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Message
Movie Board Recommendations: Books (UPDATE: Post Stormlight Book 1)
Posted on 11/26/13 at 12:26 pm
Posted on 11/26/13 at 12:26 pm
UPDATE: This became quite general in approach and people getting recommendations for themselves, so it isn't just my list anymore, feel free to add your specific requests to the thread.
Freauxzen's request:
So here I am, on the cusp of getting back into fiction and literature. I need some good books. I spent the last three years focusing on professional development, reading business books, leadership books, sales books, PM books, all the fun stuff. But now that has slowed down just a bit, and I can finally read again. I just finished the last of the PK Dick's I have to read for a bit. And a Margaret Atwood book. And now I need some fresh recommendations.
Here's the thing: My tastes are varied, but my requirements are specific. And I dislike wasting time. Nothing burns me more than a bad book. I trust the MTV board more than general reviews, and I know some, if not most, of us are readers, so with that said, here we go (I'll probably buy at least 2, if not more depending on the recommendation).
For reference my favorite books are House of Leaves, Huck Finn, Arthur Gordon Pym, Gravity's Rainbow and anything by Pynchon, Vonnegut, Catch-22, The Stand, The Shining, anything by PK Dic, Heinlen, all Tolkien, Dragonlance, Carver for Short Stories, I could go on.
I skew science fiction, I enjoy reading fantasy the most, I like horror the best in general, and I like complex books. That's pretty much my tastes in a nutshell.
Horror:
I need a good horror book. I miss horror novels. I've read it all though. Everything King and Koontz have written. Clive Barker? Check. Saul, Straub, Matheson, Gaiman (wherever he fits) etc. Dislike Rice and Harris. I would be reading Doctor Sleep right now, but I refuse to buy 8-inch 10 lb. monstrosities of pages. And I don't have a kindle. Crazy I know.
Subgenres:
Zombies - I could use a good zombie book, but again, I've exhausted the subgenre I think. Brooks? Check. All of the zombies from the above? Check.
Post-Apocalyptic: Easily my favorite subgenre, but again, I think I've read everything. Give me a world destroyed and a cast of characters struggling to survive and I'll finish it in a few days. Just finished Oryx and Crake which was excellent.
Good Ghost Horror: I could do a haunted house story or something like a historical fiction. Ghosts are fun. Well written ghost stories can be terrifying honestly.
Science Fiction:
Currently Debating: Hyperion- Never read it. And I've only read half of Dune, haven't decided if I want to pick it up again or try something new. I've also considered Discworld, but I don't know where to start and it just looks weird. Battle Royale - If you enjoy the movie, is the book still worth it?
I need a good science fiction to. I really want a space opera. Epic. Large cast of cool characters, big universe, intense and meaningful conflict. That would be my primary chase, but there's always...
Mindf%$&*s: House of Leaves is my favorite book of all time for a reason. Give me twisty stories, book flipping, secret codes, twisty plots. I love that stuff. Snow Crash. House of Leaves. Even Mason and Dixon to a degree.
Post-Apocalyptic: See above. Either Science Fiction or Horror Works. I've considered The Passage, but haven't pulled the trigger.
True Blue Science Fiction: One of my favorite trilogies was probably Robinson's Mars trilogy. I'd almost read that again if there were nothing comparable.
Historical Fiction: As a subgenre of science fiction, mostly (or maybe horror), I like something that takes the real world and flips it over. I could do steampunk or something similar.
Fantasy:
Is Drizzt worth it? I don't like authors who simply churn out novels, I start to sense comfortable writing and that turns me off quickly.
I'm probably going to read Game of Thrones with whatever other books I get, but I'm not one to read one at a time and I'm pretty sure I'll dislike it (Tolkien, Pynchon and King are the only wordy authors that I've been able to enjoy, because they are great WRITERS and great storytellers). Wordiness bothers the heck out of me. I've thought about Wheel of Time, but yeah, I know it's wordy for no reason, so that's out until I have time to really dig in if I feel like it.
I like high fantasy, big worlds, etc. though.
Literary Fiction:
Straight up fiction. I'm a big fan of writers who can bring heavy themes into simple stories Hawthorne. Updike, etc. But this is probably the most open category. Just what the heck is out there?
For comparison, I need the literary version of The National's album output. Who hits those notes (literally and figuratively)?
As always, thanks!
Freauxzen's request:
So here I am, on the cusp of getting back into fiction and literature. I need some good books. I spent the last three years focusing on professional development, reading business books, leadership books, sales books, PM books, all the fun stuff. But now that has slowed down just a bit, and I can finally read again. I just finished the last of the PK Dick's I have to read for a bit. And a Margaret Atwood book. And now I need some fresh recommendations.
Here's the thing: My tastes are varied, but my requirements are specific. And I dislike wasting time. Nothing burns me more than a bad book. I trust the MTV board more than general reviews, and I know some, if not most, of us are readers, so with that said, here we go (I'll probably buy at least 2, if not more depending on the recommendation).
For reference my favorite books are House of Leaves, Huck Finn, Arthur Gordon Pym, Gravity's Rainbow and anything by Pynchon, Vonnegut, Catch-22, The Stand, The Shining, anything by PK Dic, Heinlen, all Tolkien, Dragonlance, Carver for Short Stories, I could go on.
I skew science fiction, I enjoy reading fantasy the most, I like horror the best in general, and I like complex books. That's pretty much my tastes in a nutshell.
Horror:
I need a good horror book. I miss horror novels. I've read it all though. Everything King and Koontz have written. Clive Barker? Check. Saul, Straub, Matheson, Gaiman (wherever he fits) etc. Dislike Rice and Harris. I would be reading Doctor Sleep right now, but I refuse to buy 8-inch 10 lb. monstrosities of pages. And I don't have a kindle. Crazy I know.
Subgenres:
Zombies - I could use a good zombie book, but again, I've exhausted the subgenre I think. Brooks? Check. All of the zombies from the above? Check.
Post-Apocalyptic: Easily my favorite subgenre, but again, I think I've read everything. Give me a world destroyed and a cast of characters struggling to survive and I'll finish it in a few days. Just finished Oryx and Crake which was excellent.
Good Ghost Horror: I could do a haunted house story or something like a historical fiction. Ghosts are fun. Well written ghost stories can be terrifying honestly.
Science Fiction:
Currently Debating: Hyperion- Never read it. And I've only read half of Dune, haven't decided if I want to pick it up again or try something new. I've also considered Discworld, but I don't know where to start and it just looks weird. Battle Royale - If you enjoy the movie, is the book still worth it?
I need a good science fiction to. I really want a space opera. Epic. Large cast of cool characters, big universe, intense and meaningful conflict. That would be my primary chase, but there's always...
Mindf%$&*s: House of Leaves is my favorite book of all time for a reason. Give me twisty stories, book flipping, secret codes, twisty plots. I love that stuff. Snow Crash. House of Leaves. Even Mason and Dixon to a degree.
Post-Apocalyptic: See above. Either Science Fiction or Horror Works. I've considered The Passage, but haven't pulled the trigger.
True Blue Science Fiction: One of my favorite trilogies was probably Robinson's Mars trilogy. I'd almost read that again if there were nothing comparable.
Historical Fiction: As a subgenre of science fiction, mostly (or maybe horror), I like something that takes the real world and flips it over. I could do steampunk or something similar.
Fantasy:
Is Drizzt worth it? I don't like authors who simply churn out novels, I start to sense comfortable writing and that turns me off quickly.
I'm probably going to read Game of Thrones with whatever other books I get, but I'm not one to read one at a time and I'm pretty sure I'll dislike it (Tolkien, Pynchon and King are the only wordy authors that I've been able to enjoy, because they are great WRITERS and great storytellers). Wordiness bothers the heck out of me. I've thought about Wheel of Time, but yeah, I know it's wordy for no reason, so that's out until I have time to really dig in if I feel like it.
I like high fantasy, big worlds, etc. though.
Literary Fiction:
Straight up fiction. I'm a big fan of writers who can bring heavy themes into simple stories Hawthorne. Updike, etc. But this is probably the most open category. Just what the heck is out there?
For comparison, I need the literary version of The National's album output. Who hits those notes (literally and figuratively)?
As always, thanks!
This post was edited on 9/28/15 at 10:15 am
Posted on 11/26/13 at 12:32 pm to Freauxzen
I found The Passage to be ok. I did not like The Twelve.
I enjoyed The Rook by Daniel O'Malley.
I enjoyed The Rook by Daniel O'Malley.
Posted on 11/26/13 at 12:36 pm to Freauxzen
quote:
Post-Apocalyptic: Easily my favorite subgenre, but again, I think I've read everything. Give me a world destroyed and a cast of characters struggling to survive and I'll finish it in a few days. Just finished Oryx and Crake which was excellent.
Cormac McCarthy's "The Road"
I'm sure you've read it given your long list, but if not, go get it.
Posted on 11/26/13 at 12:41 pm to LSUBoo
quote:
Cormac McCarthy's "The Road"
I'm sure you've read it given your long list, but if not, go get it.
Read it twice, fantastic book.
Posted on 11/26/13 at 12:46 pm to MSTiger33
quote:
I found The Passage to be ok. I did not like The Twelve.
Tons of people seem to like it, but it seems people I trust say it's a little overrated.
quote:
I enjoyed The Rook by Daniel O'Malley.
Just read the synopsis, that sounds super interesting.
Posted on 11/26/13 at 12:47 pm to Freauxzen
quote:Try some of Neil Gaiman's works.
Fantasy
Neverwhere
American Gods
Anansi Boys
Posted on 11/26/13 at 12:48 pm to Freauxzen
What about any non-fiction from WWII? "Unbroken" by Laura Hillenbrand might be the best story I've ever read
For murder mystery type with a unique story telling style, I recently read "Gone Girl" by Gillian Flynn and really enjoyed it
For murder mystery type with a unique story telling style, I recently read "Gone Girl" by Gillian Flynn and really enjoyed it
Posted on 11/26/13 at 12:50 pm to Scruffy
I feel people are going to start to hate when I do this...
Read these too.
quote:
Try some of Neil Gaiman's works.
Neverwhere
American Gods
Anansi Boys
Read these too.
Posted on 11/26/13 at 12:52 pm to Freauxzen
Well, have you read Heinlein?
The Moon is a Harsh Mistress
Stranger in a Strange Land
You've probably read his works.
Posted on 11/26/13 at 12:53 pm to Freauxzen
"And the arse Saw the Angel" - Nick Cave
Posted on 11/26/13 at 12:55 pm to Freauxzen
quote:
Historical Fiction: As a subgenre of science fiction, mostly (or maybe horror), I like something that takes the real world and flips it over. I could do steampunk or something similar.
I'm not a fantasy guy, but I know there is a Steampunk series out that is Sci-Fi + Fantasy. can't remember name though.
Posted on 11/26/13 at 12:56 pm to Scruffy
quote:
Well, have you read Heinlein?
The Moon is a Harsh Mistress
Stranger in a Strange Land
You've probably read his works.
Probably, imo, the best pure science fiction author. Short answer: Yes.
Posted on 11/26/13 at 1:00 pm to Freauxzen
quote:
Historical Fiction
Gates of Fire
Posted on 11/26/13 at 1:01 pm to Freauxzen
Have you read Christopher Moore? He mixes fantasy/scifi and comedy and is a pretty good story-teller and writer. Similar to Chuck Palahniuk in some regards to writing style.
HoL is in my top 5 books I've ever read. Absolutely enthralling experience reading that book for the first time. Danielewski's Only Revolutions is a pretty good read as well.
Look into John Dies In The End. It's fantastic.
If you like HP Lovecraft check out The Terror by Dan Simmons. Has similar motifs.
quote:
Mindf%$&*s: House of Leaves is my favorite book of all time for a reason. Give me twisty stories, book flipping, secret codes, twisty plots. I love that stuff.
HoL is in my top 5 books I've ever read. Absolutely enthralling experience reading that book for the first time. Danielewski's Only Revolutions is a pretty good read as well.
Look into John Dies In The End. It's fantastic.
If you like HP Lovecraft check out The Terror by Dan Simmons. Has similar motifs.
Posted on 11/26/13 at 1:04 pm to etm512
quote:
Gates of Fire
Great book.
I always feel like I haven't read a lot of books, and then I ask for recommendations...
Posted on 11/26/13 at 1:22 pm to Freauxzen
quote:
Post-Apocalyptic:
You seem to have read all the big ones, but Miller's "a canticle for lebowitz" seems to be somewhat undervalued the past 20 years. Probably cause he didn't write much and there's never been many adaptations.
Posted on 11/26/13 at 1:30 pm to Freauxzen
I'll go ahead and recommend the same book that I recommend in every book thread, The Starmaker by Olaf Stapledon. I'll also recommend Infinte Jest by David Foster Wallace. I've seen it compared to Pynchon's Gravity's Rainbow in terms of being abstruse, but I haven't really gotten around to Pynchon yet, so I don't know if this comparison is credible.
ETA: I guess I'll try to sell The Starmaker a little. Arthur C. Clarke referred to it as possibly the greatest work of imagination ever. I think that it was supposed to be one of his primary inspirations.
ETA: I guess I'll try to sell The Starmaker a little. Arthur C. Clarke referred to it as possibly the greatest work of imagination ever. I think that it was supposed to be one of his primary inspirations.
This post was edited on 11/26/13 at 1:33 pm
Posted on 11/26/13 at 1:33 pm to etm512
quote:
What about any non-fiction from WWII? "Unbroken" by Laura Hillenbrand might be the best story I've ever read
Sounds interesting. Added to the list.
quote:
For murder mystery type with a unique story telling style, I recently read "Gone Girl" by Gillian Flynn and really enjoyed it
That's a maybe, intriguing.
Posted on 11/26/13 at 1:36 pm to Rohan2Reed
quote:
Have you read Christopher Moore? He mixes fantasy/scifi and comedy and is a pretty good story-teller and writer. Similar to Chuck Palahniuk in some regards to writing style.
Any good place to start with him?
quote:
HoL is in my top 5 books I've ever read. Absolutely enthralling experience reading that book for the first time. Danielewski's Only Revolutions is a pretty good read as well.
Agreed. I'll offer up two recommendations well worth it for HoL fans:
The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman
The Manuscripts Found at Saragossa
quote:
Look into John Dies In The End. It's fantastic.
I'm assuming it's better than the movie? (Which I did enjoy actually).
quote:
If you like HP Lovecraft check out The Terror by Dan Simmons. Has similar motifs.
Noted.
Posted on 11/26/13 at 1:37 pm to Freauxzen
Nice back handed literary brag thread.
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