heybatesy Posted February 6, 2009 Posted February 6, 2009 Can anybody recommend a good book! Nothing by Bill Gates please..
Gatt Posted February 6, 2009 Posted February 6, 2009 Lord Of the Rings? Discworld? War and Peace? The Iliad?
Reaper Posted February 6, 2009 Posted February 6, 2009 Slash's Autobiography The Big Bang by Simon someone Decipher by Stel Pavlou I, Jedi by Michael A Stackpole
hicksonj Posted February 6, 2009 Posted February 6, 2009 Magician - Raymond e Feist Yes Man - Danny Wallace War of the worlds - H G Wells Zombie Survival Guide - Max Brooks World War Z - Max Brooks
jcollings Posted February 6, 2009 Posted February 6, 2009 The Time Travellers Wife Lovely Bones The Eyre Affair or anything by Ian Rankin
srochford Posted February 6, 2009 Posted February 6, 2009 "At My Mother's Knee" (Paul O'Grady) is the only book ever to have been given a good review by Private Eye. Not sure what that tells you but it was only a fiver in Zavvi last weekend so I bought it but I'm afraid I haven't read it yet so I can't tell you how good it is :-)
antoeknee Posted February 6, 2009 Posted February 6, 2009 Another vote for Magician (Feist) one of my fav books.
witch Posted February 6, 2009 Posted February 6, 2009 Can I hijack a bit and ask for good Sci Fi books please? The other half only reads Sci Fi and has read everything the local library has. He HATES fantasy - he is a real grass roots sci fi man. Recent reads include Richard Morgan, Iain M Banks and Kim Stanley Robinson as well as all the old favorties such as Heinlein etc.
moiebus Posted February 6, 2009 Posted February 6, 2009 (edited) Halting State - Charles Stross If you like things 'virtual' try: Permutation City - Greg Egan Edited February 6, 2009 by moiebus
goaliepride Posted February 6, 2009 Posted February 6, 2009 the blind watchmaker - richard dawkins Plato and a Platypus Walk into a Bar . . .: Understanding Philosophy Through Jokes - Thomas Cathcart into the wild - Jon Krakauer the watchmen - Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons
SteveMC Posted February 6, 2009 Posted February 6, 2009 Can I hijack a bit and ask for good Sci Fi books please? The other half only reads Sci Fi and has read everything the local library has. How about Neal Stephenson? - I can especially recommend Cryptonomicon, Snow Crash and The Diamond Age. Stephen
mossj Posted February 6, 2009 Posted February 6, 2009 I'm gonna go for the obvious, Hitch hickers guide to the galaxy <- or anything by douglas adams And i'm partial to the Jeremy Clarkson books too....
Reaper Posted February 7, 2009 Posted February 7, 2009 Can I hijack a bit and ask for good Sci Fi books please? The other half only reads Sci Fi and has read everything the local library has. He HATES fantasy - he is a real grass roots sci fi man. Recent reads include Richard Morgan, Iain M Banks and Kim Stanley Robinson as well as all the old favorties such as Heinlein etc. William Gibson - Neuromancer (the original cyberpunk book I believe) Phillip Palmer - Debatable Space (Just read that and it was great!) Phillip K Dick books Can't believe I forgot Magician by Feist, any one read the most recent book?
witch Posted February 7, 2009 Posted February 7, 2009 He's apparently read all of Philip K Dick and William Gibson. Phillip Palmer and Neal Stephenson sound interesting - anything else?
LeMarchand Posted February 7, 2009 Posted February 7, 2009 General: Skallagrigg by William Horwood A bit of a toughie to describe, as most people see the synopsis and bail(!), but it has two main strands: a while before the main strand a young boy with severe Cerebral Palsy is stuck in an institution. He tells the others there about "The Skallagrigg", a creature that looks after all those with physical/mental difficulties. In the present (when the book was written) Esther, who also suffers from CP, is determined to track down the source of the "Skallagrigg" myths... This book really changed my perception of people with CP, and is one of the very, very, few books to have ever moved me to tears . The Descent by Jeff Long Vaguely SF, but more like Michael Crichton does horror. An expedition below the earth's surface uncovers an underground kingdom whose inhabitants gave rise to our tales of demons. Man rushes to exploit the underworld, but what if the myths had a greater basis in fact than we ever suspected? Recently relaunched/retrofitted as a trilogy. the second part (Deeper) is nowhere near as good. Birdman by Mo Hayder The most disturbing serial killer modus operandi I've ever read. Anything by Jasper Fforde. Pun-tastic adventures within literature. Fantasy: George R.R. Martin's "Song of Ice and Fire" sequence. Still incomplete, but incredible. The fantasy elements aren't as important as the struggles (both physical and political) between the various characters and factions. Martin arguably started the current trend of not being afraid to bump off major characters. SF: Peter F. Hamilton's space operas. Lots of science, huge spaceships and labyrinthine plots. Anything by Michael Marshall Smith. He should have sued the makers of "The Island". Supposed to be for kids, but far too good for them: Philip Reeves' "Hungry Cities/Mortal Engines" Quartet and his "Larklight" books The "Larklight" books are jolly steampunk romps but the "Mortal Engines" books are truly stunning, and deserve to be far better known than JK Rowling's overly-long books. Un Lun Dun by China Mieville Not as heavy going as his (almost as good) adult novel, this is a present day "Narnia" type story where 2 girls discover a hidden world underneath the capital. I could go on, but have to bake some bread.
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