ON THE BEACH - Nevil Shute

Set after a world wide nuclear war, a group in Australia live with the impending arrival of the radioactive cloud from the northern hemisphere.  

There are some great incidents described in the book.  The ending is not up lifting but very moving.

 

YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE - Ian Fleming

 

Bond, James Bond.

BLOOD MERIDIAN - Cormac McCarthy

A very well written, very violent novel set in the American west.  Whether its the great American novel as I've seen it described is not something I would agree with but terrific descriptive writing and worth the effort 

DOWN ALL THE DAYS - Christy Brown

Outstanding writing, a crippled boy growing up in a Dublin slum in the 40's & 50's.  It is a brutal upbringing told without a jot of sentimentality.  More amazing still is Brown typed the entire book with his left foot.  Well worth reading
 

DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER - Ian Fleming

When you need a bit of escapism nobody is better for it than Fleming.  Not the best Bond but a good Sunday afternoon read
 

THE JAGUAR SMILE A Nicaraguan Journey -Salman Rushdie

 

A short book based on a three week trip Rushdie took to Nicaragua in 1986.   Mostly politics  so it is very dated  when read now. The odd interesting morsel but it reads like an editors idea ' lets do a book' and I don't think Rushdie was onboard with the idea.

THE RUSSIA HOUSE - John Le Carre

 

I found this dull, just dull