Bedtime Reading

[shinaria]

I'm just reading "Just Kids" by Patti Smith.  
From Brooklyn to Chelsea Hotel, a Life of Art and Friendship (English Edition)

"Smith's evocative, honest and moving coming-of-age story reveals her extraordinary relationship with artist Robert Mapplethorpe. Part romance, part elegy, "Just Kids" is about friendship in the truest sense, and the artist's calling."

A wonderful piece of paper!

shinaria

[Steve Jones]

Being a bit of a music biography fan, last year it was 'Led Zeppelin-When Giants Walked the Earth', In 2008 it was 'Slash by Slash' and 'Scar Tissue' by Anthony Kiedis.

Last year I also enjoyed the quartet of 'Red Riding' books by David Peace.

This year it will be the Millenium Trilogy by Stieg Larsson-'The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo...etc, a biography on Kurt Cobain, a book on Bill Hicks and 'Dawn of the Dumb' by Charlie Brooker.

[harribobs]

This year it will be the Millenium Trilogy by Stieg Larsson-'The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo...etc,

i was very impressed by these

i did a quite a few books on the beach this year, apart from the above, the last but latest, 'Jack Reacher' book by Lee Childs was the most memorable

[Noopsy]

Hoping to resume reading "Angels and Demons" if it's still in Morpheas' library.

[George]

One of the best books I've read while out there was 'The Island' by Victoria Hislop
If you've ever been to Spinalonga, it's an incredibly emotional read, and yes I admit to filling up a few times and had to put it down and compose myself.

george...

[Graham_and_Karen]

Enjoyed Angels and Demons, and pretty much all of Terry Brooks's stuff. The Island was a great read - made a visit to Spinalonga a must.

[Rogataber]

One of the best books I've read while out there was 'The Island' by Victoria Hislop
If you've ever been to Spinalonga, it's an incredibly emotional read, and yes I admit to filling up a few times and had to put it down and compose myself.

george...

I went to Spinalonga in October 1978 and then it was just desolate with skeletons visible in crypts under scattered stone slabs. I imagine it is no longer like that..or is it?

Roger

[George]

Enjoyed Angels and Demons, and pretty much all of Terry Brooks's stuff. The Island was a great read - made a visit to Spinalonga a must.

Agreed G&K, but I recommend the visit first and then you can relate to the book so much better.
Unfortunately they're renovating the place which in my opinion is spoiling the atmosphere of the place. I first visited there in 1978, and the place was 'DEAD'! Totally empty of ALL life, no plant life, no bugs, completely silent except for the tumbleweed being blown along the road. It was probably one of the spookiest places I've ever been to!

I got into Dan Brown a few years ago while out there (no more to be said really), I grabbed a copy of Digital Fortress, while dumping my read book and haven't looked back!

george...

[George]

One of the best books I've read while out there was 'The Island' by Victoria Hislop
If you've ever been to Spinalonga, it's an incredibly emotional read, and yes I admit to filling up a few times and had to put it down and compose myself.

george...

I went to Spinalonga in October 1978 and then it was just desolate with skeletons visible in crypts under scattered stone slabs. I imagine it is no longer like that..or is it?

Roger

Our messages overlapped Roger, you put this in while I was typing.
I'll always remember that graveyard, it gives be goose bumps just thinking about it, and the round house where they dumped the dead paupers? I actually got my camera through one of the small windows and took a few shots. The camera worked, the flash went off... but no pictures!!  

george...

[Barny]

Maybe the spirit was willing but the flash was weak?

            Barny.

[George]

Maybe the spirit was willing but the flash was weak?

            Barny.

I think you might be right Barny, it was a very quite day and only one small group was on the island, so I held back and got a real feel for the place. I stood still and just looked around and tried to imagine what it must have been like.
I've never had a feeling of being completely surrounded when being so alone, before or since.      

george...
Many happy returns BTW Barny, HOW OLD??

[Mike G]

I would recommend Birds Without Wings by Louis de Berniere. An extremely poignant story of how people of Christian and Muslim origin, living in Asia Minor and Greece in reasonable harmony, were stirred up by others and eventually turned on each other, which led to the partition of the races/religions. I learnt a lot about the history of the places that I had been visiting for years.

Mike

[Graham_and_Karen]

Enjoyed Angels and Demons, and pretty much all of Terry Brooks's stuff. The Island was a great read - made a visit to Spinalonga a must.

Oops  
I've got my authors confused. Angels and Demons sounds like a Terry brooks book, but of course was Dan Brown. I liked The Davinci Code very much; less so, Angels and Demons, and but was put off Dan
Brown completely when I read The Digital Fortress which I thought was too predictable.

[PaulB]

I don't usually read detective novels but I have "The Messenger Of Athens" by Anne Zouroudi waiting to be read - but not sure if I can put off reading it for another month till we get to Plakias! I have read another in the series, "The Taint Of Midas". I don't know if it's that good a detective story or not, but I found it fascinating for its picture of Greek life, and the impact of tourism on the way people live. I have previously read most of Barbara Nadel's Inspector Ikmen series for the picture they give of life in Istanbul. All fairly easy reads.

If you want something more weighty I can recommend Mark Mazower's "Salonica, City of Ghosts: Christians, Muslims and Jews 1430-1950". Fascinating picture of what was once a very multi-cultural city under the Ottoman Empire. Gives some of the wide historical background to the events of 1922-23 referred to in "Birds Without Wings", which was mentioned in a recent post.

[harribobs]

If you want something more weighty I can recommend Mark Mazower's "Salonica, City of Ghosts: Christians, Muslims and Jews 1430-1950". Fascinating picture of what was once a very multi-cultural city under the Ottoman Empire. Gives some of the wide historical background to the events of 1922-23 referred to in "Birds Without Wings", which was mentioned in a recent post.

sounds interesting paul, a friend of mine is looking into the use of 'Greek Christian' intelligence officers in the Ottoman empire service, used against the british and commonwealth forces at Gallipoli