Your Top 10 All-Time Favorite Books

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brianlux
brianlux Moving through All Kinds of Terrain. Posts: 43,659
We may have already done this before, but I'm always curious as to what are people's absolute to favorite books.

A difficult list to compile but I would say for me they are

Edward Abbey: The Fools Progress Uncle Ed's "fat masterpiece".
Sherman Alexie: Flight A great story with a mind-blowing literary climax.
Michael Azerrad: Our Band Could Be Your Life My favorite of many books read on contemporary music.
Wendell Berry: The Unsettling of America A tough choice- one of our finest essayists.
Truman Capote: Other Voices Other Rooms The first truly amazing book I ever read. Haunting, brilliant.
Harper Lee: To Kill a Mockingbird Her one and only book but how do you top this one?
Henry Miller: Tropic of Cancer Brilliant.
Henry Rollins: The Henry Rollins reader or any H.R. Real. Raw. Rollins. Hack or pack.
John Steinbeck: The Grapes of Wrath or East of Eden or...
Kurt Vonnegut Jr.: Good Bless You Mr. Rosewater I really wanted to say "the complete works of K.V.!

And for good measure, I can already tell one of my all-time favorite books will be the one I'm currently reading:
James Welch: The Heartsong of Charging Elk Sherman Alexie says this about Welch's book (and I can see why), "There are books you read once and put away. There are books you read once and never forget. And then there are those very special books you keep returning to, reading them once or twice a year for the rest of your life. James Welch's Heartsong is one of those very special books. I have read it three times already and plan to carry it around like a traveling salesman, like a zealous evangelist, forcing the book into the hands of strangers and friends, preaching, 'Hey, this may not save your life, but it's certainly going to give you a fighting chance.'"


What are your to 10 all-time favorite books?


"It's a sad and beautiful world"
-Roberto Benigni

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Comments

  • fife
    fife Posts: 3,327
    I read about 2 books a week but these are the ones i read over and over again.

    Catcher in the rye - I know its very popular but have read it every year since grade 8 and I am 37 now.
    Oblomov- Ivan Goncharev, i read this novel in 1st year university and it was great. if you can find it read it.
    Native Son - Richard Wright. another one of those high school books that just stuck with me
    Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky. it was the reason i got into russian lit.
    death with interruptions - Jose saramago- great Portuguese writer. this is not his strongest book but has a very interested premise
    main street - Sinclair Lewis
    The Trial - Franz kafka - had so many twist and turns
    the apology- Plato - I would love to think this is how i would act in a court house for my life but sadly i think i would just wimp out
    A prayer for Owen Meany- John irving - just very uplifting in a way

    there are so many books but these are some of my favorites.
  • brianlux
    brianlux Moving through All Kinds of Terrain. Posts: 43,659
    fife said:

    I read about 2 books a week but these are the ones i read over and over again.

    Catcher in the rye - I know its very popular but have read it every year since grade 8 and I am 37 now.
    Oblomov- Ivan Goncharev, i read this novel in 1st year university and it was great. if you can find it read it.
    Native Son - Richard Wright. another one of those high school books that just stuck with me
    Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky. it was the reason i got into russian lit.
    death with interruptions - Jose saramago- great Portuguese writer. this is not his strongest book but has a very interested premise
    main street - Sinclair Lewis
    The Trial - Franz kafka - had so many twist and turns
    the apology- Plato - I would love to think this is how i would act in a court house for my life but sadly i think i would just wimp out
    A prayer for Owen Meany- John irving - just very uplifting in a way

    there are so many books but these are some of my favorites.

    Ah, Kafka! Yes!

    "It's a sad and beautiful world"
    -Roberto Benigni

  • dankind
    dankind Posts: 20,841
    edited June 2014
    1. Gravity's Rainbow by Thomas Pynchon -- nothing else comes close (except maybe V. and Mason & Dixon).
    2. A Coney Island of the Mind by Lawrence Ferlinghetti -- this is basically my Bible; I read it every time I need inspiration, and if I don't see it on your bookshelf, chances are you'll receive a copy from me the next time I see you.
    3. The Riverside Shakespeare -- for my money, the best annotated compilation out there of the Bard's complete works.
    4. The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger -- say what you will, but if the carousel passage doesn't move you, I don't think you have a goddamn soul. (All of the Glass stories basically destroy me as well.)
    5. Moby-Dick by Herman Melville -- basically the whole damn mess of the human condition (obsession, love, pain, madness) finds its way into this book, and it's got some pretty damn gory bits as well.
    6. The Autobiography of Malcolm X as told to Alex Haley -- changed my life at age 16; this is the most important book I have ever read.
    7. The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy -- this book absolutely slayed me, and as soon as I finished reading the last page, I started over and immediately reread the book again.
    8. Just Kids by Patti Smith -- I don't usually go in for memoirs, but this is perhaps the best book about NYC in the late-1960s/early-1970s; the very poetry of Patti Smith and Robert Mapplethorpe's life together in that time and place is both heartbreaking and uplifting.
    9. Breakfast of Champions, or Goodbye Blue Monday by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. -- sometimes you just have to let out your inner asshole (and even draw a crude picture of it) in order to let your entire world know that it's fucking absurd; it's cathartic.
    10. The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett -- this is the book that began my love affair with all other books, and it still has all of the magic and wonder, joy and sorrow, comfort and elation all these many years later.
    Post edited by dankind on
    I SAW PEARL JAM
  • brianlux
    brianlux Moving through All Kinds of Terrain. Posts: 43,659
    ^^^ Great books there, Dankind! I also thought Just Kids was excellent. All your descriptions are marvelous. Haven't read A Coney Island of the Mind but will do so!
    "It's a sad and beautiful world"
    -Roberto Benigni

  • PJSiren
    PJSiren Salem, OR Posts: 5,863
    The Bird Artist ~ Howard Norman The opening paragraph drew me in and I was hooked all the way through.
    Of Mice and Men ~ John Steinbeck As sad as this book is, I loved Lenny and that's why it's one of my faves.
    Death of a Salesman ~ Arthur Miller The salesman in this book reminded me a lot of my grandfather, that's why I loved it so much.
    The Fat Girls Guide To Life ~ Wendy Shanker This book was hilarious and fun to read, and made me feel less self conscious about my weight...
    Blue Like Jazz ~ Donald Miller This book helped me find my way back to my faith.
    Bad as I Wanna Be ~ Dennis Rodman This book was funny and heartfelt and full of honesty that I did not expect.
    Anne of Green Gables ~ L.M. Montgomery This book took me on such an adventure as a kid, I remember imagining myself as Anne.
    Wicked ~ Gregory Maguire This book is full of magic and wonder and was so perfectly written, it was turned into a hit Broadway musical, I don't know what more I could say about it.
    Catching Fire(2nd book of Hunger games series) ~ Suzanne Collins This was my favorite of the series, I devoured it in no time at all...it was so good.
    Supernatural - John Winchester's Journal This book was so much fun to read while watching the series, and to follow along and learn more about John Winchester than you do just from the show. You can also go back and look things up in the journal when Sam and Dean do, and use it as a guide.

    Wow, I thought that list would be a lot harder to compile than it was...lol I guess I do read more than I realize...
    Music is my Religion and Pearl Jam, my Savior!
    Tattooed Dissident!
  • hedonist
    hedonist Posts: 24,524
    My favorites aren't necessarily cerebral but they have a place in my life and psyche...I do love them.

    The Graduate
    The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat
    Ishmael
    The Illustrated Man
    Celestine Prophecy
    Goodbye Columbus
    Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
    The Metamorphosis
    Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret
    It
  • JonnyPistachio
    JonnyPistachio Florida Posts: 10,219
    Oh Brian, there you go again, adding to my "To Read list" :D

    Some of my favorites off the top of my head are:
    The Witching Hour, Anne Rice
    Lasher, Anne Rice
    Taltos, Anne Rice
    The Vampire Lestat, Anne Rice
    Catcher in the Rye, JD Salinger
    Life of Pi, Yann Martel
    Beyond Einstein, Michio Kaku
    On Writing, Stephen King
    Native Tongue, Carl Hiaasen
    The number 10 slot is open still. I’m hoping to fill it soon!
    Pick up my debut novel here on amazon: Jonny Bails Floatin (in paperback) (also available on Kindle for $2.99)
  • Given To Nap
    Given To Nap Posts: 150
    This was not as easy as I thought it would be….

    1. A Prayer for Owen Meany - John Irving
    2. Life of Pi - Yann Martel
    3. Still Life with Woodpecker - Tom Robbins
    4. Atonement - Ian McEwan
    5. Into Thin Air - Jon Krakauer
    6. Angela's Ashes - Frank McCourt
    7. The Cider House Rules - John Irving
    8. The Liar's Club - Mary Karr
    9. Watership Down - Richard Adams
    10. The Harry Potter Series - JK Rowling
  • Jason P
    Jason P Posts: 19,289
    The Great Brain - John D. Fitzgerald
    Catch 22 - Joseph Heller
    A Walk in the Woods - Bill Bryson
    Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien
    Game of Thrones - George RR Martin
    The Hunt for Red October - Tom Clancy
    Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck
    The Complete Far Side - Gary Larson (hey, it's leather bound ...)
    Tasteful Nudes: ...and Other Misguided Attempts at Personal Growth and Validation - Dave Hill
    An Army at Dawn / The Day of Battle / The Guns at Last Light (Liberation Trilogy) - Rick Atkinson
    Be Excellent To Each Other
    Party On, Dudes!
  • PJ_Soul
    PJ_Soul Vancouver, BC Posts: 50,660
    edited June 2014
    Oh, that's a hard list to compile. I know I'll leave out a number of books that should be there. But, simply off the top of my head right now at work, and in no particular order:

    A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry
    Family Matters - Rohinton Mistry
    The Stand - Stephen King
    Brave New World - Aldous Huxley
    Blindness - Jose Saramago
    Sophie's Choice - William Styron
    Roots - Alex Haley
    A Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood
    Vanity Fair - William Thackery
    The Concubine's Children - Denise Chong


    10 books isn't a long enough list. ;) There are so many books that others have listed that I want to put down too (like Of Mice and Men, Angela's Ashes, To Kill A Mockingbird, The Secret Garden, and so on and so on and so on....).

    I am ashamed to admit that I still have not read The Catcher In The Rye. :\">
    Post edited by PJ_Soul on
    With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be careful. Strive to be happy. ~ Desiderata
  • brianlux
    brianlux Moving through All Kinds of Terrain. Posts: 43,659
    Wow- it amazes me to read these lists. I've read a bunch of books including piles of classics and still, I look at these lists and realize there are so many great books I have yet to read including from the above lists:

    Native Son
    The God of Small Things
    Gravity's Rainbow
    Wicked
    Celestine Prophecy
    Life of Pi
    The Cider House Rules
    Game of Thrones
    Angela's Ashes
    Vanity Fair

    ...I mean, that's got to be a great top ten list right there. I've gotta live at least another 60 years. LOL!
    "It's a sad and beautiful world"
    -Roberto Benigni

  • njnancy
    njnancy Posts: 5,096
    10 - really? Phew.. i just tried and had 17 - so saved and will ponder....

  • dankind
    dankind Posts: 20,841
    Yeah, 10 is tough.

    In addition to my list above, Robert M. Pirsig's Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance and Lila, Albert Camus' The Myth of Sisyphus, The Teachings of the Compassionate Buddha (edited by E.A. Burtt), and Jean-Paul Sartre's Being and Nothingness have all had a hand in keeping me on this planet.
    I SAW PEARL JAM
  • pjhawks
    pjhawks Posts: 12,907
    in no particular order:

    It - Stephen King
    Christine - Stephen King
    A Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger
    A Season on the Brink - John Feinstein
    Black Hawk Down - Mark Bowden
    The Looming Tower - Lawrence Wright
    Where Men Will Glory (the Odyssey of Pat Tillman) - John Krakauer
    Echoes in the Darkness - Joseph Wambaugh
    Fatal Vision - Joe McGinnis
    Flash Boys - Michael Lewis
  • brianlux
    brianlux Moving through All Kinds of Terrain. Posts: 43,659
    njnancy said:

    10 - really? Phew.. i just tried and had 17 - so saved and will ponder....

    What the heck... list your top 17! :-)

    "It's a sad and beautiful world"
    -Roberto Benigni

  • njnancy
    njnancy Posts: 5,096
    I'm working on it - lol - don't want to leave one of my precious 'experiences' forgotten. (And i have to stop reading other people's lists till I'm done!) This is a much more soothing thread than the last from which I ventured.
  • brianlux
    brianlux Moving through All Kinds of Terrain. Posts: 43,659
    njnancy said:

    I'm working on it - lol - don't want to leave one of my precious 'experiences' forgotten. (And i have to stop reading other people's lists till I'm done!) This is a much more soothing thread than the last from which I ventured.

    Must have been that dark and dangerous place called "AMT"? :-))

    "It's a sad and beautiful world"
    -Roberto Benigni

  • eeriepadave
    eeriepadave West Chester, PA Posts: 43,175
    I need to read more :(

    1. Where The Red Fern Grows- Wilson Rawls
    2. Harry Potter- J.K. Rowling
    3. Insomnia- Stephen King
    4. Of Mice And Men- John Steinbeck
    5. The Shining- Stephen King
    6. Catcher In The Rye- J.D. Salinger
    7. Angels & Demons- Dan Brown
    8. The Lost City Of Z- David Grann
    9. Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World- Vicki Myron
    10.. The Hobbit- J. R. R. Tolkien
    8/28/98- Camden, NJ
    10/31/09- Philly
    5/21/10- NYC
    9/2/12- Philly, PA
    7/19/13- Wrigley
    10/19/13- Brooklyn, NY
    10/21/13- Philly, PA
    10/22/13- Philly, PA
    10/27/13- Baltimore, MD
    4/28/16- Philly, PA
    4/29/16- Philly, PA
    5/1/16- NYC
    5/2/16- NYC
    9/2/18- Boston, MA
    9/4/18- Boston, MA
    9/14/22- Camden, NJ
    9/7/24- Philly, PA
    9/9/24- Philly, PA
    Tres Mts.- 3/23/11- Philly. PA
    Eddie Vedder- 6/25/11- Philly, PA
    RNDM- 3/9/16- Philly, PA
  • eeriepadave
    eeriepadave West Chester, PA Posts: 43,175
    dankind said:

    1. Gravity's Rainbow by Thomas Pynchon -- nothing else comes close (except maybe V. and Mason & Dixon).
    .


    There's also a song called Gravity's Rainbow by the Klaxons.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qDrctb2BzLg
    8/28/98- Camden, NJ
    10/31/09- Philly
    5/21/10- NYC
    9/2/12- Philly, PA
    7/19/13- Wrigley
    10/19/13- Brooklyn, NY
    10/21/13- Philly, PA
    10/22/13- Philly, PA
    10/27/13- Baltimore, MD
    4/28/16- Philly, PA
    4/29/16- Philly, PA
    5/1/16- NYC
    5/2/16- NYC
    9/2/18- Boston, MA
    9/4/18- Boston, MA
    9/14/22- Camden, NJ
    9/7/24- Philly, PA
    9/9/24- Philly, PA
    Tres Mts.- 3/23/11- Philly. PA
    Eddie Vedder- 6/25/11- Philly, PA
    RNDM- 3/9/16- Philly, PA
  • njnancy
    njnancy Posts: 5,096
    brianlux said:

    njnancy said:

    I'm working on it - lol - don't want to leave one of my precious 'experiences' forgotten. (And i have to stop reading other people's lists till I'm done!) This is a much more soothing thread than the last from which I ventured.

    Must have been that dark and dangerous place called "AMT"? :-))

    How'd you guess??? >:) i can't 'live' in there; but i am not afraid of it. just gets tiresome real quick. i had my list and it said it saved it - but it's not here! :(