Listmania!
List by an aspiring writer who loves 'gangster-ass' stories
By an Amazon.com customer
Fahrenheit 451Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
Buy new: $6.99 / Used from: $0.19
My favorite book, to start things off. Hard to categorize, so I don't. It's just my favorite.
The Catcher in the RyeThe Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
Buy new: $6.99 / Used from: $0.01
Best first-person narrative ever. Killed me when I read it. I hope it kills me again.
The Running ManThe Running Man by Stephen King
Buy new: $7.99 / Used from: $0.01
Great action, social commentary. Shames the movie that was made with Ahnuld.
The Things They CarriedThe Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien
Buy new: $10.17 / Used from: $0.50
My favorite short story book. Favorite is the one where the young man contemplates becoming a draft dodger.
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: A Savage Journey to the Heart of the American DreamFear and Loathing in Las Vegas: A Savage Journey to the Heart of the American Dream by Hunter S. Thompson
Buy new: $10.08 / Used from: $5.40
I love Thompson's voice. Long live, you fiend.
Heartbreak Soup and Other StoriesHeartbreak Soup and Other Stories by Gilbert Hernandez
Buy used from: $2.83
There's another book that has all the Palomar stories. Heartbreak Soup is my favorite, so it does well for me.
Dersu the Trapper (Recovered Classics)Dersu the Trapper (Recovered Classics) by V. K. Arseniev
Buy new: $10.88 / Used from: $9.28
The book that inspired my favorite movie of all time, Dersu Uzala. If I could find a friend like that...
The Stand: Expanded Edition: For the First Time Complete and Uncut (Signet)The Stand: Expanded Edition: For the First Time Complete and Uncut (Signet) by Stephen King
Buy new: $8.99 / Used from: $1.63
Got me through one boring summer.
The Little PrinceThe Little Prince
Buy new: $8.00 / Used from: $4.14
Wish I read this as a kid.
Batman: The Dark Knight ReturnsBatman: The Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller
Buy new: $10.19 / Used from: $6.65
My favorite batman story.
Nine StoriesNine Stories by J.D. Salinger
Buy new: $6.99 / Used from: $0.01
Great characters and fine plots.
Stupid White Men ...and Other Sorry Excuses for the State of the Nation!Stupid White Men ...and Other Sorry Excuses for the State of the Nation! by Michael Moore
Buy used from: $0.01
Michael Moore, cracking heads. Straight and to the point, just the way I like it.
The 13th Warrior (Previously Published as Eaters of the Dead )The 13th Warrior (Previously Published as Eaters of the Dead ) by Michael Crichton
Buy used from: $0.01
I read this in one night. A quick, satisfying read.
Maus : A Survivor's Tale : My Father Bleeds History/Here My Troubles Began/BoxedMaus : A Survivor's Tale : My Father Bleeds History/Here My Troubles Began/Boxed by Art Spiegelman
Buy new: $19.73 / Used from: $12.85
The first graphic novel I read, along with the first Maus book. Boy, am I lucky.
Ghost WorldGhost World by Daniel Clowes
Buy used from: $4.99
Better than the movie.