What should be on everyone's reading list?

[MsSpring]

Hi. I've been lurking a little, this is my first post, and I hope that I'm not making a repeat thread. I see a lot of requests for book recommendations, so I hope this is okay. I'm making my Christmas wish list, and looking to expand my usual picks.

What I'm really after is...if you could make a mandatory reading list (let's say 3-5 books), what would be on it? Fiction/Non-Fiction/Poetry, whatever. Make separate lists if you want. I'm easy to please. :)

[Karl J. Barnes]

For historical: I think that Benard Cornwell's The Archer's Tale is definitely a novel to read.

Sci-fi: Sarah Zettel's Kingdom of Cages or The Quiet Invasion are good social science with intricate characters and situitations. Isaac Asimov's Robot/Bailey series.

Funny/goofy: Anything by Christopher Moore, Neil Gaimen& Terry Pratchet's Good Omens or even Robert Aspirin's Mything Adventures novels are a hoot and a half.

[Damon]

Im a huge fan of Robin Hobb's work in the Fantasy Genre

[Karl J. Barnes]

Im a huge fan of Robin Hobb's work in the Fantasy Genre

A good choice,definitely.

[Hombre]

What I'm really after is...if you could make a mandatory reading list (let's say 3-5 books), what would be on it?

1. Robert M. Pirsig, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance

2. Ayn Rand, the Fountainhead

3. Dalton Trumbo, Johnny Got His Gun

4. John Irving, the Cider House Rules

5. Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird

6. Ken Kesey, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's nest

[Slam_Bradley]

1. Fahrenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury

2. To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee

3. Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee - Dee Brown

4. The Maltese Falcon - Dashiell Hammett

5. The Cat in the Hat - Dr. Seuss

[CaptMagellan]

I'll go for weird stuff that probably won't be on the first lists of most people but are still cool for their ability to mess with your head.

"Flicker" by Theodore Roszak

"The Magus" by John Fowles (in honor of his recent passing).

"Valis" by Philip K. Dick.

"House of Leaves" by Mark Z. Danielewski.

"The Necronomicon Files" by Daniel Harms and John Wisdom Gonce.

[Chevan]

1. Something by Ray Bradbury. Maybe Something Wicked, maybe Dandelion Wine (pretty sure that's the title), or one of his other books. He's got a lot out there.

2. Dune - Frank Herbert (and possibly the rest of the series, but that's more reader discretion)

3. Contact - Carl Sagan

I'm going to stop there, since most of my recommendations are going to wind up being Science Fiction or Fantasy, because that's what I've read the most. There's other stuff I could list, but I feel it'd be redundant.

[MsSpring]

Funny/goofy: Anything by Christopher Moore, Neil Gaimen& Terry Pratchet's Good Omens or even Robert Aspirin's Mything Adventures novels are a hoot and a half.

Oh! I have Good Omens, and love it. I'm not sure I'd put it on a mandatory reading list, if I got to design such a thing.

Oh the other hand, I don't know what I'd put on that sort of list, hence my initial post. :)

[Damon]

While I hate to plug my site directly in a post, I am also lazy and feel it would be better served this way. One of our admins has a pretty decent list of Sci Fi and Fantasy books on the 101 must reads

http://www.fantasybookspot.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=471

[MsSpring]

While I hate to plug my site directly in a post, I am also lazy and feel it would be better served this way. One of our admins has a pretty decent list of Sci Fi and Fantasy books on the 101 must reads

http://www.fantasybookspot.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=471


Ooooo. I like lists. Thanks! :) Looks like way more than I could ever fit on one year's wish list.

[Tages]

Ooooo. I like lists. Thanks! :) Looks like way more than I could ever fit on one year's wish list.
Spring. We meet again.

(I'm at school)

[MsSpring]

Spring. We meet again.

(I'm at school)

And what does that have to do with my want of lists? Are you trying to be cryptic? ;)


Just answer the question. :P

[Sanagi]

The one that leaps immediately to mind is the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Either the first book or the collected version, whichever counts. After that, it's hard to choose.

[MsSpring]

The one that leaps immediately to mind is the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Either the first book or the collected version, whichever counts. After that, it's hard to choose.


Have them. Love them. :) Good choice though. I think that would make it on my list, for sure.

[Solaris]

For just general fiction reading/good fun stuff for ANYone... the Mitford series by Jan Karon. (She's about to release the final book in the series, btw, in a week or so---I think it's about 7-8 books total. There's also a cookbook.)

I'd definitely put this on the list because

a. it's a fun and heartwarming read, and Karon really nailed how a lot of small Southern mountain town life can be

b. it's suitable as a good gift for pretty much anyone. My grandmother is hard to buy for, and thanks to Karon, I've had lots of birthday's/Christmas's go much easier, because I could give my gran the next eagerly-awaited book in that series.

c. yes, religion is one of the central topics in the books, because the main character is an Episcopal priest... but it's not preachy, and there's a lot of "live and let live" in it. Being pagan myself, I'm not fond of the "there's only one way!" kind of thing, heh. :)