Books you Must Read Before You Die

[PumpItUp]

Macbeth and King Lear by William Shakspeare are a good read (provided you have the patience/intelligence to translate).

I also found that many short stories and short novels are often better than their larger counterparts.

The Rifle - Gary Paulson
To See the Invisible Man - Robert Silverburg
The Langoliers - Stephen King

Plus everyone should be required to read at least one Stephen King novel/short story in their life.

 

[PureChaos]

Flowers in the Attic by Virginia Andrews

 

[gmer412]

Candide by Volaire
Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger
1984 by George Orwell

Only Lord of the Flies if you don't overanalyze the story for the symbolism.

 

[Archaeology Hat]

Earthly Powers, Anthony Burgess.

Any book that starts with the line: " It was the afternoon of my eighty-first birthday, and I was in bed with my catamite when Ali announced that the archbishop had come to see me."

Is worth a look.

 

[the monopoly guy]

Atlas Shrugged, if only to say I read the whole damned thing.

Spoiler: On an offnote, and somewhat ontopic, but mostly not

I am reading The Fountainhead, and just got to the part where Roark and Dominique...well, yeah. I can't believe. I just won't. I didn't expect that at all; I thought Roark was the good guy, with morals and ideals, and Keating was the two faced bad guy. But then...this! I underestimated you, Ayn Rand, well played. Well played indeed.


I still refuse to believe it though, whether or not she enjoyed it.

 

[Grimm91]

"Dune" by Franklin Herbert. One of the best books I have ever read.

 

[TMAN10112]

I thought that "The Anarchist Cookbook" was an interesting read. It's not a great novel or anything, but it is an interesting point of view. Even more so since it was writen in protest of the vietnam war so your getting a point of veiw from the 1970's. I would recomend something eles but I don't read many (good) books.

 

[jdog345]

Atlas Shrugged, if only to say I read the whole damned thing.

Spoiler: On an offnote, and somewhat ontopic, but mostly not

I am reading The Fountainhead, and just got to the part where Roark and Dominique...well, yeah. I can't believe. I just won't. I didn't expect that at all; I thought Roark was the good guy, with morals and ideals, and Keating was the two faced bad guy. But then...this! I underestimated you, Ayn Rand, well played. Well played indeed.


I still refuse to believe it though, whether or not she enjoyed it.

Such is the nature of reading Ayn Rand.

 

[BIGpanda]

Sandman by neil gaiman

 

[Ploppy]

The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists, by Robert Tressell and A Short History of Nearly Everything, by Bill Bryson.

 

[jayjaydoubleyou]

American Psycho - Bret Easton Ellis.
I sigh when I read other books.

 

[AuntyEthel]

How To Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie. Its meant to be used in the workplace for employers to get the most out of employees, but it contains many subtle tricks that one can use to manipulate people into doing things for you without them realizing it, and at the same time making them think you've done something for them.

Then again, I wouldn't want everyone in the world to read it, as they would realise I'm using the technique.

 

[Tiger Sora]

A must read i think is the Eragon series by Chris Palamoni.... i mat have spelled his last name wrong lol.

 

[Silver]

Good omens.

Yeah, yeah. I know, it doesn't really hold up to the standard of the other books here (perhaps).

It is a very good book though, and while there are many amazing books mentioned in this thread, a book such as Good omens is needed to show that there is more to books than just serious thought. It doesn't have to be deep and thought-provoking all the time (while Good omens IS, it illustrates the point), and can be just a fun, relaxing activity, even for people who aren't bookworms.

 

[Uncompetative]

Wait for the Movie...

 

[SomeBritishDude]

Sandman by neil gaiman

This. If you only read one comic series in your life, make it this.

 

[the monopoly guy]

Atlas Shrugged, if only to say I read the whole damned thing.

Spoiler: On an offnote, and somewhat ontopic, but mostly not

I am reading The Fountainhead, and just got to the part where Roark and Dominique...well, yeah. I can't believe. I just won't. I didn't expect that at all; I thought Roark was the good guy, with morals and ideals, and Keating was the two faced bad guy. But then...this! I underestimated you, Ayn Rand, well played. Well played indeed.


I still refuse to believe it though, whether or not she enjoyed it.

Such is the nature of reading Ayn Rand.

But, but, I wanted it to happen, just not like that, not like that.

 

[RavingLibDem]

The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists, by Robert Tressell and A Short History of Nearly Everything, by Bill Bryson.

DAMN i was going to do those so instead I suggest any terry pratchetts, and on a worthy note, noughts and crosses is very good

 

[lionhog2k]

I realize these are elementary level books(or high school if you live in texas) but "The Giver" and "To Kill a Mockingbird" are the reason I started to love literature in the first place.

Good Omens i think is a great choice. Also anything in the Discworld series by Terry Pratchett.

 

[Moloch-De]

Demian by Hermann Hesse.

I only add one book here since there are already so many titles i have to second

Good omens.
It is a very good book though, and while there are many amazing books mentioned in this thread, a book such as Good omens is needed to show that there is more to books than just serious thought.

Very true just like life can't be serious all the time