Books - What are you reading?

There’s a rather good film now featuring Chatwin’s rucksack.

Yeah. Herzog innit?
Nomad.

I should check it out. I read everything he wrote in my late teens early 20s.

If we're talking African literature then I remember being blown away by 'Weep Not, Child' by Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o. The way I recall it he manages to cram an epic saga spanning several genrations into 144 pages. Very, very good.

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Any suggestions for books for my 10 year old nephew?

As he has been growing up I have tried to supply him with the classics. Moomin when he was very young, Jules Verne when he was 7-8, etc.
But not quite sure what's exciting for a budding tween?

I think I read Jurassic Park at 11, and various other Michael Crichton that was in the library. And some star wars books. Are they 'in to' anything that the book can tie into?

Michael Crichton

Good point. I get to be the irresponsible uncle so something a bit scary and/or violent could work. Also, he's generally a bit geeky and I see that Penguin recommends Bill Brysons 'history of everything' for his age.

I've got my 11 year old on Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy at the moment, he read War of the Worlds before that

He has also devoured the Skulduggery Pleasant series and the Alex Rider series if you want something a bit more contemporary

the Warrior Cats series, if he likes anthropomorphic animals going on adventures

Warrior Cats

he won't run out of books quickly.... check out the family tree

I was going to mention the gazillion books available. But then that's the nephew's parents problem :)

My wife once applied (unsuccessfully) for a job editing that website... looked like it needed about a 6-person team

I read and loved Swallows and Amazons at that age

Treasure Island.

Jules Verne! I read ‘20000 Leagues…’* as an adult and was amazed at how overlong and boring Verne can be OMG JUST GET ON WITH IT.

(*originally serialised, so maybe he was paid per word)

Prolix, I guess, if I wanna be less overlong and boring.

The bonus of having shitloads of writers all pretending to be one author.

The Borribles Trilogy is one (well three) I read whilst young that really stuck with me.

I just got those for my daughter (11), one of my absolute favorites. I re-read them before I gave them to her. So good still.

You may already have had these recommended but;
The Kin - Peter Dickinson
Northern Lights - Phillip Pullman
Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransom
The Garth Nix books - Lirael
Hitchikers Guide
Artemis Fowl - Eoin Colfer

Im sure there are loads more that will come to mind, but I loved these or enjoyed sharing them with younger cousins.

Just started reading this. It’s the second in the series. I really enjoyed them. Mainly because I live near Rutland so know all the places mentioned in the book. But Adam Croft does write a great book.

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So we all agree that a 10 year old can grasp Hitchiker' Guide to the Galaxy? I'd love to be the one who introduces it to him, get one up on my brother for decades to come.

Was not into Northern Lights at all when I was younger. No idea why. I'd recommend Brian Jacques' Redwall books.

I can't remember when I started reading the Discworld books by Terry Pratchett but it was probably around then. I've loved them ever since.

10+ is fine for discworld and hitchhikers