Book recommendations?
polycounter lvl 18
I have a move coming up and I just finished the books Ive been reading. I need something for the road. Any recommendations?
Im looking for something like Philip Pullman His Dark materials (the one I just finished) or R.R. Martin A Song of Ice and Fire
On the art side I just got Out of the Forests: The Art of Paul Bonner. IT IS A MUST HAVE!!!!!!!!
- BoBo
Im looking for something like Philip Pullman His Dark materials (the one I just finished) or R.R. Martin A Song of Ice and Fire
On the art side I just got Out of the Forests: The Art of Paul Bonner. IT IS A MUST HAVE!!!!!!!!
- BoBo
Replies
Hyperion by Dan Simmons
Revelation Space by Alastair Reynolds
A Deepness in the Sky by Vernor Vinge
I'm working on The Stand right now, never read any stephen king before. I'm about half way through the extended edition... if you like well-written post-apoc speculative fiction, I can definitely recommend it. Also, if you like that genre but arent too keen on stephen king, check out A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter M. Miller Jr.
Need more?
I'm currently reading "The God Delusion" by Richard Dawkins. Obviously, it's not for everyone...it was a recommendation from my tattoo artist. I find the book really interesting, although it's a little heavy to read sometimes.
Anything by Tom Robbins is great.
there's the Artemis Fowl series by Eoin Colfer about a 12 year old criminal mastermind and his attempts to steal power from the Fairy world.
the Abhorsen Trilogy by Garth Nix which is about a young girl who has to take up her father's role as the Abhorsen aka a necromancer when he disappears. pretty interesting setting with a large wall dividing the northern and southern kingdoms. in the northern kingdoms magic and such still exists and it's an almost medival world, while the southern kingdom is more WWI in its technology level. plus there's a talking cat.
other fantasy novels i've enjoyed recently:
The Society of S by Susan Hubbard (has vampires)
Bitterwood by James Maxley (has dragons)
The Long Price Quartet (A Shadow in Summer and A Betrayal in Winter released so far) by Daniel Abraham (has a very Asian theme to it like Avatar the Last Airbender or the concept art for Guild Wars. plus Seedless is a cool villian and a cool name for a villian.) recommended by George RR Martin.
the Rachel Morgan series by Kim Harrison (has vampires, witches, werewolves, fairies and is set in Cincinnati and Kentucky.)
Mooncalled by Patricia Briggs (werewolves)
The Scent of Shadows by Vikki Pettersson (currently reading. sort of a cross between a dark fantasy novel and manga.)
On the art side I just got Out of the Forests: The Art of Paul Bonner. IT IS A MUST HAVE!!!!!!!!
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Hehe yeah Tully and I saw this on the Amazon Recommendation page and bought it at once, it's really good!
Unfortunately I don't really have anything to recommend.
Any of Terry Pratchett's Discworld series if you've never read them, they're nowhere near as serious or deep as His Dark Materials but they're really funny, interesting and have tons of good ideas in them. More fantasy, less realistic.
Edit: Also, Paul Kidby's Discworld art book is magnificent.
I also have to recommend Alistair Reynolds, although his books are nothing like Philip Pullman's, it's all fairly hard sci-fi, but he has some awesome designs, ideas, locations and writes descriptions really well, and every time I read one of his books I want to go off and model/sculpt some of his amazing characters, creatures or locations.
Dean Koontz's "The Husband" is also a good one.
**edit Oh, artish books? BOOO
The Art of Deception w/ Kevin Mitnick. Really interesting read on how easy people can be manipulated to provide valuable data.
I enjoy Tom Clancy books. I have a few on mp3.
Stainless Steal Rat Books by Harry Harrison. Nothing you have to wrap your brain around. Fun sci fi
And if you haven't read the Dune series you should get to it! It's amazing.
Neuromancer by William Gibson.
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My favorite book. read it now.
I'd highly recommend anything by Chuck Klosterman. I don't think it's anything like you've mentioned, but if you're into "that kind of thing" I find the books are really funny and easy to read.
I'm currently reading "The God Delusion" by Richard Dawkins. Obviously, it's not for everyone...it was a recommendation from my tattoo artist. I find the book really interesting, although it's a little heavy to read sometimes.
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I love Chuck! He's absolutely spot on with some of his pop-culture references. He's easy and entertaining to read if your into things like Music/Movies/Celebrity breakdowns.
I also actually just started to read The God Delusion on recommendation from a friend. Not very far into it.
I just finished a book called The Alchemist. It's reletively well known, sort of a novella with some deeper philosophical meanings. I didn't take as much away from it as the rest of the world seems to have, but it was a pretty easy read anyways.
I also picked up Kevin Smiths Blog-book. It's pretty funny although very dry. It's a great bathroom book.
And I'd recommend anything by Charles Bukowski, I know it's not a very original recommendation (he's not fantasy either) but he's an excellent writer with a great descriptive and raw style that perfectly conveyed the times. All of his books (non poetry) are about the same guy, Henry Chinaski. I only have one left to read, Factotum, which was made into a movie a couple years back. They aren't very long and can be great subway/bus reads.
The Cone Gatherers
The Testament of Gideon Mack
Breakfast at Tiffanys
The Great Gatsy
World War Z
Crooked Little Vein
Stranger in a Strange Land
Fahrenheit 451
Sirens Of Titan
A bit like Pullman:
Scar Night
The hero wakes up with amnesia, tracks down his sister, finds out he is one of the princes of Amber and travels through different shadow realities to regain his power (the ability to travel to these 'shadows' as he desires, basically going to any type of world he can imagine) and throne. Was a crazy ride from what I remember.
listing awesome books is good and all, but none too helpful when you're looking for a specific type.
A lot of you are just throwing out books, completely disregarding the genre he asked for. i see sci-fi, cyberpunk, thrillers, social engineering, romance...
listing awesome books is good and all, but none too helpful when you're looking for a specific type.
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Good point, maybe we just need a spot to put general book recommendations as the title of the thread might suggest.
And I'd recommend anything by Charles Bukowski, I know it's not a very original recommendation (he's not fantasy either) but he's an excellent writer with a great descriptive and raw style that perfectly conveyed the times. All of his books (non poetry) are about the same guy, Henry Chinaski. I only have one left to read, Factotum, which was made into a movie a couple years back. They aren't very long and can be great subway/bus reads.
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Yeah, I just finished notos of a dirty old man by Bukowski. Highly recommended, it's a collection of short stories he has written mainly about stuff he claims happened to himself, eventhough many of them are doubtful of having really happened. Very funny and entertaining read, highly recommended!
I'm reading Big Bang! by Simon Singh. It explains how the big bang theory was discovered and how it works, and goes all the way from how it was first discovered that earth was round to the big bang. Very entertaining read with lots of fun anecdotes and colorful representation of all the historical characters involved
A lot of you are just throwing out books, completely disregarding the genre he asked for. i see sci-fi, cyberpunk, thrillers, social engineering, romance...
listing awesome books is good and all, but none too helpful when you're looking for a specific type.
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quotations for thruthfullness
I recommend "Perdido Street Station" by China Mi
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Book_of_the_New_Sun
has drunk people, communists, tramps and mad bastards. It's the only book you'll ever need
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Neuromancer by William Gibson.
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My favorite book. read it now.
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I actually couldn't get through it... it was interesting in context, but out of context I think I've been too stained by matrix culture to like it.
bobo, if you're looking for something similar in depth to the Martin books, maybe give shogun a try. It's pretty decent. lonesome Dove was also really solid. Niether have the fantasy element, but both do a pretty good job with being lush worlds with interesting characters and situations. For that reason alone they kind of fit in the same mental category as the martin books in my mind... and you trusted me on those
Plutarch.
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HAHAHAHAHA
others:
-Tad William's Otherland series - awesome future internet land stuff
-Tad William's Memory, Sorrow and Thorn Series
-Elizabeth Haydon's Rhapsody Trilogy
-Peter F. Hamilton's The Night's Dawn Trilogy
-Alastair Reynold's books like chasm city, absolution gap, redemption ark ect.
oh and can't go past the original collection of Robert.E. Howard's Conan series - 3 collections of the revised and original stories..
i'm a howard fanboy.
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Plutarch.
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HAHAHAHAHA
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Ancient authors get no love. I read most ancient authors for 'primary' source history, but Plutarch I read for fun, he is a tremendous author. Really, everyone should read at least a few of his lives... if anyone is interested I can recommend some. You will come away entertained and enlightened.
frank frazetta icon, is quite good
silvertalon by raymond e fiest, I really enjoyed
Im also one of the terry pratchett discword fans haha
some really good books suggested so far! I like the look of that paul bonner art book. oh and on the God Delusion, it may be an interestig read but Id be careful whos writings I put my trust/faith in: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/article1264152.ece
Edit: And A Scanner Darkly.
Suppose to be a good read for someone who likes Harry Pooper.
or for more fantasy world crap, theres always WOT by Robert jordan (ahah classssic). Or the Sword of truth series by Goodking. Both have great worlds and Character. Jordan series are much more details tho. BOth are good fantasy read imo..
Also 'Good Omens' by Terry Pratchet and Neil Gaiman is, as one of the quotes on the book says, "Heaven to read and funny as hell."
or for more fantasy world crap, theres always WOT by Robert jordan (ahah classssic). Or the Sword of truth series by Goodking. Both have great worlds and Character. Jordan series are much more details tho. BOth are good fantasy read imo..
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...but Goodkind actually finished his series. WoT will just piss you off.
For fantasy, both Jordan and George R.R. Martin took a turn for the worse in their latter books, with very little definitive happening in them and no resolutions in the books.
David Farland's "Runelords" series was very enjoyable fantasy. Very interesting concepts that bring a lot of moral questions into the picture.
Harry Potter for all ages is fun.
"Kite Runner" was fantastic.