Books - What are you reading?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cy0g2p47xd5o
Reminds me it's time to reread Into The Silence by Wade Davis, a scintillating account of the expedition and so much more.

I’ve been listening to the shipping forecast, much to my wife’s annoyance. I like it. It’s a really nice feel to it.

Glad you enjoyed listening, also love how it is continually celebrated and revered

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p04l37bp

I was listening to it today and there is “something” about it. It’s this quite calming tone but also gives you a moment to consider that someone is out at sea in what most people would describe as a hellish situation

Just finished In Ascension by Martin MacInnes. Funny one - it averages 3/5 but only because it’s half 5/5 and half 1/5. Maybe the closest I can think of is Margarot Atwood.

This was the soundtrack to our 'summer' camping trips to Cornwall. Always full of woe!

I read "All the President's Men" and "The Final Days" back to back, which was quite an intense experience. Both have quite some relevance to where US politics is today, for obvious reasons.

The second book was the most surprising and revelatory. Many people will have some familiarity with the subject of the first book, even if they didn't watch the film. "Fhe Final days" picks up directly where the first books finishes - the start of the House of Repesentative's formal investigation into Watergate - up to the point where Nixon got on a helicopter and left Washington for good, but while the first book is the story of the investigative journalists, the second book is an account of life inside the bunker: mostly what it was like for the Whitehouse lawyers and administration staff working for Nixon. Woodward and Bernstein seem to have talked to almost everybody, from Al Haig (Nixon's chief of staff at that time) to Nixon's barber, gaining their trust and their permission to recount their experiences and private thoughts.

It's largely a story of people of principle (not all principles that you and I might share, but definitely there) discovering they were protecting a man with almost none - and the few he had consumed by his neuroses - who never stopped lying to them, while he destroyed everything they cared about from within.

Ima play silly video games for a bit to recover.

There's a film adaptation of The Final Days which is on YouTube.

The gap between the value of the book and the film is much bigger in the case of "The Final Days". The narrative of "All the President's Men" is pretty simple, but with the Final Days book it's multlayered and you lose most of that in the film.

guess I listen to books as much these days as read them, due to work I did on audiobook platform.

Have to say Mark Bowles debut All My Precious Madness is simply stunning.

In paper form I am hiding in the darkness at Jamaica Inn. Not read any Daphne du Maurier before. Am hooked at the moment

I'm happy enough to listen to a radio dramatisation of a book, but audiobooks really not. I prefer the voices in my head to some actor doing a Punch and Judy show, no matter how good the performer.

I know that's an unfair metaphor, but they just don't work for me.

I like an audiobook. I used to drive for a living and absolutely hammered them back then. Might be the one aspect of driving regularly that I miss.

Finally read this. Kinda funny in that it talks about the disappointment of not winning the Tour and stuff, just a year or two before he wins the Tour. Lots of backstory yet no mention of the time he raced against the world-infamous "hippy" in the 2003 Singlespeed World Champs. Dead to me.

On the contrary, that look on the cover is clearly meant for you.

I need the read the words!!!

You'll just have to publish your own spicy memoirs and dish the dirt on what really happened on that fateful day in 2003.

Beer. Mostly beer happened. :D

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I hear that dude, though not a fan of radio dramatisations. For books and authors that I love I will only ever read them. But listening has opened me up to some other writers I may not otherwise have invested the time in. And some narrators are excellent.

@ltc I know you were enjoying them for a bit. Driving and washing up/food prep are my main two times I listen. There is some new cracking stuff on Spiracle. and a change to the subscription model allowing for a 'light' option. I am no longer directly involved with the platform but glad to see it persevering and I think getting better

New George Smiley novel out.

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Just finished Four shots in the night by Henry Hemming.

It's about the killing of British spy Frank Hegarty during the 'troubles', which was allegedly carried out by another British spy, Freddie Scappaticci.

It's a rivetting account of a fascinating period in recent British politics / history, which I very much enjoyed reading.

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Just finished Death’s End, the final book in The Three-Body Problem series.
Not the most optimistic of reads but each successive book was better than the previous at least. Recommended? Kind of on the fence for this one.

Just finished Gabriel’s Moon : William Boyd

Allegedly the first instalment of a spy trilogy
Starts a little flat, picks up and kind of reverts to his earlier flawed protagonists. There are rumblings of a really interesting spymaster character (neither a smiley nor a lamb).

3.5/5

Just finished this, it was great. Thanks for the recommendation. Next up, Q by Luther Blissett

Came here to say that I'm half way into Spirit of The Hills by Frank Smythe, it's brilliant and a good substitute for actually being in amongst it.

Just finished Shetland Bus by David Howarth I'm not a WWII "fan" generally but it is an amazing account and well worth a read.

Q by Luther Blissett

Great book. Enjoy.