Favourite Books

[Fjord]

Morning all,

Whilst I'm new here, I'd like to start a non-bushcraft oriented (for the most part) book thread. Akin to a 'book-club' if you like. I'd be interested to find out your favourite books in various genres and possible recommendations… For instance, mine:

All time favourite: The Pillars of the Earth - Ken Follet
- An amazing book of historical fiction that tells the story of a group of children as they grow through life in a medieval village. The story centres around the building of a cathedral and the dirty politics employed by various factions in an attempt to stop the build.

Sci Fi/Fantasy: Magician - Raymond E. Feist
- The introduction to a truly epic series that charts a dynasty of rulers and the characters that come in - and out - of their lives. Whilst the main characters are outside of the royal family, it is the Royal's the give the series a sense of place. True good vs evil, the best fantasy books I have - and I think ever - will read.

Non-fiction: 1812 Napoleons Fatal March on Moscow
- Pretty self explanatory but a wonderfully written history book that is truly absorbing.

Other authors that I love: Bernard Cornwell, George R R Martin, Alexander Kent, C.S. Forester.



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Now I don't mean to just ask about the above genres; anything goes. If you're particularly raunchy about romance then I'm equally interested!

Hope you're up for this

 

[woof]

For me, its the 39 steps, or any of Buchans books, but the 39 stepss is special.

Just reading 1356 by Cornwell, i enjoy stuff about thse times, glad i was'nt about then though !. Also enjoy the Jack Reacher novels.

Rob

 

[woodstock]

Just William
Swallows and Amazons
The Hobbit
Catcher in the Rye
Of Mice and Men
Hitchhikers Guide to the galaxy
To Kill a Mocking Bird
The upanishads

It was the sort of order that I read them there is lots more but these spring to mind,

 

[Scots_Charles_River]

I have read a few Assassin's Creed books, really good. And I have never played the game on the PC. They mix historical times with espionage, thriller etc.

'The Way Back' film is on tonight on Film 4, based on The 'Long Walk' book, which was good.

 

[swotty]

The Feathermen - Ranulph Fiennes
Hell Angels- Sonny Barger
Colter - Rick Bass
Seven Pillars of Wisdom- T E Lawrence
Call of the Wild - Guy Grieve
Mondo Enduro - can't remember the author!
The Third Policeman - Flan O'Brian

To name but a few........

 

[THOaken]

Fiction: The Lord of the Rings.

Non Fiction: Britain BC.

And numerous nature guides.

 

[resnikov]

Just been reading the Walt Longmire series of books and they are great. Crime but set in Wyoming so has a western theme to it.

 

[ashby001]

Drenai saga - David gemmel (skilgannon and waylander are my favourite characters)
Black magician trilogy - Trudi canavan
A song of ice and fire (game of thrones for those who haven't read the books)
The farseer trilogy - robin hobb
The night angel trilogy - Brent weeks

As you can see there's a general fantasy theme going on here.

Swotty what's feathermen like?? I've bought it but never got round to reading it

 

[swotty]

Drenai saga - David gemmel (skilgannon and waylander are my favourite characters)
Black magician trilogy - Trudi canavan
A song of ice and fire (game of thrones for those who haven't read the books)
The farseer trilogy - robin hobb
The night angel trilogy - Brent weeks

As you can see there's a general fantasy theme going on here.

Swotty what's feathermen like?? I've bought it but never got round to reading it

The Feathermen is brilliant, possibly my favourite book. The film is pants!
Think its out of print now so one from second hand bookshops!

 

[sandbender]

Anything by the late Iain Banks or Iain M Banks.
Anything by Cormac McCarthy
I generally enjoy books from William Gibson and also Neal Stephenson
More recently I enjoyed The Wind Up Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi Blindsight by Peter Watts and both The Quantum Thief and The Fractal Prince by Hannu Rajaniemi.

There is more, from other times and of different genres but this is where I'm at right now.

 

[Macaroon]

Gravity's Rainbow, by Thomas Pynchon..............A superb book, monumental in scope and in my view one of the best books ever written...........Not an easy read, more a journey, but repays the intellectual investment
with interest. I've read this countless times over the years and continuously find more reward from it; my "Desert Island" book without doubt.

 

[Ecoman]

Bernard Cornwell's Sharpe series - Got all of them
Bernard Cornwell's Nautical books - Got all of them (can you tell he is my favourite author?)
Sniper One - Sgt Dan Mills
Breath of Angels - John Beattie
Jupiter's Travels - Ted Simon
Crow Road - Iain Banks
War of The Worlds - H. G. Wells
Bruach Blend - Lillian Beckwith
Between Earth and Paradise - Mike Tomkies
Captain Corelli's Mandolin - Louis De Bernières
Dune - Frank Herbert
Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams
Expecting Someone Taller - Tom Holt
Don't Tell Mum I Work On The Rigs (She thinks I'm a piano player in a ***** house) - Paul Carter
Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck
Z for Zachariah - Robert C O'Brien

Just the ones I can remember sat here but the list is endless.

 

[British Red]

Just been reading the Walt Longmire series of books and they are great. Crime but set in Wyoming so has a western theme to it.

Not read the books but thoroughly enjoyed the TV series

 

[santaman2000]

1. Anything by:
-Alistair Maclean
-JohnGrisham
-Louis L'amour
-Edgar Rice Burroughs (particularly The Oulaw of Torn)

2. Biography:
-Marine! The Life of Chesty Puller by Burke Davis

3. Novel:
-Freckles by Gene Stratton Porter

 

[Man of Tanith]

The Dark Tower series by Stephen King even if I was disappointed by the ending.
The Emberverse series by S M Stirling. Lisa has stopped bothering to try talking to me when I re read em.
Gaunts Ghosts series by Dan Abnett.
Down and out in Paris and London by George Orwell.


Currently reading the gruffalo a lot too ( bed time reading for Jake regularly)

 

[Andy T]

To kill a mockingbird.... Brilliant.

 

[sandbender]

"...Gravity's Rainbow, by Thomas Pynchon..."

+1 to this, definitely more of a journey than a book.

If you enjoy this I'd recommend 'Cryptonomicon' by Neal Stephenson, another lengthy read with some similar themes.

 

[Uilleachan]

Don't really have any favorites, perhaps;

Russell Hoban's "Riddley Walker"
Flan O'Brian's "The Poor Mouth" (aka: "Myles Na Gopaleen's "Am Bael Bocht", in the gaelic)
John Le Carre's "Our Game" and "the spy who came in from the cold"
Magnus Mills's "Restraint of Beasts", and "The Scheme for Full Employment"

all rank for me, but there are so many others.

Recently I've discovered and really enjoyed Philip Kerr's "Bernie Gunther" series, gob-smack-ing-ly fantastic fiction, I've read the lot and really enjoyed them, great writer.

Also William McIlvanney's Laidlaw trilogy, another great writer.

I read mainly non fiction though

 

[rik_uk3]

Far too many for me to list. Currently reading The Blind Watchmaker by Richard Dawkins. I enjoy science fiction (older authors), some horror but generally I read mainly non fiction.

 

[Fjord]

The Dark Tower series by Stephen King even if I was disappointed by the ending.

...
Currently reading the gruffalo a lot too ( bed time reading for Jake regularly)

Could never get into Steven King… Love the Gruffalo though. I'd say it's genuinely one of my favourites…!