NSC Book club!

[Lammy]

I really enjoyed The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown recently.

I'll second that!

Angels and Demons is also good (and should really be read before The Da Vinci Code)

Currently reading Digital Fortress which is pretty good so far. Full of twists and turns...

 

[Tom Bombadil]

Right, DaVinci code though I'm sure is v.entertaining is a bit of an airport book.

If you're looking for something a little more high brow, may i recommend

Life of Pi by someone(shit I can't remember)

or

Vernon God Little by DBC Pierre

Both Booker prize winners, but not the unreadable type they often go for.

 

[Lammy]

As far as I'm concerened a book is there to entertain me. Dan Brown is doing a damn good job of that so far. If I wanted 'high brow' I'd read a text book.

 

[Man of Harveys]

Good call on the Pianist - I read it after seeing the film, which is, incidentally, the best holocaust movie. Ifound Schindlers List far too Hollywood for such a topic.

I'm a bit obsessed by musical history at the moment. I'm reading a decent history of early blues and a couple of biographies of classical composers. And if your level of science understanding is like mine, Bill Bryson science for stupid people was a real eye opener.

But for real culture, I have Tim Carder's fantastic Albion A-Z for in the loo. I could spend hours in their looking at weird moustachioed goalkeepers from 1905. Er, maybe I should rephrase that.

Although maybe, instead of reading 3-4 books at once, I should concentrate on finishing one of them.

 

[Weezle]

Da Vinci Code for me too.

Also try The Partner by John Grisham.

 

[D'Angelo Saxon]

Lullaby, Survivor or Choke by Chuck Palahniuk

 

[Titanic]

Life of Pi by someone(shit I can't remember)

by Yann Martel... definitely an engaging read, but I found it a bit of a 'so what' book in the end.

The boy in 'The curious incident..' has Aspergers Syndrome, and it is also a fascinating but easy read.

 

[Tom Bombadil]

As far as I'm concerened a book is there to entertain me. Dan Brown is doing a damn good job of that so far. If I wanted 'high brow' I'd read a text book.

And there's nothing wrong with that at all. I like a good Terry Pratchet every now and then. The original post seemed to me to be asking for slightly more "challenging" books.

And be careful who you discuss the DaVinci code with. It gets high catholics frothing at the mouth.

 

[Tom Bombadil]

Lullaby, Survivor or Choke by Chuck Palahniuk

Haven't read Choke but other two are great as is fight club which he also wrote.

 

[virgirlo]

good books for girls:

captain corelli's mandolin - breath taking
the special relationship
larger than life by adele parks - inspiring

good books for anyone!

the curious incident....
any maeve binchy (seriously!!)

 

[D'Angelo Saxon]

Haven't read Choke but other two are great as is fight club which he also wrote.

Yeah, reading Fight Club at the mo. Just a shame that I've seen the film so many times.

You'll enjoy Choke if you enjoyed Survivor. Get it.

Have you read Guts, one of his short stories?

 

[Lammy]

And there's nothing wrong with that at all. I like a good Terry Pratchet every now and then. The original post seemed to me to be asking for slightly more "challenging" books.

And be careful who you discuss the DaVinci code with. It gets high catholics frothing at the mouth.

fair enough.

The thing I liked about the Da Vinci Code was although it is fiction. It is all based on fact. I spent ages on the Internet looking up weird Catholic cults and stuff. All the Architecture is authentic too!

 

[Behind Enemy Lines]

The Untouchable by John Banville. It's about the life of a double agent roughly based on Anthony Blunt. One of the most atmospheric books I've ever read, the tone is brilliant and it's laugh out funny in places. In my view, a masterpiece.

Others -

The Book of Daniel by EL Doctorow - about the Rosenbergs/ McCarthyism in the US. The best argument against capital punishment I've read.

The Forgotten Solider - Guy Sejur - the true story of a French/German soldier on the Eastern front. Devastating.

 

[SULLY COULDNT SHOOT]

Good call on the Pianist - I read it after seeing the film, which is, incidentally, the best holocaust movie. Ifound Schindlers List far too Hollywood for such a topic.

I'm a bit obsessed by musical history at the moment. I'm reading a decent history of early blues and a couple of biographies of classical composers. And if your level of science understanding is like mine, Bill Bryson science for stupid people was a real eye opener.

But for real culture, I have Tim Carder's fantastic Albion A-Z for in the loo. I could spend hours in their looking at weird moustachioed goalkeepers from 1905. Er, maybe I should rephrase that.

Although maybe, instead of reading 3-4 books at once, I should concentrate on finishing one of them.

If you liked the Pianist read Rising '44 explaining how we let the Russian get Poland and the Germans kick the shit out of POLISH civilians.

 

[Theatre of Trees]

Good call on the Pianist - I read it after seeing the film, which is, incidentally, the best holocaust movie. Ifound Schindlers List far too Hollywood for such a topic.

Very true, helped by the fact that Polanski himself lived through it as a kid (the bit when the Jewish policeman tells him to walk not run comes from Polanski's own experiences).

 

[Biscuit]

Good call on the Pianist - I read it after seeing the film, which is, incidentally, the best holocaust movie. Ifound Schindlers List far too Hollywood for such a topic.

I'm a bit obsessed by musical history at the moment. I'm reading a decent history of early blues and a couple of biographies of classical composers. And if your level of science understanding is like mine, Bill Bryson science for stupid people was a real eye opener.

But for real culture, I have Tim Carder's fantastic Albion A-Z for in the loo. I could spend hours in their looking at weird moustachioed goalkeepers from 1905. Er, maybe I should rephrase that.

Although maybe, instead of reading 3-4 books at once, I should concentrate on finishing one of them.

I havn't seen the movie, but will certainly try and get a copy. The end of the book left me with a lump in my throat.

I found Schindler's list very 'hollywood' so found it difficult to really feel the meanings if you get what i mean...

As for Bill Bryson, Ive read Notes from a small island, note from a big country, the auzzie one, and plan to get hold of 'a brief history of almost everything'..will also look up the science one.

 

[Shizuoka Dolphin]

The Catcher in the Rye

Sorry, but I HATED that book. Had no sympathy whatsoever with that whiney little sod.

Nausea by Sartre is my favourite book - give a go if you fancy something to possibly send you insane.

 

[Theatre of Trees]

The book Schindler's List (or Ark) is much better than the film, highlighting other Germans who tried to do something for their captives as well as painting a much darker picture of Goldberg the Jewish policeman who often resorted to bribes in order to get prisoners names on to the list. In real life he buggered off to Argentina after the war with the money he made from them.

 

[Man of Harveys]

If you liked the Pianist read Rising '44 explaining how we let the Russian get Poland and the Germans kick the shit out of POLISH civilians.

Thanks for the tip, I'll add it to the list.

Norman Davies is the BOLLOCKS. His book on Europe would be my desert island book.

 

[Barnet Seagull]

Pompei was also interesting. Like all of Robert Harris's stuff, it's based on factual events and whilst not completely engaging, it does give you a great feel for the setting.