First up, may I recommend Gary Sutherland's "Hunting Grounds":

http://www.play.com/Books/Books/4-/3370157/Hunting-Grounds/Product.html

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Hunting-Grounds-Gary-Sutherland/dp/1841585866/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1198166624&sr=8-1

 

Its an excellent journey round all 42 Scottish fitba grounds in one season.  Detailing transport, pre-match venues for a pint, the quality of the pies at the ground, and a review of the performance of both the players and the fans.  He goes into some depth in his report for each ground.  Its rather witty too!

 

He obviously visits Pittodrie (2-2 cup game with Hibs last season), and also a Falkirk v Aberdeen SPL game where the away fans are praised.

They have all won one.

 

United won 2 since they all departed (last season included) and would probably have won more with these 3 in the team. Man U's worst period in the last 20 years pretty much happened when these 3 left.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A period that also coincided with the arrival of Abramovich.

 

Just finished Simon Kernick - The Business of Dying

 

and Tom Cain - The Accident Man.

I've just finished reading "Great Expectations".

 

It wasn't all I hoped it would be.

I just finished The History of the Pneumatic Tyre by Eric Tompkins. It was a let down.

Continuing on a football note. Bryan Gunn's "In Where it hurts" is a very good read. I must confess to being a little misty eyed when I read about the death of his daughter Francesca in the book.

 

A must read for Dons fans with loads of humour in it as well as some serious stuff. 

Bought a couple of books today:

 

Frederick Forsyth - The Odessa File

Robert Wilson - The Hidden Assassins

 

Robert Wilson's novels are ace. I would recommend The Company of Strangers and A Small Death in Lisbon. Two of my favourite books I've ever read.

Been doing a power of reading recently but then I've had plenty time to kill....

 

Nothing really standout or ground breaking, it's all been rather simple works of fiction, the Willie Miller book and one about how Africa is exploited by the 1st world countries.

 

Currently reading 'Out Stealing Horses' which a friend of mine bought for me.  It won some International Book Award or something and a review of it says the following:

 

This is a delightful, thought-provoking and ethereal book by an author the Independent describes as "one of Norway's finest living writers". It's a relatively simple story tinged with nostalgia about a 67-year-old man's remembrance of things past and how events in the summer of 1948 shaped the rest of his life.

 

Nice wee dreamy read so far....

Just finished reading "Touching from a distance" by Deborah Curtis.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Touching-Distance-Deborah-Curtis/dp/0571239560/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1207210653&sr=8-1

 

What a sad, depressing story but very well written and thoroughly engrossing.  It seemed a very honest account of her life with Ian Curtis and it didn't come across as bitchy or that she had any bridges to burn.

I knew Ian had epilepsy but didn't realise it was so bad, at one point he was having up to 4 attacks per night.  She was basically looking after him and their child single handedly until he went and had his affair.

 

Obviously the book is one side of the story but Deborah did not have a good time of it and its easy to feel a lot of sympathy for her.  Ian wasn't painted in a particularly good light but perhaps this was the real Ian.

 

The book also includes a complete gig history (Joy Division played Aberdeen!) and all the lyrics.

 

Got the book free with the Control DVD!

Reading Irvine Welsh's - Bedroom Secrets Of The Masterchefs now.  Reminds me a little of The Acid House although it's a lot easier to read than his other books as there's a lot less dialect.

 

Certainly better than Filth, which I thought was garbage.

Reading Irvine Welsh's - Bedroom Secrets Of The Masterchefs now.  Reminds me a little of The Acid House although it's a lot easier to read than his other books as there's a lot less dialect.

 

Certainly better than Filth, which I thought was garbage.

 

Bedroom Secrets was alright I thought, but I also enjoyed Filth. Am currently reading If you liked school, you'll love work by the same author, but haven't had a chance to get into it yet.

Was discussing The Acid House at the weekend with a drinking buddy who quite surprisingly has read a fair chunk of Irvine Welsh's stuff.  Quite surprising really as he's German, his English isn't that good, has never been to Scotland and said it wasn't too difficult to understand!   

 

Anyway, we'd both read The Acid House and seen the short films but could only name two of the three films.  So I texted a mate back home and he could only remember the same two:

 

 

1 - The Granton Star Cause - when he gets turned into a fly ("you been cheating on me with that wee slut Kylie?")

 

2 - The Acid House - when the casual/raver switches places with the baby during the thunder storm.

 

Anyone remember all three?

The Granton Star Cause

 

A Soft Touch

 

The Acid House

 

 

Well done, ruin the wee game for everyone smartarse. 

 

What was A Soft Touch about?

Well done, ruin the wee game for everyone smartarse. 

 

What was A Soft Touch about?

 

Soooorrreeeee.

 

The boy who got done over by the same burd a few times, the hard cunt moved in up the stairs, took his burd and his leccy!

 

Rings a bell.

 

Remember reading it but don't remember seeing it.  How does it end?

 

Rings a bell.

 

Remember reading it but don't remember seeing it.  How does it end?

 

Think him and the burd patched it up over a drink or something, can't definitely remember!

 

The hard cunt dropped an extension cable down from his flat into the soft touch's place and plugged it in, and the soft touch had to listen to the hard cunt pumping his burd dog in a bath stylee!

Just finished reading Stuart MacBride - Broken Skin.

http://www.play.com/Books/Books/4-/3481898/Broken-Skin/Product.html

 

Thats the third novel from MacBride about gritty crime in Aberdeen, this one involved a bit of S&M!  It was very good, all three of his novels have been great.

Next one (Flesh House) out soon.

Just finished reading Stuart MacBride - Broken Skin.

http://www.play.com/Books/Books/4-/3481898/Broken-Skin/Product.html

 

Thats the third novel from MacBride about gritty crime in Aberdeen, this one involved a bit of S&M!  It was very good, all three of his novels have been great.

Next one (Flesh House) out soon.

 

Wouldn't say they were great, enjoyable but by no means great.

 

THE CITY OF ABERDEEN IS IN IT AND SO ARE ROWIES......10/10

 

The current bloo_book is "Black Lamb and Grey Falcon - Travels though Yugoslavia" by Rebecca West.

 

I've become quite interested in things associated with the Balkan conflict having read a couple of books about football hooliganism in Croatia & Serbia.  This book was written more than 60 years ago but on reading the first 50 pages it is very relevant to the tensions there.  Ordered it from Play and I hadn't appreciated until I received it that it is 1100 pages long.  I'll let you know in 2010 how I got on with it!!!

The current bloo_book is "Black Lamb and Grey Falcon - Travels though Yugoslavia" by Rebecca West.

 

I've become quite interested in things associated with the Balkan conflict having read a couple of books about football hooliganism in Croatia & Serbia.  This book was written more than 60 years ago but on reading the first 50 pages it is very relevant to the tensions there.  Ordered it from Play and I hadn't appreciated until I received it that it is 1100 pages long.  I'll let you know in 2010 how I got on with it!!!

 

Brilliant. I've not attempted it yet but I will probably give it a go when I am on holiday in September. If you get a chance you should try and get down to Serbia, Bosnia and Croatia - a wonderful part of the world.

Brilliant. I've not attempted it yet but I will probably give it a go when I am on holiday in September. If you get a chance you should try and get down to Serbia, Bosnia and Croatia - a wonderful part of the world.

 

Considering a week in Croatia for this summer, can't decide on Istria or Dalmatia, would prefer latter but flights aren't as flexible...

My flatmate is working in Belgrade this summer, thinking I might head over and visit at some point, any suggestions on flights/things to see/places to visit?

My flatmate is working in Belgrade this summer, thinking I might head over and visit at some point, any suggestions on flights/things to see/places to visit?

 

I've only spent a couple of days in Belgrade but it is a very lively place. The best action I am told is on the banks of the Danube. The Serbs in general are good fun and can appear pretty mental. Head up north to Vojvodina and Novi Sad for the Exit festival in July. Sarajevo in Bosnia is also a very interesting place to visit and has a good nightlife as well. The journey by road from Belgrade to Sarajevo is quite spectacular. I've got a mate from Fife who spends half his time in Belgrade at the moment and if his experience is anything to go by you will have a cracking time. I found the locals in Serbia and Bosnia to be very easy going and also very easy to engage and by fuck do they like a drink.

I thought exit had been forced to move to croatia? Its one i've been wanting to go to for years.

I thought exit had been forced to move to croatia? Its one i've been wanting to go to for years.

 

Nope, Exit is in Novi Sad on the grounds of a fortress. I was hoping to go this year for my stagger but it proved too tricky to get a group from the UK to northern Serbia so we are going to Balaton Sound in Hungary instead.

Nope, Exit is in Novi Sad on the grounds of a fortress. I was hoping to go this year for my stagger but it proved too tricky to get a group from the UK to northern Serbia so we are going to Balaton Sound in Hungary instead.

 

I swear a mate of mine said it was moving, oh well, that means I must try and get there next year then. Balaton Sound, is that the one near Budapest which is ridiculously cheap for four days of carnage?

 

Just checked, that line up is pretty good! Beastie Boys, Hernan Cattaneo, Basement Jaxx, Darren Emerson and Eric Prydz. That is going to be shit hot.