Favorite Books

[Ramon]

I have a couple that I really like..

 

The Pilgrimage by Paulo Coelho - I think I was intrigued by the mysticism and philosophy in this book

Veronika Decides to Die by Paulo Coelho - I just really liked the story and the concept that sanity is just collective madness

 

There was a time during my sophomore year in high school that our class practically Paulo Coelho books and these were the ones that stuck with me.

 

Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom

Have a Little Faith by Mitch Albom

 

Both non-fiction books involve the author talking his mentors (Morrie was his teacher and Albert was his rabbi) which deal with life, death, and the stuff in between. The second book also deals with faith (as you should have guessed based on the title) and it made me think of how different religions ultimately sort of have the same the same message.

 

The Pearl by John Steinbeck - One of only two books I've been required to read and liked (The Little Prince is the other). I have this tendency to hate a book simply because it was assigned, even though it might be really good so that in itself is quite something.

 

Capt. Jack West Jr. series by Matthew Reilly - This is sort of the odd one out in the group here. I've never really been a big fan adventure stories but I grabbed Six Sacred Stones in Chapters and read a couple of pages. I enjoyed how it is sort of like Robert Langdon and Rambo were combined into one.

[gabrielsknife]

Mmmn, non-fiction's going to be hard, as I rarely read any. But in terms of fiction:

 

Song of Ice and Fire series by George R.R. Martin - If you've never read it, you're missing out! Great description of characters, setting, plot; medieval-style setting, only without heavy magic. Every chapter is taken from a single character's perspective, and it's interesting to see who comes up.

 

Dragons Dawn series by Anne McCafrey - I like the beginning books more then her later ones, because they dealt with colonization and genetics; actually building the dragons, not just impressing and moving on. Dolphins of Pern was cool too. I jumped around a lot on her novels, so I never did get the whole linear story. And the harpers annoyed me.

 

Dune by Frank Herbert - One of the few books I can put down for weeks/months at a time, then pick it back up and remember everything. Good story, setting, plot; I just need to sit down and *finish* the damn thing before the pages dry up lol.

 

Foreigner series by CJ Cherryh - An awesome series where the humans are the invaders. This one helped me shape my own sci-fi settings; it's a combo of space opera (with the politics and character development) as well as hard science fiction (due to the technology descript.s and such.) Worth the read, as are the other books that follow. In fact, if you like sci-fi, CJ Cherryh needs to be on your bookshelf lol .

 

Some other good hits are:

 

American Gods by Neil Gaiman

Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman

Animal Farm by George Orwell

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

Blade Runner (or Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep) by Phillip K. Dick

Watership Down by Richard Adams

 

There are others, certainly, but those are the ones I could think of off the top of my head.

[TetRefine]

My new favorite book is Tom Clancy's Red Storm Rising. Even though I wasn't alive when the Soviet Union was around, it's still interesting to read about the what if's of a NATO vs. Warsaw Pact conflict.

Edited April 29, 2010 by TetRefine

[PrivateTim]

I freaking love reading. I've read almost everything these people have written: C.S. Lewis, P.G. Woodhouse, Tolkein, Kurt Vonnegut, Tom Clancy, Louis L'Amour, John Grisham, Hemingway, Steinbeck, James Michener, Ayn Rand, Amy Tan, Robert Heinlein, Ray Bradbury, Franklin W. Dixon, Patrick O'Bryan, Bernard Cornwell, Robert Ludlum, John Trevanian, Winston Churchill, F. Hayek, Milton Friedman, Ferrol Sams, William Manchester & John Donne.

 

Fiction

 

1. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

2. Brave New World by Aldus Huxley

3. We The Living by Ayn Rand

4. Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis

5. Playing for Pizza by John Grisham

6. Run with Horseman by Ferrol Sam

 

Non-Ficton

 

1. Education of a Wandering Man by Louis L'Amour

2. A History of the English-Speaking Peoples by Winston Churchill

3. Goodbye Darkness by William Manchester

4. Here Is Your War: Story of G.I. Joe by Ernie Pyle

5. Guadalcanal Diary by Richard Tregaskis

6. The Birth of the Modern by Paul Johnson

7. A Year in Provence by Peter Mayle

8. Under The Tuscan Sun by France Mayes

Edited April 30, 2010 by PrivateTim

[Mark Arbour]

My new favorite book is Tom Clancy's Red Storm Rising. Even though I wasn't alive when the Soviet Union was around, it's still interesting to read about the what if's of a NATO vs. Warsaw Pact conflict.

 

That's my favorite Clancy book.

[nightsky]

a favorite fun book: reading Princess Bride by William Goldman (yes, the movie)

I also really liked Ray Bradbury Farenheit 451, Tim O Brien's The Things They Carried, and Pausch's Last Lecture.

Titles I read for school, but re-read b/c they're damn good:

Why are all the Black kids sitting together in the cafeteria? by Beverly Tatum

Privilege, Power, and Difference by Allan Johnson

[JamesSavik]

My new favorite book is Tom Clancy's Red Storm Rising. Even though I wasn't alive when the Soviet Union was around, it's still interesting to read about the what if's of a NATO vs. Warsaw Pact conflict.

 

If you liked that one, read the Dragon and the Bear by Clancy and maybe even my own Twilight.

[TetRefine]

If you liked that one, read the Dragon and the Bear by Clancy and maybe even my own Twilight.

 

Right now I'm reading Debt Of Honor, then I'm gonna read the sequel, Executive Orders, and then The Bear And The Dragon, which I heard was very good.

[Krista]

The Catcher and the Rye

 

The Immortal Instruments - Series

 

Harry Potter - Series

 

The entire Jane Austen collection, of course.

 

Harriette Simpson Arnow Trilogy (The Doll Maker, etc)

 

Twilight Saga

 

To Kill a Mockingbird

 

Bible

 

.... and tons more. I didn't realize how much I've read in my life.. But its enough to have favorites..

[Tristan]

Ohhh I have so many...

 

will start with some obvious ones - love Harry Potter and Twilight Saga.

 

The Dark Magician Trilogy By Trudi Canavan is brilliant and it has a gay main character which I liked

 

The Mortal Instruments Series by Cassandra Clare

 

Everything by Juliet Marrillier - historical fantasy

 

Fire and Graceling By Kristin Cashore

 

As for classic lit I love Pride and Prejudice, Northanger Abbey, Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights (although the only likeable character dies) Vanity Fair (no likeable characters but still a good read) and Dorian Grey.

 

Also recomend books by Jennifer Donnelly, Richelle Mead, Terry Goodkind, Tracy Chevalier. Lindsey Davis and Christopher Paolini

 

Also being a primary school teacher I have to recommend Emily Rodda, Anthony Horowitz, Dianna Wynne Jones, Lemony Snicket and Rick Riordan

Edited May 1, 2010 by Tristian

[Drewbie]

My life in dog years, by gary paulsen

 

The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien

[soup]

The Perks Of Being A Wallflower - Stephen Chbosky

The Picture Of Dorian Gray - Oscar Wilde

Catcher In The Rye - J D Salinger

Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy - Douglas Adams

 

Series:

Harry Potter - J K Rowling

Vampire Chronicles - Anne Rice

[Tommy_B]

When I was younger I liked the Ranger's Apprentice, Chronicles of Narnia and Harry Potter.

 

Now I like T. Jefferson Parker, James Patterson and Lilian Jackson Braun (the cat books) mysteries.

 

But pretty much any mystery, suspense or history.

[PrivateTim]

Right now I'm reading Debt Of Honor, then I'm gonna read the sequel, Executive Orders, and then The Bear And The Dragon, which I heard was very good.

Have you read any Vince Flynn novels? Not as good or sweeping as Clancy, but still pretty good.

 

Vince Flynn Books

[TetRefine]

Have you read any Vince Flynn novels? Not as good or sweeping as Clancy, but still pretty good.

 

Vince Flynn Books

 

 

I often pass by Vince Flynn books on my way to pick up a Clancy novel , but I have never read one. Although like you said I've heard he's pretty good so maybe I'll try him sometime. But in the meanwhile, I'm gonna read every single Clancy book, which will at least take me a year!