Great Western Coffee Shop

As so many of us who peek at this forum are comuters, what is the (if any) interest of us forming a book-club here? Nothing complecated, but if you read a book, perhaps just a few lines giving an overview of what it is about and any posative complements. (I think we would need to stay away from negative comments from a legal point of veiw.)

I currently do some reading of trade books just before they come out, for my local independent book store, so would be able to reccomend books to look out for. On average I read one book a week, but at the moment I am trying to read all 6 shortlisted books on the ORANGE BROADBAND PRIZE list before they announce the winner June 4th, therefore I am stretching myself and trying to crapm in 1 and half possably two books a week.


Is there anyone else out there who is interested?

 :P

WEll this weeks books for me are:

1. Classical physics of matter - good overview of atomic physics above the quantum level  (thermodynamics, gasses, fluid flows)
2. Symmetries of the frieze - you wonder how many ways there are to draw the same thing

Probably not what was being looked for so I'll shut up now

Mookiemoo - Im sure your just showing off! lol! However, If you read this kind of stuff all the time, perhaps you could state whats a good / easy book on the subject as perhaps your not the only one who reads this gandra of stuff. Though have to admit not my cup of tea.  ;)

Well, when I get the chance, I am trying to fit in "One Hit Wonderland" by Tony Hawks.

Tony Hawks had a hit in 1988 with "Stutter Rap" as part of Morris Minor and The Majors, and the book is about him trying to win a bet against somebody who says that he will never have a hit again.


Pleasingly, the prologue features a rail journey.

I recommend his other books "Round Ireland with a Fridge" and "Playing the Moldovans at Tennis" as well.

Recentally I have been reading, "FGW Timetable E - 18th May to 13th Dec", spotting all the things that are wrong!

My current reading is a little book about how to break 444s... oh, hang on, did I just say that?

Looks like the book club has started then...... ;D

I read the Metro in the morning

I thought I was reading a comic most mornings!

Ah, yes, Jim - I think that's already been shortlisted for the 'Booker Prize for Fiction'!  ;D

I'm currently re-reading the excellent 'Wellington The Iron Duke' by Richard Holmes. No discernable railway content there, though - sorry!

C.  :P :-[ ::)

No, the Western morning news is the booker prize for fiction!

Well how else can they fill a daily newspaper on the South West.
Also the Camborne and Redruth West Briton should be deemed a horror and only available to those over 15.

Current reading list is Metro, RAIL and The Kite Runner which I've just started so little if any comment on that at the moment.

Oh and B & Q instructions on hanging vinyl wallpaper...  :( :(

Reading La Caliz del Fuego at the minute - got a backlog of reading building up - buying books faster than I read them!  :)

I too have tha bad habeit of buying books faster than I can read. Nearly finished When we Were bad by Charlotte Mendelson.

Just finished Infidel by Ayaan Hirsi Ali and started the latest copy of Rail.

Sounds like rather a contrast there, Tim  ;D

Islam and railways - both interesting topics  and both subjects become more interesting when they inevitably start to interact with politics

Certainly cant argue with that.

You'll find plenty of time on the train from Sousse to Tunis, not much different from Trowbridge to BTM, only the beer was warmer.  ;D

I picked up my copy of this blockbuster yesterday at Paddington. Haven't had much chance to look at it yet. I see it's become a big chunky booklet again after being a bit slimmer for the Winter timetable.

FGW are obviously not planning to do what they did last year and do a reprint in September hence the book being so thick as it contains Summer and Autumn weekend train times. Though judging by the amount of engineering work listed on page 4 of these new timetables for the end of the year, I don't think the Autumn times for weekends will be of much use!

I much preferred the days when the Timetables changed in May and September.

You appear to have started a trend, Jim :

It was better when Train Times changed in May and September.

*Leaf Fall times did not have to be printed in the Summer books. ::)

*There was less "until Sept" or "From May" etc.

But if Europe change in December, we must change in December!

Back off Brussels! :(

 :D I am currently working my way through all 6 of the Orenge Broadband prize - short list. I have read,

When we were bad by Charlotte Mendelson which I found quite good and actually I learned alot about Jewish family life in London. Whilst reading it I took a bus (Ithink a No 46) which took be round some of the areas in the book like Chalk farm. This helped bring the book to life for me.

I have just (yesterday) finsihed Lottery by patricai Wood. This is about a gentle man who has an IQ of 76, thus he is not retarded. He wins 12m on the Washington state lottery, and all of a sudden his family who had previously disowned him, now wanted to be very close. He remembers what his Gram taught him about what is important in life. 

I have just started Fualt Lines by Nancy Huston - watch this space!

It is my aim to read all 6 books before the announcement of the winner on June 4th.

Is anyone else reading these shortlisted books?

I'm currently re-reading Freeman Wills Crofts' "The Crime at Guildford" (Penguin 1935). I'm a bit of a fan of the golden age of crime fiction - not least because Penguin paperbacks are still fairly cheap and easy to find.

Crofts was formerly chief engineer of the Belfast and Northern Counties Railway, and consequently many of his stories have a railway theme. His particular interest in the "unbreakable alibi" often focussed on the intricacies and complexities of train timetables.

Phil, I like a good crime mystery, i might try your book. I'll let you know once I've read it.