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A Good Read: Book Suggestions & Recommendations

Received Big Bird! Modern Sightings of Flying Monsters by Ken Gerhard (cfz, 2007) in the post yesterday, and so far it looks pretty good, it's quite a short book at 108 pages, but seems to cover a lot of ground for the space. This is the first cfz title I've read but they have a few books which I'd like to read, especially looking forward to reading Wildman! by Nick Redfern (2012) on British Man-Beasts. Anyone read either of these books?
 
Can anyone recommend a book about the events around the skinwalker ranch? I would like one that is neither skeptical nor full mental, is the book mentioned in this months FT worth reading?
 
David Plankton said:
Spookdaddy recommended this book on a different thread a while ago. (incidentally I’m halfway through Dodgers, another book he suggested and finding it a great read. The wife thinks so too)

Jumpin’ Jack Flash. David Litvinoff and the Rock’n’Roll Underworld. - Keiron Pim.

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seemed a popular recommendation so thought I'd add this one

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Getting-Ca...=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1518702229&sr=1-1


The classic film Get Carter was based on a book called Jack's Return Home, and many commentators agree contemporary British crime writing began with that novel. The influence of both book and film is strong to this day, reflected in the work of David Peace, Jake Arnott, Russell Lewis, and the likes. But what of the man who wrote this seminal foundation work? Ted Lewis is one of the most important writers you've never heard of. Born in Manchester in 1940, he grew up in the tough environs of postwar Humberside, attending Hull Art School before heading for London. His life described a cycle of obscurity to glamour and back to obscurity, followed by death at only 42. He sampled the bright temptations of sixties London while working in advertising, TV, and films; he encountered excitement and danger in Soho drinking dens among various gangland haunts. He wrote for Z Cars and had eight books published. Alas, the life of Ted Lewis fell apart, his marriage ended and he returned to Humberside and an all too early demise. Getting Carter is a meticulously researched and riveting account of the career of a doomed genius. Long-time admirer Nick Triplow has fashioned a thorough, sympathetic, and unsparing narrative. The story of Ted Lewis carries historical and cultural resonances for our own troubled times.
 
GNC said:
Whit was one of his last decent books before his quality level dropped. Like the punning title.
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Which ones have you read in both the fiction and sci-fi areas....and are you quoting a literary review or speaking from experience regarding the novels?
btw....Whit is pretty entertaining so far and as always with Banks ...well written.
 
ramonmercado said:
Some of his regular stuff (Iain Banks) is actually Fantasy - The Bridge, A Song Of Stone, or Secret History - The Business. One of his Iain Banks novels is SF - Transition.
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Yes...I noticed that while perusing the Wiki page on him.....I'm looking forward to eventually reading all of his non Culture books.
Have you ever read the Peake books...The Gormenghast trilogy..? I've been meaning to read them for years now.
 
I think he used 'Iain Banks' and 'Iain M. Banks' to distinguish between his works.
 
dr wu said:
Yes...I noticed that while perusing the Wiki page on him.....I'm looking forward to eventually reading all of his non Culture books.
Have you ever read the Peake books...The Gormenghast trilogy..? I've been meaning to read them for years now.
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Never got around to Peake's books but I did read a memoir of him by his wife.
 
After I finish Whit...I should definitely read The Wasp Factory.
 
dr wu said:
Which ones have you read in both the fiction and sci-fi areas....and are you quoting a literary review or speaking from experience regarding the novels?
btw....Whit is pretty entertaining so far and as always with Banks ...well written.
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A bit of both, I read all his non-sci-fi books from The Wasp Factory and The Bridge (which is borderline) to Complicity and Whit, but The Business didn't grab me at all, and the reviews of his later stuff seemed to think he'd lost it somewhat. I do know a friend of mine read his last book and was very disappointed, only being familiar with his earlier works.

The only Culture book I read was Consider Phlebas, but I didn't like it much... never been much of a hard SF fan though.

Espedair Street is one of the best fictional rock music tales ever written.
 
^I'll look into reading Espedair St.....another good fiction rock tale is Great Jones St by Don DeLillo.
 
Have just completed all 8 volumes of Stephen King's Dark Tower saga and enjoyed it enormously.

Looking for something similar to fill that book-shaped void in my daily commute by train.

Needs to be fantasy or sci-fi with a similar vibe to Dark Tower or LOTR i.e something that really hooks you into its world and makes you want to turn the page to find out what lies around the next turn of the path.

Any suggestions please?
 
^Not quite as 'serious' as the others you mentioned but I'm a huge fan of Zelazny's 'Nine Princes In Amber' series.
It's my favorite fantasy series of all time.
 
blessmycottonsocks said:
Cheers - will see if I can find vol 1 at the library.
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I've finally recognised your avatar--I drank a bottle of it at Christmas!

75574h.jpg
 
I switched to that avatar after a discussion about the Sandeman logo, because it looked vaguely Fortean.
I don't even like Port, but can't really think of any real ale logos with a similar vibe (possibly the Hobgoblin?).
 
^ Your avatar looks like Zorro to me.

:)

3664252-zorro-wallpapers.jpg
 
Monstrosa said:
Stephen Erikson's Malazan Book of the Fallen 10 books, You'll either love it or hate it.
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Found book 1 in the library this lunchtime and look forward to diving into this fantasy world (just need to finish off William Golding's The Inheritors, which I started yesterday).
 
blessmycottonsocks said:
Have just completed all 8 volumes of Stephen King's Dark Tower saga and enjoyed it enormously.

Looking for something similar to fill that book-shaped void in my daily commute by train.

Needs to be fantasy or sci-fi with a similar vibe to Dark Tower or LOTR i.e something that really hooks you into its world and makes you want to turn the page to find out what lies around the next turn of the path.

Any suggestions please?
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Gene Wolfe - Book of the New Sun
 
alfiegas said:
Gene Wolfe - Book of the New Sun
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Read that series a long time ago, and remember it being very gripping.

I'm around 100 pages into Erikson's Gardens of The Moon, as recommended above. Can't say it's really gripped me yet, but will persevere.
 
I also enjoyed the Wolfe series .....sorry to see it end all those years ago. I also liked the Book Of The Long Sun.

Anyone interested in a wild ride of supernatural fun...I recommend the Sandman Slim series.
Hard hitting with great tough prose and lots of action.
 
Gene Wolfe is a genius.
 
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