Any book recommendations? (serious replies only)

[Patrick O'Neal]

I want to get my brother a couple of books for Christmas.

I was thinking true crime, maybe a book that was turned into a movie. Something entertaining.

 

[sinbad]

I decided to read the OJ simpson murder book a few months ago I thought it was a little interesting

 

[Patty's Stubby Fingers]

A Christmas Carnage

A Christmas Carnage, a novel by Owen A. Forrems, is rated 5/5 stars on Amazon and 4.88/5 stars on Goodreads. It's Tiny Tim...in space!

christmascarnage.com

 

[Uncle Floyd]

re: true crime, it come out a few years ago, but The Devil in the White City was a pretty good read.

Just read the first Fletch series (up to Fletch Too, which sucked) and am currently plugging through all of Ian Fleming's Bond books. I'd recommend the first Fletch and Casino Royale if he's into untrue crime.

 

[fricklefrackle]

The Spy and the Traitor is PFG

 

[Guff]

 

[PogromStallone]

As for true crime, Columbine by Dave Cullen and The Rape of Nanking by Iris Chang are both amazing. In fiction, I'd recommend The Count of Monte Cristo and Lolita, my two favourite books.

 

[RoxburyRick]

I want to get my brother a couple of books for Christmas.

I was thinking true crime, maybe a book that was turned into a movie. Something entertaining.

If he likes war get him Dispatches by Michael Herr (it's like the best parts of Apocalypse Now and Full Metal Jacket bc he cowrote both of those movies) and A Bridge Too Far book is even better than the movie.

 

[RoxburyRick]

As for true crime, Columbine by Dave Cullen and The Rape of Nanking by Iris Chang are both amazing. In fiction, I'd recommend The Count of Monte Cristo and Lolita, my two favourite books.

Just finished Lolita it read purdy good

 

[firstimelongtime]

“The Executioners Song” by Norman Mailer.

 

[firstimelongtime]

re: true crime, it come out a few years ago, but The Devil in the White City was a pretty good read.

Just read the first Fletch series (up to Fletch Too, which sucked) and am currently plugging through all of Ian Fleming's Bond books. I'd recommend the first Fletch and Casino Royale if he's into untrue crime.

“Depraved” by Harold Schecter is a very comprehensive account of HH Holmes’ antics. Especially after he left Chicago.

 

[Patrick O'Neal]

In fiction, I'd recommend The Count of Monte Cristo and Lolita, my two favourite books.

Those are probably both in my top ten. If you like Lolita, try Laughter in the Dark.

 

[Patrick O'Neal]

There have been some good suggestions so far.

I'm looking into it.

 

[PorqueDealer]

As for true crime, Columbine by Dave Cullen and The Rape of Nanking by Iris Chang are both amazing. In fiction, I'd recommend The Count of Monte Cristo and Lolita, my two favourite books.

The Count of Monte Cristo is seconded. Including audio book I've probably listened/read it several hundred times.
I had a whole European trip planned out where I was going to go to the Chatuea d'If, hide when it closed and spend the night. Unfortunately I broke a rib in Italy and decided to recover for a while on Elba. Monte Cristo itself is a protected habitat and closed to public. There is a list that you can join to visit the island but they only take approx 20 people a year.
Next year I will likely try the d'if escapade along with Beachamp's journey through to Ionnina to visit Ali Tebelin's castle ruin in the lake.
blog over.

For some short reads and classics; Shelleys Frankenstein and Wilde's Picture of Dorian Gray.
True crime stuff: Cosa Nostra was pretty good and another but I cant remember title (will try to edit it in)

Sci Fi fiction: Michael Marshall Smiths stuff was an easy read.

 

[TorquieTwoBeers]

I thought The Devil's Chessboard went a bit off the rails the further along the book got. It strayed too far into CIA conspiracies without providing much in the way of evidence. Still a good book.

Second Dispatches. I listened to the audiobook of that on a super long drive once and it is worth reading.

On Nabokov, Pale Fire is great. There's a companion book (I think the author is named Boyd) that explains everything that is a fun read, too.

 

[John Wayne Gacy]

I just finished Tishomingo Blues by Elmore Leonard. The Switch is another great read too. Get Shorty, Be Cool, La Brava, Mr Paradise, Up in Honey's Room---anything by him, I recommend. I love his work because it's so simple and to the point and fun, like watching a movie.

On a side note, Quentin Tarantino's work is strikingly similar to Leonard's in terms of dialogue and characters and atmosphere and style, and the author even praised Jackie Brown as his favorite book-to-movie adaptation. Whenever I hear "Tarantino dialogue" my brain switches it to "Elmore Leonard dialogue."

 

[Turk February]

One of the most interesting true crime books I've ever read, 2 seemingly unrelated stories - the hurried improbable construction of the 1895 Chicago World Fair is contrasted with the life and machinations of a serial killer active in the city at the time.

 

[Petworth dude]

I've been enjoying this

 

[RoxburyRick]

Someone mentioned Jon Ronson. In the same vein Chuck Klostermanns books are great

 

[ミスタースパーコル]

The Rape of Nanking

didn't happen.