Good Books to read

[crazycanuck]

I'm reading Robert Fisk's The Great War for Civilization

What about reading anything by Terry Pratchett? If you do, start at the beginning of the discworld series. You'll love the travelling suitcase

[SadieKate]

What about reading anything by Terry Pratchett? If you do, start at the beginning of the discworld series. You'll love the travelling suitcase

Yup, off to buy Nation soon. I don't care what age the intended audience is for each book, they're just plain fun.

The Wee Free Men series is one of my favorites.

[OakLeaf]

And if you like Pratchett (I think he's uneven, but I've really enjoyed some of them, including The Truth and Making Money), try Good Omens, which he co-wrote with Neil Gaiman. I thought that was truly hysterical.

[Trekhawk]

I just finished Death of a River Guide by Richard Flanagan.
A great Tasmanian writer that you might want to give a whirl.
He also wrote The Sound of One Hand Clapping which was made into a movie.

[Dogmama]

I just finished reading Anne Lamott's Traveling Mercies and I've started her next one. Lots of things that make you go "hmmm." Set in San Fran area.

[GraysonKelly]

Andy Andrews "The Lost Choice" and "The Travelers Gift" were wonderful, I particularly loved the latter.
Kate Mosse "The Labyrinth" and "The Sepulchre"
"Mists of Avalon" (fabulous book)
Patricia Cornwell: "Postmortem" to "The Last Precinct" (it's her Kay Scarpetta series and although there's more in the series she really goes downhill in her writing, IMO, after "the last precincnt" but everything before that is fantastic)
Practically anything by Iris Johansen particularly the Eve Duncan series
"The Historian" (not really horror, more like suspense and history)
"The Thirteenth Tale: A Novel" Diane Setterfield (I got everybody at work hooked on this book, it was awesome! Best book I've read in 2 years)
"Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell: A Novel" Susanna Clarke (this one took me a while to get into but once I did I couldn't put it down)
"What's so Amazing about Grace" Phillip Yancy (Non fiction, excellent book really made me think)
Paulo Coelho "The Alchemist" and "The Fifth Mountain"
"Velvet Elvis" (Non Fiction)

That's just the ones off the top of my head. I also read all kinds of other stuff...pretty much anything that interests me I read. I decided one time that I didn't know enough about Ancient Greece and Alexander the Great so I went out and got some books about him. I love anything about King Arthur.
I also read A LOT of fanfiction online which is fun when I'm trying to go to sleep or just need something mindless to make my brain calm down. But those books I mentioned above are the ones that I would be likely to take with me while I'm riding. I like to stop after so many miles, sit down outside where it's quiet and read a bit then head home.
If you want to discuss any of these, please let me know.
Gray

[SoCalCruiser]

I second "Mists of Avalon" it's one of my favorite books. If your into Harry Potter and the Chronicles of Narnia i would suggest the "Eragon" series, those are pretty good. Mercedes Lackey is a really good fantasy author as well. Lately i've really been into chinese fiction "Empress Orchid" by Anchee Min is really good as well as "Snow Flower and the Secret Fan" and "Peony in Love" both by Lisa See.

[buddha_bellies]

I second "the Historian" - well written. It's a thick book but I couldn't put it down! (and that's why I don't read in bed. I'll never go to sleep). If you like that one, look for books by Sarah Dunant (birth of Venus and In the company of Courtesan). These two books are set in old Italy.

Other books that I really like include:

Blindness by Jose Saramago (now a motion picture but the book is better)
Atonement by Ian McEwan (yes, another movie from book. Both movie and book are excellent)
The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold (tear jerker)
A Natural History of the Senses by Diane Ackerman (non-fiction)
Eat, Prey, Love: one woman's search for everything across Italy, India and Indonesia by Elizabeth Gilbert (auto-biography?? written really well)
Gods behaving badly by Marie Phillips (fluff by very very funny)
I Served the King of England by Bohumil Hrabal (my first book from Czech and still am very fond of it. Yes, now it's a motion picture too. What is it with books I read turning into movies??)

[Smilie]

The Mists of Avalon! Yes! It was a great book, written from the 'women's point of view' Arthurian legend. Loved it.

Has anyone read the 3rd Eragon book, Brisingr? Have it on hold from my library.

If you like fantasy books I highly recommend Margaret Weiss and her Dragonlance books. I have read most all of her series books. She does such a great job with all of the characters that when one particular one died, it brought tears to my eyes. Very odd to have an author do that to me.