsene Lupin crime novels by Maurice Leblanc....

Lupin is a bit of a French version of Robin Hood, targetting the wealthy elite, stealing jewels and art from Parisian mansions, all set in the early 20th century. Stories that really capture the elegance and intrigue of the era.

Edit] Yeah and they 've been translated into English.....

 

[Decentric]

Has anyone been watching the modern tv adaption of the Parisian detective 'Maigret' on the ABC?

Well for anyone interested in crime fiction the author of the 'Maigret' series Georges Simenon wrote about 75 novels featuring the detective in early to mid 20th century Paris, griity, realistically brilliant drama's which delve into all the city's immersive settings - the cafe' scene, the bistros, the nightclubs, the canals, the shopping districts and residential streets....

With each book is a self-contained mystery so you'd have no need to read in order.

Classic French crime fiction....

Also for anyone who has seen the Lupin series on Netflix which is again a modern adaptation, this time of the classic Arsene Lupin crime novels by Maurice Leblanc....

Lupin is a bit of a French version of Robin Hood, targetting the wealthy elite, stealing jewels and art from Parisian mansions, all set in the early 20th century. Stories that really capture the elegance and intrigue of the era.

Edit] Yeah and they 've been translated into English.....

Have just watched all of the new series of Maigret.

Loved it!

Also, watched the old Maigret series, starring Rowan Atkinson, the comedian, acting in a serious role.

Must look out for Georges Simenon in secondhand bookshops.

 

[Football us life]

Have just watched all of the new series of Maigret.

Loved it!

Also, watched the old Maigret series, starring Rowan Atkinson, the comedian, acting in a serious role.

Must look out from Georges Simenon in secondhand bookshops.

I can remember one of The Guardian's literary journalists labelled Georges Simenon as one of the greatest crime fiction writers of the 20th century....

Certainly in terms of output combined with originality of narrative, he'd have to be under consideration for that kind of standing in the crime fiction literary genre.

 

[Dr Curmudgeon]

Good recount, Dr C.

I've seen this movie advertised somewhere on one the the screening services. Will have to have a look at it. I think it is starring Colin Firth.

I haven't seen the book in bookshops - yet.

The book is readily available AFAIK, along with several other titles by the same author.

The "Operation Mincemeat" movie is fairly recent (2012 IIRC). An earlier one - "The Man Who Never Was" - was released in the 1950s.

Both tweak the story a bit to heighten the drama, e.g. adding an office romance, which is completely unnecessary IMHO.

 

[RIMB]

Has anyone been watching the modern tv adaption of the Parisian detective 'Maigret' on the ABC?

Well for anyone interested in crime fiction the author of the 'Maigret' series Georges Simenon wrote about 75 novels featuring the detective in early to mid 20th century Paris, griity, realistically brilliant drama's which delve into all the city's immersive settings - the cafe' scene, the bistros, the nightclubs, the canals, the shopping districts and residential streets....

With each book is a self-contained mystery so you'd have no need to read in order.

Classic French crime fiction....

Also for anyone who has seen the Lupin series on Netflix which is again a modern adaptation, this time of the classic Arsene Lupin crime novels by Maurice Leblanc....

Lupin is a bit of a French version of Robin Hood, targetting the wealthy elite, stealing jewels and art from Parisian mansions, all set in the early 20th century. Stories that really capture the elegance and intrigue of the era.

Edit] Yeah and they 've been translated into English.....

I would happily put Lupin and the various Maigret versions in the Moves/TV thread as shows worth watching.

I will be watching the new Maigret when I get through some other series I am watching.

Both Lupin and Maigret are well done.

On a more general note, there is a particular feeling of pleasure I get when the French police go in hard on scum who deserve it and a number of their police shows have been well written and executed.

None of which is relevant this book reading thread other than as a general theme .

 

[Football us life]

I would happily put Lupin and the various Maigret versions in the Moves/TV thread as shows worth watching.

I will be watching the new Maigret when I get through some other series I am watching.

Both Lupin and Maigret are well done.

On a more general note, there is a particular feeling of pleasure I get when the French police go in hard on scum who deserve it and a number of their police shows have been well written and executed.

None of which is relevant this book reading thread other than as a general theme .

Yeah but it's because both Lupin and Maigret are both iconic French literary crime fiction characters that were popular novels of the genre long, long before their adaption into contemporary tv series....

 

[RIMB]

Yeah but it's because both Lupin and Maigret are both iconic French literary crime fiction characters that were popular novels long, long before their adaption into contemporary tv series....

It was my comments not your post that I meant belonged in the TV/Movie thread.

Yours was totally at home here.

 

[Decentric]

I would happily put Lupin and the various Maigret versions in the Moves/TV thread as shows worth watching.

I will be watching the new Maigret when I get through some other series I am watching.

Both Lupin and Maigret are well done.

On a more general note, there is a particular feeling of pleasure I get when the French police go in hard on scum who deserve it and a number of their police shows have been well written and executed.

None of which is relevant this book reading thread other than as a general theme .

I often refer to the screen series relating to the books, so appreciate your input on the screen series relating to books, RMIB.

When I read Strike, Outlander, Poldark, Reacher, Last Kingdom, Grace (Dead title series), it is nice to have a pictorial representation of the actors in the screen series.

 

[Football us life]

I often refer to the screen series relating to the books, so appreciate your input on the screen series relating to books, RMIB.

When I read Strike, Outlander, Poldark, Last Kingdom, Grace (Dead title series), it is nice to have a pictorial representation of the actors in the screen series.

Frederick Forsyth's 'Day of the Jackel' is a good example of this for me....

Read the book as a teenager, which was on my dad's bookshelf. Then watched the movie and recently watched the modern adaptation tv series.

Enjoying every variation in doing so, in different ways yes but all thoroughly enjoyable.

 

[Decentric]

Frederick Forsyth's 'Day of the Jackel' is a good example of this for me....

Read the book as a teenager, which was on my dad's bookshelf. Then watched the movie and recently watched the modern adaptation tv series.

Enjoying every variation in doing so, in different ways yes but all thoroughly enjoyable.

I've read the book, and seen the two screen series of the Day Of The Jackal too.