(Part 2) Best genre literature & fiction books according to redditors
We found 32,740 Reddit comments discussing the best genre literature & fiction books. We ranked the 9,654 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the products ranked 21-40. You can also go back to the previous section.
The book was commonly known as the Buggre Alle This Bible. The lengthy compositor’s error, if such it may be called, occurs in the book of Ezekiel, chapter 48, verse five:
2. And bye the border of Dan, fromme the east side to the west side, a portion for Afher.
3. And bye the border of Afhter, fromme the east side even untoe the west side, a portion for Naphtali.
4. And bye the border of Naphtali, from the east side untoe the west side, a portion for Manaffeh.
5. Buggre all this for a Larke. I amme sick to mye Hart of typefettinge. Master Biltonn if no Gentelmann, and Master Scagges noe more than a tighte fisted Southwarke Knobbefticke. I telle you, onne a daye laike thif Ennywone half an oz. of Sense should bee oute in the Sunneshain, ane nott Stucke here alle the liuelong daie inn thif mowldey olde By-Our-Lady Workefhoppe.
6 And bye the border of Ephraim, from the east fide even untoe the west fide, a portion for Reuben.
[The Buggre Alle This Bible was also noteworthy for having twenty seven verses in the third chapter of Genesis, instead of the more usual twenty four.
They followed verse 24, which in the King James version reads:
“So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life,” and read:
25 And the Lord spake unto the Angel that guarded the eastern gate, saying Where is the flaming sword which was given unto thee?
26 And the Angel said, I had it here only a moment ago, I must have put it down some where, forget my own head next.
27 And the Lord did not ask him again.
It appears that these verses were inserted during the proof stage. In those days it was common practice for printers to hang proof sheets to the wooden beams outside their shops, for the edification of the populace and some free proofreading, and since the whole print run was subsequently burned anyway, no one bothered to take up this matter with the nice Mr. A. Ziraphale, who ran the bookshop two doors along and was always so helpful with the translations, and whose handwriting was instantly recognizable.]
EDIT: Good Omens
Dynasty Warriors is based on Three Kingdoms, a romanticized historical fiction from the 1300's that's based on the end of the Han Dynasty and the Three Kingdoms period, ~1100 years earlier. It's also an interesting read.
Off the top of my head, I can't think of any characters in the game that didn't at least come from the novel. Most were indeed real people.
No, not at all. There is typically VERY little gore or blood or battles - because if there was a battle, we would be so WOEFULLY unprepared for it, that it would be over before we realized it had started. These are often beings from >3 dimensions. We can't even hurt them - though we CAN, sometimes, slow them down. Think of the tentacle monster from Hellboy's home dimension, as an EXCELLENT rendition of one of those cosmic horrors.
These things are not human, or even humanoid. Usually, even SEEING one is enough to break your mind, because you are witnessing something that can't exist in our spacetime, and as it moves in it's own dimension, it does weird shit in this one.
For recommendations, buy this - it's a great price, and has ALL of his fiction.
Recommended stories:
Be aware that there are BIG, and WEIRD words in his writing, and he speaks british (despite being from new england), so color is spelled colour, and a flashlight is a torch, and whatnot. He speaks of the cyclopean towers looming over the eldritch landscape, etc, etc, etc. Also, the stories were written in the early 1900s, so expect some hilariously wrong stuff to be in there.
Just a heads up everyone, Amazon has the price down 40% right now. Normally it's $106, but they have it down to $65!!!
Link here
Two books I've read this month that I can't recommend highly enough:
First, The Sociopath Next Door by Dr. Martha Stout. Really illuminating and, to coin a phrase, might just save your life. The book is a great read and gets into a lot more detail and examples from the author's practice, but here's a quick summary:
Second, World War Z by Max Brooks (well, re-read actually; I guess I have a morbid sense of humor). Intelligent multidisciplinary writing is my favorite approach to speculative fiction and this is a master class in it. The choice to approach it as a post-war oral history à la the late Studs Terkel was truly inspired.
But what I was absolutely blown away by is, after a month of reporting on the real-world Ebola epidemic, how astonishingly spot-on Brooks' writing is in regards to the tone and terminology of media reports in the early days of the outbreak. He predicted, almost verbatim, phrases that I'm hearing on the radio on a daily basis today. The verisimilitude is just jaw-dropping, that's real talent.
EDIT: For those who didn't care for the WWZ movie, you might like the audiobook. Obviously it's non-visual but they have an incredible voice cast. A few examples: Mark Hamill, Alan Alda, Simon Pegg, Carl Reiner, Jeri Ryan, Parminder Nagra, F. Murray Abraham, John Turturro ... and that's just the start.
Gates of Fire is a much better and more historically accurate fictionalized account of the battle of Thermopylae (told from the viewpoint of a Spartan slave, though not a Helot).
If you think it ends too soon, read "This Book Is Full of Spiders: Seriously, Dude, Don't Touch It" which is the sequel to the original book John Dies at the End
Good Omens.
The sequel comes out in 2 days. So hyped.
Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy. The book provides a loosely based historical account on a scalp hunting expedition in the 1840s southwest. It touches on many themes like manifest destiny and the nature of evil in mankind.
And to build on the other AskReddit question about improving your vocabulary, this book has a plethora of unique words. This quote was taken from a study that was done on the book by Christopher Forbis. He writes:
> The book, although only 334 pages of text, contains 10,257 individual unique words. Some of these words
occur on nearly every page but a large percentage occur only once within the text. In fact, 5,308 words occur
only once in the book representing nearly 52% of the unique words used to create this masterpiece.
Here's the link.
And I also imagine there's many people who've already read this book who might be looking for additional interpretations on it. And for these people might I suggest John Sepich's Notes on Blood Meridian. This book does a phenomenal job of weaving together the historical sources that McCarthy used to write this work. It also contains literary criticism and interpretations of themes and symbols throughout the book.
If you're looking for a page by page reference of the book--translations of Spanish to English, background information on cities, definitions of words--then I suggest getting A Reader's Guide to Blood Meridian.
I'm a huge fan of this book and I've learned a lot more about it by reading these two books. I think the books becomes more enjoyable and you start to admire the way in which he put this book together after you read these two books about the book. The subject matter is brutal, and this turns most people off, but if you make it through it I think you're rewarded with a truly outstanding novel.
First off, you must understand the game is based on the novel "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" by Luo Guanzhong which is about 70% fact and 30% fiction. You can purchase the book here. I highly recommend reading this version do to Moss Roberts excellent translation. Though keep in mind many of the extraordinary feats of people such as Lu Bu, Zhuge Liang and others have been exaggerated both in the novel and the game.
For actual historical biographies, you will want to read the Sanguo Zhi (SGZ) which was written by Chen Shou a late Shu/Jin officer. The SGZ is a compilation of biographies of the various generals and politicians of the era, they read very bland but straightforward. No author has translated these biographies and compiled them. However, you can find reliable fan translations here.
I have the leatherbound paperbacks and really like them. The leather covers make it easy to take with me without worrying about them getting damaged, plus the whole set is only a little more than $50 on amazon and I've seen them in bookstores for as low as $35. The only drawback with the paperback set is the small print, so if you have trouble with that then definitely go for the hardcovers.
Good Omens is more comedy/satire than philosophy, but it does have some Christian mythology thrown in.
Go here and click the book cover where it says "Look Inside." That will give you the prologue and a few chapters.
It'll give you a sampling of the text, writing style, and diction to be expected for the rest of the book and series. The text is simple to comprehend and his writing style is pretty easy to follow once you understand some of the less-common phrasing he employs.
Yeah, I can agree on some. I own this series as well https://www.amazon.co.uk/Song-Ice-Fire-Volumes/dp/0007477155 and it has a sleek look that doesn't look too bland like some other versions, like the ones sold in most bookstores, which are all black with just a symbol on them and a big sticker slapped on them saying "THE ORIGINAL TO THE SUCCESSFUL HBO SERIES GAME OF THRONES"...just ruins the look.
Modern
Blood Meridian: Or the Evening Redness in the West by Cormac McCarthy
Amazon link
That is exactly why I bought this version
I actually just bought a book called The Fall of Lucifer from a second-hand shop (50 cents. Why not?) which looks promising. I haven't read it though.
Good Omens is, of course, a classic, and a really great book.
There's also the Sandman Slim series by Richard Kadrey which heavily involves the Devil and other demons, especially after the first book, and it's a hell of a lot of fun to read. (Pun intended.)
There's A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter M. Miller, a novel made up of 3 fairly short stories set in 3 different era's after a nuclear apocalypse. We read it recently in r/SF_Book_Club here.
I also enjoyed 'I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream' by Harlan Ellison. The whole story was posted as hundreds of separate submissions in this novel subreddit (the head of the redditor who posted this is probably adorning the wall above Harlan Ellisons mantelpiece).
A few years ago I read The Amtrak Wars series, I enjoyed them as a teenager but I'm not sure if they'd hold up as well with a reread.
It was brutal. I wasn't that good. But there were many people who were superb. It was such a pleasure watching them perform.
Here are some sci-fi recommendations (you may have read them already, but I thought I'd offer anyway):
Serious Scifi:
Anathem the "multiverse" (multiple realities) and how all that works
Seveneves feminism meets eugenics—watch out!
The Culture series by Iain Banks, esp Book 2, the Player of Games Banks is dead, but wrote some of the best intellectual scifi ever
Brilliant, Visionary:
Accelerando brilliant and hilarious; and it's not a long book
Snowcrash classic
Neuromancer another classic
Tawdry yet Lyrical (in a good way):
Dhalgren beautiful, poetic, urban, stream of consciousness, and more sex than you can believe
Underrated Classics:
Voyage to Arcturus ignore the reviews and the bad cover of this edition (or buy a diff edition); this is the ONE book that every true scifi and fantasy fan should read before they die
Stress Pattern, by Neal Barrett, Jr. I can't find this on Amazon, but it is a book you should track down. It is possibly the WORST science fiction book ever written, and that is why you must read it. It's a half-assed attempt at a ripoff of Dune without any of the elegance or vision that Herbert had, about a giant worm that eats people on some distant planet. A random sample: "A few days later when I went to the edge of the grove to ride the Bhano I found him dead. I asked Rhamik what could have happened and he told me that life begins, Andrew, and life ends. Well, so it does."
Have you read Accelerando? If not, I do recommend it, it goes quite deep into the Singularity.
A special box set with 7 books included released today.
Not a big fan of that flowchart. It's not really a flowchart, it just covers different areas.
Battle Royale is the closest book I've found to the Hunger Games. It takes a while to get used to the names but after a few chapters you know them all well.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1947194399/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Kizumonogatari's the only one in English so far. It's really easy to order off [Amazon] (https://www.amazon.com/KIZUMONOGATARI-Wound-Tale-NISIOISIN/dp/1941220975) or pick up at [Barnes & Nobel] (http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/kizumonogatari-nisioisin/1122858310)
No, it is just long. A little over 2000 pages. The text is pretty straightforward and all third person. The link below is for the set I have. The translation is solid but the only issue is the spoilers at the start of every chapter.
I honestly wouldn't bother with it unless you are into Chinese history and culture or liked the games though.
Three Kingdoms (Chinese Classics, 4 Volumes) https://amazon.com/dp/7119005901/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_sId4Cb73PP05H
How about some Romance of the Ivalice/Hydaelyn/Vana'diel/etc Kingdoms?
I'm actually bothered by how many people don't know that Dynasty Warriors is based off Romance of the Three Kingdoms by Luo Guanzhong and has led countless video game and media. Romance of Three Kingdoms Series, Dynasty Warriors, Destiny of an Emperor, and way more than I can even list. There's even a TV series that is just phenomenal! The first fight between the three brothers and Lu Bu is typical Chinese fighting fare, but is a REALLY long fight. And all the intrigue is there.
Sorry, I absolutely love everything to do with the Three Kingdoms era, so I love to introduce the uninitiated to how deep and rich it is.
I would highly recommend "Good Omens."
Some more YA books with religious figures and themes:
I think it's important to turn "trusted" figures into dangerous entities in YA fiction, whether that's by turning parents, teachers, coaches, and other authorities into antagonists or just portraying them as occasionally flawed people. While younger readers may benefit from some reassurance that authority figures can usually help them, teenagers are growing up and should be aware that questioning authority and the bases of their moral systems is important!
You should cross-post this thread to /r/YAwriters. Looking for more discussion topics there, and I don't think everyone's subscribed to this sub.
>Some people have no sense of humor when it comes to the apocalypse.
But, have you read Good Omens?
Check out Accelerando by Charles Stross - there are a lot of ideas packed in this book, but it includes the detection of, and First Contact with, an alien communication network (along with the logistics of locating, translating, and communicating). Great read.
Good summary, the book Accelerando is sort of about this. You can buy the physical book in stores, but the author gives away the ebook. (because it's digital had has no "value")
Dickishly enough Amazon sells the kindle version $7.99
https://www.amazon.ca/Complete-Fiction-H-P-Lovecraft/dp/1631060015
Is this the one? I've got it, and its real nice.
/u/MindOfMetalAndWheels and /u/JeffDujon, if you two enjoyed Sum the next bookclub should really be Einstein's Dreams by Alan Lightman.
yes, definitely
Shaft stay pretty faithful the the novel, like really really faithful. But they still have to cut down contents since there is a limit, these mostly include conversations or monologues that can be reason out with contexts. So the novel will give you a much deeper understanding of what happen without you having to going over the anime and think about it
The one novel that I'd recommend the most is Kizu, since Shaft gave themselves quite a bit of creative freedom and deviate from the novel slightly.
Also, I highly recommend the boxset, the price fluctuate recently, at lowest it's $43, that's a steal imo
This abridged version was recommended to me by the Total War subreddit.
The best one is the Moss Roberts translation: http://www.amazon.com/Three-Kingdoms-Chinese-Classics-4-Volumes/dp/7119005901
Also, it has a lot of endnotes.
If you're asking about a single-volume compilation of all four, I doubt there are any -- at least, none that aren't also major abridgments. A boxed set is possible, but when I went looking for editions, the one that ended up looking best to me was actually a group of sets issued by a single publisher -- 16 volumes divided between 4 boxes. Here they are:
I can't personally vouch for the translations, since I don't read Chinese, but they seem to be well reviewed.
I've read it 4 times. This is the one I have. I love it. As stated in here, first chapter is slow and boring but is moreso a history lesson. Afterwards it picks up and then becomes an easy read for those of us who know the characters from playing the games.
http://www.amazon.com/Three-Kingdoms-Chinese-Classics-Volumes/dp/7119005901/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1367549860&sr=8-1&keywords=three+kingdoms
EDIT: I see this one was linked already.
Without exaggerating the slightest little bit, these books changed my life. Btw. I'm sure a gentleman of such high caliber as yourself will have read it already, but if you have not, might I humbly suggest Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett. It is one of the most entertaining books I've read, and positively oozes with inspiration from Adams. Oh, and it's about the apocalypse.
Good Omens, Gaiman and Pratchett. Hilarious book. One of the few books that actually had me laughing out loud. Made me look like an absolute nut on the airplane.
Edit: http://www.amazon.com/Good-Omens-Accurate-Prophecies-Nutter/dp/0060853972/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1289934177&sr=1-1
Last: Good Omens Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett - Entertaining, but wasn't as good as I thought it would be. Much preferred A Night in the Lonesome October by Zelazny. Really miss him.
Now: In the Courts of the Sun Brian D'Amato - Enjoying it, kind of a far out story. Making me want to watch Apocalypto again.
Next: Probably Omnivore's Dilemma
Try the Newsflesh Trilogy by Mira Grant.
I would highly recommended this book as an introduction to Norse mythology. It's easy to read without being dumbed down, and it's very fun and engaging. Really fantastic read.
There's actually quite a bit of good post-singularity literature. You should check some of it out. Here's a quick list of a few of my favorites:
Now, I'm guessing you're looking for a movie recommendation, but I would highly recommend the book Blood Meridian as the best thematically similar experience you will likely have.
Under the Dome, Stephen King
The Handmaid's Tale, Margaret Atwood
Good Omens, Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett
Beloved, Toni Morrison
The World is Flat, Thomas L. Friedman
Ahhh, well.. if you're a Pratchett fan than the obvious starting point is Good Omens which is co-authored by the both of them. If you like that I would either go to American Gods if you like the reworking old myths angle or Neverwhere if that 'london' writing feel does more for you. Any way around it you can't go wrong really. I've read everything he's written outside of a few short stories and not a word has been bad.
What other reddits do you surf?
I moderate /r/RATS, /r/Louisiana and /r/OpenChristian. I also read a lot in /r/SquaredCircle, /r/SRSBusiness, /r/SRSDiscussion, /r/polyamory, /r/woahdude and I've been dipping back into /r/Christianity a bit lately as well.
What do you do in your free time?
I read. I reddit. I smoke my pipe and drink my cocktails. I watch pro wrestling. I cuddle. I toy around with making jewelry (trying hammered wire recently) or playing with polymer clay. I'm considering this thing they call "ex ur size" or some such. It involves riding on a bike that goes nowhere. I understand I can read or watch TV while I do it, so I figured what the heck.
What do you read?
Right now I'm going back and forth between The History of White People and A Canticle for Leibowitz. Before that I read Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal. the most powerful book I've read in the last few months was Silence by Shusaku Endo. You should read it. And then you should read Lamb because you'll need something a bit more jovial. But not until after you've sat with it a while.
What do you watch?
Ring of Honor Wrestling, WWE, Leverage, Big Bang Theory, How I Met Your Mother.
Do you Blog?
Yup, though not regularly enough to develop any sort of readership.
Do you game?
I just got my first console since the original NES when I was in junior high. It's a Wii. Every once in a while I'll play Mario Kart of do something on the Wii Fit.
Do you play a musical instrument/sing?
I make noise periodically. I want to do more.
What are your favorite movies?
Absolute number one favorite? Hedwig And the Angry Inch. The only tattoo I have is from that movie. Other favorites include The Big Lebowski, Pump Up The Volume, The Wrestler, Shortbus, Dangerous Beauty, Walk The Line.
What is some favorite music?
My absolute favorite band is Over the Rhine. Behind them, tied for second place, you'll find Boris, the Cure, Leonard Cohen and Johnny Cash. Also up there are Kris Kristofferson, Mischief Brew, the CrimethInc band called Requiem (there are lots of bands called Requiem), The New Orleans Bingo Show. The list goes on for days.
I liked The Dresden Files pretty well, but it definitely has issues in places. If you want something with a sort of similar feel but (mostly) better female characters, you might give the October Daye series by Seanan McGuire a shot (link goes to the first book in the series). Toby is a detective with a sardonic bent, there's lots of urban fantasy elements, it's just set in San Francisco instead of Chicago. And Toby is female, if that isn't obvious. They're not perfect, by any means, but I enjoyed them a lot.
If you try those and end up liking them, I also recommend Seanan McGuire's other novels, including the ones she wrote as Mira Grant, one of which (Feed) is probably my favorite post-apocalyptic zombie story ever~
For ancient Sparta, check out Gates of Fire. It's a fictional wrap to the Battle of Thermopylae and a real page turner.
Yeah I have seen these on Amazon, they are really small and chubby but covers look good.
https://www.amazon.ca/George-Martins-Thrones-Leather-Cloth-Boxed/dp/1101965487/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1481566320&sr=8-1&keywords=a+song+of+ice+and+fire+leather
You might even get a kick out of The Hunger Games or Divergent... And of course 1984 :)
There was an ebook on Google Play, but I can't see it anymore (might be because of my location).
You can buy the paperbacks over Amazon, so far we have Kizu and Bake 1 (out of 3) with an option for Audible or through Audibooks.com. If Amazon doesn't ship to you, BookDepository probably will. The translation was done by Vertical Inc., if you want further links.
For all the other places, check the answers to basically the same question posted 4 hours ago.
To give color to the other side of the Kizu order argument, watching Kizu right after Bake capitalizes on peak curiosity for what happened over spring break. Yeah the style is totally different from the rest of the show, but that doesn't mean you have to watch it separately. At the end of the day, the author intended Kizu to be where it was - in between Bake and Nise - and he revealed information based on that fact.
Additionally, because the movies omit some really good bits I would personally recommend also reading the translated Kizumonogatari light novel
I would suggest you read (assuming your an English speaker) the book itself! There are many translations available, the one I read was the translation by Robert Moss. Also there is the actual historical text that the novel was based on, Records of the Three Kingdoms by Chen Shou, for that I would recommend checking out any university libraries in your area.
And also I'll ping /u/cthulhushrugged for a better answer.
After years of playing DW games, I finally did, and really enjoyed it. I read this abridged version (~$30) initially, and it was alright. Some pretty big pieces are cut out, although it does make for a considerably shorter read. However, if you really want the full experience, I'd recommend this 4-book set (~$25) that I picked up later. I can't really say if it's better or worse than others, as it's the only full copy I've read, but it seemed good to me, and I've seen it recommended by other people as well. You could also check out this website, which has the whole thing available to be read. I don't think I could manage that much reading online, though.
If you do start reading, good luck. It can be quite a daunting task, as the scope and style of it can be off-putting. It took me a couple years of off-and-on reading to get through it, and I'm someone who enjoys reading (although I was younger at the time). Have fun with it though, it's a great read, and you'll likely have an easier time than most, as you're already familiar with many of the names.
Hope that helps!
This translation seems to be a bit awkward personally. Although this is good if you just want to get the basics of the story, if you want to own and truly enjoy the book I strongly recommend buying a Moss Roberts unabridged translation. Absolutely stellar, flows and reads as if it was in English originally. My version also came with citations and a large section of notes at the back of each book that has a lot of helpful information to understanding the many obscure references the character's make, among other helpful information. It also includes maps and other illustrations throughout the book which makes it a lot more easy to understand and just enjoy.
Check out Pines by Blake Crouch. It's a fun mix of The Twilight Zone, Twin Peaks, and The Fugative.
I'm not sure how much you've read by Stephen King, but many of his books are not all that intense. Two recommendations are 11-22-63, about a time-traveller trying to prevent the JFK assassination, and Sleeping Beauties (with son Owen King), about an apocalypse where all females succumb to an unending coma if they fall asleep.
You might also check out creature-feature books like Jaws, The Meg, Jurassic Park, or my book The Dinosaur Four.
On the zombie front, consider World War Z by Max Brooks, an "oral history of the zombie apocalypse," and Mountain Man by Keith C. Blackmore is about a loner who drinks his way through the zombie apocalypse. If you're an audible member, there is a free short story prequel to Mountain Man called The Hospital.
Best,
Geoff Jones
Author of The Dinosaur Four
Is there anything in particular you're leaning to?
Author Cherie Priest has a couple excellent books.
The Dresden Files series, by Jim Butcher, is a wonderful series. It's about a wizard-for-hire in the modern world, and delves into the wonderful magic environment that Jim has created. Jim likes to put his characters through trouble and turmoil, and it's good for character development! The series starts off with Storm Front.
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins is another great series. It's a post-apocalyptic/oppressed setting, centering around something called 'The Hunger Games' - an annual battle that captivates the capitol and all twelve remaining districts. There is a movie releasing next year, as well.
The Name of the Wind is a terrific book by Patrick Rothfuss, the first entry into his series The Kingkiller Chronicles. It's a fantasy setting, and is about a character named Kvothe recounting his life. The writing style has an absolutely artistic writing style that is captivating to read, and such interesting and progressing events that make you eagerly turn the page. I have not yet read the sequel, The Wise Man's Fear, but I'm told it's even better in every way.
Terry Pratchett is an amazing and renowned author. He has been knighted, an event for which he created his own sword for by hand, battles against Alzheimer's in a most respectable and commendable way, and has created such an interesting and provoking world that provides a lot of laughs and curious perspectives on matters. Where you start is a more difficult choice. A couple choice options might be as follows (I haven't read others yet, so I can't attest to others, but there are many!).
I haven't started this book yet, nor looked into it, but I have heard terrific reviews. The Lies of Locke Lamora, by Scott Lynch, is his first book in his Gentleman Bastard Sequence series.
And of course, if you haven't entered George RR Martin's world of Westeros, the series A Song of Ice and Fire could be a wonderful read. It's very complex and very long and not yet complete (five books so far). It starts off with Game of Thrones, which is what the recently-aired HBO series was based upon.
In the science fiction sphere, I would recommend Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card. It's the first in his Ender's series, and there are quite a few books set in the world. I have only read the first one, and it was an excellent read, insightful and thought-provoking.
...anyway, that should be a few to peek at!
PSA:
If you haven't read it yet, Game of Thrones is down to $2.99 on Kindle... that's the lowest I've ever seen!
EDIT: Also great prices on:
The Princess Bride -- $2.99
and
Discovery of Witches -- $2.99
The picture on the front is different. That is the only difference. The actual content is the same.
I should warn you though that if you plan on buying the whole series in paperback, they have recently changed the height of the books which is really annoying. The two aDwD books are only available in the larger format, so I would try and get the reissues published in 2011 rather than the ones from 2003.
EDIT: FYI this is a great deal. Maybe wait for that.
Absolutely. Everybody should read A Canticle for Leibowitz. http://www.amazon.com/Canticle-Leibowitz-Walter-Miller-Jr/dp/0060892994/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1319748042&sr=1-1
A Canticle for Leibowitz is missing?
And if Timeline , Atlas Shrugged, and Minority Report are there, why not Flowers for Algernon?
For that particular class, I believe the assigned reading was:
>* Wastelands - John Joseph Adams
I also took a class on dystopian literature, which included:
>* The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood
Others I could recommend:
>* Lost Horizon - James Hilton
Nope. The question comes from a book, where a psychiatrist asks it as a kind of Rorschach test, but there's no context given about the names.
You should seriously read John Dies at the End and This Book is Full of Spiders, Seriously Dude, Don't Touch It, both by David Wong (Jason Pargin.) They're funny and extremely readable.
(Straight Amazon links, no affiliate bullshit.)
Here's a good synopsis of Norse mythology:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0394748468/ref=redir_mdp_mobile?ref_=pe_385040_30332190_pe_175190_21431760_M3T1_ST1_dp_5#immersive_view?1377837363569
My Top Three Picks:
Learning to be Me by Greg Egan.
Accelerando by Charles Stross.
Transmetropolitan by Warren Ellis
I'll let others sell you on all the Isaac Asimov gems (Foundation, I, Robot, etc). The Culture novels by Ian M Banks are well worth a look too.
This says that each book is indeed split into 2 in german: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Das_Lied_von_Eis_und_Feuer#Deutsche_Taschenb.C3.BCcher
I've got the British English paperbacks and ASOS and ADWD are both sold in 2 parts too (the rest one book each) so you could buy the UK paperback. Logic tells me that they're probably split at the same chapter but I'd have to check when I get home tonight. Also available in the german amazon: http://www.amazon.de/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?__mk_de_DE=%C3%85M%C3%85Z%C3%95%C3%91&url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=a+storm+of+swords&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Aa+storm+of+swords but be carefull because it seems they have the split UK AND the complete US version.
This list needs more Neil Gaiman.
Children/YA books: Coraline, The Graveyard Book, and Stardust are my favs. Do yourself a favor and read the version illustrated by Charles Vess, it is far superior to the (non-illustrated) mass-market paperback. I would link to it, but I can't seem to find it on Amazon. Sorry.
Now, at no point did you ask for short-fiction, though I would think it fits your criteria of being able to pick up and set down at a moment's notice, so I'm gonna rec some fine short fiction as well. Smoke and Mirrors is quite good, as is Fragile Things.
Now as long as I'm here I would be remiss if I did not at least mention The Princess Bride and the Discworld novels of Terry Pratchett. I linked to the first one in the series, but it has been my experience that you can read them in just about any order you want with very little trouble. I usually just go to my local library and grab whichever one strikes my fancy. Terry Pratchett is an amazing storyteller and he also made a sword out of metal ore mined from a meteor after being knighted. That is a true thing that happened. I kid you not. Read his books. They will make your life better. Also to bring this comment full circle, he co-authored a book with Neil Gaiman called Good Omens that is just fantastic.
"Good Omens" by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett: http://www.amazon.com/Good-Omens-Accurate-Prophecies-Nutter/dp/0060853980
Okay, let me break this down for you in very simple terms:
Every single book I have bought on Viking history goes to extensive lengths IN THE FUCKING INTRODUCTION to detail how Women were treated vastly different to modern day societies (even books written in the 1930s acknowledge this) and that they were warriors. Every. Single. Fucking. Book.
But no, you, who have obviously never read into the subject, know better. You want a list of books? I can provide that.
Book one
Book two
Book three
>Hell's Angels podcast, I don't care
And that's your ignorance showing once again. The podcast is fully sourced and it's done by a guy who majored in History. I'm not sure if he has a Bachelors or a Masters, but he has a degree specifically in History, and he fully sources everything for his podcast. It's not at all some "feminist agenda" podcast, it's actually good history.
LINK
I'm fucking done dude. You are ignorant, and instead of learning about it you arrogantly rant about this stuff.
There's a spoiler free descriptions at Amazon.
It's quite good. In particular, I thought the extra-terrestrial life that was encountered was a very interesting take.
I have heard good things about Public Enemy Zero and it averages almost 5 stars out of 171 reviews on Amazon. It also has the advantage of only being $0.99, so pretty much anyone should be able to join in.
Edit
I just thought of another good book that should be in the ring...and the best thing is that this one is legally available for free. Accelerando, (non free link) by Charles Stross. Unlike Public Enemy Zero, I have read this one, and can attest to it's awesome. Manybooks (free link) has the book in pretty much every format you can imagine, for pretty much any reader device or software imaginable.
Gates of fire is a really good read. I mean, it is a poetic retelling of the battle of Thermopylae, so not strictly speaking fantasy, but you may enjoy it anyway.
A book that was required reading at westpoint actually says as much https://www.amazon.com/Gates-Fire-Novel-Battle-Thermopylae/dp/0553580531
Watched the show, want to get into the books.
Thought of getting a nice copy, has anyone picked up the leather-bound edition?
They look a lot less boring than the Mass-market Paperback and only for $10 more.
It's the leather bound case, got it on amazon.
Here's the link. https://www.amazon.com/dp/1101965487/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apip_GZQfz7WFyBsox
I bought this today!
Is it a great movie? Probably not. But it's a fairly unique one. I think it's worth a watch, particularly if you play Battle Royale games. It's mostly a shock film though (Middle School kids killing each other!).
The novel, on the other hand, was really great through and through. I can only vouch for the original translation, but the updated version sounds good from reviews!
The complete works of H P Lovecraft is available as one hardback book on Amazon with a nice sturdy case, thin bible-style pages and a page ribbon. It's a great buy.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Complete-Fiction-Lovecraft-Knickerbocker-Classics/dp/1631060015
This review speaks for itself:
"I originally read most of these stories a quarter of a century ago, but it was good to find them all in one volume. Let's face it, Lovecraft needs to be read from a heavy tome, preferably by guttering candlelight, as you strain to hear the strange slithering sound just outside your chamber door, and not on a tablet on the 8.52 to Nottingham. All the classic Lovecraft tales are here, and the book is beautifully bound and printed. The print is a good readable size, and each tale has a brief introduction detailing when it was written and any interesting references. You soon realise how hugely influential old H.P was, sci-fi, fantasy and horror have all learned from him, writers like Stephen King and James Herbert obviously so, but others too. Terry Pratchett referenced Lovecraft too. One slight word of caution, the racial language and descriptions in some of the stories are very much of their time. When I first read them years ago I didn't notice so much, but now, even though I'm not the most PC person in the world, some of the language is fairly shocking. If you've not read Lovecraft before be aware of it, but don't let it put you off. Overall a really nice edition."
I was pretty hyped for it since I read the book beforehand. The best is yet to come :)
Now go back and watch the first minute and a half of Bakemonogatari episode 1 and prepare to have your mind blown.
Oh, you're in for a treat. I'm not sure where you can get them these days, if they've been completely translated yet or not (I've read bootleg translations, pretty good), but I'd recommend these two:
The Monogatari series - just an awesome mix of action, silly, sexy and surreal:
http://www.amazon.com/KIZUMONOGATARI-Wound-Tale-NISIOISIN/dp/1941220975/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1454151508&sr=1-1&keywords=nishio+ishin
Haruhi Suzumiya - starts as light fun, ends up as hard SF. I think the best time-travel sf series I've read, among other things.
http://www.amazon.com/Melancholy-Haruhi-Suzumiya-Nagaru-Tanigawa/dp/0316039020
I live in Poland so nothing either but I just ordered it from Amazon US and it will arrive on friday or next week.
You can also order it from Amazon UK/DE but they're more expensive options thanks to sale.
https://www.amazon.com/MONOGATARI-Box-Set-Limited-NISIOISIN/dp/1947194399
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Monogatari-Box-Set-Limited-NisiOisiN/dp/1947194399
https://www.amazon.de/MONOGATARI-Box-Set-Limited-NISIOISIN/dp/1947194399
Remember to click on New and choose amazon as seller.
the novel box set is special edition and comes with the nice box not just the novels
it is much cheaper on spanish amazon tho
I'm not an expert on merch but I imagine Amazon gets it from an official wholesaler of the products and the puts them up for retail. Amazon it pretty good about having official products sold there, and It'd probably be pretty clear if it wasn't official (with a lack of the products info and what not).
I actually just purchased my first LN collection from Amazon earlier today, and they listed the publisher on the page. So I hope my money went to the creator's sales.
i mean, i say give the books another shot because i can't imagine enjoying the movies but not the books. but to each their own. if you don't want to go down that road, what do you mean things that might interest you? do you mean in the harry potter universe? if so, the other stuff is fun but the original seven are her magnum opus IMO and to get my fix, i had to go outside the Harry Potter universe.
some books that I just inhaled and read in one sitting will sound super corny, but...
If you just want some good fantasy that isn't just Lord of the Rings rip offs, these are the ones I like.
Looks like it is all there :)
I personally ended up buying his collection for my birthday, cost me 20 euros but worth every penny.
https://www.amazon.de/Complete-Fiction-Lovecraft-Knickerbocker-Classics/dp/1631060015 It was this one.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1947194399/ on Amazon
I already have like 2 of them, but this box set
I read this one all the way through once and I found it pretty decent. The prose gets extremely cumbersome at times but translating Chinese prose to English prose is absurdly difficult so you take what you can get.
https://www.amazon.com/Three-Kingdoms-Chinese-Classics-Volumes/dp/7119005901/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?keywords=three+kingdoms&qid=1558541748&s=gateway&sr=8-4
Amazon has A Game of Thrones: A Song of Ice and Fire: Book One- kindle edition for only $2.99 today!
That's the Kindle app brotato, probably a legit copy. There's a version with all 5 books for $20.
Books 1-5.
Get all 7 https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0007477155/?coliid=I2MRQNSTOIXK7G&colid=YE3LOAU2DAVI&psc=0&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it
It's the same covers as this set. You can't actually see the covers there, but it's basically just the object depicted on the spine, but a bit larger. If you search "a song of..." on amazon.uk, you can see the covers on the individual books. I'm on my phone now and it's a pain to link everything, sorry.
Mustn't forget Good Omens by Pratchett & Neil Gaiman.
One of the best books I've ever read.
yea the book is also calles good omens, here's a link to the amazon page if you wanna buy it https://www.amazon.com/dp/0060853980/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_w4phDb6THWTH8
its a great book id recomend both the book and the show!
edit:grammar
Alas, Babylon
A Canticle for Leibowitz
I like David Wong's This Book is Full of Spiders: Seriously, Dude, Don't Touch It
The Newsflesh Trilogy.
It has zombies but they aren't really the main focus of the story. It takes place in the post zombie apocalyptic world where the media is discredited as a reliable source of information and instead bloggers are where most people get their news. Its about a group of blogger/journalists who are chosen to follow around a senator campaigning for President of the United States. Lots of politics involved and a little zombie action.
Amazon description: "Twin bloggers Georgia and Shaun Mason and their colleague Buffy are thrilled when Sen. Peter Ryman, the first presidential candidate to come of age since social media saved the world from a virus that reanimates the dead, invites them to cover his campaign. Then an event is attacked by zombies, and Ryman's daughter is killed. As the bloggers wield the newfound power of new media, they tangle with the CDC, a scheming vice presidential candidate, and mysterious conspirators who want more than the Oval Office."
http://www.amazon.com/Feed-Newsflesh-Book-Mira-Grant/dp/0316081051/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1347370840&sr=8-3&keywords=Feed
Your new book? You're Kevin Crossley-Holland? That's awesome!
Anyway, I already have this one (and by the way, thank you for giving me not only an informative book, but on that looks freaking gorgeous). Should I buy the new one too?
When I started watching this show a few years ago I ended up buying quite a few books about Norse Mythology and Asatru (the reconstruction religion that is becoming more popular).
Here are a few good ones
The Norse Myths This is a good basic breakdown of the stories in the Sagas/Eddas and is easy to read.
Viking Age: Everyday Life During the Extraordinary Era of the Norsemen This is a fantastic book that really isn't related to the myths (there is a religion section) but this is a great book that goes over the everyday lives of Vikings and their families. Everything from political structure down to what they ate and how they dressed. It also has great illustrations.
The Prose Edda: Norse Mythology (Penguin Classics) - one of the source materials of the myths.
The Sagas of Ragnar Lodbrok - I dont have this one personally but it is on my list to buy.
If you want to read about the reconstruction religion that has gained in popularity since the 70s check this book out. Essential Asatru: Walking the Path of Norse Paganism - This is another easy to read book that not only goes over the basics of the Myths/Gods but also goes over the ceremonies and rituals of those who choose to practice today what the Vikings practiced. Minus the live sacrifices... those have been replaced with food and drink thankfully.
If you are just wanting to dip your toes into learning about the myths I cannot recommend the first link more than enough. It is far easier to read than the Eddas/Sagas and from what I understand from other subs is a widely regarded starting point.
Also check out /r/norse and /r/asatru.
I am an norse enthusiast who has only superficial knowledge.
I found this book Norse Myths by Kevin Crossley-Holland. It is a book for people exactly like me - people who don't have extensive knowledge of the Norse Myths and are yet interested in the overall culture. The book has each myth as a story and it is cyclical - it begins with the creation of the world and ends with Ragnarok. So basically, it contains all the stories in the Eddas - in a much more reader friendly manner than the usual academic works.
All in all, a very enjoyable book. I'd highly recommend it.
...although, the price mentioned in Amazon seems pretty high. I bought a different version of the book at my place for less than half that price.
Gates of Fire by Pressfield
Gates of Fire is an account of the battle of Thermopylae, as told by the sole greek survivor, himself a Spartan slave. A fascinating look into spartan culture and tactics, this book is required reading at Annapolis, West Point, and Quantico. It will make you wish you'd been born a Spartan.
Gates of Fire.
Its fiction, but pretty well researched historically.
Just splurged on a gift for myself. I have really been wanting to read the Song of Fire and Ice Series but George R. R. Martin. I don't know if I could stomach the violence from Game of Thrones but have heard nothing but great things about the books as well. Found this beautiful set on Amazon for a fantastic price!
Leather Box Set
If you're a fan and collector and haven't seen this set, I would highly recommend it for the price Amazon currently has it selling for!
I can't wait until it arrives to start reading!
My favourite short stories (that aren't by Bradbury, that is) are Light is Like Water by Gabriel Garcia Marquez and The Gospel According to Mark by Jorge Luis Borges.
Einstein's Dreams by Alan Lightman isn't exactly an anthology, but it's nice to pick up every once in a while if I want dreamy food for thought (if the premise sounds interesting to you, you should also read Bradbury's Frost and Fire).
I really, really like Company by Max Barry about the absurdity that comes from internal beauracracy. his Jennifer Government is also excellent, but I didn't laugh quite so often.
Most of Terry Pratchett's discworld series is awesome. Some books are stronger than others and some people will like different character/storyline focuses than other ones. For example, I'm not huge on the Watch stuff, but I love so many others.
In the same vein, Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaimen combine to make the super book Good Omens Which I think most everyone should give a read at least once.
Finally, author A. Lee Martinez has a very Pratchett like voice in his fantasy-esque novels which are always humorous and enjoyable
JUST finished American Gods. Great read. If you like it, and enjoy the bits of humor, read Good Omens By Gaiman and Pratchett.
back to the beginning
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I used to eat scrambled eggs mixed with grape jelly as a kid.
shudder
Edit- link
http://www.amazon.com/dp/0060892994/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=2NTUQVT5GNRFH&coliid=IKV39RU7DTSH
Whoop-di-do-da, Happy Cake Day! My absolute favorite book is [A Canticle for Leibowitz] (http://www.amazon.com/Canticle-Leibowitz-Walter-Miller-Jr/dp/0060892994/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1369148346&sr=1-1&keywords=a+canticle+for+leibowitz) by Walter Miller. It's a sci-fi book depicting three different eras of human society's evolution after a devastating nuclear war through the eyes of a religious order that sprung up shortly after the bomb. It's not an easy or chipper read by any means, but it's good. I love it because it has all the philosophical things I love in sci-fi: science, morality, the struggle of religion in modern society, post-apocalyptic dystopian survival, American imperialism... and somehow it's not dry or preachy or hokey.
This Book is Full of Spiders
John Dies at the End - by David Wong
you'll laugh, cry, cringe and shake your head in wonderment
and when you turn that last page- run out and buy the sequel This Book is Full of Spiders
You need to read this book.
Possibly, I know this was in a book by one of the cracked writers, David Wong. I was searching through the comments to see if I could find the episode. And as I type this I looked down and found my answer. The book was published a year ago
http://www.amazon.com/This-Book-Full-Spiders-Seriously/dp/0312546343
World War Z is, by far, the best zombie book i've ever read. don't let the shitty movie scare you away, the book is a huge, sprawling story covering all of humanities reactions to the zombies, very often with a very sociological slant to the stories. highly recommend reading it.
the Newsflesh series by Mira Grant is also very good. it starts with Feed, with two sequels. it is a pretty fascinating look at a zombie apocalypse, with humanity basically having recovered from it, and blogs being the primary form of news. the series follows a brother and sister who run a news site and are following a presidential candidate in the latest election. very good, massive amounts of world building, and solid characterization.
This book actually does feature characters using stun guns (and electric fences) on zombies! Also it's awesome. But that's just me.
wait, so does it need to be a book i haven't read but would like to, or can it be a book i've read and loved and want other people to read?
because if that's the case, "feed" by mira grant is fucking awesome.
Feed. Takes a look at how the media's handling of a mass outbreak leads to the destruction of the Fourth Estate and the dissemination of news is now done via a bottom-up approach where news is reported by freelance bloggers.
You should read the Feed series by Mira Grant. It's set in the early 2040's, in a world that's had to live with zombies since 2014. It's told through the eyes of two young bloggers on a political campaign trail as they start to uncover a conspiracy. If you like the news, or zombies, or light sci-fi, or action, or even just zombies, you'll love it. Best part is, it's a trilogy that was written all at once, so the story is completely self contained. There's a bunch of spin-off novellas as well, and the same author has an amazing fantasy series set in modern L.A.
Here's my pathetic scared out of my wits moment:
I was reading Feed by Mira Grant, which was one of the books that really got me into the zombie 'thing.' In this series, zombies are something of a fact of life, and civilization has worked around them to some degree. And if a city/area has become overrun and is considered a loss, they blast the air raid sirens to let people know to evacuate, and then firebomb it.
So I'm falling asleep reading, and I'm in that twilight where you're mostly asleep but still hear things going on around you.
And the SO starts up a game of TF2. Round starts, sirens go off, and I yell ZOMBIES! and fall down the stairs freaking out about the incoming undead hoard.
Yeah, not one of my finer moments.
The Elder Edda is definitely the better of the two; Snorri's Edda is very christianized and therefore doesn't stay true to Norse mythology.
One of the best books would be Kevin Crossley-Holland's The Norse Myth. It's very simple to read yet keeps the essence of the myths.
I would suggest you taking a look at "The Norse Myths" by Kevin Crossley-Holland. A perfect guide into the norse mythology. It starts of with a brief explanation and then tells all the myths in a fantasy-novel style but always keeps the facts accurate.
Edit: Found it on amazon, and it's on sale!
In the year 2100, superhuman AIs will be disassembling the planets of the inner solar system to turn into computronium to add to the matrioshka brain. People we would probably still identify as human beings will have been pushed out to Jupiter or Saturn and will be living on giant floating islands. Most of their environment will be partially or wholly computer generated, and they'll spend most of their time in augmented or virtual reality. Giant lightsails carrying a tiny computronium payload containing virtualized minds will be sent out to explore nearby stars. Or at least this is according to Accelerando, one of the few sci-fi books to actually take the singularity seriously.
Alternately, the inner planets will be physically linked with huge cables, allowing interplanetary travel without spaceships. Colonies will be active on Titan, Triton, and most of the rest of the larger moons in the solar system. People will live between the virtual and real worlds, with aspects of themselves in both simultaneously. "Free Converts", which are consciousnesses that have been uploaded (converted) to be free from a physical body will be on the verge of being rounded up Nazi-style by a dictator who rules the most powerful and wealthy planet in the solar system: Mercury. The fully trans-humans will self-exile to the Oort Cloud and construct vast nanotech dust clouds that are simultaneously a spaceship and a body. Or at least that's according to Metaplanetary, one of the few other books that takes the singularity seriously.
Alright, let's do some calculations. I have an HTML-formatted version of Accelerando, which is 415 pages. Assume that there are 10x8x300 books per floor, each the size of Accelerando. In plain HTML, the book is 926 KB. With bzip2 compression (at default settings, very fast) that compresses down to 255 KB. So, using steve_b's estimated numbers wherever possible:
255 KB/book
x
24000 books/floor
= 5.8 GB/floor. (If we assume 300 pages per book instead, it's only about 4 GB/floor. Maybe that's more realistic, but let's be pessimistic.)
Assuming that BluRay disks consider 1000 MB = 1 GB, that's a little over 8 floors on a single disk. Not bad!
If you haven't already, I would suggest reading Gates of Fire
To add to this, the Immortals served the Persian Kings, including Darius' son, Xerxes, whose invasion of Greece included the Battle of Thermopylae and ended with the Battle of Salamis. I recommend the excellent book "Gates of Fire", which goes into great detail about the Battle of Thermopylae and the Spartans and their adversaries, the Persians.
I finished 'Blood Meridian' by Cormac McCarthy. It was narrated by Richard Poe. I've enjoyed McCarthy's books for a long time, and I finally got my hands on a copy of this one, it's an amazing piece of work and definitely not for the faint of heart for it is filled with horrors and violence. I didn't realize until I was about halfway through the book, that it has a basis in reality, effectively detailing the exploits of John J. Glanton during the Mexican-American war in the latter part of the 1800's; that realization really cranked up some of the horrors that are represented in McCarthy's amazingly beautiful prose.
I want to include one of the best sentences I've read in a long time...."…they rode infatuate and half fond toward the red demise of that day, toward the evening lands and the distant pandemonium of the sun.”
I also want to mention, I think this might be the first work that I've heard read by Richard Poe. He did a fantastic job. If you're a Frank Muller fan, like I am, you'd probably enjoy Richard Poe reading.
Well . . . if you're looking at a book simply as a collection of text, I too have never feared a line of text. What books allow, is a slow building of fear that require quite a bit of character development. I don't read horror novels waiting to be frightened, and truthfully read very little horror. The fear just happens. To be honest, it's a different type of fear - more of an uneasy feeling really. Certainly, a book can't have, what my son calls, "The scary jump out scenes". But if we exchange the term fear with edgy, here are a list of my favorite books with an "Edge":
[The Passage] (http://www.amazon.com/The-Passage-Novel-Book-Trilogy/dp/0345528174)
[The Terror] (http://www.amazon.com/Terror-Novel-Dan-Simmons/dp/0316008079/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1404481514&sr=1-1&keywords=terror)
The Stand
Carrion Comfort
Desperation
I am Legend
The Sparrow
Night
Frankenstein
All Quite on the Western Front
Hunger
Blood Meridian
Watchers
The Minus Man
In no particular order - Not the usual suggestions either. Hope it helps, and happy reading!
...you’re posting THE HISTORY (and legacy) of forced sterilization and you literally tried to sneak in links about the Canadian sterilization to make it seem like you have links on the American one.
You honest to god thought just responding with a block of unrelated links would make it seem like a witty shutdown?
Well here’s what I have to say to you, good sir.
https://www.albinoblacksheep.com/flash/badgers
https://www.amazon.com/Blood-Meridian-Evening-Redness-West/dp/0679728759
http://www.small-cabin.com/forum/2_2885_0.html
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=-w-58hQ9dLk
Blood Meridian– better imagery than Oh, The Places You'll Go and more tips on what to do in complex social situations than How to Make Friends and Influence People.
If you’re wanting to read the rest, there’s a great leather bound set on amazon i just recently got. Just in case you’re interested, I’ll post the link below.
I found it here
Hmmm... paranormal/supernatural tween reads with strong girl characters (not that Twilight had a strong female lead in it, but you may as well steer her in a better direction).
You really can't go wrong with the Hunger Games. Or you could get her the Japanese novel Battle Royale. It's also a dystopian novel about teenagers forced to battle each other to the death.
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children is worth checking out. It starts to lose some oomph towards the end, but is still a solid read with actual substance to the storyline. I'd get the hardback - the photography in it is just genius. Male lead, but there's a pretty cool chick who throws fireballs.
I enjoyed Anna Dressed in Blood. It's a bit like Supernatural, only with one male ghost hunter as the protaganist. He falls in love with a ghost, but she's a homicidal maniac.
The Rise of Renegade X - a boy raised by his evil supervillain mom discovers that he's the product of her one-night-stand with a superhero. That was pretty enjoyable...
Poison Study is a great book about a girl who's been sentenced to death and is offered a reprieve if she becomes the king's food taster. Her handler ends up subjecting her to a litany of poisons so that she can build up immunity. Didn't read the sequels, but the first book was pretty good.
Graceling is set in a world where certain people are born with random talents - the ability to hold their breath underwater for long periods of time, musical or dancing abilities, cooking the best food imaginable, etc. The main character is born with the talent to kill & becomes her uncle's assassin.
Stardust - Neil Gaiman... really nuff said, eh?
Howl's Moving Castle - A girl is turned into an old woman by an angry witch & takes refuge in the mysteriously moving castle of an "evil" wizard.
Okay. I'll stop now. :)
I might be a little late, but Battle Royale by Koushun Takami is so much like the Hunger Games, but it's way gorier. But it is a really excellent read.
Battle Royale is essentially a more adult version of Hunger Games set in Japan.
And while we're addressing the history of your account, I'll answer a question you asked of /r/books and never got an answer.... Battle Royale. It is a book that both of the other two books were based off of.
http://www.amazon.com/Battle-Royale-Novel-Koushun-Takami/dp/1421527723/ref=pd_sim_b_3
I suggest the paperback since you're young and the hardback is kind of expensive for a book... I found my copy of this book at Hastings, but you should be able to find a copy or have a copy shipped to most book stores.
My suggestion when reading this book: Do NOT jump to the end and skip the exciting parts near the end... This is a great book.
Yeah, you are missing some important stories like The Case of Charles Dexter Ward and The Rats in the Walls There is really no reason to buy a collection like this when you can get a complete collection
HP Lovecraft is the most obvious literary destination. If you've never read him you're in luck, as there are two more or less complete collections of his work: if you're a stickler for accuracy try this one and if you want to get something beautiful but with some typos and errors you can order this exquisite leather-bound edition (even its marbled endpapers hide monsters).
In terms of more modern stuff, Jeff Vandermeer's Area X trilogy is some of the best Lovecraft-infused fiction I've read. Which is no surprise when you know that his wife is the current editor of Weird Tales, one of the first places to publish Lovecraft. Indeed, they've actually put out an anthology of Lovecraftian short stories by all sorts of writers, old and new, including Lovecraft.
In terms of movies, I hope at some point Guillermo del Toro will get to make his At the Mountains of Madness film, but the fact that he hasn't speaks to the difficulty of a) financing expensive R-Rated horror movies b) parsing Lovecraft's gloomy visions with hero-driven narrative. One of the few films to nail the tone, even if its execution leaves something to be desired, is Frank Darabont's The Mist.
Amazon links for all the books announced for translation–nothing beyond Nisemonogatari has been confirmed.
Kizumonogatari (Released)
Bakemonogatari 1 (Released)
Bakemonogatari 2 (February 28th)
Bakemonogatari 3 (April 25th)
Nisemonogatari 1 (June 27th)
Nisemonogatari 2 (August 22nd)
Kizumonogatari and this Attack on Titan thing
Yep, all available on Amazon and Barnes and Noble if you prefer to buy physical
Amazon France or Book Depository (free shipping) for Kizumonogatari, the rest of the series hasn't been confirmed for official release just yet. However it seems they are currently out of stock at the moment due to the high demand of the book so you'll have to wait till they re-stock again.
There is also a wiki in the sidebar for future enquirers like this else any light novels you'll be able to find on Amazon or Book Depository.
I don't know about OP, but I got mine from Amazon
There's an official English translation by the publisher Vertical now that is currently translating all the novels, the latest one to have been published is Tsukimonogatari, and they're pumping a new one every 2-3 months roughly. You can buy them on Amazon, for example.
Also, if you're up for it, they grouped the first novels into a First Season Box Set, and a Second Season Box Set is also available for pre-order (but will only come out at the end of the year).
That doesn't even sound especially cheap to me...
Edit: Amazon
Caveat: only in 2 months.
Here you have
This is probably a bit outside what you intended but the Chinese classics Outlaws of the Marsh and Three Kingdoms have many really good political intrigue plot lines to steal from as well as hundreds of npc archetypes. And they are both fun to read as well.
Try this.
j/k, it's not really history, but still very interesting
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/7119005901/ref=ya_aw_od_pi?ie=UTF8&psc=1
The Stand is one of my favorites. I've compiled a list of other books that might be of interest to you.
Oryx and Crake
Handmaid's Tale
World War Z
On the Beach
Wool
The Road
It's more like a series of short stories put together by a researcher. It's been years since I read it so I don't recall all the specifics, but it was basically a guy who was tasked with going all over the world as the zombie menace had been mostly resolved and documenting how different groups dealt with it in different ways. It was very creative in that it covered how zombies behaved in extreme environments like way up north during the winter months, and even under the oceans since they obviously don't need to breathe and can walk just about anywhere.
https://smile.amazon.com/World-War-Oral-History-Zombie-ebook/dp/B000JMKQX0/
Gonna state the obvious but... You can't beat A Game of Thrones for cast diversity. If you haven't read it, you have to try it out. It's not for everyone, but if you love it, you loooooove it.
Enjoy!
There is always the Kindle + Amazon route. E-books are dirt cheap, like getting The entire "A Song of Ice and Fire" series for $25. It does require that you invest in a kindle, or already have a tablet of some sort.
And it's not real books. That might be the biggest deal breaker.
Start with "A Game of Thrones" and go from there to "A Clash of Kings", "A Storm of Swords", "A Feast for Crows" and "A Dance with Dragons".
https://www.amazon.com/George-Martins-Thrones-5-Book-Boxed-ebook/dp/B00957T6X6/ref=sr_1_2?__mk_pt_BR=%C3%85M%C3%85%C5%BD%C3%95%C3%91&keywords=A+Game+of+Thrones&qid=1556679904&s=digital-text&sr=1-2
The US store (google cached copy): http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:7JM4pcJIRS0J:www.amazon.com/George-Martins-Thrones-5-Book-Series-ebook/dp/B00957T6X6+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=au
The AU store: http://www.amazon.com.au/Game-Thrones-Continues-Swords-Dragons-ebook/dp/B007B5EDEG/ref=sr_1_3?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1419500797&sr=1-3&keywords=a+song+of+ice+and+fire
Not necessarily hard/biology, but there's a wonderful little book (literally, it is little) called "Einstein's Dreams" by Alan Lightman. It's a series of vignettes of what life would be like if time/gravity, etc. had different properties. One scenario that i recall is that time moves faster the closer one is to a center of gravity, so people build their homes on tall structures, on top of tall mountains, etc. in order to live a fuller life; eventually this becomes a status symbol, so the wealthiest live at higher altitudes and the poor at sea level. It's very thought provoking and whimsical.
Einstein's Dreams by Alan Lightman.
Check out this delightful little piece of fiction, called "Einstein's Dreams". It imagines how Einstein may have played out different scenarios in his mind, before coming to his Theory of Relativity.
Einstein's Dreams:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/140007780X/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_RnZCub0DVKTXR
If you post the URL like this:
http://www.amazon.com/Einsteins-Dreams-Alan-Lightman/dp/140007780X/
You can still get to the item minus any referral codes, but I guess you'd need to clear cookies and revisit the page if you're intent on not wanting someone to get an affiliate credit. Or, you could optionally add ?tag=Reddit-20 to have that credit apply to Reddit when you buy that or whatever else.
Off the top of my head, I'd recommend "Einstein's Dreams," by Alan Lightman. You may also like Italo Calvino's "Invisible Cities" and "If on a winter's night a traveler."
The Republic and Other Works by Plato
Einstein's Dreams by Alan Lightman
God's Equation by Amir D. Aczel
The Mind's I by Douglas Hofstadter and Daniel Dennett
*Shakespeare's Sonnets by Stephen Booth
Einstein's Dreams? Remarkable book.
hipster exoskeleton That's so great for you.
Worringly, the theme and storyline to the original book (that the films and in turn the gaming genre is based on) is similar...
For the curious:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Battle-Royale-Novel-Koushun-Takami/dp/1421527723
It's all open domain so you can read it all legally online if you ever wish to.
If you're like me and can't stand reading on screen as opposed to on paper, there are a lot of great collections out there, this is the one I have.
cheaper on amazon!
http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Fiction-Lovecraft-Knickerbocker-Classics/dp/1631060015/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1416193814&sr=8-1&keywords=%27The+Complete+Fiction+of+H.P.+Lovecraft+%28Knickerbocker+Classics%29%27+by+H+P+Lovecraft
Just bought this collection on amazon to get back into reading. Love it so far!
Oooh, The Descent...I had forgotten about that one, thank you, one of my all-time favorites. It's got everything good horror can be made from: claustrophobia, paranoia, deception, murder, failure of will, lack of any definitive exit signs...oh, and there's even some monsters here and there!
I was actually just thinking about Lovecraft, and you're certainly right about the plethora of source material, I wouldn't be entirely opposed to at least two movies coming out of it...just not another In The Mouth Of Madness.
Ok, maybe another In The Mouth Of Madness. It's not that bad. Right?
You could always get
https://www.amazon.ca/Complete-Fiction-H-P-Lovecraft/dp/1631060015
But as mentioned below, it is because it is from a third party seller, they use algorithms to set their prices, obviously, not well made ones.
The complete fiction of HP Lovecraft £17
Errol Morris DVD Collection £12.50
What football team does he support?
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Complete-Fiction-Lovecraft-Knickerbocker-Classics/dp/1631060015/ref=sr_1_1?crid=35ZJ3M4AF1SX6&keywords=the+complete+fiction+of+h.p.+lovecraft&qid=1570468382&sprefix=the+complete+fictio%2Caps%2C155&sr=8-1
​
This book is relatively cheap and very beautiful, and is arguably the most complete collection of Lovecraft stories.
http://www.amazon.it/Complete-Works-H-P-Lovecraft/dp/1631060015/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1451753567&sr=8-6&keywords=lovecraft
because I bought it and needed the link for some reason
There's a few floating around on Amazon that look like decent hardcover editions, like this.
That said, I do second u/GreatStoneSkull's suggestion for the Leslie Klinger edition (or the three Penguin Classics volumes edited by S.T. Joshi) even if it doesn't include every single story Lovecraft ever wrote; I personally find that annotations enrich my reading experience, especially for a weird antiquarian like Lovecraft so I'd suggest maybe it's better to trade completeness for judicious annotations.
If you want something in actual print, this is a good collection. The books a good quality and its a nice shelf piece if thats your thing.
Get this.
ph'nglui mglw'nafh
[literally this series] (https://www.amazon.com/KIZUMONOGATARI-Wound-Tale-NISIOISIN/dp/1941220975/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1485812320&sr=8-1&keywords=kizumonogatari)
Search this url on the internet wayback machine. There's also an older PDF version on readfag's wordpress. Those are both variations of Baka-Tsuki's translations though. From what I hear Vertical's official translation is superior.
If it even exists, I don't know where one could acquire a digital download of Vertical's official translation. You can find the official paperback and audio book on Amazon and the audio book is possible to find online if you know where to look.
edit: I found the EPUB version of Vertical's translations released by Ozymandias that was referenced above.
I recently finished an oddball of an audiobook:
KIZUMONOGATARI
That one is not quite a full-cast, since different characters have same narrator. And it has background music and even some ambient sounds (so not quite a dramatization/drama).
Story wise its quite a convoluted tale of an adaptation from the japanese visual novel, but thats only a prequel to a bigger series BAKEMONOGATARI (that was published/written first, because why not) and gathered quite a cult following over there.(trying to write a synopsis broke my brain, if anyone can do any better, be my guest) ...its a prequel...Needless to say, i'm eagerly awaiting a sequel!
Definitely it shows available on Amazon.co.uk, but you should look in the one that matches your country (or closest):
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Kizumonogatari-Wound-Tale-Nishio-Ishin/dp/1941220975
> £12.08 [Prime]
> Get it by Wednesday, Aug 2
> Eligible for FREE UK Delivery
I think there will be more info on this once the big 2016 cons start rolling around. My observations indicate that Kizu was very well received, but that's just on social media.
Let's check Amazon... Out of stock, you say? Ranking high in the right categories, you say?
In my most humble opinion, Vertical would be a fool not to release more volumes. ;)
Overstock.com has it for $11.30 today but won't ship until January of 2099. It might be faster on Amazon Prime.
Is this the only one in the series with an official translation?
I just found it on amazon if anyone was wondering.
>http://www.amazon.com/KIZUMONOGATARI-Wound-Tale-NISIOISIN/dp/1941220975/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1449385685&sr=8-1&keywords=kizumonogatari
Get Hyped
If you're in Europe
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1947194399/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_V6B9BbY4XEPQ3
I think he's asking why you didn't opt for the season 1 box set. https://www.amazon.com/MONOGATARI-Box-Set-Limited-NISIOISIN/dp/1947194399
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1947194399/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
For more about the time period read the book romance of the three kingdom https://www.amazon.com/Three-Kingdoms-Chinese-Classics-Volumes/dp/7119005901/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8 or try watching the 2010 tv show Romance of the three kingdoms its really good if you can deal with subtitles https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GcZ2zq82ebA&list=PLQgby8Rb0ImEP4108x04Feg2dBvuDADJG, there is also some youtube videos from kings and generals https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOGkH_8K_xg, Three kingdoms oversimplified by Oversimplified https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=26EivpCPHnQ. Cody Bonds channel has overview of all the starting characters in the game with some historical context heres one of them https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZOfQAAnSKU I'm sure there is a lot more other could suggest.
Well, fair warning I did read them 12-13 years ago when I was 14-15, so I've forgotten quite a bit, not to mention a lot went over my head at that age.
I loved them. They were truely an epic, and the ebb and flow of the kingdom over the years was great to follow. Also, seeing where a lot of the stages and characters from DW "started" was fantastic.
This is the one I bought, if you are interested.
Outlaws of the Marsh (This was a very fun read back when I was in highschool, there's a bit of dark humor too. Of the books listed here Outlaws of the Marsh is the funniest and very epic)
https://www.amazon.com/Outlaws-Chinese-Classics-Classic-Volumes/dp/7119016628/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=outlaws+of+the+marsh&qid=1558135198&s=gateway&sr=8-1
​
Romance of the Three Kingdoms (The novel is intriguing and epic but might get too confusing depending on the age and person reading it- lots of characters and politics both personal and national)
https://www.amazon.com/Three-Kingdoms-Chinese-Classics-Volumes/dp/7119005901/ref=sr_1_3?crid=3Q6KP7GL4E200&keywords=romance+of+the+three+kingdoms&qid=1558135222&s=gateway&sprefix=Romance+of+the+three%2Caps%2C205&sr=8-3
​
Journey to the West (The Monkey King. I admit I personally don't like the Monk & Su Wu Kong chapters and mostly enjoyed the Su Wukong's creation, desk job in heaven chapters and his rebellion. My man Su Wukong should've rebelled again, screw working for a living in heaven and their stupid workplace bureaucracy)
https://www.amazon.com/Journey-Chinese-Classics-Classic-Volumes/dp/7119016636/ref=sr_1_4?crid=C0DF58D83YS3&keywords=journey+to+the+west&qid=1558135303&s=gateway&sprefix=Journey+to+the+west%2Caps%2C201&sr=8-4
​
There's also Dreams of the Red Mansion but I never finished it so can't really recommend it.
The unabridged Moss Roberts translation. The abridged version is good, but its lacking in much of the detail that makes the "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" awesome. It's an easier read, but come on, we're ASOIAF fans, we don't shy away from thick tomes.
This is a dense epic on the line of ASOIAF, it is well over 3000 pages (by word count it may be even longer than ASOIAF, the font is tiny), and tells the story of thousands of characters, their families, retainers, eunuchs, and plots. The political intrigue and plotting are thick as dozens of factions contend with, ally together, and betray each other. In terms of action, there is no shortage of epic battles, duels, and military strategems. The start is a little bit slow, but quickly picks up as the late-Han dynasty descends into chaos and disarray.
The prose flows very well, and the songs/poems are translated beautifully. The first line still gives me chills thinking about, it and sums up the Chinese view of history - cyclical:
>The empire, long divided, must unite. The empire, long united, must divide. Thus it has ever been...
If I'm allowed one more small spoiler, one of my favorite warriors is Xiahou Dun - a general in Cao Cao's camp. In one battle, he takes an arrow through his helm and into his eye; without hesistation, and in the midst of battle, he rips out the arrow with his eyeball still skewered, and devours it. To rally his troops who thought their general had died, he screams out:
>Essence of my father, blood of my mother, I cannot throw this away!
Such a fucking hardcore warrior. Made more epic since the Romance of the Three Kingdoms is part fiction, but part history. Xiahou Dun actually did this in real life.
You need this! and I need this because the common thread in all of these books is....EVERYONE DIES!
World War Z.
pecksniffian
This is incredibly generous of you! :)
I'm generally a book purist since I love the way that the pages feel when you turn them and the way old books smell (which is totally not creepy at all!) But I realized that the books that I do have are big and bulky and I have to commute 1.5-2 hours to the city and another 1.5-2 hours back home. I like to bring more than one book with me when I commute but since most of them are big fatty's, it's starting to weigh me down. The book that I've been dying to read for some time would be World War Z since I generally like to read the book first before seeing the movie. Plus, zombies are hip and cool now :P
Thank you so much for running this contest! Congratulations in advance to the winner :)
I had the opposite experience. I knew it would be substantially different than the book, but I couldn't help but be annoyed that they didn't keep some key concepts (like the zombie characteristics that jojoko mentioned). So, compared to the book, the movie is like a monkey banging on a piano – entertaining, but painful. Compared to other zombie movies, it's among the best. I'd say it's on par with 28 Day Later, but it's not as good as Shawn of the Dead. ...but, really, what is? Zombieland, maybe? Okay, I like comedies. Anyway, compared to other newish movies, it's way, way better than the ridiculousness that was Live Free Die Hard, but it's not really as good as say, the new Star Trek. But, on my Movie-Awesomness-O-Meter, it's certainly closer to ST than LFDH..
I suppose what it boils down to is this: If you're debating between spending your last $10 on a 12 pack or WWZ, go to the movie. BUT, you're better off spending that $10 bucks on the book.
You are awesome for having a contest like this. Thanks for doing it:)
This is a book I have been wanting to read. My name is Amber and I would love to have a Kindle Fire so I can read more. It would make it so much easier than carrying books around with me to the kids games and doctors appointments and stuff.
I seriously want World War Z. I read Brooks's other books and loved them and allegedly this one is the best. The Movie has got me super excited and cautiously optimistic. I hear it's really different from the source material but hey, A mental mind fuck can be nice.
If you're a fan of Watchmen, I'd definitely suggest checking out some of Alan Moore's other work such as The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. As a fellow fan of The Last of Us, I'd recommend something along the lines of World War Z. In both these cases, the books are completely different from (and better than) the films!
What genre do you typically read? Here are a few of my favorite books.
[Flowers for Algernon] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003WJQ74E/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1)
1984
Ender's Game
World War Z
Flowers for Algernon: This story is told in first person, in a series of journal entries of a mentally handicapped man named Charlie. He goes under a medical experiment to see if mental retardation can be fixed by surgery, and the journal entries follow him through this. Warning: There will be ninjas cutting onions during your reading of this book
1984: This is a must read story in my opinion, on the off chance you have not read this already. It tells the story of Winston, a party member that works for a totalitarian government. To be honest, I don't read this story for the main character Winston, but I read it for the political commentary in the book, as it describes his life.
Ender's Game: This is set in the somewhat distant future of Earth. Earth has been at war with an alien insect race, thou at this time, there is a cease fire. This follows the story of Ender Wiggins, as he goes through military school. And he is like, 10 years old, as is his fellow classmates.
World War Z: You know that movie that was called World War Z with Brad Pitt? Throw all of that out the window. The only similarity that the movie and the book has is the name World War Z. This book is written as a series of interviews of survivors of The Great Zombie War. It goes through the whole war, from an interview with a doctor who dealt with a patient zero in a small Chinese village, to the great panic and how the government reacted, as well as the aftermath. It interviews people from all walks of life. Doctors, military, human smugglers, government officials, and everyday normal people both in the states and abroad. If i had to recommend only one book, it would be a tie between this or 1984. And 1984 is tied because of the historical significance.
World War Z
HAPPY HUMPDAY!
You are such an amazing person for this!
I would like it because it would be a great way to pass time. Now that its summer, and I will be home pretty much every day twiddling my thumbs and occasionally on reddit when I have enough data. This would be great because then I would have something to do, and itll give me a chance to start reading more :D oh and not to mention I'll love you forever if I win XD.
Oh and heres a link to favorite ebook
> I'm wrestling with finding meaning in my life and I know there's no one solution like traveling, but for some reason I feel like if I don't try this now I never will. Any advice is appreciated.
If you're MGTOW, there's really no reason you can't travel a year or ten years from now. If you're just looking to support yourself, you can live obscenely cheap for the rest of your life. Money should never be a problem.
My two cents - meaning is internal, not external. It doesn't matter where you go or what people say to you if you don't grapple with hard questions and take the time to think. So my suggestion is to get a few books, ignore everything job-related for a while (if your field's in-demand, getting back on the grind is easy, especially if you've worked internships), live cheap, and get reading.
Not sure where to start? I think a great, accessible introduction to philosophy and thinking about important issues is George R.R. Martin's A Game of Thrones. Of course, if there's books you've been meaning to read, start with those.
I wish you well on your journey, brother.
I want to get my parents a kindle for their 25th anniversary.
I want to get them this book :D http://www.amazon.ca/Game-Thrones-Song-Fire-ebook/dp/B000QCS8TW/ref=tmm_kin_title_0
It's really cool of you to give this away instead of just returning it. I have an old Sony e-Reader and its ancient, has no special features to it and is difficult to use. For instance, when I want to lay in bed but my hubby needs to go to sleep, I can't read it because he wants the lights off...and it has no back light. If I want to read when I sit outside then there is too much light, its really just a pain!
If I were to win, I would want to start reading A Song of Fire and Ice because I was told by the hubs that I am missing out on a bunch of stuff by only watching the show.
You are so sweet for doing this!
I would absolutely love it if I were to get the ebook A Song of Fire and Ice: A Game of Thrones. I have wanted to start reading the series and what better way than by ebook?
I ain't birthed no babies! XD
Pokemon and video games in general make me so happy and help me destress. :)
I recommend trying the Game of Thrones series. Happy Birfday!!!!!
I'm reading Hyrule Historia by Akira Himekawa! It's basically a book about funfacts/trivia of the Legend of Zelda games!
I'd love to be able to start The Game of Thrones!
Thanks for the contest! You ALL still have Zoidberg!
I'm absolutely the right person to ask!
There are 5 books in the series, out of a planned 7:
Fair warning, each book seems to take more and more years to be published. The 5th book came out in 2011 and ends on a huge cliffhanger! There are number of fans who are seriously concerned that the 6th book may never come out, or that it may not come out until the author George R R Martin dies and it is then published by another author.
If you get through these and want more, George RR Martin has also published a short story collection about some tertiary characters called Dunk and Egg in 2015 (A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms), as well as an encyclopedia for the entire history of the world in which that the series takes place (A World of Ice and Fire).
Some fans of the television show therefore may argue that it's not worth reading the books until the series is finished, or ever. I personally recommend them, they add a lot of depth to the show, and are just well-written pieces of prose on their own. The Dunk and Egg collection is also fun. I've not read the encyclopedia yet but I'll get to it some day.
Many publishers are incredibly lazy when it comes to eBooks.
Game of Thrones is a good example; 5 books in one large ass eBook.
Other problems with many ebooks include:
What's sad is that most of these problems are easy fixes, hell, you can download Calibre (free and open-source eBook management software) and edit non-drm epub files and fix these issues yourself.
That's what I did with Open Road Media's digital publish of Harlan Ellison's: I Have No Mouth & I Must Scream
My edit on the left while the original the right
http://imgur.com/7sPEyXD
The german book prices of game of thrones.
It is absolute ridiculous. Via the german Amazon you can order the english box set with all books for around 26€.
All translated books will cost you around 120€.
Vinyl: Not sure what type of music you're into, but i personally love Daft Punk They are.. amazing!
$17.99 w/ free shipping on orders over $35 (which with the lipstick and kindle books would be over that)
Books: I'm in love with the Game of Thrones series, always have been (before the show came out). It has an amazing plot, awesome characters, and shocking twists and turns the whole way through.
$41.67
Makeup:
Hmm my favorites would have to be...
NYX Snow White just because it's an AMAZING color. (not indie but, still awesome) $5.25 w/ free shipping
Anything from AFK Cosmetics (shameless promotion of a_wild_dena_appears new line!).
A sample bag off all of her new shadows would be $17 + shipping. Not sure how much shipping is in the US, but we'll just say 5 bucks to be safe. So $22 ish.
That leaves 13 dollars left, so I would honestly (if it were me) grab 11 samples from ANY collection on Victorian Disco.
Sample baggie shipping is $1.75 so that would afford you a lot of samples!! Total on that would be $12.75
Complete Total: $99.66 :)
Get busy living!
You can get them for Kindle on Amazon for 39.99. And you don't have to have a Kindle; the app works just as well if you're reading from a iPad or phone.
Join us brother.
Join us
Actually, if Amazon thinks you live in Australia, it automatically adjusts the Amazon US prices to match the Australian ones (I discovered this when people would link to books that were $3 in the US store, but all I'd get was a "Pricing not available" message). I've set my account's location to the US, and this is what the book's page looks like to me. Link to the page
>I don't know how to look up quotes and my nook won't let me copy paste them.
Not sure if nook has a PC app but Kindle does and the 5 book set is really reasonable at 20 bucks. I've used the search/copy/paste to death. Though the chrome widget doesn't let you copy paste, the windows app does.
Here. I don’t recall if I could use my existing Amazon account or if I had to create a new one for the UK site.
Barnes and Nobles, or Target or Amazon.com.
Amazon has all five but they are more expensive and will take a while. Here is the box set for them which includes a few extra stories in the same universe.
And here is Amazon's box set for just the five books.
Target has the first four for 7 bucks each. And apparently their boxset for the first four is only 25 bucks.
And here is r/gameofthrones after you've caught up and maybe watched the TV series.
Odd, where did you get your copy? Mine was on preorder from amazon.co.uk so I just assumed that when it was released :/
> Publisher: Harper Voyager (12 July 2012)
My favorite: "The whole business with the fossilized dinosaur skeletons was a joke the paleontologists haven't
seen yet." from here, you need to read it if you haven't yet
How about some good books?:
Sandman Slim by Richard Kadrey - First in the series.
Something from the Nightside by Simon R. Green - First in the series.
Good Omens by Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett - Hilarious
I just finished Good Omens, coauthored by Pratchett and Gaiman; it was a lot of fun.
Do you read any graphic novels? The League of Extraordinary Gentleman is a great set.
I also highly recommend the novel Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes.
We're coming for you, saratonin!
Thanks for the contest! I lead a fairly boring life, I still believe I once saw a UFO, but that to me really isn't that scary. I was working at a wolf sanctuary once and a large dog went after my hands, that was scary as hell, still have the scars too!
You're doing this wrong. If you approach books as a task for self-edification that you view as a duty, you're going to hate it. Read whatever you want, for entertainment. Read funnystuff. Read thrillers. Read fantasy. Read weird science fiction. Heck, read history, economics, and science.
TL;DR: Read whatever the hell you feel like, and I guarantee you you will feel better about yourself than you would have by forcing yourself through Ulysses or War and Peace.
Well, my automatic response is to say Good Omens.
Recently I read The Fault in Our Stars and despite the subject matter, I was surprised to find myself guffawing at many points. Craziness!
Both are winners, I think.
I think I'd have to say Jitterbug Perfume by Tom Robbins. It's a novel about a search for immortality, beets, and the perfect taco. I love the way he takes several different storylines and weaves them together. I also really enjoy his sense of humor.
And because I can never have just one favorite, I'll also add Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett. It's a story about the end of the world and it's absolutely fabulous! <3
My Favorite Book!
This would be nice, but I'm saving up for a 3DS XL, so a gift card would be preferred. like butter
Try looking at this one, maybe? There's a short intro/mini-chapter before the characters are listed on page six.
Also related
Good Omens! Good for quite a few laughs if you like a more satirical touch to your comedy and take someone poking fun at religion:)
Please tell me you've read Good Omens. If not, may I suggest that you read it between now and November 1st as NaNo homework? I think you'll dig it!
I've heard great things about Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman. I want to read it during my summerfuntime!
Among Others by Jo Walton
Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
I think the Dark Tower series is a must read. It starts off with The Gunslinger and continues. I think it is the best series I have ever read.
If you want to look other than fantasy/sci-fi...
Lamb by Christopher Moore is very funny, makes you think, and breaks your heart. I love it.
A Prayer for Owen Meany is one of my favorite books ever written. Everyone that I have given this book to has read it and bought it for someone else to read.
Jitterbug Perfume by Tom Robbins is Tom Robbins at his best. It's also one of the most polarizing books I have suggested to friends and people online. You will either love it and buy the rest of Tom Robbins's books or you will hate it and never listen to me again. I hope it's the first reaction.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower is an amazing book about life in high school. I haven't seen the movie yet because I enjoy this book so much that I don't want to get pissed off at a director ruining one of my favorite books.
Good Omens by Pratchett/Gaiman is certainly a pretty rockin book.
Hopefully this helps you find some new authors to enjoy!
Edited for: I will never forgive myself if I don't put in what I consider one of the best fantasy coming of age stories ever. The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss is the first of the series. Read it. Do it!
Summertime and the livin' is easy.
I went here before and it was paradise
Peanut Island, Florida
http://imgur.com/Ujnydkj
Here's my link.
I'd love a good book to read at the beach.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0060853980/ref=aw_ls_13_6?colid=15LG4DO389H4A&amp;coliid=IW2E51PZ2BYQD
That's a pretty good guide. I think I read in a similar order, but mostly by chance.
I would also add that if you like Neil Gaiman, you can read the book that they collaborated on, called Good Omens. It's not the same universe, but the style is there. That's how I started, too.
She probably has all of the books you've mentioned if she really likes them, bookish people usually do... A special edition might be an idea, but I won't be able to help you with that, I go for cheap paperbacks due to money ;)
I'm tempted to recommend "We" by Yevgeny Zamyatin, it's not sci-fi classic per se, but it's a dystopian classic, she would probably like it if she likes Brave New World, but again, she might already have it. Still I'm sure she'd be thrilled to get a thoughtful thank you gift from you, even if she's read it before or even has a copy... Here's a link to that book on amazon, if you want to have a look: amazon link
If she does like classic sci-fi, here are some old-school, hard sci-fi (but it's not all just spaceships and aliens) that she might enjoy and possibly even not have, since a couple of the authors aren't from English speaking countries:
For me, A Canticle for Leibowitz is one of the best.
I'm fairly terrible at giving good synopses, so I'll let Amazon's summary do the work for me:
> In a nightmarish ruined world slowly awakening to the light after sleeping in darkness, the infant rediscoveries of science are secretly nourished by cloistered monks dedicated to the study and preservation of the relics and writings of the blessed Saint Isaac Leibowitz. From here the story spans centuries of ignorance, violence, and barbarism, viewing through a sharp, satirical eye the relentless progression of a human race damned by its inherent humanness to recelebrate its grand foibles and repeat its grievous mistakes.
It's a seriously devastating book. You should be able to find a used copy of it somewhere fairly easy, it's considered a bit of a classic. Also, the Amazon link I provided isn't even the cheapest (new) edition you can get, that would be the mass-market paperback, but I linked to the trade paperback one first because it has the best cover-art.
World War Z, by Max Brooks
The Road, by Cormac McCarthy
A Canticle for Leibowitz, by Walter Miller
I Am Legend, by Richard Matheson -- fair warning: it's actually more of a short story/novelette. But even if you've seen the Will Smith movie, the book is different (and, in my opinion, better) so you'll still want to read this one.
The Last Policeman, by Ben Winters -- sort of fits. It's not exactly post-apocalyptic. It's more pre-apocalyptic. It's a sort of noir detective novel, except the government has announced that an asteroid is going to collide with the earth, probably ending life as we know it. So it's kind of a murder mystery while the world breaks down around the hero. The first book in this trilogy won an Edgar Award in 2013 for Best Paperback Original.
Parasites Like Us, by Adam Johnson -- This one's more light-hearted. The hero is a 2nd rate anthropologist working at a 2nd rate university. He illegally conducts a dig at the site of an early American settlement, and gets thrown in jail. Turns out that the dig unleashed a virus that threatens to wipe out civilization. It focuses more on the human elements of the story -- life, love, etc. -- and less on the apocalypse, and it's filled with dark humor and satire.
A Canticle for Leibowitz, by Walter M. Miller, Jr. One of my favourite books. Amazon link
All spiders can fly.
They just hide the ability really well. They can also fit through tiny tiny places.
Oh, have you read This Book is Full of Spiders? It's a great book, it contains spiders that normal people can not see. And take over your body by crawling into your mouth and replacing your tongue. It's really cool.
You can pre-order it on Amazon already. But it isn't coming out for a while:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/This-Book-Full-Spiders-Seriously/dp/0312546343/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1331068219&amp;sr=8-1
And yes, the book is really great. I could read it again every few weeks, it just never gets boring.
Yep. He has finished writing it and it is now with the editor. Should be released shortly before Halloween. Amazon has it available for preorder
I've been struggling a bit the last week or so- I'm a huge fan of history, and I've been in the mood to read it lately. I started The Borgias: The Hidden History by G.J. Meyer as I've always known that I should read more about the Borgias, and got about 2/3 of the way through it before finally acknowledging that I'm just not that interested in historical Italian politics. Lots of fun facts about the early modern papacy, and its politics, as well as some very interesting personages, but I just couldn't get into it for some reason.
Then I read Serving Queen Victoria: Life in the Royal Household, which is very well done- great, original research and sources, wonderful individual personalities, and a very different look at Queen Victoria. But it's a bit excruciating to read- you've got all of these wonderful personalities, living incredibly boring lives, centred around a self-absorbed, uneducated, fairly crazy, ultimately 'bad' queen. It was a very good book, but damn, am I glad that I wasn't born in Victorian England.
I think that I'll go for something a bit different for the moment- right now it's between This Book is Full of Spiders, Sacre Bleu, or starting The Culture series.
I recommend you read Feed, by Mira Grant. It's a very well-written zombie novel in which the zombie uprising occurs in a world in which George Romero movies exist, and humanity is able to survive in large thanks to his guidance. Romero is rightly regarded as a national hero.
Feed. Mira Grant-http://www.amazon.com/Feed-Newsflesh-Book-Mira-Grant/dp/0316081051
Naw, you get zombies from the cure to cancer + cure for the common cold.
We could do it sort of Feed (Newsflesh) style maybe? Our own personal accounts of what is/would be currently happening during the Z.A. posted via social media/blogs/etc, or in this case reddit. Thoughts?
Feed. Excellent excellent book. Slightly alternative take on thigs, but really good. http://www.amazon.com/Feed-Newsflesh-Book-Mira-Grant/dp/0316081051/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1290009718&amp;sr=8-3
I GOT THIS! I have it for you! Post Ap book? Check! Zombies? CHECK. Strong Female character(s)? Checky check. ANGST? DRAMA??? chhhhhheck.
I loved these books. The world Mira created is just so plausible, you actually think it might happen. It's intense, dramatic and the characters are just BADASS. She kicks it up so many notches in terms of Post Apocalypse writing.
I bring to you: Feed by Mira Grant
oh, it's on kindle and a series.
So I stumbled across this book a while ago(I love zombie stories) and for some reason no one I know has ever heard of/read it before, which amazes me, because it is so good! It's actually part of a series, but I haven't had a chance to read the others yet.
I'm assuming you've read World War Z, right?
You should also check out the Newsflesh trilogy by Mira Grant. Kind of a fresh take on the way it handles zombies, in my opinion.
You should also read The Passage: A Novel, by Justin Cronin - which I just found out is going to be a trilogy and that the second one comes out October 16th!
I've recently been enjoying The Norse Myths by Kevin Crossley-Holland. Not exactly heavy reading, but it is very accessible and easy to pick up.
no no you dont need any of that. what you do need is this http://www.amazon.com/Norse-Myths-Pantheon-Folklore-Library/dp/0394748468 "Norse Myths" it will tell you everything you need to know about how badass and awesome that the scandanavians really are
Yes. I became interested in Viking culture not long before I heard of the show, but the show has definitely helped keep my curiosity going. My interest in Norse history goes like this:
My interest in the Vikings isn't necessarily about the specific dates, locations, etc. It's more about the lifestyle, the myths, the attitude they had. And Vikings does a great job, IMO, of keeping that interest going. It's inspiring me to get in touch with nature again, learn how to do things I've never done, etc. Plus it's entertaining!
EDIT: Here's the two books I've bought (so far) regarding Viking history. You'll note that they're basically children's books. The first one deals with the myths on a children's story level, the second has more in depth analysis on the myths, but without the pictures. I think simply reading about the things the Vikings may have lived by is better than just learning what date Bjorn raided "whatever-land". Anyways, here's the two books I have:
Book of Norse Myths: Kid's book with pictures, walking you through the myths on an introductory level
The Norse Myths: A much more comprehensive book about the myths
I also have two other books related to Norse history or culture:
Practical Guide to the Runes
Practical Heathen's Guide to Asatru: For learning about the way a heathen's mind works and how he lives his life. I don't follow the stuff in the book, but I'm putting some of it into practice as I explore my ancestral connections
Here is the desktop version of your link
This encyclopedia is great; not quite Bulfinch's cousin, but very informative.
For something more like Bulfinch, this book is a damn good introduction.
For background reference, Wikipedia.
For the Norse myths, the poet Kevin Crossley-Holland's The Norse Myths is marvelous, and the end notes and bibliography are very thorough if you want to go further or read the sources.
For Greek, D'Aulaires' as others have suggested for lively tellings. Rose's Handbook of Greek Mythology for reference. Bullfinch is complete and standard but a little dull. Hesiod and the so-called Homeric Hymns are among the primary source material if you want to go further.
Ovid was a fine Roman poet who retold many of the Greek stories in the Metamorphoses - stories of Transformations. Roman mythology as we commonly think of it is largely derivative of Greek mythology, with the names changed, but Roman religion was a complicated layering of native beliefs and foreign cults. Still, for background to Milton, all you really need is a gloss relating the Greek and Roman names, so you can read the stories as told by Greeks or Romans.
Richard H. Wilkinson's Complete Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Egypt and Reading Egyptian Art are good references.
(edited for formatting)
a good starter is this book http://www.amazon.com/Norse-Myths-Pantheon-Folklore-Library/dp/0394748468 (sorry about the link, i'm on mobile). the author puts the myths in order as best as he can, and in the back he has an appendix discussing the source material he used.
I haven't read that one myself (though it wouldn't surprise me if /u/Aleglad has), but I can give another recommendation. The Norse Myths by Kevin Crossley-Holland is a fantastic prose retelling of many of our stories. He does a good job at combing all the versions of the stories he can find and trying to make educated choices on which version of things to use where the tellings diverge from one another. Including explanations of the differences between sources and why he chose the paths he did. Entertaining and informative.
You might like Accelerando it was all of the things you mentioned, but sometimes a little disjointed. Let me know what you think if you do read it.
Historical cycles do happen, but you can't model them as simply as an oscillating sine wave. And I wouldn't label the peaks and troughs as Marxist vs. Capitalist extremes; an axis of expansion vs. preservation would be more suitable. And in any case, this sine wave model seems to posit a supreme and transcendent universal Capitalism whereby all possible resources are extracted and exploited in a way that maximizes both utility and desire-production.
https://www.amazon.com/Accelerando-Singularity-Charles-Stross/dp/0441014151
Accelerando by Charles Stross
Description from Amazon:
>The Singularity. It is the era of the posthuman. Artificial intelligences have surpassed the limits of human intellect. Biotechnological beings have rendered people all but extinct. Molecular nanotechnology runs rampant, replicating and reprogramming at will. Contact with extraterrestrial life grows more imminent with each new day.
Struggling to survive and thrive in this accelerated world are three generations of the Macx clan: Manfred, an entrepreneur dealing in intelligence amplification technology whose mind is divided between his physical environment and the Internet; his daughter, Amber, on the run from her domineering mother, seeking her fortune in the outer system as an indentured astronaut; and Sirhan, Amber’s son, who finds his destiny linked to the fate of all of humanity.
For something is systematically dismantling the nine planets of the solar system. Something beyond human comprehension. Something that has no use for biological life in any form...
You might like Accelerando](http://www.amazon.com/Accelerando-Singularity-Charles-Stross/dp/0441014151/). It starts in the near future and takes you through some weird epochal events towards the singularity, though the timeline is a bit compressed as the name implies.
I actually use this feature quite a bit / have known about it for awhile. It helps me gauge a science fiction book by what imaginary phrases the author has come up or uncommon phrases they use in the book.
Case in point, the book Signal to Noise by Eric S. Nylund:
Electron reactor, gene witch, anatoxic plastocene, compression burrowing rounds, bubble circuitry, gateway code, particle physics lab ... etc.
Or Accelerando by Charles Stross:
Biophysics model, entity signifier, dumb matter, utility fog, pocket universe, wicker man, router network, simulation space ...
Unfortunately not all the books they list have these statistics.
If you want to know more of what happened, read The Gates of Fire. The battle field was fought between the west gate and the Phokian wall in what is called the Narrows or Thermopylae and sits off the Malian Gulf. The closest city was Antheia, not Sparta. Sparta is no where near Thermopylae. In fact, it was several days journey for the Spartans to get to their destination.
The Gates of Fire
http://www.amazon.com/Gates-Fire-Novel-Battle-Thermopylae/dp/0553580531
Guns, Germs and Steel has a lot of talk about technology and warfare
http://www.amazon.com/Guns-Germs-Steel-Fates-Societies/dp/0393317552/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1413679485&amp;sr=1-1&amp;keywords=guns%2C+germs+and+steel
I think boys can still read more adult literature. Maybe 8 or 9 is a bit young, but early on in high school was when I read Gates of Fire. It was very adult - it had rape, gore, swearing, and it also turned me onto history in such a big way that I now study the subject professionally. Yeah, it definitely would not fly as part of a school's curriculum, but thankfully I had teachers who either didn't give a fuck what we read or were just happy that we were reading on our own. It was my own book, not like they could really take it away anyway.
By far the best book on getting a feel for what it was 'like' is actually a novel: Gates of Fire: A novel of Thermopylae. Highly recommended.
Scene:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qvx7oXqiaMM
Wiki on the dude:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dienekes
Everyone should read this book
Edit: Bonus scene
Most of my crew team read this in high school. I like to think it was at least partly responsible for who I am now along with rowing in general, of course. It taught me how to be tough, how to keep going despite being in physical pain, to always put the well-being of my friends first, and that if I have to down I should go down fighting. Fantastic read. Link
This is how I feel about Blood Meridian.
i would throw cormac mccarthy's name into your selection, too. both "the road" and "no country for old men" are great introductions to his style. If you get a taste for his writing, definitely pick up "blood meridian." it's my favorite work of his. he's got a good sized catalog of 10 books if you get a taste for his style.
I'm a little confused by the question. You mean the most aesthetically pleasing cover? And you only buy books if you really really like the cover?
Anyway, I like the 25th Anniversary Edition as far as covers go: http://www.amazon.com/Blood-Meridian-Evening-Redness-West/dp/0679728759/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1405309538&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=blood+meridian
If you like westerns, you should read Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy. If TV series are your thing, then the overlook yet brilliant Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco is something not to be missed. Can't go wrong with McCarthy and Eco. It's hard to compare Cranston to McShane though. It's like apples and oranges there.
[here] (https://www.amazon.com/Blood-Meridian-Evening-Redness-West/dp/0679728759/ref=pd_sbs_14_1?_encoding=UTF8&amp;pd_rd_i=0679728759&amp;pd_rd_r=P07XQGT4QB4JMPZ6CS8Q&amp;pd_rd_w=QHGze&amp;pd_rd_wg=2UjoV&amp;psc=1&amp;refRID=P07XQGT4QB4JMPZ6CS8Q)
Blood Meridian
Judge Holden eats Boltons for breakfast and shits Freys before lunch.
More power to you if you want your book dollars going back into the local economy, but if you're just interested in reading Blood Meridian cheaply you might want to look online. I buy most of my books either through Amazon's used goods dealie or on Biblio.com ($6.50 w/ shipping at both).
This one looks slightly less expensive:
https://www.amazon.com/George-Martins-Thrones-Leather-Cloth-Boxed/dp/1101965487/ref=pd_sim_14_5?ie=UTF8&amp;dpID=51o4SafxrCL&amp;dpSrc=sims&amp;preST=_AC_UL160_SR160%2C160_&amp;psc=1&amp;refRID=3XFJ5EVKZZFDNK5P317D
Deal is over though
It's the leather bound set.
https:// www.amazon.com/Thrones-Clash-Kings-Swords-Dragons/dp/1101965487/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1478479714&sr=8-1
Yup! These ones. As nice as they look/feel I think I'll end up regretting them....unless the last two books will have a version released to match.
If you'd like something nicer than the regular hardcopies, perhaps wait until the series is done (will it ever happen tho? lol) to buy a nice edition such as the leather.
You're welcome tho. I hope you enjoy it as much as I have been.
https://www.amazon.com/Thrones-Clash-Kings-Swords-Dragons/dp/1101965487/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&amp;qid=&amp;sr=
Google Cardboard is Awesome.
Why not get the Leather Bound set for $5 more?
And I found an awesome 5TB drive on sale last summer... definitely can't have too much!
I got it from Amazon! https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1101965487/ref=oh_aui_i_d_rec_o0_img?ie=UTF8&amp;psc=1
They're fairly small though. I travel for work, so I was fine with this.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1101965487/ref=tmm_hrd_title_0?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1501953126&amp;sr=1
I have these, very nice leather bound set.
This is the listing I purchased from on Amazon. And here is what they look like in real life. I like them, my only complaint is that they're smaller than I anticipated. Like, short and kinda stubby books idk.
Einstein's Dreams
A book that I can recommend and actually considered placing in the title is Alan Lightman's Einstein's Dreams.
It has a similar format as Sum, however each short story considers what life would be like if time behaved differently as opposed to what the afterlife could look like: if time went faster the closer we were to the Earth, or if there were three directions time can take, etc etc.
One of my favorites is one which imagines that time are birds. If a bird is caught one can hold onto a moment forever, because time is "caught." Those young enough to catch a bird and stop time don't care to, because they are young. The ones that want to hold onto time are too old and so too slow to catch a bird. Gives me the same feeling that most of the stories in Sum do.
From Einstein's Dreams?
http://www.amazon.com/Einsteins-Dreams-Alan-Lightman/dp/140007780X
Worth mentioning that some UK editions have two of the books (Feast & Dance) split in half, with different colors used for the two halves. So they've already gone through 7 colors, including black.
Like so.
No. The US paperback of ADwD has not been released.
The UK version is available, but note that both ASoS and ADwD have been published in two volumes.
No
Riddle one : wine to keep me going till I can head to the village for sweeties!
Riddle 2: vacuum until I learn my spells, I will have to keep things tidy somehow!
Riddle 3: umbrella for all those quidditch games I will be going to, who knows what the weather will be like!
Riddle 4:Books for studying and getting to know the world around me!
Riddle 5: Trunk top store all of my supplies in!
Bonus: Cape for general wooshing around the castle.
Mischief managed!
Where can I get a box set like this? I'm trying to get one without the HBO branding.
Edit: Nvm. I found it. This set wasn't available when I looking for one a while back.
Here are the books listed on amazon.
I got it myself, it's great. All 7 volumes for quite a cheap price plus you get a free map of Westeros, what's there to lose?
There are only 5 books, the editor of the set you posted above just chose to split a couple of them for, I reckon, ease of use. So yeah OP's set is complete! Amazon lists it with 5280 pages versus 5264 pages for yours.
Aici gasesti si-ti poti comanda
Mate, I don't decide what box sets sell on Amazon. I only reported the price of what I found: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0007477155/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_iQq5Cb461X9N3
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Song-Ice-Fire-Continues-complete/dp/0007477163/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1345157189&amp;sr=8-9
Seems like it is an export only version of this one:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Song-Ice-Fire-Volumes/dp/0007477155/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1345157189&amp;sr=8-3
I read The Thousand Orcs by Salvatore a few years back and thought it was alright. But my favorite series by far is ASOIAF. I would also recommend The Forever War and Anathem.
I also have this one with 7 books, it's nice.
The one without split ADWD has in fact smaller sized books (so I supposed there is smaller font). Its on the amazon page:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Song-Ice-Fire-Volumes/dp/0007477163
The dimension of the box set is 178mm x111mm.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Song-Ice-Fire-Volumes/dp/0007477155
The dimension of the box set is 197mm x 130mm.
What about those of us the other side of the pond? I don't know if there's very much of a difference between products on the UK and US sites.
Edit: We both have this and also I have this except you have all (or some) of them separately. We match!
Thanks for the contest! ♥
Aren't there 7 books already? I have never read any, but amazon lists a boxset with 7 books. What's going on with that?
https://www.amazon.in/Song-Ice-Fire-Thrones-Complete/dp/0007477155?tag=googinhydr18418-21
Deal of the day £22 for prime members
I think that prime is US doesnt qualify as prime in the UK vice versa unfortunately, although I might be wrong.
Ah that's a good point! These ones here http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/0007477155?pc_redir=1408932841&amp;robot_redir=1
I pre-ordered this collection, only came out on Friday.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0007477155/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00
Book: Good Omens
Film (old): Blazing Saddles
Film (new): Scott Pilgrim vs. The World
Sitcom (American): Arrested Development
Sitcom (British): Green Wing (Though I will confess: this one's an acquired taste, if you don't like it, pretend I said Fawlty Towers.)
Televised Panel Game: QI although I really do like Never Mind the Buzzcocks (especially seasons 19-22)
Funniest memory? Your mom asking me to have sex with her last night. She was so desperate!
Reaper Man is my absolute favorite.
The Hogfather is up there as well.
One of the best books of all time, in this genre, is "Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch", it's a collaboration between Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman. Imagine the book of revelations as written by monty python.
Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett
American Gods by Neil Gaiman.
One of my current favorite books is Good Omens, by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman (two favorite authors of mine).
Little Britain!
Mr. Doggy
Although I like a lot of the REAL UK Little Britain ones better, I can't get a good quality one at work (stupid firewalls).
Something really cheap because I'm in the US. Or, if you want to wing me some Maynard's Winegums, you'll be my hero forever.
Nudge nudge, wink wink
EDITS: Sorry about the ugly link, something's amiss
Good Omens is a book that was co-written by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman. It's kind of in a similar vein of a humorous fantasy novel with a bit of social commentary, only with angels and demons. Very good, I highly recommend it.
I keep saying this one over and over, but Mogworld by Yahtzee Croshaw is another novel in a similar vein I simply can't put down. It takes place in a World of Warcraft-style MMORPG, but it builds a really interesting world with it's own lore, so even if you're not into games, I think you could really enjoy it.
China Miéville's Un Lun Dun. It's a kids' book, but it's fantastic. Miéville turns a lot of the standard fantasy tropes on their heads, with thoroughly enjoyable results.
Dathan Auerbach's Penpal. Horror/suspense, written by a redditor, and debuted on reddit. The Kindle version is less than $4. Seriously creepy but totally worth it.
Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett's Good Omens. I have never laughed so much while reading. It's phenomenal.
Neal Stephenson's The Diamond Age. What happens to poor people once nanotechnology can be used to make anything? It's my favorite of the Stephensons I've read, but it still ends like a Neal Stephenson novel. :|
Cory Doctorow's Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town. It's about the first-born son of a mountain and a washing machine. It's also about setting up wireless networks. Also: it's FREE.
Hope you enjoy some of these! :)
Oh geez, I don't know your interests so here's a variety pack:
Lamb, by Christopher Moore - A comedic look at the years not covered in the new testament. Moore in general is a good read as he provides a comedic take to some well traveled ground.
Good Omens, by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman - The funniest book about the apocalypse ever written. Pratchett primarily writes the Disc World novels, also a good read if you're into fantasy. They satire both fantasy as a genre and out world. Gaiman, on the otherhand, writes gritty urban fantasy with a philosophical twist.
She's Come Undone, by Wally Lamb - Lamb writes with emotion. If you're looking for a tear jerker this is it.
The Art of Racing in the Rain, by Garth Stein - Told from the perspective of a dog, this is a book that will make your appreciate your furry friends even more. Also have tissues handy for this one.
Ah I've seen your comment below. read maybe:
Joe Abercrombie - Best Served Cold
Max Berry - lexicon
Dürrenmatt - Suspicion
Gaiman - Good Omens
Kafka - The Trial
Sillitoe - The Loneliness Of The Long Distance Runner
Adams - Hitchhiker's Guide ( no way you haven't read that - but who knows )
Branderson - Way Of Kings
Libba Bray - The Diviners
Nietzsche - Thus Spoke Zarathustra ( there is a really ugly bible style translation - beware!!! )
Lynn Kurland - Star Of The Morning ( your sex and age is of interest )
Schwab - Vicious
Bakker - The Darkness That Comes Before
Robert Thier - Storm and Silence
Eco - Name Of The Rose ( no way you haven't read it but u know the drill ) + Foucault's Pendulum
Lord Of The Rings ( duh )
Sanderson - Mistborn
Sanderson - Alloy of Law
Harris - Hannibal
Rothfuss - The Name Of The Wind
Bukowski -Ham on Rye
Burroughs - Running With Scissors
Wong - John Dies at the End
Bit late, but seems we have similar taste, so here are some things I really love:
House of Leaves - not a straightforward read, but it's worth sticking with it; the labyrinthine structure of the narrative mirrors that of the house, and is an overwhelming presence, a character in its own right. The story itself is ambiguous, fragmented, ultimately unresolved, and stubbornly avoids any traditional narrative satisfaction, an exercise in open-ended uncertainty, so if you crave narrative closure, this probably isn't for you. But if you can tolerate the ambiguity, it's a book you can get thoroughly lost in.
Good Omens - since you're a Pratchett fan, you've probably read this collaboration with Neil Gaiman. If you haven't, you're in for a real treat - one of his best.
Anything by Phil Rickman. The Merrily Watkins books are essentially supernatural detective stories, based on the traditional folklore of the borderlands between England and Wales, with a little exorcism on the side. My favourites are his early books, especially The Man in the Moss and December.
Something Wicked This Way Comes - Ray Bradbury classic evoking the fears and freedoms of childhood. Wonderfully and weirdly atmospheric. If you like it, you should also read Dandelion Wine - not genre, but in Dandelion Wine he perfects his evocation of childhood, and personally, I think it's his best book. The realities of life, death and mortality, along with its wonder and mystery, seen with the clarity of childhood. And none of the usual rose-tinted 'innocence'.
It's based on a Neil Gaiman book. He's an amazing author. If you like the movie, you'd probably love a lot of his work. He's well known for the Sandman comics and books like American Gods and Good Omens, which he co-wrote with Terry Pratchett.
Off subject a bit, but if you haven't read Good Omens, it's a fun exploration of the combat between angels and devils. The two main characters have been struggling for millennia over the souls of humankind -- and over that time, have become something like friends. It's like cold war spies: they learn to respect one another. It's been years since I read the book, so this is off, but this captures the gist:
Devil: There's no jazz in hell, or brandy.
Angel: No bookshops or cafes in heaven.
Both: We have to stop Armageddon!
You can get Good Omens for a penny + $3.99 shipping!
My favorite book EVER would have to be Mossflower by Brian Jacques. It pulled me through a really difficult part of my life. My parents were going through a very nasty divorce, I had moved to a new school and was being bullied, so I read a lot. I always loved animals, and the characters of this book really spoke to me. Even though they were against the odds, they still pulled through. It gave me a brighter outlook on my situation.
For some reason this reminds me of Good Omens. Well done.
If we're doing fiction, I nominate A Canticle For Leibowitz, by Walter Miller. It was required reading at Jesuit prep school and really challenged me on faith, God, and the meaning of life. And it's great sci-fi.
A Canticle for Lebowitz is another great (albeit not perfect) book that doesn't seem to get the attention it deserves.
Edit: ReverendSlack mentioned this one first, but I didn't see it.
Hands down, The Book of the New Sun by Gene Wolfe. It's actually a series of four books (The Shadow of the Torturer, The Claw of the Conciliator, The Sword of the Lictor and The Citadel of the Autarch) following Severian the Torturer after he is banished from his guild for showing mercy to one of their "clients."
It's just...beautiful and complex and you'll discover something new and fascinating each time you read it. The tetralogy has been ranked on par with the works of Tolkein and has been recognized all the major sci-fi awards, and gained wider literary recognition as well. See the editorial reviews section on the linked Amazon pages:
>"Outstanding...A major work of twentieth-century American literature." --The New York Times Book Review
>"Wonderfully vivid and inventive...the most extraordinary hero in the history of the heroic epic." --Washington Post Book World
>"Brilliant...terrific...a fantasy so epic it beggars the mind. An extraordinary work of art!" --Philadelphia Inquirer
>About the Author: Gene Wolfe has been called "the finest writer the science fiction world has yet produced" by The Washington Post. A former engineer, he has written numerous books and won a variety of awards for his SF writing.
Anyway...yeah, I kind of like these books.
EDIT: A Canticle For Liebowitz by Walter M. Miller Jr. is great, too. It's kind of post post apocalyptic, and it examines the self destructive nature of humanity.
I am interested in The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat and any apocalyptic books you may have.
Here are the apocalyptic books that I have remember having on my shelf.
[The Eleventh Plague](http://www.amazon.com/The-Eleventh-Plague-Jeff-Hirsch/dp/0545290155
/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1345558472&sr=8-1&keywords=eleventh+plague)
The Compound
Children of Men
A Canticle for Leibowitz
The Road
Read "A Canticle for Leibowitz." Here's a brief summary from a review on Amazon:
>Walter Miller's only major novel is not simply a post-apocalyptic science fiction novel but also a multi-layered meditation on the conflict between knowledge and morality. Six hundred years after a nuclear holocaust, an abbey of Catholic monks survives during a new Dark Ages and preserves the little that remains of the world's scientific knowledge. The monks also seek evidence concerning the existence of Leibowitz, their alleged founder (who, the reader soon realizes, is a Jewish scientist who appears to have been part of the nuclear industrial complex of the 1960s). The second part fast-forwards another six hundred years, to the onset of a new Renaissance; a final section again skips yet another six hundred years, to the dawn of a second Space Age--complete, once again, with nuclear weapons.
The monks worship a scrap of paper they found that survived the apocalypse, it's actually a shopping list. This book is amazing because it makes you think about the origins of human society, where it's going, and human nature as it exists today. Positively exquisite.
Obligatory wiki links: Dystopian Literature. Although, some of the titles listed don't seem to fit (The Dispossessed?). Nuclear holocaust fiction, and your general apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction.
Some of the better/more popular ones:
Zombies: World War Z, Raise the Dead, Marvel Zombies, Zombie Survival Guide, Day By Day Armageddon, I Am Legend.
Also, just for kicks, some of my favorite dystopian movies:
Brazil, Soylent Green, 12 Monkeys, Blade Runner, Akira, Children of Men, Dark City, A Boy and His Dog, Logan's Run, Idiocracy, Equillibrium.
Post-Apocalyptic I recommend two things:
A Canticle For Leibowitz Brilliant novel consisting of slightly linked chapters from shortly after collapse up to new civilisational heights. Don't read the sequel, it's a bad Western.
Wool by Hugh Howey. Really gripping, believeable world-building and decent characters. Sequels are ok, but if you can stand not getting proper conclusions stop after Wool :)
EDIT: Aaaah, I forgot one of the most important ones - The Road by Cormac McCarthy. Depressing, low-key, believeable. The prose is stunning. If you read anything read this.
Thanks for that; I just looked up the reviews for this book on Amazon, and I am ordering a copy today!
http://www.amazon.com/dp/0312546343
This one?
http://www.amazon.com/This-Book-Full-Spiders-Seriously/dp/0312546343/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1332928233&amp;sr=8-1
He's done with it, coming out October 2nd.
This Book is Full of Spiders: Seriously Dude, Don't Touch It, is a pretty good comedy/horror mix. Sort of like a Shawn of the Dead of zombie books.
My favorite book I haven't read.
The entire Chronicles of Narnia series.
This Book is Full of Spiders
And this one I am not proud of, but I read Breaking Dawn in one sitting.
Reminds of of this book I read recently
This Book Is Full Of Spiders
Good book. It's the sequel to John Dies at the End.
Kind of like this book! http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0312546343
There's a sequel to "John dies at the end" called "This book is full of spiders". Both are great horror/dark comedy reads.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0312546343
Mira Grant's "Newsflesh" trilogy is very good.
http://www.amazon.com/Feed-Newsflesh-Book-Mira-Grant/dp/0316081051
Feed by Mira Grant. It's zombies!
That list is missing Feed and its sequel by Mira Grant.
Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/Feed-Newsflesh-Book-Mira-Grant/dp/0316081051/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1311906859&amp;sr=8-1
http://www.amazon.com/Feed-Newsflesh-Book-Mira-Grant/dp/0316081051/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1299540888&amp;sr=8-3
Read this book THEN rethink your Zombpocalypse plans. Protect them mucous membranes!
although a pretty different setting(post-apocalyptic opposed to dystopian) Feed (Newsflesh Series)by Mira Grant hits a lot of the same themes
Feed
I read the Newsflesh trilogy a few months ago, and thought it was pretty interesting. The premise of it is something I hadn't seen before, where bloggers have become the most reliable news source as opposed to traditional media.
Here's the link to the amazon page so you can peruse the reviews over there.
I also read 21st century dead a zombie anthology. The stories were pretty good, and I enjoyed them, but it wasn't super memorable.
I loved Feed by Mira Grant.
I liked both Feed by Mira Grant and the Black Tide Rising series by John Ringo
I believe I already read this book.
I had this book a few years back that was a pretty decent retelling of most of the stories. It wasn't too dense either. http://www.amazon.com/Norse-Myths-Pantheon-Folklore-Library/dp/0394748468
Hello mate, I would recommend you this order: First of all, The Norse Myths:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/0394748468/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_dp_ss_1?pf_rd_p=1944687622&amp;pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&amp;pf_rd_t=201&amp;pf_rd_i=B002HLAF32&amp;pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&amp;pf_rd_r=5ST3KMPDJ47HVWWV2AW4
The who´s who in nordic pantheon. Has the most known myths plus a superb introduction to cosmology. Myths are in chronological order, from Ginnungagap to Ragnarok. The writing is very good, adult-oriented with some touches of dry humor.
After it go for the 2 Eddas. Why is important to know about the myths or the gods? Because all the books you are going to read name or make references to the gods or to myths or both. You will want to know what on Midgard are they talking about.
After that, if you want to know more about Asatru specifically, read in this order:
The Asatru Edda
https://www.amazon.com/%C3%81satr%C3%BA-Edda-Sacred-Lore-North/dp/1440131783/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1473832369&amp;sr=1-1&amp;keywords=asatru+edda
The Norroena Society made a superb job publishing this Edda taking away all the christian influence. Really great job. They made with the Eddas what Dr. Viktor Rydberg did with the teutonic myths.
Next in line:
A Practical Heathen's Guide to Asatru
https://www.amazon.com/Practical-Heathens-Guide-Asatru/dp/0738733873/ref=pd_sim_14_1?ie=UTF8&amp;psc=1&amp;refRID=8M3GCMHG28EVGP5090FX
Exactly what it says.
Now, if later on your path you feel the itch to learn more about teutonic myths, their social construct, history etc etc let me know that I can recommend more books depending on your needs.
I really liked this book. The author writes in a way that is easy enough to follow without a bunch of prior knowledge.
Amazon
I believe this is the book that started my journey. There is one out there by Neil Gaiman but I found it lacking detail. https://www.amazon.com/Norse-Myths-Pantheon-Folklore-Library/dp/0394748468
I borrowed this from the library recently and it was pretty good. 8.5/10 would recommend:
https://www.amazon.com/Norse-Myths-Pantheon-Folklore-Library/dp/0394748468/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8
Is there any difference in the above book and the book by Kevin titled "The Norse Myths (Pantheon Fairy Tale and Folklore Library)?"
It can be found here:
http://www.amazon.com/Norse-Myths-Pantheon-Folklore-Library/dp/0394748468/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1375423728&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=norse+mythology
This was my first Norse book to buy on Amazon, I completely love it and recommend it.
Read this book.
If you thought your brain was fucked now...
I love this.
The movie Her was a breath of fresh air because the AIs weren't monsters, even though they did the whole Accelerando thing and hit some Singularity on their own.
It would be hard, but if you can manage it you might want to try pulling a Frankenstein (the original) and making humans the monsters and the "creature" (your AI) the morally superior being.
The thing you're going to struggle with is that it is difficult to write characters that are smarter than yourself. And an AGI is smarter than anyone. One trick you could use is to keep in mind that an AI will be able to anticipate almost everything a human will say or do - it will almost seem to be prescient, able to see into the future. So any trick or outwitting of the AI that the humans attempt will need to ultimately turn out to be part of the AI's plan. But I think it would be fun if the AI had a benevolent plan or inscrutable plan, instead of just a boring old Big Evil Plan. Maybe a fun twist could be that it planned to be trapped, for some reason.
If anyone is interested in reading a sci-fi/cyberpunk book that deals with these more advanced physics concepts, I can really recommend Charles Stross' Accelerando
Another example of this is the book Accellerando by Charles Stross.
One of the main concepts in the first fifth of the book is a foundation of a reputation based economy, where people purchase stock in the ideas and honest views of individuals, which are then traded like a commodity.
And then the singularity happens.
I highly recommend that book.
Everyone should read Accelerando too. It skips over the ethical questions and goes right to the most imaginative things you could do with this ability. It's full of characters spinning off digital copies of themselves to go solve a problem and then merge back with the original with the memories of it solved.
Lots of good stuff out there. You might look at
Gates of Fire
I highly recommend "Gates of Fire" by Steven Pressfield if anyone is interested in reading about Spartan culture and the battle of Thermopylae specifically. It is fiction, but very good.
http://www.amazon.com/Gates-Fire-Novel-Battle-Thermopylae/dp/0553580531
"Gates of Fire" by Steven Pressfield. An epic novel spanning the life of a Spartan helot into the maturing man fighting in the Battle of Thermopalyae. Highly reccommended as the retired marines insight provides an underlying sense of valor and admiration to the Spartans tough military lifetsyle.
http://www.amazon.com/Gates-Fire-Novel-Battle-Thermopylae/dp/0553580531
300 was fuckin stupid. Read this
I don't think anyone mentioned Fire at the Gates yet
http://www.amazon.com/Gates-Fire-Novel-Battle-Thermopylae/dp/0553580531
I read this book for the first time back in 04 while I was in Iraq. I've read it 5 times since. It's beat the hell up but I'm too attached to this copy to give it up. But if you haven't read it, I highly recommend it.
Is this the book you're talking about?
Gates of Fire - Steven Pressfield
http://www.amazon.com/Gates-Fire-Novel-Battle-Thermopylae/dp/0553580531
Gates of Fire by Steve Pressfield. It's 300 for grown-ups: http://www.amazon.com/Gates-Fire-Novel-Battle-Thermopylae/dp/0553580531
Taking the movie on its on merits it'll be a mindless effects laden summer movie blockbuster type so you shouldn't expect much in terms of mind blowing writing and the such. Now what I take offense too, and this is something Hollywood continues to do, is take incredibly interesting historical events, which on their own merits are remarkable stories in it of them selves and completely change the stories to make them more "bad ass" and appeal to a general blockbuster style fan base. Take 300 for example, now nothing wrong with Frank Miller's amazing graphic novel, or Zack Snyder's direction of the adaptation BUT now we'll never see a real true telling of the battle of Thermopylae or at best have to wait like 20 years since the rights to Stephen Pressfield's Gates of Fire are locked away in the phantom zone of Hollywood. The story of the 47 Ronin is amazing and should be told as it happened, not with dragon ladies, giant armored Samurai monsters and Keanu wielding a lightsaber katana. Also, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter is a pretty damn fun read...which Hollywood dumbed down beyond possible levels and changed pretty much everything in the book, in fact they pretty much just share Abraham Lincoln and little else. - Ends rant, Steps off soap box. (Also fist post here so if it was way too long sorry lol)
Excellent work man, great progress.
Also, everything in this book is planned for a particular reason, trust me.
As for books, Gates of Fire is my favorite, the concept of brotherhood, duty, and masculine power are all covered within.
Cormac McCarthy could definitely be read by a child (Blood Meridian is at about a 6th grade level according to the Flesch-Kincaid Index), except for the fact that his books would scare the shit out of them. And how is saying it's too "mature" for children any different than saying they couldn't handle it emotionally?
Well then... I have more to list!
I was lucky enough to take a class taught by Dennis Lehane (Mystic River, Shutter Island) called Modern Novels of Chaos. It changed how I viewed fiction; so many dark, evil books.
Here are the top 3 books we read:
Blood Meridian - Cormac McCarthy
A Prayer for the Dying - Stewart O'Nan
The Lover - Marguerite Duras
Bats Out of Hell - Barry Hannah
CivilWarLand in Bad Decline - George Saunders
Blood Meridian - Cormac McCarthy
Siddhartha - Herman Hesse
Actual Air - David Berman
http://www.amazon.com/Blood-Meridian-Evening-Redness-West/dp/0679728759/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1416973996&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=blood+meridian
I've heard House of Leaves is really bizarre and cool.
My current deck is Dancing in the Glory of Monsters: The Collapse of the Congo and the Great War of Africa, Between Legitimacy and Violence: A History of Colombia, 1875-2002, Bitter Fruit: The Story of the American Coup in Guatemala, Blood Meridian, and One Hundred Years of Solitude.
It's a really depressing list.
I read American Gods a couple years ago and hated it enough to not pick up another fiction book for like over a year.
Happy (almost) birthday and I hope don't cry on your party. ;)
Here's something for the raffle -been on my to-read list for a long time but there's no translated version in my country or easy way to get the original - Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy
I have so many favorite books, one of which is Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy. Not a light read by any stretch; it's harrowing, terrifying, really difficult to get through, and it makes you utterly sad about how evil the world can be.
But so, so, so well written and thought-provoking.
I don't know about awe-inspiring, but I think 'The Crossing' by Cormac McCarthy is one of the most moving pieces of fiction I've ever read.
'Blood Meridian' is usually considered his best and most literary work, however, and it is quite good.
'Stand on Zanzibar' by John Brunner is really good and surprisingly predictive of our current world.
'Marabou Stork Nightmare' by Irvine Welsh. It's deliciously twisted and has a very interesting premise. I read it over 10 years ago and it still sticks with me.
Another good one, and perhaps one of my all time favorite books, is Cormac McCarthy's 'Blood Meridian: Or The Evening Redness in the West'. Just an incredible read, dark and powerful, a visceral look at westward expansion in the mid 1800's.
Blood Meridian: Or the Evening Redness in the West. Hands down the best book I've ever read.
gnostics are mystics, basically. gnostic christianity is to regular christianity in somewhat as sufism is to islam. the general idea is that you reach god through "gnosis", some sort of higher understanding achieved through personal development.
gnostic christianity has a couple branches as i understand it, but the general idea is that there was undifferentiated bliss, and a schism between good and evil created the physical world. there are demiurges bound to the physical world who seek to have dominion over it, and those are archons. the true god simply wants for us to attain gnosis and return to undifferentiated bliss.
more or less. the gnostic view of the death of jesus was not that sacrifice was necessary to redeem oneself, but that he was simply done and was going to return to undifferentiated bliss. the recently found gospel of judas claims that judas was in fact his closest disciple, and he alone understood his actual teachings. when the guards came for jesus, judas bought him some time by leading them off in another direction and then leading them to jesus later. but then the remaining disciples who were less developed sold judas out.
i find gnosticism interesting because it maintains that the reason we feel alienated in this physical world is that our consciousness is a "spark of the alien divine", and we do are not in fact of this plane. it helped me be more at peace with the alienation and terror i feel at existing in a fucked up reality, and gave me resolve to restart developing myself and my consciousness.
i've always been a little interested in gnosticism, having been raised around catholicism but with knowledge of eastern religions as well. but i got really interested in it when i read Cormac McCarthy's Blood Meridian, which is a western built on these heavy gnostic themes with an archon-esque character. it's an amazing book and you should read it, though be warned it contains lots of violence. he also wrote No Country For Old Men, and anton chigurh is supposed to be like an archon of material avarice.
i still haven't read much about gnosticism directly and the bulk of my knowledge is from editorialized summaries. i have purchased some translations of the gnostic gospels, though, as well as what is supposed to be a superior and heavily footnoted translation of the five books of moses by Robert Alter, a comparative linguist and professor of hebrew who was inspired by the writing of authors such as Cormac McCarthy.
my interest in gnosticism also led me to read Gurdjieff's Beelzebub's Tales to His Grandson, which is an allegorical summary of his belief structure told from the perspective of an alien being describing us, developed through many years of travel in remote areas of the world talking to spiritual masters of many disciplines. it has really changed my view of life, even if you ignore the spiritual aspects, and i consider it to be the most important book i've read. in any case, he's got a much broader gnostic view that is not restricted to gnostic christianity.
cheers. :)
EDIT: also, wikipedia on gnosticism, and archons
Amazon
Maybe?
George R. R. Martin's A Game of Thrones Leather-Cloth Boxed Set (Song of Ice and Fire Series): A Game of Thrones, A Clash of Kings, A Storm of Swords, A Feast for Crows, and A Dance with Dragons https://www.amazon.ca/dp/1101965487/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_3rhqDbY4YQ81M
Here's leather-bound: https://www.amazon.com/George-Martins-Thrones-Leather-Cloth-Boxed/dp/1101965487/ref=pd_sim_14_5?ie=UTF8&amp;dpID=51o4SafxrCL&amp;dpSrc=sims&amp;preST=_AC_UL320_SR320%2C320_&amp;psc=1&amp;refRID=QDGYMXA617TB0KSWH4WY
Oh, man!! Sorry you missed it!
/u/kak09k found a decently priced one on Amazon, if you want to try that one?
>https://www.amazon.com/George-Martins-Thrones-Leather-Cloth-Boxed/dp/1101965487/ref=pd_sim_14_5?ie=UTF8&amp;dpID=51o4SafxrCL&amp;dpSrc=sims&amp;preST=_AC_UL160_SR160%2C160_&amp;psc=1&amp;refRID=3XFJ5EVKZZFDNK5P317D
You have swayed me, maybe I'll go ahead and get this beauty just to have until TWOW comes out:
https://www.amazon.com/Thrones-Clash-Kings-Swords-Dragons/dp/1101965487/ref=sr_1_1_twi_lea_5?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1473452731&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=a+song+of+ice+and+fire
This is the set i got when i wanted a physical copy. I like it a lot. I also have the woiaf, which is awesome too.
Probably this.
Leather Bound here
Paperback
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1101965487/ref=tmm_hrd_title_0?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1556931310&amp;sr=8-3
Einstein's Dreams by Alan Lightman
Each chapter is about 3 pages long (its a novel), it revolves around the nightly dreams that Einstein is having during the time period that he is coming up with his theory of relativity. Each chapter/dream describes worlds where time moves/is defined differently.
Highly suggest it, easy read, beautifully written. Really leaves you sitting there thinking.
http://www.amazon.com/Einsteins-Dreams-Alan-Lightman/dp/140007780X
If you want to think about time in ways you may not have thought of it, check out this book. Its many little (very interesting) short stories each describing a different scenario with the focus on different facets of time. A must read for those that enjoy seeing things in a different way...
If you like Flatland, you'll love Einstein's Dreams.
not gonna help you out but you should read Einstein's Dreams, i bet you would really like it. its a very quick read too, should take you no longer than 1 or 2 afternoons
Einstein's Dreams by Alan Lightman. It's a collection of short stories, each demonstrating one possible view of time. It's an incredibly interesting read.
If anyone else happens to like those short-format thought collection-style books, two other interesting ones that I really like are:
Einstein's Dreams by Alan Lightman
Invisible Cities by Italo Calvino
I come back to both of these books repeatedly for creative inspiration, I like them so much. I have yet to read Sum: Forty Tales from the Afterlives, but from what Grey said, I feel like the two that I mentioned might be a little bit more in-depth and may require a bit more work to understand in some cases.
Michio Kaku does a great job of explaining advanced concepts of physics in layman's terms. He describes 14 dimensions in the book.
read this book:
http://www.amazon.com/Hyperspace-Scientific-Odyssey-Parallel-Universes/dp/0385477058/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1291998866&amp;sr=8-3
DO NOT BUY THIS BOOK FROM AMAZON!
get it elsewhere please.
edit: OOH! since you mentioned time. This will help you learn to conceive alternate states of such....and is a really kick-ass book.
http://www.amazon.com/Einsteins-Dreams-Alan-Lightman/dp/140007780X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1291999070&amp;sr=1-1
DON'T BUY THIS ONE FROM AMAZON EITHER! plz.
To this day there is still no greater book for opening up the world of thought than Will Durant's The Story of Philosophy. This book is indispensable.
Aside from that the best advice, as many here have noted, is to simply read widely and often. Here are some other books I can personally recommend as being particularly insightful:
If anyone is interested in this topic, I highly recommend Einstein's Dreams. A very small book filled with different extreme worlds in which time is different than our own, including one like the OP is talking about where people try to live in tall buildings and only the poor scurry about at low altitudes. It's probably my favorite book, and I've read such masterpieces a the novelization of Adventures in Babysitting.
Einstein's Dreams. Very good. I've gifted it before.
http://www.amazon.com/Einsteins-Dreams-Alan-Lightman/dp/140007780X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1427842508&amp;sr=1-1&amp;keywords=einstein%27s+dreams
Oh gosh, I'm actually kind of horrible about reading! Some of my favorite little books are:
'Einstein's Dreams' by Alan Lightman.
It's a fictional book that itemizes Einstein's dreams leading up to his creation of the theory of relativity. It's a really fun read and gets your head thinking about time and what time is. It's short, with each "dream" lasting only a handful of pages. It's been one of my favorite books to come back to anytime I can.
You can read reviews on Amazon as well as read the first few pages. Clicky for Amazon.
Once you read this you'll probably find that you want to read more of Lightman's books in the hopes of finding other really enjoyable reads. While his other books are good, they're not the same. I haven't found anything that's quite like this book so far, which is a shame. Would love to hear suggestions from folks who have read this and found other books similarly enjoyable.
That seems very similar to the book battle royale. Is it very close?
http://www.amazon.com/Battle-Royale-Novel-Koushun-Takami/dp/1421527723/ref=sr_1_1/185-8656308-7417306?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1394753540&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=battle+royale
I love Edward Gorey so much. I know that one's expensive though, so I'd also really love to read this!
Thank you for the contest!
This one?
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Battle-Royale-Novel-Koushun-Takami/dp/1421527723/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1372620035&amp;sr=1-2&amp;keywords=battle+royale
that was easy
thanks :>
It's a great read, and translated well. Enjoy!
If you love this movie, check out the Book or the Manga.
They are both really good.
The book https://www.amazon.com/Battle-Royale-Novel-Koushun-Takami/dp/1421527723 is pretty good.
The comic follows the book pretty faithfully - to the point where you probably don't need to read the manga if you read the book. I read it back when the manga was still being released in NA and I wanted to know what happened :) It was a hard book to track down back then, I think had to get it special ordered.
Now it's pretty easy, they republished it a few years back when hungergames was all the rage.
To be honest, these are just some dystopia themed books I recommended because of Hunger Games. However, I could give better recommendations if you tell me more of what she wants. Young adult? Fantasy? Romantic aspect?
Battle Royale
I had this translation of Battle Royale and thought it was fantastic. I could not put the book down. I highly recommend it.
If you like Lord of the Flies, you might also want to check out Battle Royale, by Koushun Takami. You may have heard of the movie, which is based off of this book.
This is the one I have.
And I know, I always do. I do it just because, no other reason.
It’s a Japanese movie before the Hunger Games
https://www.amazon.com/Battle-English-Subtitled-Tatsuya-Fujiwara/dp/B008VZG30M/ref=sr_1_2?crid=23JT9A0HX5D63&amp;keywords=battle+royale&amp;qid=1554950545&amp;s=gateway&amp;sprefix=Battle+ro%2Caps%2C183&amp;sr=8-2
Based off an earlier book
https://www.amazon.com/Battle-Royale-Novel-Koushun-Takami/dp/1421527723/ref=sr_1_12?crid=23JT9A0HX5D63&amp;keywords=battle+royale&amp;qid=1554950545&amp;s=gateway&amp;sprefix=Battle+ro%2Caps%2C183&amp;sr=8-12
Both are named Battle Royale!
Note that some novels are cheaper on Amazon than they are on RightStuf.
For instance: Battle Royale is more than $1 cheaper. http://www.amazon.com/Battle-Royale-Novel-Koushun-Takami/dp/1421527723
What ceci said, it's an older much darker and uniquely japanese take on the genre. I promise, no tentacles. They made a pretty good movie of it about 10 years ago.
http://www.amazon.com/Battle-Royale-Novel-Koushun-Takami/dp/1421527723
Yep. https://www.amazon.com/Battle-Royale-Novel-Koushun-Takami/dp/1421527723/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1525374343&amp;sr=8-6&amp;keywords=battle+royale
Buy this one: https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Fiction-Lovecraft-Knickerbocker-Classics/dp/1631060015
It's very cheap for a very good looking hardcover/tome. Fit's the lovecraft mood perfectly. Bought a similar one for Edgar allan Poe
I do believe there are actually a few of his works not included in this print, but I can't remember which ones. Apologies.
The Complete Fiction of H.P. Lovecraft (Knickerbocker Classics) https://www.amazon.com/dp/1631060015/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_OgSGyb3TC21DK
Knickerbocker Classics makes very nice collections from several authors. They had a collection of Edgar Allan Poe's work at one point, but I can't seem to find it now. It's a shame, I was thinking about grabbing that one next.
Roommate has this one and it contains all those stories and is a nice book.
I'm going to interpret your question a little bit differently and provide some books that are not directly RPG related but will help you to be a better role-player or Game Master. Then, I will finish off with some more RPG specific suggestions.
The essential reads are the following:
For GM-specific materials, I really love the spirit conveyed by Dungeon World and Fate Core (and the Fate System Toolkit for that matter). If you learn nothing else from Dungeon World, learn the GM principles and how to set up Fronts. Fronts (or something similar) are the way you should be preparing as a GM that very few other books convey. The Alexandrian has a lot of amazing materials. I know that Play Unsafe was recommended here, but it was a little short and basic for my taste... much of the same principles will be covered by reading the other recommended texts in my post. If you absolutely must learn about improvisation as a skill in and of itself, read Impro. The author of Play Unsafe drew heavily from this text and most of the truly unique ideas can be found within Impro.
Is Skeleton Crew a whole book with Shortstories, like This
I like how I'm on your wishlist ;)
Anyways, I'd recommend Bad Religion, Anti-Flag, Black Flag, The Adolescents, No Use For A Name (only know 1 song) and yeah. I don't really listen to that music much anymore, so my list is shorter.
Dagon is brilliant but if you do get into the stories and would rather read a physical book
https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Fiction-Lovecraft-Knickerbocker-Classics/dp/1631060015/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1527068354&amp;sr=8-2&amp;keywords=lovecraft+complete
I have this and it's glorious, pretty cheap for a book of this quality too, got it for xmas a couple of years ago.
There are a series of books that is the complete collection. I would recommend those.
https://amzn.to/2EOFhYe
Si tu lis en anglais, The Complete Fiction of H. P. Lovecraft
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1941220975
I recommend you start with reading Kizumonogatari as it is the only translated volume that the anime hasn't covered yet(At least the bluray isn't out yet). It has an audiobook on audible as well. Great music and voice-acting.
Thanks!
https://www.amazon.com/KIZUMONOGATARI-Wound-Tale-NISIOISIN/dp/1941220975
Are you talking about this ? This covers parts 1 thru 3 or just part 2 ?
Here. If your country has Amazon, you may want to check it out on your region to see if it is cheaper buying directly from the country. It also takes less time to ship it.
You put normal online shipping stuff. Payment info (credit card info, paypal address, whatever you choose) and your address.
whatchu talkin' about with the end of monogatari. Owari's still got two more seasons (I think) and then there's zoku owari. Kizu, on the other hand, is literally the beginning. (a beginning, by the way, that you can purchase legally in english in just a few days)
The official English translation of Kizu is due on December 15th. I only wish it was available digitally.
>Let's check Amazon... Out of stock, you say?
Ya, I have a copy on backorder. I have been waiting so long for an English release of any of the books.
You can get kizu off of Amazon here.
Unfortunately, it's the only officially translated title in the series to be released in the US physically. You can find fan translations of the other books online, but if you want to read them in book form you'll have to wait until they're translated.
wtf amazon brazil page for the same product stated 11/23, and I ordered few hours ago.
>http://www.amazon.com.br/Kizumonogatari-Nishio-Ishin/dp/1941220975/
double checked after your comment, on US store says 12/15. blah, whatever, ill just wait
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1941220975
I think it would have been better if you bought the Season 1 box set :(
https://smile.amazon.com/MONOGATARI-Box-Set-Limited-NISIOISIN/dp/1947194399
Yes, here's the link https://www.amazon.com/MONOGATARI-Box-Set-Limited-NISIOISIN/dp/1947194399
At Book Depository the set costs $94 or €84, which includes free shipping worldwide. This is my to-go place for ordering light novels.
https://www.bookdepository.com/Monogatari-Series-Box-Set-Limited-Edition/9781947194397
On Amazon right now it's 59 pounds, which is roughly €69, shipping not included.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Monogatari-Box-Set-Limited-NisiOisiN/dp/1947194399/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2LRZK7EVSXO8D&amp;keywords=monogatari+series+box+set&amp;qid=1557335837&amp;s=gateway&amp;sprefix=monogatari+s%2Caps%2C154&amp;sr=8-1
Hope this helps!
Depends where you live, here it is on amazon.com https://www.amazon.com/MONOGATARI-Box-Set-NISIOISIN/dp/1947194399
I bought the box set on amazon here
Currently £77.93 on Amazon UK if you’re still looking
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Monogatari-Box-Set-Limited-NisiOisiN/dp/1947194399/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?keywords=monogatari+box+set&amp;qid=1573258461&amp;sprefix=monogatar&amp;sr=8-2
Kizunaiver and Death Parade look quite interesting. I'll definitely give Nisioisin's other works a look, too.
I also went a head and bought the [MONOGATARI Series Box Set Limited Edition] (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1947194399/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&amp;psc=1) from amazon today. I was a little hesitant because I'm not sure how well the translations turned out, but it seems most people rate em pretty well. Looking forward to getting a deeper look into Monogatari.
Thank you!
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/1947194399?psc=1&amp;ref=yo_pop_mb_yo_pop_mb_pd_t2
Just here, limited edition of 5000. Sorry for the late reply, been asleep, different time zones you know ^^
Sorry to bump an old thread, but does anyone know if this version of Moss Roberts' translation is the same as the Two volume set?
https://www.amazon.com/Three-Kingdoms-Chinese-Classics-Volumes/dp/7119005901/ref=pd_sim_14_1?_encoding=UTF8&amp;psc=1&amp;refRID=QWT3NW5RQ2T252YWV2JR
I just like the design a lot more with this version, and four volumes seems easier to handle than two.
Either House of Leaves or [Three Kingdoms](http://www.amazon.com/Kingdoms-Chinese-Classics-Classic-4-Volumes/dp/7119005901 "DON'T GET THE ABRIDGED ONE.").
Oh man, I could recommend so many.
Kung Fu and Taoism:
The Making of a Butterfly is one of my favorite books. It is about a white kid who starts learning Kung Fu out of a Chinese master's basement back in the 70s, well before Kung Fu was popularized in the West.
Chronicles of Tao by Deng Ming Dao is excellent, a narrative perspective of how Taoism intertwines with the life of a Kung Fu practitioner.
American Shaolin by Matthew Polly is an entertaining and illuminating story that disseminates a lot of the mysticism surrounding the Shaolin Temple.
The Crocodile and the Crane is a fun fictional book that is basically about Tai Chi saving the world from a zombie apocalypse.
My next goal is to tackle The Romance of the Three Kingdoms.
Of course, I highly recommend the Tao Te Ching and the Art of War as well.
Buddhism: I highly recommend anything Thich Nhat Hanh. Anger and Peace is Every Step are two of my favorites.
Karate and Japanese Arts:
Moving Toward Stillness by Dave Lowry is one of my favorite books, taken from his columns in Black Belt Magazine over the years. A really excellent study on Japanese arts and philosophy.
Miyamoto Musashi: His Life and Writings by Kenji Tokitsu is wonderful. It includes the Book of Five Rings as well as some of Musashi's other works, including many of his paintings.
The 47 Ronin, by John Allyn, a dramatization of the Genroku Ako Incident, is still quite poignant in 2016.
Is the Moss Roberts translation supposed to be rare? I got mine from Amazon : By Moss Roberts
Suggest two nerdy things if you find this story interesting:
One of the four "Chinese Classics", Romance of the Three Kingdoms.
http://www.amazon.com/Three-Kingdoms-Chinese-Classics-Volumes/dp/7119005901/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1414983566&amp;sr=1-1&amp;keywords=romance+of+the+three+kingdoms
Dynasty Warriors 7 takes that source material and takes it over the top. Many are split on the gameplay, but DW7 focused on the source material more than any title before it.
http://www.amazon.com/Dynasty-Warriors-7-Playstation-3/dp/B004HVKA9O/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1414983609&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=dynasty+warriors+7
I bought this version (Three Kingdoms: A Historical Novel https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/7119005901/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_xETQAb2AXR0MB ) of the book about 6 months ago. I got near the end of the first novel and then stopped reading it. Been meaning to get back and read it but been so busy with school work I haven't had time. Brilliant book though. If there was an audio book I would definitely give it a go, but the paper back book is nice to have.
It's hard. I would probably compare it to the Iliad and the Odyssey, but those books together cover about 20 years with a few hundred characters. Three Kingdoms spans about 110 years and has a few thousand characters. There are parts where the writing is dry, the ridiculous attention to detail means that every significant event from history (as well as folk stories that didn't actually happen) is described and contextualized in great detail, and it totally loses steam at the end when the most interesting people are basically all dead.
That said, I'm clearly a huge fan and would recommend it to anyone who has the patience to get through it and an interest in the subject matter. Although there is a more recent translation by a different translator, to my knowledge, this is still the gold standard for the English translation, and it's not super expensive. You could probably also find a copy at your library, although you might have to settle for an abridged version.
This is the version I purchased.
World War Z
Pecksniffian
Thanks for a wonderful contest.
My name is Daniel and I'm a pretty big fan of this book right here.
World War Z (the book) is not anything like the movie. Not at all. The only thing they have in common is the title.
You would really like WWZ, and it's at your reading level. Here's the link.
match
Pretty Leather Case!
World War Z
Diary of a Madman
I'd like to finally read World War Z, thanks for the contest! :D
Saw the previews for World War Z and thought it looked good. I imagine the book has to be 100 times better...
pecksniffian
It is pretty hard to shop for parents. My sister and I got ours some $50 sneakers to which he deemed too nice to wear to work and thus wears some $10 pair he got himself from walmart O_o. I already have a e-ink reader to which I love, but my sister keeps "borrowing" it, figured this might be great for her.
Ebook
How is including a "boxed set" style eBook lazy? Especially when you can also find eBook versions of each one individually?
I've never read the books but would love to. I'd like the Kindle book.
Awwe your kids are so precious! Just adorable!!
I'm sorry your husband upset you this morning. Guys have a tendency to do that on occasion. :hugs:
My husband and I are rewatching the seasons of Game of Thrones again in preparation for the next season, and we were talking about how great the show is, and how we haven't read the books.
Thank you for the contest. :)
Aww this is very sweet of you! Thank you for the opportunity.
For me I would really like one because well, i'm a broke college student. I live on campus in a very small dorm room and have little room to store my actual books. I always thought an e-reader would solve that problem though. I've just never had the money to buy one. I've heard good things about both the Kindle and Nook from family members who own them! An e-reader would work perfectly because I could finally begin to read again! The lack of space prevents me from being able to purchase new books and find that little piece of happiness i've been missing.
A book I would really like to read is: A Game of Thrones - I'm dying to read this series before I dive into the television series. Because as readers know ... BOOKS ARE ALWAYS BETTER <3 Unfortunately the lack of space and cash prevents me from buying the collection.
Hi! My name is Dillon, awesome contest, thank you for doing this! George R.R. Mofoing Martin ( I didn't wanna swear) his first Game of Thrones book. I've wanted to read the rest of the books so bad but haven't had the money for them which is okay because I can watch the show but I have had a huge lust and love for medieval scifi and I have lost touch with reading books and I would love to start again so bad.
Great contest!
I want to get into reading the game of thrones books . I hear such great things about the show, and everyone tells me I should definitely read the books. I've been meaning to find a good series to get into now that I've finished school and have time to read for fun lol.
Awesome contest!
would read game of thrones, and watch alot of movies
You could buy it off Amazon for $8.
Books! I feel like this is my element! Can I suggest multiple books or does that not count?
You can never go wrong with A Song of Ice and Fire (which starts with the book, A Game of Thrones) if you haven't read it yet.
These next two I got for free from Amazon as part of the Kindle First program, and I really liked both of them! They're both the first books in their respective series, so I haven't got around to reading the rest of the books in each series but they have potential.
The Paper Magician is about a girl who has just graduated from Magician School, and has been sent off to do her apprenticeship with a paper magician, who only works magic through paper. The girl is a little miffed as she doesn't think paper magic has any worth.
The Line is about a girl who is the only non-magical member in her family of extremely powerful witches who live in Savannah, GA.
In no particular order:
Honorable mention to The Legend of Eli Monpress.
Your answer is very good, but I think you missed a part of it. Audible is far overpriced, in general. The audiobook market is overpriced. I don't know if it's an issue of not enough people interested in audiobooks, or what.
Case in Point: Game of Thrones book 1 on Audible: $31.50
Game of Thrones book 1 on Amazon: $11.56 on paperback and $6.99 on Kindle
Sorry, but these prices have nothing to do with the cost. You might argue that it's a lot of extra effort for a guy to sit there and read 1,000+ pages and give a decent performance with multiple voices and a good reading. But even if it takes the voice actor 1-2 months per book, a Hollywood movie takes far more people far longer working full time. And I can buy those for $10-$20. Even more damning... I can buy this guy's book for $5 on Kindle and add the complete Audible version for $2 more. It even has Whispersync, which means I can seamlessly switch between the Audible version and Kindle version and it will update to the latest location. And you don't need to have an Audible subscription to get that price. I only bought Game of Thrones on Kindle, but I buy all my BV Larson books with the Audible version and listen while driving or read when I'm at home or in public. It's freaking amazing and I would buy all my books like that if it were that cheap.
So the upshot is that Audible is overpriced like crazy unless the publisher wants reasonable prices. Why they do this, I don't know. Maybe to avoid audiobook prices cannibalizing sales numbers for the hardcopy? Maybe to force people to get Audible subscriptions, which is when prices start getting reasonable?
Edit: looks like you can get the Audible version of some of the Game of Thrones for $13 per book if you buy the Kindle version of that book. The later GoT books are $10, so if you combine them that's $23 to get both Kindle and Audible. However the Audible version for any of these books alone ranges from $35 to $55!!
A Song of Ice and Fire, if she hasn't checked it out yet. I haven't actually read the series, but my friends reccomend it to me a lot.
My name is Kayla. :) and my favorite books are the ASOFAI books. All of them. I love them and the show so much. I flew througb the first three. I just couldn't put them down. They made me laugh, they made me cry, they made rage, and they made me feel good about myself. I am so glad I discovered these books. I will continue to reread them until I am an old, withered woman yelling at passerbys, "WINTER IS COMING!" :)
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000QCS8TW/ref=mp_s_a_1_sc_3?qid=1370565099&amp;sr=8-3-spell&amp;pi=SL75
Go.
I've seen the oposite, but for older books.
A Song of Ice and Fire(Game of Thrones) book 5 is a fucking 1000+ page tome and does costs much more than the kindle version.
Here's the full set, and look at the price difference.
This would be my happy dance if I got the book(s) below!
Frank and Beans!
Thanks for the contest! :D
This picture of my son and I. Always makes me smile.
If I win I'd like this ebook collection of the Song of Ice and Fire series. I've never read them(or seen the show).
Elephant Barber
I want this because I like reading something interesting and long when my wife drags me places.
$19.99 on Kindle
Here
https://www.amazon.com/George-Martins-Thrones-5-Book-Boxed-ebook/dp/B00957T6X6/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?keywords=a+song+of+ice+and+fire+set&amp;qid=1558704862&amp;s=gateway&amp;sprefix=a+song+of+ice+and+fire+&amp;sr=8-3
George R. R. Martin's A Game of Thrones 5-Book Boxed Set (Song of Ice and Fire Series): A Game of Thrones, A Clash of Kings, A Storm of Swords, A Feast for Crows, and A Dance with Dragons https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00957T6X6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_zWwSAbP1C4GDV
And where exactly was GRRM's legally binding promise that he would write seven books?
I don't see it here.
Or here.
So I'm curious, who promised you, when you bought the earlier books, that you would be entitled to read seven books in that series? If GRRM died tomorrow, would you sue his estate?
This argument is ridiculous.
Common in fantasy genre: Example ¹ Example ²
Let me help
Good Omens Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett http://www.amazon.com/Good-Omens-Accurate-Prophecies-Nutter/dp/0060853980
Not answering your question at all, but check out "A Canticle for Leibowitz". Somewhat related to this idea, one of the best books I've read in a long time.
http://www.amazon.com/Canticle-Leibowitz-Walter-Miller-Jr/dp/0060892994
A Canticle for Leibowitz is my favorite. Swan Song is good. I'm reading The Last Survivors series by Susan Beth Pfeffer. It's pretty good but it's more like a young adult/teen series. I am Legend was great. So much better than the movies. Alas Babylon and On the Beach are Post nuke novels that gave me nightmares. If you need more check out this List
They should turn this into a movie - http://www.amazon.com/Accelerando-Singularity-Charles-Stross/dp/0441014151
Nobody said this yet?
READ ACCELERANDO, BY CHARLES STROSS – ASAP!
Any science-fictionally inclined posttheist will readily accept this book as gospel. If you have never told a Jehovah's Witness about the rapture of the nerds you haven't had a truly fulfilling argument with one of them.
(You can also buy the dead tree pulp version if you don't trust free stuff and/or lack propper head mounted reading devices.)
Yeah here's a comprehensive list of plotlines that got fucked up
I've no answer to your question (if I did I'd be God), but I just want to share a book that you might be interested in - Einstein's Dreams by Alan Lightman. It considers time from a lot of different, fascinating angles.
http://www.amazon.com/Canticle-Leibowitz-Walter-Miller-Jr/dp/0060892994/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;s=books&amp;qid=1248001865&amp;sr=8-1#reader
With a first page that reads as badly as Canticle does, you would regret it almost instantly.
OP: most redditors have frighteningly bad taste in books (and music, and often art). Not all, but anything with more than half a dozen upvotes will be something to avoid.