The best book you ever read was...
Discussion
Flight of the Nighthawks - Raymond E Feist.
I found this thoroughly engrossing, so much so that after finishing it, and the other two in the trilogy i bought up all of the other books by Feist and set to reading them in the order they were meant. 26 books in and i'd happily recommend any of them to a fantasy genre fan.
The Traveller - John Twelve Hawks.
Before this I only really read Fantasy novels, it took a little getting used to as the style wasn't what I was used to, but once captured I couldn't put it down. Very enjoyable and I must remember to read the sequels.
I found this thoroughly engrossing, so much so that after finishing it, and the other two in the trilogy i bought up all of the other books by Feist and set to reading them in the order they were meant. 26 books in and i'd happily recommend any of them to a fantasy genre fan.
The Traveller - John Twelve Hawks.
Before this I only really read Fantasy novels, it took a little getting used to as the style wasn't what I was used to, but once captured I couldn't put it down. Very enjoyable and I must remember to read the sequels.
Waynester said:
As a 'grown up' my preference leans towards factual, history books, particularly on WW2 aviation. One of the best I have read is 'Sigh for a Merlin' by Alex Henshaw. Alex was chief pilot at Castle Bromwich during the war & test flew approximately 10% of all Spitfires built! An extraordinary man, & a very good book.
This is certainly a book that was one of my favourites growing up and one I still think of many times. It gets a vote from me for a cracking read within that genre/ time period. More recently I found Vulcan Test Pilot by Tony Blackman also very interesting.Fishtigua said:
I still haven't met anyone else who has read William Boyd's New Confessions. I found the novel so well written I kept looking in the middle for the photos, it reads so well as an autobiography. It's based on Jean-Jacques Rousseau's Les Confessions.
Bloody good read.
I loved this book - there's another of his which has a similar era-spanning, biographical feel - 'Any Human Heart'...I would highly recommend. I find William Boyd a bit patchy, but would put these two neck and neck as his best IMHO.Bloody good read.
Thomas Mann ... The magic mountain
There is nothing else like it. Just a mindboggling piece of prose. Make sure you read it before you die.
After that my fabourites are the castle, steppenwolf and cannery row all of which had a deep effect on my life.
There is nothing else like it. Just a mindboggling piece of prose. Make sure you read it before you die.
After that my fabourites are the castle, steppenwolf and cannery row all of which had a deep effect on my life.
Edited by jackal on Thursday 24th January 23:19
Cathedral by Nelson de Mille.
I was visiting a customer in Woking in about 1991, and he had one wall of his office completely fitted out with shelves, heaving with books. I'd been a keen reader as a youth, but lost the habit. So I asked him - recommend something to me? - and he fetched down 'Freaky Deaky' by Elmore Leonard, Captain Blood by someone I cannot remember (!) and Gold Coast by Nelson de Mille.
So started my Nelson de Mille 'career' - he's a vietnam vet whose fictional heroes are middle aged men with a sardonic wit. And they kick ass when needed.
Cathedral is thriller set in NY starting on St. Patricks Day and involves an armed seige in said edifice. Lots of IRA and American intermingling, double crossing, politics etc. Charm School is set in Soviet Russia and is just as good IMHO.
Of course, Elmore Leonard needs no introduction, does he? My only criticism is how short his novels are.
I was visiting a customer in Woking in about 1991, and he had one wall of his office completely fitted out with shelves, heaving with books. I'd been a keen reader as a youth, but lost the habit. So I asked him - recommend something to me? - and he fetched down 'Freaky Deaky' by Elmore Leonard, Captain Blood by someone I cannot remember (!) and Gold Coast by Nelson de Mille.
So started my Nelson de Mille 'career' - he's a vietnam vet whose fictional heroes are middle aged men with a sardonic wit. And they kick ass when needed.
Cathedral is thriller set in NY starting on St. Patricks Day and involves an armed seige in said edifice. Lots of IRA and American intermingling, double crossing, politics etc. Charm School is set in Soviet Russia and is just as good IMHO.
Of course, Elmore Leonard needs no introduction, does he? My only criticism is how short his novels are.
The Don of Croy said:
Cathedral by Nelson de Mille.
I was visiting a customer in Woking in about 1991, and he had one wall of his office completely fitted out with shelves, heaving with books. I'd been a keen reader as a youth, but lost the habit. So I asked him - recommend something to me? - and he fetched down 'Freaky Deaky' by Elmore Leonard, Captain Blood by someone I cannot remember (!) and Gold Coast by Nelson de Mille.
So started my Nelson de Mille 'career' - he's a vietnam vet whose fictional heroes are middle aged men with a sardonic wit. And they kick ass when needed.
Cathedral is thriller set in NY starting on St. Patricks Day and involves an armed seige in said edifice. Lots of IRA and American intermingling, double crossing, politics etc. Charm School is set in Soviet Russia and is just as good IMHO.
Of course, Elmore Leonard needs no introduction, does he? My only criticism is how short his novels are.
I think the only Nelson De Mille I read was "By the Rivers Of Babylon", but I remember it being good as I recommended it to a colleague a year or two ago, despite reading it at least 20 years ago!I was visiting a customer in Woking in about 1991, and he had one wall of his office completely fitted out with shelves, heaving with books. I'd been a keen reader as a youth, but lost the habit. So I asked him - recommend something to me? - and he fetched down 'Freaky Deaky' by Elmore Leonard, Captain Blood by someone I cannot remember (!) and Gold Coast by Nelson de Mille.
So started my Nelson de Mille 'career' - he's a vietnam vet whose fictional heroes are middle aged men with a sardonic wit. And they kick ass when needed.
Cathedral is thriller set in NY starting on St. Patricks Day and involves an armed seige in said edifice. Lots of IRA and American intermingling, double crossing, politics etc. Charm School is set in Soviet Russia and is just as good IMHO.
Of course, Elmore Leonard needs no introduction, does he? My only criticism is how short his novels are.
M.
Pothole said:
northwest monkey said:
Currently reading "The Stand" by Stephen King for about the 10th time so very possibly the best book I've read.
The unabridged version, I hope. An all time classic...feels like coming home very time I read the part about the old boy leaping up to shut off the petrol pumps as the car lurches across the carriageway into the gas station...such fantastic characters!
It is indeed the "full fat" version - we were on holiday in the Maldives a few years ago & they had a "swaps" table. I offloaded a couple of books the OH had read & picked this up. Spent pretty much the whole of the 13 hour flight back home glued to it.
I actually find Stephen King books to be a bit 'marmite'. Loved this book and also Insomnia (after a couple of failed attempts) but hated the first in the "Watchtower" series so didn't bother with any others.
northwest monkey said:
Pothole said:
northwest monkey said:
Currently reading "The Stand" by Stephen King for about the 10th time so very possibly the best book I've read.
The unabridged version, I hope. An all time classic...feels like coming home very time I read the part about the old boy leaping up to shut off the petrol pumps as the car lurches across the carriageway into the gas station...such fantastic characters!
It is indeed the "full fat" version - we were on holiday in the Maldives a few years ago & they had a "swaps" table. I offloaded a couple of books the OH had read & picked this up. Spent pretty much the whole of the 13 hour flight back home glued to it.
I actually find Stephen King books to be a bit 'marmite'. Loved this book and also Insomnia (after a couple of failed attempts) but hated the first in the "Watchtower" series so didn't bother with any others.
For English lit O level, my class studied 1984 (not bad) and Of mice and men (beyond all doubt the most loathsome, dullest, stab yourself in the eyeballs to stay awake dross ever written).
I expressed my distaste for the latter work to my English teacher, whose response was "read something else if you like, there's plenty of authors on the approved list".
So I did. Purely at random, I tried Decline and fall by Evelyn Waugh. Add a teenager, I made plenty of daft decisions, but that was one of the best I ever made! It is an absolute tour de force for anyone who likes black humour, and probably made the difference between getting an A in my O level and failing, such did I love that book and hate Steinbeck!
This was, of course, improved no end when my English teacher came in to the first lesson after our mocks and promptly laid in to me because he'd had to read the book himself before he could mark my paper! He did at the same time give me his own copies of Scoop and Brideshead Revisited, on the assumption that I might like those too!
Anyone who likes authors such as Tom Sharpe or Karl Hiassen will probably enjoy this in the way that fans of Metallica might appreciate the early Rolling Stones.
In fact, I think it's time to place a quick order on Amazon.
I expressed my distaste for the latter work to my English teacher, whose response was "read something else if you like, there's plenty of authors on the approved list".
So I did. Purely at random, I tried Decline and fall by Evelyn Waugh. Add a teenager, I made plenty of daft decisions, but that was one of the best I ever made! It is an absolute tour de force for anyone who likes black humour, and probably made the difference between getting an A in my O level and failing, such did I love that book and hate Steinbeck!
This was, of course, improved no end when my English teacher came in to the first lesson after our mocks and promptly laid in to me because he'd had to read the book himself before he could mark my paper! He did at the same time give me his own copies of Scoop and Brideshead Revisited, on the assumption that I might like those too!
Anyone who likes authors such as Tom Sharpe or Karl Hiassen will probably enjoy this in the way that fans of Metallica might appreciate the early Rolling Stones.
In fact, I think it's time to place a quick order on Amazon.
Kermit power said:
For English lit O level, my class studied 1984 (not bad) and Of mice and men (beyond all doubt the most loathsome, dullest, stab yourself in the eyeballs to stay awake dross ever written).
I expressed my distaste for the latter work to my English teacher, whose response was "read something else if you like, there's plenty of authors on the approved list".
So I did. Purely at random, I tried Decline and fall by Evelyn Waugh. Add a teenager, I made plenty of daft decisions, but that was one of the best I ever made! It is an absolute tour de force for anyone who likes black humour, and probably made the difference between getting an A in my O level and failing, such did I love that book and hate Steinbeck!
This was, of course, improved no end when my English teacher came in to the first lesson after our mocks and promptly laid in to me because he'd had to read the book himself before he could mark my paper! He did at the same time give me his own copies of Scoop and Brideshead Revisited, on the assumption that I might like those too!
Anyone who likes authors such as Tom Sharpe or Karl Hiassen will probably enjoy this in the way that fans of Metallica might appreciate the early Rolling Stones.
In fact, I think it's time to place a quick order on Amazon.
Funny, I've just recently read Decline and Fall and it's just dated really badly. Its just silly in many parts IMO, quite puerile in fact. The shock and surpise element behind much of the humour just isn't very shocking or surprising at all in todays world so it doesn't work. Brideshead or Scoop are far far better examples of Waugh with more relevance today. I imagine that you loved it so much because yu were also at school at the time and some of the goings on in the book appealed to your sensbilities at the time. Like Catcher in the Rye, it probably is a book that was best read in your teenage years.I expressed my distaste for the latter work to my English teacher, whose response was "read something else if you like, there's plenty of authors on the approved list".
So I did. Purely at random, I tried Decline and fall by Evelyn Waugh. Add a teenager, I made plenty of daft decisions, but that was one of the best I ever made! It is an absolute tour de force for anyone who likes black humour, and probably made the difference between getting an A in my O level and failing, such did I love that book and hate Steinbeck!
This was, of course, improved no end when my English teacher came in to the first lesson after our mocks and promptly laid in to me because he'd had to read the book himself before he could mark my paper! He did at the same time give me his own copies of Scoop and Brideshead Revisited, on the assumption that I might like those too!
Anyone who likes authors such as Tom Sharpe or Karl Hiassen will probably enjoy this in the way that fans of Metallica might appreciate the early Rolling Stones.
In fact, I think it's time to place a quick order on Amazon.
1984 and Mice and men though are both truly wonderful books. I can't imagine why you hated Steinbeck so much. I don't think nobel prize winners write 'dross' very often so maybe your comment is more emotional based and you were too young at the time to appreciate the enormous power of the book (of which there is much).
Decline and Fall certainly doesn't belong in a "best book you ever read" discussion. The Grapes of Wrath (and other Steinbeck) and 1984 however should be getting several mentions IMO.
Edited by jackal on Wednesday 13th February 15:20
jackal said:
Funny, I've just recently read Decline and Fall and it's just dated really badly. Its just silly in many parts IMO, quite puerile in fact. The shock and surpise element behind much of the humour just isn't very shocking or surprising at all in todays world so it doesn't work. Brideshead or Scoop are far far better examples of Waugh with more relevance today.
1984 and Mice and men though are both truly wonderful books. I can't imagine why you hated Steinbeck so much. I don't think nobel prize winners write 'dross' very often so maybe your comment is more emotional based and you were too young at the time to appreciate the enormous power of the book (of which there is much).
Decline and Fall certainly doesn't belong in a "best book you ever read" discussion. The Grapes of Wrath however should be getting several mentions.
I was 16 when I read it, and that was back in the mid Eighties, so you may well be completely right. As I said, I intend to read it again, so I'll report back with an update review.1984 and Mice and men though are both truly wonderful books. I can't imagine why you hated Steinbeck so much. I don't think nobel prize winners write 'dross' very often so maybe your comment is more emotional based and you were too young at the time to appreciate the enormous power of the book (of which there is much).
Decline and Fall certainly doesn't belong in a "best book you ever read" discussion. The Grapes of Wrath however should be getting several mentions.
As for Of Mice and Men, it was a 10 page short story dragged out to the length of a book. Whoops, Lennie killed a mouse. Whoops Lennie killed a puppy. Whoops, Lennie killed a woman. Whoops, Lennie is never going to get his rabbit-infested alfalfa patch because George has had to shoot him to keep him from getting lynched. The end. Dull, dull nonsense.
The Magus by John Fowles
Fantatic read keeps twisting your perception of whats happening all the way through.
The Yellow Birds by Kevin Powers
A new novel about the Iraq war experience by a guy that served there. Plus any book that begins with the Marching Cadence:
A little bird
With a yellow bill
Was sitting on
My window sill
I lured him in
With a piece of bread
And then I smashed
His f
king head.
Has to be worth a look!
Fantatic read keeps twisting your perception of whats happening all the way through.
The Yellow Birds by Kevin Powers
A new novel about the Iraq war experience by a guy that served there. Plus any book that begins with the Marching Cadence:
A little bird
With a yellow bill
Was sitting on
My window sill
I lured him in
With a piece of bread
And then I smashed
His f
king head.Has to be worth a look!
Stephen Fry's "Making History" is a favourite, read it a few times as I enjoyed it so much. There's even a character in it with my name (first and surname combo), which is disturbing.
Also, a really left field one called "Moscow 2042" by Vladimir Voinovich, written towards the end of the Cold War, but so long as you realise that it's a good read. Well, it was in 1990. Fiction, like the Fry book above.
Both of these books are time travel related - I suppose I must have a bit of a thing for that subject.
Also, a really left field one called "Moscow 2042" by Vladimir Voinovich, written towards the end of the Cold War, but so long as you realise that it's a good read. Well, it was in 1990. Fiction, like the Fry book above.
Both of these books are time travel related - I suppose I must have a bit of a thing for that subject.
Kermit power said:
Dull, dull nonsense.
The very powerful emotional content then, that millions of others have enjoyed, was possibly wasted on you ? Perhaps you do not like books which elicit strong emotions, particularly painful ones. Perhaps you prefer interest through more intricate plots, humor and action ... books that have an emotional disconnect.I must say I don't think I have ever heard anyone describe '1984' as 'not bad'. Even if you don't like the book, you would have to be almost brain dead not to acknowledge its utter utter genius.
Edited by jackal on Wednesday 13th February 18:06
Roger Dodger said:
They're making the film as I type!!
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