Books

The Iceman · September 04, 2012, 02:25:48 PM

The Mrs is reading a book by Alexandra Ardonetta, part of a trilogy - first book is called Halo. Kind of like a twilight but with angels and demons. Says it is excellent. Author was 18 when she wrote the first one. Might be worth a look as a possible Christmas present for your good ladies....

Just finished the Pack by Jason Starr. Kind of like a Werewolf version of Lost Boys - funny I didn't want to stop reading it but I don't know if i loved it that much by the time i was done....

bennydorano · September 04, 2012, 09:14:03 PM

Read Stephen Roche's Born to Ride, very good read if you like the bikes. Also have Nico's Inside the Peleton to get through.

Never beat the deeler · September 05, 2012, 09:37:45 AM

Bought Jim Stynes' autobiography and found myself getting very emotional reading it.

There isn't a lot covered that isn't in the documentary but it does give you further insight into the mental side of things.

The book skims over the football side of things in a few chapters and is predominantly aimed at cancer sufferers and those who are affected.

It was very strange reading the first page (you end up reading it in his voice) knowing the poor bugger lost his fight.

moysider · October 22, 2012, 09:22:56 PM

Found myself today searching for a good read. I m going through a sports book phase at the moment - but find I m going back to old favourites, rather than new stuff. I seldom do fiction so ......

Wonder could we do a top 10/20 poll of members' favourite sports books. Selfish here but might pick up something to shorten the winter nights.

CiKe · October 22, 2012, 09:52:03 PM

Only read a few sports books, but generally been good ones:

Four Kings by George Kimball
Hands of Stone, Christian Guidice
Rough Ride, Paul Kimmage

Billys Boots · October 23, 2012, 08:57:05 AM

Inverting the Pyramid: A History of Football Tactics by Jonathan Wilson is good, unless you're one of those folk who don't believe in coaching or tactics.

tbrick18 · October 23, 2012, 09:00:45 AM

Quote from: The Iceman on September 04, 2012, 02:25:48 PM
The Mrs is reading a book by Alexandra Ardonetta, part of a trilogy - first book is called Halo. Kind of like a twilight but with angels and demons. Says it is excellent. Author was 18 when she wrote the first one. Might be worth a look as a possible Christmas present for your good ladies....

Just finished the Pack by Jason Starr. Kind of like a Werewolf version of Lost Boys - funny I didn't want to stop reading it but I don't know if i loved it that much by the time i was done....

Read that recently too, but to be honest I thought it was disappointing. I wont be rushing out to get the next book anyway.

Main Street · October 23, 2012, 10:12:34 AM

Last week I listened to the Steve Jobs biography while building a garden shed. I doubt if the relentless perfectionism or product innovation rubbed off, but it's an excellent account of Apple in the beginning, his stunningly successful time at Pixar, then back to pure consumer evangelism with Apple and it being in a state of corporate death. I was familiar with the story up to when Jobs was kicked out of Apple but good to hear again the account of him, Wozniak and Gates in the early years. I was engrossed by the account of all stuff that happened behind the scenes to get the design/development going and (absolute control freakery) integration of Hardware/Mac OS/ iTunes app/ iTunes store/iPod/iPhone.

Dinny Breen · October 23, 2012, 11:03:18 AM

Quote from: moysider on October 22, 2012, 09:22:56 PM

Found myself today searching for a good read. I m going through a sports book phase at the moment - but find I m going back to old favourites, rather than new stuff. I seldom do fiction so ......

Wonder could we do a top 10/20 poll of members' favourite sports books. Selfish here but might pick up something to shorten the winter nights.

Friday Night Lights - H. G. Bissinger
Barca - Jimmy Burns
Open: An Autobiography - Andre Agassi
The Damned United - David Peace
Working On a Dream - Damien Lawlor

As as aside is there any decent books about rugby out there? Has anyone read any?

Billys Boots · October 23, 2012, 11:08:16 AM

Calcio - John Foot is a very good history of Italian football.

A season with Verona - Tim Parks is an account of one season spent in the company of the ultras from Verona, good craic.

Dinny Breen · October 23, 2012, 11:16:36 AM

Quote from: Billys Boots on October 23, 2012, 11:08:16 AM
Calcio - John Foot is a very good history of Italian football.

A season with Verona - Tim Parks is an account of one season spent in the company of the ultras from Verona, good craic.

Good shout - serious book. Those bus trips were mental...

AZOffaly · October 23, 2012, 02:01:25 PM

Boots, what was the name of that book I recommended before? It was also good, about an American lad's season with a club in the arse hole of nowhere. The Miracle of Castelle de Sangro or something? I remember the author was full of his own importance and you wanted to slap him at times, but it was a good read.

Billys Boots · October 23, 2012, 02:13:27 PM

http://www.amazon.com/The-Miracle-Castel-Sangro-Passion/dp/0767905997/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1350997845&sr=1-1-catcorr&keywords=miracle+of+castel+di+sangro

Yes, The Miracle of Castel di Sangro - about an American person's year with a Serie C team. It was really interesting, two of the players died during the season, the manager was mental, the small town was surreal and the yank was a dose.

bennydorano · October 23, 2012, 05:35:37 PM

Recently finished David Millar's Riding through the Dark., Autobiography, including savagely honest accounts of his doping. Great sporting read.

moysider · October 23, 2012, 11:12:25 PM

Quote from: Dinny Breen on October 23, 2012, 11:03:18 AM
Quote from: moysider on October 22, 2012, 09:22:56 PM

Found myself today searching for a good read. I m going through a sports book phase at the moment - but find I m going back to old favourites, rather than new stuff. I seldom do fiction so ......

Wonder could we do a top 10/20 poll of members' favourite sports books. Selfish here but might pick up something to shorten the winter nights.

Friday Night Lights - H. G. Bissinger
Barca - Jimmy Burns
Open: An Autobiography - Andre Agassi
The Damned United - David Peace
Working On a Dream - Damien Lawlor

As as aside is there any decent books about rugby out there? Has anyone read any?

This Sporting Life - David Storey.

It s league of course. But one of the better sports books. Probably the rugby equivalent of Only a Game.

Union is mostly the biographies. Read the Willie Johns and Gerald Davies etc when I was a kid but dont bother with biographies any more but I hear Trevor Brenans is decent. There was the journalistic From There to Here (forget author) a few years ago, and a friend of mine lent me The Great Number 10s - again forget author - which I enjoyed.