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Thread: What you readin' for?

  1. #1
    Mike Fishcake
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    What you readin' for?

    I have a book craving. I'm looking for new books to read.

    Now, I don't have any interest at all in Fiction, but I do like biographies, especially those based around music or comedy, but I'm open to suggestions about other types of people.

    The ones I've read and enjoyed recently are '45' by Bill Drummond, Julian Cope's 2 autobiographies, Dave Gorman's "Are you..." and "googlewhack adventure", Danny Wallace's "Join me" and probably a few others.

    Any suggestions?

  2. #2
    Does he need a reason? Funkstar's Avatar
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    Danny Wallace - The Yes Man

    Alistair Cooke - Letter From America

    Amarillo Slim in a World Full of Fat People (about the gambler/poker player)

    Nick Mason - Inside Out: A Personal History of Pink Floyd (very good. a lot of stuff in there i had no idea about)

  3. #3
    Ah, Mrs. Peel! mike_w's Avatar
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    You might like some of Tony Hawks' books then, such as Round Ireland With a Fridge.
    "Well, there was your Uncle Tiberius who died wrapped in cabbage leaves but we assumed that was a freak accident."

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    Administrator Moby-Dick's Avatar
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    Bill Bryson's notes from a small island.

    I'm with you on the Dave Gorman / Danny Wallace front - all 4 books are a great read
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    Bill Hicks biography?

    Shame you don't like fiction, because pretty much anything by Neal Stephenson would keep you happy and occupied for a while if you did (go forth and buy Cryptonomicon, gwaaan).

  6. #6
    Sexual Force johnny02004976's Avatar
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    ive just read a Jeremy Clarkson book, i thought it was a really good read - depends if you like Clarkson though, if you hate him, dont buy
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  7. #7
    Mike Fishcake
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    Funkstar - I'll have to check out Danny Wallace's The Yes Man. Not read that one.
    Mike W - I've actually meant to get that book for a while, but keep forgetting about it.
    MobyDick - I really should get round to reading the Bill Bryson books I suppose
    Byatt - I've actually read a couple of hicks bios, and they are pretty interesting.
    johnny - I can't decide whether or not I like Jeremy Clarkson, he's one of those people that sometimes annoys me, but sometimes appears like a comedy genius.

    Lovely.

  8. #8
    Does he need a reason? Funkstar's Avatar
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    Have a look at the non travel Bill Bryson books such as A Short History of Nearly Everything and Mother Tongue: The English Language. very interesting.

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    Hunter S. Thompson is always good for a laugh. Particularly, Hell's Angels and Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail '72. I think GWB MAY have used the latter as a guide book instead of entertainment

  10. #10
    Senior Member JPreston's Avatar
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    Heh heh, I got the Bill Hicks reference too.

    If you like unorthodox (auto)biographies then you should read 'Monster: Autobiography of an LA gang member' by Kody Scott, about his life growing up in the 70's and 80's as a Crip. Another very very good book is 'Chickenhawk' by Robert Mason, disillusioned pilot in 'Nam, and as a bonus it will teach you all about helicopters too. 'Killing Pablo' by Mark Bowden is a good biography of Pablo Escobar.

    For funny books read either of Jon Ronson's 'The Men who Stare at Ghosts' (true story of bizarre military research projects into psychic phenomena) or 'Them: Adventures with Extremists' where he goes and stays Louis Theroux-style with David Icke, the Ku Klux Klan, Omar Bakri Muhammed etc and writes a chapter on each. Or for political books read everything by Al Franken starting with 'Lies and the Lying Liars who tell them'.

    At the moment I'm reading 'See No Evil' by Bob Baer, the autobiography that inspired George Clooney's CIA character in Syriana which is an excellent excellent film. Unfortunately the book appears to be written for children, or Americans, and is better avoided.

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    If you like biographies then try Kurt Cobain's one which was out a couple of years ago...can't remember the name off hand but it was a great read....i definitely second the idea of Bryson's books... I enjoyed all of them immensely especially his travel books.
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    Treasure Hunter extraordinaire herulach's Avatar
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    jarhead is very good, and (mostly, some of it is embillished imo) non fiction

  13. #13
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    A History of Britain vol 1, 2 & 3. Simon Schama.

    The Double Life of Doctor Lopez. Dominic Green.

    Great if you like your history.

  14. #14
    Mike Fishcake
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    Update:

    On the reccommendations on this thread, recently bought The Yes Man (bloody brilliant, one of those books that makes you want to shout at the pages), Jeremy Clarkson's I Know You Got Soul (funny, but a bit short) and also got round to buying Are You Dave Gorman as well, which I thought I'd already read, but turns out I hadn't. I love the daft adventures that gorman and wallace get up to

    Got some Bill Bryson books and Around Ireland with a fridge ordered off ebay. Looking forward to receiving them.

    I'm very much in bookworm mode at the moment!

    Cheers for the reccomendations - i'll check out some more of them.

  15. #15
    awm
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    Another suggestion of Bill Bryson

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    HEXUS.Metal Knoxville's Avatar
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    Anthony Kiedis - Scar Tissue
    Motley Crue - The Dirt

    Both great read's even if your not a huge fan of the bands.

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