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.

[zebo]

Just seen a reference to Dark Angel by Sally Beauman, very good. She also wrote Rebecca's Tale, (or Story), an interesting attempt at filling in the story of Du Maurier's Rebecca. I'm stopping reading this thread now as I have to get ready to go out and I could sit here all night, the more I read, the more Oh yes moments I have.

[erin-x]

My favourite book is The Shining. I like books that scare me! :-)

I really can't think of a book that i've read by a female author that I have liked. I'm very picky when it comes to books.

[naomi24]

Oh, Rebecca! I'd forgotten Rebecca! Great!

[emmie]

good post by the way. See lots of edumacted people on ere.

[naomi24]

em, sorry to be pedantic, but you left an 'a' out of 'edumacated'. :o)

[emmie]

blimey guvnoress, so i did.. lord luv a duck..

[naomi24]

Must try harder, my girl!! ;o)

[emmie]

yes ma'am.. by the way loads of interesting reads, will have to do a catch up on some. Last one was Sense and Sensibility. I had just watched the film with Kate winslet and Emma Thompson and i didn't have the book. So bought a copy, it took three days, but a very satisfying story. Not quite as good as Pride and Prejudice, but i loved the characterisations.

[naomi24]

em, I don't find any of Jane Austen's other books come up to the standards of P&P. As classics go, that really is a classic.

[The Builder]

I don't know if anyone has mentioned the books of Yoko Ogawa. Brilliantly translated from the Japanese. "The Housekeeper and the Professor", and "The Hotel Iris" in particular.

[bensmum]

Hi Builder :D
I haven't read those but I love Haruki Murakami's books, particularly "Kafka on the Shore"

[craft1948]

zebo Dark Angel is one of my favourite books of all times...............it's not heavy reading but the twists and turns absolutely fascinated me.

[The Builder]

Bensmum, thanks for that. Going to look for it now :o)))

[emmie]

couldn't cope with Gabriel Garcia Marquez, I think it was a bit too highbrow, or out of my league. I will always try something recommended, but if it doesn't capture my imagination in the first few chapters, then generally it will go in the charity bin.
It's hard to really narrow this down to two, after all there are endless fabulous books, my real favourites are Charles Dickens, i could read his
books all day, every day, and never tire of them.

[Arksided]

I'd like to add to 'Mr God this is Anna' with Rob Grants' 'Fat'. simply a brilliant read very well observed and funny, in a non offensive manner.

[bensmum]

Funny how tastes differ. I love Marquez' books although "100 years of Solitude" was a bit trying at time. Unlike you em10 (and many others I expect) I don't like Dickens, his books irritate me for some reason.

[Nodger]

There are just so many - the more I read about here sparks memories of others. Must recommend Jose Saramago - 'Blindness' and 'The Double'. Absolutely fantastic. Oh, and Sebastian Faulks 'A Week in December'. That will make you very angry, but it's good. Currently reading 'The Blind Assassin' by Margaret Atwood. Can't wait to finish it, but don't want it to end.

[tearinghair]

Have just been to look at my bookshelves and discovered to my total amazement that nearly all of them are by female authors. No idea why - except perhaps that I tend to prefer detective and historical novels and the best authors of both I think are female. I'd find it hard to choose between Dorothy Sayers' Gaudy Night and Anya Seton's Green Darkness (for which you have to accept the idea of past lives), and anything by Jacqueline Winspear (Maisie Dobbs series - brilliant). I've read LOTR about sixteen times. Would also recommend Julian Roach's The Discreet intervention of Verdon James' - short stories, but with a common theme.

[emmie]

i found R F Delderfield books very good, a number were made into TV series.