If you could recommend just one book... what would it be?

Fwan's thread asking for book recommendations got me thinking about how it would be nice if we could post our favorite book in this thread. I know we have that "What's Everyone Reading" thread but this is a bit different.

And don't think what you say doesn't matter... Bobbie (batgirl2good) recommended "Three Wishes" by Barbara Delinsky a while back and now I'm a new fan of the ... and today I bought "Spilling Clarence" by Anne Ursu, on the recommendation of Mom of Franz (can't wait to read it)!

I guess I should start, huh? If I could recommend one book it would be... "The 5 People You Meet in Heaven" by Mitch Albom. I think it has a really powerful message that makes you think.

The Lord of the Rings (it is really one book, the publisher split it into three for marketing purposes.) by J.R.R. Tolkien.
I have re-read it at least once a year since I was 13. It opened up a whole world of magic and wonder for me.

Wow, I could spend a few dark and stormy nights picking out my favorites...LOL!
But if I had to pick one book, I would pick 1943s "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn." I read it the first time when I was 11...but it really is an an adult book. I had spied it on the bookshelf at home, asked my mom about it and she said I was too young to read it. So naturally, I grabbed it off the shelf as soon as I could. My mom was right, considering it's a book about abject poverty, alcoholism and loss. But it is also a book that inspires your soul. Long live Francie Nolan.

Originally Posted by Mom of Franz

Wow, I could spend a few dark and stormy nights picking out my favorites...LOL!

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Well I didn't really mean you could only pick one... if you have a few favorites, feel free to list them here! I'm just hoping this thread will be a list of favorite books, not just a list of books, you know?

And I will definitely let you know what I think. I'm at work and I should really do homework but I'm dying to read it... the summary on the back is really tempting!

Originally Posted by pinkdaisy226

Well I didn't really mean you could only pick one... if you have a few favorites, feel free to list them here! I'm just hoping this thread will be a list of favorite books, not just a list of books, you know?

And I will definitely let you know what I think. I'm at work and I should really do homework but I'm dying to read it... the summary on the back is really tempting!

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"just one book" means only one to me. I could have sworn I saw that in the thread title

If I could recommend just one book I would choose Women Who Love Too Much by Robin Norwood.

Chances are that someone you know really needs this kind of book. The first chapter tells you that if you are a woman reading it and think someone else needs this book more than you do, then you're not ready to read this book yet. A person I bought it for gave it to her friend for that reason. I don't think she got to that part in the chapter

Originally Posted by Hydroaxe

"just one book" means only one to me. I could have sworn I saw that in the thread title

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Maybe I should've phrased the title differently then... oh well.

I really enjoyed Blades of War by Excrucior. It is a Medievial fantasy themed book filled with magic and adventure. Although only the first in a series it has me eagerly awaiting the next book. I was actually quite supprised that it was not only a good of a read as it was but that the production of the book itself was rather nice. Because it was a "print on demand" book I expected low quality but I was not disappointed in the least with the finished product and expect to have it in my home for years to come. I don't usually read most books more then once, but I will defintly be reading this one again because I enjoyed it so much.

I guess I am biased though because it is based on an Online game called Medievia which is a "huge" 4million+ room text based world with 300-600 people online at any given time. I guess to some it would seem like a real time online story filled with real people and monsters to combat as you gain riches and wealth. I have played there since 97 at least and am still playing 8 years later and I have seen many improvements that just keep me coming back for more.

Wether you read the book, play the game or do both, it is time well spent and a great way to spend anywhere from a few minutes to a few years enjoying the rich fantasy world and characters.

Have fun!

I like to read books written from a spiritual perspective, but without having religion shoved down my throat.

The one book I would say that has left a lasting impression, and contains some very simple, yet very profound life philosophies is called "Toward a Meaningful Life: The Wisdom of the Rebbe" by Simon Jacobson.

This "Rebbe" is Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, a hasidic rabbi who spent much of his life promoting good will amongst Jews and gentiles alike (not unlike the Pope - though of course the masses don't seem to recognize a Jewish scholar in the same light).

Anyway, it's stated in a lovely and eloquent manner, and you don't have to be Jewish (I'm not) in order to appreciate it.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...=UTF8&v=glance

Originally Posted by pinkdaisy226

Maybe I should've phrased the title differently then... oh well.

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Where's my towel?... Oh yeah... here it is... *Ahhhhhh...

Goodie!! A book thread!! I have some new reading material to check out now.
I would probably recommend "Contact" by Carl Sagan.
Very interesting take on scifi and human nature.

Fall on Your Knees - Ann-Marie MacDonald. I couldn't put this book down for a week!

Sorry, I can't help. I've never read a book that I didn't HAVE to read for school or college.

I loved the book "This much I know is true" by Wally Lamb. I read it awhile back, but I remember not being able to put it down. Its a good read.

I know you picked it up per my reccomendation Ari -- were you able to get into it?? Did you finish it?

Stealing Heaven by Madeline Hunter. Its a very tragic real life love story about Heloise and Abelard.I'm not usually into romance novels but I loved this book. It was based on the love letters between the two. I must have read it at least 4 times.

I guess I would recommend "Sisters Found" by Joan Johnston. I loved that book!! My sister actually gave it to me (she didn't read it, just gave it to me because it was about sisters and it turned out to be really good). Anyway, it's about these 3 sisters who find each other accidently, discovering that they are triplets. They end up bonding and doing all they can to bring happiness and love to each other. This book has got it all. I really loved it.

*****But I also definitely want to recommend "The Calhouns" set by Nora Roberts. It's two books, but really one huge story about this family. The first one is "The Calhouns: Catherine, Amanda, and Lilah" and the second one is "The Calhouns: Suzanna and Megan". I could not put it down. I loved the whole thing. It kept me wanting to read more and more. I wish it hadn't even ended. It's hard for me to get this wrapped up in a book, but this one got me. It's about 4 sisters - Catherine or "C.C", Amanda, Lilah, and Suzanna - who all live in their family mansion that used to belong to their great grandparents. Their great grandmother, Bianca, had died years earlier by falling out of the tower window onto the rocks below. Her journal entries and those of her lover are spread throughout the books. She had a really bad and abusive marriage and had fallen in love with someone else. Before she died, she had hidden some priceless emeralds that she was going to take with her when she left her husband the night she died. No one ever found them after she died. So these sisters are now looking for the emeralds and encountering lots of danger and mystery along the way. Throughout the books, each sister has her story told as it continues on and each one falls in love. I won't say much more about what happened because it would give away too much. But, PLEASE read the Calhouns. You definitely won't regret it!!

(Sorry post was so long)

Originally Posted by berylayn

I loved the book "This much I know is true" by Wally Lamb. I read it awhile back, but I remember not being able to put it down. Its a good read.

I know you picked it up per my reccomendation Ari -- were you able to get into it?? Did you finish it?

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I'll agree with you that I was not able to put it down... and I did finish it, but I didn't really love it. I'm not sure why either. I think the author had a tendency to just skip back and forth in the story, which was frustrating. It was a good read and I'll read it again, but it's not my face, sorry!

I like a wide variety of books...and I'm not sure what types of readers tend to frequent TCS, so keep that in mind.

Johnny Tremain, Esther Forbes - I LOVED this book at a pre-teen
The Poisonwood Bible, Barbara Kingsolver
The White Boy Shuffle, Paul Beatty
On Gold Mountain, Lisa See
Shampoo Planet, Douglas Coupland
The Color of Water, James McBride

Though I already chose a non-fiction book, I would say for fiction my favourite novel is "The Master and Margarita" by Mikhail Bulgakov.

I love it all... Russian literature, Russian politics, Russian Blues... and my background is German. Go figure!

I liked "Lord of The Rings"too!!I love fantasy books with faires,dragons,elves Etc.I like other things as well,.Too difficult to pick just a few!!!