THE GOONERSID BOOK THREAD

It's all a load of Cannonballs in here! This is the virtual Arsenal pub where you can chat about anything except football. Be warned though, like any pub, the content may not always be suitable for everyone.
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DB10GOONER
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Post by DB10GOONER »

I like this thread alot. Made it a sticky and renamed it. Please list any great books you've read and add a brief synopsis or description.

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brazilianGOONER
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Post by brazilianGOONER »

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, by Robert Pirsig.

A guy takes his son to a motorcicle trip through america, and spends most of the time discussing philosophies with a few tips on how to keep his harley running on the trip. very enjoyable.


Atlas Shrugged, by Ayn Rand.

from wikipedia: "Atlas Shrugged is a novel by Ayn Rand, first published in 1957 in the United States. As indicated by its working title The Strike, the book explores a dystopian United States where leading innovators, ranging from industrialists to artists, refuse to be exploited by society. The protagonist, Dagny Taggart, sees society collapse around her as the government increasingly asserts control over all industry, while society's most productive citizens, led by the mysterious John Galt, progressively disappear. Galt describes the strike as "stopping the motor of the world" by withdrawing the "minds" that drive society's growth and productivity; with their strike these creative minds hope to demonstrate that the economy and society would collapse without the profit motive and the efforts of the rational and productive."

that's my favourite one 8)

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REB
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Post by REB »

the godfather was the best book i ever read,,



now reading a political history of the middle east by john pilger :?


FOOTBALL BOOKS NON ARSENAL

broken dreams by tom bower is an excellent read

ARSENAL BOOKS NON BIO

jon spurling has 2 i would really recommend and they are highbury the story of arsenal in N5 and rebels for the cause

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franksav63
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Post by franksav63 »

I don't get to read alot these days (don't get the time), but used to read Ed McBain 87th precinct books a few years ago, the best (and quite funny) was this one:-

Hail, Hail, the Gangs All Here.

I also really enjoyed reading the cult 'Catch 22'' by Joseph Heller, (probably virtually everyone must have read this book) if you haven't get it and read it, it's pretty funny, the film was totally different from the book (pretty shit actually imo)

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SWLGooner
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Post by SWLGooner »

g88ner wrote:A Season with Verona, by Tim Parks.

A chap who lives in Verona and spends a dramatic season following Hellas Verona home and away games through a Serie A season.

It's a great insight into Italian fans, and their mentality, as well as part travel book as he visits Rome, Milan, Turin, Sicilly, Florence, Bari, etc. all in the name of watching football.

Loved it, and if you don't know the outcome of the season, then it turns into something of a page turner! 8)
GREAT book.

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SWLGooner
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Post by SWLGooner »

brazilianGOONER wrote:
Atlas Shrugged, by Ayn Rand.

from wikipedia: "Atlas Shrugged is a novel by Ayn Rand, first published in 1957 in the United States. As indicated by its working title The Strike, the book explores a dystopian United States where leading innovators, ranging from industrialists to artists, refuse to be exploited by society. The protagonist, Dagny Taggart, sees society collapse around her as the government increasingly asserts control over all industry, while society's most productive citizens, led by the mysterious John Galt, progressively disappear. Galt describes the strike as "stopping the motor of the world" by withdrawing the "minds" that drive society's growth and productivity; with their strike these creative minds hope to demonstrate that the economy and society would collapse without the profit motive and the efforts of the rational and productive."

that's my favourite one 8)
Good man. Great book and interesting philosophy.

The Fountainhead is also fantastic. Howard Roark laughed. Great opening line.

I've also recently enjoyed Why England Lose by Simon Kuper and Stefan Szymanski, an analytical look at football and partly as I am studying Russian, A day in the life of Ivan Denisovich, by Alexander Solzhenitsyn, a truly great writer.[/b]

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cusamano
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Post by cusamano »

If you are interested in biography this book is brilliant:

Image


If you like to read a crime thriller I can recommend this:

Image

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Swale_Gooner1985
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Post by Swale_Gooner1985 »

Has anyone read any of the Danny Wallace books?

Join me, Friends like these, Yes Man? He is a very funny and clever writer and all his books are good!

I got his latest one yesterday 'awkward situations for men' and the forst couple of chapters are very good

anyone else into his books?

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marcengels
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Post by marcengels »

Swale_Gooner1985 wrote:Has anyone read any of the Danny Wallace books?

Join me, Friends like these, Yes Man? He is a very funny and clever writer and all his books are good!

I got his latest one yesterday 'awkward situations for men' and the forst couple of chapters are very good

anyone else into his books?
:lol: :lol: :lol: Come on Swale...at least try and make it difficult.

:wink:

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RaM
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Post by RaM »

DB10GOONER wrote:I like this thread alot. Made it a sticky and renamed it. Please list any great books you've read and add a brief synopsis or description.
GREAT thread!

Can't believe I haven't noticed it before. Reading is one of my biggest pastimes apart from watching sport. Mind you I have strong opinions about what i consider "rubbish" commercial novels...so any of that Twilight/Harry Potter rubbish will not be tolerated - unless you're younger than 16.

Just some of my favourite novels, in no order:

American Psycho - Bret Easton Ellis

And The Ass Saw The Angel - Nick Cave

Nineteen Eighty-Four - George Orwell

A Clockwork Orange - Anthony Burgess

Red Harvest - Dashiell Hammett

Bliss - Peter Carey

Dracula - Bram Stoker

A lot of Stephen King novels.


As well as the various short works of both Edgar Allan Poe and H.P. Lovecraft.

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DB10GOONER
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Post by DB10GOONER »

RaM wrote:
DB10GOONER wrote:I like this thread alot. Made it a sticky and renamed it. Please list any great books you've read and add a brief synopsis or description.
GREAT thread!

Can't believe I haven't noticed it before. Reading is one of my biggest pastimes apart from watching sport. Mind you I have strong opinions about what i consider "rubbish" commercial novels...so any of that Twilight/Harry Potter rubbish will not be tolerated - unless you're younger than 16.

Just some of my favourite novels, in no order:

American Psycho - Bret Easton Ellis

And The Ass Saw The Angel - Nick Cave

Nineteen Eighty-Four - George Orwell

A Clockwork Orange - Anthony Burgess

Red Harvest - Dashiell Hammett

Bliss - Peter Carey

Dracula - Bram Stoker

A lot of Stephen King novels.


As well as the various short works of both Edgar Allan Poe and H.P. Lovecraft.
I read more historical non fiction than fiction but I do love a good novel. Two of the best I ever read were;

Wild Times by Brian Garfield. It tells the story of a sharpshooter on the range in the old Wild west between the end of the civil war and prohibition. It just captures that period so well, so atmospheric and a good tale too.

The Passing Bells by Phillip Rock, a novel about one aristocratic English family (and their various inlaws and servants) and the way WWI changes the world they know and decimates the family. It is a pretty sad tale but so well written and the charactarisation is superb.

Also love Stephen King's stuff (particularly the earlier books) and just finished Under The Dome which was good. Best thing he wrote was The Stand (full version). Quality.

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brazilianGOONER
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Post by brazilianGOONER »

amen, stephen king is awesome. 8)

as a kid/teenager, i'd read lots of agatha christie too 8)

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RaM
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Post by RaM »

Agree about The Stand.

Also read Under The Dome and liked it too.

Really like It and 'Salem's Lot by Stephen King.

Anyone read any of his epic work The Dark Tower Series? That is truly fantastic in my opinion, especially the first one (the first Stephen King novel I read).

DB10 - Wild Times definitely sounds like a good read, might look that up.


Other books on my current 'hitlist' are a few by Sinclair Lewis, most notably 'Arrowsmith'. Also have a strange urge to read something by David Icke (don't laugh! :lol: )

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Swale_Gooner1985
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Post by Swale_Gooner1985 »

marcengels wrote:
Swale_Gooner1985 wrote:Has anyone read any of the Danny Wallace books?

Join me, Friends like these, Yes Man? He is a very funny and clever writer and all his books are good!

I got his latest one yesterday 'awkward situations for men' and the forst couple of chapters are very good

anyone else into his books?
:lol: :lol: :lol: Come on Swale...at least try and make it difficult.

:wink:
Am i being stupid for not knowing what the hell you are on about here? :?

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marcengels
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Post by marcengels »

Swale_Gooner1985 wrote:
marcengels wrote:
Swale_Gooner1985 wrote:Has anyone read any of the Danny Wallace books?

Join me, Friends like these, Yes Man? He is a very funny and clever writer and all his books are good!

I got his latest one yesterday 'awkward situations for men' and the forst couple of chapters are very good

anyone else into his books?
:lol: :lol: :lol: Come on Swale...at least try and make it difficult.

:wink:
Am i being stupid for not knowing what the hell you are on about here? :?
Yes :lol:

Alluding to the "fun boy three".

:wink:

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