Looking For A Good Book

[Bluebear 0]

I am currently looking for a good book that I can buy and read. I know, a lot to choose from right? Well we have not really got many English books here to choose from, so I thought I would order one online. Why this sudden interest in a English British book? Well I need to improve my English. I really need to. (There is a boy in my class from England and of course he is really good in English... that is inspiration enough for me. Pluss the fact that my new English teacher expect us to speak wonderful English British... not good at all for me.)I have read (red?) all those Harry Potter and books by Dan Brown. Something in those categories would be nice. I am 15 years old so nothing too complicated, please.So; any ideas?

[moutonoir 0]

Have you heard of the Discworld series by Terry Pratchett? He is British so you'd get a good sense of the flavor of British English that way. There are many, many books in the series and can be read in any order, but the first one he wrote is called the Color of Magic. The books are fantasy, so if you liked Harry Potter you may like them too. What I really liked about these books though is that they're written with a sense of humor, so they keep you laughing while you're frantically turning the pages to what happens next.If you like these, I also recommend Pratchett and Neil Gaiman's Good Omens. It's a humorous take on the apocalypse, and I really enjoyed it.

[HyBriD54 0]

Hey there. Some of the books out there are really good and I'll start making some recommendations.One of my particular favourites at the moment would have to be Fractions of Zero by Bill Murray. Although not that entirely well known, this would have to be the book to read for the year. To tell you a bit about it, this book is about a serial killer, going around killing supposedly random victims in horrific and undiscovered ways. Your point comes from both the detectives tracking him and the serial killer himself. This will just instantly hook you, it's that good.Assuming you've heard of the famous Alice in Wonderland, well you just have to read the other darker version: Frank Beddor's Through the Looking Glass. Coming from the same point of view, this is supposedly the real version instead of the happy story we have all learnt to love. Alice's aunt is rebelling from the kingdom and soon, mutiny is all about. Alice, orphaned by the war, is sent to our world, where she is thought to be mentally unstable. Read it to find out the rest, because once spoilt, it's not a big surprise as much anymore.Another interesting author would just have to be Chris Wooding, and his books, particularly Storm Thief and The Haunting of Alaizabel Cray. Set in a world like our own, both have wonderful plots and twists and will absolutely ensure you won't put it down till you finish.Though I haven't been able to get my hands on these, Uglies and Pretties, two books by Scott Westerfield have been highly recommended to me by several friends.

[rvalkass 5]

Douglas Adams' writing style isn't all that complicated, and the books are always a good laugh. I suggest taking a look at The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. There are five books in the series, so if you like the first one you've got plenty more to read He also wrote two surreal detective novels, Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency and The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul, which I also recommend. I also agree with the suggestion to read Terry Pratchett's novels. Both Pratchett and Adams are British, so you get British English rather than American (just make sure you get a UK copy of the book).

 

If you're ordering online, I suggest using Play.com. Just click the little Euro flag in the top right corner, and you'll get the prices in Euros, and free shipping to Norway. The books will also be the UK versions, so you can guarantee you'll get the British English version you need.

 

Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (all five books): http://forums.xisto.com/no_longer_exists/

Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency: http://forums.xisto.com/no_longer_exists/

The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul: http://forums.xisto.com/no_longer_exists/

Terry Pratchett's Novels: http://forums.xisto.com/no_longer_exists/

[hamza12 0]

If you really want to read a good book i strongly recommend reading Chinese Cinderella. Here's an outline of the plot: "One for the girls. The secret story of an unwanted daughter. To be honest, I wasn't sure I really wanted to read this one, so when I finally opened the book I was relieved to find that it is a memorable and even enjoyable story.When Yen Jun-ling is born her mother dies, and that is the catastrophe of her life. Not only does her father turn from the five children he had by his first wife when he marries again, but her three brothers and sister also despise Jun-ling for being the cause of their own neglect. Third Brother tells her:It all stems from our mama dying when you were born. Big Sister and our two older brothers knew her better than I did. I only remember her a little. Things were much nicer when she was alive. You made her go away.Chinese Cinderella is an autobiography. It is a story written by a woman in her fifties about her own childhood. The story is set against a background of life in Japanese-occupied China and the civil war between the communists and nationalists which followed Japan's defeat at the end of the Second World War. There are some fascinating snapshots of the old way of life such as the binding of Grandmother Nai Nai's feet which had been the custom in China for over a thousand years. But this is mainly an account of the relentless neglect and loathing which was heaped on Yen Jun-ling during her excruciating childhood, and the way she chose to cope with it. Her account is delivered with the insight of a mature woman:In spite of my writing and academic record, my classmates probably suspected there was something pathetic about me. I never spoke of my family; neither issued nor accepted any invitations outside the school; and always refused to eat the candies or snacks brought by my friends. My hair-style, shoes, socks and book bag did not inspire envy. No one from home ever came to be with me on prize-giving day, regardless of how many awards I had won.They didn't know that, in front of them, I was desperate to keep up the pretence that I came from a normal, loving family. I couldn't possibly tell anyone the truth: how I was held responsible for any misfortune and was resented for simply being around; how my mind was racked with anxiety and constantly burdened by an impending sense of doom. How I simply loathed myself and wished I could disappear, especially when I was in front of my parents.Jun-ling's story is seen through the filter of time, and, perhaps her own, old defensive guard is up. At any rate, she simply does not ask for nor expect any sympathy, (with the possible exception of the interlude with PLT, Precious Little Treasure, which I leave you to read for yourself).Whatever you make of Yen Jun-ling herself, I think you will find this book highly memorable. It is an extraordinary catalogue of abuse and malice which will stay with you for quite a while after you finish the book. And I think you might find this book actually enjoyable, despite the content, because it is so well written. Narrated by Jun-ling herself, it is an intimate and simply told story. Read it for yourself and see if you agree with me."It's a very good book- very touching as well!