What books, based on my previous history of books that I have read, do you think I would like?

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Soldato
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I have read

1984, Animal Farm, and Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!. I think I've read other books but they don't come to mind.

Basically I'm after a gripping story but with not too much boring descriptive. I think half a page painting me a picture of an object is pompous jerk material and I'd rather read a story or a plot etc.

In Animal Farm it told me a story about evil pigs and sad brave horses, in Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman! it told me lots of stories and snippets, often comedic about Richard Feynman's life and I enjoyed it greatly. I didn't enjoy 1984 as much as these two books.

Oh, actually I've just remembered I've read Bravo Two Zero and I like this book too.

What are books you would recommend and I'll pick the book that gets recommended the most. I also think 300-400 pages is a pretty good max limit, any more and I just end up wondering more about when it will end rather than the book itself.
 
Bit of a strange mix and hard to think of things :p

Try I am Messanger - Markus Zusak thought provoking (like Animal Farm) but with a good touch of comedy and irony in there.

Combining comedy/war (though it's more comedy less war) try The Complete McAulsun - George MacDonald Fraser story of a useless soldier, in between the two Great Wars it is set (I think)
 
Hmmm, on the cover of I am Messanger the authors name is larger than the title, is this arrogance reflected in his writing?

Also is the English version of Papilon good? I enjoyed the film with Steve McQueen.
 
GoodReads - create an account, add a few of your current books and give a star rating to the ones you like and off you go :)
 
Rich_L said:
GoodReads - create an account, add a few of your current books and give a star rating to the ones you like and off you go :)
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Thanks but

You need to rate at least 20 books to get Goodreads Recommendations.
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I've not read 20 books.

It seems I need some basics under my belt. You know if you were to recomend films to someone whose basically only seen 3 there would be a list of films you would tell them to watch regardless of what they like, you'd tell them to watch the matrix and the starwars films, you'd tell them to watch toy story, oceans eleven at least one james bond film, home alone, rocky, rambo, fistful of dollars, dirty harry etc etc.

What are some of the basic books that everyone should read as a basic grounding.
 
desires said:
Thanks but



I've not read 20 books.

It seems I need some basics under my belt. You know if you were to recomend films to someone whose basically only seen 3 there would be a list of films you would tell them to watch regardless of what they like, you'd tell them to watch the matrix and the starwars films, you'd tell them to watch toy story, oceans eleven at least one james bond film, home alone, rocky, rambo, fistful of dollars, dirty harry etc etc.

What are some of the basic books that everyone should read as a basic grounding.
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Into which genre or one from every genre?

Also re Zusak don't be put off by something as petty as the title print, it is a terrific read. Up there among the better books I have ever read (and I own/have read in excess of 400)
 
desires said:
What are books you would recommend and I'll pick the book that gets recommended the most. I also think 300-400 pages is a pretty good max limit, any more and I just end up wondering more about when it will end rather than the book itself.
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porno by irvine welsh. it's in 3 sections.
 
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley - some people think it's better than 1984, those people are wrong but it's still a damn good book. It is however arguably closer to our current situation than George Orwell's book was.

You could read What Do You Care What People Think? by Richard Feynman, it's a few further stories along similar lines to the one you've read but he's a fascinating character so it's no hardship to read more.

Maybe try some Philip K. Dick - Ubik, The Man In The High Castle and Do Androids Dream Of Electronic Sheep (the book Bladerunner was based upon) are all entertaining in their own way.

Alternatively Ian Rankin and his Inspector Rebus series are good value without being particularly taxing.

Christopher Brookmyre is one of my favourite authors if I'm looking for something acerbic, funny and easy to read - perhaps Quite Ugly One Morning (his first) or Country Of The Blind (his second) would be good choices.
 
Pompous jerk material. Amazing. I'll send you some of my kids' books if you like.

Alan Partridge said:
I can read you like a book. And not a very good book. Certainly not 'Bravo Two Zero' by Andy McNab, which actually improves with every read.
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Vonhelmet said:
Pompous jerk material. Amazing. I'll send you some of my kids' books if you like.
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Maybe it's just my personality but i prefer a book to just explain a situation rather than needlessly describe things that don't add to the plot.

In that 'I Am The Messenger' book somebody higher up recommended, in the first chapter somebodies face is on the carpet, however it uses 2 lines to explain what sort of carpet it is, even though I don't care what sort of carpet it is and it could indeed be described differently with no further impact.
 
How 'bout Sharp Teeth by Toby Barlow? It's written in the style of an epic poem so you needn't worry about being bored by exposition.
 
desires said:
Maybe it's just my personality but i prefer a book to just explain a situation rather than needlessly describe things that don't add to the plot.

In that 'I Am The Messenger' book somebody higher up recommended, in the first chapter somebodies face is on the carpet, however it uses 2 lines to explain what sort of carpet it is, even though I don't care what sort of carpet it is and it could indeed be described differently with no further impact.
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Fair enough, I'm probably getting the hump because you're basically calling me a pompous jerk because I've read books with a few descriptive passages.

I'd probably best bow out because I doubt I can add anything that'll be of help.
 
Vonhelmet said:
Fair enough, I'm probably getting the hump because you're basically calling me a pompous jerk because I've read books with a few descriptive passages.

I'd probably best bow out because I doubt I can add anything that'll be of help.
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You've misunderstood me. I think large paragraphs devoted to descriptive nonsense is jerk-off material for a pompous man, and I'll instantly dislike the author as someone that thinks too much of themselves. I wasn't criticizing every reader.
 
I figured that, though interestingly you haven't read any of his books ;)

What genres are you open to? Sci-fi? Fantasy? Crime? Thriller?
 
Gilly said:
I figured that, though interestingly you haven't read any of his books ;)

What genres are you open to? Sci-fi? Fantasy? Crime? Thriller?
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I've read LotR up to the end of the bit where they find the mushrooms and I've read half of the hobbit, this was years ago though and I never finished them so I didn't list them.

I'm open to those genres yes. I don't want anything to 'cult-admired' in case I'm turn out not to be a member of that cult. Just something that sucks me in and makes me forget I'm having to read to get the story. One thing I enjoy about films is that I can very easily enjoy a story, with the few books I've read the ones I've enjoyed most have been easiest to read because I forget I'm doing so.

Just remembered I've read 'Flatland a romance of many dimensions' and enjoyed that a great deal too.
 
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