List your top five books.... doesn't matter what category....
1. The Bible
2. The Stand - never wanted it to end,,,
3. Watership Down
4. The Hobbit
5. Dune

Just having some fun....

Stranger In A Strange Land
The Metamorphosis
Brave New World
To Kill A Mockingbird
Faust

People dont read books anymore.... lol!!!

It is absolutely impossible for me to narrow it down to 5. I think 25 would be more realistic for me, and even that would be difficult. I live for books. Some of my favorites have already been mentioned, but I will add, in no particular order:

The World According to Garp
Magic Mountain
Cat's Cradle
The Lord of the Rings Trilogy
East of Eden
Atlas Shrugged

Oops, that's 6, and I don't even feel like I've scratched the surface---no Russian authors, no Faulkner, etc.

(03-23-2011 03:42 PM)Stella Blue Wrote:  It is absolutely impossible for me to narrow it down to 5. I think 25 would be more realistic for me, and even that would be difficult. I live for books. Some of my favorites have already been mentioned, but I will add, in no particular order:

The World According to Garp
Magic Mountain
Cat's Cradle
The Lord of the Rings Trilogy
East of Eden
Atlas Shrugged

Oops, that's 6, and I don't even feel like I've scratched the surface---no Russian authors, no Faulkner, etc.

Atlas Shrugged was thick but an awesome book as well!!...

The Rings Trilogy (including The Hobbit), surprisingly enough.
To Kill a Mockingbird
All Quiet on the Western Front
Lost Continent by Bill Bryson
A Storm in Flanders, by Winston Groom (yeah, THAT Winston Groom)

(03-23-2011 03:55 PM)Smaug Wrote:  The Rings Trilogy (including The Hobbit), surprisingly enough.
To Kill a Mockingbird
All Quiet on the Western Front
Lost Continent by Bill Bryson
A Storm in Flanders, by Winston Groom (yeah, THAT Winston Groom)

I have not read the lost continent..... will have to check it out..

In no particular order:

Lord of the Rings w/ Hobbit & Silmarillion
Path Between the Seas by David McCullough (about the construction of the Panama Canal)
The Civil War: A Narrative by Shelby Foote
A Bridge Too Far by Cornelius Ryan
The Source by James Michener
Nothing Like it in the World by Stephen E. Ambrose (about construction of the transcontinental railroad)
A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole

That's seven, but what the hell. Really just about anything by Ambrose, McCullough, Michener or Ryan is worth the time to read

(03-23-2011 04:45 PM)MonsterTigerBlue Wrote:  

(03-23-2011 03:55 PM)Smaug Wrote:  The Rings Trilogy (including The Hobbit), surprisingly enough.
To Kill a Mockingbird
All Quiet on the Western Front
Lost Continent by Bill Bryson
A Storm in Flanders, by Winston Groom (yeah, THAT Winston Groom)

I have not read the lost continent..... will have to check it out..

If you like Bryson, you'll really enjoy it. It's about coming back to Iowa after 20 years abroad, borrowing his mother's Chevy Chevette, and touring the country, in search of the perfect American city. It's hilarious.

In no real order:

Roots
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time
Child of God
Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs
Somehow Form a Family

(03-23-2011 04:46 PM)UofM_Tiger Wrote:  In no particular order:

Lord of the Rings w/ Hobbit & Silmarillion
Path Between the Seas by David McCullough (about the construction of the Panama Canal)
The Civil War: A Narrative by Shelby Foote
A Bridge Too Far by Cornelius Ryan
The Source by James Michener
Nothing Like it in the World by Stephen E. Ambrose (about construction of the transcontinental railroad)
A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole

That's seven, but what the hell. Really just about anything by Ambrose, McCullough, Michener or Ryan is worth the time to read

What a great list. Obviously Tolkien will be included in almost anybody's list, mine included. But the McCullough is staggeringly good, find the audiobook read by Edward Hermann for a real treat. The Foote trilogy is likewise profound. If I were picking a C. Ryan, I'd go with The Last Battle, but Bridge is also superb. The Ambrose is a surprise, but like you I found it marvelous. I think I like Undaunted Courage more, though.

No way this can be five books, I'll list five series I think are brilliant. Or maybe more.

Tolkien, of course.
Roger Zelazny's Amber series. All 10.
Heinlein: Starship Troopers. Or maybe Time Enough for Love. Or maybe everything.
John Maddox Roberts' 'SPQR' series. Staggeringly good, and often laugh out loud funny, especially if you're a Roman history buff.
John Ringo's Posleen series. Or for those who like lots of sex and dead bad guys, 'Ghost' and its sequels.
Robert E. Howard- Conan, Kull, Solomon Kane.

And for World War Two buffs, "Shattered Sword, the Untold Story of the Battle of Midway." Freakin' genius of a book.

In the last few years;

1 'Game Change' by John Heilemann and Mark Halperin
2 'Too Big to Fail: The Inside Story of How Wall Street and Washington Fought to Save the Financial System -- and Themselves' Andrew Ross Sorkin
3.'The Post-American World' Fareed Zakaria
4. 'Imperial Life in the Emerald City: Inside Iraq's Green Zone' Rajiv Chandrasekaran
5. 'My reading Life' Pat Conroy

Garp, Atlas Shrugged, The Fountainhead were on my longer list.

I recently read In Cold Blood. Capote was a freaking genius.

In no particular order:

Life of Pi
The Hobbit
The Devil in the White City
Animal Farm
Band of Brothers

Just missed the cut:

In Cold Blood (although I have a different take on Capote than ballen)
A Walk in the Woods
All The Kings Men
A Clockwork Orange
In the Heart of the Sea

(03-23-2011 10:54 PM)99Tiger Wrote:  In no particular order:

Life of Pi
The Hobbit
The Devil in the White City
Animal Farm
Band of Brothers

Just missed the cut:

In Cold Blood (although I have a different take on Capote than ballen)
A Walk in the Woods
All The Kings Men
A Clockwork Orange
In the Heart of the Sea

Saw Anthony Burgess speak during my two years at Tennessee, the guy was really interesting. I liked the movie of Clockwork better than the book, though.

I, too, live for books. That is an impossible question for me, but some of my top favorites, just off the top of my head are:

The Bible
Gone with the Wind
Catcher in the Rye
The Great Gatsby (the perfect novel)
Looking out for No. 1
Albion's Seed (best cultural history of the founding peoples of this nation; extremely accessible and interesting)
Little Women
Zelda (about Zelda Fitzgerald; couldn't put it down)
Red Badge of Courage
All Over But the Shouting (Rick Bragg, amazing writer)

Crime and punishment
The dharma bums
In dubious battle
Fear and loathing in las Vegas
The catcher in the rye

I wouldn't know where or how to start. Many of mine are listed, and I've seen some great suggestions.