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I'm assuming that Dakka has a fairly literate crowd, so I thought I'd ask; what's your favorite book?

As far as things actually required by english class, Catch-22 and Animal Farm were both hilarious books, and I loved both.

Overall, my favorites are the two books written by Markus Zusak that I have read: The Book Thief and I Am the Messenger.

Hitchhiker's Guide is always a nice, familiar book to pick up, and I have always been partial to Cornelia Funke's "Ink___" series.

As far as casual reads, I enjoy picking up a Louis L'Amour story every now and then, especially the ones that aren't westerns(though those are still good).

So how 'bout you?

As a kid who loved dinosaurs this was an awesome book, it has more beautiful illustrations than a boy of 6 could ever get tired of looking at.

American Gods by Neil Gaiman.

I really think that this is the most brilliant book written for quite some time.

Hoo boy, so many books that I adore. Well, let's see, I guess I'll try to narrow it down to the top five. (In no real order, just my top five)

1. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Some real tear-jerking moments throughout the whole book)
2. Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series (Can't pin down an actual favorite of the series)
3. The Complete Robot (Seriously, some of the stories have some real twist endings)
4. Artemis Fowl (Mainly books 1 and 3. I enjoyed the rest, but the seventh book didn't seem to have too much sense of urgency compared to the rest)
5. Midnighters Trilogy (Kind of obscure, but an awesome series nonetheless)

I would suggest The Black Company Series by Glen Cook, I really love those books.

Focault's Pendulum by Umberto Eco.

Anything by Tollkien or Steven King.

Legion. Call me a fan boy, but I really do think it's rather good.

20,000 Leagues Under The Sea, by Jules Verne. It's a tough choice, because I love a LOT of books, and the Complete Sherlock Holmes is a close second, but there's something about 20,000 Leagues that I just can't get enough of. I couldn't begin to tell you how many times I got that book out from the library to read.

The Disworld series.

Some BL.

Hitchhikers series.
There are more but my shelf is waaaay over there.

Catch-22 is the only book that I feel merits a place amongst my 'favorites'. Nearly everything else is forgettable at best, especially once you've actually read Catch-22 (numerous times).

It's very difficult for a book to entertain me.

Dune gave me everything I needed to be ready to enjoy the 40k universe.

A Wizard of Earthsea taught me that poetry doesn't have to take place in a poem.

The Book Thief rips your heart out and steps on it again and again.

The Time Traveler's Wife has science-fiction, romance, sex, and recognizable Chicago landmarks.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

Chrysaor686 wrote:Catch-22 is the only book that I feel merits a place amongst my 'favorites'. Nearly everything else is forgettable at best, especially once you've actually read Catch-22 (numerous times).

It's very difficult for a book to entertain me.

I always start Catch-22 and never finish. The absurdity of war is too much for me to fathom.

Stranger In a Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein,

The Game by Neil Strauss and

All Quiet on the Western Front by E.M. Remarque.

Ahhh, books. So many great books, it's hard to decide.

I absolutely love the His Dark Materials trilogy by Philip Pullman. There is definitely something magical about those books.

The Harry Potter books. I grew up with those books and they definitely deserve a place on my favorites list.

The Hitchhikers guide to the galaxy series is hysterical. Those books would be on the list as well.

The Foundation series by Isaac Asimov.

Everything written by Tolkien.

The Inheritance Cycle. (Hurry up with the fourth fething book already!)

There's more, I just can't think of them right now. .

Just finished re-reading Enemy at the Gates. Ivan is next for reread. This year's favorite is Book of Five Rings.

Wheel of Time Series.

I can't put down any of these Bible sized books.

Perdido Street Station
The Scar
Iron Council
All by China Mieville, his is the most original vision of a fantasy world I have ever encountered, it's overflowing with darkly magnificent themes and species and cultures and in every other sentance alludes to more that you want to uncover.

All of the Saga of Pliocene Exile by Julian May, added to the Intervention and then the Galactic Milieu Trilogy, a staggering series of books circling millions of years.

Weaveworld, The Great and Secret Show, Imajica by Clive Barker. I keep meaning to take a look at some of his recent books but I've fallen out of contact with his books.

I am reading the Eisenhorn trilogy at the moment and really enjoying it, even more so than Gaunt's Ghosts, so definately points for Dan Abnett.

The Sprawl Trilogy by William Gibson was phenomenal.

MeanGreenStompa wrote:
All of the Saga of Pliocene Exile by Julian May, added to the Intervention and then the Galactic Milieu Trilogy, a staggering series of books circling millions of years.
.

Golden Torc Rules!

Two books from one author; Company of Liars and The Owl Killers by Karen Maitland. Black Death and superstition coupled with the friction from Christianity. Good stuff.

Monster Rain wrote:American Gods by Neil Gaiman.

I really think that this is the most brilliant book written for quite some time.

+1

Awesome book

Not to get all high school English class, but my favorite book of all time is Moby-Dick. I feel pretty comfortable claiming it's the greatest American novel.

I recently read True Grit (and am psyched for the Coen brothers remake, hopefully it'll be more like the book than the original movie). It didn't change my life but it has a really cool voice.

I haven't read a bad Cormac McCarthy book yet, either, but I need to take a break from him for a while.

Everything David Gemmell ever wrote...

Good Omens by TP and NG, in fact, pretty much everything TP ever written, and about half of Gaimans.

American Gods was pretty good to be sure.

The first 5 WOT books, all of George R R Martins, but they are kinda getting worse as they go along as well.

Oh and Readers Wives.

Hang on, didnt i crack that one the last time we had a reading thread?

They can't all be good...

Twelve and Thirteen Years Later, both by Jasper Kent

anything at all by Joe Abercrombie

Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman (the tv series is also very good)

I really liked Only In Death by Dan Abnett

The Dark Tower series by Steven King

pretty much anything by Bernard Cornwell (Sharpe)

Mr B Gone by Clive Barker

The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova (dispite the slightly obvious and dissapointing ending)

Mine are:
1) I am Legend by Richard Matheson
2)Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett

malfred wrote:The Time Traveler's Wife has science-fiction, romance, sex, and recognizable Chicago landmarks.

I read this, didn't think I'd like it at all but I was pleasantly suprised.

Others by James Herbet.
Misery by Stephan King.

Oof. Gonna be hard to narrow it down.

'American Psycho' by Brett Easton Ellis
'A Clockwork Orange' by Anthony Burgess
'Dead Air' by Ian Banks, also 'The Bridge' is excellent and very, very weird.
'Lord of The Rings' by J.R.R Tolkein
'Down And Out In Paris And London' by George Orwell

squilverine wrote:

The Dark Tower series by Steven King

I had forgotten all about that series. Blane bothered me, dunno why but he/it did. Thanks for reminding me. Must dig them out and give 'em a go again.

malfred wrote:Dune gave me everything I needed to be ready to enjoy the 40k universe.

A Wizard of Earthsea taught me that poetry doesn't have to take place in a poem.

Ediin wrote:Stranger In a Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein,

+ Lathe of Heaven and Ender's Game as unmentioned so far.

Maelstrom808 wrote:

Monster Rain wrote:American Gods by Neil Gaiman.

I really think that this is the most brilliant book written for quite some time.

+1

Awesome book

Really? I just couldn't get into it at all. Stalled before even being a third of the way through. Maybe I should try it again. What made you enjoy it so much?

As for me, there are lots of things mentioned above I have enjoyed, so I'll just say some not listed above (or that I missed as I read through quickly)

The Malazan Books of the Fallen by Steven Erikson. Best fantasy I have ever read.

The Lies of Locke Lomora by... some dude or other. Fun.

And some "serious" literature

Anything by Kazuo Ishiguro. My favourite is Remains of the Day, which is also an incredibly good film, but an even better book, and An Artist of the Floating World. Only the Unconsoled didn't stir me.

Anything by Haruki Murakami. My favourite is Norweigan Wood and Dance Dance Dance. The Windup Bird Chronicle is the most famous.

Ender's Game (greatest book ever written)
Sword of Truth series
Wheel of Time series
His Dark Materials trilogy
Inheritance TRILOGY (what is this cycle bs? I want my THIRD and FINAL book already!)
Anything by Neil Gaiman
Anything by Terry Pratchett
Anything by Dan Abnett
Harry Potter series
Legacy of the Drow series
Storm of (mother****ing) Iron
Bartimaeus Trilogy
Hidden Talents

Most Terry Pratchett Books - The Watch books are a firm favourites and Small Gods is a great book if you want to read universal truths about religion.

Wasp - By Erik Frank Russel A great Sci-read as are:
gateway - Frederick Pohl
Brave New World - Aldous Huxley
Cities In Flight - James Blish
I have recently picked up some CS Lewis pulp paperbacks which are interesting.
John Wyndham is a good author as well - I am skimming through The Chrysalids at the moment.
The Lord of The Rings has always been a favourite - I usually read it every year or so.

In general I am getting through vast swathes of history books, particularly about interwar and Nazi Germany and World War 2 in general - This is by turns making me dig out books on human psychology (and a dictionary).