what was the best book you ever read?

[octothorp]

Originally Posted by Ford Prefect

That's an interesting book alright. I grew up in the same part of Alberta as Kroetsch and where he based that book. The characters in the book are eerily familiar. I enjoyed the book he wrote about the fossil hunter who boated down the Red Deer river too ... can't remember the name for sure, was it Badlands? I knew a guy who had Kroetsch for a prof. He practically worshipped him. He's certainly a great Canadian writer.

Yup, Badlands - another good read. I'm not much for poetry, but his poetry has a huge following, too. Most people don't think about Alberta as much as a hotbed of literature compared with BC, Ontario, and the maritimes, but between Kroetsch, Weibe, Kinsella, and Mitchell, some of the best writers in Canada are here.

[Biff]

Originally Posted by Red

Noble House sounds great, I will definetely get it. I read Shogun back in the day, but I could never get in to it, it seemed slow and I had already seen the TV series. I should try it again though because the story was just fantastic.

Definitely try again with Shogun....although I never saw the mini-series except for snippets....Chamberlain was a good choice for the Englishman but the Japanese looked too rustic...kind of like the Mongol hordes rather than the traditional and refined society portrayed in the book, IIRC.

Noble House, on the other hand, benefits greatly if you layer over top of the narrative (which is excellent) the image of Pierce Brosnan playing Struan (the modern day Taipan of the Noble House). Noble House is one of those books you just can't put down. Excellent in every respect, although even better if you have the backdrop of Taipan to draw from.

I'll add my endorsement to the Ryanverse (although my fav was Red Storm Rising) and most Grisham.

Hitchiker Trilogy can't really be beat for pure comedic genius overlayed with ultra-chic understated Brit humour and a delightful barrage of eclectic whimsy. Adams had to have been more than just a little bit off.

For recent Sci-fi / Fantasy, Song of Ice and Fire series by George R. R. Martin is a very good read. Nice to see lots of others have enjoyed Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan. If you have, you need to get yourself around Sword of Truth series by Goodkind. Be forewarned, however, that it is injurious to your work productivity, social life, and keeping regular bedtimes just like Wheel of Time.

Reading is so cool. I bet Greaser fans wish they could.

[ernie]

Originally Posted by Biff

For recent Sci-fi / Fantasy, Song of Ice and Fire series by George R. R. Martin is a very good read. Nice to see lots of others have enjoyed Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan. If you have, you need to get yourself around Sword of Truth series by Goodkind. Be forewarned, however, that it is injurious to your work productivity, social life, and keeping regular bedtimes just like Wheel of Time.

Reading is so cool. I bet Greaser fans wish they could.

Song of Ice and Fire is an excellent series thus far. Well worth the read.

Wheel of Time series....beware those who think of picking the series up. It may NEVER be finished. I don't say that with tongue in cheek because the series seems to get longer and longer. I say that because Robert Jordan is seriously ill with Amyloidosis. A disease that causes a build up of proteins on internal organs and prematurely damaging them. It is often fatal and if I recall Jordan has the most serious form of it.

[zukes]

Likely my favourite of all time is "Catcher in the Rye" - J.D. Salinger.

[Buff]

I read a lot of Star Wars novels. So it is only fitting that my favorite book be from the Star Wars Extended Univierse. My favorite was Timothy Zahn's first trilogy, the trilogy that really launched the Star Wars extended universe.. and the books are:
Heir To The Empire
Dark Force Rising
Last Command

[Ford Prefect]

Originally Posted by octothorp

Yup, Badlands - another good read. I'm not much for poetry, but his poetry has a huge following, too. Most people don't think about Alberta as much as a hotbed of literature compared with BC, Ontario, and the maritimes, but between Kroetsch, Weibe, Kinsella, and Mitchell, some of the best writers in Canada are here.

I'm not a poetry fan either, but I enjoy Kroetsch's a little. He has a unique style, plus he writes about people and places I know, which adds interest. Another Alberta writer I hold in high regard is Sid Marty. He doesn't write fiction, but his naturalist philosphy stuff is great. He's also well liked as a poet, but I can't get into it myself. Kroetesch so far has been the only poetry I've been able to get through.

Edit: Another Alberta write who is starting to get a fair bit of acclaim is Fred Stenson. I've only read one of his works, and it was good. Has anyone else read much of Stenson's stuff, and if so, how was it?

[burn_baby_burn]

Angela's Ashes, by Frank McCourt. Very touching. How that family suffered because of the fathers Irish Curse. Very sad, yet uplifting that Frank and his brothers could rise from the poverty to make something of themselves as adults.

Honorable mention to The Killer Angles, by Michael Shaara. It is a recreation of the battle of Gettysburg through the eyes of the generals. It was the inspiration for the Ken Burns Film, The Civil War.

[simmer2]

I raided my mom's old books from University and absolutely loved most of them. I am a big fan of memoirs and biographies, as I feel you can learn so much from a person who has done something great (or not so great).

Alright, so here's my list:

1) Autobiography of Malcolm X: I was absolutely amazed at his ability to change as a person. His determination and resoluteness was astounding.

2) The Kite Runner (fiction): I got really emotional in this book, and that doesn't happen all the time.

3) Black Like Me by John Howard Griffith (Non-Fiction): One of the most radical social experiments done. Thought it was very touching.

4) Rainbow Six by Tom Clancy (Fiction): Odd one to put on this list but it was easily one of the most engulfing books I have ever read.

5) Fermat's Last Thereom (Math/History): I really enjoy these types of books. It provides some great insight into some of our world's most intelligent mathematicians.

6) The Zurich Axioms (Business): For anyone who is interested in business books, I think this is one of the best.

[octothorp]

Originally Posted by Ford Prefect

I'm not a poetry fan either, but I enjoy Kroetsch's a little. He has a unique style, plus he writes about people and places I know, which adds interest. Another Alberta writer I hold in high regard is Sid Marty. He doesn't write fiction, but his naturalist philosphy stuff is great. He's also well liked as a poet, but I can't get into it myself. Kroetesch so far has been the only poetry I've been able to get through.

Edit: Another Alberta write who is starting to get a fair bit of acclaim is Fred Stenson. I've only read one of his works, and it was good. Has anyone else read much of Stenson's stuff, and if so, how was it?

Haven't read Sid Marty, but he sounds like something I might like. On the subject of naturalists, Ben Gadd, who wrote the Canadian Rockies Handbook, is a great writer; not the book you'd pick up just to read for fun, but if you spend any time in the mountains, this book blows away every other supposed field guide out there. Fred Stenson is pretty good, too. I've read The Trade, and his book on the writing process (the name of which escapes me) was really inspirational.

Hey, that seems like a good segueway to a plug of my own work: my first novel will be coming out in Autumn 2008 (just picked up by a small but famous canadian literary press), and will be extremely Albertan in subject-matter.

[CaramonLS]

Originally Posted by ernie

Song of Ice and Fire is an excellent series thus far. Well worth the read.

Wheel of Time series....beware those who think of picking the series up. It may NEVER be finished. I don't say that with tongue in cheek because the series seems to get longer and longer. I say that because Robert Jordan is seriously ill with Amyloidosis. A disease that causes a build up of proteins on internal organs and prematurely damaging them. It is often fatal and if I recall Jordan has the most serious form of it.

Reading Wheel of time right now, great series so far, I'm on Book #6.

I liked a Song of Ice and Fire better than WoT though, but not by much, both are really amazing reads.

[burn_baby_burn]

Originally Posted by simmer2

3) Black Like Me by John Howard Griffith (Non-Fiction): One of the most radical social experiments done. Thought it was very touching.

I borrowed that from my mother's stash as well. Very good book. It has been 15 years and I was 19 at the time. I should read it again.

[zukes]

Also, I loved "Shoeless Joe" and "The Iowa Baseball Confederacy" - W.P. Kinsella

[troutman]

Coffee Table - Columbus and the Age of Discovery - Companion to PBS series

Sports - The Fight - Mailer

Space Exploration - The Right Stuff - Wolfe; A Man on the Moon - Chaikin

Travel - Lonely Planet

Botany - The Serpent and the Rainbow - Davis

[kermitology]

For me.. the best book I've ever read was....

The Wars - Timothy Findley - I wrote 26 pages of analysis on this book and read it maybe 4 times through in a row. Amazing piece of literature.

BUT.. The Prince - Niccolo Macchiaveli.. whoever mentioned this, you're very right. It's amazing to read that book and realize how much the things he says still make so much sense.

Burninator.. Collapse was not a good book. He could have cut the book in half and still gotten his point across. Too many times when reading that book I would think to myself, alright Jared, I got it. I understand what you're saying in this chapter, you don't need to repeat yourself 5 times.

[Superman_14]

So I had to login for this...
University sucks because it doesn't give you time to read.
Definately used to be something I enjoyed in the past.

So books:
Lord of the Rings - read it in junior high/grade 6ish(because I read the hobbit in g6 and LOVED it) and found it really tough..however definately one of my favourite trilogies

1984 - great book...made me want to read "Animal Farm" but never got around to it(University)

My all time favourite book..read it in Junior High and loved it(my mom bought it for me from the 25c bin at the library)..is
Heart of a Champion - Carl Deuker
I think I just fully related to the characters in this book(especially during that junior high period)

Andromeda Strain(I dont remember this one, but I know that I thoroughly enjoyed it and it made me a Michael Creighton fan)

And who can forget Harry Potter, The Hardy Boys, and The Bobsey Twins (I was really young...I promise)

Books I want to read:
When you hear hoofbeats think of a zebra - Shems Friedlander
Animal Farm
Rumi's writings - One of he best known poets ever
The Satanic Verses - Salman Rushdie (Heard this isn't the greatest book...but I want to see what the fuss is all about and why this book caused the guy to be a marked man by some of the extremists in this world)
edit: have to add Kite Runner to this list as I've heard AMAZING reviews

I know I have a bunch more that I wanted to read, but I've forgotten them..

If anyone's read any of those...let me know!

[Dion]

Just finished "A Mans Search For Meaning" by Victor Frankl.

Viktor Frankl's 1946 book Man's Search for Meaning chronicles his experiences as a concentration camp inmate and describes his psychotherapeutic method of finding a reason to live. According to Frankl, the book intends to answer the question "How was everyday life in a concentration camp reflected in the mind of the average prisoner?"

[Burninator]

Originally Posted by kermitology

Burninator.. Collapse was not a good book. He could have cut the book in half and still gotten his point across. Too many times when reading that book I would think to myself, alright Jared, I got it. I understand what you're saying in this chapter, you don't need to repeat yourself 5 times.

Thanks for your insight.

[kermitology]

Originally Posted by Burninator

Thanks for your insight.

No problem! :P It could have been a great book, just too much detail in my opinion.

[Clever_Iggy]

Kite Runner is excellent - highly recommend it.

[Biff]

Haven't seen much in the way of military / historical fiction. I enjoyed:

• Aubrey / Maturin series (The movie Master and Commander came from this series).
• Horatio Hornblower series
• Honor Harrington series (set in space and the future but written heavily in the style of the "classic" sea-faring military). Weber does an incredible job of making the technology of the day cohesive and believable so that how it impacts on the plot development is both believable and naturally dramatic. Character development is also very solid.

I haven't read the Sharpe novels of a soldier during the Napoleonic era. Can anyone compare them to the Aubrey / Maturin or Hornblower series?