Best book of 2007

popette

Following on from best album, what was your best book of 2007?

I haven't read a non-cycling related book for what seems like ages. I think Jonathon Strange may have been the last book I read - really enjoyed that.
I would love a real page turner if you can recommend one.

ChrisLS

...does the book have to be published in 2007, or can it be the most recent book that you have read? :?:

popette

ChrisLS wrote:

...does the book have to be published in 2007, or can it be the most recent book that you have read? :?:

yeh, any good book really.

el_presidente

The Terror by Dan Simmons

simply awesome

ChrisLS

...Orbital by Iain Sinclair...takes some reading, and is sometimes obscure, but an amazing read about his walk around the course of the M25.

Or as mentioned, The Book of Dave by Will Self...

SteveR_100Milers

If bios are your thing then Ellen McArthurs is truly awe inspiring. The Crossing by Ben Fogle and James Cracknell is also interesting.

vermooten

Best book I read this year was The Crying of Lot 49 by Thomas Pynchon. But because I spent most of the year doing my degree dissertation it's just about the only book I've read. Now on Moby Dick.

popette

vermooten wrote:

Best book I read this year was The Crying of Lot 49 by Thomas Pynchon. But because I spent most of the year doing my degree dissertation it's just about the only book I've read. Now on Moby Dick.

moby dick - have it on my shelf but haven't read it. I do this - go and buy a stack of books and then never get round to reading all of them. Is it worth making a start on?

pneumatic

The Testament of Gideon Mack - great story, lingers with you.

vermooten

popette wrote:

vermooten wrote:

Best book I read this year was The Crying of Lot 49 by Thomas Pynchon. But because I spent most of the year doing my degree dissertation it's just about the only book I've read. Now on Moby Dick.

moby dick - have it on my shelf but haven't read it. I do this - go and buy a stack of books and then never get round to reading all of them. Is it worth making a start on?

I read page 1 and knowing that I had around another 300 to go I got a familiar sinking feeling....

shockedsoshocked

On The Beach - Neville Shute

ContrelaMontre

I've not read any books published this year, but Birdsong was one of the most recent I read and it is very good (but slightly weak finish I thought).

Also read Turgenev, Fathers and Sons, which I liked but I doubt it'd be everyone's cup of tea - it wasn't exactly what you'd call 'easy reading'.

The worse book I read was Crash by J G Ballard. It is a truly demented piece. (As contrast I really liked A Clockwork Orange and The Wasp Factory last year - so it's not like I don't do disturbing or violent books.)

Just read Joe Brown's (the climber) autobiography. Certainly not a classic, but must have only taken a few hours in total to read, so it's hardly demanding.

Can anyone recommend me any books worth reading using the above information?

heavymental

I've just read Will Greenwoods autobiography which is pretty funny and offers some interesting insights into relatively recent rugby events. After I'd finished it....which only took a few sittings.... I went and ordered Austin Healeys autobiography which is a pretty similar read to be honest. Both were very enjoyable though especially for Leicester and/or England rugby fans. I'm not a leicester fan but both books are still a good read. Both of them are funny guys with lots to say.

ricadus

popette wrote:

ChrisLS wrote:

...does the book have to be published in 2007, or can it be the most recent book that you have read? :?:

yeh, any good book really.

In that case, I nominate this one, since I finished designing it yesterday (so I've read it in the process):
http://tinyurl.com/2toalf

Unfortunately it doesn't include Herne Hill velodrome, despite the clubhouse being ramshackle enough.

il_principe

Novels:

The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns - both by Khaled Hosseini
The Winter of Frankie Machine - Don Winslow
The Joke - Milan Kundera (Not recent, but one of my all time favourites)

Non-Fiction

The March of Unreason - Dick Taverne
If This Is A Man - Primo Levi
French Revolutions - James Moore (cycling related and hilarious)

NFMC

I think it was out in 2006 but 'the Damned United' about Brian Clough's 40-odd days in charge of Leeds United was absolutely brilliant. A fictionalised biography, if that makes sense.

A great sports biography was 'Can I Keep the Jersey?' by Paul Shirley about an American basketball player who ends up playing a few weeks here and there in places like Spain, Siberia, Greece and the lower leagues in America. Even if you don't like basketball, it's brilliant.

And...the filthiest and crudest book I've read in ages is 'The Average American Male' by Chad Kutchen about a youngish bloke's relationship with his girlfriend (whilst trying to get rid of her and target another one) and his thoughts on all other women. Superb, laugh-out-loud but you could never allow your wife/girlfriend to know that we think like that.

ContrelaMontre

Pedant alert


French Revolutions is Tim Moore (Roger's son). Good book though!












I know he's not really Roger's son, but if you've read it you'll know.

il_principe

Doh, of course it is.
Great line though!

pneumatic

ContrelaMontre wrote:

(As contrast I really liked A Clockwork Orange and The Wasp Factory last year - so it's not like I don't do disturbing or violent books.)

If you liked the Wasp Factory, and you haven't read "Whit" by the same author, you should. Half as dark, twice as funny, just as well-written.

ContrelaMontre

pneumatic wrote:

ContrelaMontre wrote:

(As contrast I really liked A Clockwork Orange and The Wasp Factory last year - so it's not like I don't do disturbing or violent books.)

If you liked the Wasp Factory, and you haven't read "Whit" by the same author, you should. Half as dark, twice as funny, just as well-written.

I'll put it on my Christmas list - I haven't read any other Banks and have been wondering which one's are worth it.

Cheers

el_presidente

ContrelaMontre wrote:

pneumatic wrote:

ContrelaMontre wrote:

(As contrast I really liked A Clockwork Orange and The Wasp Factory last year - so it's not like I don't do disturbing or violent books.)

If you liked the Wasp Factory, and you haven't read "Whit" by the same author, you should. Half as dark, twice as funny, just as well-written.

I'll put it on my Christmas list - I haven't read any other Banks and have been wondering which one's are worth it.

Cheers

the early ones are all brilliant up to about Whit then they go downhill a bit, though this year's Steep Approach to Garbadale was somewhat of a return to form.

The SF books are more consistently good though nothing has ever touched Use of Weapons which is definitely in my top 10 all time reads.

el_presidente

NFMC wrote:

I think it was out in 2006 but 'the Damned United' about Brian Clough's 40-odd days in charge of Leeds United was absolutely brilliant. A fictionalised biography, if that makes sense.

I thought this was brilliant, I tried GB84 but that was a struggle though. Maybe it helps to have more knowledge of the subject matter.

Lbaguley

ContrelaMontre wrote:

pneumatic wrote:

ContrelaMontre wrote:

(As contrast I really liked A Clockwork Orange and The Wasp Factory last year - so it's not like I don't do disturbing or violent books.)

If you liked the Wasp Factory, and you haven't read "Whit" by the same author, you should. Half as dark, twice as funny, just as well-written.

I'll put it on my Christmas list - I haven't read any other Banks and have been wondering which one's are worth it.

Cheers

I've not found a Banks book that I dislike, although some of the ones published under M. Banks are a little more of an acquired taste, which thankfully I did very quickly - I'm with el_presidente on Use of Weapons. Particularly enjoyed Walking on Glass. The Crow Road is also very good.

Happy reading!

As for my vote - my book of the year is not from this year :oops: - read and loved Charlotte Grey almost as much as I did Birdsong which was my reading highlight of last year. Gideon Mack is waiting for me as soon as I finish my current book and really looking forward to it

Clever Pun

Christopher Brookmyre - A Tale Etched in Blood and Hard Black Pencil

was rather enjoyable thriller type affair

Brian Lumley - The Touch was a good horror vampire book... anyone else read his Necroscope series?

if you want a page turner try out

Carl Hiaasen... amusing crime novel type thing

nolf

Notes from a big country- Bill Bryson.
Light hearted, entertaining, and easy to read.

If you want something more serious then try-
Not a penny more, not a penny less by Jeffrey Archer- I know it's written by the idiot Archer, but the book is incredibly entertaining, a real page turner and some brilliant twists.

LangerDan

"Bad Faith" by Carmen Callil.
(The French Nation dropped several notches in my esteem after this book. Anti-Semitism and collaboration wasn't the sole preserve of a few bad eggs, much as our school history texts would like to present it)

That book depressed me, so I read Matt Rendells biography of Pantani to cheer me up. Didn't like Marco much before he died - still don't like him.

"Leonardo DaVinci:Flights of the Mind" by Charles Nichol - a stunning biography.

millar time

My favourites this year were.. in no particular order.

In search of Robert Millar by Richard Moore. Which was fascinating, and about the British cyclist I admire the most, hence the name..

The Restraint of Beasts by Magnus Mills - darkly amusing and slightly creepy at the same time.

The Wages of Destruction by Adam Tooze - Brilliant, if you like economic history and reading about Nazism

A Theory of Justice by John Rawls - The foundation of most political theory in recent memory, and an interesting read. Not just for political scientists...

I could go on and on..

shockedsoshocked

millar time wrote:

The Wages of Destruction by Adam Tooze - Brilliant, if you like economic history and reading about Nazism

I might get that. I found economics really interesting for some reason. We never got to cover the Nazi ecnomy after Speer came in, but I did a little reading myself and saw some of the statistics, and I must say it made frightening reading.

martinwitnam

Just finished "Half a world away" by Tom Bromley. Absolutely brilliant.

kaacp

Clever Pun wrote:

Carl Hiaasen... amusing crime novel type thing

I like Carl Hiaasen - great characters. 'Sick Puppy' is my favourite.

If you like entertaining crime novel thingies (no doubt that's the catalogue description!), I highly recommend Laurence Block's Bernie Rodenbarr series about a very literary burglar. His Keller character, a hired assassin with discernment, is also worth reading - Hit Man etc.

mea00csf

Just finished reading "as used on the famous Nelson Mandella: underground adventures in the arms and torture trade" by Mark Thomas. A truly scary and hilarious book for anyone who likes his brand of political stand up comedy.