if ((fopen("NON-SF", book_ptr)) != NULL) {

BossArky

Two deadly biography-ish books to read would be:

1..."Freaky Dancing" by Bez from the Happy Mondays.Even if you have no idea who the band or Bez are you should check it out.(I didn't know of him, but still found the book to be brilliant).In case you are wondering, Bez's real name is Mark Berry.

2..."Wonderland Avenue" by Danny Sugarman.Basicaly the story of the Doors manager from early youth to ..sometime...anyway it is one of those books that makes you just want to go out and get buckled and do all the cool things in life, trust me.

If you want an opinion take the second book, but they are both class.

Excelsior

Doug Coupland.

Do it.
You'll never regret it.

---

It is so lonely here in my indecipherable tower of speech impedimency

Canaboid

John Irving - All good.
He wrote The world according to Garp, Cider House Rules and a prayer for Owen Meaney amonst others and he is dead good.

TwoShedsJackson

Wonderland Avenue is a class book alright.

try Fuhrer-Ex by Ingo Hasselbach, the memoirs of a former neo-Nazi leader in East Germany.

also Stick It Up Your Junta, the history of the Sun newspaper from 1968 to 1992 - truly hilarious

Illkillya

You've probably read it, but i thought the Borstal Boy was a bluddy good book. I was just looking through it today - some memorable quotes... perhaps too crude for the boards....

Karla

Excels right, go for Douglas Coupland, just do it.

Wonderland Avenue's a mental read too, highly recommended.

Trojan

Lads,

I kinda mentioned this topic on another thread but I'd like to get some O(n)T responses.

I've been reading sf & fantasy for about 15 years now, been through all of Asimov, Clarke, Heinlein, Bradbury, etc etc... (still no Wheel of Time though - I'm not starting til he finishes!!! ).

I've also read Clancy, Grisham & Uris, but only a couple of those.

I want to read some non-sf or fantasy, but I really have no clue where to start.

Has anyone got any suggestions (please no Maeve Binchy or some sh!te)? Maybe non-fiction?

Maybe this is a good place to start with peoples favorite non-sf books (since every other thread here is sf/f).

Cheers,
Al.


PS Last man through, don't forget to turn off the lights and close the brace behind you!



[This message has been edited by Trojan (edited 07-04-2000).]

metalchicken

I would highly recommend the Warlord Chronicles (The Winter King, Enemy of God and Excalibur) by Bernard Cornwell. They are a very intelligent, well researched and interesting take on the Arthurian Legends, without all the wizardry and stuff like that. These books really inspired me to read loads of other Arthurian books, both fact and fiction.

metalchicken

ALSO, I would suggest Captain Correlli's Mandolin by Louis De Bernieres (hope that's spelled right!). Takes a wee while to get into it, but its another "rewarding" read. I thought it was, anyway.

Manach

Books to try:
Master & Commander - Patrick O'Brian
Holidays in Hell - PJ O'Rourke
Men at Arms - Elelyn Waugh
Any short stories by Kipling.

By the way keep reading the SF&F, they are alot more interesting than most other genre books I've read.

OSiriS

If you are interested in spy thrillers, I'd recommend anything by Fredrick Forseight (and no i cant remember how to spell it:P), Jeffery Archer, and Craig Thomas.

Paladin

Seconded osiris. Good writers.

If what you want is a mindless read, where nothing is too complicated and its just a good ol' thriller, then
Clive Cussler is yer man. Most of them were best sellers as I recall. Raise the Titanic was made into a film, although the film was a let down.

deRanged

try anything by Bernard Cornwell - the arthurian stuf is great - so are the sharpe & starbuck novels, if you like historical stuff.

Or for a laugh - Catch 22 by Joseph Hellier (sp)