[ChrisH]

My absolute favorites change from time to time, but generally to even make it to my list of GOOD books I have to be able to read it at least three times. That means it has to have enough depth that I pick up new things each time I read it.

Ender's Game definitely passes that test, though I haven't re-read it in a while.

Lord of the Rings of course, in fact anything by Tolkien. Well maybe not the Silmarillion, but that was never intended for publication. He wrote a short story called Leaf by Niggle that is one of my favorites.

Clancy's Ryan books are good, and prescient in a general sort of way. They are generally about 5 years ahead of what's happening.

For mysteries there's Dorothy Sayers. I just finished re-reading one of her's. I'd like to find her translation of Dante too, though I suspect it's out of print.

Gulag Archapelago is a rather dreary read, but very important. Especially the first few chapters where Solzenitzn (sorry Alex I don't have a reference handy to get the spelling right) describes how the KGB operated to subdue the populace. The scary part is that I see some of those tactics being used today.

I don't think CS Lewis wrote a bad book in his life, though some of the later ones get too deep for me. I'll just have to wait to get older. Most of you are between the ages for the Narnia books, but ought to be able to handle The Space Trilogy and some of his more theological stuff. The Screwtape Letters is a must read. His Experiment in Criticism changed the way I think about books, it's kind of scholarly, but after all he was writing to scholars in that one. (actually Experiment was one of my English-major wife's textbooks)

I don't think CS Lewis wrote a bad book in his life, though some of the later ones get too deep for me. I'll just have to wait to get older. Most of you are between the ages for the Narnia books, but ought to be able to handle The Space Trilogy and some of his more theological stuff. The Screwtape Letters is a must read. His Experiment in Criticism changed the way I think about books, it's kind of scholarly, but after all he was writing to scholars in that one. (actually Experiment was one of my English-major wife's textbooks)