Have you also read “Some Kind of Hero” and if so, does this book cover info the former didn’t cover?
I did read the other one, and I guess both compliment each other. But so far I‘m only in the THUNDERBALL chapter.
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Just finished Licence Renewed (I was not enamored with it). I also listened to the 8th Harry Bosch novel, City of Bones on audiobook on a recent road trip. Just started Celtic Empire, the final Pitt novel published during Clive Cussler’s life as a tribute.
Revisioning 007-Lindner
A Genius for Deception-Rankin
The Making of The Empire Strikes Back-Rinzler
Yeah, Licence Renewed isn’t great, but it did restart literary Bond after a near 15 year absence. For Special Services is a bit better, and I couldn’t put Icebreaker down (finished it in two days) despite Raymond Benson’s critique of it.
You all know I am a geek, so this should not surprise: I am re-reading Albert Camus’ “The Plague” in light of what is happening in both the world (broadly) and my little corner of it (specifically) where I work with vulnerable, often homeless youth. I have to admit–the novel holds up better than I thought it would (it has been more than 40 years since I read it).
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You’re very brave. I wouldn’t dare to do that.
It would be like reading The Stand by Stephen King right now.
Or Empty World by John Christopher.
I‘ve been re-reading Fleming’s Moonraker and I love the intimacy of the first act. If I wrote a Bond story I’d probably go for something low key like this because we really get a feel of the man. What he does in his free time, how he responds to banality and how others think of him. I find that stuff fascinating.
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Certainly more interesting than For Special Services, which I just finished shudder. This Gardner read through is gonna take awhile. I’m gonna read The Night Fire, the latest Harry Bosch novel.
The Word Is Murder;
When the fictional version of Horowitz is questioned by Hawthorne what the book he’s writing (the one your actually reading) is going to be called, we get this rather delightful shout out.
For my money, nobody has beaten Ian Fleming: From Russia, with Love, You Only Live Twice, Live and Let Die. His titles have passed into the English language although even he didn’t find it easy. Live and Let Die was almost published as ‘The Undertaker’s Wind’. Moonraker was ‘The Moonraker Secret’, ‘The Moonraker Plot’, ‘The Moonraker Plan’ and even, for a short time, ‘Mondays Are Hell’, while Goldfinger began life as ‘The Richest Man in the World’.
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Just After Sunset (short stories) by Stephen King
Excellent collection of short stories by the master himself.
Just finished Pirate Latitudes by Michael Crichton. Not his best work, though like The Man with the Golden Gun, it was basically published unfinished. So I can’t be too hard on it. Currently, re-reading Trigger Mortis. I think it’s the best non-Fleming Bond book (even better than Colonel Sun). It’s fast paced and never dull, reading almost like the Fleming books themselves.
Doctor Who and the Loch ness Monster - the one with the Zygons
After receiving the 14th season boxset ofTom Bakers Doctor I just fancied to read some classic Doctor Who
Found a run of the I Spy paperbacks by John Tiger. Great sense of teamwork/friendship between Scotty and Kelly. Now need to rewatch series from season 1 Ep 1
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I’ve been reading a lot more in recent times.
The Hard Way: Adapt, Survive and Win
Bare Faced Messiah
The Road to Jonestown
The Lord of the Rings (just finished yesterday, took me a month)
All very good. I’m a fan of historical/psychological stories the most. I’ll start Manson: The Life and Times of Charles Manson soon. After that I’ll begin Roger’s Live and Let Die diary.
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Finished the Manson book and Roger’s diary. Since then I’ve read The Hobbit, The Authorised Biography of 007 and Animal Farm. Other books on my to read list include:
1984
Fahrenheit 451
Brave New World
Lord of the Flies
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Just recently reread Forever and a Day. Then followed that up with Slaughterhouse-Five (man that is a weird story). If anyone has read it, does Billy Pilgrim actually do all of that or is it all imagined from his PTSD? Now I’m reading The Burning Room.I always love a good Harry Bosch story.
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Finished Walter Isaacson’s excellent Leonardo da Vinci biography and followed it up with a vintage pulp novel: The Spider in “When Satan Came To Town.” Now diving into Helfenstein’s Making of OHMSS book. Better late than never.
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This is a delight to read, I envy you discovering it now.
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