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The Green and Gold Rugby Book Club

J

Jury

Guest
Book thread?

Have we got one? I couldn't see one so thought I might start one. What you all reading? Thomo reminding me of Monte Cassino made me remember some of the best book tips I've had recently was from rugby sites. (Go figure ...).

I'm reading a book called "The Road" by Cormac McCarthy. Post apocalyptic and grim, but a darn good read.

Also just finished one called "Wolf Hall" by Hilary Mantel. A bit waffly in parts, but I quite enjoyed it. It's about the rise and rise of Thomas Cromwell (Thomo - please put it on your ignore list) under the Tudors.

I'm waiting for George RR Martin to release A Dance with Dragons. I was lucky in that someone recommended the series last year and I finished them all. Just waiting for the new one to come out. I've only been waiting a few months. Some fans have been waiting six years. It's like the War of the Roses with some magical elements thrown in. Blood thirsty in parts and the author is not afraid to kill off main characters.

Anyone else got some recommendations or favourite books/authors?
 

Cutter

Nicholas Shehadie (39)
Re: Book thread?

Good thread Jury.

Some of my faves:

1. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
2. Tender is the Night by F. Scott-Fitzgerald
3. The Forgotten Soldier by Guy Sajer
4. All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy
5. For Whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemmingway
6. The Rider by Tim Krabbe (Cyclo you should definitely read this)

Currently reading Steppenwolf by Herman Hesse.
 

Jethro Tah

Bob Loudon (25)
Re: Book thread?

Thanks Jury. I will try The Road. There's a movie out on it isn't there?

Thomo's piece on another thread got me thinking about good war books I've read and they include Cutter's Hemingway suggestion. I also include:

- All Quiet on the Western Front - Remarque
- A Farewell to Arms - Hemingway
- Regeneration Trilogy - Pat Barker
- The Naked and the Dead - Norman Mailer

On a different topic (Wall Street), I recently read Too Big to Fail by Sorkin and surprisingly could not put it down.

On Steinbeck, I recently read his non-fiction Log From the Sea of Cortez and liked the philosophy in it. Has anyone read his Cannery Row? any good?
 

Scarfman

Knitter of the Scarf
Re: Book thread?

I've read The Road and a few other McCarthy's. Blood Meridian is my favourite. He's got an amazing voice.
 

cheezel

Bill Watson (15)
Re: Book thread?

The Road was the best book I read last year. Don't bother with the movie, I watched it about a week ago and was fairly disappointed.

Two books I would recommend are;
Shantaram - Gregory David Roberts
Pillars of the Earth - Ken Follet
Both are big books, but worthwhile.

Has anyone seen/read any recent good rugby biographies? I've read the John Eales, George Gregan, Larkhams World Cup Diary and Nick Farr Jones books, but that's about it. Any more I should read?
 

matty_k

Peter Johnson (47)
Staff member
Re: Book thread?

John Birmingham (He Died With A Felafel In His Hand) wrote a series called Axis of Time where a future naval battle group get transported back in time to mid World War 2.

Despite how it sounds it is actually a great read.

My other favourite is Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series but I'd wait until it is all written. It is up to book 12 with two more to go.
 

James Buchanan

Trevor Allan (34)
Re: Book thread?

I found the Road quite monotone in its stylings. It was very evocative though and that uniform monologue did add a lot to feeling of bleakness that it presented.

A book I really enjoyed was Empire Falls by Richard Russo. Its just a good yarn and very very readable.
 

cyclopath

George Smith (75)
Staff member
Re: Book thread?

I really must read the Road. I saw the movie almost on a whim a few months ago (we tried to get tickets to something else which escapes me at the moment but it was sold out).
Terrific movie, but bloody hard to watch - having a 9 year old son I found it incredibly gut-wrenching. The actors were terrific - Viggo Mortensen and a young Aussie actor as the son (he was in Romulus My Father too I think).
Good thread - I always need a spur to find new books - will check some out.
BTW Cutter, will definitely look for The Rider - thanks.
 

Thomond78

Colin Windon (37)
Re: Book thread?

Jury, I've read Wolf Hall, but the thing is, I know the history of the era pretty well.

Try In The Lion's Court: Power, Ambition and Sudden Death in the Reign of Henry VIII by Derek Wilson. Excellent stuff, and you realise just how much of a monster Henry was.

Rites of Peace by Adam Zamoyski about the downfall of Napoleon and the Congress of Vienna is genuinely fascinating. In the same era, if you haven't read the Aubrey-Maturin books, do yourself a favour and start into them. I re-read them over and over and over again.

Also, read Dreadnought by Kevin Massie, and, of course, The Boer War and Scramble for Africa by Tom Pakenham.
 

bryce

Darby Loudon (17)
http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/socie...ideology-based-on-fiction-20110414-1dfut.html


This reminded me of an earlier discussion on Atlas Shrugged, and the idea of starting a book thread. So here goes.

Any big readers out there? I've just finished The Grapes of Wrath, and I've just started Freedom, by Jonathan Franzen. Loved The Grapes of Wrath (despite it being so depressing), and Freedom is taking a bit of time to get into. I try to make a point of reading novels (alongside, or instead of, non fiction), and I've got through a fair few over the past few years. Anyone read any novels recently that have been stand outs?

My recommendation would be The Kindly Ones, by Jonathan Littell. I read it last (northern) summer, and have to say it blew me away. It has had very mixed reviews though, everything from comparisons to War and Peace to complete condemnations.

So what have you all been reading? And are you more into fiction or non fiction? We probably could have a few separate threads if this gets popular.
 

Nusadan

Chilla Wilson (44)
Did try to read The Fountainhead when I was a teenager when I ran out of more exciting books to read, probably picked it purely for its risque sounding title...and simply gave up before half way, too heavy for me back then...

Reading English crime novels at present, like Ruth Rendell or Lynda La Plante, gave up on Dick Francis a long time ago as was not cerebral enough for me...

Enjoyed the Millennium trilogy of Stieg Larsson recently and now waiting with bated breath as to what is happening with the 'unfinished' fourth novel found in his laptop after he had died...
 

Jethro Tah

Bob Loudon (25)
Just pushing this thread back to the top of the pile so someone with the knowhow can blend it with Bryce's new book thread.

My recent reads:
- The Big Short by Lewis is a good non-fiction account of the select few who made millions by screwing Wall Street
- Let the Great World Spin by McCann is a well written yarn about New York in the 1970s and it's intriguing characters
- Close to Flying bio of Cadel Evans, I have huge respect for Cadel but struggled through the book as I found it to be badly written. For Cadel fans only.
 

bryce

Darby Loudon (17)
Seems to be a few Cormac Mccarthy fans here. The first of his books I read was The Road - found that it took a while to get used to his style - but once I got past that, really enjoyed it, and I've read All the Pretty Horses and The Crossing since. I actually thought the film adaption of The Road was pretty good.

Cutter, I'm just looking at the date of your post and it was a while ago, but what'd you think of Steppenwolf? I thought the first half was amazing, but that it sort of dudded out? Maybe it was just beyond me. I still liked it though. I'd recommend another book by Hesse, Beneath the Wheel.
 

Cutter

Nicholas Shehadie (39)
I really enjoyed Steppenwolf. I don't think its for everyone, but I liked it. Ulysses, on the other hand, often voted in the top 10 of all time, I couldn't get into. I tried it about 5 years ago. Not sure if I'll go back.

I enjoyed Rabbit Run by John Updike recently.
 

Empire

Syd Malcolm (24)
Pillars of the Earth - Ken Follett: voted up the top of the bbc's best reads, and not hard to work out why. Great medieval story and character development.

Currently reading Simon Schama's 'Citizens'. Great insight into the machinations that lead to the French revolution, with interesting and insightful analysis of the key players, and how the revolution manifested into Le terreur. Perfect for switching off post work, study etc.
 

Cutter

Nicholas Shehadie (39)
On Steinbeck, I recently read his non-fiction Log From the Sea of Cortez and liked the philosophy in it. Has anyone read his Cannery Row? any good?

I've read Cannery Row. I didn't mind it but its not of the quality of The Grapes of Wrath or Of Mice and Men. Its more whimsical.

Cyclo (and other cycling fans) have you read The Rider yet?
 

Cutter

Nicholas Shehadie (39)
The Rider is about an amateur bike race from the point of view of a participant. Tim Krabbe is a Dutch author who, I think, usually writes crime novels.
 
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