I'm always looking for good books or authors I haven't heard of. What your favorite book and why?
2006-10-14 19:32:09 · 37 answers · asked by ldykat1979 2 in Arts & Humanities ➔ Books & Authors
Here are some wonderous books for you to consider:
'Cloudsplitter' by Russell Banks. A fictionalized story of the real-life liberator John Brown and the events leading up to his raid on Harper's Ferry in 1859. The story is told as a first-person account by his son Owen, who survived the raid and escaped execution, dying in Altadena, California around the turn of the last century. It is beautifully written and allows the reader to feel like a 19th century witness to history.
'To Kill a Mockingbird' by Harper Lee. This is the only book I have read by Lee, and I think she only wrote one other. A must read. If, like most people, you read it in school, it is always worth another read every four or five years.
'The Unlimited Dream Company' by JG Ballard. Blake steals a plane at Heathrow airport, crashes it into the Thames river, and is either saved from drowning to enter a very special, magical world, or drowns in the wreckage. Is his mind filling in the blanks of a truncated life as his mind dies, or is this his resurrection? The reader may fill in the blanks. Purely magical writing by a master wordsmith.
'Slaughterhouse Five", by Kurt Vonnegut. Billy Pilgrim is unstuck in time. This is comic/science fiction/fantasy and, along with Dalton Trumbo's 'Johnny Got His Gun', the greatest anti-war fiction I have ever
read.
"Ham on Rye" by Charles Bukowski. A high point in the evolution of the fictional autobiography, Bukowski in the guise of Henry Chinaski shows us Southern California on the verge of the Second World War through the eyes of a lonely, poorly parented child, who becomes a lonely boil-afflicted adolescent, and in turn a rebellious young alcoholic.
'Go Tell It on the Mountain' by James Baldwin. Coming of age novel of life in Harlem, in which the young protagonist comes to question the faith he is born into and is being groomed to preach.
'Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee' by Dee Brown. The history of the theft of North America and the genocide of its native population by wave after wave of criminal European illegal immigrants. One of the saddest books I have ever read.
Anyway, these are just a few of the scores of wonderful books I have read, barely a sliver of the totality. There are so many more. Read read read!!!
2006-10-14 21:06:26 · answer #1 · answered by Atticus Flinch 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I have many favorite books. I think one of the best books I ever read was Gone For Good by Mark Childress. It's about this rock star in the 70's and his plane crashes onto an Island. It's a tropical/magical island and crazy things happen. I also like anything written by Alice Hoffman.
2006-10-14 19:40:02 · answer #2 · answered by omyruin4it 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I just recently read Shadow of the Wind ... very, very good! Surprisingly so.
Anything by Virginia Woolf, altho she can be an acquired taste.
Ulysses, by James Joyce.
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, by ...... Smith (blanking on it at the moment).
Grapes of Wrath, by John Steinbeck.
The Shaman's Apprentice.
The Kite Runner.
A Great Deliverance, by Elizabeth George.
All of these, except for Shaman's apprentice, are fiction ... are different, but with captivating characters, involving storylines, imaginitive use of language, and memorable stories.
Oh, another GREAT book ... The Poisonwood Bible, by Barbara Kingsolver. Read EVERYTHING she writes, including the political essays ... she's so human, so articulate, so real, and such a tremendous storyteller.
2006-10-14 19:38:51 · answer #3 · answered by pdilks 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I had to go up and down 2 flights of stairs to get this book, to make sure I gave the name of the person who did it.His name is Robert Sabuda. The book is a pop up book. The title is Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Don't laugh! This is not a child's book! You will want to give it for a baby shower gift or a gift for your 80 year aunt's birthday. It is the most magical, wonderful book you have ever seen.He also did one on the Wizard of Oz. Please go to a book store and see what I'm talking about. By the way, Christmas is coming up, and I don't have The wizard of Oz.
2006-10-14 20:23:18 · answer #4 · answered by Pat C 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The Trilogy, it's actually a series of 3 books written by Polish author Henryk Sienkiewicz. The first book of the series is With Fire and Sword, the second one is The Deluge, and the third one is Fire in the Steppe. The books are historical fiction, relating the history and wars of the countries of Poland, Lithuania, Romania, etc. The books have a range from 1200 pages to 2000 pages depending on the book. These are my favorite books because of the way they're written. Sienkiewicz combines many genres of literature in his books. The book contains many levels of interaction, the main stories always being a struggle for love. The secondary story is usually the war between nations. Overall, the books are excellent, Sienkiewicz is also well-known for winning the Nobel Prize in Literature for his novel Quo Vadis, a story of love during the time of Nero. I would highly recommend these books, most people are intimidated by the size of them, but they're definitely worth reading.
P.S. If you do decide to read them, read the translation by W.S. Kuniczak. He does a wonderful job in translating the books.
2006-10-14 20:14:02 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. I don't really have a reason except for the fact that it's so moving and I just love it.
Another favorite book or mine is The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd. It's funny, and just unlike anything I have ever read.
2006-10-15 03:11:16 · answer #6 · answered by Ayesha R 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Life of Pi
Jane Ayre
Two under the indian sun
The beach
I think these are all reads Ive really enjoyed - They all had a different experience and look at life. What are you looking for in a book?
I also was really affected by the book 'paula, bob, michael' written by a close friend of paula yates (ex inxs lead singers ex)
I know you havent asked, but one of my least fav`s is The Da Vinci Code. Why do so many like it?!
2006-10-14 19:37:46 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
My most recent favorite book is called I Hate This Place...The Pessimist's Guide to Life. It's by that comedian Jimmy Fallon. It's a funny/interesting read.
2006-10-14 19:35:28 · answer #8 · answered by Howdy 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I am a die hard Science Fiction and Fantasy Fan The book that started this trend was "The Hobbit", the precursor to the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy by JRR Tolkien. I would say that "Foundation" by Issac Assimov is up there as favorite Sci-Fi novel. I read for enjoyment and relaxation, so after exhausting most Sci-Fi, I now read a lot of Westerns. In that Genre you cannot beat "The Sacketts" or anything else by Louis Lamour. But if I had to pick one book as my favorite it would be "The Firm" by John Grisham.
2016-05-22 03:19:48 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I have truly enjoyed J.California Cooper's books; they have a lesson and you can gain something from them; all very good books;
Redemption Song by Bertice Berry is a favorite of mine; very profound book;
Gwynne Forster's books are very good; her latest one, "When You Deal With The Devil" was a favorite.
2006-10-15 04:54:01 · answer #10 · answered by savvyladydiamond 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋