h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

i've been wanting to read a really good book for ages. can anyone recommend anything?
whats hitch hikers guide like? i know its meant to be a really good book, but have no idea of the plot or anything.
also theres a book thats just come out thats got loads of stories by stand-up comedians in it, has anyone read this yet?

I'll let someone more eloquent than myself tell you about the terrific comedy that is "the Hitchhikers Guide."

I can tell you, that though I didn't like the ending too much, I was much impressed by "The Exorcist" which I just finished reading. Well-written and it really freaks you out and makes you think.

i'll have to invest in hitchhiker..

if the excorcist book is as freaky as the film, then i'm not too sure about reading it

If you haven't read Catch 22 you actually HAVE to.
Seriously. I'll know if you don't.
I make everybody read this book. I think it's hilarious.

who's it by? and whats the basic plot?

i'm not on a need to know basis here, i'm on a must know now or....i'll eat some more sweets

It's by Joseph Heller. There's a guide entry about it but I can't actually be arsed reading it. It's basically about crazy Yossarian and his crazy soldier friends getting up to crazy shinnanigans.

Cold heart Canyon by Clive Barker
and Cerulean Sins by Laurell K Hamilton ive read recently(ish) and would recommend.

My favourite character out of the Catch 22 books was Major Major who would only see people in his office if he wasn't in it! Great Book.

I'd recommend the Foundation series by Isaac Asimov - science fiction classics.

Hitchers basic plot is that Arthur Dent an earthling is saved when earth is destroyed, to make way for a bypass, by ford prefect a writer for H2 g2 and then they hitch using the guide around the galaxy...but it's very funny and mostly harmless if you want good feeling reading you could read Harry Potter but I'm a murder mystery fan myself.Or if you want to change your life there's The celestine phophecy...i wasn't impressed but then i'm an old cynic...but people have said it changed their lives.

what, changed lives for better or worse?

Id take the celestine prophecy with a pinch of salt, is an interesting read though.

supposedly for the better footbacon...but there are some errors in it so pinch of salt recommended.

read Ivanhoe. It's my favourite book.

My fav book in the world is 'the little white horse' by Elizabeth Gouge. Supposed to be a childrens book but its fantastic... apart from that the lord of the rings trilogy is great and some stuff by Melanie Rawn....

life of pi by yann martel. quite good, the ending makes you think

OMG! Just read Pi in an online book club with some friends.

The first load of messages we posted said "aarrrghhhhhh!" what a fab book!

and of course, LOTR, Reflex by Dick Francis, Oliver Twist, Clockwork Orange, Midnight's Children, Mrs. Dalloway, Sons & Lovers...

ok, that is the last few books I read. But each of them is fab and worth a try.

Ringworld by Larry Niven. In fact anything by Larry is a good easy read.

Try any Terry Prattchet book. The colour of magic is.. well.. magic!

No! Pratchett's witches books!!

The Man Who Lost His Language by Sheila Hale is good. It's about how she and her husband coped after he had a stroke. It isn't all doom and gloom or anything. It's funny and also very informative. I learnt tons about the brain and the human mind and all sorts!

If you are interested in the Celestine Prophecy you'd be better off reading a good TA book (not one of the poppy versions though). A lot of the ideas in CP are based on TA concepts. CP is a good read though.

If you like mystery but get fed up with mystery books that are only interested in deepening the mystery, then I recommend 'Bizarre Beliefs'. It looks at all the famous mysteries - Bermuda Triangle, Seances, Crop Circles etc. - then basically rips them to shreds. The section on the psychic predictions about the Yorkshire Ripper is very funny. It's a great read. I believe it's out of print now - probably because people don't buy books that solve mysteries or don't deepen them!