BooksWe love books. Tell us about your favourite books and authors, and why they are so good. And while you're at it - having dined out for years on the time I threw Dan Brown out of a train window - tell us who to avoid.
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Scaryduck LIKES EGG, Thu 5 Jan 2012, 13:40)
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While I'm at it, I'd thoroughly recommend Christopher Brookmyre if you're into clever plots and dark, sweary Scottish humour. Similarly Irvine Welsh if you like it even more Scottish, darker and swearier.
"Engleby" by Sebastian Faulks is one of the best I've read in ages, and pretty well anything by William Boyd is brilliant.
I'd avoid most of Bill Bryson's books if you're on public transport though. The uncontrollable laughter becomes embarassing.
Many years ago I discovered that Roald Dahl had also written many adult stories too, among them "My Uncle Oswald" and "Switch Bitch" which are proper old-school filth.
As far as I'm concerned, reading is the best sort of personal virtual reality. It's up to you as the reader, alone, to decide what the characters and scenes look like, which I think is why the filmed versions are always so disappointing. I too panic if I haven't got an unread book somewhere nearby...
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BobbyParadise, Thu 5 Jan 2012, 21:54,
3 replies)
loveRoald Dahl's slightly more adult stuff. Henry Sugar and Tales of the unexpected are all fantastic yarns. Man I haven't read Henry sugar in at least a decade. I'm finding that right now. Thank you for reminding me.
(, Thu 5 Jan 2012, 23:32, closed)
Didn't Brookmyre ...rip off this very site? Must've been before my time, but I wouldn't be surprised. Some of the best posters here are good enough to get published. Mumsnet's got a fucking book, which an in-law gave me for bloody Christmas, so why not us?
Oh and as for Roald Dahl's early work, I found that in a library just after reading the BFG aged about 11. It was a bit like finding your dad's porn stash. So very very wrong.
(, Thu 5 Jan 2012, 23:37, closed)
You gotta watch Mr. Dahl tho.My daughter loves him (read all the kids stuff and Boy etc.) and unbeknownst to me picked 1 of the "adult" short stories off the shelf. EDIT: It was "Kiss, kiss"
Dark at me she was when I told her to read something else. Parental censorship ftw.
(, Fri 6 Jan 2012, 2:22, closed)
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