I'm a huge fan of the classics, my absolute favorite book is A Farewell To Arms, never has love been captured so perfectly in my opinion. I read mostly poetry, philosophy, and educational books though. I suggest The AntiChrist by Niestche if you haven't read it, it's....interesting. Fiction wise I suggest trying out Charles Burkowski's Women. I admire any man that can get that high and drunk and write that well without delving into phantasy. I predominantly read poetry books though, I suggest the works of W.B. Yeats and Paul Lawrence Dunbar.

Read some Dr.Suess Bud

'An Irish Airman Forsees his Death'

damn... Yeats is one i've always been planning on reading more of. Do you have any suggestions as to what to read to gain an appreciation of Walt Whitman, btw Alto?

And as far as Neitzsche goes, Thus Spoke Zarathrustra is absolutely and totally unbeatable. Beyond Good and Evil is also ok, if you don't mind listening to him meander. He does tend to vacillate at the best of times, though. Or appears to.

...and Dr Seuss?

Is actually pretty damn good, if you're in the mood *shrug*

XD

Obviously Leaves of grass by Whitman, but individual poems? Reading his poetry as a whole I notice that Whitman shares an uncanny amount of ideals with Beatniks from the 40s. That made me laugh, a lot. Whitman has one poem about taking a small sailor boy to bed with himself, that's actually well but I forgot the title, it's an interesting poem to say the least.
Good Whitman poems: I Hear America Singing, I Sit And Look Out, O Captain! My Captain!, and What Best I See in Thee. There's lots more, but that's all I remember off the top of my head.

Sumisem

Well, although he did become an athiest in 1929, he became a Christian in 1931 because of the influence of Tolkien, no less.
www.cslewis.org

I really liked The Hobbit. I was supposed to read it in high school. Didn't really read it though, more like skimmed it. I've actually read it twice since then though.

heh... ok, thanks a lot Alt ^_^

i'll read around from those, i guess.

and yeah... i would've mentioned Tolkien, but that'd mean confessing that i've actually read the Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales, which would take me slightly beyond obsessive in some, less enlightened eyes.

XD

>____> i have an original copy of unfinished tales and silmarillion. actually i have owned two original copies but one got burned up when i burnt my room down. ;_; the other i found in a book shop and got to replace it. felt i owned to the book fairy or something.
and yes... read both of them.

@alt - O Captain! My Captiain! ^____^

and yeah.. dr seuss. ^_^ .. one fish, two fish, red fish, blue fish. and the sneetches on their beaches. want something for your racism topic there we go XD

I don't read a whole lot of books. I could never really get into a book. I do like them how to do books. But I don't read the whole thing. I just grab what I need out of it and thats it. There was a time where I tried reading a book. Half way through it. It really was not making much sense. So I reread everything back up to that point. I then understood that I some how skipped over or forgot what I read. After that I kinda hated the whole book idea.

Damn straight... they were awesome. (yeah that was a page ago, but it had to be said)

And if no none has read the bible of J.R.R. Tolken, you all fail.

And if anyone has to ask about what books I'm talking about, they fail at life.

Have read and own the original box set of C.S. Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia. Own the original box set of the Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. And Own original copies to both the Simirillion and UNfinished Tales. Lol. I'm definitly obsessive.

@ Lantis - I'm pretty sure none of us fail. lol.

@Alto - Whenever I'm feeling down or uninspired I go and read Dunbar's "The Poet and His Song" I love his work. And I must say Yeats is wonderful as well.

@ Regal - The Kushiel legacy is centered around a girl named Phedre, who was raised in a place called the Night Court. You can guess what happens there. The story centers partially around the scarlet mote in Phedres eye which signifies her as an anguisette and a child of Kushiel (he's a guy from legend that they attribute the darker sides of pleasure to) The book is rather adult in content but it's not a mere sex novel (at times it actually goes for quite a while without mentioning anything about sex, much lessing actually showing a part.) The book is centered around political ideas and I honestly have to say the language of the novel is incredible. There have been very few books that I've read with the same amount of power with words. Plus even though it's a very well written book it still has parts that make you feel naughty lol.

Oh! i forgot to say T.S. Eliot
^____^ the wasteland, old possum's book of practical cats. *sigh* <3<3 he is up there with mervyn peake.

Regal-
For Whitman- When Lilacs Last In The Dooryard Bloom'd is his shining moment, also the stylistic and occasional thematic source of The Wasteland if you run the two side-by-side.
The majority of Whitman's earlier poems have something to offer, but I'm rather afraid his muse waned later in life.
And essentially all modern poetry is derived from Walt Whitman, though Ginsberg and the Beatniks are his formal descendants.

And Lewis was an atheist but he converted to christianity later in life, hence the title he's most often granted of 'the most influential christian essayist'.

Long time no see, NLY!

I've recently read The Three Musketeers. Damn fine book.

I've been refered to Eragon.

I've also been warned not to watch the movie... I think I'll take this tidbit of information and go with it.

(when was the last time there was an awesome movie that WASN'T a book first... My guess, probably never)

I've never read it, but i've heard that Eragon's sequel was a far better book. If you're kosher with just skipping to the midpoint of a trilogy (?) then.. *shrug*

it's just what i've heard, at any rate. Also, DO NOT WATCH THE FILM!

*shudders at the thought of cinematic adaptations of books*

I can get both books for like $20 bucks...

I think I'll go for it.

I can't believe I forgot this! All of you, stop what you're doing and go read Kahlil Gibran's The Prophet. Now.

heh...

for its use of language, or the messages within?

I've been planning to read it (on another recommendation) for a while now. there's a copy at home. ^^;

i can't really do 'Now', but i'll work something out at the start of February. Thanks for reminding me.

The book is amazing in all aspects.

If you want humor, a damn good author, lots of irony and even a little deepness, read Terry Pratchett. My absolute favorite author of english language. HIs Discworld series is a humor masterpiece, and it's VERY well written.

His book with Neil Gaiman, Good Omens, ranks as absolute #1 in my all-time favorites list. Read it. =)