A sad, sad day for me and many others around the world... yesterday, Tom Robbins, author, philosopher and all-round revealer of the wonders of life, passed away aged 92.

He was, no...is, my favourite author bar none. I've read his entire catalogue several times over and coincidentally am in the middle of reading 'Jitterbug Perfume' again.

Anyway, I've been on another site of likeminded people sharing stories about Robbins, my favourite of which was a fan letter he talked about in his autobiography... "Your books make me laugh, they make think, they make me horny, and they make me aware of all the wonder in the world.”

Not that he cared one iota, but he also was recognised as being among best 100 authors of the 20th century by Writer’s Digest.

While on that other site, people started sharing their best-of lists and I thought it my work here also. So, your top 5 favourite Fiction, Non-Fiction, Movies, Albums/Songs.

Fiction:
Another Roadside Attraction – Tom Robbins
Fierce Invalids Home From Hot Climates – Tom Robbins
1984 – George Orwell
A Tale of Two Cities – Dickens
Spartacus – Howard Fast

Non-Fiction
The Histories – Thukydides
Rise and Fall of the Third Reich – Shirer
A War Like No Other – Victor Davis Hanson
Reagan: The Life - H. W. Brands
The Harvest of Sorrow - Robert Conquest

Movies:
All that Jazz
Golddiggers of 1933
Life of Brian
Inglourious Basterds
Cabaret

Albums
Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band - Beatles
Bat Out of Hell - Meatloaf
Temple of the Low Men – Crowded House
Retrospective – Russel Morris
Rubber Soul – The Beatles

I am not familiar with the author, but I appreciate the sense of loss, which can be very personal. It also reminds us of our own mortality.

Many of my favourite authors have passed on or have stopped writing. But, unlike most of us, they leave a lasting legacy. For example, people have not stopped reading Charles Dickens or Rudyard Kipling.

One of the greatest things about modern technology for me is ebooks. The advantages of them being that they will always be available well after they are out of print.

The same regret when a favourite author dies applies to actors, too.

mhaze,

You and I have much in common, Tom Robbins was a top class author, and will be remembered for his outstand works. RIP Tom Robbins.

I'm surprised Dangerous Doctor Donald's "Art Of The Deal" is not one of your all time favorites. BUT I don't think Donald wrote it, more likely written by Tony Schwartz.

Only put one for each.

Fiction;
The Thorn Birds Colleen McCullough.

Non Fiction;
The Turbulent Years J.T Lang

Movie;
The Tracker
Life Of Brian (Comedy)

Album;
Sgt Peppers Beatles

Song;
Get Back also the Beatles

mhaze,

Thanks for this discussion.

I'm not familiar with Tom Robbins.

May he RIP.

Here's my list of just some of my favourites:

Fiction:

One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich - Alexandr Solzhenitsyn

Power of One - Bryce Courtenay

The Chant of Jimmy Blacksmith - Thomas Keneally

Rebecca - Daphne du Maurier

D. H. Lawrence - Lady Chatterley's Lover

Non-Fiction:

Wild Swans: Three daughters of China - Jung Chang

Mao's Last Dancer - Li Cunxin

The Man Without a Face: The unlikely Rise of Vladimir
Putin - Masha Gessen

Inside The Third Reich - Albert Speer

Patriot - Alexei Navalny

Albums:

Hot August Night - Neil Diamond

The Jazz Singer - Neil Diamond

Born in the USA - Bruce Springsteen

Queen II

Live From New York City - Simon & Garfunkel

Movies:

Downfall - (German film - Hitler)

The Queen - Helen Mirren

The Death of Stalin

Bride & Prejudice

Invictus

I also loved the TV series - "The Jewel In The Crown"

What a terrific topic.

My favourite -

Book
'A fine balance' - Robinton Mistry. I couldn't bring myself to read the last few pages for days.

Album
Loved the compilation album 'Lady sings the blues'. It's so moody.

Movie
'All of us strangers'

And because I love live theatre my favourite

Play
'The curious incident of the dog in the night-time

Hi Mhaze
Nice topic – thanks! Nowadays I mostly listen to classical music, but here are some favourites in the other categories

Fiction
Schindler’s Ark (semi-fiction)
Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy
1984
Catch-22
Lord of the Flies

Non-fiction
If this is a Man (aka Survival in Auschwitz) – Primo Levi
Bury my Heart at Wounded Knee – Dee Brown
The Gulag Archipelago - Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
The Elements of Style - E. B. White, William Strunk Jr
On Liberty - John Stuart Mill

Movies
Blade Runner
The Godfather
The Usual Suspects
Apocalypse Now
Life of Brian