Books

[bennydorano]

Another one for my collection arrived today - Eric Bristow's Autobiography, unsurprisingly  called the Crafty Cockney. This one will definitely  get red, love our Eric, very amusing & interesting man.

[Main Street]

I have just avoided by the skin of my teeth resorting to listening to a book that I have been saving for the last resort, the Count of Monte Cristo.
After having started about 5 books recently and losing interest after the first chapter, I came across an audio book about the life of a real life WW2 espionage character, Eddie Chapman
Agent Zigzag: A True Story of Nazi Espionage, Love, and Betrayal
http://www.amazon.com/Agent-Zigzag-Story-Espionage-Betrayal/dp/0307353419

The narrator is John Lee, he's no Richard Burton and  taps his "r"s with a block hammer. The welsh english accent irritates my sensitivities when I have to listen to one narrating a book. I had to listen to John narrating Ken Follet's The Century Trilogy for about 100 (feckin') hours,  but here in this book I hardly notice him, the fascinating story is just much greater than the sum of the defects.
Strange enough,  my audible version of the Count of Monte Cristo is also narrated by John Lee, 44 hours long, hmmm.

[CD]

I have just avoided by the skin of my teeth resorting to listening to a book that I have been saving for the last resort, the Count of Monte Cristo.
After having started about 5 books recently and losing interest after the first chapter, I came across an audio book about the life of a real life WW2 espionage character, Eddie Chapman
Agent Zigzag: A True Story of Nazi Espionage, Love, and Betrayal
http://www.amazon.com/Agent-Zigzag-Story-Espionage-Betrayal/dp/0307353419

The narrator is John Lee, he's no Richard Burton and  taps his "r"s with a block hammer. The welsh english accent irritates my sensitivities when I have to listen to one narrating a book. I had to listen to John narrating Ken Follet's The Century Trilogy for about 100 (feckin') hours,  but here in this book I hardly notice him, the fascinating story is just much greater than the sum of the defects.
Strange enough,  my audible version of the Count of Monte Cristo is also narrated by John Lee, 44 hours long, hmmm.

Absolutely loved the Count of Monte Cristo! Takes 20 pages or so to get into the mid 19th century style of writing but it's such an exceptional tale! Betrayal, treasure maps, prison breaks and vengeance. A fine cocktail! Hope you enjoy it! I read two of those Follet books too - are they about the Welsh miners who are involved in the labour movement and the war? I didn't know the third one was published.

[Hardy]

Same here. The Count of Monte Cristo is a great read and I've also recently read the first two of Follet's trilogy - absorbing tales with great detail of mediaeval life and fascinating insights on the church architecture of the time.

[Main Street]

Same here. The Count of Monte Cristo is a great read and I've also recently read the first two of Follet's trilogy - absorbing tales with great detail of mediaeval life and fascinating insights on the church architecture of the time.

Thats why I'm saving the Count for a special time. I'm actually itching to listen to it but keep putting it off.

The Follett century trilogy is an exceptional series but I think you have that work confused with another of Follett's efforts. There are just 2 books in that church architecture series. Probably like me  you would think it incredible that one writer can conceive of so much, to put down in book form, with so much detail, that it's hard to credit that there is another series about another time, with just as much painstaking detail outlined in an absorbing drama.

[smelmoth]

try Capain Scott by Ranulph Feinnes. Then try The Last Place on Earth by Roland Huntford. Then consider who you believe

Both very good reads on a gripping subject matter but with such opposing views on a matter of literaly life and death you have to take a side.

[Tony Baloney]

Same here. The Count of Monte Cristo is a great read and I've also recently read the first two of Follet's trilogy - absorbing tales with great detail of mediaeval life and fascinating insights on the church architecture of the time.

Thats why I'm saving the Count for a special time. I'm actually itching to listen to it but keep putting it off.

The Follett century trilogy is an exceptional series but I think you have that work confused with another of Follett's efforts. There are just 2 books in that church architecture series. Probably like me  you would think it incredible that one writer can conceive of so much, to put down in book form, with so much detail, that it's hard to credit that there is another series about another time, with just as much painstaking detail outlined in an absorbing drama.

I recently had The Pillars of the Earth recommended to me. Worth it?

[Hardy]

The Follett century trilogy is an exceptional series but I think you have that work confused with another of Follett's efforts. There are just 2 books in that church architecture series.

You're dead right - I thought the Kingsbridge story was a trilogy and I was looking forward to part three. The consolation is I have the century trilogy to look forward to.

[Hardy]

Same here. The Count of Monte Cristo is a great read and I've also recently read the first two of Follet's trilogy - absorbing tales with great detail of mediaeval life and fascinating insights on the church architecture of the time.

Thats why I'm saving the Count for a special time. I'm actually itching to listen to it but keep putting it off.

The Follett century trilogy is an exceptional series but I think you have that work confused with another of Follett's efforts. There are just 2 books in that church architecture series. Probably like me  you would think it incredible that one writer can conceive of so much, to put down in book form, with so much detail, that it's hard to credit that there is another series about another time, with just as much painstaking detail outlined in an absorbing drama.

I recently had The Pillars of the Earth recommended to me. Worth it?

Definitely.

[BennyCake]

Mark Beaumont - The man who cycled the Americas. Similar to what big Dara and Ed Byrne are doing for their tv show at the minute. Great read

[Canalman]

Reading the first Game of Thrones book and have to say it is excellent .

[johnneycool]

Reading the first Game of Thrones book and have to say it is excellent .

Read it also and onto the second one, albeit on my phone in PDF format, thanks to a fellow GAA boarder.

Decided to buy the next few books off amazon as the screen got cracked on the phone. Can't wait to get at them!

[AZOffaly]

Lads, slight twist on the topic. I do a good bit of up and down to Dublin in the car, so I've been listening to eBooks from Audible. I've really enjoyed the Robert B Parker books, the Spenser series, read by Joe Montegna. I then went on to listen to 4 Ace Atkins books, as he's the guy who has authored some of the more recent Spenser books since Parker has died. They were also very good. I enjoyed the NYPD Red and the Michael Bennett books by James Patterson. I've also enjoyed James Lee Burke's books.

Anything else in that line that I should listen to? The narrator is very important, so no annoying nasally readers please. Crime and Thriller appears to be my genre of choice, although I have listened to things like The Second World War by Anthony Beever, Churchill's the Second World War and various sports books like Ball 4, The Oldest Rookie, Bums etc.

All suggestions welcome

[muppet]

Lads, slight twist on the topic. I do a good bit of up and down to Dublin in the car, so I've been listening to eBooks from Audible. I've really enjoyed the Robert B Parker books, the Spenser series, read by Joe Montegna. I then went on to listen to 4 Ace Atkins books, as he's the guy who has authored some of the more recent Spenser books since Parker has died. They were also very good. I enjoyed the NYPD Red and the Michael Bennett books by James Patterson. I've also enjoyed James Lee Burke's books.

Anything else in that line that I should listen to? The narrator is very important, so no annoying nasally readers please. Crime and Thriller appears to be my genre of choice, although I have listened to things like The Second World War by Anthony Beever, Churchill's the Second World War and various sports books like Ball 4, The Oldest Rookie, Bums etc.

All suggestions welcome

i do the same but don't really like fiction.

Bill Bryson's books are worth a read/listen. One Summer is very good as is a Brief History of Nearly Everything (I read it before but have it on again at the moment).

I also enjoyed Lewis & Clarke by Ken Burns & Dayton Duncan, and Stephen Fry's & Hugh Laurie's various autobiographies (Fry reads his own books).

[Tony Baloney]

Michael Connelly's Harry Bosch or Ian Rankin's Rebus (if you can stick the Scottish accent).

Can you play excerpts anywhere before you buy?