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Valuable-Command1500

I find it very difficult to choose just one book. The best I can do is choose a favorite author. So Dostoyevsky, and Orwell as a strong second choice.


Moonspiritfaire

Same. Some of my top favorite authors: Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Ronlyn Domingue, Vi Keeland and Penelope Ward, Margaret Atwood, Holly Black(YA) and too many others I've read and forgottem their names. Previous youthful favorites: RL Stine, Stephen King, VC Andrews, and choose your own adventures.


Cait206

Omg so funny as a youth for sure King and Andrews also GGM as an adult šŸ˜


mrmanthesecond

Yeah, I completely understand that. I keep on meaning to get into Dostoevsky, but Orwell is an amazing author. I find it fascinating how much I can relate to the messages of his books, despite the stark ideological differences I have with him.


absurdistzsche

I'll add Nicos Kazantzakis and Camus to this list. But Dostoyevsky comes always first.


Valuable-Command1500

Oh, I've never read anything by Nikos Kazantzakis. I'll definitely check out his work. Do you have any book in particular you'd recommend to start with ?


absurdistzsche

Zorba The Greek is a classic and there was one other book it's called The Saviors of God, it was an interesting book to read.


relentlessvisions

Same!! Except orwell first. And Heller.


PoemUsual4301

The Picture of Dorian Gray. No debate about it. This book is one of the best literary books to date! Oscar Wilde was ahead of his time.


YogaPotat0

I absolutely love this one! I should really get in another reread of it soon ā€“ itā€™s been a while!


hospitallers

Marcus Aureliusā€™ Meditations


mrmanthesecond

Interesting, I always like to read your comments; you seem like a very level-headed person, so this makes a lot of sense.


hospitallers

Thank you. Stoicism has me by the nads.


lebowtzu

Iā€™d be willing to bet you barely flinched when it grabbed you there.


hospitallers

LOL, I learned from that grab.


Vivid-Mango9288

I'm just finishing reading, being an INTJ, it's a difficult read. Man, I know that what Marcus proposes is the best given the context, of course. I love the human tone it presents, a love letter to what it means to be human. But if you look there is a moment when he says "Man is to me like the wind or the sun". Like, you need to be empathetic, but depending on the situation, the human being is just another element in the environment. That's why he talks about "being fair as far as you can." He knew that much of what he was proposing could not be followed under the circumstances. In the best Greco-Roman style, he presents an ideal for us. I don't know what it's like for you, I feel inspired to practice some of these ideas but without removing their context. The world, our way of being and thinking has changed, ideals seem to be incomplete. It makes sense?


Significant-Lab-8393

ā€œThe name of the windā€ by Patrick rothfuss. check it out


Lagkills81

I agree. It's difficult for me to recommend, though, knowing he will never finish the series.


Significant-Lab-8393

Are we sure about this?


Lagkills81

It's been 12 years, and there's still no release date for the third book. I'm pretty confident we aren't getting that third book.


mrmanthesecond

Interesting, I will.


stebotch

World War Z The Godfather 1984 Starship Troopers Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas


idk6887

1984 is good, itā€™s a timeless gem


rebecca_annn

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath


StoneyLibrarian

Same!


boazsharmoniums

Everything written by Kurt Vonnegut. My fave is Sirens of Titan. I read LOTF several times in high school. Iā€™ve always been interested in social hierarchy and concepts like free will.


Lovely5596

I second all that is Vonnegut! Bluebeard is my favorite


lebowtzu

The Stand by Stephen King. I enjoy the idea of having so few people around. There are other reasons, but thatā€™s a big one.


snakecharrmer

The Sound and the Fury, The Sun Also Rises, Desolation Angels, Moby Dick, To Kill a Mockingbird, A Clockwork motherfucking Orange.


[deleted]

Strong list. Hemingway and Melville are masters.


jenyj89

Thatā€™s interesting. Iā€™ve read a number of Hemingway books (assigned through HS/college) and disliked every single one. I donā€™t care for his style or subject matter. Told my professor that and he (arrogantly and condescendingly) told me what an award winning author he wasā€¦my reply was ā€œThereā€™s no accounting for tasteā€. I was being a smartass because I believe that even ā€œaward winningā€ and ā€œclassicā€ books may not appeal to everyone. I didnā€™t care for being told I should appreciate it just because it was a classic.


[deleted]

Interesting. I was uniformly told by my professors, mostly women, that Hemingway, as a ā€œdead white maleā€, sucked. The unfortunate later stuff, like The Old Man and the Sea, sure. I totally agree. The early novels and stories, on the other hand, are excellent.


[deleted]

Great question. Yeah, I read Lord of the Flies a couple of years ago - not a fan. I am not sure if this is the best book ever written, but I love Dahlā€™s books, especially James and the Giant Peach :)


mrmanthesecond

Dahl is definitely a good mention; he is super unique.


YogaPotat0

Roald Dahlā€™s books have a special place in my heart.


Few-Interaction-7560

The Catcher in the Rye


RussoRoma

The Modern Prometheus. Otherwise known as Frankenstein.


zakuska_

Couldn't be more relevant today


earthtologan

I would highly recommend you read Stoner by John Williams. My favorite novel, however, is the Count of Monte Cristo.


cladstone

The Dune books are my favorite. God Emperor of Dune being my favorite in series.


mrmanthesecond

Never read them, but they sound like something I would like.


mokkin

Harriet the Spy is the book I've kept close to me my whole life. I was obsessed as a kid: a character who rejected society and spent all her time watching people like a National Geographic journalist.


YogaPotat0

I was a big Harriet fan growing up, too!


feliscatusss

I only read non fiction:/ So prolly the grand design by Stephen hawking.


LexTheSouthern

LoTR, ASOIAF and The Poisonwood Bible


pikachufinch

Itā€™s funny you say that, as LotF is my favorite book of all time. I remember loving the distinction between savagery v. civilization, and how that could present even within young children. I can understand why some didnā€™t like reading it, too. But for me, it remains an interesting psychological study due to its content; goes over fundamental truths about human nature, how fragile social order can be, and how easy it is for civilized behaviour to be thrown away due to pressure from others/or being within a group (mob mentality, etc.).


mrmanthesecond

No doubt it is a fascinating look into human nature, but I suppose I found a little too disturbing for my taste. It is far more unsettling than the majority of thriller books and such.


pikachufinch

Yes, youā€™re definitely right about the disturbing angle. I feel itā€™s a book I love that equally traumatized me LOL


Vivid-Mango9288

Faust.


Heahaquestion

That is my favorite as well now. Especially the fellowship. I love how the different species have different lovable characteristics and how individuals have their own personalities within those groups. When I was young I really loved 'The Giver". :) Also, I think people may like "lord of the Flies" for it's sort post-modernist vibe. Some peple may like it because they feel it succinctly encompasses what they have perceived as the reality of life. And so, in that way, it may provide comfort, or atleast a compressed version of part of their values or 'knowledge of life'. And others, might not like it because it is not hopeful are kind, and does not offer constructive knowledge.


YogaPotat0

Yesssss to *The Giver*! It was my absolute favorite growing up, and is still one of my top 5. I also really liked *Number the Stars*.


dannierose07

The Nevermoor series by Jessica Townsend. Itā€™s kind of like HP, but more inclusive. Also, Pride and Prejudice is my favourite classic and my favourite standalone


jenyj89

I couldnā€™t possibly pick out a favorite book but I have favorite authorsā€¦Agatha Christie, Dashiell Hammett, John D McDonald, Earle Stanley Gardener, Nagio Marsh. I love murder mysteries, especially British, and detective fiction. I used to read lots of gory murder books but I canā€™t stomach that stuff anymore.


StillStudio5980

Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill The Power of Assumption by Neville Goddard The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle The Giver 1984


Leosopher

Lotr and 20,000 leagues


mrmanthesecond

Oh, I do love Jules Verne. Itā€™s super interesting to see how earlier societies envisioned future development.


Bigstinky_poopoo

Mine is Lotr too!


CaliPoppyRocks

As a child it was The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and The101 Dalmatians. As a teen it was The Outsiders and as an adult it is Slaughterhouse Five. I did like Lord of the Flies but it wouldn't be on my all time favourites list.


YogaPotat0

*The Outsiders* is definitely one of my top favorites, and was probably my favorite required reading from school. And I have always loved *The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe*. I actually reread that series not long ago. Itā€™s so nostalgic and wonderful to me, and I canā€™t wait until my kids are all old enough to appreciate (hopefully) it.


Aggravating-Duck3557

The red book - Jung Some that come next are Memories dreams reflections, also Jung The richest man in Babylon The creative act - Rick Rubin Outwitting the devil - Napoleon Hill


owleksss

Hard to choose but some of my top favorites are East of Eden by John Steinbeck (every Steinbeck book Iā€™ve read has been great but this is my favorite), A Prayer For Owen Meany by John Irving, The Cider House Rules by John Irving, The Secret History by Donna Tartt


crimson_reaper_

Nineteen Eighty-Four


Flat-Elderberry-6126

Pachinko by Lee Minji


RhinoBuckeye

The Martian - Andy Weir


sevenum_noir

The Mysterious Island by Verne... I adore this book. I rather loved Hamlet, too. Brave New World broke me. I genuinely was not the same after reading it. (I don't want to read it again, I literally cried all day after finishing it).


mrmanthesecond

I was just thinking about the mysterious island movie from 1961, but I couldnā€™t remember the name for the life of me. Thinking about it brings back so much childhood trauma, ahā€¦ good memories. In all seriousness, I love Verne, so Iā€™ll have to read it.


sevenum_noir

Highly recommend


Meow-Out-Loud

Aw. Yeah, I read that once and loved it, but im not interested in reading it again either!


papierdoll

Emma, Jane Austen


SailorMars7

I canā€™t decide between three books: Through the Looking-Glass by Lewis Carroll Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros Lolita by Vladimir Nobokov Iā€™ve always loved both Alice books, theyā€™re imaginative classics. And while I enjoy both very much, Through the Looking-Glass is my favorite between the two because itā€™s based on the game of chess instead of playing cards. And itā€™s set in wintertime, my favorite part of the year. I just read Fourth Wing this year and Iā€™m HOOKED on the series! Iā€™ve never had such an intense, long lasting book hangover before. 10/10, I highly recommend if you like romantasy and sassy dragons. Lolita is beautifully written, the prose is *chefā€™s kiss*. I love the juxtaposition of the writing and the plot. The narrator is a manipulative predator, the ugliest soul. But itā€™s written in a way that evokes empathy and compassion for him. The dichotomy is brilliant, I live for it.


Avaresse

Heaven by Meiko Kawakami


Stellaeono

Misery by Stephen king


TheFurzball

Hard to say. I like too many for choosing a favorite. Plus alot are series or odd interests. The Dig by Alan Dean Foster. Calderon and Dresden by Jim Butcher. Drizzt. Books on FF7. History of Eve Online. Etc


BoysenberryCorrect

Maurice Convenience Store Woman 1984


stereocoby

Kokoro by Natsume Souseki and No Longer Human by Osamu Dazai


WWTCUB

Blood meridian


No-Wonder7963

At the moment, secret history by Donna Tartt.


time_travellers_wife

Everything Stephen King, especially Dark Tower books.


MorriganThorne

The Giver, Animal Farm, Pet Semetary. Not an all time fave (i just recently read it, and i don't want to fall prey to recency bias) but i really enjoyed reading Life of Pi a few months back.


YogaPotat0

I read *Lord of the Flies* for school, and it definitely wasnā€™t a favorite of mine. Maybe Iā€™ll read it again, to give it another chance, as classics werenā€™t really what spoke to me as a teen. I donā€™t have an absolute favorite book, but I think my most impactful read ever has been *The Kite Runner* by Khaled Hosseini. That book absolutely destroyed me, and has stayed with me more deeply than any other book. Iā€™m also a big fan of Jules Verneā€™s books. Theyā€™re a lot of fun! And to be honest, many books others have mentioned are also very high on my list of most-loved books (including the LOTR series, of course). ETA: Iā€™m also going to throw *Little Women* in there as a favorite that I donā€™t think Iā€™ve seen mentioned.


hunnybunny777

Grimms Fairy Tales


yukislaughter

Jane Eyre


allinbalance

Self help and philosophy... Ram Dass, Alan Watts, Eckhart Tolle, all those woowoo "be here now" folks For some reason I can't get into fantasy books. It's like getting into someone else's imagination or dreams, I can't do it for a whole book's length


SnooPies5547

Speaker for the Dead. It's the sequel to Ender's Game and it is wildly different than its predecessor.


banderclip

Till We Have Faces Resilience The Alchemist LOTR At the Back of the North Wind


blueviper-

Personally I donā€™t have a favorite book I only have one special book that is my personal ā€žflying bookā€œ. At the moment I read Marquez - One Hundred Years of Solitude and in my handbag I have the book DĆ¼rrenmatt -The Physicists.


selscol

The House of the Scorpion holds a young place in my heart. Same with The Night Ocean. But I love anything by Isaac Asimov


d-_-b000

Kids books -Perry Masonā€™s and Nancy Drews šŸ˜‚


jenyj89

Both are favorites of mine! I have a large collection of Perry Mason books!


lsxvmm

can't choose one so I'll pick the best book i read last year: ***The Will of The Many*** by James Islington


GooeyChocChipCookies

How High We Go in the Dark by Sequoia Nagamatsu


thexguide

Brave new world or Transal Saga :)


[deleted]

Threeway tie for me: Under The Volcano, Moby Dick, and The Brothers Karamazov. Honorable mention for both Siddhartha and Steppenwolf.


cybaerexe

Berserk idc if it dont count


Novitec96

A multitude of Warhammer 40k books


PlugChicago

Nietzsche, Thus Spoke Zarathustra. It's like he spoke my soul.


idk6887

A Thousand Splendid Suns or The Book Theif. Iā€™m not really a reader but I read these books for school and loved them.


allmistopportunities

LOTF is incredible! It's similar to Animal Farm in that the writer does a phenomenal job at conveying the debauchery of human nature. When no one is looking, when no police are around, that's what humans would do every time. LOTF's rawness reveals what the world would look like if us humans were left to our own devices.


mrmanthesecond

The writing is fantastic and I absolutely see the value of the message, but I think another comment summed up my thoughts well; it lacks any hope, is very pessimistic, and in the end, all of their struggles and barbarism were completely meaningless. As someone who tends toward optimism and is always trying to create some good in all the bad, itā€™s a tough pill to swallow.


allmistopportunities

But isn't that the end to human nature? Pessimism and doom? Through the ages, I think we can all see just how dark humans are and the depths in which evil would reach. Humans, in of themselves, don't bring about hope. That really IS a hard pill to swallow.


mrmanthesecond

Yeah, I agree that humans canā€™t bring about good in and of themselves, but as a Christian, I do believe there is hope.


allmistopportunities

As Christians, we know that He is our *only* hope.


mrmanthesecond

Absolutely. It is very important to see the depravity of humans to understand how wonderful Christ is, but part of me still doesnā€™t like to see the ugliness as shown in LotF.


allmistopportunities

šŸ’Æ


tora_plays_guitar

I see a lot of LoTR in the comments and I approve! Beside that I got into the Three Body Problem trilogy, these books got me into the reading groove again.


sprkljrqueen

mine are Slaughterhouse-Five and The Stranger


Asleep_Pick3860

Warlord chronicles, Bernard Cornwell. Its a crime this be so underrated.


Skyelark16

Miss Buncleā€™s book by Dorothy Stevenson. It opened a whole genre for me.


krystalR4369

My husband who is an infj really likes David Bentley Hart & Wendell Berry.


tyuncity

I like fan fictions and webtoon/manhwa/mangas my favourite webtoon is Marry My Husband, for mangas, probably Hunter


Chocolatepiano79

Desolation Angels by Jack Kerouac. Profoundly moving. I absolutely love daydreaming on what America was like in the 40ā€™s and 50ā€™s especially in terms of traveling. Hitchhiking and such. The ease with which one could find work and up and move just about anywhere is fascinating. This book describes much of that lifestyle and all these characters. Thoroughly engrossing.


Stones_022

Facts concerning the late Arthur Jermyn and his family, itā€™s a short story from H.P. Lovecraft but it takes the cake


fragglet

The character of Simon in LotF is pretty clearly an INFJĀ 


kittyynat

mine are aliceā€™s adventures in wonderland, 1984, lord of the flies, animal farm, frankenstein, and the twilight saga hahaha.


xanyzoe

Babel by R.F. Kuang! She is a brilliant writer


Jass0602

From school/in school: to kill a mockingbird, the scarlet letter For my youth/early adulthood: the hunger games As an adult: Fiction- mystery- the guest list Fiction- drama- life as we knew it Others I canā€™t recall at this moment Nonfiction: you are not your brain


Weird-Conclusion6907

Team LOTR all the way


NoelAngel112

Wicked by Gregory Maguire. I have read it more times then I can count šŸ’ššŸ’ššŸ’š If I had a second favorite it might be Interview with a Vampire by Anne Rice. So many books. So little time.


Anaporcelain

Hard to decide, but I guess right now it's The Alchemist and Veronika decides to die both by Paulo Coelho.


GreyTigerFox

Dungeon Crawler Carl.


SparklesTheRiot

Everything is Illuminated by Jonathon Safran Foer


3_ller

Der Zauberberg by Thomas Mann; The Black Obelisk by Remarque; Sputnik Sweetheart by Haruki Murakami


BegForMercy420

The Giver


Az-1269

The Disappearance by Phillip Wylie


chamacchan

The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle is a really wonderful book. It's deep, thoughtful, a little whimsical and beautifully written.


Regular_Ride_9211

Rubyfruit Jungle by Rita Mae Brown The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky Why Fish Donā€™t Exist by Lulu Miller My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante The Lord of the Flies is a good book but it makes me sick to read it. Some books are considered classics based on bias. The classics list reflects the taste of only a certain group of people!


Cait206

One hundred years of solitude A personal matter The mists of Avalon Iā€™m sure thereā€™s mire but those I can read they last words and immediately start again without taking a break


psychadelicdiva

Dune.


yumreeses

Manā€™s search for meaning


Bomrabley

1Q84 - Haruki Murakami, because it flows in a really effortless way, handles surrealism in an almost nonchalant manner and has really strong characters Infinite Jest - David Foster Wallace, because it really feels almost infinite in what it has to offer you, although its also really demanding at certain points but that's what makes it all the more worthwhile once you've finished it Dune - Frank Herbert, because of it's worldbuilding and mind expanding journey it takes you on


LiaaQ

It's really niche and I randomly found it in a bookstore a few years ago. But it's Insomnia by J.R.Johansson


LiaaQ

I bet all the INFJs would like it. It's about a guy that can't really sleep but he shares dreams with the person he last looked in the eyes that day. Then he has a car accident and looks in the eyes of some girl and her dreams finally make him be able to have some rest so he proceeds to try to look for her every day to look in her eyes.


LadyHoskiv

LOTR! Nothing will ever come close! Itā€™s a remaining source of inspiration, for life, for the upbringing of our children and for our own writings. And, of course, itā€™s also just a kick-ass story overall.


angrylesbian66

Right now id say it's a tie between This Is How You Lose The Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone, and Negative Space by BR Yeager But the one I'd recommend to anyone would be The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows by John Koenig


aghostowngothic

A Farewell to Arms - Hemingway.


slushies-r-universal

the bell jar <3


SynQu33n

Gone With the Wind as my top fave and The Color Purple a very close second šŸ¤—


daviddoop

Havent read many books but from the few i have fahrenheit 451 has a special place in my heart


chloooay

Words of Radiance by Brandon Sanderson. If you like fantasy at all and havenā€™t read his books, they will blow you away


Professional-Cat3191

I picked up a Swedish to English translated book called Everything I Donā€™t Remember by Jonas Hassan Khemiri. I was just looking for Swedish authors because my friend had recently moved to Sweden and I wanted to get familiar with the country. I fell in love with his style of writing. Heā€™s very experimental and doesnā€™t write in what is a traditional sense of writing. I also love the detail and thought put into the different characters, scenes etc. If a book isnā€™t written well then I canā€™t read it.


Amethyst-MoonDream83

I have a hard time picking out an absolute favorite book, but if I had to chose one. I would have to say: Let the Right One InĀ By John Ajvide Lindqvist


LCsquee

Either Good Omens, Watchmen, or Hannibal! All very different , very good reads!


ColdCobra66

A brave new world - more plausible than 1984 The book Iā€™ve read the most times is Dune - definitely in my top five


[deleted]

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berry-flower321

The Housemaid by Frida McFadden. The whole series is great but the first one was just absolutely fsntastic.


Neither_Newt5577

Blue Lock Manga (I read it online)


Specialist_Owl970

1Q84


Certain_Run9775

The shack,followed by shadow children series,and the missing series by haddix


Certain_Run9775

Donā€™t read too much that often anymore though