Essential Reading

Got this idea from some of the other book threads. Instead of posting your 3,000 book collection, let's take it in the other direction.

Give us your best or favorite book recommendations, or series, or genre essentials, whatever. There's not a cap on it, but try to keep it focused.

Padawan Joined: 26 Feb 2012 Posts: 41 Location: Kesh

My favorite series is Lord of the Rings.
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Luke and Obi-Wan are in a Chinese restaurant and Luke is having trouble.
Finally Obi-Wan says "Use the forks, Luke".

I don't really do favourites, but Bernard Cornwell's Arthurian trilogy is pretty high up on my list of preferred reading. It trumps all other Arthur stories, in my opinion.
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I am a Star Wars fan. That doesn't mean that I hate or love Jar Jar. That doesn't mean I hate or love Lucas, or agree or disagree 100% with him. That doesn't mean I prefer the PT over the OT, or vice versa. That doesn't mean I hate the EU, or even love all of it. These are not prerequisites. Being a man is not a prerequisite. Being a geek is not a prerequisite. The only prerequisite is that I love something about Star Wars. I am a Star Wars fan.

Knight Joined: 07 Feb 2012 Posts: 358 Location: USA

My favorite Fantasy Series is The Rune Lords by David Farland; TLOTR by JRR Tolken. Anything by Zahn.

Favorite philosophy: complete works of Plato, Homer, Plutarch, Julius Caeser, Hesiod & the Anthology of Medieval Literature that I bought while in college.

Can't think of anymore at the moment.
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"Study art...", said Thrawn.

"Vote for Papa Palpatine".

Out of all the books I've read, some of the best ones include...

At the Queen's Command by Michael A. Stackpole - the only book I've ever read and the word masterpiece came to mind. It impressed me that much.

The Edge of the World by Kevin J. Anderson - I know KJA doesn't get a lot of love from some Star Wars fans, but this book made me rethink my opinion of him. This guy has talent. I haven't read many of his books, so I don't know if he just happened to hit this one out of the park or if he has more of this caliber, but it was a great book. There's a lot of stuff to get familiar with, so it was a slow start, but once I warmed up to the story and the characters, it was one of the best books I've ever read.

As for series, all of the Acts of Caine books and the Heart of Bronze collection. Matthew Stover writes some wild stories when he's not doing Star Wars. Very memorable.
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I'll post a fiction and a non-fiction.

Fiction:

House Of Leaves by Mark Danielewski.

I think it's probably the best book of the 21st century. Like all great works of literature it's about how people see themselves and relate to other people. It's also about how storytelling is a defining characteristic of the human experience.

The plot is that a young man acquires and publishes a manuscript from his former neighbor that is an analysis of a movie.

It has three main storylines. The central narrative is the movie which is about a family that moves into a house that's a gateway to another dimension. The other two stories are told in footnotes by the author and the publisher.

It's up to the reader to decide how the stories fit together. Another feature of great literature is that it's not a passive listening experience, but an active and engaging process by the reader.

In the middle of the book is over 25 pages of bibliography and film listings. This is to illustrate three key points of the book: A book is a puzzle that you have to work at solving if you want it to give up it's secrets. A story is an intangible thing created in the imagination of the reader and not in the words on a page. I'll leave the third lesson up to you to find.

It also has different colored text, font, font size, writing direction including backwards writing to view in a mirror, coded messages, poems, diary entries and photographs.

Non-fiction: I'll post that later.

"The Chronicles of Narnia".

That is all. Wink

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Where sky and water meet,
Where the waves grow sweet,
Doubt not, Reepicheep,
To find all you seek,
There is the utter east.

Master Joined: 11 Jun 2009 Posts: 1354

My favorite book of all time is Rendezvous with Rama by Arthur C. Clarke. It's a hard science fiction, but has breathtaking descriptions of an encounter with an alien vessel. The characters are well done and there is a very good, humbling moral to the story.

Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card is good, too, but isn't nearly as wonderful and mysterious as Rama.

Master Joined: 15 Apr 2008 Posts: 4434 Location: Korriban

Knight Joined: 07 Feb 2012 Posts: 358 Location: USA

George Orwell: 1984 (great book)

Salvatore's: Saga of the First King. Faces the question of the individual wants over the needs of society (especially during war) head on.

I spelt Caesar incorrectly in my earlier post.

So, one day I might buy a dictionary.
Wink

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"Study art...", said Thrawn.

"Vote for Papa Palpatine".

Oh, non-fiction.

Must reads include:

To Hell and Back - Autobiography of Audie Murphy: he was the most decorated American soldier of WWII, and his autobiography is one of the best I've ever read. If you like WWII, this is a must read.

There's a book on the Iraq war that I have, but I don't remember the title right now. I'll have to check when I get home. But it was a very gripping account of the battle of Falluja.
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Dune, by Frank Herbert.

Jurassic Park, by Michael Crichton.

Those are my two favourite books, period. I plan to re-read them soon (after I'm done FOTJ: Apocalypse.)
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It was the year of fire… the year of destruction… the year we took back what was ours.
It was the year of rebirth… the year of great sadness… the year of pain… and the year of joy.
It was a new age. It was the end of history. It was the year everything changed.
The year is 2261.
The place: Babylon 5.

Knight Joined: 07 Feb 2012 Posts: 358 Location: USA

Non-Fiction:
Agree with TH&B add, A Bridge Too Far, The Rommel Papers both are also a must read for WWII.

Memoirs of Cardinal-Duke de Richelieu-he's the first PM of France and he is considered the Father of Modern France. He founded the French Acadamy (I'll use English translation in citing his accomplishments), founded the French Navy, was a patron of the French Arts, helped establish France as a power player in European politics, etc etc.
I could go on about Richelieu but, I won't.

The Bede's History of the King's of Britian.
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"Study art...", said Thrawn.

"Vote for Papa Palpatine".

@Taral: Jurassic Park and Dune = both good picks, I second them.
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Master Joined: 29 Feb 2008 Posts: 745 Location: Denver

Best is tough. But essential - I'll go with The Stars my Destination. I am pretty shocked that has not been made into a movie...

My other favorite is Soon I will be Invincible - I think its a great one for comic book fans.

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