Favorite Books

[PenTurner]

Someone on the Movies thread mentioned starting a favorite books thread, so here it is

I really enjoyed the book "Unintended Consequences" by John Ross. It is out of print and kind of expensive to purchase a used copy. There are pdf copies floating around out on the web. Well worth the read if you can find it.

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[DuneHopper]

Good idea for a thread, I read allot of history and military tech, Firearms and survival manuals.
I don't have favorite book authors, but book types. Just published a how to book a few months ago, and have two more on
the way in the next month proofing takes time.

I do like a good military, and spy novels as well as Luis Lamore westerns.

 

[Geardo]

Just read enemies foreign and domestic and did a little Book report for y'all I really liked it! Top 10 for sure.

My other favoritves were Dune, Enders Game, and By Force of Arms.

Another one I just read that changed up my whole world view was Wild at heart, which is a book discussing the demonizing of masculinity in the church and modern society.

 

[Cerberus Group]

Just read enemies foreign and domestic and did a little Book report for y'all I really liked it! Top 10 for sure.

My other favoritves were Dune, Enders Game, and By Force of Arms.

Another one I just read that changed up my whole world view was Wild at heart, which is a book discussing the demonizing of masculinity in the church and modern society.

John Eldredge writes some good stuff, get the field guide as well, helps with further in depth on the matter.

 

[Geardo]

John Eldredge writes some good stuff, get the field guide as well, helps with further in depth on the matter.

Already got it! Started working through it, but a little dry on my own. Kept it for later study with a group.

 

[mtwarych]

On of my absolute favorite is "The Talisman" by Staub/King.

It is a well written story and easy to imagine in your mind.

 

[RicInOR]

Highly regarded, and in my queue, are the "Master and Commander" series

Yes, Mel Gibson made the movie.

Master and Commander: 20 Volume Set
by
Patrick O'Brian

Actually volume 1, Master and Commander, is the least compelling. While all the books are about the 19th century British Royal Navy and its various battles, Master and Commander puts them at the center of the story, rather than Jack and Stephen, the main (and incredibly compelling) characters.

If you can make it through the first 3/4 of the first book Master and Commander to the 1st tall ship battle, you will read all 20 books. Spectacular details on tall ships, international Napoleonic war, early medicine, food and spies. You will definitely start drinking port and saying things like "Sir, the bottle stands before you" to get someone pouring their glass and passing it on.

"The best historical fiction ever written." - Maggie's Farm

 

[Carbon]

The works of Patrick F McManus,
Meditations by Marcus Aurelius,
Conversations with pioneer men by Fred Lockley.

 

[Siglvr]

Wow, some of my favs have already been mentioned. Here's a few.

Shelby Foote - the 3 book Civil War series - the link is to the $70 softcover set, I found the hardcover set for dirt cheap. Gave my set to a HS history teacher who had moved up from Virginia: https://smile.amazon.com/Civil-War-...ds=Shelby+Foote+-+the+3+book+Civil+War+series

John Toland - The Rising Sun Get the 2 volume hardcover set. Amazing books, telling WW2 from the Japanese viewpoint. https://smile.amazon.com/Rising-Sun...t_hardcover?_encoding=UTF8&me=&qid=1543613502

The Matthew Bracken book "enemies foreign and domestic" is excellent and can be bought from him directly (recommended as he'll sign your book and get a few extra bucks, but I can't find that link): https://smile.amazon.com/Enemies-Fo...&sr=1-1&keywords=enemies+foreign+and+domestic

Daniel Yergins - "The Prize: The Epic Quest for Oil, Money and Power -so good it won the pulitzer prize.

and if you like that also get "Titan", the John D Rockerfeller Sr. bio, excellent.


Also, I'll warn you on O'Brians Aubrey-Maturin series noted above (Master and Commander is the 4th book in that series). If you buy the full set (and you should), the first few pages turn slow and then wham, don't have a lot of extra things planned in your life that don't have time to read those things, cause they're addictive. This 5 volume set has all 21 books. https://smile.amazon.com/Complete-Aubrey-Maturin-Novels-volumes/dp/039306011X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1543614174&sr=1-1&keywords=patrick+o'brien


Horatio Hornblower would be the next group if you like that kind of book (I do, great stuff), The naval actions of some of these novels are closely based on the exploits of a real person: Thomas Cochrane (1775–1860), 10th Earl of Dundonald, a notoriously fiery naval captain and later admiral. Lloyds work captures the complexities of the man very well. https://smile.amazon.com/Lord-Cochrane-Seaman-Radical-Liberator/dp/080505569X/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1543614529&sr=1-1-fkmr0&keywords=Thomas+Cochrane+(1775–1860),+10th+Earl+of+Dundonald,+a+notoriously+fiery+naval+captain+and+later+admiral

You guys have named a bunch of solid choices. That whole "Enders Game" series is world class excellent. The 2nd book is even more powerful than the first. Dune is also a great series. Issac Asimovs Foundation Trilogy is a slow starter that you can't put down once you get hooked. All 5 books I read in the Trilogy are superb, there are 7 in the "trilogy" now .

 

[Lilhigbee]

You want me to pick one favorite??

Authors- John Steinbeck, Mark Twain, John Grisham, Patrick McManus, Louis L'Amour, Leon Uris, Stephen Ambrose, O. Henry, Laurie King, James Michener.

Genre- US history, Civil War, WWI, WWII, biography, historical fiction, short stories, comedy.

It's funny, but I like Louis L'Amour, but not westerns in general. I like Stephen King (his older stuff) but not the horror genre.

Recently read "The Forgotten Man" from an NWFA recommendation, "All Quiet On the Yamhill, The Civil War In Oregon", "In a Sunburned Land", "The Atlantic Wall", "Hiroshima 1945".

As to favorites, how about "Atlas Shrugged", "The Source", "Shane", Mark Twain's Short Stories, "Tortilla Flat", "Cannery Row", "Travels With Charley", "The Beekeeper's Apprentice", "The Illustrated Man", "I am Legend", "The Little Bastards", "Diary Of A Racer's Wife".

 

[PenTurner]

I also like the Jack Reacher books by Lee Child. I like to do a google search of the authors, and find the wiki page. I like to read the books in order

Ron

 

[clearconscience]

I read a lot of books about the iraq and Astan wars. Some good ones.

Not a good day to die, the true story of operation anaconda

The interrogators

Lone Survivor

Killer elite

Hunting the Jackal

 

[cigars]

My favorite book as a child was Johnny Tremain. Still one of my lifetime favorites. My favorite movies are Breaker Morant and World's Fastest Indian.
I also like long walks on the beach, silly sweaters and brown paper packages tied up with string.
Oh, don't forget the cigars and scotch.

 

[WoodsPlinker]

I guess the book the law by bastiat, or maybe American sniper by Chris Kyle ... One changed my life the other made me love guns more.... Much like my current book.

 

[Stomper]

The "There will be war" anthologies, Lucifer's Hammer, etc. by J.E. Pournelle.

I also like all the "Dune" series by Frank Herbert, and the ones later completed by his son.

"Starship Troopers", by R. Heinlein

"The Hobbit", "Lord if the Rings", by J.R.R. Tolkien


All (most anyway) of the "Star Wars" novels, by various authors over the years. Timothy Zahn (lives near Coos Bay, met him several times) among the best of them.

 

[Andy54Hawken]

Hands down favorite author : J.R.R. Tolkien.
Other favorites in no particular order :
Robert A. Heinlein...
Robert E. Howard...
Ray Bradbury...
Douglas C. Jones...
Edgar Rice Burroughs...
Neil Gaiman...

Favorite Books :
( Not counting the works of the above authors , or we'd be here forever... )
Life in the Far West ... By George Ruxton
The Longrifle ... By Stewart Edward White
The Big Sky , The Way West , Fair Land , Fair Land ... A.B. Guthrie JR
Wolf Song ... Harvey Fergusson
Lord Grizzly ... Frederick Manfred
The Once and Future King ... By T.H. White
Eagle in the Snow ...Wallace Breem
The Eagle has Landed ... Jack Higgins
Fields of Fire ... James Webb
Gates of Fire ... Steven Pressfield
Once an Eagle ... Anton Meyer
The Company ... Robert Littell
Rhinegold ... Stephan Grundy
The Jungle Books ... Rudyard Kipling
The Bounty Trilogy ... Charles Nordhoff and James Norman Hall
Moby Dick ... Herman Melville
The Call of the Wild , White Fang , The Sea Wolf ... Jack London
1984 , Animal Farm ... George Orwell
Treasure Island ... Robert Louis Stevenson
Battlefield Earth , Final Blackout ... L.Ron Hubbard ( Before he got too weird )

Well it seems like we were here forever...Good thing I didn't start on the Non Fiction list...
Happy reading to all.
Andy

 

[No_Regerts]

Point of Impact and Dirty White Boys by Stephen Hunter

Tattoo by Earl Thompson

Naked Lunch by William S. Burroughs

Long Range Patrol, Night Work, Take Back the Night by Dennis Foley

The Expendables by Leonard B. Scott

Red Dragon and Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris

Hunt for Red October, Patriot Games, Clear and Present Danger by Tom Clancy

The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty

Make it Accurate by Craig Boddington

Hunter's Guide to Accurate Shooting and Hunter's Guide to Long Range Shooting by Wayne Van Zwoll

Effective Handgun Defense by Frank James

Combat Handgunner and Deadly Force by Massad Ayoob

One Shot One Kill by Charles Sasser and Craig Roberts

Meat Eater by Stephen Rinella

 

[NW Backpacker]

Anything by Nelson DeMille, with one favorite being The Charm School:
https://www.amazon.com/Charm-School...d=1543737739&sr=8-1&keywords=the+charm+school

Patrick McManus short stories.

 

[notazombie]

1984

 

[308]

Since I switched from visually reading I've been listening to books on Audible. There are about 20 others not shown here but I've been through most all of these in the last year.

If anyone is interested, The 'Audio Bible' narrated by David Suchet is the absolute BEST version I have ever heard. His voice is spot on and emphasizes everything at the right time. I've been through the whole thing going on 4x this year by listening while driving and working.

I do wish Unintended Concequences was on Audible, but it's not. Probably the closest and best to that book is Matt Bracken's Enemies Foreign & Domestic series.