Read any good books recently?

**dawnrazor** · 11th March 2006, 09:38

You all seem like a reasonably well educated lot (well most of you anyways), and I realise just 'cus we all have a fondness for two wheeled transport in common doesn't mean we should have any other common interests. But like it or not the chances are that we do.
Anyways, I thought I'd start a thread where we could all post good books we have read recently, don't have to be bike related.

So I'll start with two then to get things rolling.

1) THEM: adventures with extremists. by Jon Ronson

British humorist Jon Ronson relates his misadventures as he engages an assortment of theorists and activists residing on the fringes of the political, religious, and sociological spectrum. His subjects include Omar Bakri Mohammed, the point man for a holy war against Britain (Ronson paints him as a wily buffoon); a hypocritical but engaging Ku Klux Klan leader; participants in the Ruby Ridge and Waco, Texas, battles; and David Ickes, who believes that the semi-human descendants of evil extraterrestrial 12-foot-tall lizards walk among us. Despite these characters' disparities, they are bound by a belief in the Bilderberg Group, the "secret rulers of the world." In a final chapter, Ronson manages, with surprising ease, to penetrate these rulers' very lair. He writes with wry, faux-naive wit and eschews didacticism, instead letting his subjects' words and actions speak for themselves.

I laughed my ass off throughout this book and read it much to quickly

2)A long long way by sebastian Barry

This novel of Ireland and World War I wears a cloak of gloom and doom as thick as the opening storm. Willie's mother dies young. Willie enlists in the army and fights on the Western Front. Willie's sweetheart marries another, and so on. The wartime scenes are brutally realistic.Those not familiar with British-Irish history may find some of the personal conflicts and politics in the novel confusing, but nevertheless a compellingly sad, if difficult, read.

This is an extremely fine book, but is not in any sense an easy read.

Right who's next then

**Sniper** · 11th March 2006, 10:26

Scarecrow by Matthew Reiley.
Temple by Matthew Reilly
Ice by Mathew Reilly
most books by Mr Reilly, Gerald Durrell, Andy McNab, Chris Ryan, Stephen Leather and Vincent Demarco

**Jamezo** · 11th March 2006, 11:07

Gee, who would have guessed Sniper....

Right now I'm working my way through Terry Pratchett's Discworld books. As I have related to others, I thought they would be some unspeakably big nerdy gay-fest, but in reality, they are truly excellent, infused with a brilliant British dry wit and irony.

**limbimtimwim** · 11th March 2006, 11:21

The Diamond Age: Or, a Young Lady's Illustrated Primer - Neal Stephenson

A very original writer, he can be a little hit and miss. But usually hit. If you want something a bit sillier, I recommend 'Snow Crash' by the same author.

Right, it's a nice day, ride the bike.

**kro** · 11th March 2006, 11:27

Nightfall by Nelson DeMille

An NYPD detective gets invloved in a "cold case" of an American passenger jet tragedy, that is now five years old, and "closed", and gets caught up in a big govenrmental style cover up scandal. Very good read.

My favourite books of all time are the Belgariad series by David Eddings. 5 books in the first series called the Belgariad, and 5 in the sequel series called The Mallorean.
These are the best books I have read ever, and are a "Lord of the Rings" style fantasy series following the return to the throne of an ages lost bloodline of a King destined to be the overlord of the Western empires. The first series of books follows Belgarion, a young boy of direct decent to the Rivan King, who has been looked after by his "Aunt Polgara" since birth. Polgara is 5000 years old, and her father, the world famous sorcerer "Belgarath" is 7000 years old, and they have been protecting the Rivan king bloodline for thousands of years, and take the young Belgarion to a meeting to battle the God of Darkness named "Torak".

The journey is travelled with a group of people among who are a Drasnian spy/thief called Silk, the Cherek warrior, Barak, the Mimbrate Knight, Mandorellan, the Sendarian blacksmith, Durnik, the Algarian horseman, Hettar, and the rock diviner, Relg.

These books have kind of spoiled all my reading for good, as I have yet to find anything to rival them. To have 10 books, end for end, using the same characters, and with 2 major adventures/goals, is great, because I get fed up with books that you just get interested in, then they are over just as it gets good.

**babyB** · 11th March 2006, 11:29

lmao yep Haynes bible for the 100000 time

Dancing with dragons by DJ Conway again

**far queue** · 11th March 2006, 11:31

One Good Run - Tim Hanna
He'll be OK - Celia Lashlie
Kiwi Rider
Various Model Aircraft Magazines

**SPORK** · 11th March 2006, 11:55

Why Not Me? - Al Franken (Completely hilarious, read it if you're interested in politics. Or just ridiculous humour)

Anything Grisham.

Man and Boy - Tony Parsons (Don't call me a fag)

**Stopper Dan** · 11th March 2006, 12:03

Eon by Greg Bear, Centuries by A.A Attanasio both very good books (sci fi)

**ZorsT** · 11th March 2006, 12:20

Sometimes Free - Fred Stuckey

**Winston001** · 11th March 2006, 13:49

Excellent idea for a thread Dawnrazor. Looking at my bookshelf here are a few suggestions:

Non-fiction:

A Short History of Everything - Bill Bryson - brilliant readable science from the Big Bang to today.

E=MC2 - David Boldanis - excellent everyday explanation of this mysterious equation

Ship of Gold In the Deep Blue Sea - Gary Kinder - just a bloody good read about a modern treasure hunt.

Fiction:

Any book by Michael Connelly - detective fiction

Hyperion - Dan Simmons - Sci-fi

Nights Dawn Trilogy - Peter Hamilton - Sci-fi

Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown - a one hit wonder but a good read

Patricia Cornwall's first 8 "Scarpetta" books.

As a suggestion, I usually check the reader reviews and comments at Amazon when considering books and authors. And use the local library.

**Pillick** · 11th March 2006, 14:04

Reading a really wierd (but good) one at the moment; The Satanic Verses by Salman Rushdie. Apparently its really controversial, muslims hate it and its banned in India and other countries.

But its just fiction, faux-religious allegorical stuff mixed in with modern times. Its also written in a really interesting way, cryptic, lots of imagery, and it completely ignores grammar without being at all difficult to read.

It starts with two indian guys falling from the sky after thier plane tears itself apart in mid air, plummeting towards london, singing songs at each other. Hasnt got any less wierd yet...

edit: holy crap!

**Skyryder** · 11th March 2006, 16:44

Mary Stewarts MERLIN TRILOGY. Here's the link

http://www.greenmanreview.com/stewart.html

WICKED DAY by the same author is a must read. It's not part of the series as it tells of the events from Mordreds point of view.

For those that like Arthurerian novels. SWORD AT SUNSET by Rosemary Sutcliff tells of the life of King Arthur.

Many authors have reinvented the legend of King Arthur, but the gritty realism and emotional power of Rosemary Sutcliff's writing places Sword at Sunset in a place of its own. Sutcliff was the first author to take the story of Arthur and strip it down to create a novel as rooted as possible in the history of the time. The resulting novel is gripping and vibrant, a powerful and fresh interpretation of the Arthurian story. From the characters to the small historical details, Sutcliff uses a talent for accurate portrayal to produce a novel that leaves you convinced that if the story of King Arthur is more history than fantasy, this must be the way events really occurred.

The link http://www.greenmanreview.com/book/b...datsunset.html

Book one of thre Darkwar Saga by Robert E Fiest. FLIGHT OF THE NIGHTHAWKS. Fantasy buffs.

Book one:Tales of the Otori. ACROSS THE NIGHTINGALE FLOOR.

Read the link. http://www.koryubooks.com/store/anf.html

Book two GRASS FOR HIS PILLOW

Skyryder

**Skyryder** · 11th March 2006, 17:05

Mary Stewarts MERLIN TRILOGY. Here's the link

http://www.greenmanreview.com/stewart.html

WICKED DAY by the same author is a must read. It's not part of the series as it tells of the events from Mordreds point of view.

For those that like Arthurerian novels. SWORD AT SUNSET by Rosemary Sutcliff tells of the life of King Arthur.

Many authors have reinvented the legend of King Arthur, but the gritty realism and emotional power of Rosemary Sutcliff's writing places Sword at Sunset in a place of its own. Sutcliff was the first author to take the story of Arthur and strip it down to create a novel as rooted as possible in the history of the time. The resulting novel is gripping and vibrant, a powerful and fresh interpretation of the Arthurian story. From the characters to the small historical details, Sutcliff uses a talent for accurate portrayal to produce a novel that leaves you convinced that if the story of King Arthur is more history than fantasy, this must be the way events really occurred.

The link http://www.greenmanreview.com/book/b...datsunset.html

Book one of thre Darkwar Saga by Robert E Fiest. FLIGHT OF THE NIGHTHAWKS. Fantasy buffs.
http://www.harpercollins.com/global_...sbn=0060792787

Book one:Tales of the Otori. ACROSS THE NIGHTINGALE FLOOR.
Read the link. http://www.koryubooks.com/store/anf.html

Book two GRASS FOR HIS PILLOW
http://www.bookreporter.com/reviews/1573222518.asp

Book three BRILLIANCE OF THE MOON.
http://www.abc.net.au/widebay/stories/s1164275.htm.

Tales of the Otori fit into the fantasy genre but that does them an injustice. They stand alone........unique in their concept. The prose is pure poetry where one reviewer describes it as like the flight of a heron.

UNFINISHED TALES. Edited by C hristopher Tolkien. For Tolkien buffs only.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unfinished_Tales

Skyryder