Fiction

Non Fiction

I think the one that made the most memorable impact on me was Stephen King – IT, read when I was about 16, really absorbed by it.

Non fiction – Born to Run, Christopher McDougall. Very well written an a very persuasive for throwing away your running trainers

Funny ol world innit? I threw Glamorama across the room cos it was so crap! Then it's someone elses favourite book ever!

Shakey, Neil Young's Biography, by Jimmy McDonough – I'll be buying that.

Ok, I've got one – Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl. Because it was the first book I bought from our school book club and got me into reading.

can't pin point one – think it depends on when and at what age

from my childhood
wind in the willows – kenneth grahame

teens to young adult
anything by George Orwell – I also read quite a lot of political stuff, which won't be a surprise to people who know me.

I'm also a big fan of Kerouac. First book my wife bought me was On the Road – read it from cover to cover in one sitting (I was on the dole at the time).

Cormac McCarthy tells a good tale, my favourites in no particular order, Outer Dark, Child of God, Blood Meridian.

Book I really enjoyed a few years ago was 'Stone Junction'by Jim Dodge. I've also just read (i.e. yesterday ) Fup by him which is quite funny.

Mark Manning (Zodiac Mindwarp)
and Bill Drummond (KLF)
Bad Wisdom

Drummond and Manning undertake an epic journey to the North Pole to sacrifice an icon of Elvis Presley.
Had a goood old giggle at it I remember.

I could do with re-reading 'stone junction'… count your bones until they glow..

On a related topic.. my other half has just excelled herself as the postie has just this very minute delivered me 'reheated cabbage' by Irvine Welsh and 'the man who cycled the world' by Mark Beaumont..

good times

As I am no intellectual, indeed I am probably a bit of a philistine, my favourite books are…
The Wasp Factory – Iain Banks
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas – Hunter S Thompson

The first because it is so twisted and yet compelling. The second because of the sheer OTT madness of it. Andrenochrome??

Yay for white101 the only other person ever to have read christopher brookmyre besides me. Mrs hates it when I read his stuff, normally by the pool on holiday, and I LOL and everyone looks at me 🙂 be my enemy, snooker table, pmsl.

Best dunno collector collector – tibor fischer, quite ugly one morning – CB, feersum enjinn – ian banks, dunno

Non fiction: Hungry Spirit, Charles Handy.
Fiction: The Power of One, Bryce Courtney.

just finished reading David Byrne's Bicycle Daries.
Bit boring in places but otherwise kept me very entertained on thedaily commute.

But for a book to be truly enthraling it must lend itself to reading whilst walking and also reading in another room whilst all those around you watch TV and take presedence over w@rk

The "best" books I have read are probably by Steinbeck – beautiful use of langauage.

My favourite series are the Flashman novels by George McDonald Fraser.

Also a fan of Laurie Lee (Cider with Rosie etc.) and Kerouac.

Two stand outs from recent-ish times are Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace and The Savage Detectives by Roberto Bolano. Infinite Jest for sure is in a different street to anything I've read from the last ten or so years. I've only just finished the Savage Detectives and I think it's at a similar level – I need to let it digest a wee bit. If you're into Latin American literature you have to read this book.

Both of these authors are now dead, sadly. DFW hanged himself aged 48, and Bolano died of a liver complaint at 50.

Brighton rock, Graham Greene.
Bloods a Rover, James Ellroy.
The Naked and the Dead, Norman Mailer.

non fiction
The Conquest of the Useless, Werner Herzog. diary excerpts when making strange films in the jungle.
London, Peter Akroyd.

I think the one that made the most memorable impact on me was Stephen King – IT,

Indeed, I read and re-read this book to tatters. I ended up replacing my original copy and reading a few more times.

Cryptonomicon is a splendid book as is Snow CRash. Wasp factory is very good too but if I were going to nominate a best book then I'd say Papillon.

Atonement by Ian McEwan there is just something about this book I have read lots of other books on this list (most after Atonement) and nothing has matched it there is something undefinely good about it.

Hairy Maclary cos my kids like to sit and listen to me read it.

But, being somewhat cerebral about it, Perdido Street Station by China Mielville , it struck a chord with me and my travels.