| Good books
Posted: 5/1/2007 8:18:11 AM | I did a search, and there doesn't seem to be anything in the public forums about books... at least nothing of the non-self help variety.
Of course, since "off topic" is a place that very few people tread, this might get lost in the shuffle...
Anyhow... summer is almost upon me, and I want some book recommendations.
Here are a few from me:
On Stranger Tides by Tim Powers- It's got pirates, Black Beard, and voo doo... historical fiction, very good.
High Fidelity by Nick Hornby- hard to summarize... a man examines his relationships to figure out what he's been doing wrong, I guess.
The Collected Works of Billy the Kid by Michael Ondaatje- This one is kind of post-modern. It has poems and prose written from the perspective of Billy the Kid and Pat Garret (who eventually killed the Kid)... it's an interesting read, and examines the making of myth. | |
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Posted: 5/1/2007 8:45:26 AM | Seems to me few people read these days unless its self help or required reading. Tim Powers is a very interesting author and Stranger Tides was one of his best. I always enjoy writers who put a lot of reality into their fiction.
If you can overlook The Da Vinci Code, Dan Brown is really a good writer. I thought his book , Angels and Demons would have made a much better movie and not so controversial. It gives a very interesting look into Vatican City and historical landmarks that few of us ever get to see. Deception Point will keep you on the edge of your seat and show you how easily the world can be deceived.
A friend got me started reading James Patterson and while he is a good writer, I am still somewhat of a romantic at heart and he always p!sses me off by killing off one of the good guys!
I'd love to meet Dean Koontz personally. He has made insanity profitable. Just when you think he can't get any more bizarre, he comes out with something more so. A few of his books are mediocre and after you read them you wonder why you did and then some of his books you can't put down and wish they would not end. A few of them I could only read in the day time because they scared me to badly to read at night, but I could not help myself, I kept right on reading them till the end. | |
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| Good books
Posted: 5/1/2007 8:53:41 AM | If you're into poetry, I can recommend Li-Young Lee's Rose and The City in Which I Loved You. Beautiful stuff.
I'm about to embark on a Thomas Merton reading marathon. I've started with The Seven Storey Mountain. Now I know what all the fuss is about. | |
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| Good books
Posted: 5/1/2007 9:11:13 AM | Here's a good list: http://www.time.com/time/2005/100books/the_complete_list.html
This list has a great mix of classics and novels that were written recently. Also, there's some sci-fi, some drama, and some comedy.
The best book I've read in the last few months is The Garden of Eden by Hemingway. | |
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Posted: 5/1/2007 9:13:19 AM | "The Womanizer," by Richard Ford in his collection [i[Women with Men. If you read it, I'd appreciate hearing your take on the main character (here or via email).
Bel Canto by Ann Patchett.
The All-True Travels & Adventures of Lidie Newton by Jane Smiley. Gorgeous! | |
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| Good books
Posted: 5/1/2007 9:44:15 AM | "The Womanizer," by Richard Ford in his collection [i[Women with Men. If you read it, I'd appreciate hearing your take on the main character (here or via email).
It's been years since I've read it, but I might re-read it again just to give you an opinion. Have you read The Sportswriter by Richard Ford? It's amazing and it's one of my favorites. I think it's on the webpage url that I posted previously. | |
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| Good books
Posted: 5/1/2007 12:26:10 PM | The Story of the Stone, or the Dream of the Red Chamber, by Cao Xiuquon (or something, I can't remember the last name). It is an old Chinese Tale, and is a great insight into the family structure of the Chinese society.
The Count of Monte Cristo: Great tale of well thought out revenge, and redemption. You will put off reading the last chapter, it is so good.
In Search of Lost Time, or a Remembrance of things Past: I have only read the first volume, but I gotta say wow! What a novel!! Even though the plot in this book is about a narrator recalling events of his childhood, it is a good read.
Books not to read: I can only think of one. Stephen King's The Tommyknockers. Oh my God, that was such a hard read, and in the end there was no payoff. I have read all of King's writings, and this work is his worst. | |
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Posted: 5/1/2007 9:56:23 PM |
High Fidelity by Nick Hornby- hard to summarize... a man examines his relationships to figure out what he's been doing wrong, I guess.
One of my all time favorites. This is one of those very few books you come across that change you. It did me, anyhow.
Women, take note. This is the HandBook To Men. Don't watch the movie, read it. | |
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| Good books
Posted: 5/1/2007 11:20:53 PM | 'Exile and the Kingdom' by Albert Camus (great short stories of spiritual longing)
'The Master and Margarita' by Mikhail Bulgakov (Satan visits Moscow with his giant cat)
'Briar Rose' by Robert Coover (a fairy tale that's chock full of interesting lusts)
'The Street of Crocodiles' by Bruno Schulz (amazing but hard to summarize) | |
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| Good books
Posted: 5/2/2007 3:55:19 AM | Just finished The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini.... Excellent page-turner, about family and betrayal, set in Afghanistan and covering a time span of the last 30 years or so.
Also enjoyed this year: Moral Disorder, by Margaret Atwood, a collection of loosely connected short stories. And two classics well worth pulling off the shelf -- Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre, and Charles D ickens' A Tale of Two Cities. | |
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Posted: 5/2/2007 4:32:38 AM | I read more than I watch T.V.
I just finished Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood.
I have read so many that it is hard for me to recite them all. Clive Barker's Weaveworld is a great book IMO (and it's not horror). I also just finished Blood Ties by C.C. Humphreys, an historical fiction. | |
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| Good books
Posted: 5/2/2007 2:17:30 PM | | I think everyone should read my book...just as soon as I write it, get it published, distributed, etc. Or, you can order an advance copy immediatly by sending 29.99 to this address...oops...supper time...bbl! | |
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| Good books
Posted: 5/2/2007 3:02:20 PM | I knew we did this thread before. I just did a search,
<a href="http://forums.plentyoffish.com/datingPosts946381.aspx">http://forums.plentyoffish.com/datingPosts946381.aspx</a>
Incase you want to check out what some of the other posters wrote.
Do a search under Art/Music
Then search books
There are a few threads on book titles | |
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| Good books
Posted: 5/2/2007 11:10:14 PM | | I have to agree with MSG 7, "The Tommyknockers" sucked big time. I didn't even finish it. I love most of Stephen King's books, but that one was a real stinker. I just finished reading "It" and it was too long-winded. Salem's Lot is still my favorite Stephen King book. The other night, I finished reading Anna Quinlan's "Blessings". It was very good, maybe more of a book for women, but it had a lousy ending in my opinion. I'm getting ready to read "Dracula" by Bram Stoker. I've seen about a million vampire movies, but I've never read the book. | |
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| Good books
Posted: 5/3/2007 5:28:30 AM | The Power of Now
A great book, takes some time to get into it. The way its written. Gets you thinking alot. | |
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| Good books
Posted: 5/3/2007 9:08:23 AM | I loved Annie Dillard's Pilgrim on Tinker Creek. It's non-fiction, personal essay - but not self help. She spent a year living ins house, by a creek, an chronicled the natural world around her. But her descriptions of what she saw were so eloquently written, and the things she chose to describe - what she saw when she looked closely around her just fascinated me.
this thread is very timely - I am dropping my nephew off at a football training thing, and have a hour or so to spend before picking him up. There is an independent bookstore nearby with a coffee house attached. I will take some of this list's recommendations with me! Thanks | |
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| Good books
Posted: 5/4/2007 10:49:17 AM | | Anything by John Stienbeck is my thought | |
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Posted: 5/5/2007 6:44:58 PM | | Oh the choises. The pre-mentioned pop-books, the Da-vinci Codes and whatnots; the classics and modern classics alike; all those lost an in between. I could hardly add two cents to this conversation, but will list what books I've been able to read as of late, and a few all time favourites:
I've recently finished 'The Sheltering Sky' by the beautiful Paul Bowles, and am currently digesting Henry Miller's tour de force 'Tropic of Cancer'. Read both right now and as slow as you can. Totaly emmerse yourself in these books. The heighten attention is a must, like listening to 5.1 music (which I'm doing right now and it feels wonderful!).
I always recommend 'Naked Lunch' by William S. Burroughs, but some could have difficulties with this book. I don't blame them, I can see where there could be some ill will towards the texts; but I loved every word of it. Funny too.
Time for the obscure refforence, and damn the poor spelling. Any book by Harry Stephen Keeler I recommend. Period, with a few !!!!! too. | |
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Posted: 5/5/2007 10:56:55 PM | OH!!! Where to begin!!!
Ray Bradbury, Hemmingway, The Brontes, Poe, Hawthorne,****ns, what can I say? They call them "classics" for a reason, and none of them ever let me down, (except Catcher in the Rye, it sucked.)
Now, modern writers, King is a given. I love his recent stuff, From a Buick 8, and Lizzie's Story, Cell was decent too.Bill Bryson rocks, as does Frank McCourt.
Anne Rice writes beautifully, even if you don't dig the subject matter.
Phillipa Gregory, reliable history plus bodice ripping! Can't beat it.
There are lots of titles I loved whose authors I cannot recall. I loved Ireland, Reading Lolita in Tehran. I must second Kite Runner. Ahab's Wife was an excellent read, and so many others.....I could go on for DAYS!!! I love this thread... | |
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| Good books
Posted: 5/5/2007 11:29:11 PM | Fahrenheit 451 was good as is just about anything by Heinlein. Stranger in a strange land or Job: A comedy of justice, anything by Poe rocks my world.... Hop Frog is an unlikely love story, Cask of Amontillado is another favorite. Anyone who likes them should check out the music, too, Alan Parsons Project, Tales of Mystery and Imagination narrated by Orson Welles in the digitally remastered version. Wonderfully spooky!
The Master Sniper was an interesting read, I forget the author. He wrote two stories that evolved every other chapter until they met into one. Also Saburo Sakai's non fictional book about his training and experiences during WWII as the leading Japanese Ace. Fantastic read!
Can not go wrong with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle if you like mysteries, too. I have the unabridged set. I think writers like Stephen King do not hold a candle to Doyle or Poe. No comparison whatsoever.
That is funny, tuggirl's post got censored by trying to talk about Charles d i c k e n s ! Shame on your dirty mouth!! | |
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| Good books
Posted: 5/5/2007 11:38:46 PM | | You think THAT'S dirty, you should hear what I say to men that I see wearing glasses and reading books!!!! | |
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| Good books
Posted: 5/6/2007 2:28:47 PM | Have you read Nino Ricci's trilogy " LIVES OF THE SAINTS "?
The three books describe life in a very dysfunctional Italian family. I am Italian and could really relate to this story and the writing was exceptional. The books were made into a movie starring Sophia Loren if the name sounds familiar. | |
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| Good books
Posted: 5/6/2007 8:53:18 PM | | "Next Man Up" by John Feinstein. Awesome look at the inner workings of an NFL team during and after the season. | |
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| Good books
Posted: 5/7/2007 7:58:13 AM | [/Women, take note. This is the HandBook To Men. Don't watch the movie, read it.]
I had to laugh when I read this...interesting. I gave this book as a gift to a guy I was dating; he "couldn't get into it", never finished it.
Eventually I figured out that he didn't give a rot about relationships - I was just window-dressing. His resonse to the book would have been a red flag if I had known it was a HandBook To Men! | |
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Posted: 5/9/2007 4:24:46 PM | Bloodletting & Miraculous Cures - Dr Vincent Lam, a Toronto Dr.- an interesting take
on the lives and events during med school- includes a chapter on the Sars crisis.
The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency and Tears of the Giraffe - both by Alexander McCall Smith - both are hilarious and heart wrenching novels about a lady who fulfills her dream of being a private eye in a remote African village.
Ask and it is Given - Esther and Jerry Hicks - another Law of Attraction book. | |
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