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Good Books?
Lucky Cynic
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
Hi there guys. I have seen in a number of the camwhore threads a nice neat, respectable, and admirable collection of books on the bookshelves instead of games. Lest to say, I am jealous. I have been eying some books recently and have been considering purchasing several from different genres, from lighthearted entertainment, to exciting adventure stories, to books that I simply cannot miss out on. I really have loved reading a good book and until recently, haven't discovered too many. Anyways, can you guys help me find a good list of books to get, books to get for sure, and books to avoid for all sorts of genres? I'm a fan of all different types of stories and such but I am into the following especially so:
+ Light Political Humor, stuff that can crack me up, but not get me wearing tin foil hats for fear of the democrats.
+ D&D Series from the Eberron story lines as I actually know and understand the world of Eberron fairly well.
+ I know and understand the history and lore of WH40k.
+ Other general humor books with very witty, intelligent observations.
+ Books that blow your mind, astronomy and other huge topics with big abstract ideas entertain me to no known end.
+ Other books that I simply cannot miss out on.
Books I own:
+ Several earlier books from the Eberron Campaign Setting.
+ George Carlin's- Brain Droppings
+ Bill Maher's - New Rules
+ Zombie Survival Guide
+ and a small handful of others but aren't really much to post about.
Books I am considering:
+ More books from the Eberron CS.
+ George Carlin's - Napalm and Silly Putty
+ George Carlin's - When will Jesus Bring the Pork Chops?
+ Bill Maher's - When You Ride Alone, You Ride with Bin Laden
+ Imagining the Tenth Dimension
So from this brief list you guys might be able to help me track down some really good books and also help me dodge a few bullets along the way. What do you guys think? What are some of the "must haves" and the "Must mother-fucking haves!" because I crave a well written intriguing book that gets me thinking about it well after I am done reading about it.
Thanks!
+ Light Political Humor, stuff that can crack me up, but not get me wearing tin foil hats for fear of the democrats.
+ D&D Series from the Eberron story lines as I actually know and understand the world of Eberron fairly well.
+ I know and understand the history and lore of WH40k.
+ Other general humor books with very witty, intelligent observations.
+ Books that blow your mind, astronomy and other huge topics with big abstract ideas entertain me to no known end.
+ Other books that I simply cannot miss out on.
Books I own:
+ Several earlier books from the Eberron Campaign Setting.
+ George Carlin's- Brain Droppings
+ Bill Maher's - New Rules
+ Zombie Survival Guide
+ and a small handful of others but aren't really much to post about.
Books I am considering:
+ More books from the Eberron CS.
+ George Carlin's - Napalm and Silly Putty
+ George Carlin's - When will Jesus Bring the Pork Chops?
+ Bill Maher's - When You Ride Alone, You Ride with Bin Laden
+ Imagining the Tenth Dimension
So from this brief list you guys might be able to help me track down some really good books and also help me dodge a few bullets along the way. What do you guys think? What are some of the "must haves" and the "Must mother-fucking haves!" because I crave a well written intriguing book that gets me thinking about it well after I am done reading about it.
Thanks!
Lucky Cynic on
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"First off, I'm a heavy duty fan of GRRM. I've read over a 100 different fantasy authors in my time (started at 12; I'm now 32). Took about 5 years off from the genre b/c I felt it was all getting too formulaic and cliched.
So, when I came back to fantasy at the end of 1999, I read the usual: Goodkind, Jordan, etc. and then someone told me about GRRM and man, that was the kicker!
Here are the reasons to choose GRRM. I've also listed the reasons not to choose him to make it fair b/c I know their are certain personalities who won't like this series:
WHY TO READ GRRM
(1) YOU ARE TIRED OF FORMULAIC FANTASY: good lad beats the dark lord against impossible odds; boy is the epitome of good; he and all his friends never die even though they go through great dangers . . . the good and noble king; the beautiful princess who falls in love with the commoner boy even though their stations are drastically different . . . you get the idea. After reading this over and over, it gets old.
(2) YOU ARE TIRED OF ALL THE HEROES STAYING ALIVE EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE UNDER CONSTANT DANGER: this gets even worse where the author kills a main hero off but that person comes back later in the story. Or, a hero does die but magic brings him back.
This sometimes carries to minor characters where even they may not die, but most fantasy authors like to kill them off to show that some risked the adventure and perished.
(3) YOU ARE A MEDIEVAL HISTORY BUFF: this story was influenced by the WARS OF THE ROSES and THE HUNDRED YEARS WAR.
(4) YOU LOVE SERIOUS INTRIGUE WITHOUT STUPID OPPONENTS: lots of layering; lots of intrigue; lots of clever players in the game of thrones. Unlike other fantasy novels, one side, usually the villain, is stupid or not too bright.
(5) YOU ARE INTERESTED IN BIASED OPINIONS AND DIFFERENT TRUTHS: GRRM has set this up where each chapter has the title of one character and the whole chapter is through their viewpoint. Interesting tidbit is that you get their perception of events or truths. But, if you pay attention, someone else will mention a different angle of truth in the story that we rarely see in other novels. Lastly and most importantly, GRRM doesn't try to tell us which person is right in their perception. He purposelly leaves it vague so that we are kept guessing.
(6) LEGENDS: some of the most interesting characters are those who are long gone or dead. We never get the entire story but only bits and pieces; something that other fantasy authors could learn from to heighten suspense. Additionally, b/c the points of views are not congruent, we sometimes get different opinions.
(7) WORDPLAY: if you're big on metaphors and description, GRRM is your guy. Almost flawless flow.
(8) LOTS OF CONFLICT: all types, too; not just fighting but between characters through threats and intrigue.
(9) MULTILAYERED PLOTTING; SUB PLOTS GALORE: each character has their own separate storyline; especially as the story continues and everyone gets scattered. This is one of the reasons why each novel is between 700-900 pages.
(10) SUPERLATIVE VARIED CHARACTERS: not the typical archetypes that we are used to in most fantasy; some are gritty; few are totally evil or good; GRRM does a great job of changing our opinions of characters as the series progress. This is especially true of Jaime in book three.
(11) REALISTIC MEDIEVAL DIALOGUE: not to the point that we can't understand it but well done.
(12) HEAPS OF SYMOBLISM AND PROPHECY: if you're big on that.
(13) EXCELLENT MYSTERIES: very hard to figure out the culprits; GRRM must have read a lot of mystery novels.
(14) RICHLY TEXTURED FEMALE CHARACTERS: best male author on female characters I have read; realistic on how women think, too.
(15) LOW MAGIC WORLD: magic is low key; not over the top so heroes can't get out of jams with it.
REASON TO NOT READ GRRM
(1) YOU LIKE YOUR MAIN CHARACTERS: GRRM does a good job of creating more likeable characters after a few die. But, if that isn't your style, you shouldn't be reading it. He kills off several, not just one, so be warned.
(2) DO NOT CARE FOR GRITTY GRAY CHARACTERS: if you like more white and gray characters, this may unsettle you. I suggest Feist or Goodkind or Dragonlance if you want a more straight forward story with strong archetypes.
(3) MULTIPLE POINTS OF VIEWS TURN YOU OFF: if you prefer that the POVS only go to a few characters, this might be confusing for you.
(4) SWEARING, SEX: there's a lot of it in this book just as there is in real life.
(5) YOU DEMAND CLOSURE AT THE END OF EVERY BOOK: this isn't the case for all stories in the series. Some are still going on; some have been resolved; others have been created and are moving on.
(6) IF YOU WANT A TARGET OR SOMEONE TO BLAME: this can be done to some extent but not as much. This is b/c he doesn't try to make anyone necessarily good or evil.
(7) ARCHETYPES: some readers like archetypal characters because it's comfortable; we like the good young hero (sort of like Pug in Feist's THE RIFTWAR SAGA); it's familiar and we sometimes like to pretend we're this upcoming, great hero. You wont' get much of this in GRRM with the exception of one or two characters.
(8) LENGTH: you don't want to get into a long fantasy epic series. In that case, look for shorters works as this is biiig.
(9) PATRIARCHY: men are most of the main characters with lots of power (one female exception). ...."
Basically, it's a very brutal, very well written fantasy series that currently spans 4 books out of a projected 7. The first book is A Game of Thrones.
Also: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Song_of_Ice_and_Fire
'Teacher Man: A Memoir' by Frank McCourt. He writes about being a high school English teacher who doesn't know what he's doing but manages anyway. Also very, very funny without being cheesy. His other books about his childhood and youth ('Angela's Ashes,' 'Tis') are good choices, too.
Anything by Kurt Vonnegut, especially 'Cat's Cradle' or 'Slaughterhouse-Five.' I have trouble explaining why I like him, but I'm sure someone else will go into it. He's just awesome, and another very funny writer. His books have a message but he doesn't hit you over the head with it. Trying to summarize is impossible.
'Good Omens' by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett. A light-hearted look at the coming of the Antichrist and how an angel and demon want to stop it. Again, very funny. Anything by either of these authors is a great read if you like the sci-fi or fantasy genre, and both write exceptionally well.
'Freakonomics' by Steven Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner. Levitt is an economist with a sociological bent, and Dubner is a reporter. They discuss the crack boom, violence rates in the 90s, abortion, and various other seemingly random subjects and how economics can (maybe) explain their relations to each other. It's easy reading, but thought-provoking, whether you buy into their theories or not. The newest edition, which was expanded and revised, is the best.
Anything by Haruki Murakami. My personal favorite is 'Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World' but that's one of his lesser known books. Again, it's hard to explain what the book is about because it's just so weird, but if you can stand his writing style (it's somewhat clunky) and you don't mind a little magic realism, he's plenty entertaining.
'His Dark Materials' (a trilogy made up of 'Northern Lights,' 'The Subtle Knife,' and 'The Amber Spyglass') by Philip Pullman. It's a young adult series, supposedly, but it's beautifully written and heart-breaking and great. It's a fantasy story about two kids living in two different worlds who become involved in a conspiracy. I'm bad at summaries. Sorry.
Why to read this book?
Theres a scene where they are being chased by a monster made of meat. As in, meet from the freezer. To stop the monster they play whitesnake over a boombox. The meat monster doubles over clutching his stomach in pain, but in the process takes a canned ham from his stomach and throws it at the boombox.
If that paragraph alone does not entice you to read this book, you should leave now, and never return.
Leave Earth, that is.
Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach
http://www.amazon.com/Jonathan-Livingston-Seagull-Richard-Bach/dp/0743278909/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/104-4791711-3160745?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1172824645&sr=8-1
This is an allegory about life. It is very short, very beatiful, and a classic that everyone should everyone should own. I guess you could call it a fable, since it is actually about the life of a seagull, but this book has so many levels.
The crow road by Iain Banks
http://www.amazon.com/Crow-Road-Iain-Banks/dp/0349103232/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/104-4791711-3160745?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1172824857&sr=8-1
At the core a murder mystery, but very little of the book actually deals with the actual murder. It is a story about a young man coming of age and dealing with various things that comes with growing up. Very low-key but a fantastic read, the author is one of my favourites.
The culture series by Iain Banks
By the same author. A series of SF-books, but they are all stand-alone. The best SF I have ever read, but they are not that accessible. I have recommended these books to people who have not liked them at all. They are not easy to read, but they really make you think. Science Fiction in the true sense, exploring the society and culture, and not space opera at all, even though there is space ships, robots, and ray-guns. Give them a try at least.
Mario Kart DS: 3320 6595 7026 5000
Then if you like them pick up his other books. I'm sure you must have heard of hitchhiker's, if not...buy them anyway.
One of my favourite books of all time, that I read at the tender age of 11 and have re-read many times is:
Dean Koontz - Lightening
I'm trying to find a synopsis that doesn't make it sound shit though. Science Fiction esque but based largely in the real world. All synopsis seem to give too much away or not. It's very good though.
Stephen King - The Dark Tower series
Even if you're not a King fan, this is a fantastic series of books with a western and slightly fantasy setting. Critically acclaimed too. Well worth a read.
PSN: SirGrinchX
Oculus Rift: Sir_Grinch
Moneyball is an interesting book that I re-read every so often. It's superficially about baseball, so bonus if you're into that or sports in general, but you don't need to be to enjoy the book. It's about how new forms of analysis changed player preferences for one team, and the fallout that came from that in the baseball establishment.
Non-Zero: the Logic of Human Destiny is a fun one. It sounds pretentious, and it is. Still, it manages to discuss human society and evolutionary biology in an interesting, layman-friendly way in about 400 pages.
Who Moved My Cheese is a parable about resistance to and dealing with change. The authors are really referring to the corporate environment, and I think some of the message gets lost in that, but the book is applicable in all sorts of other ways.
Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal. Still haven't decided how I feel about this book. It's about Jesus' childhood friend Biff, who accompanies him in various travels and adventures. Takes some liberty with scripture and history (obviously.)
Bowling Alone might be a particularly interesting one, given that we're all talking on the forums of a videogame-oriented community. Basically, Putnam argues that modern Americans suck at building social capital, for various reasons, and thinks about some of the consequences of this. He's got a couple follow-up books covering the same sorts of concepts that are worth reading as well.
I am realizing as I write this that there are far too many books I want to mention. So, we'll resort to a simple list.
The Rise of the Creative Class, about city development.
The Tipping Point, about social "epidemics."
The Revolution Will Not Be Televised. Joe Trippi writes about democracy and the internet.
Anything by Hunter Thompson, but particularly Hell's Angels and Fear & Loathing on the Campaign Trail.
As far as fiction, my only reccomendations will be Catch-22, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (far better than the movie), and The Green Mile (also much better than the movie.)
that's why we call it the struggle, you're supposed to sweat
American Gods and Anansi Boys, both by Neil Gaiman, are also really good.
I just finished Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert Heinlein and would definately recommend that.
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley is good
No summaries, sorry - I usually am either too vague or give away too much, best not to chance!
It's a well-researched, gritty scenario in which George H.W. Bush hires a Hollywood Director to create the Gulf War. You've got high-level politicking, and gritty street-level thuggery, all wrapped up in some fine neo-noir styling.
Thank you, Rubacava!
Seriously, it's amazing. It's the perfect mix of humor, horror, and absurdity. Everyone should go read it.
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You are basically me
I'll particularly second Vonnegut and Murakami for now.
Vonnegut's books are very conversational. The writing has a huge amount of personality and warmth. The narrator is an additional character, not a dispassionate camera. Like a crazy old uncle.
The books aren't plot driven so much as idea driven. There are a lot of serious, clever ideas in there that are presented as so charming and funny that they can slip right by before you appreciate them properly. If you want an example, look up Bokonon on wiki. Then read Cat's cradle.
Murakami, is in my opinion, similarly ideas driven. The writing style is pretty odd, I suppose it might suffer from translation.
Here's what I like about Murakami: the world he describes is not reality, but it is true. It's the view from inside somebody's head. Wind up Bird is probably my favorite. There're some great images in it and a sideways sort of plot .
I'll have to recomment V. by Thomas Pynchon. It has songs, sewer alligator hunters, and bohemians. It also has a very confusing plot on first read, but the imagary is worth the admission price.
The opposite of Moneyball would probably be A Scout's Honor, there's also a small section criticizing Moneyball and Beane's approach, but for the most part talks about what numbers can't tell you.
I'm serious. Go get it, right now. It is the single funniest book I have ever read, and yes I have read all the Douglas Adams books (and love them). It attempts to explain what Jesus was up to in the years between when he was a baby and when he was nailed to a pole - but it's not really religious or anything. Personally I think christianity is total bunk, and it was still the funniest thing I have ever read. Go read it. You'll regert it if you don't :P
It's a physics book about the standard model, but he explains everything in very simple terms, some diagrams, and starts from the begining with simple ideas and grows on them, also has some interesting history though the book.
The ones after that kinda drag on though.
A Prayer for Owen Meany, John Irving: One of my favorite books of all time, it's the one that the movie Simon Birch was loosely based on. Simon Birch sucked. This book is awesome.
Inferno, Purgatorio, Paradiso: The three parts of Dante's Comedia. Inferno is great, Purgatorio drags a bit, and I haven't had a chance to finish Paradiso yet. They're all good though. I recommend the John Ciardi translation.
Godel, Escher, Bach: I actually haven't read this one yet, but I have friends who swear by it. From what I understand, it's about mathematical theory behind music and art (or something like that). It's on my list of shit to read before I die.
I also like Al Franken's books (Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them is my favorite, but Rush Limbaugh is a Big Fat Idiot is good too), although if you're not left-leaning you probably won't dig them as much. Also, if you are left-leaning, you might have a heart attack reading them. Outrage and whatnot.
L'Etranger (The Stranger), Albert Camus: I may have broken the French spelling, but this book is totally awesome. Hard to summarize, but you should totally read it. It goes by really fast too.
Just about anything by Hermann Hesse. Siddhartha is probably my favorite book, with Steppenwolf and Demian following closely behind. Hesse is definitely my favorite author, though. His short stories are really good as well.
The Murderer Next Door and The Evolution of Desire, David Buss: two books on human mating written by a former professor of mine (evolutionary psychology perspective, really interesting stuff). He also wrote a good introduction to evolutionary psychology, I think.
Ok, that's what I've got. This thread is full of awesome stuff so far.
also: House of Leaves. Short version: It's kind of about a house that's bigger on the inside than the outside. It's far more than that, though.
And: Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close. It's the best book ever written.
Personally, I'd recommend those and Villa Incognito, by Tom Robbins. I just finished Villa Incognito, and it is excellent - one of the best books I have read in awhile. Its a fun read, and I couldn't help but laugh throughout. Despite being lighthearted and fun, it also carries a deeper underlying message. Written in 2003 its modern enough to be fun and easy to read, and it still manages to have a point. Seriously, pick it up.
I also just started Neuromancer, which is also quite good. Written in the 80's its a really unique Sci-Fi novel. It has a lot in common with The Matrix, but don't let that scare you away. I'm only halfway through, so I can't pass final judgement yet.
Workingmen of all countries, unite!
I haven't read a new book in a very, very long time. I have a hard time trying new things without some sort of recommendation or catalyst to get me interested in it.
I made it about a chapter or two into The Devil Wears Prada before I lost it. Is that a good thing?
That's at least how I felt.
Workingmen of all countries, unite!
Similar in "epicness" with Song of Fire and Ice. I prefer Malazan over the two myself, but you honestly can't go wrong with either. The first book, Gardens of the Moon, is a bit confusing in the beginning, but you gradually and quickly get a hang of the series.
It takes a different approach as the reader seems to enter a story already in progress. There's a rich mythology, with gods and mortals both playing games with each other. One of the best defining traits is there's no clear fantasy staples; no elves, dwarves, orcs, etc. People die, there's no farm boy out to save the world because he's special.
Marathon, I'm not sure if it's the best starting point for 40k, but I loved Eisenhorn, by Dan Abnett. Definitely pick it up.
And you cannot go wrong with anything that Vonnegut writes.
Something else I always recommend is picking up those classics that they made you read in high-school is always a good idea. You only appreciate them once someone is not making you read them.
If you like Cryptonomicon, then you could try the Baroque cycle, which is sort of a prequel to Cryptonomicon set in the 16th and 17th century.
Holy shit yes. Every geek should read Cryptonomicon.
Also, Snow Crash. Another book by Stephenson, set in the near future and featuring a badass pizza deliverartor/hacker. Really amazing.
With the understanding that Snow Crash is half parody of the cyberpunk movement half authentic cyberpunk. It's not entirely serious but it's got a kind of magic that will have you ignoring the more silly bits.
If you want to check out some "classics", I love the stuff by Alexandre Dumas, HG Wells, and Jules Verne. Also Dracula and Last of the Mohicans. These are all fun, exciting, and relatively easy to read.
I agree with the faults you mention, but I also very much enjoyed it because of the style. My understanding is that it was intended as an oral history, which are rarely coherent narratives; they're disjointed because they come from many perspectives. I found it impressive that Brooks was able to shape an alternative past and place all these varied people within it.
That said, there were parts which really dragged. I tended to view it as a series of short stories, and skipped the ones which were particularly boring.
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I really liked Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell. I describe it as "Harry Potter for grown-ups" but don't let that insult you Potter fans or anything (and I've since learned that a lot of people describe it as Potter for adults). It reads like academic historical fiction or a Victorian social drama - it is heavily footnoted, with references to all sorts of fictional reference material and fictional histories, and spends many pages discussing the interactions of high society in London, or battles in the Napoleonic Wars. But it is also one of the most imaginative and engrossing and exciting stories of magic and fairies I've ever read.
I think the the book is summed up in this quote:
"'Can a magician kill a man by magic?' Lord Wellington asked Strange.
Strange frowned. He seemed to dislike the question. 'I suppose a magician might,' he admitted, 'but a gentleman never could.'"