With the shorter days and falling temps, there's nothing I love better than curling up with a good book. You all are a pretty intelligent group so I'd be interested to hear what's on your nightstand...what book you just can't put down...and what you'd highly recommend.

Fiction, non-fiction, dog- AND non-dog-related is all good.

I'm currently reading "The Story of Edgar Sawtelle" I HIGHLY recommend this book even though I'm only half-way through it. It's a magical, masterful, thought-provoking, dog-related story that I think will appeal to this group...men and women alike.
http://www.edgarsawtelle.com/

Another favorite is: "World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War" Don't let the zombies put you off, this is a great piece of end-of-the-world, post-apocalyptic writing.
http://www.amazon.com/World-War-Z-History-Zombie/dp/0307346609

And just for kicks and continuing on with the Doomsday theme, "Lucifer's Hammer" is a good read. You just can't beat the tsunami surfing scene. If you're concerned about the world coming to an end read this book and take notes. Good survival information. :wink:
http://www.amazon.com/Lucifers-Hammer-Larry-Niven/dp/0449208133

Another old favorite is "The Quincunx" It's a huge, incredibly detailed book with enough plot twists and turns that I can (and do) re-read it every year and it seems like it's the first time. This is a historical novel set in the early 19th century.
http://www.amazon.com/Quincunx-Charles-Palliser/dp/0345371135

And for those of you enjoy cooking and read cookbooks for fun (and yes, I read about food before I go to bed ) this is a must-have, IMHO: "Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking." Everything I've ever made from this is good. Marcella Hazan knows her stuff.
http://www.amazon.com/Essentials-Classic-Italian-Cooking-Marcella/dp/039458404X

Dr. Phil "Family First".

O.K....I know....It's just that this kid has me paranoid.

Dr. Phil is one of my guilty pleasures. He's like Cesar Millan for people.TSST!!!

1984 and A Brave New World(both excellent) are there at the moment. Along with Ender's Game and Enders Shadow. And Icarus Hunt(Timothy Zahn).

1984 and A Brave New World tend to get the life sucked out of them when they're read in school. If you hated them in school try reading them again now. The books were created to send a message but also to tell a story. I read them a few years before they got covered in class and enjoyed them. I still reread them every once in awhile.

Ender's Game and Ender's Shadow are just wonderful stories. I love them. Ender's Shadow is my favorite of the two but read Ender's Game first.

Icarus Hunt is kind of a mystery/ Sci-Fi book that leaves you guessing and trying to figure things out a lot. So many twists and turns that you won't figure it out until the surprise ending. Like most Zahn books it has some dry parts where you can just skip pages without losing any of the plot. But it's still worth a read.

I have two large moving boxes full of books. I constantly reread my old favorites. I love to read. My parents would always let me read the Harry Potter books first because I would read them in one night and then they could have them the next morning to read.

 Quote: Michael_Wise

O.K....I know....It's just that this kid has me paranoid.

So the retaliation has already begun, huh? I TOLD you he was gonna getcha for that fire hydrant pose.

 Quote: Cathy Goessman

1984 and A Brave New World tend to get the life sucked out of them when they're read in school. If you hated them in school try reading them again now.

Ain't that the truth. I disliked being forced to read so as a result I didn't enjoy those two books the first time around. They were much better later on.

 Quote:

Ender's Game and Ender's Shadow are just wonderful stories. I love them. Ender's Shadow is my favorite of the two but read Ender's Game first.

Icarus Hunt is kind of a mystery/ Sci-Fi book that leaves you guessing and trying to figure things out a lot. So many twists and turns that you won't figure it out until the surprise ending. Like most Zahn books it has some dry parts where you can just skip pages without losing any of the plot. But it's still worth a read.

I'm not at all familiar with these so thanks for mentioning them. I'll check them out.

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I have two large moving boxes full of books. I constantly reread my old favorites. I love to read. My parents would always let me read the Harry Potter books first because I would read them in one night and then they could have them the next morning to read.

I do, too. If I truly loved it the first time around I enjoy it every bit as much the second. I'm the same way with movies.

Hmmmmm, Let's see:

Into the Wild

A Child Called It

Paws to Protect

Handbook of Applied Dog Training and Behavior Vol 1

Don't Shoot the Dog

The Twilight Companion (guide to the characters in the Twilight series)

Romance Novels… Victorian era… Absolutely cheesy and trashy, but it is my mindless entertainment at the end of a long day.

 Quote: Michael_Wise

Dr. Phil is one of my guilty pleasures.

I'll go you one better...I sometimes watch John Edwards. And I cry every time I do. :shocked:

Jessica,

I have quite of those cheesy romance novels in the bookshelf by my bed :-p After spending my workday reading legal treatises and dealing with criminals I like the mindless trash as my "nightcap" :-) Aside from those, I am working my way through all of Jodi Picoult's books. Also have Reading Lolita in Tehran and Bones Would Rain From the Sky.

I am an avid book lover, I just bought two new (to me) bookshelves last week so now I am up to 7 bookshelves in my house and they are almost all full. Love the classics and have a collection of rare books that I treasure. Helped support myself right after graduate school by buying and selling used and rare books ;-)

"A Child Called It" is sitting on my bookshelf...that was a wonderful/terrible story. The other 2 books in that series are worth reading, as well.

Jonathan Krakauer also wrote "Into Thin Air" about the 1996 Everest deaths. That was an excellent book and made me thankful I do not aspire to climb mountains.

Cheesy, mindless romance has its place. Victorian era? You might enjoy these:

http://www.amazon.com/Dress-Lodger-Sheri-Holman/dp/0871137534
http://www.amazon.com/Crimson-Petal-White-Michel-Faber/dp/015100692X

Sort of warped Victorian-era romances.