Really enjoyed reading this thread, already added a few dozen more books to my future reading list.
I completely agree on many books already mentioned
Moby Dick - Tried reading this in 9th grade, probably a little too young, needless to say I only made it about 80 pages. Herman Melville could write 6 pages on the intricacies of a handrail. Incredibly boring.
Tale of Two Cities - Read 60 pages, but I didn't have the time or stomach to stick with it
Also saw several others on here I was forced to read in high school - Joy Luck Club, Their Eyes Were Watching God, anything by Virginia Woolfe, they're all just purely awful. All written by women, what a coincidence...
As far as good books go...here's just a few of my favorites.
Quote: (08-08-2013 01:33 PM)CarCrashKid Wrote:
Finally, Shōgun. Read it.
100% agree. Shogun is epic in scope, telling the story Blackthorne, a cunning genius and complete badass, who becomes the first European to set foot on Japanese soil in the 1600s after his ship is blown far off course. Portrays his role in the impending civil war. Loosely based on the true story of William Adams. If you've got a lot of down time to read (20-30+ hours), pick this one up. An absolute page turner, reading this book is like stepping into another world.
There are also loosely based sequels, I've read Tai-pan and Noble House, I'd also recommend those just behind Shogun.
Call of the Wild - despite reading this at 25, thought it was great.
Of Mice and Men
Autobiography of Malcolm X
Childhood's End - surprised to see so little sci-fi or any Arthur C. Clarke on here. The man was way ahead of his time, predicting satellites in the 1940s and exploring some mind-blowing concepts in his works. Childhood's End has probably the greatest mind-fuck of any ending to a book I've ever read. If you enjoy sci-fi and haven't read this, check it out.