Thread: top 4 fav books~

1) 48 Laws of Power: Robert Greene.

The insight contained within this book is nothing short of remarkable. I strive to apply the knowledge within this book to my every action. An absolute must read.

2) Think Big and Kick Ass in Business and Life: Donald Trump and Bill Zanker

This is a recent read for me. I love books that are just a peek into the minds and inner workings of the author. There is a lot to be learned from anyone's life story, the nuggets of wisdom contained in this book are truly thought provoking.

3) Much Ado About Nothing: William Shakespeare

I'm a writer, and a language buff. The wit and charm of Shakespearean literature has always fascinated me. This book in particular is great, because it offers both hilarious comedy, and intense drama. To make things even more entertaining, the two at times occur simultaneously. A great line; "When I said I would die a bachelor, I did not think I should live till I were married." Another fantastic book.

4) If You Give a Mouse a Cookie: Laura Joffe Numeroff; illus. Felicia Bond

It's a childhood thing. I just thought I would remind everyone about books like this, which may have played a fundamental part in our development. Before we were able to read things like Shakespeare, we started with books like this. I give credit where credit is due. Cheers to the fundamentals, by which all other endeavors are made possible.

The Irish Cinderlad by Shirley Climo

This fairytale puts a new spin on the classic Cinderella fairytale where instead of a mistreated stepdaughter, you have a mistreated stepson with really extremely large feet that comes to the rescue of a princess about to be eaten alive by a really huge creature because of a yearly tradition in her village. I love this story because unlike the much more popular and traditional Cinderella story, the main character (Beacon) is a hero that helps people and is rewarded with love for his good deeds as opposed to falling in love and then love conquering all or whatever.

The Houdini Girl by Martyn Bedford

The book is about a magician who falls in love with a woman leading a double life. As a result of her double life and because of a dishonest deed the main character performed she dies. The story is told in flashbacks where at the beginning of the story, the main character tells us his significant other is dead and says there are three reasons she is dead and how he will not tell the reader what the third is.
To not give too much of the story away, I like this book a lot because of the imagery, the allusions, and the search for self that the main character travels as he tries to figure out the secret life his significant other lead. Also I like it because for all intents and purposes and despite the ending, this was a very tragic love story.

Cut My Hair by Jamie S. Rich

I like this book a lot because it's a novel meets comic strip in that there are very lovely, fitting illustrations throughout the story not all done by the same artist(s) that add a very imaginative but somehow straightforward feel to the book. It also sets the book a part from many others. In addition to that, this book a modern Huckleberry Finn story in that the main character is in search of something and finally accomplishes this goal he didn't originally set out to complete but does by the end of the story. And all his travels are punctuated by music related phenomena (concerts, trips to record stores).

The Middle Passage by Charles Johnson

This book is my forth favorite via a toss up.
The story takes place in the 1800s (I believe) and is about this guy that is typical in that he likes women and he likes to lose his money in varous ways and ends up in debt to this really big, mean, scary guy. So he escapes his town (in Louisiana) joins a ship that will transport a god l(like creature). And the characters aboard the ship are really unique. The author is very very visual in his telling of this rather graphic but very insightful story about a man that doesn't want to own up to his responsibilities but by the end of the story makes some pretty hefty changes to his life and does something no one would have expected.
I'm not sure if I'm allowed to give a spoiler in a book not manga/anime related but whatever.

 click to show spoiler

My favorite part of the story was when one of crew members of the ship died of syhphilis and the other crew members ate him.

I don't know if I like it because it's very fascinating or because it's very disgusting but painted very clearly and as such is very moving.

Brotherhood of Warriors- A modern day ninja takes to the streets of West Bank. he has guns under his dishdasha and pride in zionism in his heart. Follow Aaron Cohen from his brutal training (and I mean brutal) to become one of the elite poison cherry.

Battle Royale- Three kids try to defy the odds and stand up to the greater East Asian Republic. If you read one fictional book this year read this one. It is by Koushun Takami.

A Storm Of Swords- Daenerys has come far but will she get to sit the Iron Throne as ruler of Westeros. Winter is coming and only the fire of a dragon can keep the Others at bay.

Vampire Hunter D- Find out what happened to the Earth and what set the nobility up as it existed and the second or third fall of humanity.

Silent in the Grave by Deanna Raybourn

-This is the first book of the series, introducing the major characters. It's a thriller/suspense/mystery series that involves a P.I. and the main heroine getting together for cases and solving them together, searching for a killer.

Silent in the Sanctuary by Deanna Raybourn

-The second book in the series that reintroduces the main character and also introduces a few new ones. Also, it basically brings back the P.I. during a Christmas party. Again, the two get together with the request from the heroine's father (since the crime happened in his home), to search for a killer.

Silent in the Moor by Deanna Raybourn

-The main heroine finds herself travelling to a depressing part of London to meet up with the PI (private investigator). I haven't read all of this book yet, so I'll post a little more about it when I do.

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

1. Queen of the Damned by Anne Rice
It follows several different people over the same period of several days. Several of the characters appear in the two previous books, including Armand, Daniel (the "boy reporter" of Interview with the Vampire), Marius, Louis, Gabrielle and Santino. Each of the six chapters tells a different story about a different person or group of people. Two things unify these chapters: a series of dreams about red-haired twin sisters, and the fact that a powerful being is killing vampires around the world by manner of spontaneous combustion. The novel, deals with the origins of vampires themselves. The mother of all vampires, Akasha, begins as an Egyptian queen many thousands of years ago.

2. The Masque of the Red Death by Edgar Allan Poe
The story follows Prince Prospero's attempts to avoid a dangerous plague known as the Red Death by hiding in his abbey. He, along with many other wealthy nobles, has a masquerade ball within seven rooms of his abbey, each decorated with a different color. In the midst of their revelry, a mysterious figure enters and makes his way through each of the rooms. When Prospero confronts this stranger, he falls dead.

3. Dante's Inferno
It is an allegory telling of the journey of Dante through what is largely the medieval concept of Hell, guided by the Roman poet Virgil. Hell is depicted as nine Circles of suffering located within the Earth. Allegorically, the Divine Comedy represents the journey of the soul towards God, with the Inferno describing the recognition and rejection of sin.

4. City of Glass by Cassandra Clare
The third book in the Mortal Instruments series starts a week after City of Ashes. The Lightwoods, Jace, and Clary are leaving for the city of Alicante that evening. However, Simon goes to the Institute, where he and the Shadowhunters (except Clary) are attacked by dozens of Forsaken.

List threads are a no no.

Closing.