Best reads - Club Together Book Club?

Nellie – Picking up a 600+ page book (Wolf Hall) was a bit daunting to me and it took me a while to tune in to the author’s writing style which is possibly why I may read it again sometime.  Bring up the Bodies for me was an easier read having tuned in to her style - do hope there is a further book.  How Thomas, such an astute person got it wrong in later life I can only guess at.  The books made me more aware of the fact that the UK is at present going through a ‘period of future history’.

Jay, I see that the Tie-in to the Mary Queen of Scots film is available on Kindle for 99p at the moment. It looks another long read being 668 pgs but could well be worth it.

Nellie - thanks for info but I'm not a Kindle user. Have read odd write ups about the New Mary Queen of Scots film - may see it sometime 'though some said it deviated from 'known history' in places.  Am enjoying Dark Sacred Night (a good author for me)  Waiting for the Spy and the Traitor to  arrive at  library. 

Not a fiction book but I'm sure many of you will have a copy of Wainwright's pictorial guides to the Lake Land fells.

There are now a third revised editions by Clive Hutchby published from 2015 onward. These are major revisions and with extra pages and diagrams added on certain routes.

It is really interesting when comparing the original with these new editions. Book one was written in 1954,  a staggering 65 year ago. Of course the tops are essentially the same but the routes and paths have changed dramatically in some cases.

For example routes that were popular in 1954 has fell into decline and some gone, while routes that were not used or there in 1954 now have stoned (fix the fells) paths. Have these new routes become popular because he mentioned them. Car parks have appeared.

In essence the 1954 book is really now an historical reference of walking in 65 years ago.

Highly recommended.

Was it AW who, when he appeared on Desert Island Discs chose not to have any music? I remember him coming across as a Grumpy old bugger but Lakeland hillwalkers owe him a great deal.

Indeed he was, read his biography by Hunter Davies, another good read, to see how 'bad' he was to some of his family.

But as you say we do owe him a great deal. Those books are still the best guidebooks in my view, especially his 'space station' diagrams of the routes of accent. And every page hand drawn - amazing

Picked up a book in a charity shop  that I read quite a few years ago but haven't seen for a while. 

If anyone wants a Crime book that makes you laugh out loud in every chapter then pick up The Fourth Bear by Jasper Fforde. The lead detective is D.I.Jack Spratt who heads up the Nursery Crime Division at Reading police station. 

There are only 2 of these Nursery Crime books, the other one being The Big Over Easy, where Spratt investigates the demise of Humpty Dumpty. 

Both books are great escapist fun.

Have just completed two Stuart McBride books, the stand alone Roberta Steel one....Now We are Dead.... and the latest of the Logan McRae ones.....The Blood Road. Both great reads.

For fans of John Connolly's "Charlie Parker" series, the latest instalment "A Book of Bones" is just out.

Also to look forward to later in the year, the final episode of Kate Atkinson's "Jackson Brodie" series titled "Big Sky" and the latest of Time Weaver's "David Raker" series called "No One Home".

All 3 of these series need to be read in sequence though to get full appreciation so keep an eye out for old copies if you haven't discovered then yet.

Now plodding my way through Homo Deus by Yuval Noah Harari. Even more thought provoking than his book Sapiens. If you enjoy a good mellon squeeze and a test of convictions I can well recommend both of these non fiction books. It's healthy to question!