Topic: Book Recommendations Thread

[Fambo Number Mive]

I was wondering if this thread could be people asking for recommendations on books, the recommendations can be genre/subject/anything else.

I'll kick off with a request:

Books about Joe Biden that aren't either arselicking or by himself. There's a book titled "Joe Biden - American Dreamer" but the title just puts me off. Is it an arselicking book?

[holyzombiejesus]

Can't help you with that but if anyone can recommend a decent history of The Labour Party I would be grateful.

[hayduke_lives]

Books about Joe Biden that aren't either arselicking or by himself. There's a book titled "Joe Biden - American Dreamer" but the title just puts me off. Is it an arselicking book?

I found Yesterday's Man by Branko Marcetic interesting - although the title might look daft now, given he'll be President if he manages not to die for the next ten days.
It has the subtitle The case against Joe Biden but I got the sense it was broadly even-handed, and it isn't super long either.  Verso regularly have good sales, so maybe one to watch out for.

[Jockice]

I've just read Music Love Drugs War by Geraldine Quigley. It's set in Derry in the early 80s and the author is the sister of one of The Undertones (Michael Bradley, who himself recently wrote a biography of the band) which piqued my interest. It's rather good. I'm not really a fan of novels (I still haven't got beyond 41 percent on my kindle with This Is Memorial Device) but I finished this one in two days. The Undertones aren't mentioned at all though.

I currently have Cosey Fanni Tutti's autobiography on the kindle. I'm enjoying it so far. I've just got up to the bit where she meets Neil Megson...sorry...Genesis P Orridge. With hilarious consequences.

[Fambo Number Mive]

I found Yesterday's Man by Branko Marcetic interesting - although the title might look daft now, given he'll be President if he manages not to die for the next ten days.
It has the subtitle The case against Joe Biden but I got the sense it was broadly even-handed, and it isn't super long either.  Verso regularly have good sales, so maybe one to watch out for.

Excellent, thank you. That's going on my reading list.

[markburgle]

Got given the Drunk Bakers novel by Barney Farmer for me bday, really great. Mundane tragedy. A day in the life, from the perspective of the balding one, with the whole backstory /decline of the bakery gradually filled in as it goes along.

[holyzombiejesus]

***The thread's for people to ask for recommendations, not to just list good things they've read.***

[Jockice]

Right everyone, recommend me some books. Now!

[Magnum Valentino]

Read Patrick Radden Keefe's book about the Ra, Say Nothing. It's class.

[holyzombiejesus]

Please don't let this turn in to some generic list thread of books people recommend. There are loads of threads you can look at where people write about stuff they think is good. It'd be good to keep this as a place where people can ask for recommendations for specific subjects, like the OP intended.

[Magnum Valentino]

...

Does anyone know any good books about the Ra?[1]

1.

the I Ra

[Famous Mortimer]

Can't help you with that but if anyone can recommend a decent history of The Labour Party I would be grateful.

"The Labour Party - A Marxist History" by Cliff and Gluckstein has just been re-published with some new stuff in it, and I think it's an excellent read.

[holyzombiejesus]

"The Labour Party - A Marxist History" by Cliff and Gluckstein has just been re-published with some new stuff in it, and I think it's an excellent read.

Ah, cheers, will try and grab a copy.

[Fambo Number Mive]

...

Does anyone know any good books about the Ra?[1]

1.

the I Ra

A Secret History of the IRA by Ed Moloney is very well written and very interesting, I would strongly recommend that book.

I'd also recommend Double Agent: My Secret Life Undercover in the IRA, by Kevin Fulton and Stakeknife: Britain's Secret Agents in Ireland by Martin Ingram about attempts by the British to infiltrate the IRA.

Blanketmen: An Untold Story of the H-Block Hunger Strike by former Provisional IRA press officer in Long Kesh Prison in 1981 Richard O'Rourke is a very good account of the IRA hunger strikes.