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.

[Anngel123]

No 1 Ladies Detective Agency - Alexander McCall Smith
Moreta Dragon Lady of Pern - Anne McCaffery
Or indeed any of the books in the series by either of them.
Closely followed by anything by Terry Pratchett.

[DTCwordfan]

Nungate, Coddington's The Gettysburg Campaign: A Study in Command

and an excellent (long) bio on "Lincoln" by David Donald

Michael Burlingame's history on Hay (later Sec of State under Theodore Roosevelt) gives some very different insights, "Inside Lincoln's White House: The Complete Civil War Diary of John Hay."

Hope this helps.....

[nungate]

Thanks DT. Will put the list into my diary and get them one at a time

[BlueScorpion]

I read Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee by Dee Brown many years ago, - it was quite hard to get into at first but very rewarding to persevere with if you're interested in history.

In the sci-fi/fanatsy genre The Anubis Gates by Tim Powers is a good read

[Sharingan]

When I was little I loved Cider with Rosie, then my favourite became The Dark Room by Rachel Seiffert and I've just finished Catch 22 and loved it.
"would be crazy to fly more missions and sane if he didn't, but if he was sane he had to fly them. If he flew them he was crazy and didn't have to; if he didn't want to he was sane and had to".

[chaptazbru]

Does anybody remember Catherine Cookson? A friend has given me a load of her books which were going to a charity shop, but I said I'd read them first (whenever I can fit them in) as I know she was a popular writer.

[naomi24]

I think we spoke about Catherine Cookson earlier. I could never read her books. A short way in and my mind had wandered elsewhere. Other people love them.

[craft1948]

I loved Cookson books when I was in my 20's...................less so now.

[chaptazbru]

I don't remember a reference to Catherine Cookson and I'm sure I've read all the posts (maybe not, there are so many!). I enjoy her dramas on Yesterday, so assume I'll like the books.

Nearly finished Dead Tomorrow craft - what a book !

[naomi24]

Maybe we talked about her on the thread about books we don't like.

[craft1948]

Glad you're enjoying it chaptaz..................cost me a bloody fortune to buy all his other books after reading just one of them.

[chaptazbru]

That's why it's a bonus when you find them in charity shops. Dead Tomorrow only cost ne £1.20 and it's in perfect condition.

[cruciaddict]

The Poisonwood Bible - Barbara Kingsolver

Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy

Brave New World - Aldous Huxley,

I like Lionel Shriver ie Double Fault, We Need to Talk About Kevin

Douglas Kennedy - Leaving the World

A Thousand Splendid Suns - Khaled Hosseini

This Thing of Darkness - Harry Thompson

To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee

Of Mice and Men, Cannery Row - John Steinbeck

A Many Splendoured Thing - Han suyin..........I could go on all night!!

[zebo]

In my teens I read the Roger Brooke series of books by Dennis Wheatley, set in the French Revolution period. My history teacher complimented me on the extra research I'd done into the period and held me up as an example to others. I didn't have the heart to tell her where my research came from.
Dennis Wheatley also wrote some excellent scarey books, The Devil Rides Out springs to mind.

[BlueScorpion]

Thanks to this thread I've just re-read On The Beach by Nevile Shute. An excellent book but now I think I need something a bit upbeat

[chi-chi66]

I'm off out to raid the charity shops, see if I can find any of these books
that I fancy. Will report how I get on.

[chaptazbru]

cruciaddict - Douglas Kennedy Leaving the World, brilliant book.
A Thousand Splendid Suns has popped up on here a few times, very popular book.

chi-chi - Good luck at the charity shops. I found a Peter Robinson I haven't read before in one this morning, a bargain at £1.50 !

[yogasun]

naomi!

Finished The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas. Loved it, if that's the word. It certainly had me thinking about it some time after I'd finished it. Brilliant but disturbing. Thanks for recommending.

[chi-chi66]

Well here are my finds:-

Pursuit of Happiness........£1.99
The Kite Runner..............£2.00
The Distant Hours...........£2.50
The Woman in the Fifth....£2.50
The House at Riverton......£2.50


Not bad eh! I'm still on the lookout for the other Kate Morton - The Forgotten
Garden. I also got one of Anna Smith - The Dead won't Sleep, someone
recommended her books, not on this thread.
Saw Labyrinth, but did'nt fancy it.

[chi-chi66]

Yoga..I have the dvd Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, so doubt I will look for the book.