Literature Recommendations: For the sincerely interested

[McFox]

I've been meaning to make this for a while, but I never got around to it. It's the companion to Zook's music topic and Mediocre's anime topic. Basically, I'm always looking for new books to read, but I never know if something is going to be good or not, and obviously, I don't want to read something that's crappy. So, this is the place to post about books (or print media of any kind, I'll allow comic books as well) you've read that you think other people should really check out, because they're super-cool.

Here are a couple of mine. I'll look around my bookshelf later and put up some more. If this topic stays popular I'll give it a Sticky.

The Time Traveler's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger - I read this one several years ago, and I really liked it. It's about a guy who has a genetic disorder that causes him to unexpectedly time travel, mostly into the past. Actually, the story is really about his wife, because whenever they get older, he starts traveling into her past. So this woman has known the guy most of her life, but he's 20-something when he actually meets her (in the present) for the first time.

Trust me, it's not as confusing as what I just wrote. It's a really interesting story with subject matter that should be well-accessible to anyone who's ever read anything science fiction.

The Maltese Falcon - Dashiell Hammett - This is an iconic detective novel, a sort of 180 from the likes of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle or Agatha Christie. While those authors commonly focused on high society types, and murders that have a single, logical endpoint, Hammett turns the genre on its head with his gritty, streetwise protagonist Sam Spade. This is a great story that unfolds in really interesting ways. And while Spade does do detective work, it isn't walking around empty rooms looking for clues. He interrogates people, he gets beaten up, he has run-ins with the police. It's an exciting story with a believable ending.

I'll post more later, but this is just to start things off. So, anyone else got any?

 

[Crimson King]

House of Leaves is a book I always, always recommend. It's an amazing book that will **** your mind.

What genre do you like, or do you want to branch out? If you like horror, read Koji Suzuki's Ring series. That is where modern J-Horror comes from, plain and simple. There are tons of Japanese translation that are worth a read too.

 

[zrky]

An easy read that is interesting and entertaining is The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer. The easiest summary is this: A boy is cloned from a 147 year old drug lord and since clones are hated he has to grow up differently from other children.

 

[DtJ Jungle]

japanese translations of what? i might be intrigued.

 

[McFox]

Definitely Eric, I can't believe I forgot about

The Sea of Fertility - Yukio Mishima - I can't describe to you how much I love this series. It's a tetralogy, with only one truly consistent character. His name is Honda, and you follow him basically through his entire life. I can't give you the basics, because of the nature of the series, even throwing basic stuff out there would spoil it. But trust me, find this tetralogy and give it a read sometime, because it is fantastic. I've really been interested to read some more of Mishima's work, but I've never had the time.

As an aside, read sometime about Mishima's life, and especially his death. It's fascinating stuff. And, Fun Fact: Mishima committed hara-kiri the same day that he turned in the manuscript for the final book in the Sea of Fertility tetralogy.

 

[DtJ Jungle]

where can i find this? sounds interesting.

 

[McFox]

Well, a cursory glance at Amazon found them instantly. They're some of Mishima's best-known work, so it shouldn't be difficult to find. The books are

Spring Snow
Runaway Horses
The Temple of Dawn
The Decay of the Angel

Really, I can't recommend them enough.

 

[Virgilijus]

East of Eden- Personally, it's my favorite Steinbeck novel. it's about 3 generations of family as they settle in the Salinas Valley region of California. The story he paints and the way he paints it, giving you the tumultuous and thought provoking backstories of characters both essential and trivial (though not in the Lord of the Rings/ the Silmarillion sense), are just remarkable. There is a chapter devoted to human monsters that made me sat down and truly think about the apparent inherent evilness of people: not because he crams it down your throat, but that he points to everything but the center, leaving you desperate to know whats there and making you venture on your own. Absolutely wonderful book.

 

[Jam Stunna]

The Kite Runner- Even though I'm a writer, I've always hated to read. I made the decision to read more this year, and my father recommended this book to me. I don't think I can use enough superlatives to describe this novel. This was Khaled Hosseini's first published novel, and it rocketed to the top of the New York Times bestsellers' list, and I can easily see why.

It gives the reader an incredible glimpse into Afghanistan, but more than just it's ethnic appeal, it's an incredibly well-told and moving story that focuses on the friendship between two boys. I was continually amazed at how well-written the book is, and it keeps up the intensity, both physical and moral, from start to end. I finished all 376 pages in two days.

Heart of Darkness- Apocalypse Now is one of my favorite movies, so I wanted to read the book it was based on, and I wasn't disappointed. Don't let it's short length fool you, because there's an incredible amount crammed into those 90 pages. At it's basis, it's a story about the evil that lives in every man's heart, framed in the colonial exploitation of Africa in the late 19th century. It serves a purpose as an anti-colonialism story, but where I think it really succeeds is on a psychological level: What happens to a man when he his essentially given absolute power over other men? I've re-read it several times, and I still think there are more things to be discovered in the text.

 

[Thrillhouse-vh.]

Here's some non-fiction books that I find extremely interesting.

We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will Be Killed With Our Families: Stories from Rwanda - Written by Philip Gourevitch, a reporter for the New Yorker, this is a book about his findings when talking to people who survived the Rwanda Genocide, Hutus and Tutsies alike, where it all went down in Rwanda. Real situations that happened only shockingly little more than a decade ago. One of the parts that stands out most is actually in the very beginning when Gourevitch tells about a Priest that gathered Tutsies in a Church for "Protection" and had them all killed, telling them that, as people, "Your problem has already found a solution. You must die." That's a real quote from a real ****ing PRIEST for God's sake!

Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal - I love this book. I've changed my diet a lot since reading it. Written by investigative journalist Eric Schlosser, it's best described as "A modern version of Sinclair's The Jungle. The book chronicles the start of fast-food in America, it's spread across the country, integration into society, exploits of the world, and of course, Globalization. Great read. Not entirely related to the movie, but if you enjoyed that, pick this up.

A People's History of the United States - Howard Zinn's book is by far the most important book of American History ever written. Every school in the country should teach it. Read it.

Give War A Chance - If you like the Colbert Report and the Daily Show, you might like P.J. O'Rourke's books, and this is by far his funniest. It's a bit harder to get into this for more "right-wing conservative" views at times, but it's all part of the joke.

Our Band Could Be Your Life: Scenes from the American Indie Underground, 1981-1991 - Michael Azerrad's book covers some of the best bands ever, including Dinosaur Jr., The Replacements, Big Black, Black Flag, Bad Brains, Fugazi, Minor Threat, Beat Happening, Mudhoney, Butthole Surfers, Sonic Youth, Husker Du, Minutemen, and Mission of Burma.

No Wave: Post-Punk. Underground. New York. 1976-1980 - Written by Thurston Moore, guitarist of the band Sonic Youth and Byron Coley, his friend or something, with an introduction by the one and only legendary Lydia Lunch!

New York Noise: Art and Music from the New York Underground 1978-88 - One of the most important, influential, and all around best scenes in American Music History is chronicled by a man who was there first hand, David Byrne of Talking Heads, as well as others I forgot the name of. It covers the punk, hip-hop, and general art of New York during the 70's and 80's.

 

[DtJ Jungle]

Thanks McFox! I'll definitely look into these

 

[Mazaloth]

The Origins and History of Consciousness Pt 1&2 - Very difficult read, but very enjoyable if you can get anything out of it. Great for Psychology freaks.

The Gestalt Approach - Once again a good read about humanistic approach towards the psychology of humans. Brings in some insightful points. Not a difficult read, but enjoyable none the less.

2001: A Space Odyssey - A bit old, many of you should have already read it by now, but if you haven't then you are missing out. Explore the world of space travel and a fantastic view about evolution.

Kite Runner - Well, I have to say this book is great. This book will capture your attention and really make you think. and if you like this then try A Thousand Splended Suns.

Wicked - A twist on the Wizard of OZ. Where one see's the 'true' identity of the 'Wicked witch of the west', and 'The OZ'. A great read, but very inappropriate for minors for the content of sexual refrences.

Critique of Pure Reason - Right. I might be stretching this one a bit. Unless you are willing to go and read the same page about ten times to actually get the 'pureness' of this book, then don't read it, but for those interested in Kant, or philosophy then read this. *Warning* This Book Is a Extremely Hard Read

40 Experiments that Changed Psychology - Simple, and interesting, title says it all.

Watership Down/ Redwall Series - Watership Down is about a group of rabbits, who flee there warren to safety while in there adventure they meet unlikely friends and enemies. The RedWall Series are books that were thought of with Watership Down in mind. About mice and there adventures.

For those who are interested in adolescent books

Harry Potter - I will not explain this one.

Percy Jacksons Series - This book is strange has a Harry Potter like feel to it, but none the less will spark some intrest with those who like Fantasy/Adventure.

Artimus Fowl - A good read that will delight almost all readers. Funny, witty, and packed of action.

I will post more books, because I got a lot of them.

 

[kr3wman]

Sword of Truth

A young forest warden, when he finds a young maiden pursued by assassins, grows to become a hero.


Great read but I would recommend skipping Pillars of Creation. I think a character in that one had a 6 page rant on existence of one's soul and destiny and blablabla. Seriously, skip that one. but the others are great.

 

[Symphony X]

I reccomend all of Scott Westerfeld's works to those who are looking for a more leisurely read rather than something amazing. They're great stuff.

I've been looking into Catch 22 recently, is it worth my time?

 

[Mazaloth]

I reccomend all of Scott Westerfeld's works to those who are looking for a more leisurely read rather than something amazing. They're great stuff.

I've been looking into Catch 22 recently, is it worth my time?

It is a little bit more than decent.

 

[zrky]

I reccomend all of Scott Westerfeld's works to those who are looking for a more leisurely read rather than something amazing. They're great stuff.

I've been looking into Catch 22 recently, is it worth my time?

exept the Peeps series that was badly written on his part, good info but although it's 200 pages it feels like reading twilight, it just drags on and on and on and on...

 

[Waluigi911]

Well, my reading library is vastly inferior compared to y'all, mostly because reading requires many hours of devotion, and I always found it difficult to willingly devote too much of my time to any one thing. Nowadays, I really don't have the time to read. Thankfully, the semester's almost over, so I'm expecting to take some time off to read.

Anyways, out of what little I have read, I have discovered that Michael Crichton is always worthy of recommendation, and justly so. I personally have only started to read State Of Fear, and so far, it has proven to be most informative. It's stories like these that I enjoy, where they give you a tale, and intertwine it with education, to further open your mind.

Another author, nowhere near as famous as Crichton, is Randy Alcorn, if you're not biased against Christianity. He does tend to write for such an audience as largely shares the beliefs of Christianity. In the book, Deadline, his ideas over heaven and how it really is are definitely food for thought, combined with a scintillating tale of a columnist who finds himself wrapped up in some trouble involving the FBI. One character who interested me in this book was a character named Clarence, who gets his own story after this one, entitled, Dominion, which concentrates on racism and gangs. Good reads.

Finally, I just want to give a mention to Ted Dekker, though he is another Christian author, but I found his book, Thr3e, to be highly interesting to me. It's amazing how the whole plot turns out. I loved it. He's got other just-as-good books, but I know Thr3e has a movie made about it, though I have yet to watch it. I'm not sure where to find it.

That's pretty much the bulk of what I've ever read.

 

[OmegaXXII]

I like this thread, here are some of my favorite all-time books:

To Kill A Mockingbird: It's basically about a coming-of-age story of Scout Finch and her brother, Jem, in 1930's Alabama. Through their neighborhood meanderings and the example of their father, they grow to understand that the world isn't always fair and that prejudice is a very real aspect of their world no matter how subtle it seems. I

Through the events of those two years (at a prison), Scout learns that no matter their differences or peculiarities, the people of the world and of Maycomb County are all people. No one is lesser or better than anyone else because they're all people. She realizes that once you get to know them, most people are good and kind no matter what they seem like on the outside.

it was definetly one my favorite book by Harper Lee. I recommend it.

Middlemarch: Dorothea wastes her youth on a creepy, elderly scholar. Lydgate marries the beautiful but self-absorbed Rosamund. George Eliot’s characters make terrible mistakes, but they never lose empathy with them. It's a good book to get you going.

Odes: This is basically a poetry type of book littered with sensuous descriptions of nature’s beauty, Keats’s odes also pose profound philosophical questions which ism very interesting if you are into philosophy.

I have more but these were indeed my top 3 favorites.

 

[Mazaloth]

I like this thread, here are some of my favorite all-time books:

To Kill A Mockingbird: It's basically about a coming-of-age story of Scout Finch and her brother, Jem, in 1930's Alabama. Through their neighborhood meanderings and the example of their father, they grow to understand that the world isn't always fair and that prejudice is a very real aspect of their world no matter how subtle it seems. I

Through the events of those two years (at a prison), Scout learns that no matter their differences or peculiarities, the people of the world and of Maycomb County are all people. No one is lesser or better than anyone else because they're all people. She realizes that once you get to know them, most people are good and kind no matter what they seem like on the outside.

it was definetly one my favorite book by Harper Lee. I recommend it.

Middlemarch: Dorothea wastes her youth on a creepy, elderly scholar. Lydgate marries the beautiful but self-absorbed Rosamund. George Eliot’s characters make terrible mistakes, but they never lose empathy with them. It's a good book to get you going.

Odes: This is basically a poetry type of book littered with sensuous descriptions of nature’s beauty, Keats’s odes also pose profound philosophical questions which ism very interesting if you are into philosophy.

I have more but these were indeed my top 3 favorites.

To Kill a Mockingbird is a priceless book. It really is a good one.

 

[Symphony X]

I like this thread, here are some of my favorite all-time books:

To Kill A Mockingbird: It's basically about a coming-of-age story of Scout Finch and her brother, Jem, in 1930's Alabama. Through their neighborhood meanderings and the example of their father, they grow to understand that the world isn't always fair and that prejudice is a very real aspect of their world no matter how subtle it seems. I

Through the events of those two years (at a prison), Scout learns that no matter their differences or peculiarities, the people of the world and of Maycomb County are all people. No one is lesser or better than anyone else because they're all people. She realizes that once you get to know them, most people are good and kind no matter what they seem like on the outside.

it was definetly one my favorite book by Harper Lee. I recommend it.

I love To Kill A Mockingbird. It was Harper Lee's only book, by the way.

 

[Crimson King]

Another series I can recommend is the Repairman Jack series by F. Paul Wilson. I think it is 13 or 14 books deep by now, but the first two I read were amazing. Check out The Tomb by Wilson and see what you think. Jack is basically an anti-hero mercenary who has his own way of "repairing things."

Another one I love - Battle Royale Koushun Takami. Modern day Lord of the Flies.

 

[chaos_Leader]

If you've got the patience, I highly recommend Victor Hugo's Les Miserables. It may be French but it is an absolutely fascinating novel, seeing the musical doesn't cut it.

another good one is Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment. It's not as long, but it is extraordinarily dense with complicated language.

If you want something shorter, Hesse's Steppenwolf is a good one

 

[Mazaloth]

Nuklear Age - A book that should be read as a comic book. Each chapter is read as another episode of a comic book. The whole book is ment to a cruel joke.

Battle Royal 1&2 - A book about a Japanese class room who gets selected to participate in a governmental program called Battle Royal which pits every classmate against each other on a isolated island to kill each other off.

Phantom Tollbooth - A child novel about a kid who gets teleported in a strange world where everything makes complete sense and no sense at all... At the same time!

Uncle Tom's Cabin - A book about a black slave who is sold by his owner because of dept, Sam is sold to a nasty slave owner who tries to beat Sam's spirit out of him. A passionate novel that will capture your heart.

Roots - Another slave story where you follow Kunte-Kente a African boy who gets captured and brought to America. You will follow his life as a slave and see how he lives in America. Based on a true story.

World War Z - A book about the survival against zombies and various stories that people encountered against them (Fictional).

Homer's: The Odessey - Follow the life of a greek king who went to fight in the war of Troy, who tries to make his way back home.

 

[zrky]

Do you mean Uncle Tom's cabin?

I know it may be over rated or not likeable but a great classic that I found myself enjoying (I had to read it for school) Gone With The Wind, by Margaret Mitchell: it's an amazing story of a southern belle named Scarlet surviving in the deep south during the Civil War, she is shunned by some of her friends in Atlanta because of the actions she takes for different situations and because of her relation with the Rhett Butler.

 

[Deleted member]

Homer's: The Odessey - Follow the life of a greek king who went to fight in the war of Troy, who tries to make his way back home.

I tried to read that once, got half-way through before giving up.

I'm currently reading To Kill a Mockingbird, but I'm not too far yet.

Within the last month, I've also read Lord of the Flies and Shane. Both were great, but short.

 

[zrky]

Shane sucked, I read it for school also and third to twilight it's a horrible book. or at least in my opinion.
"Shane, Shane! please don't go, Shane!"

 

[Crimson King]

Nuklear Age - A book that should be read as a comic book. Each chapter is read as another episode of a comic book. The whole book is ment to a cruel joke.

Battle Royal 1&2 - A book about a Japanese class room who gets selected to participate in a governmental program called Battle Royal which pits every classmate against each other on a isolated island to kill each other off.

Phantom PhoneBooth - A child novel about a kid who gets teleported in a strange world where everything makes complete sense and no sense at all... At the same time!

Uncle Sam's Cabin - A book about a black slave who is sold by his owner because of dept, Sam is sold to a nasty slave owner who tries to beat Sam's spirit out of him. A passionate novel that will capture your heart.

Roots - Another slave story where you follow Kunte-Kente a African boy who gets captured and brought to America. You will follow his life as a slave and see how he lives in America. Based on a true story.

World War Z - A book about the survival against zombies and various stories that people encountered against them (Fictional).

Homer's: The Odessey - Follow the life of a greek king who went to fight in the war of Troy, who tries to make his way back home.

There was only one Battle Royale novel.

 

[Thrillhouse-vh.]

Isn't an "Uncle Tom" supposed to be a black person who sold out to white people? If that's true, how did that name get derived from an anti-slavery book?

 

[Zero Beat]

I agree with Crime and Punishment. Another no brainer is 100 Years of Solitude.

Mrs. Dalloway, by Virginia Woolf. Complicated piece due to the stream of consciousness style, but it all depends on your "literary IQ."

Heart of Darkness is pretty good.

 

[Mazaloth]

There was only one Battle Royale novel.

Nope, the Royals had a duo.

 

[Mazaloth]

Do you mean Uncle Tom's cabin?

I know it may be over rated or not likeable but a great classic that I found myself enjoying (I had to read it for school) Gone With The Wind, by Margaret Mitchell: it's an amazing story of a southern belle named Scarlet surviving in the deep south during the Civil War, she is shunned by some of her friends in Atlanta because of the actions she takes for different situations and because of her relation with the Rhett Butler.

Opps, that it.
Sorry.

 

[Symphony X]

Phantom PhoneBooth [/B]- A child novel about a kid who gets teleported in a strange world where everything makes complete sense and no sense at all... At the same time!

Are you sure you've read all of these books? This one is The Phantom Tollbooth. I love this book, but be warned it is extremely low level reading.

 

[Deleted member]

Tollbooth was epic. Watchdog and Humbug FTW.

 

[bluezaft]

The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon. It's about a boy trying to find out about the history of a book and its author.

Also the Dirk Gently series by Douglas Adams (author of the Hitchhiker's Guide series). I only recently found out there's a second book, though--"Dirk Gently" isn't in the title and that confused me.


I read a good deal of The House of Leaves since I've heard so much about it. I got annoyed and stopped, though. It really seemed like the author was desperately trying to make the story longer by including tons of pointless tangents from the "narrator." I stopped after an entire chapter dedicated to explaining the physics behind echoes, complete with mathematical equations. Is it worth going through all that crap? I can't decide whether I should give it another shot.

 

[Crimson King]

Nope, the Royals had a duo.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koushun_Takami - Under novels, he only wrote ONE Battle Royale, and two mangas.

 

[Mazaloth]

Are you sure you've read all of these books? This one is The Phantom Tollbooth. I love this book, but be warned it is extremely low level reading.

Sorry, I haven't read it in a long time, but I know that I loved it.
The Watchdog, and the Spelling Bee. And don't forget the group of pronouncer's.

 

[Mazaloth]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koushun_Takami - Under novels, he only wrote ONE Battle Royale, and two mangas.

Manga book, same thing, they both were good.

 

[Mazaloth]

Are you sure you've read all of these books? This one is The Phantom Tollbooth. I love this book, but be warned it is extremely low level reading.

And Yes, I am sure I have read all of these books.

 

[Waluigi911]

Dang, man, you see that "multiquote" button at the bottom of people's posts? Use it. Please. For the sake of puppies. Use it.

And, uh... I've actually read all the way through the Hobbit. It's a good book, but it took me a while 'cause I kept falling asleep... It's boring. I enjoyed it, but... it's boring.

 

[Deleted member]

^^You think that's boring? In 7th grade, I read through The Once and Future King. It was two months of sheer boredom.