Books - What are you reading?

I've been reading Caledonian Road by Andrew O'Hagan. It's massive and sprawling so far but I quite like it. Even the dialogue between young drug dealers seems pretty well-researched and quite convincing.

I lived just off Caledonian Road for a couple of years and it's nice to see references to places I know so well, but also unexpectedly a scene that plays out near the old concrete barges at Rainham where I used to go running. I feel like mine and O'Hagan's paths might have crossed a few times.

Any suggestions for a good modern spy thriller book or series?

I really rated Damascus Station by David McCloskey. His second book Moscow X was pretty good too, though the 3rd, seventh floor, was poor.

If you haven't read the Slow Horses books, then they're a great start

A Spy Alone by Charles Beaumont

Good stuff, thanks. I actually have slow horses on the shelf which I'd forgotten about. I'll start there and check the others out on kindle

Does anyone have any recommendations for some travel/ expedition reads? Injury and the cold months have me looking outwards for that adventurous feeling

I'd always recommend One man and his bike by Mile Carter, and also the one where he's on his motorbike.

Both excellent.

A Short Walk in the Hindu Kush - Eric Newby
Terra Incognita - Sara Wheeler

+1 to Eric Newby - the last grain race and the Appalachian books are also fantastic.

Jupiter’s Travels by Ted Simon comes to mind too

Passage to Juneau - Jonathan Raban

I'm currently reading David Byrne's (yes, that David Byrne) Bicycle Diaries, it's pretty good.

I’ve just finished it, a couple of days back - and would also recommend

I just ordered the cheapest, tattiest secondhand copy of Bret Easton Ellis's White I could find .

Been meaning to read it for a while because I read most of Ellis's books BITD up to Glamorama. But also been putting it off because a) it's an opinion piece and I think it might put me off Ellis as a person because, let's face it, he's a bit weird; and b) I wonder how relevant it will be five years on from its writing and after a global pandemic. Might have been better to read this back in 2019.

My 11 year old (who’s a book monster) just finished Orbital.

“Hey dad I know why it got the booker prize!”
Oh yeah, why?
“It’s amazing to write over 100 pages and have nothing happen at all”

Maybe not quite what you're after but Of Walking In Ice by Werner Herzog is great. An autobiographical account of him being a mad bastard and walking across Germany in the middle of winter whilst completely unprepared to do so.

Do you still have these? I'd take the two Endymion ones if so. I have the other Stormlight Archive books if you wanted those

Sorry, they went to a charity shop the other day! I updated the classifieds thread I made but forgot to edit that post.

That's a really kind offer, I'll see how I get on with the first one!

ah no worries, I have the second Hyperion one to get through anyway.

Thanks all, got a couple of these recommendations coming now. I’ll throw one out myself of Shadow of the Silk Road by Colin Thubron, read it last year and quite enjoyed it. Maybe a touch slow for the start in China but felt it founds it legs after that.

I enjoyed the whole series but the first book is definitely the strongest and most unique.

Ellis…he's a bit weird

Strong contender for understatement of the year and it’s only jan 2nd

Finished 'Nuclear War: A Scenario' by Annie Jacobson very quickly. Astonishing and gripping from start to finish. I do feel it should have some sort of warning - obviously anyone who's anxious about such things can't not go in with their eyes open with a title like that, but as much as I've read and watched about these things, which is probably too much, this is up there at the top in terms of intensity. Very keen to check out her other books if they are at all similar.

Now to read through all the 'Scarred for Life' books I also got for Christmas. That should take me the whole year.

I'd thought about reading that but scared that it would freak me out too much

I've been seeking comfort in The Lord of The Rings by JRR Tolkien.

Also read this, which was excellent

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I think if you think that now, then definitely give it a miss.

I remember liking the movie of that a lot. Been meaning to re-watch it for quite a while! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Girl_with_All_the_Gifts_(film)