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16-11-2006, 11:27 PM
|  | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Lincolnshire/Cambs/Norfolk border right on The Wash
Posts: 2,173
| | | what books have you read........
........ in the past that you would buy to read again now?
I would have Gerald Durrell's books... all save the stories of the jersey zoo which i didnt find all that good.
Thor Heyerdahl's expedition books.
Anne McCaffrey Dragon series books... I so wish they were real creatures 
Ring of bright water and all the Konrad Lorenz books.
Come on all you readers.. what would they be... and they needn't be nature related
I am looking forward to this to remind me of books I had forgotten
jaki
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17-11-2006, 06:07 AM
|  | Officer of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Pork Pie Town, Leicestershire
Posts: 576
| |  Re: what books have you read........
If you really want to read the Durrell books again, then go on ebay, search Wildlife books and you should find them all over a period of time. you should not pay any more than about £1 per paperback (postage about £1.50)
This is how I came by most of mine.
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Oscar |
17-11-2006, 07:28 AM
| | Active Member | | Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Cornwall
Posts: 38
| | | Re: what books have you read........
I really like Barbara Kingsolver, she has wonderful appreciation of nature. Also The Peregrine by J A Baker.
I recommend Read It Swap It | The UK's Free Book Swap Shop! | The Library, although a lot of my books are too precious to swap, but you can pick up quite a range.
Pete. |
17-11-2006, 09:19 AM
|  | Knight Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: N.E.SOMERSET
Posts: 6,404
| | | Re: what books have you read........
Jack Hargreaves Out of Town,The Old Country
Tom Clancy his (reluctant hero) Jack Ryan books
Durrell,
Heyerdahl (jiggers ugh!)
Heinlen
McCaffrey
Blish
Tad Williams
Ballard
Eckhard and Grimmberger
Heather Angel
In fact most things are worth reading to do with Wildlife so I read it think about it read it again,not much stays in though! (The exception is a series of mediocre books thrown together by a disgraced MP)
Read it even if it is only the label on a sauce bottle 
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17-11-2006, 12:52 PM
|  | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: East Kent
Posts: 1,498
| | | Re: what books have you read........
Cold Comfort Farm, by Stella Gibbons.
Three Men in a Boat, by Jerome K Jerome.
Two books I re-read when I want amusing read. |
25-11-2006, 07:43 AM
|  | Member of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: North Anston, Sheffield, South Yorkshire
Posts: 369
| | | Re: what books have you read........
These are the books I have read and they are absolute classics in my Great Writers Collection. There are over 50 books in the collection (the last of which I have just ordered to complete the collection) so I still have quite a few left to read yet!
Little Women by Louisa M. Alcott
Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins
Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Tess of the D'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy
The Mill on the Floss by Geoge Eliot
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wild
Far from the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
and at the moment I am reading Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. Fantastic books that I hate to have to put down - I just want to read them to the end
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09-12-2006, 10:42 PM
| | Member of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: North Anston, Sheffield, South Yorkshire
Posts: 369
| | | Re: what books have you read........
Well I finished Jane Eyre a few weeks ago and then I read Frankenstein by Mary Shelley.
A few days ago I finished reading A Christmas Carol (I first read this last Christmas and I thought it might be nice to read it every year!)
We watched the dvd with Alistair Sim last weekend and will watch it again over Christmas
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With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world,
Be cheerful, strive to be happy :) |
10-12-2006, 01:13 AM
|  | Member of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Oxfordshire
Posts: 317
| | | Re: what books have you read........
fast food nation by eric schlosser. shocking book. I haven't eaten a burger since reading this! |
10-12-2006, 06:49 AM
| | Knight Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: N.E.SOMERSET
Posts: 6,404
| | | Re: what books have you read........
Just read,COD, a biography of the Fish That Changed the World (Mark Kurlansky)
don't eat it you may well doom it completely 
A good read, the historic links are suprising
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10-12-2006, 08:46 AM
| | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: East Kent
Posts: 1,498
| | | Re: what books have you read........
Some of the books I've loved most-
Silas Marner, by George Eliot.
The Mayor of Casterbridge, by Thomas Hardy.
History of Mr. Polly, by (I think) H.G.Wells.
The Time Machine by H.G.Wells.
The Chrysalids by John Wyndham. (Everything by John Windham.)
All the Bronte books.
Emma by Jane Austin
The hobbit and Lord of the rings. |
10-12-2006, 08:47 AM
| | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: East Kent
Posts: 1,498
| | | Re: what books have you read........
I must read COD, nightshade. I keep hearing it mentioned. |
10-12-2006, 09:23 AM
|  | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Letchworth Garden City
Posts: 1,333
| | | Re: what books have you read........
It's a case of "stop me when you've had enough" 
Right, here we go for starters:
Everything by Jane Austen, William Golding, Julian Barnes, Margaret Attwood, Kazuo Ishiguro.
Less challenging stuff - anything by Terry Pratchett, Anne McCaffrey, Ben Elton, Joanna Trollope
Specifics:
Waterland - Graham Swift
Waiting for the Barbarians - J M Coetzee
Sour Sweet or The Monkey King - Timothy Mo
Life of Pi - Yann Martel
The Illusionist - Anita Mason
The White Hotel - D M Thomas
Freakonomics - Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner
One World - Peter Singer
Guns, Germs and Steel - Jared Diamond
In common with many others, my most frequently read book is Lord of the Rings. Probably read it once a year for the last 35 years |
10-12-2006, 09:39 AM
| | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: East Kent
Posts: 1,498
| | Re: what books have you read........
It's good, this thread. It's reminding me of books I read years ago and forgot about, and must re-read, and giving me ideas for my next read. I'd forgotton about Terry Pratchet. The Weird sisters and Colour of magic were my favourites.
And Oscar Wilde's The Ballad Of Reading Jail, I know it's a poem not a book, but a very long poem, and reduced me to a sobbing heap! |
10-12-2006, 03:28 PM
|  | Member of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Back in Nawf Kent, innit
Posts: 287
| | | Re: what books have you read........
I'll go along with Terry Pratchett, Small Gods being my favourite. The Dark Tower series by Steven King (I think Oy will go along with that one!), the Arthurian series by Bernard Cornwell (The Winter King, Excalibur and the one I can't remember...) and Only Forward by Michael Marshall Smith. Natural history-wise British Snakes by Leonard G. Applebey is fantastic, at least it is if you like snakes. Gerald Durrell of course, and his biography which I've just finished. I wanted to be Gerald Durrell for so long as a kid, and sometimes I still do!
I'm sure I'll think of a dozen more as soon as I hit 'submit'...
cheers,
Ian |
10-12-2006, 04:10 PM
| | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Lincolnshire/Cambs/Norfolk border right on The Wash
Posts: 2,173
| | | Re: what books have you read........
That stray Bernard Cornwell is Enemy Of God, yellowhammer... and excellent books they are too.. have you read his others.. London, Forest and stonehenge.. they are wonderful too... and if you like Arthurian stories Mary Stewart wrote two I woul like to read again... The Hollow Hills and The Crystal Cave
I have never read any Pratchet books.. I will have to try one and see. My problem is I cant remember things like titles and authors.. I had to go to the bookshelf to get that BC title
When I was a young gal... about 8 my parents bought me beautiful white bound books.. Little Women and Good Wives and they are often re read.. and Thomas Hardy too.. I cant get on with the Barchester Chronicles.. nor Dickens.. which many people find strange
jaki
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Last edited by Garden Carpet; 10-12-2006 at 04:11 PM.
Reason: typo
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10-12-2006, 04:16 PM
|  | Wild Member | | Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Carnoustie, Angus
Posts: 238
| | | Re: what books have you read........
I remember reading a book called The Stonor Eagles by William Horwood which was really good. I got it out of my high school library a few years back and I never finished it. It has been constantly niggling in the back of my head for ages as it was a really good read and I'm dying to know the end of it. I shall have to look for somewhere that sells it.
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10-12-2006, 04:57 PM
|  | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Leicestershire
Posts: 3,555
| | | Re: what books have you read........
Quote:
Originally Posted by Garden Carpet  That stray Bernard Cornwell is Enemy Of God, yellowhammer... and excellent books they are too.. have you read his others.. London, Forest and stonehenge.. they are wonderful too... jaki | If you like Bernard Cornwell then try his Dark age triliogy,
The Last Kingdom
The Pale Horseman
The Lords of the North
I've just finished the last one and like all the others its absolutely superb, a fantastic set of stories loosely based on the times of Alfred the great and his wars against the Danes.
I can highly recomend them. |
10-12-2006, 05:01 PM
| | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Lincolnshire/Cambs/Norfolk border right on The Wash
Posts: 2,173
| | | Re: what books have you read........
thats great Steve... more to add to my list.. I have asked for book tokens for christmas and birthday (newyearseve  ) so i hope to have a few bob to spend in the sales.... thanks for the ideas
jaki
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11-12-2006, 06:53 AM
| | Member of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Back in Nawf Kent, innit
Posts: 287
| | | Re: what books have you read........
And I thought enjoying Bernard Cornwell was my dirty little secret! Actually, that sounds a bit suspect... I was hoping the latest Dark age one would be out in paperback by now.
Two more good 'uns are Natural History of Dorset by the Dorset Wildlife Trust and Predatory Dinosaurs of the World by Gregory S. Paul. Probably the best dino illustrations you'll see, as Paul is a paleontologist and an illustrator so he knows what he's drawing.
cheers,
Ian |
11-12-2006, 07:05 AM
| | Officer of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Pork Pie Town, Leicestershire
Posts: 576
| | | Re: what books have you read........
I regularly pick up sale books from my local library, many remain unread for months, some have been filed without a second thought.
Recent reads have included:
A year in the Merde
How to be a bad birdwatcher
Tales of a Tribe
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Oscar |
11-12-2006, 10:11 AM
|  | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Scunthorpe, Nth Lincs
Posts: 1,315
| | | Re: what books have you read........
Quote:
Originally Posted by badgerwatcher Three Men in a Boat, by Jerome K Jerome. | Three Men on the Bummel by Jerome is good too.
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, is one I re-read now and again.
__________________ Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana. Nature Photo's |
11-12-2006, 12:09 PM
|  | Member of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Dinnington, S Yorks
Posts: 321
| | | Re: what books have you read........
Quote:
Originally Posted by Fourwings If you like Bernard Cornwell then try his Dark age triliogy,
The Last Kingdom
The Pale Horseman
The Lords of the North
I've just finished the last one and like all the others its absolutely superb, a fantastic set of stories loosely based on the times of Alfred the great and his wars against the Danes.
I can highly recomend them. | I used the Audiobook CD whilst travelling to work to listen to all these.
I second the recommendation
Les
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11-12-2006, 12:48 PM
|  | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Sunny Doncaster
Posts: 4,328
| | | Re: what books have you read........
Piers Morgan's The Insider I absolutely loved and I have also enjoyed all of the Lance Armstrong biogs and 23 Days in July. I liked The Curious Incident of The Dog In The Night by Mark Haddon and The Boy Who Kicked Pigs by Tom Baker. I also rate Stephen Leather
My Story by Dave Pelzer was an outstanding series, but you must read all three books and not just A Child Called It.
I liked Frank Skinner (Hilarious), Paula Radcliffe, Ronnie O'Sullivan, Lenny McLean, Roy Shaw, Cass Pennant and Carlton Leach. I put Peter Kay down after 5 pages, Rubbish
Now I have waiting - Cloud Atlas, A Spot of Bother and To Kill a Mockingbird |
11-12-2006, 01:07 PM
|  | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Gloucestershire
Posts: 1,373
| | | Re: what books have you read........
I like escapist, grown-up children's books (ones that are better written than trashy ,adult novels). Anything by Susan Cooper, E. Nesbit, C.S Lewis or Robert Westall; Devil on the Road being one of my favourites. A traveller in time by Alison Utley. I remember Moonfleet making an impression on me at school and Shakespeare. I had a brilliant English teacher who made it really enjoyable. Love Harry Potter too, the films don't do it justice. Don't get enough time to read |
11-12-2006, 01:26 PM
| | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Lincolnshire/Cambs/Norfolk border right on The Wash
Posts: 2,173
| | | Re: what books have you read........
As I was pottering just now I was thinking of this thread... and was going to say that mostly the titles are escapist fantasies.(my favourites). and wondered if this said something about the folks on this site..... then Boddie, bless him, goes and lists a range of biogs!!... There goes my theory
jaki
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