I’m reading this at the moment

which is very good. I only tend to read non fiction stuff

Forgot to say.. this book is incredible

very moving and impossible to put down (even if you’re not into climbing)

Into Thin Air is a great book. Read Anatoli Boukreev’s account of the events in The Climb as well as if you ignore the criticisms of people it adds a new dimension of the events.

I’m currently reading (deep breath):
Magnus – Sylvie Germain (post-WW2 book about someone coming to terms with the part his father played in the holocaust)
Countryman’s Cooking – W.M.W. Fowler (awesome 60s, manly cookbook)
The Last Nazis – Perry Biddiscombe (about the German guerilla warfare at the end of WW2 and beyond)
Gomorrah – Roberto Saviano (fairly well publicised book about the Naples “mafia”)

I tend to flit between books a lot.

Stephen Hall, The raw shark texts” is excellent and i’m reading it for about the fifth time.

Thanks for all your ideas.

I took a trip down to Waterstones today and came back with the first in the Millenium trilogy by Stieg Larsson – the “Girl With the Dragon Tattoo” as recommended by the good Dr above and as he says so far it really is unputdownable!!

Almost bought a Neal Stephenson today but there were 4 of ’em.

Do you have to start at the beginning of the Baroque Cycle or can you jump in straight into Cryptonomicon?

Just finished The Damned United by David Peace. A fictionalised account of Brian Clough’s 44 days as manager of Leeds FC. Very good – I think even non-footy fans would enjoy it.

Pyschovertical – Andy Kirkpatrick (climbing lunacy)

and

The Afghan – Frederick Forsyth

Do you have to start at the beginning of the Baroque Cycle or can you jump in straight into Cryptonomicon?

Well he wrote Crytptonomicon first and it does stand alone. But it gives away a lot of the twists in the Baroque Cycle.

So I’d start with Quicksilver. If you hate it you can still read Cryptonomicon.

Recently: Perdido Street Station and The Scar by China Mieville. Both are amazing.

Currently: The Dark River by John Twelve Hawks. The second book in the Fourth Realm Trilogy.

In Foreign Fields. A collection of accounts by recent medal recipients in the British Forces.

The Seventh Scroll, by Wilbur Smith. Easily one of my top 5 favourite books.

would you believe Essential ActionScript 3:

geek!

The Sweet Forever, George Pelecanos

I love Pelecanos – the dialogue is fantastic.

GJP – glad you liked Dragon Tattoo. Hold on to your hat when you read the second one!!!

Against A Dark Background by Iain M Banks – for about the fifth time.
Suits my dark and moody persona LOL.

Marv

Currently reading BREATH by Tim Winton,like it so far.I think The Weeping Women Hotel by Alexi Sayle is one of the most enjoyable works of fiction I’ve recently read.I also enjoyed reading Popski’s Private Army by Vladimir Poliakoff,based on his WW2 exploits in the Western Desert.

His Baroque cycle is three 900 pagers. I may start that again once I’ve finished my current one.

I’ve got these three waiting for me right now after reading cryptonomicon.
I have ‘The escape artist’ waiting for me too, and legion… and snow crash.

Got a few others lined up also, not having something to read would be a terrible thing, although i’ve found a book app for my itouch which makes all the classics available if I’m ever stuck

Just finished Duma Key – Stephen King. The best book he’s written for a while.

I Hope they Serve Beer in Hell – Tucker Max was an interesting read if only to see how arrogant a drunk unemployed American Laywer can be. The guy is truly an arse.

I am reading “The Spell of the Sensuous” by David Abram.

It is quite hard to describe what it is about. It is a philosphical work about how changes in how we think and use language have led to our disconnection from nature and our environment.

simonralli2 – Member
I am reading “The Spell of the Sensuous” by David Abram.

It is quite hard to describe what it is about. It is a philosphical work about how changes in how we think and use language have led to our disconnection from nature and our environment.

**** me – I think I will pass on that one – sounds way over my simple head 🙄

got a great book for xmas its about all the road racing crashes.

‘Boycott’ an autobiography by ‘err Geoffrey Boycott no less

fingers crossed the link works :o)

Blind Faith by Ben Elton – a bizarre, yet entertaining, portrayal of what might be the next steps after Facebook & STW and of course the end of the world. Not up to his usual standard but I’m still a fan.