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OriginalGeek

(12,132 posts)
19. I'll try but reserve the right to add/delete/change/and re-remember
Mon Dec 16, 2013, 05:05 PM
Dec 2013

First off, Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities and in that same vein, Silas Marner, Great Expections, The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Les Miserables.

Bram Stoker's Dracula is still the best Vampire book (although there are many more modern ones I also love - Yes, Anne Rice and also Poppy Z. Brite)

2 different Frankensteins - Mary Shelley's of course but also Dean Koontz did a series of Frankenstein novels in the present day (although the main monster and doctor are the ones from Mary's day. His best work if you don't count the Odd Thomas series.)

The original Frank Herbert Dune series. I haven't read any of the ones his son and others wrote after he died.

Robert E. Howard's Conan the Barbarian stories - they are mostly short stories but conveniently arranged in novel form across several books.

Robert Heinlein's Stranger in a Strange Land (and most of his other books too but this is my favorite).

Neuromancer by William Gibson. His other books are pretty great too but this is the one that turned me into a full-fledged geek.

Everything by Philip K. Dick.

Brian Lumley's Necroscope universe is huge and wonderful. It's hard to keep track of all the series/sequels/prequels/side stories with some of the same characters and whatnot but it's worth getting lost in the world.

Robert McCammon's Swan Song and Boy's Life are two great horror novels.

IT by Stephen King. (The Dark Tower series and the Green Mile series as well)

And A Game Of Thrones. I started reading it long before there was a TV show.

American Gods by Neil Gaiman. n/t murielm99 Dec 2013 #1
thats a really good book... WCGreen Dec 2013 #18
That's an amazing book. nt Hekate Dec 2013 #85
Too many to recall :-) B2G Dec 2013 #2
Interesting question el_bryanto Dec 2013 #3
A People's History, The Handmaid's Tale, The Chalice and the Blade, The Evolution of Conscience, and Egalitarian Thug Dec 2013 #4
nice list - "Chalice and The Blade" is mind blowing awesome - n/t Locrian Dec 2013 #104
By instigating my own reexamination of things I know, her book literally changed my life. Egalitarian Thug Dec 2013 #107
Among the books I've enjoyed the most or learned the most from are . . . Journeyman Dec 2013 #5
Yes! Slaughterhouse Five dem in texas Dec 2013 #128
lurkers and trolls are also welcome to contribute to this list as well Pretzel_Warrior Dec 2013 #6
Ok . . . hueymahl Dec 2013 #80
DUzy!!! Scuba Dec 2013 #93
lol and welcome to DU! Jesus Malverde Dec 2013 #122
What if they haven't read 5 books? lame54 Dec 2013 #102
Then they can count cereal boxes in their list Pretzel_Warrior Dec 2013 #103
Thanks for the permission. Jackpine Radical Dec 2013 #126
Way too broad for prolific readers.. X_Digger Dec 2013 #7
GREAT list! LWolf Dec 2013 #92
2 lists; fiction and non pscot Dec 2013 #8
I would recommend that everyone and older teens who are studying Cleita Dec 2013 #9
I would suggest "I Will Bear Witness" by Victor Klemperer Tierra_y_Libertad Dec 2013 #25
I will have to read that. It's amazing how many German intellectuals Cleita Dec 2013 #27
Do so. It's the story of how average Germans lived and how they (sort of) bought in to it. Tierra_y_Libertad Dec 2013 #29
great book(s) justabob Dec 2013 #41
I will have to read this, thanks for the recommendation ! nt steve2470 Dec 2013 #123
Fellow pipi_k Dec 2013 #65
My favorites are Caravans, Hawaii, The Source, Centennial Cleita Dec 2013 #66
Space, Carribbean and The Covenant. Scuba Dec 2013 #94
here goes loli phabay Dec 2013 #10
The Fatal Shore by Robert Hughes - The Epic of Australia's Founding Lochloosa Dec 2013 #11
The five books of the... TlalocW Dec 2013 #12
Hmmm... 2naSalit Dec 2013 #13
Five books, eh? hfojvt Dec 2013 #14
Project Gutenberg currently has 44,349 books for free download. FarCenter Dec 2013 #15
I love Project Gutenberg. Nearly everything on my Kindle is from there. nt Hekate Dec 2013 #88
+ 44349 Iggo Dec 2013 #124
Impossible to list just five but I'll pick five of my favorites. ... spin Dec 2013 #16
Fear and Loathing on the Campagn Trail by Hunter S. Thompson.... WCGreen Dec 2013 #17
I'll try but reserve the right to add/delete/change/and re-remember OriginalGeek Dec 2013 #19
Phillip K. Dick is the man. stage left Dec 2013 #35
Yes he is! OriginalGeek Dec 2013 #46
I thought "A Scanner Darkly" flying rabbit Dec 2013 #68
Adore Blade Runner. stage left Dec 2013 #109
FYI on PKD, His Novel "Ubik" (his best work imo) is being adapted FSogol Dec 2013 #101
"Boy's Life" is in my top 10 XemaSab Dec 2013 #44
I haven't read everything he's done OriginalGeek Dec 2013 #48
1. The Grapes of Wrath 2. One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest 3. To Kill A Mockingbird Zorra Dec 2013 #20
Models by Mark Manson. grahamhgreen Dec 2013 #21
Mine: Aristus Dec 2013 #22
"Catch 22" by Joseph Heller and "Galapagos" by Kurt Vonnegut. n/t FSogol Dec 2013 #23
War and Peace, A Fine Balance, Catch-22, Anna Karenina, Tao Te Ching. Tierra_y_Libertad Dec 2013 #24
great lists so far! as with last year, it will take some time to compile Pretzel_Warrior Dec 2013 #26
This message was self-deleted by its author mgc1961 Dec 2013 #28
Lord of the Rings, The Mists of Avalon are among my favorites. Liberal_in_LA Dec 2013 #63
LOVED The Jesus Incident - I thought I was the only one jazzimov Dec 2013 #133
If you want to understand the nature of wealth and trade LittleBlue Dec 2013 #30
THose all sound interesting. I actually met the author and have a signed copy of his book Pretzel_Warrior Dec 2013 #33
Which author? LittleBlue Dec 2013 #37
William Bernstein author of Birth of Plenty Pretzel_Warrior Dec 2013 #70
Ah yes, he's brilliant LittleBlue Dec 2013 #81
Yep. Similar to James Burke who wrote "Connctions" Pretzel_Warrior Dec 2013 #105
"...so many books and I've gone well over 5...." OriginalGeek Dec 2013 #50
Sorry, couldn't winnow it down to five. Eight was as close to the bone as I could cut. 11 Bravo Dec 2013 #31
Top 5 Xyzse Dec 2013 #32
Replay was damn good wasn't it. nt Demo_Chris Dec 2013 #40
Absolutely. Xyzse Dec 2013 #82
Five Books that moved me. stage left Dec 2013 #34
Ok davekriss Dec 2013 #36
They Thought They Were Free by Milton Mayer justabob Dec 2013 #38
Here's a start... Demo_Chris Dec 2013 #39
I love when I see Watership Down on someone else's list! etherealtruth Dec 2013 #111
I consider a book young people should definately read. nt Demo_Chris Dec 2013 #112
This message was self-deleted by its author AngryOldDem Dec 2013 #42
I dunno about top 5 XemaSab Dec 2013 #43
Here you go... Punkingal Dec 2013 #45
The Grapes of Wrath.. To Kill a Mockingbird ... ananda Dec 2013 #47
A lot of great choices in this thread The Second Stone Dec 2013 #49
The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver roody Dec 2013 #51
on my list, as well! nt hopemountain Dec 2013 #53
+1 nt Zorra Dec 2013 #56
books close to my heart and soul include hopemountain Dec 2013 #52
A few of my favorites... TeeYiYi Dec 2013 #54
Catch-22; Grapes of Wrath; The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time; Moby Dick; Roughing It Richardo Dec 2013 #55
I've read a lot of books in 74 years Pyrzqxgl Dec 2013 #57
my list looks something like this WhaTHellsgoingonhere Dec 2013 #58
I HATE when books are a great read then end with a thud! (regarding #2 on your list) Liberal_in_LA Dec 2013 #62
my 5 riverwalker Dec 2013 #59
Some great fiction geared toward empowering BlueToTheBone Dec 2013 #60
The complete works of Wei Wu Wei RagAss Dec 2013 #61
Only five? Fastcars Dec 2013 #64
assume she has already plowed thru Harry Potter dembotoz Dec 2013 #67
yep! there's a whole backstory I could write an essay abour re: her love of Harry Potter Pretzel_Warrior Dec 2013 #73
Y'all probably won't like most of mine, but here they are anyway kentauros Dec 2013 #69
Believe me, last time around the list was quite eclectic. I take all offers Pretzel_Warrior Dec 2013 #71
Fair enough :) kentauros Dec 2013 #72
well, for that matter, The Book of Job in the Bible makes many international top 20 lists. Pretzel_Warrior Dec 2013 #74
I didn't know that. kentauros Dec 2013 #75
My favorites as a teen were demigoddess Dec 2013 #76
Desert Solitude and A Fool's Progress, both by Edward Abbey, rudolph the red Dec 2013 #77
"We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves" by Karen Joy Fowler Heidi Dec 2013 #78
Keeping it just to five... SeattleVet Dec 2013 #79
A few more than five betsuni Dec 2013 #83
Forgot betsuni Dec 2013 #90
More forgot betsuni Dec 2013 #134
5 books that left a lasting impression, huh? That's tough... Jasana Dec 2013 #84
Freddy's Book by John Gardner Recursion Dec 2013 #86
Always Coming Home, by Ursula Le Guin.The entire Earthsea series. All of Terry Pratchett's Discworld Hekate Dec 2013 #87
Hogfather is the one I always recommend people start with LadyHawkAZ Dec 2013 #115
De Chelonian Mobile Hekate Dec 2013 #116
The Turtle Moves! LadyHawkAZ Dec 2013 #117
Books that changed me.... GreenEyedLefty Dec 2013 #89
I am overwhelmed by the idea LWolf Dec 2013 #91
"Slaughterhouse Five" (Vonnegutt), "The Covenant" (Michener) ... Scuba Dec 2013 #95
Great thread, bookmarking for future library visits. Scuba Dec 2013 #96
Many books mentioned above are favorites, but here are 5 more. Nay Dec 2013 #97
A few more than five... econoclast Dec 2013 #98
"Candide" by Voltaire (Butts' translation), "Demon Haunted World" by Carl Sagan bhikkhu Dec 2013 #99
1- Moby Dick, Herman Melville... meaculpa2011 Dec 2013 #100
Many of my favorites have already been listed. factsarenotfair Dec 2013 #106
Here's my 5 essentials... SidDithers Dec 2013 #108
kick ..nt TeeYiYi Dec 2013 #110
Disaster at the Pole: The Tragedy of the Airship Italia and the 1928 Nobile Expedition to the North Katashi_itto Dec 2013 #113
Message auto-removed Name removed Dec 2013 #114
Mists of Avalon. Fun reading. KittyWampus Dec 2013 #118
Since this is for your daughter I asked my wife for her top 5 recommendations diabeticman Dec 2013 #119
I'm surprised nobody has mentioned "The Demon-Haunted World" by Carl Sagan HarveyDarkey Dec 2013 #120
The easy way to stop smoking by Alan Carr Jesus Malverde Dec 2013 #121
I am an eclectic reader, so it's hard to do a "Top Five Overall" list distantearlywarning Dec 2013 #125
Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts of 1844. n/t PowerToThePeople Dec 2013 #127
I have two losts jmowreader Dec 2013 #129
The Dark Tower / gunslinger series by Pharaoh Dec 2013 #130
Wow. I couldn't beginto narrow it down to 5 books or even wilsonbooks Dec 2013 #131
Oh, Islandia. I own it and have read it many times. You are the first person Nay Dec 2013 #138
I'm into series, so I can't narrow it down jazzimov Dec 2013 #132
I made my list quickly, without looking at the other replies. Z_I_Peevey Dec 2013 #135
All of Dickens' Novels---he was a social activist of his time. vaberella Dec 2013 #136
Awesome thread ... here are the others (I had to look 'em up): ucrdem Dec 2013 #137
You've made us all better readers for this. Thank you, PW! Now I've got a whole new reading list. ancianita Apr 2023 #139
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