<p>Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer, author of Into Thin Air. It is the true story of a well to do guy honors graduate from Emory, who gives uo all his wordly possessions and invented a new life for himself, wandering across North America. trying to avoid the trappings of society. Of course a recommendation from my S.</p>
<p>My daughter is reading another book by Krakauer “Under the banner of Heaven”
scary</p>
<p>Someone already said it, but read Faulkner. Try Absalom, Absalom.</p>
<p>I would skip Little Women, jane eyre and possibly wuthering heights. I am not into gothic. Or if you are read Rebecca instead.
Of course my book group is reading Parallel Lives @@
I would rather read something by david Roberts or Krakauer
Color Purple
A Lesson before Dying
Of Human Bondage
Aristophanes</p>
<p>I second Into The Wild. It can be very dry when the author gets egocentric, but it’s extremely interesting otherwise. What I find exciting about the book is how it polarizes its readers. Some people sympathize strongly with Chris McCandless. . . while others write him off as a looney. It makes for very interesting debate and lots of yelling : )</p>
<p>Our book club read Under the Banner of Heaven, I agree</p>
<p>I agree with NSM and EK with giving a read to </p>
<p>A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest J. Gaines </p>
<p>If you like Faulkner then definitely read</p>
<p>The Sound and the Fury</p>
<p>As I lay Dying</p>
<p>Mama Day by Gloria Naylor</p>
<p>If you like a good short stories, any of the following books by J. California Cooper (Down home stories about the triumph of the human spirit. You will not be able to put it down, you will laugh, cry and and swear that you know these characters) </p>
<p>A Piece of Mine
Homemade Love
Some Soul to Keep
The Future has a Past</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>As Nom said, Ender’s Game. No other book influenced me more as a child. If you enjoy Ender’s Game, read Ender’s Shadow.</p>
<p>Also: The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy</p>
<p>The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd (gets 5 *****) 
Wonder Boys by Michael Chabon
The Hours by Michael Cunningham
Cry the Beloved Country by Alan Paton
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
East of Eden by John Steinbeck
Empire Falls by Richard Russo
Ladder of Years by Anne Tyler
The Stone Diaries by Carol Shields
Borrowed Time by Paul Monette
She’s Come Undone by Wally Lamb
Beach Music by Pat Conroy
Stones from the River by Ursula Hegi
Snow in August by Pete Hamill
Breath Eyes Memory by Edwidge Danticat
Where the Heart Is by Billie Letts</p>
<p>My well-read daughter suggests Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. I’d keep Jane Eyre & ditch Clockwork Orange & Lord of the Flies. (Too gruesome, but I’m told that most people aren’t as easily “grossed out” as me.)</p>
<p>I’d advise against The Sound and the Fury (suggested somewhere), it’s a pain to read. If I had to read Steinbeck I’d pick Of Mice and Men over The Red Pony. Keep The Scarlet Letter at the bottom of your list. </p>
<p>Others:
Death of a Salesman - Arthur Miller. Short, easy, amazing.
Teaching a Stone To Talk - Annie Dillard. Changed my life around about a year ago.
Till We Have Faces - CS Lewis. Another Lewis classic. I hope you enjoy Narnia also.
The Brothers Karamazov - Dostoevsky. My favourite book, I’d only read it if you have time though, it’s wasted if you have to interrupt it.
A Farewell to Arms - Hemingway.
Franny and Zooey - Salinger. If you like Catcher in the Rye… </p>
<p>But hey, take your time. The number one book I’d suggest is called How to Read a Book - Mortimer J. Adler. It’s well worth it.</p>
<p>Has anyone read that book about what would have happened if Lindbergh won? I can’t recall it’s name, but it looked awful to me - yet recieved excellent reviews.</p>
<p>won’t until it comes out in paperback. Alternate history is fun but it is fiction; there are generally some pretty strong forces at work that prevent things turning out the way they did in the alternates.</p>
<p>The Gulag Archipelago is his signature work. I liked his work, “August 1914,” too, read them in grad school in the '70’s. The author is a good example of how a person’s view of individual freedom may be very different from the typical western view.</p>
<p>I don’t think anything by this author is on the Gutenberg Project list but many of the titles in this thread are.</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.gutenberg.org%5B/url%5D”>http://www.gutenberg.org</a></p>
<p>I don’t usually buy hardbacks—our library has a fantastic on-line reserve system-- but I bought the Roth book the day it was available. My hands were clammy while I was reading it. I’m not a Roth fan, but this book hit a nerve in light of the attack on civil liberties today.</p>
<p>What have you read and really liked? No point in dragging yourself through such a list if none of it gives you any pleasure. Knowing your tastes and interests would help us to recommend what you might enjoy.</p>
<p>Something that will make you laugh. Out loud. And often. I recommend:</p>
<p>P.G. Wodehouse “Right Ho Jeeves” “Carry on Jeeves” and numerous others</p>
<p>Terry Pratchett “Discworld” series – fantasy for people (like me) who hate fantasy</p>
<p>Donald Westlake “Dortmunder” series. </p>
<p>Not enough laughter around, IMHO.</p>
<p>And I respectfully disagree with an earlier poster. Conroy YES! Prince of Tides NO! My vote is for The Lords of Discipline and The Great Santini. And stay away from My Losing Season as if it were contagious!</p>
<p>Two great American novels that illuminate the mid 20th Century:</p>
<p>On The Road
Ironweed</p>
<p>9/11 Commission Report
Beloved</p>
<p>Two good books read this Christmas Season. Notice I’m trying to build this into an everlasting post.</p>
<p>I am reading Jonathan Strange and Mr Norell ( not as good as I had hoped but I am about halfway through)
Parallel Lives, very interesting look at 5 victorian marriages.
Best American Travel Writing edited by one of my favorite writers Pico Iyer.
The book of essays is my favorite, I am a big essay and short story fan. debating whether to try again to read the Volcano Lover in honor of Susan Sontag or to try Krakatoa by Simon Winchester an author I also recommend.</p>