Books

We all rant and rave about the latest techno gismo, ipod, PSP, AVOD QC3's or whatever, we all complain when the batteries run out, the AVOD packs in, or VS turn it on too late and turn it off too early. But what about the humble book?
I picked up a couple of new titles on a recent trip to Singapore and have spent the next 4 flights engrossed in them.
No worrying about batteries running out, or having to turn off for take of and landing, just sit down, buckle up and start reading.

My favourite genre is the "techno thriller" such as Tom Clancy, Dale Brown, Stephen Coonts, Clive Cussler, Jack higgins, Micheal Critchon et al.... Yes I'm shallow and like an easy, gripping read, but what are other people reading, indeed how many of us still remember this innocent past time?

1.Mrs De Winter - Susan Hill
2.The Woman in Black - Susan Hill
3.Six wives of Henry 8th - cant remember authors name
4.Nazis - a warning from history - Lawrence Rees

These are ther books i am reading at the moment!

[fozzyo]

1. His Dark Materials Trilogy by Philip Pullman
2. Curious Incident of a Dog in the Night-Time
3. One Hit Wonder by Lisa Jewell by Mark Haddon
4. His Dark Materials Trilogy by Philip Pullman

His Dark Materials ... can't say enough about these books. They are officially classified as Teenage reading, but they are so much more then that. And the fact that the Daily Mail called for them to be banned / burned because they could be seen as every so slightly anti organised religion only adds to their brilliance. Each book won a whole bunch of awards, the final one (The Amber Spyglass) won the Whitbread Book of the Year!

Curious Incident is a fantastic read, written as if the main character (Christopher) who has Asperger Syndrome had written it. I have a friend who has two daughters - one Asperger and one Autistic and she is amazed at how well its written and how accurate a portrayal it is from her experience.

One Hit Wonder - this is my Chick Flick entry, its a fabulous read. The end had my in floods of tears.

His Dark Materials again just because I love them soo much and have read them loads, seen the play at the National and can't wait for the film!

yep... you lot are definately making me look shallow!

Also tend to have several on the go:
1)Oftec's Domestic heating system design - Operating principles and energy efficiency advice for technicians
2)The Art of Happiness, Dalai Lama
3) Rodger's The Command of the Oceans

The first one is really boring and I suspect will never be made into a film! The last one could make 30 films, and all would need to have Russell Crowe in in the lead role.

[HighFlyer]

2.The Woman in Black - Susan Hill

Ger, read this for my GCSE English Lit. Can i spoil the ending for you? Its a very good book actually, very well written. Was surprised to see the word 'melancholy' in a book picked for 15 year old Students.

Currently attempting to quasi-read:

1) Icon: Steve Jobs; The Greatest Second Act in the History of Business by J. Young & W. Simon (awesome reading!)
2) The Value of Life: Introduction to Medical Ethics by John Harris (even more awesome!)
3) Mastering Windows XP Registry by Peter D. Hipson (less reading, more learning, little dire)
4) Moby Dick - Herman Melville (not actually picked this up for a long time and not sure where it is)

I only get to read books when i am flying, which is a real shame as i used to read quite frequently. Love John Grisham books, although started to get fed up with the constant legal eagle angle. Though Bleachers was crap in comparision.

Favourite books of all time; To Kill a Mockingbird (Harper Lee) and Of Mice and Men (John Steinbeck). Have read both dozens of times and never get tired of either. Still get upset when Lenny dies too.

Thanks,
Sarah

Sarah,

Funnily enough i did it also for my GCSE lit !

I have read it so many times but i like the way it is written and the old televised version of it still makes me jump!

On the go at the moment...

Thud - Terry Pratchett
Diaries 1969-1979: The Python Years - Michael Palin

Recently completed...

Stuart: A Life Backwards - Alexander Masters
Margrave of the Marshes - The Peel Family

On the shelves - a lot of books about music, genre detectives (Ian Rankin, Colin Dexter, John Harvey, Peter Robinson), individual favourite authors (Christopher Brookmyre, Christopher Buckley, Stephen King), military history..
Paul

Sorry, fozzyo, I can't stand His Dark Materials although I have also seen the play at the National Theatre.

Likewise, Sarah - To Kill a Mocking-Bird is also one of my favourite books.

At the moment, I have just finished reading Mao's Last Dancer which is far, far, far better than it sounds;)

VS.

Just finished 'Cell' (Stephen King) - I now can't hear 'the wind beneath my wings' without thinking about the book. Just bought a compilation called 'Like a Charm', but due to family probs, not evej opened it yet......[:(!]

I've just finished 'My Best Friend's Girl' by Dorothy Koomson and i'm just about to borrow DH's copy of 'The World According to Clarkson'.

Originally posted by HighFlyer
1) Icon: Steve Jobs; The Greatest Second Act in the History of Business by J. Young & W. Simon (awesome reading!)

Good choice Sarah!

Currently reading:
1. Shout to the Top - Jam Biog by Dennis Munday
2. Humble Pie - Gordon Ramsay

Just read:
1. Who's the B**tard in the Black - Jeff Winter (premiership ref)
2. Life on Planet Rock - Lonn Friend ( RIP Editor)

Fave book of all time - probably Lord of The Rings but also like all the Tom Clancy stuff - bout time he had a new one out!

[HighFlyer]

just about to borrow DH's copy of 'The World According to Clarkson'.

2Tinks - Just be prepared for the giggles and outbursts of laughter. I've read this, and probably every other 'Clarkson on ..' book. They all make me laugh. Not exactly literary dizzy heights to be fair, but many a true observance written in the brilliant Clarkson style! Awesome!

Likewise, Sarah - To Kill a Mocking-Bird is also one of my favourite books.

I have to admit that i have a one year old cousin, little girl, called Scout. Not my influence, i promise!

Thanks,
Sarah

[Neil]

Originally posted by HighFlyer
Of Mice and Men (John Steinbeck). Have read both dozens of times and never get tired of either. Still get upset when Lenny dies too.

I loved of Mice and Men and have not read it for so long, like many others we studdied it for GSCE English and I got hooked, it is sat on the shelf next to me right now and might have to try and find some time to read it again.

I only ever seem to read on holiday and I am obsessed with Ian Rankin's novels, an excellent young(ish) writter.

Originally posted by HighFlyer
Favourite books of all time; To Kill a Mockingbird (Harper Lee)

D*mn - missed that off my list. One of those books that doesn't have a word out of place. Excellent film too.

Originally posted by catsilversword
Just finished 'Cell' (Stephen King)

I had to sit up all night in my bedsit and read "Salem's Lot" in one go as I was too scared to go to sleep. Likewise "The Stand" was devoured on a slow train journey to Cardiff many moons ago.

Originally posted by Attitude23
I only ever seem to read on holiday and I am obsessed with Ian Rankin's novels, an excellent young(ish) writer.

I do wonder what he's going to do when he has to pension Rebus off. Shame also that they've never quite got it right on TV; Ken Stoot was the closest but too much of "Messiah" had rubbed off on him.

(BTW - welcome back, hope you had a good one)

Paul

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Likewise, Sarah - To Kill a Mocking-Bird is also one of my favourite books.

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I have to admit that i have a one year old cousin, little girl, called Scout. Not my influence, i promise!

Quite a few celebs have actually named offspring/pets after characters from the book.

VS.

[ChuckC]

Good topic for our OT forum!

I'm a history lover, particularly of the 19th and 20th centuries. Recently concluded 102 Minutes, a real tough read; it follows some of the survivors of The World Trade Center as they fought to escape the doomed towers. Just last week finished Sea of Thunder by Evan Thomas, the story of the last great naval battle of WWII. Am now working on State of Denial, the third in Bob Woodward's series on President Bush (don't get me started). Next will be The Looming Tower which chronicles Al Qaeda's planning for 9/11. Figure I'll be finished just in time for the Book 7 of Harry Potter; no matter what I'm reading, when one of the Potter books debuts I immediately buy it and read it cover to cover as fast as possible.

Chuck-

[fozzyo]

Originally posted by GrinningJackanapes
I knew a drag queen named Tequila Mockingbird. Does that count?

Wow - what an utterly fabulous name!

Not read To Kill or Mice and Men, though saw Mice and Men on stage once. It was in a small old TV studio ... unbelievably moving.

[RichardMannion]

Not quite the heavy fiction reader, never really got on with it as I prefer my useless facts. I think the last fiction books I read were the Harry Potter series.

In terms of non-fiction, again I rarely acutally read an actual book, as I spend far too much time on Wikipedia or other sites just absorbing information. Last actual books:

Common as Muck: The Autobiography of Roy 'Chubby' Brown - really enjoyed this, it really shows the two distinct sides of this intelligent chap.

Clarkson on Cars: About halfway through this right now, it's his old diaries/scribblings from the late 80's early 90's and is very good.

Humble Pie: Gordon Ramsay - started reading it, about halfway through it.

Thanks,
Richard

I'm with you there Richard. I spend way too much time on Wikipedia just soaking it up. But a good mindless fiction book (such as HP) is a nice way to pass the time.

[Neil]

Originally posted by pjh

Originally posted by Attitude23
I only ever seem to read on holiday and I am obsessed with Ian Rankin's novels, an excellent young(ish) writer.

I do wonder what he's going to do when he has to pension Rebus off. Shame also that they've never quite got it right on TV; Ken Stoot was the closest but too much of "Messiah" had rubbed off on him.

(BTW - welcome back, hope you had a good one)

Paul

I agree Paul, only one more Rebus novel left which I am gutted about, although I have read quite a few of his other novels and they are very good also.

Agree about the TV show, Stott is how I image Rebus to be, but the Shiobhan was dreadful and the way they ruined to plots and left out a lot of the detail really wound me up.

(Excellent holiday, thanks for asking!)

Neil

I am currently reading "The Children of Men" P.D James - Which is not a book I would have normally picked up, but I thought I would try something a little different.

Just finished "Prey" Michael Critcton - Very good book, and would make a good film.

Mark

Testament of Youth by Vera Brittain. An absolutley heartbreaking record of a young girl's life before, during and after World War I. Up there with All Quiet on the Western Front and Goodbye to all That.