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Any suggestions for a recovering junkie cooling off for a few months in jail? I am thinking books that are long and involved, but not too deep, would be just the ticket. She's already read most of Stephen Kings stuff. I sent her Papillon, but that was more of a gag gift.
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Oct 23, 2012 20:55
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I just bought a big book (this one if it matters) of Jorge Luis Borges' short stories mostly to get "The Library of Babel". I really liked it, especially for the connections to some pretty deep mathematics. I'll probably end up reading the whole thing eventually, but I was looking for recommendations on where to start with some of the other ones in the collection. There are a lot of them, and not all of them seem as accessible or self-contained as "The Library of Babel". Recommendations on similar things from other authors is also appreciated. I know Umberto Eco's "The Name of the Rose" is loosely related.
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Oct 23, 2012 22:47
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The Dregs posted:in jail? I am thinking books that are long and involved, but not too deep The Count of Monte Cristo. Erdos posted:I just bought a big book (this one if it matters) of Jorge Luis Borges' short stories mostly to get "The Library of Babel". I really liked it, especially for the connections to some pretty deep mathematics. I'll probably end up reading the whole thing eventually, but I was looking for recommendations on where to start with some of the other ones in the collection. There are a lot of them, and not all of them seem as accessible or self-contained as "The Library of Babel". The Garden of Forking Paths is probably my favorite by Borges. Tlon, Uqbar, Orbis, Tertius, The Lottery in Babylon, and Death and the Compass should also be good entry points. For similar other authors, I'd suggest Kafka. Try In the Penal Colony, The Metamorphosis, The Trial, etc., if you haven't already read them.
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Oct 24, 2012 00:54
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End of the world books! I saw Melancholia over the weekend and it stirred my end of the world boner. Lucifer's Hammer is a real favorite of mine, what with the discovery, months leading up to the impact, the fall of civilization and the aftermath.. I don't want to limit recommendations to cosmic impacts, though. Any sort of world/civilization ender will do, from war to comets or asteroids to Dr. Evil's volcano scheme will be just ducky. Bonus points for unhappy, no good, total bummer endings. You better not disappoint in 2036, Apophis! 
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Oct 24, 2012 05:29
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Solaron posted:Okay, awesome - thanks for the recommendations. Going to start with Mao: The Unknown Story (since the info is still fresh in my mind), then I'll move on to mcustic's Russian book and then Inferno. There is actually a new Mao book out this month - Mao: The Real Story which has used never seen before information from the Russian Archives.
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Oct 24, 2012 05:38
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Bummey posted:End of the world books! I saw Melancholia over the weekend and it stirred my end of the world boner. Lucifer's Hammer is a real favorite of mine, what with the discovery, months leading up to the impact, the fall of civilization and the aftermath.. I don't want to limit recommendations to cosmic impacts, though. Any sort of world/civilization ender will do, from war to comets or asteroids to Dr. Evil's volcano scheme will be just ducky. Bonus points for unhappy, no good, total bummer endings. Sorry, they redid the numbers and its not going to hit. Mr.48 fucked around with this message at 06:23 on Oct 24, 2012 |
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Oct 24, 2012 06:18
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Mr.48 posted:Sorry, they redid the numbers and its not going to hit. Numbers can change. 
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Oct 24, 2012 06:20
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Bummey posted:Numbers can change. Also, for a cool end-of-the-world story that doesnt take place on Earth check out Asimov's Nightfall
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Oct 24, 2012 06:21
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Bummey posted:End of the world books! I saw Melancholia over the weekend and it stirred my end of the world boner. Lucifer's Hammer is a real favorite of mine, what with the discovery, months leading up to the impact, the fall of civilization and the aftermath.. I don't want to limit recommendations to cosmic impacts, though. Any sort of world/civilization ender will do, from war to comets or asteroids to Dr. Evil's volcano scheme will be just ducky. Bonus points for unhappy, no good, total bummer endings. There are a bunch of recommendations for these in the sci fi thread, I think. But, if you haven't already read them, ones I've enjoyed include: The Stand (probably the most like Lucifer's Hammer, in terms of having both lead up, during, and aftermath, although way more biblical... which I guess is surprising, considering the names of the books) A Canticle for Leibowitz (no lead up) On the Beach (this one is... depressing) The Road I've heard good things about Margaret Atwood's Oryx and Crake. Justin Cronin's The Passage seems divisive, and from what I can tell goons tend to lean towards not liking it, but I thought it was pretty good. The sequel just came out.
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Oct 24, 2012 15:07
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DirtyRobot posted:The Stand These would be on my list, along with Alas, Babylon; Earth Abides; The Penultimate Truth; The Day of the Triffids; and the collections The Apocalypse Reader and Wastelands. Non-fictional, but The World Without Us is pretty awesome/grim, too. edit- Forgot This is the Way the World Ends. Also, I hate the everloving poo poo out of The Passage. funkybottoms fucked around with this message at 15:53 on Oct 24, 2012 |
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Oct 24, 2012 15:19
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DirtyRobot posted:Justin Cronin's The Passage seems divisive, and from what I can tell goons tend to lean towards not liking it, but I thought it was pretty good. The sequel just came out. I'm re-reading it to get ready for The Twelve which we currently have sitting in our to-read pile, and strangely, I am enjoying it infinitely more the second time through than I did the first time. There are still too many characters, and the time shift is still sorta jarring, but overall, it's a lot better than I remembered it being. I'm gonna have to ask my wife if she experiences the same phenomenon when she re-reads it...
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Oct 24, 2012 15:26
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Bummey posted:End of the world books! It's not exactly...well whatever, I recommend Richard Kelly's Southland Tales whenever I get a chance. It's 1/2 graphic novel (well, three), 1/2 film.
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Oct 24, 2012 17:21
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Ridley Walker by Russel Hoban is a great post-apocalyptic book. It's written in phonetic English (think Feersum Endjinn but the whole book) so it does take a bit of effort to get into but it's well worth it.
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Oct 24, 2012 19:13
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For a post-apocalyptic story, I stumbled onto The Old Man and the Wasteland. http://www.amazon.com/The-Old-Man-Wasteland-ebook/dp/B0078XFK0M/ref=tmm_kin_title_0 I think it's a digital only release and it's only a dollar at Amazon. It's similar to Hemingway's Old Man and the Sea, and references that story throughout its own. It goes pretty quickly and I really liked it.
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Oct 25, 2012 04:18
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Can anyone recommend some novels with gay protagonists who get a romantic subplot and don't end up alone/dead/something worse? I like lighthearted novels and mysteries especially, but would be open to anything as long as there's a reasonably positive ending. I've read too many novels in a row with plots that ended badly for gay characters, either because they were the villains or because everything just went to poo poo for some arbitrary reason, and I feel a need to counteract all this depressing stuff. I guess it doesn't really matter if they're male/female/neither, just something other than heterosexual romance, and nothing that makes readers want to curl up in a corner and sob afterwards. I've googled this but it's hard to tell how things end up and I really don't want to get myself unwittingly involved in something that ends tragically. Help?
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Oct 25, 2012 11:13
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The Duke of Avon posted:Can anyone recommend some novels with gay protagonists who get a romantic subplot and don't end up alone/dead/something worse? I like lighthearted novels and mysteries especially, but would be open to anything as long as there's a reasonably positive ending. I've read too many novels in a row with plots that ended badly for gay characters, either because they were the villains or because everything just went to poo poo for some arbitrary reason, and I feel a need to counteract all this depressing stuff. I guess it doesn't really matter if they're male/female/neither, just something other than heterosexual romance, and nothing that makes readers want to curl up in a corner and sob afterwards. I've googled this but it's hard to tell how things end up and I really don't want to get myself unwittingly involved in something that ends tragically. Help? The Nightrunner series by Lynn Flewelling sounds right up your alley. Only books I've read with gay (well, bi) protagonists so far that wasn't played out as a tragedy straight through and I loved them. They're fantasy spy/mystery novels with fantastic characterization. It has some tragic moments, but manages to stay mostly upbeat. Just...only read the first three books. The fourth and fifth read like bad fanfiction and it's really disappointing. I've heard the sixth goes back to form but I can't confirm that yet. Actually I'm interested in reading more books like those, so I'll follow the suggestions for this too.
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Oct 25, 2012 14:28
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The Duke of Avon posted:Can anyone recommend some novels with gay protagonists who get a romantic subplot and don't end up alone/dead/something worse? I like lighthearted novels and mysteries especially, but would be open to anything as long as there's a reasonably positive ending. I've read too many novels in a row with plots that ended badly for gay characters, either because they were the villains or because everything just went to poo poo for some arbitrary reason, and I feel a need to counteract all this depressing stuff. I guess it doesn't really matter if they're male/female/neither, just something other than heterosexual romance, and nothing that makes readers want to curl up in a corner and sob afterwards. I've googled this but it's hard to tell how things end up and I really don't want to get myself unwittingly involved in something that ends tragically. Help? Melissa Scott often features LGBT characters. I think she's a good writer, in fact, I find myself annoyed when she's referred to as a primarily "gay" writer because her stuff is really original and creative (Five Twelfths of Heaven comes to mind). You might like the "Point" series.
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Oct 25, 2012 14:48
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I've chosen an essay question for one of my modules at university this that revolves around the changing relationships between religion and art during the Italian Renaissance. I know there must be thousands of books out there as a lot of art from that era was inspired by religious figures and stories, but if anyone can suggest a couple that stand out from the rest I'd be very appreciative.
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Oct 25, 2012 19:24
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I actually have read the Nightrunner books (liked the first two, didn't like 3-5 but maybe I'll check out the 6th). I'll definitely try Melissa Scott - is there any particular novel I ought to read first, or should I just go with whatever turns out to be easiest to get?
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Oct 27, 2012 09:30
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Thanks for the suggestions! I've added most of those to my list and will get on them shortly. gently caress this planet.
Bummey fucked around with this message at 23:40 on Oct 27, 2012 |
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Oct 27, 2012 23:36
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ShimSham posted:For a post-apocalyptic story, I stumbled onto The Old Man and the Wasteland. http://www.amazon.com/The-Old-Man-Wasteland-ebook/dp/B0078XFK0M/ref=tmm_kin_title_0 This seems interesting, thanks!
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Oct 28, 2012 13:40
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Any good suggestions for books on negotiation and body language? This years political season made me realize I am terrible at convincing people of anything.
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Oct 29, 2012 00:41
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I'm looking for books that star a "villain" as the main character. I tried reading Dexter but it's just too cheesy. I think it'd be an excellent exercise to see a novel from the other side
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Oct 29, 2012 01:40
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Irritated Goat posted:I'm looking for books that star a "villain" as the main character. I tried reading Dexter but it's just too cheesy. I think it'd be an excellent exercise to see a novel from the other side Ooh, yes. I was meaning to ask this earlier. I love me an anti hero, but a nice villain is even better.
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Oct 29, 2012 01:43
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Bummey posted:Ooh, yes. I was meaning to ask this earlier. I love me an anti hero, but a nice villain is even better. Either would be a great read. I'm in the middle of 1Q84 and I need a break
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Oct 29, 2012 01:46
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Irritated Goat posted:I'm looking for books that star a "villain" as the main character. I tried reading Dexter but it's just too cheesy. I think it'd be an excellent exercise to see a novel from the other side Well I cant think of too many where the villain the ONLY main character, but there are a couple that feature villains in ensemble casts of main characters. Joe Abercrombie's The First Law trilogy comes to mind. As does Bakker's Prince of Nothing trilogy.
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Oct 29, 2012 03:32
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Irritated Goat posted:I'm looking for books that star a "villain" as the main character. I tried reading Dexter but it's just too cheesy. I think it'd be an excellent exercise to see a novel from the other side Ever read anything by Jim Thompson? Stuff like Savage Night or The Killer Inside Me might be up your alley.
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Oct 29, 2012 04:17
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Irritated Goat posted:I'm looking for books that star a "villain" as the main character. I tried reading Dexter but it's just too cheesy. I think it'd be an excellent exercise to see a novel from the other side If you're cool with fantasy, then Prince of Thorns is the place to start. Jorg, the POV character, is basically a villain.
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Oct 29, 2012 04:55
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Irritated Goat posted:I'm looking for books that star a "villain" as the main character.
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Oct 29, 2012 08:13
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GenSpecific posted:Any good suggestions for books on negotiation and body language? This years political season made me realize I am terrible at convincing people of anything. Getting to Yes by Ury, et al. is pretty good on negotiation techniques. For the villain guy, try reading the Ripley series from Patricia Highsmith.
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Oct 29, 2012 12:30
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I'm starting a graduate position soon, where I'll be writing business proposals and bids. This is something I am completely new to, and would like to find any books that might give me a depth of insight into business writing. Furthermore, I'd like to find any books that really focus on writing in a persuasive manner and structuring arguments. I've found a number of books on Amazon, but of course, I need help culling them to find the best of the best. I'm a recently graduated humanities post-grad student, so I don't really have much idea about 'business'. I've been told I'll be taught everything I need to know, but figure this would be a good time to read up and start my new job with some preparation. e: oh, and if anybody has a specific recommendation for InDesign or Photoshop books, that would help a lot too. yung lambic fucked around with this message at 17:55 on Oct 29, 2012 |
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Oct 29, 2012 17:53
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Irritated Goat posted:I'm looking for books that star a "villain" as the main character. I tried reading Dexter but it's just too cheesy. I think it'd be an excellent exercise to see a novel from the other side Gone with the Wind?
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Oct 30, 2012 03:05
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Any feel good books, reading It and A Storm Of Swords has made me sad.
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Oct 30, 2012 04:50
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Since Halloween is about to start, I figure I should start reading up into this 'horror' genre I've heard so much about. I've ever only read Goosebumps. Can anyone recommend a good short horror book (or a collection of short stories) for a wuss?
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Oct 30, 2012 06:02
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toanoradian posted:Since Halloween is about to start, I figure I should start reading up into this 'horror' genre I've heard so much about. I've ever only read Goosebumps. Can anyone recommend a good short horror book (or a collection of short stories) for a wuss? Check out A Night in the Lonesome October by Roger Zelazny. Its not really scary but is a lot of fun with various literary characters making cameo appearances. Perfect for Halloween.
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Oct 30, 2012 07:48
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toanoradian posted:Since Halloween is about to start, I figure I should start reading up into this 'horror' genre I've heard so much about. I've ever only read Goosebumps. Can anyone recommend a good short horror book (or a collection of short stories) for a wuss? Bradbury's The October Country or Something Wicked This Way Comes VVV Halloween Tree, yes funkybottoms fucked around with this message at 14:56 on Oct 30, 2012 |
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Oct 30, 2012 14:30
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funkybottoms posted:Bradbury's The October Country or Something Wicked This Way Comes I would also add Bradbury's Halloween Tree to that list. That said if the guy wants to find out what horror is about check Clive Barker's Books of Blood. I would recommend this version first http://www.amazon.com/Clive-Barkers-Books-Blood-1-3/dp/0425165582/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1351604563&sr=1-1&keywords=books+of+blood Read the stories Pig Blood Blues or Scape-Goats first. Edit: Just saw the word wuss in his post. Stick with Bradbury, unless you want to step it up.
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Oct 30, 2012 14:46
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Irritated Goat posted:I'm looking for books that star a "villain" as the main character. I tried reading Dexter but it's just too cheesy. I think it'd be an excellent exercise to see a novel from the other side Grendel is a pretty awesome book in my opinion, but be prepared for some philosophical angst. I personally hated Wicked, but a lot of people like it so you mught want to try it out. Also Perfume: The Story of a Murderer is is pretty great,
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Nov 1, 2012 00:56
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Can anyone recommend a good book on Norse mythology?
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Nov 1, 2012 13:24
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Anyone recommend some gritty, dark fantasy/fiction? Something along the lines of GRRM and the better hosed up stuff by Stephen King. I just can't handle the normal fantasy stuff anymore. Recently read 'The name of the wind' by Rothfuss and hated every second of it. Same thing with Brandon Sanderson. I guess if it isn't full of graphic violence, depraved sex, crazy perversion and enough swearing to make a sailor blush I'm just not into it anymore.
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Nov 2, 2012 06:01
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