Best book you've ever read?

[AliasBot]

http://parahumans.wordpress.com/table-of-contents/

On the basis of the fact that the author plans to get Worm published as a series of books eventually, at which point I will buy them and re-read them, at which point the series will officially qualify.

...if it has to currently exist in book form...uh...any of Jasper Fforde's novels. It would be damn near impossible to separate one out from the rest of the pack. He's just a very fun, very clever writer. (He even manages to be profound, occasionally, if you're able to process the weirdness well enough to get at it.) If I had to pick just one, it would be either The Woman Who Died A Lot or The Big Over Easy. Probably. Maybe.

 

[Mik Sunrider]

Anything by Harry Turtledove either his alternate history of USA vs CSA (if confederates had won the Civil war) or alternate history if Alien invasion during WW2. Both series are about 8 to 10 books long.

 

[Riddle78]

I'm torn between "The Black Prism" and "The Blinding Knife",both by Brent Weeks,both entries in his Lightbringer Series. Low fantasy,where the setting is run by the militant church/magic school,and magic is the practice of splitting light and weaving it into solid form. As of the second book,a war is being fought over this very practice. I won't say anything more. Just...Read it. The chief protagonist is a fat kid with self-esteem issues.

 

[WhiteFangofWhoa]

The Godfather. Even today it's hard to believe it was written entirely from research, that the author had no real experience in the criminal world, only in how the gambling and showbiz worlds are/were run. Of course he can't truly see into the minds of corrupt cops or politicians, but gives a frighteningly logical account of the train of thought and experience that brought them there during their lives. Also prophecy: all the truly smart criminals got out of the risky businesses like drugs long ago and became the heads of corporations.

I'm also about halfway through Heroes Die by Matthew Stover, and while his delivery is underwhelming compared to the amazing Star Wars novels he's done, it has a premise I can see boundless potential in. Basically, entertainers from a future Earth can be sent to an alternate dimension version of it where technology is still around the 12th century level and powerful magic still exists. This is because Christianity was never founded in this version of Earth and so all the old Gods are still around along with various non human races including Elves and Ogres. Only now has a particularly powerful individual on the other Earth come close to the truth of these visitors.

 

[Weaver]

Probably either 1984 or Thus Spoke Zarathustra.
I know those are probably super common and cliched answered, but I like those books!

 

[Avaholic03]

Could just be because I read it in high school and it was by far the best book I had to read compared to all the shitty American authors they cram down our throats. But the book that stands out in my mind as the best is "My Name is Asher Lev [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Name_Is_Asher_Lev]". I remember it being the only book I read all the way through in school (usually I'd get bored with the assigned reading and just sit through class discussions and absorb enough information to ace the tests). I didn't just read it once either. After the class I re-read it...and picked up the sequel "The Gift of Asher Lev" (which unfortunately was disappointing).

 

[Johnny Impact]

Contains every one of Robert E. Howard's Conan stories, set out in the order they were written, as well as some drafts and other unfinished works that were never published. It's a rather epic tome and the pride of my, admittedly small, book collection. He's also my favourite and most influential author, which adds upon it all.

I have that very book, same cover and all, in my case. Some good stuff there.

OT: I'm going to cheat and say about 1/3 of the books I read are the best book I've ever read at the time. Not so much because I'm always reading better books but because I just love to read. The act is almost more important than the content. I seriously can't pick a favorite or "best." Sometimes the best book is a heavy classic like Moby-Dick that I can feel culturally accomplished for having read. Other times the best book is the next in Larry Correia's Monster Hunter series because I just need to shut my brain off.

Standouts are Lord of the Rings, The Book of the New Sun, Empire from the Ashes, American Gods, Paradise Lost, The Name of the Wind, the Book of Jhereg, Frankenstein, Perdido Street Station, the Dresden Files, and many others I'm too tired and lazy to list.

Not sure I can point to any one book as a life-changer, something that altered the way I think. I've been reading since I could hold a book. Entering the strange worlds of others and letting them enter me is something I've just always done. I guess I could say I'm forever being changed.

One thing I do find is that reading -- even reading complete trash -- makes me smarter. Somebody misquotes Nietzsche, I might not remember the exact wording of the quote but I do know the book they're misquoting and probably have a better handle on what was meant. I also have an excellent vocabulary and never need spell check, for whatever that's worth. (On the one hand, how many people can spell lugubrious, or know what it means? On the other hand, how many people care?)

 

[Broderick]

I am immensely disappointed that Kingkiller Chronicles, by Patrick Rothfuss, has only been mentioned once. Those books are literally in a different league compared to most novels, easily the best two books I've ever read by a huge margin.

The only book I really got super into within the last few years was The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss. 'S about this guy who is basically your typical medieval hero character but he isn't really. He goes out of his way to present himself to the world as this unstoppable badass when he's really one step away from a breakdown. He is talented don't get me wrong, he just uses a few underhanded tactics to push the point further. He passes a test with close to flying colours when going to this not quite magical university and afterwards he reveals to the reader that he had snuck into a few classes a few hours earlier to memorise some answers, every other action in his life is one sleight of hand trick to look better. It's REALLY good

Im gonna go and have to mention The King killer Chronicles as well. A very good book series that at first glance, seems to have some overpowered mary sue as a main character; then the story shows you all the various ways he cheated, tricked, and just plain worked his ass off to get to where he is currently. The story is rife with intrigue about old fairy tale monsters and how they are real, as well as all the various secrets of the University. All in all, it takes the fantasy setting, but makes it "realistic"; I guess I could kind of compare it to The Witcher games(I have not read the novels, it is on my "to read" list). Much of the conflict in the story is created by people, rather than monsters.

As for another book series, The Dresden Files just hits all the right places for me. The books follow Harry Dresden, a modern day wizard that uses his powers to help in his P.I job. He often gets asked by the police to help out on particularly "odd" cases, as they have come to rely on him, whether they believe he actually has powers or not. The mix between the fantastic dialogue, interesting, varied characters and a modern day settings with folk lore of all kinds is just superb. You will find vampires, werewolves, spirits, skin-walkers, the fae, mortals and even gods interacting with one another all the time in this series. Jim Butcher really hit it out of the park with this premise.

 

[Ihateregistering1]

I wouldn't say the book was 'life changing", but I'd have to say my favorite book ever was "Gates of Fire", by Steven Pressfield. Basically it's a much more historically accurate and way less cheesy and over the top version of "300", and it's absolutely phenomenal, I probably read it 3 times.

 

[Wrath 228]

I just finished Signal to Noise by Eric Nylund (author of the good Halo books), and as of right now it is my favorite thing I've ever read. Nylund's writing is absolutely bursting with rich descriptions and glorious metaphor. The techno-babble and pseudoscience can be a little daunting and annoying, but I was able to get by since I'm a sci-fi lover anyway, I'm used to it. Twists and turns and not knowing who is really on who's side right until the end made it a wild, fun read. Highly recommended.

 

[IFS]

Not sure about life changing, but Catch 22 is easily my favorite book. Its a fantastic satire of war full of absurdist humor, insanity, and genuinely emotional moments. Its the best sort of satire, the kind that makes you laugh but also feel somewhat sad.

 

[SoranMBane]

That depends one what's meant by "the best book I've ever read." Is it the book that had the biggest impact on my life? The book that I felt was technically the best-written? Or the one that I got the most visceral, emotional enjoyment out of? Because the answer is different for all three of those criteria.

-For having the biggest impact on my life, it would have to be Brian Jacques' Redwall, hands down. This was the very first real novel I ever read as a very young child, so it's the thing that really turned me into an avid reader and, ultimately, made me want to start telling stories of my own. In fact, mildly embarrassing as it is to admit this, I'm actually in the process of writing a piece of Redwall fanfiction of my own at the moment. It's largely as a stepping stone towards more ambitious original projects I have planned later on down the line, but I'm taking it as seriously as I would anything else I'll ever write, because this series deserves no less than my best effort.

-For pure quality-of-writing, the prize goes to Jack London's White Fang. I first read this book when I was eight-years-old, and I've probably re-read it more times since than I have any other novel. When I first read it, I loved it as a badass adventure story and because I was bullied and picked on throughout my early childhood, so I wound up identifying with the protagonist and his struggles to an extreme degree despite the fact that White Fang isn't even anthropomorphized. Every subsequent time I've read it I've just found more and more to appreciate in it, because my tastes and intelligence would have matured by then. I should probably re-read it again some time in the near future, just to see what I'd get out of it now.

-And, finally, the prize for "most enjoyable" goes to none other than The Cold Commands by Richard K. Morgan. Goddamn, I don't think any book has brought me quite as much pure happiness as this pulpy masterpiece. I mean, plenty of other books I've read have been fun, but no other book has been so impossibly fun for me that I'd literally throw my hands together and squee with delight over the protagonist's first scene (I really did that, by the way). Brutal action, sardonic wit, thoughtful social commentary; this book (and it's predecessor, The Steel Remains) has the perfect balance of all these things, and I love practically every word of it. The final installment of the series is set to be released later this year, and even a Half-Life 3 announcement couldn't get me more excited.

 

[Callate]

The original "Sandman" series by Neil Gaiman is rather amazing in how it weaves all its various threads together across thousands of years of history and scores of characters, making Death and Lucifer into people as real as the waitress working the cafe (at the worst possible time) and the receptionist minding the front desk (when a girl comes in and starts making frogs.)

Theodore Sturgeon's "Godbody" is an amazing book for anyone who wonders what a God who was more interested in love than judgement might look like.

 

[Candlejack000]

In no particular order: Ender's Game, Space Wolf series, Speaker for the Dead, Mogworld, Neil Gaiman, Jim Butcher, and The Eye of The World.

And before anyone gets on my case, I know that Card is a horrible person but I still enjoy his writing and I warn people about his stance on gays before recommending his books to others.

 

[RedDeadFred]

Hmm, can't choose one. I'll pick two.

A Storm of Swords -A ton happens in this book. It has incredible highs, and even more incredible lows. It turns a character who I originally hated into one of my favourites and has so many memorable moments. Definitely the best book in the ASOIAF series.

The Name of the Wind -The world created by the author in this book is immensely interesting. The way magic works in this world is so different from anything else I've seen in other fantasy books. It has some of the best writing I've read and is often laugh out loud funny. I can't wait to see what happens in the third book (hopefully less sex, more question answering).

 

[otakon17]

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien. God I love that book, I usually re-read it every few months and it's my go-to book for trips. In the unofficial front, the fanfiction Fallout: Equestria. Followed it to the very end, and despite what some might say about fanfiction in general and MLP inspired fanfiction, it was a damn good read. The characters were well developed, the setting especially moody and unlike the Fallout games, it was genuinely heart-wrenching for me to watch these characters go through what they did at times. No other work save the Harry Potter has elicited tears from me like it did.

 

[A_Parked_Car]

The best book I have ever read is Shattered Sword: The Untold Story of the Battle of Midway. That obviously will come as a surprise to some of you. I'm really into the Pacific War and that book is among the best out there on the subject.

 

[Blow_Pop]

I'm going to cheat and say about 1/3 of the books I read are the best book I've ever read at the time. Not so much because I'm always reading better books but because I just love to read. The act is almost more important than the content. I seriously can't pick a favorite or "best." Sometimes the best book is a heavy classic like Moby-Dick that I can feel culturally accomplished for having read. Other times the best book is the next in Larry Correia's Monster Hunter series because I just need to shut my brain off.

-snip-

Not sure I can point to any one book as a life-changer, something that altered the way I think. I've been reading since I could hold a book. Entering the strange worlds of others and letting them enter me is something I've just always done. I guess I could say I'm forever being changed.

One thing I do find is that reading -- even reading complete trash -- makes me smarter. Somebody misquotes Nietzsche, I might not remember the exact wording of the quote but I do know the book they're misquoting and probably have a better handle on what was meant. I also have an excellent vocabulary and never need spell check, for whatever that's worth. (On the one hand, how many people can spell lugubrious, or know what it means? On the other hand, how many people care?)

I am in this exact same boat as you....Because all of this. Seriously.

Not sure about life changing, but Catch 22 is easily my favorite book. Its a fantastic satire of war full of absurdist humor, insanity, and genuinely emotional moments. Its the best sort of satire, the kind that makes you laugh but also feel somewhat sad.

I DESPISED that book when I first read it. Of course having to read it in high school with a teacher who's point of view is "I'm not here to teach you, you are all adults and should be able to work by yourself with no help from me" probably didn't help. Since then, I have bought the book and my copy is now highlighted to hell, has notes in it, and I understand it more than I did. Which is to say I didn't understand it at first. I understood the concept of the catch-22 but the book itself frustrated me especially when after reading a chapter the night before walking into class and having to do a test that tested my understanding of it and required me to explain things I didn't understand. I like the book now but I'm not at that point of loving it yet.


OT: I'll do a few books on my shelves that may not have necessarily changed my life but have either challenged me or that I've fallen in love with.

The Hobbit/Lord of the Rings trilogy - J.R.R. Tolkien No this is not because of the movies. I've loved them since I first read them about 15/16 years ago. These were the books that got me into reading fantasy. I owe a lot to these books. There are a lot of books I never would have thought of touching if I hadn't of read these. And I also got the 50th commemorative edition anniversary copies of all of them from one of my uncles one year.

Catch-22 - Joseph Heller As I said above, initially I DESPISED this book. I've grown to like it quite a lot. Any book that can make me re-read it over 10 times after initially hating it is a pretty good book in my opinion.

Lord of the Flies - William Golding One of the books I have unfortunately not been able to acquire that I read in high school but have read since. Also one of the first required reading books that I actually really liked when I read it.

The Hellbound Heart - Clive Barker Short book but still one of my absolute favourites. Also one of the only books that has a movie made of it that I will actually say is on the same level as the book. It's not better but it's definitely not worse. It is literally the book. It is everything I ever wanted in a movie made from a book and I'm sad that it took me until last year to see it for the first time.

Whispers - Dean Koontz Creeped me the fuck out. And that is a gorram accomplishment for a book to do it.

The Mary Poppins series - P.L. Travers So much better than the movie. Granted Julie Andrews is brilliant but before I read the books I felt the movie was kind of lacking. The books leave me with a better sense of fulfillment.

Phantom of the Opera - Gaston LeRoux Phantom was the absolute first musical I ever saw. Fell in love with it at first sight. I've read the book and fell more in love with it. I love both equally for their own merits.

Dracula - Bram Stoker It's really just a great book. And screw anyone and everyone who says it doesn't age well.

Dracula in Love - Karen Essex An alternate view on Dracula as told by Mina. It's a nice viewpoint of it

Phantom - Susan Kay The story of Phantom of the Opera as told by the Phantom and how he came to be the phantom.

Falling for Hamlet - Michelle Ray Hamlet as told by Ophelia and set in modern days.

The Looking Glass Wars Series - Frank Beddor It's an alternate view of Alice in Wonderland/Through the Looking Glass. Beautifully done and as a huge Alice in Wonderland/Through the Looking Glass fan I adore it.

Battle Royale - Koushun Takami This book fucked me up. The Hunger Games trilogy was amusement to me. This book really did a number on my head. And I can't even verbalize the WHY of it.

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies - Seth Grahame-Smith As a fan of Pride and Prejudice I expected to sort of like this book. As a non fan of zombies and being over the idea of zombies, I adored this book. It stuck to the original source fairly well. And was freaking hilarious. I recommend it highly.

Honourable mentions:
Spanking Shakespeare - Jake Wizner
Saving Juliet - Suzanne Selfors
Cupcake - Mariah Jones
Death by Facebook - Everett Peacock
Pulchritude - Ana Mardoll
The Boss series - Abigail Barnett


Yeah. I'm a very avid reader and don't stick to one genre. And that is honestly the smallest generalised list I can actually do.

 

[TheEvilCheese]

This is one of those questions to which my answer changes based on my mood. At this moment it'd probably have to be the His Dark Materials trilogy by Philip Pullman. This is largely due to my age and mental development when I was first reading the trilogy, but even going back now I love it. It combines a somewhat childish fantasy adventure with commentary on the nature of religion and existence with more than a few nods towards theoretical physics. It also describes the most beautiful worlds.

 

[TheRiddler]

Alan Moore's [i/]Watchmen[/i] probably makes the top of my list. Yes, I know it's a graphic novel. I still think it counts.

Seriously. It's way too deep for me to try covering in a couple of paragraphs. All I can say is that it's genius, an expert deconstruction of the superhero comic in a captivating alternate universe.