What is your favorite book/books?

[Harry]

What is your favorite book/books? My favorite are...the lesser key of solomon and the sacred magic of abramelin the mage

[Pheldagriff]

Kafka on the shore
this book will blow your mind
it is the literal version of google-seppuku

[Man on Fire]

Roger Zelazny's Chronolicles of Amber. Amazing, interesting, complicated, imaginative, what's not to love?

[Tvtyrant]

Probably Bill Bryson's "A Short History of Nearly Everything."

[Avilan the Grey]

I am not exactly High Brow:

The Dresden Files, by far.
LOTR is second, and Jim Butcher's other series, Codex Alera is third.

I do read far less than I used to, though.

[Feytalist]

If we stretch the concept of book a bit:

Kahlil Gibran's The Prophet. Exquisite prose poetry framing a powerful but gentle life philosophy. The Garden of the Prophet is just as good. Something I read multiple times a year.

The Sandman, by Neil Gaiman and a bunch of artists (hey, it was released in bound form, it's a book). A graphic novel about the power of dreams and stories. Gaiman is an amazing storyteller, and the art is usually very good. Also something I read about once a year.

SF/Fantasy:
The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, by Stephen Donaldson. Very dark, very depressing fantastical escapism (maybe, depending on interpretation). An utterly unlikable protagonist. Reading it always makes me feel drained. but in a good way.

The Age of the Five, by Trudi Canavan. Lighthearted fantasy. Not an entirely unique storyline, but presented in a pleasing manner. Great characterisation.

The Kovacs Trilogy by Richard Morgan. Hardboiled cyberpunk/biopunk/neo-noir/something. Morgan has an amazingly descriptive way of writing, and his worlds are unique and intriguing. Very dark and dystopian.

[Thinker]

I, Robot by I. Asimov. Most of Asimov's work is worthwhile reading.

[Omergideon]

Oh, tough choice.

I have 3 favourite authors, Pratchett, Tolkien and Asimov. And for each of them I am sure I could fill a top 5 (though Tolkien would include some of his non-fiction I guess). As it is I think my top 3 books, one from each are....

1) The Silmarillion. I love the epic. I Love the world. And I love how the book is structured. It says something that even unfinished I am a huge fan.
2) Bicentennial Man. It is one of the most moving portrayals and explorations of the question "What measure a man" I have read. Someone once said it was the best thing he ever wrote. I agree.
3) Reaper Man. Other Death stories come close, but Reaper Man has the best mix of comedy and scope for me. And the characterisation is incredible. We get to meet a truly alien, yet still comprehensible, mind and see how it works. A great story.

[Mauve Shirt]

The Dresden Files.
All of the Terry Pratchett I've ever read.
Most of the Neil Gaiman I've ever read.
And though it's low brow, I do like John Dies At The End.

[Asha'man]

Robert Jordan's The wheel of time series!0

[Traab]

Hmm, the books I read the most often are my diblert comic collections. After that I think would be either my david eddings collection, or my dennis mckeirnan mithgar series of books. I dont do as much book reading as I used to because I spend most of my time online reading fanfiction.

[Emmerask]

Its really hard to pick one book/series/author, I read a lot and like a lot of books for different reasons.
But I would probably give that honor to:

David Gemmell Drenai Series and Stones of Power.

Another author who really impressed me lately would be Brandon Sanderson,
I enjoyed his continuation of the wheel of time books, liked the new mistborn book (wild west thing) and the first stormlight archive book was pretty darn awesome imo.

[SlayerScott]

James Clavell's Asian Saga.

And props to anyone who said Sandman, that's right up there too. I'm rereading it again right now.

[DiscipleofBob]

Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

Snow Crash

Anything by Christopher Stasheff.

In the more comedic non-fiction category:

America the Book by Jon Stewart, specifically the version that was actually graded by a college professor.

[Talya]

Good Omens, by Pratchett and Gaiman.

[Spacewolf]

I think i would go with Reaper Man by P.T the ending is just a massive high point.

[GeekGirl]

I can't count the number of time i've read Fight Club. Really any of Chuck Palahniuk's stuff is pretty awesome. After that I would say the X-Wing series. Most people say Thrawn was the better story, but I have a huge crush on Wedge :P

[Fri]

I have lots of favourite book, but what I'd consider my ultimate favourite tier are: Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere and Anansi Boys; Terry Pratchett's Guards' Guards, Men at Arms, The Truth, and Going Postal; and Jules Verne's 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea.

I think, maybe, Alan Lightman's Einsteins Dreams, Kate DiCamillo's Tales of Desperaux, and Michael Ende's Momo, might be in that tier too, but I'm not sure.

[Tengu_temp]

Ha, there is no way I could pick the favorite book of mine. I know for certain these are very high on the list, though:
Terry Pratchett, Reaper Man
Pratchett and Gaiman, Good Omens
Mikhail Bulgakov, The Master and Margarita
Umberto Eco, The Name of the Rose
Kir Bulychev, the Great Guslar books

[SaintRidley]

House of Leaves is my current favorite. Ask again tomorrow and it will probably have changed.

[Cespenar]

Probably The Dark Tower septology, by Stephen King.

[JabberwockySupafly]

American Gods by Neil Gaiman. I've read it probably well into triple digits by now, and I still enjoy it every time. Very close second is Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch by Sir Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman.

[Mauve Shirt]

Ooo, I forgot all the Christopher Moore books, especially Lamb, Fluke and A Dirty Jobs.

[Talya]

American Gods by Neil Gaiman. I've read it probably well into triple digits by now, and I still enjoy it every time. Very close second is Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch by Sir Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman.

Your second is my first. I did like American Gods, though I'd rank Neverwhere better, as far as Gaiman books go.

[Feytalist]

Your second is my first. I did like American Gods, though I'd rank Neverwhere better, as far as Gaiman books go.

Neverwhere reads like a love letter to London. I feel like I'd enjoy it even more if I knew London better. As it is, it's still a great book.

And for some reason, I like Anansi Boys more than American Gods.

[DigoDragon]

I, Robot by I. Asimov.

Aye, I own that book as well and read it many times.


Also on my favorite list is--
"The Last Unicorn" by Peter S. Beagle. Its a nice easygoing fantasy story. Touches on a few details the animated movie did not.

"The Princess Bride" by William Goldman. The book is like a double-comedy because the author trolls readers about this being an abridged version of some bigger story that doesn't really exist. Also his commentary about his personal life (also fictional) are amusing.

[hamlet]

I don't know if I could name my all time favorite, or even a top ten. I like LOTS of books.

Khalil Gibran (I know I'm spelling that wrong, but suck it up folks). Very beautiful and touching.

Anything by Milton. Major brain exercise.

JRR Tolkein's LOTR, obviously. Just wonderful stuff there.

GRRM's A Sone of Ice and Fire books and the short stories that go with in the Dunk and Egg stuff. It's kind of spoiled me for fantasy, and now it's difficult to find fantasy that I like other than it.

The Dragonlance Chronicles and Legends series. Old shame, actually. Horrible in terms of objective quality, but just so damned fun.

Butcher's Dresdenverse is much the same. Just lots of fun and the additional benefit of being quite clever. And, in addition to that, it's actually been a real pleasure to read the books from start to finish twice now and really watch as he improves his skill as a writer.

Yeats' The Second Coming http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Second_Coming_(poem) Probably one of my fave shorter poems of all time.

Most of T.S. Eliot, but especially The Wasteland. Grade A mind screw there. And just hauntingly wonderful. Try to read it at least once a year.

Much of J. Ezra Pound.

Some of Amiri Baraka, though personally I get the urge to punch him in the nose from time to time. Overall nice guy, though, and thoughtful work.

Ozymandias
I met a traveller from an antique land
Who said: Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
Stand in the desart. Near them, on the sand,
Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown,
And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command,
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read
Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,
The hand that mocked them and the heart that fed:
And on the pedestal these words appear:
"My name is Ozymandias, king of kings:
Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!"
Nothing beside remains. Round the decay
Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare
The lone and level sands stretch far away.

I like both Eddas.

Volsung Saga.

Bagavad Ghita.

Torah, Bible, Qu'ran.

Much of Assimov, but especially the Foundation series and attached books. And the Robot books as well now that I think about it.

Arthur C. Clarke's 2001: A Space Oddesy.

Beowulf

The Battle of Maldon

Uhm . . . OK . . . I think I have to stop now before I go on for too long.

But just let me add the following: Nineteen-Eighty-Four, Brave New World, Farenheit 451, The Island of Dr. Moreau.

Ok, now I'm done. Or at least, I can stop myself from continuing.

[thompur]

The Wild Cards series; a shared world anthology edeted by George R.R. Martin. Over a dozen volumes, and most of them really good.

Jasper Fforde's Thursday Next series, and the Nursery Crime series Again, loads of fun!

Robert J. Sawyer: The WWW. trilogy, The Neanderthal Paralax, The Quintaglio Ascension, Flashforward, Starplex... really, just about anything this man writes is amazing!

[Timeless Error]

Seeing all the sci-fi and fantasy books being listed, my preference for Franny and Zooey, Crime and Punishment, War and Peace (which I've only just started reading now), and other pseudo-philosophical literature seems somewhat out of place. However, I do love The Lord of the Rings and other works by J.R.R. Tolkein.

[Indurain]

Like many others here, I'd have to say Good Omens by Pratchett and Gaiman.

Honourable Mentions:
Song of Ice and Fire Series - George RR Martin
Ender's Game - Orson Scott Card
The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins (I've just read the first one, and was quite impressed at some of the themes and alegories set up by the first book. If my predictions for the series hold true, this will make my list. If it turns too Twilighty, I'll scratch this book from the list faster than you can say "I miss Rue")