timebug

Divisive among many readers,but I first read 'The Lord Of The Rings' over forty years ago; I still feel somehow cheated and hollow, when I re-read it (an annual event) and have to leave my friends in the Shire behind once more!

I just finished the 14th book in the George Gently series, 'Gently North-West'. I am loving these books, and am intending to read the first 24 volumes (which is what I curently have!) continuously. There are a further 22 to collect,as and when they become available in ebook format. I watched two episodes on the TV and have to warn you that the Gently of the BOOKS is NOT the same man as the character on the written page. Not set in the north for a start,no assistant named Bacchus,and no action chases,fights etc.More cerebral,along the lines of the Maigret books,for those familiar with them.

I average two to three books a week,depending on what I am reading and how many I have available at the time! Short books I can easily read three a week,sometimes four. Longer, 'heavier' books,maybe down to two. I just love reading!

Rebuff

I have no idea,but based on your brief precis, it sounds very similar to one of the W.J.Burley 'Wycliffe' novels. I only ever read about three of them,and folklore and so forth seemed to be the subject of two of them! Maybe worth checking out the plot synopses of them online.

I believe it was in the 1960s (but my memory may be letting me down a bit here!) He he gave an interview in one of the heavier sunday papers,and the interviewer came away with the feeling that he was not a very nice man! I read all his thrillers as they came along,at the time,and never wondered about the personality of the author! If I like a book, I will read it and let the side issues take second place!

Languish

I know what you mean,but I managed to avoid the TV series during my reading of the majority of the books.Then the TV series ended and the books kept coming! So it was an easy choice ,for me,and I prefer and will stick with,the books!

I loved 'Sarum' as we had recently holidayed in the area when I read it! 'London' was a good read too, but I was let down by 'Russka' and 'Dublin' (was it called 'Dublin'?)

'The Stand' was the first Stephen King book I ever read,and has a special place for me. I liked the majority of his stuff,and have read (as far as I know) all of it to date. 'The Tommyknockers' was a good fun romp too,and I have fond memories of 'The Dead Zone'!

I read 'Jamaica Inn' first when I was about fourteen.I loved it. I re-read it when I was around thirty and spotted lots of little details that had escaped me as a teenager,and I still loved it! I believe (although this may be an urban myth) from something I read back then, that the writer Alistair McLean owned the place for several years? Anyone know anything about that?

Thanks for the welcomes! What sort of books do I enjoy, is sort of like 'what kind of music do you like?'. I read all sorts of stuff,I love police procedural stories,fact or fiction.Good biographies/autobiographies.True life adventure or exploration type books. Pretty much anything that takes my fancy! I discovered a long time ago, that I don't claim to go with a specific genre,as the odd thing suggested by a friend,often either knocks me for a six, or leaves me cold! If I like the look of it, or like the author, I will give it a go. I am quite a voracious reader (always have been) and will tackle most things. I just need to have a flick through,read the cover blurbs (which are often nothing more than publishers 'plugs' anyway!) and decide. I have about a 95% hit rate,for those I like,as opposed to the occasional clunker that I try out!

I read the first one and it failed to impress me.My wife however,loved it and went on to read the rest of the series. I wanted to like it, but something just did not work for me,and I abandoned them.May try again another day!

I eventually saw the film when I was in my late forties,having avoided it for the previous years; then I tried the book. The film I managed to get through, and found parts of it really good. The book,on the other hand, i simply could not get into. Life being too short,and there being many other good books out there, I just moved on.

Any members familiar with the rogue antique dealer,other than via the diluted TV adventures? I am a huge fan of the original books, and have read them many times. In publication order they are: Jonathan Gash - Lovejoy 01 - The Judas Pair Jonathan Gash - Lovejoy 02 - Gold From Gemini Jonathan Gash - Lovejoy 03 - The Grail Tree Jonathan Gash - Lovejoy 04 - Spend Game Jonathan Gash - Lovejoy 05 - The Vatican Rip Jonathan Gash - Lovejoy 06 - Firefly Gadroon Jonathan Gash - Lovejoy 07 - The Sleepers of Erin Jonathan Gash - Lovejoy 08 - The Gondola Scam Jonathan Gash - Lovejoy 09 - Pearlhanger Jonathan Gash - Lovejoy 10 - The Tartan Ringers Jonathan Gash - Lovejoy 11 - Moonspender Jonathan Gash - Lovejoy 12 - Jade Woman Jonathan Gash - Lovejoy 13 - The Very Last Gambado Jonathan Gash - Lovejoy 14 - The Great California Game Jonathan Gash - Lovejoy 15 - The Lies of Fair Ladies Jonathan Gash - Lovejoy 16 - Paid and Loving Eyes Jonathan Gash - Lovejoy 17 - The Sin Within Her Smile Jonathan Gash - Lovejoy 18 - The Grace in Older Women Jonathan Gash - Lovejoy 19 - The Possessions of a Lady Jonathan Gash - Lovejoy 20 - The Rich and the Profane Jonathan Gash - Lovejoy 21 - A Rag, a Bone and a Hank of Hair Jonathan Gash - Lovejoy 22 - Every Last Cent Jonathan Gash - Lovejoy 23 - Ten Word Game Jonathan Gash - Lovejoy 24 - Faces in the Pool I first read one after the TV show had been running for a while. I suppose I expected them to be just like the TV version, and I was certainly wrong! Ian McShane who played Lovejoy, in an early interview on TV, had explained that the character had had to be sanitised for general sunday night viewing. Certainly true. In the books, Lovejoy is a ''divvy' he can sense if an antique is genuine,merely by being near to it. He is also a conman, a thief, a forger,and (due to circimstance, per novel) a killer. A womaniser without moral scruple, and not above the act of violence towards the female of the species either. Not at all the cleaned up ,loveable rogue of the TV series. The books are all narrated in the first person, by Lovejoy, and the voice of the story teller is at once captivating,by the turns of phrase used,and impressive by the great depth and love of the antiques he deals with, craves,often steals (Borrows,as he generally puts it) and becomes embroiled with. Tinker Dill exists in most of the stories, but not the dandy gent who likes a tipple as shown onscreen.No, this old reprobate is a fully fledged alcoholic, given to sleeping in church porches and bus shelters. We learn,as readers,that the younger Lovejoy was 'discovered' by the then middle aged Tinker,and taught to use his gift of divination, to 'divvy' antiques and make a living. Lady Jane Felsham is sort of in the books; except that she is plain 'Jane Felsham' (No title) and is a rival dealer in two or three of the novels. Eric Catchpole does not exist in book form.There IS a biker,who is amiable,gormless and slow on the uptake, in some of the earlier books. His name is Algernon! Lovejoy goes from being penniless and down and out (often!) to being quite well set up and comfortable,then back again. If you like a good crime based tale, with lashings of black humour thrown in,and a great deal of background on antiques, give the books a try. My only caveat would be,that if you love the TV series, after the books, you may find it hard to get back into viewing the former! Especially after meeting a young lady,who starts life as Lovejoy's apprentice,and goes on to altogether greater heights!

I read the 'new' one and was not surprised to find that I did not actually care for it much. The Girl in the Spider's Web by David Lagercrantz tries to bring in as many of the known characters as possible, and introduces one new 'main' character, with very little sucess in my opinion. It is a standard 'paint by numbers' sort of thriller, that the BBC Drama department are so good at. You keep reading, it seems to hold your attention,and you come away at the end feeling short changed. A big nothing,especially after the original trilogy. If there are more to come, having read this one, I will be avoiding future books in this 'collection'.

One of those 'must read' books,that I tackled at around the age of seventeen or eighteen;it failed to 'work' for me. I could not engage with the characters or the plot. I finished it, but it left a void in my mind,that I had somehow 'not got it' or understood it properly. So I attempted to read it again in my thirties. I found it deadly dull and unmoving,and abandoned it for something I would enjoy a lot more!

I tried to read it twice in the past,and failed both times. The sad,disjointed memoirs of a madman.

I posted in the 'Aotobiographies' section that I have recently read this,and thoroughly enjoyed it!

In the last three weeks I have read Autobigraphies by David Mitchell (The TV actor and comic),Lee Mack, Paul Merton and John Cleese.Plus the two books by Danny Baker,that the TV series 'Cradle to Grave' was (Very) loosely based on. A mixed bunch and I loved the Baker books and the Paul Merton one. The John Cleese was better than I had expected as he is usually such a grouch in interviews,but the Lee Mack one left me thinking that had I met him in person, I probably would not have taken to him! But I mostly like his TV work,so it is a double edged sword!

I have enjoyed all the Bill Bryson books, and all of the Mark Wallington ones too. A slim paperback I often re-read is 'One Man and His Bog' by Barry Pilton. This is a well written volume, concerning a middle aged (and out of condition) man's attempt to walk The Penine Way.Which for those outside the UK, is a mountainous hike of two hundred and thirty miles (give or take) from Edale in the Midlands, to Kirk Yetholm in Scotland.

The Old Man and The Sea was my first,and (at school,way back in prehistoric times!) it was a revelation. We had been force fed stodgy classics from the Victorian era, and the brevity of the prose knocked me out. Later read all the rest, but the first one is still my favourite!

I am also a fan of the series,and have (so far) read them all twice. I saw the film 'Master and Commander' first and then came across the books a short while afterwards. I managed to get the full set, and dived right in and worked through them.Superb stuff, like 'Hornblower' but with added layers of grit and realism!

I have liked all of King's novels, on different levels. I think I have read all of his works, and the earlier 'instant scare' stuff is fine for what it is,whilst to me, the later books explore more of the turmoil in 'ordinary life'?. Certainly from his perspective,as an author who must be deluged with crank 'fan mail' and all kinds of weirdness, from people who identify with his various 'screwed up' characters?

My son suggested the film to me first,and I watched it and was gripped. So naturally I read the book afterwards (and several more by the same author). I loved both. I know films always get knocked for 'changing things from the book' but the narrative structure of the film worked well I.M.O and I was equally pleased to have read/seen both!