Good fiction books?

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What are your favorite fiction books?
I need to pick a fiction book for my English class, but I don’t know what to choose!

What are your favorite classics…or modern fiction books?

😃
 
I’m rereading “Carter Beats the Devil” by Glen David Gold, which I haven’t read in years. I don’t recall all of the plot points, but I do recall loving it, and that’s holding true this read as well.
 
One book that everyone seems to like, including me is Water For Elephants by Sara Gruen. When it first came out, the critics hailed it as worthy of a Pulitzer and I agree. Lots of good circus lore.

Do you mind telling us if you’re male or female? I think it could make a difference as to what books you would find interesting.
 
Not a great book, but very good: Theophilos, by Michael D. O’Brien. Set in the first century, a story of St. Luke and his uncle, Theophilos (“most excellent Theophilos”, from the first chapter of Acts).
 
The English language is full of so many good novels.

Maybe you might want to try “The Hobbit” or “The Lord of the Rings” by J.R.R. Tolkien.

I also liked “Don’t Stop the Carnival” by Herman Wouk.

“Stranger in a Strangeland” by Robert Heinlein.

“Martian Chronicles” by Ray Bradbury.

“1984” or “Animal Farm” by George Orwell are two of my favorites as is “Brave New World” by Aldous Huxley.

If you’re allowed to pick horror I also liked “The Shining” and “Christine” by Stephen King, but these might not be suitable for a high school class.

You could also stick with something by Steinbeck or Hemingway. I don’t think you can go wrong with them.

ChadS
 
I would recommend To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. I personally think every student in America should read this book.

Another good, classic book is A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith, esp. if you are a girl.

And books by Charles Dickens are great reads, but they take a lot of time to read.
 
I’m currently reading a great Catholic novel by Bud Macfarlane, Jr. entitled Pierced by a Sword. It’s rare when I find a book that I cannot put down, and this is definitely such a book.

If you go to www.catholicity.com/novels/, you can order all three of his books for free (just pay $1 each for shipping). It will be the best $3 you’ve ever spent. The site offers a lot of good free stuff.
 
I’m not much of a reader of fiction, but (depending on your age) my recommendations (and some of my favorites) would be:

“One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich” by A.S. Solzhenitsyn. Not very long at all, extremely readable and engaging. It chronicles one day in the life of a Soviet prisoner in the Gulag. One might think it a miserable downer of a read, but it actually isn’t. Tells a person a lot about humanity, human dignity and human resilience. A major, major modern classic. Won the Nobel Prize.

“A Canticle for Leibowitz” by Walter Miller. Probably hard to find except perhaps on Ebay. Very Catholic, very, very good analysis of how human longing for paradise can go so right or so wrong. Interesting, readable, and moves right along.

“Odd Thomas” by Dean Koontz. Very Catholic in morality, but in a science-fiction sort of way. Amusing at times, disturbing at times. Spooky, but fun. About a guy who can see ghosts of people and other spirits, including Elvis (who is sort of in purgatory) and a ghost dog, and about how human vanity can go very wrong.
 
I’m not much of a reader of fiction, but (depending on your age) my recommendations (and some of my favorites) would be these, all very, very readable:

“One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich” by A.S. Solzhenitsyn. Not very long at all, extremely readable and engaging. It chronicles one day in the life of a Soviet prisoner in the Gulag. One might think it a miserable downer of a read, but it actually isn’t. Tells a person a lot about humanity, human dignity and human resilience. A major, major modern classic. Won the Nobel Prize.

“A Canticle for Leibowitz” by Walter Miller. Probably hard to find except perhaps on Ebay. Very Catholic, very, very good analysis of how human longing for paradise can go so right or so wrong. Interesting, readable, and moves right along.

“Odd Thomas” by Dean Koontz. Very Catholic in morality, but in a science-fiction/ghost story sort of way. Amusing at times, disturbing at times. Spooky, but fun. About a guy who can see ghosts of people and other spirits, including Elvis (who is sort of in purgatory) and about how human vanity can go very wrong.
 
“A Mote in God’s Eye” by Larry Niven & Jerry Pournelle. It’s science fiction and hands down I believe my most favorite read of all times. It’s kind of a ‘first contact’ type story where humans meet an alien species. But what I really enjoyed about it was that it wasn’t your Star Trek meeting where the aliens are just like us except green and we have a transponder that automatically translates their language for us so we can communicate.

“The Turn of the Screw” by Henry James. When I was in high school the teacher had a list of books and we had to pick one. It was quite an ambitious pick and she told me to get a good critique on it - and I’m very glad I picked it.

“Wuthering Heights” by Emily Bronte. Again, a highschool read. My classmates hated it - I loved it. I honestly think I was the only one in the class who finished it.

“And Then There Were None” by Agatha Christie. Murder/Myster. The first story I read by her and it sucked me in. It was completely brilliant. {It’s also gone by some non-pc names like “Ten Little Niggers” & “Ten Little Indians” - in case you’re having trouble finding it}

And of course you can’t go wrong with the classics - “The Hobbit” & “The Lord of the Rings” by Tolkien & the Narnia series by C.S. Lewis
 
CB_Catholic said:
I would recommend To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. I personally think every student in America should read this book.

Another good, classic book is A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith, esp. if you are a girl.

And books by Charles Dickens are great reads, but they take a lot of time to read.
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YES!!! If you want classics, these are my favorites!
“And Then There Were None” by Agatha Christie. Murder/Myster. The first story I read by her and it sucked me in. It was completely brilliant. {It’s also gone by some non-pc names like “Ten Little Niggers” & “Ten Little Indians” - in case you’re having trouble finding it}
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Add to these: “The Murder of Roger Ackroyd” (this plot would never make it past an editor’s desk these days, but I think it’s a masterpiece) and “The Pale Horse” (not only is it one of her best, someone actually got the idea for a “perfect murder” using this story in the '90s!)

I can’t recommend Louis de Wohl’s “The Spear” enough… fabulous read!
 
Gone With The Wind.
Even if you are a guy.
I finally got my youngest son to read it last year. He was so glad he did. He thought it was going to be a drippy female sob fest and so was relutant for 40 years to read it. He was engrossed by all the Civil War history therein.
 
catsrus said:
Gone With The Wind.
Even if you are a guy.
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I was reminded of S. E. Hinton’s novel **The Outsiders **where the two teenage “greasers”, Johnny and Ponyboy, are hiding out in the abandoned church after Johnny kills the “soc” and, to pass the time, they’re reading Gone With The Wind!
 
catholic1seeks said:
What are your favorite fiction books?
I need to pick a fiction book for my English class, but I don’t know what to choose!

What are your favorite classics…or modern fiction books?

😃
Click to expand...
You can never go wrong with The Great Gatsby. Probably the most beautiful novel ever written.
 
The Great Gatsby?
EW.
We read that last year.
By the way I’m a guy.
Thanks for the suggestions, keep em coming! I’m getting my book sometime this weekend.
 
gatewood1988 said:
The Sister Agatha mystery series by Amiee and David Thurlo
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👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

I’m only allowed eight smilies or else this page would be full (and yes, gatewood, I had to delete yours to get all eight of mine!) Anyone who’s read other threads about fiction knows I am a HUGE fan of Aimee and David’s!
 
Another great read–Cold Sassy Tree by Olive Ann Burns. About an adolescent boy growing up in a small southern town, and his family. Uproariously funny, yet a lot of life lessons. I’ve read this book 3 or 4 times, and it’s one you just can’t put down.
 
One of the best classics ever written is “Jane Eyre,” by Charlotte Bronte.
It is a treatise on Christian morality and fortitude. It is a love story. It is a ghost story. It is the product of a truly intelligent and developed mind.

If you don’t get this recommendation in time for your assignment, I hope you will put it high on your list for the future.
 
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