[Smurfin]

Hi all

Thought it would be interesting to get people's top threes, I'm curious more than anything else (particularly from the Are you a book snob? thread and my Tolkein is a bad writer thread too).

Mine are all completely different (proving I'm no book snob ), and looking at my bookshelf I find books from so many different authors, from so many different genres, that it makes me smile. Why smile? Well, I love the fact that my tastes don't limit me to one "area" of fiction, if anything it gives me a headache as I have so many books to read (well over a 100 ), but there's so much good stuff to read I'm never EVER bored

Anyway, my top 3 have got to be (in no particular order):

Birdsong - Sebastian Faulks. Incredibly moving, gripping, sad and...well just incredible really. I finished the last page and actually wanted to start reading it again

The Kite Runner - Khaled Hoseini. "For you, a thousand times over...." That line simply says it all for me, I was in bits on the last page.

A Song of Ice and Fire - George R R Martin. Ok, so it's not one book and he is several books away from finishing the series (sad to say I don't think he'll ever finish it), but o-m-g. I've never experienced writing like this before; amazing world, characters and plots, and one of the few authors I've ever read who brutally and suddenly kills characters you love. Let's hope the HBO pilot gets a warm reception.....

That's my three....what's yours?

[whymca]

IT - Stephen King - Not just a horror story, it's so much more than that.

The Adventures Of Goodnight And Loving - Leslie Thomas - Funny and heart-warming, guaranteed to get those feet itching too!

Swan Song - Robert R. McCammon - Epic good versus evil, post apocalyptic adventure, superb.

An honourable mention for Without Remorse by Tom Clancy but it just couldn't quite squeeze into that coveted third place.

[Goooner]

It and Catch 22 would be my top 2, possibly Shogun at number 3.

[Decadence]

Ice Station Zebra - Alistair Maclean, gripping novel from a great author
Jaws - Peter Benchley, edge of the seat stuff!
Children of the New Forest - Captain Marryat, just wonderful to read as a child and revisit as an adult. In fact you can read it for free if you type the title into Google!

[travlinmatt]

The Warlord Chronicles - Bernard Cornwell's take on Arthur as told from the viewpoint of one of his Warlords. Utterly riveting Trilogy.
Under an English Heaven - Story of a B-17 crew and has probably the finest depictions of aerial combat I've every read, and the opening chapter is possibly is unbelievable!
The Big Sleep - Raymond Chandler. No one has ever topped Chandler for crime writing.

Nods go to jPod by Douglas Coupland, The Searchers by Alan LeMay, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S Thompson and The Prestige by Christopher Priest.

[johnhy]

Just come across thread in work so not had chance to ponder yet but would agree with OP probably Birdsong would be one of my top 3. While since I read it though but loved it.
Need to give some thought as to the other 2 and get back.



Hope dont go away and remember Ive got 3 I like better.
Ohh the tension.

[Smurfin]

Originally Posted by travlinmatt

The Warlord Chronicles - Bernard Cornwell's take on Arthur as told from the viewpoint of one of his Warlords. Utterly riveting Trilogy.

Absolutely agree with this, I love Cornwells books. This is the best, along with the Uhtred books. I originally thought they were a trilogy, read the first three and realised it's not finished 5th one has just been released in hardback, but I'm resisting reading them as I tend to forget characters etc. Wondering how many more there are to come before I start it from the beginning again

Conn Iggulden's Genghis trilogy is also fantastic, as is Gemmell's Troy trilogy (the first Gemmell I've read, looking forward to getting stuck into some more )

[Smurfin]

Originally Posted by travlinmatt

Under an English Heaven - Story of a B-17 crew and has probably the finest depictions of aerial combat I've every read, and the opening chapter is possibly is unbelievable!.

Funny you mention this, I have this one sitting on my shelf too Is it any good? Can't even remember how I came across it....think my dad bought it for me, as he'd seen me buying quite a bit of Robert Ryan.

[vader100]

Stephen King: It
David Eddings: The Belgariad and Mallorean series
Terry Goodkind: Sword of truth series tied with
Raymond E Feist: The whole Midkemia series from Magician to present day including the empire books with Janny Wurts

Did you like how I twisted your series bit?

[DPinBucks]

Originally Posted by Goooner

It and Catch 22 would be my top 2, possibly Shogun at number 3.

Catch-22 defo at No 1.
Would take The Stand over IT, but I love 'em both
Ringworld at No 3, but not the rest of the series.

[travlinmatt]

Originally Posted by Smurfin

Funny you mention this, I have this one sitting on my shelf too Is it any good? Can't even remember how I came across it....think my dad bought it for me, as he'd seen me buying quite a bit of Robert Ryan.

Its very good. Was recommended to me by my mum, took one look at the cover, always a mistake, declared it chick lit and handed it back. She told me to skip the prologue and read the first chapter, Opens with "It went from milk run to bloodbath in 30 seconds...", was hooked, didn't put it down after. Everyone I've recommended it to has loved it.

The sequel isn't as good but still highly recommended, take place on a destroyer in the North Atlantic and in Montevideo when the Graf Spee comes calling. It called Upon Dark Waters.

[gbcasual]

Originally Posted by Smurfin

Absolutely agree with this, I love Cornwells books. This is the best, along with the Uhtred books. I originally thought they were a trilogy, read the first three and realised it's not finished 5th one has just been released in hardback, but I'm resisting reading them as I tend to forget characters etc. Wondering how many more there are to come before I start it from the beginning again

Conn Iggulden's Genghis trilogy is also fantastic, as is Gemmell's Troy trilogy (the first Gemmell I've read, looking forward to getting stuck into some more )

I have the exact the same taste in books.....

You may enjoy reading the Emporer series (Julius Caesar) by Conn Igulden as well as Manda Scott's Boudica series.

[Smurfin]

I've got the first two emperor books which I read and enjoyed, lost track of the follow-up books from there, so it's one series on my list to get stuck into again

[TopMeTom]

Good thread!

I have not read the warlord series' I shall look into it!

[wookieman]

Neuromancer - William Gibson

You'll either get this book or hate it... for example it opens with the line ..."The sky above the port was the color of television, tuned to a dead channel."

It's a bit of a Bladerunner/Matrix future and better than both of them put together, or you just might not get it and think it's a load of rubbish.

Vulcan 607 - Rowland White (NOT FICTON BUT BETTER THAN A LOT OF FICTION I'VE READ)

Tells the story of the longest bombing raid ever undertaken, an obsolete jet just weeks away from the scrap yard, suddenly has to fly more than twice its maximum range, completely over water with no landmarks to aid navigation, in radio silence, with multiple in-flight refuelings, including the tankers having to refuel each other just to get far enough out to refuel the vulcan...

1984 - George Oswell

An interesting take on where our future might end up (it was written in 1948 and set in 1984), as someone once said "1984 was supposed to be a warning NOT a blueprint of our future". It will make you think about where our freedom has gone and how we are led (and misled and distracted) by the media, by government etc...

I could add about a hundred other books that I read again and again. Other favourite classic authors i love reading ... Asimov, Ray Bradbury, John Wyndham and for any Douglas Adams fans you must read his two "Dirk Gently" books, easily as good as Hitchhikers....

[andyUK101]

The Eye Of The World

The first book in Robert Jordans epic fantasy series

Not for everyone as the pace can be a little slow throughout the series but once you get into it very hard to put down, 12 books out so far with another 2 to go

Magician

First Feist book i read and had me hooked right from the start, some of the more recent stuff is a little lacking but the riftwar series and the tie empire books by janny wurts are definitely in my all time favs

Curse Of The Mistwraith

I really liked the fraught relationship between light/shadow, the townies and clans and the fellowship/koriathain

[Stream62]

Toughie this as I like too many, probably my favorite (complete) series are.....

David Eddings - Sparhawk series or Belgarath series
Frank Herbert - The Dune books
Bernard Cornwell - Sharpe/Warlord/Grail


Honourable mentions to George RR & Stephen Erikson..

[genji]

Originally Posted by wookieman

...for any Douglas Adams fans you must read his two "Dirk Gently" books, easily as good as Hitchhikers....

Easily. I prefer them.

There is no such thing as a top three, but I'll offer a random three from my top twenty or so.

Tolkien: LotR, The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales. Together, these books have been a constant companion since I was 11 and are my last line of defence when I need something clean and wholesome.

Bernard Cornwell: Stonehenge, The Warlord Chronicles, The Grail Quest, The Saxon Stories. Bernard Cornwell is very formulaic and not very good at writing female characters (usually sex objects who get raped and murdered, or else die in childbirth, when he's bored of them), but for an everyman viewpoint of legendary events he's got it down pat.

James Clavell: Shogūn. The ultimate romance.

James Joyce's Ulysses is well worth plugging away at and Emily Brontë's Wuthering Heights is a lifetime favourite.

[Smurfin]

Originally Posted by genji

Bernard Cornwell: Stonehenge, The Warlord Chronicles, The Grail Quest, The Saxon Stories. Bernard Cornwell is very formulaic and not very good at writing female characters (usually sex objects who get raped and murdered, or else die in childbirth, when he's bored of them), but for an everyman viewpoint of legendary events he's got it down pat.

Something we agree on Make sure you read the Uhtred books, fantastic too

[Peridot]

Originally Posted by Smurfin

Birdsong - Sebastian Faulks. Incredibly moving, gripping, sad and...well just incredible really. I finished the last page and actually wanted to start reading it again

This has been lying around the house for a while and I started reading it today not thinking it would be 'my thing'. I must say that even a few pages in I'm hooked and looking forward to reading further.


Very difficult to pick a 'Top Three' but off the top I'd say:

Bonfire of the Vanities - Tom Wolfe (where the hell is his long-promised next novel)
Atlas Shrugged - Ayn Rand
The Road - Cormac McCarthy

[genji]

Originally Posted by Smurfin

Something we agree on Make sure you read the Uhtred books, fantastic too

I've read them all - they're the Saxon Stories. I wasn't that impressed with The Burning Land. The formula's got a bit tired and Cornwell needs to shake himself up, I think. Here is an entire book that does little or nothing to further the story. I'm surprised you approve!

[Smurfin]

Originally Posted by genji

I've read them all - they're the Saxon Stories. I wasn't that impressed with The Burning Land. The formula's got a bit tired and Cornwell needs to shake himself up, I think. Here is an entire book that does little or nothing to further the story. I'm surprised you approve!

I've read the first 3 as I thought they were a trilogy (I hate having to wait a year or more for the next book, I read so much that I forget alot of what happens, and I hate losing even the smallest thread in a book) - so although I've got Sword Song on my shelf and am waiting for the Burning Land to come out in paperback, I think it'll be a while before I pick up the series again - will re-read from the beginning I think.

Conn Iggulden's Khan trilogy is great too Also have Robyn Young's trilogy sitting on the shelf, though not started those so have no idea how good they are.

btw, rather than spoil your Tolkien love-in in the other thread () , try Robin Hobb; I simply defy you to think she needs to learn how to write

[genji]

Originally Posted by Smurfin

I've read the first 3 as I thought they were a trilogy (I hate having to wait a year or more for the next book, I read so much that I forget alot of what happens, and I hate losing even the smallest thread in a book) - so although I've got Sword Song on my shelf and am waiting for the Burning Land to come out in paperback, I think it'll be a while before I pick up the series again - will re-read from the beginning I think.

Conn Iggulden's Khan trilogy is great too Also have Robyn Young's trilogy sitting on the shelf, though not started those so have no idea how good they are.

btw, rather than spoil your Tolkien love-in in the other thread () , try Robin Hobb; I simply defy you to think she needs to learn how to write

I read the Bran chapter of A Game of Thrones this morning. It was still poor (IMO) but a good deal more readable than the prologue. I started the Catelyn chapter but I'm already fed up with him beginning in the middle of a conversation or thought process or whatever from a character that he knows I know nothing about. That technique is supposed to draw the reader immediately into the character and the drama, but he's not doing it right. I don't think I'm going to get on with him, but we'll see.

Where should I start with Robin Hobb?

I know what you mean about the Uhtred tales. There was a two-year gap between Sword Song and The Burning Land, with Azincourt as a filler. I think I re-read everything when Sword Song was released, before starting it. I buy the hardbacks and when The Lords of the North came out there was a glaring error in it - a big chunk of text missing. I emailed Cornwell's website and he sent me a signed Sharpe book as thanks! Decent bloke.

I've had the year's waiting ever since The Winter King. We're probably better off only reading series written by dead authors.

I read Brethren - wasn't impressed. I didn't bother with the follow-ups.

Has anyone come across Takashi Matsuoka? Cloud of Sparrows and Autumn Bridge? I really enjoyed those. Mo Hayder's Tokyo was good, too, to continue the Japanese theme (I have a Japanese edition of LotR, as inspiration for an abandoned attempt at learning the language).

I have Elizabeth Kostova's The Historian and Conn Iggulden's The Gates of Rome sat on the shelf, waiting. I have no idea what either of them are like.

Sorry, I've gone a bit off-topic.

[Smurfin]

Originally Posted by genji

Where should I start with Robin Hobb?

Assassin's Apprentice, Book 1 of the Farseer Trilogy. Different writing style to many, took me about 3 attempts to get "into" the first one, but I found these books to be some of the most rewarding reading ever Simply fabulous.

I know what you mean about the Uhtred tales. There was a two-year gap between Sword Song and The Burning Land, with Azincourt as a filler. I think I re-read everything when Sword Song was released, before starting it. I buy the hardbacks and when The Lords of the North came out there was a glaring error in it - a big chunk of text missing. I emailed Cornwell's website and he sent me a signed Sharpe book as thanks! Decent bloke.

That reminds me, I have 15 remaining Sharpe books to read too (I bought every Sharpe book in the sales last year, and am reading them in chronological order).

[genji]

Originally Posted by Smurfin

Assassin's Apprentice, Book 1 of the Farseer Trilogy. Different writing style to many, took me about 3 attempts to get "into" the first one, but I found these books to be some of the most rewarding reading ever Simply fabulous.

OK. I'll have to buy that one - I can't find it online.

Originally Posted by Smurfin

That reminds me, I have 15 remaining Sharpe books to read too (I bought every Sharpe book in the sales last year, and am reading them in chronological order).

Oh - his assistant emailed me the missing text, too.

[Smurfin]

Originally Posted by genji

OK. I'll have to buy that one - I can't find it online.

Assassin's Apprentice The Farseer Trilogy - Book 1: Amazon.co.uk: Robin Hobb: Books

[genji]

Originally Posted by Smurfin

Assassin's Apprentice, Book 1 of the Farseer Trilogy. Different writing style to many, took me about 3 attempts to get "into" the first one, but I found these books to be some of the most rewarding reading ever Simply fabulous.

I picked it up from Waterstones earlier. I've read a few pages and so far find it interesting. At least she can write English, anyway. I like the dual timeline thing - it's kind of the reverse of Derfel writing the story of Arthur for Igraine in The Warlord Chronicles.

[captainarchive]

Frankenstein

To Kill a Mocking Bird

The Magus

[andyUK101]

I quite like Robin Hobb, first book i picked up was the first liveship one, cant remember the name and found it fairly hard going initially but plowed through

The farseer trilogy and tawny man series are a much easier read

SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER

Burrich attacking the ice dragon in the final tawny man book is one of my favourite passages in all the books ive ever read, not the most epic of battles but something about it really got me

SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER

[Smurfin]

Originally Posted by genji

I picked it up from Waterstones earlier. I've read a few pages and so far find it interesting. At least she can write English, anyway. I like the dual timeline thing - it's kind of the reverse of Derfel writing the story of Arthur for Igraine in The Warlord Chronicles.

Stick with it, it's a giant, fantastic read