Personally I am going to have to throw out Rangers Apprentice by John Flanagan. It's an easier read yet still pulls you in making it almost impossible to turn away. It's kept me interested in it even reading through the whole series three times (I have a lot of time on my hands most the time at work).
Another series would be Enders Game Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card. The Shadow series is my favorite of that whole saga. Last but not least is Assassin's Apprentice (The Farseer Trilogy) by Robin Hobb. It's a darker one yet I still enjoyed it.
Let's hear some of your favorites so I can figure out some more books to read on down time!.
If you like Sci-Fi, Dune by Frank Herbert is an exceptional read. The scale of the story expands from a single man to an entire universe over the course of the series. It explores things from personal, philosophical, religious, and political views. There are great, vicious worms over 400 meters in length, space travel that can only be achieved by beings living inside tanks full of narcotic gas known as Spice, and shape-shifting clones that can perfectly replicate another human. As the books go on, things get pretty weird, to be quite honest, but I personally found them to be very enjoyable.
I'm in the middle of reading this for the first time. I love how calculating the characters are, especially Jessica and Paul. It's fascinating to read how they interpret the subtle mannerisms of other characters and extract information from that. Being able to "read" others is treated like a superpower.
Both Jessica and Paul are trained as Bene Gesserit, which grants them great self-awareness, control, and the ability to read other people very well. The secret sign language that they use to communicate they talk is pretty awesome as well. I have to refrain from spoiling anything, but I really think you'll enjoy all the books.
I find myself coming back to Dune at least once a year, and sometimes more than that. I got a copy as a present a long time ago, and I've appreciated it more and more as time goes on. Frank Herbert put years of research, of his life really, into Dune, and his notes as he expanded his universe are enough for his son and Kevin Anderson to continue his legacy. (Admittedly with not nearly the quality of the original FH books.) However, the current video adaptations kinda suck. One day, someone will do a good film or TV adaptation and it will be awesome. The Spice Must Flow
It's been a year or two since I last read through the series. I'll have to visit it again. Two of my favorite Sci-Fi games were basically spawned by Dune. Warhammer borrowed heavily from Dune and StarCraft did the same with Warhammer. I've no doubt that many other series were influenced by Frank Herbert's work as well. Every time I've gone through the books, I feel like I'm able to pick up on something new and interesting. I have no doubt that this time will teach me something new again.
I really wish I would have stopped reading the series around book two or three. You could tell that when Herbert wrote Dune he had a coherent plan in mind. One of the most beautiful things about it was he had this pre-constructed, complex world and you were just thrust into it without any real introduction. The story was excellent and it kept you interested the entire time. The second book was a decent continuation of the second, but it lacked that feeling of complexity (maybe because by now you have a firm understanding of the world). The third was just okay. I feel like it would have liked it more if I didn't have to compare it to the first two. After that everything just goes to shit. I remember reading the fifth book and having a pain in my chest wondering why the publisher thought this was a good idea. I think the issue was his fan base kept demanding more and more, but he had ran out of ideas. Really sad to see such an amazing book be followed by so much disappointment. As the books go on, things get pretty weird, to be quite honest
My understanding is his original idea was that the first 3 books were a trilogy and that the four books that were to come after that one were to be set as well, meaning it was actually two stories in the same universe that were tied together. Obviously he only finished 3 of the 4.
Well from the sounds of it I have a new book I am going to read! That sounds like it could be very addicting since it isn't focused on just one part of a story. I am definitely going to give this a try.
Awesome. There's also a prequel trilogy by his son, Brian Herbert and Kevin J Anderson. Don't read those until you go through the main series of books, starting with Dune. I'd only give those three a read if you really enjoy the universe and want to see how everything sort of came to be. They aren't bad, but they definitely aren't written by Frank Herbert, either.
My personal favorite book is East of Eden by John Steinbeck. It's an amazing read because it's a character study that also incorporates elements of developing the entire world that is the Salinas Valley in California. It's almost biographical despite being a fictional piece of literature. Over the past year the best book I've read is easily Blue Highways. It's a piece of nonfiction that's basically a big journal log from a guy who drove across the entire USA.
The Long Walk by Richard Bachman (Stephen King's pseudonym). I've probably read it 10 times. It's so engrossing and just fun to read. Basically, teenage boys in a dystopian society are competing in the "long walk" - basically all the contestants walk until they die, and the last one standing wins. The amount of psychological horror the main characters go through is fascinating, and the contrast between the psychological horror between them and the onlookers is interesting to think about.
I love all the classics and I try my best to understand Cormac and Vonnegut and Bukowski but King will always have a special place in my heart. Read The Shining at ten years old and never looked back. The Stand should be on every school summer reading list and his magnum opus The Dark Tower is one of the greatest adventures I've ever had. If you've never read King I suggest you get out from under that rock and read his collections of short stories, Night Shift and Four Past Midnight. Different Seasons is a collection of four novellas and is fucking beautiful. I read every King he put out throughout my youth and his books (along with Calvin & Hobbes) taught me everything about life they don't teach in a classroom.
Oh most definitely. Besides Fight Club I loved Rant and Invisible Monsters. His short stories are great too. I thought Zombie hit it hard.
Easily the Count of Monte Cristo. It was the first book that I would call literature that I read and got a sense of what is possible with a truly great book, especially in terms of scope. Really got me into reading again after giving it up for most of my university life. Read it about 3 years ago and am looking forward to re-reading it in the near future. Can't recommend it enough.
It is by far the best prose in a book I have ever read imho
I was interesting to see if this would be here as Reddit seems to be in love with it, but I can't for the life of me see why. I really enjoyed it up until he escaped from the prison. The bits with Edmond and the Abbé in the Château d'If were amazing, but as soon as he escaped and became the Count, I lost all interest in the character and ultimately the book. After that, I found it incredibly tedious and confusing, with hundreds of characters (and pages). The ending didn't even feel worth it as it was so incredibly predictable, and it felt more like relief when I finished it than anything else. The only other person I know who's read it agrees with me. I'm curious to hear what other people liked about the book that I clearly did not.
I agree that the end was rather predicable, but then that can be said about a lot of books. Regardless, the most excitement for me came not from wondering how it will end, but from the elaborate process of revenge. That, and generally seeing a character so thoroughly taking on the role of delivering providence and how this affects him. Even after everything he does for revenge, does any of it really make up for the years and years of drawn out suffering that the others so easily forced on him? But in saying all that, this was one of the first books I read, so maybe when I reread it I will be as disappointed as when I went back to Magician.
Sirens of Titan - Kurt Vonnegut. My all time favorite read. Short, whimsical, odd, and enlightening, all in a very small book as far as word count is concerned.
Great book! I read this several years after reading "Hitchhikers guide to the galaxy" and couldn't believe the similarities, it seemed like almost the same book at its core. At first I thought Vonnegut had ripped off Adams, until I looked at the publication date; Vonnegut had him beat by 20 years :)
Same! I've only encountered one other person who's ever read this book, but I love it.
I like how you've phrased the question. I think that there's a difference between 'favourite book' and 'favourite read': I may never reread some of my favourites (looking at you, Infinite Jest) but there are a lot of good books that I just love to read over and over. The Phantom Tollbooth is one of my favourite reads. It's written for children so it's quick and manageable, but it's also very thoughtful, and it constantly puns and plays on its own words. A lot of common phrases of speech are illustrated literally (this is as great as you'd expect). I've read the Lord of the Rings trilogy countless times as well. It's a long journey of a series, with lots of twists and sidequests, but the only time it ever loses or bores me is in the mountains at the very beginning of the Return of the King. That's a short section in three long fascinating books.
Did you ever get to see the film version of The Phantom Tollbooth? I was allowed to rent it from the video shop whenever I was off sick from school and I faked illness so much I ended up wearing out the VHS... Also - I'm actually re-reading Infinite Jest at the moment! I'm enjoying it a lot, actually. I love a big heavy tome in my hands, there's something comforting about it.
I would have to agree that there is a difference. I loved the Eragon series yet anytime I've thought about rereading them I just can't. So I figure of you are willing to reread a book it brings in many more options than just trying to pick out a single fav. I'm actually in the middle of Lord of the Rings right now and I must say they have been much much more enjoyable than the movies. Even though the movies were pretty good.
I love House of Leaves . It's a puzzle, mystery, riddle, and novel all in one. Pretty excellent and weird.
Edit: The Kingkiller Chronicle is also amazing if you're into fantasy and magic Universities.
I will have to read 2312 next then. I'm almost finished with Rice and Salt I love the way he worked in characters similar to Da Vinci, MLK, and Marie Curie as souls and eventualities. That just made me think of Isaac Asimovs Foundation Series with the concept of psycohistory. Are you familiar with it?
My only problems with Rice and Salt is his view of Africa. While the same souls doing everything advances the story, that is also pretty insulting. 2312 really only makes sense if you read Mars. There is too much catching up to understand how things are possible.
Agreed, for the same souls bit. Africa following the same line of history makes sense to me though. It wasn't until the colonial era that Europe influenced Africa and China would fulfill the same role as Europe when that time came. There were no clashing cultures to advance sub Sahara Africa as there were in Asia and the Middle East.
I only have a pdf, not even an epub. I'm not sure if this is a character or his opinion, but I thought I read their souls are closer to animals. Why would a book about spiritual growth be racist? I don't mind if Africa's storyline, because I'm a bit of a primativist.
The dresden files. by Jim Butcher. A super fun series about a detective in chicago, who also happens to be a friggin' wizard. There is great humor and great action, and so far I think there are fifteen books so far. It's pretty good.
I've read Neuromancer more than a dozen times, and I enjoy it more and more with each read. I've read it so much that I've got an internal soundtrack that plays while I read it. I can't think of a better compliment for a book. I also greatly enjoy A Canticle for Leibowitz, one of the granddaddies of post-apocalyptic fiction that follows a single abbey through three distinct time periods, from several centuries to a millennium after the bomb. Both very, very good.
I loved the Ranger's Apprentice books and the Brotherband books, they were quick reads and I loved them. I have not started rereading them yet, but they are in my ebook when I'm ready. These books led me to the Spook's Apprentice books and then to Mark Lawrence's Broken Empire series and his Red Queen's War series. I've read the original Dune Series twice in the last 15 years and read through the prequel and sequel books as well, I love the original book. Harry Potter is another series I'd like to reread at some point. I'm also a fan of the Myron Bolitar series by Harlan Coben, the man's books are excellent and I've reread several of them over the years. While I'm not a big fan of his Mickey Bolitar young adult series, it's not horrible either.
There are prequels done by Brian Herbert, Frank Herbert's Son, and Kevin J. Anderson. Some fans like them, a lot don't... My opinion, none of them were as good as the original books. Yet, I found of the ones I did read they weren't too bad and they filled in some stuff. I don't think any of them really touch much on the terraforming of the desert. Maybe some in the House Trilogy with Pardot Kynes. I can't remember. As for after the third book it being weird, I can't remember where I read this or if it's true at all, but I believe I read that the original three books were to be considered one story. Then the books after that another. The prequels are setup different and don't exactly take place on Dune itself. The Butlerian Jihad, Machine Crusade and Battle for Corrin were one set. They focused on the distant past and setup how the world would come to be. Showing the war with the machines and setting up for the Bene Gesserit and Mentats and how the main families of Dune came to be. Then in the House Trilogy each book focuses on a House. House Harkonnen, Atreides and Corrino. These were written as the original prequel series. These are focused as an actual prequel in which the main players are meeting and the backstory of some of the favorites like Gurney and Idaho... You also have the sequels where they finished the story. Hunters of Dune and Sandworms of Dune. All of these are supposedly based on the notes that Frank Herbert left behind when he died. There are also in between books such as Paul of Dune and Jessica of Dune. These books fall into the original storyline but try to fill in gaps between the books. I've never read these though. You also have another series about the other groups. Sisterhood of Dune is the early years of the Bene Gesserit. Mentats of Dune is the early years of the Mentats.
I might look into Sisterhood of Dune, the Paul and Jessica ones. I liked the story of the first book, but I felt like that went too fast. Paul and Chani were reborn as infants, that was pretty weird. Why would he put an adult couple in infant twins bodies? Lannister much? I'm all about the psychedelic, but that was odd enough to lose my interest. Thank you for your help. I am trained in passive water harvesting in the Desert, so I always wondered if their was a book about Liet-Knyes.
Dostoevsky's The Notes from the Underground is a great read. I found myself laughing uncontrollably at some of the scenes he produced; and considering that the depth of the material Dostoevsky writes about does not heed way for comedy very easily, it became just another example of his literary genius. The book is quit short (roughly 170 pages), but it really did poison my mind for a while. Very deep and very troubling. That said, the Underground Man is Dostoevsky's dark creation that he catered to in later works (which are much longer), and within these works-- The Idiot, in particular--were the answers I needed. For this reason I feel that it is almost necessary to read his subsequent works in order to develop a real understanding of one of the greatest writers to have lived.
Looking over my records I found 3 books that I’ve read 4 times and I distinctly remember feeling them “calling” to me and urging me to read them again. The first is “The Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy” which I’m sure many on here have read. It’s funny and philosophical in a way similar to Vonnegut. It’s about the Earth being destroyed to make way for an intergalactic freeway and the last remaining human getting whisked around the galaxy by his alien friend from Earth, among other things. It’s short and easy and I go back to it from time to time for a good laugh or for a little “perspective.” Just read the opening page and you will understand this book and be able to decide if you want more of the same. The second is Lolita. This is an amazing work of art and I found the language to be some of the finest ever put to paper. Here’s the endlessly quoted opening paragraph: “Lolita, light of my life, fire of my loins. My sin, my soul. Lo-lee-ta: the tip of the tongue taking a trip of three steps down the palate to tap, at three, on the teeth. Lo. Lee. Ta. She was Lo, plain Lo, in the morning, standing four feet ten in one sock. She was Lola in slacks. She was Dolly at school. She was Dolores on the dotted line. But in my arms she was always Lolita. Did she have a precursor? She did, indeed she did. In point of fact, there might have been no Lolita at all had I not loved, one summer, an initial girl-child. In a princedom by the sea. Oh when? About as many years before Lolita was born as my age was that summer. You can always count on a murderer for a fancy prose style. Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, exhibit number one is what the seraphs, the misinformed, simple, noble-winged seraphs, envied. Look at this tangle of thorns.” The first part of the book is incredibly compelling, but I found the second part to be on the slow side. If you’ve never heard of it, it is one of those constantly being banned books due to the book (apparently) being about a pedophile. I put “apparently” there because there is debate about the ultimate symbolism of the book, but regardless, the book does center around a pedophile and his actions with several minors. Finally, there is Moby Dick. I love this book! People have described this as the kitchen sink book of the 19th century, as in Infinite Jest or Gravity’s Rainbow style. However, unlike those two books, the writing is much simpler and it has a predominantly linear story that is engaging in and of itself. There are religious discussions, whaling materials, biology, outstanding storylines, LOTS of humor, reflections on people and America, and a lot of other stuff. Honestly, I’ve primarily enjoyed it just as a fascinating and humorous adventure tale of 18th century whaling and don’t much get into all the symbolism. I know, how can it be funny? Well, here’s the first paragraph and it’s filled with a kind of morbid and absurd humor: “Call me Ishmael. Some years ago--never mind how long precisely --having little or no money in my purse, and nothing particular to interest me on shore, I thought I would sail about a little and see the watery part of the world. It is a way I have of driving off the spleen, and regulating the circulation. Whenever I find myself growing grim about the mouth; whenever it is a damp, drizzly November in my soul; whenever I find myself involuntarily pausing before coffin warehouses, and bringing up the rear of every funeral I meet; and especially whenever my hypos get such an upper hand of me, that it requires a strong moral principle to prevent me from deliberately stepping into the street, and methodically knocking people's hats off--then, I account it high time to get to sea as soon as I can.” And I’ll never get tired of reading the part where the two main characters first meet each other unexpectedly in the same inn bed in the middle of the night and almost kill each other. LOL! Of the 3X rereads, I think War and Peace deserves a special mention, simply because of its length. It’s SO good that I thoroughly enjoyed reading it several times, despite it’s length. I’ve had family and friends carry on about how “it’s just so long” and “you must be crazy” as they sit down to the 5TH volume of “A song of fire and ice” or the 7TH Harry Potter book. It’s not a particularly difficult book, it’s just long and as a result has many characters. Knowing this, I went into it with a pencil and paper and made a note of the main characters and how some of them were connected. Today you can look this stuff up online in 2 seconds, so it’s not even an issue anymore (just beware of spoilers for a few things). It’s a very interesting book, but it’s not an action and adventure type that pulls you along with it’s excitement. It’s probably more like a soap opera in the way the characters are deeply developed, their world is brought to life, and the story slowly builds and develops as the pages roll by. It really is a slice of Russian life.
I really love the Greatwinter Trilogy (Souls in the Great Machine; The Miocene Arrow; and Eyes of the Calculor) by Australian Science Fiction writer Sean McMullen. It's set on a planet that's wracked by a strange and mysterious call which hypnotically draws any mammals over 10 Kg to walk Eastward until they drown in the sea. The people of that planet have built a feudal society ruled by librarians that holds the patchwork villages and towns together. Advanced technology is stymied by a mysterious force that systematically destroys any electrical devices or large vehicles over 10 meters in length. Through it all, a very intelligent and determined woman has been figuring out the keys to these problems and is determined to rule the library system to save humanity— even if she has to use human enslavement to achieve her goals. It's full of rowdy and fun characters and I can't recommend it enough.
The Expanse series by James S. A. Corey (I'm rereading Leviathan Wakes for the fourth time!). I've actually talked about it here: I'm also a fan of John Scalzi's books. I can't remember how many times I've read The Android's Dream and the Old Man's War series. I enjoy Scalzi's humour and the fact that he normally writes sci-fi basically sealed the deal for me :)Currently, I'm re-reading Leviathan Wakes for the...fourth time. I'm pretty much going to re-read The Expanse series every time a new book comes out. I'll probably keep re-reading them after that. I like that it feels like a mix of everything on top of the scifi backdrop. It's by no means a literary masterpiece, but I love the series. Also looking forward to the show and also trying to curb my expectations for it :)
I actually just finished Leviathan Wakes for the first time, and immediately had to pick up Caliban's War. I absolutely loved the first book. Once I got to the part where Eros runs away I ended up having to stay up the rest of the night to finish it. My go to fantasy series would probably be The Stormlight Archives by Brandon Sanderson. I can't wait for the next one to come out so I can inevitably reread the whole series so far again.
My last favorite read was The Dog Stars by Peter Heller.
I'm a sucker for post apocalypse fiction, and this was a hugely satisfying read. The last book I read, The Book of Strange New Things by Michel Faber. A good read with a wholly unsatisfying ending in my opinion. The backstory to his writing it made the book more interesting for me though.Hig survived the flu that killed everyone he knows. His wife is gone, his friends are dead, he lives in the hangar of a small abandoned airport with his dog, his only neighbor a gun-toting misanthrope. In his 1956 Cessna, Hig flies the perimeter of the airfield or sneaks off to the mountains to fish and pretend that things are the way they used to be. But when a random transmission somehow beams through his radio, the voice ignites a hope deep inside him that a better life–something like his old life–exists beyond the airport. Risking everything, he flies past his point of no return–not enough fuel to get him home–following the trail of the static-broken voice on the radio. But what he encounters and what he must face–in the people he meets, and in himself–is both better and worse than anything he could have hoped for.
I'm currently half way through the Malazan Empire series by Steven Erikson. http://malazan.wikia.com/wiki/Suggested_reading_order Things I'm enjoying so far: - impressive imagination, things are so out there - very expansive world and history and range of characters - very good at setting up and writing interactions for interesting pairings of characters - engaging prologues, I always flip back to try and guess what's going on - started a 10 book fantasy series and actually managed to finish it - so far has managed to write great endings for every book, even the ones which I felt drag slightly in the middle
I recently read 'One hundred Years of Solitude', and I think it's the best book I've ever read. The language, imagery, vitality of it are incredible. I've heard so many say they were bored by it and I just don't get it. Otherwise, I also greatly enjoyed 'Trout Fishing in America', which is beautifully psychedelic, 'Stoner', which is probably the most genuinely heartbreaking prose I've ever read (the last few pages of my copy are covered in tear stains), and 'Siddartha', which not only has a wonderful message, but reads so easily, like a song or a prayer. I have recently also been totally blown away by the poetry of Rumi. If anyone is interested in mysticism, Sufism, or just beautifully hopeful musings, then I also really recommend it.
Stoner is brilliant. I downloaded it off TPB because I wasn't sure I'd like it but I couldn't put it down. Then I went out and bought a copy for my shelf and to read the new preface. If you've never heard of it it's a man's life story from growing up on a farm to falling in love with obscure old literature to becoming a tenured professor. It may sound mundane and it kinda is but for the right reader you find yourself following this man through all his struggles and minor victories and sharing very deeply what he feels throughout. It's not for everyone but if you like character driven stories without a lot of flash you can't do much better.
Either Name of the Wind or The Wise Man's Fear. I've re-read them a few times and they never get old. They're beautifully written with some of my favourite pieces of descriptive writing. The characters are some of my favourites in any story. I never felt so emotionally attached to characters and their stories. They're by far my favourite books. I just hope the final one is coming out soon, I've been waiting for it for years.
I like mystery books. Some of my all time favorites are works of Conan Doyle, Agatha Christie and Edgar Allan Poe. I also like modern stuff like Millennium trilogy by Stieg Larsson, Martin Beck series by Sjowall and Wahloo, and also other scandinavian crime writers.
Tony Hillerman wrote a heap of short mysteries, set on and around the Navajo reservation. Good stories, and a glimpse into another culture.
Have you read any French crime novels? Some of them are really good. I recommend Fred Vargas.
Over the past couple of years I've read quite a number of books, particularly in subjects of war and Formula 1 history. I've never been a huge fan of fiction, however Tolkien's LOTR and The Hobbit are forever books I thoroughly enjoy reading over and over. Yes, it's probably terribly cliché, but his writing style instantly hooked me.
Ham on Rye or Factotum by Charles Bukowski. In the first he describes his miserable childhood, in the second he describes being something of an alcoholic drifter. It's all semi autobiographical. He can be funny, insightful and a raging asshole, sometimes all at once. The Shining, Catcher in the Rye and Lolita are the only books I've read more than once but old Hank Bukowski, "poet laureate of L.A. lowlife," is a more recent favorite.
Karl Ove Knausgaard's My Struggle. Does he complain a lot? Yes. Excessively? Probably. But what draws me to it is how raw it is. The long digressions are well done, and actually add to the story, which is rare. On the Road and The Dharma Bums are both fun, quick, and rather easy reads. And the Hippos Were Boiled in Their Tanks by Burroughs and Kerouac is my favorite collaboration ever, and is a great glimpse at the early Beats. Jules Verne's The Mysterious Island and Alas, Babylon are both books I've read multiple times because they are just fun. Same with the Illuminatus! Trilogy by Robert Shea and Robert Anton Wilson, the later of whom is one of my favorite thinkers. Finally, Solitude by Robert Kull is one of the most powerful books I've ever read. He spent a year on a Patagonian island for a dissertation. The emotion seeps through, and the reader can glimpse a little bit of the enlightenments Kull has.
My favorite(s) would have to be the Griffin and Sabine trilogy by Nick Bantock. I initially read it back when I was in middle school, and it was the one set of books that my teacher wouldn't let us purchase off of her at the end of the school year. Each book is fairly short and you read it in the form of post cards and letters that you remove from envelopes, and it details the correspondance between the two persons that seemingly can't meet each other in real life (sorta like Lake House or Il Mare). I wont spoil it, but I felt the frustration and sadness in the protagonist throughout the read. Fast forward to my college years and I remembered about it and immediately purchased the set at a bookstore and reread it and even then I teared up quite a bit. Another would be Hermann Hesse's Siddhartha which I've actually begun rereading in German to practice the language. And finally my guilty pleasure was reading the Robotech series, which landed me in quite a bit of trouble during middle school since that's all I did in class.