I have only read 'The Second Sex' of Simone de Beauvoir. Was an impressive book.

Quite an impressive feat for such an erudite poster.

You read lots of non-fiction?

hi doggy my pick is a day in the life of ivan (think thats right first name)denisovich by Alexander Solhenitzen forgive my spelling but hope you know which book i mean 

@Loek: I had to read "The Second Sex" in college. Even though it had a coldness about it, I thought is was really good!

Edit: "She came to stay" was her first novel. I also liked "Nausea" quite a bit, from JPS. His first novel as well, I believe:)

I wish I did but I've never read any Russian authors.

I usually stick to British and American fiction.

Yes, I like to read philosophical books, but only the originals themselves.

I am currently reading an inspiring book 'Triumph of the City' by Edward Glaeser. Makes me love to live with my heart in Rotterdam.

"Airport" by Arthur Hailey ranks right up there.  Great story.  (Terrible movie.)

30 weeks in the top spot on the New York Times best-seller list.

She wrote indeed with distance about the subject, but that is why it could convince me probably more. If she would have written it with emotion, then might I have felt attacked (being a member of the first sex) and put it away. Now did I keep on reading - and feeling - it.

I only read Being and Nothingness of JPS. But that is already a long time ago.

"Being and Nothingness" I thought was great, but not necessarily for the philosophy(though the ontology is really, really interesting), but more because of the psychological state of JPS. Not only does he continue his perspective of The Other, and carry it on into such un-philosophical subjects like sado-masochism, but his endless examples of everyday life really got me thinking about how 'his' particular mind works over how consciousness in general works. It's pretty neat, and was well worth the many months I spent trying to figure it out

Wow, I have to read it again.

I remember from it that existence precedes essence, which implies that you can not describe yourself/any other and that his conclusions seemed at first sight counterintuitive until you read how he came to that conclusion. That is for me similar to questions like 'the sound of one clapping hand'. The crazyness of that question is the experience of yourself beyond any well known structure.

But it was a very lonely world in which you could not be yourself, yet everything was perceived from the egocentric viewpoint.

Furthermore do I remember that he was very strict about responsibility. It is your freedom - and choice - hence inevitably and totally yours. I like(d) the latter.

Thunder Point by Jack Higgins

LotR, Hobbit

Now reading Silmarillion

Well, you're in luck: try Crime and Punishment!

Le Hussard sur le toit by Giono, of course.
Beautifully written and epic 

A Soldier of the Great War by Mark Helprin is one of my favorites. Not sure if I have an absolute favorite.

That reminds me of Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut and All quiet from the Western front by Remarque.

The Last Stand by Stephen King

Has anyone read...

Catch 22 by Joseph Heller.

Typically I read non-fiction so I had to think about that one...

doggy i agree with down and out in paris and london cracking book my fave orwell is Homage To Catalonia ,Robert Tressel The Ragged Trousered Philanthropist is als a much read book by me .A day in the life ... by Solzhenitzen follows 24 hours life in a siberian prison camp  as you may notice i have a bent to left wing literature