Your top 3 books of all time

@InfamousBIG: I read One Bullet Away about a year or so ago, it came packed in with Generation Kill. Both of them are must reads.

@Encephalon: Black Boy is a pretty powerful book, but I've always preferred Wright's Native Son to it.

@Tim_the_Corsair said:

@stryker1121

@Tim_the_Corsair: I've heard some of the later Wheel of Time books are really tedious to get through. If you're looking for some good dark fantasy stuff Joe Abercrombie's "First Law" trilogy is quite good. He also has 2 other novels set in the "First Law" Universe. I just finished "The Heroes" and it's Abercrombie's best novel so far.

Eh I would argue that was an exaggeration. Path of Daggers, Winter's Heart, and Crossroads of Twilight definitely progressively have less happen in them than the previous books, and what does happen often follows a character or two that a chunk of the readerbase don't like as much, or they used to love them but dislike the turns their character has taken. However, that isn't to say that NOTHING of note happens, or that they are bad books; I'd argue that the worst of the Wheel of Time still crushes about 98% of the fantasy out there from a quality and entertainment standpoint. They also have sharply increased in the sheer amount of shit that goes down now that the series is coming to an end; whether this was always Jordan's intention or the result of Sanderson taking the reigns is a debate that will likely never be resolved, but hey.

I love fantasy but reading thru a massive cycle of books like WoT (or Erikson's Malazan doorstops) would take me for-f'n'-ever and there'd be some point where I'd stop w/ the series. But if I were to start one it'd be Erikson's. His world seems more interesting from the brief summations i've read on both series.

On topic, I don't know if I can pick 3 books cuz there's loads of authors that have inspired me. Top of my head I'd say Lolita (Nabokov), Pet Semetary (King) and Game of Thrones (GRRM) are right up there. Honorary mentions go to The Cold Six-Thousand, American Psycho, Samaritan, LOTR, The Dark Tower series (well, parts of it), Sharp Objects, The Ruins, Crime & Punishment and many, many more.

@GetEveryone said:

@Joesy_Wales said:

1. Blood Meridian Or the Evening Redness in the West - Cormac McCarthy
2. 1984 - George Orwell
3. The Gunslinger - Stephen King

Josey Wales avatar, The Dark Tower and Blood Meridian.

You, sir, are a man after my own heart.

Edit: I've just realised your avatar isn't even JW, it's The Man with No Name.

So there's at least 4 references to westerns.

Blood Meridian was an excellent book too, probably not my top 3 though. I'm reading The Gunslinger for the first time right now, I'm only a couple chapters in but I feel like I'm gonna dig it.

@Feanor said:

@InfamousBIG: I read One Bullet Away about a year or so ago, it came packed in with Generation Kill. Both of them are must reads.

@Encephalon: Black Boy is a pretty powerful book, but I've always preferred Wright's Native Son to it.

Literally...United States Central Command made it mandatory reading for all Marine Officers deploying to Afghanistan and Iraq. Rightfully so, incredibly useful resource and extremely well written book.

I've actually never read Generation Kill. I've seen the show of course, but I still need to take the time to read it at some point. How does it compare to the show, if you've seen it?

Mine are all series, but the way I read, they are one book, so I'll just list them here:

1) His Dark Materials, Philip Pullman.

Such a good series. Not too heavy that you can't read them at a younger age, but plenty deep to enjoy as you get older. The characters are excellent, the story is unique and engrossing, and the themes are expertly expressed.

2) The Lord of the Rings (including The Hobbit), J.R.R. Tolkien.

This series is what really made me love reading. The Hardy Boys got me into books, but it was Tolkien that gave reading a place deep in my heart and made it as much a part of my identity as just about anything else. Some say it's slow and dense, and I agree, but I love it for that as much as some hate it for it. The world is the most believable fantasy I've ever experienced, the characters and locations and complex histories fitting together seamlessly.

3) Redwall, Brian Jacques.

I'm sure plenty of people dismiss this out of some silly furry fear, but it's such an excellent series, that spans a massive swath of time in the universe Jacques created, giving it as much of an authentic history as Tolkien's work with Middle Earth. The writing is charming, funny, whitty, but the books aren't happy go lucky tales of friendship and love. They have dark tones, plenty of intrigue and action, and complexities that keep them very engaging and enjoyable even for the more "mature" reader.

Also, fuck The Great Gatsby. It's not that special and made several weeks of my life a living hell.

In no particular order:
 
The Qu'ran
1984
From Hell

1. The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov,
2. Animal Farm by George Orwell, and
3. Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky.

Can you tell I majored in History and Russian Language & Literature? In all seriousness though, if you haven't read The Master and Margarita go pick it up now or download the audiobook (I suggest the audiobook if you're not a fast reader because the narrator does an excellent job). Do a little reading about the author and what the book is really about and you'll have an even greater appreciation for it.

Man I do very little reading...which is something that I'm currently trying to fix.

Anyhoo, here's my top 3...and I think you'll pick up on a theme here:

1. Bag of Bones - Stephen King

2. The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon - Stephen King

3. Christine - Stephen King

1) Catch 22 - Joseph Heller ( I can't believe there is only one other mention of this book...it is an amazing book, and everyone should read it atleast once).

2) Watership Down - Richard Adams (Amazing story that holds onto both young and Adult readers.)

3) The Long Walk - Richard Bachman aka. Stephen King (I love a good Stephen King novel, and this one is by far the best novel he wrote)

1. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
2. The Restaurant at the End of the Universe
3. Life, the Universe and Everything

The Woman in the Dunes - Kobo Abe

A book that conveys such profound despair but still manages to be optimistic and life-affirming

The Catcher in the Rye - J.D Salinger

It's incredible to read a book in High School that 'gets you', even if it does leave you with more questions than answers

The Day of the Locust/The Dream Life of Balso Snell - Nathanael West

Absolute absurdity that nonetheless engaged me, love it but I dont know why...

Reading The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami right now, thinking it might knock Nathanael West off that list

The Bridge of San Luis Rey, by Thornton Wilder

Sergeant Getulio, by Joao Ubaldo Ribeiro

Red Sand, by KRM

1. Harry Potter

2. KingKiller Chronicles

3. ??( i don't read enough for a solid third choice.)

As an aside currently reading Wool. Everywhere I've searched this book (mini?)series has been super hyped up and i gotta say its living up to it so far. Excellent story.

I'm not going to make a list because I haven't done any real reading in a long time and have no stand-outs to mention, and I'll just say that Catcher in the Rye is not an amazing book.

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline - It's like one of the most relevent books written for my time. So nostalgic of the time I grew up in.

The Crystal Shard by R.A. Salvatore - This got me into reading in the first place.

Planescape: Pages of Pain by Troy Denning - One of the best books about immortality.

Old Man's War by John Scalzi

Job a comedy of justice by RAH

And it was a tie between Lord of Chaos by Robert Jordan or Lord Foul's Bane by Stephen R Donaldson

Albert Camus, The Plague

Gabriel Garcia Marquez, One Hundred Years of Solitude

Homer, The Odyssey

@bchampnd: I have read The Master and Margarita, and loved it. Apparently, it influenced The Rolling Stones' "Sympathy for the Devil".

-Dune

-Dune

-Dune

@MordeaniisChaos said:

Mine are all series, but the way I read, they are one book, so I'll just list them here:

1) His Dark Materials, Philip Pullman.

Such a good series. Not too heavy that you can't read them at a younger age, but plenty deep to enjoy as you get older. The characters are excellent, the story is unique and engrossing, and the themes are expertly expressed.

2) The Lord of the Rings (including The Hobbit), J.R.R. Tolkien.

This series is what really made me love reading. The Hardy Boys got me into books, but it was Tolkien that gave reading a place deep in my heart and made it as much a part of my identity as just about anything else. Some say it's slow and dense, and I agree, but I love it for that as much as some hate it for it. The world is the most believable fantasy I've ever experienced, the characters and locations and complex histories fitting together seamlessly.

3) Redwall, Brian Jacques.

I'm sure plenty of people dismiss this out of some silly furry fear, but it's such an excellent series, that spans a massive swath of time in the universe Jacques created, giving it as much of an authentic history as Tolkien's work with Middle Earth. The writing is charming, funny, whitty, but the books aren't happy go lucky tales of friendship and love. They have dark tones, plenty of intrigue and action, and complexities that keep them very engaging and enjoyable even for the more "mature" reader.

Also, fuck The Great Gatsby. It's not that special and made several weeks of my life a living hell.

Fuck the haters, Redwall and Harry Potter got me into reading.

1. American Psycho

2, Less Than Zero

3. The Rules of Attraction

1. Lord of the Flies - William Golding

2. Pet Semetary - Stephen King

3. Harry Potter series - J.K. Rowling.

I know I should have more "classics" on here, and I do enjoy Shakespeare, Brave New World, 1984, A Clockwork Orange, Night, Animal Farm, Catcher and the Rye and so on, but as far as enjoyable goes, I'd say these above.

I also enjoy fantasy books and started Game of Thrones along with the English translations of The Witcher series that I'm enjoying.

@MariachiMacabre: Harry Potter was pretty big for me when I started reading, but looking back at it, it's not very good after the 4th, maybe the 5th book. It ranks fairly low on my list of series at this point, but I still go back to re-read the early ones in particular. I've read them often enough that when I read them, I know exactly the words coming up.

Also, everyone should read Candle, by John Barnes, and The Thief of Always by Clive Barker. Great jumping off point for a whole slew of authors they likely would normally never experience.

The Stranger, 1984, aaaaaaaaaaand maybe Zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance.

I'd say all of these are readable and enjoyable for anyone, and that's why I love them. The language in The Stranger is open for so much interpretation but without being an elitist dick about it a la Kafka (also it's only 100 pages long), Zen raises extremely important questions and made me revalue the world and 1984 is just a damn scary thriller.

I love a good series so it's tough to pick 3 specific books but the ones that jump out to me are:

The Drawing of the Three - Stephen King at his best. That meaning, in the middle of a brilliant story and not having to come up with the ending yet.

Homeland - The first book of RA Salvatore's superb Dark Elf Trilogy featuring one the the best fictional characters of all time, Drizzt Do'Urden.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Fuck the haters. I'm a grown-ass man and I'm here to tell you this series was a hell of a good read and the finale was terrific.

@MariachiMacabre said:

@Feanor said:

@Tim_the_Corsair: I'm really starting to feel it with the Song of Ice and Fire books. I'm only 100 pages from finishing A Feast of Crows, but I'm really starting to feel burned out.

As to the quote above, I started with A Feast for Crows because I have heard from tons of people it is the weakest one. I figured if I read it first, I could get it out of the way and avoid burn out. George really messed up that story with that book in my opinion. He even admits to it, "Being a bitch" in the notes at the end. Decent read, but far from "Great".

Perelandra- C.S. Lewis

Bible

Pillars of the Earth- Ken Follett

I like this topic!

1. Enders Game

2. The Count of Monte Cristo

3. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

BAM!

1. Invisible Cities - Italo Calvino

2. The Idiot - Fyodor Dostoyevsky

3. 1984 - George Orwell

• A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius - Dave Eggers
• Mother Night - Kurt Vonnegut
• The Collector - John Fowles

Honorable mention to Catch-22. These 4 are the ones that immediately popped into my head when I tried to think "favorite books," and that's usually my strategy when someone says "What are your favorite x?" I don't like to labor over the choices, just whatever comes to mind.

Guards! Guards! - Terry Pratchett The Stand - Stephen King Lord of the Flies - William Golding

@Jayzilla said:

@MariachiMacabre said:

@Feanor said:

@Tim_the_Corsair: I'm really starting to feel it with the Song of Ice and Fire books. I'm only 100 pages from finishing A Feast of Crows, but I'm really starting to feel burned out.

As to the quote above, I started with A Feast for Crows because I have heard from tons of people it is the weakest one. I figured if I read it first, I could get it out of the way and avoid burn out. George really messed up that story with that book in my opinion. He even admits to it, "Being a bitch" in the notes at the end. Decent read, but far from "Great".

Perelandra- C.S. Lewis

Bible

Pillars of the Earth- Ken Follett

WHY WOULD YOU DO THIS

WHO DOES THIS

WHO IN THE WORLD DOES THIS

WHAT SORT OF MONSTER ARE YOU???

1. The Road

2. Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

3. The Great Gatsby

1. Battle Royale

2. Lord of the Rings

3. House of Leaves

@Jayzilla said:

@MariachiMacabre said:

@Feanor said:

@Tim_the_Corsair: I'm really starting to feel it with the Song of Ice and Fire books. I'm only 100 pages from finishing A Feast of Crows, but I'm really starting to feel burned out.

As to the quote above, I started with A Feast for Crows because I have heard from tons of people it is the weakest one. I figured if I read it first, I could get it out of the way and avoid burn out. George really messed up that story with that book in my opinion. He even admits to it, "Being a bitch" in the notes at the end. Decent read, but far from "Great".

Perelandra- C.S. Lewis

Bible

Pillars of the Earth- Ken Follett

WHY WOULD YOU DO THIS

WHO DOES THIS

WHO IN THE WORLD DOES THIS

WHAT SORT OF MONSTER ARE YOU???

Ya'll have good taste!

I think most of my favorites are sort of newer books because I read all the classics to death in college (writing major). So, Great Gatsby and the like would be on my list had it not become akin to the song I love but can't listen to because it's on the radio every five minutes. That being said...

1. American Gods - Neil Gaiman

2. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas - Hunter S. Thompson

3. Infinite Jest - David Foster Wallace

• Stranger in a Strange Land - Robert A. Heinlein
• A Painted House - John Grisham
• A Song of Ice and Fire - G.R.R. Martin

Incidentally I'm no big reader anymore (I devoured houndreds of books as a very young boy), but of the handful books I've read in the last couple of years, these stuck with me. Currently reading the Dark Tower series by Stephen King. Didn't care for it much at first, took me years to get past the first half of book 3, but I'm loving it now - about to finish up book 4, and book 5 is at hand. Might well turn out to be one of my favorites - don't know about best though. As far as I'm concerned, everything made for posterity, is inherently evil - it's as much an act of giving, as an act of taking away. Claiming ownership of future times, which should not belong to people past.

I was going to respond to this topic along time ago... but I had to think about it.

The Great Gatsby, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, and The Brothers Karamazov are probably my three favorite books. Probably the three novels that have had the biggest impact on me. I'm reading one right now that will probably be on the list soon, as I absolutely love it: For Whom the Bell Tolls. I've already read one other Hemingway novel, and tons of short stories, and he's quickly becoming my favorite author.

I was going to respond to this topic along time ago... but I had to think about it.

The Great Gatsby, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, and The Brothers Karamazov are probably my three favorite books. Probably the three novels that have had the biggest impact on me. I'm reading one right now that will probably be on the list soon, as I absolutely love it: For Whom the Bell Tolls. I've already read one other Hemingway novel, and tons of short stories, and he's quickly becoming my favorite author.

If it's not too late.

• A Song of Ice and Fire - George R.R. Martin
• The Sword of Truth Series - Terry Goodkind
• Any Warhammer 40K book by Dan Abbett

As for the Warhammer 40K books, there are a bunch of short stories if anyone is iffy on reading the longer books. A lot of them done by Dan Abbett.

@MariachiMacabre said:

@Meowshi

@Jayzilla said:

@MariachiMacabre said:

@Feanor said:

@Tim_the_Corsair: I'm really starting to feel it with the Song of Ice and Fire books. I'm only 100 pages from finishing A Feast of Crows, but I'm really starting to feel burned out.

As to the quote above, I started with A Feast for Crows because I have heard from tons of people it is the weakest one. I figured if I read it first, I could get it out of the way and avoid burn out. George really messed up that story with that book in my opinion. He even admits to it, "Being a bitch" in the notes at the end. Decent read, but far from "Great".

Perelandra- C.S. Lewis

Bible

Pillars of the Earth- Ken Follett

WHY WOULD YOU DO THIS

WHO DOES THIS

WHO IN THE WORLD DOES THIS

WHAT SORT OF MONSTER ARE YOU???

Uh, what?

I'm with you. What is that all about? Let us know.

Blood Meridian

Moby Dick

Ulysses

The Sound and The Fury

That's three right?

@Jayzilla said:

@MariachiMacabre said:

@Meowshi

@Jayzilla said:

@MariachiMacabre said:

@Feanor said:

@Tim_the_Corsair: I'm really starting to feel it with the Song of Ice and Fire books. I'm only 100 pages from finishing A Feast of Crows, but I'm really starting to feel burned out.

As to the quote above, I started with A Feast for Crows because I have heard from tons of people it is the weakest one. I figured if I read it first, I could get it out of the way and avoid burn out. George really messed up that story with that book in my opinion. He even admits to it, "Being a bitch" in the notes at the end. Decent read, but far from "Great".

Perelandra- C.S. Lewis

Bible

Pillars of the Earth- Ken Follett

WHY WOULD YOU DO THIS

WHO DOES THIS

WHO IN THE WORLD DOES THIS

WHAT SORT OF MONSTER ARE YOU???

Uh, what?

I'm with you. What is that all about? Let us know.

He's confused why you read Feast first (at least I think). I admit I am too but I'm less (hopefully jokingly) hostile about it and more just curious. It seems like you'd spoiler the previous books for yourself that way.

@mosespippy: It's touching and moving in its depiction of the people surrounding a racially charged trail of an innocent black man. What's so powerful about it is that it tells the story in the eyes of a completely innocent girl who isnt influenced by prejudice and can see the obvious morality of the situation. As a kid I knew that being racist was wrong, and that everyone should be treated equally, but this book just does an incredibly job of telling me why, it humanizes the reader and gets them to see the wrongfulness of prejudice and intolerance, but it doesnt do so in a forceful way, it treats all its characters in a fair light, it gives them the good and the bad, they are simply people in your neighbourhood, friends, family who just see things differently (although, clearly, wrongly). I also cared very much about the outcome of the story, the trail and tribulations of Atticus Finch, one of the best human beings/father/heroes and someone who I to this day, strive to be like.

Its also incredibly epic because you very much want justice prevail. If it does is a matter for you to read the book and find out. :)

@MariachiMacabre said:

@Jayzilla said:

@MariachiMacabre said:

@Meowshi

@Jayzilla said:

@MariachiMacabre said:

@Feanor said:

@Tim_the_Corsair: I'm really starting to feel it with the Song of Ice and Fire books. I'm only 100 pages from finishing A Feast of Crows, but I'm really starting to feel burned out.

As to the quote above, I started with A Feast for Crows because I have heard from tons of people it is the weakest one. I figured if I read it first, I could get it out of the way and avoid burn out. George really messed up that story with that book in my opinion. He even admits to it, "Being a bitch" in the notes at the end. Decent read, but far from "Great".

Perelandra- C.S. Lewis

Bible

Pillars of the Earth- Ken Follett

WHY WOULD YOU DO THIS

WHO DOES THIS

WHO IN THE WORLD DOES THIS

WHAT SORT OF MONSTER ARE YOU???

Uh, what?

I'm with you. What is that all about? Let us know.

He's confused why you read Feast first (at least I think). I admit I am too but I'm less (hopefully jokingly) hostile about it and more just curious. It seems like you'd spoiler the previous books for yourself that way.

You're a smart guy.

@Meowshi said:

@MariachiMacabre said:

@Jayzilla said:

@MariachiMacabre said:

@Meowshi

@Jayzilla said:

@MariachiMacabre said:

@Feanor said:

@Tim_the_Corsair: I'm really starting to feel it with the Song of Ice and Fire books. I'm only 100 pages from finishing A Feast of Crows, but I'm really starting to feel burned out.

As to the quote above, I started with A Feast for Crows because I have heard from tons of people it is the weakest one. I figured if I read it first, I could get it out of the way and avoid burn out. George really messed up that story with that book in my opinion. He even admits to it, "Being a bitch" in the notes at the end. Decent read, but far from "Great".

Perelandra- C.S. Lewis

Bible

Pillars of the Earth- Ken Follett

WHY WOULD YOU DO THIS

WHO DOES THIS

WHO IN THE WORLD DOES THIS

WHAT SORT OF MONSTER ARE YOU???

Uh, what?

I'm with you. What is that all about? Let us know.

He's confused why you read Feast first (at least I think). I admit I am too but I'm less (hopefully jokingly) hostile about it and more just curious. It seems like you'd spoiler the previous books for yourself that way.

You're a smart guy.

I guess. When I hear that there is some literature that is really good, it doesn't bother me to have things spoiled. A good writer is worth more than the book itself, just like a good architect is worth more than the building he designs. I guess it comes down to nuance. I had heard from enough people that "Feast" wasn't all that great and I have to agree with them. I just wanted it out of the way so I could get on to enjoying what so many people were on about with how good the other books are.

(Gregor) The Underland Chronicles by Suzanne Collins

Holes by Louis Sachar

Dragonworld by Byron Preiss and Michael Reeves, with over eighty illustrations by Joseph Zucker.

I cannot stress my top pick enough.

1. The road

2. Hitchhikers guide to galaxy

3. Pale blue dot

I need to read more books I realize, i honestly need to finish up fight club and We need to talk about kevin.

it: stephen king

ender's shadow: osc

a clash of kings: george rr martin

1. Blood Meridian

2. American Psycho

3. Invisible Man

1. Lonesome Dove

2. The Hobbit

3. Pillars of the Earth.