Best books you have read

Let’s here the best books you ave read, while I enjoy a good trapping g related story, I prefer other novels more, let’s here some ideas

Unintended Consequences.

On the Road by Jack Kerouac.

The Holy Bible, KJV



Charlie

The Lord Of The Rings- J. R. R. Tolkien

We the living- Ayn Rand

Atlas Shrugged- Ayn Rand

We were the lucky ones- Georgia Hunter

Before we were yours- Lisa Wingate

Hamlet.

In Harm's Way- Doug Stanton

David Thompson's Narrative
Mere Christianity
Northwest of the World
Exodus (the historical novel)
Forty Years a Fur Trader

I've never read that. I have read The Screwtape Letters. Excellent book. Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress and The Holy War are both excellent books most Christian folks have never read, but should.

Interesting outdoors books - Just to go off grid a little for some books many may not have heard of.

The Golden Spruce - True story. Exceptional outdoorsman and logger gone made cuts down a sacred tree in BC Canada to prove a point about deforestation then disappears into the bush. One note on this book, it can be dry, it details the west coast logging history and interactions with natives historically and so forth. But the story is fascination. And recent (1997).

A Stranger in the Woods - Hermit is caught and imprisoned after decades of living alone in the woods and not speaking, living off of scrounging and stealing from cottagers, he was a legend. Now he's in jail and a fella wrote a book about him. It's interesting. Would be great for younger groups too. Easy/quick read. (and a recent story, he's still in prison when i checked. He was only caught in the last 10 or 15 years i think). He walked into the bush as a young man and never came out until decades later when he was trapped and jailed. (If he was in a city he would never have been arrested fyi... You can only be homeless in cities, not woods...)

#1 Outdoors Book.... A Life in the Bush - by Roy Macgregor. I adore this book. Though it is Canadian centric, most every outdoorsman would love it. The author, his father and family were early/original settlers of the algonquin park region of ontario (Algonquin park is like 5000 square miles of wilderness'ish not far from Toronto). His father worked in lumber. It's hard to explain this book. It's basically the author telling his fathers life story, how it was like being the only people living in the park back then.More logging and trapping history throughout the book as they tell the story of the region and its settlement, disasters (fires) etc....
It's the best version of explaining what my life has sort of looked at that i've ever seen.
If you've ever watched "Alone in the Wilderness" the Dick Proenneke (SP?) where he goes to the bush and builds his own cabin. I'd say A Life in the Bush should be on the shelf next to that piece of work. They have the same type of "feel" to them. If you liked one, you'll like the other.
**Some incredible small stories in there....


The Sisters Brothers - This is a great new/modern novel, and it's a western!!!
"This novel follows two brothers, Eli and Charlie Sisters, infamous assassins sent on an errand to kill Hermann Kermit Warm, an ingenious (and, as it turns out, extremely likable) man, who is accused of stealing from their boss, a fearsome figure named the Commodore."
Great fun book. It's an adventure, a western, shootouts, gold mining, going west, etc....
(It was recently made into a movie that wasn't very successful and i haven't seen, with joaquin phoenix, john c reilly and jake gylenhall..)

The Dark Tower series. Stephen King

Divine Comedy by Dante, while I think technically a poem

"Sacred Marriage" by Gary Thomas
Read this book this year.
Crazy worthy.
Wish they had it when I got married.
Would have made a world of difference along the way.
My Mrs. really enjoyed it as well.
We gave it as a true Christmas gift last year to all our married children.

Old favorite:

Lord of the Rings


Recent good reads:

Memoirs of William T Sherman

Guns Germs and Steel by Jared Diamond

Nothing Like it in the World; The Men Who Built the Transcontinental Railroad 1863-1869 by Stephen E. Ambrose

I don't watch TV, I read instead, usually at least an hour each night before bed.

The best book I can remember reading recently is "My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry" by Fredrik Backman. Backman has written several novels and I've read most of them. He is sort of hit and miss but I guess not every novel can't be a great one.

His first novel, "A Man Called Ove" was a great one. "My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry" is his second novel and it is seriously one of the best books I read, simply excellent.

His two Beartown books are good but not on the same level.

One of my all-time favorite books is "The Old Man and the Boy" by Robert Ruark.

For the last year I've been reading Lee Child's Jack Reacher series in order. I think there are about two dozen written from 1997 to present and I'm about two-thirds of the way through. They are good, entertaining books.

It may not be a popular opinion here but I don't remember reading any novel that made the New York Times Best Seller list that I didn't enjoy. It is a great source for suggested reading.

I say it on all these book threads. Months of The Sun by Ian Nyshens-absolutely incredible read

For a closer to home read Tough Trip Through Paradise by Andrew Garcia

A real look at the old west

Probably my favorite is Walking Drum by Louis L'Amour. Not a western but still my favorite.

Wow, a lot of my favorites have already been mentioned, but I'd add the Game of Thrones series. I'm typically not into that genre, but the character development, plot twists and such are amazing. That dude can write.

I'm also a sucker for Jack London. White Fang is probably my favorite novel of his, along with several of his short stories (To Build a Fire, The Love of Life, Odyssey of the North).

Blind Your Ponies is an excellent read as well. Can't recall the author's name off-hand. It's about a high school basketball coach in a dinky little town in MT - there are some similarities between it and the movie Hoosiers. Excellent writing.

Yep, Jack London is one of my favorites too. 'To Build a Fire' will make you think about yourself.

Steinbeck's 'The Grapes of Wrath' will make you think about others

I read the series. George R. R. Martin is certainly a talented writer.

Undaunted Courage
Atlas Shrugged

X2 Undaunted Courage (lewis and clark)
Lone survivor
The Theft Of Americas Soul

Bible,Jeff white series written here in Maine

]

X2

I also like point of impact and the other bob swagger books by Stephen hunter

And I like the Mitch Rapp series by Vince Flynn

Jurassic Park
The Lost World (Jurassic Park)
Lord of the Rings
Star Wars X wing series and the Thrawn series

Just finished Heller with a gun, Louis lamour. Great book. Any lamour books good. Anything by chapstick. African rifles and cartridges by pondoro John Taylor, tales of the African frontier by hunter and manix

Centennial

Marine Sniper- 93 Confirmed Kills- Charles Henderson

I just finished a quick read called, "Growing up Stubborn on Gold Creek" by Melody Erickson...It's a story of a girl who's family homesteaded near Talkeetna Alaska in the 60's. She trapped and mushed while growing up...A bit like a true story "My side of the Mountain."

As with these recurring threads on favorite books/authors, I will throw out my current favorite one more time. "The Long Walk". True story of a Polish POW in various jails, then moved by train and by foot to a gulag in Siberia. Escape, and a small cadre winter walk from central Siberia to India. Fascinating story of true survival (and deaths along the way). To put it in perspective, like walking from Fairbanks Alaska to Mexico City, having to contend with the Siberian winter, then the Gobi desert, then the Himalayan Mountains. Quite a journey.

Also, don't forget Steinbeck, notably "Grapes of Wrath", "Of Mice and Men", and the lighter ones (my favorites) "Cannery Row" and "Sweet Thursday".

Jack

X2 on the Long Walk.

Fiction that comes to mind-
Lost Nation and the In The Fall,Jeffrey Lent

Blood Meridian, Cormac McCarthy

Non-fiction-

Dangerous River, R.M. Patterson

Spiked Boots, Robert Pike

W.E.B. Griffin writes fantastic novels based on military, police, FBI, etc. I picked up one book and couldn't put it down. Now when I go to a thrift store I look for his books and can find one almost every time I go because he wrote so many books and a lot of people read them!

The Grapes of Wrath...hands down my all time favorite.

Five Years to Freedom, by James Rowe.

Escape From Laos, Dieter Dengler.

The Big Sky; The Way West; Fair Land Fair Land all by AB Guthrie.

anything by Steven Ambrose

I agree with all your choices white17. Big Sky was one of the finest. Interesting though, I've never even heard of "Fair Land Fair Land". I'm looking.

It is the third book in that same series Jack !!

Another one of his is These Thousand Hills. A continuation of the characters from The Way West but one generation later ....and back in Montana.

From the reviews and a Wikipedia write up it sounds depressing.

I read "The Jungle" by Upton Sinclair years ago and it was the most depressing book I ever read.

I'm interested in reading "The Grapes of Wrath" but not if it's going to bum me out. LOL

white17

Yes, I've read The Big Sky 4 or 5 times. The Way West a couple times, and These Thousand Hills. Was not aware of Fair Land until now.

I recently read "The Book Thief" by Markus Zusak.

It is targeted towards a younger audience than this old man but I found it in my daughters library while waiting for the USPS to ship me my latest batch of books via the most circuitous route imaginable. So I had no choice but to read it.

I thoroughly enjoyed it and would recommend it to anyone.

I keep a set of those three books in each location. No idea how many times I've read them One of those.........born too late series of books !!

A few years ago I visited Three Island Crossing . Quite the feat those people pulled off!

KJV Bible.

Great thread OP.

X2

Mark, just started this one myself.
(Btw, to other Tman members, its not bragging to say you read marriage books. It show you take marriage seriously. As husbands, we're responsible if you have a good/bad marriage. So, reading marriage books shows you've cowboyed up)

Alistair MacLean has some good reads

Bows on the little delta by Glenn St. Charles

-The Story - Abridged, novel style version of the bible
-Something of Value - Ruark
-Death in the Long Grass - Capstick
-Final Frontiersman - Campbell (Heimo Korth story)
-How to Win Friends and Influence People - Carnegie
-Lord of the Rings/Hobbit series - Tolkien

Neither Wolf nor Dog by Ken Nerben (sp). He wrote two mod books in the series.

Came to post this and Big Sky by A B Guthrie

This Tender Land and Ordinary Grace are two books I have read recently. The aurhor is William Kent Krueger. Remember also guys and gals that most if not all the books mentioned on this thread can be purchased used at Alibris.com. I have been buying books for years on this website and rarely pay over a dollar or two per copy. Shipping usually runs 3 or 4 dollars, but still much better than retail.

I haven’t read many, but Big Sky and Mountain Man are two that I really enjoyed.

I'll recommend another author. If you like the west and well written fiction with an historical basis, then pick up most anything by Ivan Doig.

This House of Sky, Sweet Thunder, The bartender's Tale, Last Bus to Wisdom. and many more.

Most are about growing up and living in rural Montana.

I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes may be the best book I’ve ever read, and I read one or two books a week. You can buy it on Alibris.com for a few bucks.

Pumpkin rollers, Elmer kelton

Born on snowshoes
War and peace
Trap lines north
Shogun
Grant

Ditto.

I am fortunate enough to own a copy and I read it once a year.

The first time I read it was as a free PDF I downloaded from somewhere online. Probably got me on a watch list but that ship has likely sailed anyway.

Mike

A recent read I was given, and had no expectations for - but REALLY enjoyed - is The Which Way Tree by Elizabeth Crook.

Here's a few worth reading:

Without Remorse by Tom Clancy (Easily his best)
All of the Jack Reacher books by Lee Child (25 and counting)
Mitch Rapp series by Vince Flynn (17 books)
The Red Sparrow Trilogy by Jason Matthews
The Jason Bourne Series by Robert Ludlum
The Dirk Pitt books by Clive Cussler
Stephan Hunter (Bob Lee Swagger series. (11), Earl Swagger-3, Ray Cruz-2, Stand Alone-7. All Good Reads and Hunter knows his guns.

The Big Sky Trilogy by AB Guthrie
The Klondike Fever: The Life and Death of the Last Gold Rush by Pierre Berton
Theodore Roosevelt wrote some good hunting books. African Game Trails, Hunting the Grisly and Other Sketches, Ranch Life and the Hunting Trail, Hunting Trips of a Ranchman
The Wilderness of Denali and The Wilderness of the Upper Yukon by Charles Sheldon


Peter Hathway Capstick if you like African hunting stories.
Adventures of an Elephant Hunter by James Sunderland
Memories of an African Hunter by Denis D. Lyell
A Hunter's Wanderings in Africa by Fredrick Courtney Selous
The Wanderings of an Elephant Hunter by WDM Bell

Jack O'Connor
Elmer Keith
Jim Carmichael

Always on the hunt for good books.

Where to starts LOL

I like the Clive Cussler Dirk Pitt book series (reminds me of me an my best friends a bit LOL)
The Killer Angels - Greta book about Gettysburg
Dances with Wolves
My Side of the Mountain - One of my favorites

Anything by:
Robert Ruark
Peter Hathaway Capstick
Jim Corbett
WDM Bell
C.H, Stigand
Frank Hibben

Months of the Sun by Ian Nyschens - agree with tomahawker its a great read
Adventures of an Elephant Hunter by James Sutherland is another one
Jungle Man by PJ Pretorious
Tigero by Sasha Siemel - hunting jaguars with a spear!

A good one I couldn't put down lately was;

Spirit of the Rainforest: A Yanomamo Shaman's story, by Mark Ritchie.

Great non-fiction read of natives in South America. Several reviews said it should be required reading in every school.
A quick quote from the cover;
Jungleman, Yanomamo shaman, is sharp with his words. It is their cultural way, where the first words out of one's mouth show intent for all that follow.
"These nabas (white people) might know a lot of things, but they are dumber than we Yanomamo. Even animals care who watches when they mate."

Nuff said. Best read other than scripture for me this year.

Empire of the Summer Moon. I read a lot of western history because a lot took place in my home state of Montana. But this is one of THE best books I've ever read. It is the story of the Comanches and Quannah Parker, the last great war chief. I can remember the author's name of the top of my head, but he is a great writer. The research he did to write that book must have been unbelievable.

Louis Lamour westerns

x100

Lonesome Dove Series by Larry McMurtry

I do like my Louis lamour books, I recently saw some books advertised in a trapping magazine by Cody Assman they are supposed to be a cross between Louis Lamours Sackett books and Gary Paulsens hatchet

The Plainsmen Books series by Terry C Johnson . If you like western series you will like these.
Whitefeather, Carlos Hathcock . Great read

A Hundred Hunts Ago. Mert Cowley. Awesome book but probably not known much out of Wisconsin. All of his stuff is good. The River Rat books by Kenny Slawey are great too.

Jack London Stories, most notably "Call of the Wild". Got the book when I was about 8 and still read it occasionally.
Lord of the Flies Read it when I was 10.
Anything by Gordon MacQuarrie, but especially Stories of the Old Duck Hunters

Moosetrot

Five years to freedom is an amazing book!

Green hills of Africa Ernest Hemingway

Green hills of Africa was my first africa hunting book, also my first hemmingway, its a good read for sure and I believe it was his first non fiction novel.

Yep,great book.S C Gwynne.
Another one is Bury my heart at wounded knee-by Dee Brown.

The Tiger: A true story of vengeance and survival, by John Vaillant

They called him wildcat VE lynch felt like I was along side him thru the whole book great read

Great book

Becoming Teddy Roosevelt was another of my favorites

Fiction...Where the Red Fern Grows. Been reading it since 7th grade and still read it every two years or so.

Non fiction....North to Cree lake. Don't know why but that book amazes me as to how those fellas lived/survived.

Just finished steinbecks East of Eden. Awesome character development. Great Cain and Abel type story.

Thanks guys. Here are a few of mine that stand out, no particular order, and some of these were from suggestions on t man

Lamour,
Haunted Mesa,
Lonesome gods
Sitka

Blind mans bluff, nuclear submarine history
Months of the sun, African elephant hunting
Pandora, African elephant hunting
David Thompson journals
Undaunted courage
Pet cemetery, Stephen king

No way back
Unbroken, hildebrand
The source, how rivers shaped America, Doyle
The atomic bomb, Rhodes
American sniper
Lone survivor
Dear john, Nicholas sparks
Marley and me

Any John Grisham book

James Michener
Hawaii
Chesapeake
Centennial
Alaska

Hands down the best read I ever read. Very insightful, early day market hunting, and later Alaska wolf control agent. Bush living, wolf hunter /trapper. Had a team of wolf dogs. Highly recommend it.

(This word is unacceptable on Trapperman) I was there - Elmer Keith, Silence of the North, a lot of local Adirondack History Books, EJ Daley & Adirondack Dick by Scot H. Dahms many more

Just finished 12 Rules For Life by Jordan Peterson. Way more than I thought it was going to be. Lots of history

Nam Sense, by Arthur Wiknik, Jr, of the 101st Airborne Division
Great book. His account.

I love most mysteries. I have read all the Sherlock Holmes stuff many times.

just recommended this book to a friend. couldn't put it down

"Cant hurt me" by David Goggins