[Closed] recommend me a couple of good books

[url= http://www.amazon.co.uk/Man-Who-Cycled-World/dp/0552158445 ]The Man Who Cycled the World, by Mark Beaumont[/url] is a very good read.

Best books read in the last year:

Stoner- John Williams
The Secret Race- Tyler Hamilton
1984- George Orwell

The Cruel Sea, Nicholas Montsarrat................eeeeeeh its right good 😀

Not bike related, but everyone I know who has read 'First Light' by Geoffrey Wellum has found it fascinating including those who have no interest in aviation or war biographys

Cheers Dan - I've read that.

1984 I should read again.

The Son by Philip Meyer - historically based tale of early Texas through 5 generations.
Andy Cave (climber) biog.

Mad,Bad and Dangerous to Know - Ranulph Fiennes is very very good.
Jupiters Travels - Ted Simon

One bio, one adventurey type.

The Night Circus - Erin Morgenstern
An Officer and a Spy - Robert Harris

Have been a couple of recent page turners.

First Light is indeed a cracking read.

Have you read Wilds Swans by Jung Chang ? It is a family history more than an autobiography, starting with her grandmother hobbling about on bound feet as the mistress of a Kuomintang Officer, then her parents life during the communist revolution, and her growing up in China.

The last book I couldn't put down and stayed up all night to read was Under the Skin by Michal Faber.

Not necessarily autobiographies, but I would recommend:

"I didn't do it for you" by Michela Wrong (captivating history of a small nation and it's battles with the wider world).

Either "Stalingrad" or "Berlin" by Anthony Beevor. I would read "Stalingrad" first as it is obviously chronologically earlier.

If you're a super geeky retro console fan then get "Console Wars" an account of the Sega vs Nintendo battle

Also, try pretty much anything by Simon Winchester.

Currently enjoying "Tudors" by Peter Ackroyd.

[url= http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dividing-Great-John-Metcalfe/dp/1478249331/ref=tmm_pap_title_0 ]Dividing the Great[/url]

Danny Baker's Going to Sea in a Sieve was one of the funniest books I've ever read. I guess he's a bit marmite, but I grew up reading his NME stuff, so his biog was great.

First Light is brilliant! A funny and page turning read for me was The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared. Another great one would be A Thousand Splendid Suns - very sad though...

Generally finish 50% of my trashy commuter reads, recent 100%ers in
price order:

The Road
The Outsider (Albert Camus)
Divergent
The Accident (CL Taylor)
The Harry Harrison megapack
Open Minds (Susan Quinn) - £0
Girl in the box - £0

A couple of modern classics -

The Crow Road, Iain Banks
&
Before I Go To Sleep, S J Watson.

If you're into music Live At The Brixton Academy by Simon Parkes is a fascinating autobiography covering how the Brixton Academy became such an incredible live music venue in the 80s & 90s.

A piece of cake by Cupcake Brown.

Can't put it down.

Fancy an account of a bit of adventure? Try 'Walking the Amazon' by Ed Stafford. Brilliant read.

Also, my default answer to any 'what book' thread; if you have even a passing interest in how the body works during sport (and endurance sport specifically) then you need to read 'Survival of the Fittest' by Mike Stroud. I can't recommend it enough.

Not very hi brow but did me fine on a recent holiday, I am Pilgrim, Terry Hayes

Anyone who has ever been to or wants to visit Moab should read 'Desert Solitaire' by Edward Abbey. He was a park ranger there before proper roads were put in. You get a real idea of what life out there was like.

For a couple of fascinating reads from some remarkable pioneers of the jet age...

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Quick-Dead-William-Arthur-Waterton/dp/1908117273

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Wings-My-Sleeve-Worlds-Greatest/dp/0753822091/ref=pd_bxgy_b_text_z

Both now available of Kindle too

Working at rolls Royce and going on a work trip I think I'll pass on the jet engines!

Gone for first light.

I realise that spitfires have rolls Royce engines.

Working at rolls Royce and going on a work trip I think I'll pass on the jet engines!

So this is a no-no as well then!

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Not-Much-Engineer-Stanley-Hooker/dp/1853102857

'The Road' (Jack London)
'The Old man And The Sea' (Hemingway)
'Head On/Repossessed' (Julian Cope)
'Veronika Decides To Die' (Paulo Coelho)
'The Wild Ass's Skin' (Balzac)
'Brave New World (Huxley)
'Farenheit 451' (Ray Bradbury)

Cope's abovementioned autobiog BTW is hilarious - and superlative to the point that I believe no review can come close to doing it justice. A future British literary classic IMO.

+1 for Wings on my sleeve. A different style altogether from 'First Light' but Eric Brown's story is astonishing. Having had the privilege to have heard him lecture twice and briefly spoken with him on both occasions, I can confirm he is probably the most remarkable person I have ever met

Not very hi brow but did me fine on a recent holiday, I am Pilgrim, Terry Hayes

I really enjoyed Rivers of London by Ben arbromovich ( or something like that)

Just finished his second book, moon over soho, that's good too.

A bit si fi but in reality, if that makes sense. About a cop in the ghost hunting part of the Met.

I also loved Wool. Can't even remember who wrote that though. Second book was ok in series but third I've not finished yet, probably won't either.

Quick edit Hugh huffy (of something like that)

Good read, more than a page turner: Great North Road by Peter Hamilton
Autobiography, page turner, couldn't put it down, horrifying: The Jigsaw Man by Paul Britton

I've enjoyed the Wool trilogy recently.
11.22.63 by Stephen King was pretty good
Penal Colony, excellent
3 Bent Links - Meh, the author is super sexy though and he's currently writing a much better book. 😉

Found this thread as i was looking for some inspiration on what to read next. Have decided to download 'First Light' so thanks for the suggestions!

Recently i have read a few cycling related books:

Breaking The Chain, Drugs and Cycling: The True Story by Willy Voet (average)
The Secret Race by Tyler Hamilton (excellent)
On the Road Bike by Ned Boulting (Excellent)
How I won the Yellow Jumper by Ned Boulting (Good)
French Revolutions by Tim Moore (Good)

Away from the bikes, this year i have read a few modern classics and would recommend:

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak.

All worth a read IMHO!

Kitchen confidential by Anthony Bourdain is a great little autobiography. John Simpson has also turned out a couple of decent ones.

Read a few Robert Harris pageturners recently. Fatherland and The Ghost are quite entertaining. Don't know how he avoided being sued by a certain ex-prime minister for The Ghost.

The Unexpected Professor by John Carey....he has a staggering intellect but writes with clarity, is a subversive and generally a very nice bloke.
Kitchen Confidential is also a very good one, well-written, informative, funny and much better than the sequel.
Almost anything by Christopher Hitchens is good, whether you agree with him or not, simply because it is so well written.
My Mrs has been raving about Stoner (the book, I trust), I think it's now next on my list.

I've ordered First Light and I Am Pilgrim. They should do me for a couple of flights between Netflix and sleep.

Thanks to those who recommended First Light. Just finished it; it's taken me a little over a week, which for me is incredibly quick.

Well recommended!