• Welcome to this forum . We are a worldwide group with a common interest in Birmingham and its history. While here, please follow a few simple rules. We ask that you respect other members, thank those who have helped you and please keep your contributions on-topic with the thread.

    We do hope you enjoy your visit. BHF Admin Team

a good book

Bernard67Arnold

Bernard67Arnold

master brummie
We dont seem to get many people recommend a good book, surely there must be lot of readers out there,
my dad used to say "Books are silent companions", I wish I had a pound note for every book I have read
in my lifetime. When the war started quite a number of teachers joined the forces, and we had a retired
teacher who had been called back to replace them, Will Scarlett, in his cupboard he kept 12 canes, all
named like the twelve tribes of Israel, anyway we used to finish school at four o/clock, and at quarter to
to each day he would read a story. He was a big fan of John Buchan, he would read "39 Steps" and all
the others, this instilled a love of books which has never left me. Bernard
 
A few for the time being:-

Chef by Jaspreet Singh - A man's journey back to Kashmir where he was chef to an Indian General. Going back and forth from present day to his earlier time. (Novel)
Catching the Impossible by Martin Bowler and Hugh Miles - A journey through angling. Childhood inspration, beautiful places, amazing fish, triumphs and disasters. Beutifully photographed. A worthy tome in the footsteps of "A Passion for Angling"
War Walks from Agincourt to Normandy by Richard Holmes - Accompanied the BBC TV series. Six of Northern France and Belgiums battlefields, a relatively short but informative description of the background and conflict to each.
Finally, there must be one to do with our Birmingham past.
A History of Birmingham by Chris Upton - a look at why Birmingham grew and what it's become.

Hope that's a wide choice.
 
Thanks Dave, I see you are a Gil fan, this young chap they have now reminds of him a little bit, he is only on loan they want to get him signed up quick, Bernard
 
I've heard that Man City won't let us sign him permanently but we have the option for another 12 months' loan at the end of this season. (Off topic I know:biggrin:).
But to make up, here's another book:-

Battle of Trafalgar by Nicholas Best - the story unfolds from Bonaparte's headquarters to the Lower Decks of the ships' involved. I like the name given to the "madame" who organised the prostitutes for Bonaparte's army, "Madame Forty Thousand Men". :rolleyes:
 
I have just finished reading "The Long Walk' by Slavomir Rawicz.It is a supposedly true story which is contested by some.Irrespective of it being true or not it is believable and I found it to be a wonderful read.I highly recommend it if you can get hold of a copy.
 
Authors recommended for fans of British crime novels: Simon Beckett; Mark Billingham; Nicci French; John Harvey; Jim Kelly; Simon Kernick; Stuart MacBride and Val McDermitt.
 
Bernard, you are right!

Perhaps this could become a regular thread? Sharing books and opinions of books can be almost as enjoyable as reading them. Like you, I cannot imagine a world without books...I certainly would not wish to live in such a one!

I've just rediscovered a Victorian novelist (I read a couple belonging to my Grandmother when I was a kid) who wrote from the late 1870's to the early 1940's: called Annie S. Swan. She wrote almost two hundred books, and was immensely famous in her day. Indeed, she was Charles Dicken's favourite author! Yet she is almost wholly forgotten to day. She was a sort of an quivalent to 'Catherine Cookson' (but dare I suggest this?!?) was a better writer...in as much as she had a greater potential 'range' . Unfortunately, she was 'captive' to her audience, and had basically to write stories that her public demanded of her. She was enormously influential in other areas too....negotiating with America, for aid, during the First World War and, in many ventures for the betterment for society. She also ran her own Womans' magazine; as well as having the dubious honour of her's being the first home to be destroyed during a 'Zeppelin' raid! Why no film company has thought to buy-up the film-rights to her books, is beyond me!

Has anyone read her?
 
Hi JohnO, I am afraid the only fiction I read is the Sun, I have had a love affair with books going back many, many years.I am looking forward to my birthday at the
end of this week when my daughter Stephanie is bying, is it y, or ie, never mind, the new Matt Monroe book by his daughter. Let you know what it is like, bye for
now, Bernard (Thats only a quarter of them)
 
Last edited:
Bernard...that's so sad; how can you not read/enjoy a rattling good yarn? As someone once said : ''The novel holds many truths, but others (books) have merely opinion'' ...I may not have got it quite right there, but it's basically that.

But if you want a beltingly good non-fiction book that almost reads like a novel; try : ''Agincourt'' by Juliet Barker. It is the finest, most interesting, most exciting, most detailed account that I have ever read. This is how history ought to be read!
 
Just discovered Peter Lovesey. Crime novels mainly. Finished "The Headhunters", a good pacey read. Just starting "The Circle".
BTW, made a rogan josh from the recipe in "Chef" the first novel I mentioned on this thread - delicious even though it's not a recipe book!
 
I have just finished reading "The Hunger" by Carol Drinkwater. A very good book written in the style of a diary by a young Irish girl in 1845.

There are several books in the "My Story" series that take the form of diaries...........I am now on the lookout for more. (there are 25 "girls" books and 14 "boys" books) :)

I've not long finished "Unstolen" by Wendy Jean.

Am now on "The House in South Road" by Joyce Storey it is an autobiography about Pre-war life in Bristol.

I love books set in that era and have hundreds both fiction and non-fiction..........I think a bootsale is needed soon as I am over crowded with books now :rolleyes: :D
 
I've recently read a book that I found in a charity shop - The Meaning of Everything by Simon Winchester. I bought it rather hurriedly under the impression it might be an interesting reference book but when I got it home I was disappointed to find it was the story of the Oxford English Dictionary. It looked a very dry read on the face of it.
However, I started reading it and couldn't put it down. It tells the story of how the OED came to be conceived, compiled and finally published in its first complete form 70 years after the start of the work.
I had no idea how a dictionary was compiled nor how words were selected to be contained in it - the OED was compiled over many years from submissions by about 1500 amateur "readers" who were guided by a central co-ordinating team. The readers ranged from Oxford dons, elderly spinsters and to murderers in gaol.
It was a roller coaster adventure for the people concerned, involving steadfast dedication, and much intrigue and skullduggery. The people who started the project did not live long enough to see its completion.
An incredible find for me and thoroughly recommended to anyone who watches Countdown, or has an interest in words or who wants an unusual and interesting read.
 
Books, like music are a personal choice. Myself I like crime/thriller books. Lee Child, Michael Connelly, Mark Billingham etc; Another good read is "The Butchers Boy" by Thomas Perry, and the follow up to this "Sleeping Dogs". I don't know if other members find as I do that books that are turned into films fall way below the mark. Marathon Man, The Bourne films and First Blood to name a few. Take advantage of the best collection of Fiction/Non Fiction books and more besides,join your local Libaray.
jimbo
 
have to agree Jimbo, books are a very personal choice and we are all different, I would be lost without them although have to say I have now got a Kindle, xmas pressie next year and it is wonderful, much as I love the feel of a book, this means I am not at a loss as to where to keep them all - and so many free downloads, including a lot of the classics, which I am re-reading and loving.
Can't recommend it enough and I am a real technophobe, even got mom one that she loves - present ideas maybe.
My favourite series of books are the Rhanna stories by Christine Marion Fraser and The Outsiders by Steve Hinton, very different books, have quite an eclectic taste, hate sci-fi and westerns though.
Sue
 
I don't read much fiction, but do keep returning to 'Lord Of The Rings' - I must have read it 25 times over the past 40-odd years. I can still get great pleasure in reading Sherlock Holmes stories (my specialist subject for 'Mastermind' if it ever came to it), and anything with reference to Jack The Ripper. Current reading is a history of Special Operations Executive during WW2 (a very favourite subject of mine) and a wonderful book describing life in 14th century England. On an average week I read 3-4 books, and am seriously thinking of Kindle.

G
 
Big Gee - My wife has a 'Sony eReader' which was chosen over the Kindle for the fact that you can access books held by the Library as well as those you can buy. Amazon currently will not agree an arrangement with Libraries. Also thanks to a nifty bit of free software you can also enjoy any of the Kindle list of books. May be worth a look at.
 
Thanks for that Bernie, am looking at a Kindle for hubby for xmas, hadn't really looked at any others, will do a bit more research!
Sue
 
The Pity of War by Niall Ferguson not fiction and very heavy but for people with an interest in 1914-1918 very interesting.


My reading at the moment is Lambs Tales from Shakespeare.
I had my original copy when I was at school 60 years ago but it was mislaid so my son bought me one this year.
I find Shakespeares plays a bit hard going but when you read the story put in simple terms it makes the plays easier to understand.

A bit lighter reading, I have just finished 'A Liverpool Lullaby' by Anne Baker. ladies you will love it.
 
On Ebook readers:- I bought a kobo a few months back and it does the job well enough although there's a newer version now that comes with backlight and a better set of internet programs (useful if you can find somewhere with wifi free). You can usually get Kobo in WH Smith, Waterstones does kindles. If you want to play with one before you buy, the bigger stores should have them available to try out. Currys/PC World may have both of them out to try.
Calibre https://calibre-ebook.com/ will convert to a variety of ebook formats and is a free download. You can also use it as a library manager (keep most of the stuff on a pc and move books to your kindle/kobo or whatever through the program). I did have trouble trying to convert stuff for someone else's kindle using a different program. Standard formats are .mobi (kindle) or .epub (kobo) but they may also take other formats.
A lot of stuff is available as pdf. Both of these devices will read these files but they are usually formatted for a much larger screen so you either have to zoom in / scroll to read the text or be able to read fine type. You can convert pdfs but there are sometimes complications.
Hope this helps.
 
'The Midwife's Confession' by Diane Chamberlain, a real page turner right to the end, all of her books are like that, there are about twenty of them.
Trevor (Rita)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top