Your favourite book

[mattcake79]

I'll be ordering a few books soon, and this time around I've decided to diversify, so I'm looking forward to some recommendations. I've yet to find a book that didn't pique my interest.... ranging from guilty-pleasure fluff to a cookbook, Shakespeare or the Bible, anything goes.

If you had to name one book as your absolute favourite, which one would you choose? Why?

Edit: Okay, I can't choose just one, so let's make it three! I'll list mine later.

"A room without a book is like a body without a soul" - Cicero

[suki44883]

I Know This Much is True, by Wally Lamb.

You know why.

[Astro]

Desert Solitaire by Edward Abbey

The Dead Zone by Stephen King

The Perfect Storm by Sebastian Junger

OK there's at least a hundred more, but I'll stop here. Good post Matt!

I lied, I'll add one more Fire On The Rim by Stephen J. Pyne

[stone]

I don't read anymore cos my concentration is shot but I used to read a lot, for fluff I liked Terry Pratchett and PG Wodehouse.

I used to read a lot of fantasy stuff when I was a teenager, I consider it all crap now but I still think Lord of the Rings is good.

I have also read Dostoyevski when I was trying to be clever, lol, and other classics like Catch 22, 1984, Catcher in the Rye, even War and Peace (don't bother).
I listen to audio-books now as I can concentrate fine with them.

Favourite book? I don't think I could name one, so why did I post? Sorry.

[lunarise]

Ishmael by Daniel Quinn

This book had a profound effect on my perspective. I hope you enjoy! pssst let me know what you thought if you read it.

[stone]

The Godfather is my favourite film if that helps?

[allport]

Hey Stone Terry Pratchett is not fluff (I have to say that I love him and dont want to see myself as a fluff merchant lol )

And I still love fantasy but hate Lord of the Rings, are you trying to hurt me ?

Matt hun three books, that is so hard, I will have to think about it (for a long time).

[Rowan]

So many favourite books:

Veronika Decides to Die by Paolo Coelho
I liked this book because I could identify strongly with the heroine, who very nearly succeeded in taking her own life, and lived out her last days in a mental institution. It's deeply moving, thought-provoking, and very readable.

The Razors Edge by W. Somerset Maugham
I liked this book so so much - the main character turned his back on considerable wealth and material possessions to 'find himself' and embarked on a spiritual journey that took several years and transformed both him and the reader (I thought). The movie is also excellent - the original with Tyrone Power and the latter with Bill Murray. I preferred Murray's performance.


Fall On Your Knees by Ann-Marie MacDonald
I cried while I read this - and I cried for days afterward. I don't think I can explain why - just that it was very well written, and I was very moved by the characters and their life experiences.

For fluff, I love Janet Evanovich to name one author. I also love Stuart McLean. He's a very funny Canadian author.

[lunarise]

The Celestine Prophecy by James Redfield

My land, My people by the Dalai Lama

[stone]

I downloaded "the razors edge" with Bill Murray Ro, not watched it yet.

[mattcake79]

LOL, I almost regret starting this thread! My amazon.com wish list is already three pages long as it is...again.

Astro, "Desert Solitaire" sounds interesting... I like Stephen King, "It" is awesome.. haven't read "The Dead Zone" though.

Stoney, Terry Pratchett is great!! If you like his stuff, you should check out Neil Gaiman. love your selection of classics, haven't read some of the ones you listed.. And I haven't seen "The Godfather" *hides*

Viv, thanks for recommending Ishmael! I thought the "The Celestine Prophecy" a bore, lol, but really enjoyed doing "The C. Prophecy Workbook".

Ro, I gave a copy of "Veronika" to a suicidal friend; it changed her life Have you read "The Alchemist"? Will check out "Fall on your Knees"

Ally, looking forward to your picks. Just list them all, lol, that's what I'm going to do

Sook, "I Know This Much is True" is probably my #1 book too The last few paragraphs... It's a must-read, imho.

Thanks for the recs, keep them coming

[Believe808]

My all time favorite is The Greatest Miracle in the World - Og Mandino. I have read this book probably over 100 times. It is a small book but very powerful.

[mattcake79]

Okay, I'll just list three books that I like:

A Prayer for Owen Meany, by John Irving. This novel is disturbing and engrossing. On the very first page, seven year old Owen accidentally kills his best friend's - the narrator's - mother with a baseball. I chose this book because it's unbelievably creative.

Sati, by Christopher Pike. "I once knew this girl who thought she was God. She didn't give sight to the blind nor raise the dead. She didn't even teach anything, not really, and she never told me anything I probably didn't already know.. " Changed my life when I was 15. It's targeted at young adults, which is good

Dream Boy, by Jim Grimsley. Just... haunting and heart-wrenching.

[zandre]

Well I've never been able to pick just one favorite book or even three for that matter but I'll name all m favorite books.

• Johnny Got His Gun by: Dalton Trumbo
• McTeague by: Frank Norris
• One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by: Ken Kesey
• Sirens of Titan by: Kurt Vonnegut
• Mother Night by: Kurt Vonnegut
• Fight Club by: Chuck Palahniuk
• Lullabye by: Chuck Palahniuk
• Survivor by: Chuck Palahniuk
• Brave New World by: Aldous Huxley
• Harry Potter Series by: J.K. Rowling
• Of Mice and Men by: John Steinbeck

I'm sure I left out a couple. I'm about to start Slaughterhouse 5 by Vonnegut. Looking forward to that one. Ha I know its a lot but maybe give one or two of them a try especially Palahniuk. If you like bizarre plots with even more bizarre twists then you'll probably like his writing. Most of his novels are dark comedies and hilariously he calls himself a romantic but in his defense the guy and girl do normally get together in the end.

[liveweyerd]

1) The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran (hardback w/author's illustrations

2) Ethics for the New Millenium by The Dali Lama

[Latte]

We've been reading childrens novels in the latte house.

I like the Fudge series, and Chronicles of Narnia. I'm sure I'll think of more. I like true crime novels too but we've been hitting the kids novels pretty hard around here so it's hard to get my own reading in.

[itisatruth]

Oooh, favorite children's books.......now there's a list that could get very long for me!

I tend to like classics.

All time favorite....Pride and Prejudice. I'm not even really a "romantic" person, but I love the story and Austen's writing. I've read it many, many times.

Kite Runner was a good look into how the destruction of war can change a society, as well as, how a person can find redemption, even much later in life. I cried reading this book.

I had to read To Kill a Mockingbird in school but it remains a favorite. I love Scout and how the larger pictures of racism/human rights is interwoven into the little girl's thoughts/life.

[Latte]

To Kill A Mockingbird is a great book. My father was a HS English teacher for a few years and always loved literature. I read Clan of the Cave Bear, and some others at a pretty young age. Maybe I was a little too young. I remember going to the Shakespeare festival in Oregon when I was only about 10 and my parents reading the plays to me before we went to see them. Very interesting experience.

[mattcake79]

Zandre, thanks for the suggestions. Browsing Palahniuk @ Amazon, I realized that someone had recommended him before.

Live, The Prophet looks interesting - though hard to find. Will look into it.

Latte, I can't recall reading Mockingbird O.o My mother used to read me Shakespeare's Sonnets when I was a kid - that probably sounds pretentious, lol, but she is passionate about them. And she'd also read me Peter Pan at bedtime - I never grew up

[liveweyerd]

Matt, yes, The Prophet is a very important book to me.
I read from it at my son's funeral and had everyone who wanted to write a message in it and put it in the casket with him.

My husband and I read from it at our wedding.

I read from it at my daughter's wedding.

and have continued to turn to it time and time again over the years for wisdom.

It is a wonderful, poetic, profound work about life.

[itisatruth]

Originally Posted by Latte

To Kill A Mockingbird is a great book. My father was a HS English teacher for a few years and always loved literature. I read Clan of the Cave Bear, and some others at a pretty young age. Maybe I was a little too young. I remember going to the Shakespeare festival in Oregon when I was only about 10 and my parents reading the plays to me before we went to see them. Very interesting experience.

Hey Latte ~ my dad is a high school English teacher also. So is my step-mom. I remember him reading to me on the back patio when I was young. I think I was around 11 when he read Dune with me. Dune! Not sure how much I understood back then; maybe I should go back and read it now.

It paid off though - I still love to read.

[Rowan]

Ah yes, The Prophet remains a favourite. Matt, I love John Irving also. Have you read The Fourth Hand? I think that's what it is called. Very good also.

Yes I have read The Alchemist it was wonderful; that's what turned me onto Veronika.

[liveweyerd]

Yes, my father was an educator too!
He gave me "The Godfather" to read when I was 12! LOL

I do re-read "The Grapes of Wrath" Steinbeck every so often.

Really appreciate this thread and each post....

I certainly see some I feel I must read!

[stone]

Haven't seen The Godfather! You need to watch parts 1 & 2 one after the other, do it! LOL

Three books I liked most at the time but wouldn't rate them so highly now...

Steppenwolf by Herman Hess.

Lord of the Rings by Tolkien

Light Fantastic by Pratchett. (I don't dig Neil Gaiman).

I haven't really rated anything I have read (listened to) in the last ten years, lol. Although I enjoy Jack Kornfields Buddhist books.

[Latte]

live-I grew up in the area the Steinbeck books were written.