Best fiction satire books according to redditors
We found 1,042 Reddit comments discussing the best fiction satire books. We ranked the 193 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the top 20.
We found 1,042 Reddit comments discussing the best fiction satire books. We ranked the 193 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the top 20.
Hitchhikers guide to the galaxy series. Either the 2nd or 3rd book I believe? They're all fairly short, I bought ultimate edition on Amazon and get all like 5 of them together.
Edit: for everyone asking, here's the book I got
The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
https://www.amazon.com/dp/0345453743/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apap_8nOngEkZkw2tO
Too bad someone already stole your title.
So ein fantastisches Buch.
/r/all: If you're looking for a fantastic book, especially if you liked The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, read The 13 1/2 lives of Captain Bluebear.
It's seriously amazing, great as a childrens book but adults will definitely enjoy it aswell. Here, check out the editorial reviews. It's great.
Alternate download for the non-Apple user. Edit: There's also a .pdf and .epub version on lulu.com. It's a better .pdf than smashwords, if that's your preferred format. Far as I know, both .epubs work fine. Haven't tested Kindle yet. Let me know if it works
Edit 2: And we're up on Amazon
They don't allow you to set the price to zero though, so it's 0.99
You know. In case you were wondering. Plot:
> Lizbreath Salamander is young and beautiful. Her scales have an iridescent sheen, her wings arch proudly, her breath has a tang of sulfur. And on her back a tattoo of a mythical creature: a girl. But when Lizbreath is drawn into a dark conspiracy she will have to rely on more than her beauty and her vicious claws the size of sabres ...A dragon has disappeared, one of a secretive clan. As Lizbreath delves deeper into their history she realises that these dragons will do anything to defend their secrets. Welcome to the world of The Dragon With The Girl Tattoo. A world of gloomy Nordic dragons leading lives uncannily like our own (despite their size, despite the need for extensive fireproofing of home furnishings), a world of money hoarded, a world of darkness and corruption. A world where people are the fantasy.
http://www.amazon.com/Dragon-Girl-Tattoo-Adam-Roberts/dp/0575100915
Pretty sure this is it
The 4th Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off has a winner!
And that winner with the joint highest score we've seen in 4 years & ~1200 books is....
ORCONOMICS!
Buy it: https://www.amazon.com/Orconomics-Satire-Dark-Profit-Saga-ebook/dp/B00O2NDJ2M/ref=sr_1_1 …?
See the score board: https://mark---lawrence.blogspot.com/2018/11/spfbo-2018-finals.html …
See the Official SPFBO page for results of all 4 years.
https://mark---lawrence.blogspot.com/2018/06/the-official-self-published-fantasy.html
And if you retweet the announcement … you might win a signed copy.
https://twitter.com/Mark__Lawrence/status/1131517883501162496
If you're at all interested in learning about Daoism I highly suggest you check out this book. It's really easy to read plus the cartoon drawings are quite cute and fun.
Do not start with The Colour of Magic (Discworld Book 1).
Many recommend starting on Guards! Guards! (the first in the Watch series), and I started there and fell in love. I recommend Going Postal (which introduces Moist von Lipwig and serves as a great intro to Ankh-Morpork and the Discworld in general).
Lspace (the Discworld wiki, you'll learn to love it) has recommended reading orders but the graphics are a bit out of date.
Closest thing to Adams and/or Pratchett I've read recently
Source: This internet slapfight. Pointed out to me by /u/opreee8ter
> "The barrels not even a required part, its harder st shott but would still kill fine."
Explanation: In absolute terms, it is possible to discharge a round as long as the firing pin is struck. However, without a barrel to trap the expanding gas and impart spin on the projectile you will wind up with a very anemic gun.
As an example, Small Arms Defense Journal did a study on barrel length in relation to velocity of 5.56x45 NATO.
> The maximum velocity for the M855 projectile occurred in a 20-inch barrel. This is anticipated since the cartridge was designed specifically for this barrel length. Velocity drops rapidly as the barrel length decreases, especially below 10 inches where the velocity drops below 2,500 fps. M855 bullets traveling below 2,500 fps when impacting a target will not produce a lethal wound channel.
The minimum barrel length tested was five inches, resulting in 1800 fps (about a 60% reduction in projectile energy). This velocity is well below the 2,500 fps minimum to reliably produce a lethal wound channel. Based on the graph presented, the relation of barrel length to muzzle velocity is initially close to exponential before tapering off, meaning that losing inches of an already short barrel hurts velocity far more than cutting down a longer barrel.
Rifleshooter.com did a similar study that got very similar numbers, you can check it out here.
Bullshit Rating: Although the person’s assertion that guns can be made by anyone with mechanical aptitude is true, he grossly underestimates the importance of a barrel for having an effective firearm. And as covered in GatFact™ brand GatFact™ #138, cartridges going off outside a proper chamber and barrel are not generally dangerous.
Category:
oblitum fertur in rationem
Related Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DByAUfZqR3Y
Unrelated Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7E0ot9iJm_k
Dead Tree Version: https://www.amazon.com/GatFacts-Book-satire-Firearms-Myths/dp/1511483717
Every Russian learner needs a copy of this textbook. I don't study the language any more, but it is a fantastic resource that somehow makes sense of the ridiculously complicated Russian grammar.
The second one: Eeeee Eee Eeee, the novel by Tao Lin
So, are they going to adapt "Going Postal"?
"Arch-swindler Moist Van Lipwig never believed his confidence crimes were hanging offenses -- until he found himself with a noose tightly around his neck, dropping through a trapdoor, and falling into... a government job
By all rights, Moist should have met his maker. Instead, it's Lord Vetinari, supreme ruler of Ankh-Morpork, who promptly offers him a job as Postmaster. Since his only other option is a nonliving one, Moist accepts the position -- and the hulking golem watchdog who comes along with it, just in case Moist was considering abandoning his responsibilities prematurely.
Getting the moribund Postal Service up and running again, however, may be a near-impossible task, what with literally mountains of decades-old undelivered mail clogging every nook and cranny of the broken-down post office building; and with only a few creaky old postmen and one rather unstable, pin-obsessed youth available to deliver it. Worse still, Moist could swear the mail is talking to him. Worst of all, it means taking on the gargantuan, money-hungry Grand Trunk clacks communication monopoly and its bloodthirsty piratical head, Mr. Reacher Gilt.
But it says on the building neither rain nor snow nor glo m of ni t ... Inspiring words (admittedly, some of the bronze letters have been stolen), and for once in his wretched life Moist is going to fight. And if the bold and impossible are what's called for, he'll do it -- in order to move the mail, continue breathing, get the girl, and specially deliver that invaluable commodity that every human being (not to mention troll, dwarf, and, yes, even golem) requires: hope."
My friend, if you enjoy this tidbit, you shall love the series. There should be a few good deals if you need it.
Link
Good luck. I've definitely got a bunch more tricks, so just send me a message if you want them. These are just some good beginning ones.
Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy. Best if the entire series is read (you can get all 5 books in one hardcover on Amazon for about $13: http://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Hitchhikers-Guide-Galaxy/dp/0345453743/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1323379697&sr=1-1 )
Former employee, linguist, and guy-who-is-pretty-ok-at-russian checking in:
It is decent, but you'll want to make sure you actually understand the concept of grammatical case, and how it works and is marked in Russian.
I would highly recommend pairing it with the New Penguin Russian Course.
Definitely use studio as much as possible, and take notes case endings. RS will show you something like на невысоком мужчине черный костюм, and it will help to know that невысоком is declined for the prepositional/locative case. Well, really, it will help to know that that form is not the "default," and how to 1)figure out what the default is and 2)transform the word as you need to when speaking.
A friend of mine did just RS, and she has a problem with basically just saying a word in whatever case she first heard it in...so she might say невысоком when trying to say невысокый, or what have you.
Finally, evaluate after 5 months, and if you're not using it, it's not working, or whatever, send it back and get a refund. Mark it on your calendar, and decide before you miss the deadline.
http://www.amazon.com/The-Ultimate-Hitchhikers-Guide-Galaxy/dp/0345453743/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1397525423&sr=8-2&keywords=the+hitchhikers+guide+to+the+galaxy
You can get the complete collection (that's 5 books + a short story) from Amazon for only $13 -- do yourself a favor and check it out. It's the funniest, most insanely clever and entertaining book I've ever read.
https://www.amazon.com/New-Penguin-Russian-Course-Beginners/dp/0140120416
I'm shocked that Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams hasn't been mentioned yet. 5 books for $11, the most fun I've had reading something in a long time.
The perfect reading material.
https://www.amazon.com/GatFacts-Book-satire-Firearms-Myths/dp/1511483717
For online resources, I'd strongly recommend the RT course over Duolingo. For books, Nicholas Brown's New Penguin Russian Course is very good. And Irina Sapegina, an experienced teacher, gives some very good advice here on the three worst tips for learning Russian that you'll probably hear!
I would go to a small café in Rickmansworth, England, order some drink, and write on a napkin something like...
>I've suddenly realized what it is that has been going wrong all this time. I finally know how the world can be a good and happy place. This time it is right, it will work, and no one will have to get nailed to anything! It's really quite simple and obvious, once you get it. You just have to understand this:
>
I'd leave exactly 42 bucks on my wallet and, if possible, be wearing a shirt with dolphings and/or mice drawing. Works better if it's on a Thursday.
Too Long : Didn't Get It? Check page 5 here.
Grunts
Confessions of a D list Supervillian
How to succeed in evil
Secret Six
Forty Millenia of Cultivation is basically my favorite web serial to follow right now. Possibly my favorite book I'm reading, period, and I've got Orconomics and Inventing the Future for it to compete with!
IT IS THE FORTY-FIRST MILLENIUM, AND MANKIND LIVES AMONG THE STARS, CULTIVATING QI.
I think a lot of the best resources can be found online for free but if you really want to buy her something physical as a gift the new penguin Russian course seems to get a lot of good reviews.
http://www.amazon.com/The-New-Penguin-Russian-Course/dp/0140120416
wait, you noticed this and you really don't know. go down to the library and pick up a copy of the hitch hikers guide to the galaxy
Is it supposed to link to this?
You are one lucky person who is about to discover The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.
Share and Enjoy! Share and Enjoy!
It's part of the website Critical Hits where the author loves to imagine how the economics of a DnD setting would work.
There's also the book, Orconomics, which is about a similar topic.
Here's the review of the book that was posted to this subreddit.
Here's my list,
free online courses incl audio
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free srs / vocab practice
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speaking practice
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books and audio courses (library / search online)
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etc.
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Best Android app I've found yet: Russian in a Month. Best online site (for pocasts when you are driving: RussianPod101.com. Best book I've found: New Penguin Russian Course
Other then that, read children's articles, watch Cheburaska, follow the Russian subreddits /r/Russianlessons, /r/Russian101, and /r/Russian, read Russian wherever you can, and listen to Russian music. If you want any other tips or tricks I've used, just let me know. Good luck!
1Q84 and Damned are the most enjoyable books I've read that have come out in the past 8 months. However, if you're looking for something literary, that probably counts out Damned. Hope: A Tragedy also falls into your time frame. It's interesting; very dark and humorous. But, ehn...
It's kind of telling how hard it is to think of any. Fantasy/Romance hybrids tend to be very "retro" and often are used as excuses to retell the story of Cinderella or Pride & Prejudice...or to have your Big Strong Man bigger and stronger then a real human can be. Men tend to not fantasize about the strength and wealth of their lovers, and all but the most progressive women seem disconcerted by the idea of a man weaker then them.
The closest thing I can think of is the The Utterly Uninteresting and Unadventurous Tales of Fred. Fred is an accountant who is turned into a vampire, and falls for a badass member of a secret supernatural law enforcement agency.
The Cloud Roads by Martha Wells has a male lead from a matriarchal species where women are bigger and stronger. The love interest is a Queen.
Street Cultivation is teasing a possible future relationship with a women richer and stronger then the hero. Somehow I suspect the relationship will never materialize or will materialize after the hero becomes richer and stronger. (Which interestingly are the same thing in this universe)
Glory Road by Robert A. Heinlein sort of qualifies. The ending is a little bitter sweet, though.
The Matt Richter Series involves a zombie dating a vampire. It is a running joke that vampires are faster then a normal human while zombies are slower. There are scenes where he attempts to rescue someone vastly more physically powerful then him. Totally a comedy.
It's quite common in LitRPG to have female love interests who start out much stronger then the male protagonist but are later surpassed by the male lead. I can think of several if that is good enough.
> I am an industrial medic
Nice one, you're one of the good guys then. I thought for a horrible minute there that you were in advertising.
> 2009 in short. Major debt owed to the Province, was engaged but am now single.
Both kinds of bad :(
> Terry Pratchett
I enjoyed Going Postal so you could start there.
> Polar bear, hands down if it is in the Polar bear's natural habitat. No shark can lve for long after being pulled up onto an ice shelf to be carved alive.
That's why I said on neutral territory - bit like virtual reality.
I'm just starting to learn Russian myself. I'm using this website and this book which supposedly gets you up to an A-Level grade. I think it's a great book but found it a little tough for an absolute beginner so I also got this book which is just basic phrases really, doesn't go into grammar in any real detail but it gives you a lot more confidence to be able to speak something rather than getting completely bogged down in grammar as soon as you've learnt the alphabet imo. As soon as a got a couple of chapters into the phrase book, I started using the Russian course book I linked above to understand the grammar and handwriting better. Can't recommend the penguin one highly enough and I'm sure it will be a great help that you will have a teacher to help you with the grammar.
You're correct in thinking that the alphabet is the most important beginning. DON'T try learning a language using English phonetics, that'll just confuse you (which i can confirm) and give you a weird accent (according to my Russian speaking ex-girlfriend). Next up is where the stress goes on words, how changing stress can change the meaning of a sentence, and how some letters can change sound depending on where they are (called [un-]voicing) but this will come after you have the alphabet and some phrases under your belt.
I also found it good to listen to a few songs to pick up how words flow together, and music helps me think anyway, personal favourites of mine are traditional songs such as Kalinka, Ochi Chernye and Katyusha. Just look on youtube and you will find plenty of them even some with the lyrics in English and Russian.
This is the alphabet, the kids version for when you're more confident and want to learn it in order, and this video has some starter words and phrases.
I hope some of that helps you out, but I'm just a beginner myself so hoping to pick up some more advice myself by watching this thread closely!
Honestly DuoLingo is a meme. If you're serious about learning Russian (or any language) doing flashcards isn't going to get the job done. What you need to do is pick up The New Penguin Russian Course and read about the structure and theory of the language. Read Russian news/articles and literature/poetry. Look up all the words you can't understand (there will be plenty) and keep a journal of new words and phrases that are important to your goals. Then you can use DuoLingo to help supplement your vocabulary if you need to.
I found DuoLingo to be insulting and overpriced for its zero dollar price tag.
The New Penguin Russian Course
Super Easy Russian
Sé varios, de mejor a peor: español, inglés, faroés, esperanto, francés, chino. También se algo alguito de ruso (hice muy poco tiempo pero me acuerdo como leer el alfabeto y decir cosas como gracias y qué se yo, igual no cuenta como saber) y toki pona.
Los únicos que hablo bien bien bien son español e inglés. Con esos dos me puedo manejar en cualquier situación sin problemas. Español nativo, inglés aprendí relativamente bien en el colegio pero lo más importante son las horas boludeando en internet, películas, libros, etc.
Faroés porque fui de intercambio a las islas faroe y aprendí ahí. Es un idioma raro pero que tiene su encanto.
Esperanto lo hablo, escribo y leo bastante bien (ayuda que sea muy regular y la pronunciación se corresponda con la escritura en un cien por ciento). Aprendí por internet, ponele dos meses estudiando de verdad, después leyendo y hablando con gente. Es un idioma fácil y simpático. De vez en cuando me junto con la comunidad en esperanto de acá a hablar pavadas. Es un submundo curioso.
Francés estudié un tiempo y me quedó más o menos. Conversacionalmente "zafo" (pude hacer de traductor una vez en Berlin entre un grupo de estudiantes franceses que se querían levantar a las intercambistas con las que estaba y las intercambistas en sí que solo querían saber dónde podían tomar una cerveza). Leer se puede leer bastante bien mientras no sea una novela. Escribir es un quilombo, nunca me salió.
Chino quería aprender porque me daba miedo quedar como mi mamá ahora: sin acceso a gran parte de la cultura por no saber el idioma dominante bien. Me tiré a aprender en el programa de Lenguas Vivas de CABA. Está buenísimo, super bien organizado y es gratis. Estudié un año y medio y aprendí lo suficiente como para rogar por mi vida si alguna vez los chinos me capturan. También aprendimos a escribir (de lejos lo maś difícil). Tuve que dejar por la facultad.
Ruso quedó como un sueño, estudié solo (bah, con una amiga) por un tiempo de un libro (excelente, era el curso de ruso de Penguin, si alguien quiere el escaneado lo tengo). Después comencé en una academia. La academía me pareció bastante mala, cara y desorganizada, así que elegí seguir con chino y dejar ruso porque estaba haciendo demasiadas cosas y no me daba el tiempo.
Toki pona, bueno, fue una nerdeada como el esperanto, pasa que es más difícil tenerlo presente porque muy poca gente lo habla y además es muy difícil formar conceptos porque hay tan pocas palabras.
Eso. Me quedó re largo el texto. En fin. Igual para lo que más me sirvió aprender tantos idiomas es para desconfiar mucho de la gente que te dice que sabe 5 idiomas y los habla fluído. Salvo que hayas vivido en un lugar donde se hable y le hayas puesto mucha bola, es muy difícil. No digo imposible. Pero sí muy muy muy difícil.
https://www.amazon.com/New-Penguin-Russian-Course-Beginners/dp/0140120416
Full beginner starter guide which includes grammar.
Ive had some help from an old friend of mine from when I was a kid. His name was Douglas Adams and basically he says that if something out of the ordinary happens, no matter how inconceivable, all you have to do is remember these words "DON'T PANIC"
Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy link here
It's really light, but it's one of my favorite books. There is a series of 5 in the Trilogy (yes, i know there are only 3 in a trilogy, but that's a little insight into the humor of Douglas Adams). You can purchase them all as one edition (link above. highly recommend).
not off the top of my head, and most of my experience is with anger and insecurity management (stemming from relationship stresses).
while knowing how to deal with disruptive brain chemicals like this (or with depression, or insecurity, or whatever) is important, as is 'thinking' about it and doing other mental processing, doing it is a whole other ballgame. It takes a lot of consistent practice. the feelings won't go away (usually), and it's always hard, but you do get better at dealing with them and making them go away faster. Humans learn best by doing.
set a goal (more control over that fight or flight response). learn about the problem, dissect it, and find the source (basic biological trigger to 'threat' situations). make a plan to fix it (meditate, join a combat sport, etc), then when a trigger situation comes up, slowly work on not letting it control you (find ways to keep your head on).
be patient, be persistent. expect setbacks and failures, because they just happen, and learn from those negative experiences instead of beating yourself up over it.
perhaps reading up on the Dao De Ching might help. I found The Tao Speaks (among others) to be very helpful. I recently got on some ADD meds, and that helped tone down the emotions.
The Lives of Tao by Wesley Chu
It's the first of a series of books :-)
http://www.amazon.com/GatFacts-The-Book-satire-Firearms/dp/1511483717
The 13 1/2 Lives of Captain Bluebear
I would also suggest this one.
And, of course, the audio book as well because SLJ is awesome.
Definitely stick with only the Cyrillic alphabet. The transliterations used on Duolingo don't really convey the sounds very accurately. To practice Cyrillic reading I used to go on a Wikipedia page with lots of celebrities' names (e.g. Best Actor Winners ) and change it to Russian and go through reading the names.
I had a look at the Duolingo course when it came out and I found that it was really lacking in explanation of grammar (cases in particular). I would strongly recommend getting a decent book to follow along with to teach you the grammar. I have found that this has quite a nice progression and explanation. YMMV but, for Russian, I have only found Duolingo helpful for practicing putting sentences together, nothing else.
> Sometimes the words end in one way and then another, but make the same sound
I'm not sure what this is referring to, could you give an example?
I started learning russian because my ex bf was Rusian.
I bought this book, which is absolutely perfect for beginners.
I also met a Russian penpal who I help with English in exchange for Russian on penpalworld.com
The Cyrillic alphabet crash course videos by Mark Thomson (there's also iOS and Android apps if you prefer)
Russian Made Easy podcast / video series also by Mark Thomson
The New Penguin Russian Course by Nicholas Brown
These three materials will give you a super solid start and come out to a grand total of like $20. I suggest starting with the Cyrillic alphabet videos then going through Ch2 of the Penguin book, which teaches Cyrillic cursive. It will be best to do all writing in cursive as you practice. I'd then go through Russian Made Easy then the rest of the Penguin book. This method has been working out very well for me so far. I tried starting with the Penguin book and it's just a little dense to be a good beginner material imo. I also push the Mark Thomson materials pretty hard because he harps on contextual learning which is very important for efficiently learning a new language, yet many resources don't focus on it.
Many people like Duolingo. I wasn't super fond of it because the audio is compressed to hell and it doesn't give a good intro to the alphabet. This led to me having trouble knowing whether I pronounced something right because the example speech sounded like garbage and also taking guesses at what sounds letters made (a few of which turned out to be wrong when I changed my methods and actually learned the alphabet). I talked to a polyglot I know and he advised me that Rosetta Stone was most useful when you have a decent foundation in a language, not quite as great if you're totally new to it (and very expensive). All of this is just my two cents of course. There's many ways to go about it. Either way, welcome to the super fun hellscape that is the Russian language, and good luck getting started :)
It becomes easier once you get used to the concept of cases & case endings in general. Basically, this concept forces you to think grammatically -- which is actually a good thing. In English, we don't really think this way except when using certain pronouns (me, him, her, etc.). In English, we could say "Who are you talking to?" and sound perfectly normal, while the more proper "To whom are you talking?" sounds stilted and weird.
I studied Latin for many years (two decades, in fact) before picking up Russian; so the concept was already familiar. That was a huge help.
Anyway, stick with it, man. Repetition and drills will get you there; just be patient with yourself. At some point, this concept will "click", and you'll find yourself looking back over earlier exercises and breezing right through them. It looks like you're using the New Penguin Russian Course (like I am); so whatever answers don't appear in the key at the back of the book can be posed here in this helpful forum. ))
Yes, but it takes a long time, so I'll copy paste all my past comments here for you to trawl through yourself.
>/r/russian and /r/LANL_Russian are both good subreddits. Someone recommended http://learnrussian.rt.com/ which is great for beginners. http://www.russianlessons.net is good for lots of information, but is kind of incomplete. Definitely worth using regardless. Memrise is really good for vocab, but the courses are user-made and not perfect.
Note: LANL_Russian in particular has some great links in the sidebar.
Memrise:
>Interesting, there seems to be an influx of Russian learners lately. Take note, because I'm writing a lot, and I wouldn't do it if I didn't think that every bit was extremely important.
>Stop just trying to memorise by reading. Long story short, you're using a pretty ineffective technique. The good news is there are far better ways of doing it. Studies show that recollection, not repetition is a far effective teacher.
>As I've said to many, I can fully recommend Memrise (www.memrise.com) and the top rated Russian course there. It's great at using recollection to get you memorising a lot of words fast using mnemonics. Other than that, Anki is a useful flashcard program that does a similar thing.
>some tips for Memrise: don't use it passively; really try and think about and focus on the word you're learning. Secondly, make sure you've got a mem (their term for mnemonic) that works for you. Getting a word without a mem is harder. Memrise will really solidify your Russian-English, but if you are worried about the English-Russian part, just go though each level with a strip of paper covering the Russian words on the screen and work your way down. You will find it's really easy anyway, because Memrise has solidified the connection in your mind.
>Make use you check the course page and water all your plants EVERY DAY.
>Take note of how Memrise get's you recollecting as soon as possible after giving you a word, and then gradually spreads out the intervals at which you are prompted to recall a word, and in groups of 5 words at a time. Take this technique and use it to make yourself some flash cards. Write the English on one side and Russian on the other (you might like to include the pronunciation too). Now you can take these around with you day by day (I have some on my desk by me right now), memorising other words you've read whenever you have a spare moment. You can even have your own personal mems for them. I'd recommend buying some cards to use, because just cutting up printing paper is pretty flimsy and easy to mess up.
>I personally find I memorise better when focusing at my desk, because I'm a lot less distracted. If Memrise is done then feel free to use your flash cards at your desk. It is still more effective.
>If you ever do go back to word lists, don't just look at them, cover one side up and do a few at a time, really relying on recollection.
An extract from what I'd consider my best writeup:
>What galaxyrocker said is just as true for me. My interest in the language led me to try learning it, as opposed to wanting to learn a language and then finding one. I always thought the Cyrillic alphabet looked awesome and the Russian language sounded awesome, so I decided to try it and I've been going ever since. I was always interested in the history of eastern Europe and socialism so I guess that in some way led to it. Along the way I've discovered a completely different and interesting culture and now I am learning a way to interact with it.
>One bit of advice would be to find a buddy who is a native of your target language and get in regular contact. If you're doing this online, there are plenty of resources, but I found mine on the Skype forum. The time spent teaching him the more precise aspects of English and in turn getting a more interactive source of knowledge has been invaluable to both of us, and at the same time I've been prompted to think a little about my own language, especially regarding grammar. It helps only a small bit if you share interests, because the two languages provide such a huge range of topics and conversation. Since you're going to be a beginner, look for someone experienced but looking for regular practice, to them, teaching you WILL be the practice, and any insight into English you can offer a bonus.
>Secondly, relate your studies to subjects that interest you. No doubt you'll be different, but DotA 2 has a large scene in eastern Europe, so I often tune in there just to immerse myself. Find resources to attempt to read that are about a topic of your interest. If you don't enjoy the benefits somewhere, you'll lose interest. If you surround yourself with media relating to your language, you'll always be motivated to go back to the books and continue learning.
>Also, always go back and go over words you learned, otherwise you forget them fast. Recollection is a far better teacher than repetition, so make flash cards or use Memrise (it's amazing).
Now especially for you; Resources:
Pimsleur has an audio only course that teaches you basic conversational Russian using spaced repetition and simulated conversations. It's good for getting you speaking and pronouncing Russian, but I got bored pretty fast and didn't really have the opportunities to use it. The course itself is huge, split up into many lessons. This one does cost a lot of money, you you should PM me for a "sample" first.
Penguin Russian is like a giant grammar book. It will teach you the basics as well as the advanced. While not interesting or engaging, it does have everything you could ever need to know, and so is a good resource if you have the patience. This is another one you'll have to buy, but I have the PDF form if you'd like to "sample" that too.
Lastly, trying to read Russian books is a good way to learn once you have some words down. A heads up though, unless you have more than 1000 you'll be running into a lot of words you will be unfamiliar with, at least to begin with. One staple of language learners is Harry Potter, since its been translated to pretty much every language there is. That's the last "sample" you'll be needing to PM me about.
If you want to speak, the best way is to find a Skype (or real life) buddy who speaks both. There are huge amounts of Russians online who speak passable English who could help in return for some English help.
If you're not doing it that way, you'll need to practice speech to yourself while studying.
This book is incredible for learning Russian grammar and some vocab.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0140120416/ref=ya_aw_od_pi?ie=UTF8&psc=1
The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy includes all 5 that were written by Douglas Adams. The one I have on my shelf has a different cover than what Amazon currently shows, but it looks like it's all there. There is another Hitchhiker's book by Eoin Colfer working on Douglas Adams' notes called And Another Thing... you might also want to check out. Though you're probably better off switching to Dirk Gently before you get to that one.
You should get the whole series. The link is for American Amazon; I don't know if there's a British version of Amazon or not...
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0345453743?pc_redir=1411929427&robot_redir=1
Might I recomend Sir Apropos of Nothing. The whole book is hilarious. The main plot motivation falls well within this category.
Try Sir Apropos of Nothing by Peter David. The main character is literally the opposite of the stereotypical fantasy protagonist.
the Abarat books by Clive Barker, make sure you get the illustrated editions!
The Thirteen and a Half Lives of Captain Bluebear by Walter Moers
Crusade in Jeans by Thea Beckman One of my all time favourites, the old translated editions weren't as good but a new version will be published in november.
The Dragonriders of Pern by Anne McCaffrey
Walter Moers
Given the massive success of Adams, Pratchett and others, the rave reviews of everything in Moers' ever-expanding Zamonia series, the fantastic illustrations and the riotous and creative writing I cannot believe so few people have read these books.
These books have some deep social and psychological analysis alongside absurdity, humor, violence, love and adventure.
Reference books, chronologically:
Editorial reviews:
>“Cheerfully insane. . . . Remains lively and inventive right through the final heroic battle between good and evil.”
—The New York Times Book Review
>“Moers’s creative mind is like J.K. Rowling’s on ecstasy; his book reads like a collision between The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy and the Brothers Grimm…. What a delightful book.”
—Detroit News and Free Press
>“An overstuffed confection… Cross The Lord of the Rings with Yellow Submarine, throw in dashes of Monty Python, Douglas Adams, Shrek, and The Princess Bride…That’s the sort of alchemy in which this sprawling novel trades.”
—Kirkus
This is a poorly written question (2 questions really) but here goes...
Getting Better Sleep
Sleep is important. Make time for it. Are you lifting? Are you owning your shit? Are you exhausted at the end of the day? I know I am. OR are you sitting around all day, no exercise, eating like shit, and not doing anything but staring at the retard screen?
I've gone through bouts of sleeping too little (for different reasons). It sucks.
You have anxiety over you life. Which means something is causing your brain to ring in alarm bells - even when it should be in a low-stress place like your bed. So how do you solve this? You figure out what your anxious over. My guess is it's a lack of living up to some external expectations - parents, wife, kids, society, whatever. You have to drop those and figure out your own worldview of right v wrong (i.e frame). Once you do that and you live it in, anxiety goes away. You need to STFU - not to your wife but to your own hamster. Don't engage that line of thinking. Tell your Beta Shit Goblin to shut the fuck up. Tell yourself YOU'RE THE PRIZE.
If you're not owning your shit - start owning it now, that will remove tasks your brain to focus on.
You need to listen to your body, if it's tired, go to sleep. A set schedule is best, but guess what's more important? If you're exhausted at 9:00, don't go drink coffee and force yourself awake. Go the fuck to sleep (this is always a hilarious book narrated by Samuel L Jackson).
OI/DNGAF with Hard No
First of all, this should be a slow burn throughout the day. You should CONSTANTLY be gaming your wife. If you don't know the ins and outs read some some more -> Bang, Day Bang, Models or even MMSLP. While the first 3 are tailored to single guys, you can start to understand how the female hind brain responds and gets turned on. Don't only initiate at night (full disclosure I'm guilty of this too - working on it). During the day, in the morning, whatever.
So you've been gaming her all day. Great! Guess what? She may still give a rejection. Paint it in your mind as HER problem. You're giving up your time/attention/your dick to fuck her. It's a gift FOR HER.. She rejects you, whatever, go do something else, read, sleep. Do not get butt hurt - try to fake it if you have to but I believe they can smell butt hurt on you.
I just finished The Utterly Uninteresting and Unadventurous Tales of Fred, the Vampire Accountant which was a lot of fun. If you buy it on kindle with added audible narration, it's only $9.
Amazon.co.uk too: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00O2NDJ2M/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_t1_3PkRDbQYWFYAF
amazon.ca: https://www.amazon.ca/Orconomics-Satire-Dark-Profit-Saga-ebook/dp/B00O2NDJ2M/
This is one of the greatest books for a beginner to start learning Russian with. It's easy to understand and well organized. Starts from ground zero, so you don't need to worry about not knowing where to start.
https://www.amazon.com/New-Penguin-Russian-Course-Beginners/dp/0140120416
This book helped me the most to understand grammar.
And this is the best Russian-English dictionary I've found.
You'll want to carry this around with you to learn the case endings.
Speaking as in holding a conversation, or speaking as in pronouncing the words correctly?
If it is about pronunciation:
Russian is quite good in that it is mostly say-it-as-you-see-it. In English we have lots of letter combinations to remember, like "Sch", "th" and even "ough", which are rare in Russian. In English we also change the vowel sound by putting an "e" at the end of the word, like "run" and "rune".
The worst thing about Russian is the vowel stress. In each word, you have to stress the correct vowel. Stressing the wrong vowel can sometimes change the meaning of the word. It brings with it a whole word of annoying rules, such as an unstressed "o" has an "a" sound.
Duolingo doesn't help with any of these fundamentals (worst of all not even telling us where the stress falls). I used Penguin Russian Course to help learn the alphabet and exception rules, but others have talked about using Youtube videos.
Once you have those fundamentals, it should become increasingly say-it-as-you-see-it.
My current list:
You would love this book. The Dragon with the Girl Tattoo.
I think you might enjoy this
I have a few things like that, that I love to spread the word on.
The 13½ Lives of Captain Bluebear was originally in German, and Wikipedia says that it was successful there and in the UK when it was translated into English, but never really made it in the US. The humor definitely has a British flavor to me, so I get that.
https://www.amazon.com/Lives-Captain-Bluebear-Walter-Moers/dp/1585678449/
Hiero's Journey is another that I don't know anyone else who's read. I really like its depiction of his struggles as a telepath.
https://www.amazon.com/Hieros-Journey-Sterling-Lanier/dp/0345308417
The Wild Cards series is one I'm always surprised that people haven't heard of, because they have made quite a few books. It's edited by George R. R. Martin, but not written by him. It's set in a version of our world where aliens who were very similar to humans genetically came here to test a biological weapon.
Of those who were exposed to the virus, 90% weren't affected. Of those who were affected, 90% died. Of those who didn't die, 90% ended up like the Morlocks from X-Men comics - mutated in ways that made them "unacceptable" in society. But that 0.1% of people left (if I'm remembering my numbers correctly) got honest to goodness superpowers.
The real strength of the series is in its creative superpowers. If you've read Worm and enjoyed that aspect of it, check out Wild Cards.
If you haven't read Worm (sometimes aka Parahumans), I definitely recommend that one as well.
This is a great deal: http://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Hitchhikers-Guide-Galaxy-ebook/dp/B0043M4ZH0
But, as someone else has already said, maybe it is not being sold in Australia. Perhaps you could change your country in the "Manage my kindle" section and buy it.
Eats, Shoots & Leaves The no nonsense guide to punctuation.
The Craft of Research
Craft of Scientific Presentations
Edward Tufte I've never read anything of his, but I see this recommendation from time to time.
Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy Because sometimes you need a vacation. :)
So, given the recent kerfluffle about people entering contests too much, feel free to disregard this one but my books are my prized possessions and I had to write this.
I love love LOVE this!
I was a rare and antique book dealer, many moons ago, and am happily wrapped in a sever case of bibliophilia so I can't agree more that books are something to be treasured.
When I was a child, back when dirt was the latest and greatest thing, I made a promise to myself that I would read at least an hour a day. For pleasure! Not just the newspaper or the like. I'm still proud to say that since the age of 12 I have done just that. I will go without sleep for an hour just so that I can read.
Good on you for this one. Good on you tea.
---
The books that I want EVERY child to read are a bit. . . different.
I recently fell in love with Pat Rothfuss and have devoured his books as soon as they come out. His latest release is something of a departure. A small novela called The Slow Regard of Silent Things in which a minor character from his main series is spotlit in a unique way.
This book, in my opinion, can (and does) help children to understand that different isn't always bad. That feelings are both important and personal. That sometimes having things be just right is the right thing to do. The language isn't difficult, it's a BLAST to read out loud with someone, and can be enjoyed by just about every genre reader of any age!
My next choice is a more traditional choice for children. But not for the traditional reasons!
Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland!
This is one that I think is so overlooked by people of every age. And that's so sad for me. Carroll may, well. . . let's be honest here he DID, have some issues but something that I think he got spot on was his ability to make both the absurd and silly MEANINGFUL though his words and stories!
Through all the adventures and the creatures and the characters something that is telling throughout the whole of the story. . . Being a child is fun! It should be fun! Because if you're not having fun, you're doing it wrong!
I have personally read these stories dozens of times. For myself, for my nieces and nephews, and more again for me!
Last choice is one that I may have to defend here.
The greatest introduction to space, sci-fi, fantasy, and. . . towels!
The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Gude to the Galaxy by the amazing Douglas Adams!
In my opinion the story alone is broad enough to engage children, as well as young adults, as well as teens, due to the simplicity of characters and the variety of situations.
But!
The more often you read these books the better they get! The more you learn about the world at large the funnier the books get!
When I first read Hitchhiker's I was a mere lad of 10 and thought it was a cute book. When I read it again at age 16 I thought it was hysterical! At 21 it was a thought provoking comedy in the vein of Shakespeare! At 25 I thought 21 year old me was a tool, but thought the books were great!
The more you read them, or have them read to you, the better they get!
---
I also wanted to point out this article on the front page of /r/books from the NYT that talk about one of the best things you can do for a child is to own books. Shelves full of books!
So thank you for doing this. Thank you very much.
The Utterly Uninteresting and Unadventurous Tales of Fred, the Vampire Accountant.
https://www.amazon.com/Utterly-Uninteresting-Unadventurous-Vampire-Accountant-ebook/dp/B00M6AM6Q8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1474915607&sr=8-1&keywords=uninteresting+vampire
Well I don't listen to litrpg audiobooks much, however I can recommend a few. Orconomics is great. Currently I'm listening to Into the abyss and it's pretty good as well.
I'm working my way through this very, very, very slowly. The only thing harder than my dick is learning a 2nd language as an adult.
https://www.amazon.com/New-Penguin-Russian-Course-Beginners/dp/0140120416/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1537562572&sr=8-1&keywords=russian+penguin
This was my personal favorite as a beginner book, but I used this book along with other beginner texts. It's definitely worth checking out though.
In order to get anywhere with Russian, you need a invest in a good grammar book. For complete beginners, I always recommend Nicholas Brown's New Penguin Russian Course which is dirt cheap on amazon.
To help you get comfortable with the language in terms of reading, listening, and pronunciation, I'm a big fan of the Assimil series. If you're not familiar with Assimil, you can read up on their method. The Assimil Russian is a nice complement to the Penguin course and I'm actually half-way through it myself (for review purposes).
You can find lots of good learning materials on ilearnrussian.com. I've found that some of the best learning materials are made by Russians for foreigners, but those are generally more advanced.
Immerse yourself in the language as much as you can outside of your formal lessons (i.e. Penguin, Assimil, whatever). You can find tons of Russian music on youtube. If you prefer to stream music online, check out moskva.fm. Many of the Russian stations play English music, so if you just want Russian-language music, try the Russian Radio station.
You can watch tons of old Russian movies with English subtitles on Mosfilm's website for free. If you know where to look online, you can find all the latest movies for free (pretty easy to find with google). One of my favorite things to do is find a Hollywood movie that I know really well, and then watch it dubbed in Russian. The quality of Russian dubbing is generally pretty high, and the advantage to watching a movie you're already familiar with is that you can focus on the language. Once you get to a higher level, it's interesting to compare the English dialogue to the Russian translation.
Do you have an ipod? One way to tune your ear to a language is to listen to the rapid-fire delivery on news broadcasts or opinion programs. I like to listen to podcasts from the Echo of Moscow radio station. Here's an example program you could subscribe to Culture Shock with rss link.
As difficult as the alphabet and grammar seem at first, I can assure you that it's nothing compared to acquiring a good vocabulary. Everyone has their own method for learning vocabulary, but my advice is to make some flash cards and carry a stack around with you wherever you go. In any odd, spare moment that you have, review them. You should aim to get to 1000 words as quickly as possible. As others have said, that's a key threshold. If you do the Penguin Course and/or Assimil, be diligent about learning the vocabulary for each lesson.
Anyway, good luck! Удачи!
If you use the website version of Duolingo and click on the Lightbulb icon for each section, it breaks down grammar rules used in that course. The online forums also has a lot of helpful explanations for each answer.
Unfortunately the App version completely disregards this feature and isn't included for some reason. Duolingo and Memrise combined should get you pretty good understanding, maybe up to a B1 level. You can also pick up some grammar books such as the New Penguin Russian Course that goes over almost all grammar rules and is pretty easy to read compared to other grammar books.
A lot of learning is through practice and using additional resources to reinforce how to think in another language. Check out some YouTube channels or movies that are in Russian and try to follow along. Tarkovsky films are really good for this as they're really slow pacing, Stalker and Solaris being some of my favorite movies of all time.
I'd suggest reading Penguin's Complete Russian Course for Beginners and then moving on to Modern Russian. But really, books can only help you understand concepts of the language on not to listen and speak the language conversationally. I'm an American, but I lived in Russia for a couple of years in my late teens to early twenties. I'd study Penguin's Complete Russian Course (and later Modern Russian) for an hour every morning and make mental notes of phrases I wanted to use and how to construct sentences and then I'd go out and talk with people. I'd be listening for what I was learning. It's so important to listen natives speak the language and you have to try to speak and make mistakes and have them correct you. I'd listen to native Russian podcast type programs as well and watch Russian movies. I started to be able to understand almost everything within the six to nine months. After a year, I could speak quite freely and then by 18 months I could understand the nuances of the language, make jokes, and almost always get my point across. So if you have the chance to speak with Russians, do so as often as possible. And make mistakes. Then learn from them. Study everyday. Practice everyday.
This is an oft-recommended book on Russian grammar, from what I've seen.
Order that, then get on this site and learn the alphabet. It's not too difficult to get it down on a basic level.
From there, get used to some basic vocabulary using a resource like Memrise (vocabulary practice site). Sign up on Livemocha.com and start with the basic Russian course. You'll learn some beginning phrases, get used to reading, eventually the alphabet will become second nature.
After some time with these resources (maybe a couple hours, maybe a couple of days), start listening to Russian music. You need to practice listening early and often to get the ear for words and how they sound together. Go on a Russian radio streaming site that lists the track currently playing (you can do this using a phone app, TuneIn Radio, which may also have an online site), then look up songs you like the sound of and listen to them over and over again with the lyrics in front of you. Try to sing along, even if you're sort of just mumbling Russian-sounding noises along with the singer.
At this point, start watching movies with subtitles. Search Mosfilm on Youtube. All of this studio's movies are free online, and most of them have English subtitles available.
Keep practicing like this, study the grammar using your Penguin book, and then find a penpal or something via Livemocha. It'll be scary at first, trying to communicate with someone in a language you're still making a lot of mistakes in, but people who study languages understand each other and are generally patient.
TL;DR:
Good luck! If you need any other help, PM me! I absolutely love Russian and would gladly help out anyone else who's interested.
I'm not sure what you mean when you say "the same way Latin is taught", I guess you mean without the speaking aspect? But if you're starting from scratch, I'm just going to suggest what I suggest to everyone, the New Penguin Russian Course. It doesn't have any audio CDs, but that's not a problem in your case. It teaches all the basic grammar and starting vocab to get you going.
Then, learn some of the most common words. I would perhaps suggest using Memrise because as well as the most common words, you can find various courses on there for Harry Potter, or the Bookbox series course and they'll teach you the language you need to know to understand a simple story, which will help you get started.
Read a lot, find some native text and analyse the grammar and the vocabulary, learn what you don't know and so on.
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy! Carson McCuller's The Heart is a Lonely Hunter is one of my all time favorite books. If you want something more lighthearted, check out any book in P.G. Wodehouse's Jeeves series. The Code of the Woosters is probably my favorite one.
Some of the best books I've read came from people recommending them to me. Please don't ever feel terrible for asking.
It might be a good idea to start with some fun books:
http://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Hitchhikers-Guide-Galaxy/dp/0345453743/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1325104122&sr=8-1
> that movie
Hm. If you haven't - check out the books.
The film may be cute but the books are otherworldly. Then you can make yourself sad about Adams' passing with The Salmon of Doubt.
I can't pick a favorite book, 2 that come to mind though for me are both Satire
Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal
Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
I concur. The best way to read The Hitchhiker's Guide is to buy the Ultimate Edition and smash through it in as few sessions as possible. The idea is to make your brain explode.
I do this every once in a while (I think I've done it three times). My best time was finished in two sittings.
Source
You should maybe consider adding Zen speaks shouts of nothingness (link to Amazon books).
Each cartoon is derived from a well know Buddhist scripture or Zen koans (link to youtube video).
Don't let the cartoons fool you as you really have to think deeply about what each cartoon is trying to say.
And don't simply accept the artist own interpretation at the end of each cartoon strip. Think for yourself.
And have fun and enjoy.
Hmmm… I need to create a "Taoist Starter Kit" article…
As far as translations go… one I like is Red Pine's translation because it has commentary and the Chinese. The nice thing about the commentary is it lets you see all of the different ways each chapter can be interpreted. Political strategists see strategy and alchemists see instructions for spiritual immortality. :)
https://www.amazon.com/Lao-tzus-Taoteching-Lao-Tzu-ebook/dp/B00APD9VP2
If you want something chill and direct. I like these comics:
https://www.amazon.com/Tao-Speaks-Lao-Tzus-Whispers-Wisdom/dp/0385472595/
https://www.amazon.com/Zhuangzi-Speaks-Nature-Chih-chung-Tsai/dp/0691008825
If you wanna compare a bunch of translations…
https://ttc.tasuki.org/
I don't really think you can go "wrong" with any translation/interpretation if you're planning on reading more than one. If it was just the one, I'd go with Red Pine's.
As for meditation, I would look into Zen or Chan Buddhism close to where you are. You can also get started right away by just closing your eyes and breathing for a minute a day and build up to more as you do more research (via videos, books, seminars, teachers, etc.)
More important than any technique is developing the habit of doing it every day.
This app is awesome and it comes with a bunch of free guided meditations. I just use it for the timer. :)
https://insighttimer.com/
If you start getting serious I'd look for a teacher of some kind, but good teachers for Taoism seem kind of elusive. I think that's from the nature of the practice and it's history.
Google searches, reading reviews, talking to people, etc will take you where you want to go although in the beginning it's hard to tell the difference between "good" and "bad", but there's no way around that other than to start doing stuff and getting some experience under your belt. :) Also "bad" for you might be "good" for someone else. :P ;)
There are probably some good books for beginners as well, but I'm not familiar with those yet. I'm gonna start ordering and reading through them… (I haven't been a beginner for a long time… that said… I'm still a beginner… lol)
Oh! There's a cool Eva Wong book on Taoism that gives you a nice historical overview and breakdown of the different styles.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1590308824/ref=dbs_a_w_dp_1590308824
Hopefully you'll get some other recommendations! :)
Its The Tao Speaks is a comic by a Taiwanese author, it's here if you want to spend some money
https://www.amazon.com/Tao-Speaks-Lao-Tzus-Whispers-Wisdom/dp/0385472595
Not set in the Warhammer universe but you may be interested in this...
It's a fun book! Grunts by Mary Gentle has some similar themes.
It's an actual book :P
http://www.amazon.ca/The-Dragon-With-Girl-Tattoo/dp/0575100915
Wrong book. He's asking about http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0575100915/ref=s9_simh_gw_p14_d0_i1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=1BQX9KW33DCPSW3GMPHJ&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=470938631&pf_rd_i=507846
The Android's Dream by John Scalzi.
(Legit one of my favorite books.)
his name is Roman Drake
Yeah, I have at least two copies. https://www.amazon.com/Lives-Captain-Bluebear-Walter-Moers/dp/1585678449
When I searched for a particularly popular model of laptop on Amazon, I came across a book with a very unusual title.
Yes Please, by Amy Poehler
The Ultimate Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
Defining the New Normal: A Guide to Becoming More Than Your Diagnosis by Colleen Brunetti
I would like to add a few more things since you stated the following, as it could very well be a response you say to your parents.
>Thanks for assuming I have no self control when it comes to drugs. It's not like I'm surrounded by potheads and crack addicts all day at HS.
It is a hard argument to sell, to say that you're interested in vaping to combat urges to try drugs. Using this logic, you may eventually find yourself saying that marijuana is safer than heroin, especially if you ingest it by way of eating brownies. You might even be convinced by your friends, and their shaky evidence, that driving while drunk or high is something you can handle.
Truth of the matter is, if you're fine right now, you'll be fine without any of the other stuff. If you get into vaping, even if sanctioned by your parents, you'll still be spending money. And money, since you haven't had the full responsibilities of being an independent and self-sustaining adult thrust at you by life as of yet, is a thing that is easy to waste.
Outside of the health unkowns in vaping, we do know of one serious side effect. G.A.S. - Gear Acquisition Syndrome. You'll chase after the biggest clouds and the best flavor all at the expense of your pocket book. And as a young person nearing the point in life where you will consider getting an apartment vs buying a house, considering a gas guzzling supersweet ride or an economical hybrid, and choosing whether or not to bring your girlfriend/boyfriend on a date to a really nice restaurant where etiquette is required or bring them to Applebee's for the 2 for $20 deal... G.A.S. can wreck your daily, monthly and/or quarterly budget.
In your position, with the world as your oyster, your health in good standing, and your financial future unstarted... vaping is not the best option.
Perhaps I could suggest a good book about life, the universe and everything, like The Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy.
No matter what though, I wish you well in your endeavor to live clean.
edit: Changed "vaping is not a good option" to "vaping is not the best option".
I've liked the Fred series by Drew Hayes . Though that could be because I’m an accountant. It’s not quite as reality tv type, but fun and I think unique in its own way.
Have you read Orconomics ?
https://www.amazon.com/Orconomics-Satire-Dark-Profit-Saga-ebook/dp/B00O2NDJ2M
Give it a try it's amazing, easy to read and might scratch your itch for
A few guys with powers, a rogue, and a warrior. Maybe throw in some condescending elves and a quest to save a city from an evil dragon.I have a humorous LitRPG called Level Up, but just a heads up the humour is slightly different to Critical Failures. It's a bit more satirical in nature, along the lines of Terry Pratchett or Monty Python (at least according to some of the reviews)
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079JFM67F
I'd also recommend Orcanomics (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00O2NDJ2M/) It isn't strictly speaking LitRPG, but there are more than enough gaming references to consider it GameLit. It's friggin hilarious!
Going Postal
Going Postal - Terry Pratchett.
Grammar books, for a start. At university, we used NPRC and Ruslan which both had easy to follow structure. Ruslan was more fun, but with a decent amount of grammar. Our professor told us it was the text that the US Nasa astronauts used to learn Russian. NPRC was more serious, with more comprehensive grammar.
I learned to read the Cyrillic alphabet in about 3 hours thanks to this book. It breaks down the letters for English speakers in a way that makes more sense than merely learning them in order.
www.babbel.com is a great paid service.
"The New Penguin Russian Course" is a little older and not the best order for learning imo but it's a solid book - https://www.amazon.com/dp/0140120416/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_RuoFDbMQ0YFF5
LiveLingua also has a ton of materials, including some produced by the government.
https://www.amazon.com/New-Penguin-Russian-Course-Beginners/dp/0140120416/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1540842986&sr=8-5&keywords=Russian+language&dpID=51mscieyoQL&preST=_SY344_BO1,204,203,200_QL70_&dpSrc=srch
I've been waiting as well. It's the one language, along with Swedish, that I've had an interest in. If you want to try and learn some on your own, I'd suggest Memrise.com along with their app. I've also heard this book is fantastic and I plan on getting it soon. Hope this helps!
This is the one that gets recommended every time this question is asked: https://www.amazon.com/New-Penguin-Russian-Course-Beginners/dp/0140120416
I don't think it's in the Books link yet.
I super-duper recommend this book
The reviews give a good idea of why this book is so fantastic. I started using this book casually in high school and it concisely gets a ton of vital information.
It's not afraid to mention exceptions and weird things that a lot of beginner books would let you ignore and sound stupid later. It also has accent marks on all of the words past the first few chapters.
The pronunciation guide is priceless, as well. It's clear but comprehensive. I've seen tons of pronunciation aides for Russian but so far following this book's guide on it has yielded the best accent that I know of.
It's definitely better than Rosetta Stone.
I think paired with something to really cement the grammar will be pretty effective.
Use it with the New Penguin book. (only $15 on Amazon)
https://www.amazon.com/New-Penguin-Russian-Course-Beginners/dp/0140120416
The New Penguin Russian Course is amazing and includes everything you need to know about Russian grammar. A book I am reading right now for beginners is First Reader in Russian. It is a very basic Russian book that has exercises and a dictionary in the back. The only bad thing about it is the dictionary doesn't include all of the words from the book so I usually have to go to my Russian-English English-Russian Dictionary. This dictionary also lacks many important words, but it hasn't given me any problems. Another good Russian reading source is Russian Stories: A Dual-Language Book. If you just look around on amazon you will find many good resources.
Learn the pronunciation of the letters. Learn the difference between soft and hard consonants. Use youtube videos and various descriptions for it. This video is a good start, for example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vsL8ZBDBNts Russian is very often pronounced just like it is spelled. You just need to know a few simple rules, and on which vowel the stress is.
The New Penguin Russian Course that covers a lot of stuff: grammar, words, idioms, phrases, culture, pronunciation, etc. and is intended for beginners. I'd say start with that and pronunciation, as I said above.
But maybe skip some words from the book that you don't think you will need, and learn words that are more useful to you instead.
The channel #russkij on FreeNode is helpful. If you don't know how to access it, this is probably the easiest way.
You may want to check out this tool I made for reading.
You probably want to use Anki for flashcards. Flashcards are very useful.
You might like this youtube channel. https://www.youtube.com/user/vanilla167333/videos?view=0&shelf_id=0&sort=dd
Finally, try to focus on content that is relevant to you, i.e. reading about things that you like, talking about things that interest you, etc.
you'd be better of just searching for it yourself, but here's a thing for it on amazon and google books
http://www.amazon.com/New-Penguin-Russian-Course-Beginners/dp/0140120416
http://books.google.com/books/about/The_New_Penguin_Russian_Course.html?id=DpAmYOS15RAC
I recommend you just search for it yourself, you might find something cool below those two links :P
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0140120416?pc_redir=1405490871&robot_redir=1
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0140120416/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
That one, the New Penguin Russian Course. I don't really think it was the "best" one I could buy, but it was a well-reviewed book and had recommendations from several websites I found. Plus it was only 13 bucks, so I didn't feel too bad about buying it if it happened to not be a great book.
So far the book has been pretty good. It's got exercises for handwriting and pronunciation, and thoroughly explains things that need explaining.
Did you know Amazon will donate a portion of every purchase if you shop by going to smile.amazon.com instead? Over $50,000,000 has been raised for charity - all you need to do is change the URL!
Here are your smile-ified links:
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/0140120416/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00
---
^^i'm ^^a ^^friendly bot
amazon link ^_^
http://www.amazon.com/1Q84-Haruki-Murakami/dp/0307593312/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1320710574&sr=8-1
I haven't. But speaking of mind-fuck, have you read anything by Haruki Murakami? I have not read his stuff but there's a book that looks really intriguing, it's called 1Q84. Just thought I'd mention it on the off chance you've read his stuff because I'm curious as to how it is.
Hey! I've never been an avid reader, but I wouldn't mind starting. Here's a book that I've been wanting to read.
I know I do not qualify for the contest (I got here from /r/personalfinance of all places =) but in honor of towel day I would suggest:
Douglas Adams - Hitchhikers guide to the Galaxy
or, and this one is ever better
The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide
I have this http://www.amazon.com/The-Ultimate-Hitchhikers-Guide-Galaxy/dp/0345453743 $13 for all in a convenient package is hard to turn down.
You can thank me in advance.
OP my only suggestion would be : DON'T PANIC
If you enjoyed the first three, I would wager that you will enjoy the remaining books. I would agree that they are not as amazing as the first few but they are still very funny.
You can grab the complete edition for under $15 on Amazon. I would also recommend Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency and the Salmon of Doubt. It's a half completed Dirk Gently book with additional writings of Adams what was put together after he passed away.
Terry Pratchett - all of them, but in particular, Night Watch
Daniel Keyes - Flowers for Algernon I've linked to a book with the short story rather than the novel as I think the former is better.
Douglas Adams - The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series
Bonsai
Cactus Dish Garden
Classic Dish Garden
Non-living options
Book
Digital Photo Frame filled with photos (of course)
Whatever the hell this thing is
Hm, well if you haven't read Douglas Adams' Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy it's FANTASTIC and you should read it. It's especially good since you haven't read in a while and it doesn't really have boring moments where you would get disinterested.
I really need a new book
I absolutely love to sing and I know I have a good voice.. I'm absolutely terrified to sing in front of anyone though.
Happy birthday!!!! <3
Birthday Bot
Or worse, five.
Yes, I would recommend this if you aren't looking for anything too serious. Adams' presentation method is definitely comedic, but that just makes it more enjoyable. Adams is a genius when it comes to irony and he also does a pretty good job of getting his science right(when he is being serious). But like I said, if you want super serious, don't go for this. If you do go for it, I recommend getting The Ultimate Guide, which is all five books plus a bonus story.
Sure! /u/Woodrail posted the link to it 7 days ago here
The book is called Zen Speaks: Shouts of Nothingness and you can read and download it here for free
Self control, self determination, ability to perceive and act upon choices, identify and follow one overarching purpose.
Grog with the herd, prestream vm, first groon encounter, this groon encounter, Groon. Draw a line through those 5 points and thats the, at least spiritual/emotional path groon is setting for Grog. I think.
EDIT to add: see ref this: https://www.amazon.com/Zen-Speaks-Tsai-Chih-Chung/dp/0385472579
Here is an illustrated (cartoon!) version translated and illustrated by Tsai Chih Chung. I recommend it greatly! You have to admit, taoism explained through cartoons is completely inappropriate.
It's the plot of the epic send-up of Tolkien pastiches (with a dash of Warhammer 40k at the end), Mary Gentle's Grunts.
Grunts, by Mary Gentle?
https://www.amazon.com/Grunts-Mary-Gentle/dp/0451454537
My username is from the book Grunts by Mary Gentle. It has served me well since I've found very few people go for it. Wheel of Time names are harder to pin down even though there are so many of them.
You should, now.
Sir Apropos of Nothing is just what you're looking for I think.
Perhaps some delicious BisonBoar?
Ref: The Android's Dream by John Scalzi
It’s “How I Forced My Dad To Fuck Me”
The reviews check out
https://www.amazon.com/Lives-Captain-Bluebear-Walter-Moers/dp/1585678449
definitely check out the 13.5 lives of captain bluebear, or anything else by Walter Moers. The only reason they aren't really childrens books is because the vocabulary is so large and the epic is so long.
Oh my goodness. I have the perfect book for you.
Eeeee Eee Eeee by Tao Lin
It's basically about a lonely, awkward guy stuck in a crap job delivering pizzas who isn't really close to anyone and doesn't have anything going on in his life. It's kind of weird and trippy since a lot of it is this guy imagining things during his long stretches of boredom and loneliness. It's a very unique book and a short, easy read.
Edit: Found this in this excellent the amazon review to give you a better idea.
>Andrew just graduated college. He has no job, no friends, and no funds. He moves from New York City back to his parents' house in Florida and gets a job as a delivery guy for Domino's Pizza. After a socially awkward experience of bringing some pizzas and his coworker Joanna to her house, Andrew is approached by a bear who leads him down a secret passageway under a patch of grass to an underground world in which bears coexist with moose, dolphins, hamsters, and aliens.
A recent book I really loved, though I suspect it's not for everyone, is Eeeee Eee Eeee by Tao Lin. He's written mostly poetry, and this book flows like no novel I've read, without any solid plot or purpose, but it was absolutely stimulating and engrossing.
I've read his biography. It's okay.
I've been dying to read this on my Kindle because everyone talks about it all the time! I've heard it's just great.
And for a real book? I'd say this because it's one of my absolute favorites and I hate having to wait to check out a copy from the library every time I want to re-read it.
If I were a book, I hope that I'd be a great one !!
I think this is a lovely contest idea :) I'm always a big fan of anything book-related!! Thanks!
$9.99, actually, for the Kindle version, or $13.35 for the paperback.
At 800+ pages for all 5.1 books, if you could read it in eight hours I'd be extraordinarily impressed. You could easily bust through the first one in an evening, though.
Seals with party hats! Cake! Item!
1: Honey/Mori/Kyouya/Hikaru/Kaoru from Ouran High School Host Club!
3: Jackson from Hannah Montana!
4: Sayuri from Memoirs of a Geisha
5: Ben and Mary from The Secret Garden!
10: Nicolo from Excess Baggage - Be Careful With My Heart - Their Proposal!
http://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Hitchhikers-Guide-Galaxy-ebook/dp/B0043M4ZH0
This.
Grab yourself a copy of Greegs & Ladders. Its currently free on amazon kindle (Free, free, you don't need the subscription).
http://www.amazon.com/Greegs-Ladders-Science-Fiction-Adventure-ebook/dp/B00DPQFATM/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&amp;sr=8-1&amp;qid=1406093780
The book is in the vein of the Hitch Hiker's guide to the Galaxy. Science fiction, with a heavy focus on describing broken cultures.
Its free, and you can be reading it inside 10 minutes, so give it a shot.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Utterly-Uninteresting-Unadventurous-Vampire-Accountant-ebook/dp/B00M6AM6Q8
The Utterly Uninteresting and Unadventurous Tales of Fred, the Vampire Accountant.
Fred honestly likes his job, and really wishes that people would leave him alone to do his work. Of course, the story conspires to shake up his very mundane (for a vampire) life. It's very much a young-adult fiction book and may be a bit childish for more adult tastes, but it can be entertaining with the right point of view.
You sound like you'd like this book.
https://www.amazon.com/Orconomics-Satire-Dark-Profit-Saga-ebook/dp/B00O2NDJ2M/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1492181885&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=orkonomics
If you're hankering for reading materials then Orconomics is a good book about the subject.
https://www.amazon.com/Orconomics-Satire-Dark-Profit-Saga-ebook/dp/B00O2NDJ2M
One way of ensuring a level of appropriate conduct from your adventurers is by making adventuring a very official thing with its own guild, rules, and enforcing membership. Adventuring would then be an actual job, with actual pay with its own rules and expectations. There would be officials who assess say the hoard at the end of a quest. Taxes, evaluations, and rankings with competing groups and bidding on quests.
Reaper Man because it was my first but I recently read Going Postal again and really enjoyed the hell out of it.
Don't Use That Link! Use This Link HERE.
Name: The New Penguin Russian Course: A Complete Course for Beginners (Penguin Handbooks).
Price: $17.38
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My local library's website has the Mango Language program for free, and it has very easy to use and what I can only assume is accurate Russian phrases that would be used, so maybe that option is available for you to check out. http://www.russianlessons.net/ this is another website that proved mighty useful. While the book I have been using for my Russian studies, is the Penguin Russian Course: http://www.amazon.com/New-Penguin-Russian-Course-Beginners/dp/0140120416/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1372041401&amp;sr=1-1&amp;keywords=penguin+russian
The New Penguin Russian Course is quite good. The textbook I've used is Russian for Everybody (there's also an accompanying workbook that I highly recommend). Once you start getting a hang of things, Shaum's Outline of Russian Grammar is a good, clear reference for grammar.
As for free websites? I'm not very familiar with them... MasterRussian.com is a popular one. From my experience with free internet lessons, they tend to be lacking in explanations of grammar, and more about giving you "useful" phrases. Everybody learns differently, of course, but I personally find that the more grammar lessons you can integrate, the better off you'll be in the long run.
Other than all that, I definitely recommend finding an easy to read book/article/text/something to work towards understanding -- children's books are good for this. Provides more motivation that way, and it's a way to apply what you're learning. Always keep a goal in mind. :)
Here is the desktop version of your link
In my opinion, apps and software don't tend to be of much use; they don't let you advance quickly enough and don't expose you to enough material. If you're serious about learning Russian, grab a good book and study each text or dialogue until you understand it both in reading and aurally. There's Teach Yourself Russian, Routledge's Colloquial Russian, the FSI FAST (Familiarization and Short-Term Training) Russian, Assimil Russian (if you speak French), and I've heard good things about the New Penguin Russian Course. In all cases, be sure you get audio along with the book, or have a native speaker who is willing to help you learn. Good luck!
No no. Its prolly not the fastest way. But if your learning and having fun then by all means.
Ya know on second thought there isn't as many as I thought at first.
You can ignore my statement.
I 100% say get this though. I've bought it twice it was so good.
https://www.amazon.com/New-Penguin-Russian-Course-Beginners/dp/0140120416/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=New+penguin+russian+course&amp;qid=1564251934&amp;s=gateway&amp;sr=8-1
well... according to my textbook, that would be called "partitive genitive".
Here's what the Russian Penguin Course has to say about this:
A minor use of the genitive case is to express the meaning 'some' with food and drink nouns:
дайте мне воды/вина/хлеба
дайте хлеб corresponds to "Give me bread" or "Give me the bread"
A small number of nouns have a special у/ю ending for the partitive. You may hear the question:
вы хотите чаю?
чаю with a special genitive ending ю (an alternative to -я is the pratitive genitve of чай. Other nouns which may have this -у ending are сахар, мёд, сыр
I've heard good things about The New Penguin Russian Course. I also like to have plenty of reading material, like readers and parallel texts to help build my vocabulary and work on comprehension.
As others have said, there's plenty of free and usually legal stuff out there, so give those a shot too. While materials can help or hurt your motivation, the specific brand or program isn't as important as doing something every day to improve your Russian.
I'm in the same boat as you. I've been working through The New Penguin Russian Course and have found it very helpful and easy to follow.
The New Penguin Russian Course: A Complete Course for Beginners (Penguin Handbooks) https://www.amazon.com/dp/0140120416/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_MvtaCbFKB31BV
There was a workbook called Сила that I used to get off the ground, but I can't find it anywhere on line. I used it in conjunction with
http://www.amazon.com/The-New-Penguin-Russian-Course/dp/0140120416
I'll tell you what you don't want to do though. Don't get a book that has a bunch of phrases that you need to memorize. Get a book that focuses on grammar principles and vocab.
EDIT: Join us in /r/russian as well! There is most likely more beginners there as well.
Just buy this book and use RS to supplement it.
Or get the Assimil course(s).
http://www.russianforeveryone.com/
Not the most visually attractive site, but pretty good in regard of its contents and explanations.
They say this book is also pretty good: https://www.amazon.es/New-Penguin-Russian-Course-Beginners/dp/0140120416
Because you'd already be subjugated through propaganda :^)
Do something productive instead of crying about your next president. Here... https://www.amazon.com/New-Penguin-Russian-Course-Beginners/dp/0140120416/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1481656596&amp;sr=1-1
Multi qui linguae Russicae periti esse videntur hunc librum probant. Ipse tamen, qui modo huius linguae elementa disco, iudicare non possum. Si sermone Latino uti placet ad colloquendum vel ad scribendum, nihil obstat quin nobiscum aliquando in /r/latin Latine scribas.
The mother learned russian at school back in the day, i'm trying to follow in her footsteps, mainly by means of a teacher.
But this is the one book my mother recommends from back then. I bought it, and it is excellent. No stone is left unturned.
This is a good intro book, and /r/russian's a pretty good sub.
This is how I've been learning.
http://www.amazon.com/The-New-Penguin-Russian-Course/dp/0140120416/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1348021896&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=penguin+russian
Thanks. I've found a New Penguin one from Amazon that I am ready to order.
&#x200B;
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0140120416/ref=ox_sc_act_title_5?smid=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&psc=1
http://learnrussian.rt.com/ ist sehr nützlich für Anfänger.
Die beste Buchkurs ist "The New Penguin Russian Course for Beginners.
Ich finde es ziemlich leicht und einfach.
Ich wünsche dein Mitarbeiter viel Glück mit Russisch! Es ist ein faszinierend Sprach!
A tutor is probably the best way and is mostly how I learned, though Duolingo is quite good.
This is the best resource I've found on the Russian language: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/0140120416/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1521760943&amp;sr=8-1&amp;pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&amp;keywords=russian+course+book
Here is the mobile version of your link
Although it's a different genre, 1Q84 is an amazing book.
IQ84 - Haruki Murakami
Straight from Amazon:
"The year is 1984 and the city is Tokyo.
A young woman named Aomame follows a taxi driver’s enigmatic suggestion and begins to notice puzzling discrepancies in the world around her. She has entered, she realizes, a parallel existence, which she calls 1Q84 —“Q is for ‘question mark.’ A world that bears a question.” Meanwhile, an aspiring writer named Tengo takes on a suspect ghostwriting project. He becomes so wrapped up with the work and its unusual author that, soon, his previously placid life begins to come unraveled.
As Aomame’s and Tengo’s narratives converge over the course of this single year, we learn of the profound and tangled connections that bind them ever closer: a beautiful, dyslexic teenage girl with a unique vision; a mysterious religious cult that instigated a shoot-out with the metropolitan police; a reclusive, wealthy dowager who runs a shelter for abused women; a hideously ugly private investigator; a mild-mannered yet ruthlessly efficient bodyguard; and a peculiarly insistent television-fee collector.
A love story, a mystery, a fantasy, a novel of self-discovery, a dystopia to rival George Orwell’s—1Q84 is Haruki Murakami’s most ambitious undertaking yet: an instant best seller in his native Japan, and a tremendous feat of imagination from one of our most revered contemporary writers"
Ah... I found Amazon's layout quite disconcerting and over-busy, but thanks for that, I found the samples eventually.
For those of you undecided, here's some more:
Basically what everyone else has said...YES! I would recommend The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide--it has all 5 of the books in one, and is much more cost effective than getting them individually.
If you want something a bit emotionally draining at points, Blindness by Saramago is a good one. It's about a sudden epidemic of blindness, and how the world reacts. And they don't react well. Very much worth your time, but just a forewarning, there is a part that's a bit... rapey.
If you want something very character driven, I liked Ender's Game and the following two branches. The branch that follows Ender (Speaker for the Dead, Xenocide, and Children of the Mind) get a bit philosophical and more and more sci-fi, so I don't know how much I'd recommend it. I kept through it for the characters though. The other branch follows a character named "Bean" from the first book (Ender's Shadow, Shadow of the Hegemon, Shadow Puppets, Shadow of the Giant) and is a lot more military focused, talking about interactions between world powers and military groups. I liked that branch a bit more.
I only ask that if you read those, you get them from the library so that you don't purchase them. I don't like where he sends his money, but that's your choice. I usually don't recommend him to people solely because of that.
Last but not least, the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and the rest of the series (The Restaurant at the End of the Universe, Life the Universe and Everything, So Long and Thanks for All the Fish, Mostly Harmless, And Another Thing...) is FANTASTIC. I recommend this to EVERYONE. Funny, witty, clever, and well written and the guy who wrote it was a good guy too. I'd say buy the complete edition where all the books are in one. I'm not a huge book guy, but I was able to soar through this with no problem. I'm not even gonna say what it's about, but I will say the part about sandwiches is basically my life advice to anyone who asks for some.
Happy reading!
> 1. the world exists
refer to the one book that has the ultimate answer, it has all the answers on why the world(earth) exists.
points 2-5 are hence pre-empted.
Nope. I wasn't that lucky. But as I mentioned, I bought it in a thrift shop. It was 2 or 3 bucks, used.
http://www.amazon.com/The-Ultimate-Hitchhikers-Guide-Galaxy/dp/0345453743/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1395037957&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=hitchhikers+guide+to+the+galaxy+omnibus
Redditing at work is AWESOME
I don't know you, but you are too!
This! Or surprise me!
Read the excerpt it will leave you wanting more.
Get what I got wayyy cheaper
I've had a kindle for a month or so but have been too busy to do much reading. Anyway here's what I have (I tend to enjoy science fiction / satire)
I would recommend getting the Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide which has all the books in the series, instead of just the second one.
Always good to know the events of the last 100 years, I think.
Douglas Adams is one of the finest examples of british humor I could possible recommend, and I do so often.
Science Fiction and Mark Twain? Sign me up.
I got The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy as a gift and it's awesome. Has all 5 books plus a short story ("Young Zaphod Plays it Safe"). I've re-read the whole thing cover to cover a few times.
The fifth book is a little depressing, but still good. The author's life had turned to shit, and it shows in his writing. Still, it's a hell of a good way to wrap up the stories.
Have fun!
The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy by Douglas Adams
>"Dave saves the universe"
That's a trilogy right there.
Boringly named man has space adventure is indeed a trilogy.
The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
It's not particularly about being less depressed and all that, but I guarantee it will make you feel better.
There are a few different printings of the full series.
Here's a link to the first one I found on Amazon The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
http://mitadmissions.org/blogs/entry/its_more_than_a_job
Read that.
Now read it again, and focus on the significance of the essays.
Being well-read gives you a common connection or foundation with others who are similarly well-read.
Being well-read helps you develop stronger language context skills, and a more broad vocabulary which will be useful to you when you have to describe deeply meaningful topics about yourself and your dreams in 400 words or less.
Search A2C for how many interviewers or application essays asked the applicant to discuss their favorite book, or something they recently read. It's a common theme.
Ask Google how many books Bill Gates and James Mattis read in an average month.
You say you're interested in STEM. Ok, here are two books IMMENSLY popular with the nerd-crowd:
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Dune
Please, don't say or think "But, I've already seen those movies..."
No movie has ever been as detailed in conveying a story as the book.
And if robots & robotics are seriously among your interests, Asimov is pretty much required reading.
I, Robot
Not in base 11. Anyway, here, read this and you'll be all better dear.
Absolute favorite book is A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter Miller Jr. It's everything I love about sci-fi. Book series that I grew up with and still love are Dangerous Angels by Francesca Lia Block, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams, and The Chronicles of Narnia by CS Lewis.
Thanks for doing this! Pretty sure I haven't been gifted. If I'm wrong, somebody correct me.
Here's my link: http://www.amazon.com/The-Ultimate-Hitchhikers-Guide-Galaxy/dp/0345453743/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&amp;colid=3BV6ORTEG1H7I&amp;coliid=I2VKFBD1WLM9QG
Used is fine, so it should be under the $10 limit, Sexy Rexy. Just make sure you unleash the dragon.
Edit: woops, forgot my intro, here it is:
http://www.reddit.com/r/Random_Acts_Of_Amazon/comments/1jbcw4/intro_and_gifted_hello_there/
Oh crud I've been wanting to read this. I's the end of the month though and my library does a used book sale on the last week, maybe I will get lucky and find it, but just in caAaaaASsseeEee. (I also have Nook which I think lets you lend a book for a week if anyone wants to share with me lol!)
How about the alien from most of the book's covers? This guy. Might be good for the top bar as well.
I love all his books but if you can get a copy of Zen Speaks. https://www.amazon.com/Zen-Speaks-Tsai-Chih-Chung/dp/0385472579/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1482013778&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=zen+speaks
I see that some of those are the same stories of the book Zen Speaks: Shouts of Nothingness.
The Tao Speaks?
is minimalism something you are trying to achieve? if so, why?
do you think minimalism will make you happy? i think it will make you less distracted, but probably has nothing to do with happiness.
rather than achieving minimalism, as if it is a race, perhaps try instead to understand your motivations - and yourself.
forget about learning from web pages. you want to be or become minimal, let me suggest a few printed books. don't get an ebook. get paper. hold it in your hands, with no tv on, no cell phone on, no radio. start with an authentic, non-digital experience. i suggest a few books:
"The Tao Speaks" by Tsai Chi Chung
"Zhuangzi Speaks" also by Tsai Chi Chung
And "The Tao of Pooh" by Benjamin Hoff
Those books are a good start. I gave them to my mom about 10-15 years ago when she was going through a patch, and she told me after she read them, they made her feel peaceful.
they are just the tip of the iceberg in the topic of daoism, which is largely similar, but not identical, to minimalism. once you understand, there will be no need to explain. and it won't matter since the dao cannot be explained. yet, the thing which minimalism tries to achieve, is in the dao.
I highly recommend https://www.amazon.com/Tao-Speaks-Lao-Tzus-Whispers-Wisdom/dp/0385472595 It reads like a comic book with great illustrations. It follows the TTC chapter by chapter.
Grunts! by Mary Gentle is a fantasy comedy about Orcs who find a cache of modern military weaponry.
Slightly different genre, but you may appreciated Grunts. [Spoilers](#s "A bunch of Orcs with an anti-gravity attack elephant and and a pegasus formation with wing mounted rocket launchers").
scotch tape...
or to badly paraphrase Mary Gentle's novel 'Grunts'
'pass me another Ewok, this ones split...'
Grunts is a kind of special forces fantasy novel. A bunch of orcs get their hands on American combat gear in advance of the final battle between good and evil. Things do not quite work out as planned. :)
http://www.amazon.com/Grunts-Mary-Gentle/dp/0451454537
It's like two bucks on Kindle.
It sounds kind of fun. Czech it out.
Not if there's already a book about it.
Sir Apropos of Nothing by Peter David. There's a whole series, actually. I've read three. Woad to Wuin and Tong Lashing are the next two and apparently there's at least one more called Pyramid Schemes.
Sir Apropos of Nothing... probably. It's been maybe 10 years since I read it, but I still recall the awfulness... Dislikable protagonist/characters/plot and I kept reading because it seemed always to be on the verge of "turning around" iirc... and in the end when it all seems to be FINALLY working out the author pulls a crappy twist out of his butt, and the main character deals with it in the worst possible way...
If you like Scalzi, check out The Android's Dream when you're finished.
Snow Crash is a combination of cyberpunk, hacking, humour and geekiness which is pretty rare other than, perhaps, several other Stephenson books. The book I've read that is overall closest to Snow Crash that's not by Stephenson is The Android's Dream.
It's a little dated now but I think you'd probably like the Greg Mandel series as well.
Have you tried John Scalzi
That was a pretty good short story: http://www.amazon.com/The-Androids-Dream-John-Scalzi/dp/0765348284
Well, as a rule, I've absolutely fallen in love with John Scalzi's Old Man's War series, as well as his one-shots like The Android's Dream.
A favorite for the last few years is John Ringo, author of too many series to mention here, but I'm almost done with his forthcoming Under a Graveyard Sky(available as an eARC from the baen website, and it's AMAZING zombie fun.
Also, The Legend of Eli Monpress by Rachel Aaron has some of the best characters I've read in years in a fantasy book.
I would suggest The lives of Tao (https://www.amazon.com/Lives-Tao-Book-One/dp/0857663291/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1518446281&amp;sr=1-1&amp;keywords=The+lives+of+Tao&amp;dpID=51JdwNnDXVL&amp;preST=_SY291_BO1,204,203,200_QL40_&amp;dpSrc=srch)
The Lives of Tao
The Lives of Tao: Tao Series Book One https://www.amazon.com/dp/0857663291/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_CWF5xbYQJT1GP
Lives of Tao. I think I'm going to buy the next one soon,
I really enjoyed Zero World by Jason M. Hough. I listened to the audiobook if that makes a difference.
Also the The Lives of Tao by Wesley Chu is a fun read.
Edit: The synopsis of Zero World does make it sound a little more cheesy than it really is:/
Here is the desktop version of OP's link
https://www.amazon.com/American-Slave-Roman-Drake/dp/0989259307
The first three pages are a total tease
My first thought was The 13 1/2 Lives of Captain Bluebear by Walter Moers. It's silly and strange and awesome fantasty stuffs, but nothing that's going to make you really delve into deep thought. I definitely enjoyed it, anyway. Hope this helps!
The Zamonia Books by Walter Moers. Seriously.
Start with either
Rumo,
City of Dreaming Books
or
Captain Bluebear
Don't let the cover illustrations fool you: these are seriously entertaining, thrilling, funny and sometimes brutal reads (check the commentaries on amazon).
13 1/2 Lives of Captain Bluebear. Pretty funny book and it has pictures.
I was always a big reader, but Madelein L'Engle started me on my passion of reading with A Wrinkle In Time and A Wind In The Door
As a grown-up, I can enjoy books for children with a better eye.... If you ever find a copy of Walter Moers' The 13 1/2 Lives of Captain Bluebear pick it up and devour it! It is endlessly entertaining, and endearingly sweet. Good as a fantastical children's book, but adults will enjoy the quick wit and humor. I've given away three copies as gifts!
The Zamonia-Novels by Walter Moers:
1
2
3
4
They are funny, gruesome, surreal and simply brilliant. Look at the reviews on amazon. Especially Rumo and The City of the Dreaming Books were unputdownable.
Although it clocks in at a little over 700 pages, the 13 1/2 Lives of Captain Bluebear seems to go by too fast.
The Thirteen and a Half Lives of Captain Bluebear, by Walter Moers.
I was 14, and fairly depressed (laugh all you want, but it was horrible) with little to do. Some family friends (honorary aunt and uncle) gave it to me to read, and it was wonderful. I laughed, I cried, but most of all, I realized that I did not have to become a boring old person living a boring life and doing boring things with my years. It sounds cliché, and painfully so, but I began to realize if I rolled with the punches and took chances, things, I might have some interesting stories to tell.
I can't describe the book - it has hints of The Hobbit told with a reflective, knowledgeable voice. I've often considered re-reading it, but it's one of those books you can only read once.
An article on Thought Catalog, by the author of this book.
Hi! this is a great contest thanks for holding it.
my name is kurt and my favorite book is The [Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy] (http://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Hitchhikers-Guide-Galaxy-ebook/dp/B0043M4ZH0/ref=sr_1_1_title_1_kin?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1370560569&amp;sr=1-1&amp;keywords=the+hitchhiker%27s+guide+to+the+galaxy) it hilarious and confusing and i love it. its been forever since i read it but id love to again. id love the kindle since Ive always wanted one and every book i want i can find the e-book form but not an actual copy
Ask and ye shall reveice ;)
http://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Hitchhikers-Guide-Galaxy-ebook/dp/B0043M4ZH0/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1331579832&amp;sr=8-2
YAY! I love being an aunt! Congratulations to you and your family.
I ain't birthed no babies! But I do have stretch marks that need to be gone before my tropical vacation, and that would make me super happy. :D
Happy Birfday! I would certainly have to recommend A Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy! The series is super awesome. :)
Have fun at school!
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0055QAEVE/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?qid=1421542014&amp;sr=8-2&amp;pi=AC_SX110_SY165_QL70
That's using the US site with the link you gave. Thanks for the Smashwords link, though.
It could make a great comedy. Have you ever read The Tales of Fred? I love books like this, it's about a vampire who is an accountant and is the most unassuming vampire ever. Next to Bill of course.
I bought a book called Orconomics off of the $5 Audible sale. Looks like an interesting take on a WOW type World. Haven't listened yet though.
https://www.amazon.com/Orconomics-Satire-Dark-Profit-Saga-ebook/dp/B00O2NDJ2M
If this is the kind of thing that often turns up in your D&D campaigns, you should definitely read this book.
Its basically this scenario turned into a terrific D&D-inspired novel.
http://www.amazon.com/Orconomics-Satire-Dark-Profit-Saga-ebook/dp/B00O2NDJ2M
Note: I am neither the author, nor the publisher of this book, nor do I derive any benefit from its sales.
NPCs by Drew Hayes is more like Pencil and Paper LitRPG (LitPnPRPG?)
Orcanomics: A Satire is, as advertised, a parody of P&P RPG tropes. Not LitRPG, though. Hilarious!
The Dark Profit Saga
Try 1Q84 by Murakami. It does fall 54 pages short of your 1000 page target though.
Try Chuck Palahniuk's Invisible Monsters, Survivor or Lullaby. They aren't super long and are gory enough to keep most people grotesquely attentive. If you don't read much they might help you get back into it. Palahniuk has really gone downhill in his recent books (haven't read the newest one because the last few were so bad) but his old stuff is phenominal.
I agree that the Harry Potter books are good but they don't really capture you until the third book. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series is a good choice- you can usually get all the books in one bound edition for cheap at Barnes and Noble or amazon.
https://www.amazon.com/GatFacts-Book-satire-Firearms-Myths/dp/1511483717
Check out Drew Hayes' The Utterly Uninteresting and Unadventurous Tales of Fred, the Vampire Accountant ant its sequels.
Four random books from my nearest shelf: Underground Bases and Tunnels, Man's Search for Meaning, The Millennium Whole Earth Catalog, Amberville.
Can't say I have read the five books you listed, but based on what I've heard about them... Amberville would probably be something you'd enjoy. :)
Edit: Have to throw this in: The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. ;)
http://www.amazon.com/The-Androids-Dream-John-Scalzi/dp/0765348284
American Slave
Edit: /r/taoism hates Tao of Pooh, who knew?
If you are a westerner, do it like how many of us did and read "Tao of Pooh."
It's not the ancient text, it's not anything but one man's take on Taoism through a certain lens.
As far as introductions are concerned, it's the most accessible.
Then go find your favorite translation of the tao teh ching.
Also, this book is cool.
https://www.amazon.com/Tao-Speaks-Lao-Tzus-Whispers-Wisdom/dp/0385472595