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December 09, 2009

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Free Ebooks

New Arrivals

Dipping Into

My Books

Kindle Sampled

  • Simon Gough: The White Goddess: An Encounter

    Simon Gough: The White Goddess: An Encounter
    Awful cover, especially for an ebook, but the contents are really rather interesting. The author grew up in the 40s and 50s, his parents were actors and his great-uncle was Robert Graves. In later years he became a book dealer and battled with serious illness. Like what I have read so far. (****)

  • David Harvey: Rebel Cities: From the Right to the City to the Urban Revolution

    David Harvey: Rebel Cities: From the Right to the City to the Urban Revolution
    An introduction which proves to be dense and impenetrable - unless you have an extensive knowledge of philosophy, town planning and the history of Paris - means I won't be reading this one any further. (**)

Coming Soon From The Friday Project

Charity Shop Plunder

Quick Flicks

  • Matt Greene: Ostrich

    Matt Greene: Ostrich
    So far, a very entertaining novel about a teenage kid who is watching his parents' marriage fall apart. Sort of like a funnier version of Curious Incident. Without the dead dog. (****)

  • John Niven: Straight White Male

    John Niven: Straight White Male
    Tries so hard to be edgy and controversial that it actually feels incredibly obvious and conservative. Really not very good at all. (**)

  • Hermione Lee: Edith Wharton

    Hermione Lee: Edith Wharton
    A massive great breeze block of a book but very easy to read (apart from the French bits). (****)

  • Bill Cheng: Southern Cross the Dog

    Bill Cheng: Southern Cross the Dog
    A very American novel, set in the deep south, in terms of tone and style. Was the subject of quite a bidding war. I'll be interested to see how it translates for the UK market. I predict lots of review coverage but perhaps not huge sales. I read a chunk and thought it was OK. (***)

  • Jonathan Grimwood: The Last Banquet

    Jonathan Grimwood: The Last Banquet
    Only read a short chunk but it reminded me of Perfume, but with taste as the key sense instead of smell. Really enjoying this so far. (****)

  • Jennifer Close: Things We Need

    Jennifer Close: Things We Need
    The quote on the back suggests that this is the literary equivalent of the TV show Girls. I wouldn't know about that, I have never seen an episode, but this was pretty good when it came to capturing relationships. Nicely done. (***)

  • Hammond Innes: Campbell's Kingdom

    Hammond Innes: Campbell's Kingdom
    I found myself genuinely intrigued, and not a little entertained, by this reissue of a 1950s thriller. I just hope it doesn't end up all shit like The 39 Steps did. (****)

  • John D. Barrow: Mathletics

    John D. Barrow: Mathletics
    A look at the role maths plays in sports. Full of interesting nuggets but I did lose track a bit whenever a formula kicked in.

  • Tadeusz Rozewicz: Mother Departs

    Tadeusz Rozewicz: Mother Departs
    A collection of poetry and prose from one of Poland's most acclaimed writers. Have found some really good pieces as I dip in. (***)

  • John L. Williams: Stoner: A Novel

    John L. Williams: Stoner: A Novel
    A bit of a buzz building around this reissued 'lost classic', and rightly so. Reminds me of Richard Yates. (****)

  • Victor Cha: The Impossible State: North Korea, Past and Future

    Victor Cha: The Impossible State: North Korea, Past and Future
    Interesting, if a tad dry, look at North Korea. Probably of more interest to those with a prior knowledge of the subject. (***)

  • Anthony Quinn: The Streets

    Anthony Quinn: The Streets
    I wasn't able to get in to his previous two novels but am quite enjoying this one so far. (***)

  • Tom Reiss: The Black Count: Glory, Revolution, Betrayal and the Real Count of Monte Cristo

    Tom Reiss: The Black Count: Glory, Revolution, Betrayal and the Real Count of Monte Cristo
    Biography of Alexandre Dumas' dad, the product of a nobleman's fling with a black slave, a man whose fate was not unlike that of the Count of Monte Cristo. Riveting stuff. (****)

  • Rachel Kushner: The Flamethrowers

    Rachel Kushner: The Flamethrowers
    Has been praised by Franzen, Toibin and Kunzru and, I dare say, if you like their mannered literary fare then this may well be for you. It left me cold. (**)

  • Paul Harding: Enon

    Paul Harding: Enon
    Novel about the loss of a child and its aftermath. Just about manages to stay on the right side of sentimental. (***)

  • Arnaldur Indridason: Black Skies

    Arnaldur Indridason: Black Skies
    I loved the first two crime novels by this Icelandic writer but thought the third somewhat weak. Unconvinced by the opening chapters to this one but I have a few of his previous novels to finish before tackling this properly. (***)

  • Ben Mezrich: Straight Flush

    Ben Mezrich: Straight Flush
    I read the first page. The prose was worse than a Dan Brown novel. I tweeted as much and the author immediately responded, meaning he is not only the sort of chap who writes non-fiction as if it were potboiler fiction but he also monitors the web for any mention of his name. (*)

  • Wu Ming-Yi: The Man with the Compound Eyes

    Wu Ming-Yi: The Man with the Compound Eyes
    Either this novel has really clunky prose on purpose or it is a really dodgy translation. (**)

  • B.W. Jones: All Woman and Springtime

    B.W. Jones: All Woman and Springtime
    Somewhat heavy-handed novel set in North Korea. Not without some appeal but lacks any real subtlety. (***)

  • John Sutherland: Offensive Literature: Decensorship in Britain, 1960-1982

    John Sutherland: Offensive Literature: Decensorship in Britain, 1960-1982
    An interesting look at the Obscene Publications Act and its impact on books and magazines from Lady Chatterly's Lover onwards. (***)

  • Marisha Pessl: Night Film

    Marisha Pessl: Night Film
    An ongoing series of deaths linked to a reclusive Kurbrick-like film director forms the basis of this literary thriller. The content and design include screen grabs of websites, facsimile documents and other visual material which makes for a fascinating read. Will, I am sure, be much talked about when published in August, and rightly so. (****)

Twittering

Firestation Book Swap

  • CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS
    There's another Book Swap soon!

    Thursday 18th July at 7:45pm

    Joining us will be Naomi Alderman, recently selected as one of Granta's Best of Young British Novelists, and comedian Viv Groskop.

    Click the link above for more details. Entry is £5 on the door or free if you bake a cake.

Currently Reading

Books Read: 2013

  • Gore Vidal: Point To Point Navigation: A Memoir

    Gore Vidal: Point To Point Navigation: A Memoir
    Not entirely satisfying as a follow-up to his first memoir, Palimpsest, but enough to enjoy to make it worthwhile. (***)

  • Angela Jackson: The Emergence of Judy Taylor

    Angela Jackson: The Emergence of Judy Taylor
    Hugely impressive debut, so well-observed when it comes to relationships and social situations. A Mary Wesley for the 21st century. (****)

  • Gregoire Delacourt: The List of my Desires

    Gregoire Delacourt: The List of my Desires
    French bestseller about a middle-aged woman who wins the lottery but decides not to tell her family. Had moments when it threatened to do an Elegance of the Hedgehog but ended up a bit flimsy and lightweight. Pleasant enough diversion though. (***)

  • Michael Chabon: The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay

    Michael Chabon: The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay
    A bunch of us read this together online. It was lots of fun. In the end I didn't love it, but I liked it a great deal. (****)

  • Miss Read: Over the Gate

    Miss Read: Over the Gate
    More of a collection of stories, some quite fanciful, than a proper Fairacre novel. Fun but frivolous. (***)

  • Karl Ove Knausgaard: A Death in the Family: My Struggle Book 1

    Karl Ove Knausgaard: A Death in the Family: My Struggle Book 1
    A long, slow, detailed autobiographical novel. The first of six volumes. Sometimes up its own arse, other times quite compelling. (***)

  • Miss Read: Miss Clare Remembers

    Miss Read: Miss Clare Remembers
    A bit like Wolverine: Origins but with a 70-year-old schoolteacher instead of a hairy Huge Action. Wonderful standalone book for one of the supporting cast from the Fairacre series of books. (****)

  • Charles Lambert: The Slave House

    Charles Lambert: The Slave House
    Slightly disturbing Kindle Single (short ebook) about a gay man who embarks upon a straight affair while teaching in Portugal. Captures the greyness of the 1970s perfectly. (****)

  • Miss Read: Winter in Thrush Green

    Miss Read: Winter in Thrush Green
    Comfort reading? Perhaps, but there is nothing wrong with that. Miss Read revisits Thrush Green for the first time in this novel from 1961. Some wonderful lines but not as much of the barbed sentiment of her previous work. (***)

  • J M Coetzee: The Childhood of Jesus

    J M Coetzee: The Childhood of Jesus
    When this isn't being allegorical it is being philosophical. Neither approach really goes anywhere. (***)

  • Marc Leverton: Glastonbury Festival Myths and Legends

    Marc Leverton: Glastonbury Festival Myths and Legends
    Fun little pocket book with snippets of stories from across the many years of the festival. To be honest, it could have all been covered in a magazine article but might be a nice memento of your visit. (***)

  • Miss Read: Fresh from the Country

    Miss Read: Fresh from the Country
    A standalone novel, outside her two main series, about a young teacher's first job in a big school in a large town. Good story, lots of great characters. Surprised she didn't follow this up with any more. A shame. (****)

  • Brian Aldiss: Frankenstein Unbound

    Brian Aldiss: Frankenstein Unbound
    A somewhat bonkers sequel which is hugely more entertaining than the original. (****)

  • Mary Shelley: Frankenstein

    Mary Shelley: Frankenstein
    God, what a disappointment. Plot holes the monster could walk through without having to bend down. Ridiculous. (**)

  • Will le Fleming: Central Reservation

    Will le Fleming: Central Reservation
    A remarkably measured and accomplished debut. A story about loss, families, survival and that awkward transition into adulthood. A writer to watch. (****)

  • Kerry Hudson: Tony Hogan Bought Me an Ice-cream Float Before He Stole My Ma

    Kerry Hudson: Tony Hogan Bought Me an Ice-cream Float Before He Stole My Ma
    Best first line I've read this year: 'Get out, you cunting, shitting, little fucking fucker!' were the first words I ever heard. And the rest of it is just as good. (****)

  • Jen Campbell: More Weird Things Customers Say in Bookshops

    Jen Campbell: More Weird Things Customers Say in Bookshops
    It arrived in the mail, I opened it up to dip in, next thing I knew I had finished the whole thing. (****)

  • Peter F. Hamilton: Misspent Youth

    Peter F. Hamilton: Misspent Youth
    What a science fiction novel would be like if written by Judith Krantz. Utterly ridiculous but actually quite good fun. (***)

  • Miss Read: Thrush Green

    Miss Read: Thrush Green
    Part of my Reading Miss Read challenge. The first in a parallel series to the Fairacre books and of an equally high standard. Looking forward to finding out what happens next. (****)

  • Miss Read: Storm in the Village

    Miss Read: Storm in the Village
    Latest instalment in my quest to read all the Miss Read books this year. This one moved away from the school setting somewhat and focused more on goings on in the village. A bit more gossipy and less social commentary as a result. Enjoyable comfort reading. (***)

  • Angela S. Choi: Hello Kitty Must Die

    Angela S. Choi: Hello Kitty Must Die
    A novel about traditional Chinese families in modern America with a bit of hymen reconstruction surgery and serial killing thrown in for good measure. (****)

  • Carlene Bauer: Frances and Bernard

    Carlene Bauer: Frances and Bernard
    An epistolary novel based on the friendship between Robert Lowell and Flannery O'Connor. I picked it up and found it hard to put back down again. Polished it off in three short sittings. Excellent stuff. (****)

  • Jeremy Paxman: The Political Animal: An Anatomy

    Jeremy Paxman: The Political Animal: An Anatomy
    Genuinely enlightening study of politicians in the this country. Why they do it, what makes them tick, what their jobs entail and what happens when they are booted out. (****)

  • Richard Cowper: A Dream of Kinship

    Richard Cowper: A Dream of Kinship
    Second in an almost forgotten fantasy trilogy. Not quite as good as the first but still a cracking tale. Looking forward to the final part. (****)

  • Gilbert Adair: The Death of the Author

    Gilbert Adair: The Death of the Author
    A murder mystery which doubles up as a satire on the world of literary criticism. A niche market, perhaps, but I really enjoyed this. (****)

  • Fiona Maddocks: Hildegard of Bingen

    Fiona Maddocks: Hildegard of Bingen
    Fascinating biography of a 12th Century abbess who is recognised as one of the first composers as well as being a visionary, naturalist and feminist. (****)

  • Miss Read: Village Diary

    Miss Read: Village Diary
    Book two in my reading challenge and every bit as entertaining as the first. (****)

  • JMR Higgs: KLF: Chaos Magic Music Money

    JMR Higgs: KLF: Chaos Magic Music Money
    Witty, thought-provoking, jaw-dropping at times, this is one of the best books about the music industry you will ever read. (****)

  • Jennifer Egan: A Visit From the Goon Squad

    Jennifer Egan: A Visit From the Goon Squad
    I had no idea what to expect when I started reading this, I didn't even know what it was about, but was most pleasantly surprised. An original piece of storytelling which never forgets it is trying to tell a story. (****)

  • Miss Read: Village School

    Miss Read: Village School
    A year in the life of a fictional village school during the 1950s. A much misunderstood modern classic and a fascinating slice of social history. (****)

  • Stephan Mendel-Enk: Oh Sweden! Oh Israel!

    Stephan Mendel-Enk: Oh Sweden! Oh Israel!
    One of the most accessible Jewish novels (for me as a non-Jewish reader) that I have come across. A quirky family story. Very short. Not amazing but some impressive stuff in there. Thought the £12.99 RRP for a book coming in at under 150 pages was a bit steep. (***)

  • Apostolos Doxiadis: Logicomix: An Epic Search for Truth

    Apostolos Doxiadis: Logicomix: An Epic Search for Truth
    A graphic novel about Bertrand Russell. I shit you not. And it is proper fascinating and everything. (****)

  • Guy Delisle: Burma Chronicles

    Guy Delisle: Burma Chronicles
    An account of a year the author spent living in Burma told in comic book form. Genuinely interesting and engaging if not particularly earth shattering but well worth a read if you want to find out a bit about the country and its people. (****)

  • Junichiro Tanizaki: Some Prefer Nettles

    Junichiro Tanizaki: Some Prefer Nettles
    A somewhat restrained novel about the breakdown of a marriage in 1920s Japan. Offers considerable insight into Japanese society at the time. (***)

  • Kent Haruf: Benediction

    Kent Haruf: Benediction
    A quiet masterpiece. (*****)

  • Alison Moore: The Lighthouse

    Alison Moore: The Lighthouse
    Simple, unpretentious prose. Beautifully observed. Slightly off-kilter story. Really rather splendid. (****)

  • Brian Aldiss: Bury My Heart At W. H. Smith's

    Brian Aldiss: Bury My Heart At W. H. Smith's
    A memoir, of sorts. A glimpse at a writer's life. Full of great anecdotes and shameless namedropping. (****)

  • Brian Aldiss: The Brightfount Diaries

    Brian Aldiss: The Brightfount Diaries
    The diary of a fictional bookseller. Brian's first published book started out as a series of columns in The Bookseller magazine in the 1950s and is a delightfully amusing portrait of bookselling in the middle of the last century, much of which hasn't really changed a great deal. (****)

Now Playing

Big Mouth at the Movies

  • : Side Effects

    Side Effects
    Three quarters of this movie is an intelligent Hitchcockian thriller but then it just gets silly. (***)

  • : Much Ado About Nothing

    Much Ado About Nothing
    An admirable stab at a modern version of Shakespeare. Amy Acker nails it as Beatrice but the bloke playing Benedick doesn't manage to keep up with her. (***)

  • : Ted

    Ted
    A bit too long but very funny in places. (***)

  • : Moneyball

    Moneyball
    I know very little about baseball but found this fascinating. (****)

  • : Crazy, Stupid, Love

    Crazy, Stupid, Love
    A cut above your usual romantic comedy courtesy of some fine actors putting in good performances and a clever script with a couple of nice twists. (****)

  • : The Place Beyond The Pines

    The Place Beyond The Pines
    From the director of Blue Valentine. It's a mighty fine piece of film-making. (****)

  • : Land of Plenty

    Land of Plenty
    A Wim Wenders film that had passed me by. Two excellent central performances. A bit bleak but good. (****)

  • : A Late Quartet

    A Late Quartet
    A beautifully crafted piece of work. Quiet, subtle, splendid. (****)

  • : Confessions of a Pop Performer

    Confessions of a Pop Performer
    This one actually has a lot less sex than the first, although it is still basically a 70s sit-com with added tits. (***)

  • : Confessions of a Window Cleaner

    Confessions of a Window Cleaner
    Watched this on YouTube as I have republished the ebooks. Was not without some charm. (***)

  • : Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives

    Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives
    Quietly bonkers art movie which fails to be anything more than an oddity really. Some bits were great though. (***)

  • : Withnail and I

    Withnail and I
    It is probably best to watch this with a room full of people who have seen it hundreds of times. But it is good to watch it in your front room at the weekend as well. (****)

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