|
Mike Tysons CARFAX posted:I'm just wondering if anyone has any recommendations about for fantasy or fiction books based in ancient Greece, Rome, Egypt. I'm sorry if that's too broad of a topic but I'm really not even quite sure I myself know what I want to read Look up The Gladiators by Arthur Koestler, based on the Spartacus slave rebellion.
|
#
?
Feb 22, 2012 21:40
|
|
|
|
| # ? Apr 27, 2024 02:11 |
|
|
wheatpuppy posted:Do you mean she likes books similar to Jane Eyre? Or do you actually mean Jane Austen, who wrote several books? Either way, I'd probably recommend Georgette Heyer. Haha she does love Jane Austen books, but her favorite book is Jane Eyre. I feel like an idiot. There are very similar right? Mikaelomo fucked around with this message at 23:23 on Feb 22, 2012 |
|
#
?
Feb 22, 2012 22:41
|
|
|
Mikaelomo posted:Girlfriend loves Jane Eyre books. Her birthday is coming up so i'd like to buy her something in that same vein. If she likes Jane Eyre, she'll probably like Vilette, which is also by Charlotte Bronte. The subject matter is similar, but personally I enjoyed Vilette much more, though I still love Jane Eyre. Here's a great article comparing the two. Fake edit: I don't know that I'd say Jane Austen and Charlotte Bronte (author of Jane Eyre) are very similar, other than that they were both writing in England at loosely the same time period and their main characters are women. Bronte is more gothic, and if your girlfriend is into that I also suggest The Monk by Matthew Gregory Lewis.
|
|
#
?
Feb 23, 2012 00:31
|
|
|
LyonsLions posted:If she likes Jane Eyre, she'll probably like Vilette, which is also by Charlotte Bronte. The subject matter is similar, but personally I enjoyed Vilette much more, though I still love Jane Eyre. Here's a great article comparing the two. Villette is probably more like Austen's stuff than Jane Eyre is, insofar as Lucy tends to keep all her pain inside herself, a lot like Jane Austen's heroines. But the narration is (obviously) totally different. Sarah Waters's stuff is incredibly Bronte-esque.
|
|
#
?
Feb 23, 2012 01:53
|
|
|
Mikaelomo posted:Haha she does love Jane Austen books, but her favorite book is Jane Eyre. I feel like an idiot. There are very similar right? Get her Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell.
|
|
#
?
Feb 23, 2012 12:48
|
|
|
Can anyone reccomend any good Cyberpunk Syndicate-esque type stuff? I'm starting Snow Crash and Neuromancer pretty quick here and up for some maybe action-y, exciting stuff, doesn't have to be the deepest sorta content.
|
|
#
?
Feb 23, 2012 16:57
|
|
|
Mikaelomo posted:Haha she does love Jane Austen books, but her favorite book is Jane Eyre. I feel like an idiot. There are very similar right? She might like Valerie Martin's Mary Reilly, which is a retelling of the Jekyll and Hyde story from the point of view of his maid (much better book than it sounds), or Jonatha Ceely's Mina, about a young Irish girl during the Famine times who disguises herself as a boy and goes to work in the kitchen of a Great House. They both have a similar "young humble female protagonist who lives in repressive circumstances but has a rich inner life meets an older intriguing man" vibe to them that reminded me of the dynamic in Jane Eyre. Also, The Monk is a hilarious and worthy book in its own right but if someone loves Jane Eyre for the strong female protagonist and the romance, The Monk might disappoint since it doesn't have any of that. (What it does have is...hoo boy. Wiki summary)
|
|
#
?
Feb 23, 2012 19:28
|
|
|
Jefferoo posted:Can anyone reccomend any good Cyberpunk Syndicate-esque type stuff? I'm starting Snow Crash and Neuromancer pretty quick here and up for some maybe action-y, exciting stuff, doesn't have to be the deepest sorta content. Hardwired by Walter Jon Williams.
|
|
#
?
Feb 23, 2012 21:28
|
|
|
I'm looking for fantasy that feels like historical fiction and/or historical fiction that feels like fantasy. For example, an author might write a work of historical fiction and incorporate the superstitions believed by the people of that time. But the author might leave it a bit ambiguous as to whether or not anything supernatural actually happened. I've seen this done before and it was pretty effective in spicing up a genre that can feel a bit limited. Alternatively, I'd also be interested in very low magic fantasy where the societies presented feel extremely authentic and the author has obviously done a lot of research into real world societies before he started creating his fantasy societies. I've already read ASOIAF and everything I'm interested in by Bernard Cornwell. P.S. Nothing involving guns please, unless they're extremely primitive and ineffective.
|
|
#
?
Feb 24, 2012 03:39
|
|
|
Scrubber posted:I'm looking for fantasy that feels like historical fiction and/or historical fiction that feels like fantasy. So, I don't have a book to recommend, but I have a movie! Watch Black Death. Last I checked, it was on Netflix instant. It's brutal, but really awesome. Gritty and realistic with some fantasy elements and ambiguity.
|
|
#
?
Feb 24, 2012 04:09
|
|
|
Scrubber posted:I'm looking for fantasy that feels like historical fiction and/or historical fiction that feels like fantasy. Guy Gavriel Kay: Wikipedia, Edited posted:A Song for Arbonne (1992). A modification of the Albigensian Crusade in a medieval Provence analogue.
|
|
#
?
Feb 24, 2012 04:30
|
|
|
Ash: A Secret History by Mary Gentle is an interesting blend of historical fiction (set in the late 15th century) and fantasy fiction.
|
|
#
?
Feb 24, 2012 04:41
|
|
|
Scrubber posted:I'm looking for fantasy that feels like historical fiction and/or historical fiction that feels like fantasy. Mary Renault does exactly this in her novel The King Must Die. It's written from the perspective of Theseus, and walks right down that line of ambiguity -- Theseus clearly believes the various greek gods to be real, but are we just seeing his perspective, or . . .? Excellent book. For more "fantasy" themed historical fiction, i.e., fantasy novels in historical settings, I second the Guy Gavriel Kay recommendations, especially The Lions of Al-Rassan -- it's set in a fantasy version of reconquista era Spain, but the magic is VERY minimal.
|
|
#
?
Feb 24, 2012 14:23
|
|
|
Scrubber posted:I'm looking for fantasy that feels like historical fiction and/or historical fiction that feels like fantasy. Let's see... Barbara Hambly does both plain historical fiction and fantasy, you might enjoy some of her works--I think she's one of the best as far as high-tech/magic crossovers go. She is in fact a history professor, so she's VERY good about plausible detail. The list of her books is here. I would especially recommend the Windrose Chronicles (one of the countries is about to go into their own Industrial Revolution) and the James Asher/Vampire Series, starting with Those Who Hunt the Night, which takes place in the Victorian Era. I like her other fantasy stories a lot too, but those are probably a good place to start.
|
|
#
?
Feb 25, 2012 04:32
|
|
|
I'd like some accurate military (maybe science) fiction. Battle: Los Angeles was at least somewhat accurate in this regard, so I suppose something similar to that, though it doesn't have to be sci-fi. Mostly looking for well-done military fiction.
|
|
#
?
Feb 25, 2012 04:49
|
|
|
I'm looking for a really good book on Etymology or history of words/phrases/slang. I find this kind of thing really interesting.
|
|
#
?
Feb 25, 2012 04:54
|
|
|
pech posted:I'm looking for a really good book on Etymology or history of words/phrases/slang. I find this kind of thing really interesting. The Etymologicon: A Circular Stroll through the Hidden Connections of the English Language is pretty good I hear.
|
|
#
?
Feb 25, 2012 05:50
|
|
|
Urdnot Fire posted:I'd like some accurate military (maybe science) fiction. Battle: Los Angeles was at least somewhat accurate in this regard, so I suppose something similar to that, though it doesn't have to be sci-fi. Mostly looking for well-done military fiction. Joe Haldeman is a Vietnam veteran and he wrote the acclaimed Forever War based on his own experiences. I am not a military man myself so I can't judge it's accuracy but I liked the novel a lot.
|
|
#
?
Feb 25, 2012 09:19
|
|
|
Scrubber posted:I'm looking for fantasy that feels like historical fiction and/or historical fiction that feels like fantasy. Try Latro in the Mist by Gene Wolfe. It's an omnibus of 2 of his novels, Soldier in the Mist and Soldier of Arete. It's kind of like that movie Memento, but set in Ancient Greece. You're not really sure if he's just gotten hit on the head too hard or if he's really talking to all these gods and creatures that he's seeing.
|
|
#
?
Feb 25, 2012 10:52
|
|
|
I really like well developed, believable characters. To me, its what makes a book believable. Steinbeck- East of Eden, Of Mice and Men McCarthy- Blood Meridian, No Country for Old Men I could go on-- but those books, for example, have characters that express every emotion and are presented in almost every dimension. What other books, by those authors or others (preferably, I love reading new authors) are like that? Thanks!
|
|
#
?
Feb 26, 2012 05:36
|
|
|
Bob A Feet posted:I really like well developed, believable characters. To me, its what makes a book believable. As far as McCarthy goes, I'd recommend The Road, which is character-driven to a much greater extent than BM and No Country. For new authors, Jhumpa Lahiri is my absolute favorite for believable characters. She only has three books out, and they're all great so you can't really go wrong no matter what you pick, but I'd personally recommend Interpreter of Maladies, her first book, over the other two. Although if you're more about novels than short stories, you might want to try The Namesake instead.
|
|
#
?
Feb 26, 2012 07:06
|
|
|
I'm looking for a couple of different things. First I'm looking for some sort of romance story that is told mainly from the male character's point of view. I would refer it deal with the beginning of a relationship rather than an already established one (though I'll take anything really, as long as it is not too explicit). If you know a better place (that is, a different website/forum) to ask for a recommendation like this I would appreciate it. Second I'm just looking for a good fantasy/scifi book or series. In order of decreasing importance: I prefer it be one where the story line focuses on a few characters rather than a large number. Also I would like it be an adventure type story, like people being sent into a "strange land" or something similar, if it was scifi an alien planet would work. Lastly I prefer stronger romance sub-plots and I hate explicit foreshadowing or starting out by talking about the ending (eg The Name of the Wind). Books I liked: Everything by Brandon Sanderson, particularly Mistborn Trilogy The Way of Kings (especially Kaladin's storyline) Elantris Codex Alera by Jim Butcher Doomsday Book and To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis The Lost Fleet series by Jack Campbell
|
|
#
?
Feb 26, 2012 22:49
|
|
|
ErrantSystems posted:I'm looking for a couple of different things. First I'm looking for some sort of romance story that is told mainly from the male character's point of view. I would refer it deal with the beginning of a relationship rather than an already established one (though I'll take anything really, as long as it is not too explicit). If you know a better place (that is, a different website/forum) to ask for a recommendation like this I would appreciate it. I'd check out Jim Butcher's Dresden Files. It's urban fantasy, and it does include a romance starting during the series, which is told from a male first-person POV. It's also just a pretty fun series in general.
|
|
#
?
Feb 27, 2012 02:21
|
|
|
Urdnot Fire posted:I'd check out Jim Butcher's Dresden Files. It's urban fantasy, and it does include a romance starting during the series, which is told from a male first-person POV. It's also just a pretty fun series in general.
|
|
#
?
Feb 27, 2012 02:50
|
|
|
I'm looking for a fantasy book (or even general fiction) with a badass female warrior type (someone that actually fights). I'm not so interested in the magic-side of things. I'm a big fan of Joe Abercrombie's style, and have read George RR Martin and Brandon Sanderson. Abercrombie is close to what I'd be looking for - morally grey characters that beat everyone to a pulp, but with a female lead.
|
|
#
?
Feb 27, 2012 08:53
|
|
|
Looking for a book to act as an antidote to "creation science". The reader would be a Christian whose faith makes it seem very appealing to explain geology, astrophysics, and biology within the context of the bible. I'm not looking to beat her over the head with Dawkins, feel pretty sure that she won't enjoy Darwin, and can't see her sitting down to a stack of advanced scholarly works. So if anyone knows an engaging book that explains the physical existence and nature of the cosmos, the Earth, and the life upon it, in a scientific manner that isn't condescending to the layman or the believer -- yet isn't ambiguous about whether it could all come about even vaguely like it's described in Genesis -- I would certainly appreciate a recommendation.
|
|
#
?
Feb 27, 2012 23:33
|
|
|
budgieinspector posted:Looking for a book to act as an antidote to "creation science". The reader would be a Christian whose faith makes it seem very appealing to explain geology, astrophysics, and biology within the context of the bible. I'm not looking to beat her over the head with Dawkins, feel pretty sure that she won't enjoy Darwin, and can't see her sitting down to a stack of advanced scholarly works. Cosmos by Carl Sagan (and the rest of his oeuvre too, for that matter)
|
|
#
?
Feb 28, 2012 00:31
|
|
|
Joramun posted:Cosmos by Carl Sagan (and the rest of his oeuvre too, for that matter) D'oh! And I almost said, "something like Carl Sagan", too, but dismissed the idea because I thought his work just dealt with astrophysics, and didn't cover biology or evolution. Thanks!
|
|
#
?
Feb 28, 2012 00:49
|
|
|
Need good books on: PIRA and Bloody Sunday. American Civil War. Have not really studied either of these subjects in any detail ever before so yeah, all suggestions is good suggestions.
|
|
#
?
Feb 28, 2012 08:23
|
|
|
Can anyone recommend a great book or book series to engage young kindergartners (5, almost 6) who spend most of their time playing videogames or online? I live with my family and have a little brother and little sister, and for the past half-year or so, my little brother has been getting more and more into the Wii and my sister more and more into surfing online. They are just learning how to spell and write, and no reading yet, so I'd like to find something to read with them at night before bed to get them interested in learning to read and read books, not screens. Ideally it'd also have strong, well-rounded female characters. My little sister is a Barbie girl, through and through, and I worry about her focus on makeup and boys (and seemingly only those two topics) at her age. Any recommendations would be appreciated.
|
|
#
?
Feb 28, 2012 17:36
|
|
|
Scrubber posted:I'm looking for fantasy that feels like historical fiction and/or historical fiction that feels like fantasy. This might be obvious but have you read Gabriel Garcia Marquez? Magical realism may not be the exact genre you're looking for but it sounds like something you'd enjoy. Old Greg posted:Can anyone recommend a great book or book series to engage young kindergartners (5, almost 6) who spend most of their time playing videogames or online? I live with my family and have a little brother and little sister, and for the past half-year or so, my little brother has been getting more and more into the Wii and my sister more and more into surfing online. They are just learning how to spell and write, and no reading yet, so I'd like to find something to read with them at night before bed to get them interested in learning to read and read books, not screens. As a child I remember finding anything subversive was also hilarious, so I'd suggest http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Stinky_Cheese_Man_and_Other_Fairly_Stupid_Tales It's been awhile but I am afraid I don't recall strong female characters. CAPTAIN SHIT fucked around with this message at 10:48 on Feb 29, 2012 |
|
#
?
Feb 29, 2012 10:45
|
|
|
Arab of Laurentia posted:Any recommendations for books about the history of New York City, especially from colonial times to the 1920s or so? Gangs of New York. Also to the person who wanted a spy book the Ian Fleming Bond books are good. Also Third Man is awesome and to the person who wanted Roman History, I Claudius and Claudius the God are the best.
|
|
#
?
Feb 29, 2012 17:08
|
|
|
Pretty Pretty Pony posted:I'm looking for a fantasy book (or even general fiction) with a badass female warrior type (someone that actually fights). I'm not so interested in the magic-side of things. There are a lot of urban fantasy books with badass morally grey female leads, or are you looking specifically for high fantasy books? If not you should check out Ilona Andrews' Kate Daniels series, or Kim Harrison's The Hollows series, though the second one has quite a bit of magic. You might try Maria Snyder's Poison Study. It's young adult in a light fantasy dystopian setting. The main protagonist is a young woman that was saved from a death sentence to become the High Commander's food taster. Lots of action kind of like a less modern Hunger Games.
|
|
#
?
Feb 29, 2012 18:47
|
|
|
Schofferhofer posted:Need good books on: Bloody Sunday -- Peter Pringle's and Philip Jacobson's Those Are Real Bullets is a good place to start. Don Mullan's Eyewitness Bloody Sunday is a collection of over 500 eyewitness statements that had been ignored by the original inquiry into the massacre, and is also worth reading as a reference. Don Mullan was 15 and present at the rally (he is the boy on the far right of this picture), and he co-produced the 2002 film Bloody Sunday (dir. Paul Greengrass), which you should see if you're interested in this topic and if you haven't already. Also, just FYI, a new inquiry was opened in 1998 and closed in 2010 (called the Saville Inquiry -- you can find the entire report online and see all the evidence and testimony here), and it determined that every victim had been innocent of wrongdoing and was shot unjustifiably. (Wiki article) Edit yet again: Actually, if you read the principle conclusions of the Saville Inquiry, you get a ton of great information not only on the massacre but on the political and social climate of the city at the time and the events leading up to the massacre, all laid out fairly clearly and succinctly, with maps and everything. I'd start there. Last edit: I wrote library resource guide on Bloody Sunday a couple of years ago (I work in a library), so if you want any more recommendations you're welcome to PM me. Rabbit Hill fucked around with this message at 20:37 on Feb 29, 2012 |
|
#
?
Feb 29, 2012 20:14
|
|
|
Any good fiction books on the Russian or Chinese revolutions? I've read Dr. Zhivago, which was pretty good, but anything on those subjects would be great.
|
|
#
?
Feb 29, 2012 20:19
|
|
|
What are the best biographies on Che Guevara?
|
|
#
?
Feb 29, 2012 22:56
|
|
|
doctor iono posted:What are the best biographies on Che Guevara? John Lee Anderson's. It's a brick, but very good regardless.
|
|
#
?
Feb 29, 2012 23:00
|
|
man
|
Schofferhofer posted:Need good books on: I'd strongly recommend James M. McPherson's The Mighty Scourge, which tackles a lot of the big questions of the war in a pretty compact and engaging way. It's a really great way to get into the subject, and I found it easy to follow even though I hadn't read about the Civil War since high school. McPherson also wrote the Pulitzer Prize-winning Battle Cry of Freedom on the whole war, so he knows his stuff and can delve into the details when needed.
|
|
#
?
Mar 1, 2012 03:46
|
|
|
I am looking for books containing Thief, Assassins, or Monster Slayers in training with a decent section of the book focusing on their training or upbringing as one, preferably fantasy, but I wouldn't mind something with a modern bent. Books I've read and liked The Lies of Locke Lamorra Farseer books Oliver Twist Night Angel Trilogy Taltos Novels The Witcher novels.
|
|
#
?
Mar 1, 2012 05:35
|
|
|
|
| # ? Apr 27, 2024 02:11 |
|
|
dokmo posted:John Lee Anderson's. It's a brick, but very good regardless. The Columbus library system, while usually pretty comprehensive, apparently only has this as a 29-disc, 37-hour audiobook. I'll take your word for it and go for the Amazon copy, though.
|
|
#
?
Mar 1, 2012 05:47
|
|