What is your single favorite book?

[St. Louis Hawk]

Really hard to pick one but I will go with Thinking Fast and Slow.

Best book for legal dorks - Point Made

Other books I liked and have kept:

The Boys in the Boat
Into Thin Air
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
The Elegant Universe
Master of the Senate
The Onion Field
Fatal Vision
The Kite Runner

 

[What Would Jesus Do?]

I’ve read this series a couple times. Show sucks but the books are great. I think I picked the series up when maybe 6 books had been written. Then every time a new one would come out I’d restart. So the first books I’ve read a lot of times! I thought Sanderson did a good job finishing it.

Sounds like my saga. I started when book 4 came out - thinking it was the concluding book in the series and figuring it was a best seller so how bad could it be? I raced through all the books - loving them - only to find out it wasn't done.

That was good-news-bad-news because you don't really want something that good to finish. On the other hand, you don't want to wait 20 years to get to the end.

Yeah, Sanderson did a fine job. Better on some elements than others, but overall really good.

I actually wrote to Sanderson - I never write authors - with a suggestion, when it was announced he was taking up the challenge. I don't imagine it was my letter that influenced him, but he did do what I suggested. So I can pretend it was my advice. ;-)

 

[ICWestfan]

Jonathon Seagull

 

[Doodads and Hoohah]

Was in the other book thread, and @cubsMDdmb 's comment about The Dead Zone made me curious. What other books might I need to pick up and add to the stack of need to read. Also, why is it your favorite?

My single favorite of all time is Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett. It has been made into several moderately successfull mini-series, but never as good as the book IMO.

What I like about it..... From a character perspective, it is multi generational story that COULD be real, and has some ties to the real world as it is historical fiction. The characters are well defined and I love the struggle success, failure and then build back to a success. It is very relatable and the "bad guys" win. A lot. The Kingsbridge collection is great, but this book stands above for me. I own 2 different copies and have probably read it 5+ times throughout the years.

I love that book in the whole kingsbridge series as well. I need to read pillars of the Earth again

 

[jellyfish10]

Into the Wild.

 

[soonerinlOUisiana]

The Stand, by Stephen King. Read it right before the 1994 miniseries aired. Never saw the 2020 miniseries.

Read Clockwork Orange about a year ago. Was a little disappointed. IMO, Stanley Kubrick seemed to be a much better filmmaker than Anthony Burgess was a writer, based on this particular work.

 

[Tenacious E]

It’s the book equivalent of the OG Star Wars - the book I have read the most times. Both are immensely fun to rewatch/read as they started it all, respectively. A certain kind of nostalgia they both recall every time.

I would say the hobbit for similar reasons.

 

[tarheelbybirth]

Pretty much anything by Steinbeck with East of Eden first among equals.

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey

Boy's Life by Robert McCammon

The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett

 

[the24fan]

Was in the other book thread, and @cubsMDdmb 's comment about The Dead Zone made me curious. What other books might I need to pick up and add to the stack of need to read. Also, why is it your favorite?

My single favorite of all time is Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett. It has been made into several moderately successfull mini-series, but never as good as the book IMO.

What I like about it..... From a character perspective, it is multi generational story that COULD be real, and has some ties to the real world as it is historical fiction. The characters are well defined and I love the struggle success, failure and then build back to a success. It is very relatable and the "bad guys" win. A lot. The Kingsbridge collection is great, but this book stands above for me. I own 2 different copies and have probably read it 5+ times throughout the years.

If we’re talking fiction probably IT.
Into thin air by Jon Krakhauer was The story of the 1996 Everest disaster. That’s a great read, otherwise the greatest book ever of course is the Bible.

 

[ThorneStockton]

Honorable mention for Demon Copperhead. Icredibly funny yet really impactful.

 

[binsfeldcyhawk2]

Dune.

I’ve reread it twice over the years…

 

[GES4]

Tough to answer just one. I enjoyed Pillars but Follett just kind of wore me out with all his subsequent books. Check out Michener’s “Poland” for a similarly awesome epic.

For my favorites, I’ll name 5 of probably a dozen that stick with me.

Cryptonomicon
American Tabloid
A Gentleman in Moscow
Bonfire of the Vanities
The Massie trio of Russian Czar biographies.

 

[JWolf74]

Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine. With several parts written by Dr. Fauci.

Runner up- Mr. Poppers' Penguins.

 

[JWolf74]

Not sure if it's my absolute favorite, but A Tale of Two Cities is as near to the perfectly written novel as anyone is likely to ever get. Just brilliant.

Mel Brooks did it better in "History of The World, Part 1".











Kinda kidding, but I really enjoy the book, too.

 

[funksouljon]

.....
Into thin air by Jon Krakhauer was The story of the 1996 Everest disaster. That’s a great read, ......

Yep, it's on the book shelf waiting to be read, right next to a bunch of others.....

Including Krakauer's "Where Men Win Glory"

 

[Chuck C]

Malazan Books of the Fallen

 

[sultanofsuede]

Master and Margarita.

Coincidentally, just this am I was discussing how Pilates unforgivable sin of a lack of courage had significance both as to the religious aspect of the story but also in terms of its political theme in 30s Russia.

I have a good friend (he is a HROT dude) that made me read this book about 20 years ago. I loved it and probably need to read it again as I only remember a life like person/cat from the first read.

That same friend is a total book weirdo and reads way more that I ever could. He is an awesome reader (if nothing else).

My next on deck is one of Bill Bryson’s or maybe a Michael Lewis entry.

I did really love ‘The Sun also rises’. So that’s my contribution. Or, no, ‘The Jungle’ is my push for this thread.

 

[General Roman Malaise]

Very hard to pick one, but I’ll go with All the Pretty Horses by McCarthy. As another poster said well, the difference between books and literature.

 

[praguehawk]

Master and Margarita.

Coincidentally, just this am I was discussing how Pilates unforgivable sin of a lack of courage had significance both as to the religious aspect of the story but also in terms of its political theme in 30s Russia.

I used to love that book. Tried to reread it lately and didn't enjoy it. Was disappointed in myself about that, but it just did not seem to connect at all this time around. I plan to give it another shot in the future.

 

[tarheelbybirth]

My next on deck is one of Bill Bryson’s...

May I recommend A Short History of Nearly Everything. It is exactly what the title proclaims but told with Bryson's usual wit and with fascinating insights like this instance where Edmund Halley dropped in on Isaac Newton:

Quite what Halley expected to get from him when he made his unannounced visit in August 1684 we can only guess. But thanks to the later account of a Newton confidant, Abraham DeMoivre, we do have a record of one of science s most historic encounters:

In 1684 Dr. Halley came to visit at Cambridge [and] after they had some time together the Dr. asked [Newton] what he thought the curve would be that would be described by the Planets supposing the force of attraction toward the Sun to be reciprocal to the square of their distance from it.

This was a reference to a piece of mathematics known as the inverse square law, which Halley was convinced lay at the heart of the explanation, though he wasn't sure exactly how.

Sir Isaac replied immediately that it would be an ellipse. The Doctor, struck with joy & amazement, asked him how he knew it. Why, saith he, I have calculated it, whereupon Dr. Halley asked him for his calculation without farther delay, Sir Isaac looked among his papers but could not find it. This was astounding, like someone saying he had found a cure for cancer but couldn't remember where he had put the formula.

Pressed by Halley, Newton agreed to redo the calculations and produce a paper. He did as promised, but then did much more. He retired for two years of intensive reflection and scribbling, and at length produced his masterwork: the Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica or Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy , better known as the Principia.


The implication is that Halley's query pushed Newton to noodle around and produce his masterwork. Then Halley had to pay to have it published because Newton didn't want to be bothered with it. 🤪


Oh...yeah...spoiler alert ^^^

 

[beanerhawk]

 

[Whiskeydeltadeltatango]

My Favorite book is Good friends, good guns, good whiskey. A collection of short stories from Skeeter skelton.


My favorite traditional novel, is a Swiss family Robinson, I've read variations of it dozens of times.


On Deck: the dog stars, curiosity of hbot.

 

[Finance85]

 

[JustSayOV]

Tough question.....favorite vs. impactful vs. memorable.....tough decision.

I now listen to audiobooks exclusively and have listened to ton of them and have really enjoyed a lot, but is it fair to say "Where the Red Fern Grows" as my answer?

As someone who never read for fun as a kid and lets be honest, didn't like to read in school, this was the first book I ever re-read on my own free-will and have done so more than once over the years. (I think the first time hearing it was they read it to us in elementary school)

Even as a 39 year old, I read it with my 10 year old son before bed here a few months back and yep, still cried.

So final answer would be Where the Red Fern Grows, maybe because it was the first book I really loved.

OR

Unbroken (the Louis Zamperini story)

 

[HawkeyeShawn]

Was in the other book thread, and @cubsMDdmb 's comment about The Dead Zone made me curious. What other books might I need to pick up and add to the stack of need to read. Also, why is it your favorite?

My single favorite of all time is Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett. It has been made into several moderately successfull mini-series, but never as good as the book IMO.

What I like about it..... From a character perspective, it is multi generational story that COULD be real, and has some ties to the real world as it is historical fiction. The characters are well defined and I love the struggle success, failure and then build back to a success. It is very relatable and the "bad guys" win. A lot. The Kingsbridge collection is great, but this book stands above for me. I own 2 different copies and have probably read it 5+ times throughout the years.

Pillars of the Earth is fantastic. In fact it’s sitting on my nightstand as I decided to read it again.

My favorite book from my youth is The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton. Even though I was born in ‘71, I would have fit in as a greaser in ‘65. Born 20 years too late.

 

[funksouljon]

Pillars of the Earth is fantastic. In fact it’s sitting on my nightstand as I decided to read it again.

My favorite book from my youth is The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton. Even though I was born in ‘71, I would have fit in as a greaser in ‘65. Born 20 years too late.

Funny, my 12 YO had it as a reading assignment last month. She was so excited to see the movie as she LOVED the book. And I don't think I've ever read it.

 

[hexumhawk]

Confederacy of Dunces

 

[Gus is dead]

Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine. With several parts written by Dr. Fauci.

Runner up- Mr. Poppers' Penguins.

I have a 1970's version of Merck which I really am fond of. Was my father's.

 

[HawkeyeShawn]

Funny, my 12 YO had it as a reading assignment last month. She was so excited to see the movie as she LOVED the book. And I don't think I've ever read it.

I’ll bet I’ve read it 20+ times. Stay gold Ponyboy.

 

[CarolinaHawkeye]

The Mosquito Coast by Paul Theroux.

 

[CarolinaHawkeye]

We all have to have a fantasy life.

 

[CarolinaHawkeye]

You like fiction. That's to be expected I guess.

 

[cubsMDdmb]

Tough question.....favorite vs. impactful vs. memorable.....tough decision.

I now listen to audiobooks exclusively and have listened to ton of them and have really enjoyed a lot, but is it fair to say "Where the Red Fern Grows" as my answer?

As someone who never read for fun as a kid and lets be honest, didn't like to read in school, this was the first book I ever re-read on my own free-will and have done so more than once over the years. (I think the first time hearing it was they read it to us in elementary school)

Even as a 39 year old, I read it with my 10 year old son before bed here a few months back and yep, still cried.

So final answer would be Where the Red Fern Grows, maybe because it was the first book I really loved.

OR

Unbroken (the Louis Zamperini story)

This was my first favorite book as a kid. I’ve read it at least a dozen times and cry every time. I’ve read it to a couple of my kids, most recently a couple years ago to my now 9 year old. I can barely make it through reading out loud.

When I was 10 or 12 or so my mom bought me a new hardcover version for Christmas, with a laminate cover to go over it. It was one of my most prized possessions for several years. I wish I’d had her inscribe it because she died when I was 15. She gave my sister and I our love for reading. We took many trips to the Waterloo public library each Saturday and she would check out 5 to 7 books and be done with them by the following Saturday. Back then there was a wonder bread factory next to the library (it’s now a Single Speed Brewery) and the smells down there were amazing.

All that to say Where the Red Fern Grows is a great choice!

 

[ThorneStockton]

The Mosquito Coast by Paul Theroux.

Might have to give this one a try. I just finished The Old Patagonian Express and have read two of his other train travel books, so I'm familiar with Theroux's style, but not in a novel format.

 

[lucas80]

Favorite versus impactful is a difficult obstacle for me.
I am going to go with Nobody Loves A Drunken Indian by Clair Huffaker. I first read it in high school, and have reread it twice. The book itself was thought provoking, but it also made me look at the possibilities an author was exploring differently.
It's probably going to be on a bunch of banned lists soon enough.

 

[Fan In Black]

I dont know if I have a favorite..but the fiction book I have reread the most is Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

 

[lonestar50]

I dont know if I have a favorite..but the fiction book I have reread the most is Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

You might like James by Percival Everett. It a reimagining of Huck Finn from Jim's point of view. I thought it was an incredibly good book

 

[Fan In Black]

You might like James by Percival Everett. It a reimagining of Huck Finn from Jim's point of view. I thought it was an incredibly good book

thanks dude!

 

[Rifler]

If you enjoy history, The Discoverers,.. Daniel Boorstin,... One of a trilogy which also included The Creators and The Seekers.

 

[praguehawk]

Amongst leaders for me would be; Where the Red Fern Grows, The Stand, Confederacy of Dunces, East of Eden, The Hobbit, The Boys in the Boat, Cryptonomicon, Guns Germs and Steel, A Prayer for Owen Meany, Dragons of Autumn Twilight, The Black Cauldron.

Gonna go with the Stand. Others may have been more impactful on my reading over the years, but it would probably rate the highest across a mix of scales.