what are some really good books?

Scar Tissue by Anthony Kiedis
from the chillies

Gotta say that the Dark Tower series was Kings best, but "the stand" was also very good - especially with swine flu "captain trips" floating around at present.

Also agree with Raymon E Feists books, especially Magician and all the follow ons - still buying them as soon as they come out.

Bryce Courtney is great, really liked the "Persimmon Tree", and anything by Arthur C Clarke - "I Robot" was one of his and written in the 60's.

For non fiction, I think every Australian should read a "Kokoda" novel. Peter Fitz's is the best.

I Robot was written by Isaac Asimov.
2001 is where to start with Arthur C Clarke, but the movie is better.
If you like that type of thing-
Farenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury
Brave New World - Aldous Huxley

Support home grown, go for Tim Winton. He writes a hell of a lot about outdoor Australia and water is one of his favourite themes. Look for Cloudstreet, The Turning, Dirt Music and Breath. This guy is making a well earned name for himself and I have yet to be dissappointed.

Papillon - Henri Charriere, made into a great movie.
The Sand Pebbles - Richard McKenna, made into a great movie.
Day of the Jackal - Fredrick Forsyth, made into a great movie.

For really great humour, books by Tom Sharpe, Riotous Assembly, Indecent Exposure, Porter House Blue, The Throwback, Vintage Stuff, Wilt, Wilt on High, Blott on the Landscape and heaps more.

Aussie humour try Robert G Barrett, De Fun Don't Done Yet, Davo's Little Something, Between the Devlin and the Deep Blue Sea and more.

Adventure, The Singh Brotherhood - Lee Falk (the original Phantom story).

More adventure, if you can find them, The Adventures of Captain Good Vibes and his dog Astro.

True history of the world, Worlds in Collision, Ages in Chaos and Earth in Upheaval by Immanuel Velikovsky.

The real deal on global warming and climate change, State of Fear - Michael Crichton.

I'm a big fan of Terry Pratchet's discworld series (Si-fi comedy). He always has me in fits of laughter on the train, its not a good look. "Going Postal" is a good one to start with. Its a slanderous look at the business world, surprising that he was not sued by both Steve Jobs and Bill Gates! Another good one is "The Last Continent" which is a romp though Oz culture.

Isaac Asimov's Foundation series.

Plus how about a bit of Ian Banks.

Read 'A Thousand Splendid Suns' recently, Brilliant

Couldn't put it down. And a helluva insight into Afghanistan which gives some background to the current conflict.

good surf books - novels/biographies
Eddie Would Go the story of Eddie Aikau
Bustin' Down the Door
MP: The Life Of Michael Peterson
Bunker Spreckels: Surfing's Divine Prince of Decadence
Inside Maverick's: Portrait of a Monster Wave
Kelly Slater: For the Love
My Brother's Keeper
Stealing the wave
High Surf: The World's Most Inspiring Surfers
The lost coast - stories from the surf
Waves: Great Stories From The Surf
Surfing's greatest misadventures
Return by Water: Surf Stories and Adventures
The Moment - where the great surfing photo & the classic surf story meet
Teahupoo : Tahiti's mythical wave
The Mountain and the Wave Quiksilver Story
The Stormrider guide - world - 3 volumes
other books...............
Papillion - crime
Into thin air -mountaineering
Harry Potter - fiction/fantasy
Conquistadors of the Useless -mountaineering
touching the void -mountaineering
the art of war - er the art of war
macheavelli - same again
fit for life -health
lord of the rings - fiction/fantasy
shackleton's boat journey - exploration

Another vote for this - I read it a few years ago and have just started on the first book again, it's even better this time around. Awesome. Also good exercise just picking the thing up!