Favorite Book

[togitc]

What is your absolute favorite book? You know, the one that when you read you are in that world for who know how long. It might be that one book in the series or one authors work, but come on dish!

My own favorite book:
Dead Witch Walking by Kim Harrison

It is the first in a series of books, six I believe, that are based in a world of supernatural and the modern world. In the setting instead of setting out sights on the moon we looked inward and studied DNA. This lead to a huge leap in that sort of technology, which led to the creation to a virus. A virus that the supernatural beings are immune to, thus shaving down the worlds human population and the supernatural community that has always lived in the shadows now found themselves as a promminent member of the world.

The main character is Rachel Morgan, a witch who is a bounty hunter/private investigater whose partner is a vampire. I don't want to give anything away and I will not be able to shut up about it if I continue.

Check it out, found in the horror section. For some reason you can't have witches, vampires, and demons in a book without it being in horror.

I love this book for the story, the characters, and the setting. I'm also in love with just about anything supernatural and this puts it in a believable modern setting so close to our own you know it could be true. If I read this book, which I have many times, I cannot write anything without it coming out as something distinctly fan fiction of this series.

 

[cheerful_deviant]

'The Long Dark Teatime of the Soul' by Douglas Adams.

One of the most brilliantly funny books I've ever read in an odd, offbeat kindof way.

 

[Guest]

this question is too difficult for me to answer really. i loved all the books ive read... some more than others but even the ones i had a hard time getting through, had something to offer.
i love my chick lit books for mindless reading.. silly, flitation.
i love my introspective books ie: Blink by Malcolm Gladwell...sometimes its good to take a look inside.
i love my fiction books ie: carl hiaasen. my god... finally a writer who is as sick in the head as i am.
i love the classics...ie: GWTW...its like putting on a pair of fave jeans, comfy and familiar.
so, there are far too many to choose for me to say there is an ultimate favorite.

 

[rgraham666]

All time favourite is The Doubter's Companion - A Dictionary of Aggresive Common Sense by John Ralston Saul. My current copy is about to fall apart I've read it so often.

Fiction changes from day to day, I've read so many. If forced to choose it would probably be Neuromancer by William Gibson. First time I read it, it grabbed me at the very first sentence and wouldn't let go.

"The sky above the port was the color of television, tuned to a dead channel.'

Set the mood instantly. Wonderful book.

 

[Lucifer_Carroll]

Good ol' Farenheit by good ol' Ray.

If you can't figure out what I'm talking about then you are dead to me.

 

[Lucifer_Carroll]

'The Long Dark Teatime of the Soul' by Douglas Adams.

One of the most brilliantly funny books I've ever read in an odd, offbeat kindof way.

Huzzah. I love that book and think it's one of his most brilliant. A funnier American Gods that was written earlier. It's a shame more people don't know about it.

 

[Angel Love]

My most favoritist book is Stephen King's The Stand. When I first picked it up to read it was I believe 1975 and I could not get past the second chapter. He threw things around and around and I had a hard time keeping up with all of the characters. Now I was only 21 and had just given birth to my daughter a few months previous . . . so I have excuses . . . right?

Twoyears later I tried again after my son was born and still could not get into it . . . hey I was a haried mom . . . more excuses right?

Finally five years later I tried again and this time I could not put it down until I was finished with it. I LOVE THAT BOOK!! They rather mangled it as a movie, however . . . sighs. I have read it now 4 times. It is so awesome, of course Stephen King is my idol writer . . . smiles.

 

[angelicminx]

You do like to make things difficult don't you? LOL.

I'm with Vella, it's hard to choose. I like Dean Koontz, Patricia Cornwell, and Sue Grafton, for starters.

Among my favorites is the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon. It's a story about an 18th century Scottish Highlander and the woman who loves him. If you like period pieces that also dabble in time travel and changing history, you HAVE to check this one out. Fair warning though, the quality of the writing drops off after the third book in the series. The order of the books: Outlander (aka Cross Stitch), Dragonfly in Amber, Voyager, Drums of Autumn, The Fiery Cross, and (the latest, which I haven't yet read) A Breath of Snow and Ashes.

I also love the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling. Initially I read Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone because of the controversy surrounding it. What can I say? I'm a rebel, lol. I wanted to know what all the hoopla was about. I fell in love with her writing style, as well as the story and characters.

A friend introduced me to George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series. Martin was doing a book signing at the Joseph Beth Booksellers about 6 years ago and my friend had to work. He asked me to take his copies of the books and have them signed, "Pretty please?" (He begged so well, lol.) Anyway, I got to meet Martin, found him to be an incredible person and chose to read the first novel in that series, A Game of Thrones. All I can say is, WOW. He hooked me. I HAD to read the next one, A Clash of Kings. The third book, A Storm of Swords, didn't disappoint me either. I haven't yet read the fourth book, A Feast for Crows, but I'm sure it will live up to my expectations. He has already planned the rest of the series: A Dance With Dragons, The Winds of Winter, A Dream of Spring, are all forthcoming. If you like fantasy...and dragons, swordplay, kings and theives...then you must give this series a try.

I've read the Dragonlance series, and loved it. I like the whole sci-fi/ fantasy genre.

For a ten year stretch, I read anything and everything Harlequin and Silouette put out. I have read every romance writer known to man (at least it feels that way ).

V. C. Andrews held my attention for a while, but I soon discovered if you've read one series you've basically read them all.

I'm always up for a good murder mystery. Or a psychological horror.

Stephen King has one wild imagination but, to quote him has, "diarrhea of the word processor", which makes him hard to read. I do love his novels, once I actually get through them.

Now that I have written a novel of my own, I think I'll stop now . I'm sure I'll feel the need to drop a few more names in at some point, lol.

 

[Angel Love]

You do like to make things difficult don't you? LOL.

I'm with Vella, it's hard to choose. I like Dean Koontz, Patricia Cornwell, and Sue Grafton, for starters.

Among my favorites is the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon. It's a story about an 18th century Scottish Highlander and the woman who loves him. If you like period pieces that also dabble in time travel and changing history, you HAVE to check this one out. Fair warning though, the quality of the writing drops off after the third book in the series. The order of the books: Outlander (aka Cross Stitch), Dragonfly in Amber, Voyager, Drums of Autumn, The Fiery Cross, and (the latest, which I haven't yet read) A Breath of Snow and Ashes.

I also love the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling. Initially I read Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone because of the controversy surrounding it. What can I say? I'm a rebel, lol. I wanted to know what all the hoopla was about. I fell in love with her writing style, as well as the story and characters.

A friend introduced me to George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series. Martin was doing a book signing at the Joseph Beth Booksellers about 6 years ago and my friend had to work. He asked me to take his copies of the books and have them signed, "Pretty please?" (He begged so well, lol.) Anyway, I got to meet Martin, found him to be an incredible person and chose to read the first novel in that series, A Game of Thrones. All I can say is, WOW. He hooked me. I HAD to read the next one, A Clash of Kings. The third book, A Storm of Swords, didn't disappoint me either. I haven't yet read the fourth book, A Feast for Crows, but I'm sure it will live up to my expectations. He has already planned the rest of the series: A Dance With Dragons, The Winds of Winter, A Dream of Spring, are all forthcoming. If you like fantasy...and dragons, swordplay, kings and theives...then you must give this series a try.

I've read the Dragonlance series, and loved it. I like the whole sci-fi/ fantasy genre.

For a ten year stretch, I read anything and everything Harlequin and Silouette put out. I have read every romance writer known to man (at least it feels that way ).

V. C. Andrews held my attention for a while, but I soon discovered if you've read one series you've basically read them all.

I'm always up for a good murder mystery. Or a psychological horror.

Stephen King has one wild imagination but, to quote him has, "diarrhea of the word processor", which makes him hard to read. I do love his novels, once I actually get through them.

Now that I have written a novel of my own, I think I'll stop now . I'm sure I'll feel the need to drop a few more names in at some point, lol.

I've also read a lot of Dean Koontz. He is second to King in my book. John Saul is a pretty good horror writer also, but his stories all revolve around kids. Although I like them, I feel kinda guilty reading them. No sex, mind you but always children getting gobbled up by aliens or monsters in one form or another. I like Clive Barker, Peter Benchley and Anne Rice also. Guess you can tell what kind of gal I am. Take me to a good horror movie and out for Chinese and I'm a happy lil camper . . . lol.

 

[English Lady]

I can't pick one, but I'll share a few

The BFG -Roald Dahl -ned I say more? It's just a perfect fairy tale.

The Chronicles of Narnia -CS Lewis -I'm reading these to my four year old daughter now and they're still as captivating as when i read them as a child.

Lloyd Alexander's Prydain Series -great books, great characters.

Dark Moon -David Gemmell(well any Gemmell actually) Love to escape into this fantasy world and I have a great crush on Tarantio -the lead with two personalities

Mort -Terry Pratchett . My first and I still think the best Discworld novel. "Death comes to us all, when he came to Mort, he offered him a job."

Jane Eyre -Charlotte Bronte. A beautiful, touching story of a girl growing up.

 

[eric shawn listo]

Sophie's Choice by William Styron...Wonderful novel not only of a harrowing experience but a young writer coming of age and one of the rgeat characters of all time in Nathan.

 

[Aurora Black]

If I absolutely have to choose a favorite book, I'd have to go with The Crimson Petal and the White, by Michel Faber. 800+ pages of lush descriptions which never fail to pull me into both the shadows and light of Victorian England.

 

[SEVERUSMAX]

Julian by Gore Vidal. That book has affected me in so many ways, particularly my religious and spiritual outlook.

 

[Carmenica Diaz]

Extremely difficult to do – have so many and all relevant to particular moods etc.

 

[Guest]

Like so many folks here, I could never pick a single favorite. I can't even narrow down a top ten. My desert island reading would include many an omnibus edition.

A few that come most easily to mind tho.

The Left Hand of Darkness - Ursula LeGuin. I reread this one every couple of years. It never loses power for me.

Beauty - Robin McKinley. My favorite version of the fairy tale.

Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen. I reread this one about every year, and also
Persuasion and Emma.

 

[Aurora Black]

Like so many folks here, I could never pick a single favorite. I can't even narrow down a top ten. My desert island reading would include many an omnibus edition.

A few that come most easily to mind tho.

The Left Hand of Darkness - Ursula LeGuin. I reread this one every couple of years. It never loses power for me.

Beauty - Robin McKinley. My favorite version of the fairy tale.

Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen. I reread this one about every year, and also
Persuasion and Emma.

You have good taste. I knew I liked you.

 

[janiexx]

After a lot of thought, my favourite is "The Snow Leopard" by Peter Matthiessen.

I read the book when I went to Nepal in 1987 and although I found his references to Zen Buddhism a bit difficult to understand, his descriptions of the mountains and the people of Nepal are just too beautiful for words.

And the paragraphs about his wife are so moving, they can reduce me to tears.

I can feel my blood pressure drop when I read his words...

janiexx

 

[DaddysLittleGrrrl]

Great books being listed!

Personally, my top is Watership Down by Richard Adams- absolute favorite book ever great adventure story, wonderful description, fascinating characters- so what if they're bunnies? lol

More good ones vying for second place:

anything by Edgar Allen Poe
A Winter's Tale by Shakespeare
Call of the Wild or White Fang by Jack London
Canterbury Tales by Chaucer (can't tell I was an english major, huh?)
His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman
Redwall by Brian Jacques
Skippyjon Jones, Once Upon a Cool Motorcycle Dude- picture books
Cirque du Freak, Where the Red Fern Grows, anything Robin McKinley
Coraline by Neil Gaiman (hey, I'm a kids' librarian)

oh,
and lately anything by Laurell K. Hamilton

 

[janiexx]

Great books being listed!

Personally, my top is Watership Down by Richard Adams- absolute favorite book ever great adventure story, wonderful description, fascinating characters- so what if they're bunnies? lol

Have to agree there!

Another one I cried over...

And did you ever read "Plague Dogs" by Richard Adams? About the two dogs who escape from an experimental institution? Another classic.

janiexx

 

[togitc]

Dark Moon -David Gemmell(well any Gemmell actually) Love to escape into this fantasy world and I have a great crush on Tarantio -the lead with two personalities

Thought I was the only one who read Gemmell and admited it. I love the Wolf in Shadow series, I actually have a copy that I have read so many times the pages are falling out.

I love the way he describes things.

 

[elsol]

Starship Troopers by Robert Heinlein... if you knew my age, you'd know how often I've read it.

Sincerely,
ElSol

 

[noxiousblonde]

Forever Amber by Kathleen Winsor. I read it at least once a year.

 

[Belegon]

I'm boring and predictable because it's Tolkien...

I'm not quite as predictable because it is not LOTR...it's the Silmarillion

 

[HeyNonnyNonny]

This isn't a fair question! However, so many great books have been listed, and so many difficult decisions made, I feel obliged to join in.

I love travel writing, and the best I've ever read remains Peter Hessler's River City.

If I'm allowed a work of fiction as well, A Song for Nero by Tom Holt is read-it-when-you're-sick-and-can't-handle-any-more-daytime-tv level genius.

 

[English Lady]

Thought I was the only one who read Gemmell and admited it. I love the Wolf in Shadow series, I actually have a copy that I have read so many times the pages are falling out.

I love the way he describes things.

You've found a kindred spirit, love. I discovered Gemmell via the local library, and although one of the first books I read gave me nightmares *chuckles* I just couldn't give up reading them. Like you, I love how he describes things and his characters are amazing,he develops them so well but it's so effortless, you barely notice it. Genius.