Non-fantasy favorites

[Steerpike]

This is a fantasy writing forums, of course, but I'm sure most of us read outside of the genre. What are your favorite non-fantasy books?

For classics, The Brothers Karamazov has always been one of my favorites (perhaps my favorite book of all time); also Moby Dick.

For modern literature, Nabokov's Lolita is high on the list, if for no other reason than Nabokov's brilliant use of the language.

For lighter fare, I like Michael Connelly's Harry Bosch books quite a bit, and I read a fair amount of horror and science fiction.

 

[Kelise]

The Crucible (play) by Arthur Miller will always be special to me.

Mira Grant's Newsflash series is zombies, but a bit political and horror/thriller, and that's one of my favourites.

Juliet Marilier is more historical fiction, and Sean Williams is more science fiction, but they're both favourite authors as well.

The House of Leaves - Mark Z. Danielewski - is that fantasy? It's weird. I really enjoyed it.

Then of course, Sherlock Holmes (including the new book, The House of Silk, approved by the ACD trust and all by Anthony Horowitz is almost like Doyle's writing it himself), One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, The Book Thief - Markus Zusak, Water for Elephants - Sara Gruen and so on.

 

[Larkin]

Books I have read and loved for decades:

Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn: A Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich
Franz Kafka: The Trial
Hermann Hesse: Siddhartha
Edna O'Brien: House of Splendid Isolation
Joseph Conrad: Heart of Darkness
Michael Shaara: The Killer Angels
James Dickey: To the White Sea
Carl Sagan: The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark

 

[Sparkie]

I'll always love The Great Gatsby. My all-time fav right there.

Among others I like:

Devil in the White City - Erik Larson
The Windup Girl - Paolo Bacigalupi
Moneyball - Michael Lewis
Empire Falls - Richard Russo
The Road - Cormac McCarthy
Sox and the City - Richard Roeper ('Sox' is not a typo)
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams
Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee - Dee Brown
Lies My Teacher Told Me - James Loewen

That's off the top of my head. There are many others I could list if I sat here all day thinking about it, probably the same with everyone else too

 

[FictionQuest]

Looking for Alaska - John Green
Fermat's Last Theorem - Simon Singh (non-fiction)

 

[Reaver]

Dune-Frank Herbert
The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide-Douglas Adams
A People's History of the United States-Howard Zinn
1984-George Orwell
Next-Michael Crichton
Johnny Got His Gun-Dalton Trumbo

 

[Elder the Dwarf]

I saw 1984 and shivers went down my back. Sorry but I hated that book with a burning passion. Orwell could be my least favorite author of all time.

I think there is another thread about this but I read several other genres:

A lot of historical fiction- favorites are Gemmel and Cornwell
Some thrillers- Patterson, Connelly, Grisham, etc.
Sports- mostly biographies but also a little fiction

Edit: Can't believe I didn't mention articles. Grantland.com is the greatest sports writing site ever, and Bill Simmons is the man. Very funny, very smart.

 

[Telcontar]

Footfall is probably my favorite science fiction book. Great fun, and has neat backstory to its writing - it's based off the (then-recently declassified) results of a big conference on the future of war and weaponry.

For humor and satire I love the books by the Daily Show - America: the Book and Earth: The Book.

 

[Spring-Gem]

Dune-Frank Herbert
Call of the Wild and White Fang-Jack London
Agent Pendergast series-Douglas Preston and Lee Child

 

[myrddin173]

I saw 1984 and shivers went down my back. Sorry but I hated that book with a burning passion. Orwell could be my least favorite author of all time.

I completely agree about 1984, but I did actually like Animal Farm...

As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

(I had to read the preceeding for school, and strangely actually liked them)

Paper Towns by John Green Go Nerdfighters!!!
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak (despite having fantastical elements, I do not believe it is Fantasy)

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

Death Rat: A Novel - Mike Nelson