What are you reading at the moment?

Off the back of a few Le Carré novels, my kindle recommend some books by Alex Gerlis. I read them in the incorrect order but thoroughly enjoyed them nonetheless. If you enjoy cold war spy novels, I highly recommend this series. I'd start with Vienna Spies which introduces some of the primary characters at the tail end of WW2.
 
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Thus far - my book of the year - early days obviously - the blending of human experience and the geopolitical impact - is quite something. Told from a Ukrainian point of view - which is fair enough. I recommend it to you - yours - I.

@Barry Giddens @patw @Scotshave
I know that this is a book thread Iain, but did you see the Sky Tv drama ‘Chernobyl'? I know (that's) unlikely given that you don't own a television.
 
I know that this is a book thread Iain, but did you see the Sky Tv drama ‘Chernobyl'? I know (that's) unlikely given that you don't own a television.

You are right B. - I haven't seen it - if any w****r that works for the TV licensing authority is reading this - believe it - some people choose not to watch television - not such a difficult concept? - I secretly enjoy my ongoing jihad against them - anyway sorry - sidetracked - there is a connection - my mate was telling me about it and it piqued my interest in reading a modern treatment of the event. I remember it clearly as a kid - with the fall of communism and the passage of time - the author has access to documentation now declassified, some of the actors present talk openly about it without fear of reprisal and the true environmental impact is starting to become clear. So yes - my picking up the book is connected. Cheers - I.
 
Well, courtesy of @Digimonkey and @Barry Giddens, I've just finished Chaucer and London Under by Peter Ackroyd. Both excellent reads. Now, I've jumped deeply into what's been called ‘psychogeography'. Lud Heat by Iain Sinclair is part-prose and part-poetry; which takes as its basis the cartographic (and possibly psychic) connections between churches designed and built in London by Nicholas Hawksmoor during the eighteenth century. Can place affect the psyche? Notable nineteenth century serial killings (and one twentieth century murder) in the shadows of these churches form Sinclair's work. Bring in Stan Brakhage, esoteric mysticism, Egyptology and Sinclair's own experience as a Council gardener and it makes for a heady mix.

So far, a dense and challenging read; especially the free verse, as I haven't read much poetry. But very enjoyable. Sticking with not dissimilar material, I've ordered what I think is his first novel White Chappel, Scarlet Tracings.

For those that are interested, the first part of Lud Heat ‘Nicholas Hawksmoor, His Churches' inspired Peter Ackroyd's Hawksmoor; and may have influenced Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell's graphic novel From Hell.
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