What Is The Best Book (Fiction or Non Fiction) You've Ever Read?

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by Zulu29

Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha. Great book

i prefered The Van.

[Zulu29]

Originally Posted by undercoverbrother

i prefered The Van.

Yeah that's great too, anything by Roddy Doyle

[Cali Panthers Fan]

Most of the ones I would say have been posted: Lord of the Rings, Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Les Miserables, To Kill a Mockingbird etc.

A couple others that are must reads:

The Great Gatsby

...and anything by Neil Gaiman but definitely Neverwhere

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Spoiler!

For those that want reviews or the first few pages: http://www.amazon.com/Neverwhere-Nei.../dp/0380789019

[BigBrodieFan]

Really too bad nobody could ever put one of his novels to film that was any good.

Have you seen Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile, Delores Claiborne, Carrie, The Shining, Cujo, Christine (ok that one was pretty lame but it wasn't that bad), Stand By Me, Misery, 1408, and I would mention Creepshow as a sort of classic (bad, but still).. and there are many others. Some of these films were Academy Award Winners. They certainly have made some duds though! I watched Pet Semetary with my boys when they were young and they still talk about how it was the scariest movie they ever saw and how I was a bad mom for letting them watch it.

[BigBrodieFan]

Originally Posted by Cali Flames Fan

Most of the ones I would say have been posted: Lord of the Rings, Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Les Miserables, To Kill a Mockingbird etc.

A couple others that are must reads:

The Great Gatsby

...and anything by Neil Gaiman but definitely Neverwhere

If you liked 'Neverwhere' I might recommend Imajica by Clive Barker. It comes in two books or you can buy both together. I often get Gaiman and Barker mixed up when thinking about books of theirs that I've read, they have the same sort of wild imagination. I just read American Gods a few months ago and it blew me away.

[Finny61]

Originally Posted by BigBrodieFan

Have you seen Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile, Delores Claiborne, Carrie, The Shining, Cujo, Christine (ok that one was pretty lame but it wasn't that bad), Stand By Me, Misery, 1408, and I would mention Creepshow as a sort of classic (bad, but still).. and there are many others. Some of these films were Academy Award Winners. They certainly have made some duds though! I watched Pet Semetary with my boys when they were young and they still talk about how it was the scariest movie they ever saw and how I was a bad mom for letting them watch it.

Don't forget Maximum Overdrive.
Fastest way to encourage your child in not wanting a dog, make them watch Cujo j/k

[Cali Panthers Fan]

Originally Posted by BigBrodieFan

If you liked 'Neverwhere' I might recommend Imajica by Clive Barker. It comes in two books or you can buy both together. I often get Gaiman and Barker mixed up when thinking about books of theirs that I've read, they have the same sort of wild imagination. I just read American Gods a few months ago and it blew me away.

American Gods isn't as great in terms of plot, but as a piece of literature discussing and commenting on deities and worship's place in society, just amazing.

[Dion]

This should be on every hockey fans book list



From Giller-nominated author Bill Gaston, proof not only that hockey players can read, but that some of them can even write.

Midnight Hockey tells the story of Gaston’s final season, as he contemplates hanging up his skates, and looks back on the sport that has meant so much to him.

Sometimes lewd and hilarious, sometimes (though not as often) reflective, Midnight Hockey is a portrait of Canada’s fastest-growing athletic phenomenon: beer-league and oldtimers’ hockey. Gaston spills the beans about the rules of the game (written and unwritten), weird beer, team names, and road-trip sex, illustrated with stories of Gaston’s life in the game, from the outdoor rinks of Winnipeg, through junior hockey, varsity, the professional leagues of Europe, to the late-night games and road-trip shenanigans of beer-league.

For all those thousands of guys who drive to the rink late on a snowy night, who know the euphoria of a beer after the game, who think of how good they used to be, who grow nostalgic over a whiff from an unwashed hockey bag – and for anyone who has had to live with such a person – Midnight Hockey is laugh-out-loud funny, true-to-life, and ultimately thoughtful.

[WhiteTiger]

I'm a big fan of Spider Robinson's "StarDancer" books.

Though his Callahan's Bar series is pretty good stuff, too.

[evman150]

Transformed the way I looked at the world:

[kipperfan]

Really tough choice, I could pick 5 or 10. If I had to name one it would probably have to be "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck. The runner-up would have to be the U.S.A. Trilogy by John Dos Passos.

[Wormius]

Originally Posted by kipperfan

Really tough choice, I could pick 5 or 10. If I had to name one it would probably have to be "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck. The runner-up would have to be the U.S.A. Trilogy by John Dos Passos.

East of Eden gave me a major desire to have absinthe fueled philosophical conversations. But alas, I found out that absinthe is now pretty neutered.

[Hemi-Cuda]

anyone into Sci-Fi humor like HGTTG should check out Snowcrash by Neal Stephenson. i only read it recently and immediately it became one of my all-time favorites

[FanIn80]

[missdpuck]

Don't know if anyone's mentioned Snow Falling on Cedars. One of the most beautifully written books ever to me.

A Land Remembered by Patrick J Smith , The Swamp - Florida, the Everglades and the Politics of Paradise, and The Everglades: River of Grass by Marjory Stoneman Douglas are my current faves but probably wouldn't interest anyone not concerned with environment down here. Then again, Ms. Douglas herself didn't care much at first . If you are, however interested in Man's tendency to exploit land beyond any reasonable need you might like these.

[CalgaryFan1988]

The collector by John Fowles.

[onetwo_threefour]

Originally Posted by Hemi-Cuda

anyone into Sci-Fi humor like HGTTG should check out Snowcrash by Neal Stephenson. i only read it recently and immediately it became one of my all-time favorites

I actually just finished reading that myself a few weeks ago. While I wouldn't place it in my all-time favorites list it was a good read. It's quite interesting to see how well he predicted some societal trends associated with increasing technologoical sophistication and integration, but also in what he missed. While the writing and story were decent I really found t more interesting to consider what he guessed wrong at. I think it would have been really interesting to read 20 years ago, then come back to it now, so I'm sorry I missed out on reading it before the internet became so entrenched in everyday life.

I did remember another book, or series I forgot in my earlier post as it's been awhile since I picked it up. The Ringworld series by Larry Niven is right up there with Asimov for me as hard sci-fi.

[SportsJunky]

Originally Posted by kipperfan

Really tough choice, I could pick 5 or 10. If I had to name one it would probably have to be "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck. The runner-up would have to be the U.S.A. Trilogy by John Dos Passos.

My little girl just pulled East of Eden off the bookshelf and handed it to me this morning. I asked my wife if it was hers and she said no. It isn't mine that I can remember either. I'm taking it as a sign because I read this post of yours shortly before the book was handed to me by a toddler. East of Eden is next on my list.

[AltaGuy]

Originally Posted by CalgaryFan1988

The collector by John Fowles.

I forgot about John Fowles! Been a long time, but I read The Magus at a great time in my life when I was living in Europe and was young. Such a weird and creepy book but I loved it. Not sure it ever really made sense but I didn't care.

I'll throw out a few more of my favourites. I really enjoy well- written non fiction and so Steven Pinker's books have all been some of my favourites. Better Angels of Our Nature is his latest and it's really good.

The Secret History by Donna Tartt was a pretty unique book that I really enjoyed around the same time I read The Magus. Best way to describe it is that it's a pretentious murder mystery but whatever haha....

[Oling_Roachinen]

Originally Posted by YYC in LAX

Storm of Swords...I know, I know so much hype right but I just thought the book was so great.

This would be my vote as well. Not the hipster's choice right now, but easily the most emotionally invested I've been in a book, or I guess in this case a series.