Until a couple of years ago I wasn't much of a reader, now I read all the time and I'm after some book recommendations. I went into a book
shop the other day and had no idea what I'd like, I know what to look for music wise (i.e. good review sites/forums) but book-wise I'm
stumped, feels like I'm in a shop and it's all in another language. I'm travelling around scotland being a hippy at the moment so
I've got lots of time to read ^_^
I like non-fiction about history/wars and fiction which is believable. I can't get into any fantasy stuff at all, maybe I've tried the wrong
books though so convince me otherwise if that's your cup of tea
Read recently: 6 Wilbur smith books, a couple of Bryce courtenays, J.Ballard - Empire of the sun, about to start Conn Iggulden - Emperor.
tl;dr: recommend awesome books
Tom Clancy has a large back catalogue, people may scoff, but I really enjoyed his books, especially the Ryanverse series...
I've been reading the "Gabriel Allon" series from Daniel Silva.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Silva
Pretty good hit man / spy thriller, (providing you don't have any preconcevied or firmly held political ideas about the Palestinian / Israeli
conflict).
Mike
Brilliant 
http://americanfiction.suite101.com/article.cfm/replay_by_ken_grimwood_review
quote:
Originally posted by Guinness
I've been reading the "Gabriel Allon" series from Daniel Silva.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Silva
Pretty good hit man / spy thriller, (providing you don't have any preconcevied or firmly held political ideas about the Palestinian / Israeli conflict).
Mike
I certainly do have views on the subject, pretty much in line with Noam Chomsky quote:
Originally posted by Snuggs
Brilliant
http://americanfiction.suite101.com/article.cfm/replay_by_ken_grimwood_review
One of my favourite authors is James Clavell, he writes fictional but very believable historical stuff. Shogun, Tai-Pan and King Rat are his best
novels but its best to read them in historical order. In the middle of Whirlwind at the moment which is not to bad. They are big books but worth the
read.
Tom Clancy stuff is also good but long, make sure you read the ones he wrote not the ones he put his just put his name to. Without remorse is one of
my favourites.
Rhod
[Edited on 20/8/09 by rodders]
quote:
Originally posted by Benzine
quote:
Originally posted by Guinness
I've been reading the "Gabriel Allon" series from Daniel Silva.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Silva
Pretty good hit man / spy thriller, (providing you don't have any preconcevied or firmly held political ideas about the Palestinian / Israeli conflict).
Mike
Erm...Palestinian girlfriend
Right, forget I said anything then! [Goes off to hide behind sofa]
Mike
MikeRJ - 20/8/09 at 06:27 PMMost of the Robert Ludlum books are good if you like thrillers (he wrote the Bourne Trilogy). There were a bunch written after his death by Eric Van Lustbader (some credited to Ludlum) that aren't as good IMO.
Fozzie - 20/8/09 at 06:29 PMBernard Cornwall.
A Brit living in the US now.
His books are great, and goes to great length to research and get right....
Can thoroughly recommend the 'Arthur' books, Grail Quest and Stonehenge.....the others are pretty damn good too.
http://www.bernardcornwell.net/
(O.H. has complete set of the lot.....
HTH Fozzie
Benzine - 20/8/09 at 06:30 PMquote:
Originally posted by rodders
One of my favourite authors is James Clavell, he writes fictional but very believable historical stuff. Shogun, Tai-Pan and King Rat are his best novels but its best to read them in historical order. In the middle of Whirlwind at the moment which is not to bad. They are big books but worth the read.
That sounds right up my alley, I'll have to give those books a go!
quote:
Originally posted by Guinness
Right, forget I said anything then! [Goes off to hide behind sofa]
quote:
Originally posted by MikeRJ
Most of the Robert Ludlum books are good if you like thrillers (he wrote the Bourne Trilogy). There were a bunch written after his death by Eric Van Lustbader (some credited to Ludlum) that aren't as good IMO.
Ahh cool I have a couple of Ludlum audiobooks which I'll have to listen to soon, not read any of his work yet.
quote:
Originally posted by Fozzie
Bernard Cornwall.
A Brit living in the US now.
His books are great, and goes to great length to research and get right....
Can thoroughly recommend the 'Arthur' books, Grail Quest and Stonehenge.....the others are pretty damn good too.
Cool, I have Harlequin on audiobook which I've not listened to yet, nor have I read any of his stuff so far. I'll give that a listen soon ^_^
Thanks for the suggestions, keep them coming
[Edited on 20/8/09 by Benzine]
Fozzie - 20/8/09 at 06:39 PMAh that's good, as Harlequin is the first in the set....
Fozzie
beagley - 20/8/09 at 06:56 PMI don't know if this fits your pallet of "believable" fiction, but Michael Crichton books were always favorites of mine. They tend to be about emerging technology stuff like genetic modification, jurassic park and the lost world were awesome! MUCH more so than the movies. The Great Train Robbery is another one of his best in my opinion. Andromeda Strain, Timeline (skip the movie PLEASE!), Congo, Disclosure (awesome movie too), Prey, Next, State of Fear.... I could go on, all good reads.
MikeRJ - 20/8/09 at 07:03 PMJust remembered the last book I read on holiday, 'Notes from a small island' by Bill Bryson.
It's well worth a read at some stage. It's sort of a mix of interesting facts and observational humour on Britain from an American who lived over here for 20 odd years.
nstrug - 20/8/09 at 07:38 PMIf you enjoy historical fiction have a look at Edward Rutherfurd. I've read 'London', 'Sarum' and 'The Forest'. His schtick is to follow the history of a set of families from a point in the distant past (e.g. the Roman Conquest in 'London'
right up to the present day, interweaving real historical events and figures as he does so.
The research is incredibly detailed and you end up learning a lot of history (and geography, geology, anthropology, linguistics) by the back door.
On a completely different note, if you want to give fantasy and science fiction another go, I really recommend Robin Hobb (start with 'Assassin's Apprentice'
Finally, Neal Stephenson merges historical fiction, thriller, sci-fi, crime novels all togeher - try 'Quicksilver' (first book of 'The Baroque Cycle'
Nick
rusty nuts - 20/8/09 at 07:38 PMAny of the Bernard Cornwell books are well worth a read ,my favourite is probably Wildtrack and the Sharpe series. If you like Cornwell check out Outlaw by Angus Donald . Wolf of the plains and the rest of the trilogy by Conn Iggulden are good
Nash - 20/8/09 at 07:38 PMMatthew Reilly is good in my opinion The first 200 pages of Ice Station is a Fire fight and I couldn't put it down. when the fight had finished I was exhausted!
Bob Judd (Dick Francis on wheels) the whole series is a good read.
My son is an avid Anthony Horriwitz fan and they quite entertaining.
..........Neil
nstrug - 20/8/09 at 07:41 PMHmm, locostbuilders has decided to turn all right parentheses into smileys...
Nick
Xtreme Kermit - 20/8/09 at 08:16 PMFor a light/comedy read, try Tom Holt - start with Paint your Dragon or The Portable Door.
For an ex SAS/Police undercover type read, Stephen Leather is your man. Start with Hard Landing.
dmac - 20/8/09 at 08:21 PMIf you like non fiction, try
'Bravo two zero' by Andy McNab and 'The one that got away' by Chris Ryan, two different perspectives on an SAS mission in Iraq
or
'Touching the void' by Joe Simpson about an accident on a mountain climb.
Duncan
JoelP - 20/8/09 at 08:29 PMive just read Harry Patch's biography, which i must say was an excellent read (he was the last survivor of the WW1 trenches). Am currently reading a book called Dresden, oddly enough about the bombing of Dresden. A bit of a depressing read tbh but fascinating analysis of what happened and how. And remarkably gripping!
I could suggest a library full of SF and fantasy though! Would agree though that Bernard Cornwell is a talented yarn teller.
Jubal - 20/8/09 at 08:40 PMWe really liked the Matthew Shardlake books by C J Sansom. Humpback lawyer fiction set in Cromwell/Tudor times. Don't knock it till you've tried it
mookaloid - 20/8/09 at 09:33 PMI've been an avid reader since I was a kid.
I would recommend Wilbur Smith - as you have already found him, Try Michael Connelly the Harry Bosch series of novels - start with the Black Echo then there's about 20 more to read and if you read them in order they all follow on.
Ken Follett - start with Pillars of the Earth then World Without End
Martin Cruz Smith
More Wilbur Smith
Lee Child
Tom Clancy
Did I mention Wilbur Smith?
Robert Ludlum
Peter Robinson - Yorkshire Detective series, can't think why I like this
James Ellroy
too many to list but they should keep you busy for a while
Cheers
Mark
twybrow - 20/8/09 at 11:05 PMAnother vote for Touching the Void - an awesome book. In a similar light, Edmund Hillarys autobiography was the one book I simply could not stop reading!
Benzine - 21/8/09 at 08:08 AMThanks for all the suggestions everyone!
Benzine - 29/8/09 at 10:39 AMquote:
Originally posted by Snuggs
Brilliant
http://americanfiction.suite101.com/article.cfm/replay_by_ken_grimwood_review
Just finished this book, awesome! Thanks for recommending it
I bought a load of other books that people recommended in this thread too, not sure which to start next...
Snuggs - 1/9/09 at 05:01 PMquote:
Originally posted by Benzine
quote:
Originally posted by Snuggs
Brilliant
http://americanfiction.suite101.com/article.cfm/replay_by_ken_grimwood_review
Just finished this book, awesome! Thanks for recommending it
I bought a load of other books that people recommended in this thread too, not sure which to start next...
Glad you enjoyed it
Angel Acevedo - 1/9/09 at 05:41 PM+1 for Ken Follet, I read Triplet.
Peter Wright, Cazador de Espias (Spy Hunter?)
The new Science of chaos