What are your five-star books? - Page 2

BenG · 08-18-2010, 12:13 PM

I'm inconsistent about rating books on Calibre. Less than half are rated but these are some of my 5 star books.

To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis
Dune by Frank Herbert
His Dark Materials Trilogy by Philip Pullman
The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde
Dangerous Visions edited by Harlan Ellison
Ella Minnow Pea by Mark Dunn
Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut
Jurgen by James Branch Cabell
The Stupidest Angel by Christopher Moore
LOTR by JRR Tolkien
The Silmarillion by JRR Tolkien
We the Underpeople by Cordwainer Smith
When the People Fell by Cordwainer Smith
The Haunting of Hill House
Hogfather by Terry Pratchett
Our Man in Havana by Graham Greene
Raney by Clyde Edgerton
Watership Down by Richard Adams
The Lion of Boaz-Jachin and Jachin-Boaz by Russell Hoban
The Mysterious Island by Jules Verne
Dream Quest of Unknown Kadath by H.P. Lovecraft
Don Quixote by Cervantes (translated by Ellen Goldman)
The Gift Of The Magi by O. Henry
The Stand by Stephen King
Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie
The Chop Girl by Ian R. MacLeod
Prince of Tides by Pat Conroy
Flashman by George MacDonald Fraser
Shogun by James Clavell
Gone With the Wind by Margeret Mitchell
A Lady's Life in the Rocky Mountains by Isabella L. Bird
Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry

Looks like most of McMurtry's books are available as ebooks now.

bjones6416 · 08-18-2010, 12:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BenG

I'm inconsistent about rating books on Calibre. Less than half are rated but these are some of my 5 star books.

To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis
Dune by Frank Herbert reading now
His Dark Materials Trilogy by Philip Pullman
The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde
Dangerous Visions edited by Harlan Ellison
Ella Minnow Pea by Mark Dunn
Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut
Jurgen by James Branch Cabell
The Stupidest Angel by Christopher Moore
LOTR by JRR Tolkien
The Silmarillion by JRR Tolkien
We the Underpeople by Cordwainer Smith
When the People Fell by Cordwainer Smith
The Haunting of Hill House
Hogfather by Terry Pratchett
Our Man in Havana by Graham Greene
Raney by Clyde Edgerton
Watership Down by Richard Adams
The Lion of Boaz-Jachin and Jachin-Boaz
The Mysterious Island by Jules Verne
Dream Quest of Unknown Kadath by H.P. Lovecraft
Don Quixote by Cervantes (translated by Ellen Goldman)
The Gift Of The Magi by O. Henry
The Stand by Stephen King
Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie
The Chop Girl by Ian R. MacLeod
Prince of Tides by Pat Conroy
Flashman by George MacDonald Fraser
Shogun by James Clavell
Gone With the Wind by Margeret Mitchell
A Lady's Life in the Rocky Mountains by Isabella L. Bird
Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry

I've read (and liked) enough of the books on your list that I think I need to explore some of the ones I haven't read! Thanks for the suggestions...

nachtxeule · 08-18-2010, 04:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sweetpea

I never rate my books, still haven't found a good management product for books.

goodreads.com

works on mobile phones and iphone app

syncs with facebook as well

GA Russell · 08-18-2010, 05:24 PM

Otley Victorious by Martin Waddell
The Third Man by Graham Greene
Dracula by Bram Stoker
The Spike by Arnaud de Borchgrave

nursedude · 08-18-2010, 06:45 PM

Lucifer's Hammer - Larry Niven
Reilly's Luck - Louis L'amour
Door into Summer - Robert Heinlein
Job: A Comedy of Errors - Robert Heinlein

wayspooled · 08-19-2010, 01:35 AM

The Glory and the Dream: A Narrative History of America, 1932-1972 by William Manchester
The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
The Pride of Chanur - CJ Cherryh
Pawn in Frankincense - Dorothy Dunnett
Leave it to Psmith - PG Wodehouse
The Duke Decides - John R. Tunis
Shut Up and Eat Your Snowshoes - Jack Douglas
Alas Babylon - Pat Frank
John Adams by David McCullough
Les Miserables by Victor Hugo
Twenty Years After - Alexandre Dumas
The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
The Goal by Eliyahu M. Goldratt
The Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien
The Best and The Brightest by David Halberstam
The Aubrey/Maturin novels by Patrick O'Brian (yeah, it's really a 7000 pg novel)
Dangerous to man; wild animals: a definitive study of their reputed dangers to man, by
Roger A. Caras
8 Million Ways to Die - Lawrence Block
Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury
Independence Day by Richard Ford
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
The Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett
A Bend in the River - V. Naipaul
Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry
Edward R. Murrow and the Birth of Broadcast Journalism by Bob Edwards
The Stand - Stephen King
Sacaramouche by Rafael Sabatini
The Great Hunt - Robert Jordan
The House Guests by John D. MacDonald
Advise and Consent by Allen Drury
A Fire Upon The Deep by Vernor Vinge
Oliver Wiswell by Kenneth Roberts
The Stuff of Thought: Language as a Window into Human Nature by Steven Pinker
Tarzan of the Apes by Edgar Rice Burroughs

wayspooled · 08-19-2010, 01:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JeremyZ

I really like these threads. If I can find a book or two that I really liked in someone else's list, I can be pretty confident that I will like it too.

Here are mine; I may edit this post later as more occur to me:

Sherlock Holmes (all of them), by Arthur Conan Doyle
The Lord of the Rings, by: J.R.R. Tolkien
The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien
The Bachman Books, by Stephen King
The Count of Monte Christo, by Alexandre Dumas
A Tale of Two Cities, by Charles Dickens
short stories, by Edgar Allen Poe
The Vampire Chronicles, by Anne Rice
Dracula, by Bram Stoker
Don Quixote, by Miguel Cervantes

I'm sure Tolkien will be a popular one. For those of you who liked LoTR and The Hobbit, look into his short stories. I bought one book, I can't recall the exact title, but it had 'green' in it, and I remember really liking it. I couldn't get through The Silmarillion though.

I was tempted to put A Tale of Two Cities on my list also but my list was just getting so long. And while I love Sherlock, my favorite memory of Doyle was discovering he'd written something I liked even better, The White Company.

And I remember reading Dracula one night in college, staying up all night and blowing off a morning class to finish it. I was amazed it wasn't like the movies hehe...

Ea · 08-19-2010, 04:29 AM

Out of about 900 books, and in no particular order:

Runemarks by Joanne Harris
Aspects of the Novel by E.M. Forster
The Children's Book by A.S. Byatt
Shades of Grey: The Road to High Saffron (Shades of Grey, #1) by Jasper Fforde
Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke
Silk Road: A Novel of Eighth-Century China by Jeanne Larsen
First Among Sequels (Thursday Next, #5) by Jasper Fforde
Goodbye to Berlin by Christopher Isherwood
Therapy by David Lodge
Fingersmith by Sarah Waters
Christopher and His Kind by Christopher Isherwood
A Case of Curiosities by Allen Kurzweil
The Cunning Man by Robertson Davies
My Family and Other Animals by Gerald Durrell
The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
J.R.R. Tolkien: Author of the Century by T.A. Shippey
Maurice by E.M. Forster
The Master of all Desires by Judith Merkle Riley
Behind the Scenes at the Museum by Kate Atkinson
Le Livre de saphir by Gilbert Sinoué
The Beacon at Alexandria (The Hera Series) by Gillian Bradshaw
The Well of Lost Plots (Thursday Next, #3) by Jasper Fforde
The Long Dark Tea-time of the Soul (Dirk Gently, #2) by Douglas Adams
Foucault's Pendulum by Umberto Eco

Edit, added: I now actually downgraded a few books while assembling this list - I have been more generous that I thought I was

FlorenceArt · 08-19-2010, 04:52 AM

Graham Greene -
I remember laughing to tears while reading Our Man in Havana

I don't think I read The Third Man, the movie was so great, I didn't feel like reading another version. Maybe it's time I did...

Umberto Eco - oh yes! Though I think my favorite was The Island of the Day Before (I hope that is the correct English title). I remember the mention of the mountains of iron that must be at the North Pole, to explain why the compass needle pointed North.

And thinking about Eco also puts to mind An Instance of the Finger Post, by Iain Pears. Very different, but another description of how learned men of past centuries approached science and the pursuit of knowledge.

I would give An Instance of the Finger Post and The Island of the Day Before at least a 4.5. I always hesitate to give the absolute best rating to a book though, so I have a lot of 4.5 on LT and very few 5.

TimMason · 08-19-2010, 05:33 AM

If early science is your cup of tea, Neal Stephenson's 'The Baroque Trilogy', (Quicksilver, The Confusion, The System of the World) is a multilayered work that has swash, buckle, the beginnings of modern capitalism, and a fascinating and well-researched look at the the birth of the Royal Society, with Hooke and Newton in starring roles. Guest appearance by the Sun King, an updated Angelique, a search for pirate's gold, all making for a heady brew.

FlorenceArt · 08-19-2010, 05:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TimMason

If early science is your cup of tea, Neal Stephenson's 'The Baroque Trilogy', (Quicksilver, The Confusion, The System of the World) is a multilayered work that has swash, buckle, the beginnings of modern capitalism, and a fascinating and well-researched look at the the birth of the Royal Society, with Hooke and Newton in starring roles. Guest appearance by the Sun King, an updated Angelique, a search for pirate's gold, all making for a heady brew.

Oh yes, I loved that one too

SlowRain · 08-19-2010, 05:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Patricia Ryan

Rose/Martin Cruz Smith
Presumed Innocent.../Scott Turow

Ah, two of my favorites. Ever read Gorky Park?

My five-star books:

Snow Falling on Cedars by David Guterson
A Perfect Spy by John le Carré
The Heart of the Matter by Graham Greene
The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro

The list of four-and-a-half-star books is a little longer.

Ea · 08-19-2010, 06:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hgwlackey

I loved Dark Places. I just finished Sharp Objects the other night...and now I'm sad that I'm out of Gillian Flynn to read!

These are my 5-stars for this year so far:
..
The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters
...

Have you tried reading other of her books? Fingersmith has some really great and unexpected plot twists.

bjones6416 · 08-19-2010, 06:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TimMason

If early science is your cup of tea, Neal Stephenson's 'The Baroque Trilogy', (Quicksilver, The Confusion, The System of the World) is a multilayered work that has swash, buckle, the beginnings of modern capitalism, and a fascinating and well-researched look at the the birth of the Royal Society, with Hooke and Newton in starring roles. Guest appearance by the Sun King, an updated Angelique, a search for pirate's gold, all making for a heady brew.

I loved those too! I wish I had been reading e-books when I read those, because that series is in a big ol' bag on the floor in front of me right now. I haven't found any friends or family willing to tackle that much weight! :-)

ErwinOtten · 08-19-2010, 03:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SlowRain

Ever read Gorky Park?

Now that you mention it

Everything by Martin Cruz Smith concerning Arkady Renko
George RR Martin's Song of Ice and Fire
LOTR
Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice
The Summer of Katya by Trevanian

And a lot more I just can't remember because I don't keep track of my readings (no more than my signature anyway

)

08-18-2010, 12:13 PM	#16
BenG Home Guard Posts: 4,729 Karma: 86721650 Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Alpha Ralpha Boulevard Device: Kindle Oasis 3G, iPhone 6	I'm inconsistent about rating books on Calibre. Less than half are rated but these are some of my 5 star books. To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis Dune by Frank Herbert His Dark Materials Trilogy by Philip Pullman The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde Dangerous Visions edited by Harlan Ellison Ella Minnow Pea by Mark Dunn Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut Jurgen by James Branch Cabell The Stupidest Angel by Christopher Moore LOTR by JRR Tolkien The Silmarillion by JRR Tolkien We the Underpeople by Cordwainer Smith When the People Fell by Cordwainer Smith The Haunting of Hill House Hogfather by Terry Pratchett Our Man in Havana by Graham Greene Raney by Clyde Edgerton Watership Down by Richard Adams The Lion of Boaz-Jachin and Jachin-Boaz by Russell Hoban The Mysterious Island by Jules Verne Dream Quest of Unknown Kadath by H.P. Lovecraft Don Quixote by Cervantes (translated by Ellen Goldman) The Gift Of The Magi by O. Henry The Stand by Stephen King Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie The Chop Girl by Ian R. MacLeod Prince of Tides by Pat Conroy Flashman by George MacDonald Fraser Shogun by James Clavell Gone With the Wind by Margeret Mitchell A Lady's Life in the Rocky Mountains by Isabella L. Bird Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry Looks like most of McMurtry's books are available as ebooks now. Last edited by BenG; 08-18-2010 at 12:35 PM.

08-18-2010, 05:24 PM	#19
GA Russell Montreal wins Grey Cup! Posts: 7,583 Karma: 31484197 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Raleigh, NC Device: Paperwhite, Kindles 10 & 4 and jetBook Lite	Otley Victorious by Martin Waddell The Third Man by Graham Greene Dracula by Bram Stoker The Spike by Arnaud de Borchgrave Last edited by GA Russell; 08-18-2010 at 05:46 PM.

08-19-2010, 01:35 AM	#21
wayspooled Crab In The Dark Posts: 486 Karma: 2328180 Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Virginia Device: Tablet PC until a 10" comes out that I like	The Glory and the Dream: A Narrative History of America, 1932-1972 by William Manchester The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck The Pride of Chanur - CJ Cherryh Pawn in Frankincense - Dorothy Dunnett Leave it to Psmith - PG Wodehouse The Duke Decides - John R. Tunis Shut Up and Eat Your Snowshoes - Jack Douglas Alas Babylon - Pat Frank John Adams by David McCullough Les Miserables by Victor Hugo Twenty Years After - Alexandre Dumas The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas The Goal by Eliyahu M. Goldratt The Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien The Best and The Brightest by David Halberstam The Aubrey/Maturin novels by Patrick O'Brian (yeah, it's really a 7000 pg novel) Dangerous to man; wild animals: a definitive study of their reputed dangers to man, by Roger A. Caras 8 Million Ways to Die - Lawrence Block Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury Independence Day by Richard Ford Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen The Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett A Bend in the River - V. Naipaul Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry Edward R. Murrow and the Birth of Broadcast Journalism by Bob Edwards The Stand - Stephen King Sacaramouche by Rafael Sabatini The Great Hunt - Robert Jordan The House Guests by John D. MacDonald Advise and Consent by Allen Drury A Fire Upon The Deep by Vernor Vinge Oliver Wiswell by Kenneth Roberts The Stuff of Thought: Language as a Window into Human Nature by Steven Pinker Tarzan of the Apes by Edgar Rice Burroughs Last edited by wayspooled; 08-24-2010 at 05:45 AM.

08-19-2010, 04:29 AM	#23
Ea Wizard Posts: 3,490 Karma: 5239563 Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Denmark Device: Kindle 3\|iPad air\|iPhone 4S	Out of about 900 books, and in no particular order: Runemarks by Joanne Harris Aspects of the Novel by E.M. Forster The Children's Book by A.S. Byatt Shades of Grey: The Road to High Saffron (Shades of Grey, #1) by Jasper Fforde Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke Silk Road: A Novel of Eighth-Century China by Jeanne Larsen First Among Sequels (Thursday Next, #5) by Jasper Fforde Goodbye to Berlin by Christopher Isherwood Therapy by David Lodge Fingersmith by Sarah Waters Christopher and His Kind by Christopher Isherwood A Case of Curiosities by Allen Kurzweil The Cunning Man by Robertson Davies My Family and Other Animals by Gerald Durrell The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien J.R.R. Tolkien: Author of the Century by T.A. Shippey Maurice by E.M. Forster The Master of all Desires by Judith Merkle Riley Behind the Scenes at the Museum by Kate Atkinson Le Livre de saphir by Gilbert Sinoué The Beacon at Alexandria (The Hera Series) by Gillian Bradshaw The Well of Lost Plots (Thursday Next, #3) by Jasper Fforde The Long Dark Tea-time of the Soul (Dirk Gently, #2) by Douglas Adams Foucault's Pendulum by Umberto Eco Edit, added: I now actually downgraded a few books while assembling this list - I have been more generous that I thought I was Last edited by Ea; 08-19-2010 at 04:34 AM.

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08-18-2010, 06:45 PM	#20
nursedude Zealot Posts: 131 Karma: 17102 Join Date: May 2010 Location: Ontario, Canada Device: Kobo (Original), KT, iPad 1, iPhone 4S, iPad 3rd gen	Lucifer's Hammer - Larry Niven Reilly's Luck - Louis L'amour Door into Summer - Robert Heinlein Job: A Comedy of Errors - Robert Heinlein

08-19-2010, 04:52 AM	#24
FlorenceArt High Priestess Posts: 5,761 Karma: 5042529 Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Montreuil sous bois, France Device: iPad Pro 9.7, iPhone 6 Plus	Graham Greene - I remember laughing to tears while reading Our Man in Havana I don't think I read The Third Man, the movie was so great, I didn't feel like reading another version. Maybe it's time I did... Umberto Eco - oh yes! Though I think my favorite was The Island of the Day Before (I hope that is the correct English title). I remember the mention of the mountains of iron that must be at the North Pole, to explain why the compass needle pointed North. And thinking about Eco also puts to mind An Instance of the Finger Post, by Iain Pears. Very different, but another description of how learned men of past centuries approached science and the pursuit of knowledge. I would give An Instance of the Finger Post and The Island of the Day Before at least a 4.5. I always hesitate to give the absolute best rating to a book though, so I have a lot of 4.5 on LT and very few 5.

08-19-2010, 05:33 AM	#25
TimMason Big Ears Posts: 191 Karma: 2229 Join Date: May 2010 Location: Pontoise, France Device: Onyx Boox 60, iPad	If early science is your cup of tea, Neal Stephenson's 'The Baroque Trilogy', (Quicksilver, The Confusion, The System of the World) is a multilayered work that has swash, buckle, the beginnings of modern capitalism, and a fascinating and well-researched look at the the birth of the Royal Society, with Hooke and Newton in starring roles. Guest appearance by the Sun King, an updated Angelique, a search for pirate's gold, all making for a heady brew.

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