OzTennis

It's about time for another update for the bookworms in the forum.

I've just finished a wonderful book by Bill Cullen 'It's a long way from penny apples' which I would highly recommend. Think Angela's Ashes without the angst and the pessimism - boy from the slums on the northside of Dublin, one of 12 children, rises to become one of Ireland's leading businessmen. Like 'The Power of One' it is a wonderful motivational book for anyone.

Having enjoyed that so much I got out another book by an Irish author - Joseph O'Connor 'Star of the Sea' and I'm part way through. It is also an excellent read (so don't spoil the ending, it's just building up nicely)!

There must be something about Irish writers and tales of Ireland because I've enjoyed reading all of Roddy Doyle's books and Tony Hawke's 'Fridge', Pete McCarthy's 2 books and John McCarthy returning to his roots (sorry I shouldn't have said that in a forum where us Aussies frequent, I'm not talking about Jill Morrell but Co Kerry, and Kerry isn't a sheila).

Irish music is great too, ranging from U2, the Cranberries, Van Morrison, Saw Doctors, Pogues etc to the more traditional Chieftains, Dubliners, Sean and Dolores Keane etc.

So why such an interest in Irish authors and music? We have had a number of wonderful holidays on the West coast of Ireland and went to pubs with traditional music and browsed the bookshops. I've also got some Irish blood in me, another who can trace back to the mass emigration of the Great Famine. Cullen tells how Henry Ford's parents left Cork on one of the famine ships in the 1840's. They lived in Fair Lane, Cork - hence Ford Fairlane. That's your bit of trivia for the day.

What are others reading and can recommend?

OzTennis

Keith&Lol

Hi Oz, I'm into escapism, Anne McCaffrey,Raymond E Feist,David Gemmell and the humour of Terry Pratchet. Just finishing one called Killashandra (read it before)by McCaffrey, about a crystal singer, not bad if you like that sort of thing. Do have quite a collection as I scour the second hand shops n stuff, but am willing to try any recomendations as long as they are not biographies. Going off subject slightly, my hubby is part scot ,part irish with a little welsh thrown in, he's mum lives in co Monaghan, hoping to visit before we finally go. Lol

seang

Also Ford took the hearthstone from his parents cottage and had it set in his mansion in the US.

Also to tie in with one of the books you mentioned - the star of the sea is also a church in Dublin that I have connections with. One of the house addresses in the book is also connected to my people. Was surprised to see it in print. Also you may know of O'Connor's sister -Sinead the singer (nothing compares to you fame)

Interesting fact about the Pogues - Hard to believe but McGowan went to one of the top schools in the UK on scholarship (got kicked out though).

fireeater

Try Sean Williams....his books are either fantasy or sci fi, but his created worlds generally have an elemant of Autralia about them

http://www.seanwilliams.com/

Keith&Lol

Thanx, will do...Lol

OzTennis

Interesting about O'Connor, Star of Sea, McGowan etc.

I didn't know about Sinead being his sister, I knew about Shane - he is actually an upper class public schoolboy who has spent a lot of his life in Kent (and drunk) but he likes to pretend he is something else! In one of Pete McCarthy's books he mentioned how he was in the same pub in the west of Ireland as McGowan but he (Shane) refused to talk to him and stormed out - because he was English. (Pete McCarthy R.I.P).

McGowan had an (un)memorable drunken performance on the Late, Late, Show a few years back - I used to enjoy the Tara Channel on satellite before it went broke. Christy Moore does a great version of Fairytale of New York and on it talks about his meeting with McGowan.

Good interview with Joseph O'Connor at:

http://www.identitytheory.com/interv...rnbaum113.html

OzTennis

<")))><

Margrave of the Marshes - John Peel's autobiography which was unfinished when he died, so his wife Sheila picks it up 2/3's of the way through.

A fascinating insight into the legend which is JP. A music lovers must-have.

Also reading Bill Bryson's A Short History Of Nearly Everything which is proving difficult to put down, purely because I'm so used to his travel writing style, particularly good in "Down Under". When you apply that writing to certain facts you didn't know about...well, nearly everything, then it makes for an absorbing read. Well worth checking out.

OzTennis

Charity shops are a wonderful source of books. I can't remember the last time I bought a book brand new. (am I doing well as an adopted Scot?)
Every book I mentioned in my first post I got at either Oxfam, Cancer Research, Scope or Age Concern! I like to give them back after I've read them to keep them being recycled too. I've seen plenty of Pratchet so will pick one up.

OzTennis

seang

Should have said Bryson's Made in America was my last book. Great facts about the origins of common words and various other facts

OzTennis

Yes, JP's will be one to put on the pile on the coffee table. There is now an illustrated version of Bryson's A Short History. I've read most of Bryson's books but don't rate him much above readable on most of his works. I must be missing something though because many rave about him.

OzTennis

herrchook

I just can't get enough of Patricia Cornwells's Scarpetta novels. Unfortunately, it's taking me about 3 months to get through a book these daya (just got no time and any I've seems to be taken up in here!) - gone are those long Sundays on the sofa reading books - Aaahhh, maybe one day.

I like the sound of that Bill Bryson new book too, think I'll get it for FIL for Xmas.

sme

Louis Therouxs new book is good. He writes with that gentle self depreciting humour he uses in his tv work.
Tend to read alot of trash these days, concentration too poor with the anxst of house selling
Gillian

suzimc

I love Bryson, but 'A Short History of Almost Everything' is proving hard work, I just can't get into it

DebraH

I'm a big fan of Cornwells, but I'm really into Karin Slaughter - reading Indelible (again) and i also love James Patterson. to be hones i just love crime/thriller books :scared:

tiredwithtwins

OzTennis - excellent idea to start up another book thread!

herchook & debraH - i quite got into Patricia Cornwell's Scarpetta novels, but found myself being too picky about the continuity.......d'oh!! I did this with 'the davinci code' too......basically spoilt the story for myself!

debraH - Have you read any of jeffrey Deaver's books? they are fantastic....especially the lincoln ryme series - if you saw the film 'the bone collector' with angelina jolie and that sexy black guy.....cant remember his name..... this was written by deaver, and his other books wont let you down! all very psychologically scary i thought.

Anya/Pollyana i still havnt read any of the books you recommended in one of the previous book threads.......Poll, i keep an eye out for 'he died with a falafel in his hand' but havent tracked it down yet!!!

sue