Great Books

[Kanganis]

Hello fine gentlemen of this unit. I am sure at least some of you spend time reading and I wanted you to write down your list of your favorite books of all time like so:

Stephen King-The Stand

E.B Sledge-With the old breed

Tom Clancy-Debt of Honor

to name a few

Edited July 26, 2011 by Kanganis 1st MRB

[Goodwin 1st MRB]

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (Mark Haddon)

Watchers (Dean Koontz)

The Dragon Nimbus series (Irene Radford)

Never Die Easy (Walter Payton)

...and more and more and more and more... so many amazing books I've read in my lifetime I can't even begin to name them all.

[Lafy BAR]

Goodwin, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time is an awesome recommendation. That book presents a really interesting perspective on the world.

I've been obsessing over Asimov's Foundation series and everything by Robert Heinlein lately. Stranger in a Strange Land is interesting. I would suggest avoiding The Cat Who Walks Through Walls, it's a rare miss on his part.

Flatland is a good piece of fiction if you're looking for an understanding of higher dimensions through the perspective of a resident of a lower dimension.

[Goodwin 1st MRB]

Goodwin, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time is an awesome recommendation. That book presents a really interesting perspective on the world.

I've been obsessing over Asimov's Foundation series and everything by Robert Heinlein lately. Stranger in a Strange Land is interesting. I would suggest avoiding The Cat Who Walks Through Walls, it's a rare miss on his part.

Flatland is a good piece of fiction if you're looking for an understanding of higher dimensions through the perspective of a resident of a lower dimension.

Some friends tried to turn me onto Asimov, I never gave him a chance (yet). I'm glad someone else likes the 'Dog in the Nigh-Time'!

Flatland sounds interesting - thanks for the suggestions! Have you read Spook? (speaking of other dimensions - it's a search for the 'soul') or Stiff? Very comical and lighthearted with a great amount of information! (based on science/reality - so a bit off the sci-fi path)

[Ford 1st MRB]

I read all kinds of books. Just for the sake of reading.

John Sanford - His Prey Series is up there with the best crime fiction ever written.

Stephen King - His old stuff, not the newer, trying to outdo himself stuff.

Clive Cussler - The nautical stuff is what makes me read him.

Jeremy Robinson - Antarktos Rising. I have recommended this book so many times to so many people for a reason, it's a great read.

David Baldacci - A great law based author, out-does John Grisham by miles if you ask me.

James Patterson - A really great author.

Those are some of my more frequent authors, but I do just randomly grab books out of the bins at Barnes & Noble and buy them to read.

[Kirkendall 1st MRB]

The Song of Ice and Fire series by George R. R. Martin - Definitely the best American fantasy writer, his writing is unparalleled. If you need more of a look at his work, check out the HBO series, "Game of Thrones" which takes after his first book of the series.

Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card - Great science fiction writing, if you get it and like it, follow the Ender's Shadow series, since the direct sequels are somewhat meh. Ender's Game is outstanding.

I've got tons of recommendations for most genres, but I haven't been able to keep on my reading lately. Those are just two of my most favorite authors.

[Dillon 1st MRB]

Patrick O'Brian is the greatest historical fiction author ever, and I will fight any girl that says different.

As for other fiction, love the L.A. Confidential, White Jazz, Black Dahlia stuff written by James Ellroy. L.A. Confidential and White Jazz just may be the best period crime novels written. Almost in the style of "On the Road."

For fantasy, I've really gotten into the Farseer Trilogy by Robin Hobb. I finished them, and then found out the author is a woman. She writes with a man's style and perspective very well.

+1 on Orson Scott Card. His books are also great books on tapes/CD for road trips.

[Zombie BAR]

George R.R. Martin's A Game of Thrones and a Clash of Kings (I HATED a Storm of Swords)

E.E. Knight's Vampire Earth and Age of Fire Series' and The Lord of the Rings

Harry Turtledove has some good Alternite History stuff (Like the South wins the Civil War, Aliens invade Earth during WWII, ect.)

[Parker 1st MRB]

Antonio R. Damasio has some really great reads for those interested in psychology. Descartes' Error is one of my favorites.

Paulo Coelho - The Alchemist

Nino Ricci's Lives of the Saints, In a Glass House, The Origin of Species, anything by this man is a great read.

Lisa Genova - Still Alice

[I have no arms BAR]

The Otherland Series by Tad Williams.

The Dark Tower series by Stephen King.

The first three Dune books by Frank Herbert.

To name a few.

[Leon]

Band of Brothers - Stephen E. Ambrose

Retreat, Hell! (A Corps Novel) - W.E.B. Griffin

[Goodwin 1st MRB]

... for those interested in psychology...

...That reminded me of one of my all-time favorites by Jose Saramago - Blindness

While not a 'psychology' book by any stretch of the imagination - it is amazingly written. Probably one of the top3 fastest books I'd ever read. I absolutely could not put it down for 2 days solid. Every waking moment I had was spent nose deep in that book.

He had another called 'Seeing' which IMO wasn't as good and started off a bit more political than I cared for.

[Dillon 1st MRB]

For people who want to learn stuff:

Outliers : Malcom Gladwell - Just amazing

The Introvert Advantage : Marti Laney - 20% of the population are introverts, learn how to cope or how to deal with one

Back Fire : Lorentz - All about what lead to the Vietnam War

[Yamagata 1st MRB]

Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling (STFU, I was addicted to the books as a child, the hype never really wore off)

George Orwell, 1984

Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451

Jonathan Swift, Gulliver's Travels

Daniel Wallace, Big Fish

Bob Greene, Once Upon a Town: The Miracle of the North Platte Canteen

Tom Stoppard, Rozencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead

William Golding, Lord of the Flies

Anything by these authors:

J.R.R. Tolkien (besides The Silmarillion)

Jules Verne

H.G. Wells

Cory Doctorow (Highly suggest looking for stuff by this guy. A lot of it is free on the internet so take a minute and look some up.)

[S. Richards]

Chuck Palahniuk - Snuff.

There's plenty more I have to recommend but if anything, read that. That or Haunted, same author.

[Elder]

I don't read books.

[Englebretson 1st MRB]

Anything about the Vietnam war ummm read quite a few books on ww1-now ummm any tom clancy and any sports autobiography

[Doran]

i don't read alot of books but

The Jester by James Patterson(despite it's name, it isnt very cheerful)

the left behind series- by Tim F. LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins(a series of what happens after the rapture and what happens to everyone who isn't sent to heaven)

[Elder]

Actually I can't say i don't read books- I picked up this one book for my dad's birthday, and it's all about a navy seal squad who gets shipped out to a mission somewhere in afghanistan. All but one member is shot and killed on the spot... and this one survivor tells of what happened and how he felt. It's a pretty awesome book... I also have read books about WWII, and the Vietnam War. I want to read the book WAR by the guy who made the film Restrepo (which is another awesome film).

[S. Richards]

Actually I can't say i don't read books- I picked up this one book for my dad's birthday, and it's all about a navy seal squad who gets shipped out to a mission somewhere in afghanistan. All but one member is shot and killed on the spot... and this one survivor tells of what happened and how he felt.

Wasn't on the spot. There sniper hide became compromised by a man and a boy herding sheep. Instead of eliminating them, they let them go, and roughly an hour later 150 + taliban insurgents showed up to fight 4 Navy Seals. 3 Died in battle, along with the rescue team being shot down which consisted of 8 Navy Seals and 8 160th SOAR Night Stalker aircrew. 1 was rescued by Green Berets two weeks later after being granted sanctuary in a local Afghani village by the village elders.

Lone Survivor by former seal Marcus Lutrell, the story of Spartan 01. The mans a true american hero. Video related.

Operation Redwing: Spartan 01

Edited July 31, 2011 by S. Richards 1st MRB

[Elder]

Right-oh. Have you seen restrepo or read war yet? Awesome film. The korengal valley is one hell hole.