Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets by David Simon

An amazing insightful read. The dense fact laden prose is offset by an amazing cast of characters and a rich collection of anecdotes.

I felt the book flagged a little in the middle due to the repetivie nature of teh activities being covered. However after a few days break I would be back for more. Some chapters were increbibly memorbale and difficult to put down even as my train pulled into it's station.

I really must rent or buy The Wire.

Night Manager by John Le Carre

An OK read from Le Carre. That said one of his middling efforts is still better that most other writers of the genre. The usually collection of back stabbing, jet setting and governmental double dealing combined with a cast of characters that will seem familiar to a regular reader of his works. All served with Le Carre's usual mastery of language.

Last Argument Of Kings by Joe Abercrombie

The Bonfire of the Vanities by Tom Wolfe

The Bonfire of the Vanities by Tom Wolfe

The Time-traveller's Guide to Medieval England: A Handbook for Visitors to the Fourteenth Century by Ian Mortimer

The Far-farers: A Journey from Viking Iceland to Crusader Jerusalem by Victoria Clark

The author follows the pilgrimage route of an 11th century Icelander and cover the history of schism between the eastern and western church and the first crusade.

The book is meticulously researched and written in a very engaging fashion. She cleverly juxtaposes events from her modern travels with those of her medieval inspiration.

It is both a history and a travelogue and while more successful as the former does contains many interesting and amusing anecdotes related to her own trip.