What's you favorite book ?

[MissMaCo]

Now that I'm on holiday, I'm no longer forced to read Conrad or Shakespeare cause my studies are finished.
And I was wondering... what's your favorite book ?
A book you will recommend to me ? It'll be great if your choices also exist in French translation cause I've been reading English for so long !
My fav authors are Camus, Kundera... but also some more "light" authors like Jane Green for example.
I really need to read a good light girlie book to relax !

I'm waiting for your lists !

Marie

 

[Laura M]

A French book that I like is Th?r?se Desqueroux by Fran?ois Mauriac but you may have read that already, it seems to be very popular. I also started reading a lot of the Maigret novels by George Simenon in my French literature class this year. I quite liked them mainly because they were short and the language was easy to understand.

My favourite English book which I'm certain would exist in French is Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte. I just finished Girl with a pearl earring (La jeune fille ? la perle??) last week, it was a good yarn.

 

[Popmartijn]

Well, I still think that Lord Of The Rings is a great book. Only, it isn't exactly 'light' reading.



*ponders on what books are good suggestions*

Gee, I don't think I have that many good light books to recommend. Although I do want to buy High Fidelity by Nick Hornby soon, but I think that's maybe more of a typical male book (it is about a music shop owner who likes to make top 5 lists with records).



I will think about it some more!

C ya!

Marty

 

[Tomer]

my favourite book is The show must go on, a biografy of Queens lead singer, Freddie Mercury

 

[MissMaCo]

Thank you Lara & Marty !
Lara : I know the books you're talking about.
Once I was about to buy Girl with a Pearl Earring, so maybe I will now that you say it's good.

 

[MissMaCo]

my favourite book is The show must go on, a biografy of Queens lead singer, Freddie Mercury

the only problem is that I'm no Queen fan !
Other suggestions Tomer ?

 

[Bonochick]

The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath

If by "light" you are talking about the subject matter involved, I wouldn't say it's light...but it's very good, and it also is an easy read, I think. My sister, who I didn't think would willingly read a book for recreation (no offense to her if she sees this! ), read my copy of it in less than 2 days. I was so impressed that I let her keep it and bought myself a new one.

 

[meegannie]

I love Milan Kundera!

My favourite books are the His Dark Materials trilogy by Philip Pullman, but that's three books and even though they're technically children's books, they're not really 'light'....

Have you read The Life of Pi by Yann Martel? I haven't read it yet, but my fiance is a huge Milan Kundera fan, and he loved The Life of Pi, so you might like it as well.

My favourite girly books are probably Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell and Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier.

 

[Muggsy]

The Lord of the rings....
the methamorphosis ...
Angela's ashes

 

[Basstrap]

Sophie's World (Jostien Gaarder)
Oryx and Crake (margaret atwood)
Lord of the Rings (Tolkien)
A Wizard of Earthsea (Ursula Le Guin)
Villa Incognito (Tom Robbins)
Catch 22 (Heller)
Life of Pi (Yann Martel)
Self (Martel)
Exodus (Uris)
Curious Incident of the Dog in The Nightime (Haddon)

however, none of these books are what you may be wanting.
Aside from the last one I mentioned. It's not a girlie book but it's cute and you'll be wearing a smile the whole time

 

[Popmartijn]

I took another look at my selection of books and thought of some others that may be interesting.
One is The Discovery Of Heaven by Hary Mulisch (he is a Dutch writer, but his works are translated into a dozen languages so I assume it also includes French).
Another recommendation is Eddy's Bastard by William Kowalski (an American writer). This is certainly a 'light' read. I think it's the first in a trilogy, but I haven't read the other volumes yet (they're either not published yet or not in cheap paperback ), but I'm of the opinion that it can stand (largely) on its own.

 

[cloudimani]

I had to read Therese at school as well, I didn't much like it though to be honest, although my sister did so maybe its a girls' book

Having a quick scan at my shelves I'd say the following are some of my favourites:

Fantasy

The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien - its a given really isnt it?
His Dark Materials Trilogy - Philip Pullman
Sabriel, Lirael and Abhorsen - Garth Nix

Fiction

The World According to Garp, and a Widow for One Year - John Irving
A Wild Sheep Chase, and Dance, Dance, Dance - Haruki Murakami
The Constant Gardner - John le Carr?
Armadillo - William Boyd

Non-Fiction

Wild Swans by Jung Chang

 

[meegannie]

His Dark Materials Trilogy - Philip Pullman
Sabriel, Lirael and Abhorsen - Garth Nix

The Philip Pullman books are my favourite, but I really love the Garth Nix books because his characters are so good, especially Lirael.

 

[Laura M]

I had to read Therese at school as well, I didn't much like it though to be honest, although my sister did so maybe its a girls' book

I think you had the same A-level French teacher as I did.

Rebecca
The Bell Jar
Harry Potter
Angela's Ashes

 

[OzAurora]

LOTR- nuff said- it is a masterpiece and I believe that it is light reading, I mean it aint as heavy as some stuff out there....and my other fave books are by Australian authors. 'He died with a felafel in his hand' by John Birmingham which is a hilarious short book about one guys experiences living in various share houses and the crazy people who inhabit them and the other book is 'Praise' by Andrew McGahan, which is the story of a young guy who dosnt have the highest self esteem and it follows his life when he meets his nymphomaniac girlfriend.....a good story and this author has such a great wiriting style

 

[cass]

I don't think it will interest you much marie, unless you like organic gardening, but a book that left a big impression on me and gave me great hope was
Quantum Carrot by Brandon Kenton
When I'm reading for pleasure and not education, I love a good romantic comedy. I love humour.
I also like fantasy and love Raymond E Fiest's books.
I'm reading a very old book of short strories about dogs at the moment with authors like Spike Milligan and Ogden Nash
Hub just bought Orwell's Nineteen Eigthy Four, so I'll be reading that again soon.

 

[DaveC]

Favorite in general would have to be Honor Among Thieves by Jeffrey Archer. Rainbow Six by Tom Clancy in a close second. For non-fiction definitely the "A History of Britain" series by Simon Schama.

Favorite recent book: The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown (yes, I know it's clich? now).

 

[DiGi]

Some of my favorites / best books I have read.

- The Autobiography of Malcom X (Alex Haley)
- Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage (Alfred Lansing)
- Once a Runner (John L. Parker)

 

[LoveTown]

some of my favorites in the fantasy category are

Lord of the Rings
The Dragonlance Chronicles ( 3 books)
Tigana
Just read The Briar King, good read...I still need to pick up the second book

 

[AvsGirl41]

I can't pick a favorite book at all. But now that it's summer, I've been reading alot of sci-fi and fantasy.

My favorite sci-fi author is Connie Willis, because her stuff isn't real hardcore sci-fi, there's alot of history and humor in it. One of my favorites is "Doomsday Book" and I highly recommend it to anyone who digs history, particularly the Middle Ages. "To Say Nothing of the Dog" which is set in the same "future" is really great and funny. Her newest one, "Passage" is a real brain trip and you *will* stay up all night reading it.

Lord of the Rings is a very good read. It's so easy to underestimate Tolkein...

"The Mists of Avalon" by Marion Zimmer Bradley is one I really liked.

Classic literature, I would recommend Chekhov, start anywhere.
Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice" is a classic "girly" book. Someone else recommended "Wuthering Heights" and that's one of my favorites, too.

 

[shari schultz]

Recent reads......
To Kill A Mockingbird-Harper Leeheart
Pet Semetary-S. King(Scared the bejeebers out of me)
A Walk in the Woods-Bill Bryson(hysterical!)

 

[tiny dancer]

A few of my favorites are The Lovely Bones & Angela's Ashes. Also anything thing to do with U2!

 

[dandy]

I am certain that you'll be able to find a French translation of my all time favourite book, The Diary of Anne Frank. I'm also in the midst of re-reading Anna Karenina by Tolstoy, such an amazing summertime read.

 

[beegee]

for the billionth time, cruddy by lynda barry.


i swear, i feel like i will send twenty bucks to the first person to read this damn book.

 

[RavenStar]

oh man I love to read so much
My fav Author is Piers Anthony and I recommend anything by him. He mostly writes sci-fi/fantasy.
I also like the novel called Invitation to the Game...can't remmeber who wrote it though

 

[greety]

If you like the irish sense of humor, you might wanna read anything from Roddy Doyle like The commitments or The snapper .

 

[elevation2u]

the perks of being a wallflower
catcher in the rye
1984
tuesdays with morrie
fight club
screwtape letters

 

[MissMaCo]

GOD !
thank you guys !
difficult choice !

 

[vivaSA]

nice avatar elevation2u

my favorite books are:
1984 - George Orwell
Fools Rush In - Bill Carter
Brave New World - Aldous Huxley

 

[forbonou2]

Mine: All Creatures Great & Small!!! The BEST!! I ws going to be a Vet, until I read this book series! lol!