Name your all-time three favorite novels, in order. No more than three, please

Cafe Society
61

I’ve read all of Tom Robbins’ books and Jitterbug is my favorite by far.

62

A lot of good that did. Some people just can’t restrain themselves.

63

Same here. I’ve been trying, but I can’t whittle it down to less than five.

64

Sense & Sensibility, Jane Austen

A Soldier of the Great War, Mark Helprin

Bleak House, Charles Dickens

65

Illuminatus! is right up there!! I know a handful of sci-fi nerds that like one author or both, but I only know two people IRL that have read this.

66
  1. “Gone with the Wind” by Margaret Mitchell
  2. “Down the Common” by Ann Baer
  3. “Fahrenheit 451” by Ray Bradbury
67

Well obviously, you’re in the right place, -points at copy on his shelf-.

I realized I was never going to be happy with any list, and as others have mentioned, what the list is today is going to be different tomorrow, so while my first choice is more-or-less secure, the other 2 would be highly variable.

  1. Tigana, Guy Gavriel Kay
  2. Chase the Morning, Michael Scott Rohan
  3. In Conquest Born, C.S. Friedman

I have a serious thing for failed heroes, or failed people that still try to get back up which was 90% of my short list, and a couple (such as the mention of Snow Crash upthread) would have rated higher if I hadn’t just reread them. For that matter, I replaced #3 four times while I was typing this!

Things I learned today - I had temptations to self-edit the list to make it more high-brow (beaten), to remove problematic authors (still played a small part), and to avoid many books that just didn’t make the cut because I would have HAD to include a sequel (Dan Simmons Hyperion would have required the sequel).

I repeat, @Mean_Mr.Mustard is a monster. And I mean it in the nicest way.

68

I’ve also read it.

69

This was number one with a bullet for almost my whole life. I’m afraid to re-read it now in case it doesn’t feel the same anymore.

70
  1. Lonesome Dove
  2. LOTR
  3. Boys Life by Robert McCammon

I actually haven’t reread any of these in quite a while, but they are so far still my answer to this question.

71

If you do want to reread “Gone with the Wind”, you would do well to keep in mind that this novel was elemental in the great historical whitewash in romanticizing the “Lost Cause” ethos that lies at the base of the Maga Movement today. Margaret Mitchell was a true believer in the Confederate legend. Rereading this work would be an enlightening experience in understanding the opposition’s revisionist viewpoint. An absolutely relevant and worthwhile pursuit in today’s divided nation.

You don’t have to agree with a work to find it useful or even enjoyable.

72

It is hard to read a book when you are tossing it against the wall in a fit of fury every so often. :zany_face:

73

Suit yourself. Maybe you could try focusing on the book’s strong feminist message which is far more amenable to today’s standards.

74
  1. War and Remembrance by Herman Wouk (actually the second volume of The Winds of War, which I also love, but is even better)
  2. The Moneychangers by Arthur Hailey. I love all his books, but that one’s really outstanding.
  3. The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
75
  1. Lolita, Nabokov
  2. The Unprofessionals, Julie Hecht
  3. The Bus On Thursday, Shirley Barrett

(all read recently; my memory doesn’t go back that far.)

76

All three of mine are from Arthur Hailey:

–Airport

–Wheels

–The Moneychangers

77

As noted above, picking three is tough. A lot of om favorites have already been listed above. But if I went by the ones I most frequently re-read and can’t resist once I’ve got then i hand it’d be something like this:

The Lord of the Rings J.R.R. Tolkien

The Day of the Jackal Frederick Forsyth

One of C.S. Forester’s “Horatio Hornblower” novels, like Hornblower and the Atropos

78

I find the number of repeatedly mentioned titles interesting. Wonder what that says about the books, or us.

Sorry to see no other fans of Harry Crews. (I recall Ukulele Ike used to be a fan.) IMO, any reader of novels ought to at least give him a try.

79

I decided to give my favorite novel from 3 different categories.

1984 - George Orwell. The category is more society, human nature, etc.

A Prayer for Owen Meany - John Irving. Favorite story

A confession… One of my favorite type of books may be considered “chick lit”, even though I’m male. I like them as long as they are not too “chick-y”. In this category…

Big Little Lies - Liane Moriarty

80

Just as an aside, we have a cat named Doctor Henry Metzger, a favorite ar our vet’s office.