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kcghost

Lifer
May 6, 2011
13,510
22,097
77
Olathe, Kansas
I am reading the sixth book of Emily Organ on Augusta Peel mysteries. These mysteries were set in the early 1920's involving Augusta as a used book seller and the murder mysteries she helps solve. I think she has seven books on Augusta Peel in all. The books a generally good but not great stories.


Murder on the Thames (Augusta Peel 1920s Mysteries Book 6)
 

simong

Lifer
Oct 13, 2015
2,612
15,612
UK
Is this your first time reading them? I love that series, read all 20 in one go over COVID, having only read Master and Commander previously. Felt like I'd lost two friends when I finished the series!

I've just bought a copy of Simon Raven's last memoir that was withdrawn and pulped for being too libellous (should be interesting). There's a pretty funny Southbank Show with him, if you have a spare hour:

I enjoyed watching that, thanks for posting it!👍
’Too intelligent to not be a rotter’ & ‘not queer enough to be a spy’ were two memorable quotes & just about sum him up! Lol
 
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Reactions: jaingorenard

UB 40

Lifer
Jul 7, 2022
1,294
9,571
61
Cologne/ Germany
nahbesprechung.net
For the last several years I have read an Irish related book during the month of March. This year I was hoping to find a cultural history of Ireland, but never found what I was looking for. So I picked up Angela's Ashes and it is quite good so far. Anyone have any Irish related books I can look into for next year?
There is Flann O‘Brien, an Irish modernist author which impressed me most with his fictional work in my very youth with hie style of constructing strange interwoven storylines. At Swim-two-Birds (1939) The Third Policeman (1939-40), The Dalkey Arcives (much later) and The Hard Life (60s), a dark satirical story of the very poor in a starving and very catholic Ireland at the dawn of the 20th Century. This one strongly recommended.
 
I would say that I am reading this, but it's so short that I read it all with my morning coffee today. Very interesting, a collection of short stories with Murakami's Japanese surrealistic perspective. If you are a fan of his works, you'll want to check this out. All of the stories have an earthquake, or the potential for an earthquake as the theme, but they aren't about earthquakes. If that makes sense... but for Murakami's work, it doesn't have to make absolute sense.

1713275530112.png
 

jaingorenard

Can't Leave
Apr 11, 2022
489
1,958
Norwich, UK
I would say that I am reading this, but it's so short that I read it all with my morning coffee today. Very interesting, a collection of short stories with Murakami's Japanese surrealistic perspective. If you are a fan of his works, you'll want to check this out. All of the stories have an earthquake, or the potential for an earthquake as the theme, but they aren't about earthquakes. If that makes sense... but for Murakami's work, it doesn't have to make absolute sense.

View attachment 303685
Just got myself a copy of this; looking forward to it!
 

UB 40

Lifer
Jul 7, 2022
1,294
9,571
61
Cologne/ Germany
nahbesprechung.net
This one isn’t to be finished in a morning coffee: Rushdies „Midnight‘s Children“. It took some evenings to come along with and came to an end nownow. The next one is waiting on the chair beneath the counter, „The Satanic Verses“.

And that’s the one, why I ignored Salman Rushdie for so long, since 1988. Perhaps proclaiming a fatwah had contributed more to his publicity than his literary qualities, I thought selfishly.

Excuse me for that Salman, I was so wrong. I discovered his books in January in a second hand bookshop and gave him a chance. And the first „The Golden House“ (2017) turned out a brilliant one. And it is more up to date than ever. What storyteller that man is.

Next was „Shalimar the Clown“ (2005) and again the author casted a spell over me, read it in ecstasy.

Next in middle of March was his second book „Midnight‘s Children“ the best until now, it’s in the list of the 100 best English books of the last century I read today.

Now the Verses are waiting, read a few pages already, met the two angels already as they tumbled down in the Atlantic sea at Great Britain after the Jumbo Jet Bostan flight no AI-420 exploded, bombed by terrorists, what sense of black humour.

All I can say is get your Rushdie today, until it’s to late.

86A46F28-34FE-4A25-8DD2-F60BE30AF23A.jpeg
 

jaingorenard

Can't Leave
Apr 11, 2022
489
1,958
Norwich, UK
This one isn’t to be finished in a morning coffee: Rushdies „Midnight‘s Children“. It took some evenings to come along with and came to an end nownow. The next one is waiting on the chair beneath the counter, „The Satanic Verses“.

And that’s the one, why I ignored Salman Rushdie for so long, since 1988. Perhaps proclaiming a fatwah had contributed more to his publicity than his literary qualities, I thought selfishly.

Excuse me for that Salman, I was so wrong. I discovered his books in January in a second hand bookshop and gave him a chance. And the first „The Golden House“ (2017) turned out a brilliant one. And it is more up to date than ever. What storyteller that man is.

Next was „Shalimar the Clown“ (2005) and again the author casted a spell over me, read it in ecstasy.

Next in middle of March was his second book „Midnight‘s Children“ the best until now, it’s in the list of the 100 best English books of the last century I read today.

Now the Verses are waiting, read a few pages already, met the two angels already as they tumbled down in the Atlantic sea at Great Britain after the Jumbo Jet Bostan flight no AI-420 exploded, bombed by terrorists, what sense of black humour.

All I can say is get your Rushdie today, until it’s to late.

View attachment 303761
If you haven't read it, he wrote a great little memoir of his time in Nicaragua - really interesting. I think it was called 'The Smile of the Jaguar' or something.
 

UB 40

Lifer
Jul 7, 2022
1,294
9,571
61
Cologne/ Germany
nahbesprechung.net
This one isn’t to be finished in a morning coffee: Rushdies „Midnight‘s Children“. It took some evenings to come along with and came to an end nownow. The next one is waiting on the chair beneath the counter, „The Satanic Verses“.

And that’s the one, why I ignored Salman Rushdie for so long, since 1988. Perhaps proclaiming a fatwah had contributed more to his publicity than his literary qualities, I thought selfishly.

Excuse me for that Salman, I was so wrong. I discovered his books in January in a second hand bookshop and gave him a chance. And the first „The Golden House“ (2017) turned out a brilliant one. And it is more up to date than ever. What storyteller that man is.

Next was „Shalimar the Clown“ (2005) and again the author casted a spell over me, read it in ecstasy.

Next in middle of March was his second book „Midnight‘s Children“ the best until now, it’s in the list of the 100 best English books of the last century I read today.

Now the Verses are waiting, read a few pages already, met the two angels already as they tumbled down in the Atlantic sea at Great Britain after the Jumbo Jet Bostan flight no AI-420 exploded, bombed by terrorists, what sense of black humour.

All I can say is get your Rushdie today, until it’s to late.
If you haven't read it, he wrote a great little memoir of his time in Nicaragua - really interesting. I think it was called 'The Smile of the Jaguar' or something.
Maybe I get that one. There is also an autobiography he published under the synonym Joseph Anton: A Memoir
 

warren99

Lifer
Aug 16, 2010
2,013
23,950
California
This one isn’t to be finished in a morning coffee: Rushdies „Midnight‘s Children“. It took some evenings to come along with and came to an end nownow. The next one is waiting on the chair beneath the counter, „The Satanic Verses“.

And that’s the one, why I ignored Salman Rushdie for so long, since 1988. Perhaps proclaiming a fatwah had contributed more to his publicity than his literary qualities, I thought selfishly.

Excuse me for that Salman, I was so wrong. I discovered his books in January in a second hand bookshop and gave him a chance. And the first „The Golden House“ (2017) turned out a brilliant one. And it is more up to date than ever. What storyteller that man is.

Next was „Shalimar the Clown“ (2005) and again the author casted a spell over me, read it in ecstasy.

Next in middle of March was his second book „Midnight‘s Children“ the best until now, it’s in the list of the 100 best English books of the last century I read today.

Now the Verses are waiting, read a few pages already, met the two angels already as they tumbled down in the Atlantic sea at Great Britain after the Jumbo Jet Bostan flight no AI-420 exploded, bombed by terrorists, what sense of black humour.

All I can say is get your Rushdie today, until it’s to late.

View attachment 303761
IMHO, this is one of the best novels written in the last 50 years. It won the Booker of Bookers for a good reason.
 

jaingorenard

Can't Leave
Apr 11, 2022
489
1,958
Norwich, UK
My mum leant me a copy of this yesterday. I must admit, I was expecting some sort of detective story or thriller, but it's not that at all (musn't judge a book by its cover!). It's far more about language, the power of myth and sense of place in Wales in the 13th century. It's so good I got through 100 pages last night (with a bowl of War Horse, just to keep things pipe-related!).WhatsApp Image 2024-04-17 at 08.47.19.jpeg
 
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kcghost

Lifer
May 6, 2011
13,510
22,097
77
Olathe, Kansas
I am reading "The Plastic Magician" by Charlie N. Holmberg. Alvie Brechenmacher has arrived in London to begin her training in Polymaking―the magical discipline of bespelling plastic. Polymaking is the newest form of magic, and in a field where there is so much left to learn, every Polymaker dreams of making the next big discovery.
Holmberg has written over 25 books in HER career.

4/5

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