Brian.
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Posts posted by Brian.
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On 16/06/2022 at 12:46 AM, KEV67 said:
I still want to read one of Ian Fleming's James Bond books. I am sure I read one or two when I was younger and I wasn't that taken with them. I found him a bit dull. He smoked too much, drank too much and did not take enough exercise. He drove a Bentley blower. I got the impression he did not look after himself or get married because he did not think he would live very long.
I've read all of the Fleming Bond books and I'm slowly working my way through the extended series by other writers. Although there are a few less than stellar books in Fleming Bonds there I did enjoy all of them for a variety of different reasons. In my opinion there are two things you need to bear in mind while reading Fleming's work. Firstly, it is of it's time. Exercise wasn't a big thing back then but it is mentioned a few times throughout the series albeit pretty much limited to calisthenics. There is some casual sexism and racist language, again, very reflective of the period. The second thing to consider is that the books are quite different to the movies and although they are closely related they shouldn't be compared. Reading the original series I noticed that some of the movies only borrowed the title from a book and ignored the plot entirely. I also noticed that different bits from different books are combined in some movies which can be a little jaring if you are very familiar with the movies.
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On 14/06/2022 at 10:54 PM, Hayley said:
I actually do have a drinks trolley
someone gave us one when we moved into our new house! It’s gold.
Has anybody tried the apple Jack Daniels?
I've tried the Apple Jack and the Honey Jack and I wasn't really a fan of either. The Honey Jack was nicer than the Apple but I just don't see the point apart from them trying to increase sales.
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18 hours ago, Raven said:
Drinks Cabinet?
Do you have a hostess trolly as well?
When I say cabinet it's actually a shelf on my bookcase. No trolley but it's not a terrible idea.
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Nothing wrong with No 7, especially with a mixer. I’ve normally got a bottle in my drinks cabinet at home at all times.
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10 hours ago, MissMohawk said:
I have, No. 7 and Gentleman Jack, I prefer Gentleman Jack over No. 7.
Gentleman Jack is definitely a step above the standard No 7 and worth the extra cost in my opinon.
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I was unexpectedly struck by the need to read today and as a result I’m halfway through So Much Things to Say by Roger Steffens. It’s an ‘oral history of Bob Marley’ and although I think I would have preferred a more conventional biography I am enjoying it a lot. I’m also almost finished with my latest James Bond book, Scorpius by John Gardner.
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13 hours ago, Hayley said:
Has anybody heard of/ is anybody participating in this ‘Big Jubilee Read’ that the BBC and Arts Council are doing? https://readinggroups.org/big-jubilee-read
I have to admit, I’ve hardly read any of the books in any of the decades…
I wasn't aware of it. It would have been good if the BBC had put it on a prominent place on their website. Having said that, the only book related thing I've seen on their website main page recently are plugs for their god-awful books programme Between the Covers.
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Forums as a whole struggle these days so we are not unique in this issue. I have been a member/moderator/admin of a number of really big forums since they became a thing and they have all eventually closed their doors. Social media has definitely had a negative effect over the longer form of discourse that is the bread and butter of web forums.
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On 11/05/2022 at 1:08 PM, lunababymoonchild said:
How did you get on with this, Brian?
Sorry for the slow reply, I some how managed to miss seeing this. It's not a book I would read cover to cover but I have dipped into it a fair bit since I got it and I really like it. It covers a lot of the things that professionals know that aren't always covered in the more 'normal' style cook books.
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I seem to be on a bit of a non-fiction run at the moment which often happens when I'm struggling to get into anything. I picked up A Storm of Swords for the first time in ages today so that will be my focus for a while.
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On 02/05/2022 at 10:20 PM, Raven said:
V2 is the third Robert Harris book I have read, and I would have to say it is the weakest by quite a way.
I've read a lot of Harris's work and while I rate him quite highly, I do feel like his most recent output is his weakest. For me his best work is the Cicero trilogy which feels like a lot of time and effort went into writing.
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7 hours ago, Hux said:
Stoner (1965) John Williams
I absolutely adored this when I read it for many of the same reasons as you. I went into knowing nothing about it which is just as well because the synopsis would have put me off even picking it up.
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Rather late I will admit but these are my thoughts on book III, chapters 10 & 11, and book IV, chapters 1 & 2.
- The reappearance of Wormtongue caught me by surprise a bit, especially given that he seems to be in a position of some authority/power given his close proximity to Saruman. This further cements my opinion that he is portrayed this way to draw comparisons to politicians and lobbyist who manoeuvre in the background without having to take on any of the front facing responsibilities. However, Wormtongue may think he is clever but in losing his temper and throwing the palantir out of the window he demonstrates that he lets his temper get the better of him.
- I really like the fact that once again Tolkien uses an opportunity to show that although Saruman might be on the side of evil now, that wasn't always the case. It shows that everyone, or almost everyone, is corruptible in some way.
- The scenes with Pippin using the palantir are really well written because we know Pippin shouldn't be doing what he is doing but we still feel sympathy for him when Gandalf catches him.
- Jumping back to Frodo and Sam helps balance out the menace experienced by the Gandalf/Pippin group as it is very different in feeling. Even though I thought I knew the trilogy pretty well from watching the movies when they came out I clearly don't as I'm constantly surprised by how much of the story revolves around those other than Frodo.
- Gollum is definitely the most intriguing character as I never know if I dislike him or if he is just a victim of evil himself. My feelings towards him have swung between the two emotions with pity just about winning.
If no one has any issues with it I will post my thoughts about the next 4 chapters tomorrow. Although I have struggled a little to sit down and read in recent months I have managed to keep up with the trilogy and I'm quite far ahead at the moment. I should have posted my thoughts earlier but life kind of got in the way a bit.
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It's been quite a while since my last update. Moving house has really thrown my reading off and I've only read one book in the last month or so. The who John Gardner books I finished some time in March.
Nobody Lives Forever - John Gardner (4/5)
No Deals, Mr Bond - John Gardner (3/5)
Tunnel 29 - Helena Merriman (4/5)
A non-fiction book based around a BBC Podcast about one of the escape tunnels dug between East and West Berlin during the Cold War. Before reading this book I knew there were a number of tunnels dug but I never knew that the construction and susequent escape was all captured on film. Merriman has done a great job in finding and interviewing the people involved. The tale is told in sequential time order and the tension really builds as we reach the climax. Since reading the book I have watched the NBC documentary from 1962 and I am working my way through the podcasts. Highly recommended.
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Chapters 6-9
- The story around Wormtongue is very prescient, especially in times of war and conflict. With the name Wormtongue we know pretty much straight away that his words are not to be trusted. His decision to flee rather than fight alongside Theoden show his true character.
- Gandalf is ever the diplomat but unafraid of using force when he deems it necessary.
- The battle at Helm's Deep is a real epic and could easily be the end point of a book. The sense of impending defeat is really well portrayed in the writing as is the relief of reinforcements arriving.
- Merry and Pippin chilling out smoking having no idea about the battle made me smile.
- The last chapter felt a little oddly placed but I assume Tolkien wanted to ease away from the hectic battle scene and return to more intimate things for a bit.
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On 31/03/2022 at 9:50 PM, Hayley said:
Yes, loved it! Spent quite a while at the beginning feeling very confused and then reached a point where I literally didn’t want to put it down!
I'm glad you liked Piranesi. I've never read anything quite like it before and after a few pages I thought I may struggle with it but like you, I just couldn't put it down after a while. It was mysterious and confusing enough to be really interesting without getting completely out of hand.
20 hours ago, Kudz said:Although I haven’t read anything, I did buy a book, oops! I was having such a crappy day on Tuesday I popped into Waterstones in my lunch break and decided to treat myself. There were a fair few that I was interested in, but in the end went for The Distant Echo by Val McDermid, which I believe is the first in the Karen Pirie series. I haven’t read anything by this author before but have heard good things so thought I would give her a try. In hindsight I probably would have been better picking one of her standalone books though, because if I enjoy this one, I’m no doubt going to have to teat myself to the rest of the series, which is not going to help me get my TBR down anytime soon!
This is where I started with Val McDermid as well and I have really liked the series so far.
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I have used Goodreads for years despite the fact that it is a mess that really needs updating. Alongside this I have used a pocket notebook to keep track of title/author/date/rating of the books I've read for the last 8-9 years. I have never trusted Goodreads to not suddenly lose all my information so keeping a physical backup was a no-brainer for me.
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I finished No Deals, Mr Bond by John Gardner earlier today. It was ok, nothing special but I do feel like I need a bit of a break from the Bond series for a while.
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21 hours ago, Hayley said:
I'm starting my latest update with an obvious cry for sympathy because I have had a run of bad luck this weekend and I've barely read anything. First, I had a really busy work day yesterday (working from home) and was supposed to have somebody come to replace a window during an hour break in the morning - did he come at the right time? No. Then he left every single door open and let my puppy escape (thankfully she didn't go far and came back when I called her - but beagles are not known for having great recall and she's not even 6 months old yet). Then I stepped on a rolled up mat and a sewing needle went straight into the heel of my foot (and it was really stuck - making me cringe just remembering it). In between time I had to deal with a customer being really rude to me and I managed to stub my toe - hard - on the same foot I stabbed with a needle.
Looking on the bright side - I did get to meet my nephew for the first time today, I saw a butterfly for the first time this year and I had hot cross buns for dinner. So, it's not all bad.
Now I've gotten that off my chest - review time
Sounds like a hellish day. I would be panicking big time if I thought my dog had run off so I'm glad the puppy came back.
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Some of my thoughts for chapters 2-5.
- The fact that Pippin leaves a trail shows that he isn't as naive as he appeared a little earlier in the book.
- As more and more different groups enter the story there is a lot more nuance to who they side with. Although some are clearly on the sides of good or evil, there are those who want to remain neutral and those who can be swayed. This echos the realities faced when huge conflicts have happened in human history.
- I really liked the use of grey and white relating to the wizards. Both colours are pretty close to each other and it wouldn't be too hard for one to become the other colour and what that represents if they chose.
- The Orcs would be a far more formidable foe if they all worked together.
- I really liked the Ents and the way that Tolkien likes to come back to the power of nature on a regular basis.
- Yay Gandalf is back and this time in white.
- The situation between Saruman and Sauron is intriguing. I guess the promise of absolute power is such a corrupting force that people who should be working together are only too keen to stab the other in the back in pursuit of this power.
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I've done a few modules through the OU because at one point I fancied doing a degree. I would still study the odd module for personal interest but the price per module is very high considering it wouldn't be for any real purpose.
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I'd also like to add that if we do move a post, we will either leave a link in the original location or notify the member via PM. The only posts that get deleted without any kind of notification are from outright spammers.
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- The decision on what way to go when they reach the end of Anduin feels really important and it's telling that Frodo doesn't say anything. At this point it really feels as if they weight of responsibility has fallen on Frodo and he knows that the decisions will have to be his going forward.
- Gimli wanting some of Galadriel's hair - I'm not sure how to feel about this. It feels a bit creepy to me but I know it's meant to symbolise a thawing of the tension between the Elves and Dwarves.
- The negative influence of the ring is really starting to tell with the behaviour of Boromir.
- The closer we get to Mordor, the more evil seems to be ever present. The Orcs are back and unseen things always seem to be lurking in the shadows.
- Boromir finally cracks and tries to get the ring from Frodo. I didn't see this coming despite the suggestions that the ring was starting to get the better of him. Once the ring is removed we can see how bad Boromir feels about what he has attempted to do.
- The scene where Frodo can see war and destruction all around him and the eye looking for him is really powerful. The same goes for his realisation that he doesn't want to drag those he loves into this, especially after seeing what it did to Boromir.
- It was really nice to see that Frodo will have at least Sam with him as company when Frodo tries to sneak off in a boat.
- Boromir's departure is very definitely a departure.
- Yay. The others are sticking together to try and find Frodo.
Please for the love of god. No more songs!
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Hi Suzanne. I don't think I'd necessarily count myself as an oldie just yet but I do remember the crunchie adverts.
Brian's Book Log - Ongoing
in Book Blogs - Discuss your reading!
Posted
Very slowly I have been managing to read more as the year progresses. Most of it has been non-fiction as for some reason I find it easier to get into a non-fiction book when my reading mojo is out of whack. Here is a brief summary of some of what I have read since my last update. There are a few other books which I will write more about when I have a little more time.
Beginners by Tom Vanderbilt (2/5)
This book has been generally marketed as explaining why we should all be life long beginners and be searching out new things to learn. I had hoped that it would look at ways to tackle new skills and the different approaches required for learning mental and physical tasks. Instead the author spends the entire book talking about his personal experiences when learning how to play chess or learning to surf. These were relatively entertaining to read but not really what I why I picked up this book in the first place.
The Barbell Prescription by Jonathon Sullivan (4/5)
Probably not the kind of book that many if anyone else on the forum would read. This book explains what strength training approach is best suited to those over 40. I found this to be a really well written book with loads of good information. Although not the most scholarly book ever written it also benefitted from the author dipping into studies at times to back up his ideas.
So Much Things to Say by Roger Steffens (4/5)
Last month I went to watch the musical Get Up Stand Up! which is all about the life of Bob Marley. The show was really good and I would recommend anyone with even a passing interest in Bob Marley to go and see it. After the show I wanted to know more about Bob Marley but there are a lot of books to try and choose from. In the end I went for this one as it is described as an 'oral history' and based on interviews with those who were around him during his life. One thing I really liked about this is that you get conflicting views on certain events from those who were there. It is left up to the reader to make a judgement (or not) on what they think the truth is. At points Steffens does note as to why he believes there may be differing opinions and why some may be more valid than others but I always felt that he did this in a fair and balanced way.