This Week I are mostly reading (contd)

Just finished "Punters" by Aaron Rogan. About the rise of Paddy Power from a small Irish bookies chain to becoming a very large cog in a major gambling conglomerate. Shows alot of the misery & modern methods they use to cover up reality with fluffy PR stunts and trying to make out that its only a bit of fun and entertainment

It goes at them and times where theyve actively encouraged gambling addicts with major debts to keep going. It does start out as a take on the world type thing but doesnt airbrush out the dangers of bookies and what PP have done

Finished Erik Durschmeid's The Weather Factor. A history book about various major battles at different points where the weather played an outsized and or decisive part in determining the outcome. Was actually not as good as I had hoped for. 

Rememberings, Sinead O'Connor.

Read it a year or two ago and massively enjoyed it. I should really get round to reading her other books.

Finished Morgan Llwelyn's 1014 Brian Boru and The Battle For Ireland. I have long been a fan of her historical fiction novels so was drawn to this book which is a straight up historical account of Brian Boru and the seminal Battle of Clontarf in 1014. Cannot recommend it highly enough. 

The Song of Achilles, Madeline Miller. Enjoying it but since I started reading it, I've been seen it everywhere - Eason's bestsellers list, Goodreads Top Ten, etc. It's a bit strange for a 2011 book???? I had it in my pile and started reading because I enjoyed her Circe so much recently, but I wonder is there a movie/TV adaption coming out soon, or is it just a natural resurgence for a good book?

Mad - first I've heard of that trend. But on the other hand, a net increase in people reading has to be a good thing, especially when it's (in my opinion) quality fiction. I see elsewhere that 2021 was the best year in history for book sales in Ireland. Pandemic/lockdown effect obviously, but still, has to be a good thing.

Finished Eric Durshmeid's The Hinge Factor which is an historical account of various battles throughout history who's outcome all turned on one crucial factor which very often turned out to be as much about a chance event or crazy decision as anything else. 

I love Ken Follett's work. The Kingsbridge series is a fantastic read, enjoy.

I've just finished Anthony Doerr's Cloud Cuckoo Land. I feel bereft without it. Admittedly, it took a while to get into the stride of reading the different timelines but once I did I was absorbed into the various stories.

Other good January reads were -

One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot by Marianne Cronin. Fans of Rabbit Hayes will like this one.

3 Hours by Rosamund Lupton

The Phone Box at the Edge of the World by Laura Imai Messina

The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles

Finished Jack Whyte's The Eagles Brood. The fourth book if you include the prequel in his Camulod historical fiction series. Easily the best of the 4 in the series so far for me.

Finished Jack Whyte's The Saxon Shore the fifth book if you included the prequel in his Camulod historical fiction series. Decent although like the first 3 he does go on at bit at times. 

Finished Jack Whyte's The Fort at Rivers Bend the 6th book if you include the prequel in his Arthurian historical fiction series. Up to now it has been a decent series although at times I felt he went on a bit but this one was definitely on a level below the others in the series so far.

Set the Night on Fire, autobiography of the Doors guitarist Robby Krieger. I'm a sucker for a good music bio (always an excuse to throw together a playlist of tunes I've haven't heard in years or missed out on previously) and this one hits the spot so far. Light, plenty of humour and self-awareness, and full of interesting angles on the formation of the band.