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Last Book You Read....


H_B

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It's very much a book of two halves.  The first half is about the establishment of a friendship, the second about the effect on it of a diagnosis of terminal illness. 
I think how you respond to the first half depends a lot on whether you were in your late teens or early 20s at around the same time as the characters in the novel, and whether you can identify with them, or at least recognise them as being like people you knew.  Folk I know who come into that category have loved the first half of the book, because it's so evocative of being a music obsessed/slightly alternative/arty youngster leading a full-on social life in the Scotland of that era.
There's a real switch in the second half as the book becomes a lot more serious. 
I know people who absolutely loved the first half but thought the second half, though well done, was a bit too bleak to be enjoyable;  also people who thought the first half was a bit so-what but the second half was deeply moving.
I've recommended it to some people and would suggest you persevere, but it does seem to be one of those books that different people can have very different reactions to.

Persevered with Mayflies and pleased that I did. Definitely in the latter group that you describe (despite being pretty much the same age as the protagonists), the second half of the book was indeed deeply moving. The writer does stir the inner most thoughts that we harbour as to what the end may look and feel like. As you say, ‘enjoyable’ might not be the word to use, but it certainly developed into a compelling read. Many thanks.
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Ali and Nino - Kurban Said (pseudonym, author disputed).

A love story about an Azeri boy and Mingrelian girl, set largely in Baku, but also Karabakh, Dagestan, Tbilisi, Persia and Ganca. It's heavy on East vs West, as the Christian girl and Mohammedian boy struggle to create a life which suits them both, on a backdrop of the first world war and Azerbaijan's choice between Russia and Turkey.

You can see why it's regarded as the national book of Azerbaijan but it serves as a picture for the region as a whole. If you want to understand the South Caucuses then reading this short novel would be a great start, certainly[mention=198]ICTChris[/mention] should read it if he hasn't already. It's beautifully written and an easy read, but not much of a page turner.

The last time I was in Batumi they had installed an Ali and Nino sculpture, the two figures rotate and pass through each other. It's quite impressive.20576a29d96617991fda3feb6c09d06a.jpg



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On 12/02/2022 at 16:51, WhiteRoseKillie said:

I like a good biography. And Away.. Is indeed outstanding, and very touching in places.

What I really enjoy is reading the varying memoirs of those who were in bands together - sometimes you'd think they'd never met! Good examples of this include members of The Eagles and Kiss.
I've recently read Tom Jones' memoir, Over the Top and Back Again, which was surprisingly enjoyable. Not one I'd have looked for, but at 99p I thought I'd take a stab. Just got Mark E. Smith's Renegade for the same price. Check out bookbub - you get a daily email alerting you to bargains on Amazon and Google.

What Eagles autobiographies have you read? This could interest me...

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4 hours ago, scottsdad said:

What Eagles autobiographies have you read? This could interest me...

Heaven and Hell by Don Felder is the only one actually credited to a band member, but tells a very different story to "To The Limit" and "Glenn- Essence of Cool", where Henley and Frey respectively (and together) apparently had a fair bit of editorial influence. 

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Kill them all by John Niven.

Very good and very sick - humour doesn’t come much blacker. Not recommended for the easily offended or Wacko Jacko fans 

Also started reading John Sandford Lucas Davenport series. Very addictive and I wouldn’t be surprised to see it adapted for TV. 

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On 05/02/2022 at 23:10, btb said:

Marian Keyes has a new "Rachel" book out, altho most of her work is chick lit  she does adress topics like domestic abuse & addiction plus unless she's had work done or the photos have been touched up she's in good nick for 58 (same age as me)...

 

 

See the source image

Have a look at the recent bbc "Imagine" documentary with her. Bit arty production but she comes across well and with an interesting story of her own life. Don't know her books though and the damning "chicklit" tag doesn't encourage me much.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m0013w78/imagine-2022-1-marian-keyes-my-not-so-perfect-life  

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4 hours ago, Florentine_Pogen said:

Wandered into Cancer Research shop at Newington today on a whim and found Hilary Mantel's Thomas Cromwell trilogy for £7.
I hope I get through them before I drop off my perch..........
ETA- I do realise this should be in the 'Your Next Book' thread...... but there isn't one.


 

I listened to these on audio last year. First two - great, tightly written. The third I found too long and long-winded - it just shambled aimlessly through a litany of minor characters’ dramas before rushing through Henry VIII marrying the German wife and Cromwell getting offed. In the end, I was glad to see him go! No idea how close it all was to the historical Thomas Cromwell, whom the movies show as a devious b*****d. I didn’t feel moved by his downfall and thought he deserved all he got, but that might because of how tedious the third book had got.

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