I have just finished his [iFiesta.[/i
And I liked it, I liked it a lot.

That is interesting: I re-read Dracula a few months ago and thoroughly enjoyed what I took for a gripping adventure story. I am hopeless at allegory, metaphor and so on, and only see the blatantly obvious.

Recently read The Hacienda by Peter Hook and just finished reading Stephen King On Writing. Currently reading Neal Gablers biography of Walt Disney which seems interesting so far.

Damo I read the Hacienda book too. Amazing it lasted so long despite all the chaos.

Astonishing wasn't it?

How on earth their decided to open a bar alongside the main club is beyond me. It just goes to show was drugs and music can do! Good if your in but terrible for everyone else who has to deal with the mess.

Next up -: [iA Farewell To Arms[/i

Apparently the bleakest of Ernesto's works.
We shall see.

I often need 10-foot signposts for things – there’s an entire industry in providing these, given the numbers of ‘companions’ and ‘guides’ to various authors’ works – but I spotted this one largely, I think, because I was already familiar with some of the history of the era in terms of sexual attitudes and issues. However, I did a spot of research after and found that I wasn’t alone in reaching these conclusions.

I posted something about it elsewhere some years ago, but I've fished it out, tidied it up, made a few additions and republished it if you fancy reading more [url=http://thevoluptuousmanifesto.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/the-gothic-classic-with-sexy-bite.htmlhere[/url.

It's a great read, with some moments of farce among the horror of war. Personally found For Whom the Bell Tolls darker.

Just downloaded "The Auschwitz Violin" by Maria Angels Anglada (Catalan author) which is a very short book, in fact would qualify as a short story at 80 pages, but fascinating anyway about an apparently true story of a Jewish violin maker who was held in various concentration camps by the Nazis but survived by being useful to them in his trade as a joiner until one day at one camp commandants house he mentioned that a violin that he (the commandant) was playing sounded wrong and suggested that he could probably fix it by gluing a fracture in the faceplate with some cheap glue thus disclosing the fact that actually his trade was not just a carpenter but a violin maker.

After the repair was successfully done the commandant had a bet with one of his officers that the violin maker could make a violin within 24 hours from scraps of wood within the camp with the inevitable consequence of losing his preferred status within the camp if he failed.

I'll read on and let you know what happens

Currently reading "1968" by Mark Kurlanksy.
Bought it years ago and never got round to reading it until now.

1968 was a remarkable year when, across the globe, people protested.
Whether it was for civil rights or against totalitarian governments or against wars ... people protested.

I reckon we need more of that these days, attended by people from across the board not just those dismissed as "the usual suspects"(*).
Governments are getting away with murder.


(*) "The usual suspects" .... quote from Casablanca.

When I was on holiday a couple of weeks ago I read a couple of Sue Townsend books that were in the cottage where we stayed. Not the sort of thing I'd usually read but they looked light holiday reading and something to do whilst Mrs D cooked and washed up during the holiday (I like to make it home from home for her). Back to the books. They were "Number Ten" and "The Queen and I". Must admit, I did find some bits of Number 10 funny. I didn't find The Queen and I as good. If you are not familiar number 10 is a p**s take of the Blair years and The Queen and I involves the royal family going to live on a council estate (via the queen's dream). Both books were a good commentary of changed Britain.

Kurlanksy's book on Cod is a decent read.

Currently reading 'One lie leads to........' by Steve Smith.

I saw "the Queen and I" as a play in the West End back in the 90's.
As a slightly-lefty republican, I loved it ... and even warmed to some of the fictionalised Royals.

The spouse and I went to see it too .

I was in Paris in1968 and right up to his death, my old man always reckoned I kicked it all off

I sincerely hope two of those six figures are the ones after the decimal point

Anyone know when Inferno by Dan Brown is out on paperback? Don't have a Kindle and been holding off buying a bulky hard back copy, thinking it must be out soon...

Unlike many people who go on this message board, I am not a big reader. However I am a big writer having now written five novels about Northern working class life and all with a strong Rugby League background. As yet though no one seems to have passed any comments here on my material. So if anybody here has anything to say about the novels One Winter, One Spring, One Summer, One Autumn or Two Seasons, I will be more than interested to read them and maybe feed them into the Try Reading Project that various libraries across the North of England are now organising. It is a project to get more people into reading and writing and is involving a number of rugby league writers, journalists and players. See the Try Reading web site for more details. One Winter, One Autumn and Two Seasons are all available through my publisher London League Publications at www.llpshop.co.uk. They are also available as E books on Amazon.

Unlike many people who go on this message board, I am not a big reader. However I am a big writer having now written five novels about Northern working class life and all with a strong Rugby League background. As yet though no one seems to have passed any comments here on my material. So if anybody here has anything to say about the novels One Winter, One Spring, One Summer, One Autumn or Two Seasons, I will be more than interested to read them and maybe feed them into the Try Reading Project that various libraries across the North of England are now organising. It is a project to get more people into reading and writing and is involving a number of rugby league writers, journalists and players. See the Try Reading web site for more details. One Winter, One Autumn and Two Seasons are all available through my publisher London League Publications at www.llpshop.co.uk. They are also available as E books on Amazon.

How do you tally that equation, Glee?

Not even a date on Amazon yet, doubt it will be this side of the new year.

Quote ="glee"Unlike many people who go on this message board, I am not a big reader. However I am a big writer having now written five novels about Northern working class life and all with a strong Rugby League background. As yet though no one seems to have passed any comments here on my material. So if anybody here has anything to say about the novels One Winter, One Spring, One Summer, One Autumn or Two Seasons, I will be more than interested to read them and maybe feed them into the Try Reading Project that various libraries across the North of England are now organising. It is a project to get more people into reading and writing and is involving a number of rugby league writers, journalists and players. See the Try Reading web site for more details. One Winter, One Autumn and Two Seasons are all available through my publisher London League Publications at www.llpshop.co.uk. They are also available as E books on Amazon.'" Did read a few of them many years ago - still have them upstairs. Cannot recall too much about them now though!

Quote ="glee"Unlike many people who go on this message board, I am not a big reader. However I am a big writer having now written five novels about Northern working class life and all with a strong Rugby League background. As yet though no one seems to have passed any comments here on my material. So if anybody here has anything to say about the novels One Winter, One Spring, One Summer, One Autumn or Two Seasons, I will be more than interested to read them and maybe feed them into the Try Reading Project that various libraries across the North of England are now organising. It is a project to get more people into reading and writing and is involving a number of rugby league writers, journalists and players. See the Try Reading web site for more details. One Winter, One Autumn and Two Seasons are all available through my publisher London League Publications at www.llpshop.co.uk. They are also available as E books on Amazon.'" Did read a few of them many years ago - still have them upstairs. Cannot recall too much about them now though!

Just finished 'The Forgotten Highlander' by Alistair Urquhart. Its a real life story of his time in WW2 getting captured by the Japanese at Singapore and his work on the Death Railways. That bloke went trough a lot, its inspirational.

I enjoyed One Winter, very nostalgic for me having moved to London over thirty years ago.
About to start Tune In, the new 900 page Beatles biography which covers the period up to their first record.
Wondering how long it will take...

Not ashamed to admit I am tempted to get the new Bridget Jones book...

..... nor Cider with Rosie?