Dan Brown
Hear me out on this before you judge me.

I was never overly into books in my teens - they were just a pain in the arse.

I then started to read Tony Hawks - Round Ireland with a Fridge and loved it. Very Funny book.

So I trawled the internet and bought his other titles and then looked for similar books too and prety much exhausted the genre.

I needed something new and that vacuum was filled by the hype over the Da Vinci Code. It was a page turner in the best sense of the word. I'd never read a 'novel' before but this was really good. Naturally, I bought Angels and Demons and equally enjoyed that too.

My Father in Law then suggested reading some Grisham. Now I love them books too.

I'm moving up the litery ladder every few months and enjoying reading more than ever.

However, had it not been for Dan Brown and his Da Vinci code, I would propbably be rading the glossy mags that come with Sunday newspapers.

And Ironically, thanks to the Da Vinci Code spurring me on to better books and increasing my tally - I can honestly say that the Da Vinci code really isn't as good as I first thought.

It a bit like watching a tv program when you were a kid that you thought was really good, but when you watch now realise its crap...
(Pat mustard, Thu 5 Jan 2012, 15:30, 10 replies)

do you know what?
i like this. it doesn't matter what you read, as long as you're reading. we all get all outraged (me included) about 'crap' books but hey, ain't that just the way of things?

oh sweet jesus. i just went all rational for a minute there.
( janet aylia y'all motherfuckers need jesus, Thu 5 Jan 2012, 15:31, closed)

I agree with you, and I hope this wins.
But please don't be rational again, it doesn't suit you and makes me feel uncomfortable.
( scarpe We Stole Bikes, Thu 5 Jan 2012, 15:36, closed)

that's because you are an oversensitive, reactionary PRICK.

( janet aylia y'all motherfuckers need jesus, Thu 5 Jan 2012, 15:38, closed)

That feels so much better, thank you.

( scarpe We Stole Bikes, Thu 5 Jan 2012, 15:43, closed)

I read the Da Vinci code and enjoyed it.
So long as you treat it as a piece of hokum and don't swallow the bullshit about it being full of trufax, then it's an OK book.

But I love thrillers anyway and have done for a long time. I must have read some of my favourites 10 times. Firefox, by Craig Thomas was one of them, as was Executive Orders by Tom Clancy.

I'm now a big fan of books by James Patterson, Harlen Coben, David Baldacci and Michael Connelly, among others and, while the literary critics may look down sniffily at such populist fare, I don't care because I enjoy reading them. I was a Grisham fan, but I think he's getting lazy now. And Tom Clancy's books are just getting silly now.

But now even better is that because I participate in the Amazon Vine programme I get some stuff for free, so long as I write a review after I've read it. I'm in hog heaven!
( Snappyuk gets BIGGER with free sample., Thu 5 Jan 2012, 15:43, closed)

I asked Tony Hawks to autograph my fridge once.
Despite the fact that I didn't have a fridge with me and he clearly hadn't been asked that several thousand times before he was gracious enough to not punch me.
( number5 has been fighting tramps and losing., Thu 5 Jan 2012, 16:18, closed)

did he let you have a go on his skateboard?

( janet aylia y'all motherfuckers need jesus, Thu 5 Jan 2012, 16:36, closed)

Radical suggestion, dude.

( number5 has been fighting tramps and losing., Thu 5 Jan 2012, 16:39, closed)

Some people need the easily digested mainstream trash
to get into other stuff. The first album I listened to was greendays 'american idiot' and there after I got into all these amazing musicians. Likewise mate, I read harry potter when I was a teenager which again opened up a door to all these wonderful books.
(shezam slouching towards nirvana., Thu 5 Jan 2012, 21:46, closed)

nice try Dan Brown

( rob, Tue 10 Jan 2012, 8:44, closed)