Book Thread
I'm reading 'A Short History of Nearly Everything' by Bill Bryson, again. I've read it before, and it's packed full of truely mind-bending statements about creation, the universe and life itself.

What are you reading at the moment? And are there any books you regularly come back to?
( Noeli overtheshoulderboulderholderthingstraplatchboobs, Thu 7 May 2009, 8:12, 27 replies, latest was 16 years ago)

yes.
Second Glance - Jodi Picolt
Am rereading Twilight.
(Poppet some assembly required., Thu 7 May 2009, 8:13, Reply)

If I could remember 1% of the content from Bryson's 'Short History' I'd be 50000% smarter than I am now*

*math may be inaccurate
( enoughblueskyforsailorstrousers, Thu 7 May 2009, 8:29, Reply)

£1 from the Willen Hospice shop
Get in!
( Noeli overtheshoulderboulderholderthingstraplatchboobs, Thu 7 May 2009, 8:31, Reply)

Muck fe that's a bragin!

Look out for the hospice germs though. Any free pubes or bum smears?
( enoughblueskyforsailorstrousers, Thu 7 May 2009, 8:37, Reply)

A Bumper Crop
By Joe Lansdale.

A collection of very short stories wuth a healthy dose of horror.
(Herr Doktor Lemminge Is bored, so cheer me up!, Thu 7 May 2009, 8:43, Reply)

The Compleet Molesworth by Willans & Searle
I've read that from cover to cover God knows how many times, and doubtless will many times more. It's fucking hilarious, particularly if you've grown up around public schools as I have.

www.amazon.co.uk/Molesworth-Penguin-Classics-Geoffrey-Willans/dp/0141186003
( Monty Boyce, My cheese game is strong, Thu 7 May 2009, 8:43, Reply)

Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
Is a book I'd consider going back to...

However, I find it very very very difficult to re-read anything, and I'm just as bad with films. Not that my memories particularly good but there is always a voice at the back of my head or somewhere in my subconscious going "YAWNNNN".
( whenanimalsattackhumans clad in global hypercolour, Thu 7 May 2009, 8:48, Reply)

Short History
Is absolutely class.

I got the audio version and it was all listened to when I was on the road all day every day a few years ago. Think I may have to put it back on the MP3 player!
(never-right -getting it wrong since '78, Thu 7 May 2009, 8:52, Reply)

Anything by Iain M Banks
as the culture is full of win.

And to look slightly less geeky and pathetic, Catch-22, The catcher in the rye and Fear And Loathing are all books I re-read every so often.
( DarkSon a time and date will follow this username on, Thu 7 May 2009, 8:52, Reply)

I'm into my sci-fi at the moment.
Just finished an Arthur C Clarke book and started another by an author I've not tried before. Can't remember the name but the Loon recommended him.
( girlinthehole, Thu 7 May 2009, 8:56, Reply)

The Glass Castle, by Jeannette Walls
The Bone People. The Master and Margarita, and Beckett's trilogy are books I have read several times.
( cackers, Thu 7 May 2009, 9:00, Reply)

Give The Anarchist a Cigarette
by Mick Farren is another one of my favourites.
( Monty Boyce, My cheese game is strong, Thu 7 May 2009, 9:05, Reply)

@ Blouse
Love sci-fi. Have you read Philip K. Dick? Genius.
( cackers, Thu 7 May 2009, 9:09, Reply)

Working my way through Terry Goodkind right now
The Sword of Truth series - grapic, slightly idealistic but very good.
(Potty Jag har smör i min rumpspringa, Thu 7 May 2009, 9:12, Reply)

BGB
I'd recommend the Eon books by Greg Bear - some of the best books I've read, period.
( Noeli overtheshoulderboulderholderthingstraplatchboobs, Thu 7 May 2009, 9:14, Reply)

The Steep Approach To Garbadale by Iain Banks...
...will break your heart. Read it NOW!
(Apathyman Prepare to be underwhelmed..., Thu 7 May 2009, 9:20, Reply)

I just got book 5 of The Lost Fleet by Jack Campbell yesterday
and finished it at half past midnight. Cracking space war series.

I didn't care for the Sword of Truth series - the very first page features a peasant villager who wants to ban fire for health and safety reasons. And it's not a comedy.

I regularly re-read the "Dies the Fire" series by S.M. Sterling, sort of post-apocalypse stuff.
( The Light in Chains don't touch the Pope's boner, Thu 7 May 2009, 9:28, Reply)

One book I keep coming back to...
Mort by Terry Pratchett.

It's probably my favourite book.

Then again, I've read the Redwall series over and over, and still love it.

Also, Have a Nice Day: A Tale of Blood and Sweatsocks by Mick Foley is enjoyable.
( Agnostic Antichrist Baltimora, Thu 7 May 2009, 9:37, Reply)

I am a chronic re-reader of books
I love it, and have many books I go back to for enjoyment and/or comfort these are: (in no particularly order)

Good Omens - Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman
LOTR
anything by Iain (M) Banks
All the Willard Price books
Just So Stories - Kipling (not Mr)
Jeeves and Wooster

The Sword of Truth books that someone mentioned are good, but they tail off in terms of quality as they go on, getting rather preachy, a bit stupid and with not enough violent action.
( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Thu 7 May 2009, 9:39, Reply)

Mort is awesome
My favourite Pratchett book by a fair margin.
( Noeli overtheshoulderboulderholderthingstraplatchboobs, Thu 7 May 2009, 9:48, Reply)

Eclectic mix for me.
Reading now

R A Salvatore, The Cleric Quintet.

Rereads

Eric Lomax, The Railway man
Laurens Van der Post, The Sower and the Seed
Katzuo Ishiguro, An Artist of the Floating World
Raymond E Feist, First 3 Magician books.
William Gibson, Virtual Light
(porkylips looks better as the sun goes down., Thu 7 May 2009, 9:51, Reply)

*looks around... sneaks in... posts answer...*
I'm re-reading 1984 at the moment and seem to be spending a great deal of my time shouting 'No don't do that, don't talk to him you bloody idiot'... I'm not sure why I'm putting myself through it!?

My favourite re-reads are mainly Stephen King books so IT, Gerald’s Game (which made me check the back seat of my car every time I got in), and Rose Madder. I also do love re-reading The Stars Tennis Balls by Stephen Fry and The Blue Nowhere by Jeffery Deaver! :)
(Flim-Flam the Magnificent "You is talking loco and I like it!", Thu 7 May 2009, 10:28, Reply)

I've also got to add
"the glass books and the dream eaters" by GW Dalquist. Truly spine tingling in some places, erotic in others, mind fucking and above all intense plotworking.
(Poppet some assembly required., Thu 7 May 2009, 10:44, Reply)

The Book Thief!!
Oh God, I finished it last night and did stop weeping, but was snotty for some time after... and as I went to sleep a few tears leaked out. Amazing, devastating and haunting.

I won't read it again. And instead of devouring it in 2 days, it took me about 6 months, because the depth of sorrow is too much to deal with all at once. But I'd definitely recommend it to anyone.
(Psyche finishes work at the end of June! Yay!!!, Thu 7 May 2009, 13:15, Reply)

Molesworth is AWESOME
read that to DEATH when I was little. That and "The Thirteen Clocks" by James Thurber. If you can get hold of a copy, do, it's amazing.

At the moment, Fragile Things by Neil Gaiman. I prefer Smoke and Mirrors, but it's still good.
( Lampito rise with the moon, go to bed with the sun, Thu 7 May 2009, 15:27, Reply)

'13 clocks
...and the wonderful O', is it not?

MAGIC

Fattypuffs and Thinifers was another IIRC
( Monty Boyce, My cheese game is strong, Thu 7 May 2009, 17:28, Reply)