Fear and Loathing Las Vegas. Peep the avatar.

JAWS. I read that book in one day when I was in the seventh grade.

It's really hard to say.

At this point in time, this is what comes to mind;

Seriously...takes your mind on a journey.

I realize that I'm cheating, since each is a 3-book trilogy...but so be it.

That's what I'm digging right now...sci-fi & fantasy.

This was/is nearly impossible. I'll try, but it might require bending of the rules and some explaning.

First, this one fits as a single all-time favorite. I would take this as one of the books if I could only choose two books to read for the rest of my life.

Paul Bowles - The Sheltering Sky

The second choice.... not so easy. Here's why...

I would choose Cerebus, because it is technically one story. However, its 16 volumes and 6000 pages long. So that's probably cheating.

Same with Neil Gaiman's "The Sandman". Its only 10 volumes and around 1600 pages. But that's still cheating, I think. The fourth arc, though, "Season of Mists" (issues 20-28), comes pretty close to taking the second spot on its own.

Another possibility for the second spot would be The Lord of the Rings trilogy, the first Dragonlance trilogy (Chronicles) or the Harry Potter books. All of those, while - again - telling one story, are technically more than one book. Although Tolkien DID originally intend for The Lord of the Rings to be published as ONE BOOK. With that in mind I could stretch and choose that one, but most of the reading world thinks of them as more than one book. Soooo...

That leaves me with three choices left floating around the ol' melon, and even with all this babbling I'm having a ridiculously difficult time chosing one. It would be Richard Adams' "Watership Down", William Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream", or Neil Gaiman's "American Gods".

...........................

Neil Gaiman - American Gods

But I reserve the right to change my mind.

And I should add that Friedrich Nietzche's "Human, All Too Human" was almost my second choice for moment, as well.

PurpleJedi said:

The Lord of the Rings

I realize that I'm cheating, since each is a 3-book trilogy...but so be it.

Technically, it's not. But the world at large percieves it that way because that's the only way he could get it published. He intended it to be one book. In fact, at one point his plan was to have it published with all of The Silmarillion included, not just the appendices. Probably for the better that it was published how we know it today. But it IS technically one book.

Cerebus said:

PurpleJedi said:

The Lord of the Rings

I realize that I'm cheating, since each is a 3-book trilogy...but so be it.

Technically, it's not. But the world at large percieves it that way because that's the only way he could get it published. He intended it to be one book. In fact, at one point his plan was to have it published with all of The Silmarillion included, not just the appendices. Probably for the better that it was published how we know it today. But it IS technically one book.

I actually own it as one book, which I assume was published that way after the movies.

Hey, I'm not much of a book reader like that , but These two were staples in my life when I was a kid...

Cerebus said:

Neil Gaiman - American Gods

But I reserve the right to change my mind.

And I should add that Friedrich Nietzche's "Human, All Too Human" was almost my second choice for moment, as well.

I just finished reading it. I thought it was a really well written book.

aardvark15 said:

Cerebus said:

Neil Gaiman - American Gods

But I reserve the right to change my mind.

And I should add that Friedrich Nietzche's "Human, All Too Human" was almost my second choice for moment, as well.

I just finished reading it. I thought it was a really well written book.

PurpleJedi said:

Cerebus said:

Technically, it's not. But the world at large percieves it that way because that's the only way he could get it published. He intended it to be one book. In fact, at one point his plan was to have it published with all of The Silmarillion included, not just the appendices. Probably for the better that it was published how we know it today. But it IS technically one book.

I actually own it as one book, which I assume was published that way after the movies.

There were a couple of anniversary editions over the years that combined all three books. Those were pretty cool as they were hardback and/or oversized, or slipcased. But I think the first all-in-one paperback might have come out after the movies.

Cerebus said:

PurpleJedi said:

I actually own it as one book, which I assume was published that way after the movies.

There were a couple of anniversary editions over the years that combined all three books. Those were pretty cool as they were hardback and/or oversized, or slipcased. But I think the first all-in-one paperback might have come out after the movies.

I'm glad then, because I enjoyed having the 3 stories in one paperback.

I just bought Game of Thrones. I'm looking forward to reading it even though I only caught 3 whole episodes of the HBO series.

PurpleJedi said:

Cerebus said:

There were a couple of anniversary editions over the years that combined all three books. Those were pretty cool as they were hardback and/or oversized, or slipcased. But I think the first all-in-one paperback might have come out after the movies.

I'm glad then, because I enjoyed having the 3 stories in one paperback.

I just bought Game of Thrones. I'm looking forward to reading it even though I only caught 3 whole episodes of the HBO series.

My brother-in-law has all the "Game of Thrones" books, so I could read them anytime if I wanted to. I think I'm going to wait. I'm deep into the show - haven't missed an episode - and I regularly discuss it at two different forums. From what I gather there are A LOT of changes/differences between the show and the books. Some good, some not so good, some confusing. I think I'd rather just enjoy the entire run of the series over the next few years, rather than start reading the books and be confused by differences that have both already happened, and will happen in the future. It would be like experiencing three slightly different versions of the same story. But I'm definitely going to read them someday.

Cerebus said:

PurpleJedi said:

I'm glad then, because I enjoyed having the 3 stories in one paperback.

I just bought Game of Thrones. I'm looking forward to reading it even though I only caught 3 whole episodes of the HBO series.

My brother-in-law has all the "Game of Thrones" books, so I could read them anytime if I wanted to. I think I'm going to wait. I'm deep into the show - haven't missed an episode - and I regularly discuss it at two different forums. From what I gather there are A LOT of changes/differences between the show and the books. Some good, some not so good, some confusing. I think I'd rather just enjoy the entire run of the series over the next few years, rather than start reading the books and be confused by differences that have both already happened, and will happen in the future. It would be like experiencing three slightly different versions of the same story. But I'm definitely going to read them someday.

Makes sense.

I'm a big fan of the Harry Dresden series.

A while back one of the cable networks turned it into a tv series.

I watched ONE episode and that was enough.

They changed SO MUCH of the story that it was frustrating.

Meh. I can only give you one. I have too many choices vying for the number two position My all time fave, hands down:

Ottensen said:

Meh. I can only give you one. I have too many choices vying for the number two position My all time fave, hands down:

This thread keeps showing as having new posts in My Org, even though it doesn't have any. Stoopid thread.

Cerebus said:

This thread keeps showing as having new posts in My Org, even though it doesn't have any. Stoopid thread.

god dammit, now it's doing it to me, too!!!

NDRU said:

Cerebus said:

This thread keeps showing as having new posts in My Org, even though it doesn't have any. Stoopid thread.

god dammit, now it's doing it to me, too!!!

I thought it did it to me again, but it was actually your post.

shiloh66 said:

Siddhartha - Herman Hesse

Desolation Angels - Jack Kerouac

Great choices

i simply can't. i've had too many favs over the years

NDRU said:

I think maybe kids books really are the ones that have meant the most to me over the years.

The Hobbit

The Lion The Witch & the Wardrobe

awesome! i love tolkien, especially roverandom. also love lewis, macdonald, ende, etc.

but if i had to pick 2...

1."The World Peace Diet" by Will Tuttle -- one of the most profound revolutionary things i've ever read -- changed my life, my actions, amazing. I have several copies if any1 wants a loaner

2."Adventures in Kinship With All Life" by J. Allen Boone -- very profound! -- it seems to me like it was written on the same wavelength as elephants and flowers

and so many runners up...

[Edited 5/31/12 14:42pm]

Tittypants said:

Hey, I'm not much of a book reader like that , but These two were staples in my life when I was a kid...

they were some of my favorites as well!

NinaB said:

If u like the color purple check out Possessing the secret of joy & The temple of my familiar as they are kind of a trilogy.

i love the temple of my familiar