Books you've read and would recommend?

PP34

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Thread starter #1
I'm looking for some new material to read. My favourite books are sporting biographies but I'm open to reading other stuff. Can anyone recommend any good books recent or old (and no not 50 shades of grey ;))? Here's the stuff I like reading:
- WWI/WWII stuff
- 20th century history stuff
- Sporting stuff
- Fiction such as Harry Potter, Alex Rider etc.
- Biographies
- Any books that can teach me how to manage money, invest etc.
- Books that teach you about life, motivate you etc.
 

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PP34

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Fantasy/adventure. Obviously not for everyone, but I love them. Best genre :thumbsu:
Might give it a look. Fantasy/adventure are hit and miss with me. I loved Harry Potter but I remember picking up several fantasy/adventure books at the library that the librarians suggested to read as they were highly acclaimed and hating them after reading several chapters. There was one in particular that had pixies or some other weird thing that I hated.
 

Drumroe

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#7
Raymond Feist books. But you have to make sure they're read in order :p.

Magician is the first one. Begin.
Just started Magican, about a quarter of the way through, really enjoying it so far. Have heard it drops off a bit after the first book, but ill see how it goes.
 

Igloo

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#8
Just started Magican, about a quarter of the way through, really enjoying it so far. Have heard it drops off a bit after the first book, but ill see how it goes.
Stick with Magician to the end, even if there is a bit of a lull around half way, haha.
I wouldn't say it drops off. It's different, but just as good, if not better, imo.
 

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A Swallow

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#12
Just started Magican, about a quarter of the way through, really enjoying it so far. Have heard it drops off a bit after the first book, but ill see how it goes.
Raymond E Feist is amazing. The Riftwar/Serpentwar Saga is brilliant. There are about 20 books in the extended series, and although I think the first 3 are definitely the best, it's all good.
 

A Swallow

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#13
I'm looking for some new material to read. My favourite books are sporting biographies but I'm open to reading other stuff. Can anyone recommend any good books recent or old (and no not 50 shades of grey ;))? Here's the stuff I like reading:
- WWI/WWII stuff
- 20th century history stuff
- Sporting stuff
- Fiction such as Harry Potter, Alex Rider etc.
- Biographies
- Any books that can teach me how to manage money, invest etc.
- Books that teach you about life, motivate you etc.
The Book Thief - Markus Zusak
 
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#17
Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts. Brilliant book. Probably my favourite book ever. True story of a man from melbourne who escapes from prison and flees to India. Seriously good book you will not be disapointed.
This is my all time favorite as well although I think that it was more based on a true story as there were a lot of parts that used a fair bit of creative license. Anyway I first became aware of this book in late 2005 when I traveled to India and it seemed that a lot of the other backpackers that I met when I was in Mumbai were there as a result of having read this book. At Leopold's restaurant I can remember talking to some Poms who could not believe that I was from Melbourne and in Leopolds but had not heard of Shantaram. I'm not much of a reader but I had a go at a friends copy soon after I arrived home and I could only mange the first 100 pages as it did not grab me. A few months later I had another go and managed to get it done in just over two weeks! After an early childhood of been right into the books I thought that this may get me going again but I have not read another book since.

I also thoroughly enjoyed Snow Blind which is another truth based story that I read a bit before Shantaram.
 

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My Traitors Heart by Rian Malan is an amazing book, it can be hard going at times, but very much worth it. I think every Australian should probably read the Fatal Shore by Robert Hughes and the Lucky Country by Donald Horne. I loved the Tales of the City books by Armistead Maupin, a Californian Dickens. If you are interested in the American election, any of Teddy White's Making of the President series are really interesting, and for a different take on the presidential race, Tim Crouse's Boys on the Bus is a great read.
As for sporting books, Ray Robinson's On Top Downunder is a classic, as C.L.R. James' beyond the Boundary. Anything Gideon Haigh has ever written about cricket to is always worth reading.
 

crazyman27

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#20
Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts. Brilliant book. Probably my favourite book ever. True story of a man from melbourne who escapes from prison and flees to India. Seriously good book you will not be disapointed.
Great read. The only problem I had was that it was difficult to keep track of the characters as there are so many and their names are very similar.

If you haven't read The Power of One and Tandia (the originals), do yourself a favor. It takes a bit of work to get through them but easily the most inspiring story I've read.
 

Andre

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#21
Might give it a look. Fantasy/adventure are hit and miss with me. I loved Harry Potter but I remember picking up several fantasy/adventure books at the library that the librarians suggested to read as they were highly acclaimed and hating them after reading several chapters. There was one in particular that had pixies or some other weird thing that I hated.
Pick up an adult fantasy series - do yourself a favour and start reading A Song of Ice and Fire. The TV series - Game of Thrones - is good (series one is very very good), the books are even better.
 

raven echo

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#22
Pick up an adult fantasy series - do yourself a favour and start reading A Song of Ice and Fire. The TV series - Game of Thrones - is good (series one is very very good), the books are even better.
This OP. Came here to say the exact same thing. Fantastic book series.
 
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#25
I'm looking for some new material to read. My favourite books are sporting biographies but I'm open to reading other stuff. Can anyone recommend any good books recent or old (and no not 50 shades of grey ;))? Here's the stuff I like reading:
- WWI/WWII stuff
- 20th century history stuff
- Sporting stuff
- Fiction such as Harry Potter, Alex Rider etc.
- Biographies
- Any books that can teach me how to manage money, invest etc.
- Books that teach you about life, motivate you etc.
Keith Richards autobiography. Best book Ive ever read. Couldnt put it down.

Antony Beevor's WWII non-fiction books. Amazingly detailed accounts. Great writer. D-Day, Battle of Stalingrad, Battle of Berlin. Dont read before you go to bed if you don't want nightmares...

Steven Bradbury autobiography. Actually a frikkin great read.

And for nostalgia, how can I forget the Horatio Hornblower series!
 
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