Gasroom Book Club
The old gasroom book club got closed down in disgrace as we all know but lets put that behind us.
Anyone read any decent books recently?
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The old gasroom book club got closed down in disgrace as we all know but lets put that behind us.
Anyone read any decent books recently?
Comments
Viv Albertine (from The Slits)'s autobiography is a must, even if you have no interest in The Slits or punk. Just a fantastic life story. The Southern Reach Trilogy by Jeff Vandermeer is good creepy sci-fi/wyrd fiction. Currently halfway through the second volume of The King Killer Trilogy by Patrick Rothfuss, which is pretty engaging, but at approximately 900 pages per volume isn't one to enter into lightly.
I'm currently reading Thirty One Nil, which is excellent so far and tells the story of World Cup Qualification from the early stages. Relevant this week as Aaron Pierre is doing just this for Grenada... http://www.amazon.co.uk/Thirty-One-Nil-Amazing-Story-Qualification/dp/1408158841
The books on football by Michael Calvin are tremendous. The Nowhere Men and his latest effort, Living On The Volcano offer great insight into the game and as a bonus, WW feature in both.
The Nowhere Men - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Nowhere-Men-Michael-Calvin-ebook/dp/B00CQ1DAJY/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1441273252&sr=1-1&keywords=the+nowhere+men
Living On The Volcano - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Living-Volcano-Secrets-Surviving-Football-ebook/dp/B00W0P9TPK/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1441273295&sr=1-1&keywords=living+on+the+volcano
Lee Child's latest Jack Reacher (Personal) is pretty good. Can't beat a Reacher for a good read.
"The Son of Hamas" by Mosab Hassan Yousef. Misplaced it around the house, but will search and seak.
Considering what's going on currently in this World, can't wait to read it.
'Life' by Keeef Richards was an entertaining read. I am not sure how he managed to get past 1970 to be honest...but his memory is spot on considering.
Re-reading the "Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy" trilogy of four, top stuff!
Currently reading Graham Roberts' autobiography, very good and has a fair bit about him managing in non league.
Have also read Mark Ward's (excellent) and Geoff Chapple's (decent enough) recently
@NorsQuarters I'm sure there's five books in the hitchhikers trilogy.
Non football books you simply have to read:
The KLF: Chaos, Magic and the Band who Burned a Million Pounds by John Higgs is one of the best books I've ever read. It's kind of only tangentially about the KLF, they're really just a McGuffin to string together an incredible bit of story telling.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/1780226551/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?qid=1441301760&sr=8-2&pi=SY200_QL40&keywords=john+higgs&dpPl=1&dpID=41GdX7BIp1L&ref=plSrch
Off the back of that being so great, I'm currently reading his latest which so far is also fantastic:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B00NLHJR94/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1441301858&sr=1-1&pi=AC_SX110_SY165&keywords=John+Higgs
If you like Hitchhikers Guide then I recommend The Brentford Trilogy by Robert Rankin (now a trilogy in 9 parts!) or the Armageddon series of 3 books by the same author.
Arthur Hopcraft 'The Football Man' 1968 but reprinted a couple of years ago, a must read for all true fans of the game
If you grew up with Smash Hits, NME, Select magazine and latterly The Word, you'll probably enjoy 'Rock Stars Stole My Life' by Mark Ellen. Many good stories in there.
Plus, re-read JG Ballard's superb High Rise, before the film of it comes out later this year.
Just read Iain Sinclair's "The Ginger Line - A Walk around the London Overground" - as a frequent user of the old North London Line in my youth I found it fascinating. His book a few years ago of a walk around the M25 was good too.
Just finished The Narrow Road To The Deep South Good sometimes to read something challenging, and this proved an excellent read.
Found the book and it's interesting reading from Mosab prospectus on the Palestian and Israel conflict. Why the Bristish didn't push threw their promises for a Palestian State I'll never know.
@Ciderk1d : Your last sentence strikes me as a bit odd. You have read a partisan account of issues in the Middle East, found reference to an idea that sort of makes sense to you ( a separate Palestinian state) and haven't looked elsewhere to find out why it didn't happen.
bit patronising Baldric. His/her post could easily indicate that they do know the reasons and yet disagree with them.
I apologise if my post appears patronising, I read the post differently to you, and the interpretation you placed on it didn't occur to me at all.
Ta muchly, will check them out when I get the chance.
In the past few months I've read the Pirlo, Jimmy Bullard and Keith Gillespie books.
Pirlo is just absolute class and his book reads like it, Jimmy Bullards is a cracking read as he played non-league and ended up the Prem (and is just mental). To read how Gilliespie blew around £8 million, mainly on gambling is quite astonishing and a little depressing!
just re-read Eamon Dunphy 'Only A Game' one of the first intelligent insider books on the game and came across this on p130
'many non-league players think they can be as good as Bobby Charlton. Or, if not as good as Bobby Charlton certainly as good as run-of-the-mill professionals. Football is a joy for them, plus a tenner in the boot as a bonus. And you can be the local hero in Hitchin or Wycombe'
The saddest fact about football these days is that some young players can become millionaires without even getting close to the first-team in some of the big clubs. The good thing about Ainsworth's teams so far, has been that everyone looks like they are up for it and wanting to play.
With the exception of Dean Morgan (although Ainsworth did inherit him)
And Matt Spring!
think Spring wanted to play, just not as a Gazalike midfielder, it is ironic that folk are now calling for a creative midfield player
But not one like Spring. Ainsworth was a creative midfielder.
not really was he?
Well I suppose it depends what you mean by creative. He certainly created chances with his runs and crosses, but I'm not sure I'd want him running central midfield. I'd don't think the midfielders we have are Gazlike, other than having a high level of energy and commitment.
Gaza struck me as ambiguous. I thought it was a confusion between Paul Gascoigne and Gareth Ainsworth. The Geordie Gazza (one 'z' is a place occupied by the Israelis) was a hard running and tackling midfielder but with a degree of creativity. Not sure what the original poster thinks of GA but creative midfielder doesn't spring (sorry) to mind.
Perhaps Gaz-a-like would have helped? Although Matt Spring did play in the Premier League I don't think any comparison with Geordie Gazza would stand up.
Reasons for not playing Spring in the 13-14 season will remain a mater of conjecture (don't imagine his biography will be out any time soon), probably more about league appearance bonuses than attitude, ability or his relationship with the Gaffer.