Kibkom North Cyprus Forum

ScoobieDoo posted a really good topic re: "The Killing" That prompted Kibkomers to give their own recommendations of loads of good TV &/or series to find and watch. Books also popped up on that thread. As an avid reader myself and because your winter and cold wet days/nights draw nearer I thought I would start a book review thread in the hope that it may produce responses for fellow Kibkomers to find things to do whilst snuggled up in front of the fire or under the duvet.

My choices of my own personal best books are:

The Game of Thrones (5 books out so far with another 2 yet to be published) by George R R Martin

Shantaram (my all time favourite) by Gregory David Roberts. This is a book based on factual events. An Australian bank robber escapes from prison and ends up in the ghettos in India where he becomes involved with helping the slum people and on that journey meets the Indian mafia etc etc (that all I will say to whet your appetites). Word is Hollywood are to make a film about this story and Johnny (seriously lush) Depp is tipped to play the lead.

Will be very interesting on other book recommendations that I hope will get posted - I look forward to Kibkom book review club thread taking off

My favourite book in the crime and mystery section, has to be Messiah by Boris Starling (there was a tv series based on this in the UK prior to 2003) and The Poet by Michael Connelly.

I started to read a book called The Reluctanct Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamed and wasn't sure at first but stick with it, it is an interesting read about a chap that reluctantly becomes a fundamentalist due his surrounds.

Rather than book titles I can suggest some very good authors and again these tend to be crime and mystery authors:

Harlan Coben
Robert Crais
Peter James - but only his books with the word 'Dead' in the title (we tend not to like his earlier books!)
Graham Hurley
Julianne Hoffman
Stuart McBride
Tess Gerritsen
Mark Billingham
Lee Child
Karin Slaughter
John Sandford - the 'Prey' series

I am sure I can think of many more but you are looking for book titles

Would you like me to set up a section for the Book Club?

Let me plug this one again: The Green Line - Holiday in a Warzone - Cyprus 1974 by Soner Kioufi
Obtainable in most good bookstore or http://www.amzon.co.uk or http://www.thegreenline.co.uk

Cheers Scoobydoo - will check those authors out.

I also like reading ancient historical novels & list my favourite authors in that gendre as the lists of books are extensive

Conn Iggulden. Roman era
Valerio Massimo Manfredi. Roman & Alexander the Great
Tim Severen. Viking etc
Bernard Cornwall. Crusaders Templar - Saxon
Phillippa Gregory. Henry 8th & Elizabethan
Wilbur Smith. Ancient Egyptian

Have loads more historical authors available on request.

Also Clive Cussler has many good books on different subjects and in series of books.

SONER - good idea for the book section

Soner (msg 3),
Is there an audio version of this book?
My mum would like to read it but she is registered as blind.

Chris

Hi love the idea of a book thread.
Have also read the reluctant fundamentalist Scooby definately worth the read.

Also really liked both Khalid Hosseini books The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns, both very thought provoking.

In a lighter not love the crime and espionage so a couple of authors I like apart from those mentioned
David Baldacci and Robert Ludlum

Paula

2 of the best books i read were by John Michael Hileman , they were Unseen and Messages .

Soner message 3
Been there got that but didnt get the T shirt

J d Roberts - the Death in...series and Nora Roberts - same person different style of book

Major sf writers - Azimov and Heinlen etc etc
Agree - David Baldicci (or however it is spelled!)
Kathy Reichs and Patricia Cornwall for gruesome!
Joan Grant for "reincarnation" if you believe it in, otherwise good historical stuff about Egypt, and native Americans

I'll try my reply again as the last one seems to have been ignored. Don't forget to try the "Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" trilogy - brilliant. Don't try "50 Shades of Grey" utter tripe. Sadly, I'm ashamed to say, I read all three to see how bad they were and to see if they got any better - they diddn't. Barbara Cartland on Viagra, only worse. I don't know how the public got duped into this.

anna, your my type of reading just loved the trilogy on Genghis Khan ( and the fourth book after his death) by Conn Igguldon, read all the other authors you listed too

Hi Halfful will have to check out the Ghengis Khan trilogy as that's one I don't have. Another good trilogy is Boudica by Manda Scott. All about Boudacia. The book titles are Dreaming the Hound, Dreaming the Eagle and Dreaming the Bull. Not sure which order they are read in.

I have over 900 e-books on my external hard drive of all gendres but a lot are 'our type of reading'. I will load it when I get a few minutes free time and list the other historical fiction authors and post them for you any anyone else to check out.

If I get over I will have some nice e-books you can have, so hope you have plenty of space free on your PC/laptop or external

We have read everything of Jo Nesbo's

Absolutely brilliant with the same main character in each book.

Too many titles to list - just Google him or look on Amazon


Am reading at the moment Ozay Mehmet's Uzun Ali - Shame and Salvation, I am halfway through and finding it riveting, this is a family history of 3 generations, centres in Cyprus but travels to Turkey (Ottoman times) and London. The author is a professor of history at Ankhara University but he has been (painfully) honest about his family. I love history books but with real people involved so that it is also a living history. This was a bit pricey - 30tl but I think it was well worth it.

As I am an avid fan of Kindle though, I am finding it rather strange to be reading a book again.

Off topic I know but does anyone know how many books the memory of a Kindle can hold? I think I have about 150 in there so far - and 7 of those are absolutely massive tomes which I would never have read as a real book.

I'm sure when my wife got hers it was 3000 books it could hold, personally I still read paper although I think the Kindle is a great invention and the wife, who didn't want one, love it

The kindles that we have hold 3000 plus books however I believe the smaller ones (those without the hard keyboard) 'only' hold 1400 books. Still more than enough to go on a round the world trip and not run out of reading material!

Sorry

I have never read historical novels so maybe it is something I will try and will pick something from the above - Thanks

Many people who enjoy reading may not be aware of the Kyrenia Society, an English library situated in the courtyard at the back of the main Post Office in Girne.
Staffed entirely by volunteers and open between 10am and 12 midday on Wednesday and Saturday throughout the year. New members are always welcome and there is a token joining fee renewable annually.
There is a large non fiction section together with many other sections including history, biographies, travel, cookery, craft and many more topics.
Also any donations of unwanted books are always welcome.
For any further information please e.mail me

Few more to add to the mix:

Birds without Wings (set in Turkey during Ataturk's time) - Louis De Bernieres (Also wrote Captain Corelli's Mandolin). Some of his other books are a bit mad though...

Robert Harris - I've enjoyed all his books esp. ones set in Roman times(Pompeii.Imperium). He also wrote Archangel (set in Stalin's time) which was made into a TV series starring Daniel Craig.

Nelson De Mille - very good variety, you may have seen the General's Daughter which was made into a film

Nicci French - psychological thrillers

PJ Tracy - suspense/thrillers

Ken Follett - various, though some of his earlier ones weren't so great - Pillars of the Earth was made into a mini series.
Enjoy!

I got Birds without Wings on my Kindle, a great read, I can't put it down once I start reading, I think I will just see what happens next but that goes on and on.

There is a bar/ restaurant come shop adjacent to the main square in Catalkoy village who has a collection of books that you can borrow or exchange, or sit and read whilst enjoying a drink, all for free (except the cost of the drink/food) excellent views out over the ravine down to the sea.

I posted this on another thread

Blink by Malcolm Gladwell

"The power of thinking without thinking "

Thinking outside the box

If you like historical novels C J Sansom's "Shardlake" books are a must!

JayCeeBee

Halffull & anyone else interested in historical fiction. A list of SOME of the many authors I have - most of these I have yet read so don't know how good they are:-

Ken Follett (have read this author - very good) Middle Ages
Robert Harris - believe covers Rome etc
T S Elliot - Genghis Khan
James Becker - not sure what era
Michael Jecks - middle ages I believe
Richard Herley - ancient historical I believe
Raymond Khoury - not sure what era
Mary Renault - as above
Paul Christopher - definitely 6 x Templar books not sure what else
Ben Kane - Spartacus and Hannibal
Jaydon Wood - Mercia & Saxon I believe
Letitia Coyne - Brittania
Sara Reinke - Sparta
Shekari Richard - Trojan
Mark Oakley - Viking
Catherine M Wilson - Arthurian I believe - has titles When Women were Warriors (books 1 + 2) not susre what else.

And the list could go on as I have many more but not yet read so not sure what era they cover or quality of writing - but the above should help - when I did e-book search to find my lovely library I searched under Historical Fiction

Happy hunting & reading

I recently read 'The Holy Thief' by William Ryan. a crime story in Stalin's Russia 1936.
I really liked it, it gave you insight into the history as well as suspense

Anything by Paul Theroux, Billy Hopkins or Ben Elton.

Really enjoyed David Lloyd's "Start The Car...the world according to Bumble" recently.

Completely different...

"Forgotten Voices of The Great War" Max Arthur

"Life on Air" David Attenborough

Thanks Anna, great list, thanks for the message too,
Was off watching Ice Age 4 with grandson who is visiting for half term

CatalkoyChris, sorry no Audio version yet, will need to sell more books inorder to get this done too.

Carolhm, see Marion for the t-shirt.

Recently read:
50 Shades Trilogy - CRAP
The Hunger Games - brilliant (dvd good too)
The Bride Stripped Bare - good
Married to a Bedouin -ok
Any Jodie Picoult book - easy reading - good

Why not take a look at Colin Falconer. Look him up on google, and you see will that he has written books, translated into 17 languges, and some of them relate to Turkey etc. I am trying to get him overhere to write about the castles. He has already written ine involving crusaders. But take a look on the web. and if you don't know who Colin Falconer is, look HIM up on the web. I keep meaning to do an article about him, and I had hoped he would pop into Cyprus this year, but he cannot.
You might find him well worth reading.

If you enjoy historical novels you cannot beat Phillapa Gregory, all her books are well researched for the facts which are then cleverly entwined
with fiction. Many years ago I worked for Phillapa as a nanny, at this time she had just written her first novel and could not believe it's success.
Since then she has written many more novels, recently about the Tudors.



The butlers wife

Yes, have read several of Phillippa Gregory books, but only the Tudor ones so far - The Other Boleyn Girl was a film made from one of her books.

For Tudor period Hilary Mantel's Wolf Hall and Bring UpThe Bodies (both Booker Prize Winners ) are a great read. Part of a trilogy on the life of Thomas Cromwell. Book 3 is due next year.

Love biographies, can recommend Charles Dickens by Claire Tomalin.

If you're interested in the special people who were part of the Apollo moon-landings in the late 60s/early70s then "Moondust" by Andrew Smith is a must.

Zimbabwe...

"Mukiwa", "When a Crocodile Eats the Sun" and "The Fear-The Last Days of Robert Mugabe" all by Peter Godwin

"The Last Resort" by Douglas Rogers

"Rebel People" and "The Last Days of White Rhodesia" by Denis Hills



"Not Quite World's End - A Traveller's Tale" by John Simpson (BBC)

Thanks Mel7358 - Will check those titles out as they sound just what I like. Thanks also to everyone else for their recommendations & will be looking those up too.

So what with the book thread and the film/series recommendation thread started by ScoobieDoo I thinks no-one will have a boring winter in TRNC

It's not a novel, but poetry - the writings of Mary Oliver which I love. They inspire peace and quiet and a reminder of how lovely the world is, all of it, right down to the itsy-bitsy ants and things. And also, one of my favourite pieces is The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran, lovely philosopy, used some of it when we got married (after 27 years, heh-heh-heh). Blimey, suddenly noticed all the smileys, gone start,raving bonkers!

Patricia Cornwell
Kathy Reichs
50 Shades was rubbish
Dawn French is good
Alan Carr's Look who it is - hysterical
Ian Rankin has some good ones
Barbara Vine

Any really good mystery\crime book or books which give a flavour of life in other countries, for example, Captain Correlli's Mandolin. Also enjoyed all the Harry Potter series, sometimes kids books are really great.

Tan Twang Eng and The Gift of Rain. Great descriptive book. Is anyone still reading in TRNC.

Khaled Hosseini - fantastic novels about Afghanistan life - The Kite Runner, A Thousand Spendid Suns, And the Mountains Echoed.
Birds without Wings, Louis de Bernieres
The Return, The Island and The Thread by Victoria Hislop
The Cellist of Sarejevo - by Steven Galloway - very, very moving.

Just read all the Mo Hayder books, the Peter Robinson series, Lisa Gardiner too. These are all crime/thriller/detective types.

There is a lady at Lambousa market does CDs with kindle books by author, huge selection. I tend to get an author, google the bibliography and read whole series at a time, this lets you see central characters develop.

Other series I have enjoyed:-

John Rebus Ian Rankin

Jack Reacher Lee Child

Harry Bosch Michael Conolly


Wilbur Smith series. Some are Balantine, some Courtney, some Ancient and Modern Egypt (within the same series) and some stand alone. Again make sure you read in sequence for best effect.

I second Jack reacher. They are making a film with Tom Cruise, who of course is nothing like Jack Reacher! As bad as Nicholas Cage as Captain Corelli!

I always enjoy Steve Berry books, full of historical interest as well as good mystery yarns.

I have enjoyed all of Bernard Cornwell's books, especially the "King Alfred" series.

I also love Robert Goddard's mysteries.

kaiserphil wrote:I second Jack reacher. They are making a film with Tom Cruise, who of course is nothing like Jack Reacher! As bad as Nicholas Cage as Captain Corelli!

I always enjoy Steve Berry books, full of historical interest as well as good mystery yarns.

I have enjoyed all of Bernard Cornwell's books, especially the "King Alfred" series.

I also love Robert Goddard's mysteries.

Yep he is about 6 foot short to be Reacher! Film is out, its a bit average but OK