Here are some of my fave books - tell me what to read next....

[lilolilmanchester]

I read a very wide range of books from crap to classics.

My fave books include:
"Shadow of the Wind" Carols Ruiz Safon
"Secret History" Donna Tart
"Noble House" James Clavell
"Atonement" Ian McEwan ("Chesil Beach" OK; "Enduring Love" a bit dark
"Charlotte Gray" Sebastian Faulks (but found Engleby a bit dark)
"Prince of Tides" Pat Conroy

Classics:
anything by DH Lawrence/Thomas Hardy.
Never really got in to Austen or the Brontes

Like Anita Shreve, Anne Tyler, John Grisham, Ben Elton, Tony Parsons, some Nick Hornby. Also loved Bridget Jones and the Shopaholic books. And good old family sagas such as Iris Gower.

So, fairly wide ranging! Any thoughts???

You could try Literature Map - type in an author and it tells you what is like them...

I read Owen Meany when I was about 15 and it's stayed with me all that time - it's a brilliant book and not 'difficult' at all to read - although it is very well written.

Dammit, today I remembered two more books to tell you about and now I've forgotten them. I'll be back when they come back to me. Ooh, the Poisonwood Bible is very good, I love Barbara Kingsolver.

Lilo - love your list, we have similar taste, so I will give you a few of my favourites. (I haven't read, or heard of Noble House, going on my wish-list)

Kazuo Ishiguro - Remains of the Day and Never Let Me Go. Both very different, but very well-written.

I love John Irving but the only one of his books I never got into was Owen Meany - it's the only one I've ever bought too. Try The Hotel New Hampshire, Cider House Rules, A Widow for One Year as well.

Loved The Poisonwood Bible too.

Shantaram - can't remember who wrote it. It's a fantastic 'yarn' supposedly based on truth.

The God of Small Things - Arundhati Roy (sort of Prince of Tides, Indian-style, but such a long time since I read Prince of Tides, I can't actually remember!)

Wilkie Collins - The Woman In White and The Moonstone, two of my favourites. The original detective/mystery thriller novels.

Anything by John Irving.

Anything by Kate Atkinson.

Anything by P G Wodehouse.

If you like DH Lawrence, try "Cold Comfort Farm" by Stella Gibbons