# List your three favorite books **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 28, 2012, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-your-three-favorite-books/614285 "2012-02-28T21:34:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Southern\_Yankee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/southern_yankee/32/2800_2.png) [@Southern\_Yankee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Southern_Yankee)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2012, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-your-three-favorite-books/614285/1 "2012-02-28T21:34:49Z")
I’m sure this has been done before, but I searched this forum for “favorite” in thread titles, and went back 3 pages without finding anything so I figure I’m good. Please just list three. I’m sure many of us have a hard time narrowing it down, but try. After much thought, I will start with: [ol] [li]_For Whom the Bell Tolls_ - Hemingway[/li][li]_A Prayer for Owen Meany_ - John Irving[/li][li]\*The Brothers K \*- David James Duncan[/li][/ol] ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2012, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-your-three-favorite-books/614285/2 "2012-02-28T21:37:16Z")
_A Tale Of Two Cities The Lord of The Rings Villette_ ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2012, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-your-three-favorite-books/614285/3 "2012-02-28T21:43:23Z")
Oh, this is hard! So many good books I have, or have read. Does #1 have to be the most favorite, or does order not matter? 1. _To Kill a Mockingbird_, by Harper Lee 2. _In This House of Brede_, by Rumer Godden 3. _Double Star_, by Robert Heinlein Of course now I’ll keep second guessing myself, and changing my mind. It’s almost impossible to compare books. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2012, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-your-three-favorite-books/614285/4 "2012-02-28T21:51:36Z")
“Catch 22” by Joseph Heller. “The Stand” by Stephen King. “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” by Douglas Adams (I met my husband because of my love for this one 🙂 ). ---
**Author:** ![florez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b9e5f3/32.png) [@florez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/florez)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2012, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-your-three-favorite-books/614285/5 "2012-02-28T21:58:42Z")
100 Years of Solitude Gabriel Garcia Marquez My Antonia Willa Cather The Pearl John Steinbeck ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2012, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-your-three-favorite-books/614285/6 "2012-02-28T21:59:41Z")
Somebody said Villette somebody said Villette somebody said Villette!!! The Bluest Eye Farmer Boy Howard’s End (A Little Princess Villette) ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2012, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-your-three-favorite-books/614285/7 "2012-02-28T22:18:48Z")
I have a bound copy of the first three Hornblower novels, so that counts as one. Thus - [ul][li]_Pride and Prejudice_[/li][li]_The Maltese Falcon_[/li][li]_Captain Horatio Hornblower_[/ul][/li] Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2012, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-your-three-favorite-books/614285/8 "2012-02-28T22:19:30Z")
_The Moon is a Harsh Mistress_ - RAH _Night Watch_ - Pterry _Starship Troopers_ - RAH ---
**Author:** ![Invisible\_Chimp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/f05b48/32.png) [@Invisible\_Chimp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Invisible_Chimp)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2012, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-your-three-favorite-books/614285/9 "2012-02-28T22:20:24Z")
This list is only valid today. Ask me tomorrow and the list will possibly be different. Also, this is in no particular order. _Lolita_ by Vladimir Nabokov _The Omnivore’s Dilemma_ by Michael Pollan _Chronicle of a Death Foretold_ by Gabriel Garcia Marquez ---
**Author:** ![Laggard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9de053/32.png) [@Laggard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laggard)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2012, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-your-three-favorite-books/614285/10 "2012-02-28T22:21:24Z")
Grapes of Wrath All Quiet on the Western Front Portnoy’s Complaint ---
**Author:** ![Invisible\_Chimp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/f05b48/32.png) [@Invisible\_Chimp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Invisible_Chimp)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2012, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-your-three-favorite-books/614285/11 "2012-02-28T22:23:17Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > _The Moon is a Harsh Mistress_ - RAH > _Night Watch_ - Pterry > _Starship Troopers_ - RAH This is what I mean. As I was typing up my list, so too this list. Two of these books would be in consideration for my list tomorrow because I forgot about them. The third one wouldn’t only because I haven’t read it. ---
**Author:** ![Southern\_Yankee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/southern_yankee/32/2800_2.png) [@Southern\_Yankee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Southern_Yankee)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2012, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-your-three-favorite-books/614285/12 "2012-02-28T22:26:31Z")
And it only took to post #3 for me to change my own mind… TKAMB! :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Southern\_Yankee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/southern_yankee/32/2800_2.png) [@Southern\_Yankee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Southern_Yankee)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2012, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-your-three-favorite-books/614285/13 "2012-02-28T22:27:37Z")
> [@Invisible\_Chimp](#): > > This list is only valid today. Ask me tomorrow and the list will possibly be different. Understood. Aren’t books fantastic? Boggles my mind when I keep meeting people who don’t read for pleasure… ---
**Author:** ![Estilicon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/848f3c/32.png) [@Estilicon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Estilicon)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2012, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-your-three-favorite-books/614285/14 "2012-02-28T22:29:22Z")
Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov Ficciones, by Jorge Luis Borges Red and Black by Stendhal By I could very easily replace those with other choices ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2012, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-your-three-favorite-books/614285/15 "2012-02-28T22:48:14Z")
_Ulysses_ - Joyce _Finnegans Wake_ - Joyce _Little, Big_ - Crowley The first two are obvious joyces; the third a bit arbitrary. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Accident](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Mr.Accident](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Accident)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2012, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-your-three-favorite-books/614285/16 "2012-02-28T22:59:16Z")
1. The Fire Rose. The first romance book I ever read. 2. The Stand. The book that got me reading post apocalyptic genre. Also the first book I read that had more than 1000 pages. 3. The First Evil. It’s a young adult horror novel by R.L. Stine. If it weren’t for this book, I’d never have gotten into reading like I am now, and my life would be completely different from what it is now. ---
**Author:** ![phreesh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9fc29f/32.png) [@phreesh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phreesh)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2012, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-your-three-favorite-books/614285/17 "2012-02-28T23:13:14Z")
Watchmen - Moore Best graphic novel ever Dragonlance Chronicles Trilogy - Weiss and Hickman First fantasy novels I fell in love with A Voyage for Madmen - Nichols Incredible true story that started a love of nautical books ---
**Author:** ![sitchensis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sitchensis/32/4892_2.png) [@sitchensis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sitchensis)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2012, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-your-three-favorite-books/614285/18 "2012-02-28T23:19:02Z")
“Sometimes a Great Notion” Ken Kesey “The Winter of Our Discontent” John Steinbeck “The Power of One” Bryce Courtenay, a great book for young men ---
**Author:** ![RikWriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/49beb7/32.png) [@RikWriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RikWriter)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2012, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-your-three-favorite-books/614285/19 "2012-02-28T23:19:14Z")
Voice of the Whirlwind by Walter Jon Williams Have Space Suit, Will Travel by Robert Heinlein Ariel by Stephen R. Boyett ---
**Author:** ![Icerigger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icerigger/32/432_2.png) [@Icerigger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icerigger)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2012, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-your-three-favorite-books/614285/20 "2012-02-28T23:20:14Z")
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