Last truly great book you read?

What's the last great book you read -- other than the Hunger Games?

The kind of book that you couldn't put down, or that you wanted to recommend to every person you know?

It's ok if it was a long time ago! GREAT books are hard to come by

For me, it was probably "The Book Thief" by Marcus Zusak or "City of Thieves" by David Benioff -- both the kind of books I would recommend to anyone. (Similar titles merely a coincidence!)
I also really loved "Theophilus North" by Thornton Wilder, but I'd recommend that to someone who already loves and appreciates classics.

Replies

slightlycrunchy

The Dovekeepers by Alice Hoffman. It was one of those books that as soon as I finished I wanted to turn to the first page and start it again.

finchest

adding it to my to-read pile! thank you so much for the recommendation, i hadn't heard of it!

khloe_rebecca

Tainted lives by Mandasue heller, read it in about 3 days, it was great

MinnieInMaine

I am loving the Earth's Children books (Clan of the Cave Bear, Valley of Horses, etc) by Jean M. Auel. They're huge books but I've been able to blast through them quickly since I read every chance I get. I've recently switched to listening to the audio version in the car during my commute since I'm taking a class and having good books around is too much of a distraction. Now my problem is not wanting to get out of the car when I get to work!

The Book Thief was a very good book. If you like YA and sci-fi, Across the Universe by Beth Revis is pretty good.

Shannon023

"A Dangerous Fortune" by Ken Follett.

I haven't found anything from him that I haven't enjoyed.

mwazwi

Hi! I am new to this group and was glad to see it as I am a voracious reader. I am ALWAYS reading several books at a time because I like to change up since I am interested in so many things. Right now I am reading about 6+ (YES! you read it right!

). I read a lot of self-help, personal and spiritual (not religious) growth. Many of the books I read have deal with my personal journey of emotional and mental healing.

So, I'll just give a short list of books I am or have read recently and will add more in subsequent posts:

Author Title

Currently Reading

Patricia Evans Verbal Abuse Survivors Speak Out
Sidney Poitier The Measure of a Man
Ainslie MacLeod Transformation
Michelle McKinney-Hammond How To Be Found By The Man You've Been Looking For

Rachel Greenwald Find a Husband After 35

Dr. Wayne Dyer Change Your Thoughts Change Your Life
Cindy Day The Life Of Your Dreams In 30 Days Or Less
George R.R. Martin Storm Swords (Book #4 of Games of Thrones Series)

Completed (But refer back to often):

Dr. Wayne Dyer Pulling Your Own Strings
Dr. Michael J. Duckett
w/Leslie P. Duckett The Mental Codes (OMG, THE best book; Already read 2x's in past 2 mths)
Eckhart Tolle A New Earth
Deborah Norville Thank You Power
Bruce Wilkinson The Dream Giver

Well, that ought to be enough for now. I guess I'll just have to somehow attach my "Reading List" spreadsheet. Probably be easier. LOL.

You all be blessed!

Marcia Mercy

mwazwi

I really loved Ken's Book "Pillars of The Earth." Couldn't put it down.
I'll have to add the one you mentioned to my Reading List.

"A Dangerous Fortune" by Ken Follett.

I haven't found anything from him that I haven't enjoyed.

smariere

I loved Pillars of the Earth as well. I really loved The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon.

ScientistStudy

Bioshock: Rapture by John Shirely

This is based on a videogame and I had my doubts even though the game is amazing, but it is actually a VERY good book.

I cried at the ending. It's set in a dystopian society in a city under the sea. It's sort of a prequel to the videogame so it builds up the characters really well and talks about how Rapture (the city) was built and what happened on that fateful new years night of 1958.
It explains where it all went wrong and the mutation of the people into the plasmid addicted Splicers.

Even if you have no played the videogame, this book is still very good and I would recommend it to anyone who is say a fan of Ninteen Eighty-four by George Orwell or V For Vendetta by Alan Moore.

TheMaidOfAstolat

Just finished LOTR...for the umpteenth time. I love the trilogy as well as everything else written by Tolkein.

Prior to satisfying my LOTR fix I read some dystopia novels. I just had to know what the hype was about surrounding the trilogy by Suzanne Collins. So, I went back and re-read 1984 by Orwell, Lord of the Flies by Golding, The Giver by Lowry, and then finally read The Hunger Games by Collins. While I enjoyed The Hunger Games, it lacked something that I just can't place my finger on, not sure what. I hope when I read Catching Fire that it will become clear to me. At the very least she has introduced dystopia to a new generation.

kitkatkmt

The Giver by Lois Lowry. Not the LAST great book I read, because I read it regularly. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. Absolutely amazing. And likely quite a few more that I'm forgetting.

kitkatkmt

Bioshock: Rapture by John Shirely

This is based on a videogame and I had my doubts even though the game is amazing, but it is actually a VERY good book.

I cried at the ending. It's set in a dystopian society in a city under the sea. It's sort of a prequel to the videogame so it builds up the characters really well and talks about how Rapture (the city) was built and what happened on that fateful new years night of 1958.
It explains where it all went wrong and the mutation of the people into the plasmid addicted Splicers.

Even if you have no played the videogame, this book is still very good and I would recommend it to anyone who is say a fan of Ninteen Eighty-four by George Orwell or V For Vendetta by Alan Moore.

I loved the movie V for Vendetta - did you see it? I'd like to read it, but don't know if it's as good as the movie. I know it's usually books better than movies, but loved the movie so much that I don't want to ruin it!

Sgriffin2382

The Passage - Justin Cronin. I am so enthralled with the apocalyptic/post-apocalyptic genre right now. This book just gripped me from the beginning and never let up. The emotions I felt throughout, how we did it to ourselves, how people come to live afterwards and what they believe and adapt in. Just love it! And it is only the first in a series of three. The next one doesn't come out for a few months though :-(

Gerkenstein

I just read one of the most amazing books. It's called Moloka'i by Alan Brennert.

It's about a 7 year old Hawaiian girl in the 1890s who is diagnosed with leprosy and exiled to a separate island away from her family, friends, life in Honolulu. I HIGHLY recommend it. I LOVED it. It will definitely be a book I return to read over and over.

cdp717

I have read a few really good books in the past couple weeks.

1) We need to talk about Kevin by Lionel Schiver - it is a bit of a dense read and it very emotionally intense. It is about a mother who writes to her estranged husband about the events leading up to and after their son kills many students in a school shooting. I could not put it down and am glad to have read it. Some might find it a bit too intense, but I love all things psychological so it is right up my alley!

The movie just came out on DVD today (at least in Canada). DO NOT watch the movie before you read the book. The book adds so much to understanding the movie that you wouldn't understand otherwise (mainly the main character's feelings during very difficult times - my husband who watched the movie with me did not seem to "get it").

2) The Fault in our stars - this is a quick and engaging read! I really loved this novel and have recommended it to many!

It is about two teenagers with cancer who cross paths and find love in each other.

3) Divergent and Insurgent - great reads for those who love dystopian novels!

Sgriffin2382

2) The Fault in our stars - this is a quick and engaging read! I really loved this novel and have recommended it to many! It is about two teenagers with cancer who cross paths and find love in each other.

3) Divergent and Insurgent - great reads for those who love dystopian novels!

Agree on both of these. TFIOS was truly amazing, gut-wrenching, and hilarious all at the same time. I went through so many emotions reading that book!

Just finished Divergent and Insurgent last week. Ah-mah-zing!! Still another year until the last one :-(

Djohnson7337

I really all of the Jack Reacher books by Lee Child, my current favorite is probably The Affair. I also really enjoy all of John Sanford's Prey series. For real life essays I have enjoyed Anthony Bourdain's travel logs. So many books so little time. Also really liked the Dragon Tattoo series. 1 and 3 were my faves of the group.

ShinyFuture

I've just started reading teen fiction at the insistance of my young family members. And rather than being the painful experience that I was expecting, I'm finding that most of the books she recommends for me are really pretty good. I enjoyed Hunger Games and Mockingjay (Catching Fire not so much), but I really loved "Daughter of Smoke and Bone" by Lanie Taylor.

@mwazwi - several books simultaneously? Yeah, me too!! I first read Pulling Your Own Strings when I was about 20 - it had a huge impact on my life that continues to this day.
@ gerkinstein - Moloka'i is in my reading stack, but after your comments I might have to move in up the list.

missmgray

The Passage - Justin Cronin. I am so enthralled with the apocalyptic/post-apocalyptic genre right now. This book just gripped me from the beginning and never let up. The emotions I felt throughout, how we did it to ourselves, how people come to live afterwards and what they believe and adapt in. Just love it! And it is only the first in a series of three. The next one doesn't come out for a few months though :-(

That book rocked!! I was so happy to find out that there will be more. I was miffed at how it ended, but now have something to look forward to.

SherriLibrarian

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green: Great for those who like teen books

Room by Emma Donaghue: suspenseful

The Help by K. Strockett: Reminds me of To Kill A Mockingbird

Karen_DisneyFan

I love reading the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon! HUGE books that have covered over 25 years (so far) in the lives of Claire & Jamie Fraser. I've read the 7 current books many times and am anxiously awaiting the publication of book #8 - hopefully it will be released in the Fall of 2013... She has to finish writing it first - LOL

anna_b1

I finished reading "Tuesdays With Morrie" with my son (in preparation for his English course next year). Really enjoyed it and am so glad I opted to read it with him since it was one of those books I'd always wanted to read.

katm427

Am I the worst person ever because I haven't read The Hunger Games?

As for the last truly great book that I've read... that's a hard one. I recently read a copy of a book called "Monkey Mind" that I won off of Goodreads that was a pretty brilliant portrayal of a man who grew up with and still copes with a pretty strong anxiety disorder. (I love memoirs.)

Summertime usually leaves me reading more trashy beach novels. I don't know why, considering I've only gone to the beach once all summer.

jubeesh

-The Walt Longmire series by Craig Johnson... They are really good, but if you like the TV series you may not want to read the books.
-A Cook's Tour, Medium Raw and Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain.
-The Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich. They were hysterical and so hard to put down. I think I read all 18 of them in 2 weeks.
I'm sure there are more but I can't think of them at the moment

ruhruh1979

I loved Divergent and Insurgent, but someone recommended Unwind by Neal Shusterman, and that was an awesome book. Unwholly (sequel) comes out next week and I'm really excited about it.

Flowers in the Attic (series) is on my reread list at all times. It is what started my love of reading.

Gone With the Wind is a great book. So much more than the movie, and I love the movie.

Read The Thorn Birds back in April and that was an amazing story. I'm reading it again with a read along on another forum.

OH, and just for fun, I love Paradise by Judith McNaught. It's like an old friend for me. If I can't decide what I want to read, I start rereading. lol

Crystaleyed

Revolution by Jennifer Donnely, although I am re reading the Harry Potter series at the minute and that's always a good read :L

Dory_42

I just got into China Meiville. Have only read Un Lun Dun, but he is brilliant. Gotta read more... This is a month after I found Neil Gaiman and read about 5 of his in one month.

LakeRhode

I love reading the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon! HUGE books that have covered over 25 years (so far) in the lives of Claire & Jamie Fraser. I've read the 7 current books many times and am anxiously awaiting the publication of book #8 - hopefully it will be released in the Fall of 2013... She has to finish writing it first - LOL

Love the series also! I follow her on Facebook and heard the series was picked up for TV... hope it goes through! Love Jamie and Claire

debjae

If you enjoyed he Molokai book you may like the nonfiction book The Colony by John Tayman.

Healthydiner65

Just finished Tuesday's Child by Fern Michael's.Planning to read 1984 next. I'll read anything!