Recommend me some books? Details inside.?

Question

A happy ending is a must, but the book doesn't have to be light throughout. Humour is a big plus; especially British humour. Mostly interested in fantasy, followed by gay romance, but not against giving other things a try as well. Satire is good. A fast pace, dialogue and action are good. Too much description, unless presented in an especially interesting way, bad. This is why I didn't like LOTR.

The main point, I guess, is that I read to be entertained. I'll enjoy an emotional rollercoaster, a book that will have me biting my nails in anxiety, but when I finish it I want to do so feeling happy and satisfied, not depressed.

Some books and authors that I already read and that left especially pleasant impressions: Terry Pratchett, Neil Gaiman, Lynn Flewelling, Lorna Freeman, The Dresden Files, THHGTTG, Howl's Moving Castle, Catch-22

Thanks in advance!

Answer 1

Here's one that meets your criteria. Visitors by Bob Chapman. English through and through. A good story that keeps you there until th last paragraph. With an eccentric English aunt , whose antics will make you laugh. It's on Amazon, for less than a fiver.

Answer 2

Nick Hornby - absolutely hilarious. About a Boy and High Fidelity are my favorites. I liked Fever Pitch as well. All have been made into films, although Fever Pitch was presented in America as a baseball film. It was originally done accurately as a soccer (football) film with Colin Firth in the lead. Hornby's a British writer, so he's got the British humor down. Happy endings all around.

I'm also always recommending the Bartimaeus trilogy by Johnathan Stroud. He's also British, and the humor is occasionally absolutely side-splitting. It's a fantasy, very similar to Harry Potter, but then again, not. It's questionable whether you'd consider the ultimate ending happy - I wasn't all that thrilled with it myself - but nevertheless it was a cracking good read.

Answer 3

If you liked Terry Pratchett then I can recommend Jasper Fforde The Eyre Affair, you should enjoy the foot noterphone!!!
The Princess Bride William Goldman
The Time Travellers Wife very emotional rollercoaster not sure if you will like the end but definitely a fab book.

Answer 4

Oh, so many possibilities. I love to read. Howl's Moving Castle and Catch-22 are two of my very favorite books!
I just finished reading A Great and Terrible Beauty and the sequel, Rebel Angels, by Libba Bray. They're fantasy novels set in Victorian England, fairly dark, definitely fast paced and exciting, but with satisfying endings...well, as satisfying as they can be knowing that it's a trilogy and the third book won't be out until Fall 07. The books are about a British girl who has grown up in India, and on her sixteenth birthday she has a vision (which actually happens) of her mother being killed by an evil spirit. She is sent back to England to go to boarding school and there she learns more about her own powers and her mother's heritage. She finds out that she's actually part of a magical sisterhood who used to control The Realms, which are this space between this world and the next where fantastical creatures live. It's a lot of fun, definitely couldn't put it down.
You should also read more by Diana Wynne Jones, if you haven't. She is one of my favorites, and some of my very favorite books of hers are The Chrestomanci series, The Crown of Dalemark series, Fire and Hemlock, and The Time of the Ghost.
Another fantasy author I really like is Tamora Pierce--start with the Alanna series.
Other good fantasy books are Crown Duel and Court Duel, by Sherwood Smith. I think they're actually published as one book now, called simply Crown Duel.
I really like Agatha Christie mysteries--not fantasy but they are British, fast paced, and entertaining.
I also just finished reading The Other Boleyn girl by by Philippa Gregory. That's historical fiction, not sure if you're into that, but it's definitely an exciting, nail-biting sort of story, with good romance (heterosexual, though...there is some reference to homosexuality but the characters have to keep it secret because of the time they live in and not very much is said about it).
Do Try to Speak as We Do: The Diary of an American au Pair by Marjorie Leet Ford is fun. It's about an American girl who goes to Britain to work as a nanny and get away from her boyfriend and her life. I'm trying to remember if it's particularly satirical, but it does sort of give a behind the scenes glimpse of the upper class. I also really liked The Nanny Diaries, which is an interesting expose, in the form of a novel, of very wealthy parents in New York.
That's all I can think of for now. I've never read any gay romance, so I'm not much help there, and I mostly read children's and young adult fantasy, so I've told you my favorites there.
Good luck!
You could also probably get good advice by talking to a librarian or a bookstore employee.

Answer 5

I'd recommend several books by Pat Conroy...The Lords of Discipline, Beach Music. Most people also love his book The Prince of Tides, but I didn't care for that one as much. Pat Conroy is my favorite author though.

Also, Hannibal by Thomas Harris is a pretty interesting look inside the mind of the monster. I wasn't all that thrilled with Silence of the Lambs or Hannibal Rising, but I found Hannibal pretty rich and well-woven.

If you like reading legal thrillers, Presumed Innocent by Scott Turow is excellent. It blows anything by John Grisham out of the water. John Grisham is crap.

I wouldn't say that all those books have what I would call totally "happy" endings, but the resolutions are satisfactory and you enjoy the protagonist's journey.

Answer 6

Some of my personal Favorites!
The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini - a must read,
sad book, but it does have a happy ending, I think everyone should read it!
Its partially based in Iraq, and the rest is in the US.
has the emotional rollercoaster you mentioned, and will leave you with a sence of hope.
and instill alot of questions in your mind.

Thr3e – Ted Dekker
Science fiction book, cant give to much away, otherwise it will make the book pointles!

Blink – Ted Dekker
No words to describe, Its to brilliant.

Obsessed – Ted Dekker
About a Nazi treasure, hidden for many years, and the figh to uncover it.

Black,Red and White series – Ted Dekker
About a man who lives another life in his dreams. Sounds wierd, but is very good!

Altered Land - Jules Hardy
British Author, very good. Good story, easy to follow.

Cause Celeb - Helen Fielding
Plenty of British humor, very good, and also teaches you alot.

Answer 7

Jane Eyre The Pickwick Papers Pride and Prejudice The Three Musketeers Man in the Iron Mask Dark book = The Picture of Dorian Gray

Answer 8

A great book of short stories by the author of Willy Wonka is
The Best of Roald Dahl, by Roald Dahl (natch)
The stories are like a cross between O. Henry and Stephen King.

The same goes for
Fancies and Goodnights, by John Collier.

Answer 9

Ok bear with me, but I would recommend the Harry Potter series. I did say bear with me! It's got that element of fantasy, british humour (not partic quirky though), it's interesting and fast-paced, but not over-descriptive (that was my prob with LOTR too - thank goodness for the film).
I'd agree with the recommendation for a series of unfortunate events if you like that quirky sense of humour, but hang-fire for the happy ending. I'm convinced there will be one eventually! Oh and another one I like that is full of satire is Vanity Fair by Thackeray. For adventure, adventure, adventure try Papillon by Henri Charriere.

Happy reading!

Answer 10

Hi, Try A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snickett. They are kids books but well worth a read.

Answer 11

Flying Dutch is a very amusing short book. It has a very british sense of humor involving the myth of the Flying Dutchman. No gay romance, but once you get into it there is both action and silliness.

It is available from Amazon Used for a cheap 89 cents!
http://www.amazon.com/Flying-Dutch-Tom-Holt/dp/044124193X/sr=1-1/qid=1171132045/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/102-7200297-6480944?ie=UTF8&s=books