Please recommend a book [Archive]

LordSlaytan

01-17-03, 03:15 AM

Sorry Fox, I thought I saw one by Silver in here. Hmm. I'm losing it. I really like King's The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon, though it's not a horror novel. As far as Asimov, he's more of a Sci-fi writer, which I don't mind, I've read a couple. But I am partial to fantasy more. I'll check out Swan Song, I've never heard of it before.

n7of9, I've read it, and I don't think Rice's series are "girlie" at all. My favorite book of her's is Servant of the Bones, it's not part of her Vampire Chronicles, it's one of her three stand alones. I've read Terry Brook's Shannara series, I'm actually about to re-read the original trilogy. They were very good.

linespalsey, I'm definitely going to check out your pick. :yup:

I remember someone talking about a series of books centered around time. I've heard them mentioned in more than one place, but for the life of me I can't remember who wrote them or what they're called. I've heard so many good things about them that I'd like to read those more than anything. But, I do go through a book every two days, so please post as many as you guys can. Currently I'm reading Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury. I've also been reading some Paul Levinson, he's awsome. It's science with a twist. Very cool. Thanks guys. :yup:

KEEP 'EM COMING!!!!! ;D

Fugitive

01-17-03, 03:30 AM

I llike most of King's works (obviously) but I don't think some of them fit into the horror genre. Robert McCammon's works are similar. Swan Song is worth a look see in my opinion. Have you read King's The Stand? If you liked that, you may like this one too. Some of his other works can be viewed here:
http://www.robertrmccammon.com/novels.html

LordSlaytan

01-17-03, 03:38 AM

I've read all of King's novels up until about 2 years ago. I've read The Stand four times, as well as It, The Shining, and Salem's Lot. They are my favorites of his older works. There are some that are just pitiful. I've kind of grown tired of his writings. I read Dreamcatcher, and all I've got to say is that I'll wait for the movie to be on cable. What a boring book. I'll definitely check out Swan Song. Thanks.

The Silver Bullet

01-17-03, 05:14 AM

The Beach by Alex Garland. Wonderful cult novel that spawned the atrocious film. Doesn't reflect on the book itself, however, as they changed so much of what made the book great. My favorite novel of all time.

The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood. It is the only Atwood novel I have read, although I have been told that all of them are excellent [Alias Grace and The Robber Bride, for example]. I am going to read more of them, but Booker Prize winning Assassin was an outstanding read.

Boy and Going Solo by Roald Dahl. Known for his dark and twisted children stories [the best of which is Matilda] and his much darker adult stories [like The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar (And Six More), which I loved], these two are Dahl's two autobiographies, the first about his wonderful tales from childhood and the second about his still wonderful tales of life in Eastern Africa where he worked for the Shell company before joining the RAF during World War II. The adventures took him to Egypt, Greece and Palestine before he finally returned home. Brilliant stories.

Anything by Dahl is worth reading, Slay.

Caitlyn

01-17-03, 05:24 PM

Originally posted by LordSlaytan

I remember someone talking about a series of books centered around time. I've heard them mentioned in more than one place, but for the life of me I can't remember who wrote them or what they're called. I've heard so many good things about them that I'd like to read those more than anything…

Could it have been The Wheel of Time (http://www.tor.com/sites/wheel_of_time/index.html) series by Robert Jordan?

LordSlaytan

01-17-03, 10:31 PM

Originally posted by Caitlyn

Could it have been The Wheel of Time (http://www.tor.com/sites/wheel_of_time/index.html) series by Robert Jordan?

YES!!! Thank you. :yup:

Caitlyn

01-17-03, 10:35 PM

You're welcome... I'm glad I could help and I hope you enjoy them… :)

Travis_Bickle

01-21-03, 12:06 PM

My favourite book has got to be "The Catcher in The Rye". I avoided this in highschool, because I thought it was going to be about a kid playing catch on a farm. It's not. If you liked Rushmore, then this will suit you well. J.D Salinger is amazing, and funny at writing descriptions. (though his plots are really simple.) Oh yeah, the guy who shot Lennon was reading this book at the time.

Also read The Dark Tower series by Stephen King. The first book is a little hard to get into, though once you do, your addicted. Hearts in Atlantis is also great. Kings best in years.

Anything by Michael Moore is also interesting.

LordSlaytan

01-21-03, 10:45 PM

I've read The Dark Tower series. They were okay. I've never read any Salinger before, but if Mel's right...I'll wind up on an F.B.I. watch list. (like I'm not already :rolleyes: )

theshape82

01-22-03, 06:11 AM

Katastrophie (a book about a supposed resurected hitler...not what you would expect....and it does NOT promote naziism)

relic...and reliquary(both very good books by douglas preston and lincoln child)

and lets not forget anne rice's vampire chronicles

MyRobotSuit

01-22-03, 06:26 AM

Brave New World by Aldous Huxley.

The future controlled in an ideal society. Bringing the human race to genetic perfection. Blade Runner the prequel in many terms.

Travis_Bickle

01-22-03, 12:52 PM

Don Quixote - The satire of all satires.
Paradise Lost - A hard read, but very truthful.
A Simple Plan - Read the book before you see the movie. The book is way better.

Brodie

01-29-03, 02:06 AM

Elmore Leonard. He wrote Get Shorty. His newest i believe is Tishomingo Blues which im reading right now. Also The New York Trilogy by Paul Auster is good if you like mysteries.

Monkeypunch

01-30-03, 02:59 AM

Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, an Unauthorized Autobiography by Chuck Barris. Deleriously funny book about killing for the CIA and creating TV game shows. I HIGHLY reccomend it.

John McClane

03-22-04, 05:27 PM

How about Ben Bova? Anybody read his books? Some titles Mars, Reture To Mars, Moon Rats, and more.

Fall-from-Grace

03-23-04, 10:03 AM

Have you read Le Morte D'Arthur. Now *that's* a classic.
You should read my favourite book: 100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez...it's great!

Revenge of Mr M

03-23-04, 10:23 AM

Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card - everyone must read this book as soon as possible before the politically correct changes are made, it's brilliant.
Dark Moon and Echos of the Great Song by David Gemmel are great, fun fantasy novels.
James Clavell is also great as far historical fiction goes, Tai-Pan, Shogun and King Rat being the pick of the bunch.

bluebottle

03-23-04, 10:44 AM

Try Iain Banks, if you want something slightly unusual. He also writes sci-fi as Iain M. Banks. Another contemporary British author I would recommend is Toby Litt.
Two completely different books you might find interesting are Tirant Lo Blanc by Joanot Martorell & Marti Joan de Galba, and Way Past Cool by Jess Mowbray, the first tells the story of a Catalan knight,and the second the story of a gang of black teenagers in Oakland.

Sedai

03-23-04, 12:36 PM

YES!!! Thank you. :yup:

I need to chime in here....

Jordan's Wheel of Time books are not something to jump right into unless you know what you're getting into. It is an extensive series of books to be sure. I have read eight of these novels and then I quit reading the series. The first six books were very good, at some points reaching amazing. My problem is with Jordan, and his decision to try and drag this series on for as long as he can. Way back in the day, Mr. Jordan had speculated that his series would be six books long, then it became eight, then ten, etc. etc. As of this writing book ten is out and the series hasn't wrapped up yet.

Starting with book seven, the man's writing style started to change. All of a sudden we were treated to five page long descriptions of a character's clothing. Dozen's of new and uninteresting characters are introduced, while characters you had come to know and care for were set aside, sometimes not appearing at all in an entire book (Mat Cauthon comes to mind with book seven). Jordan had killed off a few characters by this point but he decided none of his characters should die and brought them ALL back.

So, What had started out as a story about a would-be hero and some friends embarking on a fabulous quest turns into a story about dozens of uberpowerful Aes Sedai (magic users) and Forsaken (evil wizards) battling and killing each other only to have them all return to do it again and again and again...

..

yawn ....OH! I'm sorry I must have nodded off for a second there. Anyway, that said I would still recommend at least reading Eye of the World, the first book, as it is just one of the best fantasy books I have read. I think all the books up to book six, which btw contains one of the coolest scenes/chapters (The Dumais Wells) I have ever read in any book. Still, I hold Geroge R.R Martin's The Song of Ice and Fire series above basically anything fantasy, including LotR! I have mentioned this fact to others when recommending the books, and was invariably met with taunts and japes about my taste in fantasy, until they read the books that is. Martin's stuff is just stellar, and I feel he has blown everything fantasy out of the water, setting a new standard.

So check out Martin! He has three books in the series so far with another due out in July. I can't recommend the series enough.

_S

Sedai

03-23-04, 12:42 PM

Brave New World by Aldous Huxley.

The future controlled in an ideal society. Bringing the human race to genetic perfection. Blade Runner the prequel in many terms.

I concur with this one as well. I think it is strong commentary today, even more-so than when it was written, as the whole Soma concept pinpointed the use of drugs to keep people even, or complacent. Hopefully I don't need to pint out the correlation with today's society....

_S

John McClane

03-23-04, 12:56 PM

How about The Book Temple? Sorry but I don't know the author.

Sedai

03-23-04, 01:11 PM

Philmster

03-23-04, 01:51 PM

I read a lot but have recently expired my list of known authors. I need some new authors and books to be recommended to me. Please help!!!!

My favorite genre is fantasy.

Though I don't read much, I do have two favourite Authors, Alastair Reynolds and Neal Asher, they write Sci-Fi. My Personal Favourites of theirs are:

Gridlinked - Neal Asher
The Skinner - Neal Asher
The Line of Polity - Neal Asher
Revelation Space - Alastair Reynolds
Redemption Ark - Alastair Reynolds
Chasm City - Alastair Reynolds
Diamond Dogs, Turquoise Days - Alastair Reynolds (2 short stories)

I don't know of anyone else who has ever read any of their work, and I'd like to know what other people think of their work :)

7thson

03-23-04, 11:54 PM

I need to chime in here....

Jordan's Wheel of Time books are not something to jump right into unless you know what you're getting into. It is an extensive series of books to be sure. I have read eight of these novels and then I quit reading the series. The first six books were very good, at some points reaching amazing. My problem is with Jordan, and his decision to try and drag this series on for as long as he can. Way back in the day, Mr. Jordan had speculated that his series would be six books long, then it became eight, then ten, etc. etc. As of this writing book ten is out and the series hasn't wrapped up yet.

Starting with book seven, the man's writing style started to change. All of a sudden we were treated to five page long descriptions of a character's clothing. Dozen's of new and uninteresting characters are introduced, while characters you had come to know and care for were set aside, sometimes not appearing at all in an entire book (Mat Cauthon comes to mind with book seven). Jordan had killed off a few characters by this point but he decided none of his characters should die and brought them ALL back.

So, What had started out as a story about a would-be hero and some friends embarking on a fabulous quest turns into a story about dozens of uberpowerful Aes Sedai (magic users) and Forsaken (evil wizards) battling and killing each other only to have them all return to do it again and again and again...

..

yawn ....OH! I'm sorry I must have nodded off for a second there. Anyway, that said I would still recommend at least reading Eye of the World, the first book, as it is just one of the best fantasy books I have read. I think all the books up to book six, which btw contains one of the coolest scenes/chapters (The Dumais Wells) I have ever read in any book. Still, I hold Geroge R.R Martin's The Song of Ice and Fire series above basically anything fantasy, including LotR! I have mentioned this fact to others when recommending the books, and was invariably met with taunts and japes about my taste in fantasy, until they read the books that is. Martin's stuff is just stellar, and I feel he has blown everything fantasy out of the water, setting a new standard.

So check out Martin! He has three books in the series so far with another due out in July. I can't recommend the series enough.

_S

I thought it was just me that got bored with book 7 of this series. I am currently about 2/3rds of the way through with it right now and I find myself speed reading through alot of chapters. I love this series and since I have grown fond of the characters I will probably continue to read it. I do not have a problem with main characters being left out for a whole volume because they tend to be refreshing when they return, and it also allows a little more focus on others. My biggest peeve about book 7 so far is that I wade and wade through it and when a climax comes its in the form of a flashback about two pages long. Still all in all I think it is an excellent series and I hope the book 8 is much better, but according to you it is much the same as 7, bummer. Also, I think it was obvious that the characters you are probably mentioning that were killed off did not really die. The clues were kinda easy to catch, so saying they were brought back is probably not right, they never left. I will say however it gets kinda tiresome, either kill em or not.

It might have been mentioned so far but the Sword of Truth series by Terry Goodkind is one of my favs, along with most all of Salvatore's work.

SaintDant3

03-23-04, 11:58 PM

I would read Blow. i know its a movie, but still, if you havent seen the movie, its real good. ;)

Sir Toose

03-26-04, 09:00 AM

Slaytan

Ever tried Peter Straub? Floating Dragon is a "Stand" type story yet even darker.

If you haven't yet, try

1). KoKo
From the Publisher
"KOKO......"Only four men knew what it meant.
Vietnam vets. One was a doctor. One was a lawyer. One was a working stiff. One was a writer. All were as different as men could be----yet all were bound eternally together by a single shattering secret.
And now they joined together again on a quest that could take them from the graveyard and fleshpots of the Far East to the human jungle of New York.....hunting an inhuman ghost of the past risen from nightmare darkness to kill and kill and kill.......

2). Mystery
From the Publisher
After a tragic accident which he barely survives, Tom Pasmore develops an obsession with death--an obsession which leads him to investigate two murders--one in the past and one in the present. And during his investigation, Pasmore learns more than anyone needs--or deserves--to know!

3). The Throat
From the Publisher
A tormented writer, unable to exorcise the demons of his past...an all-American town, plagued by horrific secrets...a beautiful woman, brutally murdered by a twisted killer thought long dead - or by an even more terrifying copycat?

...in that order. They are inter-related and quite brilliant.

Ghost Story is a great one by Straub as well...

LordSlaytan

03-26-04, 10:56 AM

I've only read one, and that's Koko. I remember liking it, but it was ages ago. I'll check it out.

Anyway, thanks everybody for replying to this thread, I completely forgot I made it. :)

projectMayhem

03-26-04, 07:15 PM

Have you read any of Elizabeth Haydon's Rhapsody series? Excellent stuff and highly addictive.

Also Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire is an amazing take on the Wizard of Oz telling the life story of how the witch became "evil".

And I highly recommend anything by Arthur C. Clarke.

jrs

03-27-04, 01:45 AM

Wired, which is the biography of the late and great John Belushi. An excellent read.

kaisersoze

03-27-04, 03:51 AM

I think Jose Saramago may just be the most influential writer of our time ... I did a small 2 paragraph book review on his book BLINDNESS so I won't repeat why I think the man is brilliant

http://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=147195#post147195

Also I like the way John Grisham writes... I have read all his books but I'm pretty sure they have all become movies by now so, maybe not so much a good read when you know what happends.

Sedai

03-27-04, 12:19 PM

I thought it was just me that got bored with book 7 of this series. I am currently about 2/3rds of the way through with it right now and I find myself speed reading through alot of chapters. I love this series and since I have grown fond of the characters I will probably continue to read it. I do not have a problem with main characters being left out for a whole volume because they tend to be refreshing when they return, and it also allows a little more focus on others. My biggest peeve about book 7 so far is that I wade and wade through it and when a climax comes its in the form of a flashback about two pages long. Still all in all I think it is an excellent series and I hope the book 8 is much better, but according to you it is much the same as 7, bummer. Also, I think it was obvious that the characters you are probably mentioning that were killed off did not really die. The clues were kinda easy to catch, so saying they were brought back is probably not right, they never left. I will say however it gets kinda tiresome, either kill em or not.

It might have been mentioned so far but the Sword of Truth series by Terry Goodkind is one of my favs, along with most all of Salvatore's work.

Book seven was tolerable to me, and still had some good stuff in it, eight just gets silly with the Aes Sedai knitting circle that becomes a focus in the series. I mean really, just how much do I need to know about each person's attire??? I guess I will finish the series eventually, probably when it gets finished. I can't have too many series I am reading where I am waiting years for the next book ;)

_S

WelshBint

04-16-04, 03:28 PM

I recommend the trilogy "His Dark Materials" by Philip Pullman. I'm just starting the second book "The Subtle Knife" - really superb.

Recently there was a national poll in the UK called The Big Read, and this trilogy was voted into 3rd place behind The Lord of the Rings at #1 and Pride and Prejudice at #2.

The books have a wide audience from teens to oldies, and work on many levels. I recommend you give them a go before they get the Hollywood treatment - rumour has it that Sam Mendes has been slated to direct the film(s).

John McClane

04-16-04, 07:38 PM

Sword of Truth novels. A bit long but, very good.

Crackerjack

04-16-04, 09:36 PM

Time Travel/Sci Fi

http://www.geocities.com/Wellesley/5595/willis/willis.html

Johann Bach

04-17-04, 05:05 PM

I would recommend books in the new emerging science/philosophy called "Transhumanism." Search it on the internet, you will get tons of book listings. Very cool stuff.

jrs

04-17-04, 05:08 PM

Ever read War and Peace ????

LordSlaytan

04-17-04, 05:45 PM

Ever read War and Peace ????

Yes I have. Have you?

John McClane

04-17-04, 07:31 PM

Yes I have. Have you?
I would first like to say "Congrats on that." I'll probably never get the chance to read it.

Must had had a lot of time. Was it good?

Logan

05-04-04, 06:40 PM

The Necroscope series by Brian Lumley are excellent books (13 to date).
American Psycho is pretty good too

Garrett

05-05-04, 11:39 AM

Ever read any of George R.R. Martin's stuff, Slay?

LordSlaytan

05-05-04, 01:48 PM

Ever read any of George R.R. Martin's stuff, Slay?Never heard of 'em. You like, eh?

Recommend a particular book.

MyRobotSuit

05-05-04, 03:17 PM

I really liked Nick Hornby's High Fidelity. In fact it's probably my favourite book at the moment, well with Orwell's Nineteen Eighty Four .

I've just started reading Generation X by Douglas Coupland. It's about a group of friends who escape from their dull commercially indulgent lives to live in a desert and conjure up magnificent stories to entertain each other with. It's quite groovy.

Have you read the Hannibal Lecter series by Thomas Harris? Out of the three books I actually enjoyed Hannibal the most.

LordSlaytan

05-05-04, 04:44 PM

...Orwell's Nineteen Eighty Four .

Have you read the Hannibal Lecter series by Thomas Harris?I've rad, and loved, Nineteen Eighty-Four. I did a quick afternoon read of his Animal Farm a couple of weeks ago as well.

I haven't read any of the Hannibal books. I'll put them on my list.

John McClane

05-05-04, 05:01 PM

I haven't read any of the Hannibal books. I'll put them on my list.
You'll love em. I know I did.

Garrett

05-05-04, 05:12 PM

A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 1) (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0553573403/qid=1083787575/sr=8-3/ref=pd_ka_3/102-7139421-2096965?v=glance&s=books&n=507846)
by George R.R. Martin
It's a refreshing fantasy series. Refreshing from the typical LOTR wannabe's that have come out recently, I mean.

The Cabinet of Curiosities (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0446611239/qid=1083787695/sr=8-1/ref=pd_ka_1/102-7139421-2096965?v=glance&s=books&n=507846)
by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child
This is one of the best books I've read recently.

John McClane

05-05-04, 05:14 PM

This book might be hard to find but, here it is. Temple by Matthew Reilly.

John McClane

06-16-05, 11:43 PM

If anybody needs a book to read, I highly recommend A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson.

Moocow961

06-25-05, 08:40 PM

I recommend "Satan: His psychotherapy and cure by the unfortunate Dr. Kasslar, J.S.P.S." by Jeremy Leven.

Not only is this book incredibly entertaining, but it contains a lot of contemporary applied knowledge of psychology and psychoanalysis. The characters are all very involved personalities and are by no means static. I highly recommend this book to anyone with esoteric taste in literature.

adidasss

06-25-05, 08:57 PM

sunfrog

07-04-05, 07:28 PM

I think you should read a book you haven't read yet. One with steamy sex scenes and maybe a murder for revenge that goes wrong.

Equilibrium

07-05-05, 04:48 AM

j.d.salinger - 9 stories ( short stories, he's a master of short stories, my favourite are for esme with love and squalor and teddy )
gabiel garcia marquez - 100 years of solitude, love in the time of cholera
I hated love in the time of cholera. maybe because i had to write a research paper on it but damn that book drove me nuts.

Equilibrium

07-05-05, 04:48 AM

I think you should read a book you haven't read yet. One with steamy sex scenes and maybe a murder for revenge that goes wrong.

You have just described THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO.

LordSlaytan

07-05-05, 05:17 AM

Damn, I keep forgetting about this thread.

mrsjessica

07-09-05, 07:35 AM

Do you like Dean Koontz? "Odd Thomas" was a good one.
or maybe some Laurell K. Hamilton:idea:

firegod

07-09-05, 04:19 PM

I wish I had seen this thread a long time ago, Slay!

Let's do a lesser known author and book, Patricia Anthony's God's Fires. No, I didn't pick my name based on this book; I read the book because of the name, and man am I glad I did. I love this writer, with her racy language and unique thought processes.

God's Fires is about alien encounters in the time of the Spanish Inquisition. It reads much less like a sci-fi novel than a historical fiction piece, with the perspective coming from people of earth in this time period, not some futuristic person or alien, and the extraterrestrial presense is very subtle, taking a long time to make itself fully felt. I find the religious implications that arise from this plot to be fascinating. If you want to read or watch something that very carefully broaches this subject in modern times, try Contact; if you want the excitement and intrigue that comes from a bold author who combines aliens and the Spanish Inquisition with a daring flare that invites controversy and ruffled ass hairs, then read Anthony's masterpiece.

But if fantasy is your thing, I highly recommend anything Dragonlance. I'd start with Dragonlance Chronicles.

Uncle Rico

07-09-05, 05:13 PM

Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh is a great book. The cartoon version of it has always been one of my favorite movies.

undercoverlover

07-09-05, 06:21 PM

Everything ever written by Roald Dahl - especially Matilda and George's Marvellous Medicine
Animal Farm by George Orwell
Harry Potter series - you know you want to
A Child Called It by Dave Pelzer - moving and distrubing, but worth it

adidasss

07-10-05, 08:51 AM

I hated love in the time of cholera. maybe because i had to write a research paper on it but damn that book drove me nuts.
well, it's all subjective....as i've gathered you're only 14 or something....it would have driven me crazy to back then...but now it's just a really nice love story....and i like the vibe of early 20th century ex-colonial carribian columbia, very exotic...

Harry Potter series - you know you want to

hehe...i ordered it from amazon (the latest one ) it should arrive in 10 days....oh joy oh happiness....:)
right now i'm reading the hitchhikers guide to the galaxy...seems like a fun book....

higgy

07-10-05, 10:18 AM

I just finished reading 'Cosa Nostra: A History of the Sicilian Mafia' by John Dickie. Brilliant, and rather shocking book which is highly reccomended by me. What was most shocking? The bomb blasts on mainland Italy in the early 80's, the everyday murders, assassinations of famous political figures and judges. None of them. Instead I was shocked to see the extent of the mafias influence on the Italian state.

"Even today some areas of southern Italy are not under the full control of the legal government, in the sense that criminal associations create their own ‘legality’, their own shadow state."

The current Italian Prime Minister was took to court for collaborating with the mafia. The seven time Italian PM Giulio Andreotti had meetings in public with the most powerful mafioso at the time, and he even had a nickname of 'Uncle Giulio' by members of the mafia. He tried to change judges verdicts, and even got a journalist murdered, or supposedly so according to one pentito(or a collaberator with the police).

Most of it was a great read, and you will be suprised to see how much the mafia goes into the Italian government. At one time one third of the leading politcal party the DC was under investigation with ties to the mafia. Great book, well written and suprisingly gripping.

I would also reccomend the Ian Rankin 'John Rebus' books about a police officer in Edinburgh. Great books and very successful. 'Black and Blue' is definately one of his best. So much goes on I'll just post the plot:

Bible John killed three women, and took three souvenirs. Johnny Bible killed to steal his namesake's glory. Oilman Allan Mitchelson died for his principles. And convict Lenny Spaven died just to prove a point. "Bible John" terrorized Glasgow in the sixties and seventies, murdering three women he met in a local ballroom--and he was never caught. Now a copycat is at work. Nicknamed "Bible Johnny" by the media, he is a new menace with violent ambitions.

The Bible Johnny case would be perfect for Inspector John Rebus, but after a run-in with a crooked senior officer, he's been shunted aside to one of Edinburgh's toughest suburbs, where he investigates the murder of an off-duty oilman. His investigation takes him north to the oil rigs of Aberdeen, where he meets the Bible Johnny media circus head-on. Suddenly caught in the glare of the television cameras and in the middle of more than one investigation, Rebus must proceed wiht caution: One mistake could mean an unpleasant and not particularly speedy death, or, worse still, losing his job.

Written with Ian Rankin's signature wit, style and intricacy, Black and Blue is a novel of uncommon and unforgettable intrigue.

It won't push you mentally, but a great read nonetheless.

Sleezy

07-10-05, 12:47 PM

Watchmen, by Alan Moore
Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, by Chuck Barris
The Things They Carried, by Tim O'Brien
Longitude, by Dava Sobel
Ender's Game, by Orson Scott Card

christine

07-10-05, 05:38 PM

Agreed about Cosa Nostra: A History of the Sicilian Mafia' by John Dickie - I'd recommend that too, and anything by Gabriel Garcia Marquez.

Try also The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón

LordSlaytan

07-10-05, 06:42 PM

Do you like Dean Koontz? "Odd Thomas" was a good one.
or maybe some Laurell K. Hamilton:idea:
I’ve read about a dozen of ‘em. Odd Thomas was okay, but my favorites are One Doorway Away from Heaven and The Taking. I love Doorway because when Koontz writes a book with good dialogue, he goes all out. It is one of his sharpest books. The Taking is an end-of-the-world story, and they’re nearly my favorite type. I've never heard of Hamilton, tho'.

...as i've gathered you're only 14 or something...I believe he’s 21 now.

Animal Farm by George Orwell
Harry Potter series - you know you want to
I've read Animal Farm a couple of times now, and while I think it's good, it ain't no Nineteen Eighty-Four. As far as Harry Potter goes...read 'em all and liked 'em. :)

God's Fires is about alien encounters in the time of the Spanish Inquisition.

But if fantasy is your thing, I highly recommend anything Dragonlance. I'd start with Dragonlance Chronicles.SOLD!

As for the Dragonlance series, I’ve never gotten around to them yet. Thanks.

My favorite types of books are fantasy, apocalyptic, and then old classics.

Thanks for all the replies people…I’m a little overwhelmed with the amount of them and their many variations.

Darth Stujitzu

07-10-05, 06:53 PM

" Of wee sweetie mice and men " by Colin Bateman, the funniest book I've ever read, Bateman is Ireland's equivalent of Carl Hiaasen.
" Quite ugly one morning " by Christopher Brookmyre, Scotland's answer to Bateman and Hiaasen.
Laugh out loud funny books, maybe a tad too sarcastic for our US mofos!

LordSlaytan

07-10-05, 06:57 PM

:laugh:

Yeah...sarcasm is lost on us American's. Hey! Whaddaya know...it's not after all! ;)

Thanks for the picks.

Darth Stujitzu

07-10-05, 07:24 PM

:laugh:

Yeah...sarcasm is lost on us American's. Hey! Whaddaya know...it's not after all! ;)

Thanks for the picks.

Apart from my spiritual home of Manhattan, man you ain't seen sarcasm till you've been there!!! :yup:

adidasss

07-10-05, 08:30 PM

I believe he’s 21 now.

woooops.....my bad....

Austruck

07-10-05, 08:44 PM

If you don't mind historical fiction from a woman's POV, I highly recommend Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series (five books so far, all marvelously long and with incredible storytelling), Outlander being the first book in the series. (I got to read the first book in the series as part of a critique group on CompuServe before it was published, very cool!)

On the newer front, The Time Traveler's Wife is excellent (Audrey Niffeneger, I think is her name). And Life Of Pi was also good, although it took me a while to get into it.

The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold is yet another well-written newer book.

After I finish with my current read (Ted Dekker's Black) and then HP and the Half-Blood Prince, I'll be starting The Historian. Then, the original War of the Worlds. That should take me right up to the September release of the Myst 5 game in September and Book 6 in the Outlander series around the same time.

LordSlaytan

07-10-05, 08:53 PM

Thanks a lot...and I don't mind stories that center on a womans POV. Jane Eyre is one of my all time favorite novels, as matter of fact. I looked up the Outlander series, and they sound mighty fine.

See how enlightened I am? ;)

Austruck

07-10-05, 08:59 PM

Well, actually, her POV, while female, is NOT silly or frivolous or girly. She's a very gritty storyteller, not pulling any punches in description or violence or anything. Amazing, really, how compellingly she tells a story. You're drawn in right from the beginning of the first book. When her books come out, they top the charts now and outsell Stephen King and everyone else. I can't wait for Book 6. Kinda feels like my own, grownup waiting for Harry Potter 6

LordSlaytan

07-10-05, 09:01 PM

Well, actually, her POV, while female, is NOT silly or frivolous or girly.Well...good.

I've never read a "silly or frivolous or girly" book before. :laugh:

...and I didn't expect that you had either.

Austruck

07-10-05, 09:07 PM

Nope, can't say that I have. The closest thing to frivolous that I've read is Stephen King and Anne Rice.

Yeah, yeah, I know.

I always love these types of threads here because I'm constantly thrilled and excited to see just how much reading folks around here do ... and of such a wide variety too.

LordSlaytan

07-10-05, 09:11 PM

I like Anne Rice...to a point.

I'm ga-ga over Interview with a Vampire and The Vampire Lestat, but the rest of them get too bogged down with pity parties amongst the Vampires. So tough but so wimpy. Hey…I think I wrote out a long post about these books for you a couple of years ago. Does that sound familiar?

Austruck

07-10-05, 09:21 PM

susan

07-10-05, 09:26 PM

there are a lot of classics on line on the literature network

can be found here if anyone interested...

http://www.online-literature.com/

LordSlaytan

07-10-05, 09:38 PM

YES, actually, it DOES! LOL! Anne Rice is one of those novelists that I love as long as I don't read more than one of the books at a time. If you start reading them back to back, you get that "pity party" thing you mentioned.

I just bought her CRY TO HEAVEN about the castrati but that's a bit down my list of reading (probably not till Christmas at this rate!). I haven't even touched the Witch series yet. I think I left the Vampire series somewhere around Memnock the Devil.That's what I did wrong when I read them. I was so taken by books one and three, that I just started reading them all back to back, and in a hurry. I quickly became burnt out by all their whining and Rice's problem of always having to gush over New Orleans.

Austruck

07-10-05, 09:46 PM

Yeah, I can take the New Orleans details in controlled doses too ... with other reading in between. Been a while since I've read any Rice, so by the time I get back to her, I'll be ready.

susan, thanks for the link!!

susan

07-10-05, 09:49 PM

you're very welcome

LordSlaytan

07-10-05, 09:52 PM

Oops...I meant to say the same thing. Sorry, Suzi-Q!

susan

07-10-05, 09:54 PM

Oops...I meant to say the same thing. Sorry, Suzi-Q!

that's okay

i started reading war of the worlds on there, plus the blue lagoon

i couldn't believe how much is on there

Sedai

07-26-05, 01:23 PM

Hit this tome up next, Slay.

Neuromancer - William Gibson

Strummer521

08-26-05, 12:48 AM

For the aspiring writer:

http://www.bookreporter.com/art/covers/140w/0684853523.jpg
On Writing by Stephen King

King rolls an interesting memoir and a useful writing manual into one without ever getting too dull or technical.

http://libraries.risd.org/rhslib/images/hole%20in.jpg
Hole in my Life by Jack Gantos

A popular and critically acclaimed children's author details his life before sucess, how he got started and many of the experiences that shaped him.

BTW: Have you read anything by Neil Gaiman? He is a brilliant urban fantasy author with highly relatable protagonists and wildly unique characters and plots that capture the imagination more than any other author I have yet to come across.

Sexy Celebrity

09-09-05, 05:52 PM

I’ve read about a dozen of ‘em. Odd Thomas was okay, but my favorites are One Doorway Away from Heaven and The Taking.... The Taking is an end-of-the-world story, and they’re nearly my favorite type. I've never heard of Hamilton, tho'.
I read The Taking this year! In fact, I wrote about it on MoFo awhile back in a different book thread. I really enjoyed it.

Sexy Celebrity

09-09-05, 05:58 PM

I'm ga-ga over Interview with a Vampire and The Vampire Lestat, but the rest of them get too bogged down with pity parties amongst the Vampires.
I tried reading Blackwood Farm awhile back and was really getting into it... until she started going ON and ON about some stupid New Orleans bimbo and the way she wore her silly, "timeless" clothes, and how these gay ole vampire boys were so enchanted and in love with her that they wanted to hear HER WHOLE FAMILY HISTORY and we, the readers, had to listen in on this yadda yadda ya. It wasn't really worded like that, but that's basically what happened and I never finished the book. I like Anne Rice, but I also read a lot of negative things about her. Blood Canticle was burned by people noticing too many mistakes she apparently made.

TheUsualSuspect

09-09-05, 06:07 PM

Make Love* The Bruce Campbel Way

funny as hell

undercoverlover

09-20-05, 04:03 PM

1984 - im reading it at the moment and its great!

Sedai

09-20-05, 04:07 PM

1984 - im reading it at the moment and its great!

So great. One of my favorite books. Enjoy!

AngieQ

09-25-05, 11:16 PM

If you like The Da Vinci Code, I recommend reading The Traveler by John Twelve Hawks. It's very similar in the sense that it's suspenseful, an easy read, and lots of intense chapters. Has anybody read it?

gummo

09-30-05, 05:12 PM

coolbreeze

09-30-05, 06:08 PM

I am so glad I found this thread. I too am an avid reader and there were many great recommends here.

I love fantasy and Sci Fi but found a mystery writer that really paints a picture of the American Southwest while giving one a good mystery to solve. Tony Hillerman writes knowledgeably about the Navajo Indians and their culture along with his love of his home, the New Mexico and Arizona Southwest. I have never been there but feel I have through his books. Scared Clowns is a good place to begin.

I have also love the writings of Pauline Gedge and her fantasies of Ancient Egypt.

Which leads me to a Norman Mailer classic, Ancient Evenings. Filled with Egypian magic, fantasy and sweaty sex. I read it 15 years ago and would like to read it again.

I am also working my way through Dean Koontz.

So, my compliments to this thread. :D

criss

09-30-05, 09:04 PM

Perfume by Patrick Suskind.
I was looking for this book for quite sometime until finally I ordered it online through Chapters. This book is so popular that it was stolen from three libraries in my home town!! If you get a chance to read it, you must.
im reading that book now!

Oh, for the Nirvana fans, the song "Scentless Apprentice" is about this book. Also you will find that some things Kurt says in interviews are quotes from this book....when you read it and are familiar with Kurt Cobain's interviews you will see what I mean. (I don't want to give anything away)...read it. I absolutely loved it.
interesting, thanks for telling that, i do like Nirvana, i have even bought Kurt´s Journals and i didnt know it, or maybe yes but i had forgotten about it

some books i liked, there are lots and lots more but i have just reminded these

-My philosophy from A to B (and B to A back), Andy Warhol
-The catcher in the rye, Salinger
- The little prince, Antoine de Saint- Exupéry
- The portait of Dorian Gray, Oscar Wilde

Uncle Jay

09-30-05, 09:16 PM

I have a few recommendations...

"Stranger in a Strange Land" by Robert A. Heinlein
"The Catcher in the Rye" by J.D. Salinger
"Johnny Got His Gun" by Dalton Trumbo
"Killer" by Joey (the Hit Man)
"Robota" by Doug Chiang and Orson Scott Card

UJ

AngieQ

10-03-05, 10:17 AM

I've also heard that The World is Flat is really good. My friend who recommended The Traveler to me recommended that book as well. I think i'll read it next..

allthatglitters

06-07-06, 02:25 AM

Summer Reading
Well, summer has creeped up on those of us residing in the western hemisphere. Has anybody got any plans to devour some good books? What about plans to induldge in guilty-pleasure reading? I, per usual, have quite the list.

Currently Reading

Creators: From Chaucer and Durer to Picasso and Disney by Paul Johnson (Intellectuals)

I am enjoying this book. It is really a collection of biographical essays on various creative figures (ranging from Shakespeare to Bach to Tiffany to Hugo to Austen to Balenciaga to Dior) that touch on different aspects of the creative mind.
"However, though all are potentially or actually creative, there are degrees in creativity, ranging from the instinct which makes a thrush build its nest, and which in humans is reflected in more complex but equally humble constructions, to the truly sublime, which drives artists to attempt huge and delicate works never before conceived, let alone carried out. How to define this level of creativity, or explain it? We cannot define it any more than we can define genius. But we can illustrate it. That is what this book attempts to do." (Creators, "The Anatomy of Creative Courage")
Chapter List (and an intriguing one at that)

The Anatomy of Creative Courage
Chaucer: the Man in the Fourteenth-Century Street
Durer: A Strong Smell of Printer's Ink
Shakespeare: Glimpses of an Unknown Colossus
J. S Bach: The Genetics of the Organ loft
Turner and Hokusai: Apocalypse Now and Then
Jane Austen: Shall we join the Ladies?
A.W.N Pugin and Viollet-l-Duc: Goths for All Seasons
Victor Hugo: The Genius Without a Brain
Mark Twain: How to Tell a Joke
Tiffany: Through a Glass Darkly
T.S Eliot: The Last Poet to Wear Spats
Balenciaga and Dior: The Aesthetics of a Buttonhole
Picasso and Walt Disney: Room for Nature in a Modern Worlds?
Metaphors in a Laboratory

I highly recommend this book. Provides both the nice, surface information and the deeper analytical exploration of creative people one ought to know.
{Herself} by Madeleine L'Engle (A Wrinkle in Time, A Ring of Endless Light and countless other classics), compiled by Carole F. Chase

I am taking this book with me everywhere I go this summer. A must for fans and a must for writers. But more than just that. L'Engle writes in a paragraph what would take most all life to figure out. Her wisdom and insight are worthy of a permanent spot in my bookbag.
The beauty of this book is that it is once more a collection, but instead of essays, short paragraphs. Simple, sweet and as enjoyable as bite-sized chocolate. Ten sections, each containing several succinct paragraphs of wisdom and whimsy, and often pure brilliance.
True Art: "All art, good, bad, indifferent, reflects its culture. Great art transcends its culture and touches on that which is eternal. Two writers may write the same story about the same man and woman and their relationship with each other. One writer will come up with art and the other with pornography. There is no subject that is not appropriate for the artist, but the way in which it is handled can sometimes be totally inappropriate. True art has a mythic quality in that it speaks of that which was true, is true, and will be true."
I can't gush about this book enough. Go and read it now. Everybody. Here's the list of the sections:

Section I: Serving the Gift (Artists and Their Art)
Section II: Co-Creators with God (Inspiration and the Creative Process)
Section III: My Books Wrote Me (Elements of a Writer's Life)
Section IV: Faith Foundation (Writing from Truth)
Section V: An Accepted Wonder (The Wisdome of Children)
Section VI: Finger Exercises (A Writer's Technique and Style)
Section VII: The Empty Page (Getting Started)
Section VIII: A Life of Their Own (Creating Characters)
Section IX: Paints of the Writer's Palette (Words and Symbols)
Section X: This I Know (Telling Our Story)
Planning on Reading (for pleasure, guilty included)

The Party of Death by Ramesh Ponnuru
The Time Trilogy by Madeleine L' Engle
The Space Trilogy by C.S Lewis
America: The Last Best Hope (Volume I: From the Age of Exploration to a World at War) by William J. Bennet

And many, many more I am sure.

Must be Reading (AP Lit)

The Things They Carried by Tim O' Brian
Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton
Proof (play) by David Auburn
East of Eden by John Steinbeck