What's your favorite book?

[Schlitz001]

I have hours of downtime at work and I just finished up my last unread book (Annals of a Former World ). Let me know what your ONE favorite book is and why. Give me anything from Where the Wild Things Are to Anna Karenina . I'm open to suggestions.

[IslandsAC]

I read "The Time Traveller's Wife" by Audrey Niffenegger last spring and although I'll admit it's very girly, I thought it was really cool.

[rluzinski]

One Hundred Years of Solitude

By Gabriel García Márquez

 

Just a masterpiece, IMO. The story is about as epic as you can imagine (covers many generations of the same family). Márquez's use of magical realism made me feel like I was reading a believable fairytale. For a guy like me, who's generally grounded in cold, hard facts, it was a very liberating feeling to be sucked into a world that could break the rules of science whenever to, yet do it in a way that had me questioning nothing. He created his own world.

 

It's kind of what Lost wishes to be.

[samwise]

Right now, it is "The Drawing of the Three" by Stephen King. It is the second book of the Dark Tower sereis, which is one awesome series. But since my favorite book changes all the day, past favorites include:

 

Slaughterhouse Five

For Whom the Bell Tolls

On the Road

Grapes of Wrath

Lord of the Rings

Shakey: Neil Young's Biography

 

I guess I always liked English class.

[Principessa21]

I have to say that One Hudred Years of Solitude is probably the greatest fiction book ever written, but my favorite would either be Alice's Adventures in Wonderland or Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.

[GAME05]

Tropic of Cancer by Henry Miller. semi-autobiographical, Miller makes every effort to live the sort of life he chooses to live and extract the full enjoyment out of every situation. What I personally loved were the moments when the writing would briefly slip into incredible poetry. mysoginistic, harsh, base, yet touching and sentimental.

[brettac1]

Jack Kerouac - "On the Road"

 

As far as I'm concerned, it's the greatest thing I've ever read. The stories are fantastic (and for the most part real-life based), and I love Kerouac's spontaneous prose style of writing. The book also had a huge cultural impact, during a time when people were very straight-laced - many people who have characters in the book based on them went on to have great literal careers themselves, like Ginsberg and William Burroughs.

[gypcasino]

I read "The Time Traveller's Wife" by Audrey Niffenegger last spring and although I'll admit it's very girly, I thought it was really cool.

 

Did it take you awhile to get into it? I started it a couple months ago and then stalled about 1/4 of the way in and have read several other books since. I lent it to my mother in law and she read it and said it was absolutely incredible. I've enjoyed what I've read so far, I just couldn't find a rhythm and it was taking me too long.

[EdgarDiazRocks]

I have to say that One Hudred Years of Solitude is probably the greatest fiction book ever written.

 

My vote would go to Ellison's Invisible Man, but maybe that's me. And I LOVE Marquez.

 

I still love Richard Rhodes' Making of the Atomic Bomb.

 

http://www.longitudebooks.com/images/book_large/USW231.jpg

 

It's fairly perfect.

[GAME05]

As far as I'm concerned, it's the greatest thing I've ever read.

 

It's the only book I've ever come across that has so uniquely used sound in the writing. And you can just hear Coltrane doing the soundtrack to the book throughout.

[Fatter than Joey]

I have read a lot of good books -- The first that popped into my head would be "The Good Earth" by Pearl Buck -- That book has never escaped me.

 

I think Dracula by Bram Stoker is very clever as well. I like HP Lovecraft the best probably.

[uecker9]

Anything by Charles Bukowski, an old GF gave me either Women or Post Office and I had to get all his stuff after that. And- The Return Of The Last Gang In Town by Marcus Gray.

[BrewCrewRising]

Hard to go wrong with 100 Years of Solitude. Love in the Time of Cholera also has that same haunting effect on me.

 

I have a huge list of books I could rattle off. I'm tempted to do it just because they are not very much like my favorite book.

 

I have to say that Catch-22 is my all time favorite book. The irony of this is that I had to start it a few different times, and can admittedly get a little mired in its own devices. However, I love intricate word plays and using ironic and/or absurd structures to create further ironic and/or absurd structures.

 

I'd have to admit that something like 100 Years is a probably a richer reading experience, and a much more truly excellent book, but I give Catch-22 the title of "favorite" because if the effect it had on me and how I looked at things after I (finally) read it.

[backup catchers]

1491 by Charles C. Mann. It's a look at what the Americas were like before Columbus. Very differant than the conventional views we hold today.

[brettac1]

Anything by Charles Bukowski

 

I'm planning on digging into his stuff much more this summer. I have only read Post Office so far, and really thought it was great.

[valpocrewsader]

Far From the Madding Crowd -- Thomas Hardy -- 1874 .... Nothing I've ever read has compared to this fantastic combination of plot, characters, and descriptive writing.

[razzzorsharp]

Three Favorite....

 

1) Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett

2) Battle Royale by Koushun Takami

3) The Long Walk by Stephen King

 

I really don't read all that much historical literature as I mostly read in my leisure time. The Pillars of the Earth takes place in the 12th century and deals with Kings and hierarchies. Battle Royale is a book about a futuristic Japan in which one class of 9th graders get sent to an island and have to fight till the death. The Long Walk, which i have read 5-6 times now, is a short story originally penned by Richard Bachman, Stephen King's alias, in which 100 kids partake in a walk that takes place in Maine. The kids walk until they can't walk anymore, at that point they are shot and killed. The winner gets whatever they want. Good read, if you have an open night you can get it done pretty easily.

 

The book I am reading as we speak, as school just got out and I have some time, is American Psycho. They made a movie starring Christian Bale of this book, but so far the gore and mayhem in the book is unmatched.

[EdgarDiazRocks]

One Hundred Years of Solitude

By Gabriel García Márquez

 

Just a masterpiece, IMO.

 

Powells has an English 1st edition, if anyone has a spare $1,300 to throw around.

 

 

www.powells.com/biblio/2-9781112999550-0

[Principessa21]

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My vote would go to Ellison's Invisible Man, but maybe that's me. And I LOVE Marquez.

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I still haven't gotten around to reading it. But since it's sitting in my apartment, and why not take another break from working on my Masters, I'm going to start it today. What can I say, you inspired me. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/tongue.gif Although I have a hard time believing it can be better than 100 Years. But I'll go in open-minded.

[nullbyte]

More than one book here, but the "A Song of Ice and Fire" series by George R.R. Martin is excellent. Medieval fantasy-type story, but with very realistic plot and characters. Currently four books of a planned seven have been published (please don't die, George!).

[brewcrewman17]

Quote:

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My vote would go to Ellison's Invisible Man, but maybe that's me. And I LOVE Marquez.

 

 

I still haven't gotten around to reading it. But since it's sitting in my apartment, and why not take another break from working on my Masters, I'm going to start it today. What can I say, you inspired me. Although I have a hard time believing it can be better than 100 Years. But I'll go in open-minded.

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Invisible Man is incredible... absolutely beautiful and thought provoking.

 

And let me add The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien and A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers

[IslandsAC]

Quote:

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Did it take you awhile to get into it? I started it a couple months ago and then stalled about 1/4 of the way in and have read several other books since. I lent it to my mother in law and she read it and said it was absolutely incredible. I've enjoyed what I've read so far, I just couldn't find a rhythm and it was taking me too long.

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Yeah, it definitely took a little bit, but once I got to a certain point, I just flew threw the rest of it.

 

And kudos to whoever mentioned Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse Five.

[RayKingsForemanGrill]

Glad to see the Marquez love... While I think 100 Years of Solitude is his greatest literary accomplishment, my favorite book ever is Love in the Time of Cholera...

 

It has a greater fluidity to it than 100 Years does and the characters are unforgettable. There is a film version being released in November with a huge list of stars... I am scared that they are going to butcher it. But will be there opening night....

 

I try to get as many people into Marquez as possible. Heck, his memoir (Living toTell the Tale) is even a memorable read. I encourage people to start out with some of his shorter works (Of Love and Other Demons, Chronicle of a Death Foretold) before jumping into his two masterpieces... I think you'll appreciate them more once you are fully engulfed by his style... and both of those titles are quick reads...

 

Gonna have to re-read Love/Cholera again before the movie comes out...

 

As for recent favorites; Cormac McCarthy's THE ROAD was one of my favorite books of the last few years... it is plain and simple but very compelling; very suspenseful. And a great father/son story.

 

Just finished up Khaled Hosseini's new book A THOUSAND SPLENDID SUNS and can strongly recommend it. It gives a striking glimpse into daily life in Afghanistan that we don't see on the news. And while the main characters throughout are women, it is far from a "feminine" novel, if that makes sense. I haven't read Kite Runner, but might have to now...

 

Two other favorites that I recommend to people on a regular basis:

 

The Unbearable Lightness of Being - Milan Kundera

The Stranger - Alber Camus

[BraunsBoyfriend]

Have plenty of favorites but "Catcher In the Rye" is the one that has the biggest place in my heart still.

 

I read it when I was 17 or so and it really hit home. IT spoke to me like no other. It really left an impression.

 

Other notables are "Catch-22", "Breakfast of Champions", a couple Gene Shepherd books and "Wages of Wins". I also like "The Giving Tree" by Shel Silverstein. It's a "kids book" and takes about 5 minutes to read, but it's really good. It'll make you cry.

[fondybrewfan]

Anything John Grisham, The Partner is especially good