[Nicola_Red]

So I'm starting the book thread. What are you reading at the moment, what have you read recently that you'd recommend?

My recent reads:

It's Not Me It's You - Jon Richardson. Very funny and sad at the same time, especially if you saw his recent C4 doc on OCD. The final chapter made me cry!

Hope and Glory - Stuart Maconie. I love his writing. For all you football fans, the chapter on football is great.

How To Leave Twitter - Grace Dent. A shortish but very funny book about Twitter, definitely recommended for all tweeters.

How To Be A Woman - Caitlin Moran. I'm still in the middle of this and though I don't agree with all her arguments, it's funny and well written and has made me think a lot. I'd actually recommend this to men as well as women!

[The Deadly]

Im not a big reader but I do enjoy autobiography's. I'm a big wrestling fan and a few of the more famous wrestlers have released books that I've really enjoyed.

[Sidders]

So I'm starting the book thread. What are you reading at the moment, what have you read recently that you'd recommend?

My recent reads:

It's Not Me It's You - Jon Richardson. Very funny and sad at the same time, especially if you saw his recent C4 doc on OCD. The final chapter made me cry!

Hope and Glory - Stuart Maconie. I love his writing. For all you football fans, the chapter on football is great.

How To Leave Twitter - Grace Dent. A shortish but very funny book about Twitter, definitely recommended for all tweeters.

How To Be A Woman - Caitlin Moran. I'm still in the middle of this and though I don't agree with all her arguments, it's funny and well written and has made me think a lot. I'd actually recommend this to men as well as women!

Are you the only female in Britain that's not reading/read Fifty Shades of Grey?

[Nicola_Red]

Very possibly. BDSM for beginners doesn't interest me!

[The Deadly]

Fifty Shades of Grey is the book example of what I said in the TV thread. Someone you know says its good so then everyone around it becomes addicted to it without even reading it yet. From what I've read from professional reviewers its an awful book.

[Nicola_Red]

I've heard that too, and I've read extracts which are cringe-inducingly bad - but again, each to their own. I wouldn't wanna turn into the thing we criticise Moyles-haters for - slagging something off when I've never even seen/heard/read it!

[Nicola_Red]

I haven't read the Julian Clary one, might add that to my kindle wish list right now. Also was watching a Kenneth Williams doc on BBC4 last night (a repeat, but I hadn't seen it) and added his diaries to my list. I suspect they'll be very sad.

[Bas]

I Partridge -We Need To Talk About Alan, had me crying with laughter in parts, literally. And it helps if you have the tracklist ready too.


Frank Skinner's first autobiography is also extremely funny, especially the part where he loses his virginity.

Any of the Flashman series will alway be my favourites.

CJ Sansoms' novel's about Matthew Shardlake the hunchbacked lawyer at Henry VIII court are books i can recommend as well.

Micheal Connolly's Harry Bosch novels are good, less so the later ones though.

[chrysostom]

Fifty Shades of Grey is the book example of what I said in the TV thread. Someone you know says its good so then everyone around it becomes addicted to it without even reading it yet.

It's funny - I've become obsessed with hating this book, to the point where I've read so much about it (and so many extracts) that I'm considering reading the whole thing to deconstruct it piece by piece. I don't know why, but my hate for the whole series runs extremely deep. I think it's the assertion that if you're into anything sexually beyond what people class as 'normal', you've had something dark happen to you in your past. Really dangerous idea to peddle to the public.

But alas, I don't really read much in the way of novels.

[Nicola_Red]

No, I don't either. Not sure why that is. There are very few on my wish list. I quite fancy Russell Kane's new one though.

[dimtimjim]

I have two books sat on my bedside table awaiting my attention; books from Mr Simon Pegg and Mr David Vitty. Both have been sat there a while now. Must try harder.

[Nicola_Red]

Dave's you can read in an evening - it's the lightest book in the world!

[Yudster]

The excerpts I have read of 50 Shades are so incredibly badly written that I can't think why I would want to read the book, whatever the subject. Also if I want to read something erotic I want it to be worth reading from a sexual perspective as well as a literary one - again, from the bits I have seen, its about as exciting as - as - well something that is a bit boring and pointless.

Can I again recommend Anais Nin for anyone who likes such things? I know all her stuff was written a fair while back but it hasn't dated and it is beautifully done. And horny as hell.

[StarryEyed]

I read How To Be A Woman about a month ago and I loved it. It was very funny and brilliantly written. I also read The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, which had a great mystery story running through it. It waffled a bit when talking about politics/business though. The Help was really good too, way better than the film.

[R94N]

On holiday I read a book about Amazon by Richard L. Brandt 'One Click - The Rise of Jeff Bezos and Amazon.com' and, randomly, a book about Levi Bellfield.

[Bonanzoid]

It saddens me how few people I know that have read Mario Puzo's 'The Godfather'. The film is pretty good, but the book is just absolutely astonishing. Given the depth Puzo gives his characters, I feel some of it is lost on screen. As are entire characters like Johnny Fontane and Lucy Mancini. It's by far and away my favourite book.

[a-moron]

I got given the 1st two books in the Game of Thrones set for Fathers Day.
Number of pages read = 2.

I really should attempt to read them but books, you know, the just don't appeal to me as much as I'd like.

[Nicola_Red]

I guess this world is just divided into people who read and people who don't. My dad doesn't read either - my mum, bro and I are all avid readers. I am still kinda surprised when someone says they don't read books, cos I just imagine everything they're missing out on - that incredible world of your imagination that's so different to anything TV and films can offer. But then that's kinda like the other day when someone was incredulous when I said I don't like any sports - I don't need to try watching sport to know it just isn't for me.

[dimtimjim]

I just tend to not read fiction. I'd rather sit down with the latest Britannica than the latest Tom Clancy. I like knowledge, not too fussed with story telling.

[a-moron]

And you keep this knowledge to yourself do you?

[dimtimjim]

What little of it I retain, yeah!!

[R94N]

Reading 'Regeneration' by Pat Barker, mostly because I have to for my A-Level English. I quite like it.

[Bas]

I guess this world is just divided into people who read and people who don't. My dad doesn't read either - my mum, bro and I are all avid readers. I am still kinda surprised when someone says they don't read books, cos I just imagine everything they're missing out on - that incredible world of your imagination that's so different to anything TV and films can offer. But then that's kinda like the other day when someone was incredulous when I said I don't like any sports - I don't need to try watching sport to know it just isn't for me.

I cannot imagine not reading . Unless i'm pished, i cannot sleep unless i attempt to read at least a page.
But then like some in your family, my wife & daughter seem like they'd rather set fire to their legs than read for pleasure. And i just cannot comprehend that mindset at all.

[Bonanzoid]

Trainspotting's worth a read too. Irvine Welsh is pretty graphic, but it's still an interesting read.

[Bruvva]

I just tend to not read fiction. I'd rather sit down with the latest Britannica than the latest Tom Clancy. I like knowledge, not too fussed with story telling.

See, this makes me sad, so many people tend to dismiss fiction as "not worth reading", only read autobiographies and insist that anything that actively engages your imagination as "childish" as if that gives themselves some kind of intellectual bonus points (but probably still watch Eastenders and Coronation street).

Anyway, last few have been

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B006I1CDFA/ref=docs-os-doi_0
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0074VPKNU/ref=docs-os-doi_0
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B006TLAZMW/ref=docs-os-doi_0
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B007704UFC/ref=docs-os-doi_0