Spec me a book!

Andr3w

Andr3w

Andr3w

Soldato
Joined
6 Oct 2004
Posts
20,272
Location
England
Hey guys

I want to get into reading, i havent really read many books at all!

I've read all the harry potter books :p, and 'catcher in the rye' (for GCSE, very good book) anyway as stated i want to get into reading but i don't really know what genre to get into. Im basically open to anything as long as its good. With the harry potter books as soon as i got reading them i would always be like 'one more chapter then bed...etc' and i really want a book like that :)

I realise i've not really helped you at all in thinking about a book for me, but any suggestions welcome :D


ps. any spelling mistakes blame it on the alcohol :)
 
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I think a woefully underrated genre is short sci-fi. It's amazing casual reading, as short stories mean it doesn't matter at all if you spend a couple of days reading and then don't touch the book for a month, and there's a lot of excellent short sci-fi stories out there. Smiths and so on always have quite a few short sci-fi compilation books in, and if you're anywhere near a second hand bookshop, grab an armful of well-worn compilation books from years gone by and enjoy! £20 spent on second hand short sci-fi books will amuse even the most avid reader for a good long while, I definitely recommend it.

There are many VASTLY different sorts of it, and they're all mixed up in the compilations, so within one book you get masses and masses of variety, from the obvious straightforward space opera stuff, high science, alternate history, present day stuff that simply contains a very original and thought-provoking idea, all sorts. Considering they go for about a quid in second hand bookshops, they're definitely worth trying out if there's a shop that stocks them near you. I first got into it by going through a bookshelf at home and finding a compilation that belonged to my grandmother, I was instantly hooked and over the years I've built up a fair size pile of them, old and new.
 
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wow i didn't realise secondhand books wre so cheap!

I went into waterstones today and had a look around and just could not decide what to buy :o! my friend is reading a sci-fi book at the moment (can't remember the name, but apparently its a famous author who wrote it) and i will ask to borrow it when he is done.

Are there many 'funny' books out there to read? I've seen a few but i wasnt sure if they were good and i LOVE comedy:) (Read a few biography books such as peter kay/jeremy clarkson and jimmy carr -The Naked Jape, not the same,but still good)
Currently looking for ideas on this http://www.penguinclassics.co.uk/static/cs/uk/10/minisites/classics60birthday/whatsyourpassion.html website
 
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Do you like the Halo games?

Halo: Fall of Reach is an excellent book, even in its own right.

Holes is an excellent read.

I'm currently going through The Da Vinci Code.
 
Andr3w said:
Are there many 'funny' books out there to read? I've seen a few but i wasnt sure if they were good and i LOVE comedy:) (Read a few biography books such as peter kay/jeremy clarkson and jimmy carr -The Naked Jape, not the same,but still good)
Currently looking for ideas on http://www.penguinclassics.co.uk/static/cs/uk/10/minisites/classics60birthday/whatsyourpassion.html website
Click to expand...

As far as funny books go, Clarkson's books of his columns collected are very funny and easy reading, and if you ask me Bill Bryson is hilarious. A Walk In The Woods, Lost Continent, Neither Here Nor There, Notes From A Big Country, and Notes From a Small Island are all great books and proper make me rofl.

I think Terry Pratchett's Discworld books are hilarious too, but depending on how much you like the idea of funny fantasy books, they might not be of much interest to you.
 
It's not particularly funny (read as not at all funny) but I'd highly recommend 1984, it is a superlative book. If you read nothing else in your lifetime then I'd suggest you read that, it is superb and stunningly relevant, even today.

If you like sci-fi, with a modicum of humour, but mainly great writing then Orson Scott Card with Ender's Game is worth reading.
 
Some classics:

To Kill A Mocking Bird - Harper Lee
Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck
Moby-Dick - Herman Melville
 
If you are fairly new to reading - Dont read classics. Get the wrong one thats not your type and they are as dull as dishwater. Stick with what you know, if you liked Harry Potter then id have a look on amazon for some reviews for similar books.

Yeah and I agree 2nd hand is by far the cheapest route.
 
If you want some quick 'easy' pulpy stuff then the Anita Blake - Vampire Hunter books by Laurel K Hamilton are a brilliant laugh
 
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