Favorite books thread

[NightGizmo]

So the rest of the series are a disappointment? The first did set a high bar.

The other books are good, too. But Ender's Game is my favorite of the series.

[dranger7070]

None of them are bad. Just not on the same level.

[drmcboy]

rest of the Ender series is very different, I think they are much better but I guess it depends what kind of person you are. the bean series is eh.

it's like this:

matrix 1 = Ender 2-4 (lots of moments to questions the meaning of existence, amazing story)
matrix 2 = ender's game (LOUD, AWESOME NOISES+5 cool minutes in the room)
matrix 3 = bean, other random book (couldn't live up to standards set, didn't)

[rong]

I miss it now its gone.

[dranger7070]

Its not gone dude... Ive re-read EG more times than any other book I own. Easily 20+ times since I was 11. I REALLY like the first book of Bean's shootoff. Really cool to see the battleschool from another angle. Agree that ender shootoff is.better overall tho.

[surviva316]

Always wanted to throw my more-literary-leaning hat into this ring but never felt like I had the time to bother.

Anyway, I'm halfway through Lawrence Shainberg's Crust, and it is a very enjoyable/unique/quirky read. It's a very short novel about nose-picking in the very near future--in a time where "Nasalism" has gotten to be ubiquitous, lauded and controversial as the internet.

Like I said, it has a very quirky and appreciable voice; it's a great satire on intellectualism (with all of the academic debate that's constantly cited and quoted on how life-changing it is to pick your nose); and it's a fresh perspective on our web culture, especially in how it affects writing.

Of course, being a very short time/mind commitment makes it very easy for it to be "worth" the investment.

[supa]

Just finishing Dan Browns The lost Symbol. Basically it's the 3rd in the Da Vinci Code series. Pretty good. Kinda bummed it's almost over. Fortunately I only have time to read when I'm going to bed and am usually exhausted so I'm only getting through 2 or 3 pages a night before I pass out. Should last me another few days at least. Apparently they've made a movie of it with Tom Hanks playing Langdons character again.

[philly and the phanatics]

awesome avatar...

just read ishmael by daniel quinn...highly recommend, very compelling book where a talking gorilla teaches the narrator how to save the world. The book is almost entirely conversation between the two of them, and often times its just the gorilla pondering with the narrator as a straight man of sorts, but its definitely worth a read.

Currently reading World War Z by Max Brooks (Mel Brooks son) and its awesome so far.

[philly and the phanatics]

[daven]

tad williams' memory/sorrow/thorn series. I hadn't read fantasy for a long time, then a friend left dragonbone chair at my place ages ago and said i should read it. A year later i got around to it. Now i'm midway through green angel-storm. I'm enjoying it a lot.

[bode]

awesome avatar...

just read ishmael by daniel quinn...highly recommend, very compelling book where a talking gorilla teaches the narrator how to save the world. The book is almost entirely conversation between the two of them, and often times its just the gorilla pondering with the narrator as a straight man of sorts, but its definitely worth a read.

Currently reading World War Z by Max Brooks (Mel Brooks son) and its awesome so far.

i had to read ishmael for a sustainable design class i took in school and loved it. I think i've read it 2-3 times again over the last 6 years.

[Luco]

Recently finished Escape From Camp 14, bought it after wuf linked to an article on it a few weeks back - the one about the north korean guy.

Hell of a read, although over 1/3 of the book is simply explanations of how much of a failed state NK is.

[Hoopy]

Just finished reading "Rendezvous with Rama" by Arthur C. Clarke, never read much sci fi before but it has some really interesting ideas in it. Would definitely recommend.

[surviva316]

Thought this might be worth a bump for all you Dark Tower stans:

Was at the library the other day and saw that Marvel has done a graphic novel series adaption of Dark Tower.

[MadMojoMonkey]

I have to 2nd the Niel Gaiman suggestion. The entire Sandman series is making me a little creamy just thinking about it. It's a graphic novel series (that's adult comic book for you heathens, and no, there's no porn, just some gore and adult themes) that hits every bit of amazing that any any artist could hope for. The series won awards in categories that no illustrated novel had ever won before.

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance is much better upon re-read. The use of chapter breaks in this book is particularly effective. Every chapter has a real-world and an internal dialogue that mirror each other in a way that deepens the book significantly. I find that the correlation is lost when I read a few chapters non-stop, without piecing it all together along the way.

by Robert Heinlein: Stranger in a Strange Land, The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, The Man Who Sold the Moon, etc. If you've read a bunch of Heinlein, Number of the Beast is a joyride of personalities from his prior works butting heads.

Robert Jordan's epic Wheel of Time series is by far the most involved, complex, and engulfing fantasy fiction series ever. The cast of characters is easily in the hundreds. The final book in the series is due to be released soon. With 14 installments (the shortest of which is 672 pages), plus a prequel (334 pages), this will keep your reading time full for quite a while. I intend to re-read them all again in preparation for the final book release.
*side note: This series is so good that I almost got fired from a job for showing up late over and over because I couldn't put the book down when it was time to leave.

The Sword of Truth series by Terry Goodkind is also a good 13 book series if you're into stories that you can keep devouring. This is a solid series that was brutalized as a TV show, so don't let the show ruin you on these books.

by Kurt Vonnegut, but not yet mentioned: Bluebeard

Vurt by Jeff Noon is a trippy, futuristic drug-culture mindwarp. I only recommend this if you are into books that make no sense, but are somehow still gripping. There's nothing deep to take from this one, but it's so unique that it stands out in my head even though I only read it once years ago.

by Tom Robbins: Another Roadside Attraction, Even Cowgirls Get the Blues, Still Life with Woodpecker, Skinny Legs and All, Half Asleep in Frog Pajamas. These are all fun, character-based novels with zany antics and plenty of lol moments.

[philly and the phanatics]

world war z was epic....seriously read that shit

alas babylon by pat franke is awesome...story about an untouched community rebuilding after a nuclear holocaust....

recently read I am legend by Richard Matheson, its only like 160 pages but its fucking awesome as hell

finally finished Bonfire of the Vanities by tom wolfe....its a good read but the ending left something to be desired in my opinion, and it kind of drags on for 600 pages, still think i'd recommend it

but the most recent book i just finished was Storm of Swords from GRRM, the third book in Songs of Ice and Fire (Game of thrones)...it was incredible, best of the 3 i have read so far by a long shot....it was fucking awesome, the man is a genius.

also @ mojo monkey....i'll be sure to check out that KV book, and i also have to second Heinlein ...Moon is a Harsh Mistress was a fantastic book

edit- i also read cormac mccarthy's The Road...it was good but it was pretty much just 300 pages of drowning with brief respites where they lift your head above water so you can gasp for air before being plunged right back down into the suffocating sadness that is their existence.

[rong]

Reading latest jack reacher book. I know its a bit cheesy but I love it.

[Shotglass]

Finished reading "The Apocalypse Blog" series by Melanie Edmonds
Currently reading "Ascension Day" by John Mathews (legal thriller)

[WillburForce]

I've been reading all the Rebus novels by Ian Rankin.

I'm gutted I'm on the final book!!!! noooooooooooooooo!

[rong]

With hunger games, do I need to start on number 1? By chance I have copy of number 2 but not sure whether to start it.

[dranger7070]

If its anything like Harry Potter, you'll be ok.

[kingnat]

The 1st is very entertaining. The 2nd is tolerable but highly predictable. The 3rd is fucking awful.

[rong]

Enders Shadow is awesome.

That was as good as Enders Game.

I can't wait for the rest of the bean series.

[bigred]

Let me summarize the 2nd and 3rd hunger games for you...

<charlie brown sad music) Katniss: I let everyone down all the time, and times are sad, and I have lots of sad feelings and guilt </charlie brown sad music>

[NightGizmo]

The last Wheel of Time book is 100% written and the release date is January 8. I've been slowly re-reading the entire series (finished book 10, I'll start book 11 in November). I'm looking forward to reading the most recent two books for the first time (three, counting the upcoming book) -- I decided not to read them until the series was finished.

It's been my favorite fantasy series for a long time, I really hope the series has a cool ending.

[rong]

Watched the movie last night. Was meh. Won't watch a sequel. Had so much potential but failed to live up to it. Never read the book and no longer intend to.

[bigred]

The last Wheel of Time book is 100% written and the release date is January 8. I've been slowly re-reading the entire series (finished book 10, I'll start book 11 in November). I'm looking forward to reading the most recent two books for the first time (three, counting the upcoming book) -- I decided not to read them until the series was finished.

It's been my favorite fantasy series for a long time, I really hope the series has a cool ending.

Read up to like book 8 or 9. Maybe I'll go back and reread these.

[jyms]

Where are you guys finding is a great place to read? This is a serious question, I'm having a hard time finding the time and place to read the myriad of books I want to get through myself. I promised myself 3 months ago I was going to try and read a book a month, which I don't think is tough to do at all. But I drive for my commute, I don't seem to fly anywhere or take much vacation time. I'm gathering more books now than I am reading, and the list is getting longer.

[Vinland]

If you have kids read after they go to bed with some sort of alcoholic drink to help you stay put.

I actually get a decent amount of reading done on the shitter.

[kingnat]

If you have kids read after they go to bed with some sort of alcoholic drink to help you stay put.

I actually get a decent amount of reading done on the shitter.

If you have kids, schedule reading time every night before bedtime. For everyone. They get out books and you get out your book. Telling your kids to value reading and showing your kids that you value reading by actually reading are night and day.

[dranger7070]

Giving my 'O' face about end of WoT series.

[surviva316]

Where are you guys finding is a great place to read? This is a serious question, I'm having a hard time finding the time and place to read the myriad of books I want to get through myself. I promised myself 3 months ago I was going to try and read a book a month, which I don't think is tough to do at all. But I drive for my commute, I don't seem to fly anywhere or take much vacation time. I'm gathering more books now than I am reading, and the list is getting longer.

I understand that there's a generational difference between us, but I've been best at getting a lot of reading done when I have very easy access to what I'm reading at all times of day and squeeze it in in the little gaps of my life. I've tried to keep manuscripts in my back pocket, always have a book I'm reading on my phone, have books online, etc. Of course, a lot of this success also correlated with either living in NYC or having a 4 hour commute (once you add up car to train, train to bus, bus to city, subway to class), but I also get a ton of reading done on the John, in bed when I'm trying to wake up/fall asleep, between innings, etc.

In short, I'm addicted to stimulation, so having something to keep my attention when I'm lying in bed trying to wake up = werd. Blocking hours out of my day to sit still and read black words on white paper = fuck that.

I also recommend keeping more regular goals than a book a month. Promising to just open the book once per day (or 6 days per week or something) will probably do you more good. This is what I do with working on my novel. Just open the document once every day and read over the last paragraph I wrote and think for a few seconds about what I might write next. I'm never ahead or behind on this goal; I never feel like I'm forcing myself to do it if it feels like a chore that day (if I don't feel like it, I put it down and move on; if I'm in the mood, then I go to town on it as hard as I can). I'm just in a regular habit of having it on my brain, and if my heart's in it, then I'll string together plenty enough solid sessions that it gets done. If your heart isn't in it, then move on to a different book (not all recommendations are for you at all times).

[Rage2100]

I've recently finished "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel, which is definitey worth a read, in my opinion.

I've just this minute ordered "Ender's Game", so am looking forward to reading that.

[rong]

The entire enders series is available as pdf's if you want to get started.

[Rage2100]

I really need to buy myself a Kindle.

[rong]

You can just read them on your phone or laptop/pc or w/e.

I can pm you a link to all of the series if you want.

[Rage2100]

You can just read them on your phone or laptop/pc or w/e.

You haven't seen my phone.

I don't really like reading anything more than a few pages from a computer screen, but by all means PM me the link. Cheers!

[rong]

Speaker for the dead is a great book. I can see how someone could be disappointed if they were looking for more of Enders Game as its very different. It possibly helped that I read Enders Shadow first which quenched my thirst for more battle school. But I'd definitely recommend it. It's thought provoking and entertaining, albeit at a slower pace than Enders Game.

[rong]

Rage, the link is on my home laptop so can't pm you until this evening.

[rong]

So I've pretty much stopped working at work and instead spent most of every day reading. In the last month I've finished the entire of the 4 Enders game books, ie the 4 up to children of the mind and also the 4 bean books. The two battle school books were by far the most fun but reading them all gives a nice sense of closure. I would say if you like Enders game, definitely read Enders shadow. If you don't like speaker for the dead then don't bother with xenocide or children of the mind and if you don't enjoy shadow of the hedgemon then skip the next two in that series as well, but personally I enjoyed all of them. The only annoying thing in the shadow series is they don't give enough of the strategy that all of the kids use in the wars and as they are all gifted strategists it would have been interesting to read but I guess coming up with amazing strategies and counter strategies would be a tough ask for anyone.

Toying with starting Ender in exile today. Definitely skipping war of gifts as it looks a bit Shit and just seems like the religious nut that wrote them wanted to write about religion. Speaking of which, its disappointing to find out Card is a homophobic religious nut, but that didn't spoil any of the previous books in spite of it clearly being demonstrated in the books, his religious leanings that is, not his homophobia.

[oskar]

Does any one of you fags know a good selection of Bukowski poems? I probably have to get a complete works volume because the selected-poems books seem very arbitrary and contain a lot of crap that I would not expect someone to "select", and omitting stuff that should obviously go in.

I've recently been reading the Philipp K Dick short stories. Some are a bit more cheesy than you would expect, but they're still great.

[drmcboy]

Definitely skipping war of gifts as it looks a bit Shit and just seems like the religious nut that wrote them wanted to write about religion. Speaking of which, its disappointing to find out Card is a homophobic religious nut,

my wife loves the novels OSC did about mormons and all the other weird shit he writes about FWIW. she is easily the least religious/spiritual person I know. I have never tried any of the non Ender World ones.

[Poker Orifice]

just read ishmael by daniel quinn...highly recommend, very compelling book where a talking gorilla teaches the narrator how to save the world. The book is almost entirely conversation between the two of them, and often times its just the gorilla pondering with the narrator as a straight man of sorts, but its definitely worth a read.

Sounds interesting. Think I'll order it up from the library here.
Been awhile since I've read a book (aside from a pokerzz book of course).

[rong]

Just finished Ender in Exile. Was OK I guess. But I think I'm done with the series. I read Ender's Game twice and will prob read that again some time, might even reread Enders Shadow, but aside from that, sadly, I think I'm done with it. But it certainly was an interesting universe to escape to for a while and I shall miss it.

[rong]

Sandman Slim is everything I look for in a novel. Good shout Bigred.

[NightGizmo]

The last Wheel of Time book, A Memory of Light, was released this week. The previous two books were pretty amazing, I'm damn excited to see how this ends!

[ISillyDurrrAK]

Short stories by Edgar Alan Poe, I really liked them, stories like The fall of the house of Usher, Black cat are very exciting.

[rong]

Black Cat is great, it's a classic for a reason.

[MadMojoMonkey]

If you're familiar with Edgar Allen Poe's "normal" work, you should seek out his Laudanum-induced stream-of-consciousness pieces, just for fun.

I want to say "Into the Maelstrom" was one of them... I read it like 15 years ago... So it might not be as surreal as I remember it.

If it is what I'm thinking of, then I remember that there were a number of times where a single sentence would run on for nearly a page without any punctuation. It wasn't easy to read, but I don't think the point was to engage in a logical pursuit.

[XTR1000]

The information

[BennyLaRue]

Cried during Speaker of the Dead.

[drmcboy]

The last Wheel of Time book, A Memory of Light, was released this week. The previous two books were pretty amazing, I'm damn excited to see how this ends!

Finished yesterday, last book was great. Weird feeling to not be looking forward to a new one.

[bigred]

Finished yesterday, last book was great. Weird feeling to not be looking forward to a new one.

I stopped summer during like book 9? the wolf dude was looking for his wife, Faile? something like that. What's the best way to get back into this series without rereading everything.

[bigred]

Sandman Slim is everything I look for in a novel. Good shout Bigred.

Have you read the sequels? Second one is awesome. I can't decide how I feel about third.

[rong]

Have you read the sequels? Second one is awesome. I can't decide how I feel about third.

Getting both for my birthday. They have a lot to live up to so my expectations are low which can only be a good thing. Surprised it hasn't become a movie or game yet.

[rong]

Just finished kill the dead. It was awesome. Not sure how things will progress now with so many important characters dead or gone, the world seems a little empty right now. Also sad about kinksi, I would have liked him and stark to have had a conversation. I hope lucifer is still about, he turned in to one of my favourite characters. Started aloha from hell last night but not got very far so too early to form an opinion.

[rong]

Bigred, does kasabian remind you of boog? I don't know why, but both have the same voice in my imagination.

[Pascal]

Just ordered this:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Moonwalking-...8#lbhuc_804258

[a500lbgorilla]

The last book I finished was the 10th of December. It's a set of short stories by an author with an interesting perspective. It's worth it, but it's not really a 'valuable' read.

[mrhappy333]

1984 was assigned to me in high school, which was enough reason for me at the time to NOT read it. I've been meaning to pick it up for a long time now, and just haven't got around to it yet.

I also recently read slaughter house 5 and really enjoyed it.

Mostly I've been reading Chuck Palahnuik lately. I love his warped writings.

In the past I've enjoyed stephen king, anne rice (before the whole born again stuff happened).

And of course the whole hitchhikers guide series was great.

I agree here. Hitch Hikers guide, Ann rice before the Born again stuff and Stephen king.

[rong]

Only read the majority of the vampire chronicles by Anne Rice. Are any of the other stuff worth reading? I can't imagine witches holding my interest the way vampires can.

[rong]

Read books 1-4 from Sandman slim. Agree 3 is a little odd but 4 is a return to form. The series is prob my number 1 recommendation for someone wanting a fun and easy novel who has an even mild interest in any type of undead, vampires, magic, hell or the afterlife in general and is also part of the grand theft auto generation.

[MadMojoMonkey]

Only read the majority of the vampire chronicles by Anne Rice. Are any of the other stuff worth reading? I can't imagine witches holding my interest the way vampires can.

I've read the witch chronicles and they're pretty lame. I don't know why I picked up the first one at the time, but I was really disappointed. So I read the rest of the series to torture myself, I guess.

Actually, I do enjoy the plots of the Anne Rice books in the Vampire and Witch series. It's just that I hate every single sentence in them. She can come up with interesting scenarios, but she'd have done better off to just hand them off to a writer who is a bit more adventurous in the grammar department.

[daviddem]

Don Winslow:
The Power of the Dog
The Winter of Frankie Machine

Mark Haddon:
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

Hubert Monteilhet:
Neropolis

Larry Collins and Dominique Lapierre:
The Fifth Horseman
O Jerusalem

[givememyleg]

Born to Run: http://www.amazon.com/Born-Run-Hidde...ds=born+to+run

[Hawk]

Born to Run: http://www.amazon.com/Born-Run-Hidde...ds=born+to+run

I love this book. It makes me feel like going out for a quick and easy 20 mile run. Of course I can't do that now, but that's beside the point.

[jyms]

It's a great book even if you don't run. It actually inspired me to try, and I hate running. I don't run now but loved the book.

[philly and the phanatics]

taken some lit classes recently and there was a few works i really enjoyed-

twain's adventures of huckleberry finn

voltaire's cadide- hilarious

frederick douglass's a narrative of frederick douglass (personally account of slavery, just insane how in-tune with himself this man was, his eloquence is incredible for anyone, leave alone an uneducated slave)

God Bless you Mr Rosewater by my dawg KV was awesome as always. (i read that one for fun)

[MadMojoMonkey]

lolled @ calling Frederick Douglass uneducated, but then I was like, oh yeah ... no "formal" education.

He's certainly educated me.

"Without struggle, there is no progress."
-Frederick Douglass

[rong]

Birdsong. Not sure if it's been mentioned before, it's often coveted in English literature class in UK schools, but you can't really appreciate how powerful a book it is when your 16yo. It's a moving and disturbing novel about the futility of war and the horrors of WW1.

[a500lbgorilla]

I recently finished 'How to get filthy rich in rising Asia'. Here might be the first 3 paragraphs:

Look, unless you're writing one, a self-help book is an oxymoron. You read a self-help book so someone who isn't yourself can help you, that someone being the author. This is true of the whole self-help genre. It's true of how-to books, for example. And it's true of personal improvement books too. Some might even say it's true of religion books. But some others might say that those who say that should be pinned to the ground and bled dry with the slow slice of a blade across their throats. So it's wisest simply to note a divergence of views on that subcategory and move swiftly on.

None of the foregoing means self-help books are useless. On the contrary, they can be useful indeed. But it does mean that the idea of self in the land of self-help is a slippery one. And slippery can be good. Slippery can be pleasurable. Slippery can provide access to which would chafe if entered dry.

This book is a self-help book. Its objective, as it says on the cover, is to show you how to get filthy rich in rising Asia. And to do that it has to find you, huddled, shivering, on the packed earth under your mother's cot one cold, dewy morning. Your anguish is the anguish of a boy whose chocolate has been thrown away, whose remote controls are out of batteries, whose scooter is busted, whose new sneakers have been stolen. This is all the more remarkable since you've never in your life seen any of these things.

Really enjoyable and easy to read.

[Vinland]

Got into Murder mystery/detective books. Read all the novels and short stories with Sherlock Holmes...and loved it.

Now reading God Delusion. Interesting information that was kept from me growing up in a fundamentalist home.