What is the best book you have ever read by a male author and a female author?

[chaptazbru]

Mine is The Pursuit of Happiness by Douglas Kennedy

and

The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton.

[yogasun]

naomi have got The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas! £3 in second hand book shop.
Have got The Shadpow of the Wind on the bookshelf but not got round to it yet..Hey ho, no time so many books to read!

[chaptazbru]

Shaney - My Son My Son made me cry too.

[chaptazbru]

Answerprancer - loved your answer !

[chaptazbru]

Wharton - be my guest, I don't mind !

[chaptazbru]

Craft - a new Peter James book out in June - YAY!!!

[chaptazbru]

I have really enjoyed reading all your answers, thank you so much and it's good to see how many of us enjoy a good read. To Kill A Mockingbird, Birdsong, Jane Eyre, A Thousand Splendid Suns etc etc etc. I feel sorry for anyone that doesn't read books !

[petal54]

'Beloved'

[bensmum]

Just saw Naomi's comment about "Shadow of the Wind" - I loved that book and also recommended it to my book club who hated it too! Absolutely no taste. I've read some of his other books too and loved them as well. Glad you got "Boy if the Striped Pyjamas" yogasun, it's a very powerful book, stayed with me a long time after I'd finished it.

[naomi24]

Yoga, well done! I hope you enjoy it – although ‘enjoy’ is not really a word I’d use to describe my feelings at the end of it. Albeit written for the younger reader, as Bensmum says, it’s powerful stuff. Do please let me know what you think of it.

Bensmum, I read his follow up to The Shadow of the Wind - The Angel’s Game - and I liked that very much too, although I’m still debating the ending. Have you read it? I didn’t realise he’d written any more. I must remember to check that out. I really like his style of writing.

[naomi24]

Bensmum - just found this.

http://www.carlosruizzafon.co.uk/

Happy days!!! :o)))

[bensmum]

I did read "Angel's Game" Naomi, I found it intriguing & puzzling as well - not worked that one out as yet! He has another in the series "Prisoner of Heaven" which I haven't read yet. I did read "Midnight Palace" which is intended, I think, for younger readers but I liked it nonetheless

[naomi24]

I just checked on Amazon and I've only read the two I mentioned - but I'll soon remedy that! Thanks Bensmum. I wasn't aware he'd written any more.

[Bambiagain]

I couldn't possibly narrow it down to two, but my favourite classic by a female has to be Pride and Prejudice, with two modern ones - Hilary Mantel's Wolf Hall and Zadie Smith's White Teeth (both proving that the Booker judges can get it right sometimes). Classic by a male author, Tess of the D'Urbervilles with just about any of Terry Pratchett's Disc World books for my modern choice(s).

I so wish I had access to a library, but being in Germany I rely heavily on Amazon's second hand options for my book supply.

[rockyracoon]

I can't think of my favourites, there are far too many. If pressed, To Kill A Mockingbird would certainly be near the top of the list. Chapta, The Pursuit Of Happiness, is that the book from the film starring Will Smith?

[zebo]

Katherine by Anya Seton, read it originally when I was about 14, still love it, not one of the classics but a lovely story.

[naomi24]

Oh, I read Katherine years ago. Excellent book.

[zebo]

Just read the mention of My Son, My Son, it was a real choker. Sorrell and Son, Warren Deeping, out of print now I think but my beaten-up copy still gets an airing, it still affects me greatly.

[Bambiagain]

Ah, yes, Katherine. Great book. If I really think about it I'll just keep on revising my list.

[craft1948]

When I was at school my absolute heroine was Georgette Heyer......