Books for blokes

[facesquirter]

I want to chose a book for my brother's birthday next week, and am feeling uninspired. He's 33, well travelled, well read and has a wide range of literary tastes from Karin Slaughter books through to The Kite Runner, The Color Purple etc....What books have your blokes loved?

Authors:

David Baldacci - Last Man Standing is v. good
Clive Cussler
Michael Crichton
Tom Clancy

jonathan tropper is good imo, and the protagonist of both his books is about 32

Has he already read The Leopard by an Italian called Lampedusa? It is a classic, my husband nicked my copy and couldn't give it back. All set in 19th century Sicily and one of the best books I've read in years.

What sort of bloke? that's the problem.
I suggest you try anything by Lee Child. Although vaugely sequential you can buy whichever one is on the shelf.
Jack Reacher is a marvelous character who finds trouble wherever he goes across America.You will never outguess him, just let him take you over for a day and enjoy.
When your bloke is finished, make sure you grab it for yourself!

[Declaration of interest - I'm a bloke]

I found Mil Millington's new book "How To Live Someone Else's Life" laugh-out loud funny.

(Damn, hit Post too quickly)

Stuart Maconie's "Cider With Roadies" is also well worth a read. Your DB may also like "These Are the Days That Must Happen To You" by Dan Walsh. It's the (true) story of a motorcycle rider who travels north to south across South America among other places - it's like "A Long Way Round" without the smarminess and landrovers, but with extra honesty, bad behaviour and writing style.

Jane Eyre

French Revolutions by Tim Moore. Knickerwettingly funny although a few years old now so he may have read it. Tim Moore's other books not so good IMO.

I liked Buddha Da and so did DH although possibly it is slightly a woman's idea of the sort of book she would like a man she knows to like IYSWIM.

Quicksilver by Neal Stephenson - mammoth historical novel which is packed full of ideas about science and policitcs.

Winter's Bone by Daniel Woodrell - fantastic book set in the Ozarks about a young girl left to care for her family.

Bel Canto - Ann Patchett love and lust amongst hostages in South America

The Siege - Helen Dunmore

The Cap, or the Price of a Life - Roman Frister
A searingly honest account of a Holocaust survivor. Beautifully written and a clear-eyed look at moral contingencies.

Michael Crichton and Tom Clancy are certainly popular choices in my house. I tried reading one once but I just couldn't get into it... Went straight over my head. One book for men that I really love is the Great Gatsby. Fantastic book!

Liz

If your DB is well-read, I wouldn't recommend any of the recent Tom Clancy offerings. His earlier work (war game inspired thrillers) was good, now his ego has gotten out of control and its lazily-written, self-indulgent tripe ... IMHO of course (but an opinion shared by my ex).

Don't know if it appeals, but I bought mny DH who isn't a great reader the boxed set of the original James Bond books. He loved them and has gone through them twice now.

I figure its still worth posting to this thread - my husband recommends:
Carl Hiaasen
Tom Robbins
Louis de Bernieres
Tim Winton
Wilbur Smith

That should help you out when buying for men!

If he's into adventure/travel stuff then Mission Mongolia Two, Men, One Van, No Turning Back by David Treanor will go down well. Two blokes with a love of beer on a charity road trip it's funny, but as well as that it gives you a real insight into the places they pass through and the sometimes shocking events which have happened there.

Another one which comes highly recommended is Operation Mincemeat by Ben Macintyre -- a true spy story in which the British planted false documents on a dead body to to fool the Germans about plans to invade Sicily.

The Foreskin's lament
A year of living biblically
A mouthful of rocks
Police, crime & 999