A book club - with a difference.

im quite new to the book so I dont know all the ins and outs but I watch some of the history YouTube Chanels that discus the rise of Rome , its very interesting, I think with your question , the rise is always meteoric, the ones who conquer new land and create empires are always remembered like Julia Cesar, even Alexander the Great even though he wasnt roman, but to maintain a empire that is already built is a lot easier, its just at this point every parasite and noble man get their teeth into the state, to us it to its own end, and bribery and corruption sky rockets and empires collapse, its sad as were seeing it in real time today with the collapse of the American empire.

I love the humour too, the characters just get better and better too. i'm not sure about Stephen King, I'm not a horror fan at all and I've not got on with other stuff of his I've tried to read. But thanks

I find te collapse of Rome more interesting that its formation, the Visigoths and Vandals did far more than trash cities.

And the Visigoths and the Vandals 

Thanks for this post - I hadn't heard of this series but I was looking for my next book so I downloaded the first one "A litter of Bones". I've only read 20% of it so far, but it's drawn me in. I like the dry humour, such as when DCI Logan says to a young officer "How did you get into the polis, son? Was there a raffle?”

I didn't know that you liked this type of book. Similar ones that I can recommend are the Mr Mercedes trilogy by Stephen King (includes an autistic character) and Murder Crime On Gallymay by RR Haywood.

I've read quite a bit of Roman history, what I find interesting is what happened after the 12 caesars when Rome started its long decline, it can be a bit difficult to find information about it, but it is there if you look for it. I often wonder why theres so little published on it? I wonder if it's because the rise of empire and it's "glories" make a much better story than how it unravels? It's unravelling was complicated and in no way neat, there seem to be few goodies and a lot of badies and a handful of incompetants.

I read it a long time ago. From what I remember, if tension or conflict arises in a situation between two people, it can be deflected by agreeing the person is quite right to feel as they do and saying you understand exactly why given x,y,x etc. This can make the other person feel guilty about the issue and make them agree to what you need.

My account is limited and simplistic but it is just the bit that has stayed with me. I have used this technique, but not always, as in some situations I would have to lie.  Politicians take this to the extreme and have no qualms about two faced flattery and lying.

Has anyone ever read How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie?

Its a famous self help book that aims to teach how humans interact with one another and how you can use the basic understanding of individual human needs to get them to do what you want and want to do it. Its a really good book to get into if you struggle with finding out if people like you and such.

ive just stared a new book called the 12 cesars , its really interesting so far it talks about the 12 main emperors of Rome and their lives, all I can say is after learning about Julia Cesar I totally understand why 20 somthing guys all stabbed him in the back the guy was a pest, to put it lightly.

Oooo ok I understand what you mean now…

I've been enjoying the DCI Jack Logan series by JD Kirk. They're set in Scotland and have a cast of misfits some of whom I'm fairly sure are autistic, but all the characters are likeable, apart from the gangsters and murderers. Some may find them repetitive because they're a series of over 20 books, but I like to follow the lives of these fictional people in a setting I can understand, they're often very funny too.

I've just finished reading "The one before the One" by Emma Cooper. It's a romance with a time travel twist - I wasn't sure I would like it, but it kept my interest.

The book starts as Olivia (Liv) is preparing to marry James. He wasn't her first love - she was actually in love with his brother Kit first, but Kit disappeared seven years ago and was pronounced dead. James helped her search for Kit, and supported her, and 3 years later they realised they were in love.

On her wedding day, Liv steps through a door and is transported back in time - to 7 days before Kit disappeared. She has 7 days to be with him again and try to find out if he planned to leave her, and if so why. She also has to decide whether she wants to be with him or James - if Kit reappears in the future when she goes back.

There are a couple of plot twists, and also her mother is agoraphobic which brings challenges to Liv. I thought it was a fairly well written story.

Yes this is what I meant! 

I too was a bit confused at first about the naming, as I didn't know 'The book of dust' was going to be the name of a second trilogy. 

Expecto_Patronum explains it well here with the names of all the books in both trilogies. I particularly enjoyed La Belle Savage, the one with the boat too!

Oh I hope you haven't and never do, it was that disappointing. (They didn't even do the end of the book, it just ended).

I was a bit worried when the BBC announced the TV adaptation, though I thought they would do a better job and they did! I really enjoyed the TV show!

I'm not sure I ever watched the movie. I'm always nervous when they adapt a book I like into a film or series but I did think they did well with the series.

So the first trilogy His Dark Materials was Northern Lights, Amber Spyglass and Golden Compass. Later came a second trilogy Book of Dust. The first of these is the one you are referring to with boat and the pub and is called La Belle Savage. That is the prequel. The second book of dust is a sequel to the original trilogy and is called the secret commonwealth. The third book of dust has only recently been released about 6 years after the 2nd and is called The Rose Field. This book carries on where the 2nd one left off. Hope that makes sense.

Wow I can’t believe the third book is only just out… I remember reading the first one but I just assumed they were all already published…. It’s certainly been a while on the cards for publication … actually this must be different than what I think you mean because there was obviously northern lights, book of dust etc and I read that one I cant remember what it was called but it was like a prequel and he had the little boat on the river and lived or worked In the pub nearby 

I loved the idea of having a Daemon when I first read them. I probably still do in fairness.

There has been a long gap between the 2nd and 3rd book of dust so easily forgotten I think.

I hope your son enjoys it.

If was a really good adaptation wasn't it. So much better than that awful American movie.

Oh I forgot the third book in this trilogy was out, though as I read the other two from the library to support them, I might have to wait for a free copy! Thanks for reminding me, I will look into making a reservation!

I too read them 23-24 years ago. I got recommended the original trilogy by my youngest sister who was 10 at the time. I had gone to uni but when I came home she used to want me to play daemons with her. 

My son's reading Northern Lights at their school reading book!