My husband used to be an avid reader but over the years has let the hobby go.
His goal this year is to start reading again and since I’m always raving about this sub he asked me to post here.
His favourite genre is autobiographical travel books like “7 years in Tibet” and “Shantaram” (though I suppose Shantaram counts as a “trueish” story rather than autobiographical).
He spent a lot of time in Africa as a child because that’s where his grandparents lived so any travel books set there would be a bonus – in particular Zimbabwe.
He also LOVED To Kill a Mockingbird, so it’s not exclusively travel/autobiographical.
He enjoys westerns and war stories – his dad was a bomb disposals tech so he has a connection with stories like that. And he has a bit of a thing for Vikings too.
I’d ideally like something relatively short and “can’t put down-ish” to get him back in the swing of things, but if you have recommendations that are longer definitely add them. I’ll make him a list for what comes after book 1.
Thanks for your help, everyone!
by happiestnexttoyou
13 Comments
I have 4 suggestions.
1. The Goat Brothers By Larry Colton,
2. A Fine Balance By Rohan Mistry,
3. L.A. Rex By Will Beall,
4. Tulia By Nate Blakeslee,
Hope he enjoys them as much as I do.
Educated by Tara Westover
The only book I successfully got my husband to finish was The Martian 😂 but he was never a reader. I hope he finds something to enjoy and gets back into reading if he wants!
I really enjoyed “Italian Journey” by Johann Goethe. It’s an autobiographical travel book from his journey to Rome in the 18th century talking about the sites and history of Rome.
It was great!
I wonder if he might like gonzo journalism (which is where the journalist inserts their own experience into the story). Popularized by Hunter S. Thompson (“Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas”). So it would be similar to memoir / autobiography, but with some journalism added in.
I really think he’d like “Alaska’s Wolf Man: The 1915-55 Wilderness Adventures of Frank Glaser”. It’s got so many fascinating anecdotes.
The novel is always recommend for getting back into reading is City of Thieves by David Benioff. Despite the grim setting (siege of Leningrad) it’s funny and propulsive.
For a western, try True Grit by Charles Portis.
For travel, try Bill Bryson’s A Walk in the Woods.
Anything by Wilbur Smith, bit off your discription of what he likes to read, but Africa and Western… he might like it.
Maybe *Don’t Lets Go to the Dogs Tonight*? It’s a memoir of someone who grew up in Zimbabwe. Not sure it’s quite thrilling.
*West With the Night*. Classic aviation memoir, starts in Africa. Hemingway approved of the prose.
When a Crocodile Eats the Sun by Peter Godwin is a very good memoir about growing up in Zimbabwe. He has written a couple of other books, too.
Has he read Band of Brothers? That’s a fun military history read.
A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman
The Road my Cormac McCarthy
A Walk in the Woods -Bill Bryson
ETA – for Vikings – Bernard Cornwall – The Last Kingdom