Decent holiday reads anyone?

[FourLaneBlue]

As I will soon be leaving these Albion shores for a fortnight in Greece I was wondering if anybody on here can recommend a decent read to take away the tedium of the daily toasting of myself on the sun loungers (if I can get there before the Germans).  Does anyone have any recommendations that can make my attempt to become bronzed go that bit quicker?

[Timmy]

The Beach by Alex Garland-a fantastic holiday read

..or you could take "Burnley: The Great Years" But this will last all of about 2 seconds

 

PS There is probably no such book, I just made it up!

[Tom Pringle]

Frank Skinner - Frank Skinner

Superb read, i had it for Australia and got 3 quaters of the way through during the journey to Australia and finished it on the way back.

[Cheeky Sidders]

I can concur about The Beach - infinitely better than the awful film that was made of it.  Alex Garland's follow-up "The Tessaract" is harder to get into but very absorbing and a cracking read.

Holiday reads should be none too testing as there are too many distractions on holiday to get absorbed in something heavy, so I'd recommend just about anything by Michael Crichton, Thomas Harris, Nick Hornby, Irvine Welch and Iain Banks

Timeline by Michael Crichton would get my vote - get past the first 50 pages and you'll be hooked.  Fighting, time travel, secret tunnels, loathsome baddies, intrigue, etc.  In fact, Crichton books in general are good reads despite the fact most of them get turned into crap films.  The book of Jurassic Park is rather good and has a message that the film misses out.  Loads more dinosaurs too and very gruesome.  I wouldn't recommend Airframe for holiday reading though as you'd be too scared to get back on the plane coming home!

Eagle In The Snow by Wallace Bream is one of my favourite books and gives a very different slant to the Roman world - chaos, despair, betrayal and lots of fighting.  A modern classic and absolutely unputdownable.

If you want something with more substance, you can't beat The Name Of The Rose by Umberto Eco.  Forget the crap film, the book is superb and will keep you guessing.  Fascinating insight into a period I knew nothing about - famine, violence, religious heresy (Penitenziagite!), murder, sex and... er... library design!

DON'T succumb to the easy option and read any of that Grisham and Clancy crap.  Life's too short!

[Tarka]

Thanks. I could do with the advice too seeing as I'm off to Peru in three days.

I was thinking of reading a Michael Moore but I also need a backup.

[Legion]

I've just finished The Constant Gardener by John Le Carre.  great read if you like his style.

[Lee]

Anything by Tony Hawks (not the skateboarder), Round Ireland with a Fridge, Playing the Moldovans at Tennis, One Hit Wonderland, all great stuff.

Are you Dave Gorman? By Dave Gorman

Anything by Bill Bryson

Anything by Ian Rankin

The Beach is a good read, better than the film.

[rosie]

If you've not read Michael Moore's book yet, take it.  Other than that, Jeremy Paxman's book, "the English" is very entertaining.  Last year on holiday, I read both Chocky (John Wyndham) and How to be Good (Nick Hornby) in no time because they were compulsive and enjoyable reads.

Lucky you!  I love holiday reading.

[Simon Says]

Anything by Ian Rankin, Peter Robinson or Graham Hurley.

If you want a book about footy you must read Broken Dreams by Tom Bower.

[Sydney Rovers]

I agree about "The Beach", brilliant book,terrible movie. I read it while I was in Europe 3 years ago and it made a change from the other stuff I was reading at the time like "1984" and "Clockwork Orange".

If you want to read something that will get you laughing, you can't go past "The Wrong Way Home" by Peter Moore. This is one of those books that I never get sick of reading.

[The Dart]

"Where's Wally." Had me hooked.

[PABBY]

The Stand - Stephen King

Birdsong - Sebastian Faulkes

[colin]

I'm still holding a candle for Willy Russell's "The Wrong Boy." Quite possibly the best book I have ever read.

Nigel Williams' "The Wimbledon Poisoner" is currently entertaining me.

[Shevchenko]

You can't go wrong with Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman

[FourLaneBlue]

Nigel Williams' "The Wimbledon Poisoner" is currently entertaining me.

Agree with that as I read it when living in Wimbledon for a year.  Very funny in an understated sort of way.

[benrover]

Anything by Tim Parks - particularly recommend 'A season with Verona'... flits from being quite heavy about what Italian supporters get up to and then great light reading about the passion on the Curva's around Italy... Fantastico!

[Cheshireblue]

I'm still holding a candle for Willy Russell's "The Wrong Boy." Quite possibly the best book I have ever read.

Good lord Colin, we are agreeing on something again! Absolutely hilarious in places and very very well written.

Stephen Fry - The Hippopotamus is also excellent.

If you want something a bit heavier, Sophie's world by Jostein Gardner is also very good, and the Magus by John Fowles is very compelling.

My favourite biography (Other than the Downing Street Years obviously) Is "Evil Spirits" - a biography of Oliver Reed. A true legend.

[Cocker]

Bravo two Zero by Andy McNab

[colin]

Stephen Fry - The Hippopotamus is also excellent.

Agreeing again!

This is getting scary.

[Anti Euro Smiths Fan]

Next, Colin will be coming out and saying he's been a lifelong Thatcherite.  

I intend visiting a bookshop in the next week or so to purchase "The Wrong Boy".

I look forward to reading it.

It was reported earlier in the year on a Morrissey fan website, that Willy Russell has received a letter from Mozza who wrote to Willy to say that he enjoyed the book.

[bellamy11]

You can't go wrong with Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman

Crowley~~

[Tom Pringle]

Bravo two Zero by Andy McNab

A book that gets better with every read

[Ricky]

If you want a funny read go for "Freaky Dancin'". Its an autobiography by Bez from the Happy Mondays, its a crackin good book

[Drummer Boy]

Michael Parkinson on Football

Witty

Well-written

Opinionated

Thought-provoking

Covers the '50's onwards without being nostalgic and rose-tinted

God articles on Best, Charlton, Shearer, Keegan and Barnsley to name but a few.

Particularly strong on the incompetence of the FA/Premier League to act as custodians of the national game.

[Flopsy]

You can't go wrong with Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman

Brilliant book

anything by Terry Pratchett based in the discworld is a good bet,

If you want a holiday book, try any of Lee Child's Reacher Novels, good action thrillers. Also Nelson DeMile is worth a look.

Who wrote Armageddon the Musical? - now theres a great book - Elvis Lives