So, for us folks in the Northern Hemi, winter is upon us.
Any recommedations for a good read while sitting beside the fire with a pipe and a nice pint of porter or good coffee?
Anything you are reading now that you'd recommend?
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So, for us folks in the Northern Hemi, winter is upon us.
Any recommedations for a good read while sitting beside the fire with a pipe and a nice pint of porter or good coffee?
Anything you are reading now that you'd recommend?
Hello, Mixmaster:
For winter reading by the fireplace nothing beats the works of Jane Austen.
Regards,
Obie
I am currently reading "Three Day Road" by Joseph Boyden. It is the story of two Canadian Cree Indian snipers in the Canadian military during WWI. So far, it is very well written and seems to be a good "winter read." It is dark, but enlightening.
I also recommend very highly "The Thousand Autumns of Jacob De Zoet" by David Mitchell. This is my favorite author at the moment and author of one of the most amazing books I have ever read, "Cloud Atlas."
Enjoy!
I should preface this with I read books only for enjoyment at home...
The "Mitch Rapp" series by Vince Flynn is a good visceral read
I like the John Sanford "Prey" series for crime thrillers
The Jean Aual "Children of the Earth" series will have you wanting to hunt Mammoth during the cold winter months :)
Also the Stephen Hunter "Bob Lee Swagger" books have some good twists if you like sniper books
My favorite reading for the winter is The River Runs Through It from Norman Maclean. Besides the book being far better then the movie, it also has a few other great stories in it as well. Plus, my g.f. bought me a new book recently that has old catalog clippings of old sporting goods catalogs from the late 1800's to the mid 60's. Oh, and can't forget the great posts to read here in the winter as well...:)
Good question here,
Nothing (well almost nothing) beats the great feeling of sitting by the fireplace with a good book, pipe and the drink of your choice.
IMHO you can't go wrong with Jerome K. Jeromes 'Three men in a boat'.
Quickly comes to my mind some great authors like de Saint-Exupery, Steinbeck, Melville, Saramago. The list of good books is endless.
I'm a fan of big, sprawling, science fiction epics. That being said, I highly recommend the writing of Dan Simmons. The Hyperion series (Hyperion, The Fall Of Hyperion, The Rise Of Endymion, Endymion) as well as the two books Illium and Olympos (2 books, 1 story) are fantastic, if you're into that type of thing.
I read "The 1000 Autumns of Jacob de Zoet" and it's great, although it's only available in hardbound right now.
I would also suggest Jean Auel's first novel, "Clan of the Cave Bear" (forget the movie). There is just nothing like it and it's full of some cool thoughts about prehistoric man. It's a great lead-in to the Earth's Children series.
A good paperback, that's better than the movie - though I liked the movie too - is "Snow Falling on Cedars".
I am currently reading the last two books in the Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan ( and Brian Sanderson for the last 2 ). I also just finish reading The China Study which is about health and nutrition.
Someone here mentioned a book called the House of Leaves in another thread and I read that book as well.. took me a while do to the writing style but I loved the book.
If you are looking for a quick/fun read the books by Mario Acevedo.. with titles like Nymphos of Flat Rock and Jail Bait Zombies how can you go wrong:D
For me, nothing says winter fireside reading like Lord of The Rings.
If you like history, I'd like to recommend The Making of the Atomic Bomb. A work so engaging it reads like a work of literature, but so informative it has a 70 page notes/bibliography section.
I like my reading to be an escape from the stresses and concerns of my normal life, so I generally like my reading to have a good dose of horses, swords, and magic. I am currently working through the last couple books in the Wheel of Time series. I have to re-read at least one or two everytime there is a new book released.
I have branched out a little over the last couple of months and have enjoyed the following:
- Darkly Dreaming Dexter - Jeff Lindsay
- Kitchen Confidential - Anthony Bourdain
- 1984 - George Orwell
- Enders Game - Orson Scott Card
- The Lost Symbol - Dan Brown
- Fight Club - Chuck Palanhiuk
Shutter Island-Dennis Lehane, makes a good read on a dark winter night ...and far better than the movie
A Confederacy of Dunces-John Kennedy Toole
On Killing-LTC Dave Grossman ( a rather academic study on the psychological impact of killing and learning to kill among military personnel. Not for everyone, but I found it fascinating)
A Legacy of Ashes: A History of the CIA-Tim Weiner
Two words for you: Don Quixote
I'm still reading "The Pennsylvinia Kentucky Rifle" I haven't been able to read anything else at the moment lol :p
I've been a fan of Terry Pratchett's Discworld series for many, many years. Otherwise I like Robin Hobb, Douglas Adams, Thomas Harris, Tolkien... Bit of a mixed bag really, but all enjoyable.
Any Human Heart by William Boyd.
Just read The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch - a really sad story but incredible wisdom about life in general
Currently reading the Odd Thomas books by Dean Koontz, pretty easy reading but fun supernatural stories
Sh*t My Dad Says by Justin Halpern, so freakin funny
I recommend "Young Men and Fire" by Norman Maclean. It's nonfiction about a group of smokejumpers fighting a wild fire in Montana in 1949 that unfortunately turned tragic. Sort of a depressing read but very interesting none the less.
Try Conan Doyle's complete Sherlock Holmes stories. You can get a psuedo leather bound copy at B&N for about $20.00
Also, Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand - great book and needs a good winter to read:)
When its cold outside and there is nothing to do but read, stoke the fire and sit down with Jack London or Herman Melville.
Great novel for men ...
Classic ... "From Here to Eternity" by James Jones. It's not "high" literature, but tight, extrememly well written, really relevant to men (especially those who have served in the military), and has a very TRUE ring to it. The movie is very good, and one of my favorites, aslo, but had to be toned down for the censors ... the book is better. Still my favorite novel.
Enjoy!
I like just about anything written by micheal crichton. the andromeda strain, a case of need, eaters of the dead, sphere, and airframe are the only books of his that I have read so far, but they were all good. there are also a lot of books of his that were turned into movies that I haven't read, because I tend to avoid books that were turned into movies that I have already seen. eaters of the dead, by the way, is the only book that I have seen turned into a movie that I would say comes close to being as good as the book. just incase you were curious, the book eaters of the dead was turned into was the movie the thriteenth warrior.
Louis L'Amour, 'The Sackett' series, especially the first four in the series.
Mick
Great funny book on cooking fish :)
+1 on John Sandford. Gritty, suspenseful police thrillers. The author was a journalist for 20 years, won a Pulitzer, decided to make up the stories instead of reporting on them.
Also has a related string of novels on another detective named Virgil Flowers but the titles don't all have the same theme through them.
Side note: John Sandford (aka John Camp) supports the archaeological excavation in Israel where I dig with students every few years. He doesn't support our students, but pays almost in full the capital expenses of the excavation, which is amazing.
All of this sound great gentalmen....but i was just curious as to how many of you have a 7yr old and a 4yr old running around while trying to do the pipe/reading thing. dont get me wrong i would love to find time to do that...not so much a pipe but a nice cigar ;) but most of my time alone is spent sleeping for the next days work :boohoo:
I have three young girls constantly under my feet. The oldest at 4 years and the youngest at 6 months. I'm a stay at home dad and my time is scarce. I always allow myself 30 mins to do something for me each evening. I'm fortunate enough to have an understanding wife who allows me that time after she comes home from work. I don't read as much as I used to (and I love reading), but I treasure the time when I do choose to sit and read with a nice pipe and favourite tobacco.
Mick
I read Crime and Punishment by Dostoevsky recently and it found it to be amazing.
I'm currently reading The Baron in the Trees by Italo Calvino.
Chris L
Just started "The Prince" by Machiavelli
what an awesome read
For you sci fans out there, the hands down best sci fi book I've ever read was Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card. You won't be disappointed.
The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt, by Edmund Morris. Wonderful biography of Roosevelts life before he became president.
I agree with Theseus. Morris's biography of T.R. is top notch. Read it many years ago.
More recently, I just finished reading James Hornfischer's, Neptune's Inferno: The U. S. Navy at Guadalcanal. Excellent read...If you like reading WWII history.
I was given The Wind Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami while on vacation in Costa Rica after Christmas. I liked it so much I am now reading all of his novels in chronological order. It is definitely post modern. if you like Don DeLillo, Thomas Pynchon, William Vollman or David Foster Wallace you might like Murakami.
When finished, read "Discourses on Livi." Just as awesome.
I'm currently reading "L.A. Noir" by John Buntin. Next in line is "The Fourth Turning" by William Strauss, then "Under the Dome" by Stephen King. Also, just picked up the Barnes and Noble leather bound version of "The Complete Sherlock Holmes."
I really liked that book... I'll have to give the others a read.
Haruki Murakami - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
I am currently reading:
Real Books:
Flowers of Edo
Daytripper
Kindle Books:
Caribou Island
Biocentrism
Audible Books:
Hamlet (Dramatised, Commentary Options)
A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future
Recently Finished:
A Beginner's Guide to Constructing the Universe
--Shoki
personally just finished the bood "Dead or Alive" by tom clancy, its from the jack ryan series, but for a book series that i could reread again and again i would have to say "Dune" Frank Herbert will get my nod