Spain for a week...I need a good book.

[M400 NBL]

I took this book with me recently to Puerto Rico in Spain but didn't quite finish it... I blame Smirnoff.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Great-Casino-Heist-Richard...

[Jackpot]

tenohfive said:

Elskeggso said:

I'm enjoying this at the moment:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bringing-Down-House-Studen...

There was a film I saw about a year ago that whilst not titled the same, sounds like a very similar version of that.

The film is nothing like as good as the book. Anything by Ben Mezrich will not disappoint, Rigged, Ugly Americans, Busting Vegas & The Accidental Billionaires.

They're all true stories, amazing.

Also have a look at 'Marching Powder', another awesome true story.

Edited to say I think the film is very good as well.

Edited by Jackpot on Friday 21st August 10:50

[tenohfive]

Jackpot said:

tenohfive said:

Elskeggso said:

I'm enjoying this at the moment:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bringing-Down-House-Studen...

There was a film I saw about a year ago that whilst not titled the same, sounds like a very similar version of that.

The film is nothing like as good as the book. Anything by Ben Mezrich will not disappoint, Rigged, Ugly Americans, Busting Vegas & The Accidental Billionaires.

They're all true stories, amazing.

Also have a look at 'Marching Powder', another awesome true story.

Edited to say I think the film is very good as well.

Edited by Jackpot on Friday 21st August 10:50

Will remember that when I'm next out and about. Film was still very watchable - not fantastic, but a good way to spend an hour and a half.

[eltax91]

Grab a Chris Ryan - pretty good manly military stories. Bit of SAS tradecraft thrownin etc!

[bigTee]

[Digger]

If not mentioned already

Shantaram

Edited by Digger on Friday 21st August 13:33

[dienamic]

Jackpot said:

Also have a look at 'Marching Powder', another awesome true story.

[zakelwe]

Corelli's Mandolin.

I picked this up at one of those places you switch books as there was nothing else, expecting it to be a girly romantic fiction yard, but it is both girly and manly, funny and sad, well written and of course set in a warm country. Joseph Heller likes it and I can see why.

Regards
Andy

[tenohfive]

bigTee said:

Good call. Sitting on my bookshelf now, awaiting a third re-reading.

[nick_j007]

Now there are more than I can shake a stick at

I was pleased to find a couple of gift cards in my drawer this morning for WHSmiths...They came to £25.00 in store and so I managed to buy a couple on my list from last night.

I could maybe do 2 soft-backs in a week, but what with my daughter and family I reckon I'll be lucky to do 1.5 books!

Thanks once again folks!

I'm looking forward to getting my head into those.

[rocksteadyeddie]

escargot said:

Plotloss said:

nick_j007 said:

Plotloss said:

Mr Nice.

This one by Howard Marks?

http://www.booklore.co.uk/PastReviews/MarksHoward/...

Edited by nick_j007 on Thursday 20th August 18:49

That's it and it is a genuinely brilliant read.

Seconded.

Thirdered. On a similar theme, Confessions of a Drug Smugler is very funny and has numerous WTF moments.

[stuttgartmetal]

Fear is the key Alistair Maclean
That or Ice station zebra.
Both excellent

[rsole]

'A year in the Merde' by Stephen Clarke is a top read - about an English guy living, working and dating in France. Very funny.

[HDM]

Jackpot said:

tenohfive said:

Elskeggso said:

I'm enjoying this at the moment:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bringing-Down-House-Studen...

There was a film I saw about a year ago that whilst not titled the same, sounds like a very similar version of that.

The film is nothing like as good as the book. Anything by Ben Mezrich will not disappoint, Rigged, Ugly Americans, Busting Vegas & The Accidental Billionaires.

They're all true stories, amazing.

Also have a look at 'Marching Powder', another awesome true story.

Edited to say I think the film is very good as well.

TBH I think Mezrich's books are becoming a little formulaic, read "Rigged" recently and although the format/narrative was similar to his earlier books it struck me as a lacklustre.....

Edited by Jackpot on Friday 21st August 10:50[/footnote]

[footnote]Edited by HDM on Friday 21st August 20:45

[funkyboogalooo]

Jasandjules said:

Dean Koontz has a Frankenstein Trilogy (with a twist) which is rather good IMHO - I am just on the last 20 pages of the third book.

The 3rd one has taken so long to come out I need to re-read 1 and 2 first doh, thats another year gone.

[jeff m]

Digger said:

If not mentioned already

Shantaram

900 pages, it's a thick bu66er, but worth the effort.
Based on fact, set in Bombay. I thought it was excellent.

[Ross1988]

I've recently been suggested, dont tell my mum i work on the rigs (she thinks i'm a piano player in a we house)

Or something similar to that.

Also Moto Enduro is a decent read, think long way round but with 7 people and no support 10 years ago.

Lee Childs is an excellent Author.

Also i'm going to throw in Band of Brothers By Stephen E. Ambrose.

Lastly Andy Mcnab books are pretty good aswell.

[Carlito caca]

Mr nice..every chap should read that, kitchen confidential, my all time favourite book...smack, cooking and the mafia, actually anything by Anthony bourdain. Proper blokey book? I just finished chuck liddels autobiography the iceman, mindless reading but pretty good

[Blackpig2]

The Stand by Stephen King, oldie but goody and bloody thick!
Anything by Harold Coyle, Team Yankee is exceptional.

[nick_j007]

Back from Spain with 2 books read :-)

I could only pick up 2 of the many books listed/suggested.

1)Scarecrow by Matthew Reilly.

I enjoyed it overall, but many of the scenes were rather implausible and there was barely a second of thinking time between the pages. Maybe better if I was 20 years younger? (40 now) Still, a good read.


2) Tripwire by Lee Child.

I read this after the above. I had both books in my flight bag, and simply did a 'lucky dip' and they came out in that order.

The fact that I managed both books in a week as well as have a family holiday meant that I did get my face into these books for some personal time and space, which was good for me.

Tripwire was a bloody good read, and I actually finished it last night at home after a days travel. The last 10% of it culminates nicely in a tense revelation of a smart plot and story line. A genuine page turner that left me feeling anxious to devour the final conclusion. I liked the Reacher character, but maybe a little more action would have been nice. I think I was also left wanting more emotional development of the main characters, but you can only fit so much into a book to keep it readable I suppose. Maybe reading more books in the series would do this for me.

Many thanks for the suggestions, and I have tagged a few others mentioned here for future reading.

Cheers, Nick