What book are you reading now / or recommend?

[Henry Chinaski]

Police - Jo Nesbo.

Brilliant.

 

[stony]

I was recommended the book by a friend who enjoyed the writing style, and I'm sure the 2014 edition is very good. Unfortunately the 2004 edition was the Kindle one and claimed that Pluto was a planet, the Universe might come to a Big Crunch and that we don't know the topology of the Universe all of which is incorrect and all of which came in the first couple of chapters.

Sort of skimmed through it after that. The one thing that science books have to be above all else is accurate or it is a waste of time.

He must have the new edition. He's pretty smart(he's a science teacher,has a masters in engineering, and is a chartered engineer too) he's also dyslexic, so if he's persevering with it, then it must be accurate or he'd have launched it at the cat by now.

 

[big gaz]

One Summer (America 1927). Great entertainment. Author Bill Bryson.

 

[Damocles]

I'd recommend it if the science was sorted out mainly because of the writing style. It reminds me a little of Douglas Adams for some reason and it's extremely accessible/witty.

I've been wanting to read some books on the Indus Valley civilization if anybody knows of anything that covers it well? I keep meaning to read more archaeological books but never seem to get around to it so a recommendation might spur me into action.

 

[BigJimLittleJim]

A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson.

Extremely disappointed in the Kindle edition as it was almost 10 years out of date and almost all of the book was now wrong. Ended up skipping most of it. In cosmology terms, being 10 years out of date with his answers is akin to writing in the Stone Age

Strangely enough, my son-in-law is currently reading this too.

I bought that at the local charity shop, gave it a whirl as I've read a few of his books, and found it a decent read, just had a look on my bookshelf and it's gone, so I must have flogged it on the carboot sales we did last year - I did find "the life and times of the thunderbolt kid" by Bryson, which was more in keeping with his usual style - easy reading, nothing mind blowing.

I should read more, instead of mooching on here :)

 

[stony]

I'd recommend it if the science was sorted out mainly because of the writing style. It reminds me a little of Douglas Adams for some reason and it's extremely accessible/witty.

I've been wanting to read some books on the Indus Valley civilization if anybody knows of anything that covers it well? I keep meaning to read more archaeological books but never seem to get around to it so a recommendation might spur me into action.

Can't help you there mate. I stick to fiction mainly, but I do like Bernard Cornwell novels because he's a historian too and his books are chock full of interesting historical facts.

Currently reading The Darkslayer Chronicles. I can't even remember who wrote them but a 10 year old could probably read them. If they weren't full of sex and violence that is.

I downloaded the New York Times bestsellers list from 2012/13 so I'm going to pick something from there next.

 

[Mrmcfc]

A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson.

Extremely disappointed in the Kindle edition as it was almost 10 years out of date and almost all of the book was now wrong. Ended up skipping most of it. In cosmology terms, being 10 years out of date with his answers is akin to writing in the Stone Age

Strangely enough, my son-in-law is currently reading this too.

I bought that at the local charity shop, gave it a whirl as I've read a few of his books, and found it a decent read, just had a look on my bookshelf and it's gone, so I must have flogged it on the carboot sales we did last year - I did find "the life and times of the thunderbolt kid" by Bryson, which was more in keeping with his usual style - easy reading, nothing mind blowing.

I should read more, instead of mooching on here :)

Gave a short history a go a while back, the interesting bits were too few and far between for my taste.

 

[ell]

Finished "how not to run a club" by Peter Hook, now onto Casuals by Phil Thornton.

Got Nigel Benn's book next

 

[Damocles]

I'd recommend it if the science was sorted out mainly because of the writing style. It reminds me a little of Douglas Adams for some reason and it's extremely accessible/witty.

I've been wanting to read some books on the Indus Valley civilization if anybody knows of anything that covers it well? I keep meaning to read more archaeological books but never seem to get around to it so a recommendation might spur me into action.

Can't help you there mate. I stick to fiction mainly, but I do like Bernard Cornwell novels because he's a historian too and his books are chock full of interesting historical facts.

Currently reading The Darkslayer Chronicles. I can't even remember who wrote them but a 10 year old could probably read them. If they weren't full of sex and violence that is.

I downloaded the New York Times bestsellers list from 2012/13 so I'm going to pick something from there next.

I don't read too much fiction but I have a soft spot for Clive Cussler as I'm a fan of the sea and sailing. He writes action books about a naval organisation who have a plot-serving brief but often contain interesting historical ideas.

Oro isn't a fiction book, more semi-fiction, but is just an incredible story that might be my favourite book of that kind that I've ever read. Cizia Zyke presents such a masculine adventure figure that I don't think I've ever seen anything like it in fiction since. Total badass, yet totally believable.

It details the adventures of a French prospector in South America, in particularly Costa Rica, who has an attitude to life that so many of us aspire to and I couldn't recommend it higher for the £4 it costs in paperback.

<a class="postlink" href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Oro-Cizia-Zyke/dp/0312000936" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.amazon.co.uk/Oro-Cizia-Zyke/dp/0312000936</a>

Seriously, give it a read. Be warned that it isn't very PC but it's hilarious and engaging in equal parts.

 

[DelToro]

Some of Clive Cusslers ideas are good but his prose is shocking and character development is non existent.