Books you've read

[Irish4Life09]

1984. My favorite of the more contemporary classics.

It's quite omnipresent in these times.

"On a cold day in April of 1984...."

One of my all time favorites....

Right now I'm about to start 'White Fire' by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. These are my 2 favorite authors and I've read everything by them. Some of you might be familiar with one of their novels that became a movie, 'Relic.'

 

[irishfanjho15]

Don't get me started, you'll only hate/pooh-pooh me even more.

Look into Tom Robbins. Start with Another Roadside Attraction and work your way to Fierce Invalids Home From Hot Climates.

It might explain a lot.

Robbins stuff is amazing. I have been meaning to read more of his stuff just cannot find the time.

On another note, I am quite the fan of Kurt Vonnegut. Aside from him being an Indianapolis native and his memorial library/museum being one of my favorite places to visit downtown, Slaughterhouse-Five is far and away an American classic.

 

[Riddickulous]

@ Kuehnja

The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien was the novel my English Honors teacher in high school gave to me because she saw my ability to pull the messages out of classic novels. To this day it is one of the only novels that still brings out the emotions in me that only written word can.

Also anything by Richard Wright. Native Son is my favorite.

Grapes of Wrath and Of Mice and Men by Steinback are cannot miss classics.

I also read a lot of King. It, 11/22/1963 (amazing), just finished his newest Doctor Sleep (sequel to The Shining)

It is fantastic. Easily King's best.

A Tale of Two Cities is one of the best ever written.

This is next on my to-read list.

 

[BabyIrish]

I really liked Deception Point by Dan Brown. It kept me riveted from the first page to the last.

 

[jerboski]

The Road by Cormac McCarthy

 

[greyhammer90]

@ Kuehnja

The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien was the novel my English Honors teacher in high school gave to me because she saw my ability to pull the messages out of classic novels. To this day it is one of the only novels that still brings out the emotions in me that only written word can.

We'll agree to disagree on this one. I thought it did interesting things with the idea of reliable narrators and had a really unique structure. But I found the messages and themes of the book to be obvious and just... Blah. Heart of Darkness is a better Vietnam novel and it's not even set in Vietnam lol.

 

[irishfanjho15]

I'm definitely not smart enough or well read enough

If you'd stop watching Trailer Park Boys, playing hash hockey, and filling up Julian's drink you could probably learn something. Haha.

 

[AKRowdy]

About to tackle The Great Gatsby for the first time. Everyone I've talked to hates it.

Really? Pic personally love the book and I know a lot of people who have! But the movie on the other hand I thought was terrible!

 

[Irish#1]

Gods and Generals & The Killer Angels. There's third that's part of a trilogy. Name of the third one escapes me at the moment. All great reads.

 

[irishfanjho15]

We'll agree to disagree on this one. I thought it did interesting things with the idea of reliable narrators and had a really unique structure. But I found the messages and themes of the book to be obvious and just... Blah. Heart of Darkness is a better Vietnam novel and it's not even set in Vietnam lol.

Agreeing to disagree is all I do on this site haha.

But seriously, I just feel like I have a more personal connection to this novel, as it was a gift from someone who saw much more in me than I ever saw in myself when it came to literature. I always think the messages in war/pseudo-war novels are obvious and recycled, the imagery is what I love in this one....I found the things you mentioned, reliable narrators and structure were something of artistic genius. Even though I feel the novel would have been better suited as a collection of short stories as it was originally planned.

The imagery in the lemon tree story is what always gets me. It's literally 6-7 pages of perfect prose.

 

[greyhammer90]

I just feel like I have a more personal connection to this novel, as it was a gift from someone who saw much more in me than I ever saw in myself when it came to literature. I always think the messages in war/pseudo-war novels are obvious and just....I found the things you mentioned, reliable narrators and structure were something of artistic genius. Even though I feel the novel would have been better suited as a collection of short stories as it was originally planned.

The imagery in the lemon tree story is what always gets me. It's literally 6-7 pages of perfect prose.

There were passages that were haunting to be sure. And I'd be lying if I ever heard that song and didn't think of that story.

 

[Bubbles]

If you'd stop watching Trailer Park Boys, playing hash hockey, and filling up Julian's drink you could probably learn something. Haha.

my GED disagrees.

 

[dshans]

On another note, I am quite the fan of Kurt Vonnegut.
Slaughterhouse-Five is far and away an American classic.

One cannot go wrong with Kurt. "Could we have the night canopy, please?"

On a political note, Alexis deTocqueville's Democracy In America ain't half bad. Then there's On The Road, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test. Oh, and don't forget Catch 22.

Here's my point: Read, Read, Read and Keep Reading! Ban me from this thread if you must, but read on!!!

 

[Bubbles]

One cannot go wrong with Kurt. "Could we have the night canopy, please?"

On a political note, Alexis deTocqueville's Democracy In America ain't half bad. Then there's On The Road, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test. Oh, and don't forget Catch 22.

Here's my point: Read, Read, Read and Keep Reading! Ban me from this thread if you must, but read on!!!

I'm going to subscribe to you. Is that a thing?

One of the books I'm reading now quotes AdT (as the kids say) more than a few times 'The Road to Serfdom'. Good read so far.

 

[NDPhilly]

My AP English class is acting out Hamlet when we go back Monday. Kill me now.

 

[koonja]

My AP English class is acting out Hamlet when we go back Monday. Kill me now.

Never read Hamlet, but I'm watching SOA right now (end of season 1) and I heard it's based on Hamlet.

 

[greyhammer90]

My AP English class is acting out Hamlet when we go back Monday. Kill me now.

Why. Hamlet is a book about murder, semi-incest, sex, and rock and roll. (Well the actors troupe would've been playing it if it existed.)

 

[NDPhilly]

Junior Year we read Lord of the Flies and the Great Gatsby. Both of those, Lord of the Flies especially, were good. We spent basically the entire first semester this year dissecting every God Damn story of Dubliners. I despise that book.

 

[Rack Em]

I believe If You Give a Mouse a Cookie is based loosely on conservative's misperception of the current state of welfare in America.

Did I do that correctly?

 

[IrishHokie22]

I've read all five of the Song of Ice and Fire books and am dying for Winds of Winter to be released. They're a must read if you're as big of a nerd about the show as I am. Storm of Swords is one of the best books I've ever read.

Sticking with the fantasy genre, I've also read The Hobbit and LOTR, but it was many years ago. I do remember enjoying them, but not as much as ASoIaF. Probably because I'm older and am into darker stuff now...

1984 is possibly my favorite all-time book. Animal Farm is a classic as well. As a general rule, anything by Orwell is great...

Catcher in the Rye is another one of my favorites, though I know many people hate it. So many great one-liners from Holden.

I've read Great Gatsby and found it to be very overrated. I just thought it boring.

Another classic I've always found to be overrated is Slaughterhouse Five. People have sworn to me that Vonnegut is must-read material, so maybe I need to read more of his work.

Read Lord of the Flies in high school as well. Don't remember everything about it, but I did enjoy it.

Most of my high school classmates hated Life of Pi (years ago), but I thought it was outstanding. Sorta makes you think in the end, which I can appreciate...

Currently reading For Whom the Bell Tolls. Just started it.

I want to read Paddle Your Own Canoe by Nick Offerman next.

 

[Irishbounty28]

Lone Survivor, American Sniper, Chosin, On Killing, Marine Sniper: 93 Confirmed Kills, and many others. These are those that I have read recently.

I really like books about military history, and things of the like because they are things I can relate to. I have never really been into fiction, but might be able to get into sometime in the future.

Also Gates of Fire is a great read, as well as A Message to Garcia.

 

[greyhammer90]

I believe If You Give a Mouse a Cookie is based loosely on conservative's misperception of the current state of welfare in America.

Did I do that correctly?

When I read that the lazy mouse asked for milk I stopped reading. This is Obama's America!

 

[palinurus]

Gods and Generals & The Killer Angels. There's third that's part of a trilogy. Name of the third one escapes me at the moment. All great reads.

Last Full Measure is the third volume in the trilogy. For Keuhnj's information, they are a trilogy in which vol 1 (Killer Angels) was written by by Michael Shaara, and the other two were written by his son Jeff after Michael died.

I'd suggest the Lord of the Rings Trilogy, if you liked the Hobbit. Also:

Death Comes for the Archbishop -- Willa Cather
To Kill a Mockingbird -- Harper Lee
The Chronicles of Narnia -- CS Lewis (ostensibly a kid book, but worth reading)
The Mouse and His Child -- Hoban (also a kid book, but worth reading)

More recent stuff -- Underworld -- Dom Delillo; The Sportswriter -- Richard Ford; A Fan's Notes -- Frederick Exley

So many, and so little time

 

[NoJusticeNoPeace]

About to tackle The Great Gatsby for the first time. Everyone I've talked to hates it.

Best prose, worst plot.

 

[Kaneyoufeelit]

My AP English class is acting out Hamlet when we go back Monday. Kill me now.

I would be pissed if I wasn't Simba too. Wait... what?

 

[Kaneyoufeelit]

I think you would love A Song of Ice and Fire (Game of Thrones). Warning, long reads.

Anything by Cormac McCarthy is worth your time.

I haven't read them by going off your list, check out the Millennium Series, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played with Fire, and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest

 

[ACamp1900]

Last Full Measure is the third volume in the trilogy. For Keuhnj's information, they are a trilogy in which vol 1 (Killer Angels) was written by by Michael Shaara, and the other two were written by his son Jeff after Michael died.

Finished them a while back... Enjoyed them all... Different feel how it reads like fiction...

 

[loomis41973]

Johnny Got his Gun is an all time fav. for me

 

[ACamp1900]

Best fiction I ever read was The Witching Hour by Anne Rice...

Love Sports History... And Ancient History... It Never Rains in Tiger Stadium and Fifty Nine in 84 for sports and A War Like No Other and How the Scots Invented the Modern World were some good recent reads off memory...

 

[AvesEvo]

A Confederacy of Dunces. I could have read it in two days, but read it in three because I didn't want it to end.