What books are you into? Fiction, (auto)biography, travel, spiritual?

[fang37]

You or I ending up as a CPA?

I worked for the Australian Tax Office.

Then a university - teaching accounting & taxation law.

Bored to tears - a natural progression.

CPA - loved it!

books - it has been a long time.

Carpetbaggers?

Smut, sex!

Mafia

[Mudcrab]

Read the Bible.

Then you can be come one of the holier than thou posters who infest this forum from time to time, much to the pleasure of us hedonists. They provide hours of fun for all.

Edited October 4, 2015 by Mudcrab

[blazes]

I read "Child 44" recently during a business trip to Malta. Very good read so then I read read part 2 (Agent 6) and part 3 (The secret speech) whilst in Thailand this year. Tom Rob Smith I think.

Russian KGB stuff, very interesting and hard to put down

I have just watched that movie---(& I see its on Thai TV at the moment) liked Tom Hardy--so in the movie did they combine the other 2 books with it. because it had an ending.

Talking of Tom Hardy, try his great novel Jude the Obscene. It caused a sensation when it was first published cos of all the smut.

[bazza40]

Lee Child, (Jack Reacher series), Michael Connelly, James Lee Burke, Frederick Forsyth, C J Box, John Grisham in the more recent crime/thriller books.

Ed McBain, John D. MacDonald, Adam Hall and Dick Francis going back a bit.

Westerns - Larry McMurtry's Lonesome Dove is a long but satisfying read.

Science fiction - Frank Herbert, Arthur C. Clarke, Isaac Asimov.

Alternative history - Eric Flint.

Humour - P G Wodehouse and C J Dennis.

Steinbeck's East of Eden is a book I keep coming back to as an absorbing read. Ditto Ken Follett's Pillars of the Earth.

If you have a Kindle, there are hundreds of free downloads of classic authors. R L Stevenson, Charles Dickens, Jack London, Charles Kingsley, Charles Reade, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Jane Austen to name a few.

I really can't imagine how I would cope if I could no longer read. It's almost as good as sex. ( And lasts a lot longer )

[billd766]

Lee Child, (Jack Reacher series), Michael Connelly, James Lee Burke, Frederick Forsyth, C J Box, John Grisham in the more recent crime/thriller books.

Ed McBain, John D. MacDonald, Adam Hall and Dick Francis going back a bit.

Westerns - Larry McMurtry's Lonesome Dove is a long but satisfying read.

Science fiction - Frank Herbert, Arthur C. Clarke, Isaac Asimov.

Alternative history - Eric Flint.

Humour - P G Wodehouse and C J Dennis.

Steinbeck's East of Eden is a book I keep coming back to as an absorbing read. Ditto Ken Follett's Pillars of the Earth.

If you have a Kindle, there are hundreds of free downloads of classic authors. R L Stevenson, Charles Dickens, Jack London, Charles Kingsley, Charles Reade, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Jane Austen to name a few.

I really can't imagine how I would cope if I could no longer read. It's almost as good as sex. ( And lasts a lot longer )

There are always audio books to download.

[fang37]

I am pleasantly surprised that members enjoy reading a wide range of literature - and enjoy it.

I thought most members were occupied with - price of accommodation, food, women.

[carter1882]

An academic who hasn't done any reading. Interesting. Anyway start with Ladybird and work your way up.

[Soutpeel]

I am pleasantly surprised that members enjoy reading a wide range of literature - and enjoy it.

I thought most members were occupied with - price of accommodation, food, women.

I go through about 4 or 5 novels a month, the actual books not on a kindle or similar as i dont enjoy reading books on a screen

[jimmysjo]

Swedish books, naturally in English, by Liza Marklund, have sold a LOT abroad. They are very good, but read them in the order the were published. The last book in the series have just beem published. I don't know the English title I'm afraid, but Google Liza Marklund and I'm sure you would get both the English titles and the order they were published in.

Amazon I'm sure have them. They call the Swedish crime novels for the last ten years "Swedish Noir". Not just heroes, but people with the same problems that real people have. And a dark side, hence the name "noir".

Edited October 4, 2015 by jimmysjo

[nithisa78]

The Key To Secret Worlds.

[jimmysjo]

Never been able to settle and read a book, find I get restless very quickly.

I prefer to learn something new, a language (Thai), computer skills, website stuff etc.

Something "productive" is perhaps the word, as opposed to just sitting there reading a book, admire those that can, immerse themselves or for some kind of escapism.

I find that reading for information and/or instruction is Ok, but for "pleasure" I just cant seem to do it.

Poor man. There is nothing so relaxing as reading a good book. And I mean a book. Not on an e-reader or an audio book, but just the feeling to hold it in your hands. If you are lucky (or unlucky if you want to sleep) you got a page turner that you just can't stop reading.

[bazza40]

Lee Child, (Jack Reacher series), Michael Connelly, James Lee Burke, Frederick Forsyth, C J Box, John Grisham in the more recent crime/thriller books.

Ed McBain, John D. MacDonald, Adam Hall and Dick Francis going back a bit.

Westerns - Larry McMurtry's Lonesome Dove is a long but satisfying read.

Science fiction - Frank Herbert, Arthur C. Clarke, Isaac Asimov.

Alternative history - Eric Flint.

Humour - P G Wodehouse and C J Dennis.

Steinbeck's East of Eden is a book I keep coming back to as an absorbing read. Ditto Ken Follett's Pillars of the Earth.

If you have a Kindle, there are hundreds of free downloads of classic authors. R L Stevenson, Charles Dickens, Jack London, Charles Kingsley, Charles Reade, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Jane Austen to name a few.

I really can't imagine how I would cope if I could no longer read. It's almost as good as sex. ( And lasts a lot longer )

There are always audio books to download.

A bit like a happy ending, not as good as the real thing.

[Stevemercer]

Try the Taipan/Nobel House series by James Clavell. About the early settlement of Hong Kong up to the 1960s. Plenty of insights into Chinese mentality, plenty of sex and easy to read.

[gamini]

What about "Ecstacy of the deep". A lot about Thailand as it was in the early 60's and much about Pattaya too. For Diving enthusiasts there's a great deal of interest especially the commercial aspect. I have heard that those who read it could hardly put it down and really liked it. It can be downloaded on Kindle, Amazon, Google play ect.Just type the title in the search box

[JRinPDX]

Dave Dehart's Dan Dailey novels. (intelligence agent stuff... based on his real experiences.)

[Ombra]

I like to load up my Kindle Paper White at my local library in Australia. This saves lugging a few kgs of books in my suitcase, and as the Paper white has built in lighting, I can read on the plane while others sleep.

Just finished Lawrence, D H., "Seven Pillars of Wisdom". I'll give camels and deserts a miss, tho he certainly got around on them.

T.E. Lawrence, not D.H.

[gandalf12]

National Geographic? Issac Asimov for science fiction. Wilbur Smith books

Edited October 4, 2015 by gandalf12

[Cam Khao]

I'll recommend a few for you. I'm a bot of a Sci-Fi fan, so leaning in that direction with this list.

Nothing too heavy here, just fun books.

Both of Ernest Cline's novels, so that's Ready Player One and Armada. Both good fun to read, and quite cleverly done.

Neil Stephenson's classic Snow Crash.

Excession by Iain M Banks. Actually, the entire Culture series by him is good, and not too heavy to read.

I could go on, I read about 5 books a week. But I think this will do for now.

[pgrahmm]

Just finishing up Ken Follet's Edge of Eternity......I believe it's book 4 in a generational series tracing bloodlines.....My favorite reading.. ..Sometimes inspirational.....Sometimes historical fiction......

But - textbooks many times assisting with the girls homework → which cuts into the pleasure reading time but has it's own set of rewards.....

[quandow]

I am pleasantly surprised that members enjoy reading a wide range of literature - and enjoy it.

I thought most members were occupied with - price of accommodation, food, women.

I go through about 4 or 5 novels a month, the actual books not on a kindle or similar as i dont enjoy reading books on a screen

There is an intrinsic value to the smell of the pages of an actual book. Perhaps I'm weird, but I always smell the pages before I dive in.

[quandow]

Quick browse and I didn't see the following

1984 - George Orwell. SO many references are made to this book today, it may be lost on you if you don't read it.

Lord of the Flies - William Golding. Same as above.

The Hobbit - J.R.R. Tolkein. The introduction to the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy is short and light. You may get bit by the Tolkein bug, maybe you don't, it's still a fun read.

Hearts in Atlantis - Stephen King. I read this book at least once every six months. It's a little different from his usual stories. It's also not 1000+ pages.

[Laza 45]

Oh! Nice question.. where do I start? Christopher G Moore is a favorite... http://www.cgmoore.com/author.htm ... John Burdett.. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Burdett .... Amatv Ghosh... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amitav_Ghosh ... Mint U Thant https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thant_Myint-U ... to name a few...

I am interested in all things cultural and historical concerning SE Asia... just read .. http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Narrow-Road-Deep-North/dp/0701189053 .. excellent read!

Keep in touch if you are into similar... Cheers Larry

[bazza40]

I am pleasantly surprised that members enjoy reading a wide range of literature - and enjoy it.

I thought most members were occupied with - price of accommodation, food, women.

I go through about 4 or 5 novels a month, the actual books not on a kindle or similar as i dont enjoy reading books on a screen

There is an intrinsic value to the smell of the pages of an actual book. Perhaps I'm weird, but I always smell the pages before I dive in.

Perhaps you are hooked on the solvents in the printer's ink.

Seriously, I had a library of about 2000 books in Australia. All kinds of subject matter, an expensive hobby. Guess what? When it came to downsizing, they were unsellable secondhand, even though they were almost brand new. Garage sale, eBay, craigslist, Gumtree - no interest.

There's quite a few bookshops, both new and secondhand, in Australia that are going out of business. In one way, I regard it as karma. The Australian publishing industry has been ripping off consumers for decades.

I suppose there will still be bookshops to cater for the die-hards. However, when one thinks about it, eBooks are the future. Cheaper than print, almost zero material and distribution costs. I have about 300 books on my Kindle, and it beats the hell out of carting paperbacks around.

[MrTrip]

I read "Child 44" recently during a business trip to Malta. Very good read so then I read read part 2 (Agent 6) and part 3 (The secret speech) whilst in Thailand this year. Tom Rob Smith I think.

Russian KGB stuff, very interesting and hard to put down

I have just watched that movie---(& I see its on Thai TV at the moment) liked Tom Hardy--so in the movie did they combine the other 2 books with it. because it had an ending.

The second book is much later in their lives and the third book is actually in between 1 & 3

Haven't seen the movie but generally they are so compressed they usually disappoint

[Stevemercer]

I am pleasantly surprised that members enjoy reading a wide range of literature - and enjoy it.

I thought most members were occupied with - price of accommodation, food, women.

I go through about 4 or 5 novels a month, the actual books not on a kindle or similar as i dont enjoy reading books on a screen

There is an intrinsic value to the smell of the pages of an actual book. Perhaps I'm weird, but I always smell the pages before I dive in.

Perhaps you are hooked on the solvents in the printer's ink.

Seriously, I had a library of about 2000 books in Australia. All kinds of subject matter, an expensive hobby. Guess what? When it came to downsizing, they were unsellable secondhand, even though they were almost brand new. Garage sale, eBay, craigslist, Gumtree - no interest.

There's quite a few bookshops, both new and secondhand, in Australia that are going out of business. In one way, I regard it as karma. The Australian publishing industry has been ripping off consumers for decades.

I suppose there will still be bookshops to cater for the die-hards. However, when one thinks about it, eBooks are the future. Cheaper than print, almost zero material and distribution costs. I have about 300 books on my Kindle, and it beats the hell out of carting paperbacks around.

I was the same. When I left Australia for Thailand my life came down to two suitcases and the 30 kg baggage allowance. Well, I used 20 kg worth of books that I figured would last a year. Every time I visit I bring back another 20 kg (about 6 - 12 months reading and re-reading). I'm happy as Larry if I've got a good book to read.

But I think I'll have to bow to the inevitble and get a Kindle. It's just to hard to buy the novels I want in Thailand.

[anon4546543]

Gene Wolfe. I quote the Washington Post. If any writer from within any fiction genre ever merited the designation Great Author, it is surely Wolfe.

If you do not understand genre, merited and designation, this author is beyond you. Stick to cowboy books. If you enjoy intelligent brain teasing fiction, this is your series of books to read.

[Stevemercer]

I think the OP just wanted a few ideas to tempt him into reading. Nothing complicated, just something he might enjoy that's simple with plenty of sex and adventure.

[fang37]

I think the OP just wanted a few ideas to tempt him into reading. Nothing complicated, just something he might enjoy that's simple with plenty of sex and adventure.

CORRECT!

The big bonus was listening to other TV members who shared their experience & enjoyment in reading - not drinking, whoring, whinging, visas etc.

It is true that I am not an avid reader. I have all the degrees etc. In the big picture, it is friends that count.

I am very fortunate have a loving wife. I know she is happy when I hear her singing. We joke & have a great & simple life.

[Jonathon]

Getting a Kindle would be a good start, easy to carry around for a quick read on the plane/ bus train etc. Lots of fairly inexpensive stuff on Amazon and usually possible to get a preview.

But it might also be interesting to get hard copies of "1984" (Orwell) and "Brave new World" (Huxley), just to see how the world they portrayed compares with what has actually happened. Not read them since my schooldays but might do so again..

[billd766]

I think the OP just wanted a few ideas to tempt him into reading. Nothing complicated, just something he might enjoy that's simple with plenty of sex and adventure.

I had the university of life for that but now I am retired books will have to do.