[aquamire]

I've been reading a LOT this year, and have realized just how much television sucks. For those who like to read on this forum what are your favorite book or books?

I just finished reading Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. What a wonderful book. I may not understand all of it, but I recommend it to everyone out there with an interest in philosophy, and the dealings of an insane genious turned sane through electroshock therapy. It's really 3 books in one. The story of a man once insane, going across the country from Minnesota to California on a motorcycle, with his son. His own past, how he went insane. And it delves deeply into eastern and western philosophy.

I also recommend every book ever written by Frank Herbert! I've read every Dune book out there, and am currently finishing up Dune: House Atreides, written by his son and co-authored by some other dude. I also recommend it to Dune fanatics. It keeps true to Herberts vision. Of course the writing is slightly different, but it still works. The story is great so far!

Any other books people recommend or love? Post em here!

[Poprocksz]

Stephen Kings "The Dark Tower" series....
it's so weird.....

Complete Tales and Poems of Edgar Allen Poe
Poe is the best....

Readers Digest-The Worlds Last Mysteries
can't get enough of it for some reason....

those choose your direction books you find in
your local Middle School.....hahahahaa

[PandaX52]

I read zen and the art of motorcycle maintinence last summer, I agree, It's really good...really thought-provoking.

Also some books by carl sagan, particularly "shadows of forgotton ancestors."

Right now I'm reading "the primal scream" by arthur janov, it's crazy, but informative at the same time.

[ August 07, 2001: Message edited by: PandaX52 ]

[Ahcri]

I must have read "The Prophet" by Kahlil Gibran over 30 times (see my sig). It is a collection of narrative poetry that uses a story to preach his thoughts.

I also like "A Clockwork Orange" by Anthony Burgess, but it is a chore to read, so I've only read it about twice. "Catcher In The Rye" is my favorite book in high school, so I guess that's one of my favorite..

[Breakerboy2]

The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay by Michael Chabon. Great story that involves comic books during the 1940's.

[ceenda]

19th century authors still kick ass:

Jules Verne
H.G.Wells
Fyodor Dostoyevsky (Brothers Karamakov, Notes from the Underground)
J.R.R Tolkien
C.S. Lewis

Also, amongst the modern:

Iain Banks (The Bridge <-- great book!)
Frank Herbert (DUNE - the later ones tend to be a bit crap)

[ceenda]

aquamire: Oh, btw, I'm referring to the later books by Frank Herbert. I've not had a chance to read the new one yet, so I'll happily trust your judgement.

[ichiban]

Ahcri, you rule. I keep seeing your Gibran quote and have always meant to mention it. He's awesome! I've read two of his books...really good stuff. I recommend them to anyone else who wants some really thought provoking, even humorous, philosophical material. They're really easy and quick to read through, so the next time you're in a Barnes & Noble or something just flip through one!

or here:sand and foam

or here:The Prophet


I AM FOREVER walking upon these shores,
Betwixt the sand and the foam,
The high tide will erase my foot-prints,
And the wind will blow away the foam.
But the sea and the shore will remain
Forever.

[ August 08, 2001: Message edited by: ichiban ]

[Ko]

I'm boring... so I stick to classics like Frank Herbert (I slaved through ALL the Dune books in English, I'm Danish, so the last two were heavy reads, not that I didn't understand them, but there's a lot to digest.)... And as a fantasy nut, the Lord of the Rings trilogy was a must read.
Worth checking out is the Italian author Stefano Benni's "Terra" it's the most wacky sci-fi novel ever to inhabit my braincells.... I really could go on.... but I mostly read the classics.
Did I mention German author Michael Ende's "Die Unendliche Geschichten" (The Neverending Story)... a great book that was raped into BAD movies. It is actually written in two different colours, green and red-brown, to tell the difference between the "real" world and the fantasy world.

Ko

[Superbug]

Nintendo Power: Bionic Commando

jk

um. Read, Mans search for Meaning. very very good book. Um. Grendel, by gardner or soemthing. um...

um..

shit so many books, no time to type. um.

um. classic frankenstien, shakespere's, THe cosmic Trilogy. wow.
playboy...does that count?

[aquamire]

Ceenda: I agree, the later books by Herbert weren't as great. I still enjoyed them though. He had only planned to write the first 3. I read somewheres he had already written parts of Children of Dune before Dune was even published, which just shows how deep he went into writing that series. The last book, Chapterhouse Dune, left a lot of holes, and Frank was well into writing the notes for codenamed, 'Dune 7', but unfortunately he died. Rumour is his son will continue the series, and wrote Dune: House Atreides to warm up. I cant wait, heh, even though I'm sure it wont be as great as the originals. Yes.. I do stalk Brian Herbert..

Superbug: Bionic Commando RULED! Dont knock it!

Another favorite book of mine is Aldous Huxley's (sp?) Brave New World. After reading that, reality became frightening to me, as I see just how we're heading directly into his vision.

[exo13]

Frank Herbert's, Dune serries

Micheal Crichton's, Jurassic Park, Sphere, The Lost World, Congo.

Dr. Robert T Bakker's, Raptor Red

Douglas Preston & Linciln Child's, The Relic... Don't read the sequel, Reliquary, it sucked.

Non fiction:

Dr. Robert T Bakker's, The Dinosaur Heresies

Dr. Hugh Ross', Creator and the Cosmos, Creation and time, The Genisis Question.

[exo13]

C. S. Lewis wasn't 19'th century was he? I thought that most of his books were written in the 30's 40's and 50s.

[Mezoic]

long john silver
the count of monte crisco
all of j.r.r tolkien's books

[ceenda]

Vgta: Azimov's short stories were very good. The larger books made pretty heavy reading, but the "Foundation" series was excellent.

[Lukiaz]

I would ask everyone to read this book:

The Last Hours of Ancient Sunlight.

This I can say without any doubt that this will be one, if not the most important book you'll ever read.

[ August 08, 2001: Message edited by: Lukiaz ]

[PandaX52]

SlightlyTwisted: Yeah! I've been trying to find The Wasp Factory! our public library sucks (or is underfunded?) and doesn't have it, I read a review and I think I know the ending to it, but it still sounds like a good one...

[SlightlyTwisted]

As far as I know, publication of it is rather limited. I had to order mine straight from Orbit. I'd be utterly stunned to see it on a library shelf, to be honest.

[lilsis]

Catcher in the Rye.. my ALL TIME favorite!
I have read and studied quite a collective amount of poety written by Robert Frost also. I have to lend it to high school.. for introducing me to both fabulous literaries.

These days.... books? I have NO time for books when I have work/computer. HA!!

[above]

Kurt Vonnegut (Sirens of Titan and so many more), amazing writer of our time. As well as Chuck Palahnuik (Fight Club, Survivor, Choke). They are both wacky, thought provoking, and humorous authors. I also loved Orwell's books, 1984 showed me how powerful literature can be.

[jr]

Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay was a great book michael, it won chabon (a modern nobokov) the pulitzer, i'm a fan of anything vonnegut, i even named my email addresss after kilgore trout.

[Poprocksz]

I think everyone should own
"The Dream Hunters"
by Neil Gaiman
and
Yoshitaka Amano

Brilliant art and storytelling.....

Friedrich Nietzsche/ Thus Spoke Zarathrustra
just read it....

[Strawberrysauce]

ceenda: "Iain Banks (The Bridge <-- great book!)" damm right it is!

as are most of his books, im just re-reading
one of his fantasy novels "inversions" which
really does kick ass in many respects.

others i enjoy include Discworld series, JRR
tolkey, and See Spot Run.

[Vgta]

Hmm,
Rober Jordans "Wheel of Time" series. Addicting and amazing.

Neil Gaiman "Neverwere" short book but really good.

Isaac Assimov short stories

Clive Barkers "Damnation Game"

Just about any book by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman.

and tons of other books.

[SlightlyTwisted]

Anything by Iain M Banks. Especially The Wasp Factory, and the Culture books. Well, everything he's done, really.

House of Leaves by Mark Z Danielewski.

Heroes Die, by Matthew Woodring Stover.

That'll do for now.


EDIT: Just had to add that I absolutely detest The Wheel of Time. George R R Martin's Song of Ice and Fire pisses on it from a great height.

[ August 08, 2001: Message edited by: SlightlyTwisted ]

[renren]

All of Dostoyevsky's novels are great. Just finished Demons ( aka, The Possessed).
You just can't get this good in a movie or on televison.