Calis Beach and Fethiye Turkey Discussion Forum

General Topics => Books => Topic started by: Old Daffodil on January 29, 2011, 15:32:49 PM

Title: What have you read that you would recommend?
Post by: Old Daffodil on January 29, 2011, 15:32:49 PM: With the cold of winter I have been reading snuggled up in the warm with a drink. Bet I am not alone in this pastime!
I read the autobiography by Clarissa Dickson Wright whose father was the physician to the royal family, that was interesting and scandalous,it surprised me. Also 1000 Years of Annoying the French, by Stephen Clarke.
Has anyone any suggestions for a good read?
Title: What have you read that you would recommend?
Post by: Ian on January 29, 2011, 16:24:00 PM: Daffodil - I did Birds Without Wings by Louis de Bernières when we were over for 6-months last year.

A really "big" book (650 pages) but superbly written and the story brings a lot of things to life in our area - Telemessos - at the time of Ataturk / Gallipoli / the Exchange of 1923 etc.

One example about the huge number of dogs that populated the large cities - so they took to poisoning them to get the numbers down - you can see how that became an acceptable tactic in those days and sadly lived on.

Stay warm :)
Title: What have you read that you would recommend?
Post by: marina on January 29, 2011, 17:08:13 PM: Couldn't agree more Ian. I thoroughly enjoyed Birds Without Wings, probably more enjoyable to anyone who knows, and is interested in, the area and it's history.

Will have to have a think about more favourites.
Title: What have you read that you would recommend?
Post by: Old Daffodil on January 29, 2011, 17:10:49 PM: Ian, I read "Birds Without Wings" too. I lent it to my son and he returned it to me when I visited him. I was re-reading it on the train home where I had to stand near the door. When it came time for me to jump off I dropped the book and off went the train,my book still on board,never have re-read it!:D
Louis de Bernieres also wrote a book called "A day out for Mehmet Erbil" which is set on the Gallipoli Peninsula.
Title: What have you read that you would recommend?
Post by: heatherhanum on January 29, 2011, 18:34:51 PM: The Kite Runner.By Khaled Hosseini. Fantastic writer.
A Thousand Splendid Suns.By Khaled Hosseini
Angelas Ashes.
Secret in The Family.
These are books I couldn't put down till I finished them as they are brilliant.
Happy reading x
Title: What have you read that you would recommend?
Post by: Jacqui Harvey on January 29, 2011, 20:40:10 PM: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo will get you hooked then you have to get the next two books in the trilogy. Also out on DVD. We have now seen the first two and waiting for the third in April. Books are a great read and quite large, so will keep you going for a while. We will be over this year and probably put them to one of the Calis Charities.
Title: What have you read that you would recommend?
Post by: Ian on January 29, 2011, 20:56:21 PM: A member of my team that I manage bought me some books for my break last year and we had so many visitors that I never got around to reading one of them BUT I am really really looking forward to it:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Age-Sinan-G%C3%BClru-Necipoglu/dp/1861892535

Ian :D
Title: What have you read that you would recommend?
Post by: janmack on January 30, 2011, 06:55:10 AM: Birdsong by Sebastian Faulkes
A Scots Quair by Lewis Grassic Gibbon
Skallagrig by William Horwood
Anything by Minette Walters, William Trevor and John Grisham.
The list is endless to be honest :)
Title: What have you read that you would recommend?
Post by: tinkerman on January 30, 2011, 08:22:31 AM: The Kite Runner,Thousand Splendid Suns are great books, I would also add A Fez of the Heart by Jeremy Seal for something a little more light hearted.
Title: What have you read that you would recommend?
Post by: pookie on January 30, 2011, 12:09:01 PM: Also recommend all those listed by Tinx - especially the Jeremy Seal, which I loved. I read the Millenium triology (Girl with the Dragon tattoo), and whilst it was very good, I found it a bit grim in places. How about 'My name is Red' by Orhan Pamuk.....and I'm currently reading The museum of Innocence also by Pamuk, but can't quite get into it yet, probably need a bit of sunshine over my shoulder to help me concentrate !!
Title: What have you read that you would recommend?
Post by: Old Daffodil on January 30, 2011, 18:29:10 PM: I have read "My Name is Red" and "Snow" by Orhan Pamuk and I am afraid I found them a bit depressing.
I did enjoy a book by Baron Patrick Kinross about Ataturk though.
Off to Waterstone's and the library this week I think!
Title: What have you read that you would recommend?
Post by: thebillet on January 31, 2011, 17:30:39 PM: Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee, Dee Brown. Amazing account of the treatment of native Americans.
Title: What have you read that you would recommend?
Post by: javacoffee on February 01, 2011, 11:33:36 AM: The Alchemist by Michael Scott, easy reading and a lovely distraction from real life. Although after reading all in the series I found that I was a little disturbed when i saw the TV reports of dead birds falling from the sky!!! If you've read the book then you will know what I mean.

Also the Shantarem. What a cracker, an Australian bank robber escapes to India and ends up running a clinic for the poor whilst working for a crime gang, ends up in Afghanistan, falls in love and it's based on a true story. It's a huge read and very good.

The Book Thief. This book is narrated by the grim reaper and based on a German girl during the second world war. It gets a bit dry half way but the end is worth the wait. I usually read a book in about three to four days but this one took me ages, it's not very big but for some reason I took a whole month to finish it!

Anything by Lee Child. Lot's of gratuitous violence and the books all follow the same pattern. Good, but tough, guy gets into a scrape against bad guys. It's not a read I would normally go for but I tried him after finding out that he sells a book every 60 seconds! My wife likes them as well so give the first in the series a go, although you can drop into any of them no problem.

Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett. Historical fiction based on a priory in early England, this sounds dry but it's a cracking read and has everything.

Fall of Giants, again by ken Follett. More of the same but based on the first World War. Like the Pillars of the Earth the book is entwined around the fate of several families. I love history but never understood the cause of the first world war until I read this book!
Title: What have you read that you would recommend?
Post by: Colwyn on February 01, 2011, 11:51:28 AM: I'm reading my fourth novel by Barbara Nadel - a series of detective police stories set in modern day Istanbul. Well written with interesting insights about Turkey a British woman who has been visiting for 20+ years. (Be aware that she also writes novels about 1940s London).

P.S. The recommnedations above reminder me to reserve "The Girl with ..." at my local library - thanks.
Title: What have you read that you would recommend?
Post by: Jacqui Harvey on February 01, 2011, 13:17:44 PM: I completely forgot I have read some of the Kathy Reich's books great stories. She was the inspiration for the "Bones" series on T.V. although the T.V. series is not a patch on her books, in fact, nothing like them.
Title: What have you read that you would recommend?
Post by: Old Daffodil on February 01, 2011, 17:20:44 PM: Just picked up The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns from the library!Thanks Heatherhanum! :)

I read The Bookseller of Kabul, by a Norwegian journalist who lived with the family for a year in Kabul and gave a lot of insight into the way families live in Afghanistan.
Title: What have you read that you would recommend?
Post by: quackers on February 02, 2011, 05:51:53 AM: Anything by James Patterson, Karin Slaughter ,Patricia Cornwell and my favourite books, Wild Swans by Jung Chang and Angela's Ashes.
Title: What have you read that you would recommend?
Post by: Carpete on February 23, 2011, 21:26:37 PM: The book above, Portrait of a Turkish Family, which I have obviously put in the wrong section. Sorry.
Title: What have you read that you would recommend?
Post by: stoop on February 23, 2011, 23:15:09 PM: Any Peter James but especially the' Dead' series.
Title: What have you read that you would recommend?
Post by: GordonA on February 24, 2011, 18:04:34 PM: Menu at the Melodi Bar in Fethiye. :P ;)
Title: What have you read that you would recommend?
Post by: Old Daffodil on April 09, 2011, 19:09:20 PM: Reading an interesting book,"The Island" by Victoria Hislop. It is a story around a small unusual island called Spinalonga off the coast of Greece.The island was once part of the Ottoman Empire and also has a Venetion history.
Title: What have you read that you would recommend?
Post by: julesbob0303 on April 09, 2011, 20:55:08 PM: Daffodil, The Island is one of my favourite books ever!!! It's a very good read - I couldn't put it down!!

My sister in law read the book, then went to visit Spinalonga. Apparently, it's just like it's described in the book.

Hope you enjoy it. I fancy reading it again now you've got me thinking about it! :)
Title: What have you read that you would recommend?
Post by: Rindaloo on April 09, 2011, 20:55:55 PM: "The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox" It wont take you long to read, I couldnt put it down..... http://www.maggieofarrell.com/readingguides.html
Title: What have you read that you would recommend?
Post by: heather07 on April 09, 2011, 22:45:50 PM: The Return is Victoria Hislop's second book and is also excellent.
Title: What have you read that you would recommend?
Post by: Steve B on April 11, 2011, 16:46:41 PM: I enjoyed Life of Pi. A nice holiday read. Or anything by Mike Gayle.
Title: What have you read that you would recommend?
Post by: scouser2 on April 11, 2011, 19:09:32 PM: Anything by Stephen Leather. All his books are excellent reads.
Title: What have you read that you would recommend?
Post by: Gorgeous_bird on April 16, 2011, 19:10:32 PM: True Believer by Nicholas Sparks - Author of the Notebook. Spent my whole holiday unable to get into any book I picked up- on the last day I went to my cupboard and picked up a book for the journey home, didn't start it but picked it up last night and finished it today. Lovely read. On the other hand I so wanted to enjoy a thousand splendid suns but just couldn't get into it.
Title: What have you read that you would recommend?
Post by: Julesp on April 16, 2011, 22:45:59 PM: I am trying to read a Bird without Wings at the moment, seems interesting and I want to read it before meeting the author Louis de Beniere in 2 weeks time,:D
But everytime I pick it up I fall asleep after one page!
Will take it to Starfishes beach tomorrow and try to seriously get into it.

My all time favourite books I must admit are my childhood ones Tom Sawyer, Heidi, Black Beauty, Alices adventures in Wonderland, Winnie the Pooh:D and mostly Watership Down
Classics!
Title: What have you read that you would recommend?
Post by: Karennina on April 23, 2011, 09:59:54 AM: I have just read "No Turning Back My Journey" by Joanne Lees it is the story of when Joanne and her boyfriend Peter Falconio were attacked in the Australian outback. Peter was murdered and Joanne escaped, a very moving and sad story and also how the Australian police really were not very helpful in the beginning of the investigation and even how they thought Joanne herself was a suspect. I read it in two days could not put it down.
Title: What have you read that you would recommend?
Post by: Old Daffodil on April 27, 2011, 16:34:43 PM: Brixton Beach by Roma Tearne
Time Travellers Wife by Audrey Niffeneggar
The Guernsey Literary Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Schaffer (about Guernsey and the Germans.)
Girl With a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier
Title: What have you read that you would recommend?
Post by: patrice on April 27, 2011, 17:23:41 PM: My Sisters keeper by Jodi Picoult (better than the film)

Change of Heart by Jodi Picoult

Empty Cradles by Margaret Humphreys
True story about 150,000 children shipped off to a 'new life'by the British Government to commonwealth countries losing their identity and often abused.
Title: What have you read that you would recommend?
Post by: Old Daffodil on April 27, 2011, 20:03:46 PM: Has anyone seen the film they have made of that book?