book recommendations gratfully received

shrimp


Joined: 01/09/2010
Posts: 939

Message Posted:
07/02/2011 23:33

I am an avid reader but recently have been let down with the books I have read, can anyone recommend a good read?..... I enjoyed Girl with a dragon tattoo, Small Island, kyte runner just to give you an idea of the sort of books I like.......what was your favourite read???

shrimp


Joined: 01/09/2010
Posts: 939

Message Posted:
07/02/2011 23:36

or even gratefully ....................

Groucho



Joined: 26/04/2008
Posts: 7993

Message Posted:
07/02/2011 23:38

Birds without wings - Louis de Bernieres

A thousand splendid suns - Khaled Hosseini



Really like Michael Connelly & Ken Follet's works that I've been reading recently

shrimp


Joined: 01/09/2010
Posts: 939

Message Posted:
07/02/2011 23:40

read both of those Groucho, and Michael connelly is not by cuppa tea even though we have all his books I think as my husband is no one fan....thanks anyway, any other ideas???

Blackbird



Joined: 11/08/2009
Posts: 1432

Message Posted:
08/02/2011 00:16

The Flying Carpetbagger by Captain Eisenhower,

Driving Over Melons by Chris Stewart the original Genesis drummer...

spireite


Joined: 21/02/2007
Posts: 39

Message Posted:
08/02/2011 00:29

Any Wilbur Smith book , start with When The Lion Feeds .

wanderer


Joined: 05/02/2009
Posts: 1653

Message Posted:
08/02/2011 01:23

Agent Zig Zig a true story of the British double agent in world war two he was in prison in the channel islands when the Germans landed and became a German agent parachuted into Britain and was then sent back by the British to Germany to work for the British

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eddie_Chapman

A short history of tractors in the Ukraine absolutely hilarious true story told by an immigrant daughter about her 80 year old father who falls in love with a 40 year old Ukrainian

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marina_Lewycka

Enjoy I did

yenibob


Joined: 13/10/2010
Posts: 1203

Message Posted:
08/02/2011 07:01

Whatever happens to be on the second hand book stall. At 2 lira a pop, it's worth the risk.

Lilli



Joined: 21/07/2008
Posts: 13081

Message Posted:
08/02/2011 07:08

Hi Shrimp. A Thousand Speldid Suns and the kite runner were my all time favourites . I read anything from James Patterson that I can get my haands on.

scoobydoo


Joined: 10/11/2008
Posts: 2434

Message Posted:
08/02/2011 07:37

Hi Shrimp,



My husband and I read all the books mentioned plus John Connelly, Lee Child, Harlan Coben, Graham Hurley, James Patterson, Andrew Gross, David Baldacci, Mark Billingham, Robert Crais, Jeffrey Deaver, Nelson Demille, Karin Slaughter, Karen Rose etc etc , the list is too long to continue.



We buy the majority of our books in UK, pay ridiculous amounts of excess baggage to carry 40+ books in our luggage, then once read by us I go to the to Carpenters Friday Market to sell them but only on the first friday of the month (prior to Carpenters I went to Pegasus for 6 years)



Books are one price '4tl' whatever size they are and an awful lot of them are nearly new.



I can't guarantee to have all those authors every month, it just depends on how many books we read in a month but I always have some plus authors you will never have heard of.



Please come and visit me on the 4th March.

fiendishpaul


Joined: 18/05/2008
Posts: 1720

Message Posted:
08/02/2011 07:44

Hi Shrimp



I see that you have read Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and assume that you have read the rest of the Millenium trilogy - if not, they are a must. I read then back to back and couldn't put them down.



Regards



Paul

Groucho



Joined: 26/04/2008
Posts: 7993

Message Posted:
08/02/2011 08:30

If you like a bit of history mixed in with your fiction - anything by Robert Harris (Pompeii, Imperium, Archangel, etc), Guernica by Dave Boling, Kate Mosse books (Winter Ghosts, Sepulchre, Labyrinth), Timeline by Michael Crichton. The Blood of Flowers by Anita Amirrezvani ( http://bestsellers.about.com/od/fictionreviews/gr/blood_flowers.htm).

Mrs G

Tinkie


Joined: 16/03/2009
Posts: 1256

Message Posted:
08/02/2011 09:48

The Bookseller of Kabul and 101 Days (Asne Seiierstad) are both very good if you enjoyed Kite Runner. The Island (Victoria Hislop), The Thirteenth Tale (Diane Setterfield). I enjoyed The Time Travellers Wife (Audrey Neifenegger). Hope you find something that you enjoy out of the recommendations on this thread, nothing like a really good book.

Panchocat


Joined: 29/11/2009
Posts: 1333

Message Posted:
08/02/2011 11:00

Scoobydoo, we used to buy a lot of books in the UK too; but now we both have Kindle readers from Amazon, we no longer have to pay excess baggage on books and downloading is easy. Thousands of books available at the touch of a button.



I was sceptical at first when hubby bought his as I like to feel a book, but with the kindle cover on it feels just like a book. So much so that I purchased one for myself.

wanderer


Joined: 05/02/2009
Posts: 1653

Message Posted:
08/02/2011 11:03

Also try the Ozankoy bookshop

Groucho



Joined: 26/04/2008
Posts: 7993

Message Posted:
08/02/2011 14:24

The Caves of Perigord - Martin Walker



We both loved this book... particularly good if you know the region of France it's set in, if not, it's still a ripping good yarn.

japeal



Joined: 12/09/2008
Posts: 1052

Message Posted:
08/02/2011 14:43

E-book readers well worth it, I only started a few months ago, but now have in excess of 600 on my machine. James Patterson x 63 Martina Cole x 8 Stephen King x 35 Dean Koontz x 70+ Patricia Cornwell x 20+ Plus books by Alex Kava/Val McDermid/Jodi Picoult/John Sandford and many more. Bought a lot on ebay, someone sells cds of 3 authors for £4, one Cd had over 150 on it. I know you can download for free but can take time for £4 well worth it.

Groucho



Joined: 26/04/2008
Posts: 7993

Message Posted:
08/02/2011 15:32

Ha ha ha Blackbird, is that what happens when you use a Kindle?



Msg 5 Are you sure it wasn't lemons being driven over?

numbers


Joined: 03/02/2009
Posts: 230

Message Posted:
08/02/2011 16:23

Reading "The Book Thief" by Markus Zusak at the moment and can highly recommend that.

Also recommend James Patterson, David Baldacci, Karen Slaughter and Linwood Barclay and a book i happened across by chance called "The Glass Castle" by Jeannette Walls.

Have all my books delivered to Cyprus free of charge from http://www.thebookdepository.co.uk

flightholiday


Joined: 19/07/2007
Posts: 3217

Message Posted:
08/02/2011 16:34

No suggestions – I read far too little these days unless in Lapta but it's so nice to read a civilised thread

kavenkoy


Joined: 10/04/2008
Posts: 1787

Message Posted:
08/02/2011 16:35

japeal



bought a disc with 10000 books on it between a group of us ,lol

£8 the lot and hold it all in my book flood library ,most authors .



i have full collections of authors and will never have to buy a book ever again lol



reading new michael connelly at moment ,it was £11 in tesco ,but all inclusive on the disc.



ebay ,ah you can beat it lol



kav

japeal



Joined: 12/09/2008
Posts: 1052

Message Posted:
08/02/2011 17:07

kav good value, even expensive ebook-reader at £250 + £8 for 10000 massive bargain, lets say ave paperback at £6 x 10000 = £60k. Also good advantage, of saving hell of a lot of space in house you do not need book cases galore!

shrimp


Joined: 01/09/2010
Posts: 939

Message Posted:
08/02/2011 20:11

Thank you everyone for your input, now I am spoilt for choice......numbers, loved the book thief, The caves of perigord sounds just up my street as I love France Groucho, The Bookseller and The island, both brilliant Tinkie, am reading The Slap at the moment, has anyone else read it yet, supposed to be the "it" book of the moment, although rather contraversial..........

Lilli



Joined: 21/07/2008
Posts: 13081

Message Posted:
08/02/2011 20:14

Shrimp i loved the Island read it 3 times, who is The Slap by please, i have loved reading this post as now i want so many more books x

Zoots


Joined: 05/02/2011
Posts: 669

Message Posted:
08/02/2011 20:18

Msg 5



"The Flying Carpetbagger by Captain Eisenhower"



Is there a TRNC link to that one?

Blackbird



Joined: 11/08/2009
Posts: 1432

Message Posted:
08/02/2011 20:26

Don't know Zoots - I bough my copy off ebay

Blackbird



Joined: 11/08/2009
Posts: 1432

Message Posted:
08/02/2011 20:28

Re message 18....whoops yes you are right Groucho....

Zoots


Joined: 05/02/2011
Posts: 669

Message Posted:
08/02/2011 20:28

Orham Pamuk and Yaser Kemal are two of the greatest Turkish writers of all time. No surprise the Turkish deep state wanted to get rid of both of these guys. If you want to get inside the Turkish mindset and have a cracking read get these authors' books. Readily available in English.



http://www.orhanpamuk.net/books.aspx



http://dannyreviews.com/h/Salman_Solitary.html

shrimp


Joined: 01/09/2010
Posts: 939

Message Posted:
08/02/2011 20:36

Lilli, the slap is by Christos Tsiolkas.(australian).. it has very good reviews, although rather shocking.....re a minor domestic incident involving an unruly three year old child who is slapped by a guest (not his son)at a BBQ but the slap reverberates through the lives of everyone who witness it.....looks to be a good read!

Lilli



Joined: 21/07/2008
Posts: 13081

Message Posted:
08/02/2011 20:50

Have to look out for that one, thanks love. Shrimp i was here in 56 also but army xxxx

No1Doyen


Joined: 04/07/2008
Posts: 16617

Message Posted:
08/02/2011 21:35

The Alienist - Caleb Carr

shrimp


Joined: 01/09/2010
Posts: 939

Message Posted:
08/02/2011 22:00

Lilli, have emailed you.....

Woodspeckie


Joined: 25/01/2009
Posts: 2263

Message Posted:
08/02/2011 23:29

Martina Cole's New Book Shop opens tomorrow near Lemar in Karakum.

matty


Joined: 22/10/2008
Posts: 7

Message Posted:
09/02/2011 00:04

The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova

Any book by Chris Kuzneski they are all good

scoobydoo


Joined: 10/11/2008
Posts: 2434

Message Posted:
09/02/2011 08:00

Panchocat (msg 14)



You are 100% right and when I go to UK in a few months an e-reader is exactly what I am going to buy. As I need 2 (one for me and one for him indoors) I thought I would buy 1 kindle and 1 sony reader, that way we get the best of both worlds because the sony will allow me to download books for free from Essex libraries.



Also I am fed up of paying all the excess baggage!



I recently read a book called 'The Reluctant Fundamentalist', I loved it. It took a few chapters to get into and it opened my eyes a little of how easily people can be influenced by their surroundings.



Sorry but I cannot remember the author but if it springs to mind I will come back on here.

Jeannie


Joined: 04/08/2009
Posts: 3283

Message Posted:
09/02/2011 11:24

Author is Mohsin Hamid

TopTen


Joined: 15/04/2009
Posts: 1246

Message Posted:
09/02/2011 11:28

Anything by Karen Slaughter

scoobydoo


Joined: 10/11/2008
Posts: 2434

Message Posted:
09/02/2011 12:56

Thanks Jeannie, that's the one!



I was unsure of the way it was written at first but soon got into it and couldn't put it down.

mahdel


Joined: 28/05/2009
Posts: 255

Message Posted:
09/02/2011 13:26

One of the best books I've read in the past few years is called A Fraction of the Whole by Steve Toltz. Epic, engaging and hilarious.

muffin


Joined: 03/07/2010
Posts: 83

Message Posted:
09/02/2011 13:56

Try author Barbara Nadel - writes mystery/detective stories set in Istanbul so these have a local flavour. Very well written and each one very different.

Blackie


Joined: 20/12/2007
Posts: 129

Message Posted:
09/02/2011 14:30

If you like detective stories try John Connelly's Charlie Parker series with a hint of the supernatural they are engrosing and a bit nasty.



If you like a good Non Fiction read try Geffrey Deevers D Day about the allied landings in Normandy. At the end you will draw the conclusion that the Germans weren't all bad although they mostly were and the allies weren't all good and the French suffered terribly

Jeannie


Joined: 04/08/2009
Posts: 3283

Message Posted:
09/02/2011 14:39

Would like to say that I've found this thread very useful. I read a lot and it's nice to get recommendations 'straight from the horse's mouth" (so to speak).



I'm definitely going to order "The Slap" for my son who lives in Australia. Books are extremely expensive to buy there, although he does get a lot from Amazon.



Thanks, all

shrimp


Joined: 01/09/2010
Posts: 939

Message Posted:
09/02/2011 14:42

Jeannie, I am reading this now, cant put it down, it would appeal to both male and female readers I think.....it is a thick book too so will keep me quiet for a while!!