Since I read a lot, expecially on deployment, I have recently taken the advice of people far smarter and cooler than I and purchased…

Living the Martial Way
The Book of Five Rings
The Human Zoo
Starting Strength
On Combat

I was wondering what other books Brand X’ers hold near and dear to their hearts, always looking for a good read.  They don’t necessarily have to do with martial arts or fitness, just good books that have left a lasting impression on you.  I’ll submit my list after working through these, I already know Living the Martial Way has earned a permanent position on the top row of my bookshelf (the top row being the ones I read over and over and over again as the years go by).

Here are some books I really enjoyed reading:

-A People’s History of the United States (it is a little liberal…but it is a very well written book and very interesting)

-The World is Flat
-Blink
-Guns, Germs and Steel
-The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich
-Wealth and Democracy
-On the Road (Im currently reading this and from what ive read so far I would suggest it)

also my all time favorite fiction book

-Crime and Punishment

Ooooh! Good thread. I LOOOOOVE to read.

My favorite books:

1) The Gift of Fear (LOVE it. Got it as a gift and is usually the book I give as a gift)
2) 1000 Years for Revenge (about 9/11 Conspiracy Theories. VERY good. TRUST NO ONE!)
3) Lucky: A Memoir by Sebold. Written by a survivor of sexual assault.
4) The Lovely Bones: A novel by Sebold (About a kidnapping/murder of a small child.) HAUNTING
5) Anything by James Patterson. This is when I don’t want to think and want to be entertained. Short chapters!! (and extremely entertaining)

Currently reading (3 books bc I am ADD!)
James Patterson - 5th Horseman
Erik Jackson: A Cause to Kill For (a novel about Puerto Rican separatists)
Cornwell: Portrait of a Killer (about Jack the Ripper)

Arlene

With you on 4 & 5 - have not read the others, Arlene.

Anything by Stephen King. Leftovers from when I was fourteen and read John Saul novels my 17 year old sister left lying around.

I’ve probably read thousands of books.

James Patterson, Patricia Cornwell, John Grisham. Pretty much read anything by them.

Gone with the Wind - very good novel. Much better than the movie!
Jane Eyre - the original soap opera.
Anything by the Bronte sisters
Diary of Anne Frank
Cory Ten Boom - the Hiding Place

Pilgrims Progress
Anything by CS lewis, especially liked the Great Divorce and the Screwtape letters

Impossible to name everything and some that shaped my thoughts and mind I may not remember.

Reading is Fundemental!

“Gates Of Fire”

Steven Pressley? Priestfield? Summink like that…

The book upon which that film ‘300’ is based, awesome read.

“Living the Martial Way”
One of those books I give and recommend.  I felt like I was reading a psych book, had the feeling of “Thats why I do that” throughout the book.

For you Gunner,

On Combat is a must.  It would be a tie for me between it and Living the Martial Way!

BTW - You copy of On Combat is on order.  I will place it in the first care package. 8)

Some great books mentioned already, and a few to look into as well.  As for me, some perennial favorites not already mentioned:

-Catch-22
-Atlas Shrugged (thanks GD, finally got around to reading it and spent half the time saying “YES!  I KNOW that guy!!!!”)
-The Canturbury Tales
-A Clockwork Orange (warning - if you’ve never seen the movie, it’s pretty brutal.  If you have seen the movie, Kubrick did a good job of capturing the feel of the book and the brutality of the characters IMO.  NOT a light read)
-Ender’s Game
-All Quiet on the Western Front

Just getting into Keith Ablow’s books, he’s in the same genre as Thomas Harris, but his heroes are far more flawed.  Pretty good stuff, but again - not a light read.

LL,
 
  Thank you!  I’ll be watching for it, I read “On Killing” and was really impressed, I’m looking forward to “On Combat.”

oh i do not think there is enough room for me to list them all but i will try to provide a broad spectrum of my some of my favorites, some of them have already been listed, orsen scott card wrote some other books of interest as well by the way, could also try the fountainhead- i liked that one, yeah and cs lewis is great

Robert Jordan, Wheel of Time series is my all time top fave, there are about 12 of them now i think- can reread over and over and over….

Stranger in a strange land is a must read for everyone, and just about anything by heinlein is great

Anything written by Jane Austen

Erik Van Lustbader, the ninja- loved it

Piers Anthony, incantations of immortality series, also very great, the first book is On a Pale Horse. Amazing series

I think i love mostly Scif-fi if you do try also Larry Niven, Ursula Le Guin, Arthur C Clarke, Issac Asmov, Margaret Atwood (i think) and Tanith Lee though her writing can be a little odd, very interesting

if you like poetry i strongly recommend william blake, John Donne, Herman Melville (wrote novels too) and Emiliy Dickenson are my top favs

If you are into plays, exitentialism, i love JeanPaul Sartre, he’s amazing
Love Nietzche too, Dante

Also remembered some other favorites of mine, real easy reads- The Prydian Chronicles is a set of 5? books (really small) i think and The Dark is Rising which i believe is a group of 3 books

Oh and xenogenesis by Octavia E Butler is a really good one as well as some of her other works

ok i think i am done…..enjoy

Black Sunshine,

Where have you been????????? :shock:

1. Ender’s Game series (ender’s game, speaker for the dead, xenocide, etc.)

2. Ender’s Shadow series (Ender’s shadow, shadow the hegemon, shadow puppets, shadow of the giant)

All written by Orson Scott Card
———————-

3. The Kill Artist, The English Assassin, The Confessor, A Death in Vienna, and Prince of Fire, all by Daniel Silva (The Gabriel Allon spy series)

4. Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything by Steven Levitt

5. stuff by Heinlein

6. more to come

I’m also a big reader. Too many great ones to mention but here’s a few authors/books I particulary enjoyed:

Brad Meltzer - The Tenth Justice & Dead Even
Chuck Palahniuk - Fight Club, Choke, Lullaby (His stuff is very weird & not for everyone)
Jonathan Kellerman
Michael Connelly
Jeff Shaara (Great historical novels)

Oh, and of course Penthouse Forum.

Attention all moderators!!!

TMoney is trying to corrupt us!

[quote author=“BIG D”]Black Sunshine,

Where have you been????????? :shock:

Sorry Big D, been READING spring break is time to catch up on all my work and prepare myself for all the papers i have to do when i start again next week.  considering showing up tonight though.  Will definitely be there friday, need some fresh air

oh and Irish, i’ve read some of the other messages, most of you are already corrupted, don’t know what you’re whining about

Black Sunshine- it is just that we miss you,
and your dusty book breath.

Anyone ever read “Confederates in The Attic ” ? cannot remember the author… great , funny social commentary.

Black Sunshine,

I never heard of anyone reading during spring break!