anyone recommend a good..

[mattboyslim]

For some real life amazing stories read Papillion by Henri Charriere, the sotry of his time in the French colonial prisons for a crime he didn't commit.

For a giggle Ben Elton, and for some good modern day gritty books look no further than Irvine Welsh and the non-football factory output by John King.

think i've read all the elton and welsh books already.

Try White Trash or Human Punk by John King,  I felt Human Punk shared a lot of the qualities that Glue by Irvine Wesh has.

[axs]

cheers matt, might give them a go, they seem to have pretty good reviews.

[neville w]

albert camus' the plague

I did that for my French A-Level (failed it mind)

Camus was a goalkeeper of some repute I believe

The story is an allegory of the German occupation of Paris in WW2

[mattboyslim]

Another hugely enjoyable book is Orwell's Down and Out in Paris and London.  Quite short and not my usual cup of tea but ulitmately very good.

[jayohaitchenn]

Read the Warlord Chronicles by Bernard Cornwell. It's alternate history based on the life of a young lad who grows up around King Arthur and becomes one of his top fighters. It's not a fantasy novel, it's written with realism in mind and is fucking excellent, and also a slightly different (much more believable) take on the Arthur legend.

[Lumps]

i've also got the god delusion on my list - anyone read it?

I have!

Very readable. Although friends and relatives, particularly those with any remaining vestiges of religious faith, may get a little pissed off with you randomnly launching into detailed critiques of every aspect of their beliefs.... or maybe that was just me.

If you want fiction and like thrillers I would recommend:

anything by

James Elroy - but in particular The Cold Six Thousand
James Lee Burke - particularly the Dave Robicheaux novels
Jake Arnott - start with The Long Firm
Walter Mosley

Between those four there's 50 or more cracking reads

Oh and if you've never read them look at the George Smiley Trilogy by Le Carre - Tinker Tailor, Soldier Spy - The Honourable Schoolboy - and Smiley's People