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Can someone recommend good mystery books for me? I'm finishing up a run through Sherlock Holmes, and I'm considering going onto Agatha Christie and Edgar Allen Poe, but I'd also like to add a few more modern books to the list. Hell, I'm open to anything, modern or not, so long as it's good and keeps the reader guessing and on their toes.
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May 19, 2010 16:17
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Viola the Mad posted:Can someone recommend good mystery books for me? I'm finishing up a run through Sherlock Holmes, and I'm considering going onto Agatha Christie and Edgar Allen Poe, but I'd also like to add a few more modern books to the list. Hell, I'm open to anything, modern or not, so long as it's good and keeps the reader guessing and on their toes. I have greatly enjoyed Tana French's work so far. In the Woods was exceptional, and The Likeness was drat good too. They straddle the line between literary fiction and the mystery genre, but it makes for an extremely compelling story, I think.
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May 19, 2010 23:02
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I recently finished foucault's pendulum again and in discussions about this book I saw several references to the Illuminatus trilogy. Would people recommend this to someone who very much enjoyed eco's book, the themes and the way these were handled? I ask because I saw on wikipedia that it recieved the Prometheus Hall of Fame Award, apparently some sort libertarian price for science fiction, which is, I'm sorry to say, kind of a red flag.
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May 20, 2010 00:31
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OK, I hope someone could recommend me a new book to read, or even a new author to follow. Whom I like: Charles Bukowski, Hemingway, Paul Auster, Julian Barnes, Alessandro Baricco, Zoran Živković (he's a local writer, but I understand that he's somewhat world- famous?), Stephen King, Terry Pratchett... Also, I read only one book by David Lodge ("Changing places") and one by Mil Millington ("Things My Girlfriend And I Have Argued About") and I liked them both. What I'm looking for: Decent prose. I'm a sucker for natural dialogue. Also, a somewhat likable protagonist would be nice. Sorry if this all sounds too vague.
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May 20, 2010 01:05
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I just beat God of War 3 and i'm really in the mood for some good stories on Greek Mythology or the Olympian Gods in general. Or hell, the theme of a mortal/demi-god meddling with and taking on Gods and wrecking their poo poo would work too, greek or no. For the record, as I wrote this it occurred to me that the Iliad and Odyssey are perfect examples of this and I haven't read either but I know the storyline by heart.
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May 20, 2010 04:14
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Viola the Mad posted:Can someone recommend good mystery books for me? I'm finishing up a run through Sherlock Holmes, and I'm considering going onto Agatha Christie and Edgar Allen Poe, but I'd also like to add a few more modern books to the list. Hell, I'm open to anything, modern or not, so long as it's good and keeps the reader guessing and on their toes. I spent most of my adolescence reading mystery novels and Agatha Christie isn't all that satisfying after a few books. Georges Simenon's Magritte novels are enjoyable. Rex Stout's Nero Wolfe books are also good. Raymond Chandler's Marlowe novels, if you haven't read them, are good fun (I don't like him, but you could read Hammett too). I liked Nicolas Freeling's Van Der Valk books, but they don't seem to have remained very popular. G.K. Chesterton's Father Brown mysteries were good, quick-to-read mysteries. Of today's pulp mysteries, the only author I've read and not minded is Martha Grimes; my mum reads her Richard Jury books and they're alright. I also recommend Wilkie Collins's The Moonstone and The Woman in White if you're not too concerned about finding a series to read through. Blitz7x posted:Or hell, the theme of a mortal/demi-god meddling with and taking on Gods and wrecking their poo poo would work too, greek or no. But you should read The Iliad and the Odyssey because they are enjoyable. \/\/The idea that someone would read The Aeneid before reading Homer annoys me, but maybe that's unfair. Ovid's Metamorphoses is also good choice; you can probably skip the 1st book and the last...2, I think...for the main myth stories that you're likely to recognize.\/\/ Facial Fracture fucked around with this message at 03:50 on May 21, 2010 |
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May 20, 2010 15:56
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Blitz7x posted:For the record, as I wrote this it occurred to me that the Iliad and Odyssey are perfect examples of this and I haven't read either but I know the storyline by heart. Virgil's Aeneid.
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May 21, 2010 01:04
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Anamnesis posted:Virgil's Aeneid. See ya Dido. WHY YOU
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May 21, 2010 10:11
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Can anyone think of a book that would be like the part in If on a winter's night a traveler where the guy obsesses about the telephones? The part is called In a network of lines that enlace. Something with a similar character and mood.
American Psychonauts fucked around with this message at 16:46 on May 21, 2010 |
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May 21, 2010 16:43
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I'm going to be reading some books together with a friend. 'Classic' books, the 'greats', and we've already got five books decided on but I'd love to hear a few recommendations on books that you can say you read with a  look on your face.
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May 22, 2010 12:19
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Affi posted:books that you can say you read with a James Joyce's Ulysses always seems to have that effect on people.
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May 22, 2010 12:58
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Affi posted:I'm going to be reading some books together with a friend. 'Classic' books, the 'greats', and we've already got five books decided on but I'd love to hear a few recommendations on books that you can say you read with a A la recherche du temps perdu, especially if you read all of the books and not just stop after swann's way.
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May 22, 2010 13:59
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Blitz7x posted:I just beat God of War 3 and i'm really in the mood for some good stories on Greek Mythology or the Olympian Gods in general. Or hell, the theme of a mortal/demi-god meddling with and taking on Gods and wrecking their poo poo would work too, greek or no. On a similar note, my girlfriend just finished all the Percy Jackson books and asked me if I know a good story-type book on Greek Mythology. I might give her my copy of the Odyssey, but I was wondering if anyone know some other well-written/well-translated stories on Mythology? I'm just wary of some of the terribly boring word-for-word translations I've read so I don't want to recommend things that end up being like that.
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May 22, 2010 18:29
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LooseChanj posted:James Joyce's Ulysses always seems to have that effect on people. Excellent, I can't wait to ly sip my scotch and talk about the similarities between James Joyce's Ulysses and Matrix Revolutions or some such.N17727 posted:A la recherche du temps perdu, especially if you read all of the books and not just stop after swann's way. Do I have to read it in french?
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May 22, 2010 21:45
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Affi posted:Do I have to read it in french? Proust can only be enjoyed in the original language, so yes. I mean oui.
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May 22, 2010 21:51
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Affi posted:...talk about the similarities between James Joyce's Ulysses and Matrix Revolutions or some such. That's nauseating; I hope it's a joke. It's pretty unlikely that you'll finish the Proust anyway but I've only read Swann's Way so I'm a charlatan etc. You should read Tom Jones, Don Quixote, and Canterbury Tales because they're "classics" and you can be snobby about having read them, I guess, but they're really entertaining and you will probably enjoy them. I doubt that you will enjoy A la Recherche du Temps Perdu or Ulysses if you're reading them just to bone up on classic lit. Both are also quite late places to start. CzarStark posted:I might give her my copy of the Odyssey, but I was wondering if anyone know some other well-written/well-translated stories on Mythology? I'm just wary of some of the terribly boring word-for-word translations I've read so I don't want to recommend things that end up being like that. I have a feeling that Iliad and/or Odyssey will disappoint a lot of people expecting Gods-heavy mythologizing. I recommended Ovid's Metamorphoses earlier and I'll recommend it again. Literalism (in Latin translation at least) bothers me a lot less than overblown translations that turn originally energetic prose or poetry into stodge. Brookes Moore's translation of Metamorphoses is good for someone more concerned with "readability" than with accuracy. If anything, it veers too far away from stodginess--and if you want lots of gods-filled myths, Metamorphoses is a good bet. The names are Roman but the most of the stories are from the Greeks (again, focus on books 2-12 if you want to avoid a Roman focus). This is a good place to look for classic texts (you don't need to commit to the tranlation they offer, but you can pursue the work if it looks interesting): http://www.library.theoi.com/ In the main site, if you click on a god's "biography," the bios are all full of citations so you can see what's out there. Most translations are published by major houses like Penguin, Oxford, etc., which you should be able to read previews of at amazon or googlebooks. So, for God's sake, if your girlfriend likes myths, get her reading stuff other than crappy YA fiction. Otherwise, she can read the Greek myths book I was obsessed with when I was about 5 years old: http://www.amazon.com/Usborne-Illustrated-Guide-Greek-Legends/dp/0860209466 I still have that book and occasionally flip through it nostalgically.
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May 22, 2010 23:30
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Could someone recommend me some good comedies/satire? I love ben elton , am reading Catch 22 at the moment.
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May 23, 2010 17:34
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I just read off a bumper collection of M.R. James and I still got a hankering for ghost stories. What's really good and modern? Don't reccomend me House of Leaves, I don't have the time
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May 23, 2010 20:34
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I have recently run out of books by authors I like, and I need to broaden my horizon. I find that lately, I am really into books about the vampire/were/faerie world, but I am not tied down to that, and I enjoy a lot of other things. I am a busy working mom of an almost 2 year old, so I don't like really heavy reads. I don't read science fiction, but I am willing to try some (as long as it doesn't deal with space/space travel/time travel - those tend to bore me). Authors and Books I like: James Patterson - The Alex Cross series and the Woman's Murder Club series Nick Hornby - Pretty much all of his books, I especially loved High Fidelity All of the Sookie Stackhouse books Laurell K. Hamilton - I just started reading her series that starts with A Kiss of Shadow, and it seems pretty good so far. I have heard some SCARY things about the Anita Blake books, so I am not all that keen on starting those. Authors I have tried and disliked: John Grisham Stephen King (some of his older stuff was eh, ok) Clive Barker Dean Koonz I don't really think I am all that willing to try out Twilight. In fact, my husband would mock me endlessly, so that is out. I am not really looking for Young Adult type things either. Thanks so much guys! Your help will keep me reading!
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May 23, 2010 22:27
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Facial Fracture posted:That's nauseating; I hope it's a joke. I promise that it is! Don Quixote I should've come up with myself, always wanted to read that one.
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May 23, 2010 23:15
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NewTennMom posted:.... If you like these authors, you might try Tanya Huff and Patricia Briggs. They both have series featuring similar urban fantasy/mystery/romance themes. Kim Harrison is also frequently mentioned in that "genre" but from my understanding her books are lighter on the romance. And heck, you should try Jim Butcher too, his Dresden Files series is a great fun read.
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May 24, 2010 10:44
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Anyone have a recommendation for some good books on philosophy
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May 24, 2010 19:50
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shizen posted:Anyone have a recommendation for some good books on philosophy "Anyone have a recommendation for some good books on sports" That's roughly how your question read to me, considering how broad a field philosophy is. You're going to need to narrow it down a bit so people can give you more specific recommendations. If you're just going for something more general, I've heard good things about Bertrand Russell's "A History of Western Philosophy", but also that you should supplement it with other works because his own personal biases against some areas of philosophy colors his treatment of some philosophers. Perhaps someone else can provide a recommendation for something more even-handed, but my understanding is that Russell's book is still highly regarded despite his prejudices.
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May 24, 2010 20:14
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shizen posted:Anyone have a recommendation for some good books on philosophy This question is posted roughly every two pages. Skim through the last 5-6 pages of this thread and I'm sure you'll find recommendations.
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May 24, 2010 20:24
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Vormav posted:"Anyone have a recommendation for some good books on sports" Alright thanks I'll pick that up this week saw it recommended earlier also
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May 24, 2010 21:34
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So now that Lost is over, I'm looking for a book with a similar tone, but won't leave me with blue balls for the rest of my life. I don't really like "heavy" sci-fi if that's what you call it. Not really into laser beams and Star Wars/Star Trek type of stuff, but I do enjoy a lot of PKD's work (Scanner Darkly, Flow My Tears, Androids). I guess my favorite book is House of Leaves(I don't really read THAT much currently). I also just started The Book of the New Sun based on the thread, but I'm not sure how I feel about it yet (I'm only on like pg 78 or so).
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May 24, 2010 22:19
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Wyld Cannon posted:So now that Lost is over, I'm looking for a book with a similar tone, but won't leave me with blue balls for the rest of my life. I don't really like "heavy" sci-fi if that's what you call it. Not really into laser beams and Star Wars/Star Trek type of stuff, but I do enjoy a lot of PKD's work (Scanner Darkly, Flow My Tears, Androids). I've recommended this way too many times but you could give The Magus by John Fowles a shot. It's set on an island (I was being glib there but come to think of it is kind of relevant in terms of being cut off in a limited environment).... but beyond that there's a lot of "what the hell is happening?" stuff along the lines of is it real? Or a game? Or is a wizard doing it?
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May 24, 2010 23:04
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Im looking for a few types of books recently. 1: Either a history book or a historical fiction novel that is about Southern plantation owners During or after the US Civil War. Something that depicts their culture and lifestyle during the tail end of the Civil war and the reconstruction. 2: The most recent book avalable about building a computer for someone who has just a basic understanding of computers. BigRed0427 fucked around with this message at 02:06 on May 25, 2010 |
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May 25, 2010 01:48
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A bit of a specific request but I only know some basics of the fantasy genre and looking for a book involving a Necromancer as the main character. Or maybe just an evil/bad character as the focus of the story, possibly leading an army. And not like Sauron from Lord of The Rings evil but an evil guy with some personality. Something along the lines of this would also be acceptable: http://i.somethingawful.com/u/garbageday/2009/Comedy_Goldmine/scifibooks/Everdraed_01.jpg
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May 25, 2010 03:24
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CzarStark posted:On a similar note, my girlfriend just finished all the Percy Jackson books and asked me if I know a good story-type book on Greek Mythology. I might give her my copy of the Odyssey, but I was wondering if anyone know some other well-written/well-translated stories on Mythology? I'm just wary of some of the terribly boring word-for-word translations I've read so I don't want to recommend things that end up being like that. Been away, but if you're still looking for a book I found one walking through a book store that I had to read in High School and liked a lot: Edith Hamilton's Mythology. It's cheap, it's good, and has a bunch of stories from Greek and Roman mythology, all of them not too long in length.
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May 25, 2010 05:29
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I don't know why everyone keeps recommending Russell's history of Western philosophy. The man obviously had an axe to grind with respect to the discipline's history. I personally think it would be much more worthwhile to pick up an anthology of primary sources -- say, something like The Philosopher's Handbook: Essential Readings from Plato to Kant, edited by Stanley Rosen, for example.
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May 25, 2010 16:01
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Gravy Jones posted:I've recommended this way too many times but you could give The Magus by John Fowles a shot. It's set on an island (I was being glib there but come to think of it is kind of relevant in terms of being cut off in a limited environment).... but beyond that there's a lot of "what the hell is happening?" stuff along the lines of is it real? Or a game? Or is a wizard doing it? I read the first paragraph on wiki and I'm totally sold! Great suggestion, I'm off to Half.com.
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May 25, 2010 16:40
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Wyld Cannon posted:So now that Lost is over, I'm looking for a book with a similar tone, but won't leave me with blue balls for the rest of my life. I don't really like "heavy" sci-fi if that's what you call it. Not really into laser beams and Star Wars/Star Trek type of stuff, but I do enjoy a lot of PKD's work (Scanner Darkly, Flow My Tears, Androids). Back when I was into Lost, way before I stopped watching, I read about how the writers were influenced by The Third Policeman in creating the show's mysteries. So I read it, and it was really good. It's very surreal like some of Dick's stuff (the titular policemen in particular), but it's not "heavy" sci fi at all. It's very black humor at times, too.
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May 25, 2010 17:44
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The Duran posted:A bit of a specific request but I only know some basics of the fantasy genre and looking for a book involving a Necromancer as the main character. Or maybe just an evil/bad character as the focus of the story, possibly leading an army. And not like Sauron from Lord of The Rings evil but an evil guy with some personality. The Death of the Necromancer by Martha Wells might be up your alley. There's also the Abhorsen trilogy by Garth Nix that features necromancy prominently. It's not bad for a series aimed at young adults and has some interesting spins on the necromancy idea.
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May 25, 2010 21:42
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Can anyone recommend novels or short stories with a setting and mood similar to either Bringing Out the Dead or Gangs of New York? I love the gritty and violent atmosphere of both these films so any quality literature of a similar vein would be great. I'd also like to ask about any works of historical fiction that take place in ancient and medieval urban settings. Something like the HBO series Rome where day-to-day activities and other specifics make up an important part of the setting and atmosphere. Especially awesome would be those that take place in non-western countries, for example the major cities of the Han or Tang Dynasties or Damascus/Baghdad during the Caliphate eras. Basically 1001 Nights/3 Kingdoms/King Arthur except less mythology and more historical realism.
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May 25, 2010 21:53
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Sorry if this has been asked a million times in this thread, but could someone recommend me some books that I would like, my favorite authors being Chuck Palahniuk and Kurt Vonnegut. Besides that, could someone recommend me a good Cyberpunk book, for a friend of mind who I'm pretty sure has only read Neuromancer.
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May 25, 2010 22:30
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Anamnesis posted:Been away, but if you're still looking for a book I found one walking through a book store that I had to read in High School and liked a lot: Edith Hamilton's Mythology. It's cheap, it's good, and has a bunch of stories from Greek and Roman mythology, all of them not too long in length. I had to read that recently for Mythology, too. I was just about to recommend it. Some cons: It seems to skim over a lot of things, and quite frankly, a lot of Greek mythology is boring (at least to me). It does also have some Norse mythology, and I believe a bit other stuff.
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May 26, 2010 01:04
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King Minos' wife cast a spell to keep him from cheating that turned his cum into wild beasts, snakes, and insects so he'd kill any woman he tried to gently caress. Greek myths aren't boring. Question-asker, if the Roman flavour of Metamorphoses doesn't do it for you don't read a survey work when so many of the older books are more interesting. Go for Pseudo Apollodorus'/Antoninius' Bibliotheka--Oxford Classics edition has a good intro--(http://www.amazon.com/Library-Mythology-Oxford-Worlds-Classics/dp/0199536325/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1274834832&sr=8-1) and read it along with Hesiod's Theogony for more details and a different geneology than the one in the Bibliotheka intro (I like this edition best: http://www.amazon.com/Hesiod-Theogony-Works-Days-Shield/dp/0801879841/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1274835575&sr=8-5).
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May 26, 2010 02:06
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Jive One posted:Can anyone recommend novels or short stories with a setting and mood similar to either Bringing Out the Dead or Gangs of New York? I love the gritty and violent atmosphere of both these films so any quality literature of a similar vein would be great. It might be worth investigating some of the novels by the writers involved in The Wire such as Richard Price, George Pelecanos and Dennis Lehane. They tend more towards genre fiction than "quality literature" as such but some of their stuff is pretty good. Clockers by Richard Price in particular strikes me as it might be the sort of thing you're looking for in terms of a gritty realism. David Simon's Homicide an account of the time he spent riding along with Baltimore Cops (a lot of which forms the basis for the Homicide on TV and The Wire) might be worth a look as well.
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May 26, 2010 10:51
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Jive One posted:Can anyone recommend novels or short stories with a setting and mood similar to either Bringing Out the Dead or Gangs of New York? I love the gritty and violent atmosphere of both these films so any quality literature of a similar vein would be great. Adding on to Gravy Jones' recommendations: Check out James Ellroy's work, in particular his LA Quartet series - The Black Dahlia, The Big Nowhere, LA Confidential and White Jazz.
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May 26, 2010 16:22
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