I’ve run out of ideas for books to read. I need suggestions. In the last few weeks, I’ve read the following:
Vernon God Little by DBC Pierre – an interesting read; often quite hard – and uncomfortable – going in places, but funny and ultimately uplifting (thankfully – I don’t think I’d have liked it half as much if the ending I’d expected had happened). The story of how a high-school shooting in the Barbeque Sauce capital of Texas gets pinned on the eponymous main character, and the events that occur as a result; it’s not something I’d normally have chosen to read, but worthwhile nonetheless, if you can work your way through the slightly annoying (over)use of deep south vernacular.
The Life of Pi by Yann Martel – A young indian boy is cast adrift on the Pacific ocean in a lifeboat with a zebra, a hyena, a female orang-utan and a Royal Bengal Tiger with an unusual name in a tale which is simultaneously brilliant, imaginative, unexpected and utterly unlike anything I’ve ever read before. One of the best books I’ve read in a very long time.
The Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons by Dan Brown – I’ve lumped these two together because, basically, they’re the same book, just with a slightly different plot. Enjoyable, fast-paced conspiracy theory nonsense; literature it ain’t, but it’s good candy-floss for the brain.
Foucault’s Pendulum by Umberto Eco – recommended to me by a friend on the back of Angels and Demons. More Masonic/Illuminati conspiracy theory stuff, but rather better written than Brown’s efforts, much more complex, and much slower paced. The first few chapters are wilfully annoying and self-indulgent, but it settles down after a while into an enjoyable, thoughtful and slightly paranoiac read.
Things my Girlfriend and I have argued about by Mil Millington – I have to confess I found this slightly disappointing compared to his legendary webpage; the places where the book excels are the places where, basically, it’s retelling anecdotes from his Pel’s relationship – ie; the places where it’s like his webpage. That said, those bits formed a sufficiently large portion of the book for it to be enjoyable – it’s by no means a bad book, and it’s nice to have a relationship book written from the man’s perspective for once.
Countless Bill Bryson books – again, candy-floss for the brain, and, hey, everybody likes Bill Bryson.
I’ve already got The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time on my “to read” list, but what else should I be entertaining my brain with at the moment?
EDIT: – Aha! – thanks, CliveGerald 🙂
Don’t know if you’ll have come across them before, but ‘The Sparrow’ and ‘Children of God’ by Mary Doria Russell are both utterly stunning.
If you’re into the sci-fi side of things at all, I’d also recommend Alastair Reynolds and Peter F Hamilton, as well as Richard Morgan’s first two, Altered Carbon and Broken Angels.
Travel-wise, I still love the books by Tim Cahill ‘A jaguar is eating my flesh’, one with a wolverine in the title somewhere, and ‘pecked to death by ducks’.
That little lot should keep you going…
Anything by C J Cherryh.
Steven R Lawhead’s Pendragon Cycle is a really good slant on the Arthurian legends and is well worth a read. I have copies IYL.
(Oh, and Mil Millington’s second novel isn’t too bad either)
I’ll second Lyle’s recommendation of ‘The Sparrow’, even though it’s premise is a little absurd (boldly preaching where no Jesuit has preached before).
I’d also recommend ‘The Magus’ by John Fowles, the Gormenghast trilogy which is deliciously dark. There’s also the ‘His Dark Materials’ trilogy, which is only spoiled by it’s rather overt ‘political’ theme.
The Handmaids Tale – Margaret Atwood. The Eyre Affair (and the two following books) – Jasper Fforde.