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Big Bad Beetleborg posted:Might also be problematic as written between 1950s and 1980s
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Feb 19, 2021 23:25
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Sham bam bamina! posted:Kinda funny seeing this disclaimer after the Robinson Crusoe recommendation.
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Feb 19, 2021 23:32
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Hieronymous Alloy posted:Go for 20k leagues, maybe Tom Sawyer. I still have my childhood copies of 20k leagues and treasure island. Jack London's books were ones I liked around that age. Also C. S. Lewis
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Feb 20, 2021 06:03
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Bilirubin posted:Jack London's books were ones I liked around that age. Also C. S. Lewis Oh, yeah- White Fang and Call of the Wild were extremely my poo poo around this age.
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Feb 20, 2021 10:46
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A number of recent BOtMs might be good picks too. Zorro or Pyle's Robin Hood. Honestly Treasure Island would be a good BotM too.
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Feb 20, 2021 15:35
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Anybody have rec's for contemporary poets? I'm looking for a book for my friend that would be new to her and you folks would probably know more than me - Laura Kasischke is her favorite poet ever and she has basically everything of hers already.
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Feb 20, 2021 18:57
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Sham bam bamina! posted:Kinda funny seeing this disclaimer after the Robinson Crusoe recommendation. I mean isn't Crusoe literally the owner of a slave plantation who gets shipwrecked trying to trade slaves? Prepare for some interesting conversations with your kid.
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Feb 21, 2021 00:57
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knuthgrush posted:Back again this time with a request for my son. He absolutely loved Treasure Island and asked if there was more. Any recommendations for that line of reading? It's a different kind of swashbuckling, but The Three Musketeers was my one of my favorite books at that age range.
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Feb 21, 2021 01:12
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tinaun posted:Anybody have rec's for contemporary poets? I'm looking for a book for my friend that would be new to her and you folks would probably know more than me - Laura Kasischke is her favorite poet ever and she has basically everything of hers already. I always recommend Carmen Giminez Smith when this comes up. And, here is a couple of examples: https://pen.org/two-poems-by-carmen-gimenez-smith/
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Feb 21, 2021 01:53
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So as part of my personal book challenge for 2021 I'm looking to read some books written by authors indigenous to the Americans. Does anyone have any recommendations, either fiction or non-fiction? I'm thinking of Red Earth, White Lies for one. I've read a number of books written by white historians on the topic and I'm currently reading 1491. I'd be particularly interested in any good SF/F
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Feb 21, 2021 09:45
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knuthgrush posted:Back again this time with a request for my son. He absolutely loved Treasure Island and asked if there was more. Any recommendations for that line of reading? Two of my favorites at that age that I haven't seen mentioned yet are My Side of the Mountain and Dolphin Island (Arthur C. Clarke)
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Feb 21, 2021 11:07
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crazyvanman posted:So as part of my personal book challenge for 2021 I'm looking to read some books written by authors indigenous to the Americans. Does anyone have any recommendations, either fiction or non-fiction? I'm thinking of Red Earth, White Lies for one. I've read a number of books written by white historians on the topic and I'm currently reading 1491. I'd be particularly interested in any good SF/F My wife recommends The Inconvenient Indian by Thomas King.
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Feb 21, 2021 16:36
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crazyvanman posted:So as part of my personal book challenge for 2021 I'm looking to read some books written by authors indigenous to the Americans. Does anyone have any recommendations, either fiction or non-fiction? I'm thinking of Red Earth, White Lies for one. I've read a number of books written by white historians on the topic and I'm currently reading 1491. I'd be particularly interested in any good SF/F There There by Tommy Orange was a good novel In the Hands of the Great Spirit: The 20,000-Year History of American Indians by Jake Page Settlers: The Mythology of the White Proletariat by Sakai, J. (more a general discussion of race and class) The Marrow Thieves by Dimaline, Cherie (YA fantasy about native americans having a genetic mutation that might save humanity from a raging pandemic) The Only Good Indians by Jones, Stephen Graham (skews towards horror, illegally hunted animals seek revenge) Son of a Trickster by Robinson, Eden (another offering on the fantasy/magical realism YA side, was in the Canada Reads competition this year) Just a few thoughts
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Feb 21, 2021 18:57
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evilpicard posted:My wife recommends The Inconvenient Indian by Thomas King. This is a really good non fiction suggestion that introduces a lot of current Native issues and recent history. I quite enjoyed it.
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Feb 21, 2021 18:58
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crazyvanman posted:So as part of my personal book challenge for 2021 I'm looking to read some books written by authors indigenous to the Americans. Does anyone have any recommendations, either fiction or non-fiction? I'm thinking of Red Earth, White Lies for one. I've read a number of books written by white historians on the topic and I'm currently reading 1491. I'd be particularly interested in any good SF/F Is is still okay to read Sherman Alexie?
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Feb 21, 2021 19:06
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crazyvanman posted:So as part of my personal book challenge for 2021 I'm looking to read some books written by authors indigenous to the Americans. Does anyone have any recommendations, either fiction or non-fiction? I'm thinking of Red Earth, White Lies for one. I've read a number of books written by white historians on the topic and I'm currently reading 1491. I'd be particularly interested in any good SF/F The Truth About Stories by Thomas King See if your library has “That Tongued Belonging” by Marilyn Dumont if you wanna get some poetry in there. Check out Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Kimmerer as well. Keeper’n Me by Richard Wagamese
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Feb 21, 2021 19:07
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Thanks for all the suggestions. I'll pick one nonfiction and one fiction for now. Incidentally, I do recommend Charles C. Mann's 1491. I bought it after a couple of indigenous podcast people I listen to said it was the best book they'd read by a white author on the topic. It's basically a challenge to the ideas that the native populations of the 'Americas' were both few in number and primitive in technology. Mann himself is not an anthropologist or historian, as such, but writes a good survey of some of the debates.
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Feb 22, 2021 09:37
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Lockback posted:Don't Sleep, There are Snakes Sounds fasincating, I'll definitely check that out. tuyop posted:Maybe check out Semiosis or Dragon’s Egg for sci fi that sounds like this. Thanks - I'm definitely looking for more stuff that's not sci-fi or fantasy, but Dragon's Egg particularly does sound interesting so I might give it a try.
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Feb 22, 2021 19:13
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MockingQuantum posted:Are there any good books on Juan Pujol Garcia and his fake spy network? I know it's been fictionalized a couple of times, but I want something more biographical or non-fiction. Alternatively, what are good non-fiction books on spycraft or espionage in the WWII-Cold War era? Between Silk and Cyanide by Leo Marks is a really good first-person account of WWII codebreaking and making and has plenty of related spycraft stuff to go along with it. Codename Tricycle by Russell Miller is one of those "forget Hollywood, this guy was the real 007..." books and it's good, although IIRC it's got a heavier focus on what a character this guy was rather than nitty-gritty spy stuff, although I think that stuff is in there too, but it's been a while since I've read it.
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Feb 23, 2021 01:18
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Kerro posted:This might be a somewhat vague request, but I've realised that some of my favourite books are centred around characters learning how to adapt and relate to each other and their environment within an unusual (or at least unfamiliar to the characters) and constrained setting. Stuff like Faces in the Water (set in NZ residential psychiatric institutions), The Secret History (set at an elite college), The Poisonwood Bible (a white missionary family in a tiny Congolese village), anything set within a cult/sect/etc. I don't think the specific setting is too important as what I think I enjoy in these stories is the focus on the relationships between characters and their attempts to make sense of and find a way to live within a context that creates strange challenges or limitations. As I said, kinda vague, but does it bring anything to mind? Preferably not too bleak (as Lord of the Flies also came to mind when writing this, but I'm not in the mood to want to read things like that at the moment!) and prefer not sci-fi/fantasy etc. They are non-fiction but Redmond O'Hanlon wrote three books that might appeal, "Into the Heart of Borneo" "In Trouble again" and "No Mercy: A Journey into the heart of the Congo" (this one is a little lord of the flies-y, or Heart of Darkness-y if it come to that...) The first two are lighter and funnier, he's a somewhat eccentric English professor who occasionally sets himself a mad task (find the bornean rhino, find the confluence of the Amazon and Orinoco etc.) and sets about it with an equally unqualified partner. They always have a terrible time and I enjoy reading about other people having a terrible time.
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Feb 23, 2021 08:05
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I like to watch procedural-type TV shows, especially those that feature some kind of "special consultant" working with the cops. Some examples of shows I have enjoyed: Castle, Forever, Psych, The Mentalist, The Listener, and F.B.Eye. Obviously I am not concerned about realism, I just like stories where the cops aren't (all) bastards and they work regularly with outsiders to solve crimes and theres a happy/satisfying ending. Does anything like this trope exist in book form? I have read a lot of private eye mysteries, which have a similar vibe, but in those usually the cops are either bumbling around while the PI does the work, or if they work together it's all under the table or bribing the cops to look the other way. Some of the closest examples I have found are romance thrillers, which is fine, but if there are examples where the relationship aspects aren't the main focus I think I'd prefer that. Any suggestions? Am I looking for something too specific? If so I will also gladly take recommendations for procedural-type mysteries without the "consultant" angle.
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Feb 24, 2021 00:04
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The first ever fictional forensic scientist was R. Austin Freeman's Thorndike books. Start with "The Rest Thumb Mark." A lot of them should be free downloads I believe. Edit: http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/11128
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Feb 24, 2021 00:14
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wheatpuppy posted:I like to watch procedural-type TV shows, especially those that feature some kind of "special consultant" working with the cops. Some examples of shows I have enjoyed: Castle, Forever, Psych, The Mentalist, The Listener, and F.B.Eye. Obviously I am not concerned about realism, I just like stories where the cops aren't (all) bastards and they work regularly with outsiders to solve crimes and theres a happy/satisfying ending. I was about to say the obvious one would be "Cracker", but then I remembered the books are based on the series, not the other way around. E: I've only read the first of Kemelman's "The Rabbi" books but it's not a police procedural. Dunno about the rest. But at least the police aren't bungling. 3D Megadoodoo fucked around with this message at 01:11 on Feb 24, 2021 |
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Feb 24, 2021 01:02
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I have a few requests which might seem all over the place. As I get older I feel like I enjoy fantasy less and less. The last fantasy series I enjoyed was the First Law trilogy by Joe Abercombie and before/during/after that (lol), A Song of Ice and Fire. I just decided to try Wheel of Time and literally put it down after the prologue in the first book - I just don't know if I can get into it. So, a) is it worth sticking with WoT and, b) are there other fantasy series I should consider? I am also finding it hard to get into sci-fi and as a result have read very little recently. I really enjoyed most of the Culture series by Banks and Hyperion by Dan Simmons. But I recently tried Revelation Space which I couldn't get into. It feels like I prefer the super-grand scope of Culture books. Finally, and maybe as I get older this is what I am really after, I would like some suggestions for something like a thriller or detective/crime story. Authors I have my eye on are James Patterson and Michael Connelly. Can anyone recommend stuff like that? For reference, I read a few Jack Reacher books but they are a little too cheesy/over-the-top for what I am really looking for.
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Feb 24, 2021 14:20
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kaesarsosei posted:Finally, and maybe as I get older this is what I am really after, I would like some suggestions for something like a thriller or detective/crime story. Authors I have my eye on are James Patterson and Michael Connelly. Can anyone recommend stuff like that? For reference, I read a few Jack Reacher books but they are a little too cheesy/over-the-top for what I am really looking for. I know I've recommended this to someone before but maybe Rory Clements and for SPOOPY crime, John Connolly.
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Feb 24, 2021 14:48
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I wouldn't recommend Patterson. Unless you like short paragraphs. I mean one-sentence-long paragraphs. There are better mystery/thriller writers. So many better mystery/thriller writers. I haven't read Connelly myself, but if Reacher is too fantastic for you, I wonder if Gillian Flynn or Dennis Lehane might not be your speed. There are always classic dad-lit writers like Frederick Forsyth, Robert Ludlum, John D. MacDonald, and Dick Francis, too. As for fantasy/SF, I bailed out early in the Wheel of Time myself, so don't feel too bad if you decide it's not for you. if you liked Abercrombie, maybe check out K. J. Parker?
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Feb 24, 2021 14:57
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Ludlum's OK if you like reading a 300-page corker in 750 pages. Francis is really into horses but not too much into horses.
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Feb 24, 2021 15:00
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kaesarsosei posted:I have a few requests which might seem all over the place. I think that's normal. The first place I'd suggest starting is with classic noir -- Maltese Falcon, Big Sleep, Long Goodbye. They're classics for a reason. After that, you probably want some fantasy or SF with more thematic depth and a little more novelty. Try Roger zelazny if you haven't-- Lord of Light, Isle of the Dead, and Night in the Lonesome October. Maybe The Last Unicorn or Gaiman's Stardust (get the version illustrated by Charles Vess). Wheel of Time gets a bit more interesting as it progresses -- the first book is deliberately imitative of Tolkien -- but it's basically what it says on the tin, doorstopper epic fantasy.
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Feb 24, 2021 15:04
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kaesarsosei posted:I have a few requests which might seem all over the place. "The Hunter" by Richard Stark might be a cool crime book to start with. It's easy to read, real good crime noir, and if you like it there are tons of others of various quality. Forsyth is also a good thriller writer that might transition nicely.
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Feb 24, 2021 15:19
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kaesarsosei posted:I have a few requests which might seem all over the place. It sounds like you prefer darker, grittier fantasy and Wheel of Time is much more in the Tolkien high fantasy category. It's still good, certain books excepted, but it's fine to skip. Two recommendations: The Black Company is closest to First Law, basically if you took Logen's "named men" crew and made a series about them. Book of the New Sun is much more literary and with denser prose than almost all other fantasy. If you're looking for something that feels weighty and significant as you're reading it, it might be worth a try. The prose can take a while to settle in when you first start.
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Feb 24, 2021 17:06
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Fantasy person: have you read Gene Wolfe or Naomi Novik? Part of the issue with the genre fiction you listed is that it’s kind of for kids or young adults. Novik is still kind of YA but at least it’s interesting, in my opinion.
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Feb 25, 2021 00:58
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wheatpuppy posted:I like to watch procedural-type TV shows, especially those that feature some kind of "special consultant" working with the cops. Some examples of shows I have enjoyed: Castle, Forever, Psych, The Mentalist, The Listener, and F.B.Eye. Obviously I am not concerned about realism, I just like stories where the cops aren't (all) bastards and they work regularly with outsiders to solve crimes and theres a happy/satisfying ending. Maybe nobody else said so because it's too obvious but Agatha Christie, specifically the Poirot books. Maybe Miss Marple too but I've actually never read any of those. Very similar vibe to Monk if you've watched that. Police aren't incompetent but they typically just pass off the crime to Poirot instead of trying to solve it.
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Feb 25, 2021 01:46
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yaffle posted:They are non-fiction but Redmond O'Hanlon wrote three books that might appeal, "Into the Heart of Borneo" "In Trouble again" and "No Mercy: A Journey into the heart of the Congo" (this one is a little lord of the flies-y, or Heart of Darkness-y if it come to that...) This sounds amazing and I too greatly enjoy reading about other people having a terrible time (as long as it's not an outright traumatising time)
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Feb 25, 2021 06:51
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kaesarsosei posted:I have a few requests which might seem all over the place. I was also in this boat, and tried a whole lot of recommended fantasy authors without finding anything else I enjoyed. This might be a bit too off track for what you're after (though maybe not) but you might enjoy the Matthew Shardlake series by CJ Sansom. It's historical fiction set in the Tudor period about a lawyer who ends up solving crimes. I found it gave me some of the same satisfaction I got from Abercrombie (interesting, sympathetic characters doing their best in a horrible world) as well as some satisfying mystery/crime-solving like what I've found in some of my favorite authors from that genre. The first book is perhaps weaker than some of the others, but still solid and it's become one of my favourite series. Speaking of crime fiction, again I've read a ton in that space and my favourite authors I'd recommend checking out are Tana French and Harry Bingham. I found Connelly okay (much preferred his Lincoln Lawyer series) and found a lot of other stuff just a bit too formulaic, and for me French and Bingham nail it when it comes to interesting and engaging characters and generally have fairly satisfying (if not outright 'happy') endings.
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Feb 25, 2021 07:00
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One of my "why the heck didn't I buy the rest of the books in the series when they were dead cheap" regrats has been Burroughs' Pellucidar translations. Turns out the translator died in the middle of the third book so they only ever published the first three! I guess I could've found that out by Googling over a decade ago but didn't! Now it's just the 2nd and 3rd Earthsea hardcover translations, ditto Dune (which are like 100€ per?) ...and I just did a quick search and found the second part of dune for 10€ with "slighly bent spine" which is something I can actually fix in like fifteen minutes.
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Feb 25, 2021 16:55
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Humerus posted:Maybe nobody else said so because it's too obvious but Agatha Christie, specifically the Poirot books. Maybe Miss Marple too but I've actually never read any of those. Very similar vibe to Monk if you've watched that. Police aren't incompetent but they typically just pass off the crime to Poirot instead of trying to solve it. I can think of quite a few detectives who were on friendly terms with the police -- Kinsey Milhone, Ellery Queen, Nero Wolfe (well, kinda friendly, and Inspector Cramer was no bumbling cop) -- but in those books the police mostly exist just to step in at the end and arrest the murderer once the detective points them out. And I don't know if that's what the original requestor was after. That said, Ellery Queen might be close -- while Ellery is a private eye, his father is a police inspector, and they often work on crimes together.
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Feb 25, 2021 17:25
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Talk to me about Dostoyevsky. Which should I read?? Which Translation as well? I've read Crime and Punishment, the Coulson Translation, a long time ago and just loved it. I had been trying to read Neuromancer but I just don't care about the setting or the characters, maybe someday it will grab me. I've read a bit of The Possessed which I really liked. People say bad things about P&V translations, like it's not accurate and a dumber version. Constance Garnett is just a little old timey for me, I'd rather get something more modern.
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Feb 25, 2021 18:59
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Cheese Thief posted:Talk to me about Dostoyevsky. Which should I read?? Which Translation as well? I've read Crime and Punishment, the Coulson Translation, a long time ago and just loved it. I had been trying to read Neuromancer but I just don't care about the setting or the characters, maybe someday it will grab me. I've read a bit of The Possessed which I really liked. People say bad things about P&V translations, like it's not accurate and a dumber version. Constance Garnett is just a little old timey for me, I'd rather get something more modern. I absolutely love The Idiot, especially in the translation on Project Gutenberg. Just the right blend of approachability, historicity, and Russianness.
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Feb 25, 2021 19:15
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Modern Library has an excellent 2003 revision of Garnett's The Idiot that beats all the others for me, but I haven't looked at the Eva Martin translation on Gutenberg. It looks interesting and is contemporaneous with Garnett's; I'll compare it to the Garnett translation and the original Russian when I get home from work tonight and update this post. For a more modern version, Oxford has an edition translated by Alan Myers that's also very good. If you liked Crime and Punishment, you should give Notes from Underground a read. I recommend the recent translation by Kirsten Lodge, who also has an excellent translation of Tolstoy's The Death of Ivan Ilyich. My favorite Dostoyevsky is The Brothers Karamazov. I like the David Magarshack translation for Penguin the most (it's out of print, but secondhand copies are cheap and plentiful), but with your dislike of Garnett in mind, an overtly un-Garnett-like translation I can recommend is the smooth, streamlined Andrew MacAndrew version, published by Bantam. This was the version that introduced me to the book, and it's probably the most "recommendable" one for the general reader.
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Feb 25, 2021 20:35
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Thanks for the mystery suggestions, and yeah I should have mentioned that I have read pretty much all of Christie. I did add a few things to my read pile (Nero Wolfe has been on the list forever but I have bumped him up). To reciprocate I will mention that I recently came across MC Beaton and have enjoyed what I've seen so far of Agatha Raisin and Hamish Macbeth.
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Feb 26, 2021 01:51
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