Book talk.

by **MeDeFe** on Sun Feb 18, 2007 11:30 am

I'll agree with exile, the Discworld books are definitely worth reading. I can particularly recommend "Witches Abroad" and "The Fifth Elephant". "Jingo" isn't bad either. I think there are almost 30 books by now, but it doesn't really matter which one you read first and in which order you read them. They are just all set on the same world.

And anyone who has a sound literary background (i.e. has read a lot of books) and a sense of humour should enjoy Jasper Fforde immensely. Even if you don't get even half of the jokes you'll still be laughing your ass off.

And because I don't want to be the only one not to speak up for a "classic" book: you should definitely read "Brave New World" by Aldous Huxley. And if you've read "Robinson Crusoe", try to get your hands on an unabridged version and read it again as it was actually written. I know I noticed a lot of differences.

by **hecter** on Sun Feb 18, 2007 1:34 pm

I've read some Terry Prachette and I thought it wasn't half bad. I will be reading more of him, I know that.

by **qeee1** on Sun Feb 18, 2007 2:45 pm

btownmeggy wrote:
qeee1 wrote:I think Catcher speaks a certain truth, that has not found such beautiful or genuine expression anywhere else in literature, and to dismiss it because the main character is too angsty is a great tragedy. It's like dismissing Don Quixote for being too detatched from reality. Salinger's other works are also great, but Catcher is truly his master piece.

The angstyness is not my main gripe with Catcher in the Rye. I DON'T find Holden relateable, likeable, or even compelling. He's not written as a character whose distance from the reader improves the story. It seems to me that he's meant to resonate within you, withstanding his foibles and goofs, but he certainly does not resonate within me.

if you can't relate to holden in any sense, then I guess you're not going to like the book, but if you can't relate to Holden, I dunno, that reflects badly upon you in my opinion. Em yeah, hate me or dismiss me for saying that if you like, but it's what I think.

Read a little Terry Pratchet... the colour of magic I think. Wasn't that good/memorable.

"Brave New World" by Aldous Huxley

...great book. Provokes questions... lots and lots of questions, particularly if you have a utilitarian outlook on life, which I largely did when I read it first.

by **Stopper** on Sun Feb 18, 2007 2:53 pm

Haven't put my ha'p'orth in yet, not least because I'm not in one of my book-reading phases at the moment...Has anyone mentioned Dickens yet? David Copperfield, while being very imperfect, is the best book I have ever read. Read 3/4 of it in one 12-hour sitting through a Saturday night and Sunday morning. Only book to make me laugh out loud and also er...(this is just an internet forum, so I suppose I can admit it)...to make me cry too. On more than one occasion.

I've read seven of his other books too...I got Bleak House over a year ago. I don't know why, but I've never yet started on it. Anyone like that book?

by **Genghis Khant** on Sun Feb 18, 2007 3:45 pm

I'm into sci-fi more than anything and recommend most Philip K Dick books, especially The Man In The High Castle, A Scanner Darkly, The Three Stigmata Of Palmer Eldridge and Ubik, although I'm not too keen on anything he wrote after the semi-autobiographical Valis.

John Wyndham is great too. Check out Day Of The Triffids and The Midwitch Cuckoos.

Neuromancer by William Gibson. The Matrix stole a lot of ideas from this book, and fell short.

Dune by Frank Herbert is an amazing book, and Dune Messiah is quite good too but I haven't read any of the others yet.

I also like Iain M Banks, especially Excession and Against A Dark Background. My only real gripe is that some of his books are a bit too utopian, but his wit and imagination make up for this.

hecter wrote:I thought I'd leave a suggestion of my own after reading all this. Lewis Carols books and poems are good for a light read. He wrote Alice in Wonderland. It's actually really good, so don't dismiss it because it's been Disneyfied.

One of my favourite authors at the moment is Jeff Noon. Everything of his that I've read is of the utmost quality. He has a book called Automated Alice which is a kind of 22nd century remix of Alice In Wonderland. Vurt and Needle In The Groove are his best books. He's also got a collection of short stories, Pixel Juice, with a truly outstanding passage called Metaphorazine (read it out loud).

Non sci-fi, check out Iain Banks' (without the 'M') The Wasp Factory. I also like The Diceman by Luke Reinhart, if you haven't bought some dice by halfway through this book then you're an unimaginative coward :twisted:

. Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas is just brilliant. Fans of the TV series Monkey should check out Journey To The West by Wu Cheng-En.

Terry Pratchett is entertaining easy-reading. Most of his books can be ploughed through in a single day. Mort and Small Gods are my favourites. The same is true of Douglas Adams.

For those of you who like military/history books I can't speak highly enough of the Flashman series by George MacDonald Fraizer. Set in victorian times, Harry Flashman is a coward, bully, womaniser and all-round bastard. After being expelled from school, his father buys him a commission in the army and off he goes to the first Afghan war and undeservedly becomes a national hero. These books are historically accurate as regards people and events, with Flashman himself taking the place of various unknown soldiers and filling in some grey areas. Education has never been so funny. The only book in the series that I didn't like much was the second one, Royal Flash, but the rest are great.

by **b.k. barunt** on Sun Feb 18, 2007 3:55 pm

Neverwhere, by Neil Gaiman, and Sometimes A Great Notion, by Ken Kesey.

by **flashleg8** on Sun Feb 18, 2007 4:13 pm

Genghis Khant wrote:

Non sci-fi, check out Iain Banks' (without the 'M') The Wasp Factory.

Iain Banks is excellent - "Whit" is his best book in my opinion, all about a Scottish cult - but great dark humor in it.

by **Jamie** on Sun Feb 18, 2007 4:52 pm

"The Outlander Series" by Diana Gabaldon 5 books totaling about 7000 pages in length, but it is worth it.

by **Jesse, Bad Boy** on Sun Feb 18, 2007 6:31 pm

I'll give you my top seven suggestions (which also happen to be my top 11 favorite books/series)

1. His Dark Materials Trilogy (Fiction). Brilliantly written trilogy by Philip Pullman. While it was marketed towards young adults, it has very dark and adult undertones, as well as totally unorthodox religious and philosophical standpoints (Multiple worlds, Heaven is a Republic, etc.)

2. The Prince of Nothing Trilogy (Fantasy). A great series of books by R. R. Scott Baker. Set in a world rife with political, religious, and philosophical schism, it offers a detailed world hell-bent on collapsing on its self, as well as offers insight to social issues from the very real world we live in.

3. My Tank Is Fight (Pulp History). A comedic look into the ridiculous (and often bizarre) inventions of World War II, it offers detailed knowledge of planned super weapons, vehicles, and a plethora of other objects of war, as well as theoretical deployments and uses.

4. The God Delusion (Non-Fiction). Brilliant book by Richard Dawkins that seriously needs to be considered for it's immediate scholarly and social value. I find it rather irksome that the more devout will not take the time to read it, but of course, he addresses that in the book. Overall, highly recommended.

5. The Leviathan (Unabridged) (Non-Fiction). A 300 year old book that offers a look into the potential of a government with too much power. Still reflective of our modern times, it serves as a warning that all should be aware of.

6. The Ethics of Liberty (Non-Fiction). My personal favorite book in regards to politics and philosophy, Murray Rothbard presents an incredible argument in favor of individual rights and the associated ideals, Life, Liberty, and Property.

7. Atlas Shrugged (Philosophical Fiction). A great book by Ayn Rand. While in some cases it lacks in depth and becomes slightly repetitive, still a great read.

by **CrazyAnglican** on Sun Feb 18, 2007 6:39 pm

Kafka is great with openings isn't he? Cannery Row is a must as well. Good choices.

by **cdman** on Mon Feb 19, 2007 9:58 am

what great books? read sven hassels! their are to cool.

here are a few titles: MONTE CASSINO, OPERATION GESTAPO, COURT MARTIAL, BLITZFREEZE, WHEELS OF TERROR, THE BLOODY ROAD TO DEATH, LEGION OF THE DAMNED etc.

there are 14 original sven hassel books, and 7 book of the impostor swen hasel.

the original are better but there are all great books!

by **Dariune** on Mon Feb 19, 2007 10:06 am

My fave series of books has got to be the farseer trilogy by Robin Hobbs

They are the best fantasy series ever

by **Kahless** on Mon Feb 19, 2007 10:19 am

Depends what mood I'm in but usually Terry Pratchett (Humour), Stephen King (Horror), Bernard Cornwell (Historical), or Larry Niven (Sci-Fi)

by **Incandenza** on Mon Feb 19, 2007 6:35 pm

MeDeFe wrote:And anyone who has a sound literary background (i.e. has read a lot of books) and a sense of humour should enjoy Jasper Fforde immensely. Even if you don't get even half of the jokes you'll still be laughing your ass off.

Seconded. Fforde is top-drawer stuff for literary types. He really crafts the humor and the references. His books aren't just slapped-together wannabe-pastiches like a certain author I won't mention *coughtomholtcough*

by **areon** on Tue Feb 20, 2007 11:53 am

After I get through some school reading I will go back to some fantasy books I've been missing. Sabriel by Garth Nix is genius on the subject of necromancy, sadly he botched the two sequels :cry:

Another is the Golden Compass trilogy by Philip Pullman. Just great relationships between the characters.

Some serious books I finished reading were Biohazard by Ken Alibek and The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene. The first deals with biological weapons research and the second on how to make and destroy enemies to benefit yourself.

The Hobbit is my favorite book for many years now. Unlike LotR or Silmarillion I really enjoy reading about Bilbo Baggins over and over.

by **heavycola** on Tue Feb 20, 2007 11:58 am

qeee1 wrote:
btownmeggy wrote:
qeee1 wrote:I think Catcher speaks a certain truth, that has not found such beautiful or genuine expression anywhere else in literature, and to dismiss it because the main character is too angsty is a great tragedy. It's like dismissing Don Quixote for being too detatched from reality. Salinger's other works are also great, but Catcher is truly his master piece.

The angstyness is not my main gripe with Catcher in the Rye. I DON'T find Holden relateable, likeable, or even compelling. He's not written as a character whose distance from the reader improves the story. It seems to me that he's meant to resonate within you, withstanding his foibles and goofs, but he certainly does not resonate within me.

if you can't relate to holden in any sense, then I guess you're not going to like the book, but if you can't relate to Holden, I dunno, that reflects badly upon you in my opinion. Em yeah, hate me or dismiss me for saying that if you like, but it's what I think.

.

LOL i thought the anti-CITR sentiment would be controversial

by **CrazyAnglican** on Tue Feb 20, 2007 11:24 pm

Okay you guys are into some pretty high brow stuff. I personally like The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. The movie stinks though.

by **lord twiggy1** on Tue Feb 20, 2007 11:28 pm

pretty much anything by Jack Higgins is good. i expesialy recomend The Eagle has landed. once youve read that read the eagle has flown. both by jack higgins

by **Serbia** on Tue Feb 20, 2007 11:45 pm

I'm a fan of the Tom Clancy novels, especially Clear and Present Danger (the book was FAR better than the movie) and Without Remorse.

by **CrazyAnglican** on Tue Feb 20, 2007 11:50 pm

Agreed "Without Remorse" was awesome.

by **Incandenza** on Tue Feb 20, 2007 11:53 pm

areon wrote:Some serious books I finished reading were Biohazard by Ken Alibek and The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene. The first deals with biological weapons research and the second on how to make and destroy enemies to benefit yourself.

Can't help but throw a Studio 60 quote out there (in regards to the 48 laws of power book or whatever it's called): "It's a book for people who've never heard of Machiavelli."

It's just 'The Prince' with a hip-hop veneer. Do yourself a favor and read some Machiavelli, who had a bit more at stake than the average wannabe rap impresario.

by **flashleg8** on Wed Feb 21, 2007 12:38 am

Incandenza wrote:
areon wrote:Some serious books I finished reading were Biohazard by Ken Alibek and The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene. The first deals with biological weapons research and the second on how to make and destroy enemies to benefit yourself.

Can't help but throw a Studio 60 quote out there (in regards to the 48 laws of power book or whatever it's called): "It's a book for people who've never heard of Machiavelli."

It's just 'The Prince' with a hip-hop veneer. Do yourself a favor and read some Machiavelli, who had a bit more at stake than the average wannabe rap impresario.

I've read "The Prince" and I really liked it. I'm interested in that time period and I found it quite an insight into the minds of the rulers of that time - it also helped me playing Europa Universalis 2 (the best computer game IMHO)!
If you like that, have you read Sun-Tzu "The art of war" - you might find that insightful too.

by **areon** on Wed Feb 21, 2007 2:22 am

I've read the Prince several times and I still can't decide whether he was serious or writing a satire. There are plenty of books on politics but that one is interesting because it addresses all situations in life, not just being the head honcho.