islandgun Posted May 15, 2014 Report Share Posted May 15, 2014 In another thread a book was mentioned "the man who planted trees" which got me thinking about my favourite books and if anyone has recommendations. I like The old man and the sea ( Ernest Hemingway) Catch 22 (Joseph Heller) Puckoon (Spike Milligan) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fisherman Mike Posted May 15, 2014 Report Share Posted May 15, 2014 Because of where I'm from it has to be "Cider with Rosie" Closely followed by John Moore's "The Cotswolds" which is a stunning and evocative read of the area in the 1930,s Plus anything by Hardy...wonderful stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Mighty Prawn Posted May 15, 2014 Report Share Posted May 15, 2014 Catch 22 (Joseph Heller) Oh my god I hated this! I ranted and moaned all the way through until my wife banned me from talking about it - I thought there were a couple of great chapters interspersed with repetitive and boring tosh - I may well be in the minority though I absolutely loved 'I am Legend' and would reccomend to anyone, it's short but a thousand times better than the awful will Smith film Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amateur Posted May 15, 2014 Report Share Posted May 15, 2014 Through the magic of Kindle, I rediscovered the Richard Hannay novels by John Buchan - which I had not read for at least 50 years. Although Buchan's casual racism seems shocking nowadays, his descriptions of shooting and climbing in the Highlands look authentic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thegazbo Posted May 15, 2014 Report Share Posted May 15, 2014 Puckoon (Spike Milligan) I love Spike Milligan books I am an avid collector I have 76 of his books Puckoon being the book that started me of and the bible according to being the second. Then you cant beat Stephen fry's The liar. Brilliantly written and very gripping oh and annoying but you will struggle to put it down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
islandgun Posted May 15, 2014 Author Report Share Posted May 15, 2014 Oh my god I hated this! I ranted and moaned all the way through until my wife banned me from talking about it - I thought there were a couple of great chapters interspersed with repetitive and boring tosh - I may well be in the minority though I absolutely loved 'I am Legend' and would reccomend to anyone, it's short but a thousand times better than the awful will Smith film Aye I don't think i would find it as entertaining now as I did 40yrs ago, I will look out for I am Legend Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clakk Posted May 15, 2014 Report Share Posted May 15, 2014 got to be Lord of the Rings by Tolkien re read it over n over piddles on the filums.also We were Soldiers once,the mel gibson film nearly does it justice.a great read about the loss of innocence about war .cant remember the author but Stalingrad by a german doctor who was there when the germans surrendered and their life in captivity till their release in the 1950,s is very good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
petethegeek Posted May 15, 2014 Report Share Posted May 15, 2014 Plus anything by Hardy...wonderful stuff. Many years ago I had occasion to drive back from Reading to Worcester every Friday afternoon for six weeks. I can vividly remember breaking the tedium by listening to a Radio 4 production of Jude the Obscure which was being serialised at the same time. As the series progressed I became ever more depressed, but at the same time unable to avoid the compulsion to keep listening. Looking back I can only think that I may have been subconsciously - and somewhat forlornly in the circumstance - awaiting a deus ex machina to provide some vestige of a happy ending. Ever since I have been unable to either face up to any exposure to Thomas Hardy - or drive down the A417/419 without thinking of Jude and his doleful existence. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
camokid Posted May 15, 2014 Report Share Posted May 15, 2014 iv only ever red two books one was the ice man ..about a hit man in the 50,s second was the damage done..... a book on bang kok prison both really good Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
islandgun Posted May 15, 2014 Author Report Share Posted May 15, 2014 (edited) Because of where I'm from it has to be "Cider with Rosie" Closely followed by John Moore's "The Cotswolds" which is a stunning and evocative read of the area in the 1930,s Plus anything by Hardy...wonderful stuff. FM have you not read "The rise and fall of UKIP" by FN Falcon Petethegeek have you seen the abridged kindle version "Jude the dude" an everyday tale of surfer folk in Wessex Edited May 15, 2014 by islandgun Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fisherman Mike Posted May 15, 2014 Report Share Posted May 15, 2014 FM have you not read "The rise and fall of UKIP" by FN Falcon Petethegeek have you seen the abridged kindle version "Jude the dude" an everyday tale of surfer folk in Wessex No but I've read " My Struggle" by Kirsten Mehr a story about her life of depression under a Turkish neo nazi dictator... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malkiserow Posted May 15, 2014 Report Share Posted May 15, 2014 There are many but Longitude by Dava Stobel is up there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fisherman Mike Posted May 15, 2014 Report Share Posted May 15, 2014 Many years ago I had occasion to drive back from Reading to Worcester every Friday afternoon for six weeks. I can vividly remember breaking the tedium by listening to a Radio 4 production of Jude the Obscure which was being serialised at the same time. As the series progressed I became ever more depressed, but at the same time unable to avoid the compulsion to keep listening. Looking back I can only think that I may have been subconsciously - and somewhat forlornly in the circumstance - awaiting a deus ex machina to provide some vestige of a happy ending. Ever since I have been unable to either face up to any exposure to Thomas Hardy - or drive down the A417/419 without thinking of Jude and his doleful existence. You truly are GEEK Pete and I mean that in the nicest possible way.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pegasus bridge Posted May 15, 2014 Report Share Posted May 15, 2014 A book from my childhood that I enjoyed, and now have read to my kids 'Danny the champion of the world" roald Dahl . All that tinkering with pheasants inspired something in me. Another childhood favourite was 'z for zachariah', not read that to the kids yet though ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lord_seagrave Posted May 15, 2014 Report Share Posted May 15, 2014 A favourite of mine that I return to time and again is CP Snow's "The Masters" - it's so economically written, a real study of the subtleties of power and influence. LS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kent Posted May 15, 2014 Report Share Posted May 15, 2014 In another thread a book was mentioned "the man who planted trees" which got me thinking about my favourite books and if anyone has recommendations. I like The old man and the sea ( Ernest Hemingway) Catch 22 (Joseph Heller) Puckoon (Spike Milligan) I should go with your top choice Brilliant Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chady Posted May 15, 2014 Report Share Posted May 15, 2014 All of the andy mcnabb books Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keg Posted May 15, 2014 Report Share Posted May 15, 2014 Brideshead Revisited, Animal Farm and 1984. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amateur Posted May 15, 2014 Report Share Posted May 15, 2014 There are many but Longitude by Dava Stobel is up there. Isn't that the story of Harrison's clocks? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Al Posted May 15, 2014 Report Share Posted May 15, 2014 I don't like fiction. Never did. I prefer Winterdance by Gary Paulsen It tracks his life as a trapper to Dog sled racer. Mostly about running the Iditarod. Brilliantly written. Also Touching the Void by Joe Simpson Autobiography of a Murderer by Hugh Collins Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aled Posted May 15, 2014 Report Share Posted May 15, 2014 I love reading, have done since i was a little boy, whilst eating breakfast i used to read the back of the cereal boxes!...however as things stand i can't think of any works of fiction that i often re-read, unless there is some mystery (e.g. during the Harry Potter series) Love books by Val Mcdermid, Mo Hayder, Stephen Leather, Phil Rickman, Phil Robinson, Stephen Booth, Jeff Lindsay ( i think you get the picture), at the moment i've got 24 books left to read, to reach the 50 mark of the 100 books you must read before you die list. Started Tale of two cites by Charles Dickens last week. Cheers Aled Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
islandgun Posted May 15, 2014 Author Report Share Posted May 15, 2014 I love Spike Milligan books I am an avid collector I have 76 of his books Puckoon being the book that started me of and the bible according to being the second. Then you cant beat Stephen fry's The liar. Brilliantly written and very gripping oh and annoying but you will struggle to put it down. I need to dig out Puckoon again, I remember reading it in two places especially, looking out over Falmouth Harbour on a sunny day when i was about 17 and again on a balcony in the medina in Rabat. I should go with your top choice Brilliant "The old man and the sea" a brilliant short book about respect, the young lad for the old man and the old man for the sea and his quarry ( respect seems in short supply sometimes) cheers IG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malkiserow Posted May 15, 2014 Report Share Posted May 15, 2014 Isn't that the story of Harrison's clocks? Yes it is but it shows a much bigger picture of life and trials of the times for sea voyages etc. I also like anything by Hardy. Edward De Bono rings my bell and Erica Adams is great I am also a huge Michael Sandel fan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Imperfection Posted May 15, 2014 Report Share Posted May 15, 2014 Let the right one in by John Ajvide Lindqvist. Wonderful book which was made into a movie-twice in fact. It by Stephen King. The movie is not as good as the book despite the very excellent Tim Curry playing Pennywise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Mighty Prawn Posted May 15, 2014 Report Share Posted May 15, 2014 Another childhood favourite was 'z for zachariah', not read that to the kids yet though ! That's a book I started to think i'd imagined - I had a heated conversation with my family where I was screaming "There's a girl in a valley and it's after a nuclear war and this guy turns up who she thinks is nice but he's a baddy, there's a film of it I watched at school" until we googled various permutations of that summary and found it The film has a very disturbing full frontal of the man which traumatised me as a teenager however Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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