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Thread: Recommend a book

  1. #1
    The Queen Zuul's avatar
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    Default Recommend a book

    What absolutely needs to be read right now? What book will finally make my life complete? What will blow minds and inform the masses?

    Recommend a book. Now. Do it!

    I'm in desperate need of new reading material and I'd like something fairly meaty. What are you guys looking for?

    Disclaimer: There is one particular novel which, if suggested, will get you Caged. Don't recommend that one. No, I won't tell you which one it is.

  2. #2
    Curmudgeon OtakuLoki's avatar
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    Hmm...

    For a truly odd book, I suggest Norman Maclean's Young Men and Fire. It begins by looking at the author's involvement with the Mann Gulch fire, and something of his own life-long fascination with what happened there to the US Forestry Service' Smokejumpers. He then goes for a fairly detailed description of what the people involved thought had happened. But there remain questions about how it could happen, and what some of the consequences of various actions that day had been.

    The author interviews the surviving men from that crew. He gets involved with the Smokejumper school and base to get a better background. He hobnobs with the forestry service' fire scientists. It's all a hugely personal quest. In the words of the author it's an attempt to witness, after the fact, what the men caught by the fire went through, to be with them, metaphorically, as they lose their race to the top of the gulch.

    One of the major controversies involving the fire focuses on what I consider a classic trickster move, too. It caused confusion, and consternation. It shocked people when they heard about it, and was the focus of much of the later controversy about the fire. I describe it as where the man involved managed to trick fire itself. A melodramatic claim, but one that I think I can defend.

    All in all, it's a deeply evocative book, and one that I recommend highly.









    Is Southern Lights the verbotten book? I have to admit that there's a part of me that thinks that everyone should have to read at least one Danielle Steele book in their life. So they'll know why they should stop freaking at my book burnings!

  3. #3
    Jesus F'ing Christ Glazer's avatar
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    Diamond Age or a Young Girls Illustrated Primer -Neal Stephenson

    Sci-fi, near future, cyber punk very weird deviant book and very good
    Welcome to Mellophant.

    We started with nothing and we still have most of it left.

  4. #4
    Curmudgeon OtakuLoki's avatar
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    Default Next Batter!

    Mairelon the Magician

    This is a delightful confection. Neither deep, nor what I'd consider great literature. But a charming, funny, and occasionally grim story about the events that overtake a London street girl in an alternate England, where magic lives. The great events of history still have occurred: The French Revolution, and the Napoleonic Wars, especially. But that's all outside of the main character's world view. Kim is concerned about three things: Staying fed, staying as safe as she may, and staying out of the stews in St. Giles, which means she has to maintain her masquerade as a boy for as long as possible.

    When she's approached in a dive by a toff claiming he has a bet going on to find out what's in a street performer's wagon, she can't turn down the job - even though the man hiring her raises all her hackles, and her scruples cry out against preying on a fellow street denizen. As things work out, her instincts against the job fell far short of the reality, and she finds herself tangled up with the interests of this Mairelon, and unsure where she sits in all of it.

    It's great fun, and has some wonderful characters. Not much meat, as I said, but easily my favorite of Patricia Wrede's books.

    There is a sequel, and while it's a satisfying book, it's just not as much fun.

    Wrede has also written The Enchanted Forest Chronicles, which I would recommend almost as highly. After all, where else can you read about The Frying Pan of Doom?

    (Be warned: The Frying Pan of Doom is a minor plot point in a short story associated with the Enchanted Forest Chronicles, not a part of the four main books. It still serves as an evocative image to use to sum up the logic of the whole series.)


    Oooh, I know: You're sick of hearing about The Lovely Bones! Or is it The Shack? Hmm.. I'll have to ponder this a bit longer.

  5. #5
    The Apostabulous Inner Stickler's avatar
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    TWILIGHT


    Loki, I love Mairelon the Magician! What did you think of The Magician's Ward?

    I mostly read plays but if you'd like to read one of my favorite plays, you should look for a copy of J.B. by Archibald Macleish. It's sort of a retelling of the book of Job but set in 1942ish and it's very interesting and a bit experimental. The stage is made to look like a dilapidated circus tent and two circus vendors named Mr. Zuss and Nickles act as narrators and commentators on the action much like two famous biblical characters did in the original. The ending is a bit different though.

    Now, if you want really experimental, there's always Artaud's Jet of Blood. It's 3 pages long and is very weird.

  6. #6
    Curmudgeon OtakuLoki's avatar
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    Sticks, I liked it. It wasn't the same feel as Mairelon, for all that it did reprise many of the characters. I have my copy and I still re-read it from time to time. But I'll recommend Mairelon to anyone I think is mature enough to be willing to read YA fiction, I don't do that for Magician's Ward. It's the difference between good fun and great fun, I think.

  7. #7
    Oliphaunt The Original An Gadaí's avatar
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    Purely factual but I found it very stimulating and informative while trying to learn more of my own country's history.

    Making Sense Of The Troubles by McKittrick & McVey



    It is a short explanatory history of the Troubles in Northern Ireland. It's probably of minority interest outside these islands but I've seldom read such a succinct, readable overview of any historical period.

  8. #8
    Elen síla lumenn' omentielvo What Exit?'s avatar
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    Blown Minds: There is always Stranger in a Strange Land, if you can Grok it your life will be complete, sadly I never could Grok it to that extent.

    Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Repair. Generations have sworn by it but I did not like it.

    I think any book by David McCullough you have not read is worth reading. I just finished 1776 which will be turned into an HBO miniseries and of course the John Adams book was great.

    Available online as a free E Book is H.G. Wells, The Outline of History. It is now old and dated but it is the best summary of History I have ever read. From the beginnings of Civilization to about the 1920s or so depending on which version is available on line. I think it is the primary book that sparked my interest in history. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Outline_of_History. The 1920 version is online. There are more recent versions, but I do not know if they are available for sale.

  9. #9
    my god, he's full of stars... OneCentStamp's avatar
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    Quote Originally posted by Glazer View post
    Diamond Age or a Young Girls Illustrated Primer -Neal Stephenson

    Sci-fi, near future, cyber punk very weird deviant book and very good
    This. Actually, Stephenson's Snow Crash first, then this.
    "You laugh at me because I'm different; I laugh at you because I'm on nitrous."

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  10. #10
    Why so serious? Tinker's avatar
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    Quote Originally posted by OneCentStamp View post
    This. Actually, Stephenson's Snow Crash first, then this.
    I'd say Diamond Age first because it's a MUCH better book than Snow Crash.
    "And I hope I don't get born again, 'cuz one time was enough!" -- Mark Sandman

  11. #11
    Why so serious? Tinker's avatar
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    Shantaram - Gregory David Roberts

    This is the story of a man who escaped from an Australian Super-Max prison in broad daylight and went on the run to live as a fugitive expat in Bombay. There he becomes a Gangster in an Afghani Mafia working in the passport forgery part of the business. It's a very lush view of life in Bombay. It is semi-autobiographical as the author REALLY DID escape from an Australian prison. But you can never know what parts are real and what aren't. It's got some pretty fantastical elements but the primary element which starts off the fantastical just happens to be actually true.
    "And I hope I don't get born again, 'cuz one time was enough!" -- Mark Sandman

  12. #12
    my god, he's full of stars... OneCentStamp's avatar
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    Quote Originally posted by Tinker View post
    I'd say Diamond Age first because it's a MUCH better book than Snow Crash.
    I agree that it's better, but I still think Snow Crash is amazing and is better read first. Probably partly because that's the order I read them in, and now I can't imagine any different, but also because SC is earlier chronologically and earlier in Stephenson's development.
    "You laugh at me because I'm different; I laugh at you because I'm on nitrous."

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  13. #13
    Why so serious? Tinker's avatar
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    Quote Originally posted by OneCentStamp View post
    I agree that it's better, but I still think Snow Crash is amazing and is better read first. Probably partly because that's the order I read them in, and now I can't imagine any different, but also because SC is earlier chronologically and earlier in Stephenson's development.
    Right. The timelines are not relevant because the plots are disconnected. It is earlier chronologically and in his development, but I think the earlier in his development part is part of the reason why I'd recommend Diamond Age first. I just find that Diamond Age is more universally liked than Snow Crash, so I'd hate to see someone hit up Snow Crash and then dismiss Stephenson before getting to Diamond Age because Snow Crash is less polished. In Snow Crash he is still very much a subgenre author. In Diamond Age he gets far closer toward being the literary auteur that he has become.
    Last edited by Tinker; 19 Feb 2010 at 11:29 AM.
    "And I hope I don't get born again, 'cuz one time was enough!" -- Mark Sandman

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    Living la vida broke-a Revs's avatar
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    The Monkey Wrench Gang by Edward Abbey. It's got action,adventure,stuff blowing up, environmental activism and sex.
    Give me whiskey when I'm thirsty,Give me a cold beer when I'm dry, Give me root beer when I'm sickly, Give me a headstone when I die.

  16. #16
    like Gandalf in a way Nrblex's avatar
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    The Discworld series by Terry Pratchett is always worth a read, but man oh man, don't read them in order. Save yourself from some beginning shittiness and jump straight to Guards, Guards.

  17. #17
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    Robot Dreams, by Isaac Asimov. And Atlas Shrugged, by Ayn Rand. They're the two books I always recommend first when someone asks for such a recommendation.
    Hell hath no fury, like a woman's scorn for video games.

  18. #18
    The Apostabulous Inner Stickler's avatar
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    why Atlas Shrugged and not The Fountainhead or Anthem?
    I don't think so, therefore I'm probably not.

  19. #19
    Large member. AndrewRyan's avatar
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    Well, Anthem is such a different kind of book for Ayn, both in length and in that kind of weird poetic style she wrote it in. I think Atlas Shrugged, and its cold, hard, text book style sum up Ayn Rand's work pretty well. I think it outlines Objectivism the best. Plus, its my favorite of her books.
    Hell hath no fury, like a woman's scorn for video games.

  20. #20
    like Gandalf in a way Nrblex's avatar
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    Blowing My Cover: My Life as a CIA Spy by Lindsay Moran. Fascinating book and a bit cringeworthy at times when you realize how very stupid the Central Intelligence Agency can be.

  21. #21
    Mi parolas esperanton malbone Trojan Man's avatar
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    'A Day In The Life Of Ivan Denisovich'. What it lacks in length, it makes up for in depth/intensity.

  22. #22
    like Gandalf in a way Nrblex's avatar
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    The Johnny Maxwell trilogy by Terry Pratchett. Great stuff.

    ETA: Wait, what? Cool avatar, but not mine.
    Last edited by Nrblex; 02 Apr 2010 at 10:48 AM.

  23. #23
    my god, he's full of stars... OneCentStamp's avatar
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    Quote Originally posted by spitzbergen View post
    'A Day In The Life Of Ivan Denisovich'. What it lacks in length, it makes up for in depth/intensity.
    This, if you haven't read it already, is a fantastic recommendation. I usually operate under the assumption that if you're American and reasonably bright, you read it in high school, so I forget to mention it.
    "You laugh at me because I'm different; I laugh at you because I'm on nitrous."

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  24. #24
    Elen síla lumenn' omentielvo What Exit?'s avatar
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    Quote Originally posted by Nrblex View post
    The Johnny Maxwell trilogy by Terry Pratchett. Great stuff.

    ETA: Wait, what? Cool avatar, but not mine.
    I hear nothing but good about these, sadly the library does not have them and they are out of print it seems last I checked.

  25. #25
    Mi parolas esperanton malbone Trojan Man's avatar
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    Quote Originally posted by OneCentStamp View post
    This, if you haven't read it already, is a fantastic recommendation. I usually operate under the assumption that if you're American and reasonably bright, you read it in high school, so I forget to mention it.
    I'm in Aussieland, and we don't study this at school. It's too 'political'.

  26. #26
    Sophmoric Existentialist
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    The Man Who Loved China, by Simon Winchester. Fascinating.
    Sophmoric Existentialist

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    aka ivan the not-quite-as-terrible ivan astikov's avatar
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    I thought this was an interesting read. The Fall: The Insanity of the Ego in Human History and the Dawning of a New Era

    Some thought provoking stuff about the origins of civilisations in there.
    To sleep, perchance to experience amygdalocortical activation and prefrontal deactivation.

  28. #28
    Oliphaunt
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    Quote Originally posted by OneCentStamp View post
    ...I usually operate under the assumption that if you're American and reasonably bright, you read it in high school, so I forget to mention it.
    I think if all the reasonably bright Americans on this board made lists of everything they read in high school the number of works that all of us have read would be very, very small.

    Different school systems let alone different states have different requirements, and these requirements have changed over time, as have tastes. I went to two different high schools and I don't think either one had a list of works that EVERYONE was required to read before graduation. I know that people like me who were in college-track courses definitely read different things than those who weren't.

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