# Best book you EVER read



## PJJones (Apr 5, 2011)

*Here's my favorite, *

*Help! A Bear is Eating Me by Mykle Hansen* for those who like outrageous hilarity! Why? Because I like to laugh!

http://www.amazon.com/Help-Bear-Eating-Me-ebook/dp/B00394F3PG/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1304912486&sr=8-2

*What's your favorite book and why?* Time to give props to those who inspire us. PJ


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## Keira Lea (Apr 15, 2011)

I read A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle at least 30 times as a kid. It is my hands-down favorite book of all time. I think I might read it again now!

http://amzn.to/jvi05g


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## PJJones (Apr 5, 2011)

Is that like Somewhere in Time, classic movie with Christopher Reeve? I loved that movie!

BTW, cool cover, Keira.


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## PMartelly (May 1, 2011)

One of my favorite books is "The Giver". =]


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## Rainier (May 9, 2011)

I really enjoyed "The Doomsday Book" by Connie Willis. Is it the best book I ever read? no, but I think many books are very good. I highly recommend. heres the link: http://www.amazon.com/The-Doomsday-Book-ebook/dp/B004G60FXG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=digital-text&qid=1304915256&sr=1-1 for some reason i did not see a link area up top there.....and it was late...so ...sorry its not a compact post! lol


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## Al Schneider (Feb 14, 2011)

"The Forgotten Soldier" by Guy Sajer
"Atlas Shrugged" Ayn Rand


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## daringnovelist (Apr 3, 2010)

Oh, gosh, there are way too many best books I ever read.

I think, even though it's not my very favoritest, I'd have to go with _The Scarlet Pimpernel_ by Baroness Orczy. I choose it because it's a popular/commercial story which she handles so many different kinds of elements so well -- point of view, a little mystery and deception. She treads around so many things that became bad cliches but handled them so well herself. The only flaw being that she plays on some politically incorrect elements of the culture to pull off some of her deceptions.

I suppose otherwise I might have to choose something by Stuart Kaminsky, but I would have a hard time choosing what. He did so many things so well. I suppose I would go with _Bullet For A Star_ for being such a great pastiche of Hollywood noir, which led to my favorite series of all time.

Camille


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## Keira Lea (Apr 15, 2011)

PJJones said:


> Is that like Somewhere in Time, classic movie with Christopher Reeve? I loved that movie!
> 
> BTW, cool cover, Keira.


No, it's a YA that involves children traveling through time to find their missing scientist father. (That summary does not do it justice!) Somewhere in Time looks interesting, though.

Thank you for noticing my cover! It's new, and I'm very excited about it.


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## Die$el (Apr 24, 2011)

Keira Lea said:


> I read A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle at least 30 times as a kid. It is my hands-down favorite book of all time. I think I might read it again now!
> 
> http://amzn.to/jvi05g


Yes! Such an underrated masterpiece!

Mine would be (please don't hate me for this):

James Joyce: Ulysses

Absolutely beautiful in every way. The style of writing, the story, the rhythm. Yes, yes, yes, YES! Perfection.

And...

Lewis Carroll: Alice in Wonderland

This is not a children's book. The logical and mathematical critiques in this story are graduate school level stuff. Just absolutely brilliant storytelling and mind-boggle.


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## Ben White (Feb 11, 2011)

If it's just one, it has to be:



The Katherine Woods translation, for preference.


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

To Kill a Mockingbird...not yet available on Kindle.    It may be time for a re-read, even if it means handling paper to do so....

Betsy


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## Marcin Wrona (Apr 28, 2011)

I absolutely loved _A Prayer for Owen Meany_, which actually took me a bit by surprise. I'm not a terribly spiritual person, and the book's major themes are very much religious. Still, it's written with such heart and wit that it's impossible not to enjoy.

Within my own (beloved) fantasy genre, it's all Kay, _Tigana _and _Lions of Al-Rassan_ in particular.


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## Tess St John (Feb 1, 2011)

I have a 'the best' genre related list.

Humor...Welcome to Temptation by Jennifer Crusie
Suspense...Watchers by Dean Koontz
Romance...Mine Till Midnight by Lisa Kleypas
Autobiographies...Seinfeld by Jerry Seinfeld
Classic...Les Miserables


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## PJJones (Apr 5, 2011)

Wow, what an eclectic group we have. Tess, thanks for breaking it down by genre. PJ


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## Eliz (May 8, 2011)

There are a few different books that I reread
all the time. When I was a kid my favorite
was A Wrinkle in Time. 
Reading to my child it would be, No David.
Then there is Hunt for Red October (the 
movie wasnt as good). 
For ebooks it would be Vibrational Passage.
If anyone knows of any other ebooks like
Vibrational Passage - PLEASE PLEASE let me know. 
Their next book doesnt come out for awhile 
- which is so frustrating. 
So ebook readers give me some suggestions on 
ebook thrillers that are a surprize find like that one.
Cheers Eliz


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## RhondaRN (Dec 27, 2009)

Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand


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## PJJones (Apr 5, 2011)

Okay, I have NEVER read A Wrinkle in Time. Maybe I should download it. 
thanks! PJ


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## PMCrawford (May 9, 2011)

First it was the Fountainhead for me (also by Ayn Rand), but I just finished Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace and... it was the most incredible experience I've ever had. Some books make you feel strongly at the end, while others are more about the journey and the end's just sort of a stopping point from the action. For me, the ending to Infinite Jest reinforced the meaning of everything that came before it and vice versa.


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## StephenLivingston (May 10, 2011)

I've read a lot of books over the years but if I had to pick one as my favourite read of all time I'd still go back to J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings".


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## xtine (Feb 17, 2011)

_Infinite Jest._

It re-taught me how to read and changed the way my mind spoke to itself for weeks after I was done with it.

_You will know our velocity!_

I wept at the end.

_Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close_

There were a little too many character affects that were in the Eastern European vein of characterization, but somehow, the story of a kid who lost his dad in 9/11 moved me so much I will never forget it.

The list will change, I'm afraid as I read more.


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## J.R.Mooneyham (Mar 14, 2011)

I've read somewhere over 2000 books, many of them superb-- so I can't pick just one as being the best. My own best list would likely have to be a few dozen strong, and take me a while to put together.


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## balaspa (Dec 27, 2009)

Wow, this is a tough topic, but I love it.  It's like picking my favorite movie.  It's nearly impossible and breaks down via genre.  When I was younger, I must have read and re-read War of the Worlds 50 times.  The first adult-themed novel that I loved (and the one that made me consider writing as a career) was Jaws.  As a die-hard Stephen King fan The Stand, the Shining and his Dark Tower books.  Robert McCammon is a great horror and thriller writer who also happened to write a book that mixes horror, mystery and a coming-of-age story called A Boy's Life that I loved.  Most recently, I discovered a Kindle-exclusive thriller novel called RUN by an author named Blake Crouch that has to rank near the top.

How's that for a list?  LOL


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## medicalhumor (Feb 15, 2011)

Angela's Ashes!  Great dialogue!
Mike Cyra


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## PJJones (Apr 5, 2011)

Oh, wow! I need to expand my reading list. This is awesome becoming an awesome thread. 

J.R. mooneyham, I have NO idea how many books I've read. At least you've got it narrowed down to a few thousand. 

Totally off topic, but TG for the Kindle. My paperback book shelves are sooooo cluttered and overflowing, and most of the books are signed. I just can't find the heart to give them away.


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## BellaStreet (Apr 15, 2011)

_Atlas Shrugged_ by Ayn Rand. Rocked my world!


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## RhondaRN (Dec 27, 2009)

BellaStreet said:


> _Atlas Shrugged_ by Ayn Rand. Rocked my world!


Ah, I've found a kindred spirit!!


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## PJJones (Apr 5, 2011)

Okay, since we are cheating and recommending MORE than one, I am going to throw in CL Wilson's Tairen Soul series. Kind of like Tolkien, but with much more romance, a more gripping plot and much more awesomeness! (Ducking now as Tolkien fans pelt me with hobbit turds). LOL!


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## malligator (Jul 1, 2010)

For story...maybe Lord of the Rings, but George R.R. Martin's Fire and Ice series is giving it a run.
For writing style...Lolita by Nabokov.
For mood...The Road by McCarthy.
For mind-blowing complexity...Ulysses by Joyce.


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## jongoff (Mar 31, 2011)

PJJones said:


> Is that like Somewhere in Time, classic movie with Christopher Reeve? I loved that movie!
> 
> BTW, cool cover, Keira.


No, it's a completely different story. They're good books, and they definitely make you think. The best book for me is a toss up between LOTR, for sheer complexity and brilliance, and A Trio for Lute, by Roberta McAvoy.


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## Tamara Rose Blodgett (Apr 1, 2011)

My husband's gotten into the *wonderful* habit of buying books on Kindle ( free, .99 cents, $2.99) and recently got, "A Dog's Purpose." Wow. That's flat-out it. It was emotionally riveting...and I could not put it down. It taught a subtle moral lesson that I didn't need but heard and loved anyway. It made me squeeze my dogs when I was finished...grateful for their existence in my life...buy it!

Second-best: The Stand by Stephen King.

"S*it my Dad Says," is in third place because it made me bark laughter! Buy it! Funny.

Three wildly different genres and all satisfying....


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## beckyj20 (Jun 12, 2010)

I just finished  and I have to say its one of the best YAs I have ever read!


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## jabeard (Apr 22, 2011)

The answer to this for me will vary by day, but often it's One Hundred Years of Solitude.


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## spex.kowalski (May 10, 2011)

tough call...

The Moviegoer by Walker Percy
The Charterhouse of Parma by Stendhal


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## JRTomlin (Jan 18, 2011)

I've mentioned it in other threads: _The Charioteer_ by Mary Renault.


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## PJJones (Apr 5, 2011)

Tamara, I LOVE doggies! I will have to get that book and tell my animal lover friends. PJ


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## Paul Vitols (Feb 14, 2011)

It seems we're only talking about fiction here, so I'm going to go with _A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man_ by James Joyce.

But people talking about how many times they've read a book makes me think of a separate question: what's the novel I've read the most times? In a way, that's "voting with my eyes." I'm not sure, but it might be _The Crystal Cave_ by Mary Stewart.


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## 41419 (Apr 4, 2011)

Louis de Bernieres, "Birds Without Wings".

Astonishing.


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## Doug DePew (Mar 26, 2011)

I think I'd have to put "Aztec" by Gary Jennings in the number one spot. It's HUGE, and I've read it three times cover to cover. I still love that book and plan on reading it again when I get the urge. The characters are incredible.


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## Mkew (May 12, 2011)

So many great books mentioned so far.

*Aztec* was great. Try the *Journeyer* or *Spangle* also by Jennings if you can find them.

Loved *A Wrinkle In Time* when I was younger, but I think I may have liked the third one *A Swiftly Tilting Planet* better.

For me it's always been Steinbeck's *East Of Eden*, I read that every couple of years.

As for Non-Fiction, I really enjoyed *Harpo Speaks*, Harpo Marx's biography. Great snapshot of a time gone by.


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## TriciaJ82 (Jan 18, 2011)

Since I have a hard time picking a favorite in any genre except childrens and nonfiction that is what I will go with. My favorite childrens book is The Rough-Face Girl by Rafe Martin. It is a algonquin version of cinderella, it has a beautiful message and illustrations, not on kindle. My top nonfiction pick is The Survivors Club by Ben Sherwood it is an amazing book. It gives you a lot to think about. It is in kindle format.
Tricia


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## JRainey (Feb 1, 2011)

That depends. My favorite book is Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett. Funny, thoughtful, intriguing... I could read it a thousand times over.

But the best book I've ever read (technically, in terms of how well-written it is) is hands-down The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. I was 16 when I first read it, and it still amazes me. Fitzgerald's writing is the perfect balance of realistic and fantastic. He immediately pulls me in every time.


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## Die$el (Apr 24, 2011)

jabeard said:


> The answer to this for me will vary by day, but often it's One Hundred Years of Solitude.


The translation doesn't do it justice. It is much more powerful in Spanish.

I'll list another of my favorites: Fairy Tales by Hans Christen Anderson. So many powerful and moving stories (The Little Match Girl, The Angel, The Little Mermaid, The Steadfast Tin Soldier, The Nightingale, The Fir Tree, etc).


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## Guy James (May 2, 2011)

Although it's hard to pick/rank, I'd have to say Orwell's Animal Farm stands out for me.

Also can't go without 100 Years of Solitude, The Alchemist, and recently I enjoyed The Year of the Hare.


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## PJJones (Apr 5, 2011)

Alrighty, I can't stand it! I have to throw in one more, the Harry Potter series, by J.K. Rowling, and here's why - It is just so darned imaginative! 

PJ


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## NapCat (retired) (Jan 17, 2011)

Doug DePew said:


> I think I'd have to put "Aztec" by Gary Jennings in the number one spot. It's HUGE, and I've read it three times cover to cover. I still love that book and plan on reading it again when I get the urge. The characters are incredible.


Agreed....Fantastic book which I have read twice........still not Kindlized.


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## grahampowell (Feb 10, 2011)

Hmm, I don't know if I can narrow it down to just one.  Probably either THE LONG GOODBYE by Raymond Chandler, or ALL THE KING'S MEN by Robert Penn Warren.  I read that last one back in college, during an epic 8-hour session the night before my final exam in Southern American Literature.  On that exam I was asked to identify a quote from the novel.  It was from the very first chapter!

Both those books have downbeat endings.  I wonder what that says about me?



Graham


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## Miriam Minger (Nov 27, 2010)

Kristin Lavransdatter by Sigrid Undset.  

Miriam Minger


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## PG4003 (Patricia) (Jan 30, 2010)

PJ Jones, I just have to say, your book cover is hilarious!


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## Gastro Detective (Feb 17, 2011)

daringnovelist said:


> Oh, gosh, there are way too many best books I ever read.


And clearly, none of them were written by Steven Seagal...but my vote goes to this one.....



Ah, Bartleby! Ah Humanity!...something to that effect


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## Dave_White (May 3, 2011)

Great topic.  My two favorite novels of all time are THE GREAT GATSBY and THE SUN ALSO RISES.  I have a thing for stories about lost love.  That sticks with me, as does reading CATCHER IN THE RYE in high school.  

At the same time, the most fun I've ever had reading a book was Duane Swierczynski's thriller SEVERANCE PACKAGE.  Just a facepaced shell shocker of a novel.  I read it on the computer and couldn't put it down.  Just... great.

-Dave


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## PJJones (Apr 5, 2011)

Patricia, thanks for the kudos on my cover. FLABIO worked really hard getting into prime shape for that photo shoot. 

Dave, exactly how do you put down a book which is stored on a computer? LOL. Agreed, The Sun Also Rises was an awesome book! PJ


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## Mike Cooley (Mar 12, 2011)

Well I can't really narrow it down to one. 
Today, I will say:

Lord of Light by Roger Zelazny



Fantastic. It introduced me to Vedic Mythology.

Mike


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## PJJones (Apr 5, 2011)

Mike, the cover for Lord of Light is AWESOME! PJ


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## Dave_White (May 3, 2011)

PJJones said:


> Patricia, thanks for the kudos on my cover. FLABIO worked really hard getting into prime shape for that photo shoot.
> 
> Dave, exactly how do you put down a book which is stored on a computer? LOL. Agreed, The Sun Also Rises was an awesome book! PJ


Ha! Good point. Er.... I couldn't close my laptop until I finished? That work?

-Dave


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## PraiseGod13 (Oct 27, 2008)

Number 1 - The Bible
Number 2 - The Stand by Stephen King
Number 3 - Outlander by Diana Gabaldon


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## patrisha w. (Oct 28, 2008)

JRTomlin said:


> I've mentioned it in other threads: _The Charioteer_ by Mary Renault.


YES! And The Bull from the Sea. Are they Kindlized yet?

Patricia


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## Plotspider (Mar 15, 2011)

Hmmm.  The best book I ever read (not necessarily fiction either).  

Very tough choice for me, so I'll just pick my top ten (in no particular order, okay top 11 really): 

0.  The Bible by God
1.  Watership Down by Adams
2.  1984 by Orwell
3.  To Kill a Mockingbird (though as I teach it more and more, I grow a little weary).  
4.  All Quiet on the Western Front by Marquez
5.  Don Quixote by Cervantes
6.  The entire Harry Potter Series
7.  The Road by McCarthy
8.  The Bagvadghita (Spelling? Sorry).  
9.  Pretty much anything by Steinbeck.  
10. Pretty much anything by Bradbury (I was weaned literature speaking on Bradbury) or the Chronicles of Prydain or Great Expectations (pretty much a tie there for various reasons.  My father read to me out of some of these).


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## PJJones (Apr 5, 2011)

Dave, closing the laptop sounds better. Just kidding, anyway. I'm in no position to debate semantics as many flubs as I make on a daily basis. 

I'm seeing a lot of classics on here and not as many recent releases. 

Because I was required to read so many of the classics by my English professors, and because I don't like being told what to do, LOL, I tend to gravitate toward more current books. PJ


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