The Official "Your Favorite Book" Thread

[Major Mapleleaf]

Okay everyone, I'm sure you've all answered this before, but I'm new here, so you can chalk this up to my being naive.

*smiles*

What's you favorite book? Why? I HAVE to know!

Mine? It has to be Ms. Frisby and the Rats of N.I.M.H. Inspiration for the movie The Secret of NIMH, this book was a mind-blowing as a child, and to this day still remains my stalwart favorite. If I had to pick a more contemporary or ADULT novel, I would have to go with American Gods by Neil Gaiman. If you are at all interested in the States' landmarks and attractions, as well as ancient and modern mythology, you will surely find something of value in this great book.

[Ben]

OI! I have so many. Lord Of The Rings trillogy of course, it was one of the first "adult books" I read as a kid, and return to it every few years and read it over. I love the Piers Anthony Xanth series, very clever punny stuff. I also really eanjoyed the David Eddings Belgariad series.

[Mystic]

I think that one of the best books I've read (and keep re-reading) is Desperation by Stephen King. It's just one of the best novels that he has put out. Hands down.

MHO,
-Mystic

[DelBubs]

I have lots of favourites, but if I had to pick specifically, then it would have to be 'Trinity' by Leon Uris. It gave me a better understanding of Ireland.

[beetleblack]

To echo everyone else: it is so hard to think of ONE book which is my favourite as there are so many (also sometimes it can depend on what kind of mood I'm in at the time as to what my favourite book will be that day).

Saying that however here are a few of my favourites:

His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman
The Passion for New Eve by Angela Carter
Like People in History by Felice Picano

(Of course, I know there are so many more that I want to put but can't think of them right now so will probably be kicking myself tomorrow when I re-read this!)

[syvalois]

Replay of Ken Grimwood. The only book I read many times even with the bad translation

[Puck]

I Like The Harry Potter Series, I'm sure some of you have read it, whatd'ya think?
I Also like "Tales Of The Dark Forest" by Steve Skidmore(I could come up with a hundred things to tease him about :lol: j/k) It's a kid's novel but i still enjoy It.


BTW Mystic, I Read Desperation(My Mother has a huge collection of Stephen King books) I like it :mrgreen:

[HavokThePowerful]

My Favorite book is probably "1984" by George Orwell. I also like the Harry Potter series and i'm working my way though the lord of the rings series.

[HappyCanuck]

hmmm.... so far I'd say the Harry Potter series (addictive little buggers), and Laurell K. Hamilton's 'Anita Blake' Series... just waiting for book 12 to be released (*groan*) next fall...

[kohl]

just one? that is just mean. :>
but it would have to be fahrenheit 451 (ray bradbury) or paul celan's collected poems or adventures in the skin trade (dylan thomas)

[StevenPaul]

The Lord of the Rings triliogy and "The Hobbit".

Best book I've read lately..."The Lioness".

[Major Mapleleaf Jr]

My favorite book? Laurell K. Hamilton's "Obsidian Butterfly", which got me completely hooked on the Anita Blake series. And I got Laurell to sign it and everything! She lives here in St. Louis... that's so awesome. :D

[HappyCanuck]

My favorite book? Laurell K. Hamilton's "Obsidian Butterfly", which got me completely hooked on the Anita Blake series. And I got Laurell to sign it and everything! She lives here in St. Louis... that's so awesome. :D

You are now my least favourite person :evil: :evil: :evil:

how on earth did you get a signed copy!!!

:( Now I'm gonna sit over here and pout... :(

[Major Mapleleaf Jr]

Don't hate me! Me no like having enemies...

At any rate, I talked to her at one of the sci-fi conventions that happen in our area. She's very nice, and very easy to talk to. I told her that I loved her portrayal of Anita in Obsidian Butterfly, and she said she'd sign a book for me. But I had to run back upstairs to my hotel room and get it, LOL.

But yes, I love Anita Blake. She's probably the most realistically-portrayed woman in fiction.

[HappyCanuck]

[color=red]Don't hate me! Me no like having enemies...

well, we'll see... <gives suspicious glare>


At any rate, I talked to her at one of the sci-fi conventions that happen in our area....

.... not helping ....


She's very nice, and very easy to talk to. I told her that I loved her portrayal of Anita in Obsidian Butterfly, and she said she'd sign a book for me. But I had to run back upstairs to my hotel room and get it, LOL.

Oh i know... i left a message on her message board and she responded pretty promptly (which kinda ticked me off, considering if she's emailing me, she's not finishing off 'Incubus Dreams'!!) I love how she makes the most absurd idea realistic.... like in... crap the one where Richard goes to Tennesee to study trolls, she says 'hey look a greater foothill troll', like most ppl say 'hey look, a dog'. I love how he humanises the monsters. Been inlove with the series since I first picked up 'Guilty Pleasures' (wasn't too fond of 'Laughing Corpse', but that's because I got a graphic imagination and I read it in the middle of the night). Need to get 'Guilty' through to 'Obsidian'... i don't think my copies of 'Narcissus in Chains' and 'Cerulean Sins' will last too much longer at this rate (I've read each of them about... oh, 15 times each or more!


But yes, I love Anita Blake. She's probably the most realistically-portrayed woman in fiction.

Oh I know. Even with her currently sordid lovelife with, what, 3 lovers, Richard, Nathaniel and Jason? and the fact that she doesn't wanna be '**** girl'... lol, top that off with her numerous jobs (LOVE the execution at the end of Cerulean, very Blake-y)... she's just the most human of the monsters and humans alike!! now I gotta wait (*groan!*) till fall before the next book *sob!*...

... ah... *ahem*.... I'm okay now :oops: ... well as good as I get...

bonus thing tho... i got my father hooked on the series, and he HATES those kinds of books (dealing with vampires, etc)!! He almost cried when I told him he'd have to wait almost a year!

[Nalyd Psycho]

Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams, the single funniest piece of literature ever.

I also like political non-fiction like On Liberty by John Stuart Mill. Kicking Ass in Canadian Politics by Warren Kinsella was also an excellent read, one of those books that every time I put it down, I'd be back 15 minutes latter.

Although, this summer, I'm gonna tackle Crime and Punishment so that could change everything.

[DelBubs]

I actually had the pleasure of meeting Douglas Adams, he used to go to a posh school in the town were I lived, so he felt an affinity for the place, I felt like blowing the **** out the place, but thats another story. Re Hitchhikers, the first three books, radio show and 12 part tv series were good, the last two books pure bollox and as for Dirk Gently, I won't even go there. Oh yea, re meeting him, it was when he was signing 'The Long Dark Teatime of the Soul (?) I didn't get him to sign it, but we had a long natter about Zaphod and Trillian.

[suzene]

Hm. My favorite book tends to change according to my mood, but right now it's 'The Silmarillion' with 'Watership Down' a close second.

Suzene

[DelBubs]

Hm. My favorite book tends to change according to my mood, but right now it's 'The Silmarillion' with 'Watership Down' a close second.

Suzene
I have to admire your perserverence, I have never been able to voluntarily read a Tolkien book. We read the Hobbit at school because we had to, but the Ring trilogy or anything else, I waited forthe film.

[SwiftFox]

I absolutely love The Catcher in the Rye. I don't know what it is exactly, except that I can totally relate to Holden.

Harry Potter books are great too...I just started reading the first one cause I was bored and it was there...suddenly I was like 3 chapters in and totally hooked.

The Wars by Timothy Findley was a great book, I reccomend it to everyone.

[HappyCanuck]

I absolutely love The Catcher in the Rye. I don't know what it is exactly, except that I can totally relate to Holden.

:shock: I had to read Catcher in high school.... I can completely understand why it's the primo book for serial killers and assassins, it's THAT mind numbing...

Just out of curiousity, Swifty, but do you have a middle name, and are you going to go by your full name soon?? :-k :-s


Harry Potter books are great too...I just started reading the first one cause I was bored and it was there...suddenly I was like 3 chapters in and totally hooked.

Hehehe, that's what happened to me: I read the first one because everyone was shoving it down my throat... now I've read all five current books and waiting with baited breath for book six to get released...


The Wars by Timothy Findley was a great book, I reccomend it to everyone.

Never even heard of it before now... what's it about?

[Phil]

Something by Robert Rankin.
Can't narrow down a single book though.

Failing that, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?(/Blade Runner) by Philip K.Dick, or one of the Bio of a Space Tyrant books by Piers Anthony.

[SwiftFox]

:shock: I had to read Catcher in high school.... I can completely understand why it's the primo book for serial killers and assassins, it's THAT mind numbing...

Are you saying something here.......?


Just out of curiousity, Swifty, but do you have a middle name, and are you going to go by your full name soon?? :-k :-s

uhhhhh.... Pedro.... nahhh I hate my full name... SwiftaliciousFoxio.... just doesn't have a good ring to it


The Wars by Timothy Findley was a great book, I reccomend it to everyone.

Never even heard of it before now... what's it about?

"Robert Ross is a Canadian officer caught up in the nightmare world of World War I trench warfare; a world of mud and smoke, chlorine gas and rotting corpses. In this world gone mad, he performs a last desperate act to declare his commitment to life in the midst of death."

It's apparently partly based on old letters from Findley's grandafther (I think that's who it was) from the first world war. It's fantastic.

[Weapon Omega]

I'm on this early 19th century sci-fi, action/adventure thing right now. I'm a huge fan of the Mars series by Edgar Rice Burroughs. Plus anything from H.G. Wells, Jules Verne, I love Tolkein. Issac Asimov, Ian Fleming and C.S. Lewis are favorites as well.

P.S. Neil Gaiman's "American Gods" is a good read for anyone into contemporary fantasy.

[Richv1]

The Chronicles Of Narna. In perticuliar The Lion The Witch and the Wardrobe. When I was younger this book series was the greatest thing I ever read.
Now I usually read Stephen King books when I'm not reading comics. Or else Star Trek ones the original series of course.

[PWalk]

Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams, the single funniest piece of literature ever.
.

I second that. Not only was it funny as hell but it really made me think about what in the world was going through Adam's head at the time of his writing it, besides a number of chemicals.

I'd also like to add The First American: The Life and Times of Benjamin Franklin by H.W. Brands. Growing up here in Philly I used to go down to the site of Franklin's house and just wander around taking in all that was there in the way of his inventions, philosophies, etc...
It's a great book for anyone.

[Ben]

Speaking of the Hitchikers Guide, has anone read the new one, now in book stores? I loved the books, but I'm not sure yet if I wasnt to buy this one,...

[PWalk]

Speaking of the Hitchikers Guide, has anone read the new one, now in book stores? I loved the books, but I'm not sure yet if I wasnt to buy this one,...

New book? You mean like a sixth book for the "Trilogy"? I know I recently saw a compilation with a side story for Zaphod. Is that the one?

[Ben]

This (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1400045088/qid=1083692733/sr=1-6/ref=sr_1_6/104-3256329-7091158?v=glance&s=books) is what I was reffering to.

Ben

[PWalk]

Holy Sas! Look at that. Never heard of it but luckily I work across the street from a book store so I'll checkit out and let ya's know whats up with it.

EDIT: Just googled it and here is what I found...

In May of 2002, Harmony (US) and Macmillan HB (UK) will publish posthumously the final book by Douglas Adams, the revered creator of THE HITCHHIKER'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY, and numerous other bestselling novels. Titled THE SALMON OF DOUBT: Hitchhiking the Galaxy One Last Time, this new work is a compilation of writings recovered from the hard drive of Adams’s beloved MacIntosh computer. Included are short stories, essays, lectures, and articles, many published for the first time in book form, and the crown jewel: ten never-before-published chapters of Adams’s longtime work-in-progress, THE SALMON OF DOUBT.

Looks like it's just a collection of unfinished work that Adams' would have been late to press with anyway :lol: . I might check it out.

[HappyCanuck]

... the final book by Douglas Adams, the revered creator of THE HITCHHIKER'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY, and numerous other bestselling novels. Titled THE SALMON OF DOUBT: Hitchhiking the Galaxy One Last Time...

I wouldn't bother, it's not that good imho... you JUST get into the story and it stops...

[Richv1]

Well I watched the TV series of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. I haven't read any of the books. I found the show weird and enjoyable. It was something totally fifferent from other sci-fi shows.

[Ben]

The books are all that and more! I loved the old BBC tv series, and radio series (I have the TV series on DVD) If you like either of them, you really should read the books.

Ben

[Richv1]

Does any one here like the old Doctor Who TV series? Tom Baker I think was the best Doctor. He was a great character a bit out there but fun.

[bigbloo]

Replay of Ken Grimwood. The only book I read many times even with the bad translation

Ooh, i loved this book too Syl! :)

Actually ive read and enjoyed a lot of the books that were mentioned here, Im really finding it hard to find a favorite... I like stuff by Robert Silverberg and Ursula K Le Guin. Im in the middle of reading "Fall of the Two Towers" by Samuel R Delany.

[Major Mapleleaf Jr]

Does any one here like the old Doctor Who TV series? Tom Baker I think was the best Doctor. He was a great character a bit out there but fun.

My partner loooooooooves Doctor Who! He owns so many Doctor Who books that I don't think I could count them. I didn't know the guy was so popular!

[kozzi24]

Hm. My favorite book tends to change according to my mood, but right now it's 'The Silmarillion' with 'Watership Down' a close second.

Suzene
Watership Down's my close second also, but to Kate Wilhelm's "Where Late the Sweet Birds Sang"