A Happy Thread! What books should EVERYONE read?

[Jeanne in MN]

Carry On Mr. Bowditch, was what came to my mind too! Loved it.

[elegantlion]

Carry On Mr. Bowditch, was what came to my mind too! Loved it.

 

We read that last year and loved it.

 

Okay, I'm adding to the list...

 

for kids -

Alex Rider series

Percy Jackson & the Olympians series

 

 

 

I can't believe all these posts and no one has mentioned...

(the Twilight series) :tongue_smilie:...yes, I read them all in five days.

[TwinMominTX]

My list would be all the Newberry Award winning books. I've gone through most as an adult. Some were better than others, but I've enjoyed reading them.

[Miss Marple]

Perhaps it was the fabulous character development showing such depth of insight into the human condition that I found enjoyable. Or maybe I'm just weird :D

Edited July 3, 2009 by CynthiaOK

[elw_miller]

You all are women after my own heart! What a great thread--reminded me of old favorites I need to pick up again. I agree, a true bibliophile is going to have a hard time narrowing her choices down! So many choices, by genre, fiction vs. non-fiction, kid books and grown-up books...

 

For little children:

Rain Makes Applesauce--silly, silly talk

Winnie the Pooh

Beatrix Potter, Virginia Lee Burton, and Margaret Wise Brown books

The Biggest Bear by Lynd Ward

Our Friends At Maple Hill Farm--a lovely book about life on a farm, personable illustrations, great observations about the differences in animals

the Cranberry books--Cranberry Thanksgiving, etc.

People by Peter Spier

Where the Wild Things Are

Ice Cream Larry--a belly-laugher book about a polar bear who loves ice cream

 

For kids and teens (and grown-ups):

The Giver

The Little House books

The Narnia series

The Harry Potter series

The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle

books by Marguerite Henry

Charlotte's Web

The Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler

Emily of New Moon and Anne of Green Gables

Shel Silverstein's books

Watership Down

 

For teens and grown-ups:

Fahrenheit 451, well, anything by Ray Bradbury

The Count of Monte Cristo (the Robin Buss translation--it is EXCELLENT)

Cicero--especially 'On Friendship' and 'On Duties'--WHY didn't I read these when I was in middle school and high school?!

The Lord of the Rings trilogy

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

Anything Jane Austen but Pride and Prejudice in particular

1984 (I threw the book across the room at the end!) and Animal Farm

The Power of One

Lord of the Flies

Les Miserable, The Hunchback of Notre Dame

The Phantom of the Opera

The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom

My Antonia by Willa Cather

The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara

Dune by Frank Herbert

One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich

Brave New World

Children's Blizzard

Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card (a good sci-fi book)

anything by David McCullough and Joseph Ellis (I wish I'd read their books instead of history textbooks in high school!)

Gosh, I'd better stop there lest my passion overtake me! ;)

 

(Thanks for reminding me about The Pushcart War--what a great book!)

[kalanamak]

Perhaps it was the fabulous character development showing such depth of insight into the human condition that I found enjoyable. Or maybe I'm just weird :D

 

Yes, our gal George had very deep insight into the human condition, and that is why I think everyone should read her.

[kewb]

Some books I read over and over and over:

Gone With The Wind

The Secret Garden

1984

Brave New World

Animal Farm

A Woman of Substance

The Handmaid's Tale

Clan of the Cave Bear (and the rest of the series)

Harry Potter series

Lord of the Rings trilogy (and the prequel the Hobbit)

Island of the Blue Dolphins

[Luanne]

Oh, I held my breath as I read, sometimes, because the prose was so crisp I just couldn't wait to find out how the sentence ended.

 

I'll take you both on...it was neither fun nor depressing, to me, and I didn't think this thread was about what we "liked", but what we thought others should read. :)

 

 

... would you recommend it to someone else to read? What would you say to them? I just read this horrible book that I couldn't stand and I really think you should read it too? :lol:

[Luanne]

Carry On Mr. Bowditch, was what came to my mind too! Loved it.

 

 

and really enjoyed it. :001_smile:

[freeindeed]

1984 (I threw the book across the room at the end!)

 

:iagree:

Oh, I feel your pain! I had the same reaction. Such a depressing end, but such a great book. I highly recommend it.

[Mothersweets]

Middlemarch

 

 

I just started reading this last night! I think I read somewhere that no one should get married without reading this book. What do you think?

 

 

 

Also, I saw someone mention Charlotte's Web. How could I have forgotten to mention Charlotte's Web?! That is definitely a book everyone should read!!

[Ruby]

The Slight Edge by Jeff Olson. How everyday decisions (wether we recognize the decision or not) have an effect on how we move forward into our future. Everything we do or choose not to do has a consequence. Are things moving you closer to your goals or farther away. Ruby

[Catherine]

O, Pioneers! by Willa Cather

Silas Marner by George Eliot-love conquers all

 

 

for kids-anyone else's kids adore the Andrew Lang "Fairy Books"? My 8 yo adores these. We've read them aloud but now he can actually read them to himself. We have Red, Yellow, Orange, Green and Blue.

[JFSinIL]

I have just skimmed this thread, so don't know if these have been already mentioned (and I agree with many already mentioned - esp. Kill a Mockingbird, LOTR, Tree Grows in Brooklyn,The Last Lecture...etc.)

 

Gaudy Night by Sayers (and ALL the Lord Peter books if you like)

 

The Good Earth - Buck

 

Harry Potter series - Rowling

 

Sister Carrie - Dreiser (did I spell that correctly?)

 

Walden - Thoreau

 

I'd love to include the entire Aubrey/Maturin series by O'Brian for all who love Austen. I dare you Austenites to not love O'Brian, too.

 

Also - Kim and Captains Courageous by Kipling.

[Zebra]

Uncle Tom's Cabin

The Screwtape Letters

Cry the Beloved Country

 

3 of my favorites :).

 

I LOVE to see what others are reading!

[Desert Rat]

Uglies by Scott Westerfeld.

[ereks mom]

Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis. Non-Christians should read it because it succinctly explains the "Christian Worldview" (for most mainstream Christians) which will allow them to understand *why* Christians hold certain beliefs. For Christians, it is an excellent tool for clearly defining a Christian worldview/lifestyle - Lewis is a fantastic apologist who can present the argument for/against an issue in a clear, logical manner.

 

:iagree:

[Cindy in the NH Woods]

The Second Coming by Walker Percy A physician and psychiatrist , a devoted Catholic who suffered from severe depression. That covers the author in a nutshell. He was extraordinarily gifted intellectually and used those gifts to help others. Some of the best writing you will ever encounter.

 

 

I've had this book on my "to read" list. Thanks for the reminder!

 

In addition to many books already mentioned, I thought of a few:

 

I believe every married person should read Anna Kerenina (Tolstoy), and Angle of Repose (Stegner). I might add The Painted Veil to this list~ I just started this book. Wow.

 

Early American life: The Trees, The Field, etc. by Conrad Richter. These novels have the ring of authenticity to me of living in the Wilderness of a young America.

 

Beloved (Morrison); I gained so much insight into black culture and pain from this book. Masterfully and brilliantly told.

 

Poems of Emily Dickinson

 

William Faulkner~ The Sound and the Fury, As I Lay Dying, Light in August

These take some work, but once one has relaxed into the flow and rhythm

of the novels they are so rich.

 

Ethan Frome, by Edith Wharton Beautiful imagery, tragedy, and demonstration of the power of restraint with words.

 

The Imitation of Christ (first half in particular), Thomas a Kempis

 

Mystery/Spy genre:

 

John Le Carre's Karla trilogy (Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy; The Honorable Schoolboy...) Le Carre's protagonists are complex, flawed, and often broken people. Terrific Cold War spy stuff.

 

P.D. James, Dorothy Sayers, Sir Conan Doyle, Edgar Allen Poe, Chesterton

 

Dracula, by Bram Stoker and Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley. Don't let cheap monster flicks keep you from these layered, thought provoking books. Okay, so maybe Dracula will register on the creep-mo scale. ;)

 

Too many to list!

 

Summery reads:

 

Gone Away Lake (Enright) and its sequel Return to Gone Away Lake

These children's novels encapsulate everything you ever wished would happen to you as a kid.

 

Hotel Paradise (and its sequels) by Martha Grimes. Full of heart, sophisticated humor, intrigue and angst. When I read Hotel Paradise, I was "there".

 

I love these threads.

[Cindy in the NH Woods]

House of Spirits by Isabel Allende

 

 

I'm so glad you mentioned her. Welcome!

[Luanne]

{Gone Away Lake (Enright) and its sequel Return to Gone Away Lake

These children's novels encapsulate everything you ever wished would happen to you as a kid.}

 

I read these books about a year ago and absolutely loved them. :D

[Ester Maria]

I basically consider undereducated any person belonging to the so-called "Western culture" who has not read a thing by Shakespeare and Dostoevsky, a single classical Greek tragedy, and who has not at least skimmed Iliad/Odyssey and Bible (not necessarily read the full texts of the latter three, but has to be familiar with them to some extent).

 

Everything else - from Dante to 20th century American lit - is in my opinion debatable and not applicable for everyone everywhere as a "must-read", but the above is, in my opinion, really a minimum everyone should have.

Edited July 4, 2009 by Ester Maria
.

[Blessedfamily]

Oh, I held my breath as I read, sometimes, because the prose was so crisp I just couldn't wait to find out how the sentence ended.

 

I'll take you both on...it was neither fun nor depressing, to me, and I didn't think this thread was about what we "liked", but what we thought others should read. :)

 

I only jokingly picked on Cynthia's use of the word fun because this was supposed to be a peaceful thread. I didn't comment on whether I liked it, but I most certainly do (depressing bits and all). It's in my personal library, though I can only read it when all is well in my universe, and there's plenty of sunshine coming through the windows.

 

(Not as depressing as Whuthering Heights, though. I need to watch The Three Stooges before and after reading that.)

[Mrs.MacGyver]

 

Mystery/Spy genre:

 

John Le Carre's Karla trilogy (Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy; The Honorable Schoolboy...) Le Carre's protagonists are complex, flawed, and often broken people. Terrific Cold War spy stuff.

.

 

 

YAY! I LOVED these books!!! I stole them off of my father's bookshelf in high school and have read them many many times since! I also love ALL of Tom Clancy's books.

 

And to add to the list:

Clan of the Cavebear series... Anne McCaffrey's Dragons of Pern series...

and LOTR - of course

[MyThreeSons]

It's an easy read, as far as level of difficulty, but I found it to be very difficult to read because of the storyline. It's historical fiction, set in depression-era America, taking a hard look at what it was like to be Black.

 

This book totally changed my understanding of racism.

[Cindy in the NH Woods]

I basically consider undereducated any person belonging to the so-called "Western culture" who has not read a thing by Shakespeare and Dostoevsky, a single classical Greek tragedy, and who has not at least skimmed Iliad/Odyssey and Bible (not necessarily read the full texts of the latter three, but has to be familiar with them to some extent).

 

Everything else - from Dante to 20th century American lit - is in my opinion debatable and not applicable for everyone everywhere as a "must-read", but the above is, in my opinion, really a minimum everyone should have.

 

Yes, I believe your list is absolutely a "given" in regard to being an educated person. But, oh what a sad thing to miss many of the delights of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries! ;)

 

Thanks for your reminder of the true lynch pins of Western Civ. I enjoyed your post. :)

[Ester Maria]

Yes, I believe your list is absolutely a "given" in regard to being an educated person. But, oh what a sad thing to miss many of the delights of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries! ;)

 

Thanks for your reminder of the true lynch pins of Western Civ. I enjoyed your post. :)

As I said, not everything is applicable for everyone in every situation. I could easily say that Dante is a "must-read", or Pirandello, or Svevo, and I would be completely correct in the world I come from, but not so much in the world I came into. Even though I still consider La Divina Commedia to be far, far greater work than most of the 'classics' I encountered here, Dante is simply not applicable to this country and this culture as a "must"... As an "elective", certainly, but not as a "must".

 

The original question was which books do we consider a "must-read". So, taking into account the above, I decided to focus only on those which seem to really be "shared" more than an element specific to one culture. The works I mentioned are the only ones I have noticed - having lived in multiple countries and studied (and taught ;)) comparative literature - to be a commonplace. I personally may prefer Goldoni or Moliere, but they are not as culturally relevant to all of the West.Civ. as is Shakespeare. In the same way, I may think that some works by Turgenev or Tolstoy are a much higher-quality readings than Dostoevsky, but they are equally not as relevant for the non-Russian context as is Dostoevsky, if they are relevant at all.

 

The 'classical' element speaks enough for itself, and so does the Bible - they are the foundations of the West.Civ. itself. I may personally be an atheist, and I may personally have hated memorizing Menin aeide thea... in middle school, but I will never deny that those were some of the vital parts of my education and that without a knowledge on the Bible and the classics, I would not be able to understand the vast majority of the literary works I studied or the culture I belong to.

 

So, that's where the list comes from. Of course that I believe one should read many, many other things, but I do consider those to be the "basics", if I had to pick the basics.