LES MISERABLES -Victor Hugo

A big read but worth every minute.  Hugo really is brilliant, a great main story with many asides with the odd short story thrown in.  Understandable that's its one of the great novels.
 

SISTERS IN ARMS - Nicola Tyrer

An amazing read.  These nurse's, The QA's suffered starvation, rape but still managed to nurse their patients even in the prison camps.  The Japanese were particularly vile to them, so very cruel.  A book about an extraordinary group of people 

THE GREAT RAILWAY BAZAAR - Paul Theroux

A book about people met on trains while travelling through Asia in the early '70's.  This is early Theroux travel writing when he wasn't as cynical as he became. This has lots of humour, travelling like this is not for the faint hearted.

ON THE BEACH - Nevil Shute

Set after a world wide nuclear war, a group in Australia live with the impending arrival of the radioactive cloud from the northern hemisphere.  

There are some great incidents described in the book.  The ending is not up lifting but very moving.

 

YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE - Ian Fleming

 

Bond, James Bond.

BLOOD MERIDIAN - Cormac McCarthy

A very well written, very violent novel set in the American west.  Whether its the great American novel as I've seen it described is not something I would agree with but terrific descriptive writing and worth the effort 

DOWN ALL THE DAYS - Christy Brown

Outstanding writing, a crippled boy growing up in a Dublin slum in the 40's & 50's.  It is a brutal upbringing told without a jot of sentimentality.  More amazing still is Brown typed the entire book with his left foot.  Well worth reading
 

DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER - Ian Fleming

When you need a bit of escapism nobody is better for it than Fleming.  Not the best Bond but a good Sunday afternoon read
 

THE JAGUAR SMILE A Nicaraguan Journey -Salman Rushdie

 

A short book based on a three week trip Rushdie took to Nicaragua in 1986.   Mostly politics  so it is very dated  when read now. The odd interesting morsel but it reads like an editors idea ' lets do a book' and I don't think Rushdie was onboard with the idea.

THE RUSSIA HOUSE - John Le Carre

 

I found this dull, just dull

MURDER OF QUALITY - John Le Carre

 

One of two Le Carre novels that are not a spy stories.  This is a murder mystery with Smiley leading the charge.  It is outstanding.

OUR GAME- John Le Carre

A middling Le Carre, one that will never be re-read, the bizzare ending sealed that
 

CALL FOR THE DEAD - John Le Carre

His first novel and as such its outstanding.  There is no over reach, just the bare minimum for a cracking spy story.  I've read this many times and it never gets old
 

THE FIRST MEN IN THE MOON - H.G. Wells

Published in 1901.  Men walked on the moon 68 years later.  Remarkable
 

PUT OUT MORE FLAGS -Evelyn Waugh

 

The genius that was Waugh.  

THE WAPSHOT SCANDAL - John Cheever

 

Beautiful writing.  Cheever can run you through all the emotions in one page.  

THE YIDDISH POLICEMEN'S UNION- Michael Chabon

A very good crime story set in a alternative universe. 

CAME A HOT FRIDAY - Ronald Hugh Morrieson

 

New Zealand's most underrated author.  Dark, dark stories of New Zealand.  Read them and enjoy

THE NAME OF THE ROSE- Umberto Eco

One of my favourite books.  been read many times , will be re-read many time

 

STAMBOUL TRAIN - Graham Greene

 

An early Greene, great writing.  He was a genius

THE BODY-SNATCHER AND OTHER STORIES - Robert Louis Stevenson

 

A lovely collection of short stories.  Humour & horror combined.  Great stuff