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Title: Hugh Joined: Sep 23 2007 Posts: 1591

Yeah, lamely generic thread, I know, but I'm just wondering what everyone's favorite book is. This came to light because the other day I was in the chatroom talking to Hawk about something, and I got thinking what my favorite was, about ten minutes ago, I came to my conclusion: Hugh MacLennan's The Watch That Ends the Night. It's simply the most amazing book I've ever read. MacLennan's philosophizing is very nice to read and the story actually kept me interested. What's more, by the end I actually cared what happened to the characters. The scenery is all so pretty and familiar, and... yeah. It's one of the few books where when it ends I kinda wish it kept going.

So anyway, what's everyone else's favorite, and why?

Posted: Sep 20 2009 11:55 pm

I'd have to say it's a tie between Less Than Zero and Silence of the Lambs. The first time I read Less Than Zero, it made me feel waaaaay better about not participating in all of the identity-destroying crap most of the people at my school are into (this book is solid proof that being "numb" is not the best way to go). Plus, every time I read it, I notice all these new little details that I hadn't come across before, and the best books do that in every read. I love Silence of the Lambs; Hannibal Lecter is the bomb, and Clarice Starling is a pretty likeable protagonist as well. Honorable mentions would have to go to 2061: Odyssey Three and Darkly Dreaming Dexter.

Posted: Sep 21 2009 03:24 pm

When it comes to childhood nostalgia I'd have to say the Blood Of Kerensky Trilogy (Huge Battletech nerd) but my most favorite book is probably Towing Jehova, just because it's so damn bizarre.

Posted: Sep 21 2009 04:09 pm

My favorites are The Icewind Dale series and The Chronicals of Narnia.

Posted: Sep 21 2009 05:19 pm

God, this is so, so SO hard. I'd have to break it down into genres.

Few off the top of my head, in terms of just epic, amazing books that I love...LOtR series.

Classic lit...Macbeth (okay its not technically a book, but gimmie a break) and Les Miserables.

Probably my *real* favorite book, in terms of times I can come back to it and read it over and over and over again without ever getting tired of it: Starship Troopers.

Posted: Sep 21 2009 05:36 pm

My favorite book that doesn't have pictures in it would have to be The Picture of Dorian Grey. It's also important to note that I don't read much, lol.

UsaSatsui's Youtube Channel · Posted: Sep 21 2009 07:51 pm

...What's my favorite book?

Take a wild guess.

Posted: Sep 21 2009 08:42 pm

UsaSatsui wrote:

...What's my favorite book?

Take a wild guess.

The Redwall series.

I'm right aren't I? Like so totally right.

UsaSatsui's Youtube Channel · Posted: Sep 21 2009 08:52 pm

SoldierHawk wrote:

UsaSatsui wrote:

...What's my favorite book?

Take a wild guess.

The Redwall series.

I'm right aren't I? Like so totally right.

...

*checks his avatar*

*checks his signature*

...no?

(I do like the Redwall books)

Posted: Sep 21 2009 09:10 pm

UsaSatsui wrote:

SoldierHawk wrote:

UsaSatsui wrote:

...What's my favorite book?

Take a wild guess.

The Redwall series.

I'm right aren't I? Like so totally right.

...

*checks his avatar*

*checks his signature*

...no?

(I do like the Redwall books)

It was a joke, Usa. Laughing

I love Watership Down way, waaaay to much not to recognize your flair. I just named the first non-Watership, anthropomorphic book series I could think of.

Title: Titlating Joined: Dec 17 2007 Posts: 5042

Hmm tough call. I would say it's inbetween catcher in the rye and Breakfast of champions.

Posted: Sep 21 2009 10:25 pm

thats kind of hard for me to decide. it depends on my mood i guess and what genre you would be talking about.

what have i read recently that i liked? that would be the Malcolm X biography. im also halfway thru Heaven is a Playground and thats a very good read, for those who like basketball.

in terms of fantasy, i like the WoT series, and my favorite book in that series would be The Dragon Reborn or The Shadow Rising.

in terms of just fiction, maybe Fight Club, or Survivor. or the Plague or the Stranger.

man its just too hard to pinpoint

Posted: Sep 22 2009 01:31 am

Man, I so, SO wanted to like WoT. I love the world and lore Jordan created--in fact that WoT reference book he wrote after like...the fifth book or something, is a book I regularly check out of the library because I like it so much. I just can't get into the novels. His writing and the characters just don't do it for me, which is a crying shame, because the world really is awesome.

I'm actually due to give them another shot though...its been a few years.

Posted: Sep 22 2009 10:48 am

SoldierHawk wrote:

Man, I so, SO wanted to like WoT. I love the world and lore Jordan created--in fact that WoT reference book he wrote after like...the fifth book or something, is a book I regularly check out of the library because I like it so much. I just can't get into the novels. His writing and the characters just don't do it for me, which is a crying shame, because the world really is awesome.

I'm actually due to give them another shot though...its been a few years.

he is too drawn out. descriptions that are way too long and complicated, and too many characters to keep track of. after book 4 or 5, it all went downhill.

Posted: Sep 22 2009 11:21 am

username wrote:

SoldierHawk wrote:

Man, I so, SO wanted to like WoT. I love the world and lore Jordan created--in fact that WoT reference book he wrote after like...the fifth book or something, is a book I regularly check out of the library because I like it so much. I just can't get into the novels. His writing and the characters just don't do it for me, which is a crying shame, because the world really is awesome.

I'm actually due to give them another shot though...its been a few years.

he is too drawn out. descriptions that are way too long and complicated, and too many characters to keep track of. after book 4 or 5, it all went downhill.

You know what the death knell was for my interest in the book? All the Aes Sedai politics in the White Tower. Usually I love that kind of political maneuvering and plotting, but imho he just didn't handle it well. Rather than creating interest, it sucked the life out of the 'main' plot with Rand, and drew out the time in between action sequences, which he DOES do very well.

Gallery 2 · Posted: Sep 22 2009 11:45 am

Haven't read any recent books to be honest (other than graphic novels that is).

But from the books I have read on the other hand, I'd have to say it's among Don Quixote, From the Earth to the Moon and Gulliver's Travels. Divine Comedy is there too as well.

Posted: Sep 22 2009 01:32 pm

Kinda hard to pick one. I like most Chuck Palahniuk novels, and Catcher in the Rye's a pretty good book.

Posted: Sep 23 2009 06:55 pm

Trainspotting, A Clockwork Orange, I like all the Redwall books I've read, Cirque du Freak.

Joined: Aug 26 2007 Posts: 2752

Bunnicula by Deborah and James Howe. It's one of those nostalgic books that never get old.

Posted: Sep 23 2009 09:07 pm

SoldierHawk wrote:

username wrote:

SoldierHawk wrote:

Man, I so, SO wanted to like WoT. I love the world and lore Jordan created--in fact that WoT reference book he wrote after like...the fifth book or something, is a book I regularly check out of the library because I like it so much. I just can't get into the novels. His writing and the characters just don't do it for me, which is a crying shame, because the world really is awesome.

I'm actually due to give them another shot though...its been a few years.

he is too drawn out. descriptions that are way too long and complicated, and too many characters to keep track of. after book 4 or 5, it all went downhill.

You know what the death knell was for my interest in the book? All the Aes Sedai politics in the White Tower. Usually I love that kind of political maneuvering and plotting, but imho he just didn't handle it well. Rather than creating interest, it sucked the life out of the 'main' plot with Rand, and drew out the time in between action sequences, which he DOES do very well.

yes, all the politics w/the Aes Sedai as well as w/all the nobles was fucking annoying. actually, the politics w/any group (whitecloaks, seanchan, et. al.) were very fucking annoying.

Posted: Sep 23 2009 09:21 pm

username wrote:

SoldierHawk wrote:

username wrote:

SoldierHawk wrote:

Man, I so, SO wanted to like WoT. I love the world and lore Jordan created--in fact that WoT reference book he wrote after like...the fifth book or something, is a book I regularly check out of the library because I like it so much. I just can't get into the novels. His writing and the characters just don't do it for me, which is a crying shame, because the world really is awesome.

I'm actually due to give them another shot though...its been a few years.

he is too drawn out. descriptions that are way too long and complicated, and too many characters to keep track of. after book 4 or 5, it all went downhill.

You know what the death knell was for my interest in the book? All the Aes Sedai politics in the White Tower. Usually I love that kind of political maneuvering and plotting, but imho he just didn't handle it well. Rather than creating interest, it sucked the life out of the 'main' plot with Rand, and drew out the time in between action sequences, which he DOES do very well.

yes, all the politics w/the Aes Sedai as well as w/all the nobles was fucking annoying. actually, the politics w/any group (whitecloaks, seanchan, et. al.) were very fucking annoying.

Excellent, excellent point.

Posted: Sep 24 2009 04:12 pm

My favorite books haven't changed for about ten years.

In terms of fiction, A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man. Joyce's name is usually associated with the perfection of the internal monologue and stream of consciousness writing but I love him more for his dense dialogue. His characters talk in a way that make you wish you could talk like them or at least listen to them forever. The discussions Stephen Dedalus has with his schoolmates about Aquinian aesthetics, Catholicism or how his friend ate pieces of dried cowdung as a kid are my favorite part of the entire novel.

In terms of non-fiction, my favorite book remains Gödel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid. Sure, I've read books on the same topic with more substance. I've also read books of greater historical importance in the field, that have been more influential. And I've read books that I took more applicable knowledge away from. But never before or after have I read a book that has sparked as many ideas in my head and introduced me to as many new and fascinating concepts and ways of looking at things. There is probably no other book that has shaped my way of thinking and my interests as much as this one did.

Banned Joined: Sep 13 2008 Posts: 3129

Mine would be enders game.

Posted: Sep 28 2009 04:15 pm

As far as oldies it is a toss up between Hamlet, Faust ( I know they are technically plays) and Dante's Inferno. For more modern books I would say The Dark Tower series, and The Lord of the Ring series.

Posted: Sep 28 2009 04:23 pm

I love Dante <3. Do you like the Inferno part specifically, or the whole thing?

And Hacker, excellent choice. I love Card, and Ender's Game is just epic. Have you read any of the sequels/parallel novels?