What are your top 3 favourite books?

Question

That you think other people should read? Can you give a BRIEF summary about the book and explain why you liked them? Please do not reveal endings, as I am looking for good books to read and may read the ones on your list! =) Thanks in advance.

Its okay, you can mention more than 3. I love to read too. =)

Answer 1

I found this reveiw on Amazon to one of my favorite sci-fi fantasy books called "The Hero from Otherwhere" I found this kind of funny because I, too was realllly reluctant on returning this book back to my 6th grade classroom after reading it!!

"I came across this book when I was about 12 yrs. old at the local public library and was loathe to return it when finished. Although the story is about boys, the book explores social and literary territory more traditionally reserved for "stories for girls". "The Hero from Otherwhere" is the story of 2 boys who are opposites in nature and interests. One is a bookish poet, the other an athletic science enthusiast. After a schoolyard fight, they find themselves magically tranported to an endangered world. There, friends or not, they must find a way to make their opposing natures work together or perish along with the world they were summoned to protect. As a young teenager, I found the book a relatively easy read and a "ripping good yarn". As an adult, I can say that while it was all that, it also fired my imagination. It inspired me to think about books and themes in ways I never had before. It was a story that encouraged me to looked under its surface without condescending to me. Previously, I had read Jay Williams' "Danny Dunn" series of science novels for boys. If Williams served his apprenticeship with Danny Dunn, it is with The Hero from Otherwhere that he leaves his mark as a journeyman."

I also really enjoy the "Myth" Series by Robert Asprin. I found this review on the first book, Another Fine Myth- I let one of my co-workers borrow this book and he was hooked- he had to read the rest of my series.

"Another Fine Myth is the first book in what became one of the best fantasy series EVER! Not only is it full of magic, monsters and mayhem but it also has lots of humor. Skeeve was an apprentice, until his teacher dies and leaves him with a powerless demon named Aahz, a couple of assassins and a evil magician who wishes to rule ALL the dimensions.
Few people can mix humor and fantasy such as Robert Asprin. And this book is not just the first novel, but also holds the follow-up, Myth Conceptions. In the second book, Skeeve go to the court to try to become the Court Magician of Rodrick the Fifth. The amazing part is he gets the job with Aahz's help. But he finds, to his horror, that his first assignment is to stop the largest army the world has ever seen. All by himself."

If you like non fiction, I read The Ways of My Grandmothers
by Beverly Hungry Wolf
here's the editor review:

"A young Native American woman creates a hauntingly beautiful tribute to an age-old way of life in this fascinating portrait of the women of the Blackfoot Indians. A captivating tapestry of personal and tribal history, legends and myths, and the wisdom passed down through generations of women, this extraordinary book is also a priceless record of the traditional skills and ways of an ancient culture that is vanishing all too fast.

Including many rare photographs, The Ways of My Grandmothers is an authentic contribution to our knowledge and understanding of Native American lore -- and a classic that will speak to women everywhere."

I really couldn't put it down! Same with the DaVinci Code- I recently decided to jump on that bandwagon to see what the fuss was all about and it was a great read! I love good twists at the end:)
Plus the "Little House" books by Laura Ingalls Wilder and I love reading about Art History, too especially about the old propaganda art and how some art ties into different religions, etc.. that topic is sooo broad but worth getting into.
I also really liked reading the unabridged version of THe Three Muskateers by Alexandre Dumas. At first it was kind of slow but it really got me hook, line, and sinker later!
I also love to read and look at my daughter's book that she wrote and illustrated- I have to add this to my list! https://www2.xlibris.com/bookstore/bookdisplay.asp?bookid=28618
It's a great learning tool for children learning their ABC's. fun learning for kids, and adults find the images amusing, too.

Answer 2

Number 1: Golden Witchbreed by Mary Gentle. Its about a woman who goes to a planet where she is an outcast so to speak and gets mixed up in the political games of the natives.
Number 2: Like A Lampshade In A Whorehouse: The Biography of Phyllis Diller. That should say it all right there.
Number 3: The Sundering by Jacequline Carey. Its a two in one thing about how a set of gods split and why, and the different races they involved in their fued.

This last one is a tie with the other 3 so I have to mention it. Only On Sunday by P. L. McCaleb, and no I didnt write it. Its about a man from the 1950's who meets a woman from the 1990's in a small beach town that only exist in the 1920's. Its catchy.

Answer 3

Life Expectancy-Dean Koontz. A boy's grandfather says on his deathbed that the boy will have five terrible days in his life. The book is an account of the five days, and there is an underlying theme of the unconditional love and importance of family. Very funny and sometimes scary.

Prey-Michael Crichton: a swarm of malevolent nanobots have escaped from a lab and a man named Jack is employed to get them back. Very intense and a huge twist at the end make this book awesome.

The Devil Wears Prada-Lauren Weisberger: I think everyone knows what this is about, so I won't give a synopsis. Very very hilarious.

Memoirs of a Geisha-Arthur Golden: Again, you probably know what it's about. It is very good and has lots of catfights in it.

Sphere-Michael Crichton: a group of scientists are sent to investigate a spaceship at the bottom of the ocean. Then weird things start happening, and they think it's the work of aliens.

I have a lot more, but those are probably my top ones.

Answer 4

My ulitmate favorite that I read a bit of every day is the Bible, especially the new international version, which I think it the easiest to understand.Why do I love it? Because God speaks to me through it and gives me strength and discernment. The book of Proverbs is what I am reading now. It's advice is totally relavant to the issues of today. Romans is probably my favorite book of the Bible because it sums up why we are here and what life is all about (preparation for the next life)I definitely think everyone should try reading atleast one book from it.

Another good nonfiction book I love is The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by S Covey. It's a very empowering book that teaches that change in your life is possible, but trying to change others is impossible.

As far as fiction goes, my favorites are Christy by C. Marshall, the Lord of the Rings Trilogy by Tolkien, The Blue Bottle Club by P. Stokes, and To Kill a Mockingbird (sorry I forgot the author of that classic!)

I must admit I still love to read children's books-my faves are The Pink Motel by C.R. Brink, Treasure Island by Stephenson, Ramona the Brave by B. Cleary, and Me and the Weirdos by Sutton (too bad that one's out of print!)

Hope this list was helpful.

Answer 5

Life Of Pi - Yann Martel

With such a cover (in the middle of the ocean, dark-skinned boy on one side of a small boat, with a huge Royal Bengal tiger on the other), I knew it was going to be an interesting read, but I didn't expect a total gem!

I'm not gonna tell you anything but this: GO GET THE BOOK!

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Rococo - Adriana Trigiani

Everyone needs a break sometimes, so why not clear your mind with a light-reading book! I'm not labelling this novel as fluffy, but it's easy on the mind (:

I really love Trigiani's clever and vivid descriptions and her real-to-life characterizations. Her characters all are dear to me, an extended family.

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The Historian - Elizabeth Kostova

Oh gosh. I love this novel to bits. It's chilling and so good, that you won't even want to stop reading it till you reach the end!

Good for late night reading, when you get creeped out and don't dare to even move (;

I know I didn't give the brief summary of the recommended reads, but hey, if you feel any pull towards any novels mentioned here at the answers, you know you gotta get it!

Happy reading! ((:

Answer 6

Oh, I have so many favorites! When I have to recommend just a few books, my top picks are always these:

The Neverending Story, by Michael Ende. If you've seen the first movie (in the 80s) you only know half the story. If you've seen the sequels, they suck (lol) It's about a boy in Germany who steals a book and reads it, hidden away in his school attic. The story is about a fantastic land called Fantasia that is about to fall into Nothingness because humans on earth do not believe in fantasy anymore. The more he reads on, the more he discovers his own world is tightly connected to the world in the book and its characters.

Gentlemen and Players, by Joanne Harris A wonderful mystery about who people really are. A student of an all-boys' private school in England returns as a teacher with plans of destroying the school, its reputation and its teachers. The characters are very well-written, believable, and the plot is intriguing. One of the best books I've read this past year.

The Count of Monte Cristo, by Alexandre Dumas. It's a long book, but be sure to get the unabridged version, it's worth it. The story of a man in France in the 1800s who is sent to prison for life on false charges. He escapes and turns himself into a Count to exact his revenge on the people who caused his emprisonment. If you've seen any of the movie versions, you only know a very condensed version of this great classic of French literature.

Happy reading!

Answer 7

For Whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway: An American helps fight fascism during the Spanish Civil War. Hemingway was in Spain during the war as a reporter so the characters and storyline are realistic and based on his experience.

Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison: For anyone interested in the civil rights movement. Written in the early fifties Mr. Ellison foretold what was to be. This is a fictional account.

Consider This, Senora by Harriet Doerr: A woman and a dubious business partner purchase land in Mexico for different reasons. Together they reinvent a Mexican village. Uplifting and as well written as any book I've ever read. Look up Ms. Doerr on the Internet. Her personal story is fabulous and inspiring.

Answer 8

1.Of Human Bondage – W. Somerset Maughan
I really connected with Philip in this book. It is a major "finding yourself" type of story.
2.The Once and Future King – T.H. White
Who doesn’t like a good King Arthur story? This is where the Disney cartoon The Sword and the Stone originated.
3.Last Light of the Sun – Guy Gavriel Kay
One of a line of books that mirror history. Be careful…as in all of his books, Guy Kay is not afraid to kill off a main character if it furthers the plot of the story.

Answer 9

Anything by the following; As I have a favorite reading list too large to print...

Muriel Spark Preferably "The Abbess of Crewe."

Henrik Ibsen " " When we dead awaken."

Andre Brenton " " On the road to San Romano."

Jack Kerouac Desolation Angels.

Franz Kafka

Robert Musil

Jean Paul Sartre

Jean Genet (I prefer him to dostoyevsky) A thiefs journal

Chaucer! Absolutely Everything By Chaucer.

Truman Capote

I love John Claire

Baudelere

Andre Gide

Kazuo Ishiguro The remains of the day



Gawd... there are just too many and I cant remember them all...

Answer 10

The Stand (uncut version) by Stephen King

The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks

The DaVinci Code by Dan Brown


No summary of explanations needed for these 3 phenomenal books. You may not love them, but they will surely hold your interest and get you thinking.

Answer 11

1. The Wheel of Time Series-It kind of has a lord of the rings theme to it only it is WAY BETTER! Its way more exciting!

2. The Vampire Chronicles-The title speaks for itself!

3. Memoirs of a Geisha- Its set in Japan. A girl is sold by her father to a Geisha house. Geisha means artist,they entertain you,sing,dance..etc A Geisha is also like a prostitute only you have to pay thousands and Geisha were respected in Japan. Its a very sad story and has to be one of my favourite books of all time...and i read A LOT!