h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Is that part of a series, trilogy or whatnot, or is it a standalone?

It's part of a trilogy (I'm answering because I have all three). There's Harlequin, Vagabond and Heretic. They're called the Grail Quest series and are set in France at some time during the Hundred Years War (about the time of the battle of Crecy, I think) They don't revolve around battle as much as the Sharpe books, although there are still battles in them. I enjoyed them very much (I have a lot of Cornwell).

My uncle also has a lot of Cornwell; he leant me this. If anyone's wondering about the title, it seems that in the 14th Century a harlequin (or hellequin in French) was a rather more demonic being.

Another series by Cornwell that doesn't revolve around battles (AFAIK) is the Arthur series: The Winter King, Enemy of God and Excalibur. They're on my wish list.

Having read rather more of the book, I'm impressed by the way Cornwell shows the historical period warts and all. And he isn't afraid to let his generally sympathetic protagonist join in the raping and pillaging.

I have just finished reading a book on reiki and another by neil gaiman odd and the frost giants. I question whether terry pratchett stuff is similar to gaiman's work...phillip pullman's work didn't enthrall me much.

I love Terry Pratchett but other than the collaborative Pratchett/Gaiman novel, I find Gaiman extremely dull.

But as I also thought the Pullman I've read was quite good, maybe you wouldn't like Pratchett.

We went to a used bookshop a couple of weeks ago and bought some random stuff. I found another Pynchon I'd wanted for ages- The Crying of Lot 49- and one by some guy I've never heard of. The author's name is Don Winslow and the book is titled "A Cool Breeze on the Underground". Anyone familiar with the author? I'm going to start this one on Monday.

I've read the Arthurian trilogy and it's pretty darned good. The thing about Cornwall is that he really does try to put you in at the ground level rather than among the officers. That's why I like his novels so much.

I'm now reading another Janet Evanovich: Hot Six.

"The thing about Cornwall is..."

That and the beaches are good for surfing.

Sorry, had to make fun of the typo first, but I agree with you, although he still seems to be generally ignoring the lot of the women and children. I guess you can't include everybody's point of view even in a book four inches thick.

aaaaarghhh! typos.

He's a guy so what do you expect? He usually writes one or two strong women (and then Jane from the Sharpe novels is a whole 'nother category) but... given when he was writing about, women were pretty invisible.

I like the sound of that Arthurian trilogy. Something more for the old wish list.

Spent a few days in York last week and popped into Borders 'cos they were open late and we were killing time. Big mistake! I came out with 5 books: Captain Hornblower, R.N. (a Hornblower omnibus), The Leopard Hunts in Darkness (the one Wilbur Smith book missing from my collection), Moab is my Washpot by Stephen Fry, Katherine Swynford by Alison Weir and Dry Store Room No. 1 by Richard Fortey (it's about the Natural History Museum, London).

Right now I'm reading The Gunpowder Plot by Antonia Fraser.

I'm just starting to re-read "The Ascent of Rum Doodle" by W. E. Bowman. I last read it over 30 years ago (gulp!). Thought it was funny then and I realise that I find it even funnier now.

Okay, just read Flashman and the Mountain of Light, which is classic Flashman, nuff said. And I've started Bad Science by Ben Goldacre. Unlike his fellow Grauniad writer Charlie Brooker, Goldacre hasn't merely collected a load of his columns together, but has actually set out to write a systematic educational course in understanding medicine and associated topics, by examining the many bad ways things are done and presented.

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psychoandy ... I think I'll keep to reading Gaiman's work...currently in the midst of reading M is for Magic by guess who

Goldacre's one sounds like it's worth a look Bagpuss.

Currently killing time with some Arthur Machen short stories till I decide which novel I want to read next...

I'm reading The Yiddish Policemen's Union, by Michael Chabon. Anyone else read any Michael Chabon? Is this typical?

It's quite good so far...

RF

Typical of what, Reddyfreddy? I've never read anything by Michael Chabon but a story of Yiddish police sounds intriguing.

d

"Backroom Boys", by Francis Spufford. Stories of British scientists keeping the Concorde flying and losing the space race. Sad, funny and downright weird. Here's an extended, edited quote:

"In November 1944 a group of men met in a London pub ... the inner circle of the British Interplanetary Society ... at about that moment 300 km to the east a 12 tonne missile designed by a former member of the BIS's German sister society, the Verein fur Raumshiffart, left the ground carrying a one-tonne high-explosive warhead ... the explosion shook the pub ... unlike other people [they] knew immediately how to interpret the blast that happened suddenly, without the sound of bombers overhead, and even more revealing, the strange rising boom afterwards, as air rushed in to replace the tube of vacuum the rocket had drilled out of the sky ... this was not the first V2 to hit London ... but this was certainly the first V2 to be greeted at the receiving end with laughter and excitement. The BIS rose to their feet and cheered."

I was, and am, astonished.