Avid readers in the house?

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KayJay

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One of the things I love most other than photography and the more obvious things is reading. Who's reading what and who's got some recommendations?

I just finished Salman Rushdie's latest effort; 'Luka and the Fire of Life'. It's a marvelous read, beautifully written.

Currently reading Orhan Pamuk's 'The Museum of Innocence'. It's a hefty novel but really easy to get caught up in. 700 pages are flying past. Orhan won the Novel prize for literature in 2006.

I've got 'The Room' written by Emma Donnaghue. I think it was up for the Booker Prize this year and I've heard a lot about it.
 
I'd rather sit in silence and read a book than just about anything else. I tend not to be very adventurous, the last biog I read was Peter De La Billieres (you know the UK commander from GW1). I remember at the time of GW1 thinking he was just another toffee nosed rupert but he'd been places and done things.
 
Peter De La Billiere was my CO a great man, and yep Gulf war Commander, my missus bought the Biography 2 years ago good book
 
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yep Gen Sir Pete DLB was a good read - theres another army biog out now I saw the other week thats gone on the Christmas list.

Latest John Grisham is very good, as is Peter Jame's latest "Roy Grace" novel - but you really need to read them in series.

Lee Child "Reacher" series, again good, but like the bond films, the earlier ones were better (IMHO)

Another very good couple of biographies were Ranulph Fiennes and David Attenbroughs...... done much more with their lives than these 20 odd year old idiots who feel a need to write a book about themselves.
 
Amongst a few I have on the go at the moment, I am reading the book 'operation mincemeat' by Ben Macintyre.
 
It's something I go through waves of. I can go htrough long periods of continuous finish one book/start another and then go through a couple of years without being able to get into up a book. I've been going through the latter for quite a while now but I did read The Book Thief by Markus Zusak last year while we were on holiday. One of the best books I have read.

Must get back into some books soon.
 
Just discovered Flashman, which is fun, although you have to take it in the context of the time it was written.

Always reading something, just read Peter Kays 2nd book, and also Steven Adler (orig drummer from Guns n Roses) book, which was interesting. ALways read the new Terry Pratchett book when it comes out.
 
I have been reading primarily non fiction lately. I will pick a subject then read a few books relating to it so I have little time to read fiction. The best novels I have read in a long time are Haruki Murakami's. Norwegian Wood and The Wind Up Bird Chronicle are two of the most beautifully written pieces of literature I have ever read. Please read them!

Might take up a few of your suggestions Kay Jay, I havent read any Rushdie for ages./
 
half way through the last of three books in the "girl with a dragon tattoo" trilogy
Author is Stieg Larrson
brilliantly written, with twists and turns all over the place.
you find yourself drawn in to the characters.
must read.
 
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I love reading - have just hinted to the kids that I would like a kindle for xmas between them. I hate throwing books away so this way I can keep clutter free and read to my hearts content :)

Just finished Stieg Larrson trilogy The girl with a dragon tattoo etc.
In my work bag I have Eat, Love, Pray
I have Peter James Dead Like You, down here with me going to start that later and bedtime reading is Kate Aitkinson.

Read lots of styles - love finding new authors as well as the comfortable oldies like Jodie Picult.
 
I love reading too Just been on holiday and got through about 8 books in the week.

My idea of heaven is spending time with a good book somewhere warm and shady.

I love the Reacher series and crime thrillers, Peter Robinson is one of my fairly recent discoveries. I have read all the Kate Atkinson books, they are excellent.

One of the books I read on holiday was called "One day" by David Nichols I really enjoyed it, I want to read more by this author...my only problem is reading is almost as expensive as photography these days my Amazon account gets a beating on a reular basis...
 
I've not read any of Stieg Larrson's books. Didn't realise he died a while back and it's only now that those three books in particular seem to be getting attention.
 
Was just going to recommend the Stieg Larrson trilogy too. Finished the last book yesterday and all three were a fab read. I know there's a lot of hype about them, but I think it's well deserved.

Samphire - have you tried Bookcrossing.com?
 
Elli, just looking at it now, thank you :)

KayJay, I found The Girl with Dragon Tattoo hard to get into, but once into it could not put it down and ordered the other two straight away so they were waiting.
 
Elli, love this idea, how fantastic :)

Last week via the school I work in I managed to get staff to donate over 500 out of date (to us) school texts, this included 50 old Psychology text books. I have donated then to READ international and they will now begin their journey oversea's to help educate those who cannot afford books.
 
My two favourite authors are John Grisham and Clive Cussler, and barring a handful I have ALL of their books.
Im currently reading "The girl with the dragon tattoo" by Stieg Larsson, and have purposely held off from seeing the film until i've finished the book on which it is based. Only 50 or so pages in but i'm enjoying it alot, and plan to get his others if this is anything to go by :)

Haven't read a biography for a while, last one was Dawn French- Dear fatty, which I didn't think i'd like but it was great, not brilliant in a literary sense but interesting to read.
 
I love to read, for me the invention of the ebook was immense, my first was a palm, then ipaq, the ipod touch, then iphone now ipad.

When i go away i like to have enough books, and for a 6 m tour i would need a lot of packing space!

I love clancy, cussler, child, dan brown, patterson, mclean, pratchett and more recently karin slaughter.

Got a massive ebook colection, i reread the series that ihave all the time, especially when away from home
 
The Other Hand -Chris Cleave
An Anthropologist on Mars - Oliver Sacks
The Grenadillo Box - Janet Gleason
 
SK617 said:
I love clancy, cussler, child, dan brown, patterson, mclean, pratchett and more recently karin slaughter.
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Karin Slaughter books are great, read then all shame there are no more atm. I tend to buy 2nd hand off ebay or amazon.
 
Samphire said:
Karin Slaughter books are great, read then all shame there are no more atm. I tend to buy 2nd hand off ebay or amazon.
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My name is very similar to the author, I once had a friend request on facebook from someone who thought I was Karin Slaughter!

I have only read one or two of her books, I must find some more.
 
I bought myself an Amazon Kindle recently, because I travel an awful lot and get through about a book a week - it saves me so much time going to bookshops, and I can always find something to read!

Right now I'm reading the classic Mr. Midshipman Hornblower, and have the other two books from the Young Hornblower omnibus to go after that... super stuff.
 
Photo Plod said:
I bought myself an Amazon Kindle recently, because I travel an awful lot and get through about a book a week - it saves me so much time going to bookshops, and I can always find something to read!

Right now I'm reading the classic Mr. Midshipman Hornblower, and have the other two books from the Young Hornblower omnibus to go after that... super stuff.
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Would you recommend it? which one did you get, I would be happy with the basic, but son may get me the 3G one.

Is it ok to read in day light etc.
 
Samphire go along to a shop and have a look for yourself what e-ink is like, it's just like a paper page.

My only problem with my e-book was that I couldn't read in the dark, having got used to a backlit screen, it does mean that battery life is very good though.
 
Samphire said:
Would you recommend it? which one did you get, I would be happy with the basic, but son may get me the 3G one.

Is it ok to read in day light etc.
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I got the 3G one so that I could pick up a book while I was at work or out & about for the journey home. It works very well.

In terms of reading, you'll be able to read it in anything except darkness. I bought the cover with the built-in light, though, and the reading light works superbly in total darkness.

If you read a lot of books, I can wholeheartedly recommend it - especially if you travel and travelling to shops / waiting for online deliveries can sometimes be a hassle. If you're more organised than me and can usually be near a Wi-Fi connection, then the basic one will do - but I like the complete freedom of the 3G model.
 
I have a weakness for books and have about 4000 in storage in SA at the moment. Mainly non-fiction, because I tend to read fiction and pass it on, and only hang on to the "keepers". No idea when I'll ever be able to ship them over here, we don't have space for them anyway.

Does anyone else feel that there are very few novelists who can maintain their standard, and avoid becoming formulaic? Clancy, Rankin and Leather are just a few that spring to mind. I read most of their early stuff but gave up on them long ago.
 
when ive got time i read a shed load.. especially when the cars broken and im on the train. unfortunately i dont have much time these days, and i recently sold all of my james herbert and terry pratchet..
 
lawrie29 said:
Steven Adler (orig drummer from Guns n Roses) book, which was interesting.
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If you enjoyed this and you've not already read the Motley Crue biog "The Dirt", I'd reccomend you do. A fascinating (if somewhat disturbing at times) read :thumbs:

KayJay said:
I've not read any of Stieg Larrson's books. Didn't realise he died a while back and it's only now that those three books in particular seem to be getting attention.
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It's a shame he never got to finish the series, I managed to read all three during a weeks holiday and was gutted to find out afterwards that he'd died and there were no more :(
They're very easy reading once you get into the first one.

If you like the cyberpunk-ish aspects of the Larrson books, have a look at Richard Morgan and William Gibson.
Gibson's stuff is very stylish (check out Pattern Recognition or Virtual Light) while Morgans stuff is a bit more gung-ho action adventure (check out Altered Carbon as a good starter)
 
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Just finished "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel. Funnily enough, I kept putting off picking it up to continue reading it, as that would only mean that I would finish it sooner.
 
I read a lot of Science Fantasy books and have an interest in ancient civilisations, but currently reading Poker books (tutorials and biographies)
 
Just finished The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi, started on The Kraken by China Miéville, then it will be back to the Scandenavian crime literature.. I finished the Millenium Trilogy one after the other and then got a bit hooked on the genre, finished the first three novels by Yrsa Sigurdardottir and moved on to Henning Mankell and the Wallander novels. Finished the first three and got the next three lined-up ready for the dark nights of December.

Yes.. I'm an avid reader. I may even attempt a third reading of the Baroque Cycle by Neal Stephenson in the new year. Should take me a good 8-12 weeks to get through.

Jim.R - you're the only other reader of Richard Morgan I've come across..

Authors I'd recommend - Stieg Larsson, Yrsa Sigurdardottir and Henning Mankell if you enjoy crime. For the sci-fi and fantasy reader China Miéville, Richard Morgan, Charles Stross (Lovecraft meets Le Carré with a strong sense of humour and cynicism), Iain M Banks, Neal Stephenson.
 
Currently reading the latest Stephen Donaldson novel. I read the Millenium trilogy earlier this year, finishing it and knowing there would be no more was like saying goodbye to some old friends, they are that involving.

Also, Lisbeth Salander is simply my favourite character I've encountered in any work of fiction - novel, film or television.

No compromises!
 
Alastair said:
Jim.R - you're the only other reader of Richard Morgan I've come across..
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I'd never heard of him until I picked up Altered Carbon in an airport bookshop a few years ago, then swiftly bought the rest of his stuff as it was so good.
I wish he'd get back to writing more modern stuff though, The Steel Remains wasn't my cup of tea, and the forthcomming one appears to be in a similar vein :(
 
Jim.R said:
If you enjoyed this and you've not already read the Motley Crue biog "The Dirt", I'd reccomend you do. A fascinating (if somewhat disturbing at times) read :thumbs:
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Funnily enough, the library had a copy of Nikki Sixx - The Heroin Diary, which is he diaries he kept during 1987 when really really out of it. it is also annotated by comments from him, the band and others involved in the story giving comments about there memories of the time and what Nikki can recall now, so you get the rest of Motley, Slash , Ross Halfin, etc. Bit harrowing, but interesting.....not very glam at all - he hasn't had toilet paper for eight days now, and I am only in February.......
 
Just finished reading 'My Friend Leonard' by James Frey. Picked it up in Oxfam on a whim (not realising it is a sequel till i had finished it!). Really interesting style, short sharp sentences which gives a great pace to the book. Highly recommend.

Now reading 'The Post Office' by Charles Bukowski. Matter of fact and hilarious, so far.
 
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