An update:
I have finished reading A Short Ride in the Jungle by Antonia Bolingbroke-Kent which turned out to be a surprisingly good read, and as I said in my earlier post, it was way better than I expected given her background and fancy name (proving that I should not judge an author by their name, I mean Zoe Cano... fabulous name and a very poor read (Boneville or Bust)).
Ant (Antonia) obviously has a bit of an obsession around the Indo-Asia wars from 1945 through to today focused on the senseless injustice of American involvement and the bombing that they inflicted upon the natives on the ground, and with the American failure to then clear up the UXO that is still there today claiming innocent lives. At times this fixation gets close to spoiling the storyline, but it always stops just short of that and ends up enhancing the reader experience. Personally I would have liked just a little bit more about her journey but I have to accept there is only so much you can write about bumping over rocks, grinding through mud or buzzing along a tarmac road while still keeping the reader's interest.
So if, like me, you are old enough to remember seeing the nightly BBC news broad casts coving the American war in Vietnam, then this book is both a reminder and an insight into what went on and is still going on today under the communist regime. If you are younger and have no idea what inhumane stupidity politicians can inflict on their countrymen and women and those in far off and distant places in order to line their own pockets then this has to be on your list of books to read. It is well researched (and by that I do not mean Google) and written from the heart, full of the author's passion for the subject, her experiences, observations and the emotions triggered at the time.
Thursday, 23 October 2014
Wednesday, 15 October 2014
Kindle books on Samsung Note8
Life is sometimes strange and things go round in circles, let me confide...
30 years ago when I married Sue she would often complain that I had my head in a book which was something she rarely did. She would read magazines full of nonsense about 3rd grade celebrities and the soaps on UK terrestrial TV channels, but not books. Over time I started buying magazines, mostly motorcycle magazines but also car magazines - the difference being that her magazines cost but a few pence while mine cost a few pounds. As a result her got thrown away and mine got stored. Then she got into reading books, so now we have quite a collection of both paperbacks and magazines. Then she was introduced to the Kindle by a friend and she stopped buying magazines and paperbacks and locked herself into her Kindle.
then, earlier this year we treated each other to a Samsung Note8 and we both loaded the Kindle app. So now I can read on-line bike magazines and we both download books to suit our current tastes. Must say that I find the Kindle app (on Android) quite well sorted and easy to use. My reading is currently flavoured and focused on motorcycle adventure books, so here is the current lit that is stored on my Note:
Jupiter's Travels by Ted Simon : My first Kindle book and much enjoyed, followed by
Dreaming of Jupiter by Ted Simon : Enjoyable if you have read Jupiter's Travels, otherwise it could be hard work
Rolling through the Isles by Ted Simon : A different take on motorcycle touring around the UK, enlightening all the same
Old Man on a Bike by Simon Gandolfi : Not a bad read for an old man (that is somebody older than me)
Old Men Can't Wait by Simon Gandolfi : Just as enjoyable as it's predecessor, it seems to envelop the reader more
Lois on the Loose by Lois Pryce : Her first book is mostly a light hearted read with a few serious bits thrown in, I enjoyed it
Red Tape and White Knuckles by Lois Pryce : Her 2nd book which builds on her first, is more polished and a cracking read
In Search of Greener Grass by Graham Field : His first book (I believe) and I really like the style of writing which I find similar to Lois's
Ureka by Graham Field : Like Lois (who I read first) his 2nd book builds on his first and is good reading
Bonneville - Go or Bust by Zoe Cano : Zoe drives her motorbike. Internet research linked by snippets of riding. Pretty poor read
Currently I am reading:
A Short Ride in the Jungle by Antonia Bolingbroke-Kent which is turning out better than expected given her background and fancy name. Only 23% read so far but the preparations and start of the journey were good and bode well for the rest of the book which, like the best above, are written from the heart, full of experiences, observations and emotions triggered at the time.
Still to read but already purchased:
Spirit of Adventure by Tom Morton
To Infinity and Beyond by Stephen E. Holmes
Motorcycle Therapy by Jeremy Kroeker
Into Africa by Sam Manicom
30 years ago when I married Sue she would often complain that I had my head in a book which was something she rarely did. She would read magazines full of nonsense about 3rd grade celebrities and the soaps on UK terrestrial TV channels, but not books. Over time I started buying magazines, mostly motorcycle magazines but also car magazines - the difference being that her magazines cost but a few pence while mine cost a few pounds. As a result her got thrown away and mine got stored. Then she got into reading books, so now we have quite a collection of both paperbacks and magazines. Then she was introduced to the Kindle by a friend and she stopped buying magazines and paperbacks and locked herself into her Kindle.
then, earlier this year we treated each other to a Samsung Note8 and we both loaded the Kindle app. So now I can read on-line bike magazines and we both download books to suit our current tastes. Must say that I find the Kindle app (on Android) quite well sorted and easy to use. My reading is currently flavoured and focused on motorcycle adventure books, so here is the current lit that is stored on my Note:
Jupiter's Travels by Ted Simon : My first Kindle book and much enjoyed, followed by
Dreaming of Jupiter by Ted Simon : Enjoyable if you have read Jupiter's Travels, otherwise it could be hard work
Rolling through the Isles by Ted Simon : A different take on motorcycle touring around the UK, enlightening all the same
Old Man on a Bike by Simon Gandolfi : Not a bad read for an old man (that is somebody older than me)
Old Men Can't Wait by Simon Gandolfi : Just as enjoyable as it's predecessor, it seems to envelop the reader more
Lois on the Loose by Lois Pryce : Her first book is mostly a light hearted read with a few serious bits thrown in, I enjoyed it
Red Tape and White Knuckles by Lois Pryce : Her 2nd book which builds on her first, is more polished and a cracking read
In Search of Greener Grass by Graham Field : His first book (I believe) and I really like the style of writing which I find similar to Lois's
Ureka by Graham Field : Like Lois (who I read first) his 2nd book builds on his first and is good reading
Bonneville - Go or Bust by Zoe Cano : Zoe drives her motorbike. Internet research linked by snippets of riding. Pretty poor read
Currently I am reading:
A Short Ride in the Jungle by Antonia Bolingbroke-Kent which is turning out better than expected given her background and fancy name. Only 23% read so far but the preparations and start of the journey were good and bode well for the rest of the book which, like the best above, are written from the heart, full of experiences, observations and emotions triggered at the time.
Still to read but already purchased:
Spirit of Adventure by Tom Morton
To Infinity and Beyond by Stephen E. Holmes
Motorcycle Therapy by Jeremy Kroeker
Into Africa by Sam Manicom
Tuesday, 14 October 2014
MoT time 2
October 8th was the date by which the MoT was due on mother's Seat Alhambra so I had it booked in for Friday 3rd at the Spondon MoT Centre that I have always used since moving to Derby in 1989. Thursday night I had a phone call from my son Andrew and in passing mentioned I had booked the Seat in for it's MoT upon which he says the screen wipers are nearly seized and need freeing off in order to pass the dreaded test. So Friday morning I collect the car from mother and set to in an attempt to free up the action which was obviously straining the wiper motor.
In short, I managed to free off the driver side and smashed up the passenger side mounting bracket - and cancelled the booking at the MoT test centre. Got the whole mechanism off the car, Andy took it into work and broke it some more before succeeding in freeing off the passenger side of the mechanism and welding all the broken bits back together as one. Saturday saw the two of us refitting the mechanism back in the car and a test booked for Friday 10th.
It passed, with 1 advisory which we will have to deal with in due course ready for next year's MoT test. Now all that is left is to insure and renew the road tax and that is it for another year. Happy or what?
In short, I managed to free off the driver side and smashed up the passenger side mounting bracket - and cancelled the booking at the MoT test centre. Got the whole mechanism off the car, Andy took it into work and broke it some more before succeeding in freeing off the passenger side of the mechanism and welding all the broken bits back together as one. Saturday saw the two of us refitting the mechanism back in the car and a test booked for Friday 10th.
It passed, with 1 advisory which we will have to deal with in due course ready for next year's MoT test. Now all that is left is to insure and renew the road tax and that is it for another year. Happy or what?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)