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Up until a year or so ago, I always used to have a book on me and would always be reading something. I've decided I need to start reading books again as it's been too long. I like mainly fiction; Dean Koontz, Stephen King and more recently I'm getting into John Connolly's books (Nocturnes was superb).

What is everyone else reading? I need some ideas so I can go book-hunting on Amazon. I'm mainly interested in horror and the supernatural, but will read anything really.

I'm dipping into "The Diary of Samuel Pepys" again. It's still utterly astonishing, even more so for the fact that some of the most momentous events in UK history happened during the period he was writing.

I'm also reading one of the funniest "factual" books ever: "Psychic Discoveries". It's about, wait for it, the Soviets and their apparent mastery of, er, psychic energy in the 1960s. The poor saps who wrote it either have absolutely no BS filters or are making it up! Some of the technology they describe is fanciful at best, no better than the prayer boxes the Aetherius Society use. It's hard to imagine a trained physicist fannying about like that. They keep going on about how ultra secret it all is (written in 1970) and yet they simply travelled to Russia and met loads of people who were prepared to talk openly about the whole thing. Hilarious, but a bit rare. My copy came from France.

Someone gave me an old copy of "Gog" for Christmas, but I've not started it yet.

If you are interested in horror and the supernatural, try Sergei Lukyanenko's trilogy; Night Watch, Day Watch and Twilight Watch. They were major best sellers in Russia and the first two have been made into films (apparently Hollywood now want to make a "Western" version of Night Watch and undoubtedly ruin it!). I have read the first two and got the last one for Christmas. I also have a DVD of Night Watch heading my way courtesy of ebay (it was shown on Channel 4 on 27 December but way past my bedtime!!).

Don't be put off by the "JK Rowling, Russian style..." blurb on the front - they are nothing like Harry Potter other than the common theme of a "parrallel world" inhabited by non-humans.

You may also want to try books by Christopher Fowler. He writes both novels and short stories - I haven't read his short stories but his novels are excellent. They are generally set in and around London and have a paranormal/supernatural twist. I recommend Roofworld, Disturbia and Psychoville especially.

Hope that is of some use.

Richard

Off topic, but I loved the Night Watch film - great anti-hero stuff, and very imaginative, in a slightly unsettling way.

I love to read when I have the chance, and am not feeling obliged to read textbooks! A book I often recommend is "Ender's Game" by Orson Scott Card - yes, it's sort of sci-fi (and I'm not really a sci-fi fan) but is totally absorbing, a real must read.

I'm also a fan of Kurt Vonnegut - Slaughterhouse 5 is the obvious place to start but there are plenty of other good ones. They're easy to read, thought provoking and very amusing if you like his quirky style.

I think the last stand-out book I read was Stone Junction by Jim Dodge. Absolutely fantastic. It has everything - secret societies, mind altering drugs, magic, the whole lot. Buy it.

I would strongly recommend "the interpretation of murder" By Jed Rubenfeld. It's more crime than horror, and is based around the true events of Sigmund Freud when he went to America. Failing that, you can't go wrong with dean koontz, or perhaps some Mario Puzo if you're into the Mafia....

fings wiv word in 'em usually guvnor...

i've been re-reading MindReach, two scientists and their experiments in the 60s and 70s, including uri gellar...it sent my brain into overdrive..again..

oh and dipping into 50 psychological classics, as im thinking of training to become a psychotherapist, and wanted an easy "in" on a broad scope of people's work...very interestink...

Apart from magic books I only read philosophy. At the moment I am in my third reading of 'The attack of the deranged killer mutant monster snow goons.'

I'm not reading much fiction at the moment and that which I am reading are scripts.

Aside from Psychological/Philosophical texts my reading material mainly consists of travel books - Bill Bryson, Tony Hawks etc. My absolute favourite writers in this respect have to be Danny Wallace and Dave Gorman. I highly recommend "Are You Dave Gorman".

Apart from magic books, I read factual things, mainly British history and psychology. I have no time for novels and made up stories. I read so many of them when I was younger that I'd rather read something real and learn than waste time on some silly made-up tale.
I particularly like reading about Victorian social history.

I would heartiy recommend the "His Dark Materials" trilogy by Philip Pullman if you haven't already read them. And Clive Barker is always worth rediscovering - "Weaveworld" and "The Great & Secret Show" being modern fantasy/horror classics.

Not fiction, but Peter Lamont's "The First Psychic" and "The Rise of the Indian Rope Trick" are must reads for anyone with an interest in magic/mentalism/psychics etc.

May I also give a shout out to Sherlock Holmes. He rocks. As I believe you young folk say.

themagicwand wrote:I would heartiy recommend the "His Dark Materials" trilogy by Philip Pullman if you haven't already read them.

Absolutely seconded. Very nice work indeed.

Tomo wrote:

themagicwand wrote:I would heartiy recommend the "His Dark Materials" trilogy by Philip Pullman if you haven't already read them.

Absolutely seconded. Very nice work indeed.

and thirded from me. I read these books when I was 11 and I loved them. Absolutely un-putdownable. I had some very sore arms after 4 days straight of reading them!!

cymru1991 wrote:

Tomo wrote:

themagicwand wrote:I would heartiy recommend the "His Dark Materials" trilogy by Philip Pullman if you haven't already read them.

Absolutely seconded. Very nice work indeed.

and thirded from me. I read these books when I was 11 and I loved them. Absolutely un-putdownable. I had some very sore arms after 4 days straight of reading them!!

So last week then? Sore arms are they in brail?

Currently I'm reading "The heart of the buddha's teaching" by Thich Nhat Hanh. Very eloquent and interesting to my current way of thinking, although alot heavier than the other book of his that I read over Christmas; "True Love, a practice for awakening the heart". Oh yeah just finished my second reading of "The art of living" by the Dalai Lama, superb.

Aside from the spiritual stuff I've been reading "The curious incident of the dog at night time", but I got a wee bit distracted...

Markdini wrote:

cymru1991 wrote:

Tomo wrote:

themagicwand wrote:I would heartiy recommend the "His Dark Materials" trilogy by Philip Pullman if you haven't already read them.

Absolutely seconded. Very nice work indeed.

and thirded from me. I read these books when I was 11 and I loved them. Absolutely un-putdownable. I had some very sore arms after 4 days straight of reading them!!

So last week then? Sore arms are they in brail?

hahaha. No, funny enough it was about 5 years ago ( my profile clearly states I'm 16 and for me to be 11 again we would have to go back 5 years. I'm sue your maths isn't THAT bad Mr 'Dini. And I'm glad to say that blindness is not something that I happen to be afflicted with. That would make performing interesting: