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Books You Can't Forget

Started by Banya, December 10, 2015, 05:17:15 AM

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rachel25

This Present Darkness and Piercing the Darkness were inspirational books to me.
The Hamlet play I saw recently was mind-blowing.
The Lord of the Rings and Hobbit films shall always stay with me. Return of the King has a special place in my heart.
The film Anonymous really inspired me and encouraged me to keep going with my college project.
Knight's Tale is wonderful and just perfect.
As you can see I'm more of a film person than a book person but my sister's own work really inspires me. She's an excellent writer and if you want to read some of her stuff go on Fanfiction.Net and check out stagepageandscreen.

Maudie

Quote from: Mhera on December 22, 2015, 05:10:27 PM
Unbroken, by Laura Hillenbrand. It's an amazingly well-researched and well-written biography of Louis Zamperini, a 1936 Olympian and later POW. Word of warning, though: some parts (as in most of it...) are pretty difficult to read given the nature of Zamperini's hardships. It's really not a book approach lightly, and I wouldn't recommend it to any of the younger (<13 <16 <18 (or so)) members here (don't take that as a challenge, guys).
I've read it.  :P
It is amazing, too! Kind of thick and hard to get through, and somewhat depressing, but it's still amazing.

A book that I probably won't forget (I don't know, though. I have a pretty bad memory when it comes to books...) is The Way of Kings. It sounds like some ancient Chinese philosophical text, doesn't it? But it's a 1000 page fantasy novel. :P But it's an example of great writing, and it has a lot of leadership...lessons, sort of. And I like long books, cause the longer they are, the longer they keep me occupied, and it doesn't drag it's feet on the ground, it moves.  :D
"And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent." John 17:3


Jetthebinturong

#17
That's a Brandon Sanderson novel, right?

And no, it doesn't sound like a philosophical Chinese text, it sounds exactly like a fantasy novel.
"In the meantime, no one should roam the camp alone. Use the buddy system."
"Understood." Will looked at Nico. "Will you be my buddy?"
"You're a dork," Nico announced.
~ The Hidden Oracle, Rick Riordan

Wylder Treejumper

Well, among the more memorable books that I have read, The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit stand out, of course. Les Mis was also excellent, likely the best book I have ever read for an English class. I also appreciated C. S. Louis' The Screwtape Letters, and I do think that Charles Dickens is a must-read: Oliver Twist and Great Expectations especially. Mark Twain is a favorite as well: try A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court.
"'Tis the business of small minds to shrink, but he whose heart is firm, and whose conscience approves his conduct, will pursue his principles unto death."
-Thomas Paine

"Integrity and firmness is all I can promise; these, be the voyage long or short, shall never forsake me although I may be deserted by all men."
-George Washington

Courage: Not only the willingness to die manfully, but also the determination to live decently.

Jetthebinturong

#19
The Dark Lord of Derkholm and Year of the Griffin by Dianna Wynne Jones are excellent satirical pieces on the dangers of extreme capitalism and the uh... imperfections, shall we say, of school systems. Amazing (and sad) how they're still relevant today.

The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black was the first faerie book I've read, and that alone would put it on this list. However it also has a fantastic plot and intriguing characters. The relationships seem very natural and Sorrow's story is just heartbreaking.

And I may not have finished Alex London's Proxy but that book has definitely earned it's place on this list. Much like The Dark Lord of Derkholm, it is brilliant satire on capitalism but it also manages to get deep under the skin, what with all the superficial genetic modification and such, as well as the corruption of the police forces and the incredibly realistic depiction of institutionalised homophobia, especially the subtle stuff.
"In the meantime, no one should roam the camp alone. Use the buddy system."
"Understood." Will looked at Nico. "Will you be my buddy?"
"You're a dork," Nico announced.
~ The Hidden Oracle, Rick Riordan

Jetthebinturong

REVIVE!

The Half Bad trilogy by Sally Green. What is there even to say about this series? The first book was like a drug to me. A lot of times in fiction, you have horrific things that are mentioned or that happen, but it's never actually properly talked about - the effect on the characters isn't clear or the reader doesn't feel it as much as they should. That's why I love Half Bad. While it may not have the most horrific events in a book (though I'd say it comes close) the sheer frankness and brutality of the abuse that Nathan is subjected to is absolutely terrifying and the way it effects him is so realistic and well thought-out. The other two books don't have as much of the abuse and violence, so they aren't as powerful in that way and for a lot of the second book I really wasn't feeling it as much as I'd have liked, but the last third of Half Wild and the entirety of Half Lost make up for it. Though I hate the ending, it's not one that isn't thought out or cheap or anything like that and I still would highly recommend the series to everyone.

History is all You Left Me by Adam Silvera is a terrific book about dealing with grief and the loss of a loved one. It's about a boy called Griffin whose ex-boyfriend Theo dies in a drowning accident. What's most interesting is that there are two perspectives, one set in the present, and one in the past when Griffin and Theo first started dating. The interesting bit is that as the past story gets continually sadder, the present story gets continually happier. Griffin and Theo's relationship (even after they break up) is also a great cause of tension and it caused me to hate practically everyone in the story for some reason or another, and while you'd think that'd be a bad thing, I loved it. Because the things these people do to make you hate them are ordinary human errors, and a lot of them you'd probably do the same in that situation. It's also worth noting that this is perhaps the first book I've read of my own accord that didn't have a fantastical setting.

The Foxhole Court by Nora Sakavic. Wow. Just wow. There aren't a lot of things in fiction that can unsettle me as much as this book did (Half Bad is another). The mystery aspect is intriguing and the characters are all so psychologically damaged, you literally cannot predict what will happen next, what with all their disorders shoved together in one place. Andrew Minyard, a literal, diagnosed psychopath, is particularly terrifying, as is Riko Moriyama, who is literally only in one scene of the entire book. Neil's description of his father also makes me apprehensive. The club scene was one of the most intense and terrifying things I've ever read, I still shudder when I think about it and it will likely haunt me for quite some time. What makes it all the more visceral and raw is that the book is set in an almost entirely contemporary setting (the second one I've read). Sure they play a made up sport, but their problems are gangsters and psychopaths and drugs and abusive parents, not demons or aliens or evil governments. Apparently the second book is even darker and I am READY just GIVE IT TO ME NOW!

And of course Timekeeper by Tara Sim. The other books on this list are all about evoking negative emotions, Timekeeper is not. Timekeeper is extremely cute and fluffy yet incredibly exciting with a fantastically imaginative world and mythos. Sure the mystery is intriguing and there are several genuinely heartwrenching moments, but ultimately, Timekeeper is a happy book, and I'm glad that I read one to counter all the doom and gloom of the others. That's not to knock Timekeeper; the characters, world and story are all wonderful and the emotional moments are handled just right.
"In the meantime, no one should roam the camp alone. Use the buddy system."
"Understood." Will looked at Nico. "Will you be my buddy?"
"You're a dork," Nico announced.
~ The Hidden Oracle, Rick Riordan

Luftwaffles

Man, I flipped thru "The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon" and it still draws me close to literature in every way. I can't recommend it enough.

It's light enough to enjoy in small dozes and deep enough to hook you. It really introduced me to the world of books and I can't thank it enough for that.
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alexandre

A Tree Grows In Brooklyn is one I definitely won't forget.
Why they try to tear the mountains down to bring in a couple more
More people, more scars upon the land

               ~ John Denver

And daddy won't you take me back to Muhlenberg County
Down by the Green River where Paradise lay
Well, I'm sorry my son, but you're too late in asking
Mister Peabody's coal train has hauled it away

                ~ John Prine

Melanda MacBurl

I wrote up a bucket list at one point which included reading through a list of some of the most recognised classics. I haven't made it all the way through yet, but I've read a few and some of those have stood out to me. I especially appreciated The Secret Garden, which portrayed a beautiful setting that sticks in one's imagination, and Sense and Sensibility, which I admit is rather dramatic but has a lot of important lessons for us on the value of different types of love.

(I have to confess that I haven't read much in this category very recently; lately it's been mostly medical textbooks. It'll help get my degree, though, so it's worth it any way you want to look at it. :))
~ Beauty begins the moment you decide to be yourself. ~

HeadInAnotherGalaxy

Ze Redwall zeriez o' courze. Anozer good book iz Dune by Frank Herbert. Ah firzt decoided tae read it becauze ah remembered a friend o' moine zayin' tvaz big book. Ah looked at ze book jacket und ze plot looked intereztin' zae ah checked it oot from ze zchool library und read it. I' tiz vonee o' ze bezt bookz ah 'ave ever read. It 'az good inzoightz intae zin'z loike Philozophy, Religion, Politicz, Toime, und innumerable ozerz. Tiz part o' ze Dune zeriez, vhich ah vant tae keep readin' but ah cannae becauze ah lozt ze zecond book Dune Messiah in me room zomevhere, zae ah ztill need tae keep lookin'. In ze meantoime ah am currently readin' Dune Ze Butlerian Jihad by 'iz zon Brian Herbert und anozer good author Kevin J. Anderson.

Ze zeriez zat firzt really got me intae readin' ze Ztar Varz novelz vaz ze Ztar Varz Jedi Academy trilogy by Kevin J. Anderson. Ah actually ztarted ziz zeriez viz ze zecond book Dark Apprentice und zen read ze final vone Championz O' Ze Force, und recently in January finizhed readin' ze firzt Jedi Zearch. Vone o' ze zin'z ah love aboot ziz zeriez (und ah enjoy practically everyzin' in ze zeriez) iz ze adventurez und fun, innocent chaoz o' ze Solo tvinz, Jaina Solo und Jacen Solo. Ah love ze trouble zey get intae und every part o' it zat zey are in. If ye're a Ztar Varz fan ye 'ave tae read ziz zeriez!

Anozer good Ztar Varz trilogy iz Ze Thrawn Trilogy by Timothy Zahn. Grand Admiral Thrawn iz a really major character und tiz juzt amazin' 'ov 'e can get zae much from lookin' at a race'z Art. It really 'elpz tae 'ave read ziz prior tae readin' ze Jedi Academy trilogy, but ye ztill can enjoy zem eizer vay.

Und anozer iz Ze Hitchhiker'z Guide Tae Ze Galaxy "trilogy" by Douglas Adams. Theze bookz are 'ilariouz und, alzough bein' zhort, are ztill major quality bookz und ztoriez. Zere iz ze Puff o' Logic part, ze anzver tae ze Ultimate Queztion O' Loife, Ze Univerze, Und Everyzin', ze Reztaurant At Ze End O' Ze Univerze, ze Flyin' part und numerouz ozerz. Ah actually 'ave nae read ze final book in ze trilogy Moztly Harmlezz, but ah vant tae zometoime. Ziz iz a major zeriez!
NARDOLE; You are completely out of your mind!
DOCTOR: How is that news to anyone?

"I am Yomin Carr, the harbinger of doom. I am the beginning of the end of your people!" -Yomin Carr

-Sometime later, the second mate was unexpectedly rescued by the subplot, which had been trailing a bit behind the boat (and the plot). The whole story moved along.

Jetthebinturong

Wait I never spoke about Wonders of the Invisible World by Christopher Barzak here? What a tragedy. Wonders of the Invisible World was just an experience to read. I won't say anything more than that, as it's best to go into without any expectations or knowledge of what it's about. To sell the book, all you really need to do is quote the first sentence. "Here's the thing: we're all as thin as paper."

Now then, unforgettable, as I'm sure we all know, does not necessarily mean good. In fact a lot of things you won't forget, precisely because of how awful they are. With that in mind:

Willful Machines by Tim Floreen is one of the most disappointing books I've ever read. Why? Are the characters boring? No they're amazing. Is the story bad? No it's really interesting. Okay well is it predictable? Somewhat, but not to a degree that means you can't enjoy it. So what is it? It's the ending, or rather, the lack thereof. The author seems to think that this book is a complete story and he has no concrete plans on when he's going to write the sequel. Well this book is desperately in need of a sequel, because NONE, and I mean ABSOLUTELY NONE, of the storylines are resolved. The external plot? Cliffhangered. The character's internal struggles? Unresolved.
Spoiler

Did Nico succeed in downloading his consciousness onto the internet or is he dead? Who knows?
What is Dr. Waring planning next? Who knows?
How did President Fisher react to Lee's sexuality? Who. Bloody. Knows?
[close]
The fact that the author has the nerve to call this a complete story is frankly an insult.
"In the meantime, no one should roam the camp alone. Use the buddy system."
"Understood." Will looked at Nico. "Will you be my buddy?"
"You're a dork," Nico announced.
~ The Hidden Oracle, Rick Riordan

Maudie

The Chosen by Chaim Potok left a huge impression on me. There are so many amazing subjects that it touches on and lessons that it teaches. Then it made me tear up at the end...

North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell. I feel strangely connected to this book and I'm not sure why. It kind of fits in with those nineteenth century English romances like Pride and Prejudice and Jane Eyre, but I like it a bit better.
"And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent." John 17:3


Jetthebinturong

Lord of Shadows by Cassandra Clare. Officially my favourite out of any of her books. If you go back and read her earlier works, which I have been doing, they are rather... I don't know, cringey? But there's a clear improvement you can see. LoS is definitely my favourite of her books, and The Dark Artifices is definitely my favourite of her series, even though it's not finished yet. It has the best characters, the most interesting plotline, the best twists, the most emotion, and the most daring of anything she's written. That's not to speak of the Cohort, who are definitely not intended to bear any resemblance to any real persons living or dead *cough.*

Shades of Magic by V. E. Schwab. Just literally everything about this series. The magic system is so interesting and unique, the different worlds are all so well crafted, and the story and characters are just so captivating. And then of course there's Kell. My sweet summer child who captured my heart from the get go. Kell's feelings and struggles throughout the series are so raw and heartbreaking. All he wants is to feel like a person, and not a tool for other people to use. I love a lot of fictional characters, but Kell is on another level that very few of them reach. These books wouldn't be anywhere near as good as they are without him.
"In the meantime, no one should roam the camp alone. Use the buddy system."
"Understood." Will looked at Nico. "Will you be my buddy?"
"You're a dork," Nico announced.
~ The Hidden Oracle, Rick Riordan

KoudoawaiaVortex

One Tuesday Morning and Beyond Tuesday Morning by Karen Kingsbury. It's about a woman whose firefighter husband is one of the responders on 9/11. I'm afraid to say more for fear of spoilers but they're both pretty emotional reads and those stuck with me.

Also the Angels Watching Over Me series by Michael Phillips. A post-Civil former slave girl and a white plantation owners' daughter meet after both their families have been slaughtered and become the best of friends while trying to keep up the pretense of the plantation owners' daughters'  parents being alive so no one takes the plantation. Small spoiler: They do find out they're actually cousins.

Jukka the Sling

Wow, the second series sounds fascinating.  I'll have to look into it!
"The world is indeed full of peril, and in it there are many dark places; but still there is much that is fair, and though in all lands love is now mingled with grief, it grows perhaps the greater." ~J.R.R. Tolkien