Bloomsbury Good Reading Guide

Deciding what to read next when you've just finished an unputdownable novel can be a daunting task. The Bloomsbury Good Reading Guide features hundreds of authors and thousands of titles, with navigation features to lead you on a rich journey through some the best literature to grace our shelves. This greatly expanded edition includes the latest contemporary authors and landmark novels, an expanded non-fiction section, a timeline setting historical events against literary milestones, prize-winner and book club lists. An accessible and easy-to-read guide that no serious book lover should be without. "The essential guide to the wild uncharted world of contemporary and 20th century writing." Robert McCrum, The Observer

This detailed reference guide to the science fiction genre provides information on science fiction and fantasy from Mary Shelley to the present day. The text includes alphabetical entries, menus of suggested reading and skeins to guide the reader from one book to another.

Deciding what to read next when you've just finished an unputdownable novel can be a daunting task. The Bloomsbury Good Reading Guide features hundreds of authors and thousands of titles, with navigation features to lead you on a rich journey through some of the best and most interesting books that have been published. This greatly expanded edition also includes the latest contemporary authors and landmark novels. An accessible and easy-to-read guide that no serious book lovers should be without.

Deciding what to read next when you've just finished an unputdownable novel can be a daunting task. The Bloomsbury Good Reading Guide features hundreds of authors and thousands of titles, with navigation features to lead you on a rich journey through some the best literature to grace our shelves.

This text features more than 350 major authors and 4000 books. For each author a short article on style, influences, settings, theme and salient works is followed by a Read On section directing the reader to similar books by other authors.

"A reliable guide to what science fiction is" Christopher Priest, award-winning science fiction author "A really good introduction to the genre" SFX Magazine "Perceptive and glorious" Ian Watson, author of the screenplay for Steve Spielberg's A.I. Want to become a science fiction buff? Want to expand your reading in your favourite genre? This is a good place to start! From the publishers of the popular Good Reading Guide comes a rich selection of some of the finest SF novels ever published. With 100 of the best titles fully reviewed and a further 500 recommended, you'll quickly become an expert in the world of science fiction. The book is arranged by author and includes some thematic entries and special categories such as SF film adaptations, SF in rock music and Philip K. Dick in the mass media . It also includes a history of SF and a new definition of the genre, plus lists of award winners and book club recommendations. Foreword by Christopher Priest, the multiple award-winning SF author.

This latest guide in the highly successful Must-Read series depicts 100 of the finest historical fiction tales published, with a further 500 recommendations. The text covers a wide range of classic works and key authors.

Want to become a classic novel buff, or expand your reading of some of the finest novels ever published? With 100 of the best titles fully reviewed and a further 500 recommended, you'll quickly set out on a journey of discovery.

Novels which transform our ideas about human possibilities, biographies which celebrate the achievements of extraordinary individuals, polemical works of non-fiction which oblige us to alter our views of the world or of human society: all of us can remember reading at least one book which made us think about the world anew. Here, the author of the popular Bloomsbury Good Reading Guide, selects the very best books which may or may not have changed the world, but which have certainly changed the lives of thousands of people who have read them. Some examples of titles included: Maya Angelou, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings - a poignant recording of the author's triumph over the obstacles of being black and poor in a racist society. Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist. Santiago's meeting with the alchemist opens his eyes to the true values of life, love and suffering The Diary of Anne Frank Half a century later the story of a teenager coming to maturity in the most terrible of circumstances remains profoundly moving. Kahlil Gibran, The Prophet Gibran's poetic essays reveal his thoughts on everything in life from love and marriage to the enigmas of birth and death. Robert M. Pirsig, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance Pirsig's narrator creates a philosophical masterpiece that has the power to change lives.

Fantasy is one of the most visible genres in popular culture - we see the creation of magical and imagined worlds and characters in every type of media, with very strong fan bases in tow. This latest guide in the successful Bloomsbury Must-Read series covers work from a wide range of authors: Tolkien, Philip Pullman, Terry Pratchett, Michael Moorcock, Rudyard Kipling and C.S Lewis to very contemporary writers such as Garth Nix and Steven Erikson. If you want to expand your range of reading or deepen your understanding of this genre, this is the best place to start.

Reading, like travelling, takes you on a journey of discovery into new places, cultures and ways of living. This book brings those two worlds together. It is a literary exploration of global proportions, a rich survey of the finest novels set or written in other countries. Hundreds of titles are featured from every continent and you can browse by region, city or travel related theme. Whether you are travelling abroad or simply expanding your range of reading, this guide will enable you to see the world through the eyes of some the finest foreign writers. Nik Kalinowski and Vincent Cassar are two booksellers and writers who have applied their passion for foreign fiction to present their best picks from the thousands of titles available. The guide includes the very best world fiction that has stood the test of time from 1900 onwards. Arranged by continent, then by country, key titles are described, followed by read-on suggestions. You can also browse by major cities or travel related topic. This guide is a starting point for your own literary journey through culturally rich and diverse landscapes.

More than 7,000 crime novels were published in Britain in 2001, making crime fiction the second-most beloved genre of book-buyers. It is also a fast-moving genre with new authors emerging constantly to challenge perennial bestselling authors such as John Grisham and Patricia Cornwell. Covering every major crime fiction genre, from cosy crime to the darkest Noir, the Guide will help readers everywhere to navigate their way through this plethora of great writing. 220 of the best crime fiction writers are included with a description of the themes, characters, styles, and locations of the author concerned, along with a listing of his or her best books. Read On sections lead the reader to other books in a similar style and 60 Read-On-A-Theme listings point the reader to other books that they are likely to enjoy. This is essential reading for all lovers of crime fiction and will ensure that the trail will never go cold as you search for the right book, be it poison in the parlour or homicide in the 'hood'!

"A book club gives the opportunity to meet up with friends and wake the brain up a bit with lively and often quite aggressive discussion" Dawn French How do you keep your reading groups discussions lively and focussed? If you want to gain new insight into literature and share your passion with friends this book offers readers guides for 75 of the very best reads - guaranteed to provoke spirited debate! Each of the readers guides includes a summary of the book, a brief author biography, discussion points to spark debate, and a set of titles for further reading that deal with similar themes. A `background' section provides pointers to more material about the book online and as well as further thought-provoking material: Where did the author come from? What made them write the book? How did the context in which they wrote influence them? If you'd like further insight, debate, discussion and analysis to underpin your understanding and enjoyment of reading - then look no further than this guide. New titles in this edition include: The Long Firm, Leper's Companions, By the Sea, The Ninth Life of Louis Drax, Buddha of Suburbia, The Icarus Girl, Black and Blue, The Minotaur Takes a Cigarette Break, Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress, The Cutting Room, Shadow of the Wind, Giving up the Ghost...and many more!

Want to become a crime novel buff, or expand your reading in your favourite genre? This is a good place to start! From the publishers of the popular, Good Reading Guide comes a rich selection of the some of the finest crime novels ever published. With 100 of the best titles fully reviewed and a further 500 recommended, you'll quickly become an expert on the world of crime. The book also allows you to browse by theme, includes 'a reader's fast-guide to the world of crime fiction' as well listing the top 10 crime characters and their creators, award winners and book club recommendations.