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Casual Reading

GodfatherGodfather Registered User regular
edited November 2006 in Help / Advice Forum
So i've got an incredibly boring 5th period class where we don't do anything in. Now normally this would be fine, but since we aren't allowed to DO anything (no drawing/MP3/internet) reading seems to be my only option. Plus, i've always wanted to start reading more, but didn't know where to start.

Anyways, what are some good pick-up-and-read books out there that have a gripping beginning and such? Chances are, if the beginning is solid enough, i'll read through the entire book.

Many thanks.

Godfather on

Posts

  • cyphrcyphr Registered User regular
    edited November 2006
    I've always thought that the beginning of Heinlein's Stranger In A Strange Land is one of the best I've read.

    cyphr on
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  • QuarterMasterQuarterMaster Registered User regular
    edited November 2006
    One of my favorite quick-read books is The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, by Mark Haddon.

    QuarterMaster on
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  • Airking850Airking850 Ottawa, ONRegistered User regular
    edited November 2006
    Breakfast of Champions, Slaughterhouse Five, Cat's Cradle and Slapstick (all by Kurt Vonnegut) are excellent reads. His writing style is simple and extremely punchy, his books are quick reads, and he is incredible at satire.

    Airking850 on
  • homeobockshomeobocks Registered User regular
    edited November 2006
    Oryx & Crake by Margaret Atwood.
    Concerning Ms. Atwood by Al Purdy. Not really a book, but seems to fit in. And a good read.

    homeobocks on
  • cytorakcytorak Registered User regular
    edited November 2006
    Storm Front by Jim Butcher

    cytorak on
  • KalTorakKalTorak One way or another, they all end up in the Undercity.Registered User regular
    edited November 2006
    The Hitchhiker's Guide books, if you haven't read them already.

    KalTorak on
  • VixendettaVixendetta Registered User regular
    edited November 2006
    KalTorak wrote:
    The Hitchhiker's Guide books, if you haven't read them already.
    Seconded.

    Vixendetta on
  • LardalishLardalish Registered User regular
    edited November 2006
    The Discworld series is pretty awesome, written by Terry Pratchet (sp?).

    Im also reading American Gods by Neil Gaiman right now and it is quite the awesome read.

    House of Leaves is pretty good if you like a mind-fuck of a story.

    If you like science fiction just about anything by Larry Niven is good.

    I like most of Orson Scott Card's stuff, the Alvin Maker series especially (though thats more fantasy).

    Not sure what kinda stuff you like to read, but thats all fantasy/sci fi stuff, which is about all I read. Hope that helps ya!

    Lardalish on
  • CimmeriiCimmerii SpaceOperaGhost Registered User regular
    edited November 2006
    If you haven't read Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card, DO IT NOW.

    Also-
    The Princess Bride
    Lord of the Rings
    you know... all the obvious stuff...

    Cimmerii on
    *Internally Screaming*
  • LBLB Registered User regular
    edited November 2006
    Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World, by Haruki Murakami

    Good Omens, by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman (or anything else by either of these authors)

    Son of the Circus, by John Irving, if you have the attention span for a longer book (and the stomach for some weird shit).

    Me Talk Pretty One Day
    , by David Sedaris - short, funny stories.

    The Historian, by Elizabeth Kostova is a fun, Da Vinci Code-esque book.

    LB on
  • SzechuanosaurusSzechuanosaurus Registered User, ClubPA regular
    edited November 2006
    Why not try some collected short story type stuff? JG Ballard, Philip K. Dick (I think Dick did some short stories), Michael Marshal Smith (He did one book of short stories, most of which will make you want to vomit or weep), that sort of thing. Short, punchy stories that grab you immediately and are mostly short enough to read in an hour but are more fulfilling and thought provoking than your typical Readers Digest fare.

    Szechuanosaurus on
  • RecklessReckless Registered User regular
    edited November 2006
    Airking850 wrote:
    Breakfast of Champions, Slaughterhouse Five, Cat's Cradle and Slapstick (all by Kurt Vonnegut) are excellent reads. His writing style is simple and extremely punchy, his books are quick reads, and he is incredible at satire.

    Also, God Bless You, Dr. Kevorkian. It's on the short side, but has an amazing premise and is really a great read. You should be able to knock it down in 2-3 days if not less, but I fully recommend it. I'm on a huge Vonnegut binge right now.

    Reckless on
  • headn00bheadn00b Registered User regular
    edited November 2006
    Most stuff by Isaac Asimov is short but very engaging. A lot of his books are short story collections or you could try his Foundation series, which is marvelous.

    headn00b on
    Your sig was too tall.

    -Thinatos
  • tony_importanttony_important Registered User regular
    edited November 2006
    KalTorak wrote:
    The Hitchhiker's Guide books, if you haven't read them already.

    YES!

    And, The Gunslinger by Stephen King. Be warned though, there are 6 books that follow this one that make a series. I thought they were reallllllly good though.

    tony_important on
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  • drhazarddrhazard Registered User regular
    edited November 2006
    Philip K. Dick (I think Dick did some short stories)...
    Dick did a lot of short stories, and they're almost consistently great. They're just all the mindfucks of his longer works, condensed. I would suggest them; in fact, I would suggest any short story author, as I'm just a fan of the genre.

    drhazard on
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  • DouglasDangerDouglasDanger PennsylvaniaRegistered User regular
    edited November 2006
    I second (third?) PKD short stories. What genres do you like?

    DouglasDanger on
  • vonPoonBurGervonPoonBurGer Registered User regular
    edited November 2006
    What genres do you like?
    For true! It's a lot easier to recommend books if we know what else you've read, and more importantly what you've enjoyed.

    Of course, that won't stop me from recommending Perdido Street Station by China Mieville, but then I'll recommend that book to just about anyone...

    vonPoonBurGer on
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  • RobAnybodyRobAnybody Registered User regular
    edited November 2006
    Another vote for reading anything by Terry Pratchett. Tons of books to choose from, and Death likes kittens. What's not to love?

    RobAnybody on
    "When a man's hands are even with your head, his crotch is even with your teeth."
    -Ancient Dwarfish Proverb
  • Wombthrasher DeathmetalWombthrasher Deathmetal Registered User regular
    edited November 2006
    Childhood's End by Arthur C. Clarke. It's only about 200 pages, and is an amazing book. Do NOT read anything about it online. No plot synopsis, nothing. It's like the Green Mile, you want to go in knowing nothing about it to enjoy it the most.

    Wombthrasher Deathmetal on
  • GodfatherGodfather Registered User regular
    edited November 2006
    The last book I read was that Splinter Cell adaptation, and only because my uncle gave it to me. It was a surprisingly good story to boot, but maybe that's not the general concensus.

    Also, I appreciate the assload of replies, but some of them aren't exactly pick-up-and-read types. I'm pretty sure i'm going to get bored reading the LOTR trilogy and the Princess Bride (even though I loved the movies). On a side note, the Hitchhikers movie wasn't great in my book, but if the book suffered a terrible book-to-film adaptation, i'll give it a second look.

    Thanks for all your help.

    Godfather on
  • ALockslyALocksly Registered User regular
    edited November 2006
    Ray Bradburys "Dandelion Wine" and "A Medicine for Melancholy"
    both collections of excellent short stories

    Hitchhikers; No movie could ever come close]

    also seconding Pratchett and Arthur C. Clarcke

    ALocksly on
    Yes,... yes, I agree. It's totally unfair that sober you gets into trouble for things that drunk you did.
  • HybridTheory8376HybridTheory8376 Registered User regular
    edited November 2006
    Godfather wrote:
    The last book I read was that Splinter Cell adaptation, and only because my uncle gave it to me. It was a surprisingly good story to boot, but maybe that's not the general concensus.

    Also, I appreciate the assload of replies, but some of them aren't exactly pick-up-and-read types. I'm pretty sure i'm going to get bored reading the LOTR trilogy and the Princess Bride (even though I loved the movies). On a side note, the Hitchhikers movie wasn't great in my book, but if the book suffered a terrible book-to-film adaptation, i'll give it a second look.

    Thanks for all your help.

    On Hitchhiker's: The movie wasn't nearly as good as the book. Trust me, the book's fine.

    HybridTheory8376 on
  • bodiemabodiema Registered User regular
    edited November 2006
    One of my favorite quick-read books is The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, by Mark Haddon.

    Seconded. This book is amusing, telling, depressing, and other adjectives all rolled into a neat little red package with a siloutte of an upside down dog on the cover. I liked it.

    bodiema on
  • PendayhoPendayho Registered User regular
    edited November 2006
    A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess. Don't worry, you'll adapt to the language.

    If you want a short story collection, try Stephen King's Everything's Eventual

    Pendayho on
  • jhunter46jhunter46 Registered User regular
    edited November 2006
    If you like Baseball, I recommend Money Ball, it's got some nice insights and it's pretty fun. One of the better books I've read lately.

    jhunter46 on
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