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?

[MaryBS]

Authors:

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

[MaggieMirabelle]

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

[TillyBookClub]

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.

[Pagasvlei]

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!

[Snorbs]

[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.

[Snorbs]

(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.

[Abortion]

Jane Eyre

[choosyfloosy]

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.

[Jaybird37]

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.

[LizHF]

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

[MidnightsChild]

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).

[frostyfingers]

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.

[ExpatGossipGirl]

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!

[TJA]

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.

[TJA]

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.

[Listlessbean]

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