The Bookworm's Thread 2016

dreaming

Not sure if anyone can help me but I am looking for a modern, reasonably "cheerful" book with a masculine slant for our book group to read. Background story is we have one gentleman of around 90 yrs old who attends our book group, and I am currently compiling the list for the next 6 months reading from suggestions from members. He thinks the books we read are all too "backward looking and a bit gloomy" but couldn't remember the name of the book he thought would a good read. After a bit of questioning he remembered the "hero" was a young boy who also dabbled in magic - turned out to be Harry Potter. We vetoed his suggestion as we try not to read very big books (and most of us have already read some Harry Potter) but I did say I would try to find something for him. So far I have drawn a blank. I did wonder about the Alex Rider books which might fit the bill (we do read some young adult fiction) but other than that all the male readers I know only seem to read history books or gory thrillers/war books but gentleman wants modern and cheerful. Any suggestions please?

Wednesday2000

^ I know a lot of men who liked the book The Martian. I don't think it is violent, but it has a lot of action.

Wednesday2000

The last thing I read was a ghost story. The Haunting of Gillespie House - Darcy Coates. It was a bit creepy.:)

dreaming

Tanks Wed2000 - not sure he has enjoyed the science fiction books we have read. The other thing he wanted was "an uplifting book" so nothing too creepy/suspenseful - which is why I am considering the Alex Rider books. They tend to be fairly action packed but in a not-too-violent manner if I recall the one I read a while ago, and a nice easy read as the gentleman concerned doesn't always seem to follow the twists in some of the more demanding books we have read.

pollypenny

I'm reading A Tale of Two Cities.

Dickens is a brilliant story-teller. I can imagine him speaking aloud.

herbily

If you're wanting something for a Harry Potter-ish age, have you tried Eoin Colfer's Artemis Fowl series? Think the first one's The Arctic Incident. Otherwise, how about Ben Aaronovitch's "Rivers of London"?


Do you read detective/crime stories at your book group? I can recommend Christopher Fowler's Bryant and May series, but the plots may be a bit too twisty -but they are mostly cheerful, other than the odd murder.

Callie22

What about Philip Pullman's Dark Materials series? Plenty to discuss there, on loads of different levels and the first can be read as a standalone book if necessary. Although they're probably not the most 'cheerful' of books

greentiger

What about "The Hundred Year Old Man Who Climbed out the Window and Disappeared" by Jonas Jonasson.

It is so funny - ridiculous but funny. Oooh, I must read it again!


From Amazon
Sitting quietly in his room in an old people's home, Allan Karlsson is waiting for a party he doesn't want to begin. His one-hundredth birthday party to be precise. The Mayor will be there. The press will be there. But, as it turns out, Allan will not . . .

Escaping (in his slippers) through his bedroom window, into the flowerbed, Allan makes his getaway. And so begins his picaresque and unlikely journey involving criminals, several murders, a suitcase full of cash, and incompetent police. As his escapades unfold, Allan's earlier life is revealed. A life in which - remarkably - he played a key role behind the scenes in some of the momentous events of the twentieth century.

pollypenny

My book group has only read one crime novel, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.

It went down very well, particularly as on second reading, as it was for most of us, we saw the political aspects.

I love Philip Pullman's work, too.

Wednesday2000

I'm up very early so I will read another book while it's quiet in the house.:) Rachel Abbott - Kill Me Again. I think I started to read it before.

When your life is a lie, who can you trust?

When Maggie Taylor accepts a new job in Manchester, she is sure it is the right move for her family. The children have settled well although her husband, Duncan, doesn't appear to be so convinced.

But nothing prepares her for the shock of coming home from work one night to find that Duncan has disappeared, leaving their young children alone. His phone is dead, and she has no idea where he has gone, or why. And then she discovers she's not the only one looking for him.

When a woman who looks just like Maggie is brutally murdered and DCI Tom Douglas is brought in to investigate, Maggie realises how little she knows about Duncan's past. Is he the man she loves? Who is he running from?

She doesn't have long to decide whether to trust him or betray him. Because one thing has been made clear to Maggie - another woman will die soon, and it might be her.