Need your help to find a good book.

[squiggle]

What's the most amazing fiction book you've read? I'm just getting back into reading, and I need some suggestions. They can be any genre - comedy, thriller, fantasy, horror, I'll even consider romance. I just want something that'll blow me away.

Thanks.

[natalie_1982]

Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time - Mark Haddon

To Kill a Mocking Bird - Harper Lee

Brick Lane - Monica Ali

The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold

[Hapus]

All God's Children - Thomas Eidson

Last Ride - Thomas Eidson (made into the film The Missing)

Cloud of Sparrows - Takashi Matsuoka

to name but a few

[noxlumos]

the God of Small Things Arundati Roy

Shadow of the Wind Carlos Ruiz Zafon

both so good I've read them over and over again.

[natalie_1982]

Things Fall Apart - Chinua Achebe

[loopyc]

the others james herbert a good horror, lovely bones, and any of martina coles books

[LazyGun]

Only Forward - Michael Marshall Smith
Possibly the most orginal modern Sci-Fi novel I have read.

Any of Ian M Banks Culture novels, or any of his regular fiction novels (crow road, canal dreams, the wasp factory) etc.

[spaced]

High Society - Ben Elton (fiction)

Desperation - Stephen King (horror)

The Guvnor - Lenny Mclean (biography)

[dumb]

Dune - Frank Herbert
any of the Vorkosigan series - Lois McMaster bujold
Wuthering Heights _ Emily Bronte (NOT just a soppy love story, trust me!)

[Joe Shmoe]

The Portable Door by Tom Holt (comic fantasy)the first of a trilogy .All of which are excellent. Look it up on Amazon.co.uk .

[squiggle]

Thanks for all the answers so far. I'm definitely going to check all of these out, and read as many of them as I can. Looks like I'm gonna be a busy girl with all this lot to get through, but any other suggestions are very welcome.

Dumb - I'm with you on Wuthering Heights. I've read it many times over the past 15 years or so, and it's in my top 5. I don't usually go for love stories, but it's more of a love story with an edge!

[cheaton]

This just shows how different tastes are.... I hated Brick Lane, The God of Small Things, Shadow of the Wind and Iain Banks is def for men...

Some of the best writing is, I agree, 'ethnic' but my favourites are Vikram Seth and Rohinton Mistry (fantastic) and I also liked Small Island by Andrea Levy.

English Passengers by Matthew Kneale about a trip to Tasmania in the 19C is wonderful despite the crappy title.

Remains of the Day by Ishiguro is amazing (also a good film) all about lost time. Both these books have an amazing 'voice' and you can't believe that a book about an uptight buttoned up English butler is written by a Japanese writer (Remains).

I have also gone back to reading Dickens which sounds boring but is so readable if you give it a try... Bleak House and Our Mutual Friend are great if you have reading stamina, Great Expectations a bit easier.

Lastly, my best friend and father have just read The Count of Monte Cristo and I have it on my list but at 1500 pages, you really do need reading stamina for this!!

If you like crime fiction, go for some recently published translations such as books by Henning Mankel, Andrea Camilleri and a judge in Siciliy (sorry can't think of his name)... happy reading.

[scruffscat]

da vinci code, followed by angels and demons ..by dan brown...very thought provoking!

[cheaton]

...thought provoking!! hmmmmmm. It's just fiction scruffscat!

[saintjohnny]

Yes, "English Passengers" is a terrific novel. I would also add anything by Matthew Kneale.

Try Joe R. Lansdale's "Mucho Mojo" as an introduction to his "Texan Noir" series. very funny, sometimes brutal, but always compelling.

If you fancy giving crime writing a go, forget your PD James and your Martina Coles. Try Henning Mankell's Inspector Wallander mysteries. They are all set in Sweden, and are un-put-downable.

If you're after something a little deeper but still readable, try Magnus Mills' "The Scheme For Full Employment." Funny and seemingly quite straightforward, but with an odd, almost sinister edge to it.

For light relief and memorable characters, try any Carl Hiaasen novel. These are all set in Florida, and are best described as "Eco thrillers." They are also very silly in a good way.

For intellectual mystery, read Paul Auster. For bleak but hilarious crime capers choose Christopher Brookmyre, and for sheer awesome power of imagination, read Neil Gaiman.

Happy reading!

[miss_me]

Sputnik Sweetheart (camt remember the author right now) I didnt think i'd like it but it was so good

The Lovely Bones (already mentioned - should def read it)

Written on the Body and Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit by Jeanette Winterson

The Passion of New Eve by Angela Carter

[Areevia]

inkheart by cornelia funke

deception point by dan brown

digital fortress by dan brown

stravaganza: the city of masks by mary hoffman

[pedderwo]

I'm rubbish when it comes to 'getting into' books. After styarting Da Vinchi Code three times and then getting distracted I started Deception point by Dan Brown and couldn't put it down.

Also one of the funniest books I've read (that doesn't say much) was Starter For Ten by David Nicholls, I found it very easy to read and very funny.

[squiggle]

Just finished Starter For Ten a couple of weeks ago Pedderwo. Thoroughly enjoyed it. I'm now on Yes Man by Danny Wallace which I'm finding equally funny.

I've been looking these up on Amazon, and there are a lot that I think I might enjoy. As soon as I finish my current book, I'll get hold of some of them.

Thanks again.

[shaneystar2]

Have to agree with Henning Mankell ....very good
Also James Lee Burke and anything by Robert Goddard.
Have a look at this website
http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/
Gives you all the latest books in any genre and a short synopsis.You can also search for favourite authors.

[shaneystar2]

I forgot to mention Christopher Fowler...The Bryant and May mysteries....superb.