Best books you have read in the last 12 months?

[El Presidente]

It is coming close to that travel time That I undertake each year.

Your top 2 books read in the past year. Fiction/Business/whatever.

Would love to know your thoughts and why.

[Duxnutz]

Awesome book, soon to be film. I believe the character in this book held the record for the longest survival in a raft. Just completely amazing story of human resilience in the face of extreme hardship. Puts life in perspective really well.

"Unbroken" by Laura Hildebrand

http://www.amazon.com/Unbroken-World-Survival-Resilience-Redemption/dp/1400064163

[Lant63]

Well besides my organic chemistry and microbiology texts books which were absolutely riveting reads, I have really enjoyed some of Dan Brown's recent offerings Deception Point and Inferno. Both were fabulous.

[Ken Gargett]

was just about to do a post on three books.

will still try but briefly

loved the games of thrones series but top two -

perdido street station

1Q84.

[Coolio]

Rob, i really enjoyed 'Laughing Boy' by Oliver La Farge. It's a classic, and i found it a great read and very interesting look into the clash of the modern day western world and old civilisation. It is written with a terrific turn of phrase. If you haven't already read it, i'd recommend it as a great read while you're travelling!

[Maplepie]

The Fall (La Chute) - Albert Camus

Working through the myth of sisyphus now with The Plague on the backburner.

Dr. Thompson's Fear and Loathing in the Americas is very catchy along with all his Campaign Trail editions.

Sent by the Enigma on BlackBerry.

[mikek]

The most recent 1984 I had read it 40 years ago and found it just as interesting maybe more so the second time 40 years latter!

[kwsaw63]

With the caveat that I'm a science fiction fan, the best books I've read this year have been David Weber's Safehold series. Nefarious schemes, global war, david vs goliath, romance, enemies turned friends....you name it and it has it in spades.

[merc]

Taking a break from serious stuff and have been doing some easier fiction reading lately. Some thoughts about what I've read lately:

- The Earthsea series by Ursula Le Guin is pretty good fantasy. It surprises me that Harry Potter has become so popular when there are so many better books that have been around for years.

- Everyone should read 1984 by George Orwell

- The Old Man and the Sea is a great example of Hemmingway's casual writing style

[Ken Gargett]

'love 'old man and the sea'.

the 1Q84 i mentioned is not the orwell book but rather by haruki murakami. i cannot think of a book where i was more riveted, every page, and where i had absolutely no idea what would be happening on the next page and where the book would go.

friend of mine was at uni in japan a fee years behind him. i gather he is near a rock star in japan.

if the nobel prize committee are half serious, he gets the gong.

(yes rob, you may borrow it - rob is one of the few mates i have who returns books).

[ErikB]

Spy among Friends - Ben Macintyre

An Officer and a Spy - Robert Harris

The Goldfinch - Donna Tartt

The first two are great poolside material

[...]

Forever War, by Joe Haldeman. Written during the Vietnam war as a critique of the policies and government of the time, it makes for a great sci-fi novel. The only book I have cared to revisit

[anacostiakat]

Really enjoyed Louis Bayard's historical mysteries. The Pale Blue Eye and The Black Tower I found to be very enjoyable. Going to read some of his others soon.

Also for lighter action authors I am enjoying Russell Blake. His Voynich Cypher and the Assassin Series were great.

[polarbear]

The long earth series is well worth looking into (3 books in total)

[shlomo]

Been into sci-fi/fantasy the past couple weeks. Enjoyed the first 2 in the Ender's Game series (speaker for the dead) and the Grim Company by Luke Scull. Heading into Joe Abercrombie stuff now. In a very world building, fantasy phase right now.

[Ken Gargett]

i'm not usually much of a sci-fi reader but the one i mentioned, 'perdido street station' by china mieville has to be one of the greatest of the genre. astonishing work. loved it. just finished another by him, 'the city and the city'. another cracker - detective story set in an eastern european city (imagined one) but a city that is sitting on another city (you need to read it to follow). this guy is a seriously good writer

[Fuzz]

Recently, I've been re-visiting a bunch of old fantasy/sci-fi novels I read long ago.

Robert A. Heinlein - Friday, The Moon is a Harsh Mistress

Kurt Vonnegut - Slaughterhouse 5

Philip **** - Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?

Ray Bradbury - The Illustrated Man

Isaac Asimov - Robot Dreams

Willams Gibson - Neuromancer

Spent the last couple of days looking in boxes, trying to find my old Dune and Dragonlance series books.

[...]

Recently, I've been re-visiting a bunch of old fantasy/sci-fi novels I read long ago.

Spent the last couple of days looking in boxes, trying to find my old Dune and Dragonlance series books.

The original Dune series, classic! Although recommended for the self proclaimed sci-fi geeks (me included) only

[Ken Gargett]

Recently, I've been re-visiting a bunch of old fantasy/sci-fi novels I read long ago.

Robert A. Heinlein - Friday, The Moon is a Harsh Mistress

Kurt Vonnegut - Slaughterhouse 5

Philip **** - Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?

Ray Bradbury - The Illustrated Man

Isaac Asimov - Robot Dreams

Willams Gibson - Neuromancer

Spent the last couple of days looking in boxes, trying to find my old Dune and Dragonlance series books.

the dune film was so truly appalling that it put me off trying the books. assume they are better?

[jeremyk]

Lone Survivor- Marcus Luttrell

Service- Marcus Luttrell

American Sniper- Chris Kyle

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[hulklogan]

The Great and Secret Show - Clive Barker

An unmatched horror story.

[...]

the dune film was so truly appalling that it put me off trying the books. assume they are better?

The best film version (imho) was David Lynch's way back.

[Ken Gargett]

The best film version (imho) was David Lynch's way back.

that is the only one i've seen. didn't even know of any others.

i thought it was so truly awful, i couldn't go near the books. if that is the best of them, you have put me off the books for life.

[...]

that is the only one i've seen. didn't even know of any others.

i thought it was so truly awful, i couldn't go near the books. if that is the best of them, you have put me off the books for life.

Ahah! Oh well, I did say 'recommended for the self proclaimed sci-fi geeks (me included) only', taste is a personal thing

[Pedro2486]

Recently, I've been re-visiting a bunch of old fantasy/sci-fi novels I read long ago.

Robert A. Heinlein - Friday, The Moon is a Harsh Mistress

Kurt Vonnegut - Slaughterhouse 5

Philip **** - Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?

Ray Bradbury - The Illustrated Man

Isaac Asimov - Robot Dreams

Willams Gibson - Neuromancer

Spent the last couple of days looking in boxes, trying to find my old Dune and Dragonlance series books.

Dude. Nice choices

I haven't read any Dragonlance books in ages!

I assume you've read the rest of the neuromancer books, but if not READ THEM! I only really got into cyberpunk after playing the Shadowrun RPG a bit, still a D&D guy too though.

I recently went on a bit of a nostalgia trip and reread all of David Eddings, still worth it. The newest fantasy I've read and would recommend would be the Mistborn series by Brandon Sanderson (guy who finished the Wheel of Time after Jordan passed away) still kinda troped but does take a cool new angle at a magic system.