I’m wanting to read something.

I’m not a fan of a book that takes forever to read, I like one that grips me.
So, without spoiling the ending;
What was the last book you read and why couldn’t you put it down?

Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry. I currently can’t put it down for the third time.

It’s just epicly brilliant. Wonderful characters, wonderful writing. Pulitzer prize winning writing indeed.

It’s a chunky 850 pages mind.

Krakatoa, The Day the World Exploded by Simon Winchester.

Sadly, I can’t really avoid giving away what happens (The ship hits an iceberg, basically), but as a book it is written with an astonishing pace. Combines real life stories of the time with the science of it all, the history, the geology, geography, etc, etc, etc. Fascinating book.

Book: “The Mole Who Knew it was None of His Business”

Why: One of the kids got glue all over the cover.

Spoiler: He found the culprit and wreaked his revenge.

Speed , mark Cavendish, took slightly longer to read than he takes to finish a race.

Unbroken – http://www.amazon.com/Unbroken-World-Survival-Resilience-Redemption/dp/1400064163

Got a bit naff towards the end but i read 3/4 in 1 day.

Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry. I currently can’t put it down for the third time

I read the thread title and thought of the same book! Only recently read it for the first time though.

Someone recently recommended The Road by Cormack McCarthy so I got the cheap Kindle “All the Pretty Horses” by the same author and he is rather brilliant.

johnners – have you read the others in the series (Streets of Laredo, Comanche Moon, Dead Man’s Walk)? If not, you should. They’re not quite at the heights of Lonesome Dove (with, possibly, the exception of Comanche Moon) but great nonetheless.

Allen Carrs easy way to quit smoking, read it over two nights and haven’t smoked for a week! Happy days, not sure if this helps you out but I’m pleased with myself!

I’ve recently quite enjoyed:
Charles Stross’ The Laundry Files series
Ian Tregillis’ Milkweed Tryptich series
Ben Aaronovitch’s PC Peter Grant series
Always fun:
Christopher Fowler’s Bryant and May series

Ben Aaronovitch’s PC Peter Grant series

This (although the first one is still the best one)

Sadly my “can’t put down” books are such because they are shit and I can’t wait to get them finished.

A heart-warming story of how a man born with hideous physical deformity manages to overcome the cruel hand that life had dealt him, turn it to his advantage, and use it to bring joy and laughter into the lives of others

Its inspiring, almost life-affirming, stuff. I cried at the end….

The Lies of Locke Lamora

Its great fun in a Game of Thrones kinda way.

binners you are gonna shit the bed when you read the sequel

I’ve just finished the latest Peter Grant one, read it in 2 days flat

Recently finished Scott’s last expedition & am now on Amundsen’s book.

Life Of Pi was the last really amazing book I read. It’s old now I know, but I got to the party late.

Why is it amazing? Because it’s a spellbinding allegory of religion/belief that you can read in a day without looking up. And then turn back to the front page with a big grin of your face and start over.

Recently finished Scott’s last expedition & am now on Amundsen’s book.

This reminds me; “South” by Ernest Shackleton. Read it and never whinge about minor inconvenience ever again

I don’t know if I’m ready for that yet Kimbers 😯

The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind, by Julian Jaynes.

There’s the controversial theory of the ancient precursor to consciousness which is enthralling, and also loads of fascinating detail about the really weird stuff ancient people got up to.

(Really weird stuff.)

Allen Carrs easy way to quit smoking, read it over two nights and haven’t smoked for a week! Happy days, not sure if this helps you out but I’m pleased with myself!

Don’t get complacent though. It doesn’t work the second time around 😀

johnners – have you read the others in the series

Thanks IHN, but yes! Loved Lonesome Dove so much I tracked down the others soon after, one came s/h via Amazon from the US so I guess they didn’t sell so well over here. You’re right that they’re not as good as LD, but they’re still pretty good reads.

The Hydrogen Sonata Iain M Banks

Couldn’t put it down for a variety of reasons. I really enjoy his Culture stuff. It is the only one I haven’t read. There won’t be any more.

I really wanted to read it quickly so I could immerse myself in it completely but at the same time I didn’t want to read it too quickly as there will be no more.

I succumbed, so I will simply read it again at a more leisurely pace.

every time I go into a book shop out of habit I check to see if theres a new Ian M Banks book, then I get a bit sad.

Hydrogen Sonata was probably the last unputdownable book for me too

The latest two Stephen King books have done it for me:

11.22.63
Doctor Sleep

every time I go into a book shop out of habit I check to see if theres a new Ian M Banks book, then I get a bit sad.

I do the same with Elmore Leonard books.

Picked up Banks’ Hydrogen Sonata at the library yesterday, seems a relaxing read as I was able to get through the first couple of chapters whilst in the library rocking my sleeping nephew in his buggy. Only went in there to hide from some rain. Banks’ Algebraist is also good, sci-fi speaking, and is a stand-alone story rather than part of a series (well the Culture novels aren’t a series as such, but anyway).

Edit:

every time I go into a book shop out of habit I check to see if theres a new Ian M Banks book, then I get a bit sad.

There was all that fuss in the media / booktrade about the fact his final book was about cancer, I prefer the fact that his final sci-fi book seems to be predominantly about the act of Subliming, which seems more appropriate.

I’ve had Iain Banks’s ‘The Bridge’ sat on my bookshelf for about ten years. Never read it. Should I?

Now for Little Miss CFH, it’s this master work

Apart from one ghastly Americanism (Fall, as opposed to Autumn), it’s an utter joy to read with her. Which is just as well, as she really rather likes both reading it herself, and having it read to her, at least three times an hour! 😀

@ jambourgie

The Bridge isn’t super special, but it’s well written and one of his better non-sci-fi books. IMO.

the Romance Of The Three Kingdoms by Luo Guanzhong. Excellent story but with so much going on, if you put it down you forget who’s who, what’s what and where’s where.

Brain-bursting focus on three stories at once. Card/letter/map inserts, commentary about the book and their own affair between two borrowers in the “handwritten” page notes, and the story itself which also works in more than one layer. Getting near the end with, as yet, no idea of what the conclusion might be. If any…

I got very un-put-downable about the first half of Reamde by Neal Stevenson. I did have to put it down, it’s the size of a breeze block but when it’s good, it’s very good.

The True Believer: Thoughts on the Nature of Mass Movements – by Eric Hoffer.

I really like Stevenson, only got a couple more of his to read but am always scared they won’t be as good as the others (which has happened)..

Can we change the OP title to “books I’m enjoying so much I wish they wouldn’t end”. Just finished John Scalzi’s very funny red shirts (well the 1st part is funny, the other 2 are interesting) & agent to the stars, that could have just gone on and on for me.

aP said ‘Ian Tregillis’ Milkweed Tryptich series’

Finished this tale of Nazi superheroes .v. British warlocks a couple of months back. The trilogy does have some issues (the odd jarring Americanism or anachronism considering much of it is set in WW2 London), but it is a cracking story, and could make an excellent film series in the right hands.

Klondike Fever by Pierre Burton.

I was lucky enough to take a 10 day vacation basically retracing the route of the 1898 stampede to the Klondike. It is nothing short of madness what folk endured just to get to a frozen mining town where at the lowest point, people had buckets of gold but no food to spend it on.

Even today, if you head up that way you can see relics of that four year period lying about the place. Just gutted I never actually made it as far as Dawson City, stopped short at Whitehorse.

Apparently the book is only 60-70% ‘true’, but I think its the most readable account of the period, great blend recent history and adventure.