The Good Books Thread

Chris Davies

Chris Davies

Chief PESsimist
Staff
14 May 2003
UK
Tranmere Rovers
Okay, so Plan M has started about ten new threads since his reinstatement, so I thought there would be no harm in me starting this one.

I have periods where I read three or four books in a month, and periods where I don't read anything (but FourFourTwo magazine) for six months. But after completing Bioshock on Xbox 360, and absolutely loving the storyline (it's one of those that makes you want to pulverise the guy you discover at the end, very emotionally involving), I really want a good book for Christmas. The last book that made me oooh and aaah was the Bourne Identity series, I loved that.

There's only two kinds of books that I want (seeing as I've already been given five autobiographies for my birthday); firstly, a story with a shocking twist that turns everything on it's head at some point, and secondly, a World War II allied soldier's story (non-fictional obviously).

Any recommendations?
 
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These two are nothing like what you asked for, they are my favorite two of all time....
Gladys Protheroe - a Football Genius. the story of a Watford Groundsmans daughter who grows up to be involed in all the major Footballing events of the last 50 years - it was Gladys for example who made Gordon Banks a sandwich the night before the World Cup Qtr final with Germany in 1970 - really funny, and touching too...

Penguins stopped play - true story of a group of village cricketers who play on every continent - including Antarctica....again funny and charming.

For plot twists, I like Jeffery Deaver - the lincoln rhyme series.

No WWII ones, but Chickenhawk is a good one for Vietnam, as is Once a Warrior King.

Papillion is a great book (and movie) as are the Hannibal series form Thomas Harris.
 
Fantastic thread.
Reading is my biggest love.

It turns out that i'm reading a fantastic book right now jack, one that you would like: "The Power of the dog" by Don Winslow.
It's about the one mencrusade of one American DEA agent against Mexican Warlords and it spans three decades with plenty of twists, corruption and also a lot of violence. Unfortunately this books is based on real facts (well not the main story, but the background).

If you like World War stories, you should read "Winter in Madrid" by CJ Sansom. It's about a british soldier who turns spy in Franco's Spain in 1940. Also a beautiful love story...

The best War novel and maybe the best book ever written in English is Catch 22 by Jospeh Heller. This is by far the most funny book i've ever read.

Another great read about the CIA, the cold war and moles is The Company by Robert Littel.

A couple of great football books:

The ball is round by David Goldblatt (a very recent history of football it also has lots of facts about South American football, as a big fan of Argentinian football i was thrilled by it).

Brilliant Orange by David Winner about Dutch football with the hilarious (but true) story about Willem Van Hanegem (Holland's second best player in the Cruijff era who played all his life for Feyenoord). Van Hanegem once had the opportunity to have is "big transfer" but he hesitated between money and his beloved Feyenoord. In the end he let his dog decide and the dog decided that he stayed at Feyenoord. There are plenty over stories like that in the book.

And then there is "Calcio" by John Foot about Italian football. Very comprehensive.

"The Miracle of Castel di Sangro" by Joe Mc ginnis. The story aboutthe team of a tiny village in Southern Italy who reaches Serie B. American football freak Joe MC Ginnis decides to move to Castel di Sangro and to follow the team during their season long battle against relegation. A fantastic book that ends with an anti-climax. Since i've read Gianluca Vialli's book on football, i now understand the end of this book. (that Vialli book is great too by the way).

Stamping Grounds by Charlie Connelly: another fantastic book. In this book Brittish football freak Charlie Conelly follows Liechtensteins campaign for a World Cup qualification (1998 or 2002). Since reading this book, i am a big fan of Liechtenstein and i admire the players of Liechtenstein's national team (i write this without the merest hint of irony). Every time there is another day of international matches i will immediately search Lichtenstein's result. It turns out that the person i like most on this forum is also a Lichtenstein fan...which <as nice to know...

A last great read is from an Italian author and is baout an Roman crime syndicate in the 70's, 80's and 90's. Gaincarlo de Cataldo: Romanza Criminale...i've read it in Dutch... i will do a litle Google to see if it's translated in English. There is movie about the fim whih is called "Crime Novel", perhaps that's the English title for thebook if it is translated (i haven't found anything other).
 
can anyone tell me a good reason to read books for hours ? i like to read but i never seem to finish books since i think about other things more then concentrating on the book
 
boredom is a good reason...

i only tend to read when i'm either on holiday, at the airport, on a flight or on a long bus journey...
 
Jack Bauer said:
Okay, so Plan M has started about ten new threads since his reinstatement, so I thought there would be no harm in me starting this one.

I have periods where I read three or four books in a month, and periods where I don't read anything (but FourFourTwo magazine) for six months. But after completing Bioshock on Xbox 360, and absolutely loving the storyline (it's one of those that makes you want to pulverise the guy you discover at the end, very emotionally involving), I really want a good book for Christmas. The last book that made me oooh and aaah was the Bourne Identity series, I loved that.

There's only two kinds of books that I want (seeing as I've already been given five autobiographies for my birthday); firstly, a story with a shocking twist that turns everything on it's head at some point, and secondly, a World War II allied soldier's story (non-fictional obviously).

Any recommendations?
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Good thread Jack :)

You NEED to read The Dice Man. It's a famous book based on a guy who has EVERTHING in life; a gorgeous wife, beautiful kids, a interesting career, great friends, loads of money etc. BUT he isn't content. In a nutshell, he decides to let the dice rule his life. His makes a list of rules everyday eg. "If I roll a 3 I will go and rape the woman in the apartment below".

It's an intriguing read, very well written, very funny, very dark and the best book I have ever read.
 
Jack Bauer said:
secondly, a World War II allied soldier's story (non-fictional obviously).

Any recommendations?
Click to expand...


Not quite what you're looking for, but I recommend "Winter in Madrid" by CJ Sansom. It's about a trio of English People in Madrid during the 2nd World War (And Franco has just come to power in Spain). Fictional, but incredibly well written.

*EDIT* lol - just seen that Gerd has already recommended this, but's it's worth repeating.

For something a little easier, Michael Connelly writes a lot of good detective stories, all with good twists.
 
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T Butcher fan said:
For something a little easier, Michael Connelly writes a lot of good detective stories, all with good twists.
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I agree with Terry, i'm a big fan of Hieronymus Bosch, Conelly's hero.
Better than Conelly and also detectives:

Ian Rankin (Scottish inspector Rebus in Edinburgh)
Michael Dibdin: Aurelio Zen an Italian detective who is far from an hero.
Henning Mankell (Sweden)
Arnaldus Indridasson: Icelandic insepctor Erlendur (has a heroïn addicted daughter).
Jo Nesbo (Norway)
 
Fatherland by Robert Harris. It's set in an alternative Germany where they won the 2nd World War. A detective novel set in the 70's I think. Superb book.
 
Jack Bauer said:
Okay, so Plan M has started about ten new threads since his reinstatement, so I thought there would be no harm in me starting this one.

I have periods where I read three or four books in a month, and periods where I don't read anything (but FourFourTwo magazine) for six months. But after completing Bioshock on Xbox 360, and absolutely loving the storyline (it's one of those that makes you want to pulverise the guy you discover at the end, very emotionally involving), I really want a good book for Christmas. The last book that made me oooh and aaah was the Bourne Identity series, I loved that.

There's only two kinds of books that I want (seeing as I've already been given five autobiographies for my birthday); firstly, a story with a shocking twist that turns everything on it's head at some point, and secondly, a World War II allied soldier's story (non-fictional obviously).

Any recommendations?
Click to expand...

Just finished a book with a HUGE twist.
It's called 'Use of Weapons' by Iain M Banks. It's science-fiction by the way.
 
T Butcher fan said:
Fatherland by Robert Harris. It's set in an alternative Germany where they won the 2nd World War. A detective novel set in the 70's I think. Superb book.
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That's a very good book too Terry.
Philip Kerr is another of my favourites...i like his Bernie Gunther series (4 in all). It's about a detective in Nazi Germany and just after the war...
Kerr has written a few superb stand alones too: A philosophical Investigation is great too...
 
I like Stephen Fry's books too. Especially - The Liar

And all Robert Harris' novel are good

Lots of the books on the English syllabus are good too - anything by Goeroge Orwell for starters. Or Brave New World by Aldous Huxley.
 
freddyboy said:
I like Stephen Fry's books too. Especially - The Liar

And all Robert Harris' novel are good

Lots of the books on the English syllabus are good too - anything by Goeroge Orwell for starters. Or Brave New World by Aldous Huxley.
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The Liar is my current coffee book shop read, I travel a lot through work and I have all the good bookstores that have a coffee shop in them on my Sat Nav, Borders are good for this. I always call in one when I'm in between clients and pick a book to read, I'm about three quarters of the way through the Liar. Just remember to save your page number in your phone notes or laptop...;)
 
I just finished Making History by Stephen Fry. That was pretty good so I'll go in search of a few of his others soon.

Gerd, I will look up a few of your recommendations as we seem to like the same books!

"The Ball is Round" is sitting on my shelf at the moment - the fact that it's about a million pages is preventing me from picking it up so far (I haven't got the muscles!)

Two good page turners: "River God" & "The 7th Scroll" both by Wilbur Smith. Read them in the right order though! They are set in ancient and modern Egypt. Great swashbuckling stuff!
 
Good thread Jack,

May i suggest a title that I haven't actually read but thought looked fascinating from a brief nose in Waterstones.

'The World without us' by Alan Weisman

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http://www.worldwithoutus.com/index2.html


From a Football point of view....

I would also heartily recommend Calcio by John Foot, Morbo by Phil Ball and Football Against the Enemy by Simon Kuper

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Calcio-History-Football-John-Foot/dp/0007175744
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Morbo-Spani...3468/ref=pd_sim_b_title_2/202-4312940-4151807
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Football-Against-Enemy-Simon-Kuper/dp/0752848771/ref=pd_sim_b_title_5

If anyone is a bit of a stadium anorak anything by Simon Inglis is well worth a look.
 
That does look interesting DB - I watched a documentary years and years ago that pointed out that nearly all trace of Man would be wiped out in just a few hundred years if we were to die out like the dinosaurs. I think they said there would even be enough time for a new race of humans to evolve (perhaps this time from another mammal - Sea Otters probably) before the Sun finally gave out.

On an unrelated note:

Lord of the Flies - William Golding
 
Just finished the first of David Gemmell's Troy Trilogy, The Lord of the Silver Bow. Really good, so I've ordered the next 2 from Amazon for myself for Xmas. ( Hope I don't guess what they are under the tree!)
 
I read a great football book on holiday this year:

Manslaughter United

It's about a prison football team and is a true story, the author went round with the inmates for a whole season. Absolutely fantastic read, highly recommended!

51SK2J8EQQL._SS500_.jpg
 
Very good suggestion.
I'm currently reading a hell of a book, well it's a trilogy...
"The Border Trilogy" written by Cormac Mc Carthy.
The books are about the Texan-Mexican border region.
It's about "cowboys" in the second half of the de 20th century...you can't call it a western, but it's great...

Furthermore yesterday i bought a couple of promising books.

Two books by David Peace:

"GB84" About the miners strike in 1984:
"The Damned United" about Cloughie's short stint at Leeds United just before he became Forrest's manager.


And then another promising book by an American sports journalist (forgot his name) who decides to follow Portsmouth a season long (2006-2007): "Up Pompey"
 
My favourite authors in no particular order.....

Robert Ludlum
Sven Hassel
James Ellroy (if you're into audio books get the unabridged Black Dahlia, the reading is fantastic)
Robert Fulghum
James Clavell
Michael Crichton
John Grisham

I can't remember the last time I read a proper book, since getting my PDA I read books on there or when travelling around listen to them on it, currently listening to James Clavell's Shogun (extremely long but a great book and very well read) and reading my way through all the Patrick O'Brian James Aubrey series (some of you may have seen the movie Master and Commander with Russell Crowe)........
 
John Grisham here aswell, 3 of the 4 dan brown books are good (deception point, da vinci & Angels and Demons (being filmed next year with tom hanks again).

P.J. Tracy has some decent crime novels around a gamedesigner firm. Quite cool if your into games. "Wanna Play" is good.

I enjoy kathy reichs' books aswell, which is who the tv show bones is based on. If you enjoy bones you'll likely enjoy her books.

Seen a new michal crichton book that looks interesting, cant remember the name but its a basic white cover with a single word in red (bloody) letters. Think it has something to do with apes and a virus. Anyone read that?

I mostly read fictional thrillers.
 
Nothing Lasts forever by Rodderick Thorpe. Die
Hard was based on this it is alot harsher a few female terrorists in the story and no mercy on their deaths

Moondust. Which catches up with all the astronauts who landed on the moon and how there will soon be none(because they will be dead)

The Long Round. It follows up on the fighters who fought Tyson in his heyday and what they do with themselves now from a security guard at Ground Zero to a Drug Councillor
 
Praise for a book that i haven't read but which will certainly interest jack bauer (i.e. chris davies and not the drunk one).

From this month's FourFourTwo:

a football-themed book once described as "The Catcher in the Rye with Stanley knives"...

"Awaydays" by Kevin Sampson, released in 1999.
It was praised for its realistic depiction of life as a fan in the late-'70s.
Set in Birkenhead against a backdrop of joy Division, Margaret Thatcher's ascension to power and growing heroin use, it features The Pack - a stylish gabng of violent young hooligans following Tranmere Rovers...

The book is being made into a film at present.
 
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