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Favorite books
ashashash:
Actually, American Gods is my least favorite Gaiman novel, too. Granted, I haven't read it in a few years (and I've actually been meaning to reread it) but ... yeah. Something about it just didn't click that well with me, I guess. (For what it's worth, it definitely wasn't the length.)
Anyway, my favorites are:
House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski - it's really hard to describe this novel. it's terrifying, but brilliant at the same time; I definitely understand why some people don't like it (it's formally all over the place) but I think it's pretty awesome.
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde - this is some of the most beautiful prose I've ever read.
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain - I like this book a lot more than The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. Actually, the only part I'm not a huge fan of is the part where Tom Sawyer comes in - he's kind of an asshole. Huck Finn is awesome, though.
Catch-22 by Joseph Heller - this is probably the funniest novel I've ever read. Yossarian is a fantastic protagonist.
Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman - well, I like the basic idea behind this (Average Guy goes on Fantastic Adventures) and the ending is pretty much perfect.
The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka - I guess this isn't technically a book; it's only about sixty pages long. But it's really amazing if you like surrealism at all. And the opening line is priceless: "One morning, upon awakening from agitated dreams, Gregor Samsa found himself, in his bed, transformed into a monstrous vermin."
And if you like zombies, go for The Zombie Survival Guide and World War Z by Max Brooks.
Shadows Collide:
Don DeLillo - Underworld. It may be true (as some critics have said) that the best piece of writing is at the very start of this huge book (the Prologue - The Triumph of Death) but that's because it's so perfect nothing that follows could match up. The triumph of the Giants in the 1951 world series final stands as a perfect day, a beautiful moment that stands as the calm before the storm, as DeLillo offers his concerns over technology, waste, an "us and them" mentality, breakdown of the family dynamic etc. But even without this kind of stuff, the fact that it kept me lost in its world for the long time it took me to finish it means it's probably my favourite novel.
Ken Kesey - One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest - The novel is somehow, impossibly better than the film.
Short stories: Donald Barthelme - Me and Miss Mandible.
Vladamir Nabokov - Sounds
ashashash:
From what I've heard, the movie for One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest sounds truly horrific. But the novel is amazing.
Vendetagainst:
the movie was VERY good! It was not shot from the perspective of the Chief, but still very, very good.
jessco:
Newer Awesomes:
Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim ~ David Sedaris
- I have yet to read Naked, but I have started on Me Talk Pretty One Day. However, this book really does a great job of rocking out Sedaris's family and the final essay is amazing.
The Witching Hour ~ Anne Rice
-I liked this more than her vampire books. Shhh don't tell anyone.
The Historian ~ Elizabeth Kostova
-Smart man's Da Vinci Code. Seriously, the Da Vinci Code is the worst book of all time.
Game of Thrones ~ George R.R. Martin
-Good fantasy nerd read.
Life of Pi ~ Yann Martel
-Jesus, Mary, Mohammed and Vishnu!
Running with Scissors ~ Augusten Burroughs
- I didn't want to buy in on the hype, but I picked it up and finished it in one freaking day.
Old Awesomes:
Princess Bride (Saw someone mentioned this earlier- GOOD CALL!)
To Kill a Mockingbird
The Thornbirds
Les Miserables
Scarlet Pimpernel
Harry Potter- Prisoner of Azkaban
Jonathan Livingston Seagull
It's seriously too early for me to come up with more/better reads. This is just some of the more recent things I have recently read... recently.
Oh yeah, and the Da Vinci Code is still the worst book of all time.
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