Your Most Influential/Favorite Book

[jdoggivjc]

I was utterly floored at the way Rowling tied everything together in Book 7. It was absolutely amazing.

If you've ever read her blogs/postings on her various websites, the reason why it ties up so nicely in Deathly Hallows is because she knew how the saga was going to end before she even started it. From what I've read, the entire series was laid out before she even wrote the first book. About the only thing that was still up in the air was certain details that would appear in either Chamber of Secrets or Half-Blood Prince (amazing, considering how far apart in time the two books are).

 

[Angie]

Bingo! Same daughter that pushed me to Vonnegut waved Chuck under my nose. I've read Haunted, Choke and Survivor so far. Quite a twist in that man's thinking.

All GREAT choices. Although Haunted has maybe some of the grossest vignettes I have ever read. Choke and Survivor might be my two favorites of his.

Have you ever seen the movie version of Choke with Sam Rockwell and Anjelica Huston? It's pretty awesome.

 

[oldman]

I'm also a sucker for extreme survival stories. They really showcase the extent of human will, and can be inspirational as well as exciting. A few that come to mind are "Mawson's Will" by Lennard Bickel (searching for a new route to the South Pole), "South: The Endurance Expedition" by Ernest Shackleton (spent two years wandering on Antarctic ice floes after his ship was crushed), "Touching The Void" by Joe Simpson (Left for dead by his climbing companion), and of course "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer

 

[urb1]

This is one of the best threads, Angie. Not only is it providing a list of new books and/or authors to read, it's fun to remember all the books I've forgotten about.

 

[oldman]

All GREAT choices. Although Haunted has maybe some of the grossest vignettes I have ever read. Choke and Survivor might be my two favorites of his.

Have you ever seen the movie version of Choke with Sam Rockwell and Anjelica Huston? It's pretty awesome.

Yes, actually we may have discussed this last year some time. I think you recommended it to me.

 

[Angie]

This is one of the best threads, Angie. Not only is it providing a list of new books and/or authors to read, it's fun to remember all the books I've forgotten about.

You're too sweet - I admit, I'm getting to the end of the fifth Game of Thrones book, and I need more books. TOTALLY selfish on my part. :wink:

Yes, actually we may have discussed this last year some time. I think you recommended it to me.

I remember that now! Other than Fight Club, I think that it's the only one of his works made into a film? So much of them are all in the characters' heads, though, that it would have to be tough.

 

[CycloneWarrior]

The Bible is far and away number one, because it is more than a book.

but to the thread. I really enjoyed The long hard road out of Hell by marilyn manson and outliers by malcolm gladwell. I also think bill simmons book of basketball is hilarious.

 

[Pitt_Clone]

Carl Sagan's The Demon Haunted World was hugely influential for me.

The Tao Te Ching and the I ching.

Do you have recommendations for a particular translation that's best for these? Seems like there's a lot out there.

 

[oldman]

You're too sweet - I admit, I'm getting to the end of the fifth Game of Thrones book, and I need more books. TOTALLY selfish on my part. :wink:



I remember that now! Other than Fight Club, I think that it's the only one of his works made into a film? So much of them are all in the characters' heads, though, that it would have to be tough.

Looks like Survivor was made. Haunted, Snuff, and Rant are in the works?

 

[tec71]

My all time favorite book is The Long Walk written by Stephen King under the pen name Richard Bachman. Such a simple concept taken to an extreme.

 

[Angie]

Looks like Survivor was made. Haunted, Snuff, and Rant are in the works?

I had literally never heard that. I need to find Survivor.

I figured Snuff would probably be made soon. It was about a porn set. :shocked: Easier to film, I'd think.

 

[Goothrey]

Johnny Texas.

 

[westlbcyclone]

Man, this got a lot more "deep" than I figured it would, and now I feel like an idiot. Most of these books I've never even heard of, let alone read. I bought the Jack Ryan series for my Nook and I'm like 5 books in now, I love all of them. Even though you know how they all end (pretty much) once they get going it's hard to put them down.
I read LotR in 5th grade, and fell in love. I've probably read them each like 8 or 9 times now.
This is where I take a left turn from the rest of this thread. For just pure space out reading, I really found the Tucker Max series to be funny (I Hope They Serve Beer in He**, A-holes Finish First, and Hilarity Ensues). The things he does and says are horrible, but it made me laugh.
Just started reading the Game of Thrones series last year, and read all 5 books in about 6 months, I couldn't put them down.

 

[jbindm]

My favorite novel? Lamb by Christopher Moore. Nothing he wrote before or after that could even touch it. If there's such a thing as an author being in the zone, he was in it when he wrote that book.

Favorite non fiction? Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer.

 

[alarson]

I damn near wrote down Starship Troopers, but ever since that stupid movie came out, a stigma has been attached. The book was fantastic. I'm a big fan of the "utopia" genre, Starship Troopers, Brave New World, 1984, etc, and Heinlein's take was really really interesting.

Im a huge fan of that movie.

And it was on at our tailgate right before the OSU game a couple years ago, so its sort of good luck.

 

[clonefromNE]

Just finished "Unbroken" by Laura Hillenbrand. It is really an amazingly powerful story. I would recommend it to anyone.

 

[BigM]

For whom the bell tolls-earnest hemingway

 

[3TrueFans]

Realizing I've read very few of the books mentioned in this thread.

 

[oldman]

For you SF buffs, you should try EE Knight's Vampire-Earth series. "Way of the Wolf" is the first. Very well-written, action packed, and an interesting concept.

 

[urb1]

My favorite novel? Lamb by Christopher Moore. Nothing he wrote before or after that could even touch it. If there's such a thing as an author being in the zone, he was in it when he wrote that book.

This. My wife and I have each read this at least three times. Definitely not for someone who is a literalist, and it borders on sacrilegious, but really a good book. That was Moore's best book, although his vampire books were pretty funny.