mental_floss magazine
SUBSCRIBE >
GIFT SUBSCRIPTIONS >
subscriber services >
Okay, I’m a little dim today because I stayed up all night reading The Stand — the crazy-long unexpurgated version. I’m not sure how I managed NOT to read this book until now (nor really any Stephen King stuff), but once I started, I quickly realized that I couldn’t stop. First I turned off the phone, then I ordered a massive delivery of food (couldn’t spare precious moments for cooking), and proceeded to devote myself entirely to The Stand. After an entire weekend reading (including both nights — and I’ll admit, a few naps), I’m finally finished.
This hasn’t happened to me lately, and it’s refreshing. Okay, it’s intellectually refreshing; I bet I could use some physical freshening up. Last time I found a book unputdownable (which is apparently a real word) was about two years back, when I read Michael Chabon’s Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay…and then everything else he’d written. It put a real damper on my social life for a while, but once I’d worked my way through his catalog, I was back to normal. (If you want to learn more about authors who inspire obsessive reading, check out Gotta Read ‘Em All and the recent repost — skip the article, read the comments.)
So my weekend adventure with The Stand has left me exhausted but happy. I’m a little bummed that the book is over (it’s a little like reaching the bottom of a bag of candy), but at the same time…I’m stuffed. I like to tempt fate, so I’ll ask: what books have inspired you to read all night?
The first time I read Camus’ “The Stranger,” I finished it in one night.
Besides that, the late, great Vonnegut.
posted by TMo on 4-7-2008 at 3:12 pm
Any of the Harry Potter books and most books by Greg Iles.
posted by Martha on 4-7-2008 at 3:13 pm
I Know This Much Is True - Wally Lamb
posted by wonderkimmie on 4-7-2008 at 3:13 pm
I just finished Hawaii by James Michener. It was massive and long, but I could not put it down!
posted by Caitrin on 4-7-2008 at 3:14 pm
This happens with nearly every book I read. Even if I’m not really in love with the book…I just love reading!
posted by Jess on 4-7-2008 at 3:17 pm
Neal Stephenson’s Snow Crash is the best book I’ve read in a long time, and the action made it very hard to put down.
posted by Craig on 4-7-2008 at 3:21 pm
Harry Potter Books, I can’t put them down, even when I re-read them!
posted by Cheryl on 4-7-2008 at 3:24 pm
hey, me too, i read I Know This Much is True (Lamb) in a weekend, i could not put it down…
others are The Stand, Girlfriend in a Coma (Coupland), Shipping News (Proulx)
posted by ladymacbeth on 4-7-2008 at 3:27 pm
The Josephine B. trilogy by Sandra Gulland. I read 1 & 2 without realising I’d have to wait months for 3 to be released! I re-read the first 2 the day/night before 3 was out in stores. Sooooo good! I think I’ve read them another 4 times since…
posted by ac on 4-7-2008 at 3:29 pm
The only time I ever stayed up all night was the 7th Harry Potter Book.
However, when I read Lord of The Flies, the exact opposite happened. I refused to read the last two pages until the morning because it was just so much happening and I was enjoying it so much I had to leave the final two for morning.
posted by Zach on 4-7-2008 at 3:30 pm
I’ve read and re-read the Harry Potter books more times than I can count and I lose a lot of sleep every time!
More recently, Ken Follett’s The Pillars of the Earth was AMAZING! The 900 pages fly by. I’m reading the sequel right now, World Without End, at 1100 pages and it’s just as good.
posted by Tricia on 4-7-2008 at 3:31 pm
I read the seventh Harry Potter book in 12 hours straight through.
Also, Jodi Picoult’s “My Sister’s Keeper”. Afterwards, I wanted to throw the book out the window and physically injure Ms. Picoult because I hated the ending.
Hugh Laurie (yes, Dr. House) wrote a great book entitled “The Gun Seller”.
posted by Amy on 4-7-2008 at 3:40 pm
I have to say War and Peace - fantastic and I would read it again in a second, and anything by Rushdie. As a confession, in terms of more “trashy” books myself and all of my girlfriends loved Borgia Bride - light reading full of dramatic soap operatic love, betrail and everything else (sorry, i am blanking on the author).
posted by Katie on 4-7-2008 at 3:44 pm
I used to stay up all night reading all the time up until my first year of college. After that, all-nighters are reserved for the likes of JK Rowling, Mark Zusak, and a few others I can’t recall at this very moment. These days it’s gotta be a good book, a thick book, and a quick read for me to stay up all night.
posted by nutmeag on 4-7-2008 at 3:47 pm
Squeeee! The Stand was soooo like that for me too!! I’m not always a huge Steven King fan. He’s written some I’ve loved and some I’ve found just “ehn”, but The Stand was glued to my hands.
posted by Lisa H on 4-7-2008 at 3:56 pm
Recently I found I couldn’t put down _Three Cups of Tea_, a non-fiction account of how one man started a non-profit corporation that builds schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan. I am not usually one to read non-fiction books, but I was reading it as a potential First Year Common Reader for the college where I work.
Unfortunately, it was deemed “too dense” by some so the committee chose a much less interesting book. It is a short book and an inspiring read.
posted by Tim in Augusta GA on 4-7-2008 at 3:58 pm
If I recall correctly, I read Misery (also by Stephen King) in one sitting.
posted by beth on 4-7-2008 at 3:58 pm
I have to agree with those who mentioned Harry Potter novels.
I recently devoured Andrew Peterson’s new work entitled, On the Dark Edge of Darkness.
I’m a big fan of all Mark Buchanan’s writings. My two favorites of his are Your God is Too Safe and The Rest of God.
Also I could included Grisham’s works.
posted by Trevor on 4-7-2008 at 4:00 pm
I’m a little embarrassed to say The Da Vinci Code. Dan Brown totally suckered me in by starting with sacred geometry and the Fibonacci sequence, and then it was a classic cliffhanger at the end of every chapter.
posted by Leisa on 4-7-2008 at 4:00 pm
Alas, The Stand (or any book by Stephen King) had that affect on me too. Also, I’ve recently become addicted to the Thursday Next series by Jasper Fforde. So clever and witty! I would definitely recommend this series to any fan of books.
posted by Steph on 4-7-2008 at 4:01 pm
I’m on the Harry Potter bandwagon as well.
And recently, the book I ignored my real life for was “Water for Elephants” by Sara Gruen. Fascinating novel set behind the scenes of a Depression-era railroad circus.
posted by Lindsey on 4-7-2008 at 4:11 pm
I also stayed up ll night reading the final Harry Potter book.
posted by Sarah on 4-7-2008 at 4:15 pm
Yeah, most of King’s books were like that for me, but not lately. What did grab my attention and leave me with that’ awww, it’s over’ bummed out feeling was viewing all three seasons of Arrested Development on hulu.com. Had always heard great things about the show and then two weeks ago found the hulu.com site - awesome. Can’t wait for the AD movie in 2009.
posted by Jonathan on 4-7-2008 at 4:17 pm
The Harry Potter books … and most recently _The Name of the Wind_ by Patrick Rothfuss. I was so engrossed in the story that I never wanted it to end (and thus was trying to read slow) but could not put it down (and thus tearing through it).
As a bookworm, there are many books that I have read in one sitting, and I have no hope of naming most of them!
posted by katie on 4-7-2008 at 4:19 pm
The Dark Tower series and its subsidiaries including The Stand, Dreamcatcher, and Salem’s Lot hooked me one summer. For two months I read every book that mentioned the Walking Dude, Roland, and any other character associated.
posted by lightlylily on 4-7-2008 at 4:20 pm
ditto on HP, but other books that share that mantle are:
The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova
Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke
The United States of Arugula: How We Became a Gourmet Nation by David Kamp
and
The Robber Bride by Margaret Atwood (every time of the eight times I’ve read it.)
posted by terri on 4-7-2008 at 4:20 pm
I agree with the Harry Potter people. I can never put them down, especially the 7th one. I stayed in my house all weekend and refused to answer the phone until I finished it.
I get like that with most of the books I read because I get so involved. I loved “My Sister’s Keeper” by Jodi Picoult, but unfortunately I finished it while on a plane from Ireland to Germany. I was crying so hard I think I frightened the German people sitting next to me. What a great time that was. I find that most of her books keep me up into the wee hours.
posted by Pam on 4-7-2008 at 4:21 pm
I would have read the 3rd Harry Potter book in one night if my dad hadn’t physically removed the book from my hands, turned the light off, and told me to go to bed at two in the morning the night after seeing the second movie.
I had most of the enjoyment sucked out of reading before I was old enough to read books that were long enough to last all night, so I haven’t read all that many great books.
posted by S on 4-7-2008 at 4:24 pm
I once stayed up to about 5 in the morning reading New Moon by Stephanie Meyer. Which is kind of surprising, since I didn’t even really like the book that much.
posted by Tanner on 4-7-2008 at 4:25 pm
Two ‘Tom(The Talented Mr.)Ripley’-esque novels:
The Secret History, Donna Tartt
Gentlemen and Players, Joanne Harris
posted by Amy on 4-7-2008 at 4:26 pm
The entire Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer, and the Bloody Jack series by L.A. Meyer. The most recent book to keep me up at night was Ender’s Game.
posted by Zae on 4-7-2008 at 4:39 pm
I lost a lot of sleep over Harry Potter, too…
Also, a few years ago, on a friend’s bookshelf I found Scott O’Dell’s ‘The Hawk That Dare Not Hunt by Day’- and since I was only stopping in for the night- well, I just read instead of slept! It was a fascinating read. Also Louis L’Amour’s ‘The Walking Drum’ was a great read. Again, not a thriller but I stayed up for it
posted by ann on 4-7-2008 at 4:39 pm
I’m glad someone else got sucked into the DaVinci Code. I thought the book was amazing (even though the movie was a piece of garbage). I also got sucked into Dan Brown’s “Angels & Demons”, “I Hope The Serve Beer in Hell” by Tucker Max, “If Chins could Kill (Confessions of a B Movie Actor)” by Bruce Campbell and most recently “Slam” by Nick Hornby
posted by Andy P on 4-7-2008 at 4:42 pm
Anything by Jack Kerouac, particularly On The Road and Desolation Angels.
posted by Jeremy on 4-7-2008 at 4:48 pm
“Windows of Brimnes” by Bill Holm
was the last book I read til the wee hours
and I never get sick of staying up late to re-read for the hundredth time
“Emergence” by David Palmer.
posted by Bx on 4-7-2008 at 4:55 pm
The Virgin Blue, by Tracy Chevalier, The Mists of Avalon, by Marion Zimmer Bradley, and The Sparrow, by Mary Doria Russell…The Da Vinci Code suckered me in too.
Plus, like many others, I read all seven of the Harry Potter books the very day of their release, and always in one sitting.
posted by Maggie on 4-7-2008 at 5:02 pm
I read “The Road” by Cormac McCarthy twice cover to cover on a recent flight. Gritty, haunting and emotional.
posted by habit1 on 4-7-2008 at 5:06 pm
Glad somebody asked the question…now I can keep reading the comments and find books to read. It is so easy to find such books when you are younger. Then any Agatha Christie, Malory Towers, Hardy Boys, even Archies comics is unputdownable!
Some unptdownable books I remember:
- Rebecca
- The Great Gatsby
- Life of Pi
- To kill a mockingbird (may not exactly be unputdownable, but loved the author’s style of writing.)
- Crazy in Alabama
- Amsterdam
- Born on a Blue Day
- God of Small Things
- Atonement
Following impressed me greatly when I was in high school:
- Wuthering Heights
- Sherlock Holmes
- Desiree, Napoleon’s first love
- There was an Agatha Christie book about a woman who has recently become single and somehow ends up in a desert,after some treasure.
I had found this book very hard to put down. But I can’t remember the name.
You should blog about such movies too, ones that you wish you could erase from your mind, just so you can relive the experience of watching it for the first time!
posted by septer on 4-7-2008 at 5:07 pm
I have to second Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell. I was sucked whole into that book.
posted by Bookish on 4-7-2008 at 5:10 pm
the only ones that come to mind are the four Chuck Klosterman books that i finished within a month (all four of them-remarkable i think, with a full-time job, a part-time job, and gigs), and N. Shute’s “On the Beach”-which is just so terrifyingly engrossing i couldn’t put it down and go to sleep.
posted by the creature on 4-7-2008 at 5:11 pm
I just got back into reading and I have fallen in love with anything by Chuck Palahniuk (fight club)
my two favorites of his are Choke and Invisible Monster.
also the golden compass series, hp, girlfriend in a coma…to name a few.
posted by rachel g on 4-7-2008 at 5:12 pm
anything by chuck palahniuk, especially choke and invisible monster
posted by rachel on 4-7-2008 at 5:16 pm
I’m shocked no one has mentioned “World War Z” by Max Brooks yet. I couldn’t put it down. It’s fictional first hand accounts of the world wide zombie war. I still get chills from some of the stories. What happens in North Korea just creeps me the hell out.
posted by Fangirl on 4-7-2008 at 5:17 pm
Pillars of the Earth was one….but the first one that I just could not put down and the one that got me hooked to Stephen King - Christine!!
posted by Naveen Roy on 4-7-2008 at 5:21 pm
Sophie’s World by Jostein Gaarder
posted by AJ on 4-7-2008 at 5:29 pm
I first read (yes, I’ve read it more than once) The Stand when I was 12 years old. I was up until at least 1 am every morning for the whole time it took me to read it. After that, I turned to The Gunslinger and the rest of the Dark Tower books. Those had about the same effect.
I also read Order of the Phoenix in one night — straight through from 10:30pm to about 5:00am.
Recently, though, I blazed through Pride and Prejudice and then through Doomsday Book by Connie Willis. I find that just about any Stephen King or YA book has this effect on me.
posted by Kacie on 4-7-2008 at 5:32 pm
Harry Potter, of course. When the 7th book came out I hadn’t received my copy in the mail due to some mix up (so it was free later) so I had to resort to downloading it and reading it at work! I just couldn’t stop. And same here - no matter how many times I read them, I can’t put them down.
Stephen King books do it to me too. I remember reading the Skeleton Crew all night, and read The Mist at about 3 in the morning, and at the exact moment I was reading about that bug thing hitting the store window, a giant bug smacked up against mine. Scared the shit outta me.
Series really get me too. Like Ender’s Game, or the Hitchhiker’s Guide “trilogy”.
posted by Leah on 4-7-2008 at 5:46 pm
Neal Stephenson–Cryptonomicon
posted by Courtney on 4-7-2008 at 5:48 pm
The Time Traveler’s Wife stayed up all night after a New Year’s Eve Party reading it.
posted by Leslie on 4-7-2008 at 6:17 pm
The Physician, Shaman, both by Noah Gordon. Excellent reads that keep you living in the stories.
posted by Frank on 4-7-2008 at 6:23 pm
The Road by Cormac McCarthy — too good.
A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole — hilarity abounds; brilliant writing with an untouchable main character.
Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card — timeless sci-fi fun.
East of Eden by John Steinbeck — this book was all I thought about for weeks after I was done reading it.
there are too many……………………………………………………
posted by ibid on 4-7-2008 at 6:29 pm
The Bell Jar
Anything by Chuck Palahniuk, Chuck Klosterman, or David Sedaris. I think I have pulled all-nighters with 95% of their books.
posted by holly on 4-7-2008 at 6:46 pm
I’ve been reading The Stand at least once a year for the past 10 years. One of the greatest novels EVER! I tend to lose track of time reading Stephen King and Anne Rice books, and I read countless books about the holocaust.
posted by stef on 4-7-2008 at 6:46 pm
Whenever I have breaks from school I read one or two Dark Tower books, I’m up to Wizard and the Glass.
World War Z and High Fidelity were the last 2 books I couldn’t put down.
posted by Kyle Gregory on 4-7-2008 at 6:48 pm
World War Z
posted by Kathleen on 4-7-2008 at 6:51 pm
The Road by Cormac McCarthy — too good.
A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole — hilarity abounds; brilliant writing with an untouchable main character.
Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card — timeless sci-fi fun.
East of Eden by John Steinbeck — this book was all I thought about for weeks after I was done reading it.
there are too many……..
posted by ibid on 4-7-2008 at 6:58 pm
Two stand out in my mind that made me forget I had to work in the morning and just kept reading until I finished in the wee hours. One is Richard Paul Evans The Carousel and the other is Angels and Demons by Dan Brown(much better than The Da Vinci Code which I wanted to chuck out the window halfway through it).
posted by Teejay on 4-7-2008 at 7:01 pm
The Chess Garden by Brooks Hansen was one for me. Not sure if there is anyone else out there that even liked it, but…
posted by rexology on 4-7-2008 at 7:15 pm
Memoirs of a Geisha - Aurthur Golden
posted by Jbrailer on 4-7-2008 at 7:25 pm
Most recently, Duma Key by (the Master) Stephen King. Also, Cell by the same genius.
posted by Dusti on 4-7-2008 at 7:31 pm
while To Kill A Mockingbird is my favourite book, i wouldn’t say it was unputdownable.
the last book i can remember reading all night was It, which was fantastic, while not very smart on my part to read it at night…..i still get the jeeblies
posted by ian on 4-7-2008 at 7:33 pm
Stayed up all night to finish The Amber Spyglass. All of the Dark Materials books are amazing, but the last 100 pages of the final book were so engrossing I practically had to remind myself to breathe.
posted by Amory on 4-7-2008 at 7:35 pm
Arthur C. Clarke’s “Rama” series or early Robert Ludlum gave me plenty of sleepless weekends.
What I really find amazing is that unputdownable is an actual word.
posted by TCMolson on 4-7-2008 at 7:39 pm
I’m so sad that no one has mentioned the Maximum Ride series by James Patterson…those are the most recent can’t-sleep-a-wink-must-finish books I’ve read. As far as all you Stephen King followers, I’m one of you, but the most engaging for me was both The Talisman and Black House. I started The Talisman to take on a 12-hour van ride (it’s easier for me to read while riding if I’m not starting the book fresh on the road) and ended up sleeping the entire trip because I had read it in two sittings, before we left.
posted by Amauriel on 4-7-2008 at 7:42 pm
Growing up, it was not uncommon for me to go to bed reading a book, and continue reading until the sun came up. The Stand was definitely one of those books. Goosebumps (R.L. Stine) kept me up too, but that might have been because I was too afraid to sleep?
Oother unputdownables:
Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption - also by Mr. King
Dune - Frank Herbert
Neverwhere - Neil Gaiman
For me, the opposite of an unputdownable is Catch-22 (Joseph Heller). For some reason i’ve never been able to finish it. Every time I get interrupted, I have to start at the beginning again, due to the number of characters and craziness. Maybe some day…
posted by pc on 4-7-2008 at 7:47 pm
Darn–someone beat me to “The Road” by Cormac McCarthy. Read it in a single sitting.
I also read “The Handmaid’s Tale” by Margaret Atwood in one fell swoop in a hotel room in Mexico.
Most recently, I stayed up til 4am finishing, of all things, The Iliad. And I don’t even like war.
posted by Lyza on 4-7-2008 at 7:47 pm
i was stuck to watchers by dean koontz
posted by eric on 4-7-2008 at 8:04 pm
I defy you to put down “The Jungle” by Upton Sinclair once you are 20 pages in to it.
posted by Brian on 4-7-2008 at 8:19 pm
I’m glad to hear there are so many other readers out there! I can’t fall asleep at night without reading for at least 1/2 hour.
posted by Joe on 4-7-2008 at 8:21 pm
Just this past week- The Book Thief by Markus Zulask. Took me a few chapters to get into it, but then I had to finish it that night. It was amazing.
Also, The Other Boyeln Girl by Phillipa Gregory. I read it long before the movie and loved it (still don’t know about the movie, haven’t seen it). Pretty much anything by her is amazing.
posted by Jen on 4-7-2008 at 8:26 pm
glad to see jasper fforde on the list, i’m just about to tuck in with the latest book. i would add robert jordan, and george r.r. martin.
posted by mri on 4-7-2008 at 8:35 pm
DUNE!!!
posted by ARJ on 4-7-2008 at 9:00 pm
I absolutely love anything by Erich Segal, particularly The Class and Doctors. His characters are so well-developed and their stories are engaging. When I read Doctors, I started reading it at 7 p.m. on a Tuesday night and finished it around noon the next day. It was that good.
posted by Leigh on 4-7-2008 at 9:09 pm
I forgot to mention - the book was 679 pages long, so you know it was good to finish it in less than 24 hours.
* Sorry if this posts twice; I got a server error the first time.
posted by Leigh on 4-7-2008 at 9:11 pm
Pillars of the Earth and World Without End both by Ken Follett
posted by jodie on 4-7-2008 at 9:17 pm
I didn’t start reading Harry Potter until HBP had been out for about a year. But when I started, I literally could not put them down. I read them while I was in the kitchen cooking, at stop lights driving in my car, in my office, any time I could read even a paragraph. I finished DH on Monday morning, despite having to work 2 twelve hour shifts the day after the midnight release.
posted by k on 4-7-2008 at 9:21 pm
I forgot these also: Running With Sissors - Augusten Burroughs and Manchild in the Promised Land - Claude Brown
posted by Jodie (again) on 4-7-2008 at 9:36 pm
My most recent unputdownable book was Master and Commander, by Patrick O’Brian. Well, sorta. Instead of never putting it down, I forced my self to stop after every other chapter, so I wouldn’t have to leave it so soon. Between readings, it was still going on in my head, so I didn’t mind much.
posted by jen on 4-7-2008 at 9:44 pm
Too many to name! I ave self induced insomnia because of books.
Secret History by Donna Tartt was the most recent.
If we are going for sheer numbers of times 1 book has done it it has to be Memories by Mike McQuay.
posted by Chris McCurry on 4-7-2008 at 9:45 pm
I’m a 9-hour a night sleeper so I don’t tend to stay up reading. The ones that have sucked me in, though, are The Talisman by Stephen King/Peter Straub and The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged, both by Ayn Rand.
posted by Heather on 4-7-2008 at 9:47 pm
@ ac
I love Sandra Gulland’s Josphine Trilogy!!!
Amazing! I totally agree that you can’t put them down. I’m a history grad student and a book nut, so it’s easy to see why I’d like them, but everyone I know who has read these loves them, as well.
Besides that … most recently I read “Catcher in the Rye” almost without putting it down. It’s great to dig into classic fiction (or anything to avoid the assigned readings for my course work, haha)
posted by Stephanie on 4-7-2008 at 10:03 pm
I cannot believe that you’d never read “The Stand”! It’s also one of my favorites; have read it several times over.
And I’m going to join the rest of the HP crowd - in fact, I was once banned from reading to my (now teenaged son) ’cause I smuggled the 3rd HP out from underneath his pillow 3 chapters in so I could finish it that night.
I can’t think of any other books that made me want to stay up all night to finish them. Sad, isn’t it?
posted by Betsy on 4-7-2008 at 10:22 pm
Well we will start off stating the obvious.
BUKOWSKI. BUKOWSKI. BUKOWSKI.
Now that I have that out of the way.
I actually love Orwell’s stories but hate how he writes, he is such a pontificator [which is so ironic if you are familiar with his essay Politics and the English Language]
I also have to admit when it comes to books I like nothing better than a really good trashy [or not at all trashy] teen novel.
[then again I am a 16 year old girl so that is for the most part normal]
Authors like Meg Cabot can keep me busy for hours.
I also do have to bring up while it is Mental_Floss and you are talking about amazing books, John Green. :]
I actually have been a huge Mental_Floss reader for years, and I mean YEARS.
Last summer I was in a book store and I happen to see a book called An Abundance of Katherines [which then and still does remind me of my old best friend who was a boy obsessive about Franz Ferdinand and knew too many Katherines of all types of spellings and, um, my name is Kathryn?] I decided to buy the book and I ended up NOT TAKING MY EYES OFF IT. From the minute I picked up that book to the minute I read the last sentence I was in a trance like state. I always felt like it sounded so familiar, especially the random facts scattered throughout the book. Well a few months ago I decided to visit his website and GUESS WHAT!?!?!? I found out he use to be an editor at Mental_Floss!!!! Well that just about made my life right there. He really is an amazing author and I have a feeling that Looking for Alaska is going to be a classic someday, the book kids dread to read for school and have to answer annoying over analytic questions about. So there is my short story for the day.
oh and Heather, AYN RAND IS MY IDOL!
[I have only gotten to read Anthem but I already know I am in love with the women. I mean Anthem kicks 1984s asss xamillion, it is simple and to the part and does not drag the whole story out]
So my final list?
Catch-22
Anthem
An Abundance of Katherines
Looking for Alaska
Anything Bukowski
Wrestlers Cruel Study
Speak
Starcrossed
Lost Legends of New Jersey
A Separate Peace
1984
Down and Out in Paris and London
Memoirs of a Beatnik
Wuthering Heights
Jane Eyre
Of COURSE Harry Potter
Princess Diaries Series [told ya trashy but such a great guilty pleasure]
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
The Mediator Series
Witch Child/ Sorceress
Ella Enchanted
Wow this was long.
Sorry.
:]
posted by C. Bukowski on 4-7-2008 at 10:23 pm
Heinlein!
posted by Greg VA on 4-7-2008 at 10:26 pm
Well, Harry Potter I ended up reading in 7 hours. I kept saying to myself “but I gotta finnish this chapter”. pretty soon, all those chapters added up to one AWESOME book (No.7). I’ve done the Life of Pi (I’m glad that one has been included), Artemis Fowl series, Summerland by Michael Chabon (another AMAZING writer), The Silmarillion (at my husbands request but not bad), and East of Eden. My list my not be long, but I’m a 9 hour sleeper too. And if I don’t read for 1/2 hour before bed, I don’t sleep well. glad to see I”m not the only one.:)
posted by ashley on 4-7-2008 at 10:41 pm
Huge fan of David Sedaris, if anyone is a fan of memoirs and such then you should def. pick up Me Talk Pretty One Day… Also, Choke by Chuck Palhaniuk (along w/ all the others) were great reads i couldnt stop..someone said this before, but i agree if im reading a book thats even somewhat interesting then im hooked and it’s impossible for me to put down!
posted by Jenna on 4-7-2008 at 11:39 pm
Well, I plowed through The Lord of the Rings series and The Hobbit by Tolkien night after night. Then after a short break went after the Dune series by Herbert. Couldn’t put them down until I was finished. Haven’t done that again since.
posted by B. Smith on 4-7-2008 at 11:40 pm
Okay, I’ll admit it; I’m one of the ones who read the last Harry Potter the day it came out. I stayed up the whole night to finish it, took a shower, sat down and was out like a light for the next few hours.
Then, of course, there’s Terry Prachett. I just finished reading Mort. I’m making my way through the series and each one of the books so far I’ve finished within 24 hours. Honestly, it sucks you in and will not let you go. You look at the clock and say “Okay, I have half an hour until I have to leave. I’ve got plenty of time.” A few hundred pages later, you don’t even care you’re two hours late, you’ve got Prachett. Of course, it might be easier if he used chapters.
posted by Samantha on 4-7-2008 at 11:52 pm
The Mists of Avalon,Marion Zimmer Bradley. oh, so many years ago, 30 plus! it transported me to another land, wonderful!I’d recmmend it for any young woman.
posted by Karen Bowers on 4-7-2008 at 11:59 pm
Like a couple other people, I couldn’t put down Angels & Demons by Dan Brown. I read The Da Vinci Code first, which was ok, but Angels & Demons is amazing…By far his best book.
posted by Jason on 4-8-2008 at 12:24 am
Well, the only book I’ve ever read more than twice and still couldn’t put it down the third time around is The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Nefinegger (or something like that). It’s being made into a movie, too, so I’m a little worried.
I’ve read all the Harry Potter books twice (which seems to be a trend), except the last 2, but that was really only because I had forgotten so much between book releases. When I read the 4th book, I remembering sitting out on my deck with a box of saltines and not getting up until it got dark.
I also just finished The Kite Runner, and it’s only the second book I’ve ever cried whilst reading. I can’t believe it, it was assigned for school and I couldn’t put it down.
posted by Karleigh on 4-8-2008 at 12:37 am
I am also a committed bookworm, and so have read many a book in one sitting. The Da Vinci Code pulled me in, as well as Dan Brown’s lesser known Digital Fortress. The Black Jewels Trilogy by Anne Bishop was also unputdownable, as well as Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card. Also, don’t miss Girl with a Pearl Earring and The Lady and the Unicorn by Tracy Chevalier if you like historical fiction. The Coffin Dancer by Jeffery Deaver of Bone Collector fame gave me chills until I finished it. Shattering Glass by Gail Giles actually had me turning to the very last page expecting more.
Moral of the story: Books rock.
posted by KieranKitsune on 4-8-2008 at 12:48 am
To the writer,
while reading the first part of your article, I was began to think about the book that I am reading currently and how i cant put it down either. Low and behold i get to the bottom of your article and there it is “amazing adventures of Kavalier and Clay”. He is absolutely right about this, and everyone shuold get their hands in this pulitzer prize winner
posted by nick cannon on 4-8-2008 at 1:20 am
All you Ender’s Gamers - you must read Ender’s Shadow, it is truly unputdownable! And yes, Neal Stephenson rocks - Snow Crash is one amazing book.
Okay, I’ll admit to reading all the Harry Potters except the last one (haven’t got around to it) but frankly, the total lack of fun and humour in them… is troubling to me.
And I love children’s books! Stayed up several nights for the Bartimaeus Triology by Jonathan Stroud,magical and wickedly funny, huge fan of Lemony Snicket, except for The End, which sucked. Other fantastic children’s/YA series - The Wreckers and sequels by Iain Lawrence, and of course - boys, check these out - the Silverwing and Airborn series by Kenneth Oppel. Also, Whales on Stilts and The Clue of the Linoleum Lederhosen, for anybody who grew up with the Hardy Boys or Nancy Drew - pure satire by MT Anderson. For “grownup stuff”, and if we’re going for cheap, fast and out of control? Gotta be the Dexter series by Jeff Lindsay, and Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum novels. For real “litterachoor” - Alice Sebold - The Lovely Bones. I cried for about an hour after finishing it.
People! don’t just browse in the bookstore, Ask a Librarian (especially the ones in the wierdly trendy clothes!) what they are reading themselves!
posted by Marion on 4-8-2008 at 2:15 am
@ pc:
I read Neverwhere in one sit, and then started it over again the next morning.
@ Samantha:
For a good couple days, sit down and read through the Sam Vimes stories, Guards! to Thud. Though, the first one that ate a whole day was Going Postal, and it has chapters.
posted by tim on 4-8-2008 at 2:22 am
WORLD WAR Z
Could not put it down. It was incredible.
posted by Kevin on 4-8-2008 at 5:54 am
I’ve read many books in one sitting, but I’m a fast reader. I tend to judge them by how many times I re-read them. “Watership Down” by Richard Adams hold the record, well over 100 times, but I first read it when I was 11, so that’s over a period of 34 years. All Tolkien’s books have double figure re-reads, and a lot of Orson Scott Card’s books, too.
posted by Li on 4-8-2008 at 6:09 am
When I was 15, I got a case of food poisoning so bad it laid me up in a hospital for three days. The first morning my dad asked me if I needed anything to keep me comfortable. I said “A book would be nice. Anything by Stephen King will do.” He brought back The Stand. That book was so awesome, I was happy to have food poisoning.
posted by John B on 4-8-2008 at 6:31 am
The Stand is one of my all time favorites and one of King’s best works in my opinion.
Other authors that keep me reading are Bernard Cornwell (have never read the Sharpe series though), Tolkien, Herbert and Stephen R. Donaldson. I have recently started reading James Lee Burke’s series of novels about Dave Robicheaux.
My reading tastes cover such a ride area that I’m likely to be reading just about anything at any given moment. ;)
posted by KevinS on 4-8-2008 at 7:16 am
I love books by Augusten Burroughs, I can’t put them down. The same goes for Bukowski. I will stay up all night for any autobiography written by a recovering drug addicted musician. I’m a sucker for those books.
posted by Rashmi on 4-8-2008 at 7:33 am
Oh, I have a few that are unputdownable…
-”Everything is Illuminated”, Jonathan Safran Foer (I love books that twist the English language in brilliant ways; see “A Clockwork Orange” by Anthony Burgess, another favorite of mine)
-The “Twilight” series by Stephenie Meyer…those books are probably 600+ pages or so, and I can easily finish them in a day because they are so engaging
-”She’s Come Undone”, Wally Lamb
-I’ve recently discovered how unputdownable anything by Kurt Vonnegut is. Ironic that I didn’t start reading his work until after moving to Indianapolis.
-Basically anything by George Orwell
I’m sure there’s more, but those are just a few I could think of right now.
posted by Krie on 4-8-2008 at 8:05 am
Wow–I love books! I used to buy them and fill my house with them, but I recently re-discovered the library. I nearly swoon with delight just walking in there–all those books–all those FREE books!
Some of my all-time, stay-up-all-night-reading books include Follett’s Pillars of the Earth (love, LOVE this book!), The Stand (read it cut, then un-cut), The Mummy by Anne Rice (finished it in about 8 hours),
Search for Omm Sety by Jonathan Cott, Fried Green Tomatoes (finished it, sobbing, at 4 a.m. one night years before the movie came out), anything by Clive Cussler (such fun, fast reads!), The Time-Traveler’s Wife (fantastic!), the witch trilogy by Anne Rice (The Witching Hour, Lasher, and Taltos), Chesapeake by Michener, The Executioner’s Song by Norman Mailer, and I’m really a sucker for Dean Koontz, Jonathan Kellerman, Patricia Cornwell, and Nora Roberts novels. I also plowed my way through all of the Clan of the Cave Bear books (and thoroughly enjoyed them); I like books that teach you something along the way.
The one book I haven’t seen mentioned in the comments above is London, by Edward Rutherford. If you enjoy historical fiction and fat, juicy novels, this is a great read!
posted by teachergurrl on 4-8-2008 at 8:17 am
Count me in with the Stephen King unputdownables. The Stand, The Eyes of the Dragon, The Dark Tower series, The Talisman and Black House, Lisey’s Story, his novella and short story compilations..etc. He’s just a first-class storyteller. IMHO. :)
posted by mrs.djs on 4-8-2008 at 8:18 am
I read each of the Harry Potter books in 24 hours or less, especially the 7th.
I also read Siddhartha by Herman Hesse in about 6 hours. It’s a short book but got me really interested in Buddhism.
Also, any of the books by Dan Brown. I know they’re not the best written books but the stories are very compelling.
posted by Elizabeth on 4-8-2008 at 8:20 am
I recently re-read The Tetherballs of Bougainville by Mark Leyner in an accidental marathon.
And pretty much any Tom Robbins novel can be devoured in a single delightful sitting. The only real problem there is that I am them tempted to barricade myself in my house with the book and refuse to come back to the grossly over-rated “reality” everyone keeps hyping.
For longest book to be read in a single go, I would have to say the Illuminatus! Trilogy by Robert Anton Wilson and Robert Shea.
posted by EMStoveken on 4-8-2008 at 8:38 am
A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius- Dave Eggers
Fascinating…unlike anything else I’ve ever read.
Also loved And You Shall Know Our Velocity (also by Eggers)
posted by Casey on 4-8-2008 at 9:02 am
I have read the unabridged version of ‘The Stand’ 7 times and each time I find it impossible to put down. I find that with most of Stephen King’s books! I also find the Harry Potter books addictive and hard to put down. Another was ‘The Red Tent’. I have ‘The Pillars of the Earth’ but I am afraid to start it because I know what will happen!!
posted by JaneM on 4-8-2008 at 9:02 am
I’ve spent more sleepless nights reading for pleasure than anyone should; but I specifically remember frantically reading Foucault’s Pendulum for a Comp Lit class, and being a little afraid that the book’s conspiracy might come real and destroy me if I went to bed before I finished the book…which is the point of the story!
In my defense, the novel’s grand conspiracy encompassing all of Western Civ begins as just a game for the protagonists: they make up conspiracy theories for fun, until they invent one too big to put back in the bottle…
posted by Chris on 4-8-2008 at 9:06 am
The last one, besides HP, of course was The Legend of the Wandering King by Laura Gallego Garcia. I won’t give the storyline away. It’s a short book; just 213 pages and it deals with the choices we make in life and the fates that await us because of those choices. It’s fiction and it won the El Barco de Vapor award for Literary Excellence. It was inspired by a true story of a real prince of pre-Islamic Arabia. It’s a thrillling adventure, the writing is magical peopled with characters I wanted to meet after I read the last page.
posted by Jo-Ann Burton on 4-8-2008 at 9:07 am
24 Hours by Greg Ives. I literally read this entire book in one day. Night actually, I stayed up all night reading. The movie they made out of this really stunk, but the book was fabulous!
posted by Karen on 4-8-2008 at 9:56 am
Most recently:
Popco
The End of Mr. Y
(both by Scarlett Thomas)
and
Hairstyles of the Damned
(by Joe Meno)
posted by Elizabeth on 4-8-2008 at 10:05 am
The first non-stoop readathon I recall, as an adult, was a three day binge reading Herman Wouk’s Winds of War and War and Remembrance. The being extremely disappointed in the mini-series version, mostly because of the casting. I re-read Hesse’s Siddhartha and Steinbeck’s The Winter of Our Discontent at least a couple times a year.
posted by Tim Wright on 4-8-2008 at 10:36 am
Definitely all the Harry Potters, although I only stayed up all night for the 7th. The Catcher in the Rye, All Families are Psychotic (Coupland) and all of David Sedaris’ books. They keep me laughing all night.
posted by Lauren on 4-8-2008 at 10:39 am
THE BOOK WORLD WAR Z I READ IN ONE NIGHT. THE LACK OF SLEEP MADE ME MISS MY MORNING CLASS BUT THAT BOOK TURNED ME BACK INTO READING IT IS BADASS!iF YOU LIKE ANY GEORGE ROMERO OR POSTAPOCALYPTIC SETTINGS (THE STAND, DAY OF THE DEAD, THE ROAD WARRIOR) READ THIS BOOK.
posted by grat on 4-8-2008 at 10:41 am
Anthem, couldn’t put it down and it totally changed my life.
Vonnegut, Sedaris, Klosterman, Palahniuk.
posted by Summer on 4-8-2008 at 10:56 am
Craig mentioned “Snow Crash” by Neal Stephenson and, truly, the last time I read it, I tore through it in two days. The most recent for me, though, is another Stephenson, The Baroque Cycle. While it’s really nine books in four volumes, it was just amazing. Quicksilver took a little while to get started, but by the time I was reading “The System of the World” and “Cryptonomicon,” I was going through at 100+ pages a day (fast for me, and these are 900+ page novels).
I brought these five-pound novels with me to France so that they’d–specifically–take a long time. What a rip-off! (sarcasm)
posted by Ramsey on 4-8-2008 at 11:02 am
a little late to this post but i have two books to add by David Benioff.
1. 25th Hour (on which the Spike Lee movie was based) is easily read in one sitting (it’s short as it spans just 24 hours)
2. When the Nines Roll Over - a collection of short stories thats a great read
its been mentioned a few times by others, but The Stand is a must read. this will not be the last time you read it. You also need to check out the dark tower series. its seven books that you can’t put down so block off some serious time on the calender.
posted by timmah on 4-8-2008 at 11:10 am
I’m also a HUGE Stephen King fan…have read everything that I can of his. The 20-year Dark Tower marathon is my longest-running series, though. So painful to wait years for the next installment.
Some not mentioned:
The “Odd Thomas” books by Dean Koontz. Not standout literature, but very entertaining.
“Devil and the White City” and “Thunderstruck” by Erik Larson. Sort of history and drama all woven together. Great stuff.
“The Prestige” by Christopher Priest. (Different twist than the movie.)
I’m currently addicted to audio books. It allows me to indulge in “reading” without the guilt of sitting in one place neglecting all other responsibilities. I can do laundry, cook dinner, drive, etc. when I’m listening to an audio book. And production levels have become amazing. I just downloaded 57 hours of “Atlas Shrugged.” I haven’t read it since high school, so I’m looking forward to it.
posted by bre on 4-8-2008 at 11:19 am
I agree with Jen on Patrick O’Brian - I would literally finish one book in the series, walk five blocks to our library, and immediately check out the next one. Also, I read Harry Potter 7 in 12 hours straight, including having the book on one side of me or the other while nursing my newborn so that I could continue uninterrupted!
posted by Anita on 4-8-2008 at 11:30 am
I can say “ditto” to several listed here. The most recent book I couldn’t put down was, “Fingersmith” by Sarah Waters. I can’t remember the last time I read a book that contained such an unexpected twist that I actually gasped out loud!
Also, “Blindness” by Jose Saramago. It’s a book that engages ALL of your senses and makes you think in ways it’s unlikely you’ve ever imagined. What would you do if …??
Oh, and “Winter’s Tale” by Mark Helprin. Long and absolutely enchanting.
And can’t leave off without “A Fine Balance” by Rohinton Mistry. A book that should be required reading for all humanity.
Did I mention John Irving? Anything by John Irving, for me, is a straight-through read, with “A Prayer for Owen Meany” and “The World According to Garp” being my favourites.
posted by Heather on 4-8-2008 at 11:45 am
“The Stand” was the first book that did it to me. I envy you and while reading this post, I immediately wanted to go home and get out my (terribly dog-eared and Pepsi-stained) copy.
“Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix” took me about 11 hours with a short nap. By flashlight, too, since the power went out (refreshed the batteries twice).
“The Virginian” by Owen Wister - every time! I cannot put it down!!
posted by Michele on 4-8-2008 at 12:01 pm
“The Virginian” by Owen Wister and “Lonesome Dove” by Larry McMurtry.
Ditto on the Harry Potter books.
And this post very much made me want to go home and pick up my ancient and dogeared paperback copy of “The Stand.” Immediately.
posted by Michele on 4-8-2008 at 12:05 pm
The most recent two I can remember as being unputdownable were Memoirs of a Geisha and Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency(which I’ve read dozens of times). Sadly not much time for non-text books right now :(
posted by keri on 4-8-2008 at 12:07 pm
I was getting worried when I didn’t see Bukowski. FAVE!!!
This past summer I read “The Hawkline Monster” by Richard Brautigan while sitting on the beach. I finished the book but ended up with a wicked (and severly retarded looking) sunburn.
So SO worth it, though.
posted by Jessica on 4-8-2008 at 12:28 pm
The Historian completely sucked me in. It’s not the most meaningful novel, but it a really fun read.
It’s like Interview with a Vampire meets The Da Vinci Code! So indulgent!
posted by Annie on 4-8-2008 at 12:30 pm
Dork I am, I read each Harry Potter book all the way through each time I got my hands on it for the first time.
I also read Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy straight through.
posted by hannah on 4-8-2008 at 12:37 pm
i second ‘the secret history’ by donna tartt.
also, ‘the end of mr y’ by scarlett thomas, and her book ‘popco.’
posted by lucky on 4-8-2008 at 12:46 pm
I had my reading of the last two HP books sadly interrupted by work. Grr. :)
I concur on Timetraveler’s Wife and Pillars of the Earth/World without End.
The Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon.
And Austenland by Shannon Hale. Total fluff, but it sucked me in like woah.
posted by Julia on 4-8-2008 at 1:15 pm
Oh, and The Cheese Monkeys and The Learners by Chip Kidd. Holy moly. Good stuff, especially if you like design.
posted by Julia on 4-8-2008 at 1:18 pm
“dogs of babel” -Carolyn Parkhurst
all of the harry potter books and hellboy graphic novels drove me to temporarily become a hermit.
posted by imelda on 4-8-2008 at 2:00 pm
Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer. My friend Jackie, too.
posted by kary on 4-8-2008 at 2:00 pm
“A Fine Balance” by Rohinton Mistry - mentioned earlier. A great book, yes, but as depressing as anything I’ve ever read. Don’t read if you’re feeling even the slightest bit down!! It’s like a family joke with us - careful with this book!!
posted by kary on 4-8-2008 at 2:12 pm
Mitch Albom’s sophmore release and first novel, The 5 People You Meet in Heaven… changed my entire life in one night. I would suggest this book to anyone going through a difficult time in their life. Simple, sweet and an easy read
posted by Matt on 4-8-2008 at 2:17 pm
The Road by Cormac McCarthy and Jude the Obscure by Thomas Hardy.
posted by Katie D. on 4-8-2008 at 2:38 pm
The ‘Adult Fiction’ of Robert Heinlein. “Stranger in a Strange Land,” “I Will Fear No Evil,” and “Time Enough for Love,” are all classics in my opinion. I have read and re-read them all countless times without putting them down. Great stories wrapped around an interesting philosophical outlook. Makes you think!
posted by Lee on 4-8-2008 at 2:57 pm
The Road and No Country for Old Men, both by Cormac Mccarthy.
posted by Jolene on 4-8-2008 at 3:18 pm
Also, Water for Elephants was an AMAZING read and very well researched.
posted by Jolene on 4-8-2008 at 3:34 pm
Def The Stand, The Shining (was working as a bartender in an old hotel in Seattle at the time), The Ruins, The Road. Lastly, Shadow Divers…incredible.
posted by Capt Grayson on 4-8-2008 at 4:01 pm
I’ll agree with those above who hated the end of “My Sister’s Keeper” — it was like the author blatantly spit on every single reader, it was so awful. Two chapters literally ruined the whole book and made me feel totally cheated and tricked out of the hours I spent reading it.
Good books, though? Harry Potter, of course. Anything by Jasper Fforde (I love his Nursery Crimes especially). And “Stardust” by Neil Gaiman.
posted by MH on 4-8-2008 at 4:17 pm
Hey, Chris McCurry and Lucky…
Have either of you read Donna Tartt’s The Little Friend?
I keep trying, but just can’t get into it.
posted by Amy on 4-8-2008 at 6:06 pm
World War Z was unputdownable, but I couldn’t read it at night. :) Just finished that recently.
The one that kept me up a lot at night was Rumo And His Miraculous Adventures by Walter Moers.
posted by smallerdemon on 4-8-2008 at 7:07 pm
“Manchild in the Promised Land” by Claude Brown when I was 11 years old. More recently, “Nightmares and Dreamscapes” by Stephen King.
posted by Sue on 4-8-2008 at 9:37 pm
Higgins,
I waited till the fire died down a little on the comments to add my buck ‘o five.
Whenever I have the luck of some soul asking which Stephen King book should be their first, I always recommend The Stand. There’s something so gripping about it, and engrossing, and of course, the stuff of myth.
I must follow suit with other SK fans, and direct you to The Gunslinger, followed by six of the most engrossing chapters of epic myth. The Dark Tower was started by King as a college project of sorts, based on a Robert Browning poem, and has plagued King all his life. He always said in his notes with each book that he really had no idea where this was going, how it was going to end. It’s one of those stories that just is, and the author just needs to write it down.
Currently I’m reading Alex Berenson’s The Faithful Spy, and I can’t put it down.
posted by Johnny Cat on 4-8-2008 at 10:21 pm
M-O-O-N, that spells “unputdownable.”
posted by Johnny Cat on 4-8-2008 at 10:26 pm
Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
posted by Kelly on 4-9-2008 at 9:39 am
Wind-up Bird Chronicle by Murakami. I would be walking down the sidewalk reading this.
posted by zenpunk on 4-23-2008 at 4:13 pm
Harry Potter. I’m obsessed.
Ender’s Game.
Pillars of the Earth.
Its sequel, World Without End.
I don’t think many people have read this book, but it’s beyond incredible:
The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
The Other Boleyn Girl
posted by Christine on 4-23-2008 at 5:16 pm
Catch-22
Screwjack (Hunter Thompson)
As I Lay Dying
posted by Jenny on 4-23-2008 at 6:35 pm
Misery
Poisonwood Bible
One True Thing
DaVinci Code
Angels and Demons
Divine Secrets of the Ya Ya Sisterhood
But now I’m gonna have to go get another Stephen King book, reading him is like that good warm fuzzy feeling you get every year at Christmas time. And no, I did NOT just compare Stephen King to Christ the King. LOL
posted by c.a. Marks on 4-23-2008 at 8:09 pm
I have read all the Harry Potter books way too many times to count. The last 2 books were all nighters.
The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold. I tried to put the book down, because the emotions were too much, but I would have to pick it back up a minute later. I read it 5 or 6 years ago and the emotional punch of that story still lingers with me today.
My Sister’s Keeper and any other book by Jodi Picoult.
P.S. I Love You by Cecilia Ahern. I refuse to see the movie because I loved the book so much.
I too got sucked into Dan Brown’s books - The DaVinci Code, Angels and Demons, and Deception Point.
posted by Darlene on 4-23-2008 at 8:59 pm
A Deepness in the Sky by Vernor Vinge is a book that I both could not put down, & wish I could Erase [My] Memory to [Read] Again for the First Time.
posted by jj on 4-24-2008 at 12:41 am
I couldn’t put down “The Nine.” It’s a non-fiction biography of the different Supreme Court justices and how their personalities influenced our laws. This book was amazing (even though I’m partial because I love reading books from newspaper columnists).
posted by Tasha on 4-24-2008 at 1:21 am
The Day of the Jackal by Fredrick Forsyth.
Started it yesterday. Only have 50 pages to go
posted by Me on 4-24-2008 at 10:20 am
Most recently, The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo. I was so surprised at how incredibly engrossing this one is. I ended up reading it in about three days, when I expected it to take at least a couple weeks.
Also on my unputdownable list:
A Prayer for Owen Meany and The Cider House Rules by John Irving
Fall On Your Knees by Anne Marie MacDonald
Bel Canto by Ann Patchett
Good Omens by Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett
The Girls by Lori Lansens
Valley of the Dolls by Jacqueline Susann
Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski (I kind of can’t believe nobody has mentioned that one yet)
Wicked by Gregory Maguire
and pretty much any Stephen King except for Insomnia, which I have to this day and through many attempts never been able to finish. Especially The Stand and IT though. I’ve read each of those at least four times and STILL can’t put them down whenever I pick them up to reread.
posted by Neko on 4-24-2008 at 10:56 am
Oh, so many! I might have to go home to add more later.
Do I even need to mention Harry Potter? :) Loved them all!
Lately, I couldn’t put down all of the “Peter and the Starcatchers” series by Dave Barry.
And a couple of days ago I stumbled across “Elsewhere” by Gabrielle Zevin (a first novel). Just beautifully and gently written.
Years ago I got sucked into Jurassic Park. Amazing book (hate the movie!).
Someone else already mentioned Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale, so I second that vote!
More…(classics)
The Martian Chronicles
Slaughterhouse Five
1984
Dandelion Wine
Island of the Dolphins
I’m sure to add more later… =)
posted by Dawn on 5-5-2008 at 11:32 pm
ooh..just a couple more:
Kingdom Keepers (Pearson)
Tick Tock (Koontz)
**Island of the Dolphins=Island of the BLUE Dolphins
posted by Dawn on 5-6-2008 at 3:50 am