Books I think everyone should read

[ghostlight]

Starship Troopers by Robert Heinlein.

Agreed. This book has some interesting things to say about public service and its place in society.

It's been said, but I'll mention it again: if you've been putting off reading Starship Troopers because you've seen the movie, keep in mind that the movie has about as much in common with the book as Braveheart has in common with history. Some of the names are similar, but it's otherwise apples and oranges.

[AL-58]

I tend to go by authors:

Moosedog

Much the same here:

The ones I seem to have read most of the last few years:

Robert Heinlein (favourite is either "Time enough for Love" or "The number of the Beast" its a good yarn)
Larry Niven
John Irving (Cider House Rules I can re-read anytime)
Harry Turtledove
Douglas Adams
I like Tom Clancy, but I can't read them one after the other, way too gung-ho

Not sure how many thousand books we have on our shelves, but it's a few. We both have the habit, study got in the way fro a few years though, having to read for research ruined the joy of reading for me.

Al

[Rob Wright]

Frank Herbert's Six Dunenovels, not the waste of paper drivel by the hack KJA and Herbert's son
Glen Cook's Black Company novels
Robert E. Howard
Watchmen and V For Vendetta -Alan Moore
Anne McCaffrey
Atonement - Ian McEwan
Terry Pratchett
The Master and Commander series (literary crack )
Sarah Waters
William Gibson
Crooked Little Vein-Warren Ellis
The Book With No Name
Edgar Allan Poe (the unabridged audio recordings by Basil Rathbone and Vincent Price are delightful)
Neal Stephenson
Robbie Burns
Pierre -Herman Mellville
The Mote in Gods Eye & Lucifer's Hammer -Pournelle & Niven
Steven Pressfield
Queen & Country novels-Greg Rucka



Rob

[Coemgen]

Wow! Nice responses!

It is indeed a person to be pitied who does not feel the pull of the book.

I thought of a few more:

The Wind in the Willows, by Kenneth Grahame
Till We Have Faces, by C. S. Lewis

Actually, anything by C. S. Lewis. One of the most brilliant writers and philosophers or the twentieth century.

Also the modern socratic dialogues by Peter Kreeft:
Between Heaven and Hell
Philosophy 101, by Socrates
The Unaborted Socrates
The Best Things in Life
Socrates Meets Jesus
Socrates Meets Machiavelli
Socrates Meets Marx
Socrates Meets Sartre
Socrates Meets Descartes

I also like the books of P. J. O'Rourke. Great for the armchair political philosopher (such as myself). He wrote a slew of stuff, all of which is funny and thought provoking (All the Trouble In the World, Peace Kills, A Bachelor Home Companion, Parliament of Whores, Modern Manners, etc.)

[Arlen]

I'll add:


Ahab's wife by Sena Jeter Naslund
A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter M. Miller Jr.
The Dream of Scipio by Iain Pears
The outlander series by Diana Gabaldon
Achilles in Vietnam: Combat Trauma and the Undoing of Character by Jonathan Shay

[sirdaniel1975]

I'm reading those Camulod Chronicles right now, I have to say they're my favorite series thus far. I can't believe I forgot this series.

Where in the series are you... ?

[sharpdressedscot]

I finished Fort at the River's Bend, I'm going to the get Sorceror next when I get the chance. They're really good.

[sirdaniel1975]

I finished Fort at the River's Bend, I'm going to the get Sorceror next when I get the chance. They're really good.

You sound like you enjoy them as much as I do. You'll probably want to read Uther.. it will answer the big mystery in book 3. Uther is a 3rd person narrative, which differs from the previous books.

[Tattoo Bradley]

Another, since I've seen lots of "Classics" mentioned, that I consider a MUST read is Throeau's Walden. An all time favorite.

[Joe Gondek]

favorite authors of historical novels
Allen Eckert
Kenneth Roberts
Wilber Smith
Bernard Cornwell