Just finished reading 'Mythago Wood' by Robert Holdstock, enjoyed it alot.   Havent got the next read lined up as yet, and as i know alot of you BM peeps are avid readers too, i thought i'd see what stuff you'd recommend.....   Historical fiction is my preffered tipple!   I await your replies with bated breath!                                                                                                                                                                             

Bernard Cornwall writes excellent historical fiction.                                                                                                                                                                             

I dont think my idea of historical fiction would be quite the same as yours! Unless you like romantic historical fiction?                                                                                                                                                                             

Read everything the guys ever written XKLYBR, one of my all time favourite authors.... cheers for that though anyway.                                                                                                                                                                             

Romantic historical fiction is more than acceptable DC, especially if it's got a, how shall i put it, a graphic sting in its tale?!!   Historical fiction is a fav, but i do read allsorts, just wanna hear what you guys read, or have done in general really.   WHY?                                                                                                                                                                             

I love to read....... to lose myself in a good book..... fantasy, real life...If a book makes me laugh out loud to myself or cry floods of tears..... or evokes feelings that stay with me or touch my soul, i treasure it like a jewel thats remains part of me... I have just finished reading "all families are Psychotic" by Douglas Coupland.... brilliantly funny and true!! Anything by Chuck Palanuick. having to read lots of theory books on play therapy at moment!!  when you have to read a book to review it, you read it in a different way!!                                                                                                                                                                                

the mists of avalon by marion zimmer bradley its a 'magical saga about the women behind king arthurs throne' i couldnt put it down!                                                                                                                                                                             

OK, last book I picked up and opened was, wait for it, the Haynes manual for fixing BMWs. Sad or what?

Last new novel was David Mitchell, Cloud Atlas. Brilliantly well written, but I wonder if he's just a bit too clever for his own good.

The last factual book, Haynes apart, was Ronald Huntford on Scott and Amundsen. Huntford obviously has little time for Scott and lays it on with a trowel, but nearly 30 years after it was published no-one's managed a complete rehabilitation of Scott.

i like to read in the winter so havent read anything for a while, i usually like sci-fantasy books but have quite varied tastes, am going to reread the tin drum by Gunter Grass next an excellent book if you like a historical read, another favourite author is China Mieville, my favourite book by him is the scar. On a totally different level is the most wonderful book ever, will have tears of mirth streaming down your face is raiders of the low forhead by Stanley Manley. This month i am also recommending the critically acclaimed, How not to catch owt when heading to the filthy north, a guide to travellers by Julie J !

I've read a load of stuff. Here's some of the more memorable ones...   Always loved the Dragonlance Trilogy.   The Silmarillion, The Hobbit, Lord Of The Rings etc isn't bad, but I hate that everyone in Tolkien's world keeps bursting into song!!!   Shakespeare is always fun.   I also recommend the Waylander books (Dave Gemmel), but not the whole ramble of Legend (same author).   The Fifth Millenium (aka the Saber And Shadow) novels are brilliant.   So too is Lynn Flewelling's Nightrunner series.     There's a few authors doing 'Historical Fiction' by dramatising old Anglo Saxon poems and tales. The tale of King Offa is always a good starting point, as is any author who tells Beowulf without altering the fecking plot!!   Stranger In A Strange Land - Robert Heinleim. Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep - Phillip K Dick   Other than that, the rest of the good ones are either theological or technical in some fashion. Some are historical texts too.                                                                                                                                                                              

crikey a literate northerner!!female to!!                                                                                                                                                                              

TM put the shovel down,the hole is deep enough                                                                                                                                                                              

ok sorry ron! is that ronnie or masculine ron! b4 i check your profile jus in case!matt hasnt got any male sihouettes!!!!!                                                                                                                                                                             

Hey ttask .... I loved the Dragonlance Trilogy also, although haven't read it since being a teenager (a couple of years ago now).   Nowadays I tend to read books on how to hit people or books about people hitting other people ...... which probably says far more about me than the type of books I read!!   If you are interested however, Watch My Back by Geoff Thompson is very good.                                                                                                                                                                             

The first Dragonlance Trilogy was great. The follow-up books were OK.   Then the myriad spin-offs kinda killed it...                                                                                                                                                                                   

Oh yeah - I'd forgotten about the follow ups - I had a few of them as well.   I had the second trilogy about the twins which was pretty good.   Also I had a couple of books about a guy who forged a sword or something??  They were pretty dire.   And a couple of books of short stories - most of which were hopeless!                                                                                                                                                                             

Dragonlance Trilogy seems to be a popular read, sounds right up my street too.   Off to amazon/e-bay, see if i can be parted from a few quid!   Cheers guys                                                                                                                                                                             

For funnies: Terry Pratchett, Robert Rankin, Jasper Fforde & Douglas Adams.

Another historical type - try Valerio Massimo Manfredi - he has a series of novels based around Alexander the Great and "The Spartan" was pretty good. Think he's done one on Troy too.

Sci-fi: Phillip K. Dick. Weirdly brilliant and the books are way better than the film adaptations, although Bladerunner was cool. The original story is titled "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep".

Talking of sheep, try "Lambs of God" by Marele Day for something off-beat. Strange story that had me laughing out loud on a few occasions.

All time favourite: The Gunslinger series by Stephen King. Fantastic series of books which I grew up with and will read over and over again.

For erotica, try Anne Rice's "Beauty" series, originally published under a pseudonym "A.N.Roquelaire" but I believe they've now been published under Rice's own name. Better than The Story of O, which I found very cold. Which was the point really I suppose, but y'know...

Oh... missed out one of the treasures I meant to include... Try Paulo Coelho's "The Alchemist"... great story to read, especially when you're feeling a little directionless in this life ;o)                                                                                                                                                                             

For bizzarely macabre erotica, written by "a gay man trapped in a woman's body", anything by Poppy Z. Brite will do. Very 'out there'....   Personally, I'd rather read Mercedes Lackey...