Oscar Wilde's Table Talk is both a beautiful small volume and full of interesting fairy tales and short stories. A lovely present and alternative to his more familiar plays.

BigD

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www.shootingthecheese.ch
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I like Ken Follet. There, I've said it. My favourite is Pillars of the Earth, followed by a World Without End. A Dangerous Fortune is also highly recommended.

Wilbur Smith's "Courtney Series" (Monsoon, Elephant Song etc.) had me up all night trying to find out what happened.

Generally, I like books with a (more or less decently researched) historical context. Makes me feel like I've learnt something apart from having read a good story.

Ah and I'm a BIG fan of James Herriot, his stuff has me laughing, crying, the lot.

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A fine is a tax for doing wrong.
A tax is a fine for doing well.

Historical Mysteries and books about books or art have me hooked. Ian Pears, Umberto Eco. Unfortunately Da Vinci Code has spawn a whole new genre of crap historical and occult mysteries.

For similar but less highbrow but still gripping pageturner books, check out Robert Harris: Enigma (7/10), Pompeii (8/10) and Imperium (9/10)

BigD

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You make your own luck.

www.shootingthecheese.ch
The place for fun and chat in Switzerland.

My flatmate and I actually did this thing where we separately wrote down the sort of personality traits and tastes we expect a typical "The Da Vinci Code is my favourite book" person to have. We agreed on 75% of the things; they were not positive, at least not from our viewpoint. Yes, we are a bit sad but we both study marketing and were thinking of ways to project an image...

Anyway, back on topic, thanks for the recommendations. James A.Michener is meant to be quite good in that genre although I must have got a hold of a particularly disenchanting one (The Tell) and haven't tried another since...

Since I have to read quite a few things for uni, I always feel guilty when I touch a "not on a reading list" book. Some of them are, however, really good reads, such as "Heart of Darkness" by Joseph Conrad and "Brain and Behavior" by Kolb & Wishaw.

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A fine is a tax for doing wrong.
A tax is a fine for doing well.

I always enjoyed Colleen McCullough's Masters of Rome series, although she's probably best known for her The Thorn Birds.

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Bring on Summer!

Go on then, it's me b'day next month.........
I love Mr Wilde.

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Old MacDonald had tourettes. EE II EE II bollox fcuk sh1t

I like "Da Vinci Code". Does that mean there's something wrong with me?. I wish I could get into an Eco book, then I know there would be hope.

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Old MacDonald had tourettes. EE II EE II bollox fcuk sh1t

The Eco books are good, if you can tolerate the theology. They are not an easy read...but ultimately rewarding. "Baudalino" is accessible.

BigD

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You make your own luck.

www.shootingthecheese.ch
The place for fun and chat in Switzerland.

At the moment I am reading "Secrets of some devine yo-yo's" - or something like that. Pleeeze, can't you see, I need help!

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Old MacDonald had tourettes. EE II EE II bollox fcuk sh1t

I am ashamed to admit that I thought the Da Vinci code was true. Mr L, the arch catholic had to explain gently that it wasn't.
An author I would recommend is Jodi Picoult. Every one of her books that I've read has been thought provoking as well as entertaining (altough TBH, she is getting a bit formulaic).
What about the old classics - To kill a mockingbird, of mice and men, Peyton Place etc. All are worth considering when thinking about buying a book. I've been dipping in and out of 'god is not great' by Christopher Hitchens, it's ok but not marvellous.

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