evlPanda said...

evlPram said...
The Road by McCormack (also wrote No Country for Old Men). I read this...

myusernam said...

^^^^^^^^
the road is by cormac mcarthy.
won the pluitzer prize for fiction 2007

Haha yes, that guy. I only remember faces.

BTW got a Kindle last night. So far so wow.

I got one a few months ago. The first few times I recharged it it was a pain in the arse to turn back on. Have you experienced that problem?

David Gemmell for Fantasy.

teatrea said...

David Gemmell for Fantasy.

+1 for Druss the Legend and Deathwalker Have read nearly all his books.

I started reading David Pelzer's books recently, A Child Called It, and currently half way through The Lost Boy. Pretty horrific but hard to put down.

Another book I really enjoyed was Bill Bryson's - In a Sunburned Country (or titled Down Under, depending where you get it).

+ 1 for World War Z.

for something a bit heavier.....

Wild Swans.

written by 3 generations of Chinese women, a history from their personal perspective detailing the monumental social change of china in 3 generations.

compiled and written by the granddaughter in the early 90's (i think)

Some interesting suggestions. Time to renew my library card

^ My god. Cisco has suggested something I might take onboard.

Looks like I'm buying World War Z and some Lawson.

Everyone keeps recommending me "Pillars of the Earth".

Related: I've had the Kindle nearly a week now. I had my hopes it would be as good as a real book, it is better. The typesetting is beautiful, it is crisper and easier to read than anything on paper and I now prefer turning the pages with a button. It just sits in your hand better than a novel, I can turn pages and drink a coffee at the same time. Books are < $10 and arrive instantly. I'm buying some more for Christmas presents. The only negative, the only one, is that the "paper" is ever so slightly blue/green, I would prefer ever so slightly yellow/red.

i need to read more as i always thought

ethos and pathos .

were part of the three musketeers

Bondalucci said...

"Birds of Prey" by Wilbur Smith, was an awesome book imho. You could smell the salt air in your nostrils as you read about the piracy adventures of the Courtneys' around the rugged coast of Africa.
-exciting and brutal!

Then there were excellent sequels to look forward to that followed the paths of the next generations.

Having grown up in Africa I am already biased towards loving the books but "When the Lion Feeds" and "the sound of thunder" were very good. If you're after a book that's not too serious but with plenty of action and excitement give em a go. Unfortunately so many of his newer ones were not good enough for bog roll.

knigit said...

Bondalucci said...

"Birds of Prey" by Wilbur Smith, was an awesome book imho. You could smell the salt air in your nostrils as you read about the piracy adventures of the Courtneys' around the rugged coast of Africa.
-exciting and brutal!

Then there were excellent sequels to look forward to that followed the paths of the next generations.

Having grown up in Africa I am already biased towards loving the books but "When the Lion Feeds" and "the sound of thunder" were very good. If you're after a book that's not too serious but with plenty of action and excitement give em a go. Unfortunately so many of his newer ones were not good enough for bog roll.

Wilbur Smith is a story writer. Some of his stories are good stories but not many of them are realistic nor accurate. Good for escapism (and there is no problem with that) but hardly a contribution to literature.

rohjar said...

I just finished reading the "Master and Commander" series by Patrick O'Brian. 20 books that any wind junky will love. Read 'em in order if you can, or just borrow whatever ones the public library has when you walk in. The loving attention to the joy of a fresh breeze will make no-wind days seem bearable. What luck!

or there's a russell crowe movie

Two of my favourites of all time would have to be Round Ireland With A Fridge, by Tony Hawk, about his attempt to hitchhike a complete circuit of Ireland, with a small fridge. The fridge even tries surfing and goes up in a helicopter. Playing Tennis With the Moldovans which was his next book, is another classic laugh out loud on a bus nearly let a little bit of wee out-style stuff.

another face is Marching Powder, the story of an English cocaine smuggler who gets caught in Bolivia, ends up in jail and to make a living eventually finds a way to run tours through the prison. A brilliant expose on the uber corrupt police state.

Also all of Bill Brysons books are very funny, the European one, I think it's called 'neither here nor there' is an absolute corker. One liner after one liner. I could not read it in a public place lol.

Good luck in your search!

japie said...

Roar said...

Jock of the Bushveld by Sir Percy Fitzpatrick

If you like dogs you will love this one :)

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jock_of_the_Bushveld

The best dog book ever written!

That is debateable. Read "Dusty - The Story of a Sheep Dog" by Frank Dalby
Davison.

That title and "Man-Shy - A Story of Men and Cattle" were set books when I was
at school.

His other titles which I am not fortunate to have read are:- The Woman at The
Mill, The Wells of Beersheba, Caribbean Interlude and Children of the Dark People.

Another really entertaining Australiana book is "Mad as Rabbits" by Elizabeth Lane
and illustrated by Paul Rigby the famous political cartoonist. It is about a family
growing up in the Mallee country of Victoria. Really funny, especially the dogs.

I think the best African adventure epic I have read is "Run For The Trees" by
James S. Rand. You would probably know that one japie.

Another couple of my favourites are "Treasure Island" by Robert Louis Stevenson
and "The Cruel Sea" by Nicholas Monsarrat.

For those who enjoy rollicking satire and are able to read precise English in a very
convoluted form, Tom Sharpe provides it in his many books.

His first two, "Riotous Assembly" and "Indecent Exposure" starring his very twisted
characters, Kommandant Van Heerden and Konstabel Ells, are a beautiful satire of
the aparthied system of South Africa and got him deported to the UK for being
a "persona non gratis".

The next victims of his cutting wit, Razor Sharpe one might say, were various
segments of the incongruous British society who are unable to deport him
anywhere. A couple of his better known and equally twisted characters are Wilt the
public school teacher and Blott the man servant.

One would be well advised not to read any of Tom Sharpe's books while riding on
public transport. Your regular and raucous outbursts of laughter will no doubt piss
your fellow travellers off.

salt said...

colinwill78 said...

rohjar said...

I just finished reading the "Master and Commander" series by Patrick O'Brian. 20 books that any wind junky will love. Read 'em in order if you can, or just borrow whatever ones the public library has when you walk in. The loving attention to the joy of a fresh breeze will make no-wind days seem bearable. What luck!

or there's a russell crowe movie

HORATIO HORNBLOWER -I Just Finished the (roughly ) ten book series. Fictional nautical adventures in Napoleonic era. My favourite ever books.
Imagine Indiana Jones was a sailor!

The HORNBLOWER books are an excellent read. C.S. Forester wrote so well that the reader is on deck with Horatio.

The video series produced by the BBC with Ioan Grufford in the lead role are totally collectable as well.

Adventure, romance, danger and history in a beautiful bundle. The cast of the video series would stay in their costumes all day because they were enjoying themselves so much.