What is the best book you have ever read by a male author and a female author?

[chaptazbru]

Mine is The Pursuit of Happiness by Douglas Kennedy

and

The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton.

[DaisyNonna]

nodger, I joined my local library as a child, quickly read everything in it. Remember asking if I could have an adult ticket although officially too young.
The librarian said yes! There was a section which contained one act plays. Absolute bliss. Then I really started reading. Must have been 10. Now I belong to a library (plus reading group), buy books from charity shops (and take to them). Purchase books from local bookshops (dwindling) and have a Kindle. Each of my children and grandchildren get a book as a present at least once a year.

[paddywak]

When I was a kid I was always in the library mainly because my favorite aunt was in charge, she passed away many years ago not before she had given me a great love for a good book.I hope you lot realise you are going to get me in serious trouble with Trish as I've now got a list of books to read that will push a lot of jobs she want's me to do to the bottom of the list

[Gromit]

Araldite Catalogue 1976. I couldn't put it down.

[Wharton]

shaneystar2 - librarian inspected our hands before allowing us in. Just William (I'll squeam and I'll squeam and I'll squeam) and I still squeam at it (I'm nearly thixty three). Which Carnegie library was demolished?

[shaneystar2]

Lol.. hahaa...Gromit that's tickled me .. just like my sons and their Screwfix catalogues :-)

[shaneystar2]

It was in my home town nodger .

http://www.gorlestonh...elibrarygorleston.jpg

Oh yes ..Violet Elizabeth Bott ...haha. The Outlaws and the dog Jumble Wonderful.

[Wharton]

shaneystar2 - Your link informs me that it is 'Forbidden' to enquire about the destruction of a Carnegie library.

[trt]

Kane and Abel.

[Wharton]

Njal's Saga

[bensmum]

Off to the Library this morning so have some ideas from here now :D

[emmie]

askyourgran, you mentioned Stephen Donaldson, The Thomas Covenant series and there are lots of books in it are a must. I have read them all over time, but the last one doesn't come out until 2013, i hope that will be the last as they are complex, fascinating but long, i couldn't cope with another one. They are too difficult to explain, but think Lord of the Rings but longer..

[yogasun]

DTc 'The Glass Bead Game'..Brilliant but you have to get into the zone or else it's easy to give up with it at the beginning.
Love 'We Need to talk about Kevin' Love all Steinbeck's books.
There are so many books I love so much I can't pick favourites - was blown away when I first read 'The Hobbit' so totally different to anything else I've chosen to read.
I've read 'The Book Thief' naomi- a fascinating book.

As childrens(?) books go you cannot beat
'Alice in Wonderland' the characters are so brilliant and it's so clever.

[naomi24]

Yoga, The Book Thief left a lasting impression on me - as did The Boy in Striped Pyjamas.

[yogasun]

Hi naomi
I'm off down the town today. I'm going to look out for 'The Boy... etc in the charity shops otherwise order it from Amazon. Love recommendations.
Mind you, I couldn't get into the Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest. etc and didn't like The Time Travellers's Wife and they were recommended! Don't care though, I have been meaning to read 'The Boy.. so that's prompted me. Thanks.

[sandyRoe]

Anything by Hermann Hesse is almost guaranteed to send me nodding off. I've never managed to get past the first few pages of Magister Ludi.
The book that I do return to is Waugh's Sword of Honour trilogy. It's a WW2 story from the viewpoint of an English pious Catholic aristocrat. In parts it's a laugh out loud book.

[netibiza]

.......and I could just as easily sit down and re read all the Billy Bunter books,( by Frank Richards real name Charles Hamilton) I loved them as a child.

[naomi24]

Yoga, I was asked by a book club for recommended reading, and I suggested 'The Shadow of the Wind' by Carlos Ruiz Zafón, which I thought was a great book, very well written and beautifully translated. They read it and hated it! Knew they shoud have stuck to Barbara Cartland! :o)

[seadogg]

Same as you Daisy and the second book I read (in 1946) was 1984 by George Orwell. I though it was going to be science fiction with spaceships etc. but it knocked me for six. Had nightmares about Room 101.

[chaptazbru]

WOW, I've just come back to this thread and am so pleased it has been so popular. I have read many of the books mentioned on here and enjoyed them thoroughly - nothing like a good read is there ??

[chaptazbru]

loooby - yes, I've read The Woman in the Fifth - read all of Kennedy's books. Didn't like it at first, but after reading it a few times, it grew on me. Couldn't get used to him writing a 'ghost' story at first. I've not seen the film yet. Yes, Martina Cole's are all quite samey, but I enjoy them nonetheless.