Which would you ask us to read?

And why?

The Joy Of Long Throws by Dee Lap

The Gruffalo.

Because you like it.

I'd ask you to read Dangerous Parking by Stuart Browne

By turns funny, wise and tragic. Truly wonderful.

Sum: Tales of the Afterlife by David Eagleman - short and easy to read but so much to think about.

Alice in Wonderland. The best polemic ever.

Candide - The Real world, and Depression is just around the corner

The Unbearable Lightness of Being - Best novel that I have read, although Life is Elsewhere is a close second.

Moby Dick

Because in my opinion it's the best novel ever and consequently I believe you are missing out as a result of not reading it!

No-one's mentioned the Bible yet! Great story with lots of twists and a good (if exceedingly naíve) moral tale to boot.

Actually it's a really tough question. I've read some great books but I don't know if any would sum me up (which I think is the point of the question). To Kill A Mockingbird is very absorbing and tense but is too specific in terms of subject matter, Animal Farm is a bit clichéd now and Resolution Space (the most absorbing novel I've probably ever read) is likely to be too sci-fi for lots of people. There's a book on the tip of my tongue that I'm sure I should be recommending but I can't quite see it. Maybe that's b/c I haven't read it yet...

Cat In The Bed by Claude Balls.

Impossible, just impossible.

1st instinct is to say Mockingbird, which I still think is just about the most perfect book ever written, or possibly Garp, or Lolita, or perhaps a cult classic like Slaughterhouse 5, but maybe they're all a bit too obvious.

After a bit of thought I'd say 'All Quiet on the Western Front' by Erich Maria Remarque.

A truly astonishing book, written at a time when war stories typically glamorised war with tales of heroism and glory. Told from the viewpoint of a 19 year old German Soldier, it not only tells of the true horrors of war, but for a Western reader it also highlights that the German soldier was no different from the allied soldiers, sent to war by people who had no concept of what suffering they were inflicting on their men.

Yes, the theme's in the book aren't unfamiliar these days, even Blackadder's covered it, but I don't believe anything since has really driven home the futility of war in such a dramatic but beautifully written (and translated) way.

Who's 'us' groom, you and your fish?

Leon Uris - Trinity

Trinity, is about the tragedy of Ireland - from the famine of the 1840s to the Easter Rising of 1916, a powerful and stirring novel about the loves and hates, the defeats and triumphs of three families - a terrible and beautiful drama spanning more than half a century.

Incidentally, I was going to mention Catch 22, which would have been called Catch 18 if it wasn't for Leon Uris, who wrote an (excellent) book called Mila 18 about the Warsaw Ghetto.

So if wasn't for Uris, we'd be calling a tricky logical paradox a catch 18 situation. Doesn't quite sound the same does it

For anyone who's been to India, or wants to get a feel for it, I would recommend Midnight's Children - one of the best books I've ever read.

Half way down the first page of this: 100-books-that-defined-the-2000s-t67430.html

I mention this book and would have to consider it as well.

Brave New World - Aldous Huxley

and best factual :-

Auschwitz - The Nazi's and the Final Solution by Laurence Rees (very powerful, thought provoking stuff)

I found it incredibly dull and had to force myself to finish it!

Didn't tell me anything interesting about India and the story was rather dull. Wasn't a great fan of the characters either!

Each to their own (it did win the 'Booker of Bookers' after all) but it also shows why this sort of thing - wanting others to love your favourites - is often flawed.....

It's one of those very long novels like War and Peace that you have to immerse yourself in - probably best read on holiday when you have nothing else to think about. I found it beautifully constructed and loved the characters! But I had just spent three months in India when I read it, so was really into the country at the time. But chacun a son gout, as you say. If you have any other favourites apart from Dee Lap let us know, and I'll try your recommendation and see if our tastes are completely opposite!

Exactly. As I said above one of my favourite books is sci-fi which would put lots of people off. That said, if anyone is a fan of this genre pick up a copy of Revelation Space. I'm confident you won't be disappointed - its scale is simply awesome.

I was actually trying to think of something to recommend that was more enlightening or life affirming than just being a good story but I can't think of one that isn't a known classic. My all time favourite novel is a lesser known classic - John Irving's "A Prayer For Owen Meany" (unc.si mentioned his 'Garp' which is almost as good) and I'd love to think someone else read it and loved it because it was recommended but I'm wondering if there should be more to my pick???

My one attempt to be "deep" here, surely the books we should all read and try to understand would be the ones that have the greatest effect on our lives simply due to their existence? The Bible and the Koran have and continue to define and shape the world we live in more than any other literature, therefore they are must read?

"Deep" over, now returning to Star Trek novels and Terry Pratchett for my main reading material.

Interesting thought but not sure how much you can get from reading the base texts in isolation. It is all about understanding how a society has interpreted the book that is relevant. The actual 'stories' don't tell us anything on their own without a degree of understanding of the faith they inspired.

(above applies to The Bible, assume similar logic would apply to the Koran)

"Deep" over, now returning to watching Life Of Brian on telly!

War and Peace - Tolstoy

Looks daunting when you pick it up but an amazing book to read

I think that threads like this tend to become rather pretentious with people posting books that they think others will like and give the impression that they themselves are well read. there seems to be a certain amount of snob value & looking down one's nose at books that whilst perfectly readable 'do not belong' in these echelons.

I've read some of the books mentioned so far and haven't been particularly moved by any of them. I guess what we all look for in a book are different things, I like books that make me laugh - I'm really not into other people's misery and struggles against adversity, others may consider them to be uplifting tales, frankly I find them incredibly depressing. I also like books with excitement, thrills and spills and twists and turns. Something to keep the pages turning.

No doubt before long there will be mention of Hobbits & Middle Earth & the wonder of Tolkein or Douglas Adams tales of Paranoid Androids & hitchiking across the galaxy. No doubt that will be closely following by Terry Pratchett and his discworld saga all of which I've read or started to, only to be disappointed by the end.

So, what would I recommend - Dave Gorman's Googlewhack adventure & also his first book Hi, I'm Dave Gorman, Danny Wallace's Yes Man. If that's not highbrow enough for you try Oscar Wilde's, The picture of Dorian Gray. I also thoroughly enjoyed The Da Vinci Code & Angels & Demons by Dan Brown books that seemed to create their own genre, but no doubt will not fit in with the esteemed literature people would expect from a thread such as this.

However if you had to pin me down to just one book - Temple by Matthew Reilly. A thoroughly entertaining light hearted novel. I should apologise to literary afficionado's at this point but sod them I know what I like, there's nothing pretentious about me

From wiki's description of "About a Boy" (which I'm NOT nominating for this thread)

The novel is about Will Freeman, a 36-year-old .........Will, who has never had to work thanks to the royalties from his father’s Christmas song hit entitled “Santa’s Super Sleigh”, has a lot of spare time. Most of this he spends smoking, watching TV, listening to albums and looking for female temporary companionship.

If we replace 'Will' with 'murf' and 'smoking' with 'posting on FISO' is that an accurate depiction of your life??

Not a very constructive post.
This is about books that people like. If it so happens there are books listed that you do not enjoy or find pretentious then so be it but do not attempt to guess people's reasons for posting them.

Just looking to explain my reasons behind posting the books I have. Maybe also asking people why we read the books that we do ? Do we read the books we read because we want to fit in with a perceived 'group' of like-minded people or do we read books that capture our interest. I'm not second guessing anyone's reasons for posting what they have but the list so far has been fairly stereotypical - would you not agree ?

I've only read one John Irving, years ago, and wasn't that excited by it, but I'll have a look at the Owen Meany one (and the Garp one, as that seems to be the one that everybody remembers him for most). Thanks for the recommendation.

If we are talking 'not deep but funny', I love any book by Tom Sharpe, and especially 'Riotous Assembly' - literally laugh out loud stuff.

I'm not actually watching the film - call it literary colour

For the record I have 'permanent female companionship' so am not allowed to have spare time or spend it (not that I have it) smoking, posting on FISO, watching TV or listening to albums

which is why most of my posts are between 9 and 5!

PS About A Boy is good (I remember pre-ordering it to get a free T-shirt!) - book better than film. I've also recommended Nick Hornby's latest 'Juliet Naked' elsewhere on FISO. His debut Fever Pitch would also serve its purpose on this very thread if you were trying to get someone to understand an Englishman's love of his football club