What are your 5 favourite books?

[Natasha]

This is a great thread. I see several people listing books I really like along with things I haven't heard of, and gives me a lot of motivation to go out and get some new books!

I agree. And I'm in the market for a new book now..a few trips ahead..

Not a lot of time to read now, when I do it's usually non fiction. (Business stuff)

# 1 Loved LOTR though.

#2 Walk Across America by Peter jenkins

#3 Travels by Michael Crichton

#4 Angels & Demons by Dan Brown

#5 Misery by Steven King

 

[fishb0y]

If you think Tolstoy is bad......just try Ulysess by James Joyce. It's so much fun!!!!!!!!! :54:

Ok, if you ever get your hands on that book, you'll see what I mean. You'll be lucky to have made it past the first page.

To those who have read the entire book, I bow down to you guys!!!!!!!!!! That is an achievement for sure!

I've tried to read some of his short stories and found them unbearable... I couldn't imagine trying to read Ulysess.

 

[Fish_Whisperer]

Paulo Coelho - "The Alchemist," "Veronika Decides To Die," etc.

Jane Katra & Russell Targ - "The Wisdom Of The Heart."

VS Ramachandran - "Phantoms in the Brain: Probing the Mysteries of the Human Mind"

Sophy Burnham - "The Ecstatic Journey: Walking the Mystical Path in Everyday Life"

Umberto Eco - "In The Name Of The Rose"

Patricia Treece - "The Sanctified Body"

Robert Monroe - "Journeys Out Of The Body"

Ray Bradbury - "The Illustrated Man," "I Sing The Body Electric," "The Martian Chronicles," "Golden Apples Of The Sun," etc. etc.

Jack Kornfield - "After The Ecstasy, The Laundry"

Daniel Ladinsky - "I Heard God Laughing: Renderings of Hafiz"

Gary Zukov - "The Seat Of The Soul"

Deepak Chopra - "How To Know God"

Tim Dorsey - EVERYTHING by this guy ROCKS!!! He's like Hunter S. Thompson meets Carl Hiasaan. Over the top... Definitely not "family reading." LOL

 

[Homunculus]

Vonnegut seems to be popping up on alot of lists, is it good reading like tolstoy or just good reading?

Because for some reason people really like Tolstoy and I find it unbearable to read. Do Vonnegut's books read well for those not so initiated in the world of literature?

i read vonnegut in english and tolstoy in russian but i'm pretty sure that vonnegut's books read easier than tolstoy's; however, it does not diminish the meaning of his (KV) novels. the style of KV's writing is quite different which does not necessarily mean you'll love it. it's definitely worth a try. start with "cat's cradle" or "slaughter-house 5", if you dig these, then continue...

 

[Thalassamania]

Hunter S. Thompson meets Carl Hiasaan. Over the top... Definitely not "family reading." LOL

That I'll have to try.

 

[TSandM]

Hunter S. Thompson meets Carl Hiasaan. Over the top... Definitely not "family reading." LOL

Me, too! I love Hiaasen's humor. Sort of an American version of Douglas Adams.

 

[Teamcasa]

I have been reading history and biographies lately. A few stick out.

Into Africa: The Epic Adventures of Stanley and Livingstone by Martin Dugard - Great Book.
Stalin: The Court of the Red Tsar by Simon Sebag Montefiore – Good Book
Undaunted Courage by Stephen E. Ambrose and The Journals of Lewis and Clark - Ambrose does a great job with this.
Endurance by Alfred Lansing OMG! You think you are tough? This guy (Shackleton) will make you re-think that!
Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow and John Adams by David McCullough – Both are a very good insight into early American politics.

Just finished two novels by Isabel Allende El Zorro, (Early California novel!) and Ines of My Soul, (About the Spanish beginning state of Chile) Both worth the time to read.

Current working on Einstien by Isaacson, so far so good!


Stephen King will never get one more dime from me!

After reading the first Gunslinger, I was upset by his, “well folks, I,m not done with this book yet.” ending.
So what did I do? Yep I was suckered into the second one, Drawing of the three. Same ending. I can appreciate an author who want to make a series but he should have said so in the first book. For me, I invested too much time not to have a story finish.

 

[Fish_Whisperer]

That I'll have to try.

Start with either "Hammerhead Ranch Hotel," or "Stingray Shuffle." I can't remember which one is first. Serge A. Storms is my hero! :light:

 

[Wayward Son]

Ender's Game is rather addictive. Card got sneaky on us & branched the story off in multiple directions. I *think* I've hunted down & read everything published so far, it's something like 8 or 9 books in all now.

 

[Cacia]

Frank, you might like Thomas Moore...Care of the Soul, The Re-Enchantment of Everyday Life, etc

I just finished SHANTARAM by Gregory David Roberts, very good but it wore me out, about the Bombay mafia.