Best book you've ever read...

[bittersweet010102]

hmm... well Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson is my favourite overall. but theres so much books ive read... i dont remember half of them...

[Natalie Perkins]

I don't mean to be repetitive and redundant, but there is no denying it Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson, that was truly THEE best book I've ever read,

[sbwtwo]

I'm kind of fond of Modesitt's Recluce series, but of the long list of titles, I would say the Fall of Angels was the best and my favorite.  I recommend it to any and all--it can stand alone even though it's part of a larger series.  Kind of a cross between Sci-Fi and Fantasy (starts out as Sci-Fi and makes the transition to Fantasy), Modesitt has a knack for taking the good vs evil theme and turning it on its head.  I'm also partial to his Corean Chronicles (the first three, less so for the last three). 

Others have mentioned Dune and I agree for sci-fi, though I'm typically not a big sci-fi fan.

But I'm also a sucker for a lot of Jane Austen and find Persuasion to be my all time fave followed by Emma and Pride and Prejudice.

And LeGuin's Earthsea trilogy (the first three of this series) was really compelling (and short).

I just discovered Sanderson's Elantris and Mistborn series and am very happily devouring them.

For me, it's all about escape and feeling good about someone else learning, developing, succeeding.

Ciao.

-sbwtwo

[charity]

fantasy- I'm going to agree with the general cenus Mistborn is excellent!
non-fiction- try Reading Lolita in Tehran  or  3 weeks with my brother by Nicholas Sparks, this is a very funny book about his life and I laughed... alot
Classic- try Journey to the Center of the Earth, I read this in 9th grade and loved it, even then.

that's all I can think of now but give me an hour and I'll have a list of twenty books... and no dinner ready

[peacesells]

First post for me:

These are a few books that I've read that I could just not put down.  (Most of these were read years ago.)

Shogun - James Clavelle
The Blue Adept series - (Piers Anthony)  Read the trilogy in a weekend...(I was 17)
The Riftwar saga - Raymond Feist...even better were the books he did with Janny Wurts called The Empire trilogy.
Wizards First Rule - Terry Goodkind  (great book...although the author is a pompous fool)
Lord Fouls bane - Stephen Donaldson  (What a great concept for a fantasy book. His Gap series is good as well.)

And the king of all book/series.  The Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan. Nothing gets better than this...Can't wait to see what Brandon does with the last book.

**for complete fun and 1 sitting reads...Robert Aspirins Myth Inc series and his Phules Company series are great.**

Peace

[flex]

sbwtwo---Fantastic post, I love the recluse saga, it is very engaging and I find myself slipping into another world. The only problem with the saga is that after each book I find myself wanting to change professions..a wood carver, a blacksmith etc... I am also fond of the Black company series by Glen Cook. It can be a little Trippy at times but I still found it a fun read and a Great change Of pace.

As for best ever I fall back to the two series that introduced me not only to reading Fantasy/Sci-Fi, but to reading and writing in general. The Lord of the Rings and the Wheel of Time series. I know that everyone has read both series but I still had to mention them as they had such a large impact on me. The way Tolkein painted the portrait in my mind still sends chills down my arms. And the way Jordan wove his complex character arcs makes me thank the Gods that I Listened to the recommendation of my local Barnes and Nobel rep.

[Hoeya]

Mistborn was definitely a good book, but it is not my favorite. It really depends, but as far as the fantasy genre, I'd have to say The Deed of Paksenarrion by Elizebeth Moon. The world is immersive, the characters are well-developed and there is quite a lot of detail in the way the stories are told.

[Comfortable Madness]

Hmmmm favorite book all time? That's a tough one. The Eye of the World& Red Storm Rising are a couple that are up there on my list. The one that might stand out as my favorite very well could be The Long Walk by Richard Bachman aka Stephen King. I just couldn't put that book down and the story just stays with me.

[Lazarus404]

Excuse me if I don't find pointless explicit sexual torture as a good read.

I actually thought the Wizards Second Rule was well written, as are all of Goodkinds books. However, you are right, I think he has a few issues

Oh, btw, mine has to be "The Eye of the World". Granted, a lot of people would say that, but the Wheel of Time books have always just done it for me. The only time I've ever cried while reading a book was the part where Perrin found out his parents were murdered by Trollocs. No one can write like Jordan did!

Course, I have yet to read Brandon's books

[Comatose]

Definately, Mistborn: Final Empire, althoughI haven't read Warbreaker at all.  I think Final Empire is the best of brandon's published books that are out so far, but I am expecting a lot from heroes of ages.

Aside from that, I really like Chronicles of Narnia, Garth Nix's Keys to the Kingdom was decent, and View from the Mirror be Ian Irvine was decent as well, and that is his best quartet that I've read, the other ones kind of go down hill.

Oh, and Stardust was amazing!  I can't believ I forgot it, and it's a stand alone which is a plus, I think that's either second to Mistborn and Elantris(same author same place), or third the chronicles of narnia.

[Icefyre]

The best books I've read are, of course, the Wheel of Time series, the Otherworld series by Tad Williams, Robin Hobb's Farseer trilogy, and George R.R. Martin's Song of Ice and Fire series, which is incredible.

[Miyabi]

Mine was Elantris - Brandon Sanderson.

There was so much philosophy about the multitude of ways people try to gain power over others, and how people fear the unknown.

[Comatose]

Me and my dad did a book exchange, because we have totally different styles, he gave me some Tolstoy to read, I gave him Elantris.  I finished long before him of course (he's still going).  I thought the book was well written but I was kind of board with it, and the characters got confusing because there was so many.  My dad is really liking Elantris so far which is great because he never reads fantasy.  I think it's the Mennonite in him.  Then again, it's all I read so there you go.  I think he likes it though for the worldbuilding and all the political stuff, which is kind of like what he normally reads, but still, I'm hoping to make a Brandon convert out of him yet!  It just goes to prove how good his books are!

[Miyabi]

I LOVE Tolstoy.

[Comatose]

He's a good writer, and his stories are very well written, and  make wonderful points, with their hidden meanings and such.  I read the Forged Coupon, which was good.  It just didn't... do it for me I guess.  I got through the book, I can acknowledge it's well written, but I didn't like it very much.  Guess that's just personal preference for ya.