Jack Dawkins

Finished A Kestrel for a Knave by Barry Hines(brilliant) and started The Frightened Gun by George G. Gilman

Finished A Kestrel for a Knave by Barry Hines. Brilliant, I read this in high school back in 82/83 and its stayed with me ever since. A remark by my eldest son's football coach made want to reread the book("He looked like summat outta Kes").Time has not diminished this classic. The story is of Billy Casper and his hawk Kes. Billy is schoolboy picked upon by all and sundry his only solace is his kestrel hawk whom he has raised from a chick and trained. The Characters in the book are living breathing people.Jud,Billy's shocking miner brother,Billy's uncaring Mum,Billy himself something of an anti hero but you really feel for him and a special hiss for Mr Sugden the games teacher a real bully.The book is filled with great set pieces, the games lesson is class.The end of the book when Billy is alone in a derelict cinema is very touching. I love A Kestrel for a Knave both touching and gritty in equal parts. If you dont fancy reading the book try and pick up a copy in the library or a shop and read page 89 A Tall Story(Billy's class had to write something totally fictional). 10/10 The film adaptation KES is also worth a look.

I would suggest a couple of older books Bomber by Len Dieghton The story of a bombing raid on Germany told from the point of view of the Bomber Crew,The German fighter pilots,The German Radar station and the people of the German town that becomes the unintetional target. Superb book Black Cross by Greg Iles Another story told from different points of view. This is a thriller about a raid on a German concentration camp where the Germans are developing a deadly gas to be used on the allies. A pretty regular thriller type story but nailbiting and exciting.

I used to give all my read books to charity shops, but now I keep them all as I replaced a lot of the books I gave away.

Bought in '48 by James Herbert,A Game of Spies by John Altman,Complete short fiction by Oscar Wilde,Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens and Dead Beat by Jim Butcher. Carried on reading a Kestral for a Knave, including the Games lesson part of the story, absolutely fantastic

Finished Fables:Legends in Exile a graphic novel by Bill Willingham. Excellent, the story centres around fairy story characters exiled in modern day New York. The main protagonists are Bigby Wolf Fabletown's one man/wolf police force, Snow White Fabletown's deputy mayor(King Cole is the head honcho) and Rose Red, Snow's sister. Also included A Wolf in the Fold, a written short story explaining Bigby Wolf's origins. This comic book was on the adult shelves at the local library with some justification, not for the youngsters.

Read Fables:Legends in Exile, a graphic novel by Bill Willingham,also included was a written short story called A wolf in the Fold. Both stories were very entertaining. Continued to read A kestrel for a Knave

I reckon it was reading overload I was reading 3 at once and I blew a gasket and just could'nt get back in to it. I've shelved the books I was reading and started again. I'll stick to one at a time.... for now

Bought David Copperfield and The Witches of Eastwick and ordered Bravo Juliet by Charlie Owen and the Haunting of Hill House

Having a bad year as far as books go not finished a book since April. Not going to reach my target, very dissapointing

Finished Bitten by Kelley Armstrong.The first 250 pages were excellent but I felt the book tailed off a liitle after that.I ended up finding Elena quite irritating.There was enough in the story to make me want to read more of the series.

Thanks for the recommendation,this book sounds very interesting

Thanks for that,it seems to have sorted itself out now

Hi and welcome

My two favourite musicals are Calamity Jane and Brigadoon

I have copies of Life of Pi and Birdsong which I really dont fancy but have resisted the temptaion to give them away,because I'm waiting for the right time

Oh no,yet another book to buy! sounds good

Finished Juggernaut by Desmond Bagley.An 80s Action thriller set in a fictional war torn African country.Not bad easy to read,the ending was slightly dissapointing,but I'll keep my eyes open for more Bagley books.

Only 3 terrible,I have quite few on the tbr shelf.If the BBC did a top 100 records of all time I would'nt have many of them either.All time lists change dramatically from generation to generation

This sounds fantastic,another couple of books for the wish list thank you!

Obidiah Hakeswill from the Sharpe books is an excellent villian.I agree with Bill Sykes he's a real nasty piece of work.I liked Dorian Gray he's more of an anti hero than an out and out villian.A special mention to the Shark from Jaws!

Is anyone else having difficulty accessing librarything ? seems very temperamental at the moment

My first horror was Carrie by Stephen King, back in 1983.Coincidently it was also my wife's first horror

This happened to me last year,as a result I read a few graphic novels and that got me going again

Always. I dont always relish the prospect but plough through them anyway:blush: