Animal Farm is my favorite book at the moment. Recently read the curious incident of the dog in the night-time. Currently reading Flatland, The Call of Cthulhu, and I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. Considering that biography Axl Rose wrote (what’s the name again?), Amberville, and the Watchmen comic.[/u]
I read Watchmen over the year-end holidays too! Very philosophical, but brutally violent and ‘adult’, and definitely not for kids. It’s also quite depressing at times… 
But the reinvention of the superhero genre and the recurring logos and motifs make it one of the most thought-provoking graphic novels I’ve ever read.
I am not really much of a reader. I iguess I lost my interest in books in my Junior Year of High school. Still, there are some books that I really love. First off, the Bible, and just recently I got hooked on to the “Rogue Angel” series, which is essentially the American version of Tomb Raider.
When it comes to books, I’m a big fan of graphic novels. One of my favorites is Bone. I’ve also read Watchmen, the Heroes comics (which are sometimes better than the actual show), and Squee! by Jhonene Vasquez. I have the collection books for comics like Pearls before Swine and Peanuts, and read a large amount of comics each day on the internet. But that’s not to say I don’t like regular books. I enjoyed the His Dark Materials Series (and ironically I’m Catholic…) the Harry Potter series, and other books with a sci-fi or mystery elemnt to them. Anyone hear of the Hungry City Chronicles?
I’m reading The Fire Within book 1 in the series. Really great and funny.
TDIT: The Action Hero’s Handbook and Worst Case sound very interesting! I could use some humorous books like that…
oh, and I know what you mean by The Tale of Desperaux. The movie’s nice and all, but not as great as the book.
I prefer the book because there was less humanization and it gave you the rodent perspective and lifestyle while in the film [spoil]I was bothered by Roscuro. First of all, he came from the wrong place, so the light that was so emphasized and dramatic in the book, played a more simple role in the film. And second, he’s too softened. He was supposed to be darkhearted or something earlier and you still feel sorry for him, like you feel for Stitch in Lilo and Stitch. But the film didn’t capture that feel very much. I would’ve liked it better if they had quoted some of the words right from the book, to make it more dramatic and beautiful and meaningful.[/spoil] When reading the book, I felt that it wasn’t just for kids, because the story still was so amazing. The movie, however, made it look like a childish sort of film.
I should’ve said that in the Book Adaptations thread instead, huh?
AJD08: I really enjoy graphic novels. I usually finish them all in one sitting if I have the time. It’s like the line between a book and a movie.
Did I mention I also liked The Adventures of Wishbone? I love that series, but I can’t find any more of those books! It’s about a dog named Wishbone who daydreams vividly that he is in the story of classics such as Moby Dick, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Dr. Jekll and Mr. Hyde, The Prince and the Pauper, etc. It’s awesome!
Now my review of Ghost Cats:
Very excellent story, in all its honest thoughts, perspective, and details in the narrator’s mind. Even though most people, especially kids, will find the narrator’s opinions different than that of their own, the story is so deep in thought, memory, and reaction about changes in life that readers can relate to the character nonetheless. However, the disappointing part was that [spoil]the Ghost Cats mentioned in the title didn’t show up until the near end. I thought they would be focused more, considering they’re the title of the book.[/spoil]
I’m a big fan of almost anything by Meg Cabot, especially the Mediator series, which a supernatural series about a girl that can see and talk to ghosts, because her ‘job’ is to help them move on to their afterlife, instead of being stuck on Earth. Over the course of the series, though, she falls in love with one, which creates a little conflict, to say the least.
Well, I’ve just finished reading Dubliners by James Joyce, a really interesting selection of short stories all revolving around the city of Dublin. Some of them are pretty weird but they manage to evoke such a wonderful atmosphere and I love stories set in those sorts of classical periods.
And right now I’m reading the infamous Catch 22, quite possibly one of the strangest books I’ve ever read. I’m finding it difficult to connect with the characters because of how strangely they all act, but I’ll admit that it is a very funny book. At the same time there’s this horrible sense of the vainess of humanity about it, in the way that they’re all looking out for themselves…And the whole thing about Major Major Major Major (who’s by far my favourite character) being hated by everyone and having such bad misfortune for no reason just makes me love him all the more. 
AJD08- I’m a graphic novels fan too! 
Though I have to admit that I’m pretty limited in what I read- it’s basically just anything by Dan Clowes. Ghost World, David Boring, Like A Velvet Glove Cast In Iron, I love them all. I’m desperate to read Watchmen having enjoyed the movie immensely.
I just remembered another one of my favorite books is The Rumpelstiltskin Problem by Vivian Van Velde. Doesn’t take long to read it through, and it’s full of humorous twists and without any modern times jokes.
In her author’s note, Vivian Van Velde mentions how Rumpelstiltskin makes no sense. She helps you realize how the story makes no sense because
-Why would a man claim his daughter can spin straw into gold in the first place?
-Why would the king believe him without questioning why they’re so poor?
-Why would a man who can spin a roomful of straw into gold do it in exchange for a small gold ring?
-Why would the miller’s daughter want to marry the king after he’s threatened to kill her if she doesn’t spin straw into gold?
-Why is it that the title of the story is the little man’s name, but no one else in the story has a given name?
-Why would Rumpelstiltskin shout and sing his name, risking the chances that someone might hear him?
But the book’s not all ranting. The book is made up of alternate versions of the story that give more detail so the story can make sense. In some [spoil]Rumpelstiltskin is just a fellow meaning no harm. In some, the girl is wretched. And even in one, it’s the king who actually has the happy ending.[/spoil].
What’s the most interesting about it is the stories don’t twist the story into something else. The events, all the same, happen. It’s the details added that make them so different. The perspective and background.
I recommend it to all fairy tale twist fans! Don’t miss out on this one!
His Dark Materials is one of my favorite series, the Amber Spyglass was mindblowing, the last stand of Lee Scorsby! I completely agree with you on that cop out ending, destroyed the entire impact of the first film. They thought it was to dark an ending, and my response was do those producers have any clue the amount of violence and death that occur in the next two books? And that whole business about Laura being the ONE person that could read the ONE last aitheometer to try and be like lord of the… you know what, I’ll stop.
Michael Chrighton is great, particularly in Timeline, The Andromeda Strain, and The Lost World. Enders Game by Orson Scott Card and Tess Gerrison’s Gravity are also some great sci-fi…
I’m a fan of the Artemis Fowl series for their great characters, and smart movie-like dialog, Mulch Diggums is just awesome.
Cat’s Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut is also great for such a Dark Comedy.
I just started reading the Song of Fire and Ice series by George R.R. Martin , it takes place in a medieval setting and is well written, unbelievably engrossing, and extremely violent.
I have all the Calvin and Hobbes book collections, they are my pride and joy, tho I have never read Squee! even tho I am a fan of Vasquez and read some of his other insane work. 
Exactly! You had no idea how disappointed I was that they botched the ending, and because of the poor box-office response, I doubt they’ll make a second and third. Which is a pity, because the Subtle Knife and Amber Spyglass are when things start to get interesting (and epic).
I read that a few years ago because I was a fan of the movie back then. I like the details that Mr Chricton put in, like the computer readouts and the signboards and stuff.
How could I forget this one! That kleptomaniac’s my favourite too. I would so want this to be made into a movie! I got as far as The Opal Deception, yet to read Lost Colony and Time Paradox. I thought Eternity Code was a nice end to a trilogy, but apparently Artemis & Co. had other plans…
We have “The Indispensible Calvin and Hobbes” volume… I remember my bro and I loved reading it to while the weekend afternoons away… we use to argue over whether Hobbes was real (with me the cynic saying he’s all in Calvin’s imagination). Very funny, touching, and some nice ‘deep’ philosophical musings for a cartoon.
I finished the book I was reading, I am not reading anything right now, really.
The Lost Colony is my favorite of all the books and kept me on the razors edge of excitement from beginning to end. There are pieces of that book where I literally put it down and jumped up and down with glee from the sheer genius of certain sequences.
Unfortuneatly Time Paradox was a disappointment for me, it actually had so much fanservice that it took me out of the story and the ending felt contrived.
I would read anything as long as it tells a good story.
More specifically, books by authors Chuck Palahniuk, Hermann Hesse, George Orwell and Valdmir Nabokov. Titles include The Jungle, The Stranger, and Brave New World, not to mention my favorite comic books Watchmen by Alan Moore, and The Amazing Spider-Man Vol. 1 by Stan Lee. Yeah, the old one.
I haven’t actually read anything besides the Harry Potter series in a while… Lately I’ve been unmotivated book-wise. The last really good book I read was 1984. Really freaky stuff there. Oh I almost forgot! I recently re-read the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, such a great book. I’m thinking about reading Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland again.
Hey guys! Need your help. I decided to stop reading Lovecraft and Angelou temporarily in order to pick up a “fun” book. I was wondering if anybody knew of any good kid/teenage book series. Y’know, lots of adventure, twists, a little romance, a page-turner, and 10,000 Deux ex machina moments? I miss reading I didn’t have to think deeply about.
Read or have watched these series
-Harry Potter-Artemis Fowl-Twilight-A Series of Unfortunate EventsHope someone can help. Thanks!
Edit-I’m considering picking up either Lord of the Rings, A Song of Fire and Ice, or reading the Harry Potter book series instead of the films. (Because all the book-readers claim the movies aren’t true to it, and I’d like to see what the religious community is making a fuss about)
Does anyone else like some of the classics? I’m thinking of Dickens, the Brontes, Thomas Hardy, those sorts of authors. No book collection is complete without a Wuthering Heights or a A Tale of Two Cities if you ask me! Or how about some of the classic horrors, like Shelley’s Frankenstein or Stoker’s Dracula? Both are so much better than any movie adaptions I’ve ever seen. Or some Edgar Allan Poe, master of the creepy short story? Sometimes I wish there were some authors out there who continued to write in that sort of style, where the intelligence of the reader was never questioned and the author focuses entirely on delivering not only a story but an experience.
For a lighter but still very unique read, anything by Philip Ridley is a must. My favourite of his is Mighty Fizz Chilla, about a boy with severe anger problems who goes to stay with a few friends of his mother’s and ends up on this strange journey to find an animal called the Mighty Fizz Chilla, a hybrid of a shark, a tiger, an octopus, a unicorn and a swan, I believe. I think it’s written in the present tense as well and it’s quite an easy read so for a bit of fun it’s a great book.
YES~ <3 I’m a big fan of classic literature. :3 I think I was the only person in class who liked Frankenstein when we read it. 
I’ve read some Dickens too. And my favorite author is Lewis Carrol! :B
I just finished Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. It wasn’t exactly a page-turner as everyone says. In fact, I skipped quite a lot it. It was a nice way to burn time, but I think I’ll just stick to watching the movies for the gist of the books. Found the parts regarding Slughorn and Ron and Hermoine having “rows” (Ha, learning more about the strange language of the British everyday) funny.
I’m guessing since no one has suggested anything that I’ve read the best of the best kid/teenager book series. Well that’s rather sad. 
FounderofAzn- I’m sorry I wasn’t completely explicit, but I’d actually say that anything by Philip Ridley would be pretty good if you wanted a lighter read. I guess you could say his books are aimed at teenagers, they’re very adventurous, they tend to have twists, and they’re real page-turners- I’ve read some of his books all in one afternoon just because they’re so difficult to put down. They’re not really similar to the other books you’ve mentioned though, so I’m not sure if they’d be completely to your taste, but they’re definitely worth a try! I’d personally start with Scribbleboy if you did want to give it a go.
And I never realised that ‘having a row’ was a British phrase. Perhaps ‘throwing a barney’, but not ‘having a row’.
Loppy- Lewis Carrol is awesome.