Today marks 3 weeks since I did my very successful photography competition. I was overwhelmed by your enthusiasm and efforts. I had not planned to do the next competition this quick, but I just got inspiration as I sat myself down to do a post for today.
🐺 Question 🐺
The question is pretty simple, tell me 'What is the best book you've ever read?'
I got inspired by this question as I actually wanted to write about the best book I have ever read, but I am saving that for another post.
🐺 Rules 🐺
The rules are more simple and yet more exhaustive this time:
- Answer to this post with the name of the book, the author, what the book is about in a few sentences and why this book has made such an impression on you?
- Another question that's not obligatory to answer is when did you read this book? This will give the why more of a reference to me
- Your qualifying answer needs to contain ALL 4 elements as listed under #1 (name, author, what and why)
- You need to upvote this post
- If your book is of a violent or sexual nature, please mind the tone of your answer as I want to keep my posts family friendly
- The winner gets 15 SBD, the runner up 7 SBD and third place 5 SBD, if this post hits more than $300 in value I will increase the prize money or consider nominating an additional winner
- The person with the most upvotes will also win a prize of 5 SBD IF the value of this posts reaches $350
- The competition will run for 2 weeks and closes on Monday 12th February at 19:00 my timezone, which is GMT +1
- Payout of the prize money will occur at the latest 24 hours after the competition is closed, so on Tuesday 13th February at 19:00
- I will run all answers through plagiarism tools, to see whether your entry is copied from the internet. Anyone found to have copied their answer of trying to falsify their entry will be excluded from this and any future competitions. My competitions are about opening up conversations and discussions, but not about an opinion that isn't your own.
The KEY question is why this book has made such an impression on you?
Example
'Clear and Present Danger by Tom Clancy. I read this book when I was about 14 years old in high-school. Jack Ryan is a CIA analyst and is being setup by his boss the director to take the fall for a cartel case. This book made a big impression on me as it is a huge book and it was the first book I read in English. It was hard to read, but it awakened a thirst within me to read more books in English and these were my first steps into solidifying my knowledge of the English language. When I went to London for my placement everyone told me I spoke such a good English. This book helped me to start that.'
The book was later made into a movie with one of my favourite actors in the lead role
This is an example and not actually my favourite book, but it should give you an idea of what I am looking for.
🐺 Monitoring 🐺
I will upvote each qualifying answer with a 1% upvote, this is to mark that your entry is accepted in the competition. If you entry has not received an upvote within 72 hours after posting your answer and you are certain that you've met all requirements, please get in touch with me on discord. My user ID is wolfje #6587. If you have not received an upvote before the end of the competition, this will mean that your entry does not qualify due to not meeting my requirements. I will NOT tell you pro-actively what you're missing. I spent close to 30 hours on my last competition and I will not do this again.
I really look forward to reading your answers and having interesting book discussions with you.
Good luck!
Doron 🐺
I think the best book I've ever read, perhaps about 10 or 15 years ago was " To Kill a Mocking Bird" by Harper Lee. The book which is narrated in first person by the protagonist tells the sad story of her father's struggle as a white lawyer in the Deep South in the 50's who, being a good man, trys to defend a wrongly accused black man of rape. The story is told in a fascinating manner, interwoven with suspense and anticipation with a fascinating ending, which finally sums up the whole intricate storyline and finally explains the meaning of the cryptic title. It is almost impossible to put the book down...I was actually shocked and upset to discover that it was Harper Lee's only published book..( she had published work in newspapers etc, but only 1 novel)...how sad...
This was a really enjoyable to read. I have heard so many great reviews about this book but never actually knew what it was about. My mum ranked it as one of her favorite books as well that she read when she was young. The description is great, i will be ordering a copy (as well as other books on this list) asap!.
Wow this post has really inspired you!
Nice idea!!! Very original!!!
Thanks :-D
My favourite "book" it's MAUS, by art spigelman. I say "book" because it's actually a graphic novel. I read this book about 4 years ago, while traveling in the train. I've to confess I've hardly hidden some tears during the trip some times and most of all, I didn't wont to let the characters go. Like when you want a book will continue to speak forever. It talks about the story of the writers parents, facing Nazism in Poland. It's an honest and frank story, where the author describe even is relationship with is parents in a very deep way. He wanted to represent polish jews as mouses, while the nazi as cats. To me it wasn't like reading it, but living it!
The best book I've read is A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire#1) by George R.R. Martin
What?
It tells a story of several houses in a period where summers can last decades and winters much longer. With more characters than the typical novel, I think the heart of the story of this novel lies with the Starks of Winterfell. The story begins with a mysterious attacks of unknown forces to a group of rangers of the Night's Watch beyond the kingdom's wall in the North while in the South King Robert's Baratheon trusted adviser died of questionable circumstances. Lord Eddard Stark of Winterfell, was summoned to serve as the king's hand and when he was doing his duties, his family was put in the center of the deadliest conflict in the kingdom: the game of thrones.
Among the important events that occurred in this particular installment are the following:
Whew, it was pretty tough to make a decent synopsis of this installment because this book is really full-packed.
Why?
This series, particularly this installment made an impression on me because what's not to like when you have all the elements of a good story in one book: great and unique characters with perfect names, well built settings with perfect names also and plot with the right mix of mystery, magic, reality, politics, family and even love. I see this series particularly this installment with all the elements of my other favorite series put into one such as Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, Harry Potter and other mystery/thriller books that I've read. I really see the brilliance of George R.R. Martin in creating this kind of story with the right balance of admirable, flawed, hateful and disgusting characters and settings built from out-of-this world imagination.
I especially love this installment because this is when I fell in love with the Starks of Winterfell and their direwolves and here they are really depicted as a house with great honor and with so much more talent, skills, mystery and secrets. This book made me read all the parts of this series and is impatiently waiting for the Book 6 of the series.
I read this book right after I give birth to my first child in 2013. Because I was on maternal leave and my son was very behaved and slept a lot, I have enough time to watch the Season 1 of Game of Thrones TV series and when I could not get enough of the TV series, I started reading Book 1 and the rest followed.
What a nice detailed review!
Thank you for noticing my entry. :)
Great review, thank you very much. I have actually just started re-reading the book myself.
'What is the best book you've ever read?'
Catch 22 - book
Joseph Heller - author
The best book I have ever read is Catch 22 by Joseph Heller. I guess one of the reasons this book made such a big impression on me is that it appeals greatly to my sense of humour, the story telling sometimes makes light of what were very difficult situations at war.
There are certain situations in the book that were blatantly absurd. The guy who ran the food hall Milo, bought eggs for let say 1 cent in one country and sold them on somewhere else for a few cents extra, then he bought them back from the people he sold them onto making them a profit, then sold in the army mess hall and still made a profit.
I read this in my teenage years and will re read it again soon but it's beyond doubt the best book I have ever read. Other than the humor that resonated with me, being able to understand where such a phrase "Catch 22" came from left a strong impression, and the fact that a book could make that much of an impact on the English language, even if people weren't aware of how recently the phrase was invented.
Obviously catch 22 is a phrase most native English speaking people use every so often but most don't know the origin of it. Anytime someone tells a story and says it was a Catch 22 situation I ask them - "oh have you read the book?" and often get blank stares back.
The origin of the phrase comes from the book - a brilliant contradiction where the fighter pilots who wanted to be grounded ( not fly) were told that as they requested to be grounded they were sane enough to fly as they recognised the danger.
But if they flew they were crazy which was grounds to be allowed not to fly. But if they recognise this they were sane enough to fly. And so on. [The Catch 22 situation meant no pilots were grounded simply by asking to be grounded - they had to be sick or injured to avoid flying which was pretty dangerous]
I saw the movie and it really was an interesting mind-boggling story
Thank you for your entry. I lived in London for 6,5 years and I wasn't familiair with this term until a colleague who joined my team 1,5 years back started mentioning it several times. However I was not aware where it resonated. Sounds like a book I'd read. I guess based on your steemit ID, you are in the book trade?
Yeh I'd hear it every couple of months I'd hear it in conversation in Ireland anyway.
Well I started to sell books off steemit sort of as a hobby but I haven't invested much time in it due to my "real" job. But on steemit I offer to buy a book from bookdepository.com who deliver worldwide for free for someone and be paid in SBD or Steem as a novelty. Again the idea is there but I haven't invested much time in the execution yet.
@wolfje Upped my game with a giveaway if you'd like to enter, got to start somewhere
https://steemit.com/giveaway/@isellbooks/givaway-mastering-bitcoin-book-easy-to-enter
Thanks for the heads up! If you're running more competitions, I'll do a shoutout for you in my next competition blog next Monday. That way you will get the word our very fast. I'm definitely interested in entering. thanks again!
The best book I have ever read, was Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams! I was 13 years old, it opened my mind to a whole new level of narrative description. I was already a sc-fi fan and something of a science nerd, but the story as unfolded, the humor mixed with huge philosophical and quantum physics was mind blowing, and inspired a lifelong study. Harvey dent was a shlub in the suburbs of england whose house was scheduled for demolition to place a highway bypass. In an unexpected turn of events the earth was also scheduled for demolition to build a galactic bypass! Aurthur is saved by his drinking buddy who also happens to be an alien and they go on a fantastic journey through the galaxy with a guide containing all the information collected in the universe, The Hitchhikers guide... to help them on there way.
It became a series including, "Restaurant at the End of the Universe" and "So Long and Thanks for all the Fish." It has been made into two movies neither of which were able to capture the dry wit and tone of the book. If you have never read this book I can't recommend it enough.
If I could upvote this 42 times, I would, but alas, I may or may not have visitors, and it's time to feed the cat. Share and enjoy!
Thank you! It's really hard to imagine a better author. Judging by you're name we probably share quite a few interests. Nice to meet you!
I've argued repeatedly that Douglas Adams is one of the best authors of all times and have had my kids read them as part of their homeschooling. His amazingly offbeat humor makes me very happy, and I find myself using references to the Guide often in conversation. I have pretty well decided that people who don't like Adams really aren't the type of people I want to be friends with. I even have a reprint of the original radio show of Hitchhiker's with all the production notes. I'm rooting for you to win! I honestly was going to put that down as my choice, but you beat me to the punch, so I'm going with one of my number two favorites... somewhat obscure fantasy, but an excellent series none-the-less.
I don't see how anyone could deny that! lol The Radio show was probably the best media adaption, and that is a hell of a trophy. Glad to hear you're homeschooling too! I will keep an eye out for your entry!
It's not very popular... you'll have to scroll way down.
The breakthrough experience by dr. John Demartini,
Nice post. For me the best book is still “ Im Westen nichts Neues” (English title is “All quiet on the Western Front”). Read it more than 20 years ago during high school and still find it a masterpiece about the hardships during the WW 1 trench warfare. The topic itself and the vivid yet simple and daily description of the lives of the German soldiers make it a good book. Also, to a certain extent the book itself is timeless and good also be about soldiers coping with war and the home front in more recent wars
i cant forget this book 'the richest man in babylon by george clason', it talks about financial management/ my best quote from the book is "a part of what you earn is yours to keep. the book really taught me how to save and manage my finances properly as i was suffering from improper finance management at the time i read it. i read the book in the year 2016, though the book had been for ages. .
Hello Sir, @wolfje;
The best book I've ever read is:
THE FOUNTAINHEAD by AYN RAND
The book was published in 1943.
I read the book early last year..
Its the story of an architectural genius; Howard Roark, who undergoes bitter travails at the hands of a society sworn to uphold ancient ideals, believing that essentially nothing can ever come out from the modern world. Howard Roark is defiant. He is the epitome of the noble man, put through a mental and physical hell; that he must be like others; must present his work as a tribute to the styles of old, period; that he is in no way permitted, on the order of the pure, ancient spirits of architecture, to seek his own style or the style of his time. Roark does not agree, and with the innocent, immaculate dignity of a god, he defends his work without argument or aggression but with a quiet protest against their mediocrity in his manner which effuses an almost impossible understanding; that he knows they are incapable of appreciating his work because it threatens the scrubby safety they have acquired in the solace of the styles of old. Hence in silence, he suffers the doses of pain they dish out at him; not in the manner of a saintly martyr, but in the manner of a man incapable of betraying his intellect and his reason...
The Fountainhead is the one book that has had the most impact on my personality, and my values. Its a book that deeply appealed to me as it spoke to me of a respect for the abilities and capabilities of mankind. It inspired me; to scrounge for mastery, to seek to be original, me; to strive for a plain and naked honesty. It didn't just change me; its made me who I am today. On the artistic front, Ayn Rand is a flawless writer. Her capacity for the conveyance of tangible emotions is a stunningly, mysterious level. Rand presents her characters, raw and without compromise. She is an expert at what she writes. She is an expert in how she writes..
Thanks @wolfje. I'm more than just grateful for this opportunity to give this tribute to what I consider, one of the most powerful tributes to the mighty spirit of mankind ever written...
don't forget to upvote my post to be entered in the competiton.
Thanks. I have.
"The Diary of A Young Girl (Anne Frank)" by Anne Frank
My teacher made me read it, and the creepy part is that I read it when I was the exact same age as Anne Frank was while writing it. This book made such a tremendous impact on me that I could never read it again -- it's too chilling. I can't read it, especially the last parts, without crying.
It's the true story of what it was like for Anne, a Jewish teen, and her family to go into hiding inside a secret attic of another family to save their lives in WWII. They can never come out, or they'll be arrested by the Nazis for no other reason than that they're Jews. All they hear is the news on the radio of the war. They stay in hiding for more than a year. Then the Nazis find them and send them off to concentration camps, where they're all killed except for her father, who survives long enough to be rescued by allied forces. He finds her diary later and published it.
Years later, I went to Amsterdam and saw the house, now a museum, where they were in hiding. It's unbelievable because you cannot imagine that such terrible things happened right there, in the middle of the city. It brings more reality to the past.
Anne is completely honest, and you cannot read it without feeling moved at her dreams. She keeps thinking they'll be ok and writes about how no one could be so evil as to kill others just because of their background. She does her best to see the good in everything, even while they are living like hostages and are actually about to die.
People need to read this to understand that no one really wins in any war, to understand the dangers of belief systems that classify some people as "less than" others, and to remember our common humanity.
source
As a third generation survivor I have never been able to read the book. I have it at home and I can't touch it. I've been to the house, I know the story, but I can't bring myself to read it. Thank you for your entry!
I appreciate you saying that. Thank you.
Followed you, and I look forward to more fun book discussions in the future!
This is also one of my faves. read this book when i was in 9th grade and I love how Anne expressed her feelings through the diary. I cried in the end tho :(
Lord Foul's Bane, Published in 1978 by Stephen R Donaldson
Thomas Covenant lives in the real world, and has leprosy. He has lost two fingers from the disease, but the stigma has destroyed his life. People fear him, his wife left him, he is unwelcome in town... he suffers alone. And it has made him mad. Mad at the disease, mad at the people who have rejected him, mad at the ignorance. And then he is summoned to another world... a world of magic and fantasy creatures and people who are suffering evil in their land. Thomas doesn't believe, even being hailed as the "Unbeliever" by the people who so desperately need his help, believing he is their prophesied hero, Barek Halfhand. Insisting he's in a dream, his pain and apathy can not even allow what would be a fanciful escape. Instead, he lives out the experience with hostility and indifference, while a world begins to come apart around him.
I read this book (multiple times) and the 5 other books based on the character, world, and war between good and evil when I was around 12 years old. At 50, I still remember much of the story and it's effect on me. Thomas Covenant is an anti-hero. Unwilling to get involved, he reluctantly accepts only as much of the mantle of heroism as he is forced to... remaining faithful to his pain and despondency and depression. His character is amazingly well fleshed out and real, to the point that you can find yourself mad at him, begging him to do more... but it takes this fantasy series and creates something so much deeper. Dealing with ignorance and prejudice and loss and pain and how they can affect you even at your best moments... even when hope knocks, some are so broken they find it hard to answer. A fantastic, well written, surreal adventure in a world of magic and giants and all that we love about LOTRs, but somehow more poignant and complicated and satisfying.
I have to say, I have never heard of this. Sounds like an amazing premise. I will check it out for sure! One of the best things about a contest like this is finding new books to read! Good luck! Shout out to @wolfje, Great idea man.
Thanks bud, that's one of the reasons why I did this, get new inspiration, but I actually wanted to write about my favourite book, that's what inspired me.
Unsplash
HARRY POTTER AND DEATHLY HALLOWS BY J K ROWLING
What?
From being saved from Death spell by Lord Voldemort himself but losing his parents, to getting into Hogwarts and finding a new family and world full of adventures, magic, challenges and surprises, Harry Potter came all the way to what will be the end. On the way he had lost some of his closed ones, saw death many times in front of him and even escaped it few times.
Harry Potter and Deathly Hallows takes readers on a ride in which one feels as if they are that extra invisible companion to the trio of Harry Potter, Ron and Hermoine and are accompanying them alongside as they are on the run. From going to Gringotts Wizarding Bank, escape it on a dragon and then to forest where they closely escape death eaters. The gifts from Albus Dumbledore are their best allies in this pursuit to bring an end to evil of Voldemort. Some of the horcruxes were already destroyed and some are left to be found and finished as without doing this Voldemort is invincible.
The trio moves to find more about Deathly Hallows and goes to Xenophilius Lovegood's place and there they listen to The Tales of Beedle the Bard. It comes to knowledge of trio that Voldemort with his army is attacking and only way to save all is give Harry Potter to him. Harry Potter gives himself to Voldemort and is killed and Hagrid carries him but history and magic repeats after 17 years. Harry Potter is saved again and his sacrifice for his loved ones becomes shield for all. A war erupts between both the armies as they saw Harry rise up. All on side of good have shield of Harry's sacrifice as Harry had from evil 17 years back from his mother's sacrifice. The fight continues and Harry finally kills Voldemort as Neville destroys the last horcrux which was the Snake Nagina which Voldemort always carried with him.
The evil ends and all other death eaters run away and then a new beginning starts full of good, love, hope and joy.
Why?
It was a perfect culmination of all the previous books and J K Rowling brought it to a perfect end. The whole book was completed by me in just 2.5 days and I was so into a different world for those days. It was full of adventure, suspense, pain and joy and a full on roller coster ride. The message of hope and friendship was seen all along and it proved that with love one can win over anything, even something as evil as Lord Voldemort, so what is all these small little problems in our life, career and other things.
Also the friendship between Harry, Ron, Hermoine, Luna, Neville and others and the way they stood for each other and even sacrificed their life made me realize that friendship and love has so much power than all the negatives of the world combined. Ron's parents treated Harry with more love and care than their own son. Along the story there are numerous incident where different characters use their presence of mind and intelligence to save themsevles and others from most dreaded situation and together all of them win over evil. It was all a great teamwork.
There was so much to learn from this book and the learnings were implemented by me in various faces and aspects of life. Also, it gave me something where I could escape to when things in my real life went out of control. Over the years following this, reading became my life and books opened another dimension to my world and this has remained with me till now.
AND I AM HIGHLY GRATEFUL AND THANKFUL FOR THIS GIFT OF READING
I'm happy to see admirer of Harry Potter! my post is also about it :)
I am happy to hear this. And also we can't help it! It is such a integral part of our lives that it has to be written about.
The Magic Faraway Tree by Enid Blyton. I read it when I was 9 years old, but I remember it as if it was yesterday. It is a children's book about 3 siblings and their cousin who live near an enchanted forest. In the forest lies a magical tree with mysterious occupants. Moon-face and the saucepan man but the magic lies at the top where different types of lands come and go. What do I mean by lands for example Land of Topsy-Turvy- where everything is -upside down the land of Do-As-You-Please , the land of nursery rhymes where your favourite nursery characters reside.
I love this book because of it's sheer freedom and friendship. I was in my grandmother's house during the holidays, was bored, I picked this up and I was transported to a world where there is unlimited creativity, this book helped me be a freethinker to believe that our life has a little sprinkling of magic somewhere.
Also as an adult I realized, it shows the horrors of a eutopic society and how the concept is flawed.
I like your entry. Don't forget to call your mother and upvote my post 😉
Upvoted and called mom
Running with the Kenyans by Adharanand Finn. The book focuses on the Kenyan long distance runners and asks the question as to why they have been able to dominate distance running for such a long time. I read the book in 2012 for the first time and then reread it recently as I found this story by Finn so captivating. I guess the reason why it had such an impression on me is because it's a question I've had for as long as I've been watching athletics on TV. The author went to live in Kenya and trained with the best runners in the world. He lived their lifestyle from A-Z (food, training, rest etc.) and tells the story of the Kenyan runners in a very fun and interesting way. I think it's a great read for anyone who is into running or someone who just likes a good true story of how the best runners became the best.
Cool entry, maybe it has some tips for me for my own challenge next year to run a marathon. Thanks for the recommendation.
Love the idea.
The Doubtful Guest by Edward Gorey. It's a whimsical picture book about a creature who shows up uninvited at a house and generally acts like my toddler. I first read it ~8 years ago when my wife-but-then-girlfriend introduced me to Gorey, and I've laughed every time I've read it since.
Here's a two minute reading of it.
I love Edward Gorey! When I was little my brother and I memorised "The Gashlycrumb Tinies" alphabet book by him (alternating letters) and would recite it to freak out my parents' friends....
Great by choice by James Collins
My favorite book of all time has got to be "The Alchemist" by Paulo Cohelo. I first read it when I was in college, not really knowing what I wanted to do with my life. It is the story of a Sheppard who dreams of a treasure in the Pyramids of Gizeh, and decides to embark on a huge adventure in which he meets amazing people, including The Alchemist, who all teach him valuable life lessons, like the idea that when you genuinely want something, you can almost always get it.. It is a book about finding what your personal journey is, but ultimately realizing that the goal is nowhere as important as the journey to get there.
It is my favorite book of all time because it opened me up to the sea of possibilities I had in front of me when it comes to my life. I realized I wanted a life filled with adventure, and oh boy did I have plenty of these in the past 2 years! This book is part of the reason I started traveling, I went from South America to the jungles of Africa. Truly, the lesson of that book of appreciating the journey as it happens was applied each and every day of these trips, and I am so grateful for it! I literally went from someone somewhat depressed to someone who was looking forward to life, forward to adventures and simply forward...
Another factor to consider when it comes to the appreciation of the book was the set and setting upon reading it. I was actually reading it alone on a sandy beach of the east coast in theUnited States, with the sea right in front of me, lulled by the calming nature of the water, the wind and the sand. Perfect moment to ponder on my life, on my goals, on my passions, etc. Just writing this brings tears to my eyes as I was able to literally change my life for the better after I read that book.
This book is a rite of passage and should be read by anyone who travels :) Great entry.
greetings! I'm a great admirer of the whole series Harry Potter, JK Rowling. If the Universe of the Magic World sees this text, then let him know, the whole story is masterpiece, amazing. However, today we are talking about one of the series. In that year the boy met an unusual person, against whom was the whole magical world. that person is accused of violent crimes. and one day he escaped from prison to find this boy. but not for evil, on the contrary. The man was the only close person for Harry. and he did not commit a crime, everything was a lie. After experiencing some adventures together, they remained to cherish each other
this fairy tale left a strong faith in Magic in my soul! in the existence of other beings. yes, they are, but only visible to the chosen ones :)
because of friendship, and the one who seems different is actually quite different!
you need to believe not only yourself but also trust others!
like many, I read it as a child for the first time. but today I have a masterpiece on my desk.
My best book has been, secret of a billionaires mind by hary Eker. You should try it out
The best book i've ever read is Momo by Michael Ende. Momo taks about life can steal your time and waste your time. Momo is the name of a poor and homeless girl who lives on her own, she lives so many beautiful moments with her friends. The book has too many tales about some grey men wich came to the city and tried to steal people's time, city turned sad and useless because everybody was just working and forgot the good things. My father bought this book when I was about 13th, that moment I just feel sad for each bad moment, now every time that something happens there's ALWAYS something new that amazes me. Casiopea helped the girlr to find out the problem. I think each grey man is a bad situation that makes you waste your time. Nowdays you see that life's running so fast and you just exist, never live! Hope you read it, I'll feel more than happy if you enjoy it!
this is one of the best books i have ever read, i read it about 7 years ago, it is a comedy and tragedy novel that reminds me of two lovers named remeo and juilet whose family where great enemies (montague family and capulet family ) they loved each other from the first day they saw one another at lord capulet house (juilet father). their romantic love and their sad death really got the two family back to settlement. i dont think love of romeo and juilet still exist whereas they both sacrificed everthing for each other. romeo banished from land, and still sneaking into the town just to see juilet. and juilet taking a portion just to be dead for days in other for her to be with remeo, because her father said she should get married to a man named paris.
this is the best love novel i have read.
My favorite right now would be John Steinbeck's "Grapes of Wrath". I read this book a few years ago, but I reread it recently and it was just as good as when I first read it.
John Steinbeck is amazing when it comes to creating characters, in his books he describes them so well that you feel like you actually know the character. It definitely gives you a better connection with these characters so you can empathize much easier.
This book is about struggle in general. It follows a family set in the great deppression era, when jobs were very rare to stumble upon and it was very hard living in general. The family goes on a trip to find better jobs and a better life. Throughout the story the family has to deal with a lot of hardships, but what I love is that the ending is very open and sweet. It sort of ends in a positive way, even though the story is very hard and dark.
What I also love is that in between chapters he usually has small off-topic chapters as well, these don't contribute directly to the story line but they add extra flavor to the story.
Build to last by James Collins
Great idea for a contest!
Charlotte's Web by E.B. White. Published in 1952.
This is a children's book with an opening line that draws you in: "where is Papa going with that axe?" I read this story when I was about 8 years old I think (I can't remember the exact age). The novel is about the friendship between a spider named Charlotte and a pig named Wilbur. Wilbur was born a runt and his owner was going to kill him were it not for Fern, the girl with a big heart who begs her father to spare the piglet's life. She promises to take care of Wilbur and her father reluctantly agrees but Wilbur is soon sold to Fern's Uncle. Wilbur does not know that his life is in danger until the old sheep tells him he will be killed and eaten.
The talking animals in this book all have distinct personalities and I still remember Charlotte saying "Salutations" to Wilbur. Like Wilbur, I had no idea what the word meant. Charlotte "saves" Wilbur from "becoming bacon" by weaving words to describe him on her web. The phrase that stood out to me when I was a kid is "Some Pig"! I found it really funny and I still smile when I say it now. There are many humorous moments in the book, and one of my favorite characters besides the two main characters is Templeton the Rat even though he is selfish and unlikeable. I felt like he was quite "real." There are many people like him in the world. I think the reason this book left a deep impression on me was because of the ending spoiler alert
Charlotte dies! I couldn't believe it. This was not your "happily ever after" story that I was used to but I think this story really illustrated the fact that life is not easy. I knew something about death even as a little kid because I distinctly remember you aunt's funeral and how everyone was wailing and crying. That was when I was 5 years old but I had kind of forgotten about it and reading Charlotte's Web reminded me that people and animals you love will die. It is a good book for illustrating the importance of friendship and loyalty as well as the realities of life and death. Charlotte dies but her legacy lives on. It also taught me about the power of words! Wilbur was an ordinary pig but people believed he was special because of the words written on the spider's web.
This book also inspired me to read E.B. White's other books, including the Trumpet of the Swan and Stuart Little. When I grew up I also read White's classic Elements of Style which I found very helpful for my writing. Good tips!
Very interesting entry. Thank you for participating!
Thanks. I love reading.
The best book I've ever read is, George Orwell's novel, 1984.
The novel was written about what an imaginary dystopian world would look like in 1984, when it was written in 1949; 40 years in the future. The novel follows a main character named Winston as he falls in love with Julia under the watchful eye of the repressive government, Big Brother.
The first time I read this book was in high school in English class; I actually enjoyed this book unlike most my classmates. This was and is to this day, also my mothers favourite book. She told me when she read it, 1984 was still the future and that is what interested her. We read it together and talked about the differences and how things were coming true (it being the mid-90's) how our government was watching us more closely and how privacy was a thing with the past, with the internet.
I enjoyed the dark elements of this novel; mind-control, manipulation, misery, terror, horror and how Winston's will was broken. The novel left me with an impression I always think about today, how it represented the end of free-speech and of the middle class. It's brilliant and holds true today. I hope my daughter enjoys this novel and we can discuss it in fifteen years time and talk about where we are now. It's truly scary some of the themes Orwell wrote about.
steve toltz wrote, you will read a breathless philosophical and punk, funny and frustrating, exciting and beautiful work.
Book 5 years ago ... and going to college. I read in a dormitory. because there was nothing to do but read books :)
a wonderful novel that upsets, irritates, weeps, thinks about the unbearable and ongoing misfortunes of the characters. I have read the notes I took to the blank pages of the book's home page today. the things which affect me the most; the author refutes his own thesis on suicide .. the hell tower accumulates its own tears and harry constantly remains in the shadow of terry. suicide related to this page 191;
'' poor man. He could not do it again. Not very hopeful from Terry. She found martin smarter. He also saw leadership qualities in Terry. why does the stupid man want to establish a democratic crime with him? a democratic criminal organization is not established with a dangerous potential leader.
I typed. :) and not having a single character with no function. I enjoyed going to the notes before they got cold; because I do not do this for every book
I did not count how many censers I had underlined; but a lot. I did not agree with most of the views I had drawn on the interesting side. I was not even close to even participate. it is still wonderful in one word. you will end up with the following phrases:
'' If I had done wrong, I made mistakes, and I still do, I find it less tragic than trying to change the current status of my flawed person and change it in the eleventh hour. I am happy to be ridiculous, but I do not want my life to be a tragedy, thank you.
sorry for my bad english. I hope you understand me..
its about time I enter one of your competitions...
for me one of my favorite books is this one. I read this as a child (i was 11 years old but had always been an avid reader) when we moved from Belgium to England for 2 years. I read the whole series in the original english usally under my blanket with a flashlight (and a dictionary) . My mother and teachers were really trying to figure out why I was so passive and tired for a whole month.
This epic book opened my eyes, mind and heart to the magical world of sci-fi. Isaac Asimov is one of the men that can be counted as the founders of the genre with an imagination that is beyond most of us. This book let me down the rabithole and now 30 years later I still devour a good sci-fi book where ever I find it.
this book tells the story of a galactic spanning empire that seems to be in its glory day but then a mathematician Harry Seldon creates a new way of calculating behavior of the masses and that theory predicts the end of the empire... The first book tells of the reaction of said empire
Otherland - City of Golden Shadows by Tad Williams.
Set in the near future where full immersion into virtual worlds is possible, I read this series upon release in 1996, eagerly awaiting the next volume.
The simulations, some based on classic stories like Alice in wonderland, War of the Worlds and The Ilyad, are so realistic that the characters cannot discern them from reality and are in effect lost in VR.
As a geek with a keen interest in vr and the future implications of the technology it opened my mind to the possibility of misuse of vr, long before The Matrix arrived on the scene. Spanning four thick volumes it tells an epic tale which questions what reality is and how it could be manipulated for nefarious reasons.
The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren. This book was given to me as a graduation gift by my older brother when I was in high school. The Purpose Driven Life is a devotional book that offers readers a 40-day personal spiritual journey that helps the readers realize their purposes in life here on Earth by giving the readers God’s five purposes in life. This book had made a big impact in my life especially since I was about to enter a new chapter in my life away from my family by going to college. This book inspired me and helped me see things differently and I have applied what I learned in the book in my day to day life in college. Also, what really made me love this book is that at the end of the chapter, it encourages the reader to share the book if it inspired your life and so I gave it to my friend and I’m really blessed and happy to know that this book also changed his life for good.
I love this contest, I wish I could post multiple entries because it's so hard to choose just one! :)
But for me, my favorite book is Haruki Murakami's 1Q84. It's about Aomame who got trapped in a parallel universe with 2 moons, and also about the ghost writer Tengo who got involved with the writer he's writing for. This became a favorite because I love how the author had separate yet intertwined stories. The narrative is superb as well, very Japanese style. Subtle yet chilling. It's really amazing!
Margaret Mitchell, "Gone with the Wind".
This book is about a girl named Scarlett, who first succeeded in captivating men. And when the war began and then the devastation, when the country collapsed, like a burst watermelon, she managed to survive and pull out her whole family, which was beyond the power of many men.
I read this book when I turned 18 years old, and she just struck me. First I read about how to attract the attention of men, and was surprised - more than a hundred years have passed, and the rules of flirting have not changed much :)
And then I was carried away by how she tried to survive, how she did business - nobody taught it to her, and women did not do business in her time. But she managed to do everything herself, without help.
And at first I was sorry that she did not respond to Rhett Butler's love. And then I realized that if she immediately responded to his feelings, she would not become such a strong person, and Rhett would stop loving her.
"Rich Dad Poor Dad" by Robert Kiyosaki and Sharon Lechter
I am reading this book right now and it's by far the best book I have read.
The book is about teaching financial literacy in quite simple language. Its principal advice is to make people understand what it means to make your money work for you and not you working for your money. Simply put: teaching you to start buying assets and not liabilities. Assets that earn you returns.
What I have liked the most is the metaphor of the rat race which in short it pictures a cycle stadium in which "poor" rats run as fast as possible in order to reach the top circle but struggle enormously and fall down, on the other hand "rich" rats manage to stay on top thanks to their assets constantly paying returns.
I have learnt from this book and started applying its rules. I hope that it'll bring benefits as it teaches and allow to reach financial independency.
Title: Manipulatie
Author: Robin Cook
The book is abouth a scientist who tries to create the perfect son through genetic manipulation. The kid looks perfect, blond curly hair, shiny blue eyes, high iq.... Buth as you suspect, the kid is evil.
I read this book when I was 15 years old. It was the first book I ever read in full. This book made such a big impression on me for several reasons. First of all, I was probably a little to young to read such things. At that time, I was really struggling with myself. I was looking for my identity because I never new my father and I was looking for ways to explain to myself why. Now, 19 years later I know that was stupid buth at least it made me love reading and I never stopped reading eversince.
I read the book in Dutch buth I think there is an English version of this to for people who want to read it.
Picture source : boekenwebsite.nl
The best book I've ever read is 'the science of getting rich by wallace D. Wattles'. I read it book lasft year.
The book lay the fundamental principle of becoming rich. The author explain why you need to be rich and how you can be rich by understanding somethings and applying certain principle.
Growing up I do ask myself some questions like: "how will I become rich or famous when there are many rich people out there and almost all l wanted doing has been done by other people?, how I'm I going to compete with this people?.
But last year I stumbled on this book and this questions were taken care of.
I realise that there is enough resources to go round ,that opportunity is not monopolized and that everyone in the world can become rich.
I love this contest! Great way to start conversations-- My entry:
The best book I've ever read is The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams. It's a satirical piece of science fiction which follows a very ordinary British man named Arthur Dent who manages to escape earth just moments before an alien race demolishes our planet to make way for an interstellar bypass. It was originally a BBC Radio drama, then adapted into a book and later a TV series and a Hollywood film. I first watched the TV show when I was maybe 10 years old, then read the book when I was 12 or 13. I've gone back to it again and again over the years. Even though the premise is silly, Adams' commentary on the human condition and all the contradictory and tragic and wonderful things about life is spot-on. It truly changed the way I see the world, and it continues to do so each time I re-read it.
The best book that I have read is The Secret by Rhonda Byrne. It is a self help book that has changed my life for the better. This book explains how everything starts with our attitude and that we can accomplish anything if we 100% believe in ourselves. I honestly felt like some sort of magic was happening in my life by simply following the guidelines in this book. I started making more money, enjoying the little things in life and became an overall happier person. I read it first in 2009 and again around 2014 to get out of a rut. I encourage everyone to try it out, even if things are going well. This book basically teaches you how to have an amazing outlook on life.
Hello, @wolfje!
It's a very exciting contest and I'm glad to join.
I am passionate about marketing and copywriting and the book I liked the most is called "Ten Deadly Marketing Sins: Signs and Solutions" by Philip Kotler. I bought this book in college before a marketing exam.
For those who do not know, Philip Kotler is known as the father of Modern Marketing.
So, I went to the faculty library and it was hard for me to decide which one to buy. I decided to buy a book about what you don't have to do in marketing (because the title was exciting), to the detriment of what you need to do in marketing.
The "marketing sins" that Kotler identifies and that negatively influences a company's strategy is the lack of effective communication, organization and innovation, the unprofitable development of products and services, the incomplete marketing plan and so on.
So, every "marketing sin" is commented in a separate chapter, along with the effects it produces on the company and some suggestions for improving the business.
This book has improved my marketing ideas and helped me pass the exam.
It is a very interesting book I recommend to those passionate about marketing, management and who own a business.
I read this book in 2010.
Thanks and I wish success to everyone who participates in the contest.
My favorite is "48 Laws of Power" by Robert Greene. The book was given to me by a colleague at work. He said he wants to help me improve the way I see and handle difficult situations and people in my life. This book is about having power over people who try to harm you, having power over unfortunate events in your life, about how easily it is to get what you want using psychology, etc. I read this back in 2016 when I was really down because of a recent heartbreak. My friend said he wanted to help me and he said this book will help me. It did. Now, I am aware of those things that others may do to harm you and how you can respond to them in a very professional way.
This is going to be a great contest, and I am in, and I will be looking forward to Wednesday the 14th of February, because I like to read.
They determine it to be a "lost colony" so an anthropological team is sent. "the descendants of humans stranded long ago by a starship crash had survived by becoming a race of warriors"1 they have an advantage, they have not one but four prophets.
That is book one, this is a trilogy, and generally referred to as The Spider Trilogy by WM Gear.
1 Source: https://www.gear-gear.com/the-books/spider-trilogy
Edited I think I got it all in there. Each book can stand alone as its own story, and there are references to some of his other Sci-Fi books in the stories which semi-tie those into the Spider Series.
I like your entry and arguments, but yes, the question is one book and despite the fact that it's a trilogy, it is still made up of 3 books. If you asked me to choose which book in Lord of the Rings is my favourite I'd have to say the Two Towers, if you'd ask me about the Game of Thrones, I'd have to get back to you as I'm just re-reading them. I will accept your entry if you can choose 1 title and argue why that one specifically.
Fair enough< I will edit to one book, and just note that it is a 3 book series, I figured as much so the edit won't be much, a couple of lines.
Great choice!
Upvoted, resteemed and following!
Thanks
This post has received gratitude of 3.51 % from @appreciator thanks to: @wolfje.
Ironically I still think Mark Twains "Mysterious Stranger", which is kind of a gloomy religious story that involves three kids and a character called Satan, of course. Its kinda a life without meaning book, at least thats what I get from it.
This post has received a 9.89 % upvote from @boomerang thanks to: @wolfje
East of Eden by John Steinbeck.
I read it a few years ago, it was my second book in English (I'm Romanian). It's not easy to shortly discribe it because this book has everything you want. The plot is so complicated and the story is brilliantly interwoven. Through the well-developed characters, different emotions (love, depravity, hate, etc.) are explored with direct parallels to the Old Testament. Loved this book.
Cruella de Ville, Cruella de Ville ... Cruella, Cruella de Villeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!
Sorry, my daughter is really into the 101 dalmations at the moment and I couldn't help myself.
Could you please try to explain the plot a bit? Thanks
Haha, no worries @wolfie, that was funny.
Apologize, I just discovered 'Replies' button :)) Still learning about using steemit.
The plot it's quite long and I don't want to plant spoilers. Shortly, Steinbeck describes the destinies of two families — the Trasks and the Hamiltons — whose generations helplessly reenact the fall of Adam and Eve and the poisonous rivalry of Cain and Abel.
Thanks! Good luck on steemit, I hope you like it here. I've been here since September and I'm having a lot of fun and enjoy meeting new people all the time.
Thanks a lot! Yeah, I really like this community and same, enjoy meeting new people. Good luck to you too :)
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The Name of The Wind (Kingkiller Chronicles) by Patrick Rothfuss
A few years back a friend recommended this fantasy book. I wasn't really into reading back then, I only picked up a book during holidays sometimes. Around 2 books a year was my average. When I picked up this book I fell in love with reading again, this book made me realise how beautiful stories can be written.
Name of the wind is the first book of a trilogy, and the fanbase of these books are waiting for years now for part 3. I will be so excited when this will be released!
Even if you're not really into fantasy I'd recommend this book, since the story is so well written.
Read the plot and some reviews on Goodreads
HARRY POTTER by JK ROWLING
What
A boy is given magical powers when dark lord kills his parents as prophecy says the boy who is born that night will kill the Dark Lord. The boy escapes death as his mother's sacrifice protects him and destroys Voldemort, and the boy went on to become one of the greatest wizards and ultimately kills Dark Lord and bring an end to his evil deeds.
Why?
I completed this series in 2007. I had read first 4 before 2006 and last 3 in a matter of few weeks in 2007. This series is so close to my heart and important not just because of it one of the best works on fantasy or is about magic. But because it came to me as a blessing at a time when I was struggling with my academics in XIIth standard and was of opinion that this is all I have to do to be successful in life.
Post high-school I became an avid reader and in first 2 years of college read around 30 books. And also wrote few stories. Post-this, the spark that was lit by Harry Potter continued and I read and wrote more.
As of today I am a writer regularly on Medium and now Steemit and left my job to become a Designer. All of this can in many ways be attributed to this series which gave me the gift of HABIT OF READING. Because without this I would not have been able to become what I am today and also do what all I did to come to this point in my life.
Very touching entry. I had no idea that those stories could have such an impact on anyone. I read the books myself at least 4 times each. Now I am going to be very cruel and ask you to pick a favourite, as the competition stipulates 1 book. If you tell me which one and why I'll accept your entry and as a counter guesture I'll tell you which one is mine and why. Good luck!
You have put in such a fix @wolfje! This is actually a cruel act from your end but I am loving it. It makes my work more challenging and tough and I love such surprises. And one more thing, I have also read them like twice but had to stop it else I would have failed my high-school and also college.
Now working on new submission, will put it here soon.
Thanks for being a good sport, I look forward to your new entry, or just edit the one you submitted. I will look out for it!
I submitted a fresh one. You can check-in comments.
Also I need one help. Do you know of other contests like these and if yes, can you point few of them to me or place where I can find them?
I'll have a look, thank you.
Unfortunately I don't know any other competitions, but you can check out the tags competition and challenge and maybe you'll find something that way.
Ok.
Thanks for the help. Will look out for them.