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Post by Juan on Oct 9, 2012 20:39:54 GMT
Just thought of another autobiography that I really enjoyed, Rocket Men by Ron Haslam charting his and Leon's life and careers. Perhaps not the best writer on the face of the planet but a very intresting read with a great insight into the Polotics and fucking over that goes on within Motorcycle Racing.
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Post by Juan on Oct 9, 2012 20:57:30 GMT
A.A. Gill is incredibally annoying but he's a very talented writer.
On the topic of annoying writers Jeremy Clarkson, he annoys and enterrtains in equal measure but the one book of his that is a stand alone is "I know you've got Soul." Brilliant, I just adore that book.
Bear Grylls or however the fuck you spell it. Really, really annoying style, I gave up with him about 6 Chapters in.
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Post by mark1scooters on Oct 9, 2012 21:10:59 GMT
I take my hat off to anyone who has time to read a book.  My last read was at the age of 21 on holiday and was about the serial killer Dennis Nilsen.I just don't seem to get the time.My wife is a school teacher and as you can imagine she loves reading and has many books.Much to my dismay i might add as they clutter the house and gather dust  SO I BOUGHT HER A KINDLE and she loves it ;D |
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Post by amazombi on Oct 9, 2012 21:27:56 GMT
I'm a bit of an insomniac, so I still read quite a lot. Not as much as I used to, with the kids and all that. I reckon there's about 1200 books on the shelves on the walls here though. I sort of lost the brain for the more challenging stuff some time ago though.
"All families are psychotic"? Probably the weirdest way to get HIV ever in there.
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Post by sugarlump on Oct 9, 2012 22:48:55 GMT
I don't get to read nearly as much as I'd like to, I'm slow and have to keep going back over bits, saying that I'm currently glued to 'The Future Of Physics' by Michio Kaku where he meets with 300 of the worlds leading scientists to predict the future of the next 10, 50 and 100 years.
Mind blowing knowing this stuff will be a reality, like the word 'cancer' will cease to be used in comman parlance as medical detection will catch the cells before any cancer can form. Vehicles that can drive themselves already exist there is just a PR issue etc
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Post by eean on Oct 10, 2012 13:57:59 GMT
Thats a point Ben, cars that park and drive themselves, if somebody crashes or scrapes someone else how does anyone stand insurancewise lol
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Post by benjirixon on Oct 10, 2012 17:49:25 GMT
well im a bit of a conspiracy nut/alternate interests sorta guy and read a lot on that  also read a lot of ancient artifacts ( sumarian tablets / emerald tablets by thoth) but......... im halfway through reaing the spirit molecule by rick straussman. about a study of a drug called DMT given to humans and the strange experiences they have from it. Used by aboriginals and mayan to 'meet god' and have 'revalations' while on a crazy halluciangenic trip. Bruce parry had the experience when living with various tribes. seems like its a book about drugs, but its more about the experiences and who an what they see if you get me. first few chapters are bit boring a it goes on about the chemical make up etc of the drug, then how they got it approved to test etc, but its a very very good read and really interesting. cant recomend it enough....... heres a pdf for anyone interested. www.organiclab.narod.ru/books/DMT-The-spirit-molecule.pdf |
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Post by vinrouge on Oct 10, 2012 18:56:10 GMT
One of my favorites "the Miracle of Castel di Sangro" by Joe McGinniss.
About a small town team who gain promotion to Serie B in Italian Football, and how they got on in the first season. True story with a real sting in the tail
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stehughes
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1981 100 Sport, DR 130
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Post by stehughes on Oct 10, 2012 20:36:24 GMT
I'll also check that. Anyone read "An utterly impartial history of Britain" by John O'Farrel? Have you and do you recommend it? I just started reading "Empire" by Niall Ferguson and enjoy reading British history. |
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Post by amazombi on Oct 10, 2012 21:44:26 GMT
I have, and I liked it. It is a history book with all the details and facts proper, he does add some rather funny comments though. For example there's the incident of John the Blind, King of Bohemia, who was killed in the battle of Crecy. As one can easily guess by his name he had a handicap which didn't exactly qualify him for front-line-battlefield sword action, still be insisted on being lead right into the thick of things because he was quite sure he'd be fine, him being the king with god to take care and all that. I can't remember the exact phrase, but he's the first author I ever read to point out that this may not have been the smartest possible move in the world, and with some 700 years for the first shock to wear off it's quite ok to mention that this is pretty funny actually. Maybe not the best example, but you do get the point, I hope.
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Post by Juan on Oct 10, 2012 21:57:27 GMT
Well if there happens to be a Movie made from the book then I hope he's played by Brian Blessed a la Edmund Blackadder's dad from the first series/' King of the Birdmen from Flash Gordon. If he's not available at the time then hopefully Tom Baker.
Like the sound of that book, will have a look into getting ahold of it.
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Post by Jimmy D on Oct 10, 2012 23:45:20 GMT
Just to add that I've finished Five People You Meet In Heaven by Mitch Albom.
Sitting in the waiting room on jury service, it had me in tears. Not because it was sad, but because it's one of those books you read and go "fuck, everyone else gets this whole 'life' bollocks too".
Definitely a 'must read'.
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Post by hank on Oct 11, 2012 8:36:26 GMT
I never knew all these forum members were closet bookworms. I'm looking at the books mentioned and to think that at one time I thought I was a highbrow reading nut but no more  they're all way above my literacy skills! well, apart from Bill Bryson and Tom Sharpe. I'm actually preferring purely history books now, anything up to about 1945, it all went wrong after that (apart from vespa manufacturing of course) 'Empire' is a good read, recommended. |
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stehughes
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1981 100 Sport, DR 130
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Post by stehughes on Oct 11, 2012 14:57:18 GMT
Yeah, I'm enjoying Empire. It's actually the first book I've read on my Nexus 7 tablet... not sure I'm really into the electronic book format yet though? An utterly impartial history of Britain is definitely next on my list... thanks to the new book club!  |
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stehughes
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1981 100 Sport, DR 130
Posts: 64
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Post by stehughes on Oct 11, 2012 15:10:20 GMT
Staying with the history topic for a mo, has anyone read Mein Kampf? I've owned it for a few years now and have made two attempts without getting past a hundred or so pages. I find it very interesting but also a really challenging read.
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Post by triffid on Oct 13, 2012 13:22:22 GMT
I used to be a huge fan of Stephen King, amost any book he ha written s better than the films though there are one or 2 exceptions (Green Mile).
I really like Terry Pratchet and although you can pretty much pick up any of his books and read on their own I would recommend starting from the beginning as the characters develop through the series.
I mostly read fanatasy and Raymond Feist is excellent, again start at the beginning with his books.
I have read all the Bond books, they are generally nothing like the films and are actually quite good if you oput them into contect for when they were written.
I do read the occasional factual book though and I have a couple of books on Churchill that I must read sometime.
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Post by toffeemandog on Oct 13, 2012 20:33:50 GMT
Catch 22, I used to take it on every holiday I went on.
Dracula by bram stoker
David Copperfield
Anna Karenina (I kid you not) absolutely fantastic
Touching the void , Joe Simpson.
I also read lots of mountaineering books, good epic yarns.
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Post by amazombi on Oct 19, 2012 9:17:15 GMT
Staying with the history topic for a mo, has anyone read Mein Kampf? I've owned it for a few years now and have made two attempts without getting past a hundred or so pages. I find it very interesting but also a really challenging read. I have. And if it wasn't for the fact that its author is rather "famous" for his less literary work it would rightly be as obscure and forgotten as most of the crude rubbish a number of fellow maniacs has produced. I mean it's a bit like that Anders Breivig bloke. Just because you butcher other people your writing does not improve, neither does it deserve to be read any more. |
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Post by Juan on Oct 19, 2012 21:48:52 GMT
I was looking at it in a Bookshop earlier in the week and couldn't bring myself to buy it. I know it'll be full of shit like anyother Meglomaniac's offering but I had a brief moment I considered it.
Glad I didn't, that means the Estate has one less sale.
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Post by Juan on Oct 22, 2012 21:26:31 GMT
I was in Tesco in the neighbouring largeish town with the Missus yesterday and I picked up a copy of The True History of the Black Adder by J.E. Roberts. Put to the side until I finish a couple of others first but I'm looking forward to this one.
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also read a lot of ancient artifacts ( sumarian tablets / emerald tablets by thoth) 
they're all way above my literacy skills! well, apart from Bill Bryson and Tom Sharpe.
