# Books you couldn't put down **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 30, 2011, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-you-couldnt-put-down/590803 "2011-07-30T02:30:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Jamaika\_a\_jamaikaiake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7993a0/32.png) [@Jamaika\_a\_jamaikaiake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jamaika_a_jamaikaiake)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2011, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-you-couldnt-put-down/590803/41 "2011-08-01T16:17:15Z")
I stayed up all night reading **Animal Farm** once. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2011, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-you-couldnt-put-down/590803/42 "2011-08-01T16:24:40Z")
> [@Jamaika\_a\_jamaikaiake](#): > > I stayed up all night reading **Animal Farm** once. All night? It is only about 140 pages long in paperback. I like it too but it was everyone’s go-to book for book reports when I was in school because you can read it in an hour or two tops. Most of us gave many book reports on Animal Farm over the years because of that. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2011, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-you-couldnt-put-down/590803/43 "2011-08-01T17:04:32Z")
> [@Nawth\_Chucka](#): > > I read, in one sitting, \*Relic \* > They made a stinky film out of it. Yup, and that stinky film is on rotation on one of the movie channels this month =( Did you know there is a sequel to Relic? [Reliquary](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reliquary_%28novel%29). Well, there are more in the series but we haven’t gotten them so I can’t say if they are any good, but at least Reliquary is still pretty good. I read the newest to me Janet Evanovich, Smokin’ Seventeen last night, mrAru picked it up at the exchange yesterday. ---
**Author:** ![Sateryn76](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e4f/32.png) [@Sateryn76](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sateryn76)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2011, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-you-couldnt-put-down/590803/44 "2011-08-01T17:20:04Z")
**The Cider House Rules** by John Irving literally was something I couldn’t put down. It was excellent. Really, anything by John Irving. All of his stuff is excellent. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2011, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-you-couldnt-put-down/590803/45 "2011-08-01T18:44:44Z")
> [@digs](#): > > My daughter had a great line when she told me I had to read this: “It took me two weeks to get through the first third, and two long nights for the rest”. > > My stay-up-late books lately have been Young Adult\* fiction: > > \*\*\*The Hunger Games > > * * * > > \*\*\*The Knife of Never Letting Go > > * * * > > \*\*\*Yesterday When the War Began > > * * * > > All are the first book of a series, but stand up well on their own. > And totally engrossed me. Good dialog, well-paced plotting, and great characters that you actually care about. > > - Disclaimer: I am no longer Young nor an Adult. I recently finished [**The Maze Runner**](http://www.amazon.com/Maze-Runner-Trilogy-Book/dp/0385737955/), which was recommended to me by Amazon when I was looking at **The Hunger Games**. Haven’t read **THG** yet, but if you liked it, you may want to try **The Maze Runner**. It’s not quite un-put-downable, but it was entertaining and a fast read. One I found hard to put down recently was [**Hater**](http://www.amazon.com/Hater-David-Moody/dp/B003F76IFQ/), which had a great build-up for about the first half or two-thirds of the book, but then dropped off sharply at the end. Haven’t read [the next book](http://www.amazon.com/Dog-Blood-David-Moody/dp/B004NSVFP4/) yet. ---
**Author:** ![StusBlues](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@StusBlues](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StusBlues)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2011, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-you-couldnt-put-down/590803/46 "2011-08-01T19:03:21Z")
If you like baseball and have a bit of a knack for history, I’d recommend _The Great American Novel_ by Philip Roth. ETA: I just saw your prohibition on history books proper, but the Roth book certainly won’t put anyone to sleep–it’s quite funny. Most of the humor is quite viceral, though, so be prepared. ---
**Author:** ![Jamaika\_a\_jamaikaiake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7993a0/32.png) [@Jamaika\_a\_jamaikaiake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jamaika_a_jamaikaiake)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2011, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-you-couldnt-put-down/590803/47 "2011-08-01T19:12:22Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > All night? It is only about 140 pages long in paperback. I like it too but it was everyone’s go-to book for book reports when I was in school because you can read it in an hour or two tops. Most of us gave many book reports on Animal Farm over the years because of that. No, I only stayed up until 3. Some of us are slow readers. Thanks for the condescension. ---
**Author:** ![RandMcnally](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b782af/32.png) [@RandMcnally](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RandMcnally)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2011, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-you-couldnt-put-down/590803/48 "2011-08-01T19:13:32Z")
I read the entire Hunger Games series in less than 2 days. The Magicians kept me up for a while as well. ---
**Author:** ![ryan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a8b319/32.png) [@ryan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ryan)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2011, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-you-couldnt-put-down/590803/49 "2011-08-01T19:51:22Z")
The Monster Hunter International series by Larry Corriea were each read within a single day of their initial purchase. There are three so far. Great books, lots of fun to read and available in Epub format from WeScription. Werewolves, vampires, zombies, Great Old Ones, Trailer Trash Elves, helicopter gunship flying Orcs, Ghetto garden Gnomes, and guns…lots of guns! His Hard Magic (Grimnoir Chronicles #1) was also excellent. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2011, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-you-couldnt-put-down/590803/50 "2011-08-01T20:05:47Z")
> [@Jamaika\_a\_jamaikaiake](#): > > No, I only stayed up until 3. Some of us are slow readers. Thanks for the condescension. That’s no extra charge here. And not optional. You get used to it. I’m just waiting for someone to sneer at my “kid book” selections. Then I’ll pull out my comic book recommendations: “I stayed up all night reading Spider-Man 2099, issues 1-25, written by Peter David… I mean, when I found out Miguel’s secret, I couldn’t put 'em down!” ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2011, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-you-couldnt-put-down/590803/51 "2011-08-01T22:16:15Z")
_The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress_ . ---
**Author:** ![Rhodes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhodes/32/273_2.png) [@Rhodes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhodes)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2011, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-you-couldnt-put-down/590803/52 "2011-08-01T22:25:18Z")
> [@Lynn\_Bodoni](#): > > _Good Omens_ by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman deserves a permanent home in your Nook, if you don’t have it already. Quite possibly the funniest book in the English language, and very re-readable. Agreed. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2011, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-you-couldnt-put-down/590803/53 "2011-08-01T22:28:08Z")
> [@Sateryn76](#): > > **The Cider House Rules** by John Irving literally was something I couldn’t put down. It was excellent. > > Really, anything by John Irving. All of his stuff is excellent. I’m not sure about “all,” but _A Widow for One Year_ and _The World According to Garp_ are first-rate. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2011, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-you-couldnt-put-down/590803/54 "2011-08-01T22:32:02Z")
> [@digs](#): > > My daughter had a great line when she told me I had to read this: “It took me two weeks to get through the first third, and two long nights for the rest”…[/SIZE] LOL - I found much the same. It took a while for it to become gripping. I’m annoyed at my library system right now, I’ve been looking up practically every book suggested (that I haven’t already read) and it’s had, so far, ONE of them in ebook format. I’ve read a lot (but not all) of the suggested SF. I’m on the waiting list for To Say Nothing Of The Dog, and am working through the “Three Men In A Boat” which was so heavily referenced in that :). ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2011, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-you-couldnt-put-down/590803/55 "2011-08-01T22:56:28Z")
I don’t know if this counts as a book but there was this instruction manual for a hot glue gun that I just could not let go of. ;):D:cool: ---
**Author:** ![browncoat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f08c70/32.png) [@browncoat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/browncoat)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2011, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-you-couldnt-put-down/590803/56 "2011-08-01T23:18:59Z")
House of Leaves - Mark Z Danielewski The Time Traveler’s Wife - Audrey Niffenegger Name of the Wind & The Wisemans Fear - Patrick Rothfuss ---
**Author:** ![Maiira](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f04885/32.png) [@Maiira](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maiira)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2011, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-you-couldnt-put-down/590803/57 "2011-08-02T02:20:31Z")
This is fantasy, not sci-fi, but I absolutely cannot get enough of the _Song of Ice and Fire_ series, by George R. R. Martin. There’s lots of violence, particularly violence against women, which puts me in a state of RAGE if I’m in the wrong mood…but I just can’t stop! Very crapsack world, but a very compelling story nonetheless. ---
**Author:** ![Arrendajo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Arrendajo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arrendajo)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2011, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-you-couldnt-put-down/590803/58 "2011-08-02T02:41:03Z")
> [@digs](#): > > My daughter had a great line when she told me I had to read this: “It took me two weeks to get through the first third, and two long nights for the rest”. > > My stay-up-late books lately have been Young Adult\* fiction: > > \*\*\*The Hunger Games > > * * * > > \*\*\*The Knife of Never Letting Go > > * * * > > \*\*\*Yesterday When the War Began > > * * * > > All are the first book of a series, but stand up well on their own. > And totally engrossed me. Good dialog, well-paced plotting, and great characters that you actually care about. > > - Disclaimer: I am no longer Young nor an Adult. I read a lot of young adult fiction too; those you listed are good books, but the one I could not put down was \*\*Life as We Knew It \*\*by Susan Pfeffer. Synopsis: an asteroid slams into the moon, knocking it into a new orbit, which causes catastrophic natural disasters on Earth. Eventually people have to make some really tough decisions. It is written as the journal of a teenaged girl. I remember thinking “Oh, I’ll read just one more chapter,” as I looked at the clock: 2:00 a.m. ---
**Author:** ![jabiru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bbce88/32.png) [@jabiru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jabiru)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2011, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-you-couldnt-put-down/590803/59 "2011-08-02T05:32:08Z")
I couldn’t put down _The Handmaid’s Tale._ ---
**Author:** ![zephyr9](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/9fc348/32.png) [@zephyr9](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zephyr9)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2011, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-you-couldnt-put-down/590803/60 "2011-08-02T06:00:34Z")
\*\*Life of Pi.[/\*\*SIZE] [SIZE=“2”]by Yan Martel. It’s a multi tiered allegory about how we assign meaning to experience, it’s a mind-fuck. **Slaughterhouse Five** , Kurt Vonnegut. Science fiction I guess, and \*\*Welcome to the Monkey House \*\*by him too. He’s so compassionate. **Heat.** Short stories by Joyce Caroll Oates. Good stories about everything. Woman on the Edge of Time, by Marge Piercy. A utopian fantasy. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-you-couldnt-put-down/590803.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-you-couldnt-put-down/590803.md?page=4)