The 'recommend me a book' thread

Discussion in 'Discussion of Published Works' started by Lemex, Apr 30, 2015.

Tags:
  1. Aidan Stern

    Aidan Stern Active Member

    Joined:
    Sep 30, 2015
    Messages:
    159
    Likes Received:
    93
    Location:
    My Awefull World Inside My Head
    The Unwind Dystology, The Infernal Devices, The Boy on the Wooden Box, Oliver Twist, A Tale of Two Cities, Dante's Inferno is indeed wonderful, The Imaginarium Geographica (amazing!), and The Mysterious Benedict Society.
     
  2. Aidan Stern

    Aidan Stern Active Member

    Joined:
    Sep 30, 2015
    Messages:
    159
    Likes Received:
    93
    Location:
    My Awefull World Inside My Head
    I also like the Ranger's Apprentice, it's great!
     
  3. Bookster

    Bookster Banned

    Joined:
    Aug 25, 2015
    Messages:
    172
    Likes Received:
    72
    Location:
    Right between the eyes
    I haven't read Umberto Eco's Foucault's Pendulum (1988), but can't wait to do so after finding this excerpt:


    "... Potio-section, as everybody knows, of course, is the art of slicing soup. No, no," he said to Diotallevi. "It's not a department, it's a subject, like Mechanical Avunculogratulation or Pylocatabasis. They all fall under the heading of Tetrapyloctomy."

    "What's tetra...?" I asked.

    "The art of splitting a hair four ways. This is the department of useless techniques. Mechanical Avunculogratulation, for example, is how to build machines for greeting uncles. We're not sure, though, if Pylocatabasis belongs, since it's the art of being saved by a hair. Somehow that doesn't seem completely useless."

    "All right, gentlemen," I said, "I give up. What are you two talking about?"

    "Well, Diotallevi and I are planning a reform in higher education. A School of Comparative Irrelevance, where useless or impossible courses are given. The school's aim is to turn out scholars capable of endlessly increasing the number of unnecessary subjects."

    "And how many departments are there?"

    "Four so far, but that may be enough for the whole syllabus. The Tetrapyloctomy department has a preparatory function; its purpose is to inculcate a sense of irrelevance. Another important department is Adynata, or Impossibilia. Like Urban Planning for Gypsies. The essence of the discipline is the comprehension of the underlying reasons for a thing's absurdity. We have courses in Morse syntax, the history of antarctic agriculture, the history of Easter Island painting, contemporary Sumerian literature, Montessori grading, Assyrio-Babylonian philately, the technology of the wheel in pre-Columbian empires, and the phonetics of the silent film."

    "How about crowd psychology in the Sahara?"

    "Wonderful," Belbo said.

    Diotallevi nodded. "You should join us. The kid's got talent, eh, Jacopo?"

    "Yes, I saw that right away. Last night he constructed some moronic arguments with great skill. But let's continue. What did we put in the Oxymoronics department? I can't find my notes."

    Diotallevi took a slip of paper from his pocket and regarded me with friendly condescension. "In Oxymoronics, as the name implies, what matters is self-contradiction. That's why I think it's the place for Urban Planning for Gypsies."

    "No," Belbo said. "Only if it were Nomadic Urban Planning. The Adynata concern empirical impossibilities; Oxymoronics deal with contradictions in terms."

    "Maybe. But what courses did we put under Oxymoronics? Oh, yes, here we are: Tradition in Revolution, Democratic Oligarchy, Parmenidean Dynamics, Heraclitean Statics, Spartan Sybaritics, Tautological Dialectics, Boolean Eristic."

    I couldn't resist throwing in "How about a Grammar of Solecisms?"

    "Excellent!" they both said, making a note.
     
    Lemex likes this.
  4. Steerpike

    Steerpike Felis amatus Contributor

    Joined:
    Jul 5, 2010
    Messages:
    13,984
    Likes Received:
    8,557
    Location:
    California, US
    Foucault's Pendulum is Eco's best book.
     
    Lemex likes this.
  5. Lifeline

    Lifeline South. Supporter Contributor

    Joined:
    Oct 12, 2015
    Messages:
    4,282
    Likes Received:
    5,805
    Location:
    On the Road.
    The one book I won't ever forget:

    "The Bridge of Birds" (Barry Hughart): I've yet to find a single person who isn't immediately captivated by it. A modern fairy tale of ancient china.
     
  6. Mckk

    Mckk Member Supporter Contributor

    Joined:
    Dec 30, 2010
    Messages:
    6,541
    Likes Received:
    4,776
    Could someone recommend me a book that deals with the idea of redemption? Preferably where there's evident change in the character - whether he is redeemed from his fault or spirals downwards, either way. But a series of events that lead to the redemption or complete downfall of a grey character - one you'd like to see redeemed but may or may not be by the end, though there's the hope that you'd see him redeemed.

    Basically realised that's the core of my novel and I've no idea how to write this, so thought reading something on those lines would help :D
     
  7. Jones

    Jones My body is ready

    Joined:
    Sep 27, 2015
    Messages:
    64
    Likes Received:
    30
    Location:
    Texas
    Didn't see either of my favorites mentioned.

    Lonesome Dove and Confederacy of Dunces
     
  8. js58

    js58 Member

    Joined:
    Sep 11, 2015
    Messages:
    34
    Likes Received:
    8
    Can anyone recommend any science fiction that deals with god and religion?

    I'm about to finish Olaf Stapledon's Star Maker and I'm about to begin the final book in Philip K Dick's VALIS trilogy, The Transmigration of TImothy Archer. I have really enjoyed exploring ideas about religion and god through the framework of science fiction. Star Maker is particularly stimulating. Stapledon's ideas about the nature of god have helped me to question some of my own ideas about god and creation in a way that I haven't done in years.
     
  9. js58

    js58 Member

    Joined:
    Sep 11, 2015
    Messages:
    34
    Likes Received:
    8
    I recently read Last and First Men by Olaf Stapledon. It's a future history of the human race beginning in the twentieth century and finishing two billion years later. There are multiple dystopic societies and apocalypses, and most of the novel is set on earth.

    It's not modern, it was written in 1930. There are passages that feel a little dated but they are few and far between.

    Stapledon occasionally mentions specific individuals and the roles they played in shaping mankind's future but the book is mostly narrative. Our species is the main character. We are both the oppressed and the oppressor, struggling to better ourself through biological, technological and ideological evolution.

    And if you enjoy that then I recommend Star Maker, also by Stapledon.
     
  10. Andrae Smith

    Andrae Smith Bestselling Author|Editor|Writing Coach Contributor

    Joined:
    Jun 22, 2012
    Messages:
    2,640
    Likes Received:
    1,668
    Location:
    Washington State, U.S.A.
    So, I have been trying to get on here and talk about this for a few days, buuuuuut I've been distracted. Anyway, I recently finished rereading The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck, and I am most satisfied with how rich and fulfilling of a read it was.

    Following Chinese farmer, Wang Lung, on his journey from poor farmer to wealthy land owner during a time of Chinese unrest and revolution, it is a book that carries a lot of lessons, I think--especially for young men like me, at the start of life. I love the writing style, I don't think it could have been more perfect for the story being told. I also really appreciate the author's ability to bring such endearing characters to life. I mean, it wasn't spectacular or deep characterization, but for the amount of time the story covers (It's got a wide scope time-wise) Buck has done a nice job of giving just enough of each character to make them valuable.

    Maybe I'm overstating this book, but for me, it is one of my favorites an instant classic in my little library. I highly recommend this book to anyone.
     
    edamame, jannert and GingerCoffee like this.
  11. DeadMoon

    DeadMoon The light side of the dark side Contributor

    Joined:
    Dec 7, 2014
    Messages:
    817
    Likes Received:
    519
    Location:
    fargo, ND
    I am going to slap myself for saying this ( and yes I really will because I will have deserved it) but I didn't know "The good Earth" was a book, I will be searching for sale later on. I remember watching the movie of the same name and instantly being in awe of it. Something about the way it was shot and being in black and white.
     
    Andrae Smith likes this.
  12. Mordred85

    Mordred85 Active Member

    Joined:
    May 26, 2015
    Messages:
    205
    Likes Received:
    75
    As cliche as this request might be, I'm looking for some good vampire erotica. I enjoyed JR Ward's 'Dark Lover' and I'm looking for something along those lines. Simply written, easy to absorb, entertaining and inspiring for an aspiring author. It can be as subtle as the typical 'paranormal romance' books, but if there's something out there that takes it to another level, I'm all eyes and ears.
     
  13. Andrae Smith

    Andrae Smith Bestselling Author|Editor|Writing Coach Contributor

    Joined:
    Jun 22, 2012
    Messages:
    2,640
    Likes Received:
    1,668
    Location:
    Washington State, U.S.A.
    I suppose, then, that I should be ashamed as well because I didn't know there was a movie based on this. It makes sense though. Reading the Wikipedia synopsis, I think you may enjoy the book a little more (surprise) because it encompasses more of Wang Lungs life and story. It has the time to dig a little deeper in a way a movie probably can't. At least not this movie and still be fairly entertaining. But Idk, I haven't seen the movie.
     
  14. SilentDreamer

    SilentDreamer Member

    Joined:
    Nov 23, 2015
    Messages:
    48
    Likes Received:
    15
    Anyone interested in dystopian series try - Wool by Hugh Howey (Trilogy includes Shift and Dust). Still makes me think!

    Anyone suggest another dystopian type series? (Not Hunger Games, Divergent or Maze Runner - read HG, about to read Divergent etc, and Maze Runner)
     
    filthydee and Kikijoy like this.
  15. Hwaigon

    Hwaigon Senior Member

    Joined:
    Dec 5, 2012
    Messages:
    704
    Likes Received:
    184
    Location:
    Second to the right, and straight on till morning.
    You've just stole my idea for a thread, @Lemex :D
    Anyway, thanks for creating this thread, I was wondering what to read myself.

    And to chip in: The Day of the Triffids by Wyndham is an excellent, very moving book. The ending blasted me off.
     
    filthydee likes this.
  16. Kalleth Bright-Talon

    Kalleth Bright-Talon Member

    Joined:
    Nov 7, 2015
    Messages:
    29
    Likes Received:
    18
    Location:
    Canada
    One book series that has stayed with me for the longest time is the Bartimaeus books by Jonathan Stroud, whose writing is so incredibly witty, and victorian, and well-paced, that it makes for a great read! The first book The Amulet of Samarkand made the strongest impression on me, however the sequels, especially the Ring of Solomon, expand the universe in fun and mind-bending ways. Stroud's take on demons is especially notable for its twin basis in fiction and mythology, and the eponymous main character's inner dialogue is the highlight of the books. I cannot recommend it enough.

    As for books I'm looking for, I would love to know if there are any really good spy books out there. This weekend I'm going to check out Ian Fleming's James Bond books, which I've heard are the paragon of good spy books. I was wondering if there were any less well-known, but just as well written spy novels out there?
     
  17. Hwaigon

    Hwaigon Senior Member

    Joined:
    Dec 5, 2012
    Messages:
    704
    Likes Received:
    184
    Location:
    Second to the right, and straight on till morning.
    You've just stole my idea for a thread, @Lemex :D
    Anyway, thanks for creating this thread, I was wondering what to read myself.

    And to chip in: The Day of the Triffids by Wyndham is an excellent, very moving book. T
    Hey, I once read about Bartimeus' trilogy in a Sci-Fi/Fantasy magazine. The reviewer said it was mind-blowing.
    Presently, I've seen a personal decline in interest in fantasy reading, but I'm looking around a bit.
     
  18. Andrae Smith

    Andrae Smith Bestselling Author|Editor|Writing Coach Contributor

    Joined:
    Jun 22, 2012
    Messages:
    2,640
    Likes Received:
    1,668
    Location:
    Washington State, U.S.A.
    Just finished reading "Peter Pan" by J.M. Barrie. It is a quick read, and a fascinating little adventure, even as an adult. The writing, I think, speaks to its era and fits its setting and purpose. There are tricks that modern writers probably can't get away with, but the execution was perfect for this kind of story. The story is endearing, though very fast-paced. Things seem to happen suddenly, but that seems to be the way the Peter's character would want it. The only downside to that is that there is nothing really to savor. It is in all form a children's story.

    It does offer some good themes though. For instance, time and again we see the contrast between children and adults and the challenge it is to reconcile the inevitability of growing up with the permanence--or persistence--of one's inner child. We see socialization at work by way of mothers meddling with children's minds (magically of course). Also laced through this book are gender roles, particularly the girl's role to inevitably become a woman and a mother. It's one minor drawback, because we now know women to be much more than that, but it was definitely an interesting portrayal.

    All in all, I give this book a solid 10/10. It is a strong adaptation from the play. (Never seen or read the play, but this is a good novelization nonetheless.)
     
  19. edamame

    edamame Contributor Contributor

    Joined:
    Apr 5, 2013
    Messages:
    1,046
    Likes Received:
    570
    I recently read The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman. It was my first book by him and I didn't like it, so I wanted to ask if you guys could recommend me one of his greats to try next.
     
  20. Jeff Countryman

    Jeff Countryman Living the dream

    Joined:
    Aug 28, 2015
    Messages:
    161
    Likes Received:
    89
    Location:
    Canada
    "The Martian" by Andy Weir. It's a movie now . . . available on DVD in mid-January. Read the book first :)
     
  21. js58

    js58 Member

    Joined:
    Sep 11, 2015
    Messages:
    34
    Likes Received:
    8
    You could try some Graham Greene. I don't know how he compares to Ian Fleming, having never read any James Bond, but I've really enjoyed his books. My favourites:

    The Quiet American - Arguably one of Greene's best novels. It takes place in Vietnam shortly before the war and focuses on a love triangle between a British writer, a local woman and a young idealistic American.

    The Third Man - Set in post war Vienna an American writer goes to pay an old friend a visit, but when he arrives in town he finds that he's just in time to attend that friend's funeral...

    Our Man in Havana - A black comedy about a vacuum cleaner salesman trying to support his daughter and getting in over his head!


    Have you read any John le Carré? I've only read one of his novels but I quite enjoyed it:

    The Spy Who Came in from the Cold -
    Set in the early years of the Cold War the hunt is on for a British double agent.
     
    Last edited: Feb 14, 2016
  22. Steerpike

    Steerpike Felis amatus Contributor

    Joined:
    Jul 5, 2010
    Messages:
    13,984
    Likes Received:
    8,557
    Location:
    California, US
    Try Neverwhere.
     
    edamame likes this.
  23. IsabellaS

    IsabellaS Member

    Joined:
    Feb 1, 2016
    Messages:
    32
    Likes Received:
    19
    Anything by Maria V. Snyder. Kristin Cashore's Graceling Realm series is amazing, and I love Laini Taylor's Daughter of Smoke and Bone series at the moment. Ten Thousand Pieces of You by Claudia Gray is a really good YA novel, I absolutely adore the premise and the love story.
     
  24. JLT

    JLT Contributor Contributor

    Joined:
    Mar 6, 2016
    Messages:
    1,857
    Likes Received:
    2,235
    Not many non-fiction books here, but anybody who works with the English language should read Our Marvelous Native Tongue by Robert Claiborne. This four-hundred-page love letter to the English language examines its roots, its major transformations over the years, and its astonishing ability to adapt to different cultures and climes. I must have read half a hundred books on the subject, and his is still the best.

    One of the things that makes it so pleasurable is Claiborne's clean and seemingly effortless writing style; he plays with the language as he describes it, and it's a joy to read. Another is how shrewdly he correlates England's history with its language, showing how the first has shaped the second (an intrinsic disrespect for authority is at the heart of both). And Claiborne brings his considerable writing and editorial chops to the question of what constitutes good writing and good English, and why it matters.
     
  25. Greyditch

    Greyditch New Member

    Joined:
    Feb 27, 2016
    Messages:
    16
    Likes Received:
    3
    Can anyone recommend a high fantasy series to me? I'm looking for something with a large plot and plenty of interesting characters, but not anything that is convoluted or something that drags on and on. I've thought about starting the Wheel of Time series but I'm not too sure yet. Would anyone have any suggestions? I wouldn't mind a nice series to start :bigwink:
     

Share This Page

  1. This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
    By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.
    Dismiss Notice