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Post by Head Mutant on Aug 12, 2008 16:42:17 GMT -5
I had this thought the other day while perusing through a Barnes and Noble. Basically, I really like how they let store employees hang little "recommended" tags under some of their favorite books, with blurbs as to why. Then my mind wandered, and I imagined a gigantic library where each small shelf unit would be devoted to the recommendations of a single person. Naturally, it's a big library, so the limitation would be that you could only put one book on the shelf for each major literary genre, totaling about 20 books as your all-time favorites.
So, although this won't be comprehensive, I wanted to start a small project to see what books each of you would put on that shelf to share with the world to the end of time. You can pick one book in the following genres, and it's okay if you choose a book someone else has said as well:
1. Non-Fiction Humor
2. Non-Fiction History/Biography
3. Non-Fiction Misc. (catch all)
4. Philosophy/Religion
5. Poetry
[the rest are fiction]
6. Science Fiction
7. Fantasy
8. Horror
9. Romance
10. Thriller/Suspense
11. Comedy/Parody
12. Mystery/Crime
13. Young Adult
14. Children
15. Graphic Novel/Comic Book
16. General Fiction
17. Short Story Collection
18. Gimmick (pop-up, Choose Your Own Adventure, etc.)
19. Historical Fiction/Western
20. Action/Adventure
I'd love it if you guys would participate -- it would be really neat to see which 20 books would end up on your shelf, as a literary indicator of who you were, and what you liked and wanted to pass on. If possible, provide links to Amazon so we can check out the book more if interested.
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Post by Head Mutant on Aug 12, 2008 16:44:34 GMT -5
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Post by TheOogieBoogieMan on Aug 12, 2008 23:30:07 GMT -5
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Post by BlackCatWhiteCat on Aug 12, 2008 23:36:11 GMT -5
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Post by StarOpal on Aug 13, 2008 0:33:06 GMT -5
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Post by BlackCatWhiteCat on Aug 13, 2008 21:23:59 GMT -5
I'm totally snagging staropal's copies of If Chins Could Kill and Princess Bride for my shelf. Thanks for suggesting those! I completely forgot that I had read them. I have the attention span of a goldfish, therefore if it isn't directly in front of my face then it never existed.
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Post by StarOpal on Aug 13, 2008 21:44:54 GMT -5
I'm totally snagging staropal's copies of If Chins Could Kill and Princess Bride for my shelf. Well, I'll let it go this time.  |
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Post by sarahbot on Aug 14, 2008 12:55:28 GMT -5
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Post by TheOogieBoogieMan on Aug 14, 2008 12:56:03 GMT -5
I second that. A very good read. It's a shame that there aren't more non-fiction slots on the list, otherwise I'd include that book on mine... |
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orangejesus
Boomstick Coordinator
OJ smells ever so faintly like danger.
Posts: 86
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Post by orangejesus on Aug 18, 2008 23:51:13 GMT -5
Now, this is fun! I suggest more such posting ideas, O' HeadMutant that thou art. . . anywho:
1. Non-Fiction Humor-- Hail to the Chiefs by Barbara Holland, because I never get tired of perusing it.
2. Non-Fiction History/Biography-- Benjamin Franklin by Edmund S. Morgan. I'm nearly finished with it now, and it's already the best one I've read.
3. Non-Fiction Misc. (catch all)-- A People's History of the Supreme Court by Peter Irons. A little liberal leaning, perhaps, but still some engaging prose and fascinating storytelling.
4. Philosophy/Religion-- Dialogues of Plato trans. Ben Jowett. Ok, maybe this one is a little pretentious, but I get off on my Jowett translation, ok. Christianity-biased, perhaps, but beautiful, poetic retellings.
5. Poetry-- The Deathbed Playboy by Philip Dacey. Not only is the poetry good (and I don't really care for poetry at all), but I got to have a meal next to Dacey at a lunch/reading once, and he is a really friggin' cool guy.
6. Science Fiction-- The Restaurant at the End of the Universe by Douglas Adams. Funniest book in the series for me. Right now. This usually changes depending on which one I've read the most recently, but. . .
7. Fantasy-- The Gunslinger by Stephen King. Um, 'cause. . . wow.
8. Horror-- 99 Fear Street: The House of Evil by R.L. Stine. All of them. Maybe I'm a little old for this, but they still creep me out. A lot.
9. Romance-- High Fidelity by Nick Hornby. Hi, my name is OJ, and I am a Hornby-aholic.
10. Thriller/Suspense-- Red Dragon by Thomas Harris. Better than both the movies. Better than all the sequels.
11. Comedy/Parody-- The Calvin and Hobbes Tenth Anniversary Book by Bill Watterson. Nicely done, Mr. Watterson. All praise be deemed appropriate.
12. Mystery/Crime-- Batman: The Long Halloween by Tim Sale and Jeff Loeb. Couldn't guess it. Didn't guess it.
13. Young Adult-- Oz: Into the Wild by Christopher Golden. It's a novelization of what the character of Oz does between his departure and recurrence on Buffy the Vampire Slayer in season four. Goofy, maybe, but damn I like this book bunches.
14. Children-- Moonbird and the Space Pirates by Mike Higgs. Heh, been a while since I've seen one of those books.
15. Graphic Novel/Comic Book-- Preacher: Until the End of the World by Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon. Best collection of my favorite comic series, but it's starting to get edged out by Walking Dead so this may change soon. . .
16. General Fiction-- The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain. My favorite old book.
17. Short Story Collection-- Fallen Son: The Death of Captain America by too many people to mention. An examination of the five stages of grief through people close to the Star-Spangled Avenger. It's delicious, says I.
18. Gimmick (pop-up, Choose Your Own Adventure, etc.)-- I have an Indiana Jones choose-your-own squirreled away in my folks' garage somewhere, and I'll change this if I ever remember the title...
19. Historical Fiction/Western-- Call of the Wild by Jack London. My second favorite old book. Does this even count for the category? I don't care, I'm plugging it.
20. Action/Adventure-- Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton
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Post by BlackCatWhiteCat on Aug 19, 2008 14:27:16 GMT -5
20. Action/Adventure-- Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton I loved this one, too. I tried to read Lost World and lost interest within the first chapter. I slogged through another couple of chapters and decided that I was reading the same freaking book that I had just read (as I had read Jurassic Park a week or two earlier). Anyone have that same feeling? It is rare that I can't finish a book. I forced myself through Kafka's Metamorphosis, taking three years to finally read that story. I HATED that story. Hate. Yet it's a classic and I decided I was supposed to read it. I haven't been able to make myself read the other stories that are in the collection of his that I own. |
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orangejesus
Boomstick Coordinator
OJ smells ever so faintly like danger.
Posts: 86
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Post by orangejesus on Aug 19, 2008 18:35:31 GMT -5
I totally agree, BWCW. I actually did get through Lost World and it's not a bad read. . . if you recognize that it is a sequel to the first movie and not the first book, considering they completely glossed over the entire ending of the first story. That just pisses me off every time I see it. Still, on its own merits and not as part of an overall story, it is not a bad book to keep near the toilet.
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Post by BlackCatWhiteCat on Aug 20, 2008 15:55:39 GMT -5
...it is not a bad book to keep near the toilet. Sure, if you run out of toilet paper. |
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orangejesus
Boomstick Coordinator
OJ smells ever so faintly like danger.
Posts: 86
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Post by orangejesus on Aug 21, 2008 2:18:56 GMT -5
Ouch. I can't believe I missed that that was a set up. This is why I'll never make it in the professional comedian business. . . *sigh*
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Post by BlackCatWhiteCat on Aug 25, 2008 18:59:12 GMT -5
Ouch. I can't believe I missed that that was a set up. This is why I'll never make it in the professional comedian business. . . *sigh* Ba dum BUM! ;D |
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"If I'm going to be desensitized into a mindless stock animal, I may as well do it with a cushy ergonomic seat and magnificent THX-certified sound. -Kevin Murphy
