What books would you recommend? [Archive]

Mal

23-04-2005, 22:09

If you're into black comedy, try the Barney Thomson series:
The long midnight of Barney Thomson (http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0954138716/qid=1114290205/sr=2-1/ref=sr_2_11_1/202-0898891-1628604)
The Cutting Edge of Barney Thomson (http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0954138724/qid=1114290205/sr=1-2/ref=sr_1_11_2/202-0898891-1628604)
A prayer for Barney Thomson (http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0954138732/qid=1114290205/sr=1-4/ref=sr_1_11_4/202-0898891-1628604)
Barney Thomson and the face of death (http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0954138708/qid=1114290205/sr=1-3/ref=sr_1_11_3/202-0898891-1628604)
The king was in his counting house (http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0954138740/qid=1114290560/sr=2-3/ref=sr_2_11_3/202-0898891-1628604)

Get them in that order :)

danielf

23-04-2005, 22:15

The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Nightime by Mark Somebody(!). Bought this for the kids then read it myself. Brilliantly written.

A fantastic book that. I rarely read novels anymore (I read too much for work), but I found this one an absolute gem!

Tuftus

23-04-2005, 22:17

'Mr Nice' by Howard Marks, a thoroughly intruiging read...

TheBlueRaja

23-04-2005, 23:48

A Wild Sheep Chase by Haruki Murakami

Check it here (http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0099448777/qid=1114296480/sr=8-1/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i1_xgl/026-3986609-5760442)

Synopsis
His life was like his recurring nightmare: a train to nowhere. But an ordinary life has a way of taking an extraordinary turn. Add a girl whose ears are so exquisite that, when uncovered, they improve sex a thousand-fold, a runaway friend, a right-wing politico, an ovine-obsessed professor and a manic-depressive in a sheep outfit, implicate them in a hunt for a sheep, that may or may not be running the world, and eth upshot is another singular masterpiece from Japan's finest novelist.

Its just mad... :tu:

punky

24-04-2005, 00:08

'Mr Nice' by Howard Marks, a thoroughly intruiging read...

That's a brilliant book.

Richard M

24-04-2005, 00:24

Any book by Terry Pratchett. :)

greencreeper

24-04-2005, 00:25

Irvine Welsh is usually good. Early Stephen King - since his run in with the van, he's sort of lost the plot. That said, he never had a full grasp of the plot in the first place :D

Mal

24-04-2005, 00:28

How about a Delia Smith cookbook?

Well he hasn't responded to what his preference would be? ;) :D

greencreeper

24-04-2005, 00:47

How about a Delia Smith cookbook?

Well he hasn't responded to what his preference would be? ;) :D
Take on egg and a large pan of water... :rolleyes: Mind you, some kids think chickens have nuggets :erm:

Richard M

24-04-2005, 00:50

Irvine Welsh is usually good. Early Stephen King - since his run in with the van, he's sort of lost the plot. That said, he never had a full grasp of the plot in the first place :D

Van?
Got a link about that?

greencreeper

24-04-2005, 00:59

Van?
Got a link about that?
Not to hand. He was walking down a road and this van mowed him down. Very nearly killed him. He was left lying in a field for ages. Ribs busted plus other injuries. He bought the van - has it in his garage. Like I said - losing it :D If I remember rightly, drink and drugs were familiar demons.

punky

24-04-2005, 00:59

Van?
Got a link about that?

He was ran over a while ago ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_King ). While he was in hospital, he got the inspiration for "Kingdom Hospital"

greencreeper

24-04-2005, 01:01

He was ran over a while ago ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_King ). While he was in hospital, he got the inspiration for "Kingdom Hospital"
Not so sure about inspiration (it was a re-write of someone else's work), though the opening sequence clearly is a re-enactment of the incident.

heyyo

24-04-2005, 15:48

good books some of you have mentioned :) any more titles....

thanks

Russ

24-04-2005, 15:52

Left Behind (http://www.leftbehind.com/channelbooks.asp?channelID=30) by Tim Lahaye and Jerry B Jenkins. Ossum stuff :)

Raistlin

24-04-2005, 16:08

Anything by Bill Bryson.
Any of the Discworld series by Terry Pratchet.
Billy Connely's autobiography.
Frank Skinner's autobiography.

cookie_365

24-04-2005, 16:18

Some good titles already recommended, but to be honest you can't beat wandering into a small independent bookseller and just grabbing a few at random that don't look like the sort of books you'd usually want to read.

You're bound to get a couple of good ones that way that you'd never experience otherwise. E.g it's how I came across The Drink And Dream Teahouse by Justin Hill - about a year in the life of the residents of a small Chinese city - totally not what I'd usually pick up, but turned out to be superb.

Ramrod

24-04-2005, 17:28

The war hound and the world's pain (https://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0450056031/qid=1114360113/sr=8-1/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i1_xgl/202-3809379-8404609)
Excellent fantasy novel :tu:

Angua

24-04-2005, 18:19

Anything by Terry Pratchett if you like weird but funny.:angel:

Tezcatlipoca

24-04-2005, 18:20

Any of the Discworld series by Terry Pratchet.

And also....

"Good Omens" (http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0552137030/qid=1114362864/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_10_1/202-3911548-8979861), by Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman. One of my favourite books of all time.

Oh, & some very good alternate history SF books - the "World War" series by Harry Turtledove (http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/search-handle-url/index=books-uk&field-author=Turtledove%2C%20Harry/202-3911548-8979861), & it's follow up series "Colonisation".

Hmm.

And although they can be pretty "USA! USA!", I do like a lot of Tom Clancy's (http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/search-handle-url/index=books-uk&field-author=Clancy%2C%20Tom/202-3911548-8979861) "Jack Ryan" novels ("Hunt for Red October", "Sum of All Fears", etc).

Recently read "Dante's Equation" (http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1841493066/qid=1114362997/sr=2-2/ref=sr_2_11_2/202-3911548-8979861), by Jane Jensen. Very interesting thriller mixing science & religion.

Ah, & another couple of favourites - "Miracle Strain" & "Lucifer" by Michael Cordy (http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/search-handle-url/index=books-uk&field-author=Cordy%2C%20Michael/202-3911548-8979861). Very good.

Crime thrillers...

Anything by Michael Connelly (http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/search-handle-url/index=books-uk&field-author=Connelly%2C%20Michael/202-3911548-8979861) (the "Harry Bosch" series & more).

Anything by John Connolly (http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/search-handle-url/index=books-uk&field-author=Connolly%2C%20John/202-3911548-8979861) (the "Charlie Parker" books such as "Every Dead Thing").

Anything by John Sandford (http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/search-handle-url/index=books-uk&field-author=Sandford%2C%20John/202-3911548-8979861) (the "Lucas Davenport" books - all with "Prey" in the title).

Also, the *early* "Kay Scarpetta" books by Patricia Cornwell (http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/search-handle-url/index=books-uk&field-author=Cornwell%2C%20Patricia/202-3911548-8979861) are very good. I think the later ones went a bit crap though.

Millay

24-04-2005, 18:54

hmmm Anything by Shaun Hutson.. but be warned graphic...

Richard Bransons Autobiography is worth a read, also Rhoald Darhls stuff kids and adults books are well worth a read.

Anything by George Orwell, and Aldus Huxley is a good author

Seti

25-04-2005, 13:33

I enjoyed Steven Kings "The Tower Series" although the first novel is a bit slow.

Other favourite authors include : Jean Rhys, Tess Gerritsen, Robert Crais, James Patterson, Jeffrey Deaver, Jonathan Kellerman, Karin Slaughter, Terry Brooks, Michael Connelly, john Connolly, Bill Bryson, some of Minette Walters work and Dean Koontz.

I loathe reading Danielle Steele. CAtherine Cookson is a good easy read for historical romance.

Classics: Emily Bronte, well in fact any of the Bronte sisters althouhg you will find some of their novels hard going. Charles Dickens, George Orwell, George Elliott, William Golding and Shakespeare of course !

I am an avid reader and will read ANYTHING as long as it holds my interest. Recently I purchased all of the Dan Brown books. They aren't well written but his views on things such as the Catholic church are entertaining.

Sian

Chris

25-04-2005, 13:38

Nobody recommending gritty crime fiction yet then? ... well allow me. :D

I've become quite 'in' to Ian Rankin's INspector Rebus novels. Forget the rather disastrous series of TV adaptions that ITV did, starring John Hannah, and check out the original books:

http://www.ianrankin.net/pages/books/di_rebus_novels.htm

orangebird

25-04-2005, 13:44

Read this (http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0007203136/qid=1114432989/sr=8-1/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i1_xgl/202-4032871-6719047) . :tu:

Dean Koontz... Not usually my kind of book, but couldn't put in down. Read it in two days. There's a follow up to it that's not published yet...

Russ

25-04-2005, 14:56

The Da Vinci Code is a good read if you don't mind fallacies and inaccuracies masquerading as 'fact'.

Mr_love_monkey

25-04-2005, 15:04

You could go for some classics : 'Catcher in the Rye' - or 'To Kill a mocking bird'.

'The Straw men' by Michael Marshall Smith.
'The inhibitor' series by Alastair Reynolds (revelation space, redemption ark and absolution gap) - though the last book was a bit of a let down in my opinion.
'Chasm City' also by A Reynolds - set in the same universe as the above series - with tie-ins to the other books, but can be read alone.
'Nights Dawn Trilogy' by Peter F Hamilton.

Salu

25-04-2005, 15:15

You could try the most popular book ever sold?

The Bible :p:

Mal

25-04-2005, 15:35

You could try Tim Dorsey (http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/search-handle-form/202-7752544-3141422) (Orange Crush, Hammerhead Ranch Hotel & Florida Roadkill)...

or Carl Hiaasen (http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/search-handle-form/202-7752544-3141422). The book Strip Tease is a million miles better than the Demi Moore film.

They both do Florida Crime novels, with a funny twist. :)
__________________

This (http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0946745919/qid=1114439660/sr=8-1/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i1_xgl/202-7752544-3141422) one is good as well. :)

Mr_love_monkey

25-04-2005, 15:52

Carl Hiaasen (http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/search-handle-form/202-7752544-3141422). The book Strip Tease is a million miles better than the Demi Moore film.

Does it have pictures??? :)

Mal

25-04-2005, 16:37

Does it have pictures??? :)
Get the movie (http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00004D2Y2/qid=1114443350/sr=2-1/ref=sr_2_11_1/202-7752544-3141422) for that ;)

The book (http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0330333844/qid=1114443308/sr=8-1/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i1_xgl/202-7752544-3141422) is miles better. No pics though.

Maggy

25-04-2005, 17:03

The trouble is that not knowing your tastes it's very hard to make suggestions.Are you into heavy literature,light reading?What genre interests you?Or will you read anything including cereal packets?

Iain M Banks for SF or his alter ego Iain Banks for some of the weirdest modern fiction.His Sf 'Culture' books are how SF should be written.His 'everyday' fiction is excellent but is Literature with the capital letter.

My absolute favourite SF writer is CJ Cherryh.

I tend to leave what I call modern literature alone mainly because I hate reading about everyday lives.I'm already living one of those. ;) I like stuff that takes me away to other places,cultures,times,worlds.SF and Fantasy do that for me.However it may not be to your liking..

However I do like the occasional crime novel(quite like Ian Rankin and Lee Childs)and I'm a secret Georgette Heyer lover..

I guess my favourite novel of all time though is Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen followed by Little Dorrit by Dickens. ;)

heyyo

30-07-2005, 21:05

cool i have read few of the books listed...anyone reccomend any others....good journalistic books perhaps???

Angua

30-07-2005, 21:37

Some of Clive James autobiographies are fun (if thats what you mean by journalistic). Or do you mean books speculating on the identity of jack the Ripper for instance?

budwieser

30-07-2005, 22:31

Take on egg and a large pan of water... :rolleyes: Mind you, some kids think chickens have nuggets :erm:

Where are the chickens Nuggets then? When we order a chinese takeaway we always ask for `Sweet and Sour Chicken Balls`!:erm:
Have i been lied to all these years!?:D :dozey:

Tezcatlipoca

30-07-2005, 22:39

cool i have read few of the books listed...anyone reccomend any others....good journalistic books perhaps???

"Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets", by David Simon.

An excellent book, which inspired the excellent US TV cop show "Homicide: Life on the Streets".

The author, David Simon, is a Baltimore journalist, & spent a whole year shadowing the Baltimore PD's Homicide Unit.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0804109990/qid=1122759477/sr=2-1/ref=sr_2_11_1/026-2508106-0873247

greencreeper

01-08-2005, 22:28

I'm currently embarking on "Of Mice and Men" - I'm planning on seeing a production at the theatre, so I thought I'd read it first. I thought The Grapes of Wrath was brilliant. Steinbeck is one of only a few writers who have managed to make me care about the characters.

Millay

01-08-2005, 22:40

Hiroshima by john Hersey..

Brilliant book... read it in one sitting.... written originally for the washington post, the first time the entire paper had been published with just one story..

Maggy

01-08-2005, 23:09

IN view of the recent spate of suicide bombings I re-read The Parafaith War by L.E Modisitt jnr.

Some bad ideas go back a long way,and the reason for this war is no exception.Generations ago,the Revenant Theocracy's god told them that they were entitled to more territory,and now,generations later they're excercising their devine right to conquer.

Trystin Desoll has grown up up fighting religious fanatics from the Theocracy,facing ever-tougher challenges from the enemy forces on the ground and in space.But the conflict is weakening both societies.Trystin has a plan to stop the war,but it means overcoming the prejudices of his own culture and religion...and becoming the prophet of his own enemy.

There are some chilling comparisons with what we are facing at the moment.

Imagine that far in the future that there arises a religion that's a cross between Islamic and Mormon that brooks no opposition to it's goals but destruction of all 'golems and infidels'.Against them is an environmentally aware society that uses high technology to maintain balance in their society and to terraform new uninhabitable worlds.What to do especially if you are a citizen who looks so like the enemy and you are facing increasing racism because of this?Eventually because of those very looks you are trained as an intelligence agent with a mission to kill one vital man in the enemy's major Temple.

I love this book.It's a keeper but I never imagined that I would be reading it in the present circumstances. :(

katrinaqq

03-08-2005, 14:25

The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Nightime by Mark Somebody(!). Bought this for the kids then read it myself. Brilliantly written.
Yes I read that, very good but it was hard to sympathise at times. Makes you understand a bit about aspergers. A bit lighter is life of pi which I liked.

Nugget

03-08-2005, 14:26

I've just finished the third Science of the Discworld book - very good, particularly the chapters discussing time travel.

Recommended :tu:

katrinaqq

03-08-2005, 14:27

You could try the most popular book ever sold?

The Bible :p:
Dont like Harry Potter myself

TheBlueRaja

03-08-2005, 15:22

Just finished reading The Algebraist by Iain M Banks, which is a good book if you like SCI-FI, but the Author has the most irritating habbit of creating characters with daft names and talking about something before he describes what he's talking about.

So for example your reading along quite happily - then he starts to go on about something and you think - hold on - did i just miss something, then you flick back a couple of pages and skim read only to realise that he hasnt quite got around to explaining it yet and he dosent clear it up until a few pages further on.

So a really good book, which it has to be said has an awesomely evil villan, but frustratingly written.

Also reading (but not quite finished) is Ian Rankins - The Falls, a detective novel (Rebus for those who know) who investigates the dissapearance of a young girl. So far its been really good and im going to have to read more of Rankins stuff.

Finally, just finished the latest Harry Potter too, good read - i always enjoy these, but this is IMO the poorest one yet - not a lot happens really.

orangebird

03-08-2005, 15:25

Not everyones cup of tea, but I found Torey Haydens 'One Child' compelling and un-put-downable...Same as Alice Seebolds 'The Lovely Bones' and 'Lucky'.

For a fantastic, light, non-taxing read, Kath Kincaids 'Mrs Murphy Hires A Cleaner' has to be one of the funniest books I've ever read. If you're a man, don't let the chick-lit type cover put you off. My dad (56 y/o) read the book, in tears with laughter. :tu:

kobuskint

03-08-2005, 15:38

Speaking of books that are better than films, I would like to recommend Starship Troopers, by Robert Heinlein.

Although I even liked the film, the book is utterly different and deal with much deeper issues regarding why our society is breaking down basically how rights need to be earned through responsibilities.

I know it sounds like tough going, but really isn't.

I would never have read this book, and am not really into sci-fi, but I have been engrossed. It was recommended to me and I can pass on that recommendation.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starship_Troopers

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0441783589/104-0646149-5783144?v=glance

Graham

03-08-2005, 20:06

You could try the most popular book ever sold?

The Bible :p:
Dont like Harry Potter myself

Actually the most popular copyright work is the Guinness Book of Records...!

In November 2003, Guinness World Records celebrated the publication of its 100 millionth copy!

The first five HP books *together* only equalled that.

http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/gwr5/content_pages/record.asp?recordid=48278

Russ

03-08-2005, 20:09

And if Big G would put aside a few minutes from running the world I'm sure he'd sort out a copyright Himself ;)

Graham

03-08-2005, 20:12

The Algebraist by Iain M Banks, which is a good book if you like SCI-FI, but the Author has the most irritating habbit of creating characters with daft names and talking about something before he describes what he's talking about. So for example your reading along quite happily - then he starts to go on about something and you think - hold on - did i just miss something,

Oh gods, I know what you mean! It's so damned irritating at times.

And his characters with multi-polysyllabic names that are practically unpronouncable also get on my nerves.

It's a shame because his stuff is really good.
__________________

Speaking of books that are better than films, I would like to recommend Starship Troopers, by Robert Heinlein.

Although I even liked the film, the book is utterly different and deal with much deeper issues regarding why our society is breaking down basically how rights need to be earned through responsibilities.

Whilst I don't exactly agree with Heinlein's concept of how a society works, he does have some very interesting and thought provoking ideas.
__________________

And if Big G would put aside a few minutes from running the world I'm sure he'd sort out a copyright Himself ;)

Err, excuse me? Omnipotent? Omni-cognisant? Omnipresent? Omnibus? (Hmm, maybe not the last one!)

Why does he need to put time aside...?! :angel: