Whats everyones fave books

[The Tree]

Can anyone recommend books to me.the type i like are non fiction.i enjoy being able to get something out of books.any suggestions would be great.cheers

[devilwoman]

my best friends girl, i think thats what its called, saw it on r& j this evening, sounds like a good read

[shammydodger]

Two that I have taken on my jollies afore are:

"Man Walks into a Pub" by Pete Brown. A sociable history of beer drinking, with particular emphasis on the artform as practised in Britain. A surprisingly good and often funny read;

"In the Heart of the Sea" by Nathaniel Philbrick. The true story of the whaleship Essex, which became the inspiration for Melville's "Moby Dick." A tale that has everything, including the endurance of the human spirit and cannibalism. Well, okay, so it's woefully short on rampant sex, but still a fascinating read.

[Ethel]

Anything by Josie Dew - the young woman who has cycled all over the world.

Very funny at times, and you have to admire her spirit.

[spudqueen]

Anything by Bill Bryson.
Anything by Thor Heyderdahl.
Fever Pitch by Nick Hornby.

[missjef]

anything by Jodie Picoult - particularly The Pact, Salem Falls or The tenth Circle.

"the lovely bones" by Alice seabold.

[dotty.]

try mary Woolstencraft for a real incite into how women were so kept in the dark.

[robbo82]

I'd agree with all of spudqueen's choices, and also Do Not Pass Go by Tim Moore, a social history of all the places on the Monopoly board, including why they were chosen for the game, etc. A fascinating read.

[Fish the Mod]

The best non fiction book ever
The Jigsaw man by Paul Brittin (TV show CRACKER was based on this guy)

in close second:
Noddy Holdler - It all crazy now ( Autobio)
The love you make by Peter Brown. The best book ever written about the real life of the Beatles- even better if your not a fan.
Bill Byson notes from a small Island ( tour of the UK)

[Veggibear]

Chris Moon's autobiography 'One Step Beyond' is a great book.

[admarlow]

Please Please read Marching Powder by Rusty Young is the most amazing true story ever - has anyone else read it?

[Quizmonkey]

I Dreamed of Africa by Kuki Gullman - amazing and life-affirming. If you ever feel down, the beautifully told highs and very low lows of this amazing woman will make you appreciate your lot - and give you a breathtaking insight into the wilds of the continent.

[mycats]

I agree with anything by Billl Bryson, great books
"The man who mistook his wife for a hat" by Oliver Sacks is a brilliant book, very, very interesting.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0684853949/10 3-8561996-5291015?v=glance&n=283155
"Travels in Hyper-Reality" by Umberto Eco
(which I bought after it was recommended by someone on here actually)

[spudqueen]

robbo82 - I've never heard of Do Not Pass Go before, but have now ordered if from Amazon (for 1p), hopefully I'll be reading it on my hols!

[devilwoman]

anything by tory hayden

[Backdrifter]

I certainly wouldn't say "anything" by Bryson - his first two travel books, The Lost Continent and Neither Here Nor There, are in my opinion the best by a very, very long way. The subsequent ones are, for me, very inferior although Notes From A Small Island is a good read.

Interesting that you favour nonfiction - I've been on a real nonfiction kick for some time now, after becoming frustrated with novels. One of my favourites is Last Chance To See, by Douglas Adams, the only nonfiction book he did and by far my absolute favourite of his. He and a zoologist travelled around the world looking for endangered species and the book is his account of this journey, a mixture of informative, sad and witty.

I recently read a superb film book by Paul Shone called Blockbuster, doing for big-budget blockbuster films what Biskind did for 'new Hollywood' in Easy Riders etc. It has excellent lists and even graphs, including a graph version of Jaws - very funny.

I also love the London A to Z. I'm not being flippant, I regularly sit and "read" it, even if I'm not planning a route or looking for a location - it's an amazing book.

[alice1]

More of a coffee table book i suppose but i couldnt put it down - Banksy the stencil artist? u probably already know of him but if not just ask. He's controversial and anonymous which has to be good!

[devilwoman]

anything by torey hayden

[cliffsweb]

anything by tory hayden

[Sphinx_Svens]

Salt - A World History by Mark Kurlansky
The Man In The Ice - Konrad Spindler
The Year 1000 - Robert Lacey and Danny Danziger
I Am Spock - Leonard Nimoy
I Am Not Spock - Leonard Nimoy
More Cunning Than Man - Robert Hendrickson
Weaving The Web - Tim Berners-Lee