Book Recommendations

[Herlock Sholmes]

I’m not a massive reader of fiction these days (apart from Sherlock Holmes pastiches and Solar Pons stories) but I was recommended a series of books late last year by a London Tour Guide. They are the Shardlake series by CJ Sansom. The tour guide mentioned them as his company is currently considering creating a walk based around the series. It’s historical/crime fiction set during the rain of Henry VIII. Matthew Shardlake is a hunchback lawyer who, in the first book, does work for Thomas Cromwell during the dissolution of the monestaries. Sansom is brilliant at recreating the sights, sounds and smells of Tudor England (and especially of London.) Twisting plots, a few gruesome murders, religious intrigue and absolutely brilliant characters. Shardlake himself is a great creation who practices at a time when hunchbacks were considered ill-fortune and he suffers a fair bit of mockery; even very briefly from the King.

I can’t recommend these highly enough. I’m on the sixth book and Sansom’s latest (book seven) is now on sale. Apparently he intends to keep on writing into the Elizabethan era.

In 2007 the BBC planned to do the first book Dissolution for tv starting Kenneth Branagh as Shardlake but he decided to do Wallenberg instead and so, as far as I know, nothing came of it unless anyone has news?

Not that it’s important but I just happened to notice my typo. ‘’Wallenberg’’ should read ‘’Wallender’’ of course.

[SirJohnFalstaff]

My favorites, available in English:

1Q84 by Murakami. It's in three parts for almost 1500 pages. I suggest you get a sample of the e-book. If you don't like the beginning, you won't like the rest. You follow two characters, one male one female, who are experiencing a strange switch in reality in Japan of 1984.

American Tabloid by Ellroy. First book of the trilogy Underground USA. By creating 3 fictional protagonists (1 mafia, 1 FBI, 1 CIA) Ellroy links major events from Castro taking over Cuba up to JFK's assassination. The style is raw, brutal, reminding of Chandler.

If you enjoy the late Victorian era, there is the last fiction Umberto Eco wrote, The Prague Cemetery, taking place in continental Europe, with a very unlikeable main character that creates mayhem with fake documents and lies, right up to the Protocol of Sion.

Also, apparently harder to find in English, there is The Accursed Kings by Maurice Druon. It's 5 books, but each are less than 300 pages. It's an historical fiction taking place in medieval France, starting to the trial of the Templars and their execution. Before dying, their leader curses the king. Coincidentally, every successive kings of France up to the Hundred Year War will see their reign cut short. It's their story. It's a "classic" in French, written in mid 20th Century.

[Herlock Sholmes]

I’m not a massive reader of fiction these days (apart from Sherlock Holmes pastiches and Solar Pons stories) but I was recommended a series of books late last year by a London Tour Guide. They are the Shardlake series by CJ Sansom. The tour guide mentioned them as his company is currently considering creating a walk based around the series. It’s historical/crime fiction set during the rain of Henry VIII. Matthew Shardlake is a hunchback lawyer who, in the first book, does work for Thomas Cromwell during the dissolution of the monestaries. Sansom is brilliant at recreating the sights, sounds and smells of Tudor England (and especially of London.) Twisting plots, a few gruesome murders, religious intrigue and absolutely brilliant characters. Shardlake himself is a great creation who practices at a time when hunchbacks were considered ill-fortune and he suffers a fair bit of mockery; even very briefly from the King.

I can’t recommend these highly enough. I’m on the sixth book and Sansom’s latest (book seven) is now on sale. Apparently he intends to keep on writing into the Elizabethan era.

In 2007 the BBC planned to do the first book Dissolution for tv starting Kenneth Branagh as Shardlake but he decided to do Wallenberg instead and so, as far as I know, nothing came of it unless anyone has news?

[Robert]

http://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks06/0605171h.html

[c.d.]

Three recent books to recommend. Reviews can be found on amazon.com.

"Hellhound on His Trail" by Hampton Sides -- a real page turner about the massive manhunt for the killer of Martin Luther King.

"The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time" by Mark Haddon -- a young high school kid who is autistic tries to find out who killed a neighborhood dog. A fascinating look into autism.

"Kafka on the Shore" by Haruki Murakami - can't even begin to describe it but one of the best books I have read in years. Highly recommended. (Note that it does contain some sex scenes if that bothers you at all)

c.d.

[The Bounder]

I've just finished reading a brilliant novel I downloaded off Amazon called 'The Ruminations of Freekly Oldacre: The Adventure of the Curse of the Mummy's Toenail'. I couldn't recommend it highly enough, its a Victorian detective novel with a strange central character and a plot that's like Sherlock Holmes meets tongue in cheek Dan Brown. Excellent book. Seriously read it, its only about £2 to download.

[glyn]

"Parisians" for a rather off beat look at the history of Paris and its characters.

[c.d.]

I just finished "The Floor of Heaven" by Howard Blum. It is a true tale of the Last Frontier and the Yukon Gold Rush. This was a rip roarin' yarn. If you have any interest at all in the Yukon Gold Rush or really like adventure books and history, I highly recommend this one. Great book.

c.d.

[Celesta]

I didn"t read it actually c.d. but I saw the film and thought it was terrific.I like Wallander though .I must try to get the book for "The Killing" too-its a new Danish 20 part thriller---its the best thriller I have ever seen on TV ,c.d. ,bar none!

I recommend Dragon Tattoo, Nats. The female character is reminiscent of Smilla in Smilla's Sense of Snow. Both are unique and independent characters, and I think you might find them interesting.

[Celesta]

Have you read any of Douglas Adams books. or The Riverworld series by Philip Jose Farmer which I think has been made into a film.

I loved River World, Belinda. I saw part of the series but didn't care much for it.

[belinda]

Have you read any of Douglas Adams books. or The Riverworld series by Philip Jose Farmer which I think has been made into a film.

[Sister Hyde]

I recommend "Oui-Oui et Monsieur Grosminou".
Une tuerie.
Ce connard de chat planquait le produit de ses rapines sous son bicorne, figurez-vous.

et encore t'as pas lu oui-oui et le lapinzé... dans le genre saloperie de bestioles à qui tu filerais un gros coup de rango c'est très fort, mais je crois que j'ai pas tout suivi je le relirais demain soir dans le train ça me fera passer les 2 heures

[c.d.]

I just finished "Horse Soldiers" by Doug Stanton. It is a true story of the first American soldiers in Afghanistan not long after the September 11th attack in the U.S. Just a handful of special forces soldiers. These guys are the best of the best. Their job is to join up with the Northern Alliance Afghan soldiers and call in air strikes on Taliban forces. The contrasts in the book are amazing. You have American soldiers with long hair and beards crouched in the mud next to their horses eating boiled goat while they use laser technology to call in a strike. They end up riding horses into battle against the Taliban.
Good book.

c.d.

[DVV]

I recommend "Oui-Oui et Monsieur Grosminou".
Une tuerie.
Ce connard de chat planquait le produit de ses rapines sous son bicorne, figurez-vous.

[c.d.]

I didn"t read it actually c.d. but I saw the film and thought it was terrific.I like Wallander though .I must try to get the book for "The Killing" too-its a new Danish 20 part thriller---its the best thriller I have ever seen on TV ,c.d. ,bar none!

Hi Natalie,

"The Killing" is starting tonight here in America. I will be taping it. It got really good reviews.

c.d.