What's the BEST book you ever read?

The Known World by Edward P. Jones (amazing, educational, moving, WOW - absolute required reading)
The Secret History by Donna Tarte (complex and well-written)
Long Walk to Freedom by Nelson Mandela (long but so worth it)
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston (beautiful use of language)
Before Night Falls by Reynaldo Arenas (Cuban exile - tragic and amazing)
Anything by Edwidge Danticat
Anything by Richard Russo - particularly Nobody's Fool and Straight Man (hysterical - great sense for people and what makes them interesting and amusing - great scene-setter)


I'm a major book snob, so I rarely read any "pop" fiction. I can't even bear to look at James Patterson (no offense to his fans).
 
My favorite book is 'The Stand' by Stephen King.

Other good ones...

Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas by James Patterson (This one made me actually sob!)
Anything by Stephen King (Love the Dark Tower series), Wally Lamb, Dan Brown, Nicholas Sparks(except The Wedding - for some reason I couldn't get into it and didn't finish it)
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Deadwood by Pete Dexter
The Five People you Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom

Can't think of anymore right now...
 
All right, since another book snob posted, I guess I will too;)

Cat's Eye by Margaret Atwood
Not Wanted on the Voyage - Timothy Findlay (this one is a twisted version of the Noah's Ark story)
Anything at all by Alice Munro
A Complicated Kindness by Miriam Toews (sp?)
The Time Traveller's Wife by Audrey Nieffenberg (I think that's her name)
I also liked The Secret History by Donna Tartt and have read it several times.
Fall on Your Knees by Ann-Marie Macdonald
 
Werkinonit!!!

You have to go back and get into The Wedding. It is worth it! You will be glad that you finished that one!

I was the same way with Three Weeks With My Brother, but a friend encouraged me to finish it and I was sooo glad that I did!
 
Wow! You opened a can of worms with that question, Jes! I can see why so many posts, because I can't resist either....

Two of my absolute (current) favorites have already been mentioned - The Poisonwood Bible and The Kite Runner.

I'll second the recommendation of anything by Wally Lamb.

Classic favs have to include Mockingbird, Les Mis, and just about all of Jane Austen's work.

For fun, try The Divine Secrets of the Ya Ya Sisterhood if you haven't already. I think you'll like it.

Kerrie

Oh yeah - Sue Monk Kidd has a new one out - she wrote The Secret Life of Bees.
 
>Some of my very best, all time favorite, can't put it down
>reads are:
>Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon - Woman of the 1940's ends
>up time travelling back to 16th century Scotland. Great
>history and adventure and romance all in one.


I just wanted to second that. Great, great read. I can't wait for the next book in this series.
 
If you haven't picked it up read "The Time Traveller's Wife." This book was one of the best books I have read lately.

For lighthearted fun, try Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series. These are hysterically funny. The first on is "One for the Money."

If you want a big committment, but books you can't put down, fabulous characters, and an unusual premise, try the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon. A few others here have mentioned them and they are just fabulous. Interesting history, great characters, fun story!
 
I am a huge Ann Rule fan. I have read many of her books! She writes true crime stories but in an easy to read fiction type novel manner. You know what I mean? Every story is true and there are pictures in the middle. :)

I especially liked "Every Breath You Take" and also, "And Never Let Her Go".


:)
 
it's gonna take me forever to read all these! i didn't realize we had sucha bunch of readers around here!

ok, although i love crime books and anything remotely connected to law, i need a break from that entire subject.;)


i think i will read the Harry Potter this winter since there are so many of them and it will take a while.

the Diana Gabaldon series is something i have never heard of so i will investigate that:D

there will be NO book reports. had my fill of those in school:*

Thank you to snobs and others. Much appreciated:)


jes
 
I just finished reading The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls. It's by far the best book I have read in a while. I highly reccommend it. It's a memoir, and it will break your heart and inspire you at the same time.

If you haven't read Angela's Ashes yet, it's a must read. It's a beautiful book. I read it when it first came out, and it's unforgettable. She's Come Undone by Wally Lamb is another top book of mine.

Books I have read lately that I really enjoyed are: A Heartbreaking Tale of Staggering Genius, by Dave Eggers. Talk Before Sleep by Elizabeth Berg, and Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris, and The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers. The Girls Guide to Hunting and Fishing by Melissa somebody. I read a lot of non-fiction too.

I also love Margaret Attwood. The Ya-Ya books are great also. I give another vote for Barbara Kingslover and Sue Monk Kidd.

I am also always looking for something to read also. After the gut wrenching Glass Castle, I might read some fluff. :)

Lori
 
Another vote for the "Outlander" series by Diana Gabaldon. This series kept me up reading way into the wee hours of the night...something I have not done since I was a teenager.

I can not remember who wrote this book. It is called "Shining Through". It is about a lady who ends up being a spy in WWII. Awesome read.

I also enjoyed the "Into the Wilderness" series by Sara Donati. Outlander fans will love this series too.
 
I too loved Wally Lamb's "I Know This Much is True." I also love John Irving books especially "A Prayer for Owen Meaney". "To Kill a Mockingbird" is on my list of bests. Years ago I read "Gone With the Wind" and was amazed at what a great read it was and how different it was from the movie.

Take Care
Laurie
 
Another vote for "The Time Traveller's Wife", also "Three Junes" (I don't know the author but I loved this book!)

But, my all-time favorite is still "Little Women" by Louisa May Alcott.

--Lois


"If I have the belief that I can do it, I shall surely acquire the capacity to do it even if I may not have it at the beginning" - Mahatma Ghandi
 
The Count of Monte Cristo is my all time favorite! It has a little bit of everything...action, suspense, romance...It is a great read!
 
Great thread!

I loved Da Vinci code...very well done. I also love Ann Rice and her "Vampire" series. I never ever thought I'd like that series, but I just love them!
 
Wow! This is a hard question. Every other post I was like, yeah, that book was good too. No one metioned The Shipping News by Annie Proulx.
She is one of my favorite authors. Anything by Lee Smith. Janet Evanolvich's Stephanie Plum series is a hoot. Sue Grafton's alphabet series is good too.
 
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