Must Read Book Recommendations

[Prince_Imrahil]

Hey guys,
so I have a bit of spending money for specifically books, and I have a few in mind that Im going to get, but to broaden my literally horizons and hear what you guys personally like/recommend, I give you this thread to list a few of your personal suggestions/recommendations of must-read or just downright enjoyable books (they can be educational too)

But this thread isnt just about me, it'll let everyone get a better idea of whats out there in the written world!

So fire away any suggestions, with comments!

 

[LucyDuke]

Ishmael or My Ishmael by Daniel Quinn.

 

[Tee Kay]

If you haven't read novels by Matthew Reilly you really should.

*wait to be ridicule by other posters*

 

[Prince_Imrahil]

I've heard of Ishmael plenty, so its best time I actually read it!!
...what kind of stuff is this Reilly there taille?

 

[Perfection]

"Freakonomics" may not be a must read but it's a delightful romp.

 

[Tee Kay]

I've heard of Ishmael plenty, so its best time I actually read it!!
...what kind of stuff is this Reilly there taille?

Reilly writes fast-action novels. You know the kind where there's an explosion every few pages. He's actually quite a good writer. Search him on Google if you want to know more.

 

[QuoVadisNation]

Foucault's pendulum by Umberto Eco.

Asides from being awesome; it is generally the only book that will guarantee to increase your vocabulary and make you feel smarter outside Gravity's Rainbow.

 

[Fifty]

Essentials Of Proctology by Harry E. M. D. Bacon completely changed my life.

 

[bombshoo]

"Freakonomics" may not be a must read but it's a delightful romp.

I second this one.

 

[Prince_Imrahil]

I have a question... is the Dune series worth getting into? Anyone here recommend it?

 

[woody60707]

I have a question... is the Dune series worth getting into? Anyone here recommend it?

YES! But the books his son did are somewhat crappy.

 

[stuge]

I'd recommend the first three Dunes.

Also, One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez

 

[Atticus]

Well, Annales and Historiae by Tacitus are very fun to read and educational as well.

Literature is hard to redommend, but I guess nobody has excuse to have not read Sherlock Holmes or Wooster stories.

 

[Elrohir]

1984 and Animal Farm by Orwell are both enjoyable, educational, and important. The Bible, obviously has had a major impact on the world in general and Western Civilization in particular, so even laying aside spiritual reasons, that's a must read - I'd suggest just Genesis, the Gospel, and Romans at first. (Don't try to read your way from the front to the back in order, you'll get bored somewhere in Leviticus or Deuteronomy) Crime and Punishment by Dostoevsky is a pretty influential book, and interesting as well. The Screwtape Letters and Mere Christianity are excellent books, and....

Well, there are just so many good books out there that everyone should read at least once!

I have a question... is the Dune series worth getting into? Anyone here recommend it?

I only read the first one - it was mildly enjoyable, kind of trippy. You should at least read the first one, though, because its such a famous and influential sci-fi novel.

 

[Integral]

As to Dystopian literature, 1984 and Brave New World top the list; Golding's Lord of the Flies is good, but not quite in the same genre.

Russian literature...Dostoevsky's Notes from Underground deeply impacted me, and I recommend anyone to read it. It's relatively short, less than 150 pages long, but it's dense and, well, exceedingly depressing.

A few more...I have to second Elrohir's suggestion of Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis. Capitalism and Freedom and Free to Choose, both by Milton Freidman, are accessable. Balance them with The Affluent Society and The New Industrial State, both by John Kenneth Galbraith. Oh, and read The Communist Manifesto as well.

Just my thoughts.

Integral

 

[downtown]

I don't like the communuist manifesto. I think those who really want to learn more about Marx should pick up some of his other works...I think I learned the most from "On the Jewish Question" (which is an essay, not a book).

Freakanomics was also a good read.

 

[Irish Caesar]

It would help if you had a certain type of book you wanted to read...

I'm a fan of epic poetry, and if you've already read some Homer in school, you might want to try Milton's Paradise Lost and Dante's The [Divine] Comedy. Of course, you also might not.

 

[Prince_Imrahil]

It would help if you had a certain type of book you wanted to read...

I'm a fan of epic poetry, and if you've already read some Homer in school, you might want to try Milton's Paradise Lost and Dante's The [Divine] Comedy. Of course, you also might not.

Haven't read Dante but I've read Milton... I first got intrigued by epic poetry from Tolkien... his Lays of Beleriand mind you, not the poetry in the Lord of the Rings from there it led to Beowulf... and I'm always open to suggestions!

There's no certain type im looking for, I just like to read and am looking to broaden my horizons, not remain narrow in the type of books that I have been reading. Whatever resonates with "you" is what I'd like to hear, and even though your cup of tea might not be horlicks for me, I still would like to at least dabble in whats out there to get a taste of what others find intriguing, so that I might also find I enjoy such works.
So fiction, fantasy, sci-fi, history, politics, philosophy, literature, etc. etc. any book that you think is Good and worth Recommeding to a fellow CFC'er since we all already have at least one thing in common.

...though I must say I'm not really a fan of biographies....

 

[Cheezy the Wiz]

Ishmael or My Ishmael by Daniel Quinn.

On the note of Ishmael, go for Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea.

 

[Japanrocks12]

I'd recommend the first three Dunes.

Also, One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez

the latter is pretty amazing but pretty surreal too. a good read if you're into fantasy.