Favorite book?

santo67 · Apr 16, 2002

Another one of those 'just out of curiosity' threads. What does everyone like to read? Do you go for the classics, or stick with newer, more popular stuff? Personally, my favorite book is probably Ken Keasey's One Flew Over the ****oo's Nest. My most hated being Hemingway's A Farewell to Arms. In the recent category, my favorite author is Harry Turtledove, specifically the Worldwar and Colonization series (what would have happened had aliens invaded during World War II).

What are everyone else's opinions?

amadeus · Apr 16, 2002

1984 by George Orwell.

santo67 · Apr 16, 2002

Originally posted by rmsharpe
1984 by George Orwell.

Ooooh, yeah, that's a good one, too. Have you read Brave New World by Aldous Huxley? If you liked 1984, you're sure to like it, too.

Ozz · Apr 16, 2002

Issac Asimov's Foundation Series

History_Buff · Apr 17, 2002

Personally, I love Clancy, Tolkien, Orwell, and I'm going to start Brave New World.

SuperR · Apr 17, 2002

1984 and The History of the World in 10 1/2 Chapters.

Sparrowhawk · Apr 17, 2002

In no particular order:

Dune - Frank Herbert

Hyperion
Fall of Hyperion
Endymion
Rise of Endymion - all by Dan Simmons (it's a series)

Nightfall - Isaac Asimov & Robert Silverberg

Red Mars
Green Mars
Blue Mars - all by Kim Stanley Robinson (also a series)

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams (the entire trilogy of 5 books)

The Earthsea Series - Ursula K. LeGuin

Moving Mars - Greg Bear

The Lord of the Rings - J R R Tolkien

Ender's Game - Orson Scott Card

Neuromancer
Count Zero
Mona Lisa Overdrive - William Gibson (series)

Virtual Light
Idoru
All Tomorrow's Parties - William Gibson (series)

Immortal · Apr 17, 2002

Originally posted by Sparrowhawk
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams (the entire trilogy of 5 books)[/B]

Huh? trilogy of 5 books?

damunzy · Apr 17, 2002

Wow, it is 5 now? I thought it was just 4! :lol:

My fav would be The Wheel of Time Saga.

Sparrowhawk · Apr 17, 2002

Originally posted by Immortal
Huh? trilogy of 5 books?

Should give you a hint as to the writer's style :lol:

Here's proof though:

Simon Darkshade · Apr 17, 2002

It is quite hard to narrow it down.

Everything by David Gemmel is terrific, but in particular the "Jerusalem Man" series
Likewise, I find it very hard to split any of Stephen Fry's work, but "The Liar" and his autobiography "Moab is My Washpot" are my favourites.

Also like the Dragonlance Chronicles, Lord of the Rings Trilogy, Wheel of Time Series, Fred Forsyth and Jack Higgins, Harry Potter, and the Shannara series (as well as the Magic Kingdom of Landover books).
Clancy and Coonts have their moments.

Piers Anthony's "Bio of a Space Tyrant" is quite excellent, as is the work of Jack Kerouac.

All of the Realms authors - Niles, Salvatore, Greenwood, Lowder, Awlinson, Grubb, and all the others. They is good.

Turtledove is also good.

Apollo · Apr 17, 2002

If I had the time I'd go with the classics, mostly because of my thinking that if they're a classic, they will most likely be good. Also you come across references to the classics all the time and you have to read them to understand these references.

I used to read a lot, but starting about half-way through high school my teachers began dictating what I read and I didn't have time for anything on the side. This is still the same way with all the reading I have to do from textbooks.

Lt.Col. Kilgore · Apr 17, 2002

My favourite for the most part is 'A Clockwork Orange'. Quite different than the movie.

Of course anything by Tolkien.

'Johnny Got His Gun' affected me deeply and made me more opposed to war than I was previous to reading it though I could only stand to read half. (I'm rarely overwhelmed by strong subject matter, in fact this was really the only time I can think of being so affected in this way, but the very prospect of the story...)

'Chung Kuo' series is cool and not too far off.

I rather liked 'The Stranger'.

'All's Quiet on the Western Front', written by a French WWI veteran who writes about German soldiers in the same war. Detail is great and is very human in its scope.

I almost forgot 'Heart of Darkness' by Joseph Conrad.

Asimov rules as well.

polymath · Apr 17, 2002

LOTR, of course.

Darkness at Noon - Arthur Koestler

The Glass Bead Game - Herman Hesse

Sophie's World - Jostein Gardner (I think?)

The French Lieutenant's Woman - John Fowles

Dune - Frank Herbert

War of the Worlds - H.G. Wells

Sherlock Holmes (all the books) - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Foucault's Pendulum, The Name of the Rose - Umberto Eco

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance - Robert Pirsig

There's a few of my faves

duke o' york · Apr 17, 2002

On BBC Radio 4 there is a programme called Desert Island Discs and it's basically just an interview with a celebrity but the idea is that they are going to be stranded on a desert island and have the choice of 8 records to take with them, one luxury item, and a single book. They are given the Bible and the Complete Works of Shakespeare but have to choose another book with which to while away eternity. The luxury item can't be a phone or a PC and modem or a canoe or anything to contact the outside world, but apart from that you can take anything.
Personally, I'd be quite happy with Shakespeare alone, but if pushed then I may be tempted to plump for Paperweight by Steven Fry (an excellent collection of essays written so that they are the right length to read in a toliet visit) or Catch 22 or Our Mutual Friend. That would depend upon what mood I was in when I was chucked off the aeroplane above this island. What books and records and indeed luxury items would anyone else take?

Lucky · Apr 17, 2002

Oh god, I read so much, I cannot really tell a favorite book, not even a favorite author. :yeah:

So let's see, favorite book per author, but read most of theirs:

Jules Verne: Matthias Sandorf
Tom Clancy: esp. Ryan books, esp. the last 3
Micheal Crichton: Sphere, but also the others
Isaac Asimov: Return to Earth
Stanislaw Lem: Captain Pirx
John Grisham: The Pelican Brief
Ken Follett: Pillars of Earth
Robert Doherty: Area 51 series

This list is far from being complete as I've read hundreds of books, and those favorite are not the only ones for me from their respective authors.

ainwood · Apr 17, 2002

Stephen Donaldson's Gap Series, and his Thomas Covenant series.

Wilbur Smith's River God (and sequels).

Heinlein's Starship Troopers (10000000000x better than the sucky movie) - re-reading it at the moment.

Juize · Apr 17, 2002

Originally posted by santo67
(..)Have you read Brave New World by Aldous Huxley?(..)

Dam good. Still my favourite book.

dannyevilcat · Apr 17, 2002

Toss-up between Orwell's 1984 and Sartre's Age of Reason. Two best books I've ever read.

BlueMonday · Apr 17, 2002

Breakfast of Champions by Kurt Vonegutt

All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Mariah Remarque

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