"Can't Put It Down" Books

[rollhead]

I know we have a "What Are you Reading" thread, but I am interested in hearing what books people have found hard to put down. or just plain "fun" reads.

Frankly, most every book that I have read in recent years has been very easy to put down.

One of the best books I've read in recent months was Nixonland by Rick Perlstein -- but I can't really say that it was a "can't put it down" kind of book.

Anyone found any real page turners lately?

[PHILLYQ]

i just read "Lowdown" by AJ Albany, Joe Albany's daughter. Very well written, at turns funny, poignant and a testament to a father's love for his daughter.

[GoodSpeak]

Into the Wild/Into Thin Air by John Krakauer

Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

Lord of the Flies by William Golding

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Miles by Quincy Troupe

You Gotta Dance with Them What Brung You by Molly Ivins

Instant Replay by Jerry Kramer


Memory fades...I am certain there are more.

[Jason Bivins]

A couple years ago, Jesse turned me onto Lee Child's Jack Reacher series, for which I'm profoundly grateful.

[rollhead]

I read "Into the Wild" in the magazine version and was gripped by it... I guess since I knew the story already, it was hard for me to get engaged by the book-length version

I did love "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer. I don't think I will ever forget the "socialite" who had the sherpas carry her cappuccino machine up Mt. Everest (She later claimed it was just a little coffee pot).

thanks for the tip about Lee Child.

[lonely-at-the-top]

Carlos Ruiz Zafon "The shadow of the wind"

and Janis Joplin's bio "Buried Alive"

my habit of reading two different kind of books same time, this time a tough choice

[Jazzooo]

I just read a Jack Reacher book--it was pretty good. I'm in the middle of Middlesex--it's compelling but not gripping.

The best page turners for me have been book 1, 3 and 4 of the Aztec series, originally by Gary Jennings and finished after his death by other authors. 2 was good but not great. Historical novels can really rock.

[RBS]

What a great idea for a thread!

"Watchmen" -- it's a graphic novel that's much better than the movie.
"The Firm"
"Red Dragon" (the prequel to "Silence of the Lambs")

[Brian Olewnick]

I'm taking this to mean books that read quickly and well, yet offer something of value.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon
Cryptonomicon -Neal Stephenson

[stonemonkts]

I haven't read one of those can't put it down books for a while, but when I flew I found I couldn't put these books down:

Stephen King It - yeah I know this is low brow but when I traveled with my psychotic claustrophobia surrounded by other assholes reading their complementary USA Todays I usually opted for light reading. This is the only King I've read but I was completely enthralled and admired his ability to capture the essence of being a kid. The man knows how to write about young people. I read this book in the early 1990's.

James Ellroy - The Black Dahlia; L.A. Confidential; American Tabloid. All of those were consumed within days. Great airplane reading.

[rollhead]

James Ellroy is someone I want to read.

I was disappointed in a George Pelecanos that I finished the other day. Pelecanos sets up a case about a serial killer in the initial pages and never solves the crime. (but lets you know who done it in an epilogue).


But I am more hopeful about the "page turning" potential of a Richard Price (both Pelecanos and Price wrote for The Wire) novel, "Lush Life" that I recently started.

[rollhead]

Originally Posted by Jazzooo

I just read a Jack Reacher book--it was pretty good. I'm in the middle of Middlesex--it's compelling but not gripping.

The best page turners for me have been book 1, 3 and 4 of the Aztec series, originally by Gary Jennings and finished after his death by other authors. 2 was good but not great. Historical novels can really rock.

Speaking of historical novels, I have several friends who are crazy about the The Aubrey/Maturin Series by Patrick O'Brian, and have burned through all 20 1/2 books in astonishing time.

I read Master and Commander, but I had to force my way through it.

[stonemonkts]

Originally Posted by rollhead

James Ellroy is someone I want to read.

Many of Ellroy's books have recurring characters connected by chronological events, so I would recommend you start with his so-called "L.A. Quartet":

(1987) The Black Dahlia
(1988) The Big Nowhere
(1990) L.A. Confidential
(1992) White Jazz

All of those are set in 1940's Los Angeles.

American Tabloid is a stand alone book and quite a fun tour de force.

[Jon Abbey]

Freedomland and Clockers are both much much better than Lush Life as far as Richard Price books go.

[rollhead]

Thanks for reminding me. I remember now that you recommended Freedomland over Lush Life.

[patricia]

Originally Posted by stonemonkts

Many of Ellroy's books have recurring characters connected by chronological events, so I would recommend you start with his so-called "L.A. Quartet":

(1987) The Black Dahlia
(1988) The Big Nowhere
(1990) L.A. Confidential
(1992) White Jazz

All of those are set in 1940's Los Angeles.

American Tabloid is a stand alone book and quite a fun tour de force.

The book that gave me some insight on James Ellroy and his fixation with the L.A. murders in the forties and fifties was My Dark Places, his autobiography.
Ellroy's mother was murdered when he was a young man and her murderer was never apprehended. His early life was really screwed up and he had several instances of illegal behaviour regarding peeping and other weird things.
His books read the way he talks and are facinating for their very accurate detail of the era in which they are set. The dialogue always reminds me of gangster films from the forties.

The interview with Ellroy in 1996 with Salon was typical of his totally relaxed and uninhibited public persona. Worth checking out on Google.

[clinthopson]

I second lonely-at-the-top's recommendation of Zafon's Shadow of the Wind. It's one of the best books I've read in the last 10 years.


I never could put down any of Ross Mac Donald's books.

[cookie]

"The Graveyard Book" by Neil Gaiman. Technically a "childrens' book", it is one of my favorites. I read the 1st chapter online and I was absolutely hooked. Ran out and bought it. Couldn't put it down. Beautiful language; awesome tale.

It's essentially Gaiman's homage to "The Jungle Book." In "The Graveyard Book," young Bod's family is murdered and he is raised in a graveyard by the ghosts and other inhabitants. Fascinating, fun read that left me wanting a sequel.

[Chris D]

Originally Posted by cookie

"The Graveyard Book" by Neil Gaiman. Technically a "childrens' book", it is one of my favorites. I read the 1st chapter online and I was absolutely hooked. Ran out and bought it. Couldn't put it down. Beautiful language; awesome tale.

It's essentially Gaiman's homage to "The Jungle Book." In "The Graveyard Book," young Bod's family is murdered and he is raised in a graveyard by the ghosts and other inhabitants. Fascinating, fun read that left me wanting a sequel.

Would you think this appropriate for a 9-year-old, cookie?

[kenny weir]

Originally Posted by stonemonkts

Stephen King It - yeah I know this is low brow but when I traveled with my psychotic claustrophobia surrounded by other assholes reading their complementary USA Todays I usually opted for light reading. This is the only King I've read but I was completely enthralled and admired his ability to capture the essence of being a kid. The man knows how to write about young people. I read this book in the early 1990's.

Oh yes!

This, a relatively unsung opus in the King canon, is IMHO without doubt his masterwork.

It combines his horror schtick and high fanatsy thingie perfectly. I, too, was enthralled.

As far as King goes, my other faves - while I was still reading him - were Misery and Pet Semetary.

I have been on a fantasy kick for the past several years, and unfortunately far too little of what I've read has been of the "can't put down" variety. Which is probably what finds me buying reissues and 2nd-hand copies of pulp authors who combine sf/fanatsy, such as Leigh Brackett and CL Moore and even ER Burroughs. As with music these days, in the House of Kenny & Bennie, old is good.

I have two books I read at least once a year - once I start I can't finish.

Nick Tosches - Country: I was hip to the likes of Jimmie Davis, Cliff Bruner and Moon Mullican well before I read this, but this book helped make them stay so.

Dennis McNally - Long, Strange Trip: Depends on howya feel about the Grateful Dead, of course.

John Morthland's The Best Of Country Music was first published in 1984, and so pre-dates CDs and the flood of reissues from the likes of Bear Family and Ace. Yet it is by far, for me, the best country book and record guide ever written. Pithy, humourous and endlessly enlightening and addictive.

For fiction, I suggest Mervyn Peake's first two Gormenghast books. What a world to tumble into!

Another music book: Lost Chords by Richard M Sudhalter is not without its flaws. Yet for me it was a joyous epiphany that joined the dots of many of my long-term music interests. Check it out if the likes Adrian Rollini, Bix and Tram, Jack Purvis, Eddie Condon and so on have only ever been merely names for you.

[Monte Smith]

Originally Posted by cookie

"The Graveyard Book" by Neil Gaiman. Technically a "childrens' book", it is one of my favorites. I read the 1st chapter online and I was absolutely hooked. Ran out and bought it. Couldn't put it down. Beautiful language; awesome tale.

It's essentially Gaiman's homage to "The Jungle Book." In "The Graveyard Book," young Bod's family is murdered and he is raised in a graveyard by the ghosts and other inhabitants. Fascinating, fun read that left me wanting a sequel.

I read that this winter and then passed it on to my 12-year-old nephew, with the advice that if he sent me a book report he could earn some money.

[kenny weir]

Originally Posted by clinthopson

I never could put down any of Ross Mac Donald's books.

Another largely unsung giant!

Given the success of the likes of Ellroy, I'm surprised MacDonald and Lew Archer haven't been recycled.

[cookie]

Originally Posted by Chris D

Would you think this appropriate for a 9-year-old, cookie?

Particulars might be a bit over the head of your average 3rd grader. According to the Scholastic website, the reading level is equivalent to grade 5.4. I think I could have read it at 9, but it might have sent me to the dictionary to learn a couple of new words---beautiful, evocative words. The murder aspect of the story might be distressing to some kids. The violence is presented in a fairly mild way (no description of mangled bodies), but this is a pretty scary book in places (often followed by comic relief or victory).

Guess it depends on the 9 year old. Might please the more precocious; might sail over the heads of others.

Did your nephew read it, Monte?

[Monte Smith]

Originally Posted by kenny weir

Another largely unsung giant!

Given the success of the likes of Ellroy, I'm surprised MacDonald and Lew Archer haven't been recycled.

The Lew Archer novels have been reissued by Vintage (Random House) twice since the late 90s. I get the impression they don't sell terrifically well (since they are not all always in print, but some of them are always in print in new editions--so they have been recycled. It's not for lack of trying. I agree, Ross McD is great.

Did your nephew read it, Monte?

He has yet to send me the book report, cookie. He's a lazy sod when it comes to reading.

I don't know any 9-year-olds, but I might hesitate to let a younger child read this Gaiman. It is dark and death-obsessed, although redeeming enough.

[sonic1]

The fucking Harry Potter books. I have read the entire series 3 times (or almost; just now finishing the seventh book again).

[Captain Hate]

Any time I read a Paul Auster book, particularly the early ones that I think are his best, I always feel like I'm reading them faster than I should. The first time I found a collection of Raymond Carver stories (a small press edition called "Furious Seasons" that the Cleveland library somehow acquired back before he became famous) I read it from cover to cover with only interruptions for meals and maybe sleeping. Robertson Davies books have a "difficult to put down" quality to them but not quite as pronounced as the prior two authors, for me at least.

[Root Doctor]

Originally Posted by kenny weir

Nick Tosches - Country: I was hip to the likes of Jimmie Davis, Cliff Bruner and Moon Mullican well before I read this, but this book helped make them stay so.

One of my very favorite books on American music. Outstanding.

Originally Posted by kenny weir

John Morthland's The Best Of Country Music was first published in 1984, and so pre-dates CDs and the flood of reissues from the likes of Bear Family and Ace. Yet it is by far, for me, the best country book and record guide ever written. Pithy, humourous and endlessly enlightening and addictive.

My copy is beat to hell from constant use. Indispensable for choosing the best of the zillions of cheapo Starday reissues on Gusto.

I found Dan Baum's recent New Orleans book, Nine Lives, to be nearly impossible to put down. In addition to tracking a varied group of interesting people from the 1960s to the aftermath of Katrina, Baum's cinematic approach makes their experiences even more urgent and compelling.

[baksheesh]

Point Counter Point - Aldous Huxley. After reading Brave New World i went on a Huxley binge. the man was an amazing writer and stylist, like a fine wine (tho' that sounds way pretentious i know). PCP is my favourite of all - the characters are amazing, the dialogue is intriguing and many of the scenes stay in your mind long afterwards.

I'd second the Stephen King rollhead - i used to be a huge fan but went off him around the early 90s. It, The Tommyknockers and The Stand (uncut version) are my contenders for top three and extremely readable they are too.

Steven Erikson's stuff is very readable too, which is a good thing as they're all doorstoppers (as seems to be mandatory in the Fantasy market these days).

Oh, and much respect to Ian M. Banks - most of his stuff is unputdownable (if you're into it in the first place that is). Consider Phlebas, The Player of Games and The Algebraist are tops in my book.

[hornplayer]

the one I just finished, "Wine and War" by Don and Petie Kladstrup. The way the statistics were woven into the tales of several people who really lived through the debacle that was WWII in France was absolutely spellbinding.

[Douglas]

The Sciascia books recently.

About a decade ago: Tales of the city and then one of the following novels each night till the series was finished.

Even earlier : Evelyn Waugh and Christopher Isherwood collections without stopping to look elsewhere. Some of the early Tibor Fischer output.

Moving genre: Merridale's Night of Stone was an enthralling piece of history.