For me: Sci-Fi/Fantasy books.

Teery Goodkinds books are AWESOME.

I read 1984 by George Orwell this week. I had read it before when I was about 12 but seeing as that was 14 years ago I didn't remember much. I also doubt that the book had the same effect on me then as it did now. This book is so beautifully written and so fully realized that reading it is probably the most horrifying experience of my life. It's the fact that it is pitch perfect that makes it so horrible. When Winston finally betrays Julia I swear to god I cried a little. He held out for so long and tried so hard to just keep her alive inside himself despite everything else they took away from them and in the end they took even that. The last line of the book left me in a depressed stupor for about two days.
Damn you, Orwell. Damn you and your brilliance.

William S Burroughs once commented in The Western Lands about 1984's idea of: "If you want a picture of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face--for ever."

Burroughs debunked this idea of control as ridiculous and totally unsustainable. I wish I still had the quote, but I gave my book away.

Even in 1984 Orwell says (through his main character) That eventually this government will fail. That there is no way to sustain this type of oppresion. I was more struck by the horror that was perpetrated on Winston than I was frightened by the prospect of living in a world like this.

This rings a bell.

I've only seen the so-so film with John Hurt, and when he's having his turn on the rack he says something to that effect.

Haven't seen the movie and didn't know that John Hurt was in it. I might check it out. I like John Hurt.

Need to revisit 1984. I only read it 2,3 years ago, but i think i'd get a different vision of it now.

the students amongst us may like to read books by Tom Sharpe (porterhouse blue etc) the guy has a very dry wit,and is very,very, funny.

books? ... you're joking right?
jokes
yeah, at the moment I'm swamped with work, so I realy had time for reading school books, which can be pretty good like how to kill a mocking bird, and reading animal farm soon.
I read harry potter recently though (well, I am 15) and 1984- good book, but kinda wierd how *spoilers* the baddies kinda win, and there all hope is disbaneded in the book. interesting how most of the fictional media (expecially movies) seem to have happy endings filled with joy, and if not that, hope. things have realy changed since george owells time.
and yes, I know he says the government will fail, but then again, he gets kinda cut when he is asked why, and he admits to not believing in god, and therefore pointing out the meaningless in life, and how there realy is no hope, or reason to do or have good.

I cant wait for the last book,yayay. I like sci-fi too, not the ones with all the stupid long names though. I like horror, not too creepy though, I'm a bit of a wimp (on certain days its like 'I dont care' but on others...) anywho, I'll pretty much read anything.

I recently read The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough. Pretty kickass book, though a bit sad.

I mostly enjoy reading suspense, psychological, or murder novels. Although the books I read aren't limited to these three genres.

Recently I've been told to read The Lovely Bones and Plato's Republic by my professors, which I can't say I'm exactly looking forward to :p.

In the latst two years of school my grades have dropped significantly due to excessive reading.

I was the first person ever to be told "Stop reading, for gods sake." Twice.

Speaking of animal farm, I read that enire book while hiding out in the bathroom during grade 8 religion.
Truly a great comment on the power of well, POWER.

Currently I am into the Neanderthal Parallax by Robert Sawyer, who is a brilliant writer.

To Kill A Mockingbird....That book affected me. Really.

Half of my class had never even read a book that was without pictures before, let alone finished one.
(Two guys who sat behind me read Captian Underpants books for a report, no shit.)

TKAMB (as it is stupidly abbreviated) was very powerful, and the ending was truly fantastic.
I read Watership Down for the aforementioned Book Report.
Why is it that animal books always have such a profound effect on us?

-The Night's Dawn Trilogy, by Peter F. Hamilton: A thousand million pages of sheer epic greatness. Seriously though, those books are huge (physically and spiritually).
-The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy.
-Dracula.
-Animal Farm.
And, when I'm feeling poor and depressed, the Argos Catalogue: "...so many beautiful things...I cannot possess them all..." -Bill Bailey

EDIT: Day of the Triffids, that book really got me thinking...

ALSO EDIT: The War of the Worlds

Almost all of those books Ive also read.

As did mine. Also, for some reason, certain teachers disapproved of me reading in the beginning and end of my classes. And the clincher was that one of them was my former English teacher.

Same with me, oddly enough.

Both teachers that told me to stop were english teachers.