Favourite authors and works?

[Oofie]

Feel free to attack each other on tastes in literature. For example, if you are about to type the words 'Dan Brown', get out of my thread right now.

But anyway, who are your favourite authors and why? Mine would have to be Bret Easton Ellis (http://www.randomhouse.com/kvpa/eastonellis/) and Chuck Palahniuk (http://www.chuckpalahniuk.net/).

I love these guys because, in my opinion, they tend to straddle the line between insanity and pure genius (anyone who has read Haunted or American Psycho will agree). Their works are grotesque, but highly amusing, and make constant jabs at modern society.

Both authors have had several of their novels made into films (Easton Ellis: American Psycho, The Rules of Attraction, Less than Zero, and I think there may be plans to film Lunar Park. Palahniuk: Fight Club, plans for Survivor but that got axed, and Choke), some of which were more successful than others :P.

I also adore Jane Austen but I can't really explain that one. I guess I'm just a hopeless romantic after all :shobon:.

(Fun fact, Bret Easton Ellis said I was cute, and Chuck Palahniuk gave me a BBQ Meat scented air freshner!)

[Assassin]

Only author I read because I want to is HP Lovecraft. He's awesome. My favourite works from him are "The Whisperer in Darkness", "At the Mountains of Madness" and "The Colour out of Space" (from what I've read of him so far).

[Krabby]

I really liked the four Dan Brown books I've read. Bite me.

Other than that, I really liked the Harry Potter books, have them all, have just started reading the second in english (read all of them numerous times in dutch).

I've always read a lot in my life, so I'm not going to be naming all the books. You wouldn't know quite some of them anyway - belgian authors. One of my favourites of the last few weeks was Blindness by José Saramago.

[Tweek]

David Morrell is an excellent thriller and horror writer.

[Antisaint]

Robert Jordan, because he took the world of fantasy to a new level.
Orson Scott Card, because who doesn't like Ender's Game?

Also, Raymond E. Feist is pretty good.

[Spiffy13]

The first author I really liked was Lloyd Alexander (author of Prydain Chronicles). After that, I started getting into horror and started reading a ton of H.P. Lovecraft.
Recently, I've been reading some of Stephen King.

[History]

Raymond E. Feist is good for his first few books, but after a while the series gets really long and boring. The Magician and Silverthorn were really his only two that entirely captivated me.
I have been on a Stephen King kick since I read Dark Tower, but some of his books are really hit or miss. It's almost like you can tell the difference between the ones that he is writing as a career writer (ex. Needful Things, pure crap), and the ones that he is writing that he enjoys (ex. The Stand).
My taste in books tends towards the fantasy genre, as I also like Robert Jordan, Terry Brooks, and Phillip Pullman's Dark Materials. Jordan is probably my least favorite, he just suckered me into reading his entire Wheel of Time series, when really the first four were the best. Now I'm stuck waiting for the final installment.

[BKS]

King is at the top of my list, followed by Lovecraft. After that its not really in any paticular order, just depends on the mood I'm in and what kind of book I want to read. Wayyy too many authors to count.

[Dresden]

Robert Jordan, because he took the world of fantasy to a new level.

hell yes he did. He is my favorite fantasy author.

Besides his stuff, I also love the Harry Potter Books; Lord of the Rings is of course a classic. The Ishmael series by Daniel Quinn is great, it makes you think SO much about the state our world is in today, and how we fucked it up.

Fight Club was a great book, obviously (the movie rocked too).

The Dune series.... epic. Never knew it was possible to span a story over thousands of years and still keep everything together and interesting, but Frank Herbert did it.

The Meredith Gentry series by Laurell K. Hamilton is pretty good. Kind of a pagan/fantasty type of thing, with plenty of hot steamy sex.

[Audioslave]

I'm a big Kurt Vonnegut fan. I'm partial to Cat's Cradle and Slaughterhouse-Five.

I can only tell you to go out and read them.

[Mirrorman]

Terry Pratchett. I love his Discworld series.
Stephen King. For the Dark Tower series.

[xkittenxsocksx]

Bukowski

http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j87/c93/bukowski014.jpg

<3

"Frankly, I was horrified by life, at what a man had to do simply in order to eat, sleep, and keep himself clothed. So I stayed in bed and drank. When you drank the world was still out there, but for the moment it didn’t have you by the throat."

[Probotector]

I like the book No! with Sherry Nothingham :lol:

[blltmssgy]

My favorite books as of right now would have to be:
The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
On the Road by Jack Kerouac
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey
The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test by Tom Wolfe
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

And I am looking forward to reading The Castle by Franz Kafka when I finish a book I am reading for school.

[cosmosforest]

Nice to see a good mix of tastes in here.
Personally, I read anything I can get my hands on - Tom Clancy, Stephen King, Isaac Asimov, Ian Rankin, Douglas Adams, and about 70 more authors are currently gracing the bookshelves above my laptop.
My current favourite authors would have to be Asimov and Conan Doyle.

And a word of warning to anyone who loves their classics (The Iliad kicks ass!), I found Moby Dick to be torturous - it took me an entire school year to read it!

[Madness]

Catcher In The Rye by J.D. Salinger

One of my all time favorites.

And also

Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk

I personally liked the book better.

[natalie137]

I love the books by Tess Gerritsen. The way she writes horror is simply superb. I also love Helen Fielding's books, not just both of the Bridget Jones books, but her other books too.

When it comes to poetry I adore Carol Ann Duffy's work.

However, one of my favourite books ever is To Kill A Mockingbird. I studied it for GCSE English Literature and I absolutely love it.

[Mobius]

At first I was in love with the author of the Animorphs series as a kid, K.A. Applegate. But right now my favorite is Robert Ludlum. He wrote the Bourne Identity trilogy. When it comes to spy thriller/suspense novels, he's unmatched.

[Couch]

I really enjoyed All Quiet On The Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque. Author-wise, I'm a big fan of Vince Flynn, Dean Koontz, Robert Ludlum, and Micheal Crichton. Of course, there are tons more but those are the few I can name off the top of my head.

[green rubber bands]

Straddling the top of my list are Stephen King, George Orwell, and Isaac Asimov. For some reason, it always surprises people when they find out Orwell wrote more than two books :blanky:. Frank Herbert awed me with Dune, and Koontz won me over with Life Expectancy and the Odd series. I used to be a big Crichton fan, but State of Fear was much below his abilities.

J.P. Donleavy for some reason resonates with me, as does Stalinger.


For my sake, however, I've been trying to read some non-fiction, and Richard Feynman has been making the transition very smooth for me.

[megchansweetie44]

Stephanie Meyer - Twilight series. It is absolutely fabulous. She takes a mystical element that would normally be seen as horrifying, and makes it beautiful. the process is amazing and I love it so much.

older literature
Hawthorne - Scarlet Letter. I found it to be very strong and moving. he took the 1650s in the colonial times to make a love story with a twist. very good.

[History]

For my sake, however, I've been trying to read some non-fiction, and Richard Feynman has been making the transition very smooth for me.

For Uni I have to read a ton of non-fiction books, and I have come across some gems. Last night I read one called Downtown America: A History of the Place and the People who made it, by Alison Isenberg. I was surprised at how good of a read it was. I was trying not to get too in depth with it as I put it off for the absolute last minute, but I was absorbed. Turns out she's a pretty funny lady, and a decent writer for an historian. Three Lives for Mississippi, by William Bradford Huie was also a good book, it's about three murders that happen in Mississippi during the civil rights movement, and the shifty investigations that followed. Another one that left an impression on me was called Vietnam-Perkasie: A Combat Marine Memoir, by W.D. Ehrhart. Just in case you stray from your scientific non-fiction reads.

[jewishjosh]

I'm a big Kurt Vonnegut fan. I'm partial to Cat's Cradle and Slaughterhouse-Five.

I can only tell you to go out and read them.

Amen to that, and rest in peace :salute:

Lately I've really been getting into Orwell, and I'm a bit of a sucker for the Catcher in the Rye cliche. Fantasy doesn't grip me like it used to, these days I'm in the mood for something more socially relevant and "real".



I should read more.

[natalie137]

I forgot to add for mine, as far as playwrights go, I love Jean-Paul Sartre. I studied Les Mains Sales for A Level French and I'm currently doing Huis Clos for Literature in Modern France and I just adore his way of writing

[Savvy]

There are 3 book shops in Kuwait so I read anything I can get my hands on. Top of my list at the moment is Stephen King and his Dark Tower series, before him it was Lovecraft and Pullman.

[cosmosforest]

Frank Herbert awed me with Dune, and Koontz won me over with Life Expectancy and the Odd series. I used to be a big Crichton fan, but State of Fear was much below his abilities.

I feel the exact same way about both Koontz and Crichton. A friend of mine suggested I pick up a Koontz book, and the first one I saw was Life Expectancy - I finished it a few hours later! The Odd series is good, but I don't think I'll go out of my way to actually recommend it to anyone - I just didn't find it gripping enough. And as for 'The Face' and The Taking, I wasn't happy with those at all.

States of Fear by Crichton was ridiculous. I was studying Forest Management when I read it, and there were times when I wanted to put it down because I felt like I was reading case studies or course literature - he should never have gone down that path.
I have yet to read the Dune books but I do have the DVD around here somewhere, and about 80 other books to be read, but I think I'll get there this decade!! :lol:

[BKS]

Ya know, it might be because I tried to read a book way into the Wheel of Time series, but I tried Robert Jordan and could not manage to sit through it. It's either the guy's writing style or was my mood at the time, but it turned me off of his works. I personally prefer George R.R. Martin for when it comes to fantasy. His "A Song of Ice and Fire" series I got really into, and have yet to read the last book of.


Fortunately, or maybe not, I have a pile of books, maybe 20 something that I have to read. It just takes so long and I'm addicted to buying them. I started the Anne Rice series but just veered off, so that needs to be completed sometime too. Oh boy...

[Audioslave]

Amen to that, and rest in peace :salute:

He's in heaven now.

[Oofie]

I really liked the four Dan Brown books I've read. Bite me.
No thanks, I'll just keep up the extremely unfair assumption that you know nothing about good literature.

I forgot to add for mine, as far as playwrights go, I love Jean-Paul Sartre. I studied Les Mains Sales for A Level French and I'm currently doing Huis Clos for Literature in Modern France and I just adore his way of writing

Actually, I love Sartre too. I read Les Mots a while ago in French, but I had to re-read the English translation in order to pick up certain bits. My French isn't as good as it was :(

Another French writer I like is Flaubert, writer of Madame Bovary. Such a fantastic book.

[cosmosforest]

No thanks, I'll just keep up the extremely unfair assumption that you know nothing about good literature.

I'd call that a fair comment!!
I forgot to mention HG Wells, and Jules Verne earlier - and I'm a little surprised that Tolkien has not yet been mentioned!! (before now I mean!)

[Krabby]

Straddling the top of my list are Stephen King, George Orwell, and Isaac Asimov. For some reason, it always surprises people when they find out Orwell wrote more than two books :blanky:.

Heh. Before reading that second line I thought "what the hell, Orwell just wrote 1984 and Animal Farm. I stand corrected.

laquisha, syphilis queen: Tastes differ. I'm not saying they're the best I've read, they're the first one that came to mind as you mentioned the name. I'm only 17 but I read like five books monthly - when comparing to other people my age I reckon I've read a fair few books.

Feel free to suggest me any books you think I must read.

[abbey]

Catcher In The Rye by J.D. Salinger

One of my all time favorites.

And also

Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk

I personally liked the book better.
Two very good books. I'm reading Catcher in the Rye right now.

I really like Augusten Burroughs. He wrote Running With Scissors and Dry, both hilarious and hard to put down.

Also Ayn Rand might be on my list soon. I just bought Atlas Shrugged and so far the first few pages are really good.

[BKS]

Also Ayn Rand might be on my list soon. I just bought Atlas Shrugged and so far the first few pages are really good.

I hear they based Bioshock of of that book... Lemme know how it is when you finish reading it, I've heard it was decent, but never read any of Rand's works, so I wouldn't know if I liked it.

[Dresden]

yeah, I heard that too about Bioshock. I've been thinking about finding a few Ayn Rand books to read as well.

Steinbeck's always a good read too, of course.

[Oofie]

laquisha, syphilis queen: Tastes differ. I'm not saying they're the best I've read, they're the first one that came to mind as you mentioned the name. I'm only 17 but I read like five books monthly - when comparing to other people my age I reckon I've read a fair few books.

Feel free to suggest me any books you think I must read.

I was kidding(ish). And I'd recommend any of the books in my first post to anyone, but like you say, tastes differ, so don't take my word on it :P

[Biguardo]

Can't believe nobody mentioned the Illuminatus! - Triology by Robert Shea and Robert Anton Wilson yet. Those are awesome, and they have the weirdest plot ever. Read them. Now.

I also enjoyed The "Tales of the Otori" Triology by Lian Hearn, I have yet to read the sequel and the prequel. It's not exactly high literature, but a fun and epic story.

[abbey]

I hear they based Bioshock of of that book... Lemme know how it is when you finish reading it, I've heard it was decent, but never read any of Rand's works, so I wouldn't know if I liked it.
Bioshock is based on her philosophy, but not the book.

I'll let you know how it is, but the book is 1100 pages long so it might be a few months.

[GIO]

What about the theatre of the absurd? Plays such as The Bald Soprano, Waiting for Godot and Rhinoceros? C&H reminds me of them sometimes. :)

[Riddlebox]

Asimov is god. I don't think I even need to say more, but if any of you like him as well, you need to read the Foundation series. Also, the Robots of Dawn.

Hell, just read everything he wrote.

Also, William Gibson, Arthur C. Clarke, Ray Bradbury are all good.

Fitzgerald and Vonnegut are good too, but it didn't feel right mentioning them with a bunch of sci-fi authors.

[blltmssgy]

I forgot one of my favorite books of all time and I don't know how....

Night by Elie Weisel

and when I was younger I read Koontz, King, and Grisham, but now I'd rather more substantial works. Right now I have to read a book for school then I plan on reading The Castle by Kafka, which I have already stated, then The Sunlight Dialogues by John Gardner (I remember reading Grendel by him and enjoying it), and maybe the Communist Manifesto.

I guess I just like reading books (mostly fiction) that are commentary to what is going on in the world socially, and the vast majority of the books I've mentioned are like that.

EDIT: This following excerpt from Night is probably one of the strongest pieces of writing from literature I have ever read:

"But the third rope was still moving: the child, too light, was still breathing... And so he remained for more than half an hour, lingering between life and death, writhing before our eyes. And we were forced to look at him at close range. He was still alive when I passed him. His tongue was still red, his eyes not yet extinguished. Behind me, I heard the same man asking: 'For G-d's sake, where is G-d?' And from within me, I heard a voice answer: 'Where He is? This is where - hanging here from this gallows...'"

[Veeduck]

I love TJ Bass. His body of work is not huge, but it's still excellent. THe world he created, and the writing style impressed me quite a bit. The Godwhale and Half Past Human, his two novels, in particular.

Also, Arthur C Clarke, Franz Kafka, and Victor Hugo are waaay up there.

[Oofie]

What about the theatre of the absurd? Plays such as The Bald Soprano, Waiting for Godot and Rhinoceros? C&H reminds me of them sometimes. :)

C&H reminds you of Beckett and Ionesco? Seriously?

But speaking of drama, I totally forgot Shakespeare. Hamlet, Macbeth and R&J are three plays I could read/see performed a million times and never be sick of them. His sonnets are amazing too.

[cosmosforest]

Asimov is god. I don't think I even need to say more, but if any of you like him as well, you need to read the Foundation series. Also, the Robots of Dawn.

Hell, just read everything he wrote.

Asimov was a brilliant author, and I believe that his books will still be in print a century from now sue to popular demand. However, the Foundation series, while great, is still a bit 'heavy', for want of a better word. Maybe it's just me, but I'm kind of struggling with the last in the series (even though I have yet to read 'Prelude to Foundation')
And I just finished 'About A Boy' by Nick Hornby - I thought it was very good, and I'm going to recommend here!

[natalie137]

What about the theatre of the absurd? Plays such as The Bald Soprano, Waiting for Godot and Rhinoceros? C&H reminds me of them sometimes. :)

Rhinoceros is the third play I'm studying for French Literature, I get the extract next week but it's recommended we read the whole book. Is it an entertaining read?

[GIO]

C&H reminds you of Beckett and Ionesco? Seriously?

But speaking of drama, I totally forgot Shakespeare. Hamlet, Macbeth and R&J are three plays I could read/see performed a million times and never be sick of them. His sonnets are amazing too.

Yes, doesn't it remind you?

As far as Shakespeare is concerned, I'm not really a "fan". I find Shakespeare's quite overrated. But I've read most of his plays and there are some qualities that certainly cannot be disproved. Last night I saw Merry Wives of Windsor in theatre... Dunno why I'm mentioning this, I just thought you'd be glad to hear. :)


Rhinoceros is the third play I'm studying for French Literature, I get the extract next week but it's recommended we read the whole book. Is it an entertaining read?

Well... If you are into nonsense writing, then I guess you'd be interested in reading it, but I don't suggest you'd have lots and lots of fun... The whole idea and "the message" of the play are magnificent, but the realization is not the most perfect one. Anyways, it's not a really big play, so if you eventually decide to read it, I'd like to hear your opinion on it. I don't know many people who have read Ionesco's plays and I've never got the chance to discuss them.

[Fodniethan]

My favourite book is probably Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks, which incidentally I read just before visiting Ypres in Belgium for a history trip. Amazing book. I haven't got round to reading any other of his books, but I'm planning to and they had better be as good as I expect or I'll cry with disappointment.

Also, Karin Slaughter's books are pretty good in a thiller/crime/disgusting murder way.

[jagilki]

For me...

Robert Jordan, Whell of Time (It's becoming more habit, than joy though.)
George R.R. Martin, Fire and Ice (Still waiting for the next book though)
Terry Pratchett, Diskworld (prefer the Sam Vimes books, but beginning to really dig Moist Von Libwig)
David (& Leigh) Eddings ... whatever. Not the best writers, but I enjoy their books.

[Audioslave]

C&H reminds you of Beckett and Ionesco? Seriously?

Estragon: Well, shall we go?
Vladmir: Yes, let's go.
*they get AIDS*

[MeganB]

I'm surprised nobody's mentioned Anthony Burgess or Chuck Palahniuk.
Clockwork Orange and Fight Club?
Interesting concepts.

And, if someone has mentioned them.
Eat it; I skimmed, I didn't read every post ;)

[BKS]

I'm surprised nobody's mentioned Anthony Burgess or Chuck Palahniuk.
Clockwork Orange and Fight Club?
Interesting concepts.

And, if someone has mentioned them.
Eat it; I skimmed, I didn't read every post ;)


Yeah, Chuck's been mentioned like 4 or 5 times already. Think you're the first with Burgess though, not positive.

A friend of mine read A Clockwork Orange and said it was drastically different from the movie, so I figure it might be worth reading. Can you verify this statement?

[GIO]

Yeah, Chuck's been mentioned like 4 or 5 times already. Think you're the first with Burgess though, not positive.

A friend of mine read A Clockwork Orange and said it was drastically different from the movie, so I figure it might be worth reading. Can you verify this statement?


It is worth reading.

But, why, what's wrong with the movie? O_o

[abbey]

I'm surprised nobody's mentioned Anthony Burgess or Chuck Palahniuk.
Clockwork Orange and Fight Club?
Interesting concepts.

And, if someone has mentioned them.
Eat it; I skimmed, I didn't read every post ;)
I loved Fight Club, but I don't really like the other Palahniuk books I've read or started reading (Choke, Lullaby, and Survivor). His style is really dark. It gets on my nerves after a while.

[Triple J]

I like Dean Koontz. Even though I've only read Life Expectancy, The Bad Place, Lightning, Odd Thomas, Forever Odd, and I am currently reading Brother Odd.

And I also like Frank Portman. He has written only one book that if you don't know about you should buy it or just look at the reviews for it because I have yet to find a bad review.

[Quadros]

I still have a hard on for Shakespeare and Orwell and consider those to be an exceptable canon. For shakey it's got to be the tragedies, Othello being a personal favourite, but also Macbeth (which I'm currently adapting into l33tsp33k) and King Lear. Oh, and Romeo and Juliet but only for Tybalt. As for Orwell it's got to be 1984, Down and Out in London and Paris, and possilbly my favourite book of all time ever, the peerless Animal Farm.

[Hats of!]

Old Sci-Fi novels that's work as an excuse to sneak in Sience into the weekend.
I, Robot is amongst the greatest books I've ever read.

[MSB]

Chuck Palahniuk is by far my favorite. I read Survivor first, and was totally sucked in. Invisible Monsters has to be my favorite though. Definitely a good read. I couldn't put it down.

Although most know him as a comedian, George Carlin has written some pretty hysterical books. I've read Napalm and Silly Putty and When Will Jesus Bring the Pork Chops, and they both had me laughing out loud. The great thing about them is that I can randomly pick one of the books up, open to a page and read an excerpt without having to remember what the rest of the book is about.

[Quadros]

Old Sci-Fi novels that's work as an excuse to sneak in Sience into the weekend.
I, Robot is amongst the greatest books I've ever read.

Oh yeah I forgot about Asimov. He's awesome.

[Audioslave]

Macbeth (which I'm currently adapting into l33tsp33k)

You're a fucking monster. Leave the classics alone!

[MeganB]

Yeah, Chuck's been mentioned like 4 or 5 times already. Think you're the first with Burgess though, not positive.

A friend of mine read A Clockwork Orange and said it was drastically different from the movie, so I figure it might be worth reading. Can you verify this statement?

I didn't find it drastically different.
There's a few minor aesthetic differences, and one or two unnecessary pieces left out in the movie, otherwise, they're quite similar. Still worth reading, though. I read the novel after I saw the movie and quite enjoyed contrasting the two.

[MeganB]

Yeah, Chuck's been mentioned like 4 or 5 times already. Think you're the first with Burgess though, not positive.

A friend of mine read A Clockwork Orange and said it was drastically different from the movie, so I figure it might be worth reading. Can you verify this statement?

I loved Fight Club, but I don't really like the other Palahniuk books I've read or started reading (Choke, Lullaby, and Survivor). His style is really dark. It gets on my nerves after a while.


After reading Fight Club and Invisible Monsters, I sort of know what you're getting at. Though I've only read two of his books, they seem to deal a lot with the same atmosphere and themes. The narrative voice is also really consistent, which makes me wonder whether all of his works are like that - Choke, I believe, is the next book on my list to check out. I'm curious now.

[cosmosforest]

I like Dean Koontz. Even though I've only read Life Expectancy, The Bad Place, Lightning, Odd Thomas, Forever Odd, and I am currently reading Brother Odd.

And I also like Frank Portman. He has written only one book that if you don't know about you should buy it or just look at the reviews for it because I have yet to find a bad review.

I just started reading Life Expectancy again - it's still good!
I didn't like Brother Odd all that much - I get the feeling with some of Koontz's books, Brother Odd included, that he got a bit tired/bored and finished them up quickly so that he could get onto another project.

What do you think of Frank Portman? This is the first I've heard of him, so I'll find a review too.

[MSB]

After reading Fight Club and Invisible Monsters, I sort of know what you're getting at. Though I've only read two of his books, they seem to deal a lot with the same atmosphere and themes. The narrative voice is also really consistent, which makes me wonder whether all of his works are like that - Choke, I believe, is the next book on my list to check out. I'm curious now.

He has the same type of style for each book, yet they each have their own unique theme/plot/twists/etc. I'm not really sure how to word it, but basically they're similar, yet different.

Choke is a great read! I'm sure you'll love it. If you have a strong stomach, check out 'Haunted' next. It's amazingly written, but definitely not for the squeamish.

[BKS]

It is worth reading.

But, why, what's wrong with the movie? O_o

No, I meant that as "It's different then the movie (which I loved), so therefore worth checking out."


Wasn't saying the movie was bad.

[Matt]

As with many others in this thread, I'm a big Palahniuk fan. I really like dark satire when it's done right, and Chuck knows how to do it. I'm psyched for the movie version of Choke.

I think he'd be a lot of fun to hang out with, he's definitely got a like-minded sense of humor. I read an interview (http://www.slashfilm.com/2008/01/24/interview-with-chuck-palahniuk/) he did at Sundance:

The photo above was taken at the Choke premiere, the night before this interview. Palahniuk leaned his head across mine right before the flash. “Congratulations, now you have syphilis.” he added.

Reading that I couldn't help but think "Man, this guy would probably love C&H."

Oh, I'm also reading a book by one of the Daily Show writers called "A Practical Guide to Racism." It's awesome so far.

[GIO]

No, I meant that as "It's different then the movie (which I loved), so therefore worth checking out."


Wasn't saying the movie was bad.


I'm glad. I love the movie, too. I could even say it's my favourite.

[Chocoholic]

I'm a big Kurt Vonnegut fan. I'm partial to Cat's Cradle and Slaughterhouse-Five.

I can only tell you to go out and read them.

I loved Slaughterhouse-Five. I literally laughed out loud when the main character got called a motherfucker and he was all contemplating how he's never fucked anything and certainly not his mother.

I'm also a Palahniuk fan. He's just as funny in real life as he is in his books. Great writer too. The words may not flow like a river of poetic beauty but his books are definitely entertaining.

Koji Suzuki is one of my favorite authors. The Ring series was amazing and the last book (Loop) pretty much bitch slaps you with the truth about the Ring curse. Dark Water (a collection of short stories) was also really good. How someone managed to take a 20 page story and turn it into a full-length movie I don't know.

[gizzalove]

My favorite author is defiantly Ned Vizzini (http://www.nedvizzini.com/). He hasn't written much but I love everything he has so far, especially "It's Kind of a Funny Story".

[Ice_Mel]

A friend of mine read A Clockwork Orange and said it was drastically different from the movie, so I figure it might be worth reading. Can you verify this statement?

The movie does not include the last chapter.

I love Gabriel Garcia Marquez's work, and One Hundred Years of Solitude is truly a masterpiece, I advice everyone to check it out. Love in the Time of Cholera is awesome as well.

Also, since everyone here is a Palahniuk fan, which book should I read first? By the way, I saw Fight Club and loved it.

[green rubber bands]

I love Gabriel Garcia Marquez's work, and One Hundred Years of Solitude is truly a masterpiece, I advice everyone to check it out.

My dad tried to read that and said he just couldn't get through it. Is there anything wrong with it? Because if not, I would like to give it a shot.

[Ice_Mel]

Well, the time period covered in the book is literally a hundred years, so new characters keep popping up, and it's kinda hard to keep track. A lot of them have similar names too.

[Water-Sheerie]

Tolkien, C.S.Lewis. I love the "Space Thrilogy" by Lewis. And yes, I'm a big fan of "Lord of the Rings". I also like "Perks of Being a Wallflower", by Chbosky. "The Divine Comedy", by Dante. Anything by Charles de Lint. The list goes on...

[MSB]

Also, since everyone here is a Palahniuk fan, which book should I read first? By the way, I saw Fight Club and loved it.

I recommend Survivor as a first read. It was the first Palahniuk book I read, and I was done reading rather quickly. Easy read, and definitely keeps you entertained.

[Seriodor]

Robert Jordan for all his works. I cried for the first time in years, the day he died.

[Chocoholic]

The movie does not include the last chapter.
Many of the books don't either. The one I read didn't. I guess when they adapted it into English they took it out, thinking it was very inconsistent with the book as a whole. Which was why the movies lacked the final chapter. They everntually put it back in though. I guess someone told Kubrick when the film was like halfway through that there was another chapter to the book and he had no idea it existed. But he left it out (which admittedly makes the book/movie much darker).

There aren't many differences between them. A couple of things are left out/changed but it's nothing huge.


Also, since everyone here is a Palahniuk fan, which book should I read first? By the way, I saw Fight Club and loved it.

If you saw Fight Club I recommend reading that first. You'll be familiar with the story and you'll be able to get into the way he writes. If not then I recommend Survivor. It's pretty straightforward. Invisible Monsters is good but it skips around. Diary was also very good but it's a little bit different from his other stuff.

[Oofie]

Many of the books don't either. The one I read didn't. I guess when they adapted it into English they took it out, thinking it was very inconsistent with the book as a whole. Which was why the movies lacked the final chapter. They everntually put it back in though. I guess someone told Kubrick when the film was like halfway through that there was another chapter to the book and he had no idea it existed. But he left it out (which admittedly makes the book/movie much darker).


What? Adapted from what? It was written in English, wasn't it?

[Chocoholic]

What? Adapted from what? It was written in English, wasn't it?

My bad. What I meant to say was when they published it in the U.S. It was originally published in the U.K. The final chapter wasn't added back into the U.S. edition until 1986.

I think I got it confused due to that fact that the nadsat is a mixture of Slavic and Russian words.

[Cristo]

I love Dan Brown he is simply amazing.

Nah, not really. He's bland and generic.

I do however, looooooooove George RR Martin and his A Song of Ice and Fire (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Song_of_Ice_and_Fire) series is absolutely amazing.

I'd really go into more detail but over the years I've just written paragraphs and paragraphs about their awesomeness that I'm sick and tired of doing it, so I have kindly provided a link to a Wiki article about them.

It's a shame really because most people I meet usually don't know anything about him or the series, which sucks but some people do. Enough, apparently, for it to be popular enough for HBO to start making a series of it entitled Fire (http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117957532.html?categoryid=14&cs=1). Pretty great, I'm looking forward to it A LOT.

[devilcurls6981]

I absolutely love Augusten Burroughs, even though he seems like he is an ass in life.

[Ice_Mel]

Survivor it is, then.

[Seriodor]

I got a couple more: Terry Goodkind for The Sword of Truth, George R.R. Martin for A song of Ice and Fire, Jacqeuline Carey for the Kushiel series, and the Sundering series, David Farland for the Runelord series, Raymond E. Feist for all his works, and Sara Douglas for the Wayfarer Redemption.

[TheHighwaySong]

Like many here, I am definitely a Chuck Palahniuk fan. Haunted is just so gruesome but you can't put it down. After the whole book, the story of the boy in the pool at the very beginning still grosses me out the most. I'm looking forward to reading Snuff.

Other than Chuck, Koushun Takami made an excellent novel called Battle Royale, I'm sure some of you recognize it.

Ernest Hemingway is definitely a favorite too.

And I'm glad someone else has mentioned Elie Weisel. We had to read Night my freshmen year.

[Exit152]

Yann Martel : I really liked Life Of Pi, I just finished it and it was wicked. I also liked Self.

Agatha Christie : Murder is Easy and And The There Were None (Ten Little Ni-) were wonderfully written.

John Steinbeck : Of Mice And Men, of course. One of the best books I've ever read. East of Eden, Grapes of Wrath and Travels with Charley.

Margaret Peterson Haddix Shadow Children Series.

[MSB]

Like many here, I am definitely a Chuck Palahniuk fan. Haunted is just so gruesome but you can't put it down. After the whole book, the story of the boy in the pool at the very beginning still grosses me out the most. I'm looking forward to reading Snuff.


I literally gagged when I read that part. I'm not easily grossed out, but that was disgusting.

[JamesKPolk]

Vonnegut has a special place on my bookshelf ( I don't really have a bookshelf, but you get the point.) I especialy loved Cat's Cradle, Player Piano and The Galapagos. He is one of those writers that makes you think, without forcing you to think. Very interesting and original type of writing.

I have read so many 'deep', 'serious', even 'depressing' books, that one thing I've truly learned to appreciate is good humour. And when it comes to humour I've yet to read a book as funny as any of the Discworld novels by Terry Pratchett. Awesomely funny, and it's not your 'Americas Funniest Home Videos' funny. It's proper satire, sarcasm and irony, often in the same sentence. No particular books I especialy prefer. Just pick any Discworld book and you're set for the best time you can have by yourself for longer than five minutes.

One seperate book I really like is Catch-22 by Joseph Heller. Stretches human sanity to it's amusing limits. Funny, but has quite a lot of rather deep subtext.

Alright, now, as somebody stated in some thread, Warcraft Battlegrounds won't win themselves, so I'm off.

[timbot]

I saw some people mention Ayn Rand. Definitely my favorite author. She's fucking incredible. I will say, in absolute honesty, reading The Fountainhead changed my life. I know that Anthem is suggested for the book club. It's decent, but I've read The Fountain head twice and I'm currently reading Atlas Shrugged a second time. Anyway, enough drooling.

I also really enjoyed The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingslover, Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro, and though I'm not really a sci-fi fan at all, I did really enjoy Dune by Frank Herbert. I could go on and on, but I have to go to work.

[Wowbagger]

I'm a big fan of Jeff Lindsay's Dexter series, as well as some might guess, Douglas Adams, but also I love Arthur Conan Doyle's work on all the Sherlock Holmes tales.

[flux719]

Garth Nix is one of the greatest sci-fi-ish author I've ever read.
Best book I've ever read: The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss. Amazing storyline and writing style. I highly recommend it to anyone that enjoys fantasy even a little (beginning is slow, but it gets amazing)

[RebelWithoutASauce]

George R.R. Martin
This man created a fantasy series where magic is subtle (thereby actually magical), characters are realistic, and the plot is exciting. What can I say, he knows his history, he doesn't like 'good guys vs bad guys' and his plot is believable.

Issac Asimov
An author that doesn't let his style get in the way of his story, I like them because I don't feel like everything has been watered down for me. He is also amazingly consistent. I like everything he wrote. He does short stories, series, and stand-alone novels and they're all perfect and interestingly, not nearly as dated as most other science fiction gets.


H.P. Lovecraft
If this guy hadn't become an author I would have felt obligated to write a few short stories based on my dreams. Luckily I don't have to because he knew nearly a century ago the stuff of my nightmares.


C.S. Lewis
I love the Narnia books. I also really like his Christian writings. He's a good author and his writing style stands out to me. It's of high quality.

Anthony Burgess
I love A Clockwork Orange (the movie is excellent too). I also really like some of his other works. The Wanting Seed and 1985 (really hard to find) are really brilliant. He's just a great writer, I'm mystified as to how everyone seems to be unaware of his other work.

Raphael Sabatini
This man knows how to write an adventure! This guy makes you really appreciate the genre of swashbuckling adventure.

[hiphopdncr18]

Stephanie Meyers and her Twilight saga is my current obsession. It's amazing how she can take such an old classic and make it brand new(i cry every time I read her books, :) )

Orson Scott Card- Ender's Game and Ender's Shadow are addictive as well as Enchanment

Lord of the Rings and the Harry Potter books are also classics for all to read.

I'm also a Dan Brown Fan(if you don't like it, too bad) my favorite is The da Vinci Code because it started my love for novels like that.

Any book dealing with the Holocaust, Night by Elie Weisel is amazing- for whatever I haven't been able to read Schindler's List..i don't know why

and Terry Pratchet is another ecenr obsession I love his Discworld series!

[w0312447]

Everyone must read at least one Terry Pratchett book and that book is Reaper Man. By far, the best personification of Death in literature. Death SPEAKS IN ALL CAPITAL LETTERS and does his best to be "mortal" but fails because he's… well, Death. He has a man servant named Albert and a mighty steed called Binky. What's not to love, except maybe the skeleton thing.

[ultimacrom]

George RR Martin
I've been reading fantasy novels since I learned the alphabet. My father weaned me on The Hobbit, and, it is my less than humble opinion, that Mr. Martin puts everyone else to shame. What most people don't realize is that he's written a bunch of other stuff that was really good. In particular, I recommend Fevre Dream, especially if you like steam boats or vampires.

Orson Scott Card
My sixth grade teacher had Ender's Game on tape and we listened to it every day after lunch. Not the whole thing, mind you, just part of if. I reread it years later and still loved it. Also the Alvin Maker series was a great read, despite it's religious undertone. And, just to sweeten the pot, he created a great world with Treason, even if the writing is incredibly rough.

Margaret Weiss and Tracy Hickman
Most people think Dragonlance, but, if you can find it, The Death Gate Cycle is the series to read. It's a bit longer, but a much more interesting setting.

Frank Herbert
Dune was the first sci-fi I read and, as such, has held a special place in my heart. It is, by far, the novel that I've reread the most, (5 times, I believe).

There are others, I'm sure, but I can't think of them right now.

[Hemingway554]

Ernest Hemingway is my all time favorite i read islands in the stream about 14 times. I also like Oscar Wilde(The importance of being Ernest and The picture of Dorian Gray) I also like to read fantasy.

[iGavin]

I like Darren Shan books. Those are greusome! My favourite is Lord Loss.

[purplecarrot]

His dark materials by Phillip Pullman is good, but id still say R. Scott Baker and the trilogy he's just wrote is amazing, as most of the time i actually felt sorry for the main character it was a brialliant book as you could feel the emotion.

[INTUNEevolution]

Best book I have ever read is Samedi: The Deafness, by Jesse Ball.

It's like Camus's The Stranger on steroids.

[Rogue]

Personally I love thrillers, historical fiction, the Discworld series...and a tonne of others.

Bernard Cornwell, his writing may be a little samey - but each of his series' is just fantastically well researched.

James Patterson - Always got a surprise up his sleeve.

David Baldacci - The Camel Club trilogy is awesome.

Terry Pratchett...what to say? This man is possibly one of the greatest authors ever. Hilarious and un-putdownable.

Then on the more literary side, we have such authors as George Orwell and H.G. Wells (Brave New World is fantastic).

Of poets and playwrights, my favourites would be William Blake and Oscar Wilde, respectively.

Blake is fantastic and Wilde is just obscenely hilarious at times.

[iFuchue]

My absolute favorite right now is P.G Wodehouse.

No deep, intellectual reason why, I just think he's funny.

Sometimes, I indulge my cravings and plow into something by Grisham.

[timbot]

Then on the more literary side, we have such authors as George Orwell and H.G. Wells (Brave New World is fantastic).


Psst...Aldous Huxley wrote Brave New World not Orwell, or Wells. Still a pretty good book though.

[Ventric]

Are you guys SERIOUS!?!

Not one of you have said Hunter S. Thompson, a self proclaimed doctor of literature and the inventor of Gonzo Journalism.

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas is an amazing read and for 15$, I highly recommend it.

[timbot]

I always wanted to read some Hunter Thompson, but never have. Maybe the drug thing deterred me. Perhaps I shall add it to my list.

[Rui]

Irvine Welsh of "Trainspotting" fame. His style of writing is far from easy (multiple narrators, idiomatic writing of thick Edinburgh accents), but it's just so well done. I've read Trainspotting, Glue, Porno and Ecstasy.

I also quite like a Portuguese author from the 1800's called Eça de Queiroz (The Maias, Father Amaro's Crime). His style of writing is absolutely unique. If you guys have the chance to, read one of his books.

[Ventric]

Irvine Welsh of "Trainspotting" fame. His style of writing is far from easy (multiple narrators, idiomatic writing of thick Edinburgh accents), but it's just so well done. I've read Trainspotting, Glue, Porno and Ecstasy.

I also quite like a Portuguese author from the 1800's called Eça de Queiroz (The Maias, Father Amaro's Crime). His style of writing is absolutely unique. If you guys have the chance to, read one of his books.

I second that.

[Doghnut]

Does anyone here read Haruki Murakami? Hard Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World, as well the Wind Up Bird Chronicle, are genius. His other works are good as well (esp. Kafka on the Shore).

[INTUNEevolution]

Murakami owns. TV People was awesome and the 100% Perfect Girl inspired me to write romantic stories to girls I am trying to impress.

[John Travolta]

What is the What, an autobiography of a Sudanese Lost Boy named Valentino Achak Deng by David Eggers. It follows Deng through his journey from Southern Sudan to Ethiopia while showing the horrors of what the Lost Boys went through. What's so great about this book is that it's so real. The book hops around from Deng's present life in Atlanta, where he is struggling to fit to his past life in Africa.

Deng's village is totally decimated, leaving many of his family and friends dead. He finds a group of boys who are looking for an escape from the tragedy of Sudan. Deng dodges the Sudanese Army, lions, hunger, exhaustion and the memories of his dead friends and family on his trek to Ethiopia and salvation.

I totally recommend this book to anyone who wants to see how different the world is compared to your life.

[timbot]

What is the What, an autobiography of a Sudanese Lost Boy named Valentino Achak Deng by David Eggers. It follows Deng through his journey from Southern Sudan to Ethiopia while showing the horrors of what the Lost Boys went through. What's so great about this book is that it's so real. The book hops around from Deng's present life in Atlanta, where he is struggling to fit to his past life in Africa.

Deng's village is totally decimated, leaving many of his family and friends dead. He finds a group of boys who are looking for an escape from the tragedy of Sudan. Deng dodges the Sudanese Army, lions, hunger, exhaustion and the memories of his dead friends and family on his trek to Ethiopia and salvation.

I totally recommend this book to anyone who wants to see how different the world is compared to your life.

So, it is a true story? I was never actually sure. It sounded good, and I like Dave Eggers. I just haven't gotten around to reading it yet. Instead I picked up A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah. It's a very similar story. The idea is really compelling, but I actually didn't think the book was that good at all. Maybe What is the What will come off better since it's written by an actual author, and not just a memoir.

[HappinessMan]

John Grisham would be one of my favorite authors, but his books are too predictable it seems. They follow the same format: shocking event, boring events leading up to final shocking event, shocking event. Another author would be Erik Nylund. Wrote the Halo books, along with a number of other Sci-fi books. Writes very descriptively, which a video game book needs anyway.

[John Travolta]

So, it is a true story? I was never actually sure. It sounded good, and I like Dave Eggers. I just haven't gotten around to reading it yet. Instead I picked up A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah. It's a very similar story. The idea is really compelling, but I actually didn't think the book was that good at all. Maybe What is the What will come off better since it's written by an actual author, and not just a memoir.

Yes it's a true story but it's not verbatim because most of the events that Deng went through happened when he was pretty young. It has the voice of Deng and it's in the first person so it feels like he's the one telling the story, it's just translated by Eggers.

[xkittenxsocksx]

I love James Joyce and Dostoevsky,
the Ulysses is a mind fuck.
Plus I picked up crime and punishment
from HMV last week for a measly £2.

[Oofie]

I love James Joyce and Dostoevsky,
the Ulysses is a mind fuck.
Plus I picked up crime and punishment
from HMV last week for a measly £2.

I'm studying Ulysses at the moment. Fucking weird but beautifully written. And Crime and Punishment is fantastic, I've read it about a thousand times.

[timbot]

I love James Joyce and Dostoevsky,
the Ulysses is a mind fuck.
Plus I picked up crime and punishment
from HMV last week for a measly £2.

Crime and Punishment I really liked. And one of these days I hope to get around to The Brothers Karamazov. I never read Ulysses, but I read several short stories by James Joyce in college and really didn't like them. He seems overly complex and difficult.

[Pieman]

I'll just list my favourites;

I'm up to date with the Wheel of Time series, and will probably reread them again because its my favourite series EVAR!

I'm reading the Sword of Shannara series (I'm finishing off Wishsong now), already read The Word and the Void and have The Heritage of Shannara in my book shelf. Not quite as good as WoT, but still a good read.

I've read the first 4 Harry Potter books at least 10 times each, but the final 3 only once or twice. As a kid I loved these books (Still do to some extent), but the final 3 sucked ass. Mostly because of Ginny. I hate her.

Thats my top 3 right now. My friends have told me to read the Dresden Files, have any of you read it? If so, was it good?

[timbot]

I just finished reading Everything is Illuminated by Johnathan Safran Foer and have to count it as one of my favorite novels. Not only is it one of the funniest books I've ever read, especially at the beginning, but it also quite sad at points. It's very intelligent and poignant, with lots of surprising insight. It has a wonderful mix of reality and fantastic elements, that make it really appealing. And, it's a rare book that mentions WWII and the treatment of Jews without just annoying me.
So, you know, go read it.

[Rogue]

Psst...Aldous Huxley wrote Brave New World not Orwell, or Wells. Still a pretty good book though.

eep!

my bad!

I did know that, believe it or not.

[GCBC]

Sometimes when I read, I am sick of all the text books and other required stuff that I have to read daily. So I like to pick up something mindless, that I can find enjoyable without having to think deeply about it. That's why Patricia Cornwell is one of my favorite authors. Her books are all about murder mystery and coroner/CSI type shit and I can get lost in it without having to think about deep shit like philosophy or anything of the sorts.

[Otsokarhu]

I'm new here, so hello to everyone. Cool to see a literature thread!

To books and authors then. I was surprised that only one person has mentioned Catch-22 by Joseph Heller, yet there are huge amounts of Vonnegut freaks here. I always felt those two kind of went together, and that if you were really interested in Vonnegut's works, you'd find yourself with Catch-22 in no time.

Catch-22 is brilliant, and I think it's a work that you will pick up again a few months after the first read just because there's so much more it has to give than what you are able to digest the first time around. The structure of the book is quite strange and there are very many characters that are all quite significant, thus I found it a little confusing and difficult to stay on top of things during the first read. I would recommend Catch-22 to anyone who feels like they are willing to put a little bit of effort into the reading, though I'd say that it's still incredibly enjoyabe. Really hilarious and dark at the same time. Depending on your level and habit, it can be a little bit difficult right down to the syntax. I found a lot of the vocabulary quite obscure and unusual for a novel, almost like jargon from different fields that he just managed to use accordingly. I think it adds quite an effect to the satirical tone, and was probably a conscious decision on Heller's part. Haven't read any of his other work apart from his memoir, so I don't know if that just fits his general style. Or maybe I'm just a dumbass :D

My all time favourite author, though, is Raymond Carver. His short stories, like those in the collection Where I'm Calling From, are a mindblowing and really touching, yet somehow self-deprecatingly comical look at the life and depression of the ordinary man. I don't think any literature has ever had such a huge impact on me.

Other great authors that haven't been mentioned:
Toni Morrison and her books like: Sula, The Bluest Eye, Beloved
- All her books circle around the African-American heritage and its conflicts, but her style is very beautiful, sometimes almost like poetry to read, phonetically and everything!

Lewis Carroll - Gotta love the Alice books, so good.
Dai Sijie - Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress, about the Chinese Cultural revolution in the 1970s.

Non-Fiction
Lawrence Reese - Nazis, A Warning From History
Richard Dawkins - The God Delusion
Anthony Read - Hitler's Disciples

The Nazi books are pretty fascinating, especially Read's in-depth analysis and study of the Lieutnants as individuals and under Hitler.

[Oodge]

Dune by Frank Herbert. I don't need to read another sci-fi book again after reading Dune and the prequels, sequels and side-stories.

Life of Pi by Yann Martel. When you think it couldn't be any more horrifying, the last chapter delivers that heartbreaker. Kept me thinking about it for days afterwards.

Syrup by Max Barry. One of the few books I've read to be epic and hilarious at the same time. I've read it at least... 7 times?

Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole. A book you must read before you die. It's got everything and there's a quote for every situation from the main character, Ignatius. Ignatius is the best character I have ever come across. This book is remarkable in every way.

[Alcoholic]

Someone mentioned Sir Arthur Conan Doyle....great stuff, all of it! Make sure and read Study in Scarlet!

Some personal favorites....James Joyce, especially Ulysses and Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man.

Surprisingly, and mock me if you like, Fleming's James Bond series (way back before there were movies, thank you!) was a blast to read. He did a phenomenal job of packing a lot into just a little space, and made it enjoyable to do so. My own picks of that series are Moonraker, From Russia, with Love, and Goldfinger. The era language, Bond's thought processes, and details given of World War II secret operations concerning the S.A.S. and SMERSH were a LOT of fun.

Sir Walter Scott's Ivanhoe has been one of my favorite books since I was 16 or so, and I always heard his Talisman was even better - but I have NEVER been able to find a copy!

There are a lot of other suggestions. P.M. me if there is a particular genre you're looking at. I'm currently working on the Qu'ran and the Mahabarata, the latter of which has some sincerely rich history and/or storytelling to it!

[Scrotemeal]

I absolutely love Bloodsong and Bloodtide by Melvin Burgess. They're based on an ancient saga, and are epic, heartbreaking books.

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. About the holocaust, and a brilliant book.

And of course Catch 22 by Joesph Heller and all Chuck Palahniuk books. I also love (even though people say they are children's books) Garth Nix, Christopher Paolini, Catherine Webb, Jackie French, Zizou Corder and Phillip Pullman.

[Pie_Dee]

I love all of Agatha Christie's books, especially Murder on the Orient Express. I've read pretty much every Poirot and Ms Marple story I could find in the library. The Unexpected Guest is also good.

I've also really liked Isaac Asimov ever since I read The Gods Themselves. It's an amazing science fiction.

P. G. Wodehouse is one of the funniest authors whose works I've read. Jeeves and Uncle Fred especially are just too great.

I also enjoy Kazuo Ishiguro's writing. Never Let Me Go by him is one of my all-time favourite books.

Philip Pullman and Christopher Paolini are my favourite authors for the His Dark Materials trilogy by Pullman and the Inheritance series by Paolini.

[Oodge]

Which is your favourite Christie? I think After the Funeral is her best

[Anouk]

My favourite author is J.K. Rowling!
Harry Potter! XD
Potter Puppet Pals are cool too.
"In slowmotion, the flowers fell from my hand and shattered like glass. When I looked into the mirror, I was a beautiful milk maid. Then I woke up crying and I don't know why."
That's from 'The Vortex' btw.

USER WAS PUT IN TIMEOUT FOR THIS POST. (http://forums.explosm.net/eventlog.php)
Reason: Thread derail, XD, btw.

[Pie_Dee]

Which is your favourite Christie? I think After the Funeral is her best

My favourite would probably be Roger Ackroyd. I haven't read After the Funeral. Most of mine were recommended to me and I've never heard of that one before.

[Ureshii]

I love all the works by Peter F Hamilton especially the Commonwealth Saga. He crafts very intricate, interwoven (and quite long) sci/fi novels which can really get you thinking.
I also really liked the Mortal Engines Quartet by Phillip Reeves when I was younger.

[SomethingWitty]

A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway; I read this book begrudgingly because my Dad made me, but it turned out to be one of my favourite books.
Sarah by J.T Leroy; Someone described this book as Alice in Wonderland on acid. That pretty much sums it up.
And anything by Dostoyevsky (in particular Notes From the Underground), Irvine Welsh, Aldous Huxley or Sebastian Faulks.

[thomas30113]

John Montroll.
He doesn't really WRITE or anything he just diagrams on origami in many books he has made.
I'm pretty sure he still counts as an author.

[sinan90]

Currently really getting into some Umberto Eco, I find his work encourages a deeper level of though compared to most other things I read, but that also at the same time makes it slower going.

I also really enjoy Markus Zusak's "The Book Thief" and I'm really annoyed I can't find any of his other books anywhere near to me.

A few years ago I was really into all the fantasy serieses, like the stuff by Robert Jordan and Robin Hobb, but for some reason they no longer hold the attraction for me now that they did then.

[docmartens]

I really like Ayn Rand, but not nearly as much as Kafka or Chehkov. Eastern European writers have a certain hopelessness and sense of futility that I crave.

[SynysterxTrigger]

Cornelia Funke who writes the Inkheart/Inkspell series.

Damn good books right thurr.

[Ox]

Bukowski?! Yeah, I hear he's a pretty good read, but God, who'd want to be such an asshole?!

[Haggis McSpud]

Orson Scott Card
My sixth grade teacher had Ender's Game on tape and we listened to it every day after lunch. Not the whole thing, mind you, just part of if. I reread it years later and still loved it. Also the Alvin Maker series was a great read, despite it's religious undertone. And, just to sweeten the pot, he created a great world with Treason, even if the writing is incredibly rough.

I concur! Card is one of my favorite fictional writers, I love all his books, but the Ender saga shall always have a place close to my heart :hmm:

Also;

Carlos Ruiz Zafon
I never even heard of this guy before I picked up his book "The Shadow Of The Wind", but it the one book I can read over and over again without getting bored of it, which is weird because I usually can only ever read a book once. Zafon puts a lot of emotional energy into his writing which makes me respect him not only as a writer but as a person as well. He seems like a cool dude!

James Herbert
I love this guy because he has a sick mind and no morals. He aims to scare and disgust and will stop at nothing to achieve these aims. Masterpieces? Possibly "The Rats" series, "The Secret of Crickly Hall", and "The Fog".

[Warsaw]

I'll just make a list with the autor, his/her nationality and one of the works I like the most:

Julio Cortázar (Argentina). Rayuela.
Antonin Artaud (French). Le Pèse Nerfs.
Arthur Rimbaud (French). Une Saison En Enfer.
Hermann Hesse (German). Demian.
Alejandra Pizarnik (Argentina). Extracción de la Piedra de la Locura.
Oscar Wilde (British). Salomé.
Boris Vian (French). L'herbe Rouge.
Milan Kundera (Czechoslovakia). L'Identité.
Sylvia Plath (American). The Bell Jar.
César Vallejo (Perú). Los Heraldos Negros.
Johann Goethe (German). Werther.
Fedor Dostoievsky (Russian). The Gambler.
Victor Hugo (French). Notre Dame de Paris.

[veveze]

I've posted this on the site before, but anyway: Dean Koontz (won me over with Watchers--still my favorite to this day). Anne Rice, favorites being Queen of the Damned and The Witching Hour. After The Witching Hour the Mayfair Chronicles bombed in my opinion, it just got steadily and steadily worse and it almost ruined the first one for me. I'm really into the Stepanie Plumb series by Janet Evanovich. I read Harry Potter, but I'm not sure I'll ever read J.K. Rowling again if she ever does write anything more. I'm currently making a list of authors I want to try out, broadening my horizons and whatnot.

[Dodger]

David Sedaris

Easily the funniest writer of our day, I read one of his stories in a class one day, and after that I went on a fucking binge, reading 3 of his books non-stop. I really want the read the others but I don't have the time or money right now.

But seriously this guy is hilarious.

[timbot]

DAD, have you listened to his books on tape? I tried to read Me Talk Pretty One Day and thought it was alright. But then I heard him on the radio reading a different story and decided to get the book on tape--well on iTunes--and I enjoy it much more that way.

[biotorsic]

Bernard Cornwell- The Sharpe series

[Christoffason]

I can't believe nobodies mentioned Harper Lee! Here's a quick list although it's just off the top of my head:

Harper Lee - To Kill a Mockingbird
Ian Fleming - Goldfinger
Conn Iggulden - The Conqueror Series (Not technically brilliant but he is great for mysticism and epic scale)

Also, I've read the Illuminatus Trilogy and I didn't enjoy it at all. Some of the stories are great and it's original but it just wasn't an easy flowing read.

[ladybug]

Jens Bjørneboe (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jens_Bjørneboe) is definitely my favorite author.

I also like:
Anthony Burgess - A Clockwork Orange
J. D. Salinger - The Catcher in the Rye
Irvine Welsh - Trainspotting
Charles Bukowski - Ham on Rye
Douglas Adams - The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
J. R. R. Tolkien - The Lord of the Rings

H. P. Lovecraft, Chuck Palahniuck, Joseph Conrad, Max Brooks, Stephen King and Mark Haddon also need to be mentioned.

[rottingjebus]

My favourite author his Herman Melville, the author of the famous Moby Dick. Everything he rights is amazing. His writing style is unmatched and his creativity doesn't fall behind. His work is the high standard at which I rate books and so far, none have come close.

[Junpei]

Raymond E. Feist.

I'm currently plowing my way through his works, book after book. Intriguing fantasy.

[timbot]

My favourite author his Herman Melville, the author of the famous Moby Dick. Everything he rights is amazing. His writing style is unmatched and his creativity doesn't fall behind. His work is the high standard at which I rate books and so far, none have come close.

Wow, not many people out there have actually read Moby Dick. I read an abridged version in college, and perhaps we also read Bartleby the Scribner. I don't remember this stuff really well, but it definitely seemed good.

[Mobius]

Tom Clancy - Rainbow Six

I've played nothing but the games before I read this book and I was thoroughly impressed with it. I'm a big fan of Spy/Thriller novels and this one definitely took the cake.

Robert Ludlum - The Bourne Identity

I read the book before I watched the movie and I liked the book better. Ludlum is so descriptive and detailed in everything he writes in this book. Down to Bourne's train of thought and fight scenarios.

[Dodger]

DAD, have you listened to his books on tape? I tried to read Me Talk Pretty One Day and thought it was alright. But then I heard him on the radio reading a different story and decided to get the book on tape--well on iTunes--and I enjoy it much more that way.

No, I've never heard him even though I've kept meaning to listen to his radio show. The books always make me crack up enough. I guess it's because he writes kind of like I talk or think I guess, but he's a shitload funnier.

[McPhee]

Oscar Wilde (British). Salomé.

I agree... great read. Though Oscar Wilde wasnt british :S

I actually quite like the Christopher Paolini - Inheritance trilogy for a good fantasy!

[zukid]

bukowski, palahniuk, drummond de andrade and dostoiévski

[stillflyy]

I really love George Orwell. Animal Farm is one of my favorite books, as is 1984.

Kurt Vonnegut... mmm. Deadeye Dick got me through ninth grade.

Read that shit.

[Ropski]

Gotta say those Stephenie Meyer books are AMAZING! Jody Picoult is also a great writer.

Has anyone ready the series by Charlaine Harris ?

[wildrabbit]

My Favorite books...:biggrin:

Mysterious Skin by Scott Heim - Definitely not everyone's cup of tea, but I enjoyed the characters more than anything. the ending made me cry.

The Bumblebee Flies Anyway by Robert Cormier - A fantastic psychological read. focuses on the memory and human relations. Also provides an interesting situation the character is thrown into.

Demian by Hermann Hesse - I'm a sucker for mainly psychological stories, and I really liked the perspective in this book. A bit slow in the beginning, but once Demian's character is introduced, things begin to get interesting. I remember the ending left me numb, deep in thought, and kind of tingly.

Macbeth by William Shakespeare - Did I mention I liked crazy characters yet?

The Chosen by Chaim Potok - My words simply cannot give this novel the kind of praise it deserves. Just beautiful, absolutely beautiful. Also taught me a lot about the Jewish religion.

Lord of the Flies by William Golding - Considering I would like to become an author of thrilling, psychological fiction someday, this book provided my ideal in writing. I loved the flow and descriptive passages accompanying the mental torment of the characters. Also was one that made me cry.

And favorite writers...:biggrin:

Robert Cormier = I've pretty much enjoyed all the books I've ever read by him. Realistic characters, good storylines, and an overall interesting take on things.

H. P. Lovecraft = Undeniably dark, strange, and thought-provoking. He was fascinated with dreams, and wrote mainly short stories focusing on the fouler nature of things following a kind of descent into madness. My favorite stories by him would have to be 'The Outsider' and 'The Rats in the Walls.'

[thatgirl]

my favorite author: stephanie meyer!! twilight rules! also
that someone who made:
the amazing days of abby hayes