The Gooner Forum

DB10GOONER wrote:Just finished reading "Bloody Bill Anderson: The Short, Savage Life of a Civil War Guerrilla" by Albert Castel.

Brilliant read. I knew the US Civil War was brutal but the savagery of the guerrilla fighting in Missouri is astonishing. Torture, scalping, genital mutilation (whilst still alive), beheading, and murder of prisoners and innocent civilians were all commonplace. Anderson was a bit part character in the movie "The Outlaw Josie Wales" and historically is less known than Quantrill and his raiders, but Anderson and his band were by far the most brutal, savage fuckers in that war.

Just downloaded this for my 3 weeks in New Jersey,

DB10GOONER wrote:

Rugby Gooner wrote:I would like to use this book thread to pay tribute to the owner of the only independent book shop in Rugby, Hunts Books, who the local newspaper, (The Rugby Advertiser), has just confirmed his passing, on 25/6/16, today.
Kelvin,(Hunt), was a great guy, book enthusiast, people enthusiast, and unfortunately a Coventry City fan!
He had owned and run Hunts for about 25 years, contributing to the joy of reading in our community. He even turned up at my flat a few Christmas Eves ago to deliver a couple of books that I had ordered,(he also took delivery himself of a large single malt!).
I met him a couple of times during the latter stages of his illness, but always made the point of talking about football, or books, basically anything but the cancer, because I assumed that other people were covering that issue.
He leaves a wife, Pauline, and two children, Christopher and Dominic. I think that Christopher is going to try and keep the bookshop going.
The Rugby Advertiser website has a great obituary to him.
He was a great guy and will be sadly missed.

Sorry to hear of his passing RG and may he rest in piece. Sounds like a gent. I love those small independent bookstores, often kept open by hard work, selflessness and pure love of reading and books. I despise the Kindle concept. A bookstore is a brilliant place to peruse books - and reading, holding an actual book is a wonderful thing. As a gadget lover, it is the only area I am seriously old school about.

Do your local bookstore have a website or take postal orders because I seriously would order a few books off them just to help these last bastions of proper book appreciation stay open.

I am sure the shop probably does have a website, but will check. He was a great guy.

Rugby Gooner wrote:

DB10GOONER wrote:

Rugby Gooner wrote:I would like to use this book thread to pay tribute to the owner of the only independent book shop in Rugby, Hunts Books, who the local newspaper, (The Rugby Advertiser), has just confirmed his passing, on 25/6/16, today.
Kelvin,(Hunt), was a great guy, book enthusiast, people enthusiast, and unfortunately a Coventry City fan!
He had owned and run Hunts for about 25 years, contributing to the joy of reading in our community. He even turned up at my flat a few Christmas Eves ago to deliver a couple of books that I had ordered,(he also took delivery himself of a large single malt!).
I met him a couple of times during the latter stages of his illness, but always made the point of talking about football, or books, basically anything but the cancer, because I assumed that other people were covering that issue.
He leaves a wife, Pauline, and two children, Christopher and Dominic. I think that Christopher is going to try and keep the bookshop going.
The Rugby Advertiser website has a great obituary to him.
He was a great guy and will be sadly missed.

Sorry to hear of his passing RG and may he rest in piece. Sounds like a gent. I love those small independent bookstores, often kept open by hard work, selflessness and pure love of reading and books. I despise the Kindle concept. A bookstore is a brilliant place to peruse books - and reading, holding an actual book is a wonderful thing. As a gadget lover, it is the only area I am seriously old school about.

Do your local bookstore have a website or take postal orders because I seriously would order a few books off them just to help these last bastions of proper book appreciation stay open.

I am sure the shop probably does have a website, but will check. He was a great guy.

Just checked:- www.huntsbookshop.com

Rugby Gooner wrote:

Rugby Gooner wrote:

DB10GOONER wrote:

Rugby Gooner wrote:I would like to use this book thread to pay tribute to the owner of the only independent book shop in Rugby, Hunts Books, who the local newspaper, (The Rugby Advertiser), has just confirmed his passing, on 25/6/16, today.
Kelvin,(Hunt), was a great guy, book enthusiast, people enthusiast, and unfortunately a Coventry City fan!
He had owned and run Hunts for about 25 years, contributing to the joy of reading in our community. He even turned up at my flat a few Christmas Eves ago to deliver a couple of books that I had ordered,(he also took delivery himself of a large single malt!).
I met him a couple of times during the latter stages of his illness, but always made the point of talking about football, or books, basically anything but the cancer, because I assumed that other people were covering that issue.
He leaves a wife, Pauline, and two children, Christopher and Dominic. I think that Christopher is going to try and keep the bookshop going.
The Rugby Advertiser website has a great obituary to him.
He was a great guy and will be sadly missed.

Sorry to hear of his passing RG and may he rest in piece. Sounds like a gent. I love those small independent bookstores, often kept open by hard work, selflessness and pure love of reading and books. I despise the Kindle concept. A bookstore is a brilliant place to peruse books - and reading, holding an actual book is a wonderful thing. As a gadget lover, it is the only area I am seriously old school about.

Do your local bookstore have a website or take postal orders because I seriously would order a few books off them just to help these last bastions of proper book appreciation stay open.

I am sure the shop probably does have a website, but will check. He was a great guy.

Just checked:- http://www.huntsbookshop.com

Thanks RG.

I still mourn the loss of Borders bookshop. Many hours were lost in their Angel outlet between 2002-09 (The loss of Woolies, HMV and Game have killed that area for me)

As someone who just doesn't have time for books anymore (and certainly no comfortable, well lit places to read them, apart from on the crapper), I still enjoy popping into the Waterstones now and again and browsing. I was a voracious reader in my youth, but life got in the way

I do enjoy the internet, reading Wikipedia and using Amazon, but I do miss being able to walk into a shop and seeing for myself. That said, I may be a reluctant convert to reading books on a tablet one day, as it'd be the best way for me to read, comfort-wise - I could read in bed without it being uncomfortable or poorly-lit.

It's a fluke that I came across that audio book of '1984'. It's pretty much the only way I could process it.

I have several books on my to-do list, but no time or drive to read them. Is there such a thing as readers-block?

My list:

• Jacked by David Kushner

A book about the early years of the Grand Theft Auto series and Rockstar Games. Got two thirds of the way through then stalled for a couple of years. I'll have to re-read it. I do have a thing about reading one book at a time.

• Arsènal: The Making of a Modern Superclub by Alex Fynn and Kevin Whitcher

Great book, but not even a third of the way through. I definitely want to read the second book, but want to wait for the revised version when TOF finally goes (Might be a long wait then).

• Going to Sea in a Sieve - Danny Baker's autobiography, part 1

Only got a few pages in. Wall to wall anecdotes from DB, who has led a very colourful life. Want to read the second one, but will probably never get around to it.

• Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk.

It's a short book and I love the film, but I have barely started this one. His name is Robert Paulson!



Other books have caught my eye - like Woolwich Arsenal FC: 1893-1915 The club that changed football, but I know I will never read them. Sad, really.

Yes, so many of the independents have been swallowed up, driven out by the chains - Book shops, Record (vinyl) shops, even down to clothes shops...We have a number of independent (Organic) food shops where veg boxes etc can be ordered, but they are really struggling to survive. The people who run those shops know their product and their customers incredibly well....and are always willing to go the extra yard to help/assist - Whereas the staff in the chain stores when they aren't on their mobiles texting or talking to one another about their previous nights exploits are so rude and unhelpful - Not all of them but it it does tend to happen on a regular basis to the point where I have just put what I was about to buy on the counter and walk out and leave them to replace it...

OneBardGooner wrote:Yes, so many of the independents have been swallowed up, driven out by the chains - Book shops, Record (vinyl) shops, even down to clothes shops...We have a number of independent (Organic) food shops where veg boxes etc can be ordered, but they are really struggling to survive. The people who run those shops know their product and their customers incredibly well....and are always willing to go the extra yard to help/assist - Whereas the staff in the chain stores when they aren't on their mobiles texting or talking to one another about their previous nights exploits are so rude and unhelpful - Not all of them but it it does tend to happen on a regular basis to the point where I have just put what I was about to buy on the counter and walk out and leave them to replace it...

I did that in HMV in Dublin a few years back. Stupid bitch was yacking on her mobile about "immense night, loads of yokes and WKDs, I'm dying now though blah blah blah" and left me standing there. I said "excuse me" twice, she just looked at me and kept talking on her phone. So I placed the CD I was going to buy on the counter in front of her, said "put that back on the fucking shelf for me" and walked out. Cúnt. I passed the manager on the way out and growled at him "You wanna teach your staff how to do their job, mate". He said "Excuse me, sir?" I said, "You fucking heard me" and kept walking... before the urge to start hitting fuckers got the better of me...

Just finished Mr Mercedes and Finders Keepers by Stephen King. First two books in the 'Hodges' trilogy. Excellent, particularly the second one. Can't wait to pick up the last one. Highly recommended!

Just got myself "highway to hell" Biography of the legendary Bon Scott ! Looking forward to reading this on my hols next week

Shock of the Fall, by Nathan Filer.

My daughter starts Uni in Sept and the author will be one of her lecturers, so we thought it would be interesting (and useful).
It won the Costa prize though and some others, so we weren't taking too many risks with our 8 quid.

It doesn't contain and Special Forces or Weapons, a genre which seems very popular on these pages, but even if it's not your normal cup of tea I would thoroughly recommend it.

It's funny, sad and though-provoking.

I won't try and describe it, but instead just use the quote from the cover:

'I'll tell you what happened because it will be a good way to introduce my brother. His name's Simon. I think you're going to like him. I really do. But in a couple of pages he'll be dead. And he was never the same after that.'

GranadaJoe wrote:Shock of the Fall, by Nathan Filer.

My daughter starts Uni in Sept and the author will be one of her lecturers, so we thought it would be interesting (and useful).
It won the Costa prize though and some others, so we weren't taking too many risks with our 8 quid.

It doesn't contain and Special Forces or Weapons, a genre which seems very popular on these pages, but even if it's not your normal cup of tea I would thoroughly recommend it.

It's funny, sad and though-provoking.

I won't try and describe it, but instead just use the quote from the cover:

'I'll tell you what happened because it will be a good way to introduce my brother. His name's Simon. I think you're going to like him. I really do. But in a couple of pages he'll be dead. And he was never the same after that.'

Cheers. I think I might just try this one.

GranadaJoe wrote:Shock of the Fall, by Nathan Filer.

My daughter starts Uni in Sept and the author will be one of her lecturers, so we thought it would be interesting (and useful).
It won the Costa prize though and some others, so we weren't taking too many risks with our 8 quid.

It doesn't contain and Special Forces or Weapons, a genre which seems very popular on these pages, but even if it's not your normal cup of tea I would thoroughly recommend it.

It's funny, sad and though-provoking.

I won't try and describe it, but instead just use the quote from the cover:

'I'll tell you what happened because it will be a good way to introduce my brother. His name's Simon. I think you're going to like him. I really do. But in a couple of pages he'll be dead. And he was never the same after that.'

Read it a while back-quite enjoyed it and different to my usual crime genre. The psychopath test by jon ronson is also a good read

wibble wrote:

GranadaJoe wrote:Shock of the Fall, by Nathan Filer.

My daughter starts Uni in Sept and the author will be one of her lecturers, so we thought it would be interesting (and useful).
It won the Costa prize though and some others, so we weren't taking too many risks with our 8 quid.

It doesn't contain and Special Forces or Weapons, a genre which seems very popular on these pages, but even if it's not your normal cup of tea I would thoroughly recommend it.

It's funny, sad and though-provoking.

I won't try and describe it, but instead just use the quote from the cover:

'I'll tell you what happened because it will be a good way to introduce my brother. His name's Simon. I think you're going to like him. I really do. But in a couple of pages he'll be dead. And he was never the same after that.'

Read it a while back-quite enjoyed it and different to my usual crime genre. The psychopath test by jon ronson is also a good read

Did you pass or fail ?

Would have someone tied up in your basement count against you ?

StuartL wrote:

wibble wrote:
Read it a while back-quite enjoyed it and different to my usual crime genre. The psychopath test by jon ronson is also a good read

Did you pass or fail ?

Would have someone tied up in your basement count against you ?

It is frowned upon.

I scraped a pass but scored badly as apparently I'm aggressive towards others I don't know without provocation.

Not that it's any of your fucking business, you c.unt

Just re-read (again) ‘Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail 72’ by Hunter S Thompson. It’s his trademark crazy, yet weirdly perceptive, reportage on the 1972 American Presidential campaign which eventually saw little-known George McGovern claim the Democratic nomination and go on to get stomped by Nixon whilst the Watergate scandal unfolded.

Thompson authored four great works (Hell’s Angels; Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas; The Great Shark Hunt and Fear and Loathing ’72) and it’s this, even more so than Las Vegas, that is his greatest work.

Absolutely brilliant.