great reads - books that you would recommend to anybody

[clearwaterms]

Inspired by the "favorite movie" thread.  I would like to start a thread regarding reading.  I don't want everybody's favorite book, but maybe instead a thread about books you would recommend to EVERYBODY regardless of who they are.

I will start.

If you like Harlen Coben, Gregg Hurwitz is another GREAT author.  You're Next is a great book.  I have recommended it to several people and every single one of them has told me it is impossible to put down.

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10148340-you-re-next

P.S. if you don't like Harlen Coben read You're next anyway.

What does everybody else think?

[Zachari208]

codename Honeypot, ferinhieght451, Bud Sweat and Tees.

[Ernest Jones]

Anything by Michael Chabon, http://michaelchabon.com/ , IMHO one the best writers around today.

If you like fantasy I highly recommend The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan. Extremely long and detailed but pretty incredible and well worth the investment of time, took me 18 years to read it due to it taking him 23 years to finish it (actually the last 3 books were completed after his death by another author working off of his extensive notes and story arcs). I have one book left to read, A Memory of Light, and I will be done. I have been holding off reading it because it will feel strange to finish a series of books that has been in and out of my life for nearly 2 decades.

And my favorite author of all time, John Irving. I consider John Irving to be one of the greatest authors of all time. Interesting fact about John Irving, he writes the last sentence of a novel first and then goes back and writes the rest leading up to this final sentence. He claims it's akin to remembering a story that has already happened. One day a fan approached him and said that he had heard about this and had started reading the last sentence of his novels first and then going back to the beginning, Irving was horrified and said, "oh no, don't do that!"

[jamo]

Anything by Michael Chabon, [URL=http://michaelchabon.com/]http://michaelchabon.com/[/URL] , IMHO one the best writers around today.

Every time I hear his name, I can't help but think about a joke from Wyatt Cenac, talking about an attractive neighbor he used to have that didn't have a TV but loved to blast NPR: [QUOTE]"There are certain things that you can blast through a stereo. You can blast hip-hop. You can blast heavy metal, you can't blast All Things Considered. Just think, I'm going to be like, 'Oh, shit! Are they talking about that new Michael Chabon book? That's my jam! Turn it up! I want to hear what they have to say about his perceptive use of metaphors!"[/QUOTE] As for actual books, I'm sad to say that my all-time favorite is currently being butchered on the big screen.

[Golfingdad]

I should start by admitting that I am not much of a reader. That said, there are a few books that I really like.  (Even though I loved them, I would not recommend the Song of Ice and Fire books because they aren't for everybody) ;)

Favorite of all time:  The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett.

Also really like: Blood Work by Michael Connelly

Also really like just about anything by Michael Crichton, especially Andromeda Strain and Sphere

[Ernest Jones]

Originally Posted by jamo

Every time I hear his name, I can't help but think about a joke from Wyatt Cenac, talking about an attractive neighbor he used to have that didn't have a TV but loved to blast NPR:

So...not a fan I take it? Have you read anything by him?

[Ernest Jones]

Originally Posted by Golfingdad

I should start by admitting that I am not much of a reader.    That said, there are a few books that I really like.  (Even though I loved them, I would not recommend the Song of Ice and Fire books because they aren't for everybody) ;)

Favorite of all time:  The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett.

Also really like: Blood Work by Michael Connelly

Also really like just about anything by Michael Crichton, especially Andromeda Strain and Sphere

+1 on The Pillars of the Earth. Do you like James Mitchner and Edward Rutherfurd? These guys are both giants of Historical Fiction.

Crichton's ok, good fun reads but kinda like watching TV or eating potato chips.

[Golfingdad]

Originally Posted by jamo

Every time I hear his name, I can't help but think about a joke from Wyatt Cenac, talking about an attractive neighbor he used to have that didn't have a TV but loved to blast NPR:

As for actual books, I'm sad to say that my all-time favorite is currently being butchered on the big screen.

Lemme guess ... your favorite book of all time is "Pain  & Gain?"

No???  OK, then it must have been "Scary Movie V?"

No?  OK, I give up!!!

I'm assuming that you are referring to Great Gatsby ... but how do you know it's being butchered ... it just started today, didn't it?

[Golfingdad]

Originally Posted by Ernest Jones

+1 on The Pillars of the Earth. Do you like James Mitchner and Edward Rutherfurd? These guys are both giants of Historical Fiction.

Crichton's ok, good fun reads but kinda like watching TV or eating potato chips.

Sorry ... like I said, not a huge reader so I don't know either of the other two.

Yes, Crichton's are fun, easy reads.  As is a lot of the typical other stuff I've read (a lot of Patricia Cornwell, John Grisham, James Patterson.)

Oh, and I was thinking novel when I wrote my first post, but I'd have to say that my absolute favorite of all time is probably Helter Skelter.

[Zeph]

One of my favorites is Lisey's Story by Stephen King. The Dark Tower is my favorite story by King, but it's also quite a long journey. I love his way of telling a story by focusing on the characters, thoughts, conversations and scenes rather than action, drama and events taking place.

[Ernest Jones]

Originally Posted by Zeph

One of my favorites is Lisey's Story by Stephen King. The Dark Tower is my favorite story by King, but it's also quite a long journey. I love his way of telling a story by focusing on the characters, thoughts, conversations and scenes rather than action, drama and events taking place.

Not a huge Stephen King fan but I did really enjoy The Stand.

[Mr. Desmond]

There is one I carry almost everywhere I go. You can pick it up, glance at it for a minute, 15 minutes, or an hour. But it only takes that long, or short to say ... yep.

Awareness by Anthony DeMello

[jamo]

Lemme guess ... your favorite book of all time is "Pain  & Gain?" No???  OK, then it must have been "Scary Movie V?" No?  OK, I give up!!! I'm assuming that you are referring to Great Gatsby ... but how do you know it's being butchered ... it just started today, didn't it?

You've never read "Fast and Furious 6?" Deep stuff. :-P I'm just going off the reviews I've read of "Gatsby". There's probably also some of that "the movie can never live up to the book" effect in there. [quote name="Ernest Jones" url="/t/66879/great-reads-books-that-you-would-recommend-to-anybody/0_30#post_841991"]So...not a fan I take it? Have you read anything by him? [/quote] I've never read anything by him, so I'm neither a fan nor not a fan. But I my parents love to blast NPR, and that joke always makes me laugh. ;-)

[Ernest Jones]

Originally Posted by jamo

I've never read anything by him, so I'm neither a fan nor not a fan. But I my parents love to blast NPR, and that joke always makes me laugh.

You should tell your parents to check out Michael Chabon.

[Harmonious]

One book that I think everyone should read (and most probably haven't or won't) is "Atlas Shrugged". Probably as topical today as it was when it was first published. Certainly has influenced many people over the years. Not an easy read, but very worthwhile.

[Ernest Jones]

One book that I think everyone should read (and most probably haven't or won't) is "Atlas Shrugged". Probably as topical today as it was when it was first published. Certainly has influenced many people over the years. Not an easy read, but very worthwhile.

Pardon my ignorance, but was that about the A-Bomb?

[Ernest Jones]

Pardon my ignorance, but was that about the A-Bomb?

Nevermind, just googled it. I must be thinking of something else. Looks really interesting.

[hammondc]

For all my nerds out there.... Space Chronicles : Neil DeGrasse Tyson.