For those who still like to read . . .

First thing that came into my mind was The lord of the rings trilogy, but stating that was in my mind too obviuos, cause it seems that all people have read it.(No offence to anyone). I liked the book much better than the film. (Not so uncommon though).
Ive also read Dan brown books, but to me its a good story and nothing else. Well, thats what we are after, but it sounds like he is trying to make people
believe conspiracytheories, and that have put me off quite a bit.
Ive started on His dark materials, but I got a break at reading. Its the first on my list though.
If anyone likes a scary book, dont read Bram stokers dracula. The overwhelming language and politeness, and with everything written as a diary, I was just going crazy later in the book. Not to spoil anything here, but the ending is rubbish!

I have a confession to make. My Uncle was an artist and author. I think he wrote about seven books before he died. One of his early books, Jacks return home, was made into the film Get Carter. Although I read quite a lot, I have never read the book. Must get myself a copy.

Fiona...

If you have not read any of his work... and really great American writer is Pat Conroy... The Lords of Discipline, The Great Santini, The Prince of Tides.... etc.

These are especially good reads if you have any interest in the Southern mindset. They are rich imagry and admirable characters - because of their flaws.

Of course Invisiable Man and To Kill a Mockingbird are nearly peerless.... and if you haven't read Steinbeck's Cannery Row... that's awesome too!

V

I too am a Hobbit and LOTR fan, preferred the Hobbit to LOTR like others.

I also enjoy reading about Scotlands notorious criminal underworld and can recommend any of the Reg McKay books featuring some of the more famous 'Glasgow Gangsters' like Paul Ferris, Tam McGraw and Arthur Thompson. I highly recommend 'Armed Candy' by Reg McKay, truly one book I can say I couldn't put down. Read the whole book in one day whilst on holiday in Greece.

'Sense of Freedom' by Jimmy Boyle and 'Autobiography of a Murderer' by Hugh Collins also give a good insight into the darker side of Scottish criminal life.

'Marching Powder' by Rusty Young is an incredible insight into life in a Bolivian prison by a traveller caught trying to smuggle cocaine out of the country.

I can highly recommend the Terry Goodkind fantasy series that starts with 'Wizards First Rule', I think there about 8 or 9 books in the series now. I have only read the first four, but found them all to be great books.

Favourite book of all time is 'Papillion' by Henri Charriere. It's also my favourite film of all time. A rare occurence that a book and a film can be equally as good as each other.

Oh and in the SF/Fantasy vien... Orson Scott Card is AWESOME... The Ender series... The Worthing Saga... Songmaster... I've never read a book by him that I did not love.

I'm re-reading Songmaster at the moment... picked up a signed 1st edition hardcover the other day at Powell's Books in Portland... was over the moon about getting my favorite book of all time in that edition.

V

fiona wrote:That's interesting, Jay and Jim. I too read "The Hobbit" and thoroughly enjoyed it and then just could not get into "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy at all,to the extent of being put off watching the movies because of it. I must admit I like my fantasy novels a bit more tongue-in-cheek and have to fess up to being a Terry Pratchett fanatic, although tragically his Alzheimer's is beginning to show in a loss of sharpness of wit in his novels. Douglas Adams' "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" is a favourite all-time read as well.

Boy aren't we a literary lot? And here we are at page two and nobody's mentioned Dan Brown yet.

What was that about tongue-in-cheek again?

Kev Bailey wrote:
Don't forget Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency. One of Adams' best.

My dad was the same - we grew up be read "The Hobbit" and then read it ourselves; my dad could never get into TLOTR, though. I think I read it 20 times between 11 and 14 years of age.
I, too, have enjoyed Douglas Adams' books - both the Dirk Gentlys and the "increasingly innacurately named Hitchhiker's trilogy"
I have just been re-reading a number of Dick Francis' books - he died a few months ago, and I enjoy his style for a bit of 'light' reading.

Hi Fiona I am a bit of a fan of American writers a couple of favourites are Annie Proulx (famous for writing "broke back mountain"). I loved "the shipping news" set in newfoundland, and another called "accordion crimes" which traces the history of an accordion bought into the country by a Sicilian migrant. Another favourite is Peter Mathiessen, he writes a lot on wildlife but my favourite is "the Watson trilogy" which is about the early colonization of Florida and is full of the most extraordinary characters. I have just finished reading a Norman Mailer novel called "the castle in the forest" its a biography of Adolf Hitlers youth written through the eyes of the devil. Its a great read.
Another great American writer is of course Gore Vidal his three books on the early American political life are a great insight into American politics. "Lincoln" on the civil war (more politics than violence) is one of my all time favourite books.
Regards from Craig

Thanks Craig. I have read some Annie Proulx and a friend has just started the Accordion Crimes. Will try out some of the others you mention.

Am currently reading Rob's novel "Balance of Terror" and thoroughly enjoying it. It was a good companion for the three hours or so I spent at the outdoor poolside today. Well, we don't get this amount of sun for this long this often over here so I gotta make the most of it.

It's a hard life I lead!

This is mostly for Fiona . . . (but the rest of you can read them, too):

I would have forgotten this fellow if I hadn't stumbled across his newest book at the Library.

He is john McPhee and you MUST read him. He is an essayist who writes for the New Yorker Magazine.

His latest is Silk Parachute and it is a good read, but here are my opinionated BEST of his 28 books (in no particular order):

Assembling California
The Control of Nature
Rising from the Plains
In Suspect Terrain
Basin and Range
Coming Into the Country
Encounters With The Archdruid
The Crofter and the Laird <----- set in Scotland!!!!!!!

will baddeley wrote:Oh.. Oh.... Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke. Another book I couldn't put down.

I absolutely loved that book.

A recent sci-fi read that I really liked was "Old Man's War" by John Scalzi.

Not so recent read that I just have to mention is "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson. An unexpected take on science.

(Mentiond right at the beginning of this thread) Hows you guys get on with Dante? the whole comedy is great if you can stick to it. first time i had a really bad translation, but then midevil italian probably is'nt the simplest of languages to be put in to english, eventually though it finds its rythm.

As for Pride and Prejudice & Zombies, you have to check our Mr Darcy Vampire. i love these re-writes, wish we had them when i was at school.

i love classic Lit, camus is the current author im looking in to (not classic but still great)

if any one hasnt read it you must get "Sophies World" a wonderful novel that sums up 3000 years of philosophy in to a bizarre little story.

But all said and done, after a long tiresom contract, i tend to sit down with Pratchett.