Does anybody read books here?

[CyclChyk]

Lise - judging by your admiration for the subject matter of the Amber Series (which I too love) I would highly recommend you check out The Gandalara Cycle. Should be right up your alley.

[Lise]

Lise - judging by your admiration for the subject matter of the Amber Series (which I too love) I would highly recommend you check out The Gandalara Cycle. Should be right up your alley.

Oooh! I meant to say that I *will*! Thanks for the tip! I'm going to look for them at the library.

I'm also a big fan of Phillip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy, for similar reasons. Certainly no problem with sexism in Pullman's work.

[Bad JuJu]

I really like Carl Hiasson. He writes fiction for both children and adults. I first ran into his books when one won a Newberry - Hoot.

Another Carl Hiassen fan here. He's a good speaker too--came to our town about 2 years ago and did a book signing at the local Barnes & Noble.

I also enjoy pretty much anything by John Irving, and I like many of the classics too: Frankenstein, Jane Eyre, Peter Pan, and Ulysses are some of my faves.

Have any of you read the Lemony Snicket books? The film didn't even come close to the artistry of the books, each a wonderful read. If you can get your hands on the CD version, they're read by Tim Curry--excellent reader.

[Bikingmomof3]

I have read all the the Snickett books and am looking forward to the last one, which should be out on the 13th of October.

I am an avid reader. My all time favourites are classics and mysteries.

[Veronica]

I tried the Series of Unfortunate Events. Read book 1, started book 2 and found it so depressing, I didn't finish it. Why do all the good adults in their lives die?

V.

[limewave]

You guys have mentioned some new authors I haven't read yet, I'll have to check them out.

I love reading too--of course, I work in publishing so I better love it! The good thing about publishing is that I get all books 60% off--the bad thing is that I get books 60% off :-( There goes my money.

Anyway, I love Anna Maxted, Jennifer Weiner, Terri Blackstock, Patricia Cornwell, Francine Rivers, Tom Clancy, and Michael Crichton for my fun reading.

Francine River's "Mark of the Lion" series is what got me hooked on reading when I was in college.

I recently read 1776 by David McCullough and found myself surprising riveted. I wish there was a 1777.

[salsabike]

I love Carl Hiaasen. Also Joanna Trollope, especially The Choir and The Best of Friends. Am also working my way through James Lee Burke's Dave Robicheaux series and Michael Connelly's Harry Bosch series. I love EARLY Stephen King (Salem's Lot, The Shining, The Stand). I like Robert Parker's Spenser books as well.

[jeannierides]

Anyone read any of Laurell K. Hamilton's Anita Blake, Vampire Killer's series? I've never been into vampire books, but found myself with one from the library and absolutely LOVED them! Her latest is Danse Macabre.

[LBTC]

Ah, Books!

These days I am reading Henry Millers' "Under the Roofs of Paris". woah. serious sex.
But much nicer than the Marquis de Sade's "Justine" Pretty creepy. Finished it just before this one.

Favourite books of all time: Tom Robbins - a toss up between Skinny Legs and All and Jitterbug Perfume.
Clive Barker - Imagica

And, amazingly, I really love Dean Koontz books. Despite all the depravity and violence, he has such a way of imbuing hope and a sense of the divine into his stories.

I've read and enjoyed all of the Anne Rice books, at least all that she originally published in her name. Belinda and Exit to Eden are both on my bookshelf and I will read them one day...

In high school I read a lot of Kurt Vonnegut and Frank Herbert. Later I realized that for me to find them funny I must have been pretty depressed. But I did.

I can just hear Tim Curry reading anything! Makes the snicket books seem very interesting!

And my all time favourite book to read while recovering from an illness or accident: The Good Time Gospel Boys by Billy Bittinger. Not necessarily easy to find, but a crazy funny story that had me laughing from the first sentence.

Happy reading, all!
Namaste,
~T~

[Kitsune06]

Vonnegut.... Didn't he write Naked Lunch? Maybe I'm confused. HS was spent reading Dune, Naked Lunch, On the Road, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Catcher in the Rye, etc...

interesting stuff.

[salsabike]

Naked Lunch is William Burroughs, I think. Vonnegut---maybe in HS, you got Slaughterhouse Five?

[Kitsune06]

Ah- you're right! I need to re-read so many books... I got through them, and loved them, then forgot what happened in them.

[Kano]

Tim Dorsey has a fun series of "murdering mayhem" -- more comedy than mystery, since we KNOW who's the bad guy all along. Carl Hiassen was mentioned on one of the covers, which got me started reading some of his work.

Piers Anthony did a fun pile of books too, fantasy fiction filled with puns. Most of 'em were pretty kid appropriate, and by the time some that weren't quite as kid appropriate came out, my daughter, who was totally hooked, was old enough to handle those too!

Stephen King did one under another name once, called Thinner. Scary book...

Harry Potter -- I just picked up the newest one of those (I think -- the one I hadn't read yet) the other day. Haven't read much of it yet, just a couple of pages while waiting for daughter at the surgical clinic the other day.

Karen in Boise

[Bruno28]

I'm an avid reader - read pretty much all kinds of stuff but I've never found any science fiction I really enjoy. I'll be trying some of the recommendations below.

I'm just back from Prague and want to re-read Kafka after seeing how the claustrophibic backstreets might have influenced his fiction.

And when I get over my pretentious period I'll go back to reading trashy women's crime novels. I've just discovered Karin Salughter - a right rivetting read - and have read all of Patricia Cornwall's books.

Another recent discovery is Anita Shreve - who writes well and has slightly out of the norm story lines. I recommend her 'Light on Snow' and 'All he ever wanted'

One of my favourite novels is Donna Tartt's 'The Secret History' - but her next novel was a big disappointment.

[CyclChyk]

And, amazingly, I really love Dean Koontz books. Despite all the depravity and violence, he has such a way of imbuing hope and a sense of the divine into his stories.

Ahh = Dean Koontz. Whispers and Phantoms were my favorites from him.

As well, Ann Rice's son, Christopher Rice, is now an author. I read his first novel, A Density of Souls, and was veryyyy impressed. No vampires, just modern day mayhem. His second book was very good also.