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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]I think the one that made the most memorable impact on me was Stephen King - IT, [/i]
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.
[url= http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/c ]Hairy Maclary[/url] cos my kids like to sit and listen to me read it.
But, being somewhat cerebral about it, [url= http://wendypalmer.com.au/2010/04/20/perdido-street-station-by-china-mieville/ ]Perdido Street Station[/url] by China Mielville , it struck a chord with me and my travels.