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Holiday read
woodster - 7/7/17 at 10:05 PM

Simple really I'm going to be lying on a beach for 2 weeks anyone got a reading suggestion .... I want something interesting fiction or non


Andi - 7/7/17 at 10:35 PM

Hmm holidays are the only time I read a book. And then im strictly limited to war types.
American sniper is good and have just finished soldier spy (MI5 true account) which is quite good too.


Ugg10 - 7/7/17 at 10:45 PM

Stephen Donaldson - Thomas covenant chronicles - very similar to lord of the rings and almost as good (9 or 10 books worth, should keep you busy, but you can read them in threes)
Or his sci-fi version of the ring cycle - the gap series (5 books)
Also a bit of mind bending sci-fi - dan simmonds - Hyperion series (4 books) or ilium/Olympos

[Edited on 7/7/17 by Ugg10]

[Edited on 7/7/17 by Ugg10]


Angel Acevedo - 8/7/17 at 01:23 AM

Peter Wright, Cazador de Espías.
I can´t find the name in english.

Chaos, by James Gleick.


Triplet, Ken Follet.

Threat Vector, Michael DiMercurio

And not my type but good read Inferno by Dan Brown


rusty nuts - 8/7/17 at 06:35 AM

Bernard Cornwell , The last kingdom series if you like historical based fiction , The game of thrones series , historical/fantasy by George RR Thomas . Don't let the TV series of either put you off .


craigdiver - 8/7/17 at 06:53 AM

I've heard that Build Your Own Sports Car on a budget by Chris Gibbs is a good read

OR

SVA manual cover to cover

Ha :-)


shindha - 8/7/17 at 07:07 AM

We're off in a weeks time got Guy Martins biography.


Rod Ends - 8/7/17 at 11:00 AM

Total Competition by Ross Brawn is interesting.


britishtrident - 8/7/17 at 11:43 AM

For are real read that will keep reading try "An Officer and a Spy" by Robert Harris or for something more action/adventure "Pompeii" by the same author.

You could try any of the the McLevy (and Jean Brash) series by David Ashton ---

Also Lyndsey Davis "The Course of Honour" or "Master and God" or her rather lighter Falco series.

Any of t he Wallander series by Henninh Mankell are also good I would particularly recommend "The Pyramid" which is a collection of shorter stories about Kurt Wallander's early days .

Alan Furst has written a great series of spy novels set in eastern Europe and France in the build up to and early days of WW2 most famous is "The Spies of Warsaw" which was televised by BBC4


red22 - 8/7/17 at 11:54 AM

Any Robert Ludlum. The Bourne series author. But he's done lots of others all a good read. Also every few holidays l reread the Stand cos it lasts ages.

Not big on non fiction but loved Danny Bakers two biographies. Very funny and enlightening.


red22 - 8/7/17 at 11:55 AM

Any Robert Ludlum. The Bourne series author. But he's done lots of others all a good read. Also every few holidays l reread the Stand cos it lasts ages.

Not big on non fiction but loved Danny Bakers two biographies. Very funny and enlightening.


coozer - 8/7/17 at 01:41 PM

The Mitch Rapp series by Vince Flynn is my current fav..

Basically Mitch is a cia undercover killer battling terrorists across the globe..


AntonUK - 8/7/17 at 02:03 PM

My Recent favorites.

Look who's back - Timr Vermes - Recommended in Guy Martins book. The story of Adolf Hitler walking up in modern day Berlin

All the Guy Martin Books

Electronic Dreams - Tom Lean - If your a vintage computer nerd

American Sniper - Chris Kyle

The Martian - Andy Weir - yes the one from the movie and by far the best book ive come across

Ghost in the Wires - Kevin Mitnick - famout computer hacker tells his store - amazing


jps - 8/7/17 at 02:25 PM

Terry Pratchett books are very popular and if you haven't read them they shouldn't necessarily be pigeon holed as geeky/fantasy stories (although some of his stuff is a bit like that most of his books have a lot more to them than that). I'd say try Mort, Reaper Man or Guards! Guards! as starting points.

Catch 22 is a great book. I recently read SS-GB (before it was on telly) and thought it good. Would also recommend Robert Harris - Archangel and Fatherland are both excellent.


Slimy38 - 8/7/17 at 04:07 PM

Second vote for Terry Pratchett, there are some weak ones in the series but one of my favourites is Moving Pictures. It is proper laugh out loud funny.

The Martian is another favourite, while the film was pretty good the book had a lot more detail in it. Same goes for the Hunger Games books (don't laugh!), the original books were written from an inner monologue point of view which means about 10% of the actual content actually manage to get into the film.

I'd like to also recommend the Walking Dead comics, they're obviously a little more bulky than the average paperback but if you are looking for Kindle related content then the electronic versions are available. Again, what ended up on the screen is tiny compared to what was written (or drawn!)

[Edited on 8/7/17 by Slimy38]


Irony - 8/7/17 at 05:41 PM

Anything by Wilber Smith is amazing. For a holiday read though I think Clive Cusslers Dirk Pitt novels are fantastic. And he is a proper car nut.


Irony - 8/7/17 at 05:43 PM

I smashed all 3 hunger games books during a weekend in Venice. I hate Venice though


britishtrident - 8/7/17 at 06:41 PM

quote:
Originally posted by jps
Terry Pratchett books are very popular and if you haven't read them they shouldn't necessarily be pigeon holed as geeky/fantasy stories (although some of his stuff is a bit like that most of his books have a lot more to them than that). I'd say try Mort, Reaper Man or Guards! Guards! as starting points.

Catch 22 is a great book. I recently read SS-GB (before it was on telly) and thought it good. Would also recommend Robert Harris - Archangel and Fatherland are both excellent.



"The first time Yossarian saw the Chaplain he fell in love with him" ----- Catch 22's openning line is probably the memorable line in modern fiction.

I think SS-GB is the only Len Deighton fiction book I haven't read -- loved the TV version my favourite of his is Winter


SteveWallace - 9/7/17 at 08:36 AM

+1 for the Martian

Also, Andrew Marr's 'Head of State' is a good read. Its set just before the EU referendum and there is an unexpected plot twist early on that means that the book is probably not what you would have expected.

The series of three books by Paul E Hardisty (Starting with 'The Abrupt Physics of Dying' ) are worth a read, but I'm maybe bias as he's a very good friend of mine.

If you want non-fiction then Jim Al-khalili's book 'Aliens' is good - its a series of essays from various authors on the search for and potential nature of extra-terrestrial life. Also, Richard Wiseman's 'Paranormality' is a great debunk of supernatural phenomena based on psychology and how the brain works.

If you want an autobiography try 'Failure is Not an Option' by Gene Kranz, mission controller for many of the Apollo moon shots.


MikeR - 9/7/17 at 03:09 PM

I tried catch 22 and just couldn't get along with it. I kept at it for days (on holiday) and reluctantly gave in as i wasn't enjoying and it was starting to spoil the holiday.

(i hate not finishing a book)


llionellis - 9/7/17 at 03:51 PM

The Stieg Larsson trilogy. Unfortunately if you don't read quickly all your holiday will be spent reading. Once you start reading you won't want to put the books down.


02GF74 - 9/7/17 at 09:34 PM

Transition - Iain Banks


britishtrident - 9/7/17 at 10:05 PM

quote:
Originally posted by llionellis
The Stieg Larsson trilogy. Unfortunately if you don't read quickly all your holiday will be spent reading. Once you start reading you won't want to put the books down.


The Inspector Martin Beck series is really good nordic crime reading that hasn't caught on here yet


llionellis - 9/7/17 at 10:14 PM

quote:
Originally posted by britishtrident
quote:
Originally posted by llionellis
The Stieg Larsson trilogy. Unfortunately if you don't read quickly all your holiday will be spent reading. Once you start reading you won't want to put the books down.


The Inspector Martin Beck series is really good nordic crime reading that hasn't caught on here yet


I'll check those out, I'm reading Jo Nesbo books at present. Another good Scandinavian author


Angel Acevedo - 10/7/17 at 02:21 AM


I wonder if woodster is still reading this thread or already on vacation...


woodster - 18/7/17 at 11:25 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Angel Acevedo

I wonder if woodster is still reading this thread or already on vacation...


Wonder no more I'm on a beach in Cannes ....... We love the place hopefully one day me and Mrs woodster will have a place here ..... Any way thank you for the great replies and suggestions the locostbuilders never let me down ..... I went with 'zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance' ..... Since I reached 54 and having recently losing my best friend my Dad I've been kind of looking for help and understanding And if you like the meaning of life ... No small thing ... Any suggestions on spiritual reads would be great fully received ..... Any words of wisdom on life and it's meaning would definitely help


nick205 - 19/7/17 at 01:06 PM

I've read and recommend the Guy Martin books.

I'm not a great fan of the beach myself, but young kids draw us that way these days. After I've dug a big hole I tend to head for some shade and a book.

I found his "Worms to Catch" book pretty good, nailed it in about 3 days IIRC.

[Edited on 19/7/17 by nick205]


jps - 19/7/17 at 02:19 PM

quote:
Originally posted by woodster
quote:
Originally posted by Angel Acevedo

I wonder if woodster is still reading this thread or already on vacation...


Wonder no more I'm on a beach in Cannes ....... We love the place hopefully one day me and Mrs woodster will have a place here ..... Any way thank you for the great replies and suggestions the locostbuilders never let me down ..... I went with 'zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance' ..... Since I reached 54 and having recently losing my best friend my Dad I've been kind of looking for help and understanding And if you like the meaning of life ... No small thing ... Any suggestions on spiritual reads would be great fully received ..... Any words of wisdom on life and it's meaning would definitely help


I read a book called F**k It a while ago. Attention grabbing title of course, but I found it useful in terms of reframing some of what was bothering me at the time...!