Julian Barnes - Levels of Life. Brilliant book. 9/10
Ben Watt - Patient: The True Story of a Rare Illness  7/10
Duncan Fallowell - How to Disappear: a Memoir for Misfits Bit airy fairy for my liking but worth reading. 6/10

Driving a wagon for a living I listen to a lot of audio books, must be 20 plus since Christmas

Black Vinyl, White Powder - Simon Napier-Bell
a look at the seedier side of the music industry over 50 years, surprised at some of the people using drugs including stars of the 40's dance band era. Napier-Bell has had many jobs in the business so knows what he is talking about. A good read. 8/10

Paul Weller, The Changing Man - Paolo Hewitt
Hewitt was a mate of Wellers from when they were both about 14 and this is his story of how he saw the Jam come together and become famous. A bit dull really. 6/10

Young Hearts Run Free: The Real Story of the 1970s - Dave Haslam
Haslam was an NME journalist and DJ at the Hacienda. This is not just a story of 70's music but the politics of the time including the strikes and the IRA bombings. Well put together and reminded me of a few things I had forgotton. 8/10

Ska'd for Life: A Personal Journey with The Specials - Horace Panter
Horace was the Bass player and original founding member from Coventry. This is a diary of his life in the group and also the story of the two-tone label. Some good stories about some of their tours. 7/10

The Brian Epstein Story - Debbie Geller
very detailed story right from Epstein's childhood to death. Not sure who the writer is but she knows her stuff and shows that Epstein also had his failings as the Beatles manager. Good insight into the London scene of the late 50's early 60's. 8/10

Stoned - Andrew Loog Oldham
Loog Oldham was a bit of a wannabe who latched onto the Stones after seeing them at a gig. he started out as The Beatles PR man working for Epstein but he wanted his own fame. He started out as mainly PR for the Stones but he also produced songs and he was the one who got Jagger/Richards to start writing their own material. This book cover his life up until 1964/5, I am currently reading the follow up. 8/10

2Stoned - Andrew Loog Oldham
Jeez this took some getting through as it zig zags all over the place from one decade to another in no order. There are some good anecdotes about various faces from the 60's and he talks briefly about why he left The Stones. He is actually very lucky to still be alive with the drink and drugs he took, infact many of his peers died very young. If you asked 10 people on their views of ALO you would probably get 10 different answers, a complex man but if you think about it this guy was only 19 when he guided The Stones and he developed many management/promotion techniques that are still used today. He was a pioneer without doubt. 6/10

Music The Business: The Essential Guide to the Law and the Deals - Ann Harrison
don't think this will be of any interest to chit chat but it is excellent as it is one of the few books mainly written for the UK market. The author has been a lawyer for years and has worked with loads of big names, tells you all the legalities and percentages of what artists should be earning for the input they have provided. Bang up to date with info on digital media and what to be careful of. 8/10

England's Dreaming, the Sex Pistols and Punk Rock - Jon Savage
actually his name is Jon Sage but I suppose that doesn't sound as hard, well qualified to write on the subject though as he has worked for all the major musical press labels and also ran his own fanzine. Despite the title it is not just about the Pistols, he covers all the main players of the era plus also quite a bit dedicated to the fashion outlets especially McClaren's and Viv Westwoods. Some good Pistols stories that I had never heard before like all their gear was knicked. The PA system was robbed off the stage at the Hammersmith Apollo and belonged to Roxy Music, the guitars were robbed from Rod Stewarts and Ronnie Woods houses in London and they also got a nice fur coat from Keith Richards house. I say they but it was actually just Steve Jones who was a total thief. Malcolm McClaren freely admits he was in awe of the impresario Larry Parnes and tried to base himself on him by exaggerating his Jewish roots which seemed to work. One part that really surprised me was the discussion of Sid's ability as a musician, many will know he replaced the reasonably accomplished Glen Matlock on bass. Sid had already had a stint as a drummer and a sax player with the early Banshees, but everyone said that he could have been a very good bass player if he had kept off the drugs. Apparently he could listen to a song and in one evening pick out and learn the bass lines himself, surprised me I always thought he was ****. It will keep you busy for a while as it is 600+ pages and it can drift off at a tangent sometimes. 8/10

Stand and Deliver: My Autobiography - Adam Ant
poor bloke had already been married and tried to top himself before he was famous. Hung around on the fringes of the Punk scene and decided he wanted to be famous himself, came from art school as many did. Malcolm McClaren was his first manager but he knicked Adam's backing group to be in Bow Wow Wow, obviously they fell out. Shacked up with some tasty women Amanda Donahue, Jamie Lee Curtis, Heather Graham and a few page 3 dollies. He was a very disturbed man and was bi-polar, however when he seemed to turn a corner he would stop taking his medication and be back to square one again. He could never really decide if he wanted to be a pop star or an actor, when he had a bit of success in one area he left it and went to the other. I was surprised to read how successful he was in the US. Had another failed marriage and a daughter at the turn of the millennium, seemed to finally control his illness but this was 2006 so suppose he could have had another turn since. 7/10

Freddie Mercury: The Biography - Laura Jackson
an a nice read but not brilliant. I read her Brian May biography last year and this does take quite a few bits from that, both of them really concentrated more on the group than the individuals that they were supposed to portray. Mentions a bit of detail regarding Freddie's famous birthday parties and briefly mentions his coke use, it is quite clear that Freddie was never an addict. Highlight is an interview with Barbera Valentin who was one of his oldest and closet friends from Germany. 7/10

Mercury and Me - Jim Hutton
I was a bit dubious about getting this but it really is a moving story. Hutton was Freddie's last long term partner and they didn't meet until around '84, so the story is 95% about them as Hutton didn't even realise who Queen were. The first time Freddie tried to chat Hutton up he was actually already with someone and he told Freddie to F OFF. He was actually a barber at the Savoy Hotel but he ended up becoming Freddie's fulltime gardener and was responsible for much of the design at Logan Place, Freddie's walled London retreat. Describes their trips together around the world and Freddie's expensive tastes in art and furniture and obviously the final months when he nursed Freddie at the end and the visitors to Freddie's house. Although left £500,000 by Freddie in his will, he was treated very badly by Mary Austin after Freddie's death as were the rest of Freddie's staff that were left behind, they were all told they could stay on at Logan Place for as long as they needed, but Austin had them all removed so she could move in on her own. She basically then got everything that was left that is now worth an estimated £150 million. Since the writing of the book Jim Hutton has also died of AIDS. 9/10

I read a book once.
Green it was.

Black Vinyl, White Powder - Simon Napier-Bell
a look at the seedier side of the music industry over 50 years, surprised at some of the people using drugs including stars of the 40's dance band era. Napier-Bell has had many jobs in the business so knows what he is talking about. A good read. 8/10

Paul Weller, The Changing Man - Paolo Hewitt
Hewitt was a mate of Wellers from when they were both about 14 and this is his story of how he saw the Jam come together and become famous. A bit dull really. 6/10

Young Hearts Run Free: The Real Story of the 1970s - Dave Haslam
Haslam was an NME journalist and DJ at the Hacienda. This is not just a story of 70's music but the politics of the time including the strikes and the IRA bombings. Well put together and reminded me of a few things I had forgotton. 8/10

Ska'd for Life: A Personal Journey with The Specials - Horace Panter
Horace was the Bass player and original founding member from Coventry. This is a diary of his life in the group and also the story of the two-tone label. Some good stories about some of their tours. 7/10

The Brian Epstein Story - Debbie Geller
very detailed story right from Epstein's childhood to death. Not sure who the writer is but she knows her stuff and shows that Epstein also had his failings as the Beatles manager. Good insight into the London scene of the late 50's early 60's. 8/10

Stoned - Andrew Loog Oldham
Loog Oldham was a bit of a wannabe who latched onto the Stones after seeing them at a gig. he started out as The Beatles PR man working for Epstein but he wanted his own fame. He started out as mainly PR for the Stones but he also produced songs and he was the one who got Jagger/Richards to start writing their own material. This book cover his life up until 1964/5, I am currently reading the follow up. 8/10

2Stoned - Andrew Loog Oldham
Jeez this took some getting through as it zig zags all over the place from one decade to another in no order. There are some good anecdotes about various faces from the 60's and he talks briefly about why he left The Stones. He is actually very lucky to still be alive with the drink and drugs he took, infact many of his peers died very young. If you asked 10 people on their views of ALO you would probably get 10 different answers, a complex man but if you think about it this guy was only 19 when he guided The Stones and he developed many management/promotion techniques that are still used today. He was a pioneer without doubt. 6/10

Music The Business: The Essential Guide to the Law and the Deals - Ann Harrison
don't think this will be of any interest to chit chat but it is excellent as it is one of the few books mainly written for the UK market. The author has been a lawyer for years and has worked with loads of big names, tells you all the legalities and percentages of what artists should be earning for the input they have provided. Bang up to date with info on digital media and what to be careful of. 8/10

England's Dreaming, the Sex Pistols and Punk Rock - Jon Savage
actually his name is Jon Sage but I suppose that doesn't sound as hard, well qualified to write on the subject though as he has worked for all the major musical press labels and also ran his own fanzine. Despite the title it is not just about the Pistols, he covers all the main players of the era plus also quite a bit dedicated to the fashion outlets especially McClaren's and Viv Westwoods. Some good Pistols stories that I had never heard before like all their gear was knicked. The PA system was robbed off the stage at the Hammersmith Apollo and belonged to Roxy Music, the guitars were robbed from Rod Stewarts and Ronnie Woods houses in London and they also got a nice fur coat from Keith Richards house. I say they but it was actually just Steve Jones who was a total thief. Malcolm McClaren freely admits he was in awe of the impresario Larry Parnes and tried to base himself on him by exaggerating his Jewish roots which seemed to work. One part that really surprised me was the discussion of Sid's ability as a musician, many will know he replaced the reasonably accomplished Glen Matlock on bass. Sid had already had a stint as a drummer and a sax player with the early Banshees, but everyone said that he could have been a very good bass player if he had kept off the drugs. Apparently he could listen to a song and in one evening pick out and learn the bass lines himself, surprised me I always thought he was ****. It will keep you busy for a while as it is 600+ pages and it can drift off at a tangent sometimes. 8/10

Stand and Deliver: My Autobiography - Adam Ant
poor bloke had already been married and tried to top himself before he was famous. Hung around on the fringes of the Punk scene and decided he wanted to be famous himself, came from art school as many did. Malcolm McClaren was his first manager but he knicked Adam's backing group to be in Bow Wow Wow, obviously they fell out. Shacked up with some tasty women Amanda Donahue, Jamie Lee Curtis, Heather Graham and a few page 3 dollies. He was a very disturbed man and was bi-polar, however when he seemed to turn a corner he would stop taking his medication and be back to square one again. He could never really decide if he wanted to be a pop star or an actor, when he had a bit of success in one area he left it and went to the other. I was surprised to read how successful he was in the US. Had another failed marriage and a daughter at the turn of the millennium, seemed to finally control his illness but this was 2006 so suppose he could have had another turn since. 7/10

Freddie Mercury: The Biography - Laura Jackson
an a nice read but not brilliant. I read her Brian May biography last year and this does take quite a few bits from that, both of them really concentrated more on the group than the individuals that they were supposed to portray. Mentions a bit of detail regarding Freddie's famous birthday parties and briefly mentions his coke use, it is quite clear that Freddie was never an addict. Highlight is an interview with Barbera Valentin who was one of his oldest and closet friends from Germany. 7/10

Mercury and Me - Jim Hutton
I was a bit dubious about getting this but it really is a moving story. Hutton was Freddie's last long term partner and they didn't meet until around '84, so the story is 95% about them as Hutton didn't even realise who Queen were. The first time Freddie tried to chat Hutton up he was actually already with someone and he told Freddie to F OFF. He was actually a barber at the Savoy Hotel but he ended up becoming Freddie's fulltime gardener and was responsible for much of the design at Logan Place, Freddie's walled London retreat. Describes their trips together around the world and Freddie's expensive tastes in art and furniture and obviously the final months when he nursed Freddie at the end and the visitors to Freddie's house. Although left £500,000 by Freddie in his will, he was treated very badly by Mary Austin after Freddie's death as were the rest of Freddie's staff that were left behind, they were all told they could stay on at Logan Place for as long as they needed, but Austin had them all removed so she could move in on her own. She basically then got everything that was left that is now worth an estimated £150 million. Since the writing of the book Jim Hutton has also died of AIDS. 9/10

The Quiet One: A Life of George Harrison - Alan Clayson
Clayson is supposed to be a bit of a Beatles expert as he wrote Ringo's biography and he also wrote the script for Backbeat, he was a friend of George's and you can tell as this is a bit biased. It is pretty much similar to any other book done on George but a pleasant surprise is that he does go into a bit of detail regarding George's love of motorsports and also his film company. He claims that although Handmade did some poor films none of them lost any money because of the tight budgets, he does imply that much of George's wealth came from the film business as he tended to give away song copyrights to various charities he supported. 6/10

1  The Sense of an Ending                      Julian Barnes          8/10
2  Ordinary Thunderstorms                      William Boyd           8/10
3  Monday or Tuesday                           Virginia Woolf         5/10
4  Ecstasy                                     Irvine Welsh           8/10
5  A Street Cat Named Bob                      James Bowen            9/10
6  Arthur Milton: Last of the Double Internationals   Mike Vockins    8/10
7  Never Google Heartbreak                     Emma Garcia            8/10
8  Skinheads                                   John King              6/10
9  Common Sense Rules: What
   You Really Need To Know About Business      Deborah Meaden         6/10
10 I Laughed, I Cried                          Viv Groskop            7/10
11 Streetwise                                  Roberta Kray           6/10
12 IKEA edge                                   Anders Dahlvig         5/10
13 Heartbreak Hotel                            Deborah Moggach        7/10
14 Bullfighting                                Roddy Doyle            7/10
15 Armadillo                                   William Boyd           7/10
16 Made in Britain                             James Bower            7/10
17 Villain's Daughter                          Roberta Kray           6/10
18 Expats                                      Chris Pavone           7/10
19 Cocktail Waitress                           James Cain             8/10
20 Streetwise                                  Roberta Kray           5/10
21 Dry                                         Augusten Burroughs     8/10
22 Lucky Jim                                   Kingsley Amis          7/10
23 Live at the Brixton Academy                 Simon Parkes           9/10
24 The Complete Parkhurst Tales                Norman Parker          6/10
25 Kings Road                                  Max Decharne           7/10
26 Wilt                                        Tom Sharpe             9/10
27 Flight into Camden                          David Storey           7/10
28 Instructions for a Heatwave                 Maggie O'Farrell       8/10
29 The Forgotten Garden                        Kate Morton            9/10
30 My Manor                                    Charlie Richardson     6/10
31 Brighton Rock                               Graham Greene          7/10
32 All of These People                         Fergal Keane           9/10
33 Union Street                                Pat Barker             8/10
34 Hellraisers                                 Robert Sellers         6/10
35 From Right Wing to B Wing                   Mark Ward              7/10
35 Lush Life                                   Richard Price          3/10 did not finish
36 You have 3 Minutes                          Richard Bellino        3/10 did not finish
37 The Shock of the Fall                       Nathan Filer           5/10
38 Unexpected Lessons in Love                  Bernardine Bishop      9/10
39 The Postman Always Rings Twice              James Cain             7/10
40 Case Histories                              Kate Atkinson          8/10
41 The Case of the Missing Books               Ian Sansom             8/10
42 One Day                                     David Nicholls         9/10
43 Playing the Moldovans at Tennis             Tony Hawks             8/10
44 Finding Peggy: a Glasgow Childhood          Meg Henderson          8/10
45 Whitethorn Woods                            Maeve Binchy           8/10
46 The Sure Thing                              Nick Townsend          7/10
47 Love For Now                                Anthony Wilson         7/10
48 Mr Dixon Disappears                         Ian Sansom             7/10
49 Boozers, Ballcocks and Bail                 Stephen Smith          8/10
50 Gallows View                                Peter Robinson         8/10
51 Major Pettigrew's Last Stand                Helen Simonson         8/10
52 Love For Now                                Anthony Wilson         7/10
53 The News Where You Are                      Catherine O'Flynn      8/10
54 The Panic of '89                            Paul Erdman            8/10
55 Some You Win                                Julian Wilson          7/10
56 Freud Ego                                   Clement Freud          7/10
57 Firefly Summer                              Maeve Binchy           7/10
58 Defending The Guilty                        Alex McBride           7/10
59 Black Swan Green                            David Mitchell         5/10
60 The Georgian Art of Gambling                Claire ****-Starkey    6/10
61 Quite Ugly One Morning                     Christopher Brookmyre  7/10
62 In Character                                John Mortimer          7/10

Good going!

1  The Sense of an Ending                      Julian Barnes          8/10
2  Ordinary Thunderstorms                      William Boyd           8/10
3  Monday or Tuesday                           Virginia Woolf         5/10
4  Ecstasy                                     Irvine Welsh           8/10
5  A Street Cat Named Bob                      James Bowen            9/10
6  Arthur Milton: Last of the Double Internationals   Mike Vockins    8/10
7  Never Google Heartbreak                     Emma Garcia            8/10
8  Skinheads                                   John King              6/10
9  Common Sense Rules: What
   You Really Need To Know About Business      Deborah Meaden         6/10
10 I Laughed, I Cried                          Viv Groskop            7/10
11 Streetwise                                  Roberta Kray           6/10
12 IKEA edge                                   Anders Dahlvig         5/10
13 Heartbreak Hotel                            Deborah Moggach        7/10
14 Bullfighting                                Roddy Doyle            7/10
15 Armadillo                                   William Boyd           7/10
16 Made in Britain                             James Bower            7/10
17 Villain's Daughter                          Roberta Kray           6/10
18 Expats                                      Chris Pavone           7/10
19 Cocktail Waitress                           James Cain             8/10
20 Streetwise                                  Roberta Kray           5/10
21 Dry                                         Augusten Burroughs     8/10
22 Lucky Jim                                   Kingsley Amis          7/10
23 Live at the Brixton Academy                 Simon Parkes           9/10
24 The Complete Parkhurst Tales                Norman Parker          6/10
25 Kings Road                                  Max Decharne           7/10
26 Wilt                                        Tom Sharpe             9/10
27 Flight into Camden                          David Storey           7/10
28 Instructions for a Heatwave                 Maggie O'Farrell       8/10
29 The Forgotten Garden                        Kate Morton            9/10
30 My Manor                                    Charlie Richardson     6/10
31 Brighton Rock                               Graham Greene          7/10
32 All of These People                         Fergal Keane           9/10
33 Union Street                                Pat Barker             8/10
34 Hellraisers                                 Robert Sellers         6/10
35 From Right Wing to B Wing                   Mark Ward              7/10
35 Lush Life                                   Richard Price          3/10 did not finish
36 You have 3 Minutes                          Richard Bellino        3/10 did not finish
37 The Shock of the Fall                       Nathan Filer           5/10
38 Unexpected Lessons in Love                  Bernardine Bishop      9/10
39 The Postman Always Rings Twice              James Cain             7/10
40 Case Histories                              Kate Atkinson          8/10
41 The Case of the Missing Books               Ian Sansom             8/10
42 One Day                                     David Nicholls         9/10
43 Playing the Moldovans at Tennis             Tony Hawks             8/10
44 Finding Peggy: a Glasgow Childhood          Meg Henderson          8/10
45 Whitethorn Woods                            Maeve Binchy           8/10
46 The Sure Thing                              Nick Townsend          7/10
47 Love For Now                                Anthony Wilson         7/10
48 Mr Dixon Disappears                         Ian Sansom             7/10
49 Boozers, Ballcocks and Bail                 Stephen Smith          8/10
50 Gallows View                                Peter Robinson         8/10
51 Major Pettigrew's Last Stand                Helen Simonson         8/10
52 Love For Now                                Anthony Wilson         7/10
53 The News Where You Are                      Catherine O'Flynn      8/10
54 The Panic of '89                            Paul Erdman            8/10
55 Some You Win                                Julian Wilson          7/10
56 Freud Ego                                   Clement Freud          7/10
57 Firefly Summer                              Maeve Binchy           7/10
58 Defending The Guilty                        Alex McBride           7/10
59 Black Swan Green                            David Mitchell         5/10
60 The Georgian Art of Gambling                Claire ****-Starkey    6/10
61 Quite Ugly One Morning                     Christopher Brookmyre            7/10
62 In Character                                John Mortimer                   7/10
63 The Greatest Footballer You Never Saw:      Paul McGuigan and Paolo Hewitt  7/10 
   The Robin Friday Story
64 The Gamblers                                John Pearson                     8/10
65 More Dangerous Ground                       Roger Cook                       7/10
66 24 Hours In The Kitchen                     Michael Gibney                   7/10
67 His Last Bow: Sherlock Holmes               Sir Arthur Conan Doyle           8/10
68 Alex's Adventures In Numberland             Alex Bellos                      7/10

The First Day On The Somme - Martin Middlebrook
It was published in the early 1970s, and it gives an account of the British Army's bloodiest day.  There's quite a bit about the build up to it, and some about the aftermath.   Much of the book focuses on the experiences of a handful of named soldiers.
Extremely good for readers interested in WW1.

RockMonkey
09 Feb 14 02:50
The Fear Index by Robert Harris - far from his best

I enjoyed it, but I've just finished his An Officer and a Spy about the Dreyfus Affair and thought it was excellent, very much better than the Fear Index.

Mad Dogs And Englishmen - Ranulph Fiennes  6/10
Victims - Jonathan Kellerman  9/10
The Time Traveler's Wife - Audrey Niffenger 7/10(take out the mushy stuff and it would be 9/10)
Autobiography - Ruby Walsh  7/10
Camilla Lackberg - The Hidden Child 7/10
Geekspeak - Graham Tattersall  7/10
Under The Dome - Stephen King  8/10
Sole Survivor - Dean Koontz 7/10
The Taking - Dean Koontz 8/10
From A Buick 8 - Stephen King 9/10
Goodfellas - Nicholas Pileggi 8/10
Time Out Of Joint - Philip K Dick 9/10
Born To Manage - Terry Venables 6/10
Odd Thomas - Dean Koontz 7/10
Moomintroll and The Great Flood - Tove Janssen
Mr Mercedes - Stephen King 6/10
How Did this All Happen ? - John Bishop  8/10
Velocity - Dean Koontz 7/10

currant bun


         currant bun   






  31 Jul 14 11:03 
Joined:   10 Jan 03      | Topic/replies: 876  | Blogger: currant bun's blog   



1  The Sense of an Ending                      Julian Barnes          8/10
2  Ordinary Thunderstorms                      William Boyd           8/10
3  Monday or Tuesday                           Virginia Woolf         5/10
4  Ecstasy                                     Irvine Welsh           8/10
5  A Street Cat Named Bob                      James Bowen            9/10
6  Arthur Milton: Last of the Double Internationals   Mike Vockins    8/10
7  Never Google Heartbreak                     Emma Garcia            8/10
8  Skinheads                                   John King              6/10
9  Common Sense Rules: What
   You Really Need To Know About Business      Deborah Meaden         6/10
10 I Laughed, I Cried                          Viv Groskop            7/10
11 Streetwise                                  Roberta Kray           6/10
12 IKEA edge                                   Anders Dahlvig         5/10
13 Heartbreak Hotel                            Deborah Moggach        7/10
14 Bullfighting                                Roddy Doyle            7/10
15 Armadillo                                   William Boyd           7/10
16 Made in Britain                             James Bower            7/10
17 Villain's Daughter                          Roberta Kray           6/10
18 Expats                                      Chris Pavone           7/10
19 Cocktail Waitress                           James Cain             8/10
20 Streetwise                                  Roberta Kray           5/10
21 Dry                                         Augusten Burroughs     8/10
22 Lucky Jim                                   Kingsley Amis          7/10
23 Live at the Brixton Academy                 Simon Parkes           9/10
24 The Complete Parkhurst Tales                Norman Parker          6/10
25 Kings Road                                  Max Decharne           7/10
26 Wilt                                        Tom Sharpe             9/10
27 Flight into Camden                          David Storey           7/10
28 Instructions for a Heatwave                 Maggie O'Farrell       8/10
29 The Forgotten Garden                        Kate Morton            9/10
30 My Manor                                    Charlie Richardson     6/10
31 Brighton Rock                               Graham Greene          7/10
32 All of These People                         Fergal Keane           9/10
33 Union Street                                Pat Barker             8/10
34 Hellraisers                                 Robert Sellers         6/10
35 From Right Wing to B Wing                   Mark Ward              7/10
35 Lush Life                                   Richard Price          3/10 did not finish
36 You have 3 Minutes                          Richard Bellino        3/10 did not finish
37 The Shock of the Fall                       Nathan Filer           5/10
38 Unexpected Lessons in Love                  Bernardine Bishop      9/10
39 The Postman Always Rings Twice              James Cain             7/10
40 Case Histories                              Kate Atkinson          8/10
41 The Case of the Missing Books               Ian Sansom             8/10
42 One Day                                     David Nicholls         9/10
43 Playing the Moldovans at Tennis             Tony Hawks             8/10
44 Finding Peggy: a Glasgow Childhood          Meg Henderson          8/10
45 Whitethorn Woods                            Maeve Binchy           8/10
46 The Sure Thing                              Nick Townsend          7/10
47 Love For Now                                Anthony Wilson         7/10
48 Mr Dixon Disappears                         Ian Sansom             7/10
49 Boozers, Ballcocks and Bail                 Stephen Smith          8/10
50 Gallows View                                Peter Robinson         8/10
51 Major Pettigrew's Last Stand                Helen Simonson         8/10
52 Love For Now                                Anthony Wilson         7/10
53 The News Where You Are                      Catherine O'Flynn      8/10
54 The Panic of '89                            Paul Erdman            8/10
55 Some You Win                                Julian Wilson          7/10
56 Freud Ego                                   Clement Freud          7/10
57 Firefly Summer                              Maeve Binchy           7/10
58 Defending The Guilty                        Alex McBride           7/10
59 Black Swan Green                            David Mitchell         5/10
60 The Georgian Art of Gambling                Claire ****-Starkey    6/10
61 Quite Ugly One Morning                     Christopher Brookmyre            7/10
62 In Character                                John Mortimer                   7/10
63 The Greatest Footballer You Never Saw:      Paul McGuigan and Paolo Hewitt  7/10 
   The Robin Friday Story
64 The Gamblers                                John Pearson                     8/10
65 More Dangerous Ground                       Roger Cook                       7/10
66 24 Hours In The Kitchen                     Michael Gibney                   7/10
67 His Last Bow: Sherlock Holmes               Sir Arthur Conan Doyle           8/10
68 Alex's Adventures In Numberland             Alex Bellos                      7/10
69 Silas Marner                                George Eliot                     8/10
70 The Husband's Secret                        Liane Moriarty                   8/10
71 Vidal                                       Vidal Sassoon                    7/10
72 The 100 Year Old Man Who Climbed Out Of     Jonas Jonasson                   8/10
73 The Man In The Middle                       David Elleray                    6/10
   The Window

I'd have a look. I've just been through the last couple of lists to see how many of them I'd read, and the answer is two, both read by JOCI Club. Never Go Back and Drop Shot. Both worth a read imo.

1  The Sense of an Ending                      Julian Barnes          8/10
2  Ordinary Thunderstorms                      William Boyd           8/10
3  Monday or Tuesday                           Virginia Woolf         5/10
4  Ecstasy                                     Irvine Welsh           8/10
5  A Street Cat Named Bob                      James Bowen            9/10
6  Arthur Milton: Last of the Double Internationals   Mike Vockins    8/10
7  Never Google Heartbreak                     Emma Garcia            8/10
8  Skinheads                                   John King              6/10
9  Common Sense Rules: What
   You Really Need To Know About Business      Deborah Meaden         6/10
10 I Laughed, I Cried                          Viv Groskop            7/10
11 Streetwise                                  Roberta Kray           6/10
12 IKEA edge                                   Anders Dahlvig         5/10
13 Heartbreak Hotel                            Deborah Moggach        7/10
14 Bullfighting                                Roddy Doyle            7/10
15 Armadillo                                   William Boyd           7/10
16 Made in Britain                             James Bower            7/10
17 Villain's Daughter                          Roberta Kray           6/10
18 Expats                                      Chris Pavone           7/10
19 Cocktail Waitress                           James Cain             8/10
20 Streetwise                                  Roberta Kray           5/10
21 Dry                                         Augusten Burroughs     8/10
22 Lucky Jim                                   Kingsley Amis          7/10
23 Live at the Brixton Academy                 Simon Parkes           9/10
24 The Complete Parkhurst Tales                Norman Parker          6/10
25 Kings Road                                  Max Decharne           7/10
26 Wilt                                        Tom Sharpe             9/10
27 Flight into Camden                          David Storey           7/10
28 Instructions for a Heatwave                 Maggie O'Farrell       8/10
29 The Forgotten Garden                        Kate Morton            9/10
30 My Manor                                    Charlie Richardson     6/10
31 Brighton Rock                               Graham Greene          7/10
32 All of These People                         Fergal Keane           9/10
33 Union Street                                Pat Barker             8/10
34 Hellraisers                                 Robert Sellers         6/10
35 From Right Wing to B Wing                   Mark Ward              7/10
35 Lush Life                                   Richard Price          3/10 did not finish
36 You have 3 Minutes                          Richard Bellino        3/10 did not finish
37 The Shock of the Fall                       Nathan Filer           5/10
38 Unexpected Lessons in Love                  Bernardine Bishop      9/10
39 The Postman Always Rings Twice              James Cain             7/10
40 Case Histories                              Kate Atkinson          8/10
41 The Case of the Missing Books               Ian Sansom             8/10
42 One Day                                     David Nicholls         9/10
43 Playing the Moldovans at Tennis             Tony Hawks             8/10
44 Finding Peggy: a Glasgow Childhood          Meg Henderson          8/10
45 Whitethorn Woods                            Maeve Binchy           8/10
46 The Sure Thing                              Nick Townsend          7/10
47 Love For Now                                Anthony Wilson         7/10
48 Mr Dixon Disappears                         Ian Sansom             7/10
49 Boozers, Ballcocks and Bail                 Stephen Smith          8/10
50 Gallows View                                Peter Robinson         8/10
51 Major Pettigrew's Last Stand                Helen Simonson         8/10
52 Love For Now                                Anthony Wilson         7/10
53 The News Where You Are                      Catherine O'Flynn      8/10
54 The Panic of '89                            Paul Erdman            8/10
55 Some You Win                                Julian Wilson          7/10
56 Freud Ego                                   Clement Freud          7/10
57 Firefly Summer                              Maeve Binchy           7/10
58 Defending The Guilty                        Alex McBride           7/10
59 Black Swan Green                            David Mitchell         5/10
60 The Georgian Art of Gambling                Claire ****-Starkey    6/10
61 Quite Ugly One Morning                     Christopher Brookmyre            7/10
62 In Character                                John Mortimer                   7/10
63 The Greatest Footballer You Never Saw:      Paul McGuigan and Paolo Hewitt  7/10 
   The Robin Friday Story
64 The Gamblers                                John Pearson                     8/10
65 More Dangerous Ground                       Roger Cook                       7/10
66 24 Hours In The Kitchen                     Michael Gibney                   7/10
67 His Last Bow: Sherlock Holmes               Sir Arthur Conan Doyle           8/10
68 Alex's Adventures In Numberland             Alex Bellos                      7/10
69 Silas Marner                                George Eliot                     8/10
70 The Husband's Secret                        Liane Moriarty                   8/10
71 Vidal                                       Vidal Sassoon                    7/10
72 The 100 Year Old Man Who Climbed Out Of
   The Window                                  Jonas Jonasson                   8/10
73 The Man In The Middle                       David Elleray                    6/10
74 How Not To Be A Football Millionaire        Keith Gillespie                  7/10
75 The Business Of Dying                       Simon Kerning                    7/10
76 A Dedicated Man                             Peter Robinson                   7/10
77 Stonemouth                                  Iain Banks                       7/10
78 The Quarry                                  Iain Banks                       8/10
79 The Unlikely Pilgramage of Harold Fry       Rachel Joyce                     9/10
80 Buffett:The Biography                       Roger Lowenstein                 9/10

01 Run! - Dean Karnazes
02 Embedded - Dan Abnett
03 Parasite - Mira Grant
04 Shadow's Edge - Brent Weeks
05 Memories Of Ice - Steven Erikson
06 Never Go Back - Lee Child
07 Running With The Pack - Mark Rowlands
08 Killing The Shadows - Val McDermid
09 A Place Of Execution - Val McDermid
10 At The Stroke Of Madness - Alex Cava
11 Trace - Patricia Cornwell
12 Rancid Aluminium - James Hawes
13 Slash And Burn - Matt Hilton
14 Spud - John van de Ruit
15 Drop Shot - Harlan Coben
16 Rancid Aluminium - James Hawes
17 Royal Assassin - Robin Hobb
18 Assassin's Quest - Robin Hobb
19 King Of Plagues - Jonathan Maberry
20 Zombie Britannica - Thomas Emson

W. Timothy Gallwey’s The inner game of golf

Mad Dogs And Englishmen - Ranulph Fiennes  6/10
Victims - Jonathan Kellerman  9/10
The Time Traveler's Wife - Audrey Niffenger 7/10(take out the mushy stuff and it would be 9/10)
Autobiography - Ruby Walsh  7/10
Camilla Lackberg - The Hidden Child 7/10
Geekspeak - Graham Tattersall  7/10
Under The Dome - Stephen King  8/10
Sole Survivor - Dean Koontz 7/10
The Taking - Dean Koontz 8/10
From A Buick 8 - Stephen King 9/10
Goodfellas - Nicholas Pileggi 8/10
Time Out Of Joint - Philip K Dick 9/10
Born To Manage - Terry Venables 6/10
Odd Thomas - Dean Koontz 7/10
Moomintroll and The Great Flood - Tove Janssen
Mr Mercedes - Stephen King 6/10
How Did this All Happen ? - John Bishop  8/10
Velocity - Dean Koontz 7/10
Comet In Moominland - Tove Janssen
Watership Down - Richard Adams 10/10
Dexter Is Delicious - Jeff Lindsay 7/10
Ulysses S. Grant - Brian John Murphy 8/10
Devices and Desires - PD James 8/10
Carrie - Stephen King 9/10
The Damned Utd - David Peace 9/10

. 


.
1  The Sense of an Ending                      Julian Barnes          8/10
2  Ordinary Thunderstorms                      William Boyd           8/10
3  Monday or Tuesday                           Virginia Woolf         5/10
4  Ecstasy                                     Irvine Welsh           8/10
5  A Street Cat Named Bob                      James Bowen            9/10
6  Arthur Milton: Last of the Double Internationals   Mike Vockins    8/10
7  Never Google Heartbreak                     Emma Garcia            8/10
8  Skinheads                                   John King              6/10
9  Common Sense Rules: What
   You Really Need To Know About Business      Deborah Meaden         6/10
10 I Laughed, I Cried                          Viv Groskop            7/10
11 Streetwise                                  Roberta Kray           6/10
12 IKEA edge                                   Anders Dahlvig         5/10
13 Heartbreak Hotel                            Deborah Moggach        7/10
14 Bullfighting                                Roddy Doyle            7/10
15 Armadillo                                   William Boyd           7/10
16 Made in Britain                             James Bower            7/10
17 Villain's Daughter                          Roberta Kray           6/10
18 Expats                                      Chris Pavone           7/10
19 Cocktail Waitress                           James Cain             8/10
20 Streetwise                                  Roberta Kray           5/10
21 Dry                                         Augusten Burroughs     8/10
22 Lucky Jim                                   Kingsley Amis          7/10
23 Live at the Brixton Academy                 Simon Parkes           9/10
24 The Complete Parkhurst Tales                Norman Parker          6/10
25 Kings Road                                  Max Decharne           7/10
26 Wilt                                        Tom Sharpe             9/10
27 Flight into Camden                          David Storey           7/10
28 Instructions for a Heatwave                 Maggie O'Farrell       8/10
29 The Forgotten Garden                        Kate Morton            9/10
30 My Manor                                    Charlie Richardson     6/10
31 Brighton Rock                               Graham Greene          7/10
32 All of These People                         Fergal Keane           9/10
33 Union Street                                Pat Barker             8/10
34 Hellraisers                                 Robert Sellers         6/10
35 From Right Wing to B Wing                   Mark Ward              7/10
35 Lush Life                                   Richard Price          3/10 did not finish
36 You have 3 Minutes                          Richard Bellino        3/10 did not finish
37 The Shock of the Fall                       Nathan Filer           5/10
38 Unexpected Lessons in Love                  Bernardine Bishop      9/10
39 The Postman Always Rings Twice              James Cain             7/10
40 Case Histories                              Kate Atkinson          8/10
41 The Case of the Missing Books               Ian Sansom             8/10
42 One Day                                     David Nicholls         9/10
43 Playing the Moldovans at Tennis             Tony Hawks             8/10
44 Finding Peggy: a Glasgow Childhood          Meg Henderson          8/10
45 Whitethorn Woods                            Maeve Binchy           8/10
46 The Sure Thing                              Nick Townsend          7/10
47 Love For Now                                Anthony Wilson         7/10
48 Mr Dixon Disappears                         Ian Sansom             7/10
49 Boozers, Ballcocks and Bail                 Stephen Smith          8/10
50 Gallows View                                Peter Robinson         8/10
51 Major Pettigrew's Last Stand                Helen Simonson         8/10
52 Love For Now                                Anthony Wilson         7/10
53 The News Where You Are                      Catherine O'Flynn      8/10
54 The Panic of '89                            Paul Erdman            8/10
55 Some You Win                                Julian Wilson          7/10
56 Freud Ego                                   Clement Freud          7/10
57 Firefly Summer                              Maeve Binchy           7/10
58 Defending The Guilty                        Alex McBride           7/10
59 Black Swan Green                            David Mitchell         5/10
60 The Georgian Art of Gambling                Claire ****-Starkey    6/10
61 Quite Ugly One Morning                     Christopher Brookmyre            7/10
62 In Character                                John Mortimer                   7/10
63 The Greatest Footballer You Never Saw:      Paul McGuigan and Paolo Hewitt  7/10 
   The Robin Friday Story
64 The Gamblers                                John Pearson                     8/10
65 More Dangerous Ground                       Roger Cook                       7/10
66 24 Hours In The Kitchen                     Michael Gibney                   7/10
67 His Last Bow: Sherlock Holmes               Sir Arthur Conan Doyle           8/10
68 Alex's Adventures In Numberland             Alex Bellos                      7/10
69 Silas Marner                                George Eliot                     8/10
70 The Husband's Secret                        Liane Moriarty                   8/10
71 Vidal                                       Vidal Sassoon                    7/10
72 The 100 Year Old Man Who Climbed Out Of
   The Window                                  Jonas Jonasson                   8/10
73 The Man In The Middle                       David Elleray                    6/10
74 How Not To Be A Football Millionaire        Keith Gillespie                  7/10
75 The Business Of Dying                       Simon Kerning                    7/10
76 A Dedicated Man                             Peter Robinson                   7/10
77 Stonemouth                                  Iain Banks                       7/10
78 The Quarry                                  Iain Banks                       8/10
79 The Unlikely Pilgramage of Harold Fry       Rachel Joyce                     9/10
80 Buffett:The Biography                       Roger Lowenstein                 9/10 .

81 Full House                                  Maeve Binchy                     8/10
82 Tommy Tynan: The Original Football Idol     Ryan Danes                       6/10
83 No Holding Back                             Michael Holding                  7/10
84 A Few Kind Words And A Loaded Gun           Razor Smith                      8/10
85 The Secrets We Left Behind                  Susan Elliot Wright              8/10
86 Diary Of A Nobody                           George and Weedon Grossmith      8/10
87 Dr. Jekyll And Mr Hyde                      Robert Louis Stevenson           6/10
88 The Understudy                              David Nicholls                   8/10
89 We Need To Talk About Kevin                 Lionel Shriver                   9/10
90 A Song For The Dying                        Stuart MacBride                  7/10

.
1  The Sense of an Ending                      Julian Barnes          8/10
2  Ordinary Thunderstorms                      William Boyd           8/10
3  Monday or Tuesday                           Virginia Woolf         5/10
4  Ecstasy                                     Irvine Welsh           8/10
5  A Street Cat Named Bob                      James Bowen            9/10
6  Arthur Milton: Last of the Double Internationals   Mike Vockins    8/10
7  Never Google Heartbreak                     Emma Garcia            8/10
8  Skinheads                                   John King              6/10
9  Common Sense Rules: What
   You Really Need To Know About Business      Deborah Meaden         6/10
10 I Laughed, I Cried                          Viv Groskop            7/10
11 Streetwise                                  Roberta Kray           6/10
12 IKEA edge                                   Anders Dahlvig         5/10
13 Heartbreak Hotel                            Deborah Moggach        7/10
14 Bullfighting                                Roddy Doyle            7/10
15 Armadillo                                   William Boyd           7/10
16 Made in Britain                             James Bower            7/10
17 Villain's Daughter                          Roberta Kray           6/10
18 Expats                                      Chris Pavone           7/10
19 Cocktail Waitress                           James Cain             8/10
20 Streetwise                                  Roberta Kray           5/10
21 Dry                                         Augusten Burroughs     8/10
22 Lucky Jim                                   Kingsley Amis          7/10
23 Live at the Brixton Academy                 Simon Parkes           9/10
24 The Complete Parkhurst Tales                Norman Parker          6/10
25 Kings Road                                  Max Decharne           7/10
26 Wilt                                        Tom Sharpe             9/10
27 Flight into Camden                          David Storey           7/10
28 Instructions for a Heatwave                 Maggie O'Farrell       8/10
29 The Forgotten Garden                        Kate Morton            9/10
30 My Manor                                    Charlie Richardson     6/10
31 Brighton Rock                               Graham Greene          7/10
32 All of These People                         Fergal Keane           9/10
33 Union Street                                Pat Barker             8/10
34 Hellraisers                                 Robert Sellers         6/10
35 From Right Wing to B Wing                   Mark Ward              7/10
35 Lush Life                                   Richard Price          3/10 did not finish
36 You have 3 Minutes                          Richard Bellino        3/10 did not finish
37 The Shock of the Fall                       Nathan Filer           5/10
38 Unexpected Lessons in Love                  Bernardine Bishop      9/10
39 The Postman Always Rings Twice              James Cain             7/10
40 Case Histories                              Kate Atkinson          8/10
41 The Case of the Missing Books               Ian Sansom             8/10
42 One Day                                     David Nicholls         9/10
43 Playing the Moldovans at Tennis             Tony Hawks             8/10
44 Finding Peggy: a Glasgow Childhood          Meg Henderson          8/10
45 Whitethorn Woods                            Maeve Binchy           8/10
46 The Sure Thing                              Nick Townsend          7/10
47 Love For Now                                Anthony Wilson         7/10
48 Mr Dixon Disappears                         Ian Sansom             7/10
49 Boozers, Ballcocks and Bail                 Stephen Smith          8/10
50 Gallows View                                Peter Robinson         8/10
51 Major Pettigrew's Last Stand                Helen Simonson         8/10
52 Love For Now                                Anthony Wilson         7/10
53 The News Where You Are                      Catherine O'Flynn      8/10
54 The Panic of '89                            Paul Erdman            8/10
55 Some You Win                                Julian Wilson          7/10
56 Freud Ego                                   Clement Freud          7/10
57 Firefly Summer                              Maeve Binchy           7/10
58 Defending The Guilty                        Alex McBride           7/10
59 Black Swan Green                            David Mitchell         5/10
60 The Georgian Art of Gambling                Claire ****-Starkey    6/10
61 Quite Ugly One Morning                     Christopher Brookmyre            7/10
62 In Character                                John Mortimer                   7/10
63 The Greatest Footballer You Never Saw:      Paul McGuigan and Paolo Hewitt  7/10 
   The Robin Friday Story
64 The Gamblers                                John Pearson                     8/10
65 More Dangerous Ground                       Roger Cook                       7/10
66 24 Hours In The Kitchen                     Michael Gibney                   7/10
67 His Last Bow: Sherlock Holmes               Sir Arthur Conan Doyle           8/10
68 Alex's Adventures In Numberland             Alex Bellos                      7/10
69 Silas Marner                                George Eliot                     8/10
70 The Husband's Secret                        Liane Moriarty                   8/10
71 Vidal                                       Vidal Sassoon                    7/10
72 The 100 Year Old Man Who Climbed Out Of
   The Window                                  Jonas Jonasson                   8/10
73 The Man In The Middle                       David Elleray                    6/10
74 How Not To Be A Football Millionaire        Keith Gillespie                  7/10
75 The Business Of Dying                       Simon Kerning                    7/10
76 A Dedicated Man                             Peter Robinson                   7/10
77 Stonemouth                                  Iain Banks                       7/10
78 The Quarry                                  Iain Banks                       8/10
79 The Unlikely Pilgramage of Harold Fry       Rachel Joyce                     9/10
80 Buffett:The Biography                       Roger Lowenstein                 9/10 .

81 Full House                                  Maeve Binchy                     8/10
82 Tommy Tynan: The Original Football Idol     Ryan Danes                       6/10
83 No Holding Back                             Michael Holding                  7/10
84 A Few Kind Words And A Loaded Gun           Razor Smith                      8/10
85 The Secrets We Left Behind                  Susan Elliot Wright              8/10
86 Diary Of A Nobody                           George and Weedon Grossmith      8/10
87 Dr. Jekyll And Mr Hyde                      Robert Louis Stevenson           6/10
88 The Understudy                              David Nicholls                   8/10
89 We Need To Talk About Kevin                 Lionel Shriver                   9/10
90 A Song For The Dying                        Stuart MacBride                  7/10

91 A Rusty Gun                                 Razor Smith                      7/10
92 Deaf Sentence                               David Lodge                      8/10
93 After The War Is Over                       Maureen Lee                      7/10
94 The Picturegoers                            David Lodge                      7/10
95 The Things We Never Said                    Susan Elliot Wright              8/10
96 Life After Life                             Kate Atkinson                    4/10 (did not finish)
97 Random Acts Of Politeness                   Andrew Taylor                    8/10
98 Why England Lose And Other Curious          Simon Kuper and Stefan Szymanski 9/10
   Football Phenomena Explained

Do you guys use a kindle or "real" books?