Weekly Short Stories Contest and Company! discussion

This is just one that has my curiosity. We all have sometimes shared interests but I want us to delve more than that.

We all love certain genres, subgenres, but specifically I want to know what titles make you tick and what books float your boat.

Not just that but this is a discussion. We can also go into what books we hate, what ones we've learned to dislike or whatever you want to get your thoughts out, right now.

Let's get to it! Oh yeah, and as moderator if we want and if members permit we can make fun of each other too (Ex. Guy, my tagline is partially for you, hehe! It's more of a funny thing though there is a deepness to the line that I cherish). I'm and my book choices mentioned here are free fodder just to let others know ;)

To help kick this thread off the ground (and hopefully not let it get kicked off of immediate discussions, hehe!) I will start.

I love almost anything in terms of genre. The most popular genres that don't focus on adult themes are what I love. That includes anything fiction. I love thrillers, fiction that happens to have a love story or drama, I love horror here and there lately.

The latest horror book I've read was Mike Dellosso and was called Scream. It was a fairly well-presented story with spiritual themes (the scary, "horror" part involved hell and the main character hoping his closest friends and even family could get rescued from it. But then horrifically he finds out he can do nothing and a number die off as because of patterns through strange phone calls happen again and again).

Then there is mystery and because of Agatha Christie I have fallen into it a lot! Now there is a character who has been more or less "born" from that and has been assisted into being in new stories and that has become Detective Edwin G. Mallard.

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But I could go on and on, what do any of you guys like????

M, Garrison, Angie, anyone want to talk about their favorites or just genres they like, books that have become well-cherished. Anyone?

The Mysterious Benedict Society. It's a great series overall, but the first really stands out to me. It's basically an adventure story. It's about 4 special kids that pass a series of tests run by a Mr. Benedict. Once they pass, it's revealed to them that they have to go to a special school for special kids to spy on this dude. This dude is sending messages secretly into people's brains to persuade them to do things without them knowing so. This dude is evil, and so they have to stop him.

As the series goes on, we get some pretty cool characters. You have the Ten Men. They're called that because they have ten different ways of hurting you (lasers, tie whips, watch tasers, razor sharp pencils, etc). They're basically dressed as businessmen. I really do like these characters because if you met them in real life, you wouldn't guess that they're evil. They're pleasant and charming, and it's difficult to tell them apart from regular businessmen. I really like the concept.

I'd get more into the trilogy, but I'm scared I might reveal some major spoilers. However, there are some spinoffs of the series. One spinoff goes into detail about Mr. Benedict's childhood. It's pretty interesting.

Overall, I recommend reading this series. It's a great and intriguing series with lots of twists and turns, and it's perfect for children as well as adults. Anyone can read this series, which is a plus. Just go read it, man.

I have been waiting for this thread for so long. I have way too many books for this.

Coraline is a great book. It's also been adapted into an animated movie, which is how I was introduced to it.

The movie itself has some problems, but it's still amazing. The visuals are great, and it sticks fairly close to the actual book. There's, like, one added character, but that's it. And they took out some of the extremely creepy stuff.

I wouldn't recommend young children reading Coraline. It's an extremely creepy story. This girl moves into a new home with her busy parents. After exploring, she finds a small door. It opens up at night, and she discovers her Other Parents. Everything is basically the same, but everyone has buttons for eyes and the Other Parents are a lot of fun. It's all fun and games until the Other Parents tell her that in order to stay in this fun world, they have to sew buttons into Coraline's eyes. Naturally, she's freaked out. Then things start getting creepy and freaky.

I won't get into too much detail, but it really creeped me out. A hand gets cut off, people vanish, creepy ghost children whose eyes Coraline must find, and all that weird stuff. It's written by Neil Gaiman, if that gives you any clue as to how creepy it is.

Neil Gaiman is one of my favorite authors overall, and Coraline is probably one of my favorite books of his. It's delightfully creepy. I seriously recommend this book, as it's one of the best I've read in a long time.

And Then There Were None is a pretty good story by Agatha Christie. It's a fantastic mystery. I seriously had no idea who the heck killed everyone off until I read that letter.

One of the best things about this mystery is that there were clues as to who the killer was, but they were so well hidden that you wouldn't guess who it was.

And at the end, the person you think did it never actually did it. It's a compelling mystery with so many twists and turns. I seriously recommend this story.

I've decided to give this thread a story that I hate.

Romeo and Juliet.

I have never hated a play more. It's extremely rushed, as it takes place in, like, five or six days. There is barely any character development, and the characters are pretty bland.

It's a tragedy, true to its name, but it's one that I just can't get invested in. It's not one of Shakespeare's best plays, to be sure, and I recommend The Taming of the Shrew. It's a great comedy. Hamlet's also pretty good. It's a great tragedy that I feel is better done than Romeo and Juliet.

If you start reading Romeo and Juliet, don't expect an amazing play. A lot of people give it a lot of hype that it doesn't deserve. Although it has some good things going for it, it is seriously overrated, often overshadowing plenty of Shakespeare's better plays.

Those are some great posts Gashbeen! I never heard of that trilogy before and I love the Coraline movie too. I would have read the book also but I have wanted to do less books for kids or teenagers and more stuff geared toward an audience around my age. I have read One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest for example. It is a powerful tale. I am surprised to find out the film is so well-adapted! It has maybe one flaw but other than that both are great and I would spoil the movie's surprise if I even introduce the book's introduction to the characters, both eventually focusing some on a strange, wild and colorful R. P. McMurphy.

I loved And Then There were None. It was my favorite mystery for a good year and a half!

And Romeo and Juliet I read for high school. I was a freshman so maybe it was a form of naivety or some other reason but I loved it. I think the core was what I liked, a seeming love story.

A year later I had a different teacher and we read Julius Caesar a true story revolutionized by Shakespeare. I don't know if the teacher wasn't into it or one could only do so much with it but I hated that one! Don't know if I would give it a re-read though.
Maybe...

Gashbeen, I really loved Coraline! I read it for the first time last year. I was not too into the movie and have not enjoyed other Gaiman tales, but that one was really interesting to me. I agree that it's rather creepy and not suitable for very small children.

My favorite novel of all time is The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson. It's the first novel in his Stormlight Archive series of high fantasy novels. He's my favorite author. (And fantasy is my favorite genre.)

Dean Koontz is my second favorite author and I've loved everything I've read of his. Some of my favorites are the Odd Thomas series and Life Expectancy (I literally laughed so hard I cried while reading this one!).

I read a fairly wide range of things, so I have many favorites and will likely share more. :)

I'm very fond of the fantasy works of Guy Gavriel Kay, and Jacqueline Carey and David Eddings.

I've read and enjoyed all of JD Robb's In Death series.

The historical novels of Georgette Heyer.

Agatha Christie for whodunnits.

Poetry: TS Eliot and John Betjeman

I could go on. I think they call it catholic tastes.

And my favourite Bill Shakespeare play is A Midsummer Night's Dream.

Midsummer Night's Dream, I only have heard of it. I have a strange memory of seeing familiar faces in a movie version of the story possibly early 2000's or maybe a year or so before that. It was strange how they advertised it. Almost teased it would star a bunch of naked people, lol!

I share a love of Brandon Sanderson, like Courtney, he's probably up there with some of my favourite authors, and I eagerly await his new books. The Way of Kings is a fantastic book, just wow.

I read just about anything that seems interesting but my favourite genres lie in more fantasy areas, I like things with elements of fairy tale and mythology. I have a lot of authors and books that I love, especially Australian fantasy authors such as Isobelle Carmody, Jennifer Fallon and Juliet Marillier.

I have a soft spot for books set in prehistoric settings.

I read most things, but the only genres I've never been able to really get into are thrillers and crime. I've tried, and I can read them and think they're alright, but they never stay with me, and for that reason I tend to avoid them.

Gashbeen wrote: "And Then There Were None is a pretty good story by Agatha Christie. It's a fantastic mystery. I seriously had no idea who the heck killed everyone off until I read that letter.

One of the best thi..."

This book is the next Christie on my list. I'm currently reading Murder Is Easy which is pretty good. I got into Christie because of my sister. Years ago I read one of her Terry Pratchett books and loved it, so I thought I'd try one of her other favourites. Now I'm hooked.

For children's authors, everyone should be forced to read something by Robin Jarvis. They are so dark for kids books. A few years ago I found out he had a new series called Dancing Jax, and boy were they some messed up sh*t, ranging from kidnapping to cannibalism.

Romance: I am a romantic nut with a strong passion for love and romance. I used to gobble books like Jane Eyre, David Copperfield etc. I also used to read quite a bit of Sidney Sheldon because I thought his passionate love moments were quite erotic ;-) I have backed off this genre a long time ago because writing about love seems to have become quite cheap.

Non-fiction: There were moments in my life where I was struggling with religion and morality and I began reading Nietzsche's books (Beyond Good and Evil, Thus Spoke Zarathustra) and Varieties of Religious Experience by William James. The best one I read among the non-fiction books was "The Blank Slate" by Steven Pinker. One of the things that every one believes is that we are all born as blank slates, but modern biology is strongly showing that it is not the case, but we as people are unwilling to believe and it has surprising implications in our life in terms of social and political tension. If anyone is interested, I would strongly urge you to read this book. Lately, I read Yuval Noah Harari's Sapien and I found this book tremendously intriguing. Harari goes through human history right from the stone ages up to the modern civilization and creates a narrative of who we are and his ideas (even if you don't find them acceptable) but still are quite brilliant.

Crime-Mystery-Detective: I found Sherlock Holmes and Poirot quite early and got completely engrossed with mystery. I think I have read most of the books on Holmes and Poirot with my favourites being Red Headed League and Murder on the Orient Express. Once I was through Sherlock and Poirot, I began looking elsewhere for more crime and mystery, it was disappointing, the entire genre is muddled with womanizing detectives with personal problems (I like James Bond, but only in movies not in books). The mystery itself has gone down several notches. Lately I found Keigo Higashino's "Devotion of Suspect X". This man writes brilliant mystery novels and I am not scared to say that he is on par with Agatha and Conan Doyle. So far I have read all his books that got translated into english. One more is expected to come in October and I am completely excited about it. If anyone is interested, I highly recommend his "Devotion of Suspect X" and "Salvation of a Saint".

Science Fiction: I am a sci-fi fan and when I was pointed towards "Foundation" by Isaac Asimov, I read the entire series in just 7 days. Then I began hunting for more good sci-fi which included:
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
Fountains of Paradise by A. C. Clarke
Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert Heinlein
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
Sirens of Titan by Kurt Vonnegut
Lately, I have been enamoured by the sci-fi books of Liu Cixin who wrote "Three Body Problem" and "The Dark Forest Theory".

These are the genre and books I am usually into. There are more bits and pieces that I haven't covered here. For example, "Point Counter Point" by Aldous Huxley. This is a book that I absolutely love, because this is one of those rare books that I do read multiple times and every time I read it seems I interpret the events of the book in very different way. And the characters that I liked/disliked also changed with every reading.

My turn! Truth is, I didn’t become a bookworm until the summer of 2009 when I left Western Washington University. The books I read in college were slow-paced, fluffy, and extremely boring with only a few exceptions. The one book that turned me into an avid reader was “The Cleaner”, a spy thriller by Brett Battles. This book was fast-paced and fun to read, two qualities that became the standard bearer for the things I would read from that moment on. To this day, whenever somebody asks me what books I like to read, I will either say, “A little bit of everything” or, “Anything with a fast pace”. I’ve read many genres, but my favorite books will always be…


“The Cleaner” by Brett Battles (obviously)

“The Perks of Being a Wallflower” by Stephen Chbosky (because it tore my heart into pieces)

“The Secret” by Rhonda Byrne (because it helped me develop a positive outlook on life)

“Quiet” by Susan Cain (because it helped me be proud of my introversion)

“January First” by Michael Schofield (because I could identify with the author’s schizophrenic daughter)

“Of Dice and Men” by David M. Ewalt (because it reignited my imagination and made me miss playing Dungeons & Dragons)

“War Dances” by Sherman Alexie (because it did the same thing as “The Perks of Being a Wallflower”: it broke my goddamn heart)


According to Good Reads, I’ve read 120 books since becoming a bookworm in 2009. That’s a lot of eye-guzzling over a seven-year period. I’d like to think that all of this literature made me a better writer. Then again, so did joining the WSS. No, that’s not sucking up; that’s me wearing my heart on my sleeve.

I have never actually read "The Perks of Being a Wallflower." Everyone says it's amazingly sad.

Could you perhaps describe to me the good things about it?

Also, Brandon Sanderson (I think that's how you spell it) is an AMAZING author. I absolutely LOVE his books. The Way of Kings is a great book.

Brian Jacques is a great author as well. I personally really like his Redwall series, although the books do tend to have similar plots. Brian writes them in a way that makes it difficult to actually realize that the plots are similar to one another, and his books are extremely readable. The villains are deliciously bad. Cluny the Scourge is a great example of this, from "Redwall." And Brian doesn't hold back on the violence and gore. I highly recommend reading this series.

"Of Dice and Men" sounds pretty good. Is it similar to "Of Mice and Men"?

That book always makes me sob at the end. It's short, extremely rereadable, and packs a powerful punch. The main characters are quite likable, and you can get really invested in them. You guys should read "Of Mice and Men" if you haven't already.

Glad to find some more Sanderson fans, Chantel and Gashbeen!

Chantel, I'm going to have to check out those Australian fantasy authors you mentioned. Fantasy is my favorite, but I have a hard time finding authors and books that I love within the genre.

So, I have just finished watching "The Book Thief." The feels are making themselves known.

"The Book Thief" is a seriously good book. It never fails to make me cry at the end. If you haven't read it already, READ IT. You're missing out on a great book.

I own The Book Thief, but have not read it. I'll definitely have to work that into my read time soon.

Gashbeen wrote: "I have never actually read "The Perks of Being a Wallflower." Everyone says it's amazingly sad.

Could you perhaps describe to me the good things about it?"

I have a copy but haven't gotten around to it. It's one of the books on my "can't wait to do next" list! ;)

Also in message 9

Courtney wrote: " ...Dean Koontz is my second favorite author and I've loved everything I've read of his. Some of my favorites are the Odd Thomas series and Life Expectancy (I literally laughed so hard I cried while reading this one!). ......"

I have one of his books yet to read. I think it'll be exciting!

It's called Hideaway...

I haven't read that one yet, CJ! Will have to get to it. I have a few Koontz books waiting on my shelf.

Gashbeen, “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” is indeed a sad book that will rip your heart to pieces. At the same time, it’ll make you believe in love and friendship all over again. It’s never too late to make new friends and find new romances. As a reader, you want Charlie (the lead character) to find permanent happiness after all is said and done.

As far as “Of Dice and Men” goes, yes, the title is a wordplay of “Of Mice and Men”, but it’s about something entirely different. “Of Dice and Men” is a biography of the Dungeons & Dragons franchise, which goes all the way back to its earliest roots of being a modified version of Kriegspiel (war games). The author also talks about some of his fondest memories of playing D&D and how doing so expanded his imagination. After reading this book, I tried to set up a D&D game here on Good Reads, but nobody joined. Maybe some other time, I guess.

I hope these paragraphs answered your questions.

Gashbeen wrote: "So, I have just finished watching "The Book Thief." The feels are making themselves known.

"The Book Thief" is a seriously good book. It never fails to make me cry at the end. If you haven't read ..."

The Book Thief is so good! The feels are real!

Courtney wrote: "Glad to find some more Sanderson fans, Chantel and Gashbeen!

Chantel, I'm going to have to check out those Australian fantasy authors you mentioned. Fantasy is my favorite, but I have a hard time ..."

Yeah give them a go, none of them are epic fantasy like Sanderson, but Jennifer Fallon, I personally think, has some good high fantasy series. She's most well known for her Demon Child trilogy (which is part of the larger, Hythrun Chronicles series).
For Isobelle Carmody, most of her series are more aimed toward young adult, but I'd recommend The Obernewtyn Chronicles.
For Juliet Marillier, she's regarded as a fantasy author, but most of her stuff is more historically grounded. I'd recommend The Sevenwaters Series from her.

Gashbeen wrote: "I have been waiting for this thread for so long. I have way too many books for this.

Coraline is a great book. It's also been adapted into an animated movie, which is how I was introduced to it.

..."

I haven't read Coraline (yet) but I have read The Graveyard Book and The Sandman series. Neil Gaimon does some creepy/awesome stuff!

Chantel wrote: "I share a love of Brandon Sanderson, like Courtney, he's probably up there with some of my favourite authors, and I eagerly await his new books. The Way of Kings is a fantastic book, just wow.

I r..."

I'm with you, I lean more towards fantasy and steer clear of thrillers and crime books. I used to read them a lot but I was quickly burnt out on them and never returned.

Hello all!
If you look at my reading history you will find that I read a bit of everything. I even read non fiction on rare occasions. (Very rare.)
A few of my all time favorite books:
Watership Down
The Count of Monte Cristo
The Crow
Fables series
Wuthering Heights
His Dark Materials series
The Dark is Rising series
Black Dagger Brotherhood series
Helter Skelter
Needful Things
Animal Farm
Vampire Hunter D series
A Wrinkle in Time series
Jane Eyre
Immortals After Dark series
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies

This list goes on forever. Lately, I have been catching up on comics/graphic novels, manga, and books by indie authors. Leaning more toward paranormal romance and horror lately for some reason.

I'm glad to see another fan of A Wrinkle in Time, Marie! It's a seriously good book, although it can be confusing for some people. It seriously deserves a lot more attention. Most people I've met have no idea what that book is, which makes me extremely sad.

I've recently read The Man Who Folded Himself (I think that's what it's called). It's basically the diary of a time traveler throughout his time traveling life. It's...sad. Like, not like The Book Thief sad, but it just sounds lonely and kind of pathetic. There's one alternate version of the main character that ends up driving away the woman he loves because he keeps trying to get her to love him back in a really pathetic way, and he spends the rest of his life waiting. It just makes me pity the dude. There are some homosexual orgies (they don't go into detail) and some sex (once again, not in great detail) involving the main character's alternate versions of himself (one is female). In a way, the sexual scenes seem like someone could and probably would end up doing that. The entire book really shows us the realities of time travel. You end up accidentally changing time in ways you don't mean to by doing really insignificant things, and next thing you know you're stuck in an alternate timeline where your uncle that you loved so much never existed. You find yourself just waiting for it all to end, because you've seen everything. The Big Bang, the Big Crunch (all that kind of stuff), and everything else.

This book seems pretty great at first (I can make a bunch of money and live pretty comfortably) and then it gets really philosophical and deep and just sad. You really pity the main character. It's not extremely long, and it flows pretty well. I highly recommend this book.

Gashbeen wrote: "I'm glad to see another fan of A Wrinkle in Time, Marie! It's a seriously good book, although it can be confusing for some people. It seriously deserves a lot more attention. Most people I've met h..."

A Wrinkle in Time is seriously underappreciated and I read it when I was 13. I loved it.
That book does sound depressing but realistic. Time is a funny thing.

I would have read A Wrinkle in Time if I were younger. The only one that GR labels a Young Adult novel I'll read is The Perks of Being a Wallflower and that's it, I've read S. E. Hinton in the past too.

Okay well someone years back gave me a random horror book too in that subgenre so I will read that one out of curiosity. It's by Hinton called Hawkes Harbor. I want to be the judge of it; I hear a lot of negative things here on GR but none of that will make me quit in trying it out too!

Thanks for the recommendations, Chantel! Will have to check them out. :)

I really like faith-based self-help books and celebrities' memoirs.

Faith-based books help me get through hard times and inspire me to keep working on my faith. Celebrities' memoirs give me get an understanding about why they are the way they are. They change my perspective on life.

If anyone shares these interests, let me know! I'd love book recommendations! :)

Martha wrote: "I really like faith-based self-help books and celebrities' memoirs.

Faith-based books help me get through hard times and inspire me to keep working on my faith. Celebrities' memoirs give me get an..."

I sent you one recommendation and here's another.

I read one by Max Lucado. When God Whispers Your Name. It's a great book. Hopefully I will read more of Lucado in the future!

I've also been reading some classics. These are well-known books though some of these authors are only known by one tale, like Dracula by Bram Stoker.

I'm a little hesitant to one day jump into Phantom of the Opera as I hear the book itself is a little weak but I still want to get on that one as well.

Also does anyone know what book Bram Stoker did where there was a- believe it or not- mummy the story worked around? Only heard it mentioned on social media (YouTube) but I am not sure how I can find that mention again, as it was almost completely unrelated to the video wherein the person said it. If no one knows I will check it out and see if I can find it on that site again...

A quick google search found it to be called 'The Jewel Of Seven Stars'.

Edward wrote: "A quick google search found it to be called 'The Jewel Of Seven Stars'."

Thanks Edward! :)

These aren't really books, but whatever. I really enjoy creepypasta, mostly because there are some that are so creative and effective. Mother's Call is one such short story. It's literally two or three sentences, but it's extremely effective. If you haven't read it yet, seriously read it. I wish I could cause such an impact with only a few sentences. It's seriously amazing.

Yeah there are some stories online that are pretty creepy. I have "Seen" a few creepypasta but of course that was on YouTube where they showed scary pics while someone read the tales.

Books that inspire me, or just really stick with me are probably a bit controversial. I have been reading since I was a young boy, but had a sort of spotty relationship with staying "with it." These books are the ones that have a inspired me in many ways.

"Atlas Shrugged" by Ayn Rand

"Hitch 22" by Christopher Hitchenson

"Where the Wild Things Are" by Maurice Sendak. I have to add that this is the crucial story that started a love for reading.

"The Thief" by Megan Whalen Turner

"Roadside Picnic" by Arkady and Boris Strugatsky

"Moby Dick" by Herman Melville

"The Call of the Wild" by Jack London

There are other books, but for me I feel like these are very crucial in my development as a reader, writer, and just as a thinker in general.

John Steinbeck will always be my favorite. I feel very fortunate to have NOT read him in high school, because it seems like so many who did are put off by Steinbeck now. Honestly, having first read him in my mid twenties, I would argue that most high school students aren't mentally ready for Steinbeck. Plus, he hopped through genres a lot more than people realize, including pirate adventure and political comedy.

Since the phrase "these aren't really books" has been thrown out there, I will say that some television shows seem to be constructing themselves more like novels (to brilliant effect), with a single theme (or set of themes) interwoven through one major story encompassing the entire series. I just finished watching all seven seasons of Nurse Jackie, and the series feels more like a "visual novel" than a television series. I just started watching Breaking Bad (little behind the times on that one) but it also has that novel-like feel to it.

I first rad John Steinbeck when I was in 5th grade. It was Of Mice and Men. It was absolutely beautiful, and I sobbed when I read it. I think that since I read it on my own rather than in school, I was able to appreciate it more because I was reading it for myself. I'm in high school now, and I've been able to appreciate it even more. Steinbeck is seriously a great author.

*read

East of Eden and The Grapes of Wrath are two of my favorite books; East of Eden is so unique in its themes and biblical parallels, and the ending of The Grapes of Wrath is the first (and only time) the ending of a book has left my literally speechless. I also love Cannery Row, though I can't quite explain why; its aimless and disjointed, but intentionally and effectively so.

I'm also planning on reading some of Steinbeck's non-fiction this year. I own Once There Was a War and The Moon is Down.

Zack wrote: "Books that inspire me, or just really stick with me are probably a bit controversial. I have been reading since I was a young boy, but had a sort of spotty relationship with staying "with it." Thes..."

I have wanted to read Moby Dick and maybe lesser so with Atlus Shrugged. Describing the latter is it true the beginning is really dragged out and long? I almost avoided Lord of the Rings' Fellowship of the Ring because I didn't want to get through that intro but at the same time felt I had to (I have some OCD).

And to Daniel, I guess I was one of the fortunate ones who read Steinbeck in high school and enjoyed it. I guess it's a coincidence I haven't read any of his others though I do plan on borrowing a friend's copy of The Grapes of Wrath when I get ready to do so.

CJ wrote: "And to Daniel."

It's all relative. I have a friend who said he loved Steinbeck in high school, then decided he didn't like Steinbeck because his girlfriend at the time made a comment about how she thought Steinbeck was overrated (he's fortunately gone back to his original opinion). So who can say when or why someone will or won't like something?

I have been meaning to ask you C.J. - because of the subtext (is that what its called) after your name: "For Narnia and for ASLAN" - if you have ever read Till We Have Faces? It is a stand alone fantasy piece by C.S. Lewis that (in my opinion) surpasses The Chronicles of Narnia. Honestly, I have never been very enthusiastic about anything by C.S. Lewis, except for Till We Have Faces, which is one of my very favorite books. I've never made a top ten books list, but it would make the cut.

I apologize if I have already asked you this; I'm getting a strong sense of deja vu.

No you have not asked me this. I have in fact read part of it. I had gotten it from the library years ago and maybe one day I will get back to Till We Have Faces possibly (as strange as it turns out, I must have returned it to a random library and my county I figure only sends stuff to other places even to the original library the book came from if people ask for it there. I have not seen it at that library again...).

CJ wrote: "This is just one that has my curiosity. We all have sometimes shared interests but I want us to delve more than that.

We all love certain genres, subgenres, but specifically I want to know what ti..."

LOL! Love that you would take the time to tag me in that way. So funny. And there is no accounting for taste, good, bad and indifferent.

Guy wrote: "LOL! Love that you would take the time to tag me in that way. So funny. And there is no accounting for taste, good, bad and indifferent."

Hehe. Thought you'd like that. :)

:-)
And I have no idea, anymore, how to put books I've read into this kind of classification. Something about getting old, I guess. Books that had great meaning to me when I was young mostly do not anymore. Do I put those exceptions down? Hmmm.

I'll put down a couple of books, I guess. A few more than a couple, once I got started. Sorry about that, as these are likely mostly unknown.

The Nature of Personal Reality by Jane Roberts. I read that many times between the ages of 16 and 24, and have recently begun to relook at it. It holds up.

The Brothers K by David James Duncan. This was even better than The River Why, which I thought an impossibility.

Confessions of a Taoist on Wall Street by David Payne.

Psychological Types by the erudite and mind blowing C.G. Jung.

On Divination & Synchronicity: The Psychology of Meaningful Chance by the amazing Marie-Louise von Franz. And also Puer Aeternus, The Way of the Dream, The Golden Ass of Apuleius: The Liberation of the Feminine in Man and everyone of her books I've read. So good.

Helpless by Barbara Gowdy.

Thirsty, Swimming in the Lake: Essentials of Constructive Living by David K. Reynolds.

The Inner World of Trauma: Archetypal Defenses of the Personal Spirit by Donald Kalsched.

Wandering God: A Study in Nomadic Spirituality, the final book in the transformative and powerful 'Reenchantment' trilogy, by Morris Berman. Along with the two preceding books in the trilogy, The Reenchantment of the World and Coming to Our Senses, these are 'must' reads for anyone wanting to better understand the unconscious psychological dynamics underpinning and undermining our social structures and social values.

Voltaire's Bastards: The Dictatorship Of Reason in the West by John Ralston Saul. Along with Berman's books this book and Saul's others, brings to our understanding the mechanisms by which our social decay is being made by the tools we praise as our saviours. Brilliant read.

View With a Grain of Sand: Selected Poems by the Nobel prize winning poet Wisława Szymborska.

The Discourses by Epictetus.

Wandering on the Way: Early Taoist Tales and Parables of Chuang Tzu by Zhuangzi translated by Victor H. Mair.

Finally,
News of the Universe: Poems of Twofold Consciousness a brilliant anthology edited by Robert Bly with his thought provoking commentary.