Booklovers

[hUsh]

I'm fond of reading novels and recently I've read Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albon... I was wondering for all the book lovers out there......

..... what books (fiction or non-fiction) have you read recently?

...... what are your all time favorite books???

...... any reccommended books and authors?

[Boo]

I recently read The lovely bones by Alice Sebold, an amazing take on the afterlife from the prespective of 14y/o girl killed by a sex offender. So sad but also funny & bittersweet as she watches her friends & family grow up without her. Probably not the best choice for parents as my sister refused to read it but well written & interesting all the same.

[tuky]

I am reading a book just now called "Bangkok 8" by John Burdett, not too sure yet, but I am only half way through.

However I do like...

Wilbur Smith,

Patricia Cornwell.

Koontz,

etc

I know, popular, but good. Have read the two novels by Jason Schoonover, really enjoyable with a twist.

[Boon Mee]

Just started the new book about the Mutiny on the Bounty by a Caroline somebody or other. Forget her last name but it looks good as it gets into the lives of John Adams, Fletcher Christian, Bligh etc after the mutiny went down.

[zappa]

Life of Pi, can't remember the author but an excellent read. Sick Puppy by Karl HAgen also excellent and anything in the Discworld series by Terry Pratchett. Best book for me of all time Pappilon-Henri Cherrier and of course Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit. If your into fantasy try the Belgariad series -David Eddings or just about anything from something David Gemell. Happy reading.

[fatter than harry]

Life of Pi was written by Yann Martel and I agree it was a good read.

I also enjoyed 'Cryptonomicon' by Neal Stephenson.

and 'Carter beats the devil' by Glen David Gold.

I'm currently reading 'The errors of world war II' which is boring as helll, but I'm a stubborn bast@rd that hasn't been beaten by any book yet.

For epic cheese you can't beat 'Kane and Abel' by Jeffrey Archer or 'The Stand' by Stephen King.

And you really should read everything (in the right order) by James Clavell

My long term projects of books to get hold of are 'East of Eden' by John Steinbeck and 'Dear Boy: the Life of Keith Moon' by Tony Fletcher

Hardest book I ever read was 'Mason & Dixon' by Thomas Pynchon, clearly a modern masterpiece but written in an 18th century style which meant that I had to pretty much re re read every sentence.

The only book I've ever read twice is Lord of the rings.

When I was growing up our family had 'The kenny Everett book of Loo Laff's' next to our toilet - for some reason it stayed there for about 12 years, I hate that book.

[alleypanda]

Just done reading 'Davinci 's code' by Dan Brown. It was fun no wonder why it hit the new york bestselling list.

'She 's comes undone' by Wally Lamp, wonderful writer with beautiful words inviting you to go on journey of love, pain and new life.

'Intimacy' by Hanif Kureishi my all time favourite.

[issan2]

Yes, everything by James Clavell, excellent. Check out the Chachujak market second hand book stalls for cheap paper backs. About 50 baht each.

Also all the crime books by Faye Kellerman.

[thedude]

Just finished Empress Orchid, by Anchee Min, semi-fictional account of the turmultuous life of empress chu xi as she gets picked as a young girl to be one of the hundreds of consorts for the emperor, she struggles up the ladder of influence in the chinese court, finally managing to bribe her way into the emperor's night chambers, where she seduces him with her "special skills". there's lots of political intrigue as she kills off competing concubines, dodges assasination attempts and finally makes it to the throne. a good read that keeps the pages turning.

Also recently finished The Quiet American, by Graeme Green. About the murder of a young American agent in Vietnam and the story of his affair with the live-in lover of an older english journalist. Its a moody but richly textured piece that probes the contradictory ideals of western intervention in a time of vietnam's fiercest desire to stay united.

Just started A Hundred Years of Solitude, by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, one of the fantasy fiction genre that mixes reality with the surreal. Its a bit slow going but I'm keeping faith. Also reading 1,000 Places To See Before You Die, by some NYT travel journalist. Happy to note that Thailand has some 13 places listed among the 1,000, thereby accounting for 1.3% of the world's must-see sites.

[Begs]

'The Confederacy of Dunces' John Kennedy toole.

[richb2004]

Just finished 'The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night' by Mark Somebody. A great book about an Autistic boy. Different from anything I have read before and offer a window into the world of those afflicted with the condition. Recommended.

Also just finished 'Vernon God Little' by Pierre someone. Sorry, not good at remembering names. I would recommend this book to any fans of the classic 'Catcher in the Rye'. It has a similar writing style and is also the story of a teenager and his sometimes-bitter views. Recommended.

Also recently read 'The Northern Lights' By Phillip Pullman. Fantasy book. First of three-part trilogy. Compared to Harry Potter, but better. The book is primarily a child’s book, but can be enjoyed by all ages. I would give it 3.5 out of 5 as it starts quite slowly, but improves as the story progresses and I will be reading the next book just as soon as I can. Not fantastic as many say, but enjoyable and may improve as the trilogy continues.

'A Prayer for Owen Meany' by David Irving. Quite a difficult read. Found it quite annoying and requires one to suspend belief just a little to much for me. Not as good as his great book 'The World According To Garp'. Many folk hail this as a life changing book, but not for me. Worth reading only if you have a limited choice, which is often the case in Thailand. Its OK I guess.

[sendbaht]

"Life of Pi"

Hint on what's it about please.

My wife is named Pai, I know, big deal, this is Pi, still sounds like a fun read. Tahnks.

[mbkudu]

'The Confederacy of Dunces'  John Kennedy toole.

I've read this book and it is absolutely wacked! A good read though.

Right now I'm in the middle of 'Killing Plato,' by Jack Needham, as most of you already know, a local expat author. It is excellent so far.

[alleypanda]

'The Confederacy of Dunces' John Kennedy toole fun to read but what a tragic that the auther didn't have a chance to see his success.

A Hundred Years of Solitude, by Gabriel Garcia Marquez .thedude you surely going to be enjoy of the rich of story, I love the fantacy and how he began the first chapter. Marquez is an incrdible story teller.

[hUsh]

I've just started reading Life of Pi and from all the comments here... I'm really excited now...

I also agree that Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown is a good book. I wonder about the previous book Angels and Demons which is supposed to be good as well...

I love Jonh Grisham books. The last one I've read was The King of Torts. Has anyone read the Last Juror? I am waiting for that book in paperback.

Also, I highly recommend Margaret Atwoods' The Blind Assassin.... it was a really good book. I read it twice. ****

For chic books.... I like Sophie Kinsella, Marian Keyes and Canadace Bushnell.

Ohh and if there's anyone who'd want to trade some books, please let me know. I have books from John grisham, Jeffrey Archer, James Patterson, Richard North Patterson, Mary Higgins Clark and others.

[fatter than harry]

Ohh and if there's anyone who'd want to trade some books, please let me know.

You wanna learn about 'The errors of world war II'?

[OldAsiaHand]

For chic books.... I like Sophie Kinsella, Marian Keyes and Canadace Bushnell.

I gather you meant 'chick' books, not 'chic' books. Or are you just pulling our legs here? Do you also have the complete collection of 'Sex And the City' on DVD?

[wca01]

Just finished "War against Saddam", by John Simpson from BBC.

If you are interested in politics, don't miss it!

WC

[Nat]

For chic books.... I like Sophie Kinsella, Marian Keyes and Canadace Bushnell.

I gather you meant 'chick' books, not 'chic' books. Or are you just pulling our legs here? Do you also have the complete collection of 'Sex And the City' on DVD?

Nothing wrong in exploring the mind of a woman, however it can get a bit confusing at times . Candace Bushnell is the creator of that fab series, but find her books a bit too “New Yorkie”. When it comes to postmodern chick lit can’t go past Helen Fielding.

[kat]

I recently read The lovely bones by Alice Sebold, an amazing take on the afterlife from the prespective of  14y/o girl killed by a sex offender. So sad but also funny & bittersweet as she watches her friends & family grow up without her. Probably not the best choice for parents as my sister refused to read it but well written & interesting all the same.

This sounds like a great read. I'll have to hunt that one down.

I'm currently reading a lot of V.S. Naipaul. I read Beyond Belief, a book about his excursions through S.E. Asian countries that were converted to Islam. At the moment, I'm working my way through the first book in this series, Among the Believers: an Islamic Journey. It's really good, but a somewhat controversial choice because many feel that he is biased in his representation of Islam. I think there are a couple of moments in his book that one can say this, but I think overall it holds a lot of value in his honesty in encountering the history and customs of these countries as a non-Muslim.

Since the beginning of the year, I have been preoccupied with reading a lot of books and historical backgrounds on comparative religion. I've read the Old Testament of the Bible, the Koran, about 30 secondary scholaryly sources, books on Judasim, and historical books on S.E. Asia. I'm trying to sort though a lot of the madness that has overtaken fact in this ongoing cold war of trying to assert the moral superiority of one experience over another. I have years to go, but my initial assessment is that all of us alike (different cultures and countries) are guilty of selectively editing our own religous or historical context to truimph over the other in the morality blame game. I wish we could all be more honest - or factual for that matter. I guess that is the reason for my quest to educate myself on comparative religion: I want to be more honest, and more discerning in ferreting out fact from emotion in discussion of related issues. Recently, I bought a copy of meditations by the poet Hafiz, a Persian sufi mystic. Beautiful stuff. And of course, I can't go anywhere without a copy of Pablo Neruda's poetry. His love poetry is among the most beautifully sensual on earth.

I also own a copy of Vernon God Little, and The Life of Pi, so I'll tell you what I think of those as well.

This is a brilliant thread. I hope we can keep it going, because I'm a voracious reader and it would be great to constantly discuss. Sorry if my response is a little long.

[Roger13]

Life of Pi - very entertaining.

Someone asked what it is about?

Starts with Pi's Father being the Curator

of the Zoo that was once in the Municipal Park

in Pondicherry (The former French Colony

near Chennai in India)

Pi ends up being on a Raft with a Tiger

(not giving any secrets away - that is the

picture on the Cover)

But I prefer Non-Fiction

V.S.Naipaul - enjoyed several of his books

(he grew up in the Carribean and comes

home to his roots in India - his insights are interesting)

Jeffrey Archer's Prison Diaries (I read Vols 1 & 2 twice !)

I am looking for Vol 3 ...

Hilliary Clinton's Diary - I could not put down ...

Hope to get Bill's soon as it is available.

Recently enjoyed:

"Sleepless in Bangkok" by Ian Quartermaine(Erotic Thriller)

"Little Angels" by Phra Peter Pannpadipo (An English

Monk in Nakhon Sawan)

Awaiting on my Bookshelf (from Asia Books)

Can anybody recommend I pick them up? *!

"All Over the Map" & "Out of the Loop"

both by Morgan McFinn - his humourous

adventures in S.E. Asia & Samui.

"The Big Mango" a novel by Jake Needham

"The Year of Living Stupidly" (Boom, Bust & Cambodia)

by James Eckardt

Very Interesting Thread

Roger

[boris]

As a keen reader, I often wonder why the standard of Western authors writing in or about Thailand is so mediocre.I am specifically referring to the rattling good yarn category.Generally, there is a depressing lack of imagination in dealing with Thai themes -idiosyncratic detectives,bar girls,"amusing" expatriate excesses , murder, more bar girls etc.Moreover the style (are you listening Christopher Moore ?) tends to be clumsy and obtuse.Oddly enough, John Burdett's recent Bangkok 8,although dealing with familiar themes, is rather well written -the exception to prove the rule- and better in my view than Jake Needham.There are a number of utterly dire and unreadable hacks, David Young etc on which comment is pointless.

[kat]

As a keen reader, I often wonder why the standard of Western authors writing in or about Thailand is so mediocre.I am specifically referring to the rattling good yarn category.Generally, there is a depressing lack of imagination in dealing with Thai themes -idiosyncratic detectives,bar girls,"amusing" expatriate excesses , murder, more bar girls etc.Moreover the style (are you listening Christopher Moore ?) tends to be clumsy and obtuse.Oddly enough, John Burdett's recent Bangkok 8,although dealing with familiar themes, is rather well written -the exception to prove the rule- and better in my view than Jake Needham.There are a number of utterly dire and unreadable hacks, David Young etc on which comment is pointless.

I agree wholeheartedly, but I have to admit, I thought the new one "Thai Girl" or something or other (has a red cover, is new) was decently written. Or maybe the standard of this genre is so low I was just happy to read something with a good plot and fairly decent writing.

I mostly read Thai non-fiction on Thailand, like "Democracy and Corruption" and "The Thai Village Economy" by Thai academics. Both really good, but I may be off about the titles a little bit as I am in an internet cafe and not within reach of my books. The Thai village economy explains the origins of Thai village economy, Sak dina system, the transformation of village economy by the monarchy and arriving chinese merchants, buddhism, and landlessness. Very good, and not so academic that it's esoteric or boring. Highly recommended if you want to get a historical development background on Thailand.

[sbk]

Carl Hiassen is good if you want a bizarre yet funny and light read. Black humor but easy to read once you get past the unbelievalble plot lines. Skin tight is hysterical. Weird, but funny. The Da Vinci code was a good suspense book, he has several others, also well written and absorping.

Depressing one I am contemplating reading is about Pol Pot, not sure yet if I am up for it!

I second the weekend market suggestion, I was just there and they have tons of second hand books in English (and a few in other languages as well). Can anyone suggest a good source for cheap and/or secondhand books in Thai? I scoured the weekend market but found far fewer than in English, mostly just textbooks. My husband loves to read but living outside Bangkok (and any major city for that matter) makes his options comic books or car magazines. Both of which he finds quite dull. We would appreciate any and all (legitimate ) ideas!

[wolf5370]

After reading Da Vinci Code (Dan Brown), I back tracked to "Angels and Demons" by the same author - excellent book. DVC will have you surfing the net for pictures of works of art looking for the hidden symbolism there (and find it!).

Read all the "His Dark Materials" trilogy - was OK, but over hyped I think.

Now reading James Herbert's "Nobody True" - it seems a little surreal to me, but I'm persevering.

All this talk of books reminds me of a time I was visiting my wife's grandmother up north. She lives out in the sticks and we stayed for two of the most boring weeks I have ever had to endure. There was nothing there but dust, sun and mossies. Anyway, I found an English language book and decided to read it. It was a western book (cow boys) and fairly old by the state of it. I soon discovered that it was actually a gay book - not that I have anything against gay men, but every 5 pages was two pages of explicit homosexual, well..., sex. It was like an Indian movie where suddenly the cast bursts in to song for no apparent reason and at any juncture regardless of its setting. Two cowboys would be laying behind a rock being shot out by 'black hats', when suddenly it was sausage chewing time!

How can people read that crap. I mean, if it was heterosexual, it would still be ridiculous. Needless to say, I didn't get to finish - I gave up about a third way in and spent the rest of the fortnight teasing the ants instead.

[hUsh]

For chic books.... I like Sophie Kinsella, Marian Keyes and Canadace Bushnell.

I gather you meant 'chick' books, not 'chic' books. Or are you just pulling our legs here? Do you also have the complete collection of 'Sex And the City' on DVD?

oopsss....

I'd like to have the DVD set of Sex and the City...unfortunately I don't. Well Candace Bushnell's SATC is good, but her other books as Nat said are "too New Yorkie"...

[hUsh]

Life of Pi - very entertaining.

Someone asked what it is about?

Starts with Pi's Father being the Curator

of the Zoo that was once in the Municipal Park

in Pondicherry (The former French Colony

near Chennai in India)

Pi ends up being on a Raft with a Tiger

(not giving any secrets away - that is the

picture on the Cover)

But I prefer Non-Fiction

V.S.Naipaul - enjoyed several of his books

(he grew up in the Carribean and comes

home to his roots in India - his insights are interesting)

Jeffrey Archer's Prison Diaries (I read Vols 1 & 2 twice !)

I am looking for Vol 3 ...

Hilliary Clinton's Diary - I could not put down ...

Hope to get Bill's soon as it is available.

Recently enjoyed:

"Sleepless in Bangkok" by Ian Quartermaine(Erotic Thriller)

"Little Angels" by Phra Peter Pannpadipo (An English

Monk in Nakhon Sawan)

Awaiting on my Bookshelf (from Asia Books)

Can anybody recommend I pick them up? *!

"All Over the Map" & "Out of the Loop"

both by Morgan McFinn - his humourous

adventures in S.E. Asia & Samui.

"The Big Mango" a novel by Jake Needham

"The Year of Living Stupidly" (Boom, Bust & Cambodia)

by James Eckardt

Very Interesting Thread

Roger

i'm not really a fan of non-fiction books, but ive been looking at those books in your list... so i guess i'd give them a try for a change....

[hUsh]

After reading Da Vinci Code (Dan Brown), I back tracked to "Angels and Demons" by the same author - excellent book. DVC will have you surfing the net for pictures of works of art looking for the hidden symbolism there (and find it!).

Have you ever thought about reading the Holy Blood Holy Grail and other books alike? I think it contradicts (or suppose to tell the truth about) the contents of Dan Brown's DVC.