Books

jack59splat59

I just got done reading Frankenstein and it was one of the best (if not, the best) books I have ever read. What are some of the best books that you've ever read?

menace690

I read a bit now, but I used to read a LOT.

I kind of like the dystopian future type of books, 1982, A Brave New World, The Handmaid's Tale, etc. Its interesting to see how writers of the not so distant past thought technology would shape the world (not unlike Frankenstein).

Lord of the Rings Trilogy was good. If you liked the movies, it may sound cliché, but the books are better, so don't hesitate to read them.

The Dark Elf Trilogy (prequel to Icewind Dale) is my favorite book/series of all time. I read the first book in Greece at my cousin's house when I was thirteen, and 12 years later when I asked him about the story, he knew exactly what book I was talking about and I picked up the trilogy the next day. Flew through 1000 pages in just a few nights.

I read a few of the Shakespeare novels, but they started blurring together.

Dante's Inferno was good, but a guide is necessary to tell you the history about the real life people he is discussing. Found the history lesson just as interesting as the story though.

I'm a huge fan of the first 3 Anne Rice vampire books, (Interview with the Vampire, Lestat, and Queen of the Damned), although the only real interesting topic they cover is loneliness as an immortal.

Most of what I read lately though is fluff, like Clive Cussler (almost all of his books), Dan Brown, etc.

And I tried reading the Bourne trilogy and couldn't. The first one was blah, and I couldn't get through the first 50 pages of the second one. This is one of those rare, the movie was better than the book situations... seriously, they changed the plot for the better.

Niemann

James L. Halperin's The Truth Machine is probably the best science fiction book I have read.

H.G. Wells' The Time Machine is another excellent science fiction book, although the book has been ruined many times by various movies. I would be very interested in seeing a nice accurate interpretation of the book. I also recommend the deleted text.

I have to agree with menace on Dante's work, although I must also recommend the entire Divine Comedy (including the Inferno, Pergatorio, and Paradiso). I lecture on the medieval world often, and it's a great look into the social, political, and spiritual world of the Middle Ages.

I'm currently rereading the Hobbit, which I do every few years. As well as R.W. Southern's The Making of the Middle Ages which is an excellent look into the major characteristics of the Middle Ages.

There's also the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, which is a pillar of every gamer/geek's library. Some of Douglas Adams' other work is also quite good (if you like his style; try the Dirk Gently series).

jack59splat59

I've read up to the third Hitchhiker's Guide books; I think, it was last year when I read them. I had to stop because of other school assignments involving reading books. I hate to read two books at the same time because I have trouble remembering two plots. (I have weird things about me like that.) I loved them. They'd also have to be at the top of my list.

Also, that time machine book reminded me of one my science teacher was talking about last year where someone went back in time and disrupted the space-time continuum and people became mean and evil creatures. I forget the title of it though. It may have been a movie.

I've also read some Star Wars and World of Warcraft books. (I don't play WoW much, but I love Warcraft.) I'm hoping to read some Starcraft novels, as they look like a good read. (Why does Blizzard like to put "craft" in so many titles?)

seanstar

Been a while since I read seriously either. I've read the HHGttG and LotR sets multiple times each, and even pushed through Lost Tales I&II and the Silmarillion. I also was reading crazy science books at entirely too young an age, one better one being Great Mombo Chicken and the Transhuman Condition (series of discussions on 90s-cutting-edge technologies and what they mean and how they may change things). I should read Catch-22 again now that I'm a bit older. It was odd and enjoyable in middle school, but I somehow doubt I got the full effect then. I'd recommend Randy Pausch's Last Lecture to anyone particularly going though anything serious. It's a good short read and happens to have close ties to my grad program. Most recently, I'm in the middle of Outliers: the Story of Success, a recently published radical holistic analysis of what has allowed great figures in history to become so great.

menace690

How could I forget the Hitchhikers Guide... damn, I have the complete set.

Also, if you like Star Wars, I can recommend the Timothy Zahn books. Excellent sequel trilogy.

Two more classics: The Illiad and The Odyssey are excellent reads.

jetboy

Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde comes to mind when I think of Frankenstein...

Different books... but I'm an Aussie so read a lot of Aussie books. If you're in for something a little different, then:
Bryce Courtenay
- The Potato Factory
- The Power of One
- Jessica

Tim Winton - A relaxed, dreamy author... loves surfing... also very down to earth.
- Cloudstreet
- Breath

David Malouf - Very poetic... I like his descriptions.
- fly away peter

None of these are Frankenstein, but they could be fun if you're thinking about reading.

mossy_11

Yo jetboy, did you ever get into John Marsden? I used to love his books - especially the Tomorrow series.

Another interesting one is Nick Bantock's Griffin & Sabine books. They tell a very moving story through beautifully illustrated postcards. And the first three in the series were brilliantly adapted into a game (if you'd even call it that) called Ceremony of Innocence way back in 1997 - as good as the books are, I felt the game was better.

I wrote about the Hobbit for a class paper last semester. I found it really interesting how Tolkien managed to weave Norse and Anglo-Saxon mythology into the story. It also turns out that the book fits quite well within Joseph Campbell's framework of the "Hero's Journey".

Maccer

Two of my favourite fantasy book series are
- Song of Ice and Fire (George R. R. Martin). Well written, unexpected things happen!
- The Sword of truth (Terry Goodkind)

WatchSmart

In anticipation of quitting my job and hitting the road, I've been reading some travel books by Colin Thubron. His "In Sibera" and "Shadow of the Silk Road" are really engrossing reads. He invokes an old sort of travel... the sort of shoestring travel that was done long before the Lonely Planet books and the Hippie Trail of the 60s and 70s.