Most (and least) interesting RPG books to read?

[nothing to see here]

So I'm going on vaccation in a few days, while concurrently my gaming group will be going on hiatus (again). It occured to me while I was packing that maybe I should pack an RPG book or two...not because I'll actually be using them anytime soon, but because I realized they were fun to read in their own right. I was just reminded of this fact while reading another thread about who reads the core books end to end.

MY question for anybody interested is which RPG books have you found to be the most plesant to read? (bonus points for those who name non-setting books, which tend to have less evocative materials)...conversely which books have you found to be the biggest chore?

As a follow up is there a big correlation between ease of reading and use at the table? Are there 'fun-to-read' books that don't see the light of day at the table?...are there boring and complex books that you couldn't live without?

just curious

 

[BiggusGeekus]

Most - Paranoia XP

Least - Eh. I'll leave this one to the rabid internet wolves.

 

[Jdvn1]

Most fun to read:
d20: Draconomicon
non-d20: World Tree.

 

[Crothian]

List of very good reads:

Paranioa XP
World of Darkness core book
Iron Kingdoms character Guide
Irond Kingdoms World Guide
Valus
Murchad;s Legacy
Valdorian Age (Hero Games)
Ars MAgica
Fireborn GM's Guide (Players guide is okay, but IU really liked reading the DM's Guide)

that's a quick list of what I've enjoyed reading the past week, if you need more I can find more

 

[Shemeska]

Most:

Any Shadowrun sourcebook.
Any Planescape sourcebook.


Least:

There's things I dislike, but that's more a clash of design philosophies rather than it being 'bad'.

 

[Ghostwind]

My list:
-Oathbound: Domains of the Forge (there is a lot of inspiration packed into that book)
-Fireborn (agree with what Crothian said)
-Werewolf: The Forsaken
-Legends of the Five Rings 3rd ed.
-Book of Roguish Luck
-Book of Iron Might
-Frostburn
-Star Trek RPG: Player's Guide and Narrator's Guide from Decipher

Worst:
-Way too open to individual interpretation...

 

[AIM-54]

Most:

Any Shadowrun sourcebook.

Seconded. The fluff is great and they generally include some useful crunch at the end.

My least favorite tends to be d20 books. I have a great deal of difficulty just reading them or even sections without some specific purpose. Though it's certainly possible that there are exceptions to this that I have yet to run into.

 

[der_kluge]

Worst: Synnibar

 

[Psion]

MY question for anybody interested is which RPG books have you found to be the most plesant to read? (bonus points for those who name non-setting books, which tend to have less evocative materials)...conversely which books have you found to be the biggest chore?

That's not a big restraint AFAIAC. A good setting book that is also interesting to read is very difficult to pull off, IMO, just because they have to be very laden in (often extraneous) detail.

Of some recent reads and other standouts:

Most:
Lords of Madness
Draconomicon
Bow & Blade
Plot & Poison
Secrets
Book of Taverns (it really surprised me.)
Advanced Gamemaster's Guide
Advanced Bestiary (I dig reading books that give me ideas as I am reading them.)

Least: (again, not necessarily because they are bad, but because I find settings difficult to read unless they are really good)
Blackmoor
Warcraft: Lands of Conflict
Calastia (yes, Nightfall... it was duller than a spoon.)
Toolbox (certainly not because it's not useful.)
Most L5R dual-stat clan secrets books (lord the minutia... it was killing me. I really don't care about the differences between coming of age ceremonies of the various clans.)

 

[DMH]

By far (talking lightyears here) the one I enjoy rereading the most is GURPS Y2K. It makes me laugh and cry every time. Others include:

Sorcerer (the rpg) and its 2 supplements- thought provoking is the best way I can describe them. Revolves around what is a person willing to do to gain power.

The Collectors: The Burning House- a Fudge based game that is almost thought provoking as Sorcerer. The PCs are demons collecting sold souls (killing is really not something desired as it loses souls that could have been bought). The sheer terror (fear of failure and being returned) and cool magic that the demons have really make the game special.

AEG's Wilds, FFG's Wildscape, Bastion's Into series and (ironically) Malhovic's When the Sky Falls- all are interesting and you can glean new adventure ideas from rereading them.

Aria (both books)- if you have read this and not gotten a nose bleed, you know this is an awesome mess with tons of cool stuff.

The only monster books I can really suggest for this thread are those that are only templates; such as Advanced Bestiary.

There are a ton of pdfs I want to suggest, but I have no idea if you buy pdfs and have them bound.