All those wonderful books

Starting Stephen King's Fairy Tale tonight. I've been so looking forward to this book. I need an old school instant King classic. Most of my favorite King books are his fantasy stories - The Talisman, The Dark Tower, Eyes Of The Dragon - so my expectations are high. I hope I'm not disappointed.

Finished this last week. A joy from first page to last. Love the man.

Ashamed to say I didn't recognise the Barras.

Book related, just above the black car on the right.....

@berlintramp I finally read a Barbara Pym, as recommended by you. Quartet in Autumn and I thought it was excellent - nothing really happened, but it was a beautifully drawn story of four people approaching retirement and how their lives interacted. Some very subtle humour, which I liked and a struggle to understand the modern world, as it was in the 1970's.

Thanks for the recommendation, I will read more of her work!

I've heard about that book, haven't read it.

As you say, supposed to be a very tough one to get through.

I read this interview with the author Douglas Stuart recently, interesting read.

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2022/apr/02/douglas-stuart-shuggie-bain-tough-start-living-with-alcoholic

Finally picked up fiction that’s been on the bedside table unread far too long. Tough read, but what a book:

Dunno if there's any Denise Mina fans out there but I've just finished this -

Another great read from the "Tartan Noir" genre.

Anyone who likes a crime thriller and isn't au fait with her work should fire in.

I read 'If it Bleeds', very good indeed. There is a very nasty character, well it's more than one, but it feeds off misery, which obviously put me in mind Jack, but it is nowhere near as attractive or interesting as Jack.

Joy of joys, my iPad is letting me post comments again!

I read the first story in 'If it Bleeds', 'Mr. Harrigan's Phone' which I really enjoyed, the second one, 'Life of Chuck' was weird and I didn't understand it! Moved on to another, non Stephen King, 'Daughters of the Night' by Laura Shepherd Robinson which is terrific.

I might read the next SK short story on the train to London this afternoon.

@SteveInJoburg I'm looking forward to this one, brother. It's been a while since I felt this much anticipation for a forthcoming King book. I have an unexplainable feeling it's going to be one of his best, a throwback to the classic Stephen King. The title, synopsis and author are enough to convince me before reading it that I'm going to love it.

Charlie Reade looks like a regular high school kid, great at baseball and football, a decent student. But he carries a heavy load. His mom was killed in a hit-and-run accident when he was ten, and grief drove his dad to drink. Charlie learned how to take care of himself—and his dad. When Charlie is seventeen, he meets a dog named Radar and her aging master, Howard Bowditch, a recluse in a big house at the top of a big hill, with a locked shed in the backyard. Sometimes strange sounds emerge from it.

Charlie starts doing jobs for Mr. Bowditch and loses his heart to Radar. Then, when Bowditch dies, he leaves Charlie a cassette tape telling a story no one would believe. What Bowditch knows, and has kept secret all his long life, is that inside the shed is a portal to another world.

Release date is September 6th.

@whispered secret have you read any more King?

I needed a book for a train journey today (The Boy Who Glowed being too heavy!) so I bought a book of 4 short stories - Mr Harrigan's Phone, The Life of Chuck, If It Bleeds and Rat. I read Mr Harrigan's Phone on the way home and really enjoyed it, enough for me to try some of the recommendations above.

I have never read any Stephen King - what would you recommend? Nothing that's too 'horror' please!

I'm going to start this beautiful, perfect story tonight (fifth read) and hopefully finish it before I get too deep into my new project to read anyone else.

Such an incredible story.

I first read this adventure while I was on the road, just like Traveling Jack - though his highway adventures were far more harrowing than most of mine.

A little shameless self-promotion. My new novel released yesterday. The e-book is currently free through March 11.

I discovered Jonathan Coe a couple of years ago. I had watched 'The Rotters Club', a novel of his which was turned into a TV programme, and enjoyed that, but hadn't bothered with anything else.

During the first lockdown we needed something to distract us and downloaded the audio version of 'Middle England' which was excellent and it led me to his other novels, most of which have been very enjoyable.

I have just finished 'The Rain Before it Falls' (great title) and thought it was really good.

Tonight, I'll revisit an old favorite for a third reading.