5 best or favorite books you've read (Fiction)

[MuggsyB]

I'm always looking for new things to read.  For me in no particular order:

Light in August/Faulkner
Portrait of an Artist AAYM/Joyce
Wind-Up Bird Chronicle/Murakami
Catch-22/Heller
War and Peace/Tolstoy

Who ya got and what would be a 64 book bracket in fiction?

[Lennys Tap]

I'm always looking for new things to read.  For me in no particular order:

Light in August/Faulkner
Portrait of an Artist AAYM/Joyce
Wind-Up Bird Chronicle/Murakami
Catch-22/Heller
War and Peace/Tolstoy

Who ya got and what would be a 64 book bracket in fiction?

Faulkner, Joyce and Tolstoy are your “faves”? You’re a better man than I am, Muggsy.

My picks? Anything by Kurt Vonnegut (maybe “Cat’s Cradle” as my top pick!, “Confederacy of Dunces” by John Kennedy Toole, “Still Life with Woodpecker” by Tom Robbins, “The Magus” by John Fowles and “The Sportswriter “ by Richard Ford.

Short stories? “Welcome to the Monkey House (Vonnegut again) and The Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien.

[JWags85]

My picks? Anything by Kurt Vonnegut (maybe “Cat’s Cradle” as my top pick!, “Confederacy of Dunces” by John Kennedy Toole, “Still Life with Woodpecker” by Tom Robbins, “The Magus” by John Fowles and “The Sportswriter “ by Richard Ford.

One of my favorites of all time.  Just an incredible read.  I read it for the first time as a college freshman and liked it.  Read it again bout 5 years later and was in tears laughing at points.

Ive never heard anyone mention War and Peace as a favorite, dang.  Well maybe Lebron 

My personal favorite fiction writer is Tom Wolfe.  Bonfire of the Vanities is a fantastic choice that introduced me to his writing (though DePalma made a horrific movie out of it).  The run of Bonfire, Man in Full, and I Am Charlotte Simmons was just a masterclass of fiction.  Back to Blood was good, but not on the same level.  Man could spend 3 pages just describing a room and not have it be overdone.

I like Michael Chabon's stuff a lot as well.  Adventures of Kavalier and Clay is an absolutely stellar read.

[Coleman]

I'm more of a nonfiction guy - but here are a few of my favorites...


The Alchemist - Paulo Coelho
Murder on the Orient Express - Agatha Christie
Sphere - Michael Crichton
The Power and the Glory - Graham Greene
The Violent Bear it Away - Flannery O'Connor

[MuggsyB]

Faulkner, Joyce and Tolstoy are your “faves”? You’re a better man than I am, Muggsy.

My picks? Anything by Kurt Vonnegut (maybe “Cat’s Cradle” as my top pick!, “Confederacy of Dunces” by John Kennedy Toole, “Still Life with Woodpecker” by Tom Robbins, “The Magus” by John Fowles and “The Sportswriter “ by Richard Ford.

Short stories? “Welcome to the Monkey House (Vonnegut again) and The Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien.

C of D is hilarious.  And Toole took that title from Jonathan Swift who was a complete badass with the pen.  It's extremely sad that J-K-Toole couldn't enjoy his brilliant novel but at the same time amazing how it got published.

[brewcity77]

When it comes to fiction, I usually go the sci-fi or fantasy routes, which usually leads to series rather than individual books.

The Black Company by Glen Cook: The author is a Vietnam vet and pens a phenomenal war story set in a fantasy world. It's dark, gritty, and in the trenches. Definitely not the typical swords and sorcery, and told through the perspective of the mundane boots on the ground soldiers rather than the wizards that border on force of nature level powers.

Game of Thrones by George RR Martin: If you liked the first 3-4 seasons of the show, the books are even better, but they don't fall off as it goes. Epic fantasy that blurs the lines between heroes and villains with politics and intrigue proving to be the mightiest powers in the land.

Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card:  The author may have personal issues, but the book is fantastic. I read it as a stand-alone and it's just such a great read. Ender Wiggin is a brilliant character, his struggles mix martial prowess with the difficulties of being a child, just a great sci-fi read.

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams: Absolutely hilarious story about the everyman Arthur Dent who gets swept up in intergalactic drama as a result of bypass construction. Adams' wit is a joy to behold. Worth reading and then going back to every few years.

Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson: Excellent epic fantasy that takes a number of twists and turns. The magic system is unlike any other and takes some getting used to, but the characters are deep and interesting. Sanderson is really good at weaving a world and providing depth.

An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir: There's definitely some Middle Eastern flair to this, but it's a great tale told from multiple perspectives. Watching the main characters relationships grow and shift is enjoyable and I love a well-developed villain, and this story has a few of them. I checked this out strictly based on cover art and felt surprisingly rewarded. Sounds like it may be made into a movie series as well.

[lawdog77]

One Hundred Years of Solitude
Catcher in the Rye
Heart of Darkness
The Art of the Deal
On the Road

[MuggsyB]

I'm more of a nonfiction guy - but here are a few of my favorites...


The Alchemist - Paulo Coelho
Murder on the Orient Express - Agatha Christie
Sphere - Michael Crichton
The Power and the Glory - Graham Greene
The Violent Bear it Away - Flannery O'Connor

I would highly recommend :The Splendid and the Vile by E. Larson.  He's not a historian but really does a terrific job painting a picture of Churchill during the beginning of WW2.  It's inspiring and a tremendous story of prime-time time leadership and unwavering courage.  Manchester and Gilbert are still the gold-standard for Winston bio's but this more of a page turner and focused on 1940-41.  It's important to remind ourselves that no matter how tough things seem, there have been many things throughout history that have been 1 million times harder.

[Pakuni]

This is a great topic of discussion, but almost impossible to answer for me, because it depends so much on where I was in life when I read a particular book.
I read the LOTR books twice between 12-15 years old and they were my favorites of all time then, but I wouldn't feel the same if I read them for the first time today.
I never got around to reading Hemingway until my late 30s and became a big fan, but had I been required to read him in high school or college, I'd have likely loathed it.
That said, here's a feeble attempt to list a top 5:

"All Quiet on the Western Front," by Erich Remarque
"Deliverance," by James Dickey
"The Catcher in the Rye," by JD Salinger (I know, so cliche)
"One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest," by Ken Kesey
"Survivor," by Chuck Palahniuk

[Coleman]

I would highly recommend :The Splendid and the Vile by E. Larson.  He's not a historian but really does a terrific job painting a picture of Churchill during the beginning of WW2.  It's inspiring and a tremendous story of prime-time time leadership and unwavering courage.  Manchester and Gilbert are still the gold-standard for Winston bio's but this more of a page turner and focused on 1940-41.  It's important to remind ourselves that no matter how tough things seem, there have been many things throughout history that have been 1 million times harder.

Erik Larson is great. I love Devil in the White City.

[brewcity77]

I read the LOTR books twice between 12-15 years old and they were my favorites of all time then, but I wouldn't feel the same if I read them for the first time today.

I find The Hobbit to be a delightful read, even though I've read it numerous times, while the core series is just too dense and cumbersome to reread, though I similarly read them more than once in my younger days.

[MU82]

This is a great topic of discussion, but almost impossible to answer for me, because it depends so much on where I was in life when I read a particular book.
I read the LOTR books twice between 12-15 years old and they were my favorites of all time then, but I wouldn't feel the same if I read them for the first time today.
I never got around to reading Hemingway until my late 30s and became a big fan, but had I been required to read him in high school or college, I'd have likely loathed it.
That said, here's a feeble attempt to list a top 5:

"All Quiet on the Western Front," by Erich Remarque
"Deliverance," by James Dickey
"The Catcher in the Rye," by JD Salinger (I know, so cliche)
"One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest," by Ken Kesey
"Survivor," by Chuck Palahniuk

Great list, Pak. Read them all except Survivor. I’ll have to check it out.

I was a big John Irving fan when he was at the height of his ability. The World According to Garp is my all-time favorite novel, and I also loved Hotel New Hampshire and A Prayer for Owen Meany.

One that left an indelible impression was Jaws, which I idiotically read while lying on the beach in Florida as a teenager. I couldn’t enjoy the effen ocean the entire vacation!! The movie is on my top 20 list but the Benchley book also was great, with several notable differences from the movie.

In recent years I’ve read mostly nonfiction stuff. Probably should get back to some novels.

[CTWarrior]

Erik Larson is great. I love Devil in the White City.

Great call.  The amazing thing about that book was that, at least to me, the building of the World's Fair was every bit as compelling, if not more, as the "Murder House" was.  I never would have thought that going into the book.

[MuggsyB]

Erik Larson is great. I love Devil in the White City.

Ty Coleman.  I will have to check that one out.

[BM1090]

I would highly recommend :The Splendid and the Vile by E. Larson.  He's not a historian but really does a terrific job painting a picture of Churchill during the beginning of WW2.  It's inspiring and a tremendous story of prime-time time leadership and unwavering courage.  Manchester and Gilbert are still the gold-standard for Winston bio's but this more of a page turner and focused on 1940-41.  It's important to remind ourselves that no matter how tough things seem, there have been many things throughout history that have been 1 million times harder.

I haven't read The Splendid and the Vile but it's on my list. In the Garden of Beasts was tremendous.

[jficke13]

Also on the SF front: Leviathan's Wake and the rest of the books that the show The Expanse is based on by James S.A. Corey. Easily the best SF going right now.

[ZiggysFryBoy]

For Larson books, Devil and Garden of the Beast are his two best.  The churchill one was a bit dry.  The wireless book about Marconi was good as well.

[Silent Verbal]

This is a really good topic.  Hard to pick just 5, but...

“Revolutionary Road” by Richard Yates.  I’ve read everything Yates published, and most of it’s good, but this was his first and best.

“The Caine Mutiny” by Herman Wouk.  Gave us the great Captain Queeg and his strawberries.  I’ve always thought Wojo had a little Queeg in him.

“Clockers” by Richard Price.  Price also wrote for “The Wire” and “The Night Of” on HBO.  This is his best book.

“The Friends of Eddie Coyle” by George V. Higgins.  Hugely influential crime novel, its dialogue influenced the likes of Elmore Leonard, Quentin Tarantino, David Mamet, and the aforementioned Price.

“From Here to Eternity” by James Jones.  Great story and vivid characters set in Pear Harbor, it was the first and best of Jones’ WW2 trilogy.

[MuggsyB]

For Larson books, Devil and Garden of the Beast are his two best.  The churchill one was a bit dry.  The wireless book about Marconi was good as well.

I didn't think so Ziggy but you're entitled to your opinion. 

[Silent Verbal]

One that left an indelible impression was Jaws, which I idiotically read while lying on the beach in Florida as a teenager. I couldn’t enjoy the effen ocean the entire vacation!! The movie is on my top 20 list but the Benchley book also was great, with several notable differences from the movie.

It’s funny, Jaws is my favorite movie of all time, but I’ve always kind of hated the book.  Where the film is an exciting adventure with quirky and often funny characters, I found the book to be flat out depressing.  Spielberg was quoted as saying he was rooting for the shark by the end of the novel, and I don’t think he was wrong to feel that way.  Without giving away too many spoilers, the book contains a whole bunch of weird and unnecessary BS about Hooper having an affair with Brody’s wife, the mayor being pressured by the mafia to keep the beaches open (I think Brody’s cat is killed at one point?), and probably some other stuff I’ve put out of my mind.

That said, the meat and potatoes of the story is genius, and we can all be forever grateful to Benchley for that.  And I’m sure as hell never going swimming in the ocean.

[Lennys Tap]

"All Quiet on the Western Front," by Erich Remarque
"Deliverance," by James Dickey
"The Catcher in the Rye," by JD Salinger (I know, so cliche)
"One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest," by Ken Kesey
"Survivor," by Chuck Palahniuk

Pak

Don’t know how I forgot “Cuckoo’s Nest” - definitely in my top 5, maybe even #1. “Deliverance” was certainly gripping, but I have to confess I didn’t love it.

[MuggsyB]

It’s funny, Jaws is my favorite movie of all time, but I’ve always kind of hated the book.  Where the film is an exciting adventure with quirky and often funny characters, I found the book to be flat out depressing.  Spielberg was quoted as saying he was rooting for the shark by the end of the novel, and I don’t think he was wrong to feel that way.  Without giving away too many spoilers, the book contains a whole bunch of weird and unnecessary BS about Hooper having an affair with Brody’s wife, the mayor being pressured by the mafia to keep the beaches open (I think Brody’s cat is killed at one point?), and probably some other stuff I’ve put out of my mind.

That said, the meat and potatoes of the story is genius, and we can all be forever grateful to Benchley for that.  And I’m sure as hell never going swimming in the ocean.

Wait...there are actually people that didn't root for the shark? Great Whites are generally misunderstood.  The movie was discriminatory.  If they were ruthless killers Deep Blue would be shredding people all over the world. 

[buckchuckler]

Man, great topic.

Some of my favorites are:

The Lord of the Rings/ Hobbit, (Tolkien)
Treasure Island (Stevenson -- thought Kidnapped is great too)
The Count of Monte Cristo (Alexandre Dumas-- Three Musketeers is a joy of a read as well, and much better than any film or tv adaptation)
Great Expectations (Dickens)
Dracula -- (Stoker -- I just love how it is written.  So cool, and really pulls you in, again, it is far better than anything on screen)

I also haven't seen anyone mention Tom Sawyer or Huck Finn yet.  A couple more stories I just loved reading.   

[warriorchick]

One of my favorites of all time.  Just an incredible read.  I read it for the first time as a college freshman and liked it.  Read it again bout 5 years later and was in tears laughing at points.

Ever wonder why "Confederacy of Dunces" was never made into a movie?  It' been in Development Hell for over 30 years.  Part of the reason is that the actors chosen to play Ignatius C. Reilly keep dying:

John Belushi
John Candy
Chris Farley

Let's all say a prayer for Zach Galifianakis.  He's the one who has been tapped most recently.

[Coleman]

Man, great topic.

Some of my favorites are:

The Lord of the Rings/ Hobbit, (Tolkien)
Treasure Island (Stevenson -- thought Kidnapped is great too)
The Count of Monte Cristo (Alexandre Dumas-- Three Musketeers is a joy of a read as well, and much better than any film or tv adaptation)
Great Expectations (Dickens)
Dracula -- (Stoker -- I just love how it is written.  So cool, and really pulls you in, again, it is far better than anything on screen)

I also haven't seen anyone mention Tom Sawyer or Huck Finn yet.  A couple more stories I just loved reading.

Can't argue with any of these. Love them all.

[MuggsyB]

I've been meaning to read I, Claudius by Robert Graves.   Has anyone read it and what's your verdict?

[ZiggysFryBoy]

I didn't think so Ziggy but you're entitled to your opinion.

On the Churchill book?  While the Nazis were evil, it didn't have the same spark for the "bad guys" vs some of the the other books.

Plus, so much of the Churchill side read like his social calendar.  Didn't think the story was as captivating as it could have been.

The bombing parts and the parts about war production were interesting.

[MuggsyB]

On the Churchill book?  While the Nazis were evil, it didn't have the same spark for the "bad guys" vs some of the the other books.

Plus, so much of the Churchill side read like his social calendar.  Didn't think the story was as captivating as it could have been.

The bombing parts and the parts about war production were interesting.

Since I haven't read Larson's other stuff I can't make any comparisons.  Reading a few reviews I can see that some were a bit disappointed like you.  Personally, I enjoyed it a lot and have read a few Churchill bios.  I was interested in the characters within Winston's family and people like Goring and Hess as well.  The significance of the B of B and Churchill's ascension to power is so dramatic and important that I tend to find it pretty gripping. 

Additionally, it made me think how sad it is that leaders like Mr. Churchill seemingly no longer exist.  All that said I will read Devil or G of B and may very well find ithem more compelling.  Usually, I don't read best sellers but I made an exception in this case.

[pbiflyer]

C of D is hilarious.  And Toole took that title from Jonathan Swift who was a complete badass with the pen.  It's extremely sad that J-K-Toole couldn't enjoy his brilliant novel but at the same time amazing how it got published.

Favorite of mine too. Plus I have a huge love of New Orleans. Been visiting since I was 7 years old, sister graduated from Loyola, got engaged at Commander's Palace, been part of the Mardi Gras parades as a member of the Krewe of King Arthur.

For those that haven't read it or know the story of how it was published, read the book, then read the story of how it came to be published.

For those that like it, you might like Christopher Moore's Fool or his book Lamb.

[MuggsyB]

Ever wonder why "Confederacy of Dunces" was never made into a movie?  It' been in Development Hell for over 30 years.  Part of the reason is that the actors chosen to play Ignatius C. Reilly keep dying:

John Belushi
John Candy
Chris Farley

Let's all say a prayer for Zach Galifianakis.  He's the one who has been tapped most recently.

This is a great question.  Off the top of my head I can't think of any actor that would be a slam dunk for that role. 

[warriorchick]

This is a great question.  Off the top of my head I can't think of any actor that would be a slam dunk for that role.

There was a stage version that starred Nick Offerman.  I think he's a good choice, although he might be a little too slim for the role.

[MuggsyB]

There was a stage version that starred Nick Offerman.  I think he's a good choice, although he might be a little too slim for the role.

Ignatius was heavy....very heavy.   I was thinking Jonah Hill but now he's too slim.   There's gotta be someone out there... like a Irish/British actor?  Offerman is an  interesting thought but isn't he too old?

[MuggsyB]

Ignatius was heavy....very heavy.   I was thinking Jonah Hill but now he's too slim.   There's gotta be someone out there... like an Irish/British actor?  Offerman is an  interesting thought but isn't he too old?

[Coleman]

Ignatius was heavy....very heavy.   I was thinking Jonah Hill but now he's too slim.   There's gotta be someone out there... like a Irish/British actor?  Offerman is an  interesting thought but isn't he too old?

Nick Frost?

[JWags85]

Ignatius was heavy....very heavy.   I was thinking Jonah Hill but now he's too slim.   There's gotta be someone out there... like a Irish/British actor?  Offerman is an  interesting thought but isn't he too old?

John Goodman was rumored for a long time when he was younger.  And obviously much heavier.

I heard people suggest Zach Galifinakis, who I actually think could have been fantastic.  But he's slimmed down quite a bit too.

The Steven Soderbergh version that was casted but has been on hold for 15 years was Will Ferrell.  But IMO thats a HORRIBLE choice.

Honestly, given costuming and CGI, I'd rather a truly excellent comedic actor who knows the role well put on some weight, or a fat suit, or whatnot than try to shoehorn someone in just cause they are overweight.  That being said, I'm not confident about a movie being made ever for some reason.

[Silent Verbal]

John Goodman was rumored for a long time when he was younger.  And obviously much heavier.

I heard people suggest Zach Galifinakis, who I actually think could have been fantastic.  But he's slimmed down quite a bit too.

The Steven Soderbergh version that was casted but has been on hold for 15 years was Will Ferrell.  But IMO thats a HORRIBLE choice.

Honestly, given costuming and CGI, I'd rather a truly excellent comedic actor who knows the role well put on some weight, or a fat suit, or whatnot than try to shoehorn someone in just cause they are overweight.  That being said, I'm not confident about a movie being made ever for some reason.

I think John C Reilly would’ve been a great choice, and still could be with makeup to make him look younger.

[MuggsyB]

Goodman would have been great in his prime.  Remember the actor not only has to be heavy, but must pull off the hunting cap look combined with the New Orleans accent.  I just don't know who can do it.....how old is Ignatius?  I forgot.

[Lennys Tap]

Goodman would have been great in his prime.  Remember the actor not only has to be heavy, but must pull off the hunting cap look combined with the New Orleans accent.  I just don't know who can do it.....how old is Ignatius?  I forgot.

IIRC he pretty young. 30s maybe?

[MuggsyB]

IIRC he pretty young. 30s maybe?

Just looked it up.  30 is correct.  Ergo we can't have guys like Galifianakis or other oldies playing him.  We also need someone to play his mom.  This is tough.

[warriorchick]

Just looked it up.  30 is correct.  Ergo we can't have guys like Galifianakis or other oldies playing him.  We also need someone to play his mom.  This is tough.

All of the high school students in Grease were pushing 30 IRL.  And adding ten years Ignatius's age would not change the character much.

[MuggsyB]

All of the high school students in Grease were pushing 30 IRL.  And adding ten years Ignatius's age would not change the character much.

Galifianakis has to be 50?  Who can pull this off?

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

All of the high school students in Grease were pushing 30 IRL.  And adding ten years Ignatius's age would not change the character much.

Stockard Channing (Rizzo) was 34 when Grease was released.  She's less than a year younger than my mom.

[Coleman]

I was going to suggest Bobby Moynihan but even he is 44.