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Hey guys 
Just wanted to see if a few of you discerning fellows can throw some book titles my way that you found read-worthy!
New or old doesn't make a difference, as long as you think they're pretty awesome.
I'm into just about anything except mushy romance novels, but well done romance is cool... Recently I've been wanting to see about finding some good steampunk, I just haven't known where and what to look for as far as authors and such. That said, I love sci-fi, most fantasy, and pretty much anything from there.
Thanks in advance gents, your advice has never failed me.
Just wanted to see if a few of you discerning fellows can throw some book titles my way that you found read-worthy!
New or old doesn't make a difference, as long as you think they're pretty awesome.
I'm into just about anything except mushy romance novels, but well done romance is cool... Recently I've been wanting to see about finding some good steampunk, I just haven't known where and what to look for as far as authors and such. That said, I love sci-fi, most fantasy, and pretty much anything from there.
Thanks in advance gents, your advice has never failed me.
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http://forums.penny-arcade.com/showthread.php?t=94634
It doesn't devolve into only being about Sci-Fi until after about 10 pages :P
Snowcrash is a fantastic place to start, it has an interesting and often humorous take on the future which you might find quite entertaining, and an interesting plot that's deeper than it first appears.
The Diamond Age is another one he wrote, and I'd call it a bit more "steampunky", though it's not really steampunk. It gives you that feel, however: like you're in an older world that somehow got its hands on newer tech. I can't say enough good things about it though, The Diamond Age is a real treat, and definitely worth reading... perhaps even more than Snow Crash.
- Anything by Terry Pratchett
- American Gods by Neil Gaiman
- Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman! - memoirs of Richard Feynman
If you've never read EM Forster's "The Machine Stops," you can read it here: http://emforster.de/hypertext/template.php3?t=tms it's a short story, but I love it for its vision into the future, especially considering it was written in 1909.
I can also recommend William Gibson's works, Neuromancer the first that comes to mind.
Dune (+ next 5) - Frank Herbert
Anathem - Neal Sephenson
Enders Game (+ next 3) - Orson Card
The Fionavar Tapestry trilogy by Guy Gavriel Kay
The Forever War by Haldeman
The Phoenix Guard and all of the Taltos books by Steven Brust
Kushiel series by Jacqueline Carey
Another vote for all these:
Snow Crash and Diamond Age by Stephenson
Neuromancer by Gibson
Ender's Game and Ender's Shadow by Orson Scott Card
Discworld stuff by Terry Pratchett
I DARE you to read the first half of this book and then not go buy the rest of them immediately.
honestly one of the best books i have ever read. and dont get the abridged version either. its worth all the extra stuff he puts in it.
Kokoro.
Maybe someone will quote me so you can see the cover.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kokoro
I enjoyed The Makioka Sisters by Tanizaki Junichiro much more. It's basically Japanese Little Women written for adults, and takes place over the few years just before the Japanese got involved in WWII. The historical and cultural perspectives give amazing insight into the time, from the other side.
edit: I would like to add to my list Survival in the Killing Fields by Huang Nor. The US had no idea, although our actions precipitated it. Nobody had any idea. Cambodia just disappeared off the map for a time, millions were killed, the country was basically destroyed, and no one knew.
Stranger in a strange land. - If you only read one sci-fi book ever, this should be it.
The Autobiography of Malcom X: As told to Alex Haley. - Fun to read, the dude got into some crazy situations and it teaches you modern American history as well.
Thanks. You just filled my I have Nothing to Read gap.
xbl - HowYouGetAnts
steam - WeAreAllGeth
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perdido_Street_Station
Apparently it won a few awards and stuff and it really does deserve any praise it gets.
I want to know more PA people on Twitter.
The Gone Away World - Nick Harkness
Of Rice and Men - Richard Galli
A Conneticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court - Mark Twain
To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
The Select Works of T.S SPivet - Reif Larson
The Long Walk - Stephen King
Hearts in Atlantis - Stephen King Ok on this one I'll add a note. The book is seperated into different stories, the first and the last are the weakest of these. However, they need to be read in order and even if you for some reason hate the first story, soldier on! The middle story, Hearts in Atlantis, is fantastic.
The Road - Cormac McCarthy
Fields of Fire - James Webb
If you dig fantasy, then you've probably already read Erickson's Malazan books. If not, holy shit read them. The first is the weakest of the two. Not bad, in fact I really enjoyed it, but man once the second book hits it's stride the series never slows down.
Also, short stories!
20th Century Ghosts - Joe Hill
Any of the short story collections by Stephen King are great. Same with Neil Gaiman. The complete collection of Mark Twain's essays and short stories is sublime.
The Road
The Chronicals of Black Company
I'll also throw in 'Ghost Eater' by Frederick Highland. Great book there.
http://ghosteater.com/
Original and gritty low fantasy. If you've read any Steven Erikson then you will like these and if you haven't then you should read his stuff as well.
I want to know more PA people on Twitter.
Got it on my kindle right now. On the third book now and so good.
I'm up for this. I'd recommend starting with Small Gods or Guards! Guards! in particular. The man's works are exceptional.
Nice, I think I'm on the 6th one now. I managed to track down a copy of the first book when they still looked like this
Fortunately some awesome people decided to republish them in mini collections so I am currently reading the 6th (not including 'The Silver Spike' spin off.) The covers now look awesome like this
and this for the books of the south
I want to know more PA people on Twitter.
I do the same thing with this little cracker as well
I want to know more PA people on Twitter.
My favorite book series of all time. I'm pretty sure I stopped reading for six months altogether because I couldn't find another book or book series this damned good. Everything paled in comparison.
The series begins with Merlin growing up, becoming the legend he was, mentoring young Arthur, and his last days and continued legacy.
What's different about it is the fact that it is a historical novel with fantasy pieces implemented here and there. It's amazing to see how a man - Merlin - uses sheer ingenuity to create a living legend; it isn't him shooting fireballs from a wand or having an unkempt beard that he hides birds in. In an instance where he "transformed" men into different people, it shows how Merlin's merely creating elaborate disguises - something he has a knack for.
Merlin's a calculating character you can relate to. He wields his legacy, influence, charisma, and knowledge to become a high power in the court, but you also see the human side of Merlin - the suffering, the pain, and the sorrow of this seemingly invincible magician that is really just an ingenious man with bits and pieces of sorcery skillfully woven into the story. Mary Stewart is a phenomenal writer.
If you like history, fantasy, or the Merlin characters at all, you are doing yourself a great disservice by not giving this series a shot. It starts out well enough, but The Hollow Hills and The Last Enchantment are just perfect.
A very sweet novella by one of the best stand ups. Hardly what you would call a stand up humor book though.
3DS FC: 5343-7720-0490
This. Completely this.
Also, the Song of Ice and Fire series is fantastic. Might want to wait until it's finished before you start though.
Also, anything by Christopher Moore
Pratical Demon Keeping, Coyote Blue, The Stupidest Angel, Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, and pretty much anything he's written is just fantastic.
Small Gods by Terry Pratchett is great as well, I think a few people have also recommended that.
I would suggest The Way of Shadows by Brent Weeks. It's the first book in a trilogy, but I would say you could read just that book by itself and it ends just fine in case you didn't want to read the others after it.
Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad
Siddharta by Herman Hesse
Animal Farm by Orwell
White Tiger by Aravind Adiga
Deception by Philip Roth
L'Etranger by Albert Camus
I actually thought Anastazi Boys was a better book (I am pretty sure they are connected/same universe)
For some reason an author who never gets love here is Joe Meno.
Best two are Demons in Springtime (short stories) and his masterpiece The Boy Detective Fails.