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

Having read your 'Space' I wondered if you'd read any Stephen Donaldson?

When I had time to read a lot, as I do on me 'olidy, I too ventured into this genre and found his stuff pretty good. Particularly the Thomas Covenant Chonicles. Lord of the Rings is manna from heaven and I do believe that a serious attempt was made to film the story. Some bits were better than others but overall a brilliant work. Artistic indulgence and all.

Oh yes and you can't beat a bit of Tom Sharpe for fun. Good reading to you.

No, no Stephen Donaldson... looks like I might have to look him up!

I've not tried any Tom Sharpe either. again, I may well have to give it a go

Lord of the Rings I adore. The films went downhill at the same rate they got more commercial... There were parts of the last film where I had people asking me to pipe down because I was asking when they were going to turn Star Wars off and put LOTR back on...

Reading is such fun I'm reading the Guinevere series at the moment. I prefer the Mists of Avalon angle and the writing style's not perfect, but it's good fun anyway...

... I also like bit of crime thriller stuff so long as it's silly. Dick Francis, that sort of thing

Never read any Dick Francis though he is famed as a horse racing novelist and of course rider of Devon Lock. I live close to the old 'Fairlawne' estate where the Queen's trainer Peter Cazalet was based. Even the local 'The Chaser' is named in his honour.

Talking of Guinevere, I found the Arthurian books from Bernard Cornwell pretty good too. He's probably better known for Sharpe. The TV stuff though inane, has a Boys Own feel and it's pretty relaxing to watch, whereas the books are more Horatio Hornblower than Hollywood.

When I was in a pub quiz team, one of my bedsides was the 'Guinnes book of Hit Singles'. Widely read am I.

Some of the older writers like John Masters, who handled the Indian Rhaj, Bengal Lancers and such, are very good too but it's a vastly different world without expletive and overt sexual content. I remember the storm created by L. Chatterly and how all the brown paper bags were about. Nobody wanted to admit reading it until someone else had then it became fashionable. Wish his work was appreciated as much from a literary stasnpoint i find it pretty good.

Any James Patterson? Pop goes the Weasel, Kiss the Girls etc...?

no, cant say I have. Dick Francis is one of those 'rollicking good tale' type authors for me. Over in a few hours and vaguely intriguing, like Nancy Drew for grown ups

Richard Adams is a funny one for me... I adore Watership Down, Plague Dogs did nothing for me...

I have a strangely eclectic book thing going on, Irvine welsh to Anna Sewell in a week. Too much of one thing I find frustrating.

Interestingly, I've tried some Neil Gaiman recently and I cant say I like his work... Though I've enjoyed his co-authored stuff well enough, his solo stuff I dont get on with.

I also like a bit of, oh no! Blank mind.. Oh yeah, Michael Crichton. Usually good fun, one way or another. Like your average bad but fun spectacle blockbuster

I've got some awaydays on the Algarve soon so I'll see what's in the 'library'. Everyone brings to and takes stuff from the bookshelf - it's very varied.

I read 'Shardik', about a bear - think that was Adams'. Know what you mean anout Plague Dogs too, though I think it would appeal to others. Maybe that's to be commended? Some authors get very same-ish, which you don't mind too much if you're on that planet. Could be the underlying tones take over when he's making the protest? Thought the style was quite good even so.

Michael Crichton rings a bell but I can't pin the tail on the donkey there. Maybe it's the Jurrassic thing leading me astray - or maybe the old fart syndrome creeping in. I think we suffer because we always want to know things... more... details... ad infinitum.

Sorry I ramble so.

not at all! I love to read! lol

Crichton yes, Jurassic park, lost word, also other sort of sci-thrillers such as Prey and I think he did one called Airframe... All about plane crashes...

I had a spate some time ago, when autobiographies were the daily bread. Friends had recommended certain books and I consumed avidly as time was plentiful (not so now).

Michael Cain's 'Not a lot of people know that' was refreshingly frank and funny and Peter Ustinov's 'Dear Me' turned out to be a treasure. Subjective... I know.

How some of the youngsters get away with it I'll never know. Short lives... short on content?

I suspect that in the main they are actually selling reminiscences on celebrity insider stories. An expensive hardback Hello! magazine... From the horse's mouth... Except in the case of a certain Ms. Hilton who's book is, I am led to believe, a fashion shoot with comments.