Do you have any NON-fantasy/SF favourites?

[Barry the Sprout]

Originally posted by Grojlach: I've *coughcough*seenthemovie*coughcough*. Had a very good soundtrack as well. The only Nick Hornby novel I've ever read was How to be good, but even though it had some nice moments, it was a little bit dissatisfying on the whole; as if this entire movie-thing (his About a Boy has also been turned into a movie recently) has gone to his head and he simply decided to focus on writing novels just waiting to be used as a future Hollywood-friendly movie-script. Too gimmicky, too much "Hugh Grant/Julia Roberts"-romantic-comedies-kind-of-humour, too many predictable twists. Nice if it floats your boat, but I wasn't really impressed by it.

I've read How to Be Good and I agree - it was a bit tired and generally a bit strained. His normal stuff is less fiction based in many ways. High Fidelity is taken up so much with the music and large quantities of witty observations about life in general that it actually reads like an autobiography, and of course Fever Pitch actually is an autobiography. They're the better ones by him I think.

[Sir Krustin]

I like Clancy as well, but don't forget Dale Brown (his latest is Wings of Fire but his most famous novel is Flight of the Old Dog) and Steve Coonts (I highly recommend Flight of the Intruder) - both are retired aviators; the latter being Navy and the former Air Force.

I also like John Sanford. (The Devil's Code)

[mistral4543]

James Herriot's vet stories (All Creatures Great and Small, All Things Wise and Wonderful, etc.) are heartwarming and make an enjoyable reread, any day.

I also love reading Jane Austen's 6 novels (Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, Mansfield Park, Persuasion, Emma and Northanger Abbey). She has a gift for presenting the foibles of her characters so lightly that while they are detestable, you can't help empathising with them a little.

The few Edith Wharton's books (Age of Innocence, House of Mirth and The Buccanneers) were always poignant and rather depressing.

[Grendal]

I really enjoyed the "Earth Children" series by Jean Auel. Clan of the cave Bear, Vally of the Horses, The Mammoth Hunters and Plains of Passage. The newest one has been out for almost a year now but Im waiting for paperback!

[Kaltia]

Carrie, by Stephen King, was one of my favourite non-fantasy books. Although, to be honest, To Kill a Mockingbird is the best book ever for me

[Lord Lothar]

<font color=cadetblue> I like reading Tom Clancy's and Jack Higgins' novels. Both authors write excellent, intense action novels. "The Eagle Has Landed" by Higgins and "Red Storm Rising" by Clancy are 2 of my favourite books.</font>

[dplax]

my favourite author is Frank Herbert

[WOLFGIR]

I have been reading up on Lovecraft and Gaiman. Oki, can still be argued that they are fantasy but if they are, then Dumas is as well

I have been reading alot of books that are about Swedish history lately.

One is Jan Guilou. (This is where you should say who the f**k is that, and I just grin ) He writes a plausible story about the crusades from some fictive people mostly based on historical finds and from the time prior to Sverige's creation.
Pretty desent, but far from a favourite.

Also been readin some historic and history only books that have been really interesting. Also mostly based on Sweden *Sorry*

Also a huge favourite of mine is Pär Lagerkvist, another Swedish author that writes alot of different books. Very dark and gloomy I might add, but OOOOO so good.

Also re-reading Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson , a cyberfiction that is both funny and interesting.