I've got reader's block

Actually, I've got reader's block as well. Strangely enough though, it only applies to Blank, Blank, Blank and Blank...

I've got a degree in English Lit & have to say once I'd finished it I didn't pick up a book for a long time. Mentioned above but James Ellroy got me back into reading. You've said you don't like fiction but i you have any interest in crime he's the man.

Other faves recently have been The Quincunx by Charles Palliser - probably the best book i've ever read.

That pushed me back to Wilkie Collins & The Woman in White / The Moonstone - great Victorian crime stuff & surprisingly easy to read with great plots.

If you have any interest in music read The Dirt - the Motley Crue autobiography. I hate metal but it's one of the funniest books I've ever read. Sheer madness.

Graphic novels like 'Barefoot Gen' (although that made me cry) and anything by Jo Sacco are some of my favourites.

Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole
pretty funny

The Dice Man - Luke Rhinehart

Read Cormac McCarthy's (No Country for Old Men) 'The Road' - it is really short and absolutely stunning, one of my fav books ever! - I read it in a single sitting. Be quick coz the film adaptation is out next year to (hopefully not) shatter the illusion....

just bought 'put me back on my bike' by and 'dirk gently's holistic detective agency'.

^William Fotheringham
You dropped this^

Graphic novels = way forward.

The "Preacher" series by Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon has to be one of my favourites. Offensive, highly irreverent, great art, great story.

I don't reckon MessenJah asked 'What are your favourite books'. I get a bit bored with long things sometimes, especially if you don't have a lot of time to get immersed in books, so +1 to the short stories: I just polished off an anthology of HG Wells shorts that were very good (well, some weren't, but no loss, they were short!)

But maybe he or she was asking for good tips. In which case, Messenjah, try buying Granta sometime. Its a quarterly magazine (actually looks like a normal novel-sized book) of 'new writing' and its a really amazing thing. They're on issue 101 or 102 I think, so its been going a wee while. I wholeheartedly recommend it. Fiction and non-, journalism and travel writing, photos, always something excellent in there, often every single thing in there is excellent. Second hand old ones are worth picking up as well as the current ones. Every half-decent bookshop sells it.

Some good articles in the middle of readers wives.

The Sunday Sport do some great investigative reporting too.

And pretty much anything else by Murakami.

+3000 for the wind up bird.

her indoors said "read it" i was dubious. i was r o n g.

shameless plug

http://www.londonfgss.com/thread10383.html

+1 for Murakami too.
he's written a couple of duds (short stories and wild sheep chase weren't up my street), but the rest are fantastic.

but it's pure fiction, so if that's not up your street, then probably best avoided.

book a coach trip to Scotland, that'll force you to read any books, even if it a history about staple.

The only problem with that is that you'll end up in Scotland.

Read Olaf Stapledon's 'Star Maker', it's amazing, the complete history of the universe from the point of view of a disembodied conciousness.

Damn, internet access restored too late for me to be the first to suggest graphic journals. However, whilst the genius and accessibility of Joe Sacco should never be under estimated, surely the first recommendation should be Maus by Art Speigleman. If I were allowed to put one book on the national curriculum, then this would be it.

Other than that, I have found graphic novels quite a good antidote to reader's block. Alternatively, just do something else intellectually stimulating instead. Visit galleries or see live bands of a genre that you might not otherwise consider. Do an ad ed course in one of the interests on your list or learn a new skill. Do something different that challenges you. Allegedly there is a life away from the comforting smell of a the fresh, crisp pages of a new book as it mingles with a fine cup of tea or dram of a god malt in the gentle light of your sacred reading area.

Flashman - nuff said.

Damn, internet access restored too late for me to be the first to suggest graphic journals. However, whilst the genius and accessibility of Joe Sacco should never be under estimated, surely the first recommendation should be Maus by Art Speigleman. If I were allowed to put one book on the national curriculum, then this would be it.

Maus is brilliant indeed. And so is Persepolis (and any books) by Marjan Satrapi.
And if you have any other recommendations please let me know.

Maus is brilliant indeed. And so is Persepolis (and any books) by Marjan Satrapi.
And if you have any other recommendations please let me know.

Thanks Platini. I will definitely add it to my wishlist on amazon.
Reminds me of Jon Swain, Rivers of time, which I must read again.

John Pilger's not a graphic novelist but worth checking out. Good quality journalism, as is Alistair Cooke. On the graphic journalism front, I can only otherwise recommend "In the Shadow of No Towers", also Speigleman and "The 9/11 Report; A Graphic Adaptation". Sadly the genre is small and ill-favoured so work is often rare and contemporary. It would seem that comics artists and journalists are not easy bedfellowes. If you head over to Gosh Comics, or your other local comics store, they should be able to make reccomendations.

Nice little article here.