The one book everyone should read?!?

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  • HealthyGinny
    HealthyGinny Posts: 821 Member
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    The girl with a dragon tattoo by Stieg Larsson is very gripping a thriller :-)

    If you aren't an avid reader, this won't work for you....took me over 150 pages to get into it....it's like the with ALL 3 of those.

    Agreed.
  • JLPaige
    JLPaige Posts: 194
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    The Glass Castle - Jeanette Walls (i think?) It's non-fiction.

    This was an amazing book. If you like this I would also suggest The Lovely Bones.
  • DaughterOfTheMostHighKing
    DaughterOfTheMostHighKing Posts: 1,436 Member
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    THE HOLY BIBLE
  • JLPaige
    JLPaige Posts: 194
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    Cut by Patricia McCormick :heart:

    This was also a really good book
  • valerieschram
    valerieschram Posts: 97 Member
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    There are too many good books out there to pick just one! One of my all-time favorites is "The Poisonwood Bible." There are also a lot of books that I have read that were very eye-opening that I think everyone should read, but that are not necessarily page-turners or fun to read! I would include among them, "The Jungle," by Upton Sinclair, "The Affluent Society," by John Kenneth Galbraith, and "Nickel and Dimed," by Barbara Ehrenreich.
  • VelociMama
    VelociMama Posts: 3,119 Member
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    The Count of Monte Cristo! A seriously twisted tale of someone who gets royally screwed over and how he settles the score. I have read it in different stages of my life from childhood to adulthood and it is the only book that I can see myself reading several more times in my lifetime.

    I feel exactly the same way about this book.

    Excellent choice!
  • LadyoftheDisc
    LadyoftheDisc Posts: 136 Member
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    On the Road, by Jack Kerouac. One of my absolute favs!
  • tquig
    tquig Posts: 176 Member
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    a dictionary!
  • Iron_Duchess
    Iron_Duchess Posts: 429 Member
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    I would suggest getting an E-Reader of some sort. You don't need the top of the line and you could maybe find one on ebay as the bookworms tend to upgrade. I suggest this because you would be able to check out many books free or very cheap and if you get some friends that also have one you can even "loan" stuff. It would let you experience multiple genres until you figure out what you really like.

    Or he could just go to the library. :-)
    LOL that is true. I love books and bookstores and libraries but I was trying to see it thru the eyes of someone that doesn't. It may be a little less intimidating to browse at home. At least that's how it is with my hubby who is not a reader at all. He will at least use the nook to find something he likes.

    I have to have the actual books in front of me to figure it out. But he's got a whole list to start with from this thread, so he could write a few down and then head to the library.

    One thing I will say is if he has a smart phone and can download the Kindle app, there are a lot of classics available for free that way and that wouldn't require spending money on an e-reader he may or may not use again.

    True, But the good thing about an e-reader is actually being able to check out the books from the online library. No trips to the library, no late fees, and all kinds of books for free. The county library usually updates the catalog once a week and adds new e-books and audio books. I read about two books every four days and never pay for them. If I don't like them all I have to do is return them. Check out the online catalog of your local library, you will never regret it. Recommendations; Robert Liparulo's Deadfall or the 13th Tribe, All of Frank Peretti's, and Ted Dekker.
  • VelociMama
    VelociMama Posts: 3,119 Member
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    I would suggest getting an E-Reader of some sort. You don't need the top of the line and you could maybe find one on ebay as the bookworms tend to upgrade. I suggest this because you would be able to check out many books free or very cheap and if you get some friends that also have one you can even "loan" stuff. It would let you experience multiple genres until you figure out what you really like.

    Or he could just go to the library. :-)
    LOL that is true. I love books and bookstores and libraries but I was trying to see it thru the eyes of someone that doesn't. It may be a little less intimidating to browse at home. At least that's how it is with my hubby who is not a reader at all. He will at least use the nook to find something he likes.

    I have to have the actual books in front of me to figure it out. But he's got a whole list to start with from this thread, so he could write a few down and then head to the library.

    One thing I will say is if he has a smart phone and can download the Kindle app, there are a lot of classics available for free that way and that wouldn't require spending money on an e-reader he may or may not use again.

    True, But the good thing about an e-reader is actually being able to check out the books from the online library. No trips to the library, no late fees, and all kinds of books for free. The county library usually updates the catalog once a week and adds new e-books and audio books. I read about two books every four days and never pay for them. If I don't like them all I have to do is return them. Check out the online catalog of your local library, you will never regret it. Recommendations; Robert Liparulo's Deadfall or the 13th Tribe, All of Frank Peretti's, and Ted Dekker.

    ^ this too.
  • pinkpostittwirling
    pinkpostittwirling Posts: 27
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    I Know this Much is True by Wally Lamb
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
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    I would suggest getting an E-Reader of some sort. You don't need the top of the line and you could maybe find one on ebay as the bookworms tend to upgrade. I suggest this because you would be able to check out many books free or very cheap and if you get some friends that also have one you can even "loan" stuff. It would let you experience multiple genres until you figure out what you really like.

    Or he could just go to the library. :-)
    LOL that is true. I love books and bookstores and libraries but I was trying to see it thru the eyes of someone that doesn't. It may be a little less intimidating to browse at home. At least that's how it is with my hubby who is not a reader at all. He will at least use the nook to find something he likes.

    I have to have the actual books in front of me to figure it out. But he's got a whole list to start with from this thread, so he could write a few down and then head to the library.

    One thing I will say is if he has a smart phone and can download the Kindle app, there are a lot of classics available for free that way and that wouldn't require spending money on an e-reader he may or may not use again.

    True, But the good thing about an e-reader is actually being able to check out the books from the online library. No trips to the library, no late fees, and all kinds of books for free. The county library usually updates the catalog once a week and adds new e-books and audio books. I read about two books every four days and never pay for them. If I don't like them all I have to do is return them. Check out the online catalog of your local library, you will never regret it. Recommendations; Robert Liparulo's Deadfall or the 13th Tribe, All of Frank Peretti's, and Ted Dekker.

    I get that. But you have to pay a lot of money even for a cheap e-reader. So you've spent at least the equivalent of buying four hardback books in order to read for free from the library.
  • fenrirGrey
    fenrirGrey Posts: 110 Member
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    Only one??? Goodness!

    Well, since you're a man, I'd say Moby Dlck because men seem to really love that book, but I didn't like it.

    As for what I would recommend, my absolute favorites that are not gender specific would probably be either Les Miserables or the Harry Potter series. There are seven books in HP, but it's really one continuous story, so it's more like one really long book (and so, so awesome).

    The Book Thief is a really good piece of historical fiction, and very powerful.

    Oy. I have a BA in English literature and when I didn't have a full-time job, I used to read three or four novels a week, so you're asking the impossible from me! Check out my goodreads.com page if you want a whole list!

    I second The Book Thief
    I have a short attention span and usually lose interest in books easily- but this was a great book. Loved it from beginning to end.

    For someone with a short attention span you like a loooong book :) I loved it too btw.
  • sweetie3533
    sweetie3533 Posts: 3
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    The BIBLE
  • supahstar71
    supahstar71 Posts: 926 Member
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    I Know this Much is True by Wally Lamb

    One of my favorites! :drinker:

    And another vote for Glass Castle. Also Gone Girl and We Need to Talk about Kevin.
  • nharder1
    nharder1 Posts: 110 Member
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    I would have to say... The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Families and Highly Effective People - two different books. I have to say they are life changers! If you're into that self help kinda thing.
  • zippo32
    zippo32 Posts: 1,419 Member
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    Moby ****
    Herman Melville
    The censoring is not mine.......................That is the book title!
  • halobender
    halobender Posts: 780 Member
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    I just came here because I want to see how many people say 50 Shades of Grey....
    I sincerely came here to say 50 Shades of Grey =/

    You know, trolling threads on MFP is too difficult when the OP trolls himself.
  • x_JT_x
    x_JT_x Posts: 364
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    Has anyone read The Jason Bourne books? The movies are great, but just wanted to know if the books were good as well.


    The books are sooo much better than the movies! Not that I didn't enjoy the movies as well, because I did. Just be prepared to scratch your head along the way...the movies stray considerably from the books. It's a shame, since the books are so good.
  • crystalflame
    crystalflame Posts: 1,049 Member
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    The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon
    For Whom The Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway
    Breakfast at Tiffany's by Truman Capote
    Exile by Richard North Patterson
    The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
    The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand, as an alternative to Atlas Shrugged. Significantly less painful.

    I'm also into quick-read mysteries, so anything by Agatha Christie or Lilian Jackson Braun

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