What is your "That Book"?

[DoctorFrankenStein]

Obviously the Discworld series by Terry Pratchett. 'Reaper Man' in particular. It holds my record for most times re-read. [18]
But also Tim Dorsey's crazy books about Serge the ADHD serial killer who only takes out jerks. Start with "Florida Roadkill" and be prepared to end up reading the whole series.
And this little series of gems by Charles Grant- the Black Oak detective agency. Think X-Files back when it was really good. There are only five books, each with great atmosphere and memorable monsters, the first is called 'Genesis'. They're a little hard to find [OOP] but Amazon usually has a couple of each if you look them up directly instead of by the authors name.
You can thank me later.

 

[The_Decoy]

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.

Astonishing book. Every time.

Great book, my computer broke so I decided to read it, and no longer cared that I couldn't get on the internet. Made me want to get a motorcycle and hit the road.

I wish I hadn't read the foreword before the actual book though - totally spoiled it :/ They should really put those things as an afterword, or have a big "Spoiler" tag somewhere...

 

[LiberalSquirrel]

You have great taste, my friend.

As well as the two listed above, I'll say Bram Stoker's Dracula- I read this so much in high school that the cover fell off. And The Complete Tales of Edgar Allan Poe, because I adore any and all of Poe's writings (I've got three different copies of his complete works, so one is bound to be with me no matter where I am). And quite a few more, of course. Shakespeare's Hamlet. Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest. And, last but not least, Plato's Symposium.

...And a lot of others that I'm forgetting at the moment. Thus are the dangers of asking such a question of an English major.

I love Poe, I read him religiously in Junior High, and occasionally still do. I have a really nice leather bound Complete Works of Edgar Allen Poe as a graduation present, but I'm afraid to touch it since it's really nice and I don't want to ruin it.

And you are the first person that has read Plato's Symposium I've encountered.

I have the same problem, actually- my really nice leather bound Edgar Allan Poe collection sits on my shelf, looking pretty and shiny and collecting dust, while my two slightly-less-nice versions get travel-worn. I adore books, but I'm always scared to touch the really nice looking ones.

The first person, though? Really? Huh. I really enjoy all of Plato's dialogues. Symposium is just the first one I read, and the one I've reread the most times, so it's the one most applicable to this thread.

 

[Apollo45]

Let's see here... Ender's Game is one I always come back to. The Hobbit as well; it's not as long and detailed as LOTR (as much as I love those books) and that makes it easy to come back to over and over again. I have to throw in Peter Hamilton's Commonwealth universe of books, always a pleasure to read and re-read. Asmiov's Foundation books are nice, quick reads as well that keep you finding new things every time you re-read them. Going back to more 'classic literature', I've always enjoyed Shakes' Titus Andronicus and Hamlet. The Illiad was also a really fun read (didn't like the Odyssey quite as much, but still found that good), but more than that I could read the Saga of the Volsungs over and over again. There are certainly more, but that's what comes to mind at the moment.

 

[Fiz_The_Toaster]

The Count of Monte Cristo, best revenge story ever!

.....what? I just really like reading it.....

Nothing wrong with that, I like reading it too... get past the first two hundred pages and it steams past.

That and Magician by Raymond E Feist, damned good read and blubworthy at a few points.

Yay I'm not the only one, and I totally agree with getting past that point.

Also, Magician is sitting on my stack of books I've been meaning to read, I've heard it's really good.

I just started reading the Count - I guess you guys reckon it's worth sticking with? I like it when Dumas completely breaks the fourth wall and says things like "well dear readers...". It's like nothing I've read before tbh. Characters seem to lack subtlety thus far but it's fun all the same.

Magician is alright I guess, but in my most humble opinion the Malazan Book of the Fallen series by Erikson is much more worth your time. Though it will take a *lot* more time. Man those books are long.

Yeah, you definitely should. I don't really know where you are in the book, but the minor details in the beginning come back up later, which is kind of a pain, but will be used in awesome ways, I don't wanna spoil anything for you.

I've read a few books where the author says stuff like that, it makes the reading much more interesting I think.

I've never heard of that book before, what's it about?

 

[Jodan]

the first 4 dune books
anything by heinlein and neil gaiman im enthralled every time

 

[Aerowaves]

David Gemmell's 'Drenai' and 'Rigante' series. I only read most books once, but I just can't stay away from these. Heroic fantasy at its most absorbing.

Unsurprisingly 'The Lord of the Rings' is also one of Those Books for me.

 

[Necator15]

Hmm, let's see.
There are two books that come to mind when I think of a book that really "Hits the spot"
First: Name of the Wind (Patrick Rothfuss)
Second: The Magicians (Lev Grossman)

They all do different things for me. Rothfuss' book just puts me in a good mood.
Grossman's book puts me in an absolutely awful mood, but the way it brings me there is an excellent process and there's a pretty quick recovery.

 

[The_Decoy]

Yeah, you definitely should. I don't really know where you are in the book, but the minor details in the beginning come back up later, which is kind of a pain, but will be used in awesome ways, I don't wanna spoil anything for you.

I've read a few books where the author says stuff like that, it makes the reading much more interesting I think.

I've never heard of that book before, what's it about?

I'm currently at a royalist dinner party after dearest Ed has been seized by the gendarme. The friend who lent it to me is amazed I haven't heard the story before, so thank you as I'm trying to keep everything spoiler free

Yeah, it's quite a nice technique, it makes it feel more like someone telling you a story round a campfire... Any other books like that you'd recommend?

The Malazan Book of the Fallen is actually a series of ten books covering around three continents and a few years. If you like epic fantasy, multiple plotlines, shitloads of actually decent characters then it's well worth reading if you've got the time. Most fantasy is a bit crap when it's played straight but Erikson develops a lot of well rounded characters who actually have a sense of humour and humanity about them.

The first book - Gradens of the Moon - is about the invasion and occupation of a continent. Everyone schemes, there are occasional betrayals and some really quite sad bits throughout the series.

 

[Fiz_The_Toaster]

You have great taste, my friend.

As well as the two listed above, I'll say Bram Stoker's Dracula- I read this so much in high school that the cover fell off. And The Complete Tales of Edgar Allan Poe, because I adore any and all of Poe's writings (I've got three different copies of his complete works, so one is bound to be with me no matter where I am). And quite a few more, of course. Shakespeare's Hamlet. Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest. And, last but not least, Plato's Symposium.

...And a lot of others that I'm forgetting at the moment. Thus are the dangers of asking such a question of an English major.

I love Poe, I read him religiously in Junior High, and occasionally still do. I have a really nice leather bound Complete Works of Edgar Allen Poe as a graduation present, but I'm afraid to touch it since it's really nice and I don't want to ruin it.

And you are the first person that has read Plato's Symposium I've encountered.

I have the same problem, actually- my really nice leather bound Edgar Allan Poe collection sits on my shelf, looking pretty and shiny and collecting dust, while my two slightly-less-nice versions get travel-worn. I adore books, but I'm always scared to touch the really nice looking ones.

The first person, though? Really? Huh. I really enjoy all of Plato's dialogues. Symposium is just the first one I read, and the one I've reread the most times, so it's the one most applicable to this thread.

Yeah, mine sits right next to the Shakespeare collection, a perfect haven for dust bunnies. Meanwhile, my other Poe and Shakespeare books look like a dog tried to eat them. Sad really.

That you are, no one I personally know reads the same things I do and I get blank looks when I mention what I'm reading.

 

[ReservoirAngel]

Jonathan Stroud's Bartimaeus Trilogy. Something about that sarcastic demon just really rubs me the right way...

 

[silver wolf009]

Cirque Du Freak by Darren Shan. Great books, definitely worth the time to read them.

 

[ruben6f]

Metro 2033, just love the book.

 

[Yuno Gasai]

Either Michelle Paver's 'Chronicles of the Dark Ages' series or the 'Darkly Dreaming Dexter' series by Jeff Lindsay. :3

 

[Duruznik]

Anything by Terry Pratchett. Well, a lot of his books. Specifically anything in the Night Watch series or his Bromerlaid Trilogy.

 

[hurfdurp]

The Kushiel series. I pretty much never re-read books, but these ones, awh yea. Must be the smut.

 

[hotsauceman]

Blood meridian. I keep trying to read it again but the violence is BAD. But it is a good book.