book suggestions please, 14 year old boy..

[timetosmile]

At almost 15, my once-avid reader DS is 'coming back' to books after an enjoyable few years in online fantasy gaming and book-avoidance.

He's a good reader (sticks his nose in and doesn't appear for days if it's interesting to him) and has 'done' Hunger Games, Maze Runner, endless teenage angst-ridden dystopian future novels and a lot of fiction aimed at teens. I think he's a bit very fed up of the whole dystopian fantasy stuff.

I think what he'd quite like now are adult fiction books which are good page turners rather than high literature. Stephen King would freak him out (seriously, he gets wibbly watching Coraline) and I don't want too much sex.

Crime, espionage, good exotic locations, conspiracy theories,a well drawn 'baddie' etc.

So, any suggestions? What's Wilbur Smith like? Dan Brown has a bit too much romping in, from what I remember, but that kind of thing would appeal I think.

What are your older boys reading and enjoying?

Wilbur Smith is pretty good.

The Rivers of London series by Ben Aaronovitch might appeal, its a mix of young policeman fighting crime with tongue firmly in cheek and a bit of magic thrown in.

Mark Billinghams Tom Thorne books are good page turners.

Michael Connellys Harry Bosch series is good and he might like to pick up the Netflix series.

Simon Scarrows Eagle series are mystery/conspiracy stuff in the Roman Empire

Ellis Peters Cadfael series

Terry Pratchetts Discworld

Larry Nivens Known Space books - The Long Arm of Gil Hamilton might well fit the bill, a detective who has telekenesis but is limited by his imagination so he can only use it by thinking of it as an actual arm.

You could try him on P.G. Wodehouse Jeeves or Blandings.

I second the Simon Scarrow "Eagle" series. He writes for both adults and children so make sure you get the adult versions.

My DD also almost 15 is also enjoying Tom Clancey.

Read all of Game of Thrones last year. Seemed oblivious to the sex.

How about some biography type stuff? e.g Bear Grylls, The long way down or that type of thing? I can remember even as a teenage girl enjoying a book about a guy who travelled round the world on a motorbike and also one about someone who cycled to China.

Or James Bond maybe?

Adrian Mole?

Andy McNab?

Manga type Japanese cartoon books?

My DS has read a lot of the type of books your son has - he must have something that might appeal - I'll have a look in his room bookshelves when he isn't sleeping :)

I know it is still fantasy stuff but I do remember DS1 (14) flying through all "The hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy" books.

DS2 (13) is a bit of a non fiction fan and likes Richard Feynman. The Pleasure of Finding Things Out is probably the easiest accessible book.

Adult book for teenagers:

Q&A by Vikas Swarup - a bit long maybe, the book that Slumdog Millionaire was based on

The Great Gatsby by Scott Fitzgerald

Books by Graham Greene - Brighton Rock?

Empire of the Sun by JG Ballard

Life of Pi by Yann Martel

Young Adult books for 15 year olds:

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky (check this book - some adults don't like the areas it covers - sex and drugs in part - but I really liked it. It was different)

Bog Child by Siobhan Dowd (about the Hunger Strikes and the IRA - so good)

Black Rabbit Summer by Kevin Brooks (crime)

Running Girl by Simon Mason (crime)

Robert Muchamore - the CHERUB series & Henderson's Boys series - they're spy type ones, CHERUB set in the present day and HB in WWII. My 13yo DBros got them for their birthday, and they and I then fought over the HB ones because I picked one up, and then couldn't put it down!

Thanks everyone! He is stuck into a Malorie Blackman at the moment and I have a couple more from your great lists lined up....keep them coming...

Just curious as to how you engineered his 'coming back' to reading from the gaming envoirenment! Any tips gratefully received!

I loved Catcher in the Rye, 1984, Animal Farm, Lord of the Flies at that age.

hormonal he's still gaming but he seems to have found a better balance in his life over the past couple of months, it's no longer the all-encompassing pastime it used to be. I used to let him play online quite a lot, and I think that helped him naturally stop when he got fed up, rather than feeling resentful of a curfew about it.

Timetosmile that's so good to hear. Unfortunately mine never gets bored of it, always a new game or console out. You're very lucky!

I was thinking of some old fashioned novels like Raymond Chandler which have a unique 'voice'. Or Hemmingway for example. Then I came across this list. Some of the themes might not be appealing but a lot of these books are classics because they are cracking good stories written in good prose.
www.theguardian.com/books/series/the-100-best-novels

P. G. Wodehouse? Jeeves is an abosolute gem. Very funny books.

Noughts and Crosses by Malorie Blackman. My 15 YO DS is very much a non-reader, but read this at school and has now amazed me by asking for the second book in the series to read on holiday. He NEVER reads voluntarily.

interesting to read recommending malorie Blackman, my 9 yo is obsessed by these books, I have wondered if they're age appropriate, but he's taking them out at school so I thought his teachers would be watching!

but I have an avid 9 year old. 15 yo can read, just chooses not to. a good rock star biography or a Sherlock keeps him interested.

The Gone series. Amazingly weird and creepy.
David Bladaci's the Follower
The forest of hands and teeth

I wouldn't say they were age appropriate for a 9 year old but I also think a lot of it would go over his head - just because you can read all the words, doesn't mean to say that you can read the book. :) At that age I used to read books myself before letting them read them if they looked like they were above the appropriate age - it is tough when you have advanced readers.

As for the teachers, I wouldn't bank on it. DS came home at age 7 with a Harry Potter parody book where he was having orgies with groupies in the woods.....

Nick Hornby, maybe?

Good point, I loved the film dirty dancing at 13, pretty woman too. Had no idea what they were really about.

Love Nick Hornby

Adrian Mole. I so remember being 11 and sneaking that from my parents bookshelf - my non reading 15 year old loves those books

Anthony Horowitz? The Alex rider series. Teenager taken up by MI5
I still enjoy them now. And still steal them off my 21 yr old brother

My 14 year old currently likes Patrick Ness, Joe Abercrombie and Neil Gaimon. He also likes John O'Farrell, and autobiographies of his favourite comedians. He is currently giggling and reading bits about from a collection of Charlie Broooker's journalism.

Bill Bryson? And another vote for Dick Francis.