In need of a good read.

[HDTboy]

Plenty More Fish in the CBD

[placidfemme]

Right you boring feckers, this place is as dead as a Hezbollah peace protest so give me your recommendations for a good book to read.

I'm not interested in any cult genres like sci fi, dwarf fantasy shit, vampires etc. Just normal stories that you can actually get into without having to believe that bionic midgets with 8 testicles that drink human blood and fly around in space ships rule the galaxy.

And none of you Mills and Boon crap either Finn, I gotta read this shit in public (on the train).

So, suggestions?

I know I'm a bit late on this topic...

But my personal recommendation would be anything by Wilbur Smith.

Preferably the Ballantyne or Courtney series... all about Africa, starting from the slave ships through to the independance wars (in zimbabwe/rhodesia) all based on the history of one family, his latest book joins the two familys together in egypt or something (I havn't read the latest one).

And the best part about those two series, is even thought they are supposed "fiction" if your from the area (zimbabwe) you know exactly who he is talking about, even though the names are different... gives good reading on adventures and racism (from both sides), war, killing, love and so forth, has a little bit of everything...

I think both series have about 5 books in them...

[Lou Girardin]

War and Peace.
Divina Commedia
Bible
Koran
That'll keep you going till your eyes fail.

[Street Gerbil]

And if you are after really good classic reading, try this.

[boomer]

Dan browns books are pretty good;

da vinci code
angels & demons
deception point
digital fortress


i've read the three back to back and on the last one now; i'm not usually into reading but these have captured my attention and are good for making sure i fall asleep at night

[McJim]

....anything by Wilbur Smith.

Preferably the Ballantyne or Courtney series... all about Africa, starting from the slave ships through to the .....

Yeah, read some of these. Lots of violent deaths and shaggin'.... a bit like Glasgow 'cept there's sunshine in 'em.

Are there any genres your actually keen on? All we know is that you're not interested in 'The adventures of Finn in Space' per your first post but what do you actually like?

[WRT]

Dan browns books are pretty good

If you've read one, you've read them all (which I have). Dont believe a word he says, but they do make good entertainment. Deception Point is so full of inaccuracies its not funny, didnt stop me reading the whole thing though.

Someone mentioned Captain Corellis Mandolin earlier on, I can second that. The movie is crap (about as bad as Nicolas Cage's Italian accent), but the book is really good.

I'm also reading A Brief History of the Dead (fiction) at the moment, about a third of the way through and finding it brilliant.

Another good read, as an alternative look at history and evolution is Guns Germs and Steel. Very eye opening.

[The_Dover]

I never really pidgeon holed myself in terms of what I do like, just what I don't really like that much.

I've read wizards and goblins and shit and a few spacey, alien zappers but prefer any genre based in the real world I guess.

I enjoyed James Clavell's books, Shogun, Noble House and Taipan. And remember a series when I were a lad about two brothers that used to travel the world catching manimals, can't remember the author.

[skelstar]

Actually, that 'Guns Germs and Steel' is very cool. As is 'A Brief History of Time' and Brysons 'A short history of nearly everything' (for the laymans history of sciences) and his Aussie travel book that I thought was called 'Downunder' but might be 'In a Sunburned Country'.

[skelstar]

... a series when I were a lad about two brothers that used to travel the world catching manimals, can't remember the author.

That would be the Willard Price books maybe. 'Hal' and ...umm...'Roger' maybe?

'African Adventure', 'Lion adventure' etc...

[McJim]

...a lad about two brothers that used to travel the world catching manimals, can't remember the author.

Wouldn't have had titles like "Lion adventure" and "Amazon Advernture" full of anecdotal facts about how it's easier to kill a Jaguar with a trident than to catch the bugger in a cage. Or when you're stuck at night in the middle of the serengeti with an incapacitating wound the Lions from Born Free will appear as if by magic to keep the hyenas off you?

Yeah, I can't remember the name of the author either.....Willard Price...Could see the cover of Lion Adventure in minds eye and it popped up.

There you go. I read those when I was like 12 thought they were great. Read them again when I was 21 and thought they were shite.

You'll probably enjoy the Wilbur Smith stuff then.

[The_Dover]

That's the shit. Willard Price.

Nah, I remember thinking even at 12 they were a bit cack but it was the places they visited that caught my attention.

I've wanted to visit Kashmir ever since, the region, not the curry house.

[WRT]

Actually, that 'Guns Germs and Steel' is very cool. As is 'A Brief History of Time' and Brysons 'A short history of nearly everything' (for the laymans history of sciences) and his Aussie travel book that I thought was called 'Downunder' but might be 'In a Sunburned Country'.

Havent read a brief history of time, but anything Bryson is fantastic. Good reading, entertaining and informative. And capable of making you laugh out loud.

That would be the Willard Price books maybe. 'Hal' and ...umm...'Roger' maybe?

'African Adventure', 'Lion adventure' etc...

Good as a kid, wouldnt recommend them for adults tho. Kids books that Adults can enjoy include the whole of the Terry Pratchett discworld series. I know you said you dont like fantasy, but these are not your serious type (which I cant stand), they are all about the charactors, and are about the funniest books you could lay your hands on. Written for kids, but with a depth of humour that only adults could fully appreciate. I've probably read about 20 or more of them now, and thoroughly enjoyed them all.

[John Banks]

Green Eggs and Ham by Dr Seuss

Fucking fantastic when I was 4, fucking fantastic now.

[Swoop]

Chickenhawk (as previous posts say) is quite a good read. Another in the helicopter in 'nam genre is Wings of the Eagle by W.T. Grant.
Tom Clancy, Red Storm Rising. = WW3 in europe. Entertaining read.