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Ten Favorite Books of All Time (any category)

1069 said:
Anyone else ever read this?

This is one of my favorite books; I first read it when i was a kid, and i've reread it dozens of times since, always getting something different out of it.
I mean, literally. The story involves numerous generations of a weird family that lives in this huge creepy house that's always changing, looks different depending upon the angle from which you approach it, always developing new rooms that one never noticed before, etc.
And that house seems to me to be a metaphor for this story, which seems to expand outward like some kind of puzzle box and change slightly each time one reads it.
It's a magic story, i think.
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That book looks really interesting. I'm going to look for it next time I'm at my huge used bookstore!
 
It will be hard to narrow it down but I'll try:

1. The Bible
2. Clan of the Cave Bear Series - by Jean Auel
3. The Stand - Stephen King
4. Pillars of the Earth - Ken Follett
5. World Without End - Ken Follett
6. The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini
7. The Shining - Stephen King
8. The Left Behind Series
9. 1776 - David McCullough
10. The Eleventh Plague - John S. Marr & John Baldwin ( so good !!! )
 
I'm a sci-fi/fantasy Geek (in decending order)

10. Stranger in a Strangeland - Robert A. Heinlein
9. The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul - Douglas Adams
8. Man in the High Castle - Philip K. Dick
7. Ender's Shadow - Orson Scott Card
6. Sirens of Titan - Kurt Vonnegut
5. Wizard and Glass - Stephen King
4. Ender's Game - Orson Scott Card
3. The Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy -Douglas Adams
2. Lord Foul's Bane - Stephen R. Donaldson
1. Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal - Christopher Moore
 
1. The True Believer – Eric Hoffer (On the nature of mass movements)
The Passionate State of Mind – Hoffer (a small book of aphorisms on human nature)
Caesar and Christ – Will Durant (History of Rome from 753 BC to 180 AD)

The Humanoids – Jack Williamson (SciFi; A story of the future when robots rule)
The Unconquered Sun – Ralph Dulin (novel; The soldier Roman Emperor Aurelian)
Spirit Lake – McKinlay Kantor (hist/novel; The 1857 Indian massacre at Spirit Lake in Iowa)

Andersonville – McKinlay Kantor (hist/novel; Story of the prisoner of war camp at)
The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire – Edward Gibbon
Tom Sawyer – Mark Twain
The Origin of Species – Charles Darwin

10. Pillars of the Earth – Ken Follett
 
Oh man...great question. I could never do 10 movies, but maybe I can do 10 books.

."Cosmos" - Carl Sagan
."A Short History of Nearly Everything" - Bill Bryson
."A Storm of Swords" - George R. R. Martin
."A Game of Thrones" - George R. R. Martin
."Naked Economics" - Charles Wheelan
."The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" - Douglas Adams
."Invisible Cities" - Italo Calvino
."Working" - Studs Terkel
."Survivor" - Chuck Paluhniuk
."1984" - George Orwell

This is in no particular order.

If I actually had a list of every book I've ever read in front of me, this list would probably be considerably different. Cosmos is probably my all time favorite, and Sagan my all time favorite author. At least one Martin book is always going to be there. Invisible Cities is either wonderful or terrible. I hate most of Paluhniuk's work but I'm very fond of Survivor.

EDIT: I'm reading Brian Greene's The Elegant Universe right now. It is very likely to enter this list. Accessible, challenging and exciting stuff.
 
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Any of the historical fictions (Ancient Egypt) by Pauline Gedge.
 
In no particular order:

1984(Orwell)
House of Leaves(Danielewski)
DMT: The Spirit Molecule(Strassman)
Brave New World(Huxley)
The God Delusion(Dawkins)
God: The Failed Hypothesis(Stenger)
American Gods(Gaiman)
Fahrenheit 451(Bradbury)
Slaughterhouse-Five(Vonnegut)
Choke(Pahlaniuk)
 
EgoffTib said:
In no particular order:

1984(Orwell)
House of Leaves(Danielewski)
DMT: The Spirit Molecule(Strassman)
Brave New World(Huxley)
The God Delusion(Dawkins)
God: The Failed Hypothesis(Stenger)
American Gods(Gaiman)
Fahrenheit 451(Bradbury)
Slaughterhouse-Five(Vonnegut)
Choke(Pahlaniuk)
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American Gods ROCKED! I love Neil Gaiman's books. I want to ammend my list to include Good Omens which he did with Terry Pratchet.
 
I tried to read a Gaiman book once...Neverwhere, is that the name of one of his books? But it was like reading someone's asshole, only with less character development. Perhaps he deserves another shake from me.
 
SWM said:
I tried to read a Gaiman book once...Neverwhere, is that the name of one of his books? But it was like reading someone's asshole, only with less character development. Perhaps he deserves another shake from me.
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I haven't read Neverwhere but I've heard only good things... except from you, that is.
 
SWM said:
I tried to read a Gaiman book once...Neverwhere, is that the name of one of his books? But it was like reading someone's asshole, only with less character development. Perhaps he deserves another shake from me.
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I liked Neverwhere a lot, so don't base it on my tastes. Good Omens is great no matter what you like.

Hilarious take on the Apocalypse.
 
SWM said:
."A Storm of Swords" - George R. R. Martin
."A Game of Thrones" - George R. R. Martin
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This may possibly be my favorite fantasy series ever. Great books.

Good Omens and American Gods are both EXCELLENT books. I'd say American Gods slightly more than Good Omens but honestly take your pick. Both are highly recommended.

On the Gaimen line of things too, if you like graphic novels the entire Dream series is just wonderfully done
 
Zyphlin said:
This may possibly be my favorite fantasy series ever. Great books.

Good Omens and American Gods are both EXCELLENT books. I'd say American Gods slightly more than Good Omens but honestly take your pick. Both are highly recommended.

On the Gaimen line of things too, if you like graphic novels the entire Dream series is just wonderfully done
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A Song of Ice and Fire is my Lord of the Rings. It will be with me forever. Hopefully Martin will finish before he kicks the bucket.

Since we share tastes, have you read Neverwhere? Is it bad, or am I crazy? Should I just try a different Gaiman novel?
 
Secrets of a Very Good Marriage: Lessons from the Sea
by Sherry Suib Cohen

Thee book to read to improve your relationship and even educate yourself on what you really want in one. Sherry Cohen explains lessons she learned from her husband's love of fishing and how she applied them to her marriage.

This is a great book to read to your lover in bed and then talk about. Each chapter, or lesson, is brief but, to the point. I've given this many times as a wedding gift. Every single time I got a call from newlyweds thanking me.

It's easily picked up at Amazon. Do yourself a favor and pick up a copy. I guarantee you'll love it.

Here's a brief review:

A loving, intimate look at a good marriage, from a landlubbing woman-turned-first mate. Drawn into a world of power boats, fishing lines, and dubious baits, Sherry Cohen learned some remarkable lessons about marriage from the exhilaration, boredom, loneliness, risk-taking, survival techniques, and yes, sexiness she discovered at sea.

9780140238778: Secrets of a Very Good Marriage: Lessons from the Sea by Sherry Suib Cohen (Used, New, Out-of-Print) - Alibris
 
1. Bible
2. Hobbit and the RoTK Trilogy.
3. Belgariad Series
4. Mallorean Series
5. Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan novels
6. Interview with a Vampire series
7. Pern novels
8. The Chronicles of Narnia
9. Mysterious Island
10. Harry Potter series
 
MrVicchio said:
1. Bible
2. Hobbit and the RoTK Trilogy.
3. Belgariad Series
4. Mallorean Series
5. Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan novels
6. Interview with a Vampire series
7. Pern novels
8. The Chronicles of Narnia
9. Mysterious Island
10. Harry Potter series
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Enjoyed the hell out of these. I like the two stand alones about Polgara and Belgarath as well.
 
Man all my favourites are non-fiction except for Shakespeare.

In no particular order:

1. The Breakdown of nations by Leopold Kohr.
2. Human Scale by Kirkpatrick Sale.
3. Reflections on the revolution in France by Edmund Burke.
4. The Quest for Community by Robert Nisbet.
5. Technics and civilisation by Lewis Mumford.
6. Mutual Aid by Peter Kropotkin.
7. Progress and Civilisation by Henry George
8. Anything by Shakespeare.
9. Our Enemy, the State by Albert.J.Nock
10. Anything by ChesterBelloc.

And I've just got to add The Acquistive society by R.H Tawney. Anyone interested in politics, economics and society would gain much from reading any of these works I truly believe.
 
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Tashah said:
Any of the historical fictions (Ancient Egypt) by Pauline Gedge.
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Almost forgot it's been so long. When I was very young I devoured all of the Edgar Rice Burroughs fictions about John Carter of Mars. These books impelled me to start looking up at the stars and wondering. I've never stopped. Perhaps there is a Barsoom out there somewhere.
 
Tucker Case said:
Enjoyed the hell out of these. I like the two stand alones about Polgara and Belgarath as well.
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I haven't actually read them... maybe I will next time I read the series. I think for lunch I'll hit up Half priced books and look for something new. Play pot luck reading. Or I'll just go get "state of Fear" out of my car.. didn't mean to leave it there.
 
MrVicchio said:
I haven't actually read them... maybe I will next time I read the series. I think for lunch I'll hit up Half priced books and look for something new. Play pot luck reading. Or I'll just go get "state of Fear" out of my car.. didn't mean to leave it there.
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You should get them. tehy give a TON of backstory and they are fun books in and of themselves.

Get Belgarath first. Hell, I'll send you my copy if I can find it.
 
Tucker Case said:
You should get them. tehy give a TON of backstory and they are fun books in and of themselves.

Get Belgarath first. Hell, I'll send you my copy if I can find it.
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I have them both... I just haven't read them that's all. I gave my dad my copy of book I of the Belgariad, and he was skeptical of a 10 books, 2 part series... he bought the entire series the next day.
 
MrVicchio said:
I have them both... I just haven't read them that's all. I gave my dad my copy of book I of the Belgariad, and he was skeptical of a 10 books, 2 part series... he bought the entire series the next day.
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I did the same thing as your dad did when my buddy loaned me book I.
 
1. Cat's Cradle-Kurt Vonnegut
2. Catch-22- Joeseph Heller
3. Atlas Shrugged- Ayn Rand
4. Animal Farm- George Orwell
5. To Kill A Mockingbird- Harper Lee
6. I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell- Tucker Max
7. Slaughter House-5- Kurt Vonnegut
8. Anthem- Ayn Rand
9. The Art of War- Sun Tzu
10. 2001: A Space Odyssey- Arthur C. Clarke
 
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