# My friend asked me an interesting question the other day (or, another book poll) **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 16, 2000, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-friend-asked-me-an-interesting-question-the-other-day-or-another-book-poll/41386 "2000-11-16T00:26:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![dpr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8797f3/32.png) [@dpr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dpr)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2000, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-friend-asked-me-an-interesting-question-the-other-day-or-another-book-poll/41386/21 "2000-11-16T14:54:17Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Manda JO \* > \*\*_Ender’s Game_ by Orson Scott Card or \*The Princess Bride \* by Wiliam Goldman. I have had great sucess recomending thes two books to non-readers. \*\* For someone who doesn’t read much (as the OP says) these are the two perfect books. They’re certainly the two that popped into my mind. Easy to read, engaging, intelligent and leave you wanting more. And I also thought of the Count of Monte Cristo but it’s a bit mroe advanced methinks. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2000, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-friend-asked-me-an-interesting-question-the-other-day-or-another-book-poll/41386/22 "2000-11-16T15:13:42Z")
I think there are three or four modern novels that stand out far beyond the rest, but the one I’d choose for someone who hasn’t done a lot of reading would be _The Sot-Weed Factor_ by John Barth. It’s as close to the Great American Novel as anyone has come – funny, entertaining, and amazingly accurate historically (there really was an Ebeneezer Cooke and “The Sot-Weed Factor” does exist – as does the secret of the sacred eggplant 🙂 ) _Catch-22_ is a fine second choice. ---
**Author:** ![KSO](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@KSO](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KSO)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2000, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-friend-asked-me-an-interesting-question-the-other-day-or-another-book-poll/41386/23 "2000-11-16T18:18:15Z")
The Great Gatsby and The Catcher In The Rye. ---
**Author:** ![andyman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8491ac/32.png) [@andyman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andyman)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2000, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-friend-asked-me-an-interesting-question-the-other-day-or-another-book-poll/41386/24 "2000-11-16T19:34:13Z")
The only one I thought of that hasn’t been posted yet is the **Hitchhiker’s** series. ---
**Author:** ![ThreeLeggedBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b4bc9f/32.png) [@ThreeLeggedBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThreeLeggedBob)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2000, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-friend-asked-me-an-interesting-question-the-other-day-or-another-book-poll/41386/25 "2000-11-16T19:37:46Z")
Great fun, and quick: Richard Brautigan’s “Trout Fishing in America” and “A Confederate General from Big Sur”. Douglas Adams’ “Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” (Slightly) heavier: Any Sherlock Holmes. ---
**Author:** ![ThreeLeggedBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b4bc9f/32.png) [@ThreeLeggedBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThreeLeggedBob)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2000, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-friend-asked-me-an-interesting-question-the-other-day-or-another-book-poll/41386/26 "2000-11-16T19:39:16Z")
andyman, you just said that, didn’t you? Sorry. ---
**Author:** ![Suo\_Na](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/898d66/32.png) [@Suo\_Na](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suo_Na)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2000, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-friend-asked-me-an-interesting-question-the-other-day-or-another-book-poll/41386/27 "2000-11-16T20:47:03Z")
All the above are good, but I wouldn’t suggest Lord of the Rings, actually. I’m a fairly sophisticated reader, yet I’ve never been able to slog my way through Tolkien, except The Hobbit. I’m working my way up to a third try, soon, though. Suggestions: Alias Grace, by Margaret Atwood Deja Dead, by Kathy Reichs (This exercise is harder than I thought; I have almost a thousand books, yet can’t come up with suggestions!) Good Omens, by Pratchett and Gaiman Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen Non-fiction: Diane Ackerman’s A Natural History of the Senses. ---
**Author:** ![Zoff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/6de8d8/32.png) [@Zoff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoff)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2000, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-friend-asked-me-an-interesting-question-the-other-day-or-another-book-poll/41386/28 "2000-11-16T20:51:40Z")
_The Maltese Falcon_ by Dashiell Hammett. It’s very easy to read, but is an exceptionally well-written book that might help ease her into reading. ---
**Author:** ![tulip\_baroo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/77aa72/32.png) [@tulip\_baroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tulip_baroo)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2000, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-friend-asked-me-an-interesting-question-the-other-day-or-another-book-poll/41386/29 "2000-11-16T20:57:08Z")
Chinua Achebe–Things Fall Apart ---
**Author:** ![writefetus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/9de053/32.png) [@writefetus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/writefetus)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2000, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-friend-asked-me-an-interesting-question-the-other-day-or-another-book-poll/41386/30 "2000-11-16T21:14:51Z")
The Alienist by Carr or Worlds Fair by Doctorow ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2000, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-friend-asked-me-an-interesting-question-the-other-day-or-another-book-poll/41386/31 "2000-11-16T22:35:43Z")
Nobody has mentioned _Atlas Shrugged_. Oh, scratch that, you want her to enjoy reading. ---
**Author:** ![Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Goose)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2000, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-friend-asked-me-an-interesting-question-the-other-day-or-another-book-poll/41386/32 "2000-11-16T22:40:08Z")
I’ll second Stranger in A Strange Land. Lord of The Flies would be good also. ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2000, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-friend-asked-me-an-interesting-question-the-other-day-or-another-book-poll/41386/33 "2000-11-16T23:34:41Z")
I’ll second **hypergirl’s** recommendation of _The Phantom Tollbooth_. Probably my favorite book of all time, and the theme is perfect for someone who is just starting to explore. I’ll also suggest _Now and Again_ by Jack Finney. It is a mystery/science fiction/historical/romance novel. Just a great read all around. And the Harry Potters are wonderful. They are credited with getting so many people into reading. I think that this is because they put you into “can’t put it down mode,” and maybe that is the first time people have experienced that. So-called “young adult” books are a terrific place to start. So many of them are fun to read and are definitely “classics.” Recently I was feeling a bit uninterested in reading (a very new sensation) so I went and re-read a whole bunch of stuff from my childhood, and I read all the Roald Dahl books that I hadn’t read yet. (Just loved _Matilda_) That did the trick, and I am back to my old bookworm ways. Everyone else’s suggestions are great. I notice, though, that they are mostly fiction suggestions. Perhaps your friend would also like to read non-fiction stuff, too. I don’t read much fiction, myself. p.s. IIRC, _Mists of Avalon_ was written by Marion Zimmer Bradley, not Anne McCaffrey. Haven’t read it yet, but it’s supposed to be fascinating–it’s “on my list.” p.p.s. The “Oprah books” are an interesting lot. They tend to be a bit depressing and/or difficult, so I would not recommend them for a “beginner,” but if you are looking for a reading list of quality contemporary fiction, Oprah’s put together a heckuva list. p.p.s. I work in the biggest secondhand bookstore in New Jersey. If I can be of any further assistance, please email me. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2000, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-friend-asked-me-an-interesting-question-the-other-day-or-another-book-poll/41386/34 "2000-11-16T23:47:28Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Green Bean \* > p.s. IIRC, _Mists of Avalon_ was written by Marion Zimmer Bradley, not Anne McCaffrey. Haven’t read it yet, but it’s supposed to be fascinating–it’s “on my list.” > \*\* D’oh!! Of course. ---
**Author:** ![Suo\_Na](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/898d66/32.png) [@Suo\_Na](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suo_Na)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2000, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-friend-asked-me-an-interesting-question-the-other-day-or-another-book-poll/41386/35 "2000-11-16T23:53:34Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Green Bean \* > p.s. IIRC, _Mists of Avalon_ was written by Marion Zimmer Bradley, not Anne McCaffrey. Haven’t read it yet, but it’s supposed to be fascinating–it’s “on my list.” I read The Mists of Avalon in an Arthurian Legend class, and was disappointed. I suppose I might have liked it if I’d read it earlier, but I loved TH White’s The Once and Future King, and unfortunately the two books are incompatable in both “facts” (I use the term loosely) and ideology. Just felt the need to say that… ---
**Author:** ![Nacho4Sara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Nacho4Sara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nacho4Sara)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2000, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-friend-asked-me-an-interesting-question-the-other-day-or-another-book-poll/41386/36 "2000-11-17T03:40:12Z")
I recommend **A Tree Grows in Brooklyn** by Betty Smith. This book is my most favorite. I think many people write if off as a young girl’s book, but I read it when I was 15 and it changed my life. It is an easy read, but there is so much beauty and meaning in it. It’s never preachy or condescending, it’s just a story about a girl growing up and the lessons she learns. She’s born into poverty in Brooklyn at the turn of the century. I started reading it on a Sunday and stayed home from school Monday to read it. I have given away at least 8 or 9 copies - I wish it would be mandatory in middle school - the world would benefit from this book. Sadly, few people have read it, though it was hugely controversial and popular in the 1940’s when it was first released. Check it out here: [http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/006092988X/qid=974431777/sr=1-1/102-1878524-1691368](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/006092988X/qid=974431777/sr=1-1/102-1878524-1691368) Also, “Where the Heart Is” by Billie Letts is pretty simple, but a good read with memorable characters and a beautiful climax. “Memoirs of a Geisha” by Arthur Golden is incredible. Very detailed and realistic. “The Little Prince” by Auguste Sainte-Exupery is kick-ass at any age. And though it pains me terribly to write this, a lot of the books in Oprah’s Book Club are excellent (I read most before she chose them!). She chooses them beacuse she thinks they will be good for people who do not read much, and some good pics are “I Know This Much Is True” by Wallie Lamb and “Song of Solomon” by Tonie Morrison. ---
**Author:** ![Enderw24](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba9def/32.png) [@Enderw24](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enderw24)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2000, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-friend-asked-me-an-interesting-question-the-other-day-or-another-book-poll/41386/37 "2000-11-17T04:10:22Z")
Hmmm…I don’t know what to suggest. I don’t really read all that much. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![delphica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9a140/32.png) [@delphica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/delphica)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2000, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-friend-asked-me-an-interesting-question-the-other-day-or-another-book-poll/41386/38 "2000-11-17T04:13:58Z")
I would vote for the previously mentioned Ender’s Game, To Kill Mockingbird, and Harry Potter. I love Dumas, but I’m not sure I would give The Three Musketeers or Count of Monte Cristo to someone just getting into reading. I think those are more of a reward for being a good reader. Other thoughts: (aimed at children/young adults, but also good for grown-ups) – The Outsiders, S.E Hinton The Dark is Rising, Susan Cooper (for grown-ups)– Time and Again, Jack Finney All the King’s Men, Robert Penn Warren The Beet Queen, Louise Erdrich What interests does your friend have? The kind of movies she likes might steer to you pick horror, or romance, or mystery. Is she someone who likes to travel, or has a particular interest in another country or culture? Is she interested in her own ethnic heritage (in which case, Leon Uris probably has a book with her name on it)? Animals? History? Science? Art? ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2000, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-friend-asked-me-an-interesting-question-the-other-day-or-another-book-poll/41386/39 "2000-11-17T05:12:36Z")
A few personal favorites that haven’t already been suggested. Pick your own genre. Crime: _Kahawa_ by Donald Westlake Fantasy: _Devil’s Tower_ by Mark Sumner Historical: _Aztec_ by Gary Jennings Horror: _The World on Blood_ by Jonathan Nasaw Humor: _Thank You for Smoking_ by Christopher Buckley Science Fiction: _Courtship Rite_ by Donald Kingsbury Soap Opera: _A Dangerous Fortune_ by Ken Follett Spy Thriller: _The Mahdi_ by A.J. Quinnell If she doesn’t enjoy at least one of these, maybe she should try another hobby. ---
**Author:** ![iampunha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/74df32/32.png) [@iampunha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iampunha)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2000, 7:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-friend-asked-me-an-interesting-question-the-other-day-or-another-book-poll/41386/40 "2000-11-17T07:32:43Z")
Anything by James Herriot One of the Chronicles of Narnia Alan Mendelsohn: the Boy from Mars Danny Dunn, Invisible Boy Biography of Ted Kaczinsky Forrest Gump [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-friend-asked-me-an-interesting-question-the-other-day-or-another-book-poll/41386.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-friend-asked-me-an-interesting-question-the-other-day-or-another-book-poll/41386.md?page=3)