What Are You Currently Reading

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Re: What Are You Currently Reading

Postby The Creeping Spleen » Wed Aug 28, 2019 1:32 pm

"One Leg Too Few: The Adventures of Peter Cook & Dudley Moore" by William Cook.

Broadly, it's a potted biography of the two, with early chapters alternating between their respective childhoods, school years, and university days. Then it's onto the "Beyond the Fringe" days, "Not Only... But Also..", tours of the US, Australia and New Zealand, the "Derek and Clive" tapes, and their eventual breakup.
Another sunrise with my sad captains, with who I choose to lose my mind,
And if it's all we only pass this way but once, what a perfect waste of time.
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Re: What Are You Currently Reading

Postby The Creeping Spleen » Fri Nov 08, 2019 9:02 am

Just finished "Indianapolis" by Lynn Vincent and Sara Vladic.
A fascinating book about the sinking of the USS Indianapolis during WWII, and the almost fifty year fight to clear her captain's name of any wrongdoing.


Now on to "The True Bastards" by Johnathan French.
Book two of "The Lot Lands" series. Equal parts Western and fantasy, with just a dash of "Sons of Anarchy".
Another sunrise with my sad captains, with who I choose to lose my mind,
And if it's all we only pass this way but once, what a perfect waste of time.
The Creeping Spleen
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Re: What Are You Currently Reading

Postby Dot » Sat Nov 09, 2019 9:28 pm

Finished James Patterson 'Bloody Valentine'.
A Quick Read Book I bought off Amazon to read on the train when I'm heading to work.
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Re: What Are You Currently Reading

Postby The Creeping Spleen » Wed Nov 27, 2019 9:54 am

"The Last Hour" by Harry Sidebottom.

Seventh in the "Warrior of Rome" series of historical action novels set in the late 3rd century AD.

Marcus Clodius Ballista has until sunset the next day to get across the eternal city, and save the Emperor. If he fails, his family will die. The Watch have orders to arrest him, while other sinister forces want him dead.
Another sunrise with my sad captains, with who I choose to lose my mind,
And if it's all we only pass this way but once, what a perfect waste of time.
The Creeping Spleen
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Re: What Are You Currently Reading

Postby The Creeping Spleen » Mon Mar 23, 2020 9:57 am

Book - "The Silent Day" by Max Arthur.

An oral history of D-Day on the Home Front.


Comics - "The Rise and Fall of the Trigan Empire, vol. 1" written by Mike Butterworth, art by Don Lawrence.

Originally published in the magazines "Ranger" and "Look and Learn" during the late 60s and early 70s, it's the story of a sort of Greco Roman Empire IN SPACE. The text can be a bit on the simplistic side, but who cares, Don Lawrence's artwork is beautiful.

Also dipping out of "Lucky Luke" written by Albert Goscinny, art by Maurice De Bevere AKA "Morris".

The series is an affectionate parody of the whole Western genre, and takes place in the American Old West. It stars the titular Lucky Luke, a gunslinger known as the "man who shoots faster than his shadow", and his intelligent horse Jolly Jumper. Lucky Luke is pitted against various villains, either fictional or inspired by American history or folklore.
Another sunrise with my sad captains, with who I choose to lose my mind,
And if it's all we only pass this way but once, what a perfect waste of time.
The Creeping Spleen
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Re: What Are You Currently Reading

Postby banjo » Mon Mar 23, 2020 3:14 pm

billy Connolly,tall tales and wee stories.got it in the works.reduced to six pounds from twenty.stay safe good people,banjo.
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Re: What Are You Currently Reading

Postby The Creeping Spleen » Mon Mar 23, 2020 4:59 pm

banjo wrote:billy Connolly,tall tales and wee stories.got it in the works.reduced to six pounds from twenty.stay safe good people,banjo.

Hmm... Assuming their branch in Greenock is still open next time I'm in town (whenever that is), I'll see if they've got a copy.

Cheers for the tip Banjo.
Another sunrise with my sad captains, with who I choose to lose my mind,
And if it's all we only pass this way but once, what a perfect waste of time.
The Creeping Spleen
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Re: What Are You Currently Reading

Postby The Creeping Spleen » Mon Jun 15, 2020 4:06 am

Since lockdown began, and since my local library is shut for the duration, I've been working my way through a re-read of the "Sharpe" novels by Bernard Cornwell.

Comprising twenty one full length novels, one novella, and two short stories.

I started on the 12th of April with "Sharpe's Tiger" (chronologically first, but fifteenth in publication order), and as of today - 15th of June - I'm about half way through "Sharpe's Revenge" (chronologically nineteenth, eleventh in publication order).

That's just "Sharpe's Waterloo", the short story "Sharpe's Ransom", and "Sharpe's Devil" to go.
Another sunrise with my sad captains, with who I choose to lose my mind,
And if it's all we only pass this way but once, what a perfect waste of time.
The Creeping Spleen
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Re: What Are You Currently Reading

Postby The Creeping Spleen » Tue Jun 30, 2020 6:52 am

"Becoming Superman" by J. Michael Straczynski.

A frank memoir cum autobiography, covering his childhood (father a Nazi, a violent alcoholic, and a con man. Mother in and out of psychiatric institutions. Grandmother a borderline child abuser), a brush with a Christian cult during his college years, battles with the TV network censors while working on various 80s animated series (He-Man, She-Ra, and The Real Ghostbusters to name but three), and eventual success with his magnum opus Babylon 5.

Highlight so far being the article on the idiocy of network censors, which - knowing no mainstream magazine would publish it - he sold to Penthouse. Purely because it would amuse him to see the moral guardians of kids TV buy a porn mag if they wanted to see what he'd written about them.
Another sunrise with my sad captains, with who I choose to lose my mind,
And if it's all we only pass this way but once, what a perfect waste of time.
The Creeping Spleen
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Re: What Are You Currently Reading

Postby The Creeping Spleen » Sun Jul 19, 2020 4:51 pm

"The Way of All Flesh" by Ambrose Parry (AKA Chris Brookmyre and his missus Dr. Marisa Haetzman).

First in a series of medical murder mysteries set in mid 19th century Edinburgh.

And it's damn good as well, being based on the research she did for her Master's degree in the History of Medicine.

Of course, being Brookmyre, there's the odd Brookmyre-ism that sneaks in here and there just to spice things up - "Sphincter blossom" being a genteel 19th century way of calling someone an arsehole for example, or a character being described as having no more warmth "than a dying penguin's last fart".
Another sunrise with my sad captains, with who I choose to lose my mind,
And if it's all we only pass this way but once, what a perfect waste of time.
The Creeping Spleen
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Re: What Are You Currently Reading

Postby The Creeping Spleen » Tue Aug 11, 2020 8:38 am

Re-reading the "Space Captain Smith" novels by Toby Frost.

Gloriously daft sci-fi that's sort of Dan Dare meets Red Dwarf by way of Douglas Adams.


Comics - I'm working my way through IDW Publishing's run of "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" written by Kevin Eastman, co-creator of the characters.

It's good stuff. Closer to the original Mirage Comics version of the characters, rather than any of the cartoon or movie versions, but at the same time taking elements of the previous incarnations here and there.
Another sunrise with my sad captains, with who I choose to lose my mind,
And if it's all we only pass this way but once, what a perfect waste of time.
The Creeping Spleen
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Re: What Are You Currently Reading

Postby banjo » Wed Aug 12, 2020 6:36 am

my daughters signed copy of chrissie hyndes autobiography reckless.
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Re: What Are You Currently Reading

Postby The Creeping Spleen » Tue Aug 18, 2020 8:01 am

"A Marvelous Life: The Amazing Story of Stan Lee" by Danny Fingeroth.
Another sunrise with my sad captains, with who I choose to lose my mind,
And if it's all we only pass this way but once, what a perfect waste of time.
The Creeping Spleen
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Location: Greenock.

Re: What Are You Currently Reading

Postby The Creeping Spleen » Sat Sep 05, 2020 7:00 pm

"The Complete D.R. & Quinch" written by Alan Moore, art by Alan Davis.

From the pages of 2000AD, collecting the complete misadventures of alien juvenile delinquents Waldo "D.R." Dobbs (the "D.R. standing for Diminished Responsibility) and his best buddy Ernest Errol Quinch.
Another sunrise with my sad captains, with who I choose to lose my mind,
And if it's all we only pass this way but once, what a perfect waste of time.
The Creeping Spleen
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Posts: 1141
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Location: Greenock.

Re: What Are You Currently Reading

Postby Henrysix » Sat Sep 05, 2020 9:41 pm

Archibald Leach given his first break by non other than Mae West, a story I heard was a student was researching and writing a biography of Grant and the one woolly detail was his actual birth year, it was given as two different years, so with her last few cents she sent a 4 word telegram to his office saying “How Old Cary Grant”, he happened to be in the office that day and sent a dictated reply saying “Old Cary Grant Fine, How You” I would love this story to be true!
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