What is the best book you've ever read, and why?

1. 84

   rebekahELLEposted 12 years ago

   What is the best book you've ever read, and why?
   
   We all have favorite books for various reasons.  What is it about your favorite book that makes it your favorite?  Did it inspire change in your life?
   
   

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2. 74

   miss_jkimposted 12 years ago

   When asked, “What is the best book you have ever read?” I couldn’t pick just one book in particular, as I love to read. But, as I thought about it, I realized there is one book that has touched and molded my life above any other. read more

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3. 0

   msorenssonposted 12 years ago

   Too many and in different genre, so I cannot compare..

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4. 60

   rlahaposted 12 years ago

   Hi.
     I have way too many books that I consider my favorites.  I guess I just love to read a lot.  I can't really name any because there are too many.  Thanks for asking the question.

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5. 61

   preacher2003posted 12 years ago

   The Expositors Study Bible
   
   LINK
   
   http://www.harvestgathering.org/What_Bi … I_Use.html

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6. 60

   MargaretC0923posted 12 years ago

   Jitterbug Purfume by Tom Robbins. It's fun, intelligent, and a great read by a great author!

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7. 78

   teaches12345posted 12 years ago

   I have read many good books and will mention a few here.  Mary Poppins and Alice In Wonderland for the creative writing and imagination it stimulated. I read all the Cherry Ames and Nancy Barton series which both had great plots filled with suspense and action. I have read the Bible many, many times. Also, I truly enjoyed the book Watership Downs about a rabbit and his adventures.  Did they inspire my life? I think they helped me to think creatively and think beyond what is and to dream about what could be.

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8. 61

   dkm27posted 12 years ago

   I too have so many to list.  The Road by Cormac McCarthy took my breath away.  I had to take breaks just to gather myself. Snowflower and the Secret Fan, The Help, Kissing the Rain, The Burn Journals, Fat Kid Rules the World and more.  Most of Stephen King's works are favorites:  The Stand, Misery, Different Seasons, Full Dark, No Stars and more.

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9. 89

   Patkayposted 12 years ago

   If you can get this novel it is a rib cracker but sadly enough it depicts harsh reality of life in parts of some African countries - The Cockroach Dance by Meja Mwangi

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10. 82

    Aya Katzposted 12 years ago

    I have a list of the top ten in the English language:
    
    http://aya-katz.hubpages.com/hub/My-Top … h-Language

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11. 67

    Terri Meredithposted 12 years ago

    I've read perhaps thousands of books and in many genres.  I love history, so Gone With The Wind is one of my top choices.  It's very different from the movie that was so glamorized.  The book presents a more realistic look at life before, during, and after the war.  Journey of Souls served to underscore certain personal beliefs, and the book, Don't Call them Ghosts, both broke my heart and gave me hope at the same time.

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12. 86

    ShyeAnneposted 12 years ago

    The Velveteen Rabbit.  It inspires me to realise tht any being, given true love, becomes  real, even a ragged worn out stuffed rabbit. A truly inspirational book.

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13. 59

    smzclarkposted 12 years ago

    'Random Acts of Heroic Love' by Danny Scheinmann. It is a book written by a MAN who clearly understands the meaning of true love in many forms. It brought back a bit of faith in men that was lost at the time of reading it.

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14. 85

    Thrifty Ladyposted 12 years ago

    Atlas Shrugged and the Fountainhead are my favorites.  Some of the ideas are a little "out there", but they really make you think about ideals and humanity.

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15. 66

    yoginijoyposted 12 years ago

    One of my favorites is The Inhabited Woman by Gioconda Belli. It is about the life changing decisions of one woman while her country is simultaneously redefining itself during a revolution. Belli is Nicaraguan and was a fighter for the Sandinistas back in the late 1970s. Excellent writing. The original is La mujer habitada.

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16. 80

    Brett Winnposted 12 years ago

    I'm with those who have too many favorites. I read a in a wide variety of genres and like different things for different reasons. While they aren't of huge literary merit, I find myself rereading certain books every few years ... The Narnia Chronicles by C. S. Lewis,  The Last of the Breed by Louis L'amour, September by Rosamunde Pilcher, The Snow Goose by Paul Gallico. Books are like old friends and I go back and visit the ones I dearly love.

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17. 0

    Larry Wallposted 12 years ago

    In my personal opinion To Kill a Mockingbird is probably the best book of the 20th century. I know that is a rather bold statement, but the story is outstanding and the characters are real. Perhaps being a native of the southern U.S. and knowing how conditions use to be makes me appreciate the book even more.
    
    The No. 2 book and every student should know this is The Old Man and The Sea. It is a good story and an easy but advance read. Thus, I was able to write book reports in the 7th, 10th and 12th grades of High School as well as my sophomore year in college. I re-read it each time and each time I was able to write the report from a different perspective.

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    1. 84

       rebekahELLEposted 10 years agoin reply to this

       It is a book that should be read and reread.

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18. 74

    rtburroughs2posted 12 years ago

    A study in scarlet, because it introduced Sherlock Holmes.

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19. 57

    wim99posted 12 years ago

    Personally, I like " Don Quixote" by Miguel De Cervantes, because it touchs the heart of compassion, in a friendship that goes the distance.

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20. 80

    petenaliposted 12 years ago

    The Wooden Horse by Eric Williams.  I read it as young man and was fascinated by the true story of POW's escaping from the Nazis.  This book could be the reason I have watched The Great Escape so many times...

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21. 69

    lilia3posted 12 years ago

    "The Little Prince" by Antoine de Saint-Exupery.  A "story for children" which is philosophical and deeply moving, poignant and self-critical.  It inspired me to read it in 5 different languages - including the original French.

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22. 61

    ytsenohposted 12 years ago

    "Love in the Time of Cholera" by Gabriel Marquez is my favorite book because I love his writing style and his method for telling a great story.  It inspired me to keep reaching for books with great use of language and imaginative, creative writing.  I love it when words pop on a page with excellence.  Good question.

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    1. 53

       David Trujilloposted 10 years agoin reply to this

       100 Years of loneliness is my best recommendation for Gabriel Garcia Marques. But I read Love in the Time of Cholera very much. Read it in 1 day. Great twist at the end.

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23. 59

    inevitablesecretsposted 12 years ago

    Ooh, that's a hard one because I've read so many but right now I seem to be on some sort of evangelical mission to get people to read "The Fault in Our Stars" by John Green

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24. 59

    Julie Jensenposted 12 years ago

    Although other books may be of much higher literary merit, I loved "Forrest Gump". While the movie was more of a drama, the book was all comedy. You might not want to read it on a plane, however, as it literally had me laughing out loud!!

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25. 60

    Nights Dreamposted 12 years ago

    All the weyrs of Pern by Anne McCaffery. Overall, it was one of the best written books I have ever read. It combines several elements perfectly. The end did bring a tear to my eye.

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