I just finished The Caine Mutiny by Herman wouk and it has earned itself a place on my favourite book list. It's the best book I've read in a long time. Its emotion moving we greatly and its characters almost familiar to me. With a fondness of WW2 literature, this novel stands out by far. I will be checking into more of Wouk's work.
^ It's Pynchon; the man is a genius. Also, it's a pretty big book, some 900 pages or so, so there is plenty to enjoy.
Gotta love a book with some bulk. I've yet to read any Pynchon (no idea why), but with all this praise I've heard of him, I'm excited about starting.
I think my favorite book that I've read so far has been The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury. For some reason he stirs me in a way that no other author has succeeded in doing. He hits my literary g-spot.
I had to read that for university and at first I thought I wouldn't like it because it's sci-fi. But I absolutely loved it.
I've got a fair few really... The Sight by David Clement-Davies, most of all for its story. It's perhaps inspired a little by Watership Down, but it's far from a copy. It's rich in plot, and far darker than the average children's tale. The ending has remained with me. His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman, for both its story, and the writing. (I'd love to have his ability.) Pullman's writing has a natural flow; he makes it look so easy! The plot moves along well, and each character - especially those like Lee and Iorek - are charming and memorable. The book's rich with ideas, inspiring, and introduces a constellation of worlds which feel both real and distinct. A Killing Frost by R.D. Wingfield. It's such a shame that this is the last, because the entire series of 6 is good. The last happened to be the first I read, but I still believe it's the best. The protaganist is very real, amusing, and such a character! I'd recommend it to everyone. The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss. VERY rich, and very well written, especially since it's his first book. The main character is captivating, and it rarely - if ever - becomes dull. Watership Down by Richard Adams. I'm re-reading this at the moment. It's the best I've read of its genre. The plot is exciting, and the prose is, at times - though perhaps a little too frequently - poetic and inspiring. The characters all stand out as some of the best, too. (I just wish he'd thought of the Campion the tv series did!)
The Outsiders was definitely a masterpiece. We read it for school. S.E. Hinton did marvelously at ripping raw emotion from the characters, but not so much that it seems like cheap angst. A favorite of mine would have to be Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac. It's not a very famous book, but it's being made into a movie in Japan. The sucky part is that the producer won't be releasing DVDs with English subtitles. But, the BIG fave would be The Tale of Despereaux. It was the first "big-kid" book I read in the vicinity of a week (I was less proud when I found out my close guy friend read The Hobbit in first grade). I loved the well-pieced plot, and the theme of forgiveness that played out gracefully. Every time I sit down to write, I try to find a place fit in that theme because I think it's so great.
This might be an off-target suggestion, but have you read Redwall? I think talking-animals medieval-fantasy and, besides Narnia (which I'm positive you've read), I think Brian Jacques' Redwall series. You probably are too adult for it by now, but I offer the suggestion nonetheless, since if people my age can (and do) read Harry Potter... and to keep this on track: Sagan, The Demon-Haunted World Solzhenitsyn, A Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich Kosinski, The Painted Bird Hesse, Siddhartha and Steppenwolf Marquez, One Hundred Years of Solitude LeGuin, The Left Hand of Darkness Kafka, The Trial (Thich) Nhat Hanh, Being Peace Conrad, Heart of Darkness/The Secret Sharer Vonnegut, Cat's Cradle etc.
i read of mice and men at school last term, its pretty good. but my favorite book is just a liitle bit darker than that its called the lovely bones and its about a girl being raped then killed and shes watching everything unravel on earth from heaven. so she watches her dad who tries to find the killer and everything else that has happened. its a much better book than i have made it sound, but wouldn't really suggest it for some one under 11 maybe bit to disturbing.
Favorite of all times: Dumas : The Three Musketeers And also: Roald Dahl: The Witches Dickens : A tale of two cities Shakespeare: Richard III (my love for good villains dates from reading this) Guy Gavriel Kay: The Fionavar Tapestry Stephen King: The Stand Daphne du Maurier: Rebecca
I feel the same about Othello. I think Iago was one of Shakespeare's best characters. xx Does anyone have a favourite nonfiction book? IMO, true stories are often the most compelling, and I've been dying to sink my teeth into another nonfiction story as good as The Lost City of Z.
This is a tough question, but I'd have to say either American Gods by Neil Gaiman or the A Song of Ice and Fire series by George R. R. Martin.
Pat the Bunny is currently my favourite book. I was cleaning out my desk today and found the worn book in one of the drawers. It quickly rose to one of my favourite books today because I remember how I came to own it. My aunt and uncle and their four children were at my house to celebrate my twelfth birthday. All of the children were aware that it was my birthday except for my then four-year-old cousin (now eleven). She felt like she needed to give me a special birthday present too, so she gave me the book she had been reading in the car on the drive over --Pat the Bunny. I remember trying to tell her that she should keep her book; after all, she and her family had already given me wonderful gifts and I didnt want to take that wonderful book away from her, but she insisted, so I finally took it. Awwww.
