[What do you stubbornly refuse to read, and why?]

I avoid like the plague anything by well-respected, literary authors that I was forced to read for school - Hardy (man, was he depressing), Shakespeare, Ibsen etc. I hated every book I had to study at school.

 

I also don't like true crime books, or horror, as I'm a sensitive soul!

[Terry Pratchett]

I enjoyed them all, but the Rincewind ones are probably my least faves. I started with Mort, and then read the rest in order. IMO, the first two aren't as good as the rest, so anyone who starts at the beginning, please don't be put off! My faves are the City Watch books and Going Postal.

[Dean Koontz - Good and Bad?]

Velocity sounds a bit nasty for my tastes, to be honest - I'm a wimp! I bought it because I buy all Koontz's books, but it's fairly near the bottom of my TBR pile.

[Stephen King Guide]

The Bachman Books (A collection fo four stories, The Long Walk is particularly impressive).

 

The Long Walk is my favourite of the Bachman books too. I also loved:

 

The Dark Tower series

Eyes of the Dragon

Firestarter

It

Rose Madder (not many people seem to like this one, but I've always been fascinated by the idea of going through pictures).

[Dean Koontz - Good and Bad?]

Koontz's stuff is variable to say the least. At its best, it's wonderful (Intensity), but some would never have got published if they didn't have his name on the cover (The Taking).

 

I currently have four of his books on my TBR pile: Velocity, Forever Odd, and two Frankenstein books. The guy writes them faster than I can read them! :shock:

[Garth Nix]

The Abhorsen trilogy has a huge following. I've read all three, and preferred the middle book, Lirael, but I wasn't blown away by them. I think Nix has a problem with characterisation. I never felt I got to know Sabriel very well.

 

I've also read up to Sir Thursday in the Keys to the Kingdom series. Nix has a huge imagination, but sometimes I feel too much confusing detail is included for a children's story. Not that I'm underestimating children, it's just that it sometimes gets rather confusing.

 

I recently read Nix's new book, Shade's Children, and enjoyed that much more. It had more of a young adult feel to it, with some quite gory detail and concepts. I would recommend this one above the others.

[Douglas Adams]

I've read all the Hitchhikers books, but many years ago, so they're vastly overdue a re-read. I did enjoy the Dirk Gently books too, but haven't been able to get into The Salmon of Doubt for some reason.