What is the best book you have read and why?
I think the best book that I've read so far is... I don't know. I have read a whole lot of books and I would re-read some of them over and over again.
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125,027 Literary Works • 672,774 Reviews
Always a hard question
But probably the catcher in the rye by J.D. Salinger, brilliant. I don't know why I even like it so much when everyone I've recommended it to rejects it.
Also Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Album, if you havent read it read it, it will change your life.
Diary of a Bad Year, by J.M.Coetzee. It is simply beautiful and unpretentiously clever.
My favourite book is And baby Makes Two by Dyan Sheldon, 200 pages, got through it is two days! I love it because the characters in it are so strong and I love how it doesn't go straight into the main plot. It takes it slowly and I really like that. Really good book and any girl (or even boy) between the age of 14 - 17, who likes to read teenage books should go for this!
I agree with Master_Yoda, Ender's Game was ....awesome!
But the best book I have ever read,well so far in my two years of actually reading, i would say.....
Gone by Michael Grant.
WHY.....
well who wouldn't want to read about kids trapped behind a wall,and have powers,and also dissapears to who know where at age 15! Also a phyco mainiac is with them...
Also his whole Gone series....well so far i have read Gone,Hunger,and Lies
1) between shades of grey - ruta sypetes
2) Embers - sandor marai
3) samira and Samir - ?
4) The tales of thr otori - lian hern
5) Uncle Tom's Cabin - ?
Thanks for making this thread!
Hunger Games. (For shocking, heartbreaking, gutwrenching storytelling)
The Host. (For beautiful characters, a fantastic theme, wonderful plotline, and a true sense of family)
Uglies Series. (For the kids of questions it raises, the plots, and the hardhitting drama)
The Claidi Journals. (For the truly original storyline and crazy delicious plot twists)
Wuthering Heights. (For its rich language, interesting direction, and not so prettily packaged ending)
Dead Souls. (For Gogol's perfect imperfections, fantastically drawn characters and look at your soul kind of questions)
Farenheit 451. (Fantastic pacing, interesting setting, and Clarisse)
Looking for Alaska. (For fascinating characters, beautiful soul searching, and a rather unexpected twist)
Paper Towns. (For the depth and the wisdom that is John Green)
The Glass Castle. (Just read it, you'll get it)
Half Broke Horses. (For it's stunning portrayal of desert life, and gorgeous prose)
Pride and Prejudice. (The best, most well-rounded classic book out there. You can't go wrong with P&P)
The best book I have ever read would have to be Evergreen, by Belva Plain, hands down.
It simply affected the way i saw a lot of things, and the way i thought. It gave me an insight into life, beyond what I already knew. Perhaps this is one of the reasons I enjoyed it so much, more so than an elder (or even an older version of me) would have. The book taught the 12 year-old me a hell of a lot.
I strongly reccomend it either way. It is most definitely not a children's book, therefore I have no doubt anyone would enjoy it.
However even thought it is the "Best Book I have ever read" , I have read it only once.
Partly, because I would not like to ruin my perspective. I quite like where it left me - emotionally wise.
And partly because it's not in very good condition and I am afraid that further fraying and spine bending shall be the end of that!
My one has to be The Naked Lunch by William Burroughs, It is so realistic, and so all over the place that it reads not as a story but as a series of narratives. It was the book that changed my life. Now I no longer read books that very narrow minded people at my school read. It was my first step to be different and unpopular. Long live fucked up narratives!
My favorite book(s) would have to be the Harry Potter series. As childish as it may seem, my love is not only for the story but the beautiul way J.K. Rowling writes. It's something that I've grown up with and to this day I still wish that the world of Harry Potter exisited. What I would give to be able to excape from our decaying societies and head towards a world where things are different. THat is something that any sane person would want. Weather it be into the world of Harry Potter or Twilight or Star Wars...everyone has that wonderfullly unique and fantastic fictional world where that wish they could remain soley to acclamate themseleves to a world different from their own. Facing different problems. With different ways of living. Its the heart's way of finding a way to shows it compassion for wanting. To desire something it knows it cannot have. So it compels you to revisit it by re reading the tales over and over until the ink on the pages is smearing and the binding is falling off. I feel this is the true definition of a favorite book.
-lexi♥
I love that is it diffucult for all of us to limit the choice to just one or two. I'm going to have to go through these replies with a notepad and add to my list of books I want to someday read.
For me, there are two that really stick out.
1) Der Steppenwolf- Herman Hesse. This is a book you need to read with a highlighter and a notebook. Yes, it was written circa 1929, but by gum if Herr Hesse wasn't looking right into your own soul when he wrote it, you're not human. It's one of those lovely existential novels ( think Sartre or Dostyevsky) that were so popular during the early 20th century. The beginning is a little slow as he lays out the philosophical theme, but it is well worth it. If you are a writer, artist or a steppenwolf in any other form, this is a manual!
2) I Am The Messanger- Markus Zusak. The Book Thief is a masterpiece, I think we can call agree on that. This book came at a time when I was utterly lost in my life. It gave me purpose and direction. I've only known about it for 4 years and I've had to replace the book 3 times because I carried it everywhere with me for a while. It's beautifully written. If Ed Kennedy doesn't break your heart, you should go get an EKG to make sure it's still working.
there are others such as the Attolia Series by Maegan Whalen Turner ( if Gen were real I'd totally marry him) and 9 stories by J.D. Salinger ( Great Day for Bananafish) those are some fallbacks. You know, the ones you constantly turn to when you need a friend, or something to read.
RoseyUnicorn: You have to read 1984! It is so good! Trust me, you won't regret it. Ooh, and Animal Farm, too. That one's amazing.
I enjoy fantasy novels directed towards young adults and kids. The Lost Years of Merlin was a gem that I found at a local library. The book is very well written and puts a very interesting spin on the legends about Merlin. This book is first book in the series of five, all of which I found to be excellent. Another book that I love is Howl's Moving Castle. I read that book when I was younger so I am not sure how it would fare with my current tastes but I have very fond memories of reading it and it is, undoubtedly, one of my favorites.
Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison: I'm obsessed with stories with strong character. I actually read this one for English this year, and I was supposed to focus on analyzing character development. This book screams character development. It's fantastic.
Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell: It's nonfiction, but it's the most fascinating nonfiction I've ever read. It's about why people succeed. A bit slow in some parts, but it really makes you think.
Born to Run by Christopher McDougall: Also nonfiction, and very powerful. Read it if you're planning on running a marathon anytime soon ;)
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. The first book was impossible to put down, but in the second and third books the characters were difficult to put up with. It's a self-pity party (yeah, okay, the situation demands it.. ) and it was just too much during the spots where the plot was slower. We get it, your life sucks, let's move on and grow please.
The Mortal Instruments Series by Cassandra Clare: I only just recently picked up these, and I'm also obsessed because the characters have so much personality. The emphasis on romance is beginning to bother me, though. (I'm currently reading the fourth book. It makes me want to gag and slap the main character across the face and tell her to get a life that doesn't revolve entirely around her boyfriend.)
... [/rant]
I think that's it. O.o
One of the best books I've ever read was A Separate Peace by John Knowles. There was something about Phineas. He just stuck to me and I couldn't get him out of my head. I believe that any novel that remains with you over time because of its huge impact is a great novel.
One of my favorite books has always been "Charlotte's Web" because I love stories about victorious underdogs.
But of course, the best book I've ever read is The Bible:) Through God's stories and lessons you become invigorated. Whether you believe or not there's something in it for everyone.
I have two, Catch 22 by Joseph Heller (I pronounce it yo-seph, 'cause he's jewish), and Crime and Punishment by Doestoevesky(which I spelt wrong).
These two are so important to me because they were the first books to really change the way I look at the world, and the first ones to have an intrinsic impact on me and affect my thinking.
They were actually the first two in a line of books I read that affected me deeply, the others being One Flew Over the Cukoo's Nest, Battle Royale, and All the Pretty Horses.
YOSSARIAN LIVES!
Horseman, Pass By- Larry McMurtry
Oh umm, I don't really know, but I'll list my favorites below!
But it was a really good mystery1. And Then There Were None (AKA in UK Ten Little Indians) {Mystery}
I really liked it but it had a lot of the D bombs in it and also the auother is/was races (she died). She uses the N bomb twice, and one o fthe charateres say
2. The Harry Potter series {Fanasy,Fiction}
LOVE IT! I was so sad when I read all the books, I really liked it though. But those books were big, or even you could say huge. But it is wroth it, also the movies just aren't the same, you [Bold] NEED [/Bold] to read the books, much more details, and more about what they think.
3. The Inkhear/spell/death books {Fiction, Fanasy?]
I love thes books, they had a lot of violence in them (stabbing, killing, dieing, threting) But still they were good books. But they cussed also, but still good books!
That is about all for now!
The World According to Garp- John Irving (BEST. NOVEL. EVER.)
Congo- Michael Crichton
So Sad to Fall In Battle- Kumiko Kakehashi
To Hell and Back- Audie Murphy
Anthem- Ayn Rand
The best book I have read (recently at least) is The Book Thief. It's unusual for me because my genre is usually supernatural/paranormal/fantasy, but this was set in Nazi Germany and i could really relate to the protagonist's love of books. It's beautifulyl written and I devoured it eagerly. I reccomend it to anyone and everyone.
I'm kind of shamefully fussy with books
I'm pretty sure that it's an adult book, too 
and It's very goood 
If I'm not sucked into the story straight away, or if it's written in any way that I'm not comfortable with, then I probably won't keep reading it...
But when I was nine, I read a book called "Goodnight mister Tom" and I loved it! I've never read another book like it
One of my favorites is the Giver but it changes all the time.
I'm reading the book "Supreme Courtship" By Christopher Buckley, and it has taken my vote for my favorite book. ( For the time at least.)
I can't pick. Um mm, The Inkheart Trilogy by Cornelia Funke. Yes, that's it. I love her books, I shall read them over.
The entire Bloody Jack series!!! It has everything a person could want
Action, romance drama its amazingly wonderful and i recommend it to anyone i meet =)
[Stickied]
I don't really have a single favorite book, so here's my top 5. Please, please, please don't throw rotten food at me for this list!
1. Blue Bloods by Melissa de la Cruz- Usually her books are very girly and this one is no exception. What I liked so much about this series though is that the vampires in it have much more history to their origins. Plus I'm in love with her characters and writing.
2. Harry Potter by JK Rowling- Everyone loves these books, but for different reasons. I love these books because I feel very connected to the plot and to some of her characters, particularly Harry for a bunch of reasons that I don't really have time to get into right now.
3. Flowers in the Attic by VC Andrews- This book has a very dark and disturbing air to it and there is a lot of creepy stuff that goes on. It's written in a way that there are characters that you can easily love and there are characters that you can feel so much hate for that you want to kill them yourselves.
4. Twilight by Stephenie Meyer (please don't hurt me!)- I just want to make sure that you all know that I purchased the first book when it first came out in 2005 and I loved it before there was even any thought that there would be a movie made out of it. I love this series because I love paranormal romance and I love the idea that you could meet someone that you fall so deeply in love with that you would give up everything you know to be with them. The way that Meyer wrote her vampires such as the sparkly skin, that was lame! However, I do love both her werewolves and vampires. I'm a huge sucker for Seth Clearwater.
5. The Keish'ra by Amelia Atwater- Rhodes- I love this series sooooo much because of the incredibly original plot and world that was created.
Without a doubt, my favorite book must be 2001: a space odyssey. If you've seen the movie, you have no idea of what I am talking about. Contrary to the Sanley Kubrick classic film, this book is easy to get caught up in. It shows the evolution of man, how we could have gained our intelligence, and what our next evolutionary step may be. And ofcourse there is Hal, the homicidal computer. It's a pretty whacky mystery all within itself, also. READ IT NOW!
Woah my gosh! Must I pick one?
1. Harry Potter, The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit (these books are my LIFE - if you insult them I shall cry)
2. Redwall (series, not single book)
3. Deltora Quest
4. Artemis Fowl
5. The Inheritcance cycle (the whole cycle - Eragon, Eldest, Brisingr ... HURRY UP, PAOLINI!!!)
And I'm off to read one right now. Good bye!
Really?
After reading The Wind-up Bird Chronicle, Kafka on the Shore just didn't live up to the standard of that book. I found it really boring and drawn out. Maybe because i was expecting another Wind up Bird Chronicle. I liked the characters, especially the guy (
My favourite book is Geek Love by Katherine Dunn.
It's about a travelling family that run a circus. When the mother and father first get together they realise there's a lot of business to be made with circus freaks (or geeks as they are called in the story), so when the mother is pregnant she takes various drugs to alter the children she gives birth to.
This sounds like a horrible, disgusting book, but it really isn't. It is incredibly witty, poignant and heartbreaking at points. Although there are some very unsettling, gruesome parts. It also has the greatest character development of all time in the form of Arty. It's really good, read it.
A bit of a different list from most here, but I love a lot of the books that were mentioned in the topic already. Especially 1984.
Some of my favorite books are:
A Storm of Swords (ASOIAF Book 3)
The Blade Itself - (First Law Trilogy book 1)
The Stand - (Stephen King - This is due mostly to nostalgic value, this was the book that got me into reading.)
I Am Legend - The mood described in this book is absolutely brilliant.
The best books i've read would have to be andre aggasi's biography, under the dome, and just after sunset.
I have far too many favourite books, but here are a few and reasons why:
- Jewels by Danielle Steel.
An absolute classic, and while I absolutely love her, the story between William and Sarah made me believe in love again, and for that I couldn't love the book more than I already do.
- Ham On Rye by Charles Bukowski.
A special friend whom I trust his opinion far more than a few others, recommended it to me, and I am absolutely in love. I feel for Henry, and the way that is life was. Bukowski is an amazing writer there is simply no doubt about it.
- In Cold Blood by Truman Capote.
Recommended by the same person as Ham On Rye, I was captured until the very last page. It's amazing, and I would tell anyone who hasn't read it yet, to read it.
-GhostlyImpressions.
It's a tie between The Famished Road by Ben Okri, and Annie On My Mind by Nancy Garden.
One of my favorites is called, "The Giver" by Lois Lowry. It really makes you think about how the world would be if there was no pain, jealousy, etc. I've read it about five times and it still makes me cry.
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak 8D
Well, I'll second Dune and Kafka on the Shore. Also, all time favorite, The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss. Read it. It will change the way you write and look at things. Wonderful book.
Also, anything by Brandon Sanderson is pretty good. Or Neil Gaiman. Or Diane Wynne Jones.
And now I'm going to stop. c:
Top 5 (in no particular order)
1. Dune by Frank Herbert- just finished this last week and I absolutley loved it. The first 30 pages or so were a bit of a slog but after that it really took off into an epic sci-fi/fantasy story underpinned by religous and political themes.
2. The Choas Walking Trilogy by Patrick Ness (The knife of never letting go, The Ask and the Answer, Monsters of Men)
Amazing trilogy, very unique, fantastic storyline and dealing with numourous moral questions in a thought provoking way.
3. The Silver Sequnce by Cliff Mcnish - unique story in which children evolve in order to combat a threat from a gaint interstellar creature called the Roar.
4. Mortal Engines Quartet by Phillip Reeves - Set in a Post apocalyptic future where cities move and based upon the struggles of characters caught up within hostility between the moving cities and static settlements. extremely imaginative.
5. The Supernaturalist by Eoin Colfer - Better than the his Artemis Fowl books in my opinion
Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami.
Basically, it's...well I don't want to spoil anything, because it's full of surprises, but I'll introduce the two main characters:
1: Kafka Tamura, a fifteen year old boy who leaves home to search for his long-lost mother and sister.
2: Nakata, a man with various supernatural abilities (that I won't reveal, because they're bizarre.)
Basically...man, there's nothing I can say about this book without spoiling it.
It's fantastic, though. Changed my life.
That would definetly have to be It by Stephen King. This books took the clown theme and made it unaccessable to other authors unless they want to be compared to S.K. But it-- haha pun--- wasn't just the Clown that made this book so amazing, it was the pure feeling of being involved with the world that King conjures in this book. Every last character in that book felt Alive, as he or she was living and breathing right then in Maine while I read about them. When one of these chacters experience horror I felt the horror they were going through. And then, to top that all off, the story was completely unique, unlike no other story I've read. Definetly a 10 out 10 book.
Oh gosh, there's so many, so I'll only name a few.
The Silenced by James Devita
Killer Take All
The Historian
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
Whiteout
Jane Eyre
There have been a couple books that I've come back to to really enjoy: first, Siddhartha by Herman Hesse; it's a really compact and powerful book. Second, The Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce, I think there's a lot of things that a writer can relate to in this one, plus Joyce does hold up to the reputation as being the Shakespeare of prose, which is even more evident in Ulysses. Third, Animal Farm by George Orwell, I noticed a lot of people really liked 1984, but, since i love concision, it ranks a cut above 1984, plus the whole animal fable concept was masterly.
Lover Mine by JR Ward <3
The best book I have ever read is Beloved by Toni Morrison. Even today, years later, the praise for that novel is gigantic, but it even exceeds those high expectations. It's nothing short of a masterpiece. Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy is a close second, followed by The Hours by Michael Cunningham. Brilliant works from brilliant authors, each with a powerful, distinctive voice.
I think its great too. I can't choose a favorite, but why has none said "Enders Shadow"
Has to be Crank- Ellen Hopkins.<3
The best book I have ever read I have a completely worn out copy of it in my bedroom. I made two friends read it and my Freshman English teacher.
The book is called, "You Don't Know Me" by David Klass.
It's probably not one of the most beautiful books ever written, but to me... the writing style is so unique. The point of view is a 15 year old boy in a high school life, and although the theme of it is very sad, there are so very humorous points. It's a very intriguing book. One you don't get too many lessons from, I suppose, but one you can just enjoy reading. It's a story. It's a life. It's something that I really found I could be drawn to it, because it was good.
It's probably a very strange book, because of the particular character development of the main character. And I've read it so many times. There are other books I have read that I have an enjoyed and would call my favorite, but this is my absolute favorite.
I'd reaaaaaaaaally recommend it.
In like sixth grade I read a book called "Hanging On To Max" by margaret bechard. After reading that book I loved it, but I could never understand why. I recommend reading it.
The Book Theif by Markus Zusak. Hands down best book I've ever read.
For me choosing the best book i've read is difficult since I have read alot of books, but off the top of my head I would have to say The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown. I don't know why I just kept reading and reading, wanting to get to the end and read what happens to the characters (which were great) at the end.
I am not fascinated by the shallow, cliche novels I often encounter in the Young Adult section of the bookstore. The whole boyfriend-themed, fashionista, drama queen, high school is a huge pain that fills the shelves do not interest me.
However, I do enjoy intense, heartfelt, unique plotline novels such as:
Ender's Game- Orson Scott Card
The Outsiders- S.E. Hinton
Skate- Michael Harmon
Dreamland- Sarah Dessen
I honestly can't choose between the books I liked best. Well maybe Eon: dragon eye reborn by Allison Goodman. That or every book of maximum ride by James Patterson including Fang. One book that really inspired me was Prophecy of the stones by Flavia Bujour (get this, Flavia was fifteen when she published the book.)
Um... Deltora Quest by Emily Rodda was a good series.
The Thief lord, Dragon rider, and the Inkheart series that I'm going to finish reading later on all by Cornelia Funke.
Tara by me? Just kidding!
There are many more that I can't remember at the moment. But belive me, In the middle of the night I'll sit up in bed like "I remember now!"
I totally agree! I love the ending where he becomes friends with that other girl, very touching.
There are tons of them for me, but I'd like to point out a few of them.
The Harry Potter series
The Da Vinci code
A child called IT
Still Alice
Lord of the Rings
The talisman
The lost Symbol etc etc etc
I have this favorite books:
The Facts And Fictions Of Minna Pratt - Patricia MacLachlan
The Westing Game - Ellen Raskin
Others:
Forbidden Friendship
A Lion to Guard Us
Number the Stars
...and the famous Harry Potter series.
The best book I have ever read isn't really a book, its a series of books.
Its a old series that my dad read when he was younger and he thought I would enjoy them.
The series is called The Belgariad by David Eddings.
Like I said its and old series and it probably isn't for all as its a mix of fantasy and adventure.
If you need a good read then I would recommend them.
Hah, this is so true. When I bought the first one I got so absorbed that I read it through the night and finished it within a day.
My favourite books would have to be...Maximum Ride by (I can't really remember)
So much for me being a die hard fan...and White Crane by Sandy Fussel.
Well all of Sandy Fussells Samuri Kids books.
Melvin Burgess - Bloodtide - Just a brilliant fantasy adaptation of Romeo + Juliet!
I strongly advise anyone to read this book, as it is full of action and fantasy elements, that all go along with a dark and passionate romance.
It's just amazing!!~
Im obsessed with the book 'Letters to my mother' By Teresa Cardenas.
My all-time favorite book is A Separate Peace by John Knowles. At first I thought it was going to be really lame and boring, but after a while, I really got into it. It was an awesome book! The only reason I picked it up was because I needed the A.R. points to pass my class. I'm so glad I read it.
Here are some of my favorites.
1.The host
2.Twilight
3. Percey Jackson and the Olympians
4.Crank (best book ever)
5.Because I am Furniture (it was ok)
6.Some of the harry potter books.
7.Time Travelers Wife
8.The Awakening (old but good)
9.To much to lose. (it was ok)
10. It was a book about homeless kids and I don't remember the name...so sad....
All-time favorite for me is and always will be Victor Hugo's Lest Miserables (preferably the full annotated version): it's an epic, it's masterfully written, and it makes me cry like a baby no matter how many times I've read it.
Then there's #0000FF ">House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski, which I've been trying to rec to everyone and their mothers ever since I read it, because it is really innovative,has a great, intriguing plot and awesome formatting (also, footnotes. I adore footnotes.)
The History of Love, by Nicole Strauss, is also really great. And also Good Omens, by Pratchett and Gailman, American Gods by Gailman (the mythology geek in me was pleased)...
I have liked many books: Harry Potter, His dark materials, Inkheart Inkspell and Inkdeath (But they aren't really my favorite books), a french book called "La revelation des medicus"(but i'm not sure if it exists in English, and finally the puzzle ring(even tough it is kind of confusing, but it is very interesting)
Lolo
1.Frankenstein
2.Lovely Bones
3.Bartimaeus Trilogy
4 Hunger Games( the book not the series. The second was good but I think it would rank like 6 or 7)
I always count in 4's.
Ender's Game, and any in the series. Moving, exciting, and freakin' intense!!
"The Distance Between Us" by Bart Yates
There's just no question about it. Yates made a masterpiece with this novel.
1.Poison
2.The League series
3.Storm Theif
4.Rainbow Boys Series
5.Vladamir Tod series
6.The Killing Joke
7.Levithan
These are my seven deadly sins and I can't get enough of them .
The best book I ever read was 'Invitation to the game,' by Monica Hughes.
Loved it!
These books are awesome. I'm one of those fortunate enough to have not read Twilight, although I did suffer Eragon.
)
1. The Hunger Games series - Suzanne Collins (most unputdownable books ever)
2. Unwind - Neal Shusterman (Fast paced, great characters, interesting concept)
3. Dark Tower series - Stephen King (Deep and though provoking. Brilliant characters)
4. Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams (
5. Enders Game - Orson Scott Card (The book that got me into sci-fi)
6. Shadow of a Dark Queen - Raymond E Feist (Much better than Magician)
Matthew Reilly's Seven Ancient Wonders and its sequels, as well as Contest are worth a mention as fun, light reading, but I wouldn't touch the Scarecrow series with a ten foot pole.
Amen. I hated twilight with a fervent passion. Which is why I didn't read the Host. then I was forced to by my friends....very, very well done. It's the exact opposite of tiwlight; poor flow, but brilliant characters, concepts, mileu laws, conflicts....though she still has a lot to learn about dramatic scenes and climaxes.
Personally, I think twilight was her test book. She was just testing the market and playing with an idea she didn't take seriously, then boom! it hits bestseller and she's forced to live with it for a few years. Makes me wonder if she was relived when Midnight Sun was leaked instead of freaking out like a child, as I used to think.
She's regained my respect, and probably many other writers', too.
I personally cna't shoose jsut one so here are a few of my favorites..
To Kill a Mockingbird
The Outsiders
Twilight
Harry Potter
Lock and Key
The Shack
Jeeze i better stop i could go on forever!
-balletbabe12
The Green Mile, Stephen King - the only book to ever (admittedly) made me cry. :]
Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen - If there happens to be an onomatopoeia describing the sound of swooning, it would go right here.
Flowers for Algernon, Daniel Keyes - Brilliant. 'Nuff said.
On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft, Stephen King - Come on. How could I not?
Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher. It may not have been the best writing one might have seen, but the story is so touching. It's a depressing book, but Jay Asher really understands what teenage girls go through. It's just amazing. I absolutely loved it. =]
The Underland Chronicles, by Suzanne Collins. Same author as The Hunger Games.
I love these books. They're not perfect, but the concept is amazing and the characters are really well developed. I also love the plot in general. If you can, read them.
Also Owl In Love, by Patrice Kindl. It's not the most detailed, but there's something about the writing that's addictive and compels me to read it again and again. I also love the MC; she's so lovable and really just unique.
best book
alex rider operation scorpia
Um ... my brother is sitting here with me and for some reason has the desire to tell you his favourite books. I think he's bored. Anyway ...
MY BROTHER:
#Frowns to self and shakes head.
Okay. Lord of the Rings is great for a retro fantasy fix.
David Gemmel is great if you want something deliciously ridiculous and heroic. Legend is especially good.
Terry Pratchett is laugh out loud funny and has steadily improved through his career. Its hard to pick one. They are all great. Except the colour of magic and the light fantastic.
And yes. I have read and enjoyed Harry Potter. Sometimes you want to wring his scrawny little neck, but on the whole I did really like it.
And many others...
Hunter S Thompson = fun
I'm surprised so many very young people are listing classic literature. Contemporary books are fun too! You don't want to miss out on those.
For the longest time I have called Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas my favorite book for reasons I could never really figure out...
Now that I think about it, it's not because it's about a crazy hippie and his attorney spending the whole trip to Las Vegas up to their necks in LSD and similar drugs. Sure, it's a bizarre read because of that, and the imagery is so good that you can actually see the colors, lights, the madness running across the page, not the actual words. But I really think that the reason I like it is because Hunter S. Thompson, at certain moments within the book, shows the strange sanity of his character, Raoul Duke, and his take on the year of 1971, and how he misses the beginning of the LSD revolution in 1965.
However, while he misses it, Duke also despairs how decieved hippies have become about their LSD, and how their happiness can be bought through those drugs. He realizes that in the end, it doesn't matter what they thought about those times, and the drugs they did. He realizes that in the end, the hippie revolution strove to great heights, and fell in the ending because they were kidding themselves about all the things they believed.
However, this is not a depressing book. Anyone who reads what I just typed might think so; but it really isn't a depressing story. The humor in the book will have you laughing, the sheer madness and stupid stunts that Duke and his attorney pull will make you laugh just because you won't believe why they'd be dumb enough to load up on ether before going into a casino, or why they'd be dumb enough to do some mescaline before they go to a police meeting that explains why the drug culture and hippies must be stopped. Overall, the madness is what drives this story, and even if you don't believe in what Duke stands for (I certainly don't.) you can't help but like him enough to follow him on his adventures in the city and in the desert.
That is why I love this book.
As much as I can't stand Twilight, The Host is actually good. And you're perfectly entitled to your own opinions.
The Invisible Man!!! For sure! I love that book, so, so much. It's ridiculous. I read it at least once a year, since... 8th grade, I think. I would draw crazy amounts of fanart, but... he's invisible
((lolz, Trikky is obsessed))
He's adorable, though! He gets kicked around the streets of London in January, and then he's just leaving bloody footprints in the snow... andandand he's just too pathetic and hopelessly evil and irritable not to love <3333333
...<3
((she's crazy...))
Hehe, sorry but Griffin is the only mad scientist I will completely abandon my grammar/spelling skills for! ^.^
Although whenever I post this in a forum nobody replies... ((I wonder why))
Ahh!
]
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
Tess of the d'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy
Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte [though I doubt anyone could love it more than Kirsten
Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak > About the only contemporary novel I like, I found it awesome though. xD
That is all.
Lily! Eeeks, did I phrase that wrong?
My mistake *removes hat for a bow* *bows, whirls on the balls of her feet and leaves*
x
I figure out my favorite book or books:
The Gemma Doyle trilogy by Libba Bray
The Green Riders Series by Kristian Britain
and.....
last but not least, the Study trilogy by Maria V. Snyder.
Strange, in the thread were you put worst book most people put Eragon, and in this quite a few people put Eragon.
Eragon. Why in the world did I not put Eragon?
I. Love. That. Book.
Ok I am so gona get flamed for afew books in here.
1. Any Matthew Reilly book, With Scarecrow, 7 ancient wonders or 6 sacred stones at the top.
2. Oh This is gona be burned, Eragon, I honestly don't get why people hate it, it has great plot, its well written and sure the characters are a little dull but who cares.
3. Magician and it's series, which i forget what its called, been along time since i've read it. (Go nutty)
4. The Cherub series, not sure how many people have read it but I think it is great.
5. A game of thrones, its an old series but I thought it was pretty good.
I really really really love The Host.
But I know Stephenie Meyer is kind of frowned upon around here.
Kirsten! I will so totally kill you for saying nobody likes Jane Eyre. It's one of the best books ever written!
A fellow Les Miserables fan. At last. I like reading about Eponine. She's cool. :p
Jane Austen is brilliant. As is JK Rowling.
Fave books would include (not in that order and excepting the aforementioned!):
1. The Elijah Baley Series - Isaac Asimov
2. Foundation Series - Isaac Asimov
3. The Complete Works Of William Shakespeare, which I have just bought for roughly $5.50. USD.
4. The Phantom of The Opera - Gaston Leroux (we have to read a lousy abridged version for school)
5. Kurt Vonnegut stuff.
There're loads more, but I can't think of any at the moment. So yeah, that'll be all for now.
Les Miserables by Victor Hugo. I love the story. I love how he portrays society and certain subject such as justice and morality. I love his characters. His characters are masterpieces already... Especially Enjolras and Javert(though he's utterly insane with justice).
Other books I'm in love with
1. The Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander
2. Persuasion by Jane Austen
3. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
4. A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court by Mark Twain
5. Breakfast at Tiffany's by Truman Capote
I love the Classics. But I'm into fantasy stuff as well and the Chronicles of Prydain is my fave fantasy series. along with Narnia.
Tailchaser's Song ftw! This book is awesome; it's my favorite in the feline fantasy tradition.
Wuthering Heights of course
is great.
I do adore that book though.
What can I say... Emily Bronte is my deity
I adore her.
Gosh, there's so many
Villette by Charlotte Bronte
-Hardly anyone likes it as much as Jane Eyre but I adore it
I'm kind of a complete nerd. I adore philosophers and their books and I'm proud to admit that I'm one of the few people (definitely of my age) that actually understand the theories involved
I adore Jung his 'autobiography/biography'
No, actually I shall not go into philosophers or you shall grow bored of my vast lists.
Tess of The D'Urbervilles
Wuthering Heights
erm
Wuthering Heights
Wuthering Heights
Wuthering Heights
hahahha
Another one I like... the spelling of his name escapes me but it started with an
Niet I think
-I have a terrible memory.
Actually I better shut up now.
My favourite book
---- Classics - any classic at all
-----Philosophy - any
What can I say... ?
-Kirsten
I love them, too!
I love the Gemma Doyle trilogy, too.
I love the Gemma Doyle Trilogy ^^.
Ha, oh my god, I love like all the ones mentioned...
1984, Book Thief (this book is amazing) and I really really love the A Great and Terrible Beauty Series...this is one of the only series I've read that actually invokes fear and chills me, literally...beautifully written, with pungent and deep human emotions. I also really love Harry Potter and the Hunger Games, as well as one called The New Policeman.
--Cassie
Lol, it's the same for me.
They are so underrated, which is a shame, really.
My favourite books would have to be 'Interview with the Vampire' By Ann Rice and I also really enjoyed 'The Book Theif' by Marcus Zusak.
I found 'Interview with the Vampire' spectacular and beautifly written. Ann Rice certainly is an amazing author. The rest of the Vampire Chronicles were alright but the first I would have to say was the best. Louie had amazing character and had views unimagined. It covered things that many writers wouldn't do and you could tell Ann Rice wasn't afraid of telling her view of the vampires. It has the traditional vampire feel to it and Twilight seems like nothing compared to this story. I really do recommend it a lot.
And 'The Book Theif' was just an awesome read and had a very enjoyable plot line.
I like the Sword of Truth series, but I've only read the first two books. I love it that they're loooong. I'll have to check out these other books. I like Little Women, too. I like the Uglies series, but I'll have to read 1984. I like the Twilight series, as well, but not as much as Sword of Truth. The first book is Wizard's First Rule if anyone would like to read it.
stranger in a strange land by heinlind..... READ IT!!!
and i can't believe im about to say it please don't shoot me and please don't mock me ahhhh i almost cant do it... twilight series
(runs for cover)
Little Women, louisa may alcot
1984 didn't do much for me... sorry all you fans
the uglies series and
last but not least
zen and the art of motorcycle maintnance (persig) and the power of one( some guy)
Hey oneeyedunicornhunter,
You're not alone in being a Dune fan. I have only read Dune, Dune Messiah, and Children of Dune, but I really did enjoy all of them. While they're not my favourite books of all time, I definitely feel that they are worth noting as some of the great classic Science Fiction books.
Have a good one!
*sigh* It's so lonely being a Dune fan...I have yet to find another on this site. Anyway, Dune (by Frank Herbert) is definitely my favorite. But the first four of the *classic* (it's important to specify that, because Brian Herbert [Frank's son] and Kevin J. Anderson completely mutilated Dune with their prequels) are the uber-fantastic ones. I really can't pick a favorite out of them.
So that's my two cents: Dune, Dune Messiah, Children of Dune, and God Emperor of Dune.
I decided that one flew over the cuckoos nest is the best
Oh my gosh! You have the exact same favorite books as me! Like no one at my school has heard of the first two and it's sooooo depressing.
What is it with the book 1984? Everybody seems to have read it but me!
The historian takes the cake for me; i am a sucker for historical novels.
American Gods by Neil Gaiman. Funny how choosing a "favorite" book is so easy now that I've read it. It's exciting, funny, meaningful...pure awesomeness.
A few others that are near the top of my list: Abhorsen trilogy by Garth Nix, Hollow Kingdom trilogy by Claire Dunkle, Abarat by Clive Barker, Sword Dancer by Jennifer Roberson, Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett, 1984 by George Orwell, The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde, and The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova.
L.A. Requiem by Robert Crais: Because Joe Pike is the coolest man to ever grace the pages of a novel. Edward Cullen would crap his pants if he ran into Joe Pike, all I've got to say. Joe Pike might be even cooler than Rambo.
The League of Night and Fog by David Morrell: Because Morrell concludes two novels with one by combining the two best character he ever invented. Epically good.
Duty Calls by Scott Dilts: Because I wrote it...
Ugh....that's a hard question. Here are a few of my favourites-
Honoured Enemy- Raymond E Fiest
Magician- Ray. Fiest
The whole Drenai series- David Gemmel
The golden fool- Robin Hobb
Monstrous Regiment- Terry Pratchett
The Outsiders- S.E Hinton
I'll stop now or I'll list the whole bookshelf XD
This is definitley always a hard question, so I'll try to list my top books at this moment in time (it'll probably change in the next few minutes).
1) The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides(Best Book Ever, it's creepy, but pure win at the same time. Very touching, just oh-my-goodness awesome) Sam recommended it to me
2) Persuasion by Jane Austen: If you love classical books, this one is my favorite Austen books. I read it for my Austen class at my school. It was one of her best books ever.
3) 1984 by George Orwell (I second the person above me) Very Innovative.
4) The Truth about Forever by Sarah Dessen: Simple, feeling, loving, awesome.
5) A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray: Haunting but absolultey beautifully written.
That's all I can think of for now.
Writing should be on the agenda for everyone. There is not one person that doesn't have something that would interest others. Writing your own poem, novel, or anything put into words electronically or on paper is like pasting some of yourself in a place for the future. Writing is putting your thoughts in stone and allows people to see you better, know how you think and what you like. I love writing and it all came from a love of reading.
I just finished a five book series and I am waiting for some kind person to give me some honest reviews, good or bad, that is what allows me to make better and better books.
Two of the five books are on Amazon and can be found easily, you don't have to buy the book to give me an opinion, but you can preview it on line. A Beckoning From Paradise is a book about a young man who had been adopted before age one and raised by an older couple who gave him the best education possible. He is eventually called back to his tribe by spiritual powers that are being written about in a follow up book that will come out in two or three years. The second book of this series, Secrets of Paradise, is an ongoing adventure which follows our hero, Harry Raven, as he uncovers the mysteries of his heritage.
Reading should begin as early as possible. There are many youngsters beginning to read at age two and three. Some start out by reading the names of their favorite store or toy, but parents should encourage reading and offer as much help as possible. Very few schools in today's world ask that parents don't teach reading. I was a teacher for thirty years and my best students were those who were reading before coming to school. Don't pass up your chance to do better in life, READ.
1984, by George Orwell. I'm a little obsessed about this book at the moment, but it's simply incredible. Like, wow.
And The Book Thief (Marcus Zusak) and The Lord of the Rings (Tolkien), of course.
This is such a hard question to answer. So many to choose from
.
I'll have to give a top 5 in no particular order:
1) Ender's Game -- Orson Scott Card
2) The Lord of the Rings -- J R R Tolkien
3) Harry Potter -- J K Rowling
4) Death in Vienna -- Daniel Silva
5) The Kite Runner -- Khaled Husseini
Ciao
Authors have a signal favourite book? Huh. Wouldn't have guessed.
Well, I have a like-to-re-read list over a dozen long, but my top favourites are:
In the Hand of the Goddess (Peirce). It's got so many laires of character development I adore it.
Emperor Mage (Peirce) Look above
Page (Peirce) I love Neal (A guy with a wit that could cut steal) and the way the characters are totally different from the cliches.
Eragon (Paolini) I love the plot. I love the twists. I adore the style.
Dragonquest (Donita K. Paul) Very natural characters, with good gripping scenes most of the way through.
All the rest are Peirce and would take me an hour to list the books and reasons.
I'm an absolute classics-nerd, so would have to say Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte or Middlemarch by George Eliot.
In terms of contemporary fiction, I loved Atonement by Ian McEwan, After You'd Gone by Maggie O'Farrell and Half Broken Things (a must-read!) by Morag Joss.
I suppose I haven't got an ultimate favourite!
It's hard to pick the best. I'm just going to shout "anything by Kurt Vonnegut" and run away.
The best book I have ever read is A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess.
It is very original and takes a different point of view on violence then most books (a slightly positive one). It is a brilliant representation of the future and the moral decay of society,