Can you recommend a book?

[branflake81]

My DP has decided he wants to start reading more - can you recommend any books?

He's done all the classics to death and wants to read contemporary fiction. Generally speaking he doesn't like books about women (I know....) no science fiction/Lord of the rings stuff and it has to be well written.

Any ideas?

I recently read Kite Runner then A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini. They are set in Afghanistan, Kite Runner has more male characters, A Thousand Splendid Suns is written more from a female perspective, but still not "fluffy".
Both excellent and well-written, very moving.

If he's read the classics he'll probably respond well to some of the modern classics and modern American classics.

Why not try some Norman Mailer or Philip Roth?

For UK writers how about Graham Greene (i.e The Razor's Edge)

And Kazo Ishiguro's novels are often very artfully put together.

David Mitchell? I've only read one of his so far (Black Swan Green) which was excellent; I understand his other books are more experimental in style and lots of people have recommended them to me.

Haruki Murakami writes fascinating novels that are quite hard to describe. I'd recommend The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle and Hard-Boiled Wonderland... to start with, they're my two favourites of his.

Brett Easton Ellis: haven't read American Psycho yet (can't face the grimness!) but Glamorama had me totally gripped throughout, despite being completely psychotic and often senseless. DP has raved about Lunar Park as well.

David Mitchell did one that was SF-ey.

Talk to me about what classics he really likes? And what themes he likes (rather than doesn't like)?

Oh I was going to suggest chick lit, How to kill your husband. I thought it was rather good.

Ian McEwan though he does sometimes write about women
Amsterdam
Saturday
def Atonement

Julian Barnes
Arthur and George
England, England
etc

William Boyd e.g. Brazzaville Beach

David Lodge e.g. Small World

I hate chicklit. My favourite books are:

John Irving - Prayer for Owen Meany, Cider House Rules, World According to Garp, Widow for One Year are all good reads.

Tom Wolfe - Bonfire of the Vanities

Ian Banks - they are all pretty good, avoid Iain M Banks though, they're his scifi ones.

Some really good ones on here that both my dh and I have enjoyed.

would also recommend sebastian faulks, I'm reading his latest, Engleby, and it is fantastic -- a really strong character, and I can just tell dh will like it too.

kerrymum,
rarely does this happen, but i completely and totally disagree: saturday is one of my favourite books!

Would he like crime/thriller type books - if so, anything by Michael Connelly or Lee Child I'd recommend. I can't put the damn things down.

I totally second The Kite Runner, A Thousand Splendid Suns, and Ian Mackewan- Saturday and Atonement are wonderful.
My DH really loves Wiliam Boyd, so do I- he's wonderful.
Kasugo Ishiguro- When We were Orphans, the Remains of the day.
Edward St Aubyn, Mother's Milk is great
Oh Kerry- I couldn't bear Cloud Atlas, I found it really hard going!
Anmd I loved Saturday...

Oh yes, my DH loves John Irving.
Ken Follet is meant to be good to, but i never trtied it.

OOh, Sebastian Faulks- On Green Dolphin Street- was that his? One of my favourite books.

If he's got a strong stomach and can handle filthy, offensive humour, he'll enjoy this:
Hound Dog by Richard Blandford.
It's kind of A Clockwork Orange morality tale with Elvis impersonators, British gangsters and it's quite possibly the most shocking book you'll ever read .

Robertson Davies
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Anything by Douglas Kennedy, start with The Big Picture
Stephen Fry's Revenge aka The Stars' Tennis Balls

The Kite Runner is a really excellent book. Hanif Kureshi writes great books from a very male perspective.
Rough Music - Patrick Gale.
When I lived in Modern Tmes - Linda Grant.

I could bore you for ages...

If he likes crime fiction give Quentin Jardine a go. Start with 'Skinner's Rules' - the first in a series of twenty (or so) books, so if he enjoys it there are plenty more to keep him going!