Books u should read before u die

[smokedog]

after starting the art of war thread....i realized that their are a lot of ppl interested in books..list the books a person should before they die...it's basically a list of ur favourite books...and leave out the one's u read in high school

[BerserkerCatSplat]

Hmmm, that's tough.

My faves are the Sword of Truth series (still going, kinda sucking at the moment), the original Dragonlance Chronicles...

The Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy series should be read by everyone!

The War of the Worlds is another good one.

And for the heck of it, Calvin & Hobbes! :D

[davidI]

I just read The Da Vinci Code and really enjoyed it. Jurassic park is a classic as well as most John Grishams. I was never really into the fantasy fiction genre so the books I read have to be somewhat realistic.

[Skyline_Addict]

Romance of the Three Kingdoms!

[Troy]

The Sword of Truth series very good..if you liked that series read the Wheel of Time series by robert jordan? very good. I have also read the The Da Vinci Code awsome book if you liked that read a book called Bloodline of the Holy Grail amazing book, shines alot of truth into how the catholic church was created. hmm another good book was Time Line very good also haha I love books I read quite abit

[Honda_002]

I read it in school but I thought Lord of the Flies was definatly one of the better books I have read

[camby]

1984 by George Orwell

[Seanith]

The Hobbit
The Lord of the Rings Trilogy

Theres a couple classics I want to read (maybe this summer) like Dantes Inferno, Paridise, and Purgatory (not sure if they are seperate volumes though).

[EK 2.0]

the Da Vinci Code which was already mentioned...

but ANY and ALL of the King thrillers...especially the ones they have already made into movies you have seen, they are a blast to read...writing style is amazing...

[Cyruss12]

A Clockwork Orange, and ANYTHING by Marquis De Sade.

[statick]

The Count Of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas


other than that, it really depends on what you value in life, what ur beleifs are, and all that kinda stuff.

[cobber112879]

Harry Potter series.:thumbsup:

[/////AMG]

Originally posted by davidI
I just read The Da Vinci Code and really enjoyed it. Jurassic park is a classic as well as most John Grishams. I was never really into the fantasy fiction genre so the books I read have to be somewhat realistic.

Whats so good about The Da Vinci Code? We're looking for houses right now and almost every house I have viewed they usually have that book sitting on the nightstand or coffee table!


Originally posted by Honda_002
I read it in school but I thought Lord of the Flies was definatly one of the better books I have read

That's an interesting book, had to read it for Gr.11 ages ago.


Originally posted by cobber112879
Harry Potter series.:thumbsup:

:rofl: I was going to say that.

[davidI]

Originally posted by /////AMG


Whats so good about The Da Vinci Code? We're looking for houses right now and almost every house I have viewed they usually have that book sitting on the nightstand or coffee table!


The book is based on 'clues' left in historic art as well as many museums / churches in Europe. I learned a couple things while reading it plus it is the sort of mystery where you're guessing all along what the solution to their next clue will be.

[k_dawg]

The Hobbit
Mary shelly's Frankenstien

[vcteggy]

as mentioned already dragonalance series is pretty good, Most of Stpehen King's stuff is great (read the Dark Tower series, it's amazing!!!)

[Weapon_R]

Da Vinci code is a great book - just read it about a month ago, and again recently.

It's probably not necessarily true, but it claims to be based on real historic facts and events.

I also like John Grisham. His books are pretty well written.

[gerrycurl21]

Anyone read 48 Laws of Power? The Contender makes we wanna read it

[d-UNiT]

this isnt a joke, forrest gump, that is the greatest read ever, if you thought the movie was good (my fav movie) the book is by far hands down better, remember the movie is only an adaptation.. so much more happens in the book.. read it

[#1hustler]

"Robinson Crusoe" By Daniel Defoe

Some may find it dry but my favourite book ever.

Oh Yeah and "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" one of my most memorable reads In my younger days.

[Benny]

War and Peace is a good one. Takes a while though

[hampstor]

Originally posted by camby
1984 by George Orwell

agreed! One of the best (if not the weirdest) books ive ever read :thumbsup:

Also, the Celestine Prophecy by Redfield. The followup (10th insight) kind of sucked though.

[JordanEG6]

Originally posted by davidI


The book is based on 'clues' left in historic art as well as many museums / churches in Europe. I learned a couple things while reading it plus it is the sort of mystery where you're guessing all along what the solution to their next clue will be.

hmm..interesting...its kinda like the movie "paycheck"

[Despair*]

On of my favorites was the Dark Elf Trilogy by R.A. Salvatore. (Forgotten Realms) which is made up of Homeland, Exile, and Sojourn. The Legacy of the Drow series by Salvatore was also really good.

[Dave P]

Requiem For A Dream.

I love that book

[Kirbs17]

Hot Springs (I forget the author)
Any Dirk Pirt Adventure by Clive Cussler
2001, 2010 205X and 3001: A space odyssey

all good books

[kiwi]

Get the illustrated version of the Da Vinci Code!

[Wildcat]

Originally posted by Despair*
On of my favorites was the Dark Elf Trilogy by R.A. Salvatore. (Forgotten Realms) which is made up of Homeland, Exile, and Sojourn. The Legacy of the Drow series by Salvatore was also really good.

:werd: ive read all his books. i finished the hunters blade trilogy a few months ago. Im a huge Drizzt fan (and a huge closet fantasy geek)


Originally posted by Dave P
Requiem For A Dream.

I love that book

awesome movie too.

[tictactoe2004]

... I read a book once!

;)

[SwitchBlade]

The Dune series by Frank Herbert

At last there is nothing left to say- Matt Good

[cidley69]

Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach

super quick read, only like 80 pages, but long lasting ideas

1984 - great book

anyone else who read it think its definately coming true (or at least very insightfull to the future). that book was written a long time ago. llook at england with all the cameras on every single street corner and stuff

Carlos Castenada has some interesting books about Mexican shaman type stuff

[Wildcat]

Originally posted by SwitchBlade
The Dune series by Frank Herbert

i heard the dune prequels are crazy, they're written by his son i think.

[sputnik]

Catcher In The Rye - JD Salinger
Slaughter House Five - Kurt Vonnegut
The Plauge - Albert Camus
Being Digital - Nicholas Negroponte
The Brothers Karamazov - Fyodor Dostoyevsky
The Bible (NIV)

[Tyler883]

Canadian Author - Christopher Hyde - any book that he writes

for anyone that like JRR Tolken, try some trilogies cowritten by Tracy Hickman and Margaret Weiss. For me the most notable are 3 trilogies that were written in the 1980s called "the draganlance series" IMO, it is every bit as much a classic as Tolken.

[shakalaka]

I dunno if anybody mentioned this before in any of the previous replies or now. But this book I read in English 30 about Jews.
Its called
Night by Elie Wiesel. Its about his life story from when he was young. Got caught in the camps, lost family and everything. Its a wicked book, I wasnt much of a reader before, but this book I couldnt put it away until I finished it. Really, Really good.

[SOAB]

Originally posted by Wildcat


i heard the dune prequels are crazy, they're written by his son i think.

they are awesome reads. lost alot of sleep because of those damn books!!!

[ronaldo]

anything John Grisham writes is an awsome read:thumbsup:

[QuasarCav]

Originally posted by SwitchBlade
The Dune series by Frank Herbert

At last there is nothing left to say- Matt Good


:werd:

I have all of them in my bookcase. I have a hard time reading anything other than Sci-Fi and I haven't really read any of the classics.

Anything by Roald Dahl, people of all ages (6-60) can enjoy his books.

[sputnik]

Originally posted by QuasarCav

Anything by Roald Dahl, people of all ages (6-60) can enjoy his books.

My personal favorite was Georges Marvelous Medicine

[ZCracer]

Ayn Rand--Atlas Shrugged
The Fountainhead

George Orwell--Down and Out in Paris and London
1984
Politics and the English Language (essay)

Jack Kerouac--On the Road

Robert M. Pirsig--Zen & the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance

Hunter S. Thompson--Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
Fear and Loathing: On the Campaign Trail '72
The Great Shark Hunt

Ernest Hemingway--For Whom the Bell Tolls

William Shakespeare--Hamlet

I dig books with meaning;)

[ronaldo]

started reading The Client last night by John Grisham.....only read the first 2 chapters and im already sooo hooked. They made it into a wickked movie too but so far the book is way better already:)

[abyss]

Hamlet, Macbeth, King Lear....I think everyone should read at least two or three By Shakespeare in their life. I LOVED the Sword of Truth series too bad there won't be any more for awhile now. Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn. Da Vinci Code :thumbsup: Memoirs of a Geisha was very good, as well The Time Traveller's Wife. I just finished David Copperfield, also a very good read. Interview with the Vampire is one that I'm happy I read, I would've never even looked at it had it not been given to me.

[BerserkerCatSplat]

Originally posted by abyss
I LOVED the Sword of Truth series too bad there won't be any more for awhile now.

Have you read Chainfire yet? I haven't been able to convince myself to shell out $45 for the hardcover, I'll have to wait for the softcover. :banghead:

[abyss]

Originally posted by BerserkerCatSpl


Have you read Chainfire yet? I haven't been able to convince myself to shell out $45 for the hardcover, I'll have to wait for the softcover. :banghead:

Read Chainfire and Debt of Bones. I have both if you want to borrow. I just have to find them that's all. :)

[AsianCaucasian]

Originally posted by Wildcat


:werd: ive read all his books. i finished the hunters blade trilogy a few months ago. Im a huge Drizzt fan (and a huge closet fantasy geek)



awesome movie too.

those are good books :thumbsup:

[BigDannyCool]

Originally posted by abyss
Hamlet, Macbeth, King Lear....I think everyone should read at least two or three By Shakespeare in their life. I LOVED the Sword of Truth series too bad there won't be any more for awhile now. Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn. Da Vinci Code :thumbsup: Memoirs of a Geisha was very good, as well The Time Traveller's Wife. I just finished David Copperfield, also a very good read. Interview with the Vampire is one that I'm happy I read, I would've never even looked at it had it not been given to me.

If you've read Interview with the Vampire you have to read the other books in the Vampire Chronicles.

[Despair*]

Originally posted by Wildcat


:werd: ive read all his books. i finished the hunters blade trilogy a few months ago. Im a huge Drizzt fan (and a huge closet fantasy geek)

awesome movie too.

I've read almost all of them now, Just waiting for the Two Swords to come out on paperback before I purchase a copy. The hardcover is way to expensive for me to buy. Have you also read the Cleric series? I found it to be really good also even though it was a bit slow to start.

[jumperman8]

Those End Time's books are pretty interesting.

[Wildcat]

Originally posted by Despair*


I've read almost all of them now, Just waiting for the Two Swords to come out on paperback before I purchase a copy. The hardcover is way to expensive for me to buy. Have you also read the Cleric series? I found it to be really good also even though it was a bit slow to start.

no i never got into those.

[abyss]

Originally posted by BigDannyCool


If you've read Interview with the Vampire you have to read the other books in the Vampire Chronicles.

Is there any more other than Lestat? I've read that one too and I wasn't aware there were anymore otherwise I would have read them already :D

[SOAB]

i think there is about 7-8 books in the Vampire Chronicles. i have them all. great reads!! :thumbsup:

[BigDannyCool]

here's a list of the books in the Vampire Chronicles.

Interview with the Vampire
The Vampire Lestat
The Queen of the Damned
The Tale of the Body Thief
Menoch the Devil
The Vampire Armand
Merrick
Blood and Gold
Blackwood Farm
Blood Canticle

[Rockski]

the regulators - richard bachman

[Despair*]

^^ Those Vampire Chronicles sound pretty good. Going to have to check some of them out :thumbsup:

[Chanica]

My favorite book would have to be by Paulo Coehlo-By the River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept

Very meaningful and a lot to learn from it.

[mac_82]

Gates of Fire - Stephen Pressfield

about the battle between spartans and persians, at Thermopylae, most famous military battle ever. 300 spartans and their allies hold off over 100 000 persian soldiers, and preserving democracy so that it could survive until today. amazing story.


:thumbsup: :thumbsup:

[ehos]

Beyond Good and Evil, Nietzsche
(everything, anything) by Noam Chomsky
Neuromancer (light reading)
The Prince (Machivelli) (sp)
Wealth of Nations, Adam Smith
... tons more, but those off the top of my head.

Oh! Super System by Doyle Brunson! :)

Book I'm reading now is Inca & Spaniard, Marrin. Very good book!

[2000_SI]

Angels & Deamons - Dan Brown
Elf Song - Elain Cunningham
Desperation - Stephen King
Exile - R.A. Salvatore

[Wes]

A must for anyone who likes Fantasy is:

"A song of fire and ice" series - George R.R. Martin

Puts Goodkind and Jordan to shame.

[Wes]

Edited: Removed double post....sorry :confused:

[Wildcat]

some good action books by Matthew Reilly:

-Ice Station
-Area 7
-Temple
-Contest

[nhlfan]

the shining - steven king (i havent seen the movie)
hitchhikers guide series, 1-3 and 4+5 if you are hooked
the firm - john grisham -this is the only john grisham book i have read with a really, really strong message in it.
the giver - ? a decent book just because it changes perspective

those are the only must reads that i have read.

[no_joke]

Originally posted by d-UNiT
this isnt a joke, forrest gump, that is the greatest read ever, if you thought the movie was good (my fav movie) the book is by far hands down better, remember the movie is only an adaptation.. so much more happens in the book.. read it

The Forrest Gump book was so funny. The movie is absolutely one of the best films ever made. The movie is in my all-time top 5 and the book blows it out of the park. The author Winston Groom also wrote a sequel called 'Gump & Co.' and it refers to the movie and follows Forrest around after he became famous. Great stuff. It takes me about a month to read a book and that's if it can keep me interested. But I could finish a Forrest Gump book over the weekend.

[Chanica]

yeah i have read the forest gump book and the movie just doesnt do it justice...the book is awesome:thumbsup:

[cidley69]

Richard Bachman = Steven King

Anyone ever read those huge books like Shogun? (any good if you can get through it)

[danno567]

4000 Days: My Life & Survival in a Bangkok Prison

Read that if you ever think of doing some travelling.

Also:

The Fruit Palace
by Charles Nicholl

look both up at amazon and check em out.

[Carfanman]

I definitely agree with "The DaVinci Code". It's an amazing read, I really learned alot from it, and it sparked an interest in DaVinci.

I have a friend whos going to lend me the hitchhikers guide to the galaxy soon, I heard it's great.

I'll try to read most of the books that were told to be good by more than 2 people in this thread. Forest gump, which was a good movie, maybe Sword of Truth series or vampire chronicles. Also other books in this thread that I'll try to get to.

Someone mentioned the giver which I read a few years ago, it was a very good book.