contemporary authors

[red_tom]

Neil Gaiman's American Gods is a good holiday read as is Neal Stephenson's Cryptonomicon

 

[simonali]

I liked this one quite a bit.

 

[Odyssey]

David Mitchell's Cloud Atlas. Very, very good.

I never got the past the first chapter in Cloud Atlas. Not because it was bad or anything, I just struggle to get into books of any kind sometimes - maybe I should try again. I did read Black Swan Green however and I think the guy's an exceptional writer.

 

[rich p]

I have a theory that Birdsong was written by S. Faulks' wife cos everything else he has written was utter tripe IMHO

 

[Melvil]

Neil Gaiman's American Gods is a good holiday read as is Neal Stephenson's Cryptonomicon

I like Neal Stephenson a lot, Cryptonomicon is great but for me The Diamond Age is one of the best recent books I've read for a long time. Stupendous ideas and great storytelling.

 

[rich p]

Kate Atkinson books are a good read; not too heavy

 

[John the Monkey]

for crime novels i'd go for Ridley Pearson, or the classics by Chandler.

Never read Pearson, but I wholeheartedly agree with your recommendation of Chandler, and would add James M. Cain and Jim Thompson to the list. There used to be a couple of anthologies available (I think they were called "5 Stories from... (and then the author's name) and both the Cain and Thompson ones are excellent. Dashiell Hammett should be required reading as well, especially "Red Harvest", which is a belter.

In terms of contemporary crime authors, does anyone else like James Crumley? Finished Bordersnakes recently and thought it very good. I'm a fan of James Lee Burke as a less demanding read too.

 

[red_tom]

I like Neal Stephenson a lot, Cryptonomicon is great but for me The Diamond Age is one of the best recent books I've read for a long time. Stupendous ideas and great storytelling.

Totally agree on The Diamond Age - superb read. Bring on the Neo-Victorians . Snow Crash is also very good but The Baroque Cycle just left me cold.

 

[Creamcrackered]

I enjoyed Khaled Hosseini's The Kite Runner (better than the film) and A Thousand Splendid Suns.

 

[purpleR]

The Time Traveller's Wife by ...er... ...er ... Audrey somebody? Best book I've read in ages. And, although I rather liked Birdsong, it's loads better than any Faulks novels.

 

[purpleR]

Or how about some of Graham Greene's jollier stuff? Always good for holiday reading. I'd particularly recommend Monsieur Quixote or Travels With My Aunt.

Edit: just read the OP, these are not really contemporary now are they? They used to be though!

 

[mondobongo]

Very very funny but not at all politically correct Horses Arse and Foxtrot Oscar by Charlie Owen.

Something completely different Night Watch by Sergey Lukyanenko.

 

[John the Monkey]

Something completely different Night Watch by Sergey Lukyanenko.

Oo, cheers for the reminder, I keep meaning to pick that up, nice one.

 

[Speicher]

The Time Traveller's Wife by ...er... ...er ... Audrey somebody? Best book I've read in ages. And, although I rather liked Birdsong, it's loads better than any Faulks novels.

Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
I am reading that at present.

 

[Fiona N]

Neil Gaiman's American Gods is a good holiday read as is Neal Stephenson's Cryptonomicon

I'll second Neil Stephenson, especially - try the Baroque trilogy (although unless you're away for a month or read very quickly I doubt you'll need all three books) which combines completely outrageous ripping yarns with a fantastic female lead character and some really thought-provoking history too. It's a bit less nerdy sci-fi and more historical fiction with some science mixed in.

The only thing with Neil Stephenson is his books are big and thick and satisfying but he doesn't publish often enough so you end up like an addict waiting for a fix