Book Recommendations

[Suzi]

For a good old gut wrench- 'Private Peaceful'- by Michael Morpurgo

....and for total emotional breakdown - 'Birdsong'- by Sebastian Faulkes

Suzi x

[Celesta]

Joan,

I copied the title of that book and will look for it.

I couldn't put The Doomsday Book down until I finished it! I read To Say Nothing of The Dog first, and it was hilarious, so I expected a similar tone in Doomsday. Was I ever surprised! I think it was this book that peaked my interest in midieval history. Passages is very good also. I just wish Connie would come out with a new one. It's been ages.

I also liked The Devil in the White City, and the way he contrasted the talented people who put on the Expo and the other that used his creativity for evil.

There's a nice website that provides a virtual tour of the Columbian Exposition. I'll post the link in another post.


Suzi, What's Private Peaceful about? Is it a war book?

[c.d.]

Just finished "The Glass Castle" by Jeannette Walls. Liked it a lot. It is a personal memoir of a (too put it mildly) highly dysfunctional family. Almost 1400 reviews on amazon.com.

c.d.

[Celesta]

I just finished The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher by Kate Summerscale, about the Kent murder. I think it was a pretty worthwhile book, not just because of the way she discusses the investigation, but also how the murder influenced the writing of detective stories from that point on.

[DVV]

I recomment Michael Connelly "The Overlook". Not a thriller in the usual Connelly style, but a fascinating fable about Western paranoia (re terrorrism), and at the same time a seamless whodunnit.
Short and very pleasant.

...and while I'm here : best wishes Cel !

[Celesta]

You also, David.

[The Good Michael]

Half-way point with Neal Stephensen's Anathem. It's darned good. The man can really write and make you work at your reading; really work.

450 pages to go...

Mike

[c.d.]

Just finished "The Road" by Cormac McCarthy. It won the Pulitzer prize in 2007 I believe. 2,120 reviews on amazon.com with 233 of those being one star reviews. It is a very simplistic book in terms of plot and language. Set in post-apocolyptic times. What happened is never really explained although it would seem to be a nuclear war. Very repetitive and strange punctuation. As I was reading it, I kept switching back and forth between "this is really good" and "huh?" In the end, I did like it but I can see that not everybody will feel the same way.

c.d.

[Suzi]

'Cell' Stephen King

[DVV]

Anything signed Mo Hayder, from "Birdman" to "Skin" (haven't read this one yet, but I'm sure it's excellent).

[Steve S]

'Rabble in Arms' by Kenneth Roberts,about the 1777 Saratoga campaign....I don't read too much modern fiction................

[Craig]

'Marching Powder' by Rusty Young.

The story of Thomas McFadden, an English drug smuggler, arrested in Bolivia and locked up in San Pedro prison. Its one of the most interesting books I have read and tells some amazing stories about the bizarre and corrupt world inside Bolivias most notorious prison.

[DVV]

I'm currently reading "Helter Skelter" by Bugliosi (about the Manson Family) and I really enjoy it.
Of course it's a classic and most of you may have read it already, but for those who haven't, highly recommended.

[Celesta]

I just got an old copy of Betjemen's Victorian & Edwardian London from Old Photographs. It's one of the best purchases I've made on the era. So many classic photos and many I've not seen 'til now.

[DVV]

Just finished "Manson in his own words as told to Nuel Emmons".
Absolutely fascinating.
Feel like reading it again right now!