Spec me a Book - Perfect for my Holiday!

RickyDVT · 04-05-2009, 15:55

Hi All,

Hope this is in the right place!

I'm off on holiday to the Domincan in 2 weeks, and as this is going to be alot different to my last 3 holidays to Magaluf, I thought it would be quite nice to get a couple of books to read whilst there, now, i havnt read an actual book from start to finish for about 10 years! So Ive no idea what is good or bad.

If I put some of the things I like below, could someone recommend me a couple of good uns?

Action
Comedy
Thriller
Mystery (You know, like where at the end its all revealed!)
Modern War (not WW2)

I'm not expecting the books to have all 5 of the above in 1 story!!

Any ideas?

Ricky.

roddy · 04-05-2009, 16:01

Quote:

(no WW2 ****)

Ah yes, the Second " **** " World War.

For modern war, maybe a bit of Tom Clancy - Red Storm Rising? Set in the 80s though, is that too old.

paulsaz · 04-05-2009, 16:02

The early Tom Clancy stuff are good reads. He's lost the plot completely now but everything upto Executive Orders is great holiday reading. He's the author of The Hunt for Red October, Patriot Games, Clear and Present Danger and Sum of All Fears and the books are generally better than the films.

bollecks · 04-05-2009, 16:04

Try The Escape by Robert Muchamore.

Fantastic book, written by a truly amazing human being.

RickyDVT · 04-05-2009, 16:05

Ok ,cheers.

Best place to buy books online? Amazon or something?

roddy · 04-05-2009, 16:07

Thriller . . Ice Station by Matthew Reilly? Very daft, but I remember not being able to put it down - I seem to remember a brilliant hovercraft chase.

Quote:

The early Tom Clancy stuff are good reads. He's lost the plot completely now but everything up to Executive Orders is great holiday reading.

Agree with that, The Bear and The Dragon was the first one I remember reading and thinking 'this is crap'. Rainbox Six doesn't count, that was just the game in paper form.

Richie · 04-05-2009, 16:08

Modern War: Generation Kill by Evan Wright

Richie · 04-05-2009, 16:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by bollecks

Try The Escape by Robert Muchamore.

Fantastic book, written by a truly amazing human being.

I hear he's quite humble too!

cjanderson · 04-05-2009, 16:09

i would recommend angels and demons or the da vinci code for one available here or any good charity shop
its not great literature but its definataly a beach read/page turner. and as you don't read much, its very easy to get through without getting bored.

others will say NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO but 6 million brits can't all be wrong

else, could try agatha christies, all good who done its - i prefer the poirot to the other ones.

Vicster · 04-05-2009, 16:15

Action: The early Lee Childs books are quite good (the later ones are really poor though). Dumb, but good, ditto the Andy McNab ones.

Comedy: hmmm, probably not quite right but more satire type stuff, you could try PJ O'Rourke. Funny and insightful into American stuff. Try "Holidays In Hell"

I'd personally recommend "The Bonfire Of The Vanities" or "A Man In Full" by Tom Wolfe if you've not read either of them. Huge epic-y type books that are really really worth reading and very very enjoyable, but I'm not sure where it would fit into your criteria.

paulsaz · 04-05-2009, 16:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by cjanderson

6 million brits can't all be wrong

see that's what I thought until I read it, as you predicted I'm going to say

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Marts62 · 04-05-2009, 16:38

Still time to download a Mayo book review podcast from Radio 5 Live and take your pick from one of those.
Certain Girls is good, as recommended on the show, and not something I would ever normally read.

zenza · 04-05-2009, 16:48

The Shadow of The Wind.

statto · 04-05-2009, 16:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by cjanderson

i would recommend angels and demons or the da vinci code for one available here or any good charity shop

If someone hasn't read a book in ten years then this is the kind of stuff I'd be recommending too. Also worth checking out John Grisham and Mark Billingham.

Richie · 04-05-2009, 16:55

and Michael Connelly too (for thrillers).

cjanderson · 04-05-2009, 16:58

thats my logic behind it, its an easy read. Grisham is also good - but his early stuff like "the firm"

john connoly - every dead thing - is very twisty turny, as is any stand alaone harlan coben. billingham does uk/london based crime stuff from what i can remember.

or you could go for the start of the morse books or the ian rankin books.

Mike gayle writes nice "man lit" about 30 something men and their dilemas and bill bryson does tons of travel/comedy writing. or dave gorman or danny wallace do comedy/mission writing. all ones i'd enjoy on a beach or a plane.

AndyWilson · 04-05-2009, 17:21

Isn't WW2 modern anymore?

Nobody told me

dvdphile · 04-05-2009, 18:11

I'm not a big reader either but I would recommend Dan Brown too.
I preferred Angels and Demons to DaVinci though.

Harlan Coben is also pretty good if you like an action/thriller. I've just read Hold Tight and really enjoyed that.

No time for Goodbye - `Linwood Barclay was also a page turner!

Gary

SIMON ADEBISI · 04-05-2009, 18:20

Any George Pelecanos book

hookbeak · 04-05-2009, 18:35

Quote:

Originally Posted by cjanderson

i would recommend angels and demons or the da vinci code for one.

Those two are Ok, but whatever you do, don't read "digital fortress" by Dan Brown. my god, i don't know how a book this poor could have ever got into print - it's utterly inept in style, vocabulary and story. Easily the worst book i've ever experienced (and i read 100+ books a year for the last 30 years).

It's so bad, it made me cross just reading it.