Book Recommendation's

[Garry AKA Pod]

I require your help folks.

Back at middle school, we read a book that followed the theme of post apocalypse. From what I remember, there were 3 survivors. A boy and girl, whom I recall may have been siblings. They thought they were alone until one day a mysterious man appeared.

That's all I remember. I'd love to know what the book was called. I appreciate that this subject matter is hardly original, but I'd be very grateful if anyone has any clue as to what it may be called.

Ta

[Guest DisposableHeroes]

I require your help folks.

Back at middle school, we read a book that followed the theme of post apocalypse. From what I remember, there were 3 survivors. A boy and girl, whom I recall may have been siblings. They thought they were alone until one day a mysterious man appeared.

That's all I remember. I'd love to know what the book was called. I appreciate that this subject matter is hardly original, but I'd be very grateful if anyone has any clue as to what it may be called.

Ta

Sorry Miam,

Tried an ambitious goggle, but no luck.

[Garry AKA Pod]

Sorry Miam,

Tried an ambitious goggle, but no luck.

It's the equivalent of hearing a song, but not knowing the title or the artist, and having to hum it badly to your mates.

Ta for trying though.

[Prescience]

I read an eclectic mix of non-fiction and fiction.

Fiction for me, tends to be an escape from harsh reality: or thrilling tales of derring do.

Neville Shute is one of my standbyes: read Sliderule a pithy analysis of the post 1930s economic reality and his struggles to found what was then a tech company: an airplane manufacturer. Part biography: part socio-economic analysis and critique.

His fictional work, Ruined City is a must too.

For modern thrillers read such as William Diehl's Primal Fear. Superb story of a US attorney and his fight to clear a murderer who turns out to be a pyschopath.

Also read Michael Connolly.

The recently late Michael Crichton is good reading and stimulates serious thought: The State of Fear (Climate Change) and Pray! (Nano technology gone out of control!).

A newish Brit writer is James Barrington: his books are increasingly good.

http://www.jamesbarrington.com/

Older fiction: well John Steinbeck's Grapes of Wrath is compulsory reading for any thinker interested in how US big capital turned hundreds of thousands of poor farmers into slaves.

Hemmingway's For Whom The Bell Tolls, essential. As is The Old Man and The Sea.

Don't forget John Grisham for light escape and more critically Gerald Seymour: his writing has gone from strength to strength.

Harry's Game, Seymour's first book is generally agreed as the blueprint novel for aspiring writers: as is Dostoyevsky for superb economical writing and superb characterisation.

Jack Higgins (Harry Patterson) has some boiler plate churned out junk: but his epics (Eagle Has Landed; Exocet! etc) are essential reading for 20th Cent novels.

Len Deighton is a prodigious writer still challenging his readers.

His 1960s books are still fresh today.

I have just re-read Delderfield's God is An Englishman, for the Nth time: if you like well researched novels about Victorians focused on business and making money with social conscience rolled in, then Delderfield's your man!

As is Thomas Armstrong's The Crowthers of Bankdom: says much about the early Industrial Revolution England, exploitation and deprivation. Armstrong was noted as an excellent historian.

Like sea tales? Ramage books about the Napoleanic era and Nelson's navy. Written by Dudley Pope: an author who led an idyllic life, on his yacht Ramage in the Carribean.

Already mentioned was Nicholas Monsarrat: A literary giant. The Tribe That Lost Its Head: seminal work on Africa and independence. Read Zimbabwe!

The Cruel Sea is an early Montsarrat culled from his own experiences in the WWII navy. A must!

The list is really endless.

[twatmangle]

I require your help folks.

Back at middle school, we read a book that followed the theme of post apocalypse. From what I remember, there were 3 survivors. A boy and girl, whom I recall may have been siblings. They thought they were alone until one day a mysterious man appeared.

That's all I remember. I'd love to know what the book was called. I appreciate that this subject matter is hardly original, but I'd be very grateful if anyone has any clue as to what it may be called.

Ta

Z_for_Zachariah??

[Timm]

For males only (never known a woman to like them) with an interest in knowing Victorian history via a laugh-out-loud medium, the Flashman novels by George Macdonald Fraser.

Yes yes yes and YES!

Be aware that the main character is much more of a proper anti-hero in the first book.

I second the recommendation for The Road by Cormac McCarthy. If you never got around to The Name of the Rose its well worth a read.

Yes, but I'd go for different books by those authors.

Cormac McC: All the Pretty Horses.

Unberto Eco: Foucault's Pendulum

I require your help folks.

Back at middle school, we read a book that followed the theme of post apocalypse. From what I remember, there were 3 survivors. A boy and girl, whom I recall may have been siblings. They thought they were alone until one day a mysterious man appeared.

That's all I remember. I'd love to know what the book was called. I appreciate that this subject matter is hardly original, but I'd be very grateful if anyone has any clue as to what it may be called.

Ta

I think I've read it too.

Something about a hidden valley with it's own micro climate?

But I can't remember the name either!

[Timm]

Z_for_Zachariah??

That's it!

PS. No mentions of Illuminatus! yet? The ultimate conspiracy book, I had to start it three times. Glad I stuck with it though.

[twatmangle]

That's it!

Yes, I remember reading that one too. And some weird one call I am The Cheese. Now WTF was that all about?

[Garry AKA Pod]

Z_for_Zachariah??

You fecking star! xxx

[Scunnered]

Book Recommendation's, Any good Fiction, or non fiction Novels you would recommend?

I'm so sorry. I've managed to stop myself for over 24 hours now, but I can't take it any more.

The Penguin Guide to Punctuation.

[Milton]

I'm so sorry. I've managed to stop myself for over 24 hours now, but I can't take it any more.

The Penguin Guide to Punctuation.

I suppose I could look back through all your posts to see if you had been lazy as well, but that would probably make me an extremely sad B@stard......

[Si1]

I bet someone has already recommended The Great Crash 1929...?

[indirectapproach]

Haven't read the whole thread so apologies if the point was raised earlier but is there such a thing as a non fiction "novel"?

[Guest absolutezero]

"The Beach" by Alex Garland is a good story. The film wasn't anywhere near as good.

"The Silence of the Lambs" by Robert Harris. Fantastic! Read it all in one go.

Jim Brown's "24/7". Big Brother with a lethal twist. Sounds crap but actually very good.

Most of Michael Crichton's (RIP) techno-thrillers are good.

Mark Gatiss from 'The League of Gentlemen' has written a set of 'spy' novels featuring his character Lucifer Box. They're good. Starts with "The Vesuvius Club", then "The Devil in Amber" and "Black Butterfly".

John Wyndham's classic sci-fi is great. Currently reading "The Midwich Cuckoos". Very, very good.

If you can get past 'the man who did it was the guy who walked past the window on page 16 and he was never mentioned again' syndrome, I have a bit of a weak spot for Agatha Christie. "Death in the Clouds" especially.

Also you can't knock Ian Fleming's James Bond series. The novels are so much better than the trashy films. Bond is a totally different character in the books. "Moonraker" and "Goldfinger" are brilliant novels.

EDIT (AGAIN)

I've never edited a post so much after thinking "I should have mentioned that.... And that.... And that...."!

[Scunnered]

I suppose I could look back through all your posts to see if you had been lazy as well, but that would probably make me an extremely sad B@stard......

If it's any consolation, I feel really guilty.

[grrrr]

Scarily (or maybe not) a lot of my favourite books on there. Vaguely surprised that Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand hasn't been mentioned. Scarily prescient - only problem being that the book is about 800 pages too long (took me a lot of train journeys in europe).

[okaycuckoo]

I require your help folks.

Back at middle school, we read a book that followed the theme of post apocalypse. From what I remember, there were 3 survivors. A boy and girl, whom I recall may have been siblings. They thought they were alone until one day a mysterious man appeared.

That's all I remember. I'd love to know what the book was called. I appreciate that this subject matter is hardly original, but I'd be very grateful if anyone has any clue as to what it may be called.

Ta

Uuuuh, it's called Genesis. Not so popular anymore, but a classic.

[deadman]

I'll read anything by Richard Laymon. Horror and sex are a great mix

At the moment I'm reading 'Scar tissue'. The story of Anthony Kiedis and The Red Hot Chili Peppers.

It's about drugs, sex, drugs, rock'n'roll, sex, drugs, sex and more drugs.

[Guest theboltonfury]

"The Beach" by Alex Garland is a good story. The film wasn't anywhere near as good.

"The Silence of the Lambs" by Robert Harris. Fantastic! Read it all in one go.

Jim Brown's "24/7". Big Brother with a lethal twist. Sounds crap but actually very good.

Most of Michael Crichton's (RIP) techno-thrillers are good.

Mark Gatiss from 'The League of Gentlemen' has written a set of 'spy' novels featuring his character Lucifer Box. They're good. Starts with "The Vesuvius Club", then "The Devil in Amber" and "Black Butterfly".

John Wyndham's classic sci-fi is great. Currently reading "The Midwich Cuckoos". Very, very good.

If you can get past 'the man who did it was the guy who walked past the window on page 16 and he was never mentioned again' syndrome, I have a bit of a weak spot for Agatha Christie. "Death in the Clouds" especially.

Also you can't knock Ian Fleming's James Bond series. The novels are so much better than the trashy films. Bond is a totally different character in the books. "Moonraker" and "Goldfinger" are brilliant novels.

EDIT (AGAIN)

I've never edited a post so much after thinking "I should have mentioned that.... And that.... And that...."!

I have also read 24/7. Not bad at all, very enjoyable.

Red Dragon is also brilliant.

I read Live and Let die. I must have seen the film 20 times, but the book is almost unrecognisable. Bond is not the lothario at all.

[mitchbux]

One for the ladies.

I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith.

I'm a Dan Brown hater. I thought The Da Vinci Code was so bad that I'm not giving him a second chance by buying another of his books.

I'm with TBF on The Catcher in the Rye too. Maybe if I'd read it as a teenager I'd have enjoyed it, but as an adult I just found Holden Caulfield a whiney little sh1t.

[uptherebels]

Most over rated book - Catcher in the Rye. What is the ******ing point?

It's like music though isn't it. What one loves, another dislikes. Personally I loved Catcher in the Rye. Also loved The Sea/John Banville. My OH read it after me, and thought it was terrible. Lots have been mentioned on this thread, but would give a big +1 for The old man and the Sea.

[Guest theboltonfury]

It's like music though isn't it. What one loves, another dislikes. Personally I loved Catcher in the Rye. Also loved The Sea/John Banville. My OH read it after me, and thought it was terrible. Lots have been mentioned on this thread, but would give a big +1 for The old man and the Sea.

Tell me why you loved Catcher in the Rye? I am prepared to be convinved that is a literary wonder and not a pointless story about a kid going for a silly wander. I have read it twice and it left me bored both times.

[uptherebels]

Tell me why you loved Catcher in the Rye? I am prepared to be convinved that is a literary wonder and not a pointless story about a kid going for a silly wander. I have read it twice and it left me bored both times.

Not saying that it's a literary wonder, just that I enoyed reading it. Personal resonance I guess ( same thing with The Sea). I came to reading books for enjoyment very late. Started at the age of about 45. Had a lot to catch up on, which most people had read at school and so on. What did you think of Vernon God Little (if you have read it)?

[Guest absolutezero]

I have also read 24/7. Not bad at all, very enjoyable.

Red Dragon is also brilliant.

I read Live and Let die. I must have seen the film 20 times, but the book is almost unrecognisable. Bond is not the lothario at all.

No, he's really not.

The more Bonds you read the more obvious it is that he's sick of moving from girl to girl but he realises the nature of his job stops him having any kind of meaningful relationship.

I also get lots of "hacked off" vibes from his job.

The books really are nothing like the films.

[Guest theboltonfury]

Not saying that it's a literary wonder, just that I enoyed reading it. Personal resonance I guess ( same thing with The Sea). I came to reading books for enjoyment very late. Started at the age of about 45. Had a lot to catch up on, which most people had read at school and so on. What did you think of Vernon God Little (if you have read it)?

I've not read it. I guess I was just expecting more from Catcher in the Rye given its hype. Talking about books is a great topic.

I really liked For Whom the Bell Tolls. A whirlwind romance that obviously ends in pain, as was Hemingways way.