Recommended Reading

Just recently finished The Enchantress Of Florence by Salman Rushdie, and have to say I was hugely impressed. It's only the first Rushdie book I've read (I think maybe I was put off by the bad reviews of The Satanic Verses in some quarters) but I'll be looking for more now. Real magic realism stuff (a tiny bit Paolo Coelho's 'The Alchemist' meets Umberto Eco's 'The Island Of The Day Before' if that helps), the word-imagery he weaves is astonishing at times.

At the moment am re-reading Three Men In A Boat by Jerome K Jerome again, and cannot recommend it highly enough to anyone, even if you don't generally read novels. Everyone should read this at least once, it's just a wonderful little book, full of brilliantly observed and often deliciously understated humour all the way through. Certainly would be in the top handful of comic novels of all time.

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Originally Posted by passinginterest

I'm reading the Sherlock Holmes anthology at the moment. Finished A Study in Scarlet and in the early stages of The Sign of Four at the moment. Surprisingly enough I had never read a Holmes story before and I've been impressed so far.

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I like Doyle, though I'd only read the shorter homes stories, none of the novels. I started reading The Lost World recently - quite enjoyable.

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Originally Posted by stann

At the moment am re-reading Three Men In A Boat by Jerome K Jerome again, and cannot recommend it highly enough to anyone, even if you don't generally read novels. Everyone should read this at least once, it's just a wonderful little book, full of brilliantly observed and often deliciously understated humour all the way through. Certainly would be in the top handful of comic novels of all time.

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A favourite of mine - might take it out again after the Doyle. Bummel is much more travelogue-y, but nevertheless alright. NOt nearly in the same league though.

Picked up James Freys "A million little Pieces" which has been changed to the fiction section.:D Got it and the follow up "My Friend Leonard" for a tenner.

BTW Jeffery Archers prison diaries was a surprising treat and deserved its good reviews.
I have always felt Blurs song Charmless Man must have been written about him, but fair is fair and this is an entertaining read.
He professes his admiration for the Irish on several occasians and gets a detailed insight of the Drugs in Prison situation by one of the Keanes from Limerick.:eek:

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Originally Posted by cheifo

Picked up James Freys "A million little Pieces" which has been changed to the fiction section.:D Got it and the follow up "My Friend Leonard" for a tenner

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Read 'a million little pieces' when it was still classified as non-fiction and I have to say, anyone who thought that that story had any basis in reality is a moron, yes I'm talking about you Oprah Winfrey :p

Yeh I agree Jebus.All addicts have mad stories but the way this guy tidies up the chapters(I've read so far) to to reach neat conclusions screams this is makey uppy.
Its also cringing the way he writes about himself as the tough misunderstood loner when in reality he seems to be a bit of a geek.
I agree though, very funny that Oprah told the World how it made her cry.
Not sure I am going to bother with My friend Leonard.
Freys latest book is getting good reviews though.

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Originally Posted by passinginterest

I finished A Long Long Way by Sebastian Barry a few weeks ago. I though it was a wonderful novel, well written, moving story, excellent characterisation, it would be hard to fault it

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id go along with that, couldnt put it down, beautifully written.

other ones ive enjoyed recently are;

Gina Arnolds, On The Road To Nirvana, not about that band specifically, but a tale of a section of the American underground music scene over several years. Enjoyable read.

Also got round to Catcher In The Rye lately too, and loved it.

Less impressive was Alex Higgins, From The Eye Of The Hurricane, though, a little less than honest at times I felt, a touch of ''poor me'' to it. Also a few typo's in it. shoddy.

The Catcher in the Rye is one of my favourites, if you have not read Vernon God Little by DBC Pierre, then I suggest you give it a read..... it reminds me of Catcher in the Rye a lot.

My favourite book of all time has to be Huck Finn. I have also made my way through the Discworld series of books by Terry Pratchett.

I am going to grab a copy of a few of the WWII books mentioned at the start of this thread. I don't really know why but i've gained a sudden craving for information on WWII over the last couple of weeks for no apparent reason.

I've been reading a fair bit lately, I'd recommend Out Stealing Horses by Per Petterson, it's a great story about loss, growing up and getting old.

For something completely different "Watch My Back" by Geoff Thompson is an interesting book about being a doorman in Coventry in the 80's, the violence is pretty extreme, it's not the best written book ever but it's OK.

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Originally Posted by Oink

The Catcher in the Rye is one of my favourites, if you have not read Vernon God Little by DBC Pierre, then I suggest you give it a read..... it reminds me of Catcher in the Rye a lot.

My favourite book of all time has to be Huck Finn. I have also made my way through the Discworld series of books by Terry Pratchett.

I am going to grab a copy of a few of the WWII books mentioned at the start of this thread. I don't really know why but i've gained a sudden craving for information on WWII over the last couple of weeks for no apparent reason.

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Vernon God Little is a fantastic book. One of my all time favourites - and it also reminded me of CITR... i think 1984 is still my all time favourite.

And now that i dont HAVE to read Dickens, im actually really enjoying some of his classics.

Also, for a lighter fun read, see if you catch "The Year of Living Biblically" which i read a while back - pretty funny and true account of a guy from NY trying to live according to the literal word of the bible.

Re-reading Moby Dick at the moment, great book.

Most of Irvine Welsh's stuff is great..especially "Filth". Has anybody here read it?

Do yourself a favour and buy it for yourself for CHristmas!!

I love Irvine Welsh's stuff.
Filth is one of the best ones. The main character is just brilliantly done. The idea of the tapeworm is very clever I think. Great twist near the end too. And some finish!
I like Porno too, have to say, mainly as it's a kind of more direct follow on from Trainspotting.
Did you read Babylon Heights, his play about the dwarves on the Wizard of Oz set? Odd little book! :D

Just started reading Richard Pryors Biography - "Pryor Convictions".

Engaging, intelligent and utterly hilarious already...........................

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Originally Posted by Den Perry

Most of Irvine Welsh's stuff is great..especially "Filth". Has anybody here read it?

Do yourself a favour and buy it for yourself for CHristmas!!

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Filth is great in the sense that the main character probably has no redeeming features whatsoever. Pure, erm, filth... on the other hand i thought Porno was brilliant. And Trainspotting, the book, was also excellently written although i did find the style difficult to adapt to for a while. I think it was the first book i had read that was written as it was spoken...

Will check out Pryor Convictions next year for sure...

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Originally Posted by SkStu

Filth is great in the sense that the main character probably has no redeeming features whatsoever. Pure, erm, filth... on the other hand i thought Porno was brilliant. And Trainspotting, the book, was also excellently written although i did find the style difficult to adapt to for a while. I think it was the first book i had read that was written as it was spoken...

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Read Trainspotting well before the movie came out - wow can you imagine if they actually put all the book into the movie - try and picture the scene of the blow - job and the screw at the same time!!!:cool:

I loved the fact that Welsh bascially uses the first 2/3 chapters just so the reader can get used to the scots dialect, etc

Just finishing off Daniel Defoe's A Journal of the Plague Year. Fascinating book about a man living in London during the 1665 plague. Defoe was five at the time, so it's based on childhood recollections, anecdotes he picked up from people who lived through it and historical records. Quite unlike anything we've ever lived through, all interspersed with some interesting stories - like a lad who fell asleep drunk in a doorway, and someone thought it was the dropping off point for bodies for collection, so he ends up waking up in the middle of the dead cart with 20 bodies dead of the plague around him about to be dumped into a pit, or people basically accusing Defoe's narrator of being a witch because he couldn't see the angel in the sky pointing a sword right at London.

Bit hard to read because it was written in 1722 and is in different language to what we're used to, but well worth the extra effort.

Reading McMafia "seriously organsed crime" atm by Misha Glenny former BBC and Guardian correspondent.

Keeping me hooked despite having the most ridiculous front cover in the history of publishing.

Got good reviews and doesn't require too much effort.

Ulysses S Grant- Personal Memoirs. Superb book by an incredible general.

Re-read John Feinstein's A Good Walk Spoiled recently. Fantastic book, definitely the best I've read in the golf genre. Might get The Match by Mark Frost next, unless I can find Calcio which I managed to misplace:mad:

Recently read "The Constant Gardener", very enjoyable, but I didn't like the ending so that spoiled it for me a bit.

Reading "Catch 22" at the moment, interesting so far, unusual style that takes some getting used to.