Decent holiday reads anyone?

[ABBEY]

I've just finished The Currious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-time by Mark Haddon.  Absolutely first rate.

For those that have never heard of it, it was intended as a book for teenagers but ended up winning numerous awards normally reserved for adult readers and was on the Booker prize list (although not the final shortlist). 

It's about a boy called Christopher who has Asperger's Syndrome.  Christopher finds a dead dog (killed with a garden fork) and the book charts his attempts to track down the killer of poor Wellington, as weel as numerous other unsavoury discoveries along the way.

It reads well for anyone who likes well-written character studies, but gives a very different slant on disabled people and will have extra appeal to appeal with knowledge/experience of learning disability.  The reviews on the cover are from big name sources and all rate it very highly, with the New York Times critic even likening it to The Cathcher In The Rye.

Very well-written, very funny and very moving.

I bought that book yesterday. It sounds really good and im really looking forward to reading it.

I'll let you know what i think.

see you in 12 months then H

[blue phil]

All time favourite Catcher in the Rye...

Good Choice....

Am I the only one who found this book a pretentious load of garbage ? I put it alongside The Godfather and Catch 22 in my most over-rated category ...

[American]

All time favourite Catcher in the Rye...

Good Choice....

Am I the only one who found this book a pretentious load of garbage ?

Thank you. I thought I was the only one.

[Dr Rich]

All time favourite Catcher in the Rye...

Good Choice....

Am I the only one who found this book a pretentious load of garbage ?

Thank you. I thought I was the only one.

Me three, I've read far worse, but it is vastly over-hyped.

[Ricky]

<font color='#000000'>If you want a funny read go for "Freaky Dancin'". Its an autobiography by Bez from the Happy Mondays, its a crackin good book</font>

I have that book, it is so good, very amusing had me in stitches some of the comedy antics they used to get up to!!!

12 months and 1 day since I posted that, still think its a nice easy read. If your into true crime books Essex Boys and Wannabe in my gang are both pretty good.

[RoyRover]

I'm in the middle of reading a biography of Robert De Niro. Very good indeed, it goes some way to expaining why he is so odd. Michael Moore's Dude, Where Is My Country? is excellent and well worth a look.

[FourLaneBlue]

All time favourite Catcher in the Rye...

Good Choice....

Am I the only one who found this book a pretentious load of garbage ? I put it alongside The Godfather and Catch 22 in my most over-rated category ...

Must admit that I thought Catch-22 was ridiculously overhyped. Not that I didn't enjoy it, just don't think it is quite the life-defining masterpiece it is made out to be. Still think Catcher In the Rye is ace though.

I'd still stick with 1984 as my favourite and which I wanted to win The Big Read (not that I was too bothered but you know...). An awesome achievement and Orwellian terminology continues to pervade modern speech and thinking.

[FourLaneBlue]

I'm in the middle of reading a biography of Robert De Niro. Very good indeed, it goes some way to expaining why he is so odd. Michael Moore's Dude, Where Is My Country? is excellent and well worth a look.

Expect to see Michael Moore in the news all over the place since. A new film of his is coming out, Farenheit 9/11, which is making a bit of fuss at the Cannes Film Festival right now.

[Simon Says]

<font color='#000000'>If you want a funny read go for "Freaky Dancin'". Its an autobiography by Bez from the Happy Mondays, its a crackin good book</font>

I have that book, it is so good, very amusing had me in stitches some of the comedy antics they used to get up to!!!

12 months and 1 day since I posted that, still think its a nice easy read. If your into true crime books Essex Boys and Wannabe in my gang are both pretty good.

The best true crime book I read recently was Wicked Beyond Belief by Michael Bilton.

It tells the story of the hunt for the Yorkshire Ripper. Whilst it does go into detail on the attacks it mainly focuses on the failure of the police investigation. The number of times he slipped through the net is incredible.

[American]

<font color='#000000'>If you want a funny read go for "Freaky Dancin'". Its an autobiography by Bez from the Happy Mondays, its a crackin good book</font>

I have that book, it is so good, very amusing had me in stitches some of the comedy antics they used to get up to!!!

12 months and 1 day since I posted that, still think its a nice easy read. If your into true crime books Essex Boys and Wannabe in my gang are both pretty good.

The best true crime book I read recently was Wicked Beyond Belief by Michael Bilton.

It tells the story of the hunt for the Yorkshire Ripper. Whilst it does go into detail on the attacks it mainly focuses on the failure of the police investigation. The number of times he slipped through the net is incredible.

I tend not to usually really enjoy the "classics" (sad, being that I got my degree in English Lit), but I'd highly recommend Truman Capote's "In Cold Blood" if you like true crime novels.

[Radagast]

Michael Moore writes great works of imaginative fiction.

Oh no, wait, they're not even well written. I've read better kids books.

[Blueboy Downunder]

just finished reading 'have a nice day'....by mick foley.

very good read and interesting.

[Morph]

All time favourite Catcher in the Rye...

Good Choice....

Am I the only one who found this book a pretentious load of garbage ? I put it alongside The Godfather and Catch 22 in my most over-rated category ...

I would agree with you on Catcher In The Rye, which I found so poor as to be almost unreadable, but would disagree regarding Catch 22. Whilst not quite the masterpiece it is made out to be, it is still a very good book, wickedly funny in places and an interesting study into the absurdity of war (although it doesn't hold a candle to Slaughter House Five in this regard).

[Radagast]

I finished Dante's Inferno today, as well as Porno by Irvine Welsh (I know you aren't meant to read two books at once, but hey, I'm a rebel).Porno omly took a couple of days to read and a great deal of it was very entertaining and often endearing (prettymuch any of the chapters narrated by Spud). Often, though, it was just a case of the same thing happening over and over again with different dialogue. I guess the key difference between it and Trainspotting (which pi$$es all over it) was that it had a plot.

I've now moved onto reading Seventh Son by Orson Scott Card, which is really nothing at all like I expected but I'm finding it enthralling in a very strange sort of way.

[Billy Castell]

War of the Worlds-HG Wells

Archangel-Robert Harris

The best Democracy money can buy-Greg Palast.

[philipl]

Just read this thread through from the beginning and it is a sheer joy! Prompted me to look at the BBC Big Read top 200 which I found fascinating-I had read my way through just over half of them.

Was surprised by the absence of Graham Greene and Anthony Trollope and amazed that there was no Kafka on the list but perhaps I skimmed it too quickly. Delighted to see Bulgakov, Nobokov, Kundura, Marques, Eco all there.

The absence of travel books surprised (Bryson excepted)- Newby, Fermore and the inevitable Theroux are all cracking good reads.

A book for blowing the cobwebs away from the mind is Thomas Pynchon V. The descriptions of Germany in the aftermath of the War are shattering in bringing home the realities of those times.

[FourLaneBlue]

All time favourite Catcher in the Rye...

Good Choice....

Am I the only one who found this book a pretentious load of garbage ? I put it alongside The Godfather and Catch 22 in my most over-rated category ...

I wouldn't say those were over-rated as people obviously enjoyed them but they were disappointing to you as you expected the hype to translate into something you'd admire. That's individual taste though! If I was to pick what I thought was the most disappointing 'classic' I have ever read it would have to be 'Lord of the Flies' by William Golding. Just hated it even though I've had people go on at me how great it is both before and after I read it.

[American]

Just read this thread through from the beginning and it is a sheer joy! Prompted me to look at the BBC Big Read top 200 which I found fascinating-I had read my way through just over half of them.

Was surprised by the absence of Graham Greene and Anthony Trollope and amazed that there was no Kafka on the list but perhaps I skimmed it too quickly. Delighted to see Bulgakov, Nobokov, Kundura, Marques, Eco all there.

The absence of travel books surprised (Bryson excepted)- Newby, Fermore and the inevitable Theroux are all cracking good reads.

A book for blowing the cobwebs away from the mind is Thomas Pynchon V. The descriptions of Germany in the aftermath of the War are shattering in bringing home the realities of those times.

Kafka is one of the few I was forced to read that I liked. But I wouldn't quite consider him to be "summer/beach reading."

[blue phil]

All time favourite Catcher in the Rye...

Good Choice....

Am I the only one who found this book a pretentious load of garbage ? I put it alongside The Godfather and Catch 22 in my most over-rated category ...

I wouldn't say those were over-rated as people obviously enjoyed them but they were disappointing to you as you expected the hype to translate into something you'd admire. That's individual taste though!

I suppose that's true to a certain extent - "modern" novels aren't really to my taste , and the American novels I listed just seem to lack any real substance. Maybe it's a result of a youthful enthusiasm for Verne , Wells , Haggard and the like. Or maybe it's a bit like some people seeing qualities in some footballers that others are certain aren't there !

Oh , and you're right about Lord of the Flies !

[Morph]

Currently reading "Brighton Rock" by Graham Greene. Only 100 pages or so into it at the moment, but it's shaping up to be the best thing I've read in a very long time. Can certainly see philipl's point regarding Greene's omission from the Big Read top 200, and will be hunting out some of his other novels as soon as I finish this one.

[colin]

Just thought I'd bring this back to the top. Let's face it, we have our reputation as being the most literate & erudite set of supporters in the country to maintain.

I'd like to put a word in for "Football Against The Enemy" by Simon Kuper.

It's a football-round-the-world book featuring stories from all over the place which links the game with national traits/social conditions & behaviour/politics.

Got to admit I'm only up to page 48 of 235, but it's gripping read so far.

Page 48 is part of the chapter on Russin football and contains this:

Beria's Dynamo Moscow was founded by Englishmen. Hardly surprising in a way, as because Englishmen founded clubs all over the world, but not, one would have thought, Dynamo Moscow.

Of course Clement & Harry Charnock, textile manufacturers,did not call their club "Dynamo." They named it Orekhovo Sport Club ....................One Charnock tradition survived , and does to this day: Dynamo still play in the blue and white of the Orekhovo Sport Club. The brothers were Blackburn Rovers' Fans

[FourLaneBlue]

interesting recommendation that Colin, I may well just give it a try.

I've previously read a Simon Kuper book - 'Ajax, the Dutch, the War' which is a history of the occupied Netherlands in microcosm. If the one you recommend is as good as that was then it'll be an enjoyable read.

[Blueboy Downunder]

just finished reading "last light".....a fictional novel by andy mcnabb,which was ok, but not as good as the first of his series that i read "crisis four". have just started reading liberation day which i am hoping will be a good read....quality novelist he is.

[colin]

Bit of googling....

straight steal from Kuper or vice versa

football culture

This is bit more like it..."Charnock, though, persisted: he imported shirts and shorts in the colours of his beloved Blackburn Rovers and had a pitch

marked out."

[Cheshireblue]

I'm currently reading Lynn Trusse - Eats, shoots and leaves. A very impressive rant about the decline in punctuation. It might sound dull, but it is very well written and is extremely entertaining.

Many on here could benefit from it!