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10 to read before the apocalypse?

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  • Registered Users Posts: 213 ✭✭bobbaggio


    A western wandering Adventure? Sounds like my kind of story! I am reading Paolo Coelho - by the river piedra I sat down and wept, quite good, very spiritual but easy reading!


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,533 ✭✭✭Colonialboy


    in no particular order, books I am glad I read

    An Invisible Sign of my Own - Aimee Bender
    Microserfs - Douglas Coupland
    Ulysses - Joyce
    Manual of Painting and Caligraphy - Saramago
    Captain Corellis Mandolin
    The Prodigy - Herman Hesse
    Catch 22
    Hitchhikers
    Lord of the rings
    The Unfortunate Fursey - Mervyn Wall


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 264 ✭✭harrythehat


    Anything by George Orwell or Haruki Murakami.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 32 Harry the Red


    teh twilight saga harry poter and thoes x factor books that i got


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,705 ✭✭✭Mr Trade In


    Ten I would recommend.

    American Gods: Neil Gaiman
    Charlie and the Chocolate Factory: Roald Dahl
    The Prince: Machiavelli
    American Psycho: Bret Easton Ellis
    12 Caesars: Suetonius
    I Claudius: Robert Graves
    The Republic: Plato
    Complete Works: William Shakespeare
    Of Mice and Men: John Steinbeck
    The Iliad: Homer


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  • Registered Users Posts: 15 tabstheatre


    I've read Jane Eyre about a million times and love it more each time. Also the Stieg Larsson trilogy is fantastic. It's a bit tough to get through the first 50 pages or so but then you kind of tune into the language and you're hooked.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,429 ✭✭✭Cedrus


    1984 – George Orwell
    Lord of the Flies – William Golding
    Wintersmith – Terry Pratchett, I love all of hisbooks but this is the most accessible for sceptics, most people see his books as mere fantasy, but as a satirist he is up there with Swift.
    Celebrated Letters - John B Keane –the Field and all of the others could be here but how to choose?
    Frank O’Connor – any and all of his short stories
    The Hotel new Hampshire, John Irving- better that the world according to Garp IMHO
    Pimp - Iceberg Slim, the vilest most brutal , honest, portrayal of a subculture most of us want to know nothing about. Tarantino on speed. Slim is reason why so many American artitstes have Ice in their name.
    Trainspotting - Irvine Welsh, Moralising in a moral morass
    The Tailor and Ansty – Eric Cross, Portrait of a rural Ireland that the church and the civil authorities refused to recognise (where the fluff did they think calves came from)
    Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams
    Illywhacker – Peter Carey, too long and rambling to describe in one line but after I bought this, I just bought faberand faber books for years after.


  • Registered Users Posts: 13 bitlocked


    Novels:
    Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell
    The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet - David Mitchell
    Old School - Tobias Wolff
    Birdsong - Sebastian Faulks
    Things Fall Apart - Chinua Achebe
    Ulysses - James Joyce
    Watchmen - don't remember
    Dune - Frank Herbert

    Non-fiction:
    Down and Out in Paris and London - George Orwell
    Man's Search for Meaning - Victor E. Frankl
    In Cold Blood - Truman Capote


  • Registered Users Posts: 13 bitlocked


    Anything by George Orwell or Haruki Murakami.

    I was given The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle for Christmas, can't wait to get stuck into it!


  • Registered Users Posts: 13 bitlocked


    bobbaggio wrote: »
    A western wandering Adventure? Sounds like my kind of story! I am reading Paolo Coelho - by the river piedra I sat down and wept, quite good, very spiritual but easy reading!

    Big fan of his. Loved "The Devil and Miss Prym" and "The Fifth Mountain"


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  • Registered Users Posts: 13 bitlocked


    bitlocked wrote: »
    Novels:
    Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell
    The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet - David Mitchell
    Old School - Tobias Wolff
    Birdsong - Sebastian Faulks
    Things Fall Apart - Chinua Achebe
    Ulysses - James Joyce
    Watchmen - don't remember
    Dune - Frank Herbert

    Non-fiction:
    Down and Out in Paris and London - George Orwell
    Man's Search for Meaning - Victor E. Frankl
    In Cold Blood - Truman Capote

    I left out The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga. Some read


  • Registered Users Posts: 10,525 ✭✭✭✭OwaynOTT


    In no particular order:

    Catch 22 - Joseph Heller (the book that made me laugh out load the most)

    The Gunslinger - Stephen King ( the dark tower series as a whole really but I picked the first book for the list but it's probably not the best in the series. The one with the best line certainly.)

    Moving Pictures - Terry Pratchett (my favourite but also it's a stand alone so a good place to start reading the excellent discworld books. Also it has Gaspode the wonder dog. It was a toss up between this and Small Gods but only one of the books feature a wonder dog.)

    Flowers for Algernon - Daniel Keyes ( the book I most recently finished. And it's an exceptional piece of writing. Simple but genius.)

    The Princess Bride - William Goldman ( a list of any top ten not featuring a tale of true life and high adventure is in my view inconceivable. The book teaches many valuable lessons that include - the difference between being fully dead and half dead and never ty to poison the man in black.)

    Ah that's enough for now.


  • Registered Users Posts: 5,383 ✭✭✭emeraldstar


    OwaynOTT wrote: »
    The Princess Bride - William Goldman ( a list of any top ten not featuring a tale of true life and high adventure is in my view inconceivable.

    I see what you did there :p


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,913 ✭✭✭Ormus


    Just finished The Count of Monte Cristo

    It goes into my earlier list.

    Possibly at numero uno.


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,913 ✭✭✭Ormus


    DapperGent wrote: »
    East of Eden is everywhere. Go figure. :confused:

    Great story, well written, that help?


  • Registered Users Posts: 15,775 ✭✭✭✭Slattsy


    Ormus wrote: »
    Just finished The Count of Monte Cristo

    It goes into my earlier list.

    Possibly at numero uno.

    How long did it take you ??
    I'd love to read it but the size scares the bejaysus outta me !!


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,913 ✭✭✭Ormus


    Slattsy wrote: »
    How long did it take you ??
    I'd love to read it but the size scares the bejaysus outta me !!

    I started it on Christmas Day, so had some quiet days over Christmas by the fire with it.

    It sucks you in and goes at a great pace, I didn't want it to finish.

    That's me though, I tend to like long stories, the bigger the better.


  • Registered Users Posts: 15,775 ✭✭✭✭Slattsy


    Ormus wrote: »
    Slattsy wrote: »
    How long did it take you ??
    I'd love to read it but the size scares the bejaysus outta me !!

    I started it on Christmas Day, so had some quiet days over Christmas by the fire with it.

    It sucks you in and goes at a great pace, I didn't want it to finish.

    That's me though, I tend to like long stories, the bigger the better.

    That's some quick reading. The only chance I really get to read is on my lunch break and before bed. That book will take me 6 months !


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,913 ✭✭✭Ormus


    Slattsy wrote: »
    That's some quick reading. The only chance I really get to read is on my lunch break and before bed. That book will take me 6 months !

    6 months well spent!

    A friend of mine read a chapter a night for 117 nights.

    I was up til about 4 O'Clock a few nights, couldn't tear myself away from it.

    Yep, I'm single.


  • Registered Users Posts: 190 ✭✭Lucifer31


    Slaughterhouse 5 (Vonnegut)
    Cosmos (Sagan)
    Cloud Atlas
    Birdsong (Faulks)
    One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest (Kesey)
    The Watchmen (Moore / Gibbons)
    The God Delusion (Dawkins)
    The Third Policeman (O'Brien)
    Timequake (Vonnegut)
    Brave New World (Huxley)


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  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 27 superman123


    Seeing as the book starts with the demolition of the earth, id say it would be pretty appropriate.


  • Registered Users Posts: 915 ✭✭✭judgefudge


    OKAY. So I decided in the New Year that I wanted to read more this year. I was reading this thread for a while and decided to compile a list of the books most mentioned. It's not a hundred percent accurate, but I have the top 20 books in order here. I'd say its right for the most part. I didn't take into account when people just mentioned authors or anything. Anyways here it is:

    1. The Lord of the Rings Trilogy -- Tolkien (mentioned 99 times)

    2. 1984 -- George Orwell

    3. Catcher in the Rye - J.D. Salinger

    4. Catch 22 - Joseph Heller

    5. To Kill a Mockingbird -- Harper Lee

    6. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy -- Douglas Adams

    7. Animal Farm -- George Orwell

    8. Harry Potter Series -- J.K. Rowling

    9. Wuthering Heights -- Emily Bronte

    10. Crime and Punishment -- Dostoevsky

    11. A Clockwork Orange -- Anthony Burgess

    12. Lord of the Flies -- William Golding

    13. On the Road -- Jack Kerouac

    14. Ulysses -- James Joyce

    15. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas -- Hunter S. Thompson

    16. His Dark Materials -- Philip Pullman

    17. Life of Pi -- Yann Martel

    18. Lolita --Vladimir Nabokov

    19. The Hobbit -- Tolkien

    20. War and Peace -- Leo Tolstoy


    Yes... I have far too much time on my hands, but it made work more interesting!
    And now for me to get cracking on the ones I have not read :D
    Thanks guys!!


  • Registered Users Posts: 15,775 ✭✭✭✭Slattsy


    judgefudge wrote: »
    OKAY. So I decided in the New Year that I wanted to read more this year. I was reading this thread for a while and decided to compile a list of the books most mentioned. It's not a hundred percent accurate, but I have the top 20 books in order here. I'd say its right for the most part. I didn't take into account when people just mentioned authors or anything. Anyways here it is:

    1. The Lord of the Rings Trilogy -- Tolkien (mentioned 99 times)

    2. 1984 -- George Orwell

    3. Catcher in the Rye - J.D. Salinger

    4. Catch 22 - Joseph Heller

    5. To Kill a Mockingbird -- Harper Lee

    6. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy -- Douglas Adams

    7. Animal Farm -- George Orwell

    8. Harry Potter Series -- J.K. Rowling

    9. Wuthering Heights -- Emily Bronte

    10. Crime and Punishment -- Dostoevsky

    11. A Clockwork Orange -- Anthony Burgess

    12. Lord of the Flies -- William Golding

    13. On the Road -- Jack Kerouac

    14. Ulysses -- James Joyce

    15. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas -- Hunter S. Thompson

    16. His Dark Materials -- Philip Pullman

    17. Life of Pi -- Yann Martel

    18. Lolita --Vladimir Nabokov

    19. The Hobbit -- Tolkien

    20. War and Peace -- Leo Tolstoy


    Yes... I have far too much time on my hands, but it made work more interesting!
    And now for me to get cracking on the ones I have not read :D
    Thanks guys!!


    I found Magician (Feist) and Eagle in the Snow (Breem) were two of the most common on my first browse through the thread.


  • Registered Users Posts: 915 ✭✭✭judgefudge


    Slattsy wrote: »
    I found Magician (Feist) and Eagle in the Snow (Breem) were two of the most common on my first browse through the thread.


    Well yeah, they were both mentioned somewhere in the teens, (as were pride and prejudice, the alchemist, the road etc.) but no.20 above was mentioned ~22 times so it should be fairly accurate. If you don't believe me be my guest and go back and check yourself! I sure aint doin it.


  • Registered Users Posts: 15,775 ✭✭✭✭Slattsy


    I believe ya buddy :)


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,014 ✭✭✭Paddy Samurai


    As usual hard to pick ten,but have a few changes since I last posted.Tried to include all my favourite genres.At the moment they are the following.........

    Eagle in the snow
    Wallace Breen

    Powerful emotive read,one of those books I was sad to finish.Breem only wrote three books as far as I know.Liked two ,was'nt mad on the third.

    The
    Drawing of the Dark Tim Powers
    A blending of real historical events/people, with fantasy.Mad stuff made reality,no one does it as well as Powers.

    In the Rogue Blood
    James Carlos Blake

    Prefer it to Blood Meridian.Considered more brutal,but an easier read IMO.

    Troy Trilogy
    David Gemmell

    Storytelling at its best.

    Swan Song Robert mcCammon
    Love The Stand ,but this is better IMO.It ticks more boxes for me.
    Although I prefer Kings "Salems Lot" over McCammons "They Thirst".

    Speaks The Nightbird Robert McCammon
    A Sumptuous read.

    Shogun
    James Clavell
    Epic historical novel set in Japan during the samurai era.Great stuff.

    The Religion
    Tim Willocks

    Seige of Malta.A real page turner IMO.

    Necroscope
    (series) Brian Lumley
    Unique take on Vampire Horror,set in the cold war era.

    Dune
    Frank Herbert

    My favourite sci/fi book .

    A Song of Fire and Ice
    (series) RR.Martin

    While still in progress,I love this book series and hope Martin lives to complete it.

    Lets pretend it adds up to ten.
    ;)


  • Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators Posts: 16,287 Mod ✭✭✭✭quickbeam


    Ormus wrote: »
    6 months well spent!

    A friend of mine read a chapter a night for 117 nights.

    I was up til about 4 O'Clock a few nights, couldn't tear myself away from it.

    Yep, I'm single.

    I'm a slow reader and it took me nowhere near 6 months to read it. A top 3 book for me, absolutely loved it. I deliberately slowed myself down reading it though because I wanted to stretch out the experience. Never been so disappointed finishing a book, not because it was a poor ending but because I no longer had it there to read every day. Highly recommended.


  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 46 planet1


    Have read loads of books in my time, but the ones that have stayed most with me are

    The Boy with the dog in the night
    The lovely bones
    Anything by dearbhla Murphy
    Victorian london
    The tenament houses of Dublin
    Black Baby
    The Prophet Kilbran
    The Book of Facts
    Liverpool Miss

    I am very fond of travel writing hence Dearbhla Murphy who I think is one of Irelands best writers living today/ The Novels I feel have a lot to say on lifes problems ; I love books about the way life was lived in the past especially London and Dublin/ The Prophet I think all should read / Facts because they are easy to read and Liverpool Miss because it was something I read a long time ago


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,784 ✭✭✭Monkeybonkers


    planet1 wrote: »
    Have read loads of books in my time, but the ones that have stayed most with me are

    The Boy with the dog in the night
    The lovely bones
    Anything by dearbhla Murphy
    Victorian london
    The tenament houses of Dublin
    Black Baby
    The Prophet Kilbran
    The Book of Facts
    Liverpool Miss

    I am very fond of travel writing hence Dearbhla Murphy who I think is one of Irelands best writers living today/ The Novels I feel have a lot to say on lifes problems ; I love books about the way life was lived in the past especially London and Dublin/ The Prophet I think all should read / Facts because they are easy to read and Liverpool Miss because it was something I read a long time ago


    Do you mean 'The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time? Excellent book. Bought it for my 14 year old niece for Christmas and she loved it too. One for readers of all ages


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  • Registered Users Posts: 26 Pintoplain


    The Beckett Trilogy
    Gravity's Rainbow - Pynchon
    The Goldbug Variations - Richard Powers
    Don Quixote - Cervantes
    Moby Dick - Melville
    Pale Fire - Nabokov
    Money - Martin Amis
    Ulysses - Joyce
    The Secret Agent - Conrad
    The New York Trilogy - Paul Auster


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