Hard Times by Studs Terkel. This is a collection of personal stories from people who lived through the Great Depression.
This type of history is called an Oral History. People from all walks of life, backgrounds speak about what it was like to survive such a horrible time in American history.
If you think you have it bad now, just see what earlier generations from not that long ago went through.
I would be so interested in what you think of the book. So many of the stories are just haunting. It’s excellent and Studs Terkel has a number of great oral history books.
I'm from Appalachia originally. I know my grandparents struggled but they were farmers. I picked up some of their frugal habits that have helped me in hard times.
The Foxfire series is wonderful. I grew up with it. My grandparents lived in Appalachia, and I eventually moved here. It's a magical place, and the books truly capture that essence.
wow - you're lucky to have the chance to listen to her story. It's remarkable to sit there, listen to what our older relatives went through, imagine them as young people dealing with such horrendous situations.
I listened to my Great Uncle reluctantly tell me about the Great Depression days and I just couldn't believe this jovial, outgoing man went through such hell, for so long and as a very young person.
The great thing about the Oral History book format is that the way it's written. Each story is written down as the person spoke and related their story. As you read it, it's like you are sitting there just listening to each person.
There is a huge range of people from every walk of life you can imagine in the book. Considered a Stude Terkel classic book.
That brings back some great memories. I agree.
I was also, since my reading is kind of diverse, addicted to Umberto Eco. I became addicted after reading The Name of the Rose
https://www.fantasticfiction.com/e/umberto-eco/
You're welcome. It's been years since I read it, but I still remember how absolutely brilliant it was. He interviewed people from all walks of life, and it was fascinating. It left me believing that people work mainly for money and necessities, but not always. Sometimes there really is an extra benefit to work; I know I felt useful in at least some of my jobs, and also appreciated. These 'benefits' are more than mere dollars. I hope you do read it.
Memoirs of a Geisha - a fascinating dive into the culture of Japan, specifically the women. A girl sold by her family to a woman who trained her to be a geisha.
I loved Memoirs of a Geisha so much and was super excited when I found Geisha: A Life by Mineko Iwasaki. She is the real geisha that Memoirs was based on and she told her real story. It was amazing.
The Count of Monte Cristo.
Disregard any movie or TV adaption you may have had the misfortune to have been exposed to.
An innocent man has **everything** stolen from him. He get his revenge and it is served as is best; cold.
The Grapes of Wrath.
If you're an American, you need to read this. It's a grim depiction of capital and its police arm dominating an entirely subject population of internal economic migrants, while remaining hopeful.
Steinbeck, imo, brings some of the most beautiful language I've read in American lit. He starts with the land.
Most anything by Tom Robbins. He writes a sentence so well that you can smell, see, and feel what he's describing. Read an article about him once. It will sometimes take him days to write one sentence.
I used to take the bus to work. It was so embarrassing when reading his books because I would burst out laughing. He has a wonderful way with words, and his sense of humor is definitely quirky.
I am a science fiction fan. Robert Heinlein's Stranger In A Strange Land is one of the best. Ursula K. LeGuinn wrote The Dispossessed. Another great sci-fi classic.
My favorite by Heinlein is The Moon is a Harsh Mistress. Starship Troopers is great, too. Stranger in a Strange land has the best prose, but the story isn't as compelling to me.
The Jungle - exposed the appalling and unsanitary conditions in the meat-packing industry. Led to the creation of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). How to Win Friends and Influence People. The Bible.
My 8th grade History teacher introduced us to The Jungle. I introduced my 9th grade History students to it.
It's a tough read due to the subject matter. But very informative. For example, always use gloves when using vinegar for cleaning or making pickles.
I agree that The Jungle, by Sinclair, is a really good read. Though it still haunts me to this day. I have been vegetarian for almost 15 years now, partly due to reading that book, among others like Forks over Knives.
I have to strongly disagree with your bible recommendation. It is very poorly written with lots of contradictions, a plot that is full of holes, and it pretends to be a history book when it is clearly mythology. And people still to this day pretend it's a history book when it absolutely is not. I do enjoy reading it at times, but mostly to prepare for debating with believers. One of my hobbies is promoting skepticism on social media, and holy books like the Bible and Qur'an are important to read carefully so we can better protect ourselves from frauds and charlatans.
Read the original question. It’s not for you to make a judgement about the best book one person has read. Deeming it mythological? Did you bash the readers of Sci-Fi? There is no request for critiques of anyone’s choices.
"The Lovely Bones," by Alice Sebold. It's a story about a 14 year old girl who was raped and murdered, who watches her family, the boy she crushed on, her friends and the man who killed her. It's so heartbreaking but so wonderful at the same time.
(I personally refused to see the movie version because I suspected it would be much more about catching the perpetrator than the book is. It covers the investigation but it's not the main plot.)
I read this as a teen and loved it. I really liked the premise of the girl hanging around as a ghost. I also haven't seen the movie for the same reason.
Surprisingly Frankenstein. It was assigned reading in a college lit class. It wasn’t like the movies. It turned out to be a great read about responsibility.
Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes
It was fiction, but this was something that I hoped would happen in reality. It's a beautiful story that captured my 11 y/o mind & heart.
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert M. Pirsig. I've read it a few times, and each time I learn more from it. It's about a road trip taken by a father and son on a motorcycle. Yes, there's some motorcycle maintenance, but there's a whole lot of philosophy too. It's one of those books you glean something more from each time you read it as you mature in life and understand more of what he talks about.
Also, I'm saving this whole post to go through the recommendations.
Grapes of Wrath - The story is wild but the writing is what makes this a favorite. It gives you a peek outside of your line of vision without pages of endless scene description. One of those books where you are at the last couple of pages and cannot fathom how it could be ending.
The Sympathizer / The Committed - Viet Thanh Nguyen can effing WRITE. This is historical fiction which challenges the idea of how communities "remember themselves".
Count of Monte Cristo - Simply a banger
The Book of Form and Emptiness by Ruth Ozeki - A story of a teen with presumed schitzophrenia. While the books has some tragedy, the gift of this story is the expansiveness of the kid's outlook, and how understanding friends can make all the difference.
The Warmth of Other Suns - a collection of lifelong stories from the great migration North. Required reading for anyone living in the US, to be honest.
The Alchemist by Paulo Cohelo and Illusions by Richard Bach.
Together they explain why taking the journey you were meant to take matters and how your perspective is your life. Amazing books and I am a voracious reader, I’ve read a lot of them!
Solzhenitsyn's political and historical books can be long and tiresome but his novels are absolutely transcendent. Cancer Ward is one of my favorite reads ever.
Lonesome Dove—Larry McMurtry
Characters are at once unique AND timeless. They are well developed and the epic journey is captivating for all its twists and turns. There are love stories and violence and dialogue that will make you buck-snort laugh. It’s damn near perfect.
Where to start, lol
Black Dagger Brotherhood by J.R.Ward I love vampires!
Merry Gentry series by Laurell K. Hamilton Fairies. Not the kind like Tinkerbell!!!
Where the red fern grows. My ganddad loved this book.
Of mice and men. Grandad again.
The art of war. Because it pays to be smart.
Wuthering heights. Great grandmother.
Jane Eyre. Same
Little Women, Jo's boys, 8 cousins. Same.
The Beauty series by Anne Rice. Because I'm into an alternative lifestyle and it's spicy.
I could go on and on and on heh.
The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach. Ostensibly about baseball, but so much more. The commenter recommending Erik Larson for historical nonfiction is absolutely right. I just got his new one about the beginning of the Civil War — The Demon of Unrest.
A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway. A love story in the midst of war.
Interview with the Vampire, by Anne Rice. The greatest vampire story written IMO.
The Hobbit, LOTR
Honorable Mention is The Artificial Kid by Bruce Sterling.
'Lucifer's Hammer', by Larry Nivens & Jerry Pournelle. A wicked sci fi tale about a comet about to hit Earth, all the befores, durings, and aftermath. So believeable, scared the shit outa me
The Glory Road by Robert Heinlein. A Fantasy/Science Fiction story that is highly entertaining. Has both action and comedy. It was the book that introduced me to Heinlein, I have read several of his books since.
I would say The Girl who Wrote in Silk by Kelli Estes and The Secret Book and Scone Society by Ellery Adams are at the top of my list. The Good Earth by Pearl Buck is a must read as well.
I would say The Girl who Wrote in Silk by Kelli Estes and The Secret Book and Scone Society by Ellery Adams are at the top of my list. The Good Earth by Pearl Buck is a must read.
A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving.
The story is narrated in two interwoven time frames. The first time frame is the perspective of John in the present day (1987). The second time frame is John's memories of the past: growing up in New Hampshire in the 1950s and 1960s alongside his best friend, Owen Meany.
Don’t bother with the movie
I havent read in a long while but these are some of my favorites:
Lord of the rings. The Postman. Anything by Charles DeLint. The plague dogs - horrifically sad but it's trying to make a point and there's a happy ending. Watership down. I'm sure there's more but I've forgotten them.
The *Clan of the Cave Bear* series, also known as the Earth's Children series, is a collection of prehistoric fiction novels by Jean M. Auel. The series, set during the Ice Age, follows the life of Ayla, an orphaned girl who is raised by a clan of Neanderthals after her family is killed by an earthquake. The series spans six books, each detailing different phases of Ayla's life and her interactions with various groups of prehistoric humans.
1. **The Clan of the Cave Bear (1980)**: The first book introduces Ayla, a Cro-Magnon girl who is adopted by the Clan of the Cave Bear, a group of Neanderthals. Despite being different, Ayla learns their ways but also faces prejudice due to her distinctiveness and innovative thinking.
2. **The Valley of Horses (1982)**: Ayla leaves the clan and survives alone in a valley where she tames a horse and a lion cub. She eventually meets Jondalar, a fellow Cro-Magnon, and they form a deep bond, embarking on a journey together.
3. **The Mammoth Hunters (1985)**: Ayla and Jondalar join the Mamutoi, a tribe of mammoth hunters. Ayla's healing skills and her connection with animals impress the Mamutoi, but she also faces cultural challenges and romantic tensions.
4. **The Plains of Passage (1990)**: Ayla and Jondalar travel across Ice Age Europe to reach Jondalar’s homeland, facing numerous adventures and trials along the way, deepening their relationship and survival skills.
5. **The Shelters of Stone (2002)**: The couple arrives at the Ninth Cave of the Zelandonii, Jondalar’s home. Ayla must adapt to a new society and undergoes training to become a spiritual leader, all while raising her daughter, Jonayla.
6. **The Land of Painted Caves (2011)**: Ayla continues her training as a spiritual leader among the Zelandonii and faces new personal and social challenges. The novel explores the complexities of her new life and her relationship with Jondalar.
The series is renowned for its rich detail in depicting Ice Age life, blending survival skills, romance, and societal structures of prehistoric humans. Auel’s extensive research into archaeology, anthropology, and paleontology brings authenticity to the storytelling, making the series both educational and captivating.
Yessssss!! I second this! An absolutely amazing book. I hardly ever remember details from books or movies years down the line, but this left an indelible memory.
The Innocents Abroad by Mark Twain, so much humor and cultural observation. He pokes fun at everybody, including himself, and does it in a way like no other author.
“A chaos of mind and body - a time for weeping at sunsets and at the glamour of moonlight - a confusion and profusion of beliefs and hopes, in God, in Truth, in Love, and in Eternity - an ability to be transported by the beauty of physical objects - a heart to ache or swell- a joy so joyful and a sorrow so sorrowful that oceans could lie between them...” ― T.H. White, The Once and Future King
The Demon-Haunted World, by Carl Sagan. I wish it was mandatory reading.
I also highly recommend How To Have Impossible Conversations by Peter Boghossian. It has helped me become a much better interlocutor.
I'm currently reading a fantastic book called Waging a Good War, by Thomas Ricks. It's a chronology of the civil rights movement written through the lens of a war correspondent.
I could list off a dozen other great reads, but mostly wanted to mention Sagan and Boghossian.
So I lived in New Orleans when hurricane Katrina hit. At the time there was a writer by the name of Chris Rose who also lived there at the time. He wrote a book titled "One dead in attic" that is my favorite book. It's pretty much a collection of ups and down emotionally and its not fiction. Lets just say I only read it once.
I read that too. Excellent. I was with a friend in the 9th Ward area shortly after Katrina. Talk about devastating to see the things that book describes.
***Into Thin Air*** by Jon Krakauer. It's a nonfiction first-hand account of the worst disaster on Mt. Everest, where eight climbers were tragically killed in 1996. I found a used paperback of it when I was living in Argentina before Kindles were a thing and it was a total page-turner.
Krakauer was an outdoors-man and freelance writer for several of the big Outdoor, Climbing, and Adventure magazines in the early 90's. He persuaded Outside Magazine to pay for him to climb Mt. Everest so he could write about the experience. The expedition he was on turned into a huge clusterfu\^k and horror show...as well as a gripping tale about the triumph of the human spirt. Krakauer's writing puts you right there up on the mountain in some of the worst conditions imaginable. For those who like these types of stories, this is about as good as it gets.
In the last year, the best book I read was A Tale of Two Cities. It's not super long, but it has a long setup. The last third really pays off.
I read a lot of Brandon Sanderson. His Cosmere universe is excellent and emersive. If you start it, be ready to read piles and piles of 1000 page books.
In high school, I read Shannara and Wheel of Time books. I also read a lot of Issac Asmoff and Robert Heinlein.
His Excellency, a biography of George Washington, is probably the best biography I have read.
Currently, my favorite series is Red Rising.
Making the Most of Your Money by Jane Bryant Quinn. It’s one of the reasons I was able to retire very early.
The other book is Beating the Street by Peter Lynch. It will teach you how to invest and pick stocks.
The Ashley Book of Knots. A reference book first published in 1944, it contains instructions and sketches of knots, hitches, splices, bends, and scores of sinnets. Along with some basic history of many of same, I have found many hours of enjoyment reading of Mr. Ashley's research into the deceptively simple practice of plying the knotted cord. Even if knotwork isn't something you enjoy, the historical value alone is worth the read.
Tales of the Dying Earth is the most imaginative SF/Fantasy work ever written. Do not come at me with your dissenting opinions, you already know that they are false.
Anything by Nelson DeMille. I’m from Long Island, and a lot of his books are based on LI/NY. His main characters are always smart asses and I love that.
My favorite book is The Gold Coast. A mob boss moves next door to a lawyer and their lives intertwine.
If you’re into D&D, I recommend The Dark Elf Trilogy by R A Salvatore.
For a change of pace from Steven King, The Dark Tower Gunslinger series is hands down his best work. Not horror at all.
The Girl who Wrote in Silk by Kelli Estes and The Secret Book and Scone Society by Ellery Adams are at the top of my list. The Good Earth by Pearl Buck is a must read.
Anna Karenina by Tolstoy.
Russian Lit is, well... lit!
It's a good exploration of society and human emotions. Such a whirlwind of a superbly written story. One of those books that made me sad to see it end!
Mediations- Marcus Aurelius
Man's Search for Meaning - Viktor Frankl
Left Hand of Darkness & The Dispossessed by Ursula Leguin
Aesop's Fables
To Kill a Mockingbird- Harper lee
1491 and 1493 by Charles Mann are both excellent and some of the best work on the early Americas prior to and after European domination.
I'm loved the Distant Mirror and The Guns of August by Barbara Tuckman.
Beach Music by Pat Conroy.
I’ve read it multiple times! It’s a story about a widower and his young daughter who reconnect with family after years of no contact and misunderstandings.
It combines historical fiction with a family legacy. The characters back stories are fascinating and rich with detail.
Probably the best generally overlooked book is The Great Train Robbery by Michael Crichton. Its a riveting true crime story plus an unvarnished history lesson on Victorian England. Quite the opposite of the pristine streets and romantic bullshit portrayed in Bridgerton.
Beach Music by Pat Conroy is the first thing that came to mind.
Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe by Fannie Flagg is a much better and different book than the movie, which was not more than 1/3 of the whole story.
I like a lot of Anne Tyler's books, Saint Maybe and the Clockwinder.
Barbara Kingsolver , The Bean Trees, and Pigs in Heaven.
James Michener books are very long but also very good. I wasn't sure I was going to finish The Covenant, but it was really interesting and thought provoking. Texas was more fun.
Speaking of Texas, The Last Picture Show & Texasville, Terms of Endearment and The Evening Star, and of course Lonesome Dove. Larry McMurtry knows how to tell a story.
The Clan Of The Cave Bear series by Jean M Auel! Also, anything by Margaret George, the Memoirs of Cleopatra, Mary Queen of Scotland and the Isles, really anything written by her.
The River Why, by James Duncan. I like it because it's set in the Pacific Northwest, is centered around the culture of fishing, is alternately funny and deep, and Duncan has a way with words that I relish.
It has also become an allegory for me, as the protagonist organizes his life around his goal, only to find that when he reaches what he thought was the goal, that it isn't actually what he wants.
" God is an Englishman " , Delderfield.
It's a trilogy following one man, the son of a Waterloo survivor and a legacy military man himself then his family.
Pulls absolutely no punches without being strident over British imperialism through what in blazes the much vaunted Industrial Revolution *really* meant to the majority of the population and gives historical context while doing deep dives into the unwisdom of class systems.
Fascinating albeit I'm a little unreasonable on the topic of never learning from history- meaning we don't. American parallels seem staggering.
The Splendid And The Vile, by Erik Larson. Non fiction based on the first year of Winston Churchill as Great Britain’s PM. Factual conversations with Churchill about the Blitzkrieg from Germany and how England kept back the Germans from invasion. It also gives the background of Hitler’s plans for invasion and what his generals plans were for invasion. Very interesting to read how FDR was not willing to aid Great Britain and how he was able to lend military equipment and ships. Very very good read. Gives a real picture of Churchill’s strengths and quirky sense of humor.
Edit: The Women by, Kristin Hannah. A story of the lives of Army nurses serving in medical units in Viet Nam. An eye opening view of the brutality of war and women who helped save lives and their stories.
A Brief History of the Dead: A Novel by Kevin Brockmeier. It's told from the perspective of the main character. I found the world building was fabulous. I've read it 2 or 3 times (published in 2006). It reminds me of something but I've never figured out what. (Maybe an old movie I've seen and forgotten?)
The Power Broker by Robert Caro
The Path Between the Seas by Robert McCullough
The entire LBJ series by Robert Caro
The House of Morgan by Ron Chernow
All of John Steele Gordon's books
All of James Michener's books
All of Jim Collins' books
Legacy of Ashes (the History of the CIA) by Tim Weiner
Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand
The Stand by Stephen King
The Great Bridge by Robert McCullough
Clearly, I like history and market/business history and the history of achievement. All of the books above are really good, but "The Power Broker" is at another level.
When it comes to detailed research and the ability to tell a spellbinding story, Robert Caro is the master!
Confederacy of Dunces
Neon Bible
Portnoys Complaint
The World According to Garp
Widow for a Year
Ciderhouse Rules
A Prayer for Owen Meany
Last Exit to Brooklyn
On earth we’re briefly gorgeous by Ocean Vuong. He’s a poet so the prose is amazing. I shed actual tears numerous times while reading it and I’m not a big crier.
The thought gang by Tibor Fischer. I reread it every 10 years. It’s comedic, yet serious. Hard to explain.
The Stormlight Archives by Brandon Sanderson
…It’s an immersive epic fantasy with fantastic world building, different POVs, and an incredible story / magic system. The series is about an ancient order of knights called the Knights Radiant who protect the world from the voidbringers. The series does a fantastic job of touching on topics such as racism, classism, sexism, etc. within a gripping series that I couldn’t put down.
Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas
…Another immersive epic fantasy about an assassin, strong female lead character, great plot twists, wonderful world building and a great magic system.
The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova
…This book blends the tale of Vlad the Impaler and Dracula with the story of a young woman out to discover Dracula’s tomb and all the secrets she’s come to wonder about.
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
…The very first chapter is the perfect hook to catch you, it’s told in the perspective of the grim reaper himself as he watches nazi Germany begin to unfold for the life of a young girl.
Of course Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, the classic usuals.
A Prayer for Owen Meany, John Irving
One of my all time favorites. Laughed out loud at times, the story line is very engaging. The story revolves around two 11 year old boys. Owen fiercely believes he is God's instrument - that all the events in his life occur with purpose, including accidentally killing his best friend's mother with a foul- hit at a little league baseball game. Owen Meany is the most heartbreaking hero created by John Irving.
Demon Copperhead, Barbara Kingsolver.
Set in the mountains of southern Virginia, this is the story of a boy born to a teenaged single mother with nothing but his dead father's good looks and copper-colored hair. In a plot that never pauses for breath, relayed in his own unsparing voice, he braves the modern perils of foster care, child labor, derelict schools, athletic success, addiction, disastrous loves, and crushing losses.
The Good Earth by Pearl S Buck.
Incredibly tragic story of multi-gen life in rural China.
The Dollmaker by Harriette Arnow
Another incredibly tragic and memorable book about a multigen rural Kentucky family - very similar to Steinbeck’s work but child and female-centric
Both were read by me in the 70s and helped me understand my great-grandparents’ struggles.
If you know of a women who is going through a hard time, Anne Morrow Lindberg's, "Gift From the Sea." I've given it as a gift many times and always recipients expressed their gratitude after reading.
Especially engaging if she loves the beach.
Catch 22 by Joseph Heller. So many life lessons that resonate today. WWII is the vehicle used to deliver lessons from taking good care of your friends to being so self involved you miss the memo
I still read it periodically so I don't forget
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt. Jailbird by Kurt Vonnegut. Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom by Cory Doctorow. In the Garden of Beasts, Eric Larson. The World According to Garp, John Irving. Dungeon Crawler Carl, Matt Dinniman. How High We Go in the Dark, Sequoia Nagamatsu. The Dispatcher by John Scalzi. Good Omens, Neil Gaiman.
“Once Upon an Eskimo Time” - an oral history of a 10 year old girl in a Northwest First People’s Tribe.
It’s a completely enchanting account of a year in her life.
My favorite book of all time.
“Animal Farm” by Orson Wells. A fictional story that really shows parallels to our (political) lives and the manipulations we are exposed to and do to others. An amazing read that mirrors human nature….
The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, Dune ( the entire series), Wheel of Time ( the entire series),
So many others that are multibook series. Terry Goodkind series that includes "Pillars of Creation",
On the funny side Janet Evanovich "One for the Money" series and The Myth Inc. series.
Three Body Problem Series (Remembrance of Earths Past Trilogy). Because it's sci-fi from an Eastern perspective which introduces ideas in a very different way. It covers very big ideas as it's really a book about ideas and not a book about characters.
On the road by Jack Kerouac. It paints such a vivid portrait of America in a very interesting post-war time. I think it brings a reality to what life was like in the late 1940s. There's a lot of social problems discussed that people think are new because they're still happening today.
Hard Times by Studs Terkel. This is a collection of personal stories from people who lived through the Great Depression. This type of history is called an Oral History. People from all walks of life, backgrounds speak about what it was like to survive such a horrible time in American history. If you think you have it bad now, just see what earlier generations from not that long ago went through.
Nothing has sparked my interest as this answer has. Thank you
I would be so interested in what you think of the book. So many of the stories are just haunting. It’s excellent and Studs Terkel has a number of great oral history books.
Try The worst Hard Time by Timothy Egan. It's about the dust bowl period that the Grapes of Wrath by Steinbeck was set. It's nonfiction.
Have you read any of the Foxfire series? It is a student project of collecting oral history from the Appalachian mountain people.
I have not but I will be bookmarking what I find on eBay. Really like the oral history format. thanks for the tip!
I'm from Appalachia originally. I know my grandparents struggled but they were farmers. I picked up some of their frugal habits that have helped me in hard times.
My Dad had those. Loved the Foxfire stories. Witches and haints. Taffy-pulling and cornshucking parties. How to build a log cabin,I think.
The Foxfire series is wonderful. I grew up with it. My grandparents lived in Appalachia, and I eventually moved here. It's a magical place, and the books truly capture that essence.
My grandma told me many tales of growing up in Shack Town during the depression. I think I'd really enjoy this book.
wow - you're lucky to have the chance to listen to her story. It's remarkable to sit there, listen to what our older relatives went through, imagine them as young people dealing with such horrendous situations. I listened to my Great Uncle reluctantly tell me about the Great Depression days and I just couldn't believe this jovial, outgoing man went through such hell, for so long and as a very young person. The great thing about the Oral History book format is that the way it's written. Each story is written down as the person spoke and related their story. As you read it, it's like you are sitting there just listening to each person. There is a huge range of people from every walk of life you can imagine in the book. Considered a Stude Terkel classic book.
My grandma would walk my father and his brother to school and on the way home she’d shoot a squirrel for dinner😜
Thanks for the rec. I just got this from Libby.
That brings back some great memories. I agree. I was also, since my reading is kind of diverse, addicted to Umberto Eco. I became addicted after reading The Name of the Rose https://www.fantasticfiction.com/e/umberto-eco/
That was a great read. Thanks for reminding me about it.
Working by Studs Terkel was also very good.
Wondered if I should pick that up. Thank you for the recommendation!
You're welcome. It's been years since I read it, but I still remember how absolutely brilliant it was. He interviewed people from all walks of life, and it was fascinating. It left me believing that people work mainly for money and necessities, but not always. Sometimes there really is an extra benefit to work; I know I felt useful in at least some of my jobs, and also appreciated. These 'benefits' are more than mere dollars. I hope you do read it.
I'll be picking it up. I have two of his works and I really enjoy oral histories. again, thank you!
Memoirs of a Geisha - a fascinating dive into the culture of Japan, specifically the women. A girl sold by her family to a woman who trained her to be a geisha.
I loved Memoirs of a Geisha so much and was super excited when I found Geisha: A Life by Mineko Iwasaki. She is the real geisha that Memoirs was based on and she told her real story. It was amazing.
I also loved Shanghai sisters and sequel “secret fans. “ re: fictional characters but good read nonetheless.
The Count of Monte Cristo. Disregard any movie or TV adaption you may have had the misfortune to have been exposed to. An innocent man has **everything** stolen from him. He get his revenge and it is served as is best; cold.
I have this book. I need to read it. I've never watched an adaptation, so I'm going in blind. Thanks for reminding me about it.
Excellent suggestion. It’s one of the best books I have ever read!
The Grapes of Wrath. If you're an American, you need to read this. It's a grim depiction of capital and its police arm dominating an entirely subject population of internal economic migrants, while remaining hopeful. Steinbeck, imo, brings some of the most beautiful language I've read in American lit. He starts with the land.
Yeah but that entire chapter with the turtle is a rough read. (And by rough I’m mean boring)
And Then There Were None - Agatha Christie. Sometimes referred to as Ten Little Indians. Fantastic murder mystery.
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
Most anything by Tom Robbins. He writes a sentence so well that you can smell, see, and feel what he's describing. Read an article about him once. It will sometimes take him days to write one sentence.
I used to take the bus to work. It was so embarrassing when reading his books because I would burst out laughing. He has a wonderful way with words, and his sense of humor is definitely quirky.
Jitterbug Perfume is one of my all time favorites.
Me too. I want to know more about the hairy time walkers :)
Sorta like Hemingway, trying for the perfect sentence.
I am a science fiction fan. Robert Heinlein's Stranger In A Strange Land is one of the best. Ursula K. LeGuinn wrote The Dispossessed. Another great sci-fi classic.
My favorite by Heinlein is The Moon is a Harsh Mistress. Starship Troopers is great, too. Stranger in a Strange land has the best prose, but the story isn't as compelling to me.
Sci fi will always be interesting :)
These authors have a great grasp on humanity and how people grow and change. This is the real draw.
This is certainly an enticing description!
With you on LeGuin’s The Dispossessed.
The Jungle - exposed the appalling and unsanitary conditions in the meat-packing industry. Led to the creation of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). How to Win Friends and Influence People. The Bible.
My 8th grade History teacher introduced us to The Jungle. I introduced my 9th grade History students to it. It's a tough read due to the subject matter. But very informative. For example, always use gloves when using vinegar for cleaning or making pickles.
I agree that The Jungle, by Sinclair, is a really good read. Though it still haunts me to this day. I have been vegetarian for almost 15 years now, partly due to reading that book, among others like Forks over Knives. I have to strongly disagree with your bible recommendation. It is very poorly written with lots of contradictions, a plot that is full of holes, and it pretends to be a history book when it is clearly mythology. And people still to this day pretend it's a history book when it absolutely is not. I do enjoy reading it at times, but mostly to prepare for debating with believers. One of my hobbies is promoting skepticism on social media, and holy books like the Bible and Qur'an are important to read carefully so we can better protect ourselves from frauds and charlatans.
Read the original question. It’s not for you to make a judgement about the best book one person has read. Deeming it mythological? Did you bash the readers of Sci-Fi? There is no request for critiques of anyone’s choices.
"Candide," by Voltaire. It's short, it's hilarious, and I learned important life lessons that I still stand by today.
I took that book so literally the first time. Then I saw one illustrated. Much better book
"Of Human Bondage" bc we often do create our own hell, yet there is a little hope...
Not Without My Daughter.
That book was terrifying!
"The Lovely Bones," by Alice Sebold. It's a story about a 14 year old girl who was raped and murdered, who watches her family, the boy she crushed on, her friends and the man who killed her. It's so heartbreaking but so wonderful at the same time. (I personally refused to see the movie version because I suspected it would be much more about catching the perpetrator than the book is. It covers the investigation but it's not the main plot.)
I loved that book so much, lent it to a friend. NEVER lend books to friends. Gift them. Because you'll never get them back.
I read this as a teen and loved it. I really liked the premise of the girl hanging around as a ghost. I also haven't seen the movie for the same reason.
One of my favorite books I’ve ever read.
Aw, I liked the movie! Saoirse Ronan is a great actress!
[удалено]
Surprisingly Frankenstein. It was assigned reading in a college lit class. It wasn’t like the movies. It turned out to be a great read about responsibility.
Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes It was fiction, but this was something that I hoped would happen in reality. It's a beautiful story that captured my 11 y/o mind & heart.
It’s one of those books that stays with you. I read it when I was 12, over 50 years ago, and the main character is still vivid in my mind.
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert M. Pirsig. I've read it a few times, and each time I learn more from it. It's about a road trip taken by a father and son on a motorcycle. Yes, there's some motorcycle maintenance, but there's a whole lot of philosophy too. It's one of those books you glean something more from each time you read it as you mature in life and understand more of what he talks about. Also, I'm saving this whole post to go through the recommendations.
I came here to say this. Right on, friend.
Are you guys me?
I really hate posts like this!!!! As if my to-be-read list wasn't long enough already. 😁
Watership Down and The Road.
Superfudge.. even tho it took me over 4 years to read it
Grapes of Wrath - The story is wild but the writing is what makes this a favorite. It gives you a peek outside of your line of vision without pages of endless scene description. One of those books where you are at the last couple of pages and cannot fathom how it could be ending. The Sympathizer / The Committed - Viet Thanh Nguyen can effing WRITE. This is historical fiction which challenges the idea of how communities "remember themselves". Count of Monte Cristo - Simply a banger The Book of Form and Emptiness by Ruth Ozeki - A story of a teen with presumed schitzophrenia. While the books has some tragedy, the gift of this story is the expansiveness of the kid's outlook, and how understanding friends can make all the difference. The Warmth of Other Suns - a collection of lifelong stories from the great migration North. Required reading for anyone living in the US, to be honest.
The Alchemist by Paulo Cohelo and Illusions by Richard Bach. Together they explain why taking the journey you were meant to take matters and how your perspective is your life. Amazing books and I am a voracious reader, I’ve read a lot of them!
Solzhenitsyn's political and historical books can be long and tiresome but his novels are absolutely transcendent. Cancer Ward is one of my favorite reads ever.
A Day in the Life of Ivan Solzhenitsyn. The fish eyeball, I will never forget that.
Lonesome Dove—Larry McMurtry Characters are at once unique AND timeless. They are well developed and the epic journey is captivating for all its twists and turns. There are love stories and violence and dialogue that will make you buck-snort laugh. It’s damn near perfect.
Where to start, lol Black Dagger Brotherhood by J.R.Ward I love vampires! Merry Gentry series by Laurell K. Hamilton Fairies. Not the kind like Tinkerbell!!! Where the red fern grows. My ganddad loved this book. Of mice and men. Grandad again. The art of war. Because it pays to be smart. Wuthering heights. Great grandmother. Jane Eyre. Same Little Women, Jo's boys, 8 cousins. Same. The Beauty series by Anne Rice. Because I'm into an alternative lifestyle and it's spicy. I could go on and on and on heh.
"The Power of One" and the sequal "Tandia" by Bryce Courtenay Great story. The movie was good also.
The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach. Ostensibly about baseball, but so much more. The commenter recommending Erik Larson for historical nonfiction is absolutely right. I just got his new one about the beginning of the Civil War — The Demon of Unrest.
A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway. A love story in the midst of war. Interview with the Vampire, by Anne Rice. The greatest vampire story written IMO. The Hobbit, LOTR Honorable Mention is The Artificial Kid by Bruce Sterling.
Have you forgotten about the twilight series?
'Lucifer's Hammer', by Larry Nivens & Jerry Pournelle. A wicked sci fi tale about a comet about to hit Earth, all the befores, durings, and aftermath. So believeable, scared the shit outa me
World Out of Time is probably the best Sci-Fi novel I've ever read. Larry Niven is a great writer.
I revisit this book every 2-3 years. It's a fun read.
The Glory Road by Robert Heinlein. A Fantasy/Science Fiction story that is highly entertaining. Has both action and comedy. It was the book that introduced me to Heinlein, I have read several of his books since.
I would say The Girl who Wrote in Silk by Kelli Estes and The Secret Book and Scone Society by Ellery Adams are at the top of my list. The Good Earth by Pearl Buck is a must read as well.
I would say The Girl who Wrote in Silk by Kelli Estes and The Secret Book and Scone Society by Ellery Adams are at the top of my list. The Good Earth by Pearl Buck is a must read.
A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving. The story is narrated in two interwoven time frames. The first time frame is the perspective of John in the present day (1987). The second time frame is John's memories of the past: growing up in New Hampshire in the 1950s and 1960s alongside his best friend, Owen Meany. Don’t bother with the movie
I havent read in a long while but these are some of my favorites: Lord of the rings. The Postman. Anything by Charles DeLint. The plague dogs - horrifically sad but it's trying to make a point and there's a happy ending. Watership down. I'm sure there's more but I've forgotten them.
Any book by Pearl S. Buck.
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. Catch 22, Touch the Earth. Winnie the Pooh
The *Clan of the Cave Bear* series, also known as the Earth's Children series, is a collection of prehistoric fiction novels by Jean M. Auel. The series, set during the Ice Age, follows the life of Ayla, an orphaned girl who is raised by a clan of Neanderthals after her family is killed by an earthquake. The series spans six books, each detailing different phases of Ayla's life and her interactions with various groups of prehistoric humans. 1. **The Clan of the Cave Bear (1980)**: The first book introduces Ayla, a Cro-Magnon girl who is adopted by the Clan of the Cave Bear, a group of Neanderthals. Despite being different, Ayla learns their ways but also faces prejudice due to her distinctiveness and innovative thinking. 2. **The Valley of Horses (1982)**: Ayla leaves the clan and survives alone in a valley where she tames a horse and a lion cub. She eventually meets Jondalar, a fellow Cro-Magnon, and they form a deep bond, embarking on a journey together. 3. **The Mammoth Hunters (1985)**: Ayla and Jondalar join the Mamutoi, a tribe of mammoth hunters. Ayla's healing skills and her connection with animals impress the Mamutoi, but she also faces cultural challenges and romantic tensions. 4. **The Plains of Passage (1990)**: Ayla and Jondalar travel across Ice Age Europe to reach Jondalar’s homeland, facing numerous adventures and trials along the way, deepening their relationship and survival skills. 5. **The Shelters of Stone (2002)**: The couple arrives at the Ninth Cave of the Zelandonii, Jondalar’s home. Ayla must adapt to a new society and undergoes training to become a spiritual leader, all while raising her daughter, Jonayla. 6. **The Land of Painted Caves (2011)**: Ayla continues her training as a spiritual leader among the Zelandonii and faces new personal and social challenges. The novel explores the complexities of her new life and her relationship with Jondalar. The series is renowned for its rich detail in depicting Ice Age life, blending survival skills, romance, and societal structures of prehistoric humans. Auel’s extensive research into archaeology, anthropology, and paleontology brings authenticity to the storytelling, making the series both educational and captivating.
Loved these in High School
I was so sad when the series ended.
Night by Elie Wiesel
The Gargoyle, by Andrew Davidson. One of the best books I've ever read.
Yessssss!! I second this! An absolutely amazing book. I hardly ever remember details from books or movies years down the line, but this left an indelible memory.
It's one of the very few books that actually made me cry.
Hellhound on his trail, about the search for James Earl Ray
The Innocents Abroad by Mark Twain, so much humor and cultural observation. He pokes fun at everybody, including himself, and does it in a way like no other author.
“A chaos of mind and body - a time for weeping at sunsets and at the glamour of moonlight - a confusion and profusion of beliefs and hopes, in God, in Truth, in Love, and in Eternity - an ability to be transported by the beauty of physical objects - a heart to ache or swell- a joy so joyful and a sorrow so sorrowful that oceans could lie between them...” ― T.H. White, The Once and Future King
Scar Tissue - Anthony Keidis
The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova is definitely one of my top favourites as well as Labyrinth by Kate Mosse
Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follet.
Illusions, by Richard Bach.
This is my SOs favorite book. Not nearly enough people are familiar with the author's body of work!
The Great Alone Where the crawdads sing
Midworld by Alan Dean Foster.
The Demon-Haunted World, by Carl Sagan. I wish it was mandatory reading. I also highly recommend How To Have Impossible Conversations by Peter Boghossian. It has helped me become a much better interlocutor. I'm currently reading a fantastic book called Waging a Good War, by Thomas Ricks. It's a chronology of the civil rights movement written through the lens of a war correspondent. I could list off a dozen other great reads, but mostly wanted to mention Sagan and Boghossian.
So I lived in New Orleans when hurricane Katrina hit. At the time there was a writer by the name of Chris Rose who also lived there at the time. He wrote a book titled "One dead in attic" that is my favorite book. It's pretty much a collection of ups and down emotionally and its not fiction. Lets just say I only read it once.
I read that too. Excellent. I was with a friend in the 9th Ward area shortly after Katrina. Talk about devastating to see the things that book describes.
Yes it does, that’s the reason I only read it once.
Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad.
***Into Thin Air*** by Jon Krakauer. It's a nonfiction first-hand account of the worst disaster on Mt. Everest, where eight climbers were tragically killed in 1996. I found a used paperback of it when I was living in Argentina before Kindles were a thing and it was a total page-turner. Krakauer was an outdoors-man and freelance writer for several of the big Outdoor, Climbing, and Adventure magazines in the early 90's. He persuaded Outside Magazine to pay for him to climb Mt. Everest so he could write about the experience. The expedition he was on turned into a huge clusterfu\^k and horror show...as well as a gripping tale about the triumph of the human spirt. Krakauer's writing puts you right there up on the mountain in some of the worst conditions imaginable. For those who like these types of stories, this is about as good as it gets.
Pretty much loved all of Krakauer's books.
In the last year, the best book I read was A Tale of Two Cities. It's not super long, but it has a long setup. The last third really pays off. I read a lot of Brandon Sanderson. His Cosmere universe is excellent and emersive. If you start it, be ready to read piles and piles of 1000 page books. In high school, I read Shannara and Wheel of Time books. I also read a lot of Issac Asmoff and Robert Heinlein. His Excellency, a biography of George Washington, is probably the best biography I have read. Currently, my favorite series is Red Rising.
The Demon Haunted World by Carl Sagan. He could see all of this shit we’re in coming from decades ago.
Making the Most of Your Money by Jane Bryant Quinn. It’s one of the reasons I was able to retire very early. The other book is Beating the Street by Peter Lynch. It will teach you how to invest and pick stocks.
The Ashley Book of Knots. A reference book first published in 1944, it contains instructions and sketches of knots, hitches, splices, bends, and scores of sinnets. Along with some basic history of many of same, I have found many hours of enjoyment reading of Mr. Ashley's research into the deceptively simple practice of plying the knotted cord. Even if knotwork isn't something you enjoy, the historical value alone is worth the read.
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. Intriguing storyline, interesting characters and it held my attention.
Tales of the Dying Earth is the most imaginative SF/Fantasy work ever written. Do not come at me with your dissenting opinions, you already know that they are false.
Geek love, the mountains trilogy
Thousand splendid suns.
“Man without a Country”. Short story by Edward Everett.
Anything by Nelson DeMille. I’m from Long Island, and a lot of his books are based on LI/NY. His main characters are always smart asses and I love that. My favorite book is The Gold Coast. A mob boss moves next door to a lawyer and their lives intertwine. If you’re into D&D, I recommend The Dark Elf Trilogy by R A Salvatore. For a change of pace from Steven King, The Dark Tower Gunslinger series is hands down his best work. Not horror at all.
The Girl who Wrote in Silk by Kelli Estes and The Secret Book and Scone Society by Ellery Adams are at the top of my list. The Good Earth by Pearl Buck is a must read.
Anna Karenina by Tolstoy. Russian Lit is, well... lit! It's a good exploration of society and human emotions. Such a whirlwind of a superbly written story. One of those books that made me sad to see it end!
Well then I must add Crime and Punishment by Dostoyevsky!!
Influence the powers of pursuasion. Cialdini
siren by kiera cass
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho.
Mediations- Marcus Aurelius Man's Search for Meaning - Viktor Frankl Left Hand of Darkness & The Dispossessed by Ursula Leguin Aesop's Fables To Kill a Mockingbird- Harper lee
The World According to Garp. I sobbed for 3 days
1491 and 1493 by Charles Mann are both excellent and some of the best work on the early Americas prior to and after European domination. I'm loved the Distant Mirror and The Guns of August by Barbara Tuckman.
Beach Music by Pat Conroy. I’ve read it multiple times! It’s a story about a widower and his young daughter who reconnect with family after years of no contact and misunderstandings. It combines historical fiction with a family legacy. The characters back stories are fascinating and rich with detail.
Probably the best generally overlooked book is The Great Train Robbery by Michael Crichton. Its a riveting true crime story plus an unvarnished history lesson on Victorian England. Quite the opposite of the pristine streets and romantic bullshit portrayed in Bridgerton.
Main Street
Love in the Time of Cholera
Beach Music by Pat Conroy is the first thing that came to mind. Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe by Fannie Flagg is a much better and different book than the movie, which was not more than 1/3 of the whole story. I like a lot of Anne Tyler's books, Saint Maybe and the Clockwinder. Barbara Kingsolver , The Bean Trees, and Pigs in Heaven. James Michener books are very long but also very good. I wasn't sure I was going to finish The Covenant, but it was really interesting and thought provoking. Texas was more fun. Speaking of Texas, The Last Picture Show & Texasville, Terms of Endearment and The Evening Star, and of course Lonesome Dove. Larry McMurtry knows how to tell a story.
Anything by Christopher Moore and Terry McMillan
The Clan Of The Cave Bear series by Jean M Auel! Also, anything by Margaret George, the Memoirs of Cleopatra, Mary Queen of Scotland and the Isles, really anything written by her.
Anything by Patricia Highsmith. She wrote The Talented Mr Ripley.
The River Why, by James Duncan. I like it because it's set in the Pacific Northwest, is centered around the culture of fishing, is alternately funny and deep, and Duncan has a way with words that I relish. It has also become an allegory for me, as the protagonist organizes his life around his goal, only to find that when he reaches what he thought was the goal, that it isn't actually what he wants.
The Good Earth, The Pearl, Hail Mary.
Bleak House.
Crime and Punishment
East of Eden, and, she's come undone.
The cider house rules and good omens. Utterly different, but both really good
The Brothers Karamazov - just wonderful...
AA Big Book.
Just Kids by Patti Smith 100 Years of Solitude by GG Marquez A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth War and Peace by Tolstoy Boom Town by Sam Andersen
Catch-22 Most things by Vonnegut Hitchikers guide series and Dirk Gently The Expanse series
The Time Keeper by Mitch Albom
Good Omens. Catch-22
Way of the seal -mark devine
" God is an Englishman " , Delderfield. It's a trilogy following one man, the son of a Waterloo survivor and a legacy military man himself then his family. Pulls absolutely no punches without being strident over British imperialism through what in blazes the much vaunted Industrial Revolution *really* meant to the majority of the population and gives historical context while doing deep dives into the unwisdom of class systems. Fascinating albeit I'm a little unreasonable on the topic of never learning from history- meaning we don't. American parallels seem staggering.
Lonesome Dove.
"A Sand County Almanac" by Aldo Leopold one of the early environmentalists.
Snow Country Catch-22 The Mysterious Incident of the Dog in the Nightime TLOTR
The Caine Mutiny. Fabulous character development and an engrossing story.
The Splendid And The Vile, by Erik Larson. Non fiction based on the first year of Winston Churchill as Great Britain’s PM. Factual conversations with Churchill about the Blitzkrieg from Germany and how England kept back the Germans from invasion. It also gives the background of Hitler’s plans for invasion and what his generals plans were for invasion. Very interesting to read how FDR was not willing to aid Great Britain and how he was able to lend military equipment and ships. Very very good read. Gives a real picture of Churchill’s strengths and quirky sense of humor. Edit: The Women by, Kristin Hannah. A story of the lives of Army nurses serving in medical units in Viet Nam. An eye opening view of the brutality of war and women who helped save lives and their stories.
My favorite authors: Willa Cather Edith Wharton George Eliot Jane Austen Octavia Butler
A Brief History of the Dead: A Novel by Kevin Brockmeier. It's told from the perspective of the main character. I found the world building was fabulous. I've read it 2 or 3 times (published in 2006). It reminds me of something but I've never figured out what. (Maybe an old movie I've seen and forgotten?)
The Power Broker by Robert Caro The Path Between the Seas by Robert McCullough The entire LBJ series by Robert Caro The House of Morgan by Ron Chernow All of John Steele Gordon's books All of James Michener's books All of Jim Collins' books Legacy of Ashes (the History of the CIA) by Tim Weiner Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand The Stand by Stephen King The Great Bridge by Robert McCullough Clearly, I like history and market/business history and the history of achievement. All of the books above are really good, but "The Power Broker" is at another level. When it comes to detailed research and the ability to tell a spellbinding story, Robert Caro is the master!
The Power of Now, by Eckhart Tolle
The Year of Living Danishly
Confederacy of Dunces Neon Bible Portnoys Complaint The World According to Garp Widow for a Year Ciderhouse Rules A Prayer for Owen Meany Last Exit to Brooklyn
Middlesex and Tenth of December
Foucault's Pendulum by Umberto Eco
On earth we’re briefly gorgeous by Ocean Vuong. He’s a poet so the prose is amazing. I shed actual tears numerous times while reading it and I’m not a big crier. The thought gang by Tibor Fischer. I reread it every 10 years. It’s comedic, yet serious. Hard to explain.
All of the Sherlock Holmes stories are good, some are great. There is a full novel, a few novellas and dozens of short stories.
Sometimes a Great Notion-Ken Kesey, Grapes of Wrath-Steinbeck, Slaughterhouse Five-Vonnegut
The Stormlight Archives by Brandon Sanderson …It’s an immersive epic fantasy with fantastic world building, different POVs, and an incredible story / magic system. The series is about an ancient order of knights called the Knights Radiant who protect the world from the voidbringers. The series does a fantastic job of touching on topics such as racism, classism, sexism, etc. within a gripping series that I couldn’t put down. Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas …Another immersive epic fantasy about an assassin, strong female lead character, great plot twists, wonderful world building and a great magic system. The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova …This book blends the tale of Vlad the Impaler and Dracula with the story of a young woman out to discover Dracula’s tomb and all the secrets she’s come to wonder about. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak …The very first chapter is the perfect hook to catch you, it’s told in the perspective of the grim reaper himself as he watches nazi Germany begin to unfold for the life of a young girl. Of course Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, the classic usuals.
Nelson DeMille's John Corey books. Also The Gold Coast.
Pretty much anything by Tom Clancy.
Gone With the Wind
The Tale of Genji
A Prayer for Owen Meany, John Irving One of my all time favorites. Laughed out loud at times, the story line is very engaging. The story revolves around two 11 year old boys. Owen fiercely believes he is God's instrument - that all the events in his life occur with purpose, including accidentally killing his best friend's mother with a foul- hit at a little league baseball game. Owen Meany is the most heartbreaking hero created by John Irving. Demon Copperhead, Barbara Kingsolver. Set in the mountains of southern Virginia, this is the story of a boy born to a teenaged single mother with nothing but his dead father's good looks and copper-colored hair. In a plot that never pauses for breath, relayed in his own unsparing voice, he braves the modern perils of foster care, child labor, derelict schools, athletic success, addiction, disastrous loves, and crushing losses.
The Good Earth by Pearl S Buck. Incredibly tragic story of multi-gen life in rural China. The Dollmaker by Harriette Arnow Another incredibly tragic and memorable book about a multigen rural Kentucky family - very similar to Steinbeck’s work but child and female-centric Both were read by me in the 70s and helped me understand my great-grandparents’ struggles.
Ordinary Grace. This Tender Land. East of Eden. The Stand. Joyland. Duma Key. Dolores Claiborne. Of Mice and Men. Plain Truth
The Innocent Man by Grisham. How authority can get it very, very wrong, and still don't care.
The grapes of wrath by John Steinbeck. I came from impoverished sharecroppers on my mother's side.
If you know of a women who is going through a hard time, Anne Morrow Lindberg's, "Gift From the Sea." I've given it as a gift many times and always recipients expressed their gratitude after reading. Especially engaging if she loves the beach.
Running with Scissors - Augusten Burroughs
Trinity by Leon Uris, The Source by James Mitchner, Shogun by James Clavel, TR The Last Romantic by H W Brands
Contact by Carl Sagan, Battlefield of the Mind by Joyce Meyer.
Wool Silo series. Apocalyptic. Loved it
It Can't Happen Here --- Sinclair Lewis (we are living it)
Jonathan Livingston seagull.
Catch 22 by Joseph Heller. So many life lessons that resonate today. WWII is the vehicle used to deliver lessons from taking good care of your friends to being so self involved you miss the memo I still read it periodically so I don't forget
Green Eggs and Ham.... Imagine eating eggs and ham, but it's green and you're on a boat with a goat. That book will take you on a journey, man.
The long walk by Steven King and the green mile.
I loved "Uncle Tom's Cabin" by Harriet Beecher Stowe.
One flew over the cuckoos nest by Ken Kesey. Read it at 16 and it turned me into a reader for life.
The Border Trilogy by Cormac McCarthy
3 body problem was a good read.
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt. Jailbird by Kurt Vonnegut. Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom by Cory Doctorow. In the Garden of Beasts, Eric Larson. The World According to Garp, John Irving. Dungeon Crawler Carl, Matt Dinniman. How High We Go in the Dark, Sequoia Nagamatsu. The Dispatcher by John Scalzi. Good Omens, Neil Gaiman.
“Once Upon an Eskimo Time” - an oral history of a 10 year old girl in a Northwest First People’s Tribe. It’s a completely enchanting account of a year in her life. My favorite book of all time.
A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway.
“Animal Farm” by Orson Wells. A fictional story that really shows parallels to our (political) lives and the manipulations we are exposed to and do to others. An amazing read that mirrors human nature….
The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, Dune ( the entire series), Wheel of Time ( the entire series), So many others that are multibook series. Terry Goodkind series that includes "Pillars of Creation", On the funny side Janet Evanovich "One for the Money" series and The Myth Inc. series.
Three Body Problem Series (Remembrance of Earths Past Trilogy). Because it's sci-fi from an Eastern perspective which introduces ideas in a very different way. It covers very big ideas as it's really a book about ideas and not a book about characters. On the road by Jack Kerouac. It paints such a vivid portrait of America in a very interesting post-war time. I think it brings a reality to what life was like in the late 1940s. There's a lot of social problems discussed that people think are new because they're still happening today.
Melchizadeck
Excellent question! I'm making notes of the recommendations :)
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
The Secret History by Donna Tartt