The SMB Book thread

D Day Through German Eyes - The Hidden Story of June 6th 1944 by Holger Eckhertz.

Interviews with German soliders each of whom defended the 5 landing beaches at Normandy. Basically talking through their experiences from around the 5th into the 6th June.

It's apparent Saving Private Ryan is close if not quite violent enough as to what it was like.

I found it fascinating that the German soliders were surprised at the rage and aggression of the allies soldiers and particularly the British soldiers. The German propaganda had done a good job convincing their troops they were defending Europe.

One German said he was amazed at how the British could be polite and generous one minute and then completely ruthless the next if it was needed.
Fascinating and brilliant read 9-10.

It's free to read if you have Amazon Prime.
 


RestlessNatives said:
Gallow's Pole - Benjamin Myers 6/10
Reviewed elsewhere on this thread by people whose opinion I trust but it never grabbed me the same way it grabbed them. He painted the Yorkshire countryside well and the tale could have been set in the modern day with the way he portrayed the fine line between fear and respect that surrounds criminals.
Myers just about got away with his refusal to use quotation marks however I think it added nothing so not sure why he persisted with it.

Dark Winter - David Mark 6/10
Met the author during the Writing Festival and he's a nice bloke. Was looking forward to his first novel but it was disjointed and cliched in parts. Random coincidence formed a large part of the plot and some bits of the plot line seemed to be dropped in from nowhere. His description of women was clunky at best and at worst, described them as little more than a walking pair of breasts.
A pet hate of mine is the cliche of a struggling writer in novels, at least he didn't make him the protagonist.
The idea behind the story was quite good and it's not without merit but he didn't carry it off. I wouldn't want to be judged on the quality of writing in my first novel so I'm prepared to cut him some slack as he has gone on to be successful but I'm not rushing to read anything else by him.
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Ben Myers won the Walter Scott prize last night for the Gallows Pole. Local lad done good
 
Some interesting titles there. Will have a look at a few of them over the summer. Meanwhile, a shameless plug for my latest e-book, available for download from Amazon now. Snow on the Seats is a Sunderland fan's journey through Russian football in the years leading up to the World Cup. Based on almost a decade of living in Moscow, it takes in everything from internationals to amateurs at a time when the game was changing fast. It's also studded with SAFC references because, well, why not? Might be a fun read for anyone interested in the Russia that you don't see on the news (or at the World Cup, for the most part). Can download it from https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07DGJFF6G
 
Give Us A Kiss by Daniel Woodrell.
Classic “ country-noir” from a contender for the title of America’s greatest living crime writer. I’ve read four of his others and they’re all great but have yet to read the one that was nominated for four oscars when filmed recently: Winters Bone. Actually I’ve never read this one either as I left it on the train during the week when about half way through.............idiot.

I’m Your Man by Sylvia Simmons.
Very good Leonard Cohen biography. Jeeez Laughing Len had some life. I would’ve stuck with the music n totty myself, wtf did he want to be getting all zen up in a mountain for while his manager emptied his bank account? Incidentally he would’ve lost it all anyway as it was all nearly all invested in shares that turned to nowt in the last banker led recession. For fans obviously.

The Angel On The Roof by Russell Banks.
Short story collection by a gadgy who’s supposed to be one of the forms masters. I’m starting to think I just don’t get the short story thing.

The Pop Revolution by Alice Goldfaub Marquis.
Interesting account of the 60s NYC art scenes transition from abstract nonsense to pop nonsense.

Chet Baker: His Life And Music.
Warts anarl account of the man who opted for the junkie jazz muso life over the teeny bop idol one that first brought him fame. Beautiful trumpeter but as a person hmmmm not so much. Have a listen to his version of Costello’s “Almost Blue” to hear what all the fuss was about. Do not under any circumstances listen to his godawful singing. Seriously.
 
Solar Bones by Mike McCormack 7/10

I've been hearing people rave about it for over a year. I'd always been put off by that fact that it's written as one long sentence. Turns out that doesn't really get in the way. The lines are broken up into paragraphs and dialogue, so once you get used to the missing full stops and capital letters it reads quite easily. I was gripped for most of it, but in the last third I saw where it was heading and couldn't really be bothered one way or the other as the melodrama ramped up. So, good, but doesn't live up to the hype.

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Monty Pigeon said:
Solar Bones by Mike McCormack 7/10

I've been hearing people rave about it for over a year. I'd always been put off by that fact that it's written as one long sentence. Turns out that doesn't really get in the way. The lines are broken up into paragraphs and dialogue, so once you get used to the missing full stops and capital letters it reads quite easily. I was gripped for most of it, but in the last third I saw where it was heading and couldn't really be bothered one way or the other as the melodrama ramped up. So, good, but doesn't live up to the hype.

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Why did he write it like that? Did he have a justification?
 
It’s probably a birds book as our lass loved it and told me to read it, but I couldn’t give a fuck.
‘Elinor oliphant is completely fine’
One of the best books I’ve read.
She’s a modern day superhero
10/10
 
Monty Pigeon said:
Solar Bones by Mike McCormack 7/10

I've been hearing people rave about it for over a year. I'd always been put off by that fact that it's written as one long sentence. Turns out that doesn't really get in the way. The lines are broken up into paragraphs and dialogue, so once you get used to the missing full stops and capital letters it reads quite easily. I was gripped for most of it, but in the last third I saw where it was heading and couldn't really be bothered one way or the other as the melodrama ramped up. So, good, but doesn't live up to the hype.

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I often wonder why people do this. Whilst they may get away with it and it might not significantly get in the way, does it add anything?
 
Price of glory . Alistaire Horn . About the battle of Verdun, recommended by @mickb2112 . Good book , good balance of the personal and the factual.
Slow getting through it as I also have " the outsider" by Stephen king on the go and also an audio of EF Benson ghost stories read by Mark geddis as well
 
Lexingtongue said:
Why did he write it like that? Did he have a justification?
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I think it's supposed to be a last gasp monologue. The trickery sort of makes sense by the end, but he didn't half make life hard for himself.

The book was rejected left, right and centre before a small indie publisher took a punt on it. It's done well in various awards, and now has a mainstream publisher. The thing is, if it'd had been written conventionally it probably would have been published mainstream at the start, but wouldn't have won awards and wouldn't have found the readership it has.
 
Skandhaless said:
Price of glory . Alistaire Horn . About the battle of Verdun, recommended by @mickb2112 . Good book , good balance of the personal and the factual.
Slow getting through it as I also have " the outsider" by Stephen king on the go and also an audio of EF Benson ghost stories read by Mark geddis as well
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Good man. I absolutely loved that book and couldn`t put it down. I`m really enjoying 1918 by Peter heart about the final year of WWI from the German Kaiser`s Offensives to the final 100 days where the Allies broke the Hindenburg ;line and pushed to victory.
 
Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy 8/10
Rated his masterpiece by some critics. An overdose of graphic violence - as always with McCarthy - but with a religious sub-theme. That's where this didn't quite do it for me (and is probably the reason why it's highly rated). It's my seventh McCarthy. I wouldn't start here here (No Country for Old Men is probably the best way in), but still essential reading if you're into his work.

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Just finished Boys Life by Robert R McCammon. Must say it was one of the best books I’ve read in years. Very Stephen King Stand by Me like and had me wanting to keep reading. Brilliantly written. Only read because I stumbled across another book by him called Swan Song which was also a fantastic read. Now reading his latest The Listener.
 
Dead Men's Trousers. Irvine Welsh.
Renton returns to Leith seeking redemption and re-engages with the usual suspects, mixing with the 'Trainspotters' along with Terry Lawson and some of the characters from Filth and Porno too. Welsh is a grown up now and his concerns have moved on from the early days, but that means dealing with some establishment characters too. His style is very visual, as if he's writing a film script (hmm!), but having said that there were a couple of set-pieces that had me laughing out loud.
7.5/10
 

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