Favourite books recently?

I felt it was about time for one of those book threads! :)

Haven't read anything fantastic in ages to be honest and am looking for some tips on what to go for next. The last few I've read are

'The Boy in the Stripped Pyjamas', 'The Last King of Scotland', re-read 'Dispatches' and 'the Beach' and have just started in on a Hugo Chavez bio. Dispatches and the Beach I'd recommend to anyone, think I read both, on average, twice a year, and I though Last King and Boy in the Stripped Pyjamas were good, but not great. As for the Chavez bio, think I've started it because of a lack of options to be honest, I'm not hugely interested in the man. Anyway has anyone read anything recently they could recommend?

Just finished The Pope's Children, good read. McWilliams is a bit pessimistic in his predictions, but it's an interesting snapshot of the country, if a little concentrated to the commuter belt around Dublin.
Before that I read Should Have Got Off At Sydney Parade, the latest Ross O'Carroll-Kelly book. This is the first one in the series that I've read, although I read the column in the Times from time to time. Even though he does come across as a bit of a ******* in the book, I did find myself rooting for him at the end and I'm going to get back through the series now.
Before that I'm going to start Neil Lennon's autobiography, my brother gave it to me for my birthday and I still haven't read it!

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Originally Posted by tetsujin1979

Before that I'm going to start Neil Lennon's autobiography, my brother gave it to me for my birthday and I still haven't read it!

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Speaking of people who come across as a bit of a ******* :eek: :D

Well I am re-reading my all time favourite. Memoirs of a Geisha. The movie is ok but the book is just magnificent.

Last book I read was a Colin Bateman - Murphy's Revenge. You cant bate bateman for the ould slaggin of the North. He is doing a reading & talk session in Armagh on 25th May and am torn between it and our away trip to Kilkenny!

The Forgotten Soldier - Guy Sajar, memories of the eastern front and subsequent retreat by a frenchman from AlsacelLorraine who joined the German army. Some dispute over the authenicity but the general concesus was that he certianly experienced some action on the Eastern front.

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Originally Posted by jebus

'The Boy in the Stripped Pyjamas', 'The Last King of Scotland',

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Are you my wife? :confused:

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Originally Posted by BohsPartisan

Are you my wife? :confused:

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Jesus thats a horrible thing to say at this hour of the morning :D

Ghost Wars - Steve Coll

just read intrepretation of murder. Decent start but tailed off towards the end.

I've just started 'The Lay of the Land'. It's the third in a series started with 'The Sportswriter' and 'Independence Day' by American author Richard Ford- (So If you're interested start with the Sportswriter).

All 3 novels are narrated by Frank Bascombe and relate different snapshots of his life, as husband, father, sportswriter turned etate agent, but most of all observer of what it's like to be a late 20th century American male.

I read the first two volumes in the last year and couldn't wait to begin this last one.

No doubt they won't be everyone's cup of tea, but for me they're the best novels I have read in a long time.

Stay away from them if you're after Grisham / Mission Impossible / Thrill-a-minute stuff. These are a slice of life - and I think they'll stand the test of time very well.

Am about two thirds of the way through the Traveller by John Twelve Hawkes. It's kind of a cross between the Matrix and demons and Angels by Dan Brown. good stuff anyway

I can't for the life of me,read any of that fantasy sh*te.

Mafia Dynasty by John H. Davis is what i'm reading at the moment.

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Originally Posted by jebus

I felt it was about time for one of those book threads! :)

Haven't read anything fantastic in ages to be honest and am looking for some tips on what to go for next. The last few I've read are

'The Boy in the Stripped Pyjamas', 'The Last King of Scotland', re-read 'Dispatches' and 'the Beach' and have just started in on a Hugo Chavez bio. Dispatches and the Beach I'd recommend to anyone, think I read both, on average, twice a year, and I though Last King and Boy in the Stripped Pyjamas were good, but not great. As for the Chavez bio, think I've started it because of a lack of options to be honest, I'm not hugely interested in the man. Anyway has anyone read anything recently they could recommend?

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Many people have probably got to this one already - Paul McGrath's Biography. A good read.

"Among the Thugs" by Bill Buford. An American journalists lived experience and analysis of the culture and psychology of football violence. Excellent.

Hunter S. Thompson's "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" may have been already enjoyed by many also.

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Originally Posted by Wolfie

Hunter S. Thompson's "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" may have been already enjoyed by many also.

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You should check out Thompsons Rum Diary and Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail if you haven't already

Just finished "The Cider House Rules" by John Irving. Superb. Just superb.

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Originally Posted by Magicme

Well I am re-reading my all time favourite. Memoirs of a Geisha. The movie is ok but the book is just magnificent.

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Did you really think so? Fascinating as a topic, but I actually disliked the main character quite a lot.

Yeah I was gutted when I found out it wasnt a real story.

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Originally Posted by jebus

You should check out Thompsons Rum Diary and Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail if you haven't already

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Read The Rum Diarys.. brilliant brilliant book. the man's a legend. Apparently the film will be out sometime next year

Richard Dawkins - The God Delusion. For anyone out there questioning their religion or religion in general this is a must read.

Paul McGrath - Back from the Brink. One of the best sports biographies I've ever read.

Brendan Fanning - From Here to There. Intersting book about the transition of Irish rugby during the professional era.

Michael Smith - Tom Crean, Antartic Survivor. A good few months since I read this but it was fantastic.

Truman Capote - In Cold Blood. Very interesting account of a brutal family murder in America.

I don't read fiction so no use there.

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Originally Posted by finlma;648258[B

Truman Capote - In Cold Blood. [/B]Very interesting account of a brutal family murder in America.

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Yeah. This was a truly brilliantly written book. Actually reads like fiction, I thought. You can see why it took so much out of Capote.


And here's another few I remembered........

Time's Arrow by Martin Amis. The story of a Nazi doctor's life, but told in reverse.

The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro. Yes, the one they made into a movie......and butchered in the process.

If you are looking for one of the alltime classics :

One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. A unique masterpiece. One politician (who later became president of his country, I cant remember who) learnt Spanish just to read it in its orginal language.

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Originally Posted by osarusan

If you are looking for one of the alltime classics :

One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. A unique masterpiece. One politician (who later became president of his country, I cant remember who) learnt Spanish just to read it in its orginal language.

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Ah, amazing, probably my favourite book ever. A true masterpiece.

Haven't been doing much reading of late. Too tired most of the time. Last book read in its entirety was The God Delusion.
I've a lot of books lying around I haven't gotten around too. Maybe Emile Zola's Germinal will be next on the list, or The Decline and Fal of the Roman Empire. An in the middle of one on Cannabis but its been some weeks since I've read anything.

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Originally Posted by brokenstar

Read The Rum Diarys.. brilliant brilliant book. the man's a legend. Apparently the film will be out sometime next year

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Check out Charles Bukowski as well, Thompson and himself are my two favourite writers

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Originally Posted by BohsPartisan

Haven't been doing much reading of late. Too tired most of the time. ........... An in the middle of one on Cannabis but its been some weeks since I've read anything.

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It wouldn't have anything to do with the topic of the afore mentioned book thats making you too tired??? ;)

Books I'Ve read in the last 6 months(or so):

Inishowen & The salesman by Joseph O'Connor. Both great reads would recomend them to anyone.
A monk Swimningby Malachy McCourt. Very good read
Back from the Brinkby Paul McGrath. We all know who he is. One of the best books your ever likelt to read about addiction.
The greatest footballer you never saw(The Robin Friday Story) Buy borrow or steal this book a must read for any footie fan(Enough said)
Freaky Dancing The story of Bez from the happy Mondays. A very enjoyable read
Ajax-The Dutch, The War by Simon Kuper.Telling the story of Football in Holland(and to a lesser extent in Europe) during the 2nd world war. Not really my cup of Tea. It all facts and figures that kind of book onl intrests me if I have a big interest in the topic.

Just started Talk of the Townby Ardal O' Hanlon a couple of days ago. A decent read so far

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Originally Posted by finlma

It wouldn't have anything to do with the topic of the afore mentioned book thats making you too tired??? ;)

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Haha, knew someone would crack that one. No, unfortunately not. Just late nights on the computer and the old commuting.

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Originally Posted by Neish

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Freaky Dancing The story of Bez from the happy Mondays. A very enjoyable read

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Read Freaky Dancing a few years ago. A loveable rogue if ever there was one. Very entertaining read.

Hallelujah is a funny read as well. A journalist goes on tour with the reformed Happy Mondays..........

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Originally Posted by jebus

You should check out Thompsons Rum Diary and Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail if you haven't already

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Yeah, the Rum Diary is a great book. The Rum Diary went unpublished for a long time. It was his first novel written when he was establishing himself as a journalist.

I'm currently reading Thompsons "The Proud Highway". Its a collection of Thompson's correspondence from the 50's and 60's. If anyone is interested in Thompson - its a great insight into his early life and has some absolute classic excerpts in it.

Thompson was a one-off and a genius.

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Originally Posted by Wolfie

Read Freaky Dancing a few years ago. A loveable rogue if ever there was one. Very entertaining read.

Hallelujah is a funny read as well. A journalist goes on tour with the reformed Happy Mondays..........

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Aye have read both of them. Whilst Hallelujah was good Freaky dancing is far superior IMO

Have any of you read "Redemption Song" by Chris Salewicz? Its about Joe Strummer. Have just ordered it for my bro as a birthday pressie and just wondering if its any good!

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Originally Posted by osarusan

One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. A unique masterpiece. One politician (who later became president of his country, I cant remember who) learnt Spanish just to read it in its orginal language.

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Brilliant book all right. Interestingly enough, Myles na Gopaleen said the same thing about An tOileánach (that it was worth learning Irish just to read it -- and he wasn't messing). His At Swim-Two-Birds is very enjoyable, too.

My sister gave me Stasiland a while ago; it is a very good read, light and heavy at the same time. The excellent Funeral in Berlin pops into my head whenever I mention it; rollicking spy yarn.

The Red and the Black is the last heavy book I read in English; The Master and Margarita is next up in that category.

I hate Hunter S. Thompson but the collection of letters as mentioned above were a good read.

Cordially,
....

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Originally Posted by Erstwhile Bóz

The Master and Margarita is next up in that category.

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Another excellent read.

Just finished David Winner's Brilliant Orange, a (ahem) brilliant insight into the Dutch (footballing) psyche.
Just started Richard Dawkins' The God Delusion. Great subject, great book so far, truly great writer.

Forgot about A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson. Loved it when I read it a few years ago and downloaded it in .pdf form from uTorrent a few nights ago after finding it totally by accident. Will give it a shot over the weekend, but the last time I tried reading an eBook I tore out and ate my own eyeballs after the first chapter.

just finished reading 'i signed my death warrent-michael collins and the treaty....thought it was a very good insight into the delegations different/confliciting opinions

A matter of life and death by David Cowzer

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Originally Posted by tetsujin1979

Just finished The Pope's Children, good read. McWilliams is a bit pessimistic in his predictions, but it's an interesting snapshot of the country, if a little concentrated to the commuter belt around Dublin.

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Had a lecture this morning this, definitely going out to get it!

The Damned Utd by David Peace, a fictional account of Brian Cloughs short spell at Leeds United, a superb read, would thoroughly recommend it!

Koh