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Books That Rock My World
Ulysses (Penguin Modern Classics)Ulysses (Penguin Modern Classics) by James Joyce
Buy new: £6.47 / Used from: £3.44
Some works trancend their artistic discipline. Ulysses is so much more than a novel. It is a work of genius that only makes sense with multipile readings. Hard work, but infinitely rewarding.
East of Eden (Steinbeck "Essentials")East of Eden (Steinbeck "Essentials") by John Steinbeck
Buy new: £6.47 / Used from: £4.50
John Steinbeck is a master of storytelling and East of Eden is his most sublime achievment.
In Dubious Battle (Penguin twentieth-century classics)In Dubious Battle (Penguin twentieth-century classics)
Buy used from: £1.80
This book is so good, I read it in one sitting. Has one the most horrifically brilliant endings of any work of literature.
Germinal (Oxford World's Classics)Germinal (Oxford World's Classics) by Émile Zola
Buy used from: £1.19
One of the best novels of the 19th Century. Bleak and harrowing and yet a masterpiece of socialist writing.
WeaveworldWeaveworld by Clive Barker
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The best of Clive Barker's novels and for my money the best fantasy novel ever.
Animal Farm: A Fairy StoryAnimal Farm: A Fairy Story by George Orwell
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'He who fights dragons too long,' said Nietzsche, 'becomes a dragon himself.' Esentially the moral of Orwell's most important novel.
The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy: A Trilogy in Five PartsThe Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy: A Trilogy in Five Parts by Douglas Adams
Buy new: £12.28 / Used from: £5.00
I've read the first three novels so many time I can practically recite them from heart. As much politcal satire as sci fi at times. Genius.
The Garden of Unearthly DelightsThe Garden of Unearthly Delights by Robert Rankin
Buy new: £6.99 / Used from: £0.01
If you haven't discovered Robert Rankin yet, then now's the time.
The Secret HistoryThe Secret History by Donna Tartt
Buy new: £6.97 / Used from: £0.01
My favourite book of recent years. But avoid The Little Friend like the plague!
Homage to Catalonia (Penguin Modern Classics)Homage to Catalonia (Penguin Modern Classics) by George Orwell
Buy used from: £5.86
More frightening than 1984 as all the events in this book actually took place.
As I Walked Out One Midsummer MorningAs I Walked Out One Midsummer Morning by Laurie Lee
Buy new: £5.48 / Used from: £0.01
Laurie Lee walks the roads of Spain in the weeks and months before the Civil War. Great, great book.
Frankenstein: or, the Modern Prometheus (Penguin Popular Classics)Frankenstein: or, the Modern Prometheus (Penguin Popular Classics) by Mary Shelley
Buy new: £2.17 / Used from: £0.01
So good, not even studying it at college could ruin it.
Tropic of Cancer (Harperperennial Classics)Tropic of Cancer (Harperperennial Classics) by Henry Miller
Buy used from: £1.00
'Good novels,' wrote Orwell of Miller, 'are writen by people who are not frightened.' Not for the easily offended.
Our Man in Havana (Vintage Classics)Our Man in Havana (Vintage Classics) by Graham Greene
Buy new: £5.99 / Used from: £2.97
Possibly the greatest English novelist of the 20th century, this is my favourite of his books.
Girlfriend in a ComaGirlfriend in a Coma by Douglas Coupland
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An excellent novel from Mr Generation X himself. Also read Microserfs.
His Dark Materials Gift Set: "Northern Lights", "The Subtle Knife", "The Amber Spyglass"His Dark Materials Gift Set: "Northern Lights", "The Subtle Knife", "The Amber Spyglass" by Philip Pullman
Buy used from: £5.50
Forget Harry Potter, Pullman has created something truely original. Great stuff.
Understanding Power: The Indispensable ChomskyUnderstanding Power: The Indispensable Chomsky by Noam Chomsky
Buy new: £8.37 / Used from: £5.94
Any Chomsky is invaluable, but this collection of discussions with members of the public is as good an introduction to the man as any.
Bill Hicks: Agent of EvolutionBill Hicks: Agent of Evolution by Kevin Booth
Buy used from: £6.50
An important new biography of Bill Hicks. Shows the man behind the comedy.
James Joyce (Oxford Lives)James Joyce (Oxford Lives) by Richard Ellmann
Buy new: £13.97 / Used from: £11.62
Regarded by many as the greatest biography ever writen, this is an essential read for anyone wanting a greater insight into the chaotic life of Joyce.
Catch-22 (Vintage Classics)Catch-22 (Vintage Classics) by Joseph Heller
Buy new: £5.97 / Used from: £1.48
Sheer absurdity and brillaint use of word play. A 20th century classic.
The Karamazov Brothers (Oxford World's Classics)The Karamazov Brothers (Oxford World's Classics) by Fyodor Dostoevsky
Buy new: £8.99 / Used from: £1.73
His greatest novel. Not for people who bore easily.
Johnny Got His GunJohnny Got His Gun by Dalton Trumbo
Buy used from: £12.99
At times you want to cry out reading this book. Horrific throughout, a true anti war novel.
For Whom the Bell TollsFor Whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway
Buy new: £5.47 / Used from: £0.59
Hemmingway at his best.
A People's History of the United States: 1492-presentA People's History of the United States: 1492-present by Howard Zinn
Buy new: £32.29 / Used from: £15.00
An alternative history of the most powerful country in the world. Essential reading
Hidden AgendasHidden Agendas by John Pilger
Buy new: £6.97 / Used from: £0.01
Be warned! If you wish to remain in ignorance of the world you live in, avoid this book. Journalism with a capital J. One of the few heros left in the world.