[Klaatu]

[QUOTE=Michread;1994565]What are your best loved books - past or present?

Self Improvement - The Four Agreements, Don Miguel Ruiz The Alchemist, Paulo Coelho
Slice of America's Past - The Grapes of Wrath, Steinbeck
Crazy to read but worth it - The Trial. Kafka
SciFi with great story - Hyperion, Dan Simmons Ender's Game, Orson Scott Card
Great American Survival WW II - Unbroken, Linda Hillenbrand
Fun Fantasy - Enchantment, Orson Scott Card
Scary Realistic Bio-Warfare - The Cobra Event, Richard Preston

[Michread]

I’ve read several on these lists and enjoyed them.

Dracula by Bram Stoker was a favorite! I want to go on a Dracula tour. The sights and food described made me want to go to Transylvania.

[richdell]

I like reading about history. I'm currently re-reading "The Plantagenets" by Dan Jones, about the English kings from Henry II to Richard II.

[frostola]

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon and the 7 books that follow. Book #8 is coming out in November.

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

I don't have a singular favorite book. I've been into historic fiction (NON-romance) for several years now. Went through dozens of books about the Henry VIII, the Plantagenets, the Victorian Age, mostly by Phillipa Gregory but several other authors as well. The past two years I've been absorbing novels about WWII and the Holocaust. Of particular interest are stories of life in the concentration camps and the "rabbits" of Ravensbrück.

I average around 20 books per year now, but at one point in my life I was reading at least 1 book every week.

Most of my "favorites" aren't books, they're authors. I'll usually read anything they write, if I haven't already read everything they've written.

I'm also a huge fan of Robert E. Heinlein. I've read every single novel he wrote while he was still alive, several of his short stories, and the "Grumbles from Beyond the Grave," a posthumous autobiography gathered by his wife Virginia after he died, using a collection of his correspondences with his publishers/editors and others.

Douglas Adams - read most of his books and played the HHGTG game he co-created with Infocom.

Shakespeare - a fan of the comedies and tragedies, not so much with the histories.

Chaucer - Canterbury Tales - in small doses, and nothing recent. I just remember getting a kick out of trying to understand it.

Dan Brown's books - He has an interesting spin on religion and his books are pretty quick reads.

Harry Potter - read the whole series, it took me maybe two days per book to read it.

Anne Rice - she went through a whole lot of different experiences and each series she wrote reflected some of her ideas and perceptions of religion, death, and to some extent, existence in general. I loved A Cry to Heaven, especially.

Dystopia novels: Jennifer Government by Max Barry, 1984, Brave New World, Walden II, Hunger Games, Handmaid's Tale, Divergent, anything by Octavia Butler, Ready Player One/Two.

Sci-Fi/Fantasy: Anathema by Neal Stephenson. Cryptonomicon was fascinating but I struggled with the way it leapt from storyline to storyline, because they took place during different times of history. Insanely long book - 1172 pages.

Neil Gaiman is awesome. Terry Pratchett is amazing. Michael Moorcock's Elric saga kept me entertained on and off for a couple of years.

I have a "selected entries" of Lewis Carroll that I refer to sometimes just because I'm in the mood for his wit and rhythmic poetry.

Lastly, this stand-alone: A book called Herland, a feminist utopian novel written in 1915 by Charlotte Gilman. The book was given to me by a housemate my freshman year of college. There were around 30 of us living in a brownstone mansion that was converted into a dormitory. I was struggling with my self-esteem as a woman trying to get into radio broadcast journalism at the time and he basically thrust it at me and ordered me to read it. It helped for sure, and left a pretty big impact on me. I think I still have the book. I ended up changing my major to print journalism.

[Topspinmo]

Originally Posted by charlieo1126@gmail.com

Wow !! Your so smart!!!!

Thank you! Being you didn’t quote?

[Michread]

Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby

I don't have a singular favorite book. I've been into historic fiction (NON-romance) for several years now. Went through dozens of books about the Henry VIII, the Plantagenets, the Victorian Age, mostly by Phillipa Gregory but several other authors as well. The past two years I've been absorbing novels about WWII and the Holocaust. Of particular interest are stories of life….


….

Most of my "favorites" aren't books, they're authors. I'll usually read anything they write, if I haven't already read everything they'vel have the book. I ended up changing my major to print journalism.

Thank you for the recommendations! I like to read historical fiction as well.

Some of my favorites in history that come to mind:

The Mayflower, Nathaniel Philbrick
Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy - Karen Abbott
George Washington’s Secret Six, Brian Kilmeade

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

Originally Posted by Michread

Thank you for the recommendations! I like to read historical fiction as well.

Some of my favorites in history that come to mind:

The Mayflower, Nathaniel Philbrick
Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy - Karen Abbott
George Washington’s Secret Six, Brian Kilmeade

Another author of classic historical fiction (and non-fiction) is Morgan Llywelyn. Can't forget her! Her book Druids was the first I'd ever read in the genre. I was hooked on her writing, and on the ancient cultures of Britain. Of special interest: 1014: Brian Boru & the Battle for Ireland. This one takes you back to the Vikings. Fast forward to the 1500's and there's Grania, which (in my opinion) demonstrates the strength, integrity, and fierceness of women set out to protect and defend their families and clans from enemy forces. She was one of the first true "feminists." She is an actual historic figure in Ireland and was the head of the entire dynasty in western Ireland, and presented requests to Queen Elizabeth (I) regarding the release of her sons and half-brother in 1593.

Another of hers that I really would love to read again: Bard: The Odyssey of the Irish. Sadly it's out of print, and was never made available for download into an e-book. Some libraries might have it, I'll have to check Lady Lake's library but unfortunately this town isn't exactly known for people who love reading historical fiction unless they're "historical romance" which is a whole other genre of books that don't interest me in the least.

[Davonu]

If you like American history books, Undaunted Courage by Stephen E. Ambrose is excellent.

It's the story of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Quite an adventure story. One of the best non-fiction books I've ever read.

[44Apple]

If you like sports/time travel books, If I Never Get Back by Darryl Brock is a fun book.

[Boomer]

[QUOTE=Klaatu;1995382]

Originally Posted by Michread

What are your best loved books - past or present?

Self Improvement - The Four Agreements, Don Miguel Ruiz The Alchemist, Paulo Coelho
Slice of America's Past - The Grapes of Wrath, Steinbeck
Crazy to read but worth it - The Trial. Kafka
SciFi with great story - Hyperion, Dan Simmons Ender's Game, Orson Scott Card
Great American Survival WW II - Unbroken, Linda Hillenbrand
Fun Fantasy - Enchantment, Orson Scott Card
Scary Realistic Bio-Warfare - The Cobra Event, Richard Preston

Because Steinbeck’s Grapes of Wrath is one of your favorites, you might be interested in reading The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah. It is about life in the Dust Bowl. The story is heartbreaking, but gives us a vivid picture of what it was like to try to survive in that time and place.

The story shows the reader how spoiled and lucky we are now to be able to have what we need, to take day-to-day basic needs for granted.

Their houses filled with blowing sand, coming in through even the smallest cracks. Their clothing was ripped by the strength and sharpness of those particles. Nothing grew. The livestock died. If they gave up and headed to California, they were often met by man’s inhumanity to man and basically enslaved.

That awful time was not even a hundred years ago. The Four Winds is historic fiction. The characters are made up but the portrayal of the times is not.

Sometimes we need to be reminded through perspective.

Boomer

[jdulej]

Some may laugh, but the Harry Potter series is quite a tale. It gets darker and darker, and you progress through the books. I picked up and put down the first book many times before forcing myself to finish it. By the last couple books, I was staying up all night reading them.

[dblwyr]

I love that book! Elegant in its simplicity and engaging as the story of Florida. A great read. Also love the Gabriel Allon books by Daniel Silva.

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

Originally Posted by jdulej

Some may laugh, but the Harry Potter series is quite a tale. It gets darker and darker, and you progress through the books. I picked up and put down the first book many times before forcing myself to finish it. By the last couple books, I was staying up all night reading them.

Yup, loved the whole series.