Favorite books

[irmerk]

Yeah, there were a few threads about this, but they were really old. I wanted to start my own, anyway.

I think you should post your two favorite books from three categories: Novels, religion and current affairs/economics/politics.

There can be series, trilogies or sagas.

Obviously, I will start:

Novels:
The Wheel of Time - Robert Jordan (I am only on the Dragon Reborn)
Another Roadside Attraction - Tom Robbins

Religion:
The GOD Delusion - Richard Dawkins
The Quotable Atheist - Jack Huberman (Yeah, I read it all!)

Current Affairs:
Ishmael - Daniel Quinn (I suppose this is in this category)
Freakonomics - Steven Levitt

Ishmael was awesome, but the rest of Quinn's work is repetitive.

I'm surprised I got through the GOD Delusion; it was repeating a lot of what I already knew from YouTube or other sources. Not trying to brag, or something. I just find that a lot of books like this, or by Sam Harris and Christopher Hitchens, are just the same thing over and over. There is only so much you can really say...

Freakonomics was overrated and I don't like the near cult-like following - kind of like Chuck Palahniuk, too bad everyone who says they love him obviously only read one or none of his books. Still, I liked it.

Another Roadside Attraction, from what I know, is really underrated and hardly anyone knows about it. Along with Skinny Legs and All, it was really good.

The Wheel of Time is, so far, the best fantasy series I have laid eyes on. Yes, better than Lord of the Rings.

I strongly suggest the two novels I have listed to everyone. I also suggest the two current affairs books if you have not read them.

 

[Doc.]

Novels: Alice in wonderland
Winesbourg, Ohio

I don't read religion or [affairs/economics/politics] books.

 

[MRaverz]

I can't really say I have any favourite books of all time, but my current books at the moment would be:

Science
Genome - Matt Ridley

Religion
The End of Faith - Sam Harris

 

[CranesNotSkyHooks]

Science: The Greatest Show on Earth: The Evidence For Evolution by Richard Dawkins
The Demon Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark by Carl Sagan
(many more but I have to narrow it down somehow!)

Philosophy: Darwin's Dangerous Idea: Evolution and the Meanings of Life by Daniel Dennett


Novels: The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
Any Original Sherlock Holmes short story or novel by Arthur Conan Doyle

History: Freethinkers: A History of American Secularism by Susan Jacoby

 

[Aught3]

History: Freethinkers: A History of American Secularism by Susan Jacoby

Ah, Susan Jacoby is an excellent writer. I assume you've read the Age of American Unreason as well? If not you should definitely pick up a copy.

 

[CranesNotSkyHooks]

History: Freethinkers: A History of American Secularism by Susan Jacoby

Ah, Susan Jacoby is an excellent writer. I assume you've read the Age of American Unreason as well? If not you should definitely pick up a copy.

Yup, read that too. The mid section of the book was a little dry for me, but overall it was a great and scary read. I loved her criticism of the media and especially the last three chapters of the book.

 

[Jotto999]

For science and political books of all time I cannot pick any. But of books I've read recently, "Year Million" was awesome. Same with The Greatest Show On Earth.

Of novels, I seriously loved Harry Potter books for years. When I was a younger kid, I read the Silverwing series, and for the kid me that was one of the most wonderful things ever. A few of Stephen King's books have been permanently etched into my mind from enjoyment, too.

I dunno man, I'm always bad at these "Your top favorite X" lists. To me, there's just too many for that, especially for books.

 

[ashtonfarell]

My favorite book of all time is "The Prince of Tides" by Pat Conroy.
He writes beautifully and has a wonderful talent for bringing the characters to life.

 

[WRT54G]

Novels:
Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, and Restaurant at the End of the Universe by Douglas Adams; and The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien.

I want to finish the Hitchhiker's series, and move onto Alice's Adventure's in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass, then possibly House of Leaves.

I don't know much in the way of good literature, but I'm always looking for a good read.

 

[Ozymandyus]

Edit: Oops, didn't read the format.
Novels: I'll pick two that most people probably haven't read...
Daemon by Daniel Suarez
Matter by Ian M Banks

Religion:
Don't read many books on religion. Read the God Delusion, wouldn't say it's my favorite. Have read a lot of CS Lewis and Soren Kirkegaard, I suppose those are my two favorite Religious authors... Or Maybe Kahlil Gibran...
So, I guess
Perelandra by CS Lewis and
Jesus, the son of Man by Kahlil Gibran
Probably not what people here would like, but they are very interesting books anyway. Jesus son of Man can easily be read secularly, in my opinion.

Current Affairs:
Hot, Flat, And Crowded by Thomas Friedman
Guns Germs and Steel by Jared Diamond


Bonus Novels and Fiction - the stuff I generally stick to....
Anything by Kurt Vonnegut. I consider him to be a truly great writer, even if he plays on similar themes often and has a very distinctive writing style that taken over the breadth of his work might seem repetitive.

Dark Tower Series by Stephen King. Stephen king is a heck of a story teller. Most of his work doesn't have much depth, in my opinion, but Dark Tower does.

Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan/Brandon Sanderson (I mention Sanderson because he breathed some much needed new life into the series.. Not to take away from what Jordan created.) I started this series when I was much younger, which may be necessary to really get into it.

Most everything by Neil Gaiman. Another great storyteller.

Most everything by Douglas Adams. Though I'm not a big fan of the Dirk Gently novels.

Daemon and Freedom by Daniel Suarez - Awesome book full of really nifty ideas, slightly steam punk but manages to be realistically set in the present day rather than ambiguously in the future. They are basically the books I wanted to write.

A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers

The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Klay by Michael Chabon

Bah, I could go on for a long time I guess, I'll stop here.

 

[stegner00]

I've a lot of favorite books, mostly though are Russian. Some of these books are Crime and Punishment and The Brothers Karamazov by Dostoevsky, War and Peace by Tolstoy, Dr. Zhivago by Pasternak, The Master and Margarita by Bulgakov, One Hundred Years of Solitude by Garcia Marquez among others.

 

[wanegilly]

My favorite book is Distant Waves because its kind of sad and its about the titanic. I love EVERYTHING about the titanic so...yeah its really good ! It is one of the best book ever i read...

Another good books is The Devil's Knot -the true story of three boys who were potentially wrongfully convicted of killing children.

 

[lwatson74]

Novels:
Daughter of Fortune by Issabel Allende
Bitten by Kelley Armstrong

Religion:
The GOD Delusion - Richard Dawkins
Atheist Julian Bagginni

Current Affairs:
Justice: What's the right thing to do? By Michael J. Sandel
Moral Philosophy by Emmett Barcalow

 

[Whisperelmwood]

I'm an avid reader, my office is literally over-flowing with books, so this is a hard one for me. I'll just list the one's that come to mind.

Novels:
'American Gods' by Neil Gaiman
Any of Jane Austen's books.
Any of Terry Pratchett's books.
Currently reading 'Wheel of Time: The Eye of the World' and highly recommend it!


Religion:
'50 Reason's People Give For Believing In A God'
'The God Delusion'


Current Affairs:
'Bad Science' (Does that count?)
'Trick or Treatment' (or that?)
'The Great Derangement'

 

[TheFlyingBastard]

Huh, just posted about this in the music thread...

Dune.

All six originals.
I tell people who don't read books: "If you are ever going to read a book, read Dune."
I'm a huge fanboy to the point of being a repository of information on it, and I've already infected three or so people, who have in turn also infected others with the Dune virus.

Absolutely smitten with Dune. <3