What Are Your FAVORITE Ever Books?

[Kendra]

I almost forgot to mention Alan Bradley's Flavia de Luce mysteries. These are well-written, yet light and fun to read. They're set in England on a formerly grand estate, with a rather precocious young heroine. Quirky and fascinating, and the mysteries are not easily solved (my big complaint about most mysteries). There are four books already out, with a new one due this winter.

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie

(first in the series)

http://www.amazon.co... de luce series

Bookmarking this Susanne - I haven't read a good light mystery series in a while. My mom and I read many of The Cat Who books for a while several years ago, we enjoyed them.

 

[ohmt]

I forgot one of the best!

The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Zafon.

If you haven't read it, please do. Fantastic

 

[Riverrose28]

Back in the early 1960's when I was in high school we had an English Lit teacher that everyone couldn't stand, (Miss Grumpy), not really her name but sounded like. She had us read, (now I know I'm going to spell it wrong,) Les Miserables by Victor Hugo, I didn't even want to start it, but you know what, I loved it. Steven Kings Salems Lot still scares me, and I think I own most of his books, loved the dome. I like Dean Koonz and my favorite is a book I gave to my sister -in-law when she was in the hosp. For the life of me I can't remember the name but, it was about a golden retriever, a boy, and aliens. I also read James Pattersons Alex Cross series and most recently have found books by James Rollins, love them.

Oh and Jan I still have King of the Wind, and won't even let my granchildren touch it, since it's a first edition. Gotta love Sham!

 

[lucky seven]

Kendra, I have read" the Cat who" books also. They were fun to read. I also enjoyed the books written by Sue Henry but she seems to have stopped writing. IT is my favorite Steven King book. The Stand is also good, I enjoyed the tv movies made on both books.

 

[Sonya]

I read the Game of Thrones, it is hard to follow with all the characters. I had to bookmark the front index and go back to it so much, I was getting confused. I did like it though.

 

[Jill]

There are some series that, when combined, equal any single book I've read in terms of true enjoyment:

• Patricia Cornwell's Kay Scarpetta books
  
• Kathy Reich's Tempe Brennan books
  
• Charlain Harris' Southern Vampire / Sookie / "True Blood" books
  
• Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum books
  
• Dean Koontz' Christopher Snow books
  
• Dean Koontz' Frankenstein books
  
• Stephen King's Black Tower (already mentioned, a/k/a Gunslinger books)
  
• Mary Janice Davidson's Betsy the Vampire Queen books, up until the last couple!
  
• Victoria Laurie's "Psychic Eye" books
  

None of these except the Dark Tower) are what I would consider "deep", but OMG, soooooooooooooooooo enjoyable and if you sit down with them and love them like I have, it's awesome that it can be a very long experience with so many books to enjoy!!!

 

[Tremor]

I'm pretty old school with my likes but I have two books that I have read every year of high school and middle school.

East of Eden by John Steinbeck

Catch-22 by Joseph Heller

LOVE LOVE LOVE.

 

[wildoak]

Resurrecting this thread..

I have since read Shadow of the Wind and think it's now on my favorites list! Also left off West With The Night, one of my all time "bests". Don't know whether it is currently in print but it is a must read!

Jan

 

[KanoasDestiny]

Gosh, there are just so many good ones. I'll think I love one and that it's my favorite, then I'll read another great one and fall in love with it too. Lol

 

[paintponylvr]

I love reading and mine is all over the map - though usually fiction. Several that I have and/or have read are already mentioned, but then I have a lot of others.

I've gone crazy finding some of the "old" books that I read as a pre-teen and teen about horses and cowboys. I became a member of several book auctions - so that I can occansionally purchase ones that I find (usually well used, but...). Hmmm, been a while since I've been out to those sites.

Some of the horse ones I like (think they'd be dime novels, pulp westerns??):

Beyond Rope and Fence'

The Phantom Roan

Hold the Rein Free

The Christmas Horse

The Valdez Horses (this was one of my first real Novels - a huge book and took me a while to parse thru it when I was 11 yrs old- but I've never forgotten it)

About the time I was reading that book - I was introduced to children's author - Lynn Hall. Never forgot the first book I read by her and recently went and found it. AND found that she'd done several more about the same pony - I now own the whole set in hardback. When I'm sad - I can read through one and feel better in 1 hour these days... These stories are based on a true life history of Dragon - one of the foundation sires of the POA pony - created here in the US in Iowa. She also did quite a number of other children's books -some of which I've read.

A Horse called Dragon

New Day for Dragon

Dragon Defiant

Dragon's Delight

Sungod

Scholastic books not part of a series - Year of the Black Pony, Nimble Foot & Gypsy (actually a 2nd one came out), The Saddle Pals, Doodle Bug ....

I love any and all books written or illustrated by Sam Savitt, Walter Farley and Marguerite Henry - not sure which is my favorite though.

I was introduced to sci/fi Fantasy thru The Last Unicorn (yes, that animated film is based on a book). Then went into The Dragons of Pern series - but I LOVE the Mercedes Lackey stories with the Companions (spirit horses that have powers combined with their riders...). She's written quite a number that I haven't had the chance to read...

Different tack - authors - Jack Higgins, Clive Cussler & Tom Clancy - all military, spy type?? The Kaye Scarpetta series, female author and there's another one who does a couple in the same field - set in American Indian feild but current day... Can't remember the author or the title of the books I've read by her right now...

"Bones" - the TV show is based on a book???? I'm going to have to go research that and read

There are more - lately I've done research on line and working ponies so when I've picked up a book - haven't even thought about finishing it. sigh.

 

[Remali]

The Walter Farley Black Stallion and Island Stallion books. And, of course, The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings. And, Marguerite Henry's books, especially King of the Wind.

 

[Kim~Crayonboxminiatures]

I do recommend The Book Thief, it is a very powerful book! It is sad, but not as depressing as other books written in the time period (IMO).

I hate listing favorite books, because I know I will forget one that I love, I have way too many to list favorites! I will list a few that come to mind that have not already been listed...

-The Tale of Peter Rabbit has been my favorite since I was a child.

-The Crumb by Jean S Doty

-Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander (The Black Cauldron, etc)

-Mark Rashids books (horse training, but so many life experience stories, they are a fun read too).

-The Fault In Our Stars by John Green and Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green & David Levithon

-The Blessings of Animals by Katrina Kittle

-A Good Dog, A Dog Year, & The Dogs of Bedlam Farm by Jon Katz (or any others of his) they are non-fiction about life with Border Collies

 

[lucky seven]

I'm glad you mentioned Mark Rashid. I've read some of his books and they were very thought provoking.

 

[SugaryCharm]

A couple of my favorites are fantasy novels from Terry Goodkind's Sword of Truth series. It is an 11- or 12-book series of varying quality...toward the end of the series the books get very preachy and somewhat repetitive, but if you can forgive that--or skip over those parts--it is one of few series I've read that has really moved me. KanoasDestiny, did you cry through parts of the Hunger Games series? I did, for the record,

and these books had the same emotional impact for me: Wizard's First Rule and Faith of the Fallen. I doubt that I will reread the entire series anytime soon, but I have reread these two numerous times already!

Then there's Harry Potter, but that's already been covered!

 

[KanoasDestiny]

SugaryCharm, I've never read the Hunger Games. I have put (and removed) it from my wislist many times, but ultimately I don't think it's a book series I'm interested in. My job is working with kids, and dealing with violence that is kid-related is an everyday posibility for me. I can't bring myself to read about children being pitted against each other and trying to kill each other. Some of my prior students have recently been charged with attempted murder, and I remember my friends going up on murder charges in the 90s when being in gangs was desireable for many. It's just a touchy issue for me. I did reluctantly watch the movie, and it was ok. I'd enjoy it more if it were adults though.

 

[SugaryCharm]

Whoops...I was thinking you had read them, sorry!

It must have been someone else. I can see how that would be a sensitive topic for you; I didn't mean to offend.

 

[ohmt]

I have read Hunger Games and cried a couple of times during the last book. One of my favorite series-it is beautifully written. I rarely cry, especially reading a book.

 

[KanoasDestiny]

No worries SugaryCharm, I didn't take any offense.

Everyone I know (including school employees) has read the books. Just for me personally, I don't think I can do it. My sister-in-law murdered her three year old daughter and attempted to kill her one year old son (he died and was revived twice on the operating table) a couple of years before I met my husband. Almost 14 years later, I have never said so much as a hello to her. My husband and I have removed ourselves from his entire family because they won't stop trying to push accepting her onto us. I know that the books have a bigger purpose then just kids killing each other, I just have a hard time getting past that.

 

[lucky seven]

Kanoas, I'm so sorry that this happened to your family. I haven't read the hunger games, did try to watch the movie but the brutality against children bothered me as well. I returned the movie without watching the whole thing.

 

[Sunrise Valley]

I LIKE this forum!

The Jasper Fforde "Thursday Next" books- The Eyre Affair, Lost In A Good Book, The Well Of Lost Plots. What a hoot!! Indesribable-nothing else like them!

Same Kind Of Different As Me by Ron Hall, Denver Moore and Lynn Vincent.

A Time To Kill by John Grisham

All Dick Francis novels, some are better than others, but I've never been dissapionted!

More to come!

Lisa