What Are You Reading?

[grumpyoldman]

Grumpy tends to enjoy a good read, typically my favorites are the crime, investigator/courtroom dramas, but I've run through Margolin, Turow, Baldacci,,,,,,,,,,,,,, Grisham has become sort of a bore, churning them out like water out of a duck.

Recently switched genres, went for Jeffrey Archer's "As the Crow flies" which although a very good read, not so exciting.

Been through both Pattersons (James and R.N.). Not big on Cussler's Dirk Pitt stuff.

Generally I get my books at The Kata Second hand store and if I could put a plug in for her, please go there, she's got a hell rent to cover, it's a good bookshop.

Keep looking for Michener's Alaska, it's never there, if anyone here has it to borrow please pm.

Suggestions for novels anybody? Recently enjoyed something you can recommend?

Happy Sunday to all. GOM

[happyrobert]

Robert Crais series about PI's Elvis Cole and Joe Pike are entertaining. Michael Connelly's Harry Bosch series, too.

[iSabai]

Robert Crais series about PI's Elvis Cole and Joe Pike are entertaining. Michael Connelly's Harry Bosch series, too.

Connelly's books are fantastic IMO, have read at least a dozen and haven't found a bad one yet. Read "Lincoln Lawyer" and "Brass Verdict" in that order if you haven't already!

Also, agree with GOM about Grisham. Don't know why he gets so much attention. A couple of fairly decent ones that I've read but most were very ordinary, and others downright terrible.

Edited May 8, 2011 by iSabai

[happyrobert]

Robert Crais series about PI's Elvis Cole and Joe Pike are entertaining. Michael Connelly's Harry Bosch series, too.

Connelly's books are fantastic IMO, have read at least a dozen and haven't found a bad one yet. Read "Lincoln Lawyer" and "Brass Verdict" in that order if you haven't already!

Also, agree with GOM about Grisham. Don't know why he gets so much attention. A couple of fairly decent ones that I've read but most were very ordinary, and others downright terrible.

Grisham exemplifies many best-selling authors.

Write one or two great ones, then ride that gravy train for all it's worth.

[crusader79]

Alan Furst's espionage thrillers, set in the years just before (and some during) WWII, are excellent reads. More literary than detective novels like the Bosch series (of which I'm also a big fan), more in the tradition of Eric Ambler.

George MacDonald Fraser's Flashman books remain classics.

Unbroken is an incredible read.

[ScubaBuddha]

My all time favorite author is Douglas Adams. The "increasingly inaccurately named Hitchiker's Trilogy" (there is 5 now) is what got me interested in reading when I was younger. The movie didn't do it justice. Adams writes mostly science fiction, but the first book I read of his was actually a non-fiction: Last Chance to See. In LCTS he describes his trip to South America in search of seeing an endangered silver-back gorilla. Be sure to also check out his Dirk Gently series.

All of Clancy's Jack Ryan series books are great. Reading Dead or Alive now which, ironically, is partially about the hunt for Bin Laden. Not into his non-fiction. His fiction is more like faction anyway. He does a lot of research. The stories may be made believe but the people, places, military procedure and weaponry is very accurate and detailed. In 1997 he wrote about hijackers flying a commercial airline into the capitol building. Clancy's Rainbow Six focuses on the minor characters John Clark and Domingo Chavez, who you may remember from the movies. Clark and Chavez start and run an international counter-terrorist unit. Clancy was barred from or chose not to write any Jack Ryan series books for several years due to divorce proceedings, hence Rainbow Six. Without Remorse explains the origins of John Clark going back to Vietnam and is very good. Avoid the PowerPlay, Opcenter or Netgaurd series. These are ghost written with very little input from Clancy. I have never had one really grab me.

Similarly, Bravo-Two-Zero by Andy McNabb is the supposed true events of an British SAS team lost behind enemy lines in Iraq.

Grisham is known for his legal dramas, but my favorite books by him are A Painted House and Playing for Pizza. A totally random diversion for him. King of Torts was good too.

I've also enjoyed some of Carl Carlhiaasen and Tim Dorsey's books. Both write about the craziness that is south Florida. Eco-revenge and vigilantism at it's best.

.

Edited May 8, 2011 by ScubaBuddha

[bubblegum]

Anything by Umberto Eco is a grat read. So are the books by John Irving and Wilburn Smith. Not your typical crime/ investegation stuff but a change in style might be to your liking.

[cardholder]

Jeffrey Archer - Paths to Glory

I have always found that Archer writes a good story.

[LivinginKata]

Similarly, Bravo-Two-Zero by Andy McNabb is the supposed true events of an British SAS team lost behind enemy lines in Iraq.

That's a good read as are his other non fiction books - Immdiate Action, Seven Troop, Spoken from the front. His fiction books are good too - Remote Control, Crisis Four, Firewall, Last Light, Liberation Day, Dark Winter, Deep Black, Agressor, and lots more.

[MissChris]

Lee Child might interest you. Thrillers featuring Jack Reacher, past Vietnam vet Military Policeman travelling light through the US.

(I get almost all my books on my iPhone these days.)

Jean Aeul's latest from the original 'Clan of the Cave Bear' called 'The Land of Painted Caves' I had been waiting for for years and devoured.

Knock yourself out on Colleen McCullough's Rome series or anything of hers. She's even written a thriller about a serial killer called 'On Off'.

For fantasy freaks (probably more girly stuff) Anne Bishop is addictive. I have reread several times...

Reading 'Toys' by James Patterson at present. Science fiction. Subject has been a bit done to death in past decades, but he's a great writer.

John Dunning...quirky...he's a book collector in real life...

[insertcoins]

If you haven't done so yet, have a look at the Millennium Trilogy by Stieg Larsson.

[Richb2004v2]

Just finishing off Ruth Rendell: The tree of hands. It's an old book I picked up second hand, but Rendell is consistently good, and an easy read.

[backstairs]

Nordic Noir is a great new genre. Most will know Larsson [ Girl with dragon tatoo ] and Mankell [ Det. Wallender ]. But there is now more. Indridason writes about an Icelandic cop. Lisa Marklund sets her crime in North Sweden. Mari Jungstadt on an island in the Baltic. It is so refreshing to read something that is not set in USA or UK.

The translations are terrific. Easy but intelligent reading. And they are all, at the moment, in Kinokuniya in BKK Emporium with a special Nordic section. Mankell is on Villa Phuket. Enjoy p.s. Lee Child - agree - excellent.

[Lannatyne]

If you haven't done so yet, have a look at the Millennium Trilogy by Stieg Larsson.

Jo Nesbo should be thought of at the same time as Larsson.

Stephen Leather has done some good ones. Have to say that I still like Grisham's style, and will read the ones I've not done so yet despite what's written here.

As I get older, I'm also enjoying biographies / autobiographies more. I like sport, and both Alex Ferguson's and Bobby Robson's were good reads. Dickie Bird and Fred Trueman from cricket, too. Paul Gascoigne's was surprisingly very good. In entertainment, Billy Connolly's was excellent, too.

[iSabai]

If you haven't done so yet, have a look at the Millennium Trilogy by Stieg Larsson.

Jo Nesbo should be thought of at the same time as Larsson.

Stephen Leather has done some good ones. Have to say that I still like Grisham's style, and will read the ones I've not done so yet despite what's written here.

As I get older, I'm also enjoying biographies / autobiographies more. I like sport, and both Alex Ferguson's and Bobby Robson's were good reads. Dickie Bird and Fred Trueman from cricket, too. Paul Gascoigne's was surprisingly very good. In entertainment, Billy Connolly's was excellent, too.

If you like Grisham, check out Mark Gimanez. "The Color Of Law", "The Abduction", "The Perk" are three of his I've read. He's been compared to Grisham by some, and is a good writer. I personally enjoyed all three books.

There were some of Grisham's books I liked, but the last one I read, "Street Lawyer", turned me off him for some time.

[MisterMan]

Loving and re-reading The 4-hour Work Week. Also Slow Death by Rubber Duck - How the Toxic Chemistry of Everyday Life Affects Our Health.

Although Tim Ferris of the 4-hour work week advises reading 2 non-fiction this is my second read of the 4-hour work week. brilliant.. (although I am still on the 6 day work week and would celebrate a 5 day work week)...

New 2nd hand bookstore opening in Nai Harn next month by the way.

[473geo]

Recent reads enjoyed

Dead man's footsteps - Peter James

Tokyo - Mo Hayder

Long lost - Harlan Coben

Predator - Patricia Cornwell

all held my interest well

Edit: just to add found

Winter's End - John Rickards

a good read

Edited May 8, 2011 by 473geo

[BEENTHEREDONETHAT]

Try Vince Flynn's Term Limits. It is a political thriller and a great read, he has written 12 books I hope to find and read them all.

Michael Connelly

John Sandford

James Grippando

Bryce Courtenay (write about the 1800"s in Australia mostly)

Stephen Leather

Ed McBain

Lee Child

All write interesting books. the kind that are hard to put down.

[endure]

I'm re-reading Shogun by James Clavell. I'd forgotten just how good it is.

[steelepulse]

I'll second Clavelle,great stories with a lot of interesting plot twists along the way.. I've read a few Lee Child novels lately and after a while they all seem very similar and I find myself skipping paragraphs of not pertinent information.

[amyb]

Recently completed & worth recommending:

• The Passage by Justin Cronin
• The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz
• Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
• A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers (re-read)

Currently making my way through Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami

[onionluke]

I have just started reading - Flashman and the Angel of the Lord - by George MacDonald Frazer . Darkly hilarious .

I have enjoyed reading -The Railway Man - by Eric Sutherland Lomax and -River Road to China- by Milton Osbourne both with Thai historic content .

I live up country most of the time , Ubon , and haven't found a good bookshop here abouts .

[Chainsaw]

Harlan Coben

Jeff Abbott

Michael Connolly

Tami Hoag

John Lescroat

David Baldacci

Stephen Leather

John Grisham

Lee Child

Just finished reading Keith Richard's bio LIFE - excellent!

[grumpyoldman]

Thanks everybody ! I have an excellent list going.

Regarding Michael Connolly, I've read a few of his including The Lincoln Lawyer but after a while I get the "Grisham effect" where I feel the structure of the novel is the same, just characters and plot subject sort of thrown in a blender and reproduced. Thus I will balk at Lee Childs, but if there is one of his that someone thinks is exceptional, let me know.

For the poster re-reading Shogun, I'm sure then you've read Taipan, yes? That also is a great book.

Am looking forward to the Alan Furst suggestion, Robert Crais, The Flashman books. Thanks again !

[Thaddeus]

My all time favorite author is Douglas Adams.

Same here, the man responsible for saying......

"The major difference between a thing that might go wrong and a thing that cannot possibly go wrong is that when a thing that cannot possibly go wrong goes wrong it usually turns out to be impossible to get at or repair."

Something that a couple of oil drilling companies should have read before they started working.

Recently finished reading.

'Kiss me, Chudleigh' The World according to Auberon Waugh by William Cook ....... a giggle on every page.

[crusader79]

Similarly, Bravo-Two-Zero by Andy McNabb is the supposed true events of an British SAS team lost behind enemy lines in Iraq.

That's a good read as are his other non fiction books - Immdiate Action, Seven Troop, Spoken from the front. His fiction books are good too - Remote Control, Crisis Four, Firewall, Last Light, Liberation Day, Dark Winter, Deep Black, Agressor, and lots more.

I enjoyed Bravo Two Zero too, but then read Michael Asher's astonishing expose, in which he retraced the route and discovered how much of the story had been fabricated and distorted. Asher's an ex-SAS man himself, a fluent Arabic speaker and desert specialist:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Real-Bravo-Two-Zero-Behind/dp/0304365548/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1304909756&sr=8-8

[petercallen]

All of the books written by Wilber Smith earlier in his career were really good

and i bought them as soon as they came out and he has written quite a few

His later books are not bad but i would not rush out to buy them, if you can

get hold of books like The Sound of Thunder or Where the Lion Feeds i think you will enjoy them.

[Ulysses G.]

I'm re-reading Shogun by James Clavell. I'd forgotten just how good it is.

IMHO there is a boring patch somewhere in the middle of Shogun that you just have to read through, but well worth it.

King Rat by the same author is a fun read and somewhat autobiographical.

I'm in the middle of reading a few novels by Murakami the Japanese writer. He has been very trendy for years now and is quite good reading.

[seedy]

The Cathars

author Sean Martin

[Ping]

Well, you've probably already read it, but just in case... William Warren's non-fiction book 'Jim Thompson – The Unsolved Mystery’. Interesting less for the discussion of the fate of the silk king than for the history of Thailand in the 30s/40s/50s. Controversial stuff and a real page turner...