Your favourites from these categories

[Thomcat]

My book club have set out a list of categories to read from.
What would you choose?

Fiction - SUSPENSE:

Fiction - WAR:

Fiction - MODERN CLASSIC:

Fiction - PRE-20th CENTURY CLASSIC:

Fiction : RELIGION :

BIOGRAPHY:

AUTOBIOGRAPHY:

BEST SELLER:

Fiction - MODERN ROMANCE:

Fiction - CLASSIC ROMANCE:

Fiction - COMEDY:

FAVOURITE AUTHOR:

YOUR OVERALL FAVOURITE BOOK:

SELF HELP / MEDICAL . PHYSCHOLOGY:

HISTORY:

CHILDRENS CLASSIC:

PLAY:

Difficult one, Thomcat. "Fiction - modern classic" would be my instinctive choice, but you might end up with something really grim and difficult...
Why not go for something completely out of your usual reading range and surprise yourself...

Do you mean you have to choose one category .. or do you have to put a book in each category

biography

No I meant which book would you choose from each of those categories, without really thinking about it much m
yself I'd do:

Fiction - SUSPENSE: ???? - don't do suspense books but maybe something by Dean Coonz (sp)

Fiction - WAR: - ?????

Fiction - MODERN CLASSIC: Grapes of wrath

Fiction - PRE-20th CENTURY CLASSIC:

Fiction : RELIGION : ????

BIOGRAPHY: ????

AUTOBIOGRAPHY: ????

BEST SELLER: ????

Fiction - MODERN ROMANCE: ????

Fiction - CLASSIC ROMANCE: ??????

Fiction - COMEDY: ??????

FAVOURITE AUTHOR: John Steinbeck

YOUR OVERALL FAVOURITE BOOK: The Magus, John Fowles

SELF HELP / MEDICAL . PHYSCHOLOGY:

HISTORY:

CHILDRENS CLASSIC:

PLAY: Something by Pinter

here's mine

Fiction - SUSPENSE:the da vinci code, is that suspense? suppose it is

Fiction - WAR: ???

Fiction - MODERN CLASSIC: the rachel papers

Fiction - PRE-20th CENTURY CLASSIC: anna karenina, think it's only just pre 20th century

Fiction : RELIGION : ?

BIOGRAPHY:

AUTOBIOGRAPHY: experience- martin amis

BEST SELLER:

Fiction - MODERN ROMANCE:

Fiction - CLASSIC ROMANCE: emma

Fiction - COMEDY: the witches of chiswick

FAVOURITE AUTHOR: haruki murakami or Ursula Le Guin

YOUR OVERALL FAVOURITE BOOK: ?

SELF HELP / MEDICAL . PHYSCHOLOGY:

HISTORY: elizabeth- david starkey

CHILDRENS CLASSIC: kidnapped

PLAY: the importance of being earnest

oh Bean - Importance of being ernest, yes, yes, yes. AND I didn't realise Martin Amis who i love has an autopbiograpy out, would like to read that, good thinking bat woman!

Fiction - SUSPENSE: No Highway/Nevil Shute

Fiction - WAR: War and Peace/Tolstoy

Fiction - MODERN CLASSIC: A Fine Balance/Rohinton Mistry

Fiction - PRE-20th CENTURY CLASSIC: Middlemarch/George Eliot

Fiction : RELIGION : How Far Can You Go/David lodge

BIOGRAPHY: Trollope by Victoria Glendinning

AUTOBIOGRAPHY: The Periodic Table by Primo Levi

BEST SELLER: C; because cowards get cancer too by John Diamond

Fiction - MODERN ROMANCE:

Fiction - CLASSIC ROMANCE: Persuasion by Jane Austen

Fiction - COMEDY: The Egg and I by Betty MacDonald

FAVOURITE AUTHOR: Jane Austen

YOUR OVERALL FAVOURITE BOOK: can't answer this one!

SELF HELP / MEDICAL . PHYSCHOLOGY: You Just Don't Understand by Deborah Tannen

HISTORY: A Civil Contract by Georgette Heyer

CHILDRENS CLASSIC: Great Northern? by Arthur Ransome

PLAY: Arcadia by Tom Stoppard

I love things like this, it always reminds me of something to re-read. Just don't think I can limit certain favourites to just one!

History - The Daughter of Time - Josephine Tey

Fiction classic romance - Pride and Prejudice

Children's classic - When Marnie was there, Joan G. Robinson

Fiction war - Birdsong, Sebastian Faulks

Fiction classic - The Go Between, LP Hartley

Fiction comedy - Decline and Fall, Evelyn Waugh

Pre 20th century classic - Tale of Two Cities

Autobiography - Dear Me, Peter Ustinov AND (can't choose) The Moon's a Baloon, David Niven

Self help/psychology - The Second Sex, Simone de Beauvoir

Play - pretty much any Tennessee Williams

Favourite author - Winston Graham

Overall favourite book - The Snapper, Roddy Doyle

Can't think of anything for the other categories right now but will come back.

Durrr, sorry Thomcat. Here are my suggestions then:

Fiction - SUSPENSE: Robert Harris, Fatherland

Fiction - WAR: Alistair Maclean, HMS Ulysses

Fiction - MODERN CLASSIC: Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird

Fiction - PRE-20th CENTURY CLASSIC: Thackeray, Vanity Fair

Fiction : RELIGION : Not fiction but Revelations of Divine Love, by Julian of Norwich, is a wonderful book

BIOGRAPHY: David Cairns, Berlioz

AUTOBIOGRAPHY: Robert Graves, Goodbye to All That

BEST SELLER: Mark Haddon, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime

Fiction - MODERN ROMANCE: Dodie Smith, I Capture the Castle

Fiction - CLASSIC ROMANCE: Anya Seton, Katherine

Fiction - COMEDY: Mary McCarthy, The Group

FAVOURITE AUTHOR: (right now): Jonathan Coe

YOUR OVERALL FAVOURITE BOOK: Woman on the Edge of Time, Marge Piercy

SELF HELP / MEDICAL . PHYSCHOLOGY: Baby It's You, Annette Karmiloff-Smith

HISTORY: Alison Weir, The Six Wives of Henry VIII

CHILDRENS CLASSIC: Anne of Green Gables

PLAY: David Hare, Racing Demon

Gah, Acnebride, why on EARTH didn't I think of War and Peace for "war", I really struggled with that. Wonderful book, much better idea than mine!

Message withdrawn

Fiction - SUSPENSE: Donna Tartt, The Secret History
Fiction - WAR: (set during the war, just read it) Small Island, by Andrea Levy
Fiction - MODERN CLASSIC: Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie (or Sons & Lovers, DH Lawrence depending on how modern you want to be)

Fiction - PRE-20th CENTURY CLASSIC: Bleak House, Charles Dickens
Fiction : RELIGION :
BIOGRAPHY: the Jeffrey Archer one by Michael Crick, a hoot
AUTOBIOGRAPHY: errmmmmm
BEST SELLER: Captain Corelli's Mandolin
Fiction - MODERN ROMANCE: most of Carol Shields/Anne Tyler are good yarns about relationships. Accidental Tourist v good.
Fiction - CLASSIC ROMANCE: Wuthering Heights
Fiction - COMEDY: The Rotters Club, Jonathan Coe

FAVOURITE AUTHOR: everything from Dickens to trashy American crime novels, depending what mood I'm in

YOUR OVERALL FAVOURITE BOOK: because it's the most recent and still living in my mind, The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, brilliant.

SELF HELP / MEDICAL . PHYSCHOLOGY: Dorothy Rowe is v readable on depression

HISTORY: Alison Weir on Henry VIII's wives etc
CHILDRENS CLASSIC: Charlotte's Web, EB White

PLAY: All My Sons, Arthur Miller, spine-tinglingly good

just thought of my overall favourite book - I, Claudius/Robert Graves

has been my favourite for years, don't know why i didn't think of it earlier

Ooh I couldn't say just one book for some categories and others on here are far more literary than I am! But here are my common-as-muck choices...(Please excuse any spelling mistakes!)

Fiction - SUSPENSE: MIss Smilla's Feeling For Snow - Peter Hoeg (although not sure if it would fall exactly into that genre.)

Fiction - WAR: Charlotte Gray - Sebastian Faulks

Fiction - MODERN CLASSIC: The Secret History - Donna Tartt

Fiction - PRE-20th CENTURY CLASSIC: Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte

Fiction : RELIGION : The Saint Who Loved Me - Mimi Thebo

BIOGRAPHY: ?

AUTOBIOGRAPHY: Under The Duvet - Marian Keyes

BEST SELLER: Girl With A Pearl Earring - Tracy Chevalier

Fiction - MODERN ROMANCE: Sushi For Beginners - Marian Keyes

Fiction - CLASSIC ROMANCE: Pride and Prejudice- Jane Austen

Fiction - COMEDY: The Commitments - Roddy Doyle

FAVOURITE AUTHOR: Marian Keyes/Joanne Harris/Jostein Gaarder tie

YOUR OVERALL FAVOURITE BOOK: Through A Glass Darkly - Jostein Gaarder

SELF HELP / MEDICAL . PHYSCHOLOGY: The Only Child: How To Survive Being One - Jill Pitkeathley

HISTORY: A History Of Britain (3000 BC - 1603 Vol.1) Simon Schama

CHILDRENS CLASSIC: Comet in Moominland - Tove Jansson

PLAY: The Crucible - Arthur Miller

I bet as soon as I post this I will think of a ton of others that could make that list!

Anyone else?

OK, Here goes...

Fiction - SUSPENSE: Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier (not traditional suspense but certainly kept me in suspense...)

Fiction - WAR: Bird Song- Sebastian Faulks

Fiction - MODERN CLASSIC: Cider House Rules - John Irving

Fiction - PRE-20th CENTURY CLASSIC: Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte

Fiction : RELIGION : Would 'The dark materials' by Philip Pullman be too controversial here ??

BIOGRAPHY: The one about queen Victoria that came out a couple of yrs ago (can't remember who it was by but think it was called 'Victoria')

AUTOBIOGRAPHY: Long Walk to Freedom - Nelson Mandela

BEST SELLER: Catcher in the rye - J D Salinger

Fiction - MODERN ROMANCE: Brigitte Jones ?

Fiction - CLASSIC ROMANCE: Gone with the Wind - MArgaret Mitchell

Fiction - COMEDY: 3 men in a boat - Jerome K Jerome

FAVOURITE AUTHOR: Daphne Du Maurier/ John Irving/ F Scott Fitzgerald

YOUR OVERALL FAVOURITE BOOK: Currently Rebecca Daphne Du Maurier

SELF HELP / MEDICAL . PHYSCHOLOGY: What to expect when expecting !

HISTORY: The Egyptian horrible history book (got me through a university Egyptian archaeology exam !!)

CHILDRENS CLASSIC: The Adventures of Paddington - Michael Bond

PLAY: The Crucible - The Scottish One !

Am sure I will now think of better ones !

acnebride have you read The Plague and I by Betty Macdonald just as funny as the Egg.
Also The woman In Black by Susan Hill is a pretty damn terrifying book-very clever builds up the suspense nicely.

Fiction - SUSPENSE: Anything by Carolyn SDlaughter

Fiction - WAR:

Fiction - MODERN CLASSIC: To kill a mockingbird

Fiction - PRE-20th CENTURY CLASSIC: Wuthering heights

Fiction : RELIGION :
Fiction - SUSPENSE:

Fiction - WAR:

Fiction - MODERN CLASSIC:

Fiction - PRE-20th CENTURY CLASSIC:

Fiction : RELIGION :

BIOGRAPHY:
Fiction - SUSPENSE:

Fiction - WAR:

Fiction - MODERN CLASSIC:

Fiction - PRE-20th CENTURY CLASSIC:

Fiction : RELIGION :

BIOGRAPHY:

AUTOBIOGRAPHY:

BEST SELLER:

Fiction - MODERN ROMANCE:

Fiction - CLASSIC ROMANCE:

Fiction - COMEDY:

FAVOURITE AUTHOR:

YOUR OVERALL FAVOURITE BOOK:

SELF HELP / MEDICAL . PHYSCHOLOGY:

HISTORY:

CHILDRENS CLASSIC:

PLAY:

AUTOBIOGRAPHY:

BEST SELLER:

Fiction - MODERN ROMANCE:

Fiction - CLASSIC ROMANCE:

Fiction - COMEDY:

FAVOURITE AUTHOR:

YOUR OVERALL FAVOURITE BOOK:

SELF HELP / MEDICAL . PHYSCHOLOGY:

HISTORY:

CHILDRENS CLASSIC:

PLAY: Midsummers nights Dream - only coz I was Snug the joiner in my play at school, easy reading as far as shakespeare is concerned

BIOGRAPHY: Another rainbow - John McCarthy & Jill someone

AUTOBIOGRAPHY: Bob Geldofs book, although not a fan of his

BEST SELLER:

Fiction - MODERN ROMANCE: Rebecca

Fiction - CLASSIC ROMANCE:

Fiction - COMEDY:

FAVOURITE AUTHOR:

YOUR OVERALL FAVOURITE BOOK:

SELF HELP / MEDICAL . PHYSCHOLOGY:

HISTORY:

CHILDRENS CLASSIC: Anything by Roald Dahl

PLAY:

hi doobydoo, yes i think i've read everything betty mcdonald has written! the one i actually read most often is 'anybody can do anything' but 'egg' and 'plague' are the ones that make me laugh most.

love this thread

marina, funny you should say that as when i read your post it reminded me how much i love alistair maclean

Fiction - SUSPENSE: Caedmon's Song - Peter Robinson

Fiction - WAR:

Fiction - MODERN CLASSIC: A Prayer for Owen Meany - John Irvine/The Comforts of Madness - Paul Sayer

Fiction - Frankenstein - Mary Shelley or The Woman in While - Wilkie Collins

Fiction : Johnathon Livingston Seagull

BIOGRAPHY:

AUTOBIOGRAPHY: Frank Skinner

BEST SELLER:

Fiction - MODERN ROMANCE: Don't You Want Me? - India Knight

Fiction - CLASSIC ROMANCE:

Fiction - COMEDY: Hitch-Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams

FAVOURITE AUTHOR: David Lodge/John Irvine

YOUR OVERALL FAVOURITE BOOK: A Prayer for Owen Meany - John Irvine

SELF HELP / MEDICAL . PHYSCHOLOGY:

HISTORY: Hengeworld - Mike Pitts

CHILDRENS CLASSIC: When We Were Very Young - A A Milne/Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Graeme

PLAY: Death of a Salesman - Arthur Miller

Fiction - MODERN CLASSIC: The Quincunx - Charles Palliser (thanks ks)

Fiction - PRE-20th CENTURY CLASSIC: Villette - Charlotte Bronte

AUTOBIOGRAPHY: If This Is A Man/The Truce - Primo Levi

Fiction - MODERN ROMANCE: Bridget Jones Diary (does that count as romance?)

Fiction - CLASSIC ROMANCE: Pride and Prejudice

Fiction - COMEDY: The Wrong Boy - Willy Russell

FAVOURITE AUTHOR: Alain de Botton

YOUR OVERALL FAVOURITE BOOK: the Primo Levi one

SELF HELP / MEDICAL . PHYSCHOLOGY: The Consolations of Philosophy - Alain de Botton

HISTORY: London, the Biography - Peter Ackroyd

CHILDRENS CLASSIC: His Dark Materials Trilogy

PLAY: The Importance of Being Ernest

Suspense
Biography
Autobiography
Comedy