What are you reading 2024 ?

[Zurdo]

A bit late for this !

I haven't read much of interest this year so far, until The Bassett Rd Machine Gun Murders by Scott Bainbridge. Something that has always interested me, and it's all been rumour for 60 years.  Dec 1963, a couple of weeks after the JFK assassination I remember that, Bassett Rd maybe not as much, I was 10.

Lots of information, and it is real gangland stuff, it would make a really good movie....trouble is, it's a New Zealand story, and we all know the real drama happens in other countries. Someone mentioned often - John Banks !  He was brought up with nice relatives, but went to live with his father as a teenager...Dad used to blow safes, and little Johnny drove the getaway car. He also met the 2 guys killed only a few days before, and even handled the murder weapon - these days, if found it would have his DNA on it...luckily well in the past for Banksy. A big break in the case came when Robert Muldoon brought in a key witness, when he was MP for Tamaki.   Not really a gangland murder, just the usual...a woman involved, and a couple of men after her. Not a machinegun murder either really, it was on single shot.

In the dodgy crowd I hung out with as a young guy, Bassett Rd was mentioned often, some guys seemed to have first hand knowledge of it, and the talk was always about Ron Jorgensen, not a mention of Dirk Gillies who did the actual shooting.

I hope I haven't spoiled it for you...

[Lilith7]

A bit late for this !

I haven't read much of interest this year so far, until The Bassett Rd Machine Gun Murders by Scott Bainbridge. Something that has always interested me, and it's all been rumour for 60 years.  Dec 1963, a couple of weeks after the JFK assassination I remember that, Bassett Rd maybe not as much, I was 10.

Lots of information, and it is real gangland stuff, it would make a really good movie....trouble is, it's a New Zealand story, and we all know the real drama happens in other countries. Someone mentioned often - John Banks !  He was brought up with nice relatives, but went to live with his father as a teenager...Dad used to blow safes, and little Johnny drove the getaway car. He also met the 2 guys killed only a few days before, and even handled the murder weapon - these days, if found it would have his DNA on it...luckily well in the past for Banksy. A big break in the case came when Robert Muldoon brought in a key witness, when he was MP for Tamaki.   Not really a gangland murder, just the usual...a woman involved, and a couple of men after her. Not a machinegun murder either really, it was on single shot.

In the dodgy crowd I hung out with as a young guy, Bassett Rd was mentioned often, some guys seemed to have first hand knowledge of it, and the talk was always about Ron Jorgensen, not a mention of Dirk Gillies who did the actual shooting.

I hope I haven't spoiled it for you...

I'd forgotten about that - & Ron Jorgensen, who disappeared from Kaikoura. You're right though - it could make an excellent movie. Might check the library for that book, it sounds good.

https://www.odt.co.nz/star-news/star-chr...-rekindled

[Lilith7]

Just started Untouchable girls, the Topp twins. A good read so far, just a few pages in.

[Zurdo]

I'm into a Michael Crichton at the moment - Timeline...1999. As usual a mixture of science turned into fiction, and Middle ages history, he packs a lot of stuff into his books. Kind of a formula - scientists take some theory to the extreme...some normal humans get involved, and then things go wrong...of course. There was a movie, never seen it.

I read Jurassic Park before I saw the movie....I was more terrified of the raptors in the book than the movie. My imagination is a bit more extreme than script writers.

[harm_less]

Following on from Material World which I enjoyed immensely, as did my knee surgeon who devoured the audio book version very quickly, I'm now into Blue Machine by Helen Czerski. This covers the part that Earth's oceans play in moderating and affecting our planet's climate and history. Similar to Material World in that Helen peppers the data heavy content with historical and scientific trivia to keep it entertaining. Helen's video presentation of her book.

The next one I've got lined up is Chris Miller's Chip War which was recommended by my surgeon in return for my Material World recommendation to him. It follows the ongoing battle for computer chip supremacy which was touched on by Ed Conway in Material World.

[Lilith7]

I've just started Prison break, Arthur Taylor (most of us will have heard of him)& so far its proving very interesting. And comes recommended by Greg Newbold..

[Lilith7]

A Del of a life, David Jason. Very funny, & interesting as well.

[Lilith7]

Such Kindness, Andre Dubus 111. One of the more unusual books I've read, its about a man recoveringf from addiction sparked by a major accident, who begins to understand far nore than he previously had.

https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-revie...-kindness/

[Oh_hunnihunni]

Patrick Gale, he writes domestic fiction based in Cornwall. Rick Stein interviewed him and I was impressed so reserved a couple of his books and now I am hooked.

His gentle stories are a good follow up to the two James A McLaughlin novels I just finished, Bearskin and Panther Gap, which were absolutely stunning books, but take some absorbing. I needed calm waters after those two...

[Lilith7]

Now reading The Birdchild & other stories, Patricia Grace & enjoying it.

I might go back & read another of hers when I finish this, It used to be Green once, in the Dream sleepers book of short stories, which I like to read every so often.
Especially that story because she catches so perfectly the embarrassment felt by the kids about their parents & especially their car. I love the bit where their teacher is offered a lift but told he has to run & jump in because the brakes no longer work... & does!

[Lilith7]

Now reading Poverty, by America - quite an eye opener. Quite a difficult read in parts, particularly when it seems that things are this way by design rather than accidentally.

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2023/m...-poor-down

[Lilith7]

Tokyo Vice,Jake Adelstein.

I'd seen the TV series (two) & found them interesting so thought I'd read the book. Definitely a bit different to the TV version but just as interesting.

https://thescientificdetective.wordpress...ok-review/

[Oh_hunnihunni]

Just finished CJBox's Three Inch Teeth, which was rivetting, and traumatic. It is a series of tragedies, and I found myself asking the author why he killed off that character several times. Despite that, and the gore, I really enjoyed it, lol...

---

Btw, Auckland Libraries have changed their reserves collection system so instead of alphabetical order of borrowers names, we now get an email with a shelf number and have to go sort through all the books on that shelf for the one we reserved. If we got the email. If we make a note of the book title and shelf number...

Oh boy. More idiotic good ideas from the tech mob.

[Lilith7]

Just finished CJBox's Three Inch Teeth, which was rivetting, and traumatic. It is a series of tragedies, and I found myself asking the author why he killed off that character several times. Despite that, and the gore, I really enjoyed it, lol...

---

Btw, Auckland Libraries have changed their reserves collection system so instead of alphabetical order of borrowers names, we now get an email with a shelf number and have to go sort through all the books on that shelf for the one we reserved. If we got the email. If we make a note of the book title and shelf number...

Oh boy. More idiotic good ideas from the tech mob.

Oh ffs! I'm convinced that some people exist only to blight the lives of the rest of us by making things far more difficult than they need to be by hedging them around with a myriad of petty  conditions.
Bastards, the lot of them..& I bet our lot go the same way sooner or later,as well.

[Olive]

Just finished CJBox's Three Inch Teeth, which was rivetting, and traumatic. It is a series of tragedies, and I found myself asking the author why he killed off that character several times. Despite that, and the gore, I really enjoyed it, lol...

---

Btw, Auckland Libraries have changed their reserves collection system so instead of alphabetical order of borrowers names, we now get an email with a shelf number and have to go sort through all the books on that shelf for the one we reserved. If we got the email. If we make a note of the book title and shelf number...

Oh boy. More idiotic good ideas from the tech mob.

I've just started reading CJ Box's Joe Pickett series (just finished #3) after reading a review in The Times then discovering that his books are quite cheap on Amazon.  It's a genre (Western Environmental Thriller) that I'm not all that familiar with, and I really like the Wyoming landscape details.  I had to look up "outfitting", having never heard of it as a trade.   With Box as well as Kingsolver I'm learning more about the US countryside than I thought I would find interesting.

[GJW]

Have read all of CJ Box books, I seem to like books with a main character. Also have read all of the Amish series, cannot remember the author but the main character Is Kate Burkholder. Also finished all of Robert Galbraith books for a second time, this time I read them in sequence!! Hanging out for the 8th one.
Struggling at the moment to find something to get my teeth into.

[Oh_hunnihunni]

I have one for you - if you like C J Box you might enjoy James A McLaughlin, his Bearskin is superb, and his Panther Gap might be even better. I just hope he is writing the next one as we speak...

I also like Linda Castillo, but anything Amish gets my attention. I have a small obsession around the Amish and the way they do things, and Kate is an interesting character. I have read a couple of the Galbraith books but I find Rowling leaks through and for some reason I am not a fan, but she doesn't need any more of those!

John Sandford is another good one. Always worth opening one of his.

[Lilith7]

I have one for you - if you like C J Box you might enjoy James A McLaughlin, his Bearskin is superb, and his Panther Gap might be even better. I just hope he is writing the next one as we speak...

I also like Linda Castillo, but anything Amish gets my attention. I have a small obsession around the Amish and the way they do things, and Kate is an interesting character. I have read a couple of the Galbraith books but I find Rowling leaks through and for some reason I am not a fan, but she doesn't need any more of those!

John Sandford is another good one. Always worth opening one of his.

I'm restraining myself from any comment about Bearskin...
Massive self control.

I thought I'd have a little dip into the past & read Jonathon Livingstone Seagull - I remember being quite taken with it decades ago, this time not so much. So decided to have another bash at his other book Illusions...duly found the book eventually & there was an inscription to --- for digging deep into the purse,..& a friend had put her name.

Damned if I know what the hell it was, so got in touch with her - & she hasn't got a clue either. Mind you, it was 1987! Apparently, we're both getting old.

So now re reading another old one,Animal dreams, Barbara Kingsolver & enjoying it.

[Olive]

Have read all of CJ Box books, I seem to like books with a main character. Also have read all of the Amish series, cannot remember the author but the main character Is Kate Burkholder. Also finished all of Robert Galbraith books for a second time, this time I read them in sequence!! Hanging out for the 8th one.
Struggling at the moment to find something to get my teeth into.

Try Barbara Kingsolver's Demon Copperhead.

[Oh_hunnihunni]

I have one for you - if you like C J Box you might enjoy James A McLaughlin, his Bearskin is superb, and his Panther Gap might be even better. I just hope he is writing the next one as we speak...

I also like Linda Castillo, but anything Amish gets my attention. I have a small obsession around the Amish and the way they do things, and Kate is an interesting character. I have read a couple of the Galbraith books but I find Rowling leaks through and for some reason I am not a fan, but she doesn't need any more of those!

John Sandford is another good one. Always worth opening one of his.

I'm restraining myself from any comment about Bearskin...
Massive self control.

I thought I'd have a little dip into the past & read Jonathon Livingstone Seagull - I remember being quite taken with it decades ago, this time not so much. So decided to have another bash at his other book Illusions...duly found the book eventually & there was an inscription to --- for digging deep into the purse,..& a friend had put her name.

Damned if I know what the hell it was, so got in touch with her - & she hasn't got a clue either. Mind you, it was 1987! Apparently, we're both getting old.

So now re reading another old one,Animal dreams, Barbara Kingsolver & enjoying it.

"It's easy when you know how..."

Jonathon Livingston Seagull (not bad considering when I first read that line the book was newly published...)