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Off Topic Art & Literature

Discussion in 'Southampton' started by Beddy, Nov 26, 2019.

  1. San Tejón

    San Tejón Well-Known Member

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    @Beddy
    I remember you saying that you are a fan of the LJ Ross, DCI Ryan books.
    Have you read the Alexander Gregory books, also by LJ Ross?
    He’s a criminal psychologist who does profiling.
    4 in the series so far.
     
    #761
  2. Libby

    Libby 9-0

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    Finished reading Sleepers last week and found it excellent. Probably the best book I've read since crime and punishment a couple of years back.

    Any suggestions for my next dark/gritty novel? Gotta couple of easy reads to get through in meantime.
     
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  3. Le Tissier's Laces

    Le Tissier's Laces Well-Known Member

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    Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart. Dark and gritty, but not in a ‘spies and murder’ type way. Just very, painfully real.
     
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  4. Che’s Godlike Thighs

    Che’s Godlike Thighs Well-Known Member

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    Treasure Island is great fun, but also quite dark. Jamaica Inn is good too. Less fun but darker.

    To Kill a Mockingbird is the one I always recommend though. It’s just incredible. I’ve read it 4 or 5 times now. It has everything.

    If you enjoyed Dostoevksy, then The Possessed and Brothers Karamazov are both as good as Crime and Punishment (better in my opinion). But they're both epic 500+ page jobs. His best short story is Notes From Underground. It's in two parts, and you only really need to read the first part. Not so much a story, rather just the narrator questioning his own existence and worth. But its one of the most important existential texts out there.
     
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    Last edited: Apr 6, 2022
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  5. Libby

    Libby 9-0

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    Ordered!

    I too found TKAM brilliant and have read it multiple times.

    I'll give all of these a go at some point. Have ordered Jamaica Inn and The Possessed for now, and I'm really intrigued by the short story mentioned too.


    Cheers both!
     
    #765
  6. Beddy

    Beddy Plays the percentage

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    Sorry mate been away. No I haven’t read the Alexander books. Just gone back to the Joy Ellis’ books Nicky galena. Based on the fens. On the fourth bloody good read if you like that sort of thing. I believe there is 12 in the series.
     
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  7. San Tejón

    San Tejón Well-Known Member

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    Just looked at Amazon and the price for the first 5 books in the Nicky Galena series, on kindle, is just £1.99. For the 5, not each. Bargain and now downloaded.
     
    #767
  8. davecg69

    davecg69 Well-Known Member

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    Ooh goody! Thanks, SB and Beddy! Have ordered those 5 too. Looking forward to reading them. Cheers!
     
    #768
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  9. San Tejón

    San Tejón Well-Known Member

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    I have just started reading the DCI Logan books. First one was good and some very good humour in it. Set in Scotland.
    Book 2 downloaded for when I find the time to read it, what with the other 50 or so books in my unread folder. Downloading books before I need them is my weakness.
     
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  10. Beddy

    Beddy Plays the percentage

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    If you like detective series you’ll enjoy these.!!
     
    #770
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  11. The Ides of March

    The Ides of March Well-Known Member

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    It has been a while since I made a contributioin to this thread so here goes. Recently I read a book written by Hampshire's, in indeed Fareham's arguably finest contemporary author."Beyond Recall" by Robert Goddard. Besides the storyline in the novel, I like the way he takes us, the reader, to the location of the story by describing vividly Truro, and his ability to relate the changes in the weather to the mood and tempo of the story.
     
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  12. San Tejón

    San Tejón Well-Known Member

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    I am also working my way through DCI William Blake, like the poet, which are good as well. On book 3 of that series.
     
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  13. Ian Thumwood

    Ian Thumwood Well-Known Member

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    I have just finished "The Falls" which I felt was impossible to put down. Ian Rankin is a really good writer but I thinnk the plot in this novel had me hooked.
     
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  14. Beddy

    Beddy Plays the percentage

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    I am currently reading the rebus series by Ian Rankin. Very good series.
     
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  15. Ian Thumwood

    Ian Thumwood Well-Known Member

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    I have read about four of them now and have a few others on my bookshelf to read. I started with the later ones and was impressed yet the earlier books when you learn about his relationship with people like Macolm Fox and Siobhan Clarke strike me as really capturing the way different people react together. "The Falls" is the best of those i have read so far. I love the dialogue in this novels yet the plot in this effort was fascinating as it was based on Burke and Hare. They are really difficult to put down - on a par with Ian McEwan and William Boyd in this respect for me.
     
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  16. tiggermaster

    tiggermaster Well-Known Member

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    Bought the 5, read the first one today.. Currently have the cold from hell, so anything that takes me out of the sick zone is a buzz. Success+++. I was worried after the first 10 pages that the ritual cliches to introduce characters would sink my enthusiam. However the fast pace aligned to character development keep me engaged. Good enough, I'll read on...
     
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  17. Beddy

    Beddy Plays the percentage

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    Well admitted they are not everyone’s taste but they seem to get you to warm to them.
     
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  18. Beddy

    Beddy Plays the percentage

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    Still on the Ian Rankin books Rebus. I like the way the author sometimes tells you the background of the story and what prompted him to write the book. I am on “dead Souls” at the moment. The books are improving as he himself is actually agreeing his lack of experience with his earlier books and his popularity is increasing the more he writes at the time. (80s and 90s)None the less I have enjoyed all his early books and intend to carry on.
     
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  19. Ian Thumwood

    Ian Thumwood Well-Known Member

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    I am reading "Exit music" at the moment. Rankin's books are really well crafted. I love the dialogue and the way the politics of policing is such a strong factor. I have three more to read in my pile of books.
     
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  20. Beddy

    Beddy Plays the percentage

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    I see he has just been made “Sir Ian Rankin” today! Well done sir Ian.
     
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