...but what about the books?

[ShadowDenizen]

Interesting topic...
Book that I re-read? Well, I have so many NEW books that I don't get to re-read as much as I would like to, but...

Hmmm.
A)Dune: But only the first one!!
B)The Talisman, The Stand and Eyes of the Dragon by Stephen King.
C)The Harry Potter series.
D)Lord of the Rings
E)Doctor ZHivago: Every few years, I both watch the movie and read the book: I can never decide which I like better, since the film is just as amazing as the book!!
F)The Ramona books by Beverly Cleary, and the Fudge stuff by Judy Blume: I like to keep in touch with my inner child.
G)The Lankhmar stuff by Fritz Leiber
H)Death in Venice by Thomas Mann
I)Chronicles of Narnia, and The Screwtape Letters by CS Lewis

 

[replicant2]

In no particular order ...

Watership Down, by Richard Adams. With 100-150 pages left to go I could not put this down. Bravery, brotherhood, leadership, adventure, it's all here.

The Killer Angels, Michael Shaara. You will never think of Gettysburg the same way again. Great depictions of the men who fought there, written with incredible pathos and humanity. It's a good thing the Confederates lost but your heart bleeds for the line of grey, advancing across open fields into certain death. Incredible courage that could not prevail against rifles, cannonballs and grapeshot.

The Once and Future King, T.H. White. I've read Malory, Twain, Cornwell, Chretien de Troyes, and believe that White's telling of the Arthurian myth is the best of them all. His characters are the most human and the book connects all the dots. White writes brilliantly of the universal truths and philosophic meditations evident in the rise and fall of Camelot: Aging, the nature of conflict, reconciling religion with earthly passions.

Gates of Fire, Steven Pressfield. Why hasn't Hollywood woken up and made this movie yet? The Battle of Thermopylae (300 Spartans and their allies sacrifiice themselves to stall the two-million man army of Persia) brought to life. It's simultaneously violent and poetic, and you literally feel the fear and death of bronze age close combat, standing in the shield wall where it's kill or be killed.

Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, J.R.R. Tolkien. The God of fantasy, creator of Middle Earth and teller of the world's greatest quest. What more needs be said?

Slaughterhouse Five, Kurt Vonnegut. Perhaps he most damning portrayal of war ever. Conflict is meaningless, but man is doomed to repeat it again and again due to his own shortsightedness.

The Earthsea Trilogy, Ursula LeGuin. These are as much philosophy as fantasy. "You will die. You will not live forever. Nor will any man nor any thing. Nothing is immortal. but only to us is it given to know that we must die. And that is a great gift: the gift of selfhood."

The Broken Sword, Poul Anderson. This is what modern fantasy sorely lacks: short, great, one-volume reads, action-packed, bloodthirsty, unique, and at times, thought-provoking.

Conan, Robert E. Howard. Damn, but could Howard write. Raw power, energy, and fierce spirit pouring off the pages.

 

[Ibram]

The list of books I liked enough to read multiple times is a very long one.... probably at least a third of my collection.

Some highlights:

1) Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIHM: I read this book constantly in the fith grade, and by constantly I mean that once I reached the end I'd flip the book over and start anew.

2) Starship Troopers: Read this one in high school, but not as obsessivly as Mrs. Frisby. I probably read it twice a year for 4 years.

3) the works of HPL: I'm a huge fan, and have read most of his stories at twice.

4) the works of REH: I've fallen inlove with his writting style ever since the new collections started comming out. I've read the Comming of Conan and the Savage Tales of Soloman Kane at least 3 times.

5) Trollslayer: One of my favoret short story collections, "The Dark Beneath the World" is one of my favoret short stories.

6) Hellboy: I've read the graphic novels at least 4 times, its probably my favoret american comic (next to Conan).

7) Priest: A Korean Manga, I find the questions raised to be very profound. plus it has a zombie protagonast just like the greatest first person shooter of all time "Blood"

 

[Aust Diamondew]

I've very rarely have reread a book in it's entirity (sometimes I'll look back and look at paticular parts though etc), let me list the books that I have reread:
Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman
Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pretchett
The Ultimate Hitchikers Guide (a collection of every Hitchiker book in the series) by Douglas Adams
The Gates of Fire by Steven Pressfield
The History by Herodotus (spelling?)

 

[Wombat]

This has turned into a great thread.

First up, I'd like to thank eveyrone for mentioning all these books that mean so much to them; I recognize several other faves of mine in the mix!

Equally important, I'd just like to point out that no one has slammed anyone else's choices here. No negativity in a thread at all! That alone deserves the marking as a Red Letter Day

Here's to your books -- may you always find wisdom, joy, and wonder between their pages!

Slainte!

 

[Elf Witch]

There have been a lot of threads recently about what kinds of movies need to be seen, how often, and suchlike, but far fewer about books.

Being a bibliovore, I thought I'd start one.

What books have been important to you in your life? What books have tempted you back for that second, third, fourth, or even greater read?

In other words, which books really feed you?

I'll place my own answers in after I see a few responses.

One of the most important books for me is Red Planet by Robert Heinlein. It was the first SF book I read. I just loved it I then read as many of his junior novels that I could find.

The first fantasy series I read was the Chronicles of Narnia which I enjoyed but it was not until I read Katherine Kurtz's Deryni novels that I got really hooked on fantasy.

I reread the deryni novels everytime a new one comes out. I tend to judge all fantasy to her books.

I love the Harry Potter novels and have read them more than once.

I also love all things Arthurian. As well as Sherlock Holmes and Vampires. Some of my favorite books combine these.

 

[Cthulhudrew]

What books have been important to you in your life? What books have tempted you back for that second, third, fourth, or even greater read?

Zelazny's Chronicles of Amber. Primarily the first series (especially Nine Princes...), but I've read the second series a couple of times as well.

Jurassic Park I've read a couple of times.

The Fountainhead.

 

[Thanee]

Amber Chronicles by Roger Zelazny.
A Song of Ice and Fire by G.R.R. Martin.
Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien.
Various Shadowrun novels, especially those from Nigel Findley.
Various children books by Astrid Lindgren.

Bye
Thanee

 

[David Howery]

like so many others here, I've re-read LOTR and REH's works numerous times. I've also read ERB's works quite a few times. Outside of fantasy, I've always been a big history buff, and have quite a few books on ancient/medieval times I've read often... I particularly like 'ancient mystery' type books, on little known cultures and artifacts. I think the books I've re-read the most though, are the ones by H.R. Haggard about Allan Quatermain... King Solomon's Mines, The Ivory Child, etc....

 

[Tanager]

I also love all things Arthurian. As well as Sherlock Holmes and Vampires. Some of my favorite books combine these.

Did Fred Saberhagen write a Dracula/Holmes crossover, or is my memory faulty?