Literary Exploration discussion

Heya guys! I've been super duper busy with school, but now that I only have two exams left and summer vacation is right around the corner, I'm looking for more awesome books to read!

What I'd like to know is what is your most favorite or best book? Perhaps the one book that you'd recommend to everyone to read? It can be a childhood favorite or a great classic novel.

I just finished rereading some of my childhood favorites (The Secret Circle Trilogy) AND a classic novel (The Master and Margarita). I love all sorts of genre's, but I'm mostly looking for something moving, exciting and enlightening.


If it's not too much trouble, before you post I ask that you just do a quick search of my books to make sure that I haven't read it before. I have read a LOT of books already. (Link to my books here).


Thank you so much for this!

Good to see you back Xeni. Not sure what great books I've read but you haven't. I can see you've got a few good ones on your to-read - For The Win, Beat the Reaper, The Sword-Edged Blonde, A Wizard of Earthsea, American Gods.

Then there's The Lies of Locke Lamora, Snow Crash, a scary non-fiction medical book (you may be a bit over medical things at the moment thought) The Hot Zone: A Terrifying True Story, The Way of Kings, His Majesty's Dragon.

I could post more but that's enough for now :P

Haha, yeah that's a lot! :D

My to-read shelf is a mess. I need to wade through that and actually take off books I'm not interested in reading. One would be American Gods. I am actually 'currently-reading' a Wizard of Earthsea, believe it or not! I just... put it down and haven't picked it up since. xD

I shall definitely look into all the rest! Medical things always interest me :D

My favourite books are Gone With the Wind and East of Eden.

My favorite book for any occasion, any time of the year, in any mood would have to be The Shadow of the Wind The plot and subplots are just as grasping for readers the first time and every time. The language is beautiful yet easy to understand.

Ellie, I've read both, but I might give East of Eden another look at! It's been a while. GWTW is one of my absolute favorites too, that I've read over and over and over... Have you read Rhett Butler's People?

We is actually *really* high up on my to-read list, Everitt! I only learned of it about a month ago, which I find incredible. Supposedly it is the forerunner for almost all dystopian works. Psychological literature you say? It better not be completely cliche and see-through, I say!

Kimberly and Jeanette, thous sound appealing! I shall look into them :D

Thank you, you four <3

♥Xeni♥ wrote: "Ellie, I've read both, but I might give East of Eden another look at! It's been a while. GWTW is one of my absolute favorites too, that I've read over and over and over... Have you read Rhett Butle..."

I haven't read Rhett Butler's People but I really want to! I'm having a hard time trying to get hold of a copy of it.

Dang.. I'd totally send you my copy if it wasn't in another country right now :( Have you tried bookmooch.com and some other obscure book ordering sites?

Thanks for the suggestion but I quit using bookmooch ages ago... there is not that many people on that site that are willing to send books to Ireland (where I live). I've tried everywhere I can think of. No luck at the library. I've tried all the bookstores in my area (even the secondhand ones) and none of them have it in stock. I'd tried all the online stores that I know deliver to Ireland. The paperback edition of the book has been out of stock for ages on Amazon and they have 1 copy in hardback but they want €24 for it which is outrageous. So I'm all out of options at the moment. :/

Ouch, that really sucks! Well, I'll be back visiting my parents in August, probably. If you still don't have a copy I'll send you mine (that is if I can find it... they kinda hid my boxes with books in them, all twenty of them!)

I would recommend Angelmaker, Beat the Reaper and Talulla Rising (but only if you've read The Last Werewolf, if you haven't read both). Also Crime and Punishment

Hey Ellie have you tried ebay as a last option, sure they will post to you and you won't have to pay £24 for the book, about £3 or something

Ellie wrote: "Thanks for the suggestion but I quit using bookmooch ages ago... there is not that many people on that site that are willing to send books to Ireland (where I live). I've tried everywhere I can thi..."

Looks like there's multiple copies available from Book Depository and shipping will be quick - http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/searc...

My all-time favorite book is undoubtedly Jane Eyre....

Ah i've had Jane Eyre on my to-read list for so long, been meaning to get it out and read it, I think I shall have to one of these days :)

you should..its amazing

The Count of Monte Cristo easily the best book I have ever read

Jane Eyre and The Count of Monte Cristo are easily two of my favorites as well. But thanks for the recommendations. :)

I really love anything by Markus Zusak... The Book Thief and I am the Messenger are probably my favorites! Or, if you like crazy cerebral artsy horror novels, you could try House of Leaves. It takes a while to get into but it's really interesting.

I also recently read The Name of the Wind and absolutely adored it!

Not interested in The Book Thief. I've held it in my hands multiple times in the store, but it just doesn't resonate. Perhaps another day.

House of Leaves.. my copy is lying around my parents place, I think.

But now, The Name of the Wind, that sounds awesome! Thank you :D

Kim wrote: "Ellie wrote: "Thanks for the suggestion but I quit using bookmooch ages ago... there is not that many people on that site that are willing to send books to Ireland (where I live). I've tried everyw..."

Thanks! I tried that site last month when I read GWTW and they only had the €20 hb in stock. They must gotten the paperback since then. I've brought a copy. thanks! :)

I love historical fiction ( not romance novels with period costumes on the cover). I would recommend The Historian, Drood, The Dante Club.

I have read The Historian but I'll take a look at the other two. I too love a good historical fiction!

Jeanette deleted her comment... which is funny, because I just started reading the book she recommended, Silently and Very Fast

I haven't reread it in ages, but the book that impressed me most was One Hundred Years of Solitude.

Thank you Wastrel! That one has been on my to-read forever, and I can't imagine a more fitting book to what I'm looking for. :D

a good book
patrick rothfuss
if u like the alt his route
taylor caldwell

If I had to pick just a few, I'd have to say that my favorite books are A Prayer for Owen Meany and I Know This Much is True. Those are the two that I recommend to everyone I know.

Kimberly wrote: "My favorite book for any occasion, any time of the year, in any mood would have to be The Shadow of the Wind The plot and subplots are just as grasping for readers the first time and every time. Th..."

I so love The Shadow of the Wind! I picked it up out of obligation to my book club, but did not expect to enjoy it since I don't usually read dark books. What a marvelous surprise it was! The writing is gorgeous, and the story is gripping. I loved every second of reading this book the first time, and I love it even more every time I reread it.

Before I Go To Sleep by S.J. Watson:)

The Miracle Life of Edgar Mint

I love The Winds of War anything by Wouk is great!

Watchmen is my absolute favourite book ever. Genius is so many ways, I simply cannot praise it enough.

Lichen wrote: "Watchmen is my absolute favourite book ever. Genius is so many ways, I simply cannot praise it enough."

Watchmen...your link didn't work for some reason Lichen...is this correct?

Must be my crappy HTML skills messing the links up again and yes that is correct.

Lichen wrote: "Watchmen is my absolute favourite book ever. Genius is so many ways, I simply cannot praise it enough."

Certainly my favorite, and probably the best written graphic novel I've read. Books like Watchmen lead towards the realization that great literature comes in many forms.

Matthew wrote:Certainly my favorite, and probably the best written graphic novel I've read. Books like Watchmen lead towards the realization that great literature comes in many forms.

Exactly. It's a shame a lot of people miss out on greatness like Watchmen and others simply because "Well, it's just a comic". Although I do think people have less of that attitude these days.

I'd have to say it's the best graphic novel I've read as well although it's hard for me to comment considering I haven't yet read any Sandman or Frank Miller's Batman work. But I'm pretty sure nothing will top Mr.Moore for writing standards.

My favourite books include Far from the Madding Crowd and The Magic Mountain. However I read those some time ago. Favourite recent reads include From the City, from the Plough., Even the Dogs: A Novel and Hallucinating Foucault

I checked out your 'read' list and didn't these on the list: The Bean Trees & Pigs In Heaven by Barbara Kingsolver (the two books go together). I loved these books and found them very uplifting and gave me the warm-fuzzies after finishing them.

If you are looking for more on the non-fiction of enlightening end, there was a couple lovely memoir I read this year: The Middle Place (Daughter & Father simultaneously battling cancer).

Or for just funny: Captain Freedom: A Superhero's Quest for Truth, Justice, and the Celebrity He So Richly Deserves by G. Xavier Robillard

I've read Pigs in Heaven, which I enjoyed, I will keep an eye open for the others, thanks.

Tina wrote: "I so love The Shadow of the Wind! I picked it up out of obligation to my book club..."


I am reading this right now. It's amazing how good it is. I don't have the time to just speed zoom through it, like I normally do with books, so I am just so happy that it's engaging enough for me to remember what happened every time I get a chance to pick it up.

Amy wrote: "If I had to pick just a few, I'd have to say that my favorite books are A Prayer for Owen Meany and I Know This Much is True. Those are the two that I recommend to everyone I know."

Both of these shall be added! I always wanted to read A Prayer for Owen Meany, so thanks for reminding me! :D

Brenda wrote: "Before I Go To Sleep by S.J. Watson:)"

I read this. I didn't like it so much. :(

Matthew wrote: "Lichen wrote: "Watchmen is my absolute favourite book ever. Genius is so many ways, I simply cannot praise it enough."

Certainly my favorite, and probably the best written graphic novel I've read...."

Alright, alright, your praise has me convinced! I shall finally pick up this book! :D

Paul wrote: "My favourite books include Far from the Madding Crowd and The Magic Mountain. However I read those some time ago. Favourite recent reads include From the City, from the Plough., Even the Dogs: A No..."

I don't think I've heard of any of these. Amazing! Thanks for all of them! :D

Tiffani wrote: "I checked out your 'read' list and didn't these on the list: The Bean Trees & Pigs In Heaven by Barbara Kingsolver (the two books go together). I loved these books and found them very uplifting and..."

Thanks Tiffani :D I really appreciate you looking up ones in my shelves too! Lighthearted happiness seems exactly what I need right now!

Tiffani wrote: "I checked out your 'read' list and didn't these on the list: The Bean Trees & Pigs In Heaven by Barbara Kingsolver (the two books go together). I loved these books and found them very uplifting and..."

The Bean Trees and Pigs in Heaven are very different than later Kingsolver like The Poisonwood Bible or Prodigal Summer. I much prefer these earlier works - they are stories about people lives rather than big books trying to send a message.

I really did not like The Poisonwood Bible. So I am really glad to hear you say that! :D

I disliked The Poisonwood Bible very much I'm afraid, but I know many like it.

The House on the Strand was pretty amazing, Perfume: The Story of a Murderer, East of Eden, and The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories are some of my favourites, but it's a hard list to define and can change daily, given my mood. :)