The Great Gatsby - F. Scott
War of Flowers [awesome book, but a bit towards the fantasy end haha]

The Sheltering Sky is awesome, and has a fostered my love of deserts.

Also Blood Meridian is awesome, it's about a group of American outlaws who go roaming around Mexico, scalping natives, possibly molesting children, and musing about the existence of morality.

http://www.goodreads.com/ this is a good online community for readers if anyone is interested

Anyone read Ulysses? I hear it's amazing.

Ooh for fantasy, I love R.A. Salvator's whole series but it's adventure/fantasy set in a COMPLETELY differen world with dark and light elves, dragons, dwarfs, wizards, barbarians (they might just be really big humans as they are anatomically the same but they're HUGE) and of course humans. There're also the set of random other mystical creatures DDDDDDDDDD

I agree with lawleypop - the whole Ender series is awesome

If you can get your hands on some manga:
Death Note
20th century boys
Full Metal Alchemist

just a few

Originally Posted by Harlequin

Chuck Palahniuk is my favourite! My top 3 are probably Choke, Survivor and Invisible Monsters.

Guts was certainly interesting...althoug h Haunted isn't one of my favourites by him.

Same, lol. Except I think I would replace Survivor with Rant, I really liked that one. Survivor would make my top 4 though.

I think Haunted would have been better as a book of short stories (he would have had to add a few more). Not my fave either.

It's Not About the Bike (Lance Armstrong autobiography) is one of the most inspiring books I've ever read.

Bloodlettings and miraculous cures_Vincent Lam
Glass Castle- walls
just off the top of my head

Originally Posted by marieeeeeee

Off the top of my head...I read too much but these are some of the ones I love re-reading

Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden (better than the movie!)

SOO true, the movie was so boring for some reason

OH for anyone else AMAZING BOOK related to asian culture: Snow flower and the secret fan--its short and has an amzing story of a friendship.
(do not be put off by the girlish seeming title)

ahh one more
"The good earth" such a classic

Pet Sematary from Stephen King was a good read.

Rushdie's the Satanic Verses is quite an interesting read. Moreso, perhaps, because he had a fatwa declared against him by Ayatollah Khomeni...

If you like 'political' literature, I'd read some Orwell (you probably have already, actually)

Originally Posted by KRan

It's Not About the Bike (Lance Armstrong autobiography) is one of the most inspiring books I've ever read.

Good book, taught me a lot about physiology (which I was very interested in at the time) cycling (which is a great application of physiology) cancer and hope.

Originally Posted by Fight0

Anyone read Ulysses? I hear it's amazing.

I read passages from it in my english class...supposedly it's a complete monster to get through, but once you're 'part of the elite' as my english teacher used to say.

Originally Posted by sew12

I'll second this one.

Third. Alchemist is such a positive book!

Originally Posted by Mahratta

Rushdie's the Satanic Verses is quite an interesting read. Moreso, perhaps, because he had a fatwa declared against him by Ayatollah Khomeni...

If you like 'political' literature, I'd read some Orwell (you probably have already, actually)

Lol i have read orwell quite a bit ... as i have the satanic verses. Found it a bit ...

dull ... even though im of indian origin and understood the geopolitical history that its about. Just an odd book imho

Snow flower and the secret fan-

I'll second this one.
also The snow fox is a similar asian fiction styled book..

also for a canadian spin you could try Anne of Green Gables. its a classic for a reason : )

AWESOME suggestions ppl. thanks a lot ... and keep em coming ! =)