Decent Book Suggestions

Hi Gang -- has anyone got any suggestion for reading a decent book..? I'm into pretty much anything really. I've recently just finished Dean Koontz "From the corner of his eye" and Richard Branson's Autobiography "Losing my Virginity" and I've just started Roy Strong's "The Story of Britain: A People's History". So as you can see, fiction or non-fiction, I'm not fussed.
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Comments

  • Richard Branson's book is brill! Wouldn't it be Nice by Brian Wilson is one of the best books I've ever read! The story of the Beach boy... Very sad, but worth it!!!
  • Jon -- you know what I'm finding I really like the biographical stuff. In the past I've read Houdini's, Bob Geldof, Christopher Reeve's and a few others. The Mr is a Beach Boy's fan - what with him being into surfing and all so I might give that a go as well. Ta.
  • American Psycho is also good, aswell as anything Hannibal Lectery! I love a good serial killer!!
  • NessieNessie ✭✭✭
    I go through stages, just now I'm really into Patricia Cornwell and Jeffrey Deaver - both pretty tense detective thriller types and very well written. Terry Pratchett I find really really funny, but I think you have to have a very warped mind to get it.

    Timeline by Michael Crichton is one which I plan to read again very soon, even though I only read it about 3 months ago.
  • Deadkidsongs by Toby Litt

    Lord of the Rings if you have the patience

  • Jon -- have read American Psycho. Um, have to say that and "Hannibal" are the only two books I've ever read that I found shall we say, uncomfortable.... especially in AP with the rat ... blech!

    Pernicketty Butt -- Who is it by..?

    Nessie -- I'm nor sure why but I seem to have got out of the nabit of buying Patricia Cornwell. I read some of her earlier stuff. I love Terry Pratchett - very funny but again, I seem to have missed all the latest ones. Oh and warped mind..? Very :)
  • Jon -- have read LoTR - twice :) So am a patient little bunny. Although have to admit, the war and fighting sections were a bit tedious. Tom Bombadil, now he was great :) What kind of book is Deadkidsongs..? Don't much like the sound of that :)
  • Well, it gave me a better understanding of the human body anyway! I was shocked by the fact that I seemed to numb to the gore... worrying!
  • DKS is about these kids growing up in the 70's... Horrible little buggers, but it's well written. I actually hate kids now after having read it... But other than that...
  • Jon -- hee! I'm a nurse and have seen inside various human bodies (alive during surgery and dead during autopsy) and even I was nearly sick!! :) You must have guts of steel!
  • That or a closet serial killer? would you like to see my puppies?
  • BarklesBarkles ✭✭✭
    Just finishing Atonement. Good read when you get into it.

    The catcher in the rye - still good after all these years.
  • If you fancy a bit of black humour try Colin Bateman's books. His Dan Starkey series are good but my personal fave is Cycle of Violence.
  • Love the crach helmet, Barkles!
  • Oh my God, I'm turning scouse!

    Love the CRASH helmet, Barkles!
  • Hi Cath.

    The looniness of a long distance runner is fabulous! It is by a guy called Russell Taylor.

    I am reading Frank Skinner's autobiography at the moment and it is truly fabulous. If you like his sense of humour, you'll love it!

    DW

  • If you like Terry Pratchett, you should try Robert Rankin: OK, so the books aren't set in a fantasy setting like Discworld, but they have a similarly warped sense of humour. Considering that some of the characters in the books include Elvis, Christeen (the twin sister of Jesus, whom the Bible neglects to mention), and a time-travelling sprout named Barry, you can kind of see where he's coming from. I'd recommend starting with the Brentford Trilogy (I think there are currently five in the series).

    Or, if you want something a little less skewed, try "The Dice Man" by Luke Rheinhart, which is a stunning book.

    Or for some non-fiction, you could read "The Climb" by Weston DeWalt and Anatoli Boukreev, which is about the storm which killed a whole load of climbers on Everest on May 10th 1996: it clears up a lot of the, erm, "misunderstandings" (I don't want to get sued) that were propagated by certain journalists in the aftermath, and is an amazing story of one man's courage.

    Or for straightforward fiction, I can highly recommend "Midnight's Children" by Salman Rushdie, which is superb.

  • Hear hear for Frank Skinners book, I read that on the plane, and was giggling out loud. My boss thought I was going nuts.

    Papillon is great too - that stands rereading

  • Actually, thinking about it, if you want a laugh-out-loud funny book, the one that had me crying on a plane (and had the stewardess asking if I was all right), was "e" by Matt Beaumont. Set in the world of advertisin, it's basically all the e-mails sent within the company, which makes it a little hard to get into, but it's the funniest book Ive read in years.

    Going back to the original question, if you like biographies, Bob Monkhouse's is very good. No, seriously. As are the Richard E Grant and Kenneth Williams books.
  • Greeny.Greeny. ✭✭✭
    If this is a man – Primo Levi
    Making History – Stephen Fry
    River God – Wilbur Smith
    Pillars of the earth – Ken Follett
    Microserfs – Douglas Coupland
    The Crow Road – Iain Banks
    High Fidelity – Nick Hornby
    Bird Song – Sebastion Faulks
    Jessica – Bryce Courtney
    Atonement – Ian McEwan
    C:Because cowards get cancer too – John Diamond
    Anything by John Irving…

    Hope this helps!
  • I am half way through "Financial Reporting Exposure Draft no. 23 - Hedge Accounting". Not only is it a thrilling read, the Accounting Standards Board have invited comment on this planned accounting standard.

    Am I helpful?
  • Actually Cath, I have read ALL of Dean Koontz, and initially thought he was great, but toward the end I found his stories to be boringly predictable, always with heros with "wonderful coloured eyes" and telepathic, talking animals. Eventually decided he was rubbish and saved myself a few quid to buy some new trainers. Much more appreciated.
  • I loved Atonement - also Birdsong and Charlotte Gray by Sebastian Faulks - I'm just about to start The Secret History of the SOE (non-fiction) as I'm going through a WW2 phase at the moment. AS Byatt is also very good - I read Possession and Tower of Babel recently. And here's one of my all time favourites - A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth - a fantastic book
  • anything by Ian Rankin - his Insp Rebus is fantastic.
    I too have been reading Jeffery Deaver books recently, pysch thrillers, v good.
    er, can't think of anything else!
  • Currently reading The Fatal Englishman by Sebastien Faulks. Not only is the content good but I also enjoy the writers use of language. One to savour!

    I'm also reading Embodying the Social: Constructions of Difference. An unpickupable pulication from the OU.
  • Mr A -- I've looked at the Robert Rankin books and thought I might give them a try. I was wary of getting into a new author - because I know I'd end up having to buy all his books :)

    Cougie -- I've never read Papillon mainly because I watched the film years ago and well, it was a bit long ... but again, I have thought about giving it a go.

    Siomn F -- I've read John Diamond's book twice now. Once before I had cancer (as an effort tp try to understand cancer patients) and also since I was diagnosed - it's been enormously helpful.

    Jeffsy -- heee! Not at all helpful! But, the way I'm going I'd read just about anything to escape Fern Britten!

    Billy Boy -- Oh aye, I don't dispute Dean Koontz is utter crap but for me - it's the kind of stuff I don't have to entangle my mind with too much... especially at the moment. I tend to get through hs books fairly quickly anyway, so it means I don't spend too much time on them :)

    Fraggle -- I've read quite a bit of Iain Rankin's stuff. Espedair St was brilliant oh and the cult religious one, can't remember what it was called now. V good though.
  • For a good page-turner, read anything by Agatha Christie.

    If you ever need to really appreciate what you have, read Schindler's Ark -- the book Schindler's List is based on.

    If you want a laugh and a little travel-type writing, read either "Round Ireland with a Fridge" or "Playing the Moldovans at Tennis" by Tony Hawks. Or "Notes from a Small Island" or "Notes from a Big Country" by Bill Bryson.

    Of course Lord of the Rings can be re-read any number of times.

  • Thanks for all the suggestions Guys, I'll make my list now. :)
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