At the moment, and cos im a girlie girl, im reading alot of Jill Mansell, yes im sure alot of people would think that they are cheesy, lovey dovey books but I like them and im sure a lot of girls out there will like them. Also just read one by Hester Browne called The Little Lady Agency which was good. Am waiting to read the latest Harry Potter but my fella is still reading it, come on man finish it!! I also enjoy books by Chris Manby, yes more girlie books, but at the other end of the scale I like the odd Stephen King book too, and autobiographies are quite a good read, read Robbie Williams' book Feel which was good. There is nothing like curling up on the sofa with a good old read. People who say books are pointless just dont have an imagination.

Frank Herbert's Dune I consider to be the greatest book ever written. I must have read it about 20 times, no exaggeration. I'm not sure why; I think it might be the mix of politics, sci-fi, ecology, religion and intrigue.

I have just finished reading Harry Potter, so won't spoil anything about that. I liked it more than Order of the Phoenix, but not as much as Goblet of Fire.

I'd have to say the book that has affected me the most is Neuromancer by William Gibson. It is just such a fantastic novel and it immerses you into a world our own could become. In fact the more time moves on the closer it feels like our society will become that one. I think that is why I like it so much, because every time I re-read it, some inconsequential detail the last time is an alarming similarity to how things are heading in reality, making it one of the most potent books I have ever read.

Lots of other novels fought for being my favourite, some along a similar theme and some wildly different. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley blew me away but it just doesn't feel as cutting edge as it used to do, The Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula LeGuin is a little slice of genius but lacks something, I don't know what. Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adam's for the same reason. One that doesn't make it onto my list, mainly because I doubt it is a book you can read consistently is A Separate Reality by Carlos Castaneda.

Wilf

Originally posted by hoba
Frank Herbert's Dune I consider to be the greatest book ever written. I must have read it about 20 times, no exaggeration. I'm not sure why; I think it might be the mix of politics, sci-fi, ecology, religion and intrigue.


There are some prequel books out now, that tell the story of the Butlerian Jihad, the rise of the Bene Geserit and Mentats etc, they are nowhere as good as the ones Frank wrote but they are a farily good (though way to short IMO) read.

I think my favourite books are Weaveworld and Imagica by Clive Barker, I must have read them a dozen times each.

currently reading the usual pulp novels.
ian ranikn
patricia cornwell
shaun hutson
dan brown
andrew klavan

Loved Harold Robbins books
But currently working through James Patterson novels
Love trashy novels for holidays though

I've read the prequels and didn't like them. Too many plot holes or things that didn't make sense. I know Herbert used to ignore the full chronology (for wont of a better word) in order to make each book as good as possible, creating a ot of inconsistencies (Scytale was a good example of this, if you can remember who he was) but the mistakes in the twp prequel trilogies seemed like they hadn't made the effort to read the originals, and they were wrote by Herbert's son.

I'm referring to things like changing the planet on which Paul was born, having Piter addicted to Sappho juice and not melange, changing the reason for why the Baron was so fat.

I've obviously thought about this too much, and am having to stop myself from going on a lot about these, but I honestly felt like the prequel trilogies were disrespectful.

Graham Greene is my favourite author. Either 'The Quiet American' or 'Brighton Rock' are my favourite novels. Greene is such a subtle writer, capable of saying so very much via classically English understatement. I am ashamed to admit that I found lines of his so clever that I occasionally used to pass them off as my own when a callow youth. He is the greatest English writer of the twentieth century, in my view. Try as I might, I can think of nobody else who matches his mastery of language and technique in tandem with erudition and imagination.

The best writer (and the wisest man) I have ever come across is Kurt Vonnegut. The man is an utter genius. Everyone in the world should be forced to read Slaughterhouse Five.

As for the mention of Gibson's much-feted Neuromancer... I like SF generally, but I couldn't stand that book. It seems too much like an exercise in obfuscation, a lot of the plot details are pretty contrived and essentially I found it to be a pretty boring read.

So it goes.

ok, so it probably not the best author in the world, but i really enjoy terrry pratchett's book.

they are easy to read (good when you only get 10 minutes at a time to read), funny and can be very clever - there are a lot of hidden jokes which, personally, i often only find the second time a read them.

he also manages to bring out a book or two a year which keeps up the momentum. he is obviously mainly know for his disc world books but some of his others are very good as well. i particularly like good omens.

there is a great site that a can't seem to find at the moment which lists all the hidden meanings in his books (at least the ones that have been found so far). It called the annotated pratchett files.

Mandatory reading for everyone;

George Orwell - 1984

Charles Bukowski - Women.

John Wyndham - The Day of The Triffids

JG Ballard - The Atrocity Exhibition

Naomi Klein - No Logo

Luke Rhinehart - The Dice Man

Kevin Bales - Disposable People

Hunter S Thompson - Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas

Michael Moore - Stupid White Men

Douglas Coupland - Generation X


A few others that are pretty good,

Mark Z. Danielewski - House of Leaves

Hubert Selby Jnr - Requiem for a Dream

George Orwell - Down & Out in Paris & London

Hunter S Thompson - Hells Angels

JRR Tolkien - The Lord of The Rings

Bret Easton Ellis - American Psycho



And if you don't agree with me you're wrong wrong wrong.

Some good 'uns there, but:

Originally posted by Agent Gypo
Douglas Coupland - Generation X


AARGH!!! I read this and hated just about every sentence. To me Coupland is on a constant quest to show both how clever he is and how nothing in this world actually amount to anything. He seems to possess an incredibly nihilistic worldview.

Just my opinion, like ;)

I'm sorry, but IMO Lord of the Rings is over-rated.

*Dons flame proof coat*

The films were the most boring 3 hours I ever spent in a Cinema...

I suppose the books are perfect bed time reading though, they put me to sleep almost instantly :lol:

I like steven king im a horror freak...james herbert is cool too.:cool:

Originally posted by Greenback
AARGH!!! I read this and hated just about every sentence. To me Coupland is on a constant quest to show both how clever he is and how nothing in this world actually amount to anything. He seems to possess an incredibly nihilistic worldview.
I read Generation X a few years back and I have to say that I had the exact same experience. The whole thing seemed like the work of an author very much in love with himself and not the least bit interested in telling a well written or in any way compelling story.:gag:

Anything by Dean Koontz or Stephen King.

Just read The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown, the mans a genius :clap: He gets my vote.:thumbsup:

Anything by Jenny Diski (though I would heartily recommend 'Like Mother' or 'Stranger On A Train'). A dark, mesmerising, intelligent and wonderful writer.

Originally posted by Greenback
To me Coupland is on a constant quest to show..... how nothing in this world actually amount to anything. He seems to possess an incredibly nihilistic worldview.

That's exactly why I like him!

Anne Rice, particularly Lasher, most of Shaun Hutsons book, Clive Barker-Weaveworld, to name a few.

Favourite authors:

Haruki Murakami
Fydor Dostoevsky
Graham Greene
Gabriel Garcia Marques
Giles Milton
William SHakespeare
J.G. Ballard
Steven Ericson
Hunter S Thompson

books:

The Beach (I know)
Crime and Punishment
The Illuminatus Trilogy
The Rum diairies
Wind up Bird Chronicles
Love in the Time of Cholera
Ham on Rye

Originally posted by hoba
Frank Herbert's Dune I consider to be the greatest book ever written. I must have read it about 20 times, no exaggeration. I'm not sure why; I think it might be the mix of politics, sci-fi, ecology, religion and intrigue.

I have just finished reading Harry Potter, so won't spoil anything about that. I liked it more than Order of the Phoenix, but not as much as Goblet of Fire.

have you managed to get through the whole series. Gets surreal

As it's just been World Book day thought I'd resurrect this thread.

Favourite book as a child
Why are there more questions than answers?

Don't have it now but loved it as a kid. Got it out of the library loads. Also used to love Enid Blyton and Judy Blume.

Now...

Favourite small child's book
Very hungry caterpillar Eric Carle
Princess Smartypants. Babette Cole

Favourite older kids book
1 Charlotte's web E B White
2 The magic finger Roald Dahl
3 The giggler treatment Roddy Doyle

Favourite books
1. Wuthering Heights Emily Bronte
2. Jude the obscure Thomas Hardy
3. High Fidelity Nick Hornby
4. Paddy Clarke Ha ha ha Roddy Doyle
5. Turning Thirty Mike Gayle
6. Secret Diary of Adrian Mole aged 13 3/4 Sue Townsend
7. The loved one Evelyn Waugh
8. Huckleberry Finn Mark Twain
9. Catcher in the Rye J.D. Salinger
10.To kill a mockingbird Harper lee
and an 11 The Vampire Lestat Anne Rice.

and special mention for poetry: Ariel by Sylvia Plath.

Favourite book is either;

Jon Wyndham's 'The Day of The Triffids'

Charles Buchauski's 'Women'

George Orwell's '1984'.

This will proberbly get a few poo,poos but until you have read them you don't really appreciate what is being said.While Lord Archer was incarserated(love him or loath him) .He wrote a series of prison diarys ,they give the reader a
vivid insight into prison life and how stupid the reform system is.I have to admit i really enjoyed reading them .

Because the popular view of the USA is Disney, glitz, glamour, the american
dream amd mom's apple pie, I love books and authors that show the underbelly of it all, the drugs, hookers, junkies, alcoholics, bums and serial killers so:
John Rechy
Hunter S Thompson (rip)
Charles Bukowski
William Burroughs
Herbert Huncke
Armistead Maupin
Jack Kerouac
Hubert Selby

I have to admit that I read everything and anything. I've giggled my way through Terry Pratchetts Discworld stuff, been unable to put down the Harry Potter books, been mesmerised by Robin Cook's stuff, and read all of Catherine Cookson's books. I like lightweight romancey stuff, decent mysteries and the odd ghosty sort of thing but find myself unable to read gory scarey stuff these days - I tend to replay them at night (not good).

My fave novels - only the top two are in the 'correct position':

Lord of the Rings - Tolkien
Possession - AS Byatt
Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte
Brave New World - Aldous Huxley
Emma - Jane Austen
The Hobbit - Tolkien
His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman
The Secret History - Donna Tartt
The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks
Jude The Obscure - Thomas Hardy
The Van - Roddy Doyle
Precious Bane - Mary Webb
Return of the Native - Thomas Hardy
The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood
Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll
Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell - Susanna Clarke
Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte
Breakfast of Champions - Kurt Vonnegut
Slaughterhouse 5 - Kurt Vonnegut
Slapstick - Kurt Vonnegut
The Silmarillion - Tolkien
The Sea The Sea - Iris Murdoch
Persuasion - Jane Austen
Harry Potter & the Order of the Phoenix - JK Rowling
Gormenghast - Mervyn Peake
Dracula - Bram Stoker
The House of the Spirits - Isabel Allende
Goodnight Mister Tom - argh - can't remember the author!
Moll Flanders - Daniel Defoe
The Good Terrorist - Doris Lessing
Dirty Weekend - helen Zahavi

That's just for starters... ;)

My favourite author would be Mick Foley. Now, he's not one of the main stream authors. He is a wrestler who wrote an autobiography about his life as a profesional wrestler. And all the things that happen when they are on the road. His first book was called Have a Nice Day: A Tale of Blood and Sweatsocks, followed up with Foley is good. Interesting reads for anyone who is a fan of wrestling . (sales pitch over :thumbsup: )

harry potter all the way
shame they made the films though, that make the books look seriousely bad
Jk is cool
Sarra manning is good for your general Chicky Films...makes you cry.
and "Another day in Paradise" is a great book. fantastic!! but cant remeber who its by...Sorry
xxx

I have 3 favourite authors, Evelyn Waugh, Stephen King and Deric Longden.

Favourite books are:-

1. Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh

2. Insomnia by Stephen King

3. The Dark Tower series by Stephen King

but I also like Patricia Cornwell, Colleen McCulloch and many more.

Brideshead, I think, is the best because the way it is written and the dialogue used is so different to vast majority of modern books.

The "Miles Vorcosigan" series by Lois Bujold (Baen Books)
"Anita Blake" series by Laurel Hamilton -- Buffy for adults!
"Honor Harrington" series by David Weber
Harry Turtledove's alternate histories.

Even for me, that makes a full week's reading!