CooCoothenoo Posted November 10, 2006 Share Posted November 10, 2006 'Only Here For The Beer: Gerry Marshall' A highly entertaining read about the larger than life, hard drinking, hard driving Englishman who became Britian's most successful racing driver with over 600 career victories spanning 40 years. Originally published in 1978 but reprinted after his death last year. Appropriately enough he died of a heart related illness while testing a car at Silverstone, parking it near the clubhouse where he'd terrorised the bar for so many years. Plenty of humorous stories, including his opinion on Nigel Mansell: 'He's a w*nker, but he's a fast w*nker'. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monster Posted November 10, 2006 Share Posted November 10, 2006 I'm dribbling down my chops at the moment because: I'm getting 'Walking Down The Somerset Road' by Duncan Carmichael, which is his new book about my team. Helicopter Dreams by Kierkegaard And finally, WH Smith along the road has 'All fun and games......' by that Paisley tinker and if the driving rain eases off i will get it today! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin M Posted November 13, 2006 Share Posted November 13, 2006 I have a few things on the go at the moment, including "Rip It Up and Start Again" by Simon Reynolds, an excellent history of the post-punk era of music from 1978 to 1984. It's exposing me to an era I didn't know a huge amount about, and is going to cost me a lot in buying CDs, but that's not really a new thing. Also reading Myths of the Near Future, a collection of short stories by JG Ballard. And I spent my Saturday off reading Casino Royale by Ian Fleming in anticipation of the new film. A bit different from the Bond of the movies, he is depicted as mysoginst and cold-blooded in a sense, but his fear of impotency (which is carried on into the next book I believe) and political conscience humanised him in a way that hasn't really happened in the films. The detailed depiction of the food he ate was great as well. Quite an easy read as expected but an enjoyable one 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Francesc Fabregas Posted November 13, 2006 Share Posted November 13, 2006 I only read the first two chapters, so I'm not sure if that counts, but I would recommend "Manhattan Transfer" by John Dos Passos. Set in the bustling metropolis of NYC it follws the lives or some very different characters. If you liked "Ulysses", you'll love this. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uberman Posted January 18, 2007 Share Posted January 18, 2007 The man called Cash 10/10 Interesting insight to the life and music of a true legend 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monster Posted January 18, 2007 Share Posted January 18, 2007 I've just finished 'All fun and games until somebody loses an eye' and i thought it was hilarious. Once again full of the black humour that premeates all other books by the author and a cool plot to boot. 8/10 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Casper Rose Posted January 18, 2007 Share Posted January 18, 2007 Name & Author : Totally Frank - Frank Lampard Subject :- His rise from the ranks of the West Ham youth academy and what he done to be at his status today. Score :- Id give it 8 out of 10. Good read. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StewartyMac Posted January 18, 2007 Share Posted January 18, 2007 Name & Author : Totally Frank - Frank LampardSubject :- His rise from the ranks of the West Ham youth academy and what he done to be at his status today. Must be about 6 pages long. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waspie Posted January 18, 2007 Share Posted January 18, 2007 Just finished Thirteen Moons, novel about a young white boy who lives amongst the Cherokee Nation around the time of their forced removal into the American West. An excellent book and highly recomended. For light relief I then quickly read Heartfelt by Aidan Smith, an account of the year Smith (a Hibee) spent following Hearts. Not as good as some reviews had suggested but entertaining enough at times. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reina Posted January 18, 2007 Share Posted January 18, 2007 Frank McCourt - Teacher Man. Quite funny, and reassuring to know he felt at the beginning of his teaching career like I feel at the moment. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gnash Posted January 18, 2007 Share Posted January 18, 2007 Recently finished John Grisham's The Rainmaker. Good book, not so much about law as you might think. The best bit is when he meets the beautiful woman and immediately falls in lust with her. It's almost as if he was reading my mind when he wrote it. Currently reading Stephen Hawking's A Brief History of Time. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StewartyMac Posted January 19, 2007 Share Posted January 19, 2007 Finished reading 'The Husband' by Dean Koontz. Excellent page turner, one of his better efforts from the last few years. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
broxy Posted January 19, 2007 Share Posted January 19, 2007 Dan Brown - Angels and Demons The secret brotherhood of the Illuminati founded by the great Gallileo during his persecution by the Vatican have mustered enough power to finally settle the score. They have thier hands on a frightening new weapon of mass destruction and are holding the Vatican City hostage on the eve of conclave. Robert Langdon must race against time to follow a 400 yr old path laid into the fabric of Rome by Gallileo and the Illuminati before a terrifying New World Order is born. Absolute cracker of a read this is the first Robert Langdon thriller and is a real page turner. Browns research is infallible and the book moves at breakneck speed. I would recommend this book to anyone as it is a real classic. 10/10 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ICTChris Posted January 19, 2007 Share Posted January 19, 2007 Frank McCourt - Teacher Man. Quite funny, and reassuring to know he felt at the beginning of his teaching career like I feel at the moment. What's that about, might buy it for the new teacher in my life. I am currently reading Unforgivable Blackness, a biography of Jack Johnson, the first black heavyweight champion of the world. I am just over halfway through, the racism of those days (1900s) was unbelievable. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ross Posted January 19, 2007 Share Posted January 19, 2007 Reading just now "Starter for 10" about a boy going to college/university and getting in the University Challenge team so that he can get closer to a girl. Half way through it, and it is a laugh out loud book. Finished before Christmas the biography (or autobiography) of Nick Leeson and how he brought down Bearings Bank, how he could away with what he did for so long is laughable. Huge fan of Rebus novels, John Grisham novels, and the Dan Brown series of books. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reina Posted January 19, 2007 Share Posted January 19, 2007 What's that about, might buy it for the new teacher in my life. You know Frank McCourt who wrote Angela's Ashes and 'Tis? Well, basically this is his autobiography continuing after he went to New York and became a teacher. I found it quite difficult to get into at first but when I did, I really started to enjoy it. Basically it tracks his career as a teacher in some of New York's most difficult high schools. I just thought it was good to read that I'm not the only one who feels scared on parents' evenings and things. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larsson. Posted January 19, 2007 Share Posted January 19, 2007 Hey Nostradamus by Douglas Coupland...Basically it's the story of a high-school shooting and the aftermath from four different people's point of view.One of the interesting trains of thoughts in the book is whether it is really any different to kill out of a senseless random act of violence,or out of self-preseverance.... 8/10.... 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
An Sionnach Posted January 19, 2007 Share Posted January 19, 2007 Gritty story of family life starting out in Galloway and ending up in Glasgow from the late 1800's to the early 1930's. 600 pages long and, after 500 pages, it's still miserable and depressing and not looking like it's going to get any more cheerful! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buttocks Brown Posted January 19, 2007 Share Posted January 19, 2007 Behind the Curtain: Travels in Eastern European Football by Jonathan Wilson is excellent. I've had my eye on it for awhile but it only became available on paperback before Christmas. Similar to Simon Kuper's book but focussed on the ex-Communist countries. The chapter on the Balkans and, in particular, Arkan's links between Red Star and the war was fascinating. Have also worked my way through David Mitchell's first two books (Ghostwritten & #9 Dream). I can recommend them. He lived in Japan for many years and you can see the similarities to Haruki Murakami. Slightly surreal and of a similar style. Ghostwritten is 9 interlinked stories set in different parts of the world (London, Mongolia, Japan, Ireland......). #9 Dream is set in Tokyo and is about a young man who is trying to find his father. Sounds pretty straightforward but there's a lot more to it than that. Next up for me to read Cloud Atlas, which succeeded in winning Richard and Judy's book of the year and has sold a shedload since. If you want some credibility win the Booker but if you want to make a load of cash win R&J's book of the year! Mitchell will no doubt do both. He's still in his 30s so it's heartening to think that he'll be coming up with great books for decades. Hopefully. If you haven't read it, Jaws by Peter Benchley is an excellent page turner. Biggest difference from the film was probably Hooper copping off with Brody's wife. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diamonds2002 Posted January 25, 2007 Share Posted January 25, 2007 Diceman - Luke Reinhart - Meh! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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