talkmagic.co.uk

the thread I started on 1984 got me to wondering, what sort of non magic books does everyone enjoy reading?

The last 3 none magic books I read (if you can count one of them as none magic) were The Book Thief, In Search of the North and Prestige. The book thief was great a real page turner. The second world war through the eyes of death, in search of the north is great if you love the north, music and football (I'm not a football fan and I enjoyed it) and well I don't need to talk about the other one

I read a lot and have a nasty book habit which is costing me a fortune! Most recent reads have been: The Philosophy of Marx by Etienne Balibar, The Secret History of Moscow by Ekaterina Sedia and The Magic Lantern by Ingmar Bergman.

I am currently reading among others The Philosopher and the Wolf by Mark Rowlands and enjoying it very much.

The next book I'll be reading will probably be The Trachtenberg Speed System of Basic Mathematics. Although I haven't started it yet, I have a funny feeling it will be a revelation and utterly fascinating.

Anything by Richard Dawkins. Loads of non fiction - mostly history and science. A solid helping of fantasy/horror/sci fi (multi-volume titles are good, as I hate to run out of reading material).

Moby dick is probably my favourite novel, and I try and squeeze in a 'classic' once a month or so.. (although Crime and Punishment has been eyeing me sullenly from the bedside table for quite a while now sadly..)

Just finished reading (again), 'The P-Pocket Patrick Campbell' - the pant-splittingly funny memoirs of the Call my Bluff star (going back a bit!) and 'The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov' (the devil 'guised as a giant black cat romping through Stalinist Russian society.... hmm.. it's funnier than it sounds ).

Oh, and does anyone else think that 'Three Men In A Boat' is the funniest book ever written?

Recently read non-fiction: lots of Dawkins and "Dry Store Room No 1" (all about the Nat Hist museum in London).

Recently read fiction: Carter Beats the Devil (again!) + various William Boyd.

Recommendation - WORLD WAR Z (an oral history of the zombie war). Way better than you might expect of a "zombie" book. A future classic!

Replicant wrote:The next book I'll be reading will probably be The Trachtenberg Speed System of Basic Mathematics. Although I haven't started it yet, I have a funny feeling it will be a revelation and utterly fascinating.

I had and read that when I was much younger, found a new copy in a charity shop last year and I'm looking forward to going over it again at some point

I like to read anything by Bernard Cornwell, the Sharpe books are great as are all his others. I'm also reading the Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan (RIP sadly) and waiting for the last in that series to come out.

All-time favourite:
The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner by James Hogg

Two others that keep bubbling up to the top of the list:

My Name is Red by Orhan Pamuk
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

And, as for non-fiction, I think you'll find that the answer to all questions is contained within:
The Complete Calvin & Hobbes By Bill Watterson

Oh, I think I should shamelessly add Winnie the Pooh and The House at Pooh Corner by A.A. Milne.

If you ever want to find real magic, look no further!

Every single one of the Holmes novels. Yes, there were some disappointments along the way, but all brilliant nonetheless.

I just ordered the book you mentioned Replicant, it will fit in nicely with the mentalism stuff to dow tih numbers I just pinched from 13 steps!

Currently making my way through Andy McNabs fictional series about a character called Nick Stone. Its about an ex SAS soldier who now works as an undeniable operater, good stuff!

I also love James Herbert and Stephen King books, nothing better to creep you right out before you go to sleep

taffy wrote:Currently making my way through Andy McNabs fictional series about a character called Nick Stone. Its about an ex SAS soldier who now works as an undeniable operater, good stuff!

The early ones are great. After a while they just get old. Firewall was my favourite!

Lenoir wrote:

taffy wrote:Currently making my way through Andy McNabs fictional series about a character called Nick Stone. Its about an ex SAS soldier who now works as an undeniable operater, good stuff!

The early ones are great. After a while they just get old. Firewall was my favourite!

Just finished book No 2 last night, and preparing myself to start reading Fire wall today, with a nice brew and choccy digestive biscuits! HEAVEN!

(That Nick Stone is a lucky git though! How many more 'narrow escapes' can he get out of? )

I read geo-political non-fiction. Purely because I like hyphens.

The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine - Ilan Pappe
Beyond Chutzpah - Professor Norman Finkelstein
The Tony Benn Diaries - Tony Benn
Long Walk to Freedom - Nelson Mandela

I also recommend 'Lies and The Lying Liars Who Tell Them' by Al Franken.