Books and Limericks

There was a sweet girl of Decatur

Who went to sea on a freighter.

She was screwed by the master

-An utter disaster-

But the crew all made up for it later.

-Isaac Asimov

My Dad and I were discussing one of the funniest books we have ever read last night. That book is this:
By this man:

The book, is quite frankly hilarious. Filled with totally innappropriate limericks about sex. What's not to like?  But talking about books got me to thinking. And since this is my last post before the weekend, I figure I will post my top 5 favorite books(or trilogies) of all time, and see if anyone else on here either agrees, or reads them and realizes my reading choices have changed their lives forever.

1. My Side of the Mountain
  - Jean Craighead George

This book is a must read for any boy who likes the outdoors. Even if you don't like the outdoors, you will like it after this book. I read my copy of this book so many times, my mother had to cover it in clear contact paper to hold it together. This is far and away my favorite book of all time, and one the I will read every chance i can get. It is a short read, only about 200 pages, and it is the adventures of a yojng boy who runs away from the big city to live in the Catskill mountains in New York. Sam Gribley meets many ecclectic characters aling the way, Bando, an English teacher who camps on his mountain. Baron Weasel, a contentious but friendly neighbor. And Frightful, Sam's faithful peregrine falcon. A must read for any young boy, or anyone who feels young at heart.

2. Starship Troopers
  -Robert Heinlein

This is the greatest book about war with no fighting that I have ever read. Do not let the terrible movie by Paul Veerhoven sully your image of this book. Heinlein artfully crafted a book, that while about war, detailed the mindset of a soldier in the army, and also detailed the dangers of living in a fascist society. Heinlein has a style of writing few can match, and when you read this book, you'll see what I mean.

3. The Foundation Trilogy
  -Isaac Asimov

This trilogy is the story of the collapse and rise of a galaxy wide empire. The story is far too vast for me to get into the nitty gritty of what it is about, but suffice to say, Asimov shows why he is the undisputed king of science fiction in this novel. As humanity battles to save itself from 30,000 years of chaos, The Foundation struggles to turn back the tide of barbarism, and waits for the 2nd foundation to come to their aid. But no one could forsee the Mule. A must read if you like clever books with political intrigue. And this book is broken down into easily readable sections that detail each generation's fight to stop the chaos, which makes it easy to read in pieces.

4. Shogun
    -James Clavell

Shogun is the story of a shipwrecked English pilot, Blackthorne, in Japan, and his adventures in love and war in 17th century Japan. At first captive, then advisior and soldier to Toranaga, he fights to keep his life and to return to England. But forces stronger than himself hold him in Japan, bringing him to a controversial position of power at one Japan's most tumultuos times. A great read for those who like adventure with a little love thrown in, the only downside to this book as a weekend read is it's length. But don't let that stop you, the book is worth every letter on the page.

5. All Quiet on the Western Front
  - Erich Marie Remarque

The greatest war novel of all time. Much like Starship Troopers, this novel deals with war by examining the psyche of a young soldier, and the rest of his squad, in the last years of World War I. Paul Bäumer gradually begins to accept war, death, everything as inevitable. The last few pages of the story are, in my opinion, the best ever written to end a novel. And the last page will have you breathing a sigh of relief. This is the only book I have ever read  where I was so emotionally invested in the main character, and as satisfied with the ending of the story. It ended the only way it could.

I hope you enjoy these books, I know I did. I have read a copy of very single one of these to destruction, and I am on my second copy of every book. No matter how many times I read them, I can still pick up these books any day, and read them with the same enjoyment as the first time.