O/T can you recommend a good, easy read, book?

[Icy Gull]

Just finished the 2nd book in the Emperor series - Death of King's by Conn Iggulden. Loosely based on the times of Julius Caesar, history brought to life in an easy read style. Next one is not out until November, so I'm now looking for something to read rather than watch the end of summer shite on tv.

There must be plenty of recommendations from the wide range of NSC contributors. Can you share them with a brief synopsis of what they are about and by whom.

Thanks

 

[Woodchip]

I can highly recommend deadkidsongs by Toby Litt.

It's about 4 kids, and there antics over one summer in the 1970's. Very adult story line, and definitley written for adults. Can't say much more than that or I'll give the story away.

 

[alan partridge]

Thomas Hardy?

 

[dougdeep]

Douglas Adams?

 

[Biscuit]

May I recomend 'Catch 22' by Joesph Heller.

It's set during the second wold war (yes that put me of at first) but it is an absolutly fabulous book, made me laugh, and then made me cry.

I will sing its prases till the day I die, the best read ever. Please get this book.

 

[On the Left Wing]

If you have not tried them already .... any Tom Sharpe book is light and very funny

 

[northstandnorth]

try gazzas biography,its about gazza
or any tom sharpe

btw biscuit catch22 is about the korean war (but w.t.f. people still die.officers still cover up for each other,war kills the poor sucker,from 1066 till armageddon)

 

[Biscuit]

try gazzas biography,its about gazza
or any tom sharpe

btw biscuit catch22 is about the korean war (but w.t.f. people still die.officers still cover up for each other,war kills the poor sucker,from 1066 till armageddon)

Danke for corrections.

 

[Trish]

If its light-hearted, easy reading you're after, you might like The Ripple Effect by Dominic Holland. Its an amusing story of how a group of football fans, led by a baker, Bill Baxter, try to stop luxury flats being built on the site of their football ground.
I laughed out loud several times while reading it.

 

[ben andrews' girlfriend]

im not sure if youll take it as light, but if you could only read 1 book id recommend Stasiland by Anna Funder, its an excellent read, its really good investigative work set in Berlin, totally non-fiction, and its really eye opening, its not entirely doom and gloom either, there were bits that were bizarre, bits that made you laugh, and bits that made you cry. its such a great book

 

[SussexHoop]

Manchester United Ruined My Life - Colin Schindler, autobiographies of Frank Skinner, Norman Wisdom and Brian Clough are all very funny.

If you want something a bit heavier, I'd recommend 'IBM And The Holocaust' by Edwin Black ... if it's true, it's an absolute disgrace and 'I Am The Central Park Jogger' by Trisha Meili, which is an amazing story of how she recovered after being attacked and left for dead.

 

[perseus]

The film is absolute shit, the film documentary is not that bad, but the only book I have gone out of my way to read in the last 10 years is THE PERFECT STORM.

No sex in it though.

 

[crasher]

Icy - if you haven't read The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time by Mark Haddon, I can't recommend it highly enough.

Very accessible, funny (and sad) but with lots more going on in it below the surface. Even so - a very easy read.

Or if you like Roman history brought to life, try the Falco novels by Linsdey Davis - about a private detective in Imperial Rome. They're funny and lively but the historical background is impeccable.

 

[desprateseagull]

or these..

the moons a ballon - david niven. mainly about how he got through the war, and into acting.

maccarthys bar / road to maccarthy - pete maccarthy.
ligh hearted, informative, look at his travels around ireland, and beyond.

 

[Icy Gull]

Thanks all, some there I've read and a few that sound ideal.

 

[The Great Cornholio]

Any of the Harry Bosch books by Michael Connelly - or just any book by Michael Connelly!

 

[Donk the Seagull]

'The one that got away' by Chris Ryan is an excelent book. It is about him experiences in the first gulf war with the sas. all of his sas books r good reads

 

[Eddie the Seagull]

'Round Ireland with a fridge' - Tony Hawks.

A true & f***ing funny/warming tale, all for a £20 bet

He even references standing in the East stand watching the mighty stripes as a kid.

 

[DJ Leon]

try gazzas biography,its about gazza
or any tom sharpe

btw biscuit catch22 is about the korean war (but w.t.f. people still die.officers still cover up for each other,war kills the poor sucker,from 1066 till armageddon)

Nope, Biscuit was right, Catch 22 was set in World War II. Are you thinking of M*A*S*H? that was set in the Korean war.

 

[Charlies Shinpad]

Gazzas Biography is well funny and sad in a way,but worth a read.
Spike Milligans books are absolute quality and laugh out loud stuff