BCUK's 'Big Read'!

[Lithril]

Brooks is great got all but the last one of his Shannara series (Book 3 of the Jerle of Shannara). Knight of the Word series wasn't too bad either, wasn't too sure about Magic Kingdom for sale though (still bough the series though ).

Anyone read much by Mercedes Lackey?

 

[alick]

"Yeah, the Lord of the Rings films were OK... but I wish Peter Jackson had shown some originality rather than just copying Terry Brooks' Shannara books. I mean that Gandalf was just sooooo Allanon..."

:rolmao:

 

[Womble]

I can't claim the credit for the line. I once read an enitre fake review of LoTR (books) based on the premise that John Tolkien was just a Terry Brooks Plagurist. Apperantly the Tolkien society took it seriously and were NOT impressed!

 

[paul thomas]

has anybody read LAST OF THE BREED by LOUIS Lamour,it is about an American pilot on the run in the depths of Siberia.Noticed that Chris Brunch has been mentioned ,he is good read so is Gemmel

 

[Wayne]

last of the breed is a great book. Even my wife enjoyed it.

Legend By Gemmel is still my all time fave book.

 

[Gary]

I like Gemmels - the ghost king best of all his work, which I have to say have has been a bit limp of late.
I also like tHE WAR OF THE WORLDS - A good classic. And poetry by Robert Service
But if I had to take one book to a desert island it would be -
Either,

Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry

Or

Lord of the Rings.

 

[Adi007]

Yes, War of the Worlds ... brilliant!
Day of the Triffids was an influential book for me in my youth.
The Sherlock Holmes collection would keep me happy on a desert island ... now to find the island! :-D

 

[falling rain]

The long Walk - Slavomir Rawicz
First published in 1956, an account of a young Polish cavalry officer who was arrested by the Russians, tortured and sentenced to 25 years forced labour. Describes his 3 month journey from Moscow to the prison camp in Siberia, his escape with 6 companions and their journey across the Gobi desert to Tibet and freedom.

Literally couldn't put it down

 

[NickBristol]

have got too many favourite books to list here...sure I'll remember loads more as soon as a i press 'submit' but some are:

Cold Mountain - Charles Frazier, must've read it a dozen times and always find a new way of looking at it. Totally agree with Al about it.
Empire of the Sun - JG Ballard, small boy lost in a big world that he doesn't understand. Which is a lot like all of us in the end isnt it? Was a good film too.
Forgotten Voices of the Great War - Max Arthur, moving, inspiring, disturbing first-hand accounts of the madness of being on the frontline in the First World War. Ideal for dipping into to get some perspective when I think I'm having a bad day...
The Eyre Affair / The Well of Lost Plots / Lost in a Good Book - Jasper Fforde, fantastically funny, totally off the wall, and far more interesting than the original novels. Still cant drive past Leigh Delamere services on the M4 without p***ing myself with laughter... www.thursdaynext.com for more info :-D
Miss Smilla's Feeling for Snow - Peter Hoeg, everything you wanted to know about snow and ice in a fantastic story about one woman's quest to find why a small boy died.
Bill Bryson books are always good too. As is anything by Ray Mears, (especially the Real Heroes of Telemark), Amy Tan or Peter Hoeg.

Had better stop now...could go on for hours

 

[Justin Time]

Captain Corelli's Mandolin was a cracking read for me, as was Cold Mountain, which is about due a re-read.

Fave author has got to be Ian Banks (with or without the M), one of the few writers that get's me buying the hardbacks when they come out. Terry Pratchett, obviously :roll:

On the non-fiction side, Chris Townsend's books are great and Chris Ferris' books about "her" badgers are real eye openers.

 

[Wayne]

Have to agree about the Long Walk. There is a man with a serious will to survive.

If You haven't read it then do.

 

[alick]

Another Ian (M) Banks fan here- both his "normal" and SF stories.

Possibly my all time favorite author is Mary Gentle - SF come swords and sorcery settings but really all about people and politics. Her recent novel "Ash" is one of the best, and at the other extreme "Grunts" does a fine job of taking the mickey out of the LOTR books and may appeal to Terry Pratchet fans.

 

[Womble]

Jakunen and I both know Mary quite well, and I might be seeing her in 2 weekends time.

Strangely enough before her neck injury both her and her partner (Dean "Pass me another elf - this one's split" Wayland) were keenly into minimalist camping/bushcraft. I've/we've sort of been trying to rekindle that spark in them, although her neck makes things difficult in this respect.
The also keep kunikuni (dwarf) pigs on a rare breeds Farm; and have let their friends adopt (ie pay) for them. Mine's Called Midnight and she's gorgeous...

BTW: She's had 2 more books published since ASH:

1610 - a Sundial in a Grave (novel), and
Cartomancy (anthology of short stories, including Orks Drift, a Grunts short)

 

[jakunen]

And strangley enough there happens to be a review of Cartomancy on Amazon. Nothing to do with me of course...
If you do read, and if not, WHY NOT???[/b], look out for some very clever, if not rather corny, jokes...

 

[Schwert]

Probably my all time favorite book is "A River Runs Through It" Norman Maclean. This book is in my read pile at least every couple of years. All the 3 stories are just wonderful early Montana historical fiction.

My favorite outdoor author is Calvin Rutstrum and really all 15+ of his books are worth a read at least once, and his wilderness essays are worth reading over and over.

Another great book that makes my read pile over and over is "Desert Solitare" Edward Abbey. This one always makes me want to head to Utah.

"Cache Lake Country", John Rowlands is a super night stand book. Each chapter is a treasure. I keep one copy at work and sneek off for a few minutes read whenever I can.

RM Patterson's "Dangerous River" is just a super wilderness canoe trip story (by an exBrit in Canada) and his other books are also very good.

I also really like the whole Sherlock Holmes series, my favorite edition is William S. Baring-Gould's Annotated 2 volume version....a bit much for the pack though :roll:

I tend to do reviews on my favorites and have posted them at JM's Magazine in the Library. If anyone is interested in my favorites in more detail you can find reviews on Maclean's, Rowlands, Patterson's and Calvin's works here:

http://outdoors-magazine.com/s_topic.php?id_rubrique=15

I am working on a Sigurd Olson review now, and he is another excellent wilderness author...wonderful essays that are almost poetry.

 

[maddave]

I like funny or factual books generally

One of my all time faves is Tony Hawkes "Around Ireland with a fridge" About how Tony bets a mate that he can hitch hike round the circumference of Ireland with a fridge in one calendar month.

I also like anything by Terry Pratchett, David Eddings, Anne McCaffrey or Raymond E Feist :super:

 

[Womble]

So your ultimate book would involve Garion and Rincewind meeting a dragonrider called F'cof (F'lars other half brother) somewhere in Midkemia?

 

[RAPPLEBY2000]

over the last year i have read 8 John wyndham books.

if you like science fiction, horror, drama, suspence, fantasy?
you should try John wyndham

here are the books i have read:

The day of the Triffids (has spawned 2 films)
The Chrysalids
The Kraken wakes
The seeds of Time(book of 10 short stories)
Chocky (has been dramatised for ChildrensTV)
Trouble with Lichen(for all you Botanists!)
The Midwich Cuckoos (filmed as: "The village of the dammed")
Web (spiders!)

i have thouroughly enjoyed reading each one, i am still looking for a couple of rare ones!
i have never been the reading type, they are easy to read, i heartily reccomend them to anyone!

oh, and i picked them all up secound hand for not more than £2 each!!!

face it who hasn't heard of a Triffid? :super:

 

[leon-1]

Another fan of David Gemmel (Waylander, Legend and A Wolf In Shadow being the main ones).

Also a fan of Terry Pratchett (you have to read The Wee Free Men and Good Omens (with Neil Gaiman)) and Robert Rankin (The Brentford Triangle and The Grapes Of Wrath). ):

Read a fair amount of factual literature, but don't follow specific people or authors. :wave:

 

[alick]

Jakunen and I both know Mary quite well, and I might be seeing her in 2 weekends time...

!!! What was that 6 degrees of freedom thing again ? That's an amazing connection !
Next time you see Mary, maybe you'd do me the favour of passing on best wishes from a long time fan :notworthy

Cheers