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Your favorite 2 books (non series) and your 2 favorite series

Kreton said:
What are your favorite 2 books (non series) and your 2 favorite series?

Use any criteria you wish.
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I read Lord of the Rings something like 27 times, I forget.

Most important two books.....surely one is The Essentials of Zen Buddhism D.T Suzuki

Second: Maybe Dark Eros Thomas Moore or Tao: The Watercourse Way Alan Watts



EDIT: Must mention that Joseph Campbell The Power of Myth PBS Special blew me away.
 
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All Quite on the Western Front and

The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, Aged 13 3/4

No favorite series.
 
To kill a Mocking Bird and the Grapes of Wrath.

The ROSATO and DINUNZIO novels by Lisa Scottoline
 
Not sure it is a favorite, I am almost finished with it now......1)"Brave Men" by Ernie Pyle. Very easy read, written in a very simple and humble style. Google him.....

2)"Red Storm Rising" Tom Clancy. Never got the acclaim of his other bestsellers of the time.


Series, Colin Glencannon by Guy Gilpatric

Hornblower series by CS Forester


post reminds me of this clip:

 
Too many to recall in detail, but despite my CRS, these come to mind:

Pillars of the Earth - Ken Follett
Chesapeake - James Michener

Earth's Children (series) - Jean Auel
Bayou Breaux (series) - Tami Hoag
 
ttwtt78640 said:
Too many to recall in detail, but despite my CRS, these come to mind:

Pillars of the Earth - Ken Follett
Chesapeake - James Michener

Earth's Children (series) - Jean Auel
Bayou Breaux (series) - Tami Hoag
Click to expand...



Pillars of the Earth was a slog for me. I read it in segments before bed and I would have to go back a few pages to pick up the thread. I got and watched the tv series after the book and both were worthwhile. Did you read the rest of the K Follet series? Eye of the Needle was superb as well. I am not familiar with your series......
Almost anything by Michener, except Poland, never could keep the names straight.
 
Hard to choose but I'll go with..

A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

and..

Sons and Lovers by DH Lawrence
 
Non-series
Of Mice and Men
It

Series
The Dresden Files
Harry Potter

I am almost certain Game of Thrones would replace Dresden Files if I read the whole series. I only read the first book of GoT and it was one of the best books I have ever read. But I didn’t want to continue until the series was finished and I can’t really rate a whole series if I have only read one book of it. The two series I did list are the only non-trilogy series that I read straight through and would eagerly await any new release.
 
Winston said:
Hard to choose but I'll go with..

A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

and..

Sons and Lovers by DH Lawrence
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going all old school and stuff!
 
Skeptic Bob said:
Non-series
Of Mice and Men
It

Series
The Dresden Files
Harry Potter

I am almost certain Game of Thrones would replace Dresden Files if I read the whole series. I only read the first book of GoT and it was one of the best books I have ever read. But I didn’t want to continue until the series was finished and I can’t really rate a whole series if I have only read one book of it. The two series I did list are the only non-trilogy series that I read straight through and would eagerly await any new release.
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"It" was a very good read, didn't travel well to tv, I haven't seen the latest film. Stephen King, what an imagination. Doesn't GOT resemble about three editions of the Bible?
 
Rexedgar said:
Pillars of the Earth was a slog for me. I read it in segments before bed and I would have to go back a few pages to pick up the thread. I got and watched the tv series after the book and both were worthwhile. Did you read the rest of the K Follet series? Eye of the Needle was superb as well. I am not familiar with your series......
Almost anything by Michener, except Poland, never could keep the names straight.
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Everything that Ken Follett has written is worth reading, IMHO, as is the case with Tom Clancy - both have a knack for the hero not being a "super hero" and taking some lumps and bumps. Michener was great for making history come alive even if he had to make up some names and places to do so. Jean Auel was very interesting and entertaining if you can stand her feminist view of pre-history (even God was Earth Mother).
 
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Rexedgar said:
"It" was a very good read, didn't travel well to tv, I haven't seen the latest film. Stephen King, what an imagination. Doesn't GOT resemble about three editions of the Bible?
Click to expand...

“It” has a special place in my heart. It was the first “adult” book I read in high school and I couldn’t put the thing down. I recognize King isn’t the best writer out there but he is definitely one of the best story tellers, which is usually more important to me. Some of his work translated to the screen exceptionally well, like “Green Mile”, “Shawshank Redemption”, “Stand by Me” and “The Shining”. “It” didn’t translate so well, I agree.”

Yeah, GoT books are massive, which is the main reason I didn’t want to read it all until the series was complete. I would forget too many details and would have to reread those giants.
 
Non-Series

I Am Pilgram - Terry Hayes This book blew me the hell away. Well written, suspenseful, international travel and intrigue, extremely well researched.

(Tie) Up Country - Nelson DeMille

(Tie) Matterhorn - Karl Marlantes The hands down best ever novel I have read about Vietnam. Marlantes wrote a novel from compiled personal experiences. Un-feckin-real.


Series

Jack Frost - R.D. Wingfield

Harry Hole - Jo Nesbo

----

I love to read and am never without a book, hardback or Kindle. Books are like good friends. I don't like to say goodbye.

I have read everything Nelson DeMille has written.

Biographies and autobiographies about or by famous musicians often interest me.

Bill Bryson almost always keeps my attention.

Alan Furst's WWII spy novels never miss. I suppose they qualify as a series but you could start with any of them.

I cannot get enough of lightly humorous British or Scottish detective novels. I'm currently into the DC Scott Cullen series by Ed James.

I have long been a big fan of Brendan Behan, books and plays.

History fascinates the hell out of me.
 
ttwtt78640 said:
Too many to recall in detail, but despite my CRS, these come to mind:

Pillars of the Earth - Ken Follett
Chesapeake - James Michener

Earth's Children (series) - Jean Auel
Bayou Breaux (series) - Tami Hoag
Click to expand...

Chesapeake and Centennial are on my favorites list. The Source too.
 
Kreton said:
What are your favorite 2 books (non series) and your 2 favorite series?

Use any criteria you wish.
Click to expand...

Who really knows?
I think "It" has to be up there. I also loved an old sci-fi book called "Star of Gypsies," by Robert Silverberg.

Series: "Dune" for sure. Next it's a battle between "Foundation" and "Dark Tower," with Asimov leading King by a more pithy creative nose.
 
Winston said:
I mainly read classics.
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I blasted through those as a pre or early teen. "Count of Monte Cristo" was most memorable. "Lord of the Flies" had the most impact. "Moby Dick," the most enjoyable. "Animal Farm," most matching of many of today's realities. Funny thing though, my favorite book from that time period was "The French Connection." I think I read it in 1972 or 3.
 
Rexedgar said:
"It" was a very good read, didn't travel well to tv, I haven't seen the latest film. Stephen King, what an imagination. Doesn't GOT resemble about three editions of the Bible?
Click to expand...

I too liked It better as a book. I also preferred Jaws as a novel over the movie. Star Wars, the opposite. The first movie was epic. The book---meh.
 
calamity said:
I blasted through those as a pre or early teen. "Count of Monte Cristo" was most memorable. "Lord of the Flies" had the most impact. "Moby Dick," the most enjoyable. "Animal Farm," most matching of many of today's realities. Funny thing though, my favorite book from that time period was "The French Connection." I think I read it in 1972 or 3.
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I prefer the scrawlings of 19th century Englishmen and women.

Almost all of my faves are from English writers in the 1800's. Dickens, Austen, Hardy, James, etc. I had a fetish for long winded and flowery expression. Basically the equal and opposite of Hemingway.

Should probably give a shout to Crime and Punishment by Dostoevky too. That's arguably the greatest novel ever written.
 
calamity said:
I too liked It better as a book. I also preferred Jaws as a novel over the movie. Star Wars, the opposite. The first movie was epic. The book---meh.
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Jaws was a novel first?! I did not know that.
 
Winston said:
I prefer the scrawlings of 19th century Englishmen and women.

Almost all of my faves are from English writers in the 1800's. Dickens, Austen, Hardy, James, etc. I had a fetish for long winded and flowery expression. Basically the equal and opposite of Hemingway.

Should probably give a shout to Crime and Punishment by Dostoevky too. That's arguably the greatest novel ever written.
Click to expand...
I forgot about the Russian. Yeah. Remembering the extreme poverty described in C&P rocked my world back in '93. It convinced me I needed to divorce my spend-aholic wife. :lol:
 
Hawkeye10 said:
I read Lord of the Rings something like 27 times, I forget.

Most important two books.....surely one is The Essentials of Zen Buddhism D.T Suzuki

Second: Maybe Dark Eros Thomas Moore or Tao: The Watercourse Way Alan Watts



EDIT: Must mention that Joseph Campbell The Power of Myth PBS Special blew me away.
Click to expand...

D.T.Suzuki? Ever get a look at 'Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind' by Shunryu Suzuki? I found it more accesible, maybe because he'd spent time in the west. Daisetz Suzuki, at least the translation I read, seemed kind of cumbersome.
Agree about the Alan Watts. A good intro to Taoism. If Taoism needs to be introduced. I recommend Thomas Merton (a Benedictine monk) on Chuang Tzu as an alternative.
 
Kreton said:
What are your favorite 2 books (non series) and your 2 favorite series?

Use any criteria you wish.
Click to expand...

Favourite book? Either a Hemingway (The Sun Also Rises or For Whom The Bell Tolls) or a Hardy (Far From the Madding Crowd or The Mayor of Casterbridge).
Series? Gotta be The Lord of the Rings.
 
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