Recommended books?

[peter1]

What are some books that you have read that you would recommend to a person? Why would you recommend it? Was it really good or was it bearable?

[Brigitte]

Personally, at this moment I would say I've really loved Sister Carrie, and The Bell Jar. :] I've read tons of other good books, but I really enjoyed these two the most.

[Mortis Anarchy]

I, Lucifer- Glen Duncan-Hilarious...omg, so funny...really witty and smart.
Hairstyles of the Damned-Joe Meno-music, teenage rebellion...pretty good.
Slaughterhouse Five-Kurt Vonnegut-AMAZING!!
Love is a Mix Tape- Rob Sheffield-autobiography type thing...its really good.
Running with Scissors-Augusten Burroughs-Funny, smart, graphic and excellent.

[chaplin]

I personally enjoy mostly anything by Russian authors, Gogol, Solzhenitsyn, Turgenev,
but especially Tolstoy and Chekhov. There are many great collections of stories for
Chekhov, and obviously Anna Karenina and War and Peace are, indisputably,
two of the greatest novels ever written.

[Mortis Anarchy]

I personally enjoy mostly anything by Russian authors, Gogol, Solzhenitsyn, Turgenev,
but especially Tolstoy and Chekhov. There are many great collections of stories for
Chekhov, and obviously Anna Karenina and War and Peace are, indisputably,
two of the greatest novels ever written.

How is Gogol?? I've been wanting to read him for a very long time...but never got around to it. Whats your favorite by him?

[Stieg]

Anything by crime noir writer Charles Willeford.

The Difference (aka The Hombre from Sonora) - A great western twist on the morality play.

The Shark-Infested Custard - Excellent crime fiction involving four ordinary law-abiding guys sharing an apartment who find themselves in one incriminating scenario after another. Many suspect this is the book that helped inspire Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction, many parallels, most assuredly. Still in print though a new edition will be released with a forward written by the fan-director. Influenced by another crime noir writer legend namely Jim Thompson, Willeford went on to be become one of the very greatest and most influential.

[bibliophile190]

Oh, where to start?

The Counte of Monte Cristo- absoulutely brilliant story, occasionaly gets a bit heavy, but still amazing.

The Odd Thomas Series, by Dean Koontz- quite good, sometimes funny, tugs at your heart

And then There Were None, By Agatha Christie- One of my favorite books of all time, very suspenseful.

The Historian- Very long, but still quite good.

*Edit* Thought of some more:

Bleak House, by Charles Dickens- great story, excellent portrayal of Victorian Culture

The Old Curiosity Shop, by Charles Dickens- tad melodramatic, but you feel for the heroine, and the villain is fascinating.

[DianaT]

Currently I cannot stop reading Faulkner. I cannot decide if I like The Sound and the Fury or Absalom Absalom! more. I would recommend any of his novels, albeit some are more accessible than others.

My all time favorite five in no particular order:

1. and 2. The two Faulkner novels mentioned above
3. Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
4. Tess of the d'Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy
5. For Whom the Bell Tolls - Ernest Hemingway

Diana

[Stieg]

Also recommend The Black Mass of Brother Springer, The Woman Chaser, Cockfighter, and Miami Blues as an introduction to Willeford's Hoke Moseley four novel series.

Willeford became a piece of popular culture in the 70s with fan-director Monte Hellman adapting Cockfighter into a film and is a major influence on Tarantino's style of juxtaposition of humor and violence in his films.

[ozbey]

I can recommend 1984 which was written by George Orwell.In this book,you will face the truths which are around you but you have never thought about them.It is a wonderful book that everyone must read.:thumbs_up

[papayahed]

The two I always recommend are The Eight by Catherine Neville and Blindness by Jose Saramago

[EAP]

Snow - Orhan Pamuk

Oh, and the obligatory Lord of the Rings, Silmarillion and Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone rec.

[Haven]

What are some books that you have read that you would recommend to a person? Why would you recommend it? Was it really good or was it bearable?

Neal Stephenson's Baroque Cycle. Vol 1 - Quicksilver, Vol 2 - The Confusion, Vol 3 - The Systems of the World. Google these books and this trilogy. Seriously as you are a lit online member, this is your thing. Go for it.

[chaplin]

How is Gogol?? I've been wanting to read him for a very long time...but never got around to it. Whats your favorite by him?

You know, Mortis, I think you'd really like his stuff. It is some of the funniest literatureyou'll find, which sometimes means superficiality, but not with Gogol. The humor, confined within the world that he creates, is deeply affecting.

My favorite story of his is "The Overcoat", which is pretty much unanimously considered his best, but he has many more that are great, such as "Nevsky Prospect" and "Diary of a Madman". And his only novel Dead Souls is one of the more unique books I've ever read. I'd for sure check him out with little or no delay.

[Mortis Anarchy]

The two I always recommend are The Eight by Catherine Neville and Blindness by Jose Saramago

I LOVED BLINDNESS!!!!


You know, Mortis, I think you'd really like his stuff. It is some of the funniest literatureyou'll find, which sometimes means superficiality, but not with Gogol. The humor, confined within the world that he creates, is deeply affecting.

My favorite story of his is "The Overcoat", which is pretty much unanimously considered his best, but he has many more that are great, such as "Nevsky Prospect" and "Diary of a Madman". And his only novel Dead Souls is one of the more unique books I've ever read. I'd for sure check him out with little or no delay.

Will do. I'm leaving for Mexico soon so I'll have to go buy some books...he's on the top of my list. I'll let you know what I think.:thumbs_up :D

[hastalavictoria]

I would definately say 1984 by Orwell. One of the greatest books ever written.
Also, The Stranger by Camus, which makes you think about life, death, and purpose.
The Great Gatsby by Fitzgerald is simply magnificant.

If you're looking for a more modern book, I would highly recommend The Historian...it's full of suspense, history, and vampires...completly fantastic.

[Lioness_Heart]

I've just read The Gread Gatsby and thought it was really good. Also, Jamaica Inn by Daphne Du Maurier was really good: much better than I thought it was going to be. She overdoes the gothic bit sometimes, but it's still a really good read; after i finished it i turned to the start and read it all again.

Also... The Tales of the Otori by Lian Hearn. I think they might be classed as children's books, but I think that they're really good, and my mum loved them...

There are too many good books!!!
but I can't think of any to write down at the moment. grrrrrrr... they're on the tip of my tongue!!!!!

[Orpheus]

The Count of Monte Cristo - Alexander Dumas
The Kite Runner - Khaled Housseini
A Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams
Enders Game - Orson Scott Card
Brave New World - Aldous Huxley
Animal Farm - George Orwell