(Part 3) 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 41-60. You can also go back to the previous section.
I have to admit though one of the books from your first link "Rampaging Fuckers of Everything on the Crazy Shitting Planet of the Vomit Atmosphere: Three Novels" actually sounds like it'd be a fun read.
It's a matter of the audience. Some Taliban fighters are heroes to those who support their cause. The 9/11 hijackers are heroes to AQ and Daesh types.
One man's monster is another man's glorious savior.
If you're intrigued by that concept, I'd suggest this (it's the book, not the terrible movie): I Am Legend
Bizarro Fiction is hilariously awesome. Ass Goblins was an alright story IMO. Other books in this particular genre include:
and so much more. more info
EDIT: Spacing
I would have to say John Dies at the End. While it's not obviously inspired by Lovecraft, after I read it the only thing I could say to describe it was 'Modern-day Lovecraftian Comedy'.
Without being spoilery, there's a mysterious place
in the pacific northwest (I believe... I could be wrong but it feels like it)inspired by St Marks Wildlife Refuge in florida called Area X that has lots of strange behaviors, and the first book is about a team of researchers sent in to investigate it.Sorry, I can't really say much without spoiling stuff. However, the first book is only 208 pages, so I highly recommend finding a copy at your local library (or it's $7.73 on amazon) and reading through it in an evening
Yes it is.
Normal link
Kindle Edition
Incoming wall of text! Sorry in advance, look at the bolded words to kind of do a TLDR of my reply :P
Read "Annihilation", the first book in the Southern Reach Trilogy, by Jeff VanderMeer. It'll ruin Tanis for you, because you'll see where they got a lot of their content from (to put it nicely).
The two last books in that series are okay, but I wasn't completely on board for them. Loved the first one, though. You could also just watch the movie version that's on Netflix, but know this: while well-made in some aspects, the director chose not to re-read the book OR read its sequels, so it diverges from the original book / book series quite a lot in some unfortunate ways.
I'm currently (still) trying to get through [House of Leaves](https://www.amazon.com/House-Leaves-Mark-Z-Danielewski/dp/0375703764/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1536787331&sr=1-1&keywords=House+of+LEaves) by Mark Z. Danielewski. It's a fantastically weird story about a house...And about other things. It's probably the weirdest book I've ever read, in that it plays a lot with the format. There's at least two stories being told simultaneously most of the time, which can get kind of overwhelming. Think of it like if a regular horror movie and a found footage horror movie had a bastard child together. And that bastard child was this book.
If you're looking for weird fiction in the form of podcasts, I'd direct your attention to Archive 81. For my money, it's the absolute BEST in weird fiction podcasts. It's currently 3 seasons, and each season the podcast changes. It's still the same overarching story / world, but the settings are way different.
Other notable podcasts include King Falls AM which has sort of a goofy x-files-if-they-were-a-radio-station vibe to it, featuring both a lot of good comedy, good songs (when they happen) and the occasional gutwrenching drama. The writing is good, the performance is amazing. You could also go for Darkest Night if you're into the idea of podcasts as a horror medium. They do excellent stuff, and their new season starts this October! They feature a few cameos from Michelle Visage and RuPaul if that's your thing (and these two amazing people feature more heavily in the other podcast by this company, Deadly Manners.
Going back to books, I suggest Laird Barron to anyone who likes horror and short stories. He has mixes of gritty noir and cosmic horror, and he's an absolute blast. The Imago Sequence is my favorite collection of his, but The Beautiful Thing That Awaits Us All is great as well. Laird Barron has also appeared in compilations outside his own, and was part of compiling the excellent modern Cthulhu short story collection, Autumn Cthulhu. This book is great if you like the idea of cosmic H.P. Lovecraft-esque horror, but don't so much like the gross racism that HPL had (and showed in his work).
If you like Slenderman and have time to burn, I'd suggest looking at Marble Hornets on YouTube. It has 87 "main" entries of varying (but mostly short) length, with a bunch of cryptic in-between shorts. It's one of the first Slenderman pieces of media, though they don't call him that. In Marble Hornets, he's called "The Operator". TBH it's sort of varying in quality (especially in the beginning), as I'm fairly sure the people who made it were film students at the time. As they go along, they have some amazing moments where they show off some really, really great editing skills. Of course, you could also buy the whole series on BluRay if that's your thing, but it's available for free on their YouTube channel.
It's actually a novel, definitely worth checking out.
Hell no, he's not a good character. Much less 'really good'.
He's a great character. Fantastic even. Andrew Robinson was excellent in portraying him.
In the Pale Moonlight is awesome for just his speech alone... and then Sisko's right behind it.
Did you read the book by Andrew? It's a great read, about Garak, by Garak!
Let’s say you have an ax. Just a cheap one, from Home Depot. On one bitter winter day, you use said ax to behead a man. Don’t worry, the man was already dead. Or maybe you should worry, because you’re the one who shot him.
He had been a big, twitchy guy with veiny skin stretched over swollen biceps, a tattoo of a swastika on his tongue. Teeth filed into razor-sharp fangs, you know the type. And you’re chopping off his head because, even with eight bullet holes in him, you’re pretty sure he’s about to spring back to his feet and eat the look of terror right off your face.
On the follow-through of the last swing, though, the handle of the ax snaps in a spray of splinters. You now have a broken ax. So, after a long night of looking for a place to dump the man and his head, you take a trip into town with your ax. You go to the hardware store, explaining away the dark reddish stains on the broken handle as barbecue sauce. You walk out with a brand new handle for your ax.
The repaired ax sits undisturbed in your garage until the next spring when, on one rainy morning, you find in your kitchen a creature that appears to be a foot-long slug with a bulging egg sac on its tail. Its jaws bite one of your forks in half with what seems like very little effort. You grab your trusty ax and chop the thing into several pieces. On the last blow, however, the ax strikes a metal leg of the overturned kitchen table and chips out a notch right in the middle of the blade.
Of course, a chipped head means yet another trip to the hardware store. They sell you a brand new head for your ax. As soon as you get home with your newly-headed ax, though, you meet the reanimated body of the guy you beheaded last year. He’s also got a new head, stitched on with what looks like plastic weed trimmer line, and it’s wearing that unique expression of “you’re the man who killed me last winter” resentment that one so rarely encounters in everyday life.
You brandish your ax. The guy takes a long look at the weapon with his squishy, rotting eyes and in a gargly voice he screams, “That’s the same ax that slayed me!”
Is he right?
Here's an Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/Annihilation-Novel-Southern-Reach-Trilogy/dp/0374104093
Jeff VanderMeer is the author name.
Pro-tip:
Read the book
Bought it for the sheer ridiculousness of the title. Read it in 2 nights. It was one of THE best books I've read to date, and my total is probably well over 1000.
You cannot do better than [Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrel] (https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0765356155/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1506275496&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=jonathan+strange+mr+norrell&dpPl=1&dpID=41j7tFeKRvL&ref=plSrch), by Susanna Clarke. Gaiman is on board with it being the best English fantasy in the last hundred years, and even wrote the intro to one of the editions. It's part history, part fantasy, and part traditional English drama (think Dickens). It is simply amazing
>How do video games help you? They improve your hand-eye coordination. They improve your reflexes. You can learn new vocabulary in video games too through the story. If you're playing multiplayer, it can be an opportunity to meet new people and socialize.
True.
>How does reading help you? Well, it can increase your vocabulary. That's a small improvement, but it's an improvement.
That's a gross oversimplification. Books at their finest give us insights into the human condition. They can tell us more about the world around us, and other people's perspective on things, or they can challenge our most firmly held convictions. That's not just nonfiction books either, even a simple vampire story can shock you with a new perspective on things.
Video games typically just aren't this mature. Few games have meaningful content beyond just being "fun." Partially because it's a newer medium, and partially because of the industry's fixation on selling games to teenage boys.
>So obviously, video games are better for you than reading.
Not obvious to me.
> And when the people that were around when video games were invented die out, video games won't be seen as "taboo" anymore. They won't be something that a parent needs to limit a child's time on.
You haven't made that argument. Children should be able to play games for 20 hours straight at the expense of other things in their life... why? Because it might improve their hand-eye coordination? Depending on the type of game even that's arguable. After 200 hours of grinding in a JRPG you stop getting anything really useful out of the experience. What about Farmville or any of those crappy iOS games that are explicitly designed to be time sucks with IAP's? It's like eating 50 cans of Pringles. You might want to, and it might taste good, but there's better things you could be doing.
I can concede to your overall point though, depending on what you're playing and what you're reading. Are you playing "Papers, Please", and reading Twilight? Yeah, the video game is a meaningful experience and the book is trash.
It's almost as good as Rampaging Fuckers of Everything on the Crazy Shitting Planet of the Vomit Atmosphere
but not as good as the Ass Goblins of Auschwitz.
Anyone that likes Welcome to Night Vale NEEDS to read John Dies at the End. Seriously.
http://www.amazon.com/John-Dies-End-David-Wong-ebook/dp/B002Q7H7JC/ref=pd_sim_kstore_1
Do yourself a favor.
The following are some of my favorite books that I could think of off the top of my head. Hopefully you dig the list.
Life of Pi
If on a Winter's Night a Traveler
Well, I was excited when I saw the title, then thoroughly disappointed. I hope the trailer is just misleading, because the book is not at all a kid-friendly adventure story. Quite the opposite, in fact. An art-house biopic style would have suited the source much better.
On that note, it's a damn good book, at least in my opinion. Seems to be hit or miss with a lot of people, depending on their thoughts on spirituality, philosophy and theology.
Also, the CG isn't that amazing, and the tiger should be a lot bigger.
edit: To add on to that, just judging by the trailer it seems like they are completely missing the main themes in the book, in which case they might as well call this movie "Indian Boy And A Tiger" instead, since that would be more fitting. I'm sure it'll be a fine movie, judging by Ang Lee's track record, but I doubt it will be a 'Life of Pi' movie.
George RR Martin: A Game of Thrones
http://www.amazon.com/Game-Thrones-Song-Fire-Book/dp/0553573403
Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman: Good Omens
http://www.amazon.com/Good-Omens-Neil-Gaiman/dp/0441003257
Both fantastic books, but very different.
Not quite what you're asking but I'm putting in a plug for "A Stitch In Time," which is not a fan novel- it was written by the actor who played Garak. I think it's technically canon- it's definitely an official ST publication.
I enjoyed it partly because the background story is interesting- if I remember correctly, Andrew J. Robinson, the actor, created an intensely detailed background story for the character Elim Garak. Of course, the character's demeanor was so terse and cryptic that the story he'd created mostly served to inform subtle on-screen reactions, and the bulk of the details never made it to the screen. Mr. Robinson wrote the ("auto")biography to get it out of his head, to help make peace with, and let go of, the character.
I also enjoyed it because it was a good read, well-written, carefully thought out and contributed to my depth of experience with the series as a whole.
For general fantasy I've enjoyed Gentleman Bastard, The Kingkiller Chronicle, and The Broken Empire. I listen to Kingkiller Chronicle fairly often due to the amount of commuting I do where I live.
For more urban/fantasy maybe try Lives of Tao, Iron Druid Chronicles, or anything by Neil Gaiman. The anniversary edition of American Gods was really excellent on audio-book. Not sure if the others have audio editions or not.
I've also really enjoyed stuff by Drew Hayes (a webnovelist). His banner series is SuperPowereds. But I though NPCs was a great take on an old fantasy trope. Neither come in audio formats unfortunately.
Good luck.
It looks like the city on this book cover: http://www.amazon.com/Rampaging-Fuckers-Everything-Shitting-Atmosphere/dp/1933929782
Handmaid’s Tale - Margaret Atwood
You're thinking of A Slow Regard of Silent Things, which is just a short(er?) story. I finished the second book last night and was frantically trying to find out if the 3rd was available for preorder anywhere...
Have you ever read Musashi by Eiji Yoshikawa? If not and you like big, long books, I'd highly recommend getting yourself a copy. It's the greatest book I've ever had the pleasure of reading in my 35 years, and I've read a shitload of books in my 35 years.
Life of Pi
I'll go you one better on the crazy title scale
Jorg Ancrath in Prince of Thorns is an awesome anti-hero. Just a warning though, Jorg is an extremely dark anti-hero. Some of it proved twisted enough to turn some readers away, but I thought Prince of Thorns and its sequel King of Thorns were excellent, and the author is an active member in /r/fantasy.
I also feel I should mention Thomas Covenant, in the Chronicles of Thomas Covenant The Unbeliever. Thomas is a very unique anti-hero, in that for a good portion of the story he is flat out unlikable. He is not nearly as dark as Jorg (who I mentioned before), but I always felt Jorg was a badass while Thomas Covenant is flat out infuriating.
Having a protagonist that you aren't supposed to like or even really relate to is a very interesting dynamic in a story, and coupled with some very good writing and one of the most vibrant fantasy worlds makes Thomas Covenant some of the best fantasy I have ever read. The first two trilogies are very good, and the sixth book (White Gold Wielder) makes for me a very strong argument for greatest fantasy novel of all time
Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah by Richard Bach.
Great book. One of those life changers. Short as hell, too. PDF available here. Give it a look.
Oh gosh it's been a long time since I read this book, but I recall that The Doomsday Book by Connie Willis (a sci fi author who has won both the Hugo and Nebula awards) deals with this. I believe the main character has something go awry with her translation software as she travels back to England in the dark ages and has to learn the language. Her mastery of the language isn't the central plot point but it's important to the story. I thought it was a great book!
I love DS9 and I would be thrilled if someone got me this book as it’s rather rare and expensive for a mass market paperback.
https://www.amazon.com/Stitch-Time-Star-Trek-Space/dp/0671038850
Doomsday Book by Connie Willis
Basically, they are the same, but obviously very different circumstances. With acting, it's about creating a character, and with the writing it's creating that universe. In the memoir I just wrote I had to create the world of my childhood from memory and it was just as satisfying as creating Garak's world in A Stitch In Time.
Here's my best thoughts:
----
Lucas said he read the book Hero with a Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell. This isn't referencing any one myth, it is referencing loads and loads of them. Campbell's conclusion is to build upon the work of Max Muller and Otto Rank's ideas that there are common patterns in myths and fairy tales. Also it is worth noting that Campbell wouldn't have read Propp's Morphology of the Folktale because it wasn't translated into English until the mid-1950s, even though there are a lot of similarities here. Also worth noting Propp's work is exclusively referencing only Russian folktales.
----
You might notice, there are striking similarities between the three Star Wars and the Lord of the Rings trilogy: Obi-wan dies at the same time as Gandalf falls, the stages of the Monomyth (aka Hero's Journey) are very similar: Call to Adventure, Threshold Crossings, etc. This sort of makes sense as LoTR was cool when Lucas was a teenager.
Now Tolkien's Lord of the Rings was very heavily influenced by Wagner's Ring Cycle which would have been cool when Tolkien was a teen, therefore having at least unconscious influence, though I'm fairly confident Tolkien was highly aware of Wagner's Ring Cycle and its roots in the Nibelung Saga.
When you get into the Nibelung Saga, there's a story about a cursed ring, a hero whose father was an amazing warrior, the need to re-forge his father's sword, etc. There's lots of other pieces that weren't there, but there's definitely a lot there which is very similar.
----
This leads us to the other European idea: Arthurian folklore. The very idea of a Jedi Knight comes from the Knights of the Roundtable. From here, you have the combination of warrior with the idea of a monk or sacred influence (Parsifal becomes a monk in one story, as does Lancelot.) These are the noble warriors who are fighting for a sacred ideal. Of course in these stories, warriors don't have magical powers, but Merlin is running around so you can see Star Wars as a combination of these.
Further, in the Knights of the Roundtable stories, there are lots of evil / dark knights and dark wizards so you have to include those too.
----
At the time Lucas was young was the "discovery" of easter martial arts by the west. So, to include some of that would be cool. Also, Lucas loved the early samurai films of Akira Kurosawa. Campbell's argument is these ideas exist everywhere so are good to move together. If you include the ideas of archetypes, knights become very similar to samurai because they are both sacred warriors. So now we can add a moment of this. If you read the book Musashi (a novelization as now Musashi has become a legendary figure in Japan) there are striking similarities between this and the story of Parzival by Wolfram von Eschenbach. Both come from no-where, raised in the wild, but have a talent which is theorized to be some sort of amazing lineage.
Throw in a little green guy whose name Yoda is based from Yuddha, the sanskrit word for 'war / warrior' and who talks very similarly to a taoist or zen monk's paradoxical statements (koans) and you get that character.
----
So basically, to finish: I don't think Lucas did a lot of mythological research apart from reading Campbell. So to argue it is based on a lot of folklore specifically is tricky. There are even articles which say that Lucas' ex-wife Marcia came up with some of these ideas and no one has asked her what she was reading.
I think Chiang is one of those people who writes fiction about science - whether it's SF, fantasy, or mainstream. The hard/soft SF distinction is kind of irrelevant when talking about him. It's sort of like asking whether Richard Powers or Alan Lightman is a hard SF writer.
Let me post the links you need to be a Chiang completist:
(All of the online fiction is legal. Most of them are pdfs made available by the publishers as a condition of being nominated for certain awards.)
FWIW, I think Lifecycle is the weakest thing he's published so far, so if it disappoints you, don't transfer that feeling to the rest of his fiction.
I am cutting and pasting from a HelloGiggles interview i did because this is not a short list:
EG: I love Gail Collins. She’s a New York Times journalist. She wrote a book called America’s Women: 400 Years of Dolls, Drudges, Helpmates, and Heroines. It’s the feminist history book you never had. It’s a book you cannot put down. It’s so jam packed with information, and you just can’t believe you don’t know this stuff. She has a whole thing about how pioneer women basically built San Francisco. Because when the gold rush happened, there was no one to cook for the men. So women would come out, set up shop, and make tons of money. They were business owners and had autonomy and control of their finances for the first time. Stuff like that. I mean, Bear Grylls would look like Tom Brokaw compared to these pioneer women. That’s not even a good analogy. But these women would like, crawl up mountains while giving birth. Their skirts would catch on fire all the time. The shit that they went through was insane. So you’re reading this, and [Collins is] just giving you all of it. It’s the most fascinating book I’ve ever read.
Of course, all of Roxane Gay’s books. She’s necessary reading. I just read In Her Words, the Eleanor Roosevelt book. That was uplifting, and also so sad to see this woman with this knowledge and access to power whom, if she had been given the chance…god, the things she could have done. You should read Susan Faludi’s Backlash. That’s super necessary feminist reading. I also like this book called White Trash. It’s about America’s history of poverty and how it explains a lot of what’s happening today. But because it’s written by a woman — it’s written by Nancy Isenberg — it has a feminist slant to it. It’s fantastic.
Oh, and Brazen: Rebel Ladies Who Rocked the World by Penelope Bagieu. It’s a graphic novel of incredible women. It’s gorgeous and informative and great. And it’s a great book for a teen, or an adult who likes graphic novels like me. Also Bitch Planet. It’s a graphic novel that’s The Handmaid’s Tale of space. That’s great. And of course, The Handmaid’s Tale. Read Margaret Atwood. And not just The Handmaid’s Tale. She’s written tons of other books that are thematically similar and just as depressing.
Also, Samantha Irby. Her books…I don’t know what to say about her books. I have a really loud laugh, and when something tickles me and gets me really hard, I laugh really loudly. And I do it like, every other page with her.
My go-to recommendation is Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah. Despite the fact that one of the main characters is Christ, it's actually not a religious book — I'm an atheist and I read this at least once a year. It's helped me deal with my perception of failure, and it also provided a foundation for me to figure out how to be happy in my life.
Outside of that, I recommend reading fiction for fun. I try to read a book or two a month, and I've really been much happier for it! I keep a long list of books I want to read eventually, and when I finish one I just find another that sounds interesting and I read it!
"A Stitch In Time" is just fantastic. And it's written by Garak so you know it's all true, especially the lies.
"Hollow Men" is also amazing. It takes place just after "In the Pale Moonlight." Focuses on Garak & Sisko, as you'd imagine.
I read Murakami's Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman and reread A Catcher in the Rye. I understood ACitR much better this time through and appreciated the style.
I began reading One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest but couldn't get into it; I subsequently tried The Man in the High Castle and felt the same way. It's a good thing I'm approaching my goal because I've seemed to have tired of reading. I'm going to try rereading Rothfuss's The Name of the Wind in anticipation for the late October release of The Silent Regard of Slow Things.
Good Omens, about an angel and demon trying to avert the apocalypse when the Antichrist is accidentally raised as a perfectly normal 10-year old would fit.
If you don't mind children's fantasy, A Barrel of Laughs, A Vale of Tears is hilarious.
Would also second Douglas Adams.
I'm not a huge Pratchett fan, but his collaboration with Neil Gaiman is still one of my favorite books.
Good Omens, wonderful book.
Gyah, this is a topic I need so much help with. I hate most fight scenes in books and movies, but presumably they're there because most people enjoy them. Next time, I'm going to be smart and write about more pacific characters.
My personal strategy for writing fight scenes that I don't hate is to have about one line of dialogue/narration that moves the plot forward per line of "action." And I try not to focus on the typical blows, but rather the effects - like getting knocked on your ass. I also think there are more scenes about training than actual fights too.
Some personal pet peeves:
Some additional resources:
How to Fight Write
Previous discussion from /r/YAwriters
Writing a fight scene and need some tips!
Any tips for writing fight scenes?
As for books with fight scenes I don't skip over... I'm really enjoying Mark Lawrence's Broken Empire series (adult) right now and part of the reason is that the physical fights happen quickly, play out in surprising and frequently dishonorable ways, and the action tends to tie together plans that were previously laid with an indeterminate outcome.
Abe Lincoln was a vampire hunter.
> I can't find anywhere
It's not banned, and the only reason you might have trouble finding it is if it's sold out. Here's a copy for $7.50 at Amazon.
Sort of off the top of my head:
Not Supernatural:
Supernatural:
Often times books about survival don't need to be fiction to be amazingly interesting, so I'll add these:
I found the aliens in Octavia Butlers Xenogenisis/Lilith's Brood trilogy (link to book 1) to be extremely interesting and different, but not so far off difference as to be confusing. VanderMeer's Southern Reach trilogy (book 1) had some pretty far out aliens that definitely fit that bill, though, but is only tangentially military.
edit: just saw I am not the only one to mention Lilith's Brood; props to u/emopest for getting to it first. Leaving the comment because it is just that good!
Here's a few recent books, all good or very good:
Last Plane to Heaven, Jay Lake (short story collection)
The Adjacent
, Chris Priest
On the Steel Breeze, Alistair Reynolds (Book2 in series)
The Causal Angel, Hannu Rajaniemi (Book3 in series)
Strange Bodies, Marcel Theroux
The Martian, Andy Weir (recommended!)
ShipStar, Benford-Niven (Book2 in series)
Ancillary Justice, Ann Leckie
A Darkling Sea, James Cambias
The Disestablishment of Paradise, by Phillip Mann {I've just started this one, so can't say yet if good or great or crappy, but it's started off very good).
...And if you have not yet discovered The Southern Reach Trilogy by Jeff VanDerMeer, you should probably check it out.
Yeah, the pedophilia thing is the most disturbing. It makes The The Handmaid's Tale and Future Home of the Living God seem plausible.
The more new laws get shoved up my uterus, the more I am positive that we are moving towards the misogynistic dystopian society Margaret Atwood wrote of in The Handmaid's Tale.
It Can't Happen Here by Sinclair Lewis
The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
Not about the Dominion War, but Andrew Robinson (the actor who plays Garak) wrote a book about his character's backstory, and his time after DS9, and it's actually quite good! It's called A Stitch in Time. I'd definitely recommend it!
Did you read the Garak backstory book written by Andrew Robinson, A Stitch in Time? It's excellent.
Age: b
M
I think they are quite different for the most part. You can usually tell a genre novel by it's cover.
Aesthetics do not overly influence my choice. I do like some covers more than others, but it will not prevent me from reading it's contents if I was already interested. When I was younger and aimlessly wandering around libraries, I would pick up and read a book if it looked neat. Lately, my tastes have been more defined and I have many recommendations to go off of, from this site and others. I usually have a pretty good idea whether I will like the book or not before I buy it, and the aesthetics are not a factor.
I do most of my shopping online, so the cover is not a big factor. I do like them to be consistent, however. I am sure others can share my frustration when a series changes it's style part way through...
I really like books that have illustrations. One of my all time favorites is Neil Gaiman & Charles Vess' Stardust. I think it would be great if more started adding more artwork as I feel it can enhance the story. At the end of the day though, it is all about the story, so if that is quality, I am content.
I do not know how much improvement there has been. I think there is room for it. I think overall they are a bit too busy. I prefer more a minimalist approach, personally.
Regarding the Movie Covers...is loathe a strong enough word? I am not a fan. However, even they are not a deal breaker. I own a few, and while I would obviously prefer them to look differently, I can and have enjoy the story.
I do not think e-books will affect it too much over all. For the people it matters to, it will continue to matter, no matter the format.
I think they may be, slightly. But I do not know by how much. Personally, I will take my story in whatever format I can get, be it paper, electronic or audio. I prefer physical books though.
For an example of what I personally consider to be an aesthetically pleasing book, take a look at Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell. The cover, the footnotes, the chapter titles, the scattered illustrations. All serve to heighten what is already a remarkable book.
Ted Chiang's short stories are worth a read, especially if you're looking for something with a more professional written tone.
Look up Penpal. I read it in longform as a Kindle book and a lot of it was so eerily similar to my childhood that it freaked me right out.
And this video of top 10 best creepypastas keeps getting recommended to me on YouTube. Might be worth a gander?
ETA: Just watching that video right now & it's entirely spoileriffic. Proceed with caution if you actually want to experience the stories firsthand.
Stories of your Life, and others by Ted Chiang.
Was wandering aimlessly in the University Bookstore a few years ago with some store credit needing to be spent. For no real reason, this book spoke to me. Pulled it off the shelf and and shrugged. Oksure, I'll bite. Bought it and instantly loved it. Some very solid sci-fi stories.
Pretty much anything by Ted Chiang, especially "Story of your Life" and "Hell is the Absence of God". His anthology Stories of Your Life and Others is incredible.
Penpal - Dathan Auerbach
http://www.amazon.com/Penpal-ebook/dp/B008WVVKCQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1374130614&sr=8-1&keywords=penpal+dathan+auerbach
Solar Express
The Southern Reach Trilogy This one is controversial on this sub and perhaps not strictly sci fi, but it sure is mysterious.
Try Annihilation by Jeff Vandermeer. It's not scary, but it's pretty creepy.
Doomsday Book by Connie Willis
Time travel, yay!
Connie Willis is a great sci-fi author. Doomsday Book is a great place to start.
Or a novel?
Have you looked at the Amazon reviews? About half of reviewers were soemwhere between disappointed and very pissed off. Some apparently because when they pre-ordered it, there was no description and they thought it was book 3, but more who felt ripped off by an overpriced short story in which nothing of any interest happens. I haven't read it myself so I can't comment yet.
>>>>A lot of them do.
>>>Here, have some examples of novelizations (both source material and "based on screenplay") where the exact phrase is used.
>>I clearly said a lot of them use the wording "now a major motion picture". You've thrown a pile of links at me to prove nothing.
>Those are called "sources." They're what people use to prove their point when someone tries to argue with them.
I see you've failed basic logic. Six cherry-picked images don't do anything to prove your point.
For you to prove your point, you would need a source that showed a vast majority of novelizations say "now a major motion picture" on the cover. You have provided no such source.
>So put up or shut up.
Okay, let's play stupid games. Maybe there's stupid prizes to be won.
Godzilla. The Dark Knight Rises. Suicide Squad. Interstellar. The Nice Guys. The Cabin in the Woods. Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Crimson Peak
The closest I came across while poking around was Star Trek (2009), which says "A major motion picture from Paramount Pictures".
Not one occurrence of your universal phrase in a pile of recent novelizations of popular works chosen semi-randomly from an Amazon search. Which solidly supports my point that it is "hardly 'every'". In fact, it appears to be even less common than I thought it was.
Now I'm fucking done. I can't believe I wasted time on this stupid argument.
Not all of these have cannibalism, but most:
The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket by Poe, The Boat, In The Heart of The Sea (this is a really awesome book, as are the authors other works), Endurance, Desperate Journeys, Abandoned Souls, The Wreck of the Medusa, The Wreck of the Dumaru, Life of Pi
A couple non-fiction (with a legal focus) books about the Mignonette incident and the resulting famous case of Regina v Dudley and Stevens: Is Eating People Wrong?, and The Custom of the Sea
"The Life of Pi" describes something similar too.
Ever read the "Life of Pi?"
The Handmaid's Tale
I know some of these have already been mentioned, so just consider this a second vote for those titles. Also, my list skews heavily towards sci-fi/fantasy, because that is what I tend to read the most of.
By women, featuring female protagonists:
The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
Kindred by Octavia E. Butler
The Female Man by Joanna Russ
Kushiel's Dart by Jacqueline Carey
Lavinia by Ursula K. Le Guin
The Circus in Winter by Cathy Day (It's not entirely fair to characterize this as a book about women; it's really a set of interconnected stories featuring both male and female characters. On the other hand, many of the most memorable characters, IMO, are women, so I'm filing it in this category anyway. So there!)
The Protector of the Small Quartet by Tamora Pierce, beginning with First Test (Really, anything by Tamora Pierce would fit the bill here. They're young adult novels, so they're quick reads, but they're enjoyable and have wonderful, strong, realistic female protagonists.)
These Old Shades by Georgette Heyer (Heyer wrote really fun, enjoyable romances, typically set in the Regency period, though These Old Shades is actually Georgian. This one is probably my favorite, but they're really all quite wonderful. Not super heavy stuff, but don't write her off just because of the subject matter. She was a talented, witty writer, and her female protagonists are almost never the wilting "damsel in distress" type - they're great characters who, while still holding true to their own time and place, are bright and likeable and hold their own against the men in their lives.)
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle (Another young adult book. And, again, I think it's worth noting that L'Engle's books almost always feature strong and interesting female characters. This one is probably her most famous, and begins a series featuring members of the same family, so it's a good jumping off point.)
Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi
By men, featuring female protagonists:
The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle (This is another one that is perhaps not a perfect fit for this category; the titular unicorn is female, but the book is as much about Schmendrick the magician as it is about her. However, there's also Molly Grue, so on the strength of those two women, I'm classifying this book as having female protagonists.)
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
Coraline by Neil Gaiman (It's a children's book, but there's plenty to enjoy about it as an adult, too.)
By women, featuring male protagonists
Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke
The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin
Connie Willis has some great books where time travelers are main characters:
Doomsday Book
Blackout
All Clear
It has a quite revisionist (i.e. biased) take on Richard III, but The Sunne in Splendour by Sharon Kay Penman is my go-to recommendation. She has clearly put a lot of research into it, and the characters really come to life.
Also, Doomsday Book by Connie Willis. Meticulously researched historical fiction, time travel, and plague! What more could one ask for?
The Doomsday Book, by Connie Willis is a classic.
If a side character leaves you wanting more, then the writers and actor did their jobs perfectly.
If you want more, Andrew Robinson did write a book focusing on Garak
Has anyone read The Slow Regard of Silent Things ? Is it worth reading ? I've read the Kingkiller Chronicles, but this is just a story about Auri, right?
It's already out!
Aztec by Gary Jennings
Here is a mash of books off the top of my head.
It's called Story of Your Life by Ted Chiang. It's in his short story collection Stories of Your Life and Others, which you can buy on Amazon. It's worth it just for this story, but all of them are excellent. Ted Chiang is often cited as the best living SciFi author to never have written a novel.
https://www.amazon.com/Stories-Your-Life-Others-Chiang/dp/1931520720
Close.Stories of Your Life and Others by Ted ChiangDISREGARD THAT
Arthur C. Clarke - The Collected Short Stories.
Nothing else can compare to how those things made me feel when I was growing up.
Beyond that, Ted Chiang's "Stories of Your Life: And Others" is an absolute masterpiece. Absolutely astonished the man's not better known- he's that rarity- a sci-fi author that writes beautifully.
I agree the price differential isn't that wide. However, it does happen where the ebook is priced more than the paperback. I've seen $7.99 paperbacks with $11.99 ebooks before.
Heck, even right now, Prince of Thorns is listed at $7.60 for the mass market paperback and $7.99 for the ebook. Sure, $0.39 isn't that big of a difference, but why the difference at all? Clearly, ebooks have a lower production cost than paperbacks.
I understand that you, as the author, don't set the price, but when publishers pull crap like this, it really irritates us consumers.
EDIT: It's an even bigger gap for Emperor of Thorns at $7.99 for the ebook and $5.82 for the paperback. And that book is 2 years old.
Prince of Thorns by Mark Lawrence.
I feel you'd like the Broken Empire trilogy, starting with Prince of Thorns. In it, we follow a magnificent, evil bastard named Jorg Ancrath on his quest for power.
For further recommendations, check out the thread I made a few months back:
http://www.reddit.com/r/Fantasy/comments/1hzf31/the_big_rfantasy_recommendation_thread_thread/
I can guarantee you'll find something you like in it.
John Dies at the End
I read it awhile back but can't remember how it ends, and I want to read the second and third book, so might as well start again!
John Dies at the End
The movie was ok, but had about 5% of the actual book's content.
Edit: To entice you, my favorite line on the first page:
"Let's say you have an ax. Just a cheap one, from Home Depot. On one bitter winter day, you use the ax to behead a man. Don't worry, the man was already dead. Or maybe you should worry, because you're the one who shot him."
Here's one.
Here's another.
Here's one of my favorites.
This one is pretty freaking sweet.
I'm pretty sure this one qualifies...
Don't read this one before bed.
Here's an interesting read.
This one is a compilation of several of the above.
Its available on Amazon, Paperback and ebook
not academic material, but, if you are into sci-fi, Ted Chiang's Stories of Your Life and Others
http://www.amazon.com/Stories-Your-Life-Others-Chiang/dp/1931520720
author has a compsci background from Brown, and I find that his stories encompass elements that would appeal to any compsci-minding individual
Stories of Your Life and Others by Ted Chiang.
The short story "Understand" (part of that collection) may be my favorite of all time.
Have you considered short stories?
If you're into SF, it's a major side of the genre. There's eleventy billion collections of them out there, but Stories Of Your Life And Others is awesome, and small enough to get through over a short period.
>It's just a made-up book of rituals
Could say that about all religious books, but lets save that level of bravery for /r/atheism.
>Its the name that throws me off though, its like the religion was named that way just to add in some edginess.
That's what suckered me in to be honest. Same reason I got "Rampaging Fuckers of Everything on the Crazy Shitting Planet of the Vomit Atmosphere".
By the publishers who brought you Baby Jesus Butt Plug and The Rampaging Fuckers of Everything on the Crazy Shitting Planet of the Vomit Atmospher
Rampaging Fuckers of Everything on the Crazy Shitting Planet of the Vomit Atmosphere
have you read "The man in the high castle"? It's alternative history in which the nazis have won WWII.
What I also really liked, but is not really alternative history, but more a different future for mankind, with fantasy elements and a good story is "The Broken Empire trilogy"
I'll post links so you can get an idea of what they're about. Apologies, I'm a bit tired, otherwise I would give you a rough synopsis myself
If you're looking for some good fantasy books I'd highly recommend the following:
1.) The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss - http://www.amazon.com/Name-Wind-Kingkiller-Chronicle/dp/0756404746
2.) Prince of Thorns by Mark Lawrence - http://www.amazon.com/Prince-Thorns-Broken-Empire-Lawrence/dp/1937007685
3.) Gardens of the Moon by Steven Erikson - http://www.amazon.com/Gardens-Moon-Malazan-Book-Fallen/dp/0765348780/ref=pd_sim_14_12?ie=UTF8&dpID=51pDraZRUIL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR99%2C160_&refRID=1H0ZZ7MYMYZGKGQMEKTW
This next one has some fantasy elements, however, it's hard to pigeonhole into an exact genre (low fantasy adventure?), nonetheless, it's one of the better books that I've read recently.
4.) The Lies of Locke Lamora (Gentleman Bastards) by Scott Lynch
http://www.amazon.com/Lies-Locke-Lamora-Gentleman-Bastards/dp/055358894X/ref=pd_sim_14_5?ie=UTF8&dpID=51tpIK8K%2BtL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR98%2C160_&refRID=1H0ZZ7MYMYZGKGQMEKTW
5.) The Way of Shadows: The Night Angel Trilogy: Book 1 by Brent Weeks -
http://www.amazon.com/Way-Shadows-Night-Angel-Trilogy/dp/0316033677/ref=pd_sim_14_4?ie=UTF8&dpID=51tPZPp5dsL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR93%2C160_&refRID=1WERAT21ARWMVZN12V2P
(All books mentioned are the 1st novel of a larger series. If you're already aware and/or read these already than disregard, trying to pass along some great books for anyone who might come across my post)
Prince of Thorns, Mark Lawrence. Start of a great trilogy. 1st person perspective.
https://www.amazon.com/Prince-Thorns-Broken-Empire-Lawrence/dp/1937007685/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1473200756&sr=1-1&keywords=prince+of+thorns
I just finished the follow-up trilogy "Red Queen's War" which followed a very different character but was also fantastic
The Broken Empire series by Mark Lawrence fits the bill. It's fantasy, and the hero -- or anti-hero -- is so incredibly amoral that I often found myself saying, "Am I rooting for the bad guy? I think I'm rooting for the bad guy."
It's one of my favorite series of the past few years.
I love Joe Abercrombie's fantasy noir/grimdark. It's long on swords and short on magic. If you want to emulate someone, I can't think of a better choice. He writes fully realized characters, even for his bit parts. He avoids cliches in his phrasing and dialogue, so everything seems fresh. And he does great action scenes. I think the best introduction to Abercrombie is Best Served Cold.
I think it's also important to read Mark Lawrence, starting with Prince of Thorns.
John Dies at the End by David Wong.
I got hooked on City of Thieves from the first few pages, and pretty much didn't move until I finished it. Beat the Reaper also starts off very quickly, and moves along at a pretty breathtaking pace. John Dies at the End is a comedy/science fiction/horror, and is a lot of fun. I'd also second Christopher Moore- I'd start with either Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal , or The Stupidest Angel.
It's from this great book
I suggest reading Phillp K.Dick's We Can Remember It for You Wholesale instead; this is the short story that turned into Total Recall, and if you need a work of fiction involving drugs and saving the world this one is much better written.
For a comedic novel-length story, John Dies at the End is absolutely hilarious. (The book, not the movie.)
John Dies at the End by David Wong
Summary: STOP. You should not have touched this flyer with your bare hands. NO, don't put it down. It's too late. They're watching you. My name is David Wong. My best friend is John. Those names are fake. You might want to change yours. You may not want to know about the things you'll read on these pages, about the sauce, about Korrok, about the invasion, and the future. But it's too late. You touched the book. You're in the game. You're under the eye. The only defense is knowledge. You need to read this book, to the end. Even the part with the bratwurst. Why? You just have to trust me.
The important thing is this: The drug is called Soy Sauce and it gives users a window into another dimension. John and I never had the chance to say no. You still do. I'm sorry to have involved you in this, I really am. But as you read about these terrible events and the very dark epoch the world is about to enter as a result, it is crucial you keep one thing in mind: None of this was my fault.
Commentary: If comedic horror is to your taste, I recommend this. It's still horror, but the dark comedy adds something to it.
He put out an e-book collecting and expanding on the individual stories, I recommend giving it a look:
http://www.amazon.com/Penpal-Dathan-Auerbach-ebook/dp/B008WVVKCQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1406256030&sr=8-1&keywords=penpal
Annihilation by Jeff Vandermeer is definitely Lovecraftian in atmosphere and setting, as well as plot. I've also seen hints of cosmic horror in there. Highly recommend it.
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut
These are all books I read and thoroughly enjoyed in my late teens/early 20s.
Can you ask her what she likes about the Hunger Games series? Is it the dystopian element, the strong female protagonist, the focus on action?
No matter what, I'd recommend The Handmaid's Tale to her. It's a favorite of mine, and it has a lot in common with the Hunger Games books, but she might not like it if she wants a lot of action. The main character isn't the fighter, for the most part.
Well, these are the choices she is making. It is a bit rude to leave a conversation for another task in most cases. See her selfishness, and don't make it yours.
It's one thing to be sensitive to the needs of another, but these require boundaries. In the story Illusions by Richard Bach (which I think is good reading, and easy besides) a vampire appears to the two main characters and claims he must suck blood or he will die. Of course the character with boundary issues is terrified because he wants to help everyone, but in this scene he learns some boundaries.
We have to be true to ourselves no matter what. If someone is not treating us right in major ways, we need to decide if we want to continue compromising ourselves or move on. If the compromises are minor and not breeches of integrity, then the choice is harder to make.
You can't change anyone else, only yourself.
Best to you.
Illusions - Richard Bach
We're dorks, so the two gifts I've received from him have been pretty nerdy on the surface. Our first Christmas together he got me a tribble (I was raised by two trekkies and I like fluffy cuddly things). For my birthday, he got me Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter, which was sweet because he was leaving for weeks on a dig and knew I was going to be bored during the summer, and because we both hate Twilight.
I like these gifts because they weren't all that expensive, but they took some thought. It's obvious that he didn't just go out to the mall and buy the first thing he saw. That's probably the most important part of a good gift! :)
Ahh, I thought you were talking about this book
The most recent one I read (book, not a series,) was Jack McDevitt's Time Travelers Never Die, which was entertaining. Oh yeah, I also read Connis Willis' Blackout and All Clear. There's also The Doomsday Book, which I haven't read yet. I read To Say Nothing of the Dog when it was released, and didn't really love it, but I think I need to re-read it. Stephen Baxter's Manifold series is great, including Manifold: Time.
Check out the books on this list.
http://www.amazon.com/Game-Thrones-Song-Fire-Book/dp/0553573403
http://www.amazon.com/Game-Thrones-Song-Fire-Book/dp/0553573403/ref=tmm_mmp_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1334465335&sr=8-2
Sorry, Garak is book related.
All of my favorite books!!! But as an aside it is my understanding that the release in October is just a Novella about Auri the third book is going to be The Doors of Stone (working title) yet to get a release date.
G'mornin folks. I had the best start to my day. Just me and my itty baby in bed. She had her breakfast then laid there beside me smiling and grabbing at my face for a good half hour. Melted my heart, she did.
I hope y'all have a great Sunday. If anyone wants a chat hit me up! I'll be around all day. Gonna hang out in TC most of the day too. I refuse to be productive today.
P.S. All my Rothfuss fans... LOOKIT!
Aztec by Garry Jennings Told in the words of one of the most robust and memorable characters in modern fiction, Mixtli-Dark Cloud, Aztec reveals the very depths of Aztec civilization from the peak and feather-banner splendor of the Aztec Capital of Tenochtitlan to the arrival of Hernán Cortás and his conquistadores, and their destruction of the Aztec empire. The story of Mixtli is the story of the Aztecs themselves
http://www.amazon.com/Aztec-Gary-Jennings/dp/0765317508/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=undefined&sr=8-2&keywords=aztec
I found Aztec fascinating. Hell, I need to reread it, its been ages.
Came here to suggest these as well. I know his son wrote some of his stuff after his death ,but I believe it's Gary Jennings. http://www.amazon.com/books/dp/0765317508
This immediately made me think of the fantastic novel by Susanna Clarke Jonathan Strange & Mr Norell wiki
I don't want to go into detail because spoilers. I think I can get away with saying that someone is half-given to a faerie who transports the person magically every night - they end up sleep deprived and no-one can understand why they are so tired and lose all strength to live with. You could certainly spin it around some similarly dark invisible drawback.
I HIGHLY recommend the book. It's also available in a well regarded TV series
Perhaps the pixie might even pass on her 'ownership' as a gift to a higher ranking and more powerful fae Lord or Lady?
You should check out Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell. It's got magicians, but more in a real life sense. Has been described to me as a more sophisticated and grown up version of Harry Potter. It's long, has great characters, and the epic cranks out more and more as the book progresses. I loved it.
The series was really good! It's a book though, first and foremost, by Susanna Clarke: https://www.amazon.com/Jonathan-Strange-Mr-Norrell-Novel/dp/0765356155
I'm just going to keep editing this post until I think of 5.
---
The Bear and the Nightingale - a recent read, beautifully written, retelling.
Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell - I like classic literature, and Clarke's writing is known for how reflective it is of that. A wonderful story. Plus, magic. Long.
Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell is an excellent tale of the resurgence of magic in 19th century England and it is just amazing.
If you looking for in depth characters and story, but not necessarily horror try Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell: A Novel https://www.amazon.com/dp/0765356155/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_wK6XCbT15W2BZ
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!
I'm gonna be that guy. Buy the book. It's a quick read...and its subject matter is more thought provoking than the movie. The movie is fine (I own it) but its just a bit above a box-standard zombie movie.
Hell...the book is cheaper
This is Peggy, in the loopy bar, sitting and watching the moment when the loopy enters the stage. "Swamp water" is a drink.
> The curtain swept open with such a rush, she almost dropped her glass. It thumped down heavily on the table, swamp water cascading up its sides and raining on her hand. The music exploded shrapnel of ear-cutting cacophony and her body jerked. On the tablecloth, her hands twitched white on white while claws of uncontrollable demand pulled up her frightened eyes.
~Matthew Richardson: Dance of the Dead
The last sentence sends shivers down my spine whenever I read it.
"Dance of the Dead" and "I am Legend" are incredibly awesome. I think it was Mike that recommended it somewhere on OOC, thank you!
As to my own sentence - I don't think I have a favorite that stands on its own. They all live in their little place where they were born and raised. In that form I would choose this two word sentence.
The official novelization: http://www.amazon.com/Force-Awakens-Star-Wars/dp/1101965495/
https://smile.amazon.com/Musashi-Epic-Novel-Samurai-Era/dp/156836427X/
One of my favorite books ever was aMusashi (Amazon book link), a fictionalized retelling of his life.
They made it into a fairly lengthly TV Drama about a decade ago that I very highly recommend. Also, the manga 'Vagabond' is based on this book.
Was really fun when that second sword come out. And in the hands of Hiroyuki Sanada, no less.
For those who aren't familiar, Eiki Yoshikawa's historical novelization is the definitive/default work for cultural reference (not historical accuracy). It's this story that was used to create Hiroshi Inagaki's famous late-50s films known as the "Samurai trilogy", which starred no less than Toshiro Mifune as Musashi (!) and are often cited by Quentin Tarantino as an influence. This is the story that brought the legend to modern fans in the West and drew its attention to the Book of Five Rings.
The English translation by Charles Terry (titled Musashi: An Epic Novel of the Samurai Era) is available at most major bookstores including Amazon.
Tell this kid to read Life of Pi. He'll change his mind about zoo's
Life of Pi is really good. I also just read Slaughterhouse 5, which was excellent, but I felt it was too short. I am reading Ender's Game right now, which is excellent. There are so many good books. Check out /r/books, /r/booksuggestions and I think you'll find a bunch to read.
Hillary Mantel's Wolf Hall is quite simply superb. I also very much liked The Thousand Autumns of Jacob De Zoet.
The Life of Pi was published nine years ago. It seems to get a lot of flak, but I really enjoyed it. As with Mitchell's Thousand Autumns, I find a little magical realism just the tonic on those cold autumn evenings...
I've seen quite a few weird fiction readers in /r/printsf. I'll ask if I can advertise there.
I just finished Great Tales of Terror and the Supernatural and it was excellent. Last week I also read Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer which I thoroughly enjoyed.
I haven't decided what to read next. I was looking at Dark Descent or a collection of Kafka stories which includes one of my favorite weird stories, In the Penal Colony.
This reminds me of Jeff VanderMeer's Southern Reach trilogy.
If you're a reader, and love Zone Fiction, you might consider checking out Jeff Vandermeer's Southern Reach trilogy, especially the first book or two, Annihilation and Authority. The backdrop is a mysterious, anomalous Zone cordoned off by secret government agencies and explored by repeated, failed expeditions, and this Zone is in and around Georgia and North Florida.
The author says he was inspiried by lots of hikes and nature walks he took in the area. You may find it's right in your wheelhouse. Very creepy, very Zone Fiction + Weird Nature.
It is in your best interest and mine that we continue to support the establishment clause in the constitution and the generations of case law that supports separation of church and state.
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
This means that although you have the right to unimpeded religious worship, our government remains neutral and separate.
The best argument I generally present to theists is to ask them to think really hard about the consequences if this provision were not in place. Suppose we allowed the government to establish religion. We would pay for a state church with our taxes. We would allow politicians to interpret religion for us and pass laws accordingly.
It would be an utter disaster. Take Rick Santorum as an example. He is advocating a theocracy in the US. It is utterly illegal under the constitution. You cannot impose your religious beliefs on someone else. If you legislate religious belief, you are violating the Establishment clause of the constitution.
This is a huge and real concern in todays politics. Many states are not only walking the line, they are jumping over it with both feet. Declaring the year of the bible, repealing womens rights, and denying homosexuals their civil rights, are all examples of religion overcoming a secular nation.
If allowed to stand, these intrusions into church and state are a dangerous precedent. Say some time in the future forced prayer in schools is allowed. Imagine how you would feel if your children's teacher was a Wiccan or a Muslim? Would it then be ok to allow preaching in schools?
Would it be a great idea to break the wall of church and state if the government was allowed to decide which churches have the right to exist and which ones are heretical ? Suppose the age old war between catholics and protestants was allowed to infiltrate our government. It would be a massive civil war if one group decided to get rid of the other group. Without the separation of church and state the one group could even use the military and police to rid themselves of the other group.
Read The Handmaids Tale. Atwood paints a great example of what a theocracy would look like.
This is off the top of my head and are just my opinion,but some books from a woman's pov that have really stuck with by are:
For little girls the Flavia de Luce mystery series is really cute and a fun read. Set in the years following WWII, a 12 year old girl solves mysteries in her small English village.
As a teenager I loved the book Witch Child where a girl who is just beginning to realize she is a witch is forced to cross to colonial America with a group of Puritans and must hide what she is. I still love this book but it has more of a teenage heroine: Daphne Du Maurier's Rebecca is about a young insecure woman who becomes the second wife of a rich aristocrat, but as she tries to settle into her new life the memory of the first wife haunts her (shocking twist at the end).
Two creepy social commentary pieces that I love are: The Handmaid's Tale where a women struggles with her role in a dystopian religious extremist society. And The Yellow Wallpaper is an amazing short story told from the pov of a woman (I think in the early to mid 20th century) who is taking a 'rest cure' after having a baby. It will give you chills!
There are probably more but those are just the ones I remember at the moment.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/038549081X/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0
Sort of depends on the type of book you're looking for but here are some of my faves in no particular order: Illusions, Stalking the Wild Pendulum, The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test, Dancing Wu Li Masters, The Holographic Universe, Center of the Cyclone, True Hallucinations, The Archaic Revival, Be Here Now.
How about some Richard Bach? Either Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah or The Bridge Across Forever: A Love Story I recommend the second one first because it is full of love and hope
I used to buy Illusions by Richard Bach for people. The subtitle is "The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah." Very good. Might go well with Ishmael, which others have mentioned.
In the same vein -- it could have the exact same subtitle, in fact -- is Stranger in a Strange Land by Heinlein. If he likes that you could follow it up with other late-career Heinlein, such as Job or Time Enough For Love. All are excellent. Others have mentioned Starship Troopers, and it is also excellent. But his earlier stuff is very adventure-oriented, while his later stuff probably has more potential for life-changing.
Lastly, if he's up for a little ancient philosophy that gives you a different way to look at life, try Marcus Aurelius, which is free on the internet. Tell him not to get too hung up on what goes on in book one. It's almost like an acknowledgements page, but there is some good stuff in there. But once book two gets rolling the life-changing stuff really begins. Tell him it's how to focus on what matters and let go of what doesn't. If people could learn that they'd definitely change their lives.
And good for him. I'm 53 and I started reading philosophy at 50. Learning new things activates the old brain cells and will keep him mentally sharp longer.
It's from this book.
Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah by Richard Bach
Short read. Cheap book. Thought provoking. I read this right when I went to college and it really opened up my world.
relevant
When he was sharpening his axe for the sake of hunting vampires.
http://www.amazon.com/Abraham-Lincoln-Vampire-Seth-Grahame-Smith/dp/0446563080
That is how I now imagine him looking in this.
Fucking fantastic good person. Once you read the book however you will realize that the book is waay better. If you judge it as just a movie, yes you will enjoy it, however, if you compare it to the book, according to details, it is nothing like so.
Yeah, Seth Grahame-Smith.
All I can think of is Doomsday Book, about a modern college-age woman who ends up in 14th century France during the black plague
http://www.amazon.com/Doomsday-Book-Connie-Willis/dp/0553562738/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1331243561&sr=8-1
Doomsday Book by Connie Willis Amazon Link for description
If you liked Pillars of the Earth, you'd love The Domesday Book
I really liked the "Oxford time-traveling historians" series by Connie Willis.
At some point in the near future, time-traveling is discovered, but is basically only used by historians to do field work in the past. They are meant to be taken seriously, but do use humor. The books in the series are only loosely connected, so you don't need to read them in order. But if you want to, the first is Doomsday Book
You're not sadistic. What you are seeking is catharsis. That sort of shell shocked feeling you get after reading/watching something tragic.
As far as actual book recommendations go American Gods seems to be a good choice. Plus since its a fairly popular book around here you can come back and discuss it when you finish. (Thats one thing I hate about reading obscure books, its so hard to find anybody to discuss them with).
I a big fantasy junkie so I'd recommend reading A Game of Throne. Its really a great book and I'd definitely give it a try some time if I were you. The story's well paced, you get a variety of deep realistic characters, and it definitely delivers in the violent/cathartic criteria.
If you are willing to give it a shot and you have 16 hours to kill, I'd recommend starting the series A Song of Ice and Fire. Guaranteed to keep you engaged.
If you are looking for a short read about small time crime in Boston and trying to sleep for 14.5 hours I'd recommend The Friends of Eddie Coyle.
Also if you have not read Ender's Game or the companion series Ender's Shadow this would be your other option. A fantastic sci-fi series, just realize that the author is kind of a dick.
*edit added links
amazon might be your best bet, most convenient and probably much cheaper than a bookstore. (I looked up the actual book for you, because I'm cool like that.)
I quite liked eragon, actually, (book, NOT film. that was a disgrace not worth talking about.)
at the moment I'm struggling through the wheel of time series. it has its (major) flaws, but I'm at book 10 and too stubborn to give up after I've made it this far.
I would have switched TOS and ENT in your order, but everything else looks pretty good. Since Garak is your favorite character, I would recommend A Stitch In Time which is basically a bunch of letters from Garak to Bashir written by the actor who plays Garak. I am part way through it and it's pretty good especially reading it in his voice.
I would suggest anyone interested in learning how humble Garak is, should read A Stitch In Time.
I'm waiting on THIS. Also, I finally got my wife to read The Name of the Wind. She's slowly getting through it, but she is starting to get hooked.
Here's something to keep you busy for a bit then: http://www.amazon.com/The-Slow-Regard-Silent-Things/dp/0756410436/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1412046798&sr=8-3&keywords=NAme+of+the+wind
I only found out through a friend but he's releasing a novella based on Auri that was originally supposed to show up in GRRMartin's Rogues collection (he settled on a story featuring Bast). Should be out in October.
Source:Amazon
I am reading "Before they are hanged" by Joe Abercrombie. It is the second book in a three part series called "The first law".
It's a great series so far. His world building, characters, and especially his fight scenes are incredible.
If you haven't read anything by him I would start with "Half a King". I couldn't put it down when I started.. Although I just noticed it is actually going to be a series and I know that annoys some so be warned.
edit: and this book will be next.. It's on pre-order and will be delivered next week.. I can't wait. The Slow Regard of Silent Things by Patrick Rothfuss
http://amzn.com/0756410436
I've been an avid reader for most of my life, and Aztec, by Gary Jennings, is one of my absolute favorite books.
Assuming you liked the story/historical aspect more than just the fact that it was in an Asian setting.....
I will second Aztec and River God mentioned by u/Sin_Research. (Pretend River God is a stand alone, the sequels go downhill fast)
Definitely check out [The Gates of Fire](http://www.amazon.com/Gates-Fire-Novel-Battle-Thermopylae/dp/055338368X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1457027245&sr=1-1&keywords=gates+of+fire() by Pressfield. I also always recomment The Assyrian by Guild.
Do you have a time frame/civilization you would prefer? Ancient Mesopotamia, Ancient Greece, Ancient Rome, Viking Age Europe, Late Middle Ages, Napoleonic Period/Age of Sail, WWI, etc? I can give you more specific suggestions for any of them.
If you love Aztecs you will love this book.
http://www.amazon.com/Aztec-Gary-Jennings/dp/0765317508
I am (finally) getting close to finishing the book and it continues to blow me away with its research, accuracy, descriptions, and twists. Its a long ass book and slow at points but it is sooooo worth it
Is this a book reference? There are several scenes just like that in Aztec, is that where you got it?
and by just like it I mean not that like it at all. There's a cruel Queen, and a slave girl, and the guy painting in the corner was a hermaphrodite, I think. I haven't read it in a long time and the details are fuzzy.
EDIT: Right, he's not a hermaphrodite in this book, that was another one by the same author.
I forgot a lot of details, I guess.
>b) Mixtli is a serveant to a Noble woman who assigns him the task of drawing pictures of random people around town. She then picks one of the pictures and requires Mixtli to find the person and order them to the palace where she has sex with them and then has them cooked and served as food. A lesbian encounter here as well.
You might enjoy The Golem and the Jinni...It's set in turn of the century New York, and has strong cultural and religious overtones. The magical aspects of it are quite secondary to everything else.
A Winters Tale...the movie apparently sucked, but the book has stuck with me for quite some time. It's a lyrical piece of magic realism, much stronger on the realism. Another book on turn of the century New York.
Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell may be a bit more magic than you'd like, but it's astonishingly good. It's what Jane Austen would have produced if she'd decided to write a fantasy novel.
The Night Circus is good.
http://www.amazon.com/Jonathan-Strange-Mr-Norrell-Novel/dp/0765356155
123
My goal is to find the proper doctors so I can fix my depression. I'm doing my best to keep my head up (even bought myself a mala to meditate and keep positive) but it's a day to day thing. I'd like to feel normal for once sometime in the future :)
Forgot to link amazon items, derp! This or [this](http://www.amazon.com/Saga-Vol-Brian-K-Vaughan/dp/1607066017/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=2WSLHM9JYNVDB&coliid=I2YG8R3KXF2ZDR] or this would be lovely :)
Tam Lin by Pamela Dean is really good and set very much in the modern day (ignore the crappy cover). I am pretty sure it was part of the whole Terri Windling gang.
Also, it's not a fairy tale exactly, but Jonathon Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susannah Clarke is one of the best books I've read in the last several years. It's awesome.
Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell is fantastic and exactly what you're looking for. I got hooked from the first pages on amazon - it reminds me of the Jonathan Stroud's Bartimaeus trilogy, or what would happen if Jane Austen and Terry Pratchett had a lovechild.
I've read that The Thinking's Woman's Guide to Real Magic is like an adult oriented Harry Potter book.
The Night Circus is a fantasy romance novel involving magic and a circus. This is set in the late 1800s or early 1900s.
Monstrumologist and its' sequels are really interesting monster hunting novels. This is set in the late 1800s.
Have you read the Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman yet?
Jonathan Strange & Mr.Norrell was a great read. It's another book about magic. I have a copy and I really like it.
I like my feywild to be based off of old irish fairy tales. This is my fey. and the fairy-land is like a hodged podged Alice in Wonderland world and Johnothan Strange and Mr. Norrell.
As for the Shadowfell, I'm a big fan of it being the Upside Down from Stranger Things. With a few more conscious undead and ghosts.
That canvas! If I had access to the rest of the needed supplies, that would definitely be something I'd want. Though I don't...
I have so many lists.. But here goes:
Super Sculpey is on my artsy list because I found you can alter vinyl figures with it and boil or lightly bake it! Further customizing, which I find neat.
Bravely Default is on my list because the demo got me hooked. I use to hate JRPG type games and turn-based games, but this one seems fun with a lot of extra's. (Like extra things to do.)
Purple bed set.. SO DARN ELEGANT.. I mean shhh. Basically purple and black go together so wonderfully and my bed is a mess of colors right now. xD Tiger stripes with green bedding and flowery and black pillow cases. Also a big purple pillow and a leopard print.
African Violet perfume oil is on my list because back when I would go to the flea market there was a man and lady who sold essential oils. African violet was such a mesmerizing scent. I had it all over my room, the house.. Basically anywhere it would smell divine at.
Hard choice between House Of Leaves and I Am Legend. Both are books I want to read because I love the reviews. I generally go for non-fiction, horror books. Both seem to be right for the reading. I want to be scared or intrigued! Hooked into a story.
Coloring book... because I am a kid at heart!
Magnetic cubes! I want these because the original circular buckyballs/neocubes are always WAY to high priced. It's an alternative, and I love magnetic things.
Nubian goat light switch cover because.. goats! I love nubian goats and that's, that! (Also love just about any type of goats..)
Daemon tarot cards because I am fascinated with anything to do with demons, or entities. Generally anything tarot card or fortune related also. More so things that are evil, because people tend to shy away.. While I go towards them.
Last but not least...
I'm such a sucker for Norman Reedus... I want it to hang on my wall. I even have a frame waiting for it. (Thank's WalMart.) Got 2 frames for the price of one!
I'm very interested in your copies of Your Inner Fish, Anatomy of an Epidemic, and Evil Genes. I would love to be able to take all three off your hands. I have several books that I can offer you in exchange, all of which I've read and highly recommend! What I have that might match your interests are:
And seeing that you had a Steve Berry novel up for trade, I also have these two excellent Brad Meltzer thriller novels:
If any of my books peak your interests, I'd love to make a trade!
I recommend you read I am Legend. Forget the movie. The book is way better than any of the several movies made from it.
I can't say more without spoiling it. This may seem out of left field but it is relevant to the OP.
Summerfuntime!
I would love I am Legend. I loved the movie and I have yet to find a movie made from a book where the book wasn't better!
This one.
Here's the Amazon page http://www.amazon.com/The-Force-Awakens-Star-Wars/dp/1101965495
There is a novelization of the movie, and it contains a lot more details than the movie, though it also spoils things. (http://www.amazon.com/The-Force-Awakens-Star-Wars/dp/1101965495)
Read my comment again: the published copy does not come out for a few days (Jan. 5th Amazon confirms)
http://www.amazon.com/The-Force-Awakens-Star-Wars/dp/1101965495
The digital version has been out since the movies release.
This is awesome! After I saw this pic, I ended up arranging my collection in a similar manner - give us periodic updates as more canon media is released!
Couple of questions:
Just one novel. I have the single volume edition, but I've seen a 5 volume set around before. The single volume is a hefty beast though.
https://www.amazon.com/Musashi-Epic-Novel-Samurai-Era/dp/156836427X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1541269148&sr=8-1&keywords=musashi
You may like "Musashi".
Amazon Link
These aren't free but definitely worth the read.
Musashi - Eiji Yoshikawa
The Book of Five Rings - Miyamoto Musashi
https://www.amazon.com/Musashi-Epic-Novel-Samurai-Era/dp/156836427X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1482689807&sr=8-1&keywords=musashi
Musashi! Its a Japanese epic about the samurai era. One of the more well known books in Japan. http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/156836427X/ref=ya_aw_oh_pit
I literally didn't have to leave my chair to pull it off my shelf to double check the title ( :) ) but you can find this, and several other excellent Ted Chiang short stories in the collection Stories of Your Life and Others. I was going to go through and recommend some specific stories from the collection... but it turns out I loved all of them.
I've recently read two books that I absolutely fell in love with:
1.) Stories of Your Life and Others: http://www.amazon.com/Stories-Your-Life-Others-Chiang/dp/1931520720/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1413578672&sr=8-1&keywords=stories+of+your+life+and+others
2.) Neuromancer (A classic that I've just gotten into): http://www.amazon.com/Neuromancer-William-Gibson/dp/0441569595/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1413578739&sr=8-1&keywords=neuromancer
Sim, eu leio tudo em inglês. Eu não conhecia esse The Three Body Problem, to vendo agora e parece bem legal, eu estava justamente precisando de um novo livro pra ler esse feriado, valeu pela dica!
Outros livros que eu ja lí e recomendo:
Stories of Your Life and Others. My favorite.
This is like the third time I've recommended this book but it's perfect for what you're looking for. Stories of Your Life and Others by Ted Chiang has a couple of stories that fit your criteria and they're excellent. The titular story and also "Liking What You See: A Documentary" are both set in present or near-future worlds. Here's a link for the latter so you can determine if you like his writing.
Rampaging Fuckers of Everything on the Crazy Shitting Planet of the Vomit Atmosphere: Three Novels
I prefer "Rampaging Fuckers of Everything on the Crazy Shitting Planet of the Vomit Atmosphere" (http://www.amazon.de/Rampaging-Fuckers-Everything-Shitting-Atmosphere/dp/1933929782)
This. I haven't read it yet but just the title is insane...
While unrelated to cooking, this might be a contender:
http://www.amazon.com/Rampaging-Fuckers-Everything-Shitting-Atmosphere/dp/1933929782/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1301518196&sr=8-1
the shit you find on amazon
Wow, this is new to me! I should probably hold off entering until I've had my caffeine, cause I always read shit wrong lol BUT
/u/ladyoops
Gift 15?
The closest I've got to that is Prince of Thorns. I've only read the first book of the trilogy in another language, but it was decent, and pretty much exactly what you describe. To be honest I got it as a gift, and I don't know if I would be willing to pay money for it, but maybe you can find it in a library or something.
Now, onto web serials (all free), which are close to your criteria:
Dungeon Keeper Ami. Fanfic. Sailor Mercury from Sailor Moon accidentally becomes a Keeper from Dungeon Keeper. Quite good.
Kumo desu ga, nani ka? (I'm a spider, so what?) and Everybody loves large chests. A giant spider and a mimic, respectively, try to survive in RPG-like fantasy worlds. Both stories are good.
And Worm. Teenager girl can control bugs. Becomes a supervillain despite good intentions. Very, very good.
[Cheapest] (http://www.amazon.com/dp/1937007685/ref=cm_sw_r_udp_awd_cGHptb1EZSCHB)
[betterer] (http://www.amazon.com/dp/0061714348/ref=cm_sw_r_udp_awd_DIHptb02Z2QQV)
Thanks!
The Prince of Thorns is the first of the Broken Empire trilogy.
Slight Spoilers
It's implied that the world of the books is our world, in a future where science's pursuit into the foundation of reality has created a sort of tear between what is and what isn't. Consciousness can now control reality directly, aka magic's back bitch.
The main character is basically a little boy, I mean I think he's like 12 at the start and even younger in flashbacks, but he's leading a self-styled "brotherhood" of some truly nasty brutes (and a couple not so nasty). It's a good read, even if he tends to rush the climaxes with convenience. His characterization is top notch though. He begins each chapter with a sentence or two about another particular member of "the brotherhood" and almost every time he made it interesting enough to stick with me.
The main character is young but he's a bit of a sociopath. Read the synopsis and reviews and decide for yourself. I didn't think it was but now that you asked and I thought about it more it might be borderline YA but its kind of dark for YA.
https://www.amazon.com/Prince-Thorns-Broken-Empire-Lawrence/dp/1937007685
It definitely does, and Sanderson's work on the final 3 books was pretty inspired to say the least.
Also, check out
https://www.amazon.com/Lies-Locke-Lamora-Gentleman-Bastards-ebook/dp/B000JMKNJ2
https://www.amazon.com/Way-Kings-Brandon-Sanderson/dp/0765365278/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_14_t_0?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=KRSFJE42GMR8VFGZGC72
https://www.amazon.com/Blade-Itself-First-Law/dp/0316387312
https://www.amazon.com/Prince-Thorns-Broken-Empire-Lawrence/dp/1937007685/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1492715571&sr=1-1&keywords=prince+of+thorns
Most of this is copypasta from another reply on this thread, since it seemed silly to just rephrase all the things. Please note the last paragraph if none of these seem fun. I read a lot, mostly exclusively SF/F (both adult and YA), and boy do I have opinions on it. And if you're not a reader starting with YA is a thought. There's a lot of fun, intelligent YA out there now as publishers realize teens don't actually want to be treated like they're stupid.
For a low commitment (i.e. not part of a series), humorous start there's Terry Pratchett/Neil Gaiman's Good Omens. I like a lot of Gaiman's work, which ranges from the strange and humorous (see: GO) to the strange and creepy (Anasazi Boys), but what I'd recommend from him depends on what you're looking for.
In the funny but harder scifi range I'd rec the beloved classic Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson. This is seriously one of the wittiest books I've ever read besides being an action-packed scifi romp.
If you're interested in urban fantasy I have all the recs. Everything from Jim Butcher's Harry Dresden series Book 1: Storm Front, for the grown-up wizard, to Seanan McGuire's October Daye series Book 1: Rosemary and Rue, if you're more into fae.
For the dark and more sexual (seriously, there is sex in these books) I highly recommend the Fever Series by Karen Moning, Book 1: Darkfever.
If you like SF/F books (like Discworld, Animorphs, etc.) let me know what subgenres (e.g. hard scifi, urban fantasy, urban scifi, fantasy romance, young adult _____ ) you think you might like and I guarantee you I have a recommendation or two. I read a lot.
After loads of reading on the bus to work every day, here follows my reading list for military aviation:
Modern
Vietnam
WWII
Overall/Other
Bonus non-military aviation
I highly second the recommendations of Snow Crash, Cryptonomicon, and Diamond Age. I would also recommend:
If you've not read Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch you should. It was my first Terry Pratchett. <3
I'd say get in at least a few young adult fiction, as they're full of saccharine and angst ridden metaphor:
• The Perks Of Being A Wallflower
• Looking For Alaska
A few historical fictions:
• Wolf Hall
• Memoirs Of A Geisha
Comedy:
• The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy
• Good Omens
Stephen king (just because he's a favorite)
• 11/22/63
• IT
And finally, some objectively "bad" books, to learn what not to do.
• Wild Animus: A Novel
• The Da Vinci Code
• Moon People
All of these books are personal favorites for one reason or another, and some may fit into multiple categories (see: looking for Alaska under YA fiction and "bad,").
That said, this should at least keep you busy for a bit.
Happy reading, and good luck on your novel!
One thing that makes me happy is Cinderella III This is the greatest Disney Direct-to-DVD movie in existence. I really feel like it finally took Cinderella back to its action-movie roots. When your new niece or nephew is old enough, I would highly recommend getting her/him this movie - it is fun for kids but even better for adults, and it doesn't take itself seriously at all.
As for books, I would highly recommend Agyar by Steven Brust and Good Omens by Neil Gaiman
I ain't birthed no babies! and Happy Birfday
You should definitely read Gaiman's comic book series Sandman, too. It is both the best thing Gaiman's ever written and one of the best comic books ever written.
After that, you should read Good Omens by Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett. Amazon is adapting it as a mini series set to debut sometime 2019.
As an aside, after Gaiman, you may want to give Brom a try. Lost Gods features many of the same themes with a slightly different tone. The Library at Mount Char also has a great blend of the weird and fantastical.
Dr. Joyce Brothers may be highly known, but her psychological credentials are highly suspect.
His name is Dathan Auerbach, and he actually compiled all six of those stories, plus some extra details and touch-ups, into a physical paperback book. I highly recommend it, the story he wrote is probably one of the best I've ever read. Here's an Amazon link.
not entering.I just bought this book last night. 0.99 cents. Supposed to be weird. Looks cool. Will let you know =)Top 10 list of horror books
Oh hell, I will enter. Vincent Price =) Pen pal I have this on my paperback WL, but added it as kindle. It looks scary.
Well, here goes. Recently, my phone went into a pool and I used my phone for a variety of things beyond a phone. I used it for classes, alarms, messaging (not just texting), keeping up with emails on the go, and so on. I've also very much been looking into getting a tablet for class, so I would be free to not take my laptop everywhere. Bad encounter with rain caused my laptop to become unusable and I ended up getting an entirely new one. It would be much easier to carry a tablet to certain classes instead of my whole laptop.
Aside from that, I actually haven't been reading a whole lot. I would really love to get into comics and graphic novels.. and I'm sure the Kindle Fire would be fantastic for that!
An eBook that I would want is: Penpal--I read the nosleep parts and would enjoy reading the actual book!
Thank you 186394 for such a great contest! Your generosity is amazing.
If you're not familiar, I think you would probably enjoy the stories of Ted Chiang.
You should definitely check out the first story of this book. It's called "Monster Cocks" :)
I'll just leave you with these...
Sex sells. You know? The books feel like some cross between a Troma film fan fiction.
In fact, Bizarro Central describes Bizarro as:
Other great Bizarro authors include Jeff Burk, Mykle Hansen, and Cameron Pierce.
It's really fun stuff, in the way that art house films and dropping acid are really fun stuff.
Is your novel "Rampaging Fuckers of Everything on the Crazy Shitting Planet of the Vomit Atmosphere"?
I don't want to spoil anything for you, but as a science fiction fan I would highly recommend the Broken Empire series by Mark Lawrence.
I would also recommend Matt Stover's Acts of Caine series as it is a really interesting blend between Sci-fi and Fantasy.
[This one?] (http://www.amazon.com/Prince-Thorns-The-Broken-Empire/dp/1937007685) If so, I will order it... only $5!
I PM'ed you my answers. I especially love the Halloween trick one I wrote about - you're going to enjoy it. I'd really just love these two books - 1 and 2 because reading is fun. Thanks!
This? Haven't read it myself (though my friend said it was entertaining.) Reading the synopsis and I don't see any mention of noir or heaven & hell.
Read this book.
As for me I want this here book.
My name is Matt :D I think my favorite ebook would probably be Ender's Game but I already have that! So I'll pick John Dies at the End even though I've never read it. I watched the movie a couple weeks ago and I liked it even though it was pretty weird, and I've heard and read that the book is much better, so I'd love to read it!
Thanks for doing the contest, it's amazing that everyone on here is so willing to give :D One of the reasons I love it here :D
Um, holy shit. Thank you for this super generous contest!
I'm Kim, and right now I'm right keen to read John Dies in the End. It has been recommended to me so many times I feel it's only right to get on with it.
Seriously, amazing. Thank you.
Ok, if you liked this video and you like books, you really should read (not watch) John Dies at the End.
Checking in after about a month and figured I'd give you [a suggestion.] (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007KJHGNI/ref=cm_sw_su_dp#customerReviews)
It's the sequel, and [the first book] (http://www.amazon.com/John-Dies-End-David-Wong-ebook/dp/B002Q7H7JC/ref=pd_sim_351_1?ie=UTF8&amp;dpID=51ylhGxU%2BRL&amp;dpSrc=sims&amp;preST=_AC_UL160_SR107%2C160_&amp;refRID=1MB8B8FABEMY896MWYTB) is also good, but it's on Netflix so you can just watch that if you'd rather. (Honestly, John Dies at the End is a strange read - he originally wrote it as a series, not a novel, so it doesn't always flow very well - still worth it though, IMO.)
Machine of Death is a really interesting anthology series. The premise is based on a machine that can predict how one will die but in cryptic and often ironic ways. :)
Good Omens is also a good book if you like Neil Gaiman
Unnatural creatures is also a really lovely anthology with stories chosen by Neil Gaiman. I tend to like anthologies just because they can explore multiple worlds without getting too bogged down on the environment and just letting the plot drive it
I was thinking of the immortal words of Socrates who said, "I drank what?"
I like gift cards, but if you want to buy a thing Good Omens is a great choice.
Thank you for the contest!
Your life is complete shit, Maya. Just accept it. that said, things do eventually turn around. there are good people and good things in the world, and there is joy in small moments, you just have to be willing to see that joy when it happens. life is hard, and shitty things happen, but overall things are good. keep your chin up. ebook
Good Omens by Pratchett and Gaiman is both hilarious and really uplifting.
Chistopher Moore is also often both of those things, and I'd really recommend Lamb: the Gospel According to Bif, Christ's Childhood Friend. Again, very hilarious but also surprisingly touching.
I'm not sure why I went with two satirical books about religion, but those are the first that come to mind. For something a little different, the Princess Bride is really light and funny, though it may seem a little too familiar if you've seen the movie recently (it's pretty faithful to the book.) If you're into fantasy, the Riyria Revelations are really fun, light reads, with some great characters and terrific dialogue.
Good Omens was the first thing I thought of when I read the prompt.
If you liked it, you should also check out Good Omens also by Neil Gaiman (And Terry Pratchett).
My username is named after a character in Good Omens
> Because he rather liked people. It was a major failing in a demon.
> Oh, he did his best to make their short lives miserable, because that was his job, but nothing he could think up was half as bad as the stuff they thought up themselves. They seemed to have a talent for it. It was built into the design, somehow. They were born into a world that was against them in a thousand little ways, and then devoted most of their energies into making it worse. Over the years Crowley had found it increasingly difficult to find anything demonic to do which showed up against the natural background of generalized nastiness. There had been times, over the past millennium, when he'd felt like sending a message back Below saying, Look, we may as well give up right now, we might as well shut down Dis and Pandemonium and everywhere and move up here, there's nothing we can do to them that they don't do themselves and they do things we've never even thought of, often involving electrodes. They've got what we lack. They've got imagination. And electricity, of course.
> One of them had written it, hadn't he... "Hell is empty, and the devils are here."
> Crowley had got a commendation for the Spanish Inquisition. He had been in Spain then, mainly hanging around cantinas in the nicer parts, and hadn't even known about it until the commendation arrived. He'd gone to have a look, and had come back and got drunk for a week.
-- Good Omens, by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett
This Book! because it's got great reviews, it's under $4 and I just finished my last e-book so I need a new one.
Thanks for the contest!
Miskatonic University
http://www.amazon.com/Stress-Buster-Desktop-Punching-Ball/dp/B0051V68DQ/ref=sr_1_15?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1398180747&amp;sr=8-15&amp;keywords=stress+relief
This could help you relax and smile :)
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008WVVKCQ/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&amp;colid=1OCYQBIQB0HKN&amp;coliid=IQ4I0AF0BXFIX
If I win I'd like to read this or surprise me.
I can't stop procrastinating :-p I really can't I should be cleaning.
For those interested, you can buy the paperback on amazon or the e-book here and if you want to read the original series he posted on /r/nosleep, here's the first part.
Not exactly what you're describing but you may enjoy Penpal by Dathan Auerbach, aka 1000vultures from nosleep, if you haven't already read it.
9.99 on amazon
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008WVVKCQ/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1
Awesome Contest
It's now a book
[Life of Pi] (http://www.amazon.com/Life-Pi-Yann-Martel/dp/0156027321/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1395546742&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=life+of+pi)
Read the book in high school and loved it. Never saw the movie, because I don't think it does the book ANY justice.
Here's a book I would like: [The Ruins] (http://www.amazon.com/The-Ruins-Scott-Smith/dp/0307390276/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1395546801&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=the+ruins)
has she read The Life of Pi? It has a similarly dark and intriguing story about what happens to the human psyche in stressful situations. It's beautifully written, and as someone who loves the The Book Thief, i can say that also loved The Life of Pi
The Life of Pi, if you haven't read it. It's a great book.
by the Dalai Lama because it is a very sincere book and I can almost visualize what he is saying.
Born On A Blue Day: Inside the Extraordinary Mind of an Autistic Savant - Daniel Tammet
How We Decide - Jonah Lehrer
Life of Pi - Yann Martel
Honorary mention to What Learning Leaves - Taylor Mali
Life of Pi helped me reconnect with the right side of my brain. it's a great allegory and i highly suggest it to anyone who's always looking for the bigger meaning in life
I've read The Book Thief! I really liked it. Here are some books that are similar to the Book Thief, and have changing/growing characters:
If you have any questions at all or want any more book recommendations, feel free to message me!
puedo hablar un poco español, despues de seis años de clas
es. tu ingles es mucho mejor que mi español. quiza leo unos libros, jaja
Here's some tips - dollar general and dollar tree are great. We bought DG pots and pans for like $5 or $8 a year ago, and they're still going strong. DT is good for utensils, and they also have these round little rubber pads that you can put under chopping boards so they don't move when you chop stuff. Or, you can use a damp piece of kitchen roll.
You'll get a lot of use from a cheese grater, garlic crusher (good for mincing jalapenos to add hotness to sauces too), 2-4 cup measuring jug, plastic measuring spoons (WalMart had these for 98c a few weeks ago), baking tray (I'd suggest 2), solid plastic chopping boards, not the flimsy bendy ones, colander.
If you want to bake or do any mixing with sauces or liquids, you should get a silicone spatula for scraping out the bowl.
You'll want to get a roll or two of parchment paper not wax paper. This stuff can line pans and skillets to go in the oven or microwave. It stops melty cheese from sticking to things. You put it between the food and the hot thing that the food is on.
You'll get use out of a couple of LARGE plastic, lightweight bowls. I use these all the time for mixing up lettuce with dressing, or holding all my broccoli as I chop it.
If you have an Aldi nearby, their sandwich food bags are a perfect size for keeping opened blocks of cheese in, and they have larger ones for bigger foods. Any store will sell ziplock bags, but Aldi's are nice and thick, and cheap. I love aldi. Also, they're a great place to buy nice cheese on the cheap.
You'll gradually want to buy spices as you make more stuff. Get these from Kroger or cheap supermarket to start out with. Simple herbs like parsley and spices like cumin and garlic powder cost a buck and do the job.
If you want some excellent recipes that are easy, simple to prepare, cheap and unfussy with ingredients and keep well for days, look on Caveman Keto's site. Or search r/ketorecipes. Or PM me, I have a bunch.
----------------------------------------------------------------
Quick snacks - hard salami rolled up with cream cheese in. Beef jerky. Slim Jim style meat snacks. Almond nuts. Pork rinds with a dip, or without (but keep water nearby lest you choke!). Want crackers to put cheese or stuff on? Parchment paper with a loose handful of grated cheese spread out carefully and thinly, microwave for 1:15 seconds or thereabouts until it browns. Take it out (it'll be hot!) and let cool. Cheese crackers! Also great as nachos, tacos (roll them while still warm) or crush it for making crispy stuff to batter chicken with. Keep some flavored teas, diet drinks or water additive handy in case you want something sweet. I also LOVE tinned tuna mixed with a small spoonful of mayo. I have that shit on everything. Caveman Keto has meal plans for the whole week.
------------------------------------------------------------------
Water.... eat pork rinds. Those bastards will dry you out more than the sun's core. Also, keep water bottles in your car, at work, by your bed, and use an empty water bottle refill as a chance to take a desk break at work. That motivates me to drink more!
-------------------------------------------------------------------
I work out 2-4 times a week and I'm still losing weight. Feel it out, you won't know what works for your keto unless you try it.
------------------------------------------------------------------
If you're putting off going to bed, there's a reason. If laptop time is more enjoyable than sleep, then you need to make your bed the most exciting place in the world. Get a great book and some nice bedsheets, set up some cool ambient lighting with lamps. Find a chillout playlist on spotify and stream it on your phone. Make bedtime a time you look forward to. Also, a few weeks into keto I started being desperate for sleep - it's like it resets our primal urges.
Sorry, I typed all this out in a hurry. PM me if you want more advice on any of the above!
Edit: My formatting screwed. I've had too much caffeine to concentrate on why that is. Sorry for shouting.
The plot and setting are entirely different, but I found myself comparing the The Witch's tone and atmosphere to Annihilation. They both have that surreal sense of unease about an unseen force, and deal with isolation and mistrust.
Annihilation (first in the trilogy) - a great mind-bender in the "new weird" category. Plus it's a quick read!
All-time greatest epic fantasy series (IMO blows away GRR Martin and Tolkien): The Malazan Book of the Fallen - 10-book compilation
I'd love to pick up The 11th Hour CISSP Study Guide :)
cheers, and happy Monday!
If you had more time before your next session, I'd recommend reading Annihilation by James VanderMeer. Lots of great inspiration there for strange passages to different planes, and, explicitly, lighthouses and towers.
Arrival and Annihilation were both based on books:
https://www.amazon.com/Arrival-Stories-Your-Life-MTI-ebook/dp/B01JEMPGWQ
https://www.amazon.com/Annihilation-Novel-Southern-Reach-Trilogy/dp/0374104093
But this is a perfect opportunity to plug one of my favorite books... and it's in the public domain... and it's a really fast read...
But it's not contemporary. :( Bear with me...
Little Fuzzy by H. Beam Piper.
http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/18137
(The two sequels are not public domain yet.)
The premise is this: In the future, you can incorporate an uninhabited planet for the purpose of consumption of resources. Mining, farming, pharmaceuticals, etc. whatever comes from the planet is wholly owned by the corporation.
So long as it's uninhabited.
So this prospector is out mining for fossilized jellyfish that fluoresce when exposed to body heat, a very valuable gemstone. He gets back to camp after a hard day and finds a small fuzzy animal in his shower. He somehow snuck into the place.
So he does the normal thing, he feeds it and tries to make friends, but the more he learns about Little Fuzzy the more he starts to think that it's not an animal, it may not be sapient either, but if it's not then it's right on the edge of what is sapient and what isn't.
It's a great read. Maybe about time for my annual re-read of all three... Oh, for the contemporary bits... It's set in the far future but it was written in the early 1960s so people still meet for cocktail hour and cigarettes. LOL.
Maybe you'd enjoy Jeff Vandermeer's Southern Reach Trilogy, which begins with Annhilation. Personally, it was a little bizarre for my taste (like reading the diary of Salvador Dali while on acid kind of bizarre), but it was certainly unique to my experience. I haven't read the second two yet, but from what I understand, while the politics increases, I don't think it becomes completely politics-centered. Based on your description, it might be what you're looking for.
Annihilation: A Novel (The Southern Reach Trilogy) https://www.amazon.com/dp/0374104093/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_HR9Yzb4CJ84K0
Is this the correct book series?
Has anyone ever heard of this book, Annihilation??
It's much, much lighter than that.
http://www.amazon.com/Station-Eleven-Emily-John-Mandel/dp/0385353308
http://www.amazon.com/Annihilation-Novel-Southern-Reach-Trilogy/dp/0374104093/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1426626059&amp;sr=1-1&amp;keywords=annihilation
The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood is a crucial piece of literature. There are many layers that add to the pragmatism, an intricate dystopian piece of what has been hailed as speculative fiction, mostly for it's semblance to reality. The glimpses the narrator has before she was a enslaved to bear children mirrors our own.
OH MY GOODNESS they are so cute!!! :3 I have a little chihuahua/rat terrior mix named Pookie :)
Young Adult is great! I really enjoy dystopias as well! If you're interested in trekking down that path, a few good Young Adult/Dystopias are The Hunger Games, Divergent, and The Giver. I also highly recommend Ready Player One and The Handmaids Tale :D
My husband teaches high school English, and one of his favorite books to share with his class is The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood. It's a very cool story about a future society where women are only important in society because they can have babies.
Secession by a fundamental christian or conservative group of states would make the most sense, and it's a terrifying thought. Anyone ever read The Handmaid's Tale?
Margaret Atwood has two companion books, both of a dystopian nature. I prefer Oryx and Crake, but The Year of the Flood is a nice afterword. The Handmaid's Tale is her most popular work. She calls it speculative fiction instead of science fiction.
She's one of my favorites, obviously.
The Handmaid's Tale. I'm reading this right now, and it's really, really freaky. It feels like it could possible happen right now with everything going on.
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.
I'm going to be honest, that's a bit outside my wheelhouse. I did a bit of research though, the timing of this comment tells you how much, and I found this site.
My personal recommendation for you is The Handmaid's Tale, by Margaret Atwood.
[1. Water Bottle](https://www.amazon.com/CamelBak-53863-Vacuum-Insulated-Stainless/dp/B015DKY552/ref=sr_1_9?s=sports-and-fitness&ie=UTF8&qid=1527750520&sr=1-9&keywords=insulated+water+bottle)
[2. I'd be wearing this coverup](https://www.amazon.com/BLENCOT-Crochet-Chiffon-Swimsuit-Swimwear/dp/B07BKQB8XF/ref=sr_1_10?s=apparel&ie=UTF8&qid=1527750774&sr=1-10&nodeID=1040660&psd=1&keywords=beach&#37;2Bcoverups&#37;2Bfor&#37;2Bwomen&th=1) with [this](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B076GZK2ZJ/?coliid=I2OMEM72SSI92W&colid=3IFPU88IRMKM2&psc=0&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it) bathing suit.
[3. Beach Towel](https://www.amazon.com/Modern-Design-Beautiful-Amazing-Flamingo/dp/B01ILLVTRW/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&qid=1527750845&sr=8-10&keywords=beach+towel+flamingo)
[4. Floatie](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M0KIW54/ref=twister_B07CBN2P3R?_encoding=UTF8&th=1)
[5. Sunscreen](https://www.amazon.com/Banana-Boat-Sunscreen-Family-Spectrum/dp/B004CDV7EY/ref=sr_1_12_s_it?s=beauty&ie=UTF8&qid=1527751529&sr=1-12&keywords=Sunscreen)
[6. Beach Bag](https://www.amazon.com/Beach-Insulated-Picnic-Cooler-Zipper/dp/B01GUFGKNE/ref=sr_1_62?ie=UTF8&qid=1527751672&sr=8-62&keywords=beach+bag)
[7. Book](https://www.amazon.com/Handmaids-Tale-Margaret-Atwood/dp/038549081X/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1527751797&sr=8-2&keywords=the+handmaid&#37;27s+tale)
[8. Summer-themed Movie](https://www.amazon.com/Jaws-Roy-Scheider/dp/B009CG9CXO/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1527751989&sr=8-3&keywords=jaws)
[9. Treat](https://www.amazon.com/FroZip-Disposable-Popsicle-Freezer-Smoothies/dp/B01MDUDWHH/ref=lp_3737191_1_11?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1527752143&sr=1-11)
[10. Outdoor Decor](https://www.amazon.com/Mark-Margot-Mischievous-Figurine-Outdoor/dp/B01JV40GSQ/ref=sr_1_68?s=lawn-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1527752371&sr=1-68&keywords=outdoor+decor)
[11. Father's Day](https://www.amazon.com/How-Babysit-Grandpa-Jean-Reagan/dp/0375867139/ref=sr_1_18?ie=UTF8&qid=1527752509&sr=8-18&keywords=grandpa) - A gift from my daughter. He enjoys spending time with her any chance he can get. I think he would love being able to read this with her.
[12. 'Murican](https://www.amazon.com/Your-Hearts-Delight-Patriotic-Decoration/dp/B072HJ54HX/ref=sr_1_7?s=furniture&ie=UTF8&qid=1527752733&sr=1-7&keywords=patriotic+decorations)
[13. Thunder Buddy](https://www.amazon.com/Dr-Harts-Weighted-Blanket-Comforter/dp/B07BFGV757/ref=sr_1_6?s=bedbath&ie=UTF8&qid=1527752850&sr=1-6&keywords=weighted+blanket)
[14. Doodling](https://www.amazon.com/Moodles-Happy-Parragon-Books/dp/1474804306/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1527752937&sr=8-2&keywords=moodles)
[15. CD](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000CF35G/ref=s9_acsd_zwish_hd_bw_bHTw_c_x_1_w?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=merchandised-search-20&pf_rd_r=92XST8CNC19E1WJGER44&pf_rd_r=92XST8CNC19E1WJGER44&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=3309eeee-cb0e-40d4-8619-55fa8f63f651&pf_rd_p=3309eeee-cb0e-40d4-8619-55fa8f63f651&pf_rd_i=67204)
[16. Forgot](https://www.amazon.com/Samsung-Adapter-Sync-Charging-Cable/dp/B00CQS0S7E/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1527753241&sr=8-2&keywords=charger+samsung+galaxy+s4)
[17. Pineapples](https://www.amazon.com/Artificial-Succulent-Pineapple-Home-Decoration/dp/B0748JVW8P/ref=sr_1_17?ie=UTF8&qid=1527753341&sr=8-17&keywords=pineapple+decor)
[18. Planting](https://www.amazon.com/Outsidepride-Lemon-Grass-1000-Seeds/dp/B006NOGWZ4/ref=sr_1_5?s=lawn-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1527754042&sr=1-5&keywords=lemongrass+seeds) - to help keep mosquitoes away.
[19. Outside Activity](https://www.amazon.com/Banzai-Triple-Racer-Water-Slide/dp/B072133ZSC/ref=sr_1_31?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1527753769&sr=1-31&keywords=water+game
[20. Shark](https://www.amazon.com/Prime-Time-Toys-Sharkpedo-Underwater/dp/B01FFF8U92/ref=sr_1_59?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1527753695&sr=1-59&keywords=shark)
Reading rainbow
The Handmaid's Tale
I've been wanting this book for awhile :) I don't mind used!
George, if you get a chance, can you think about adding Richard Bach's Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah to the reading list?
Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah https://smile.amazon.com/dp/0440204887/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_Q1OxDbC1Y57RH
Reminds me of a scene in this book....
The Subtle Body: An Encyclopedia of Your Energetic Anatomy
Autobiography of a Yogi
The Field,
The Intention Experiment, The Bond
Jonathan Livingston Seagull, Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah
Illusions
Illusions - Richard Bach. A somewhat short read, but wonderful. If you liked Jonathan Livingston Seagull (same author), you'll love this book. It goes into much further depth discussing the philosophies of self-imposed mental limitations, and what it means to be self-actualized in the pursuit of happiness. But it does it all in a very light, anecdotal way that really makes you think. That's what I love about it. Definitely worth the $8 Amazon's charging for a brand new copy, and the used copies start at $3 including shipping.
I immediately thought of this book.
http://www.amazon.com/Illusions-The-Adventures-Reluctant-Messiah/dp/0440204887
"The bond that links your true family is not one of blood, but of respect and joy in each other's life. Rarely do members of one family grow up under the same roof."
Illusions, my absolute favorite book.
You really need to read this book: http://www.amazon.com/Illusions-The-Adventures-Reluctant-Messiah/dp/0440204887 you'll seriously love it. Quite topical.
Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah by richard bach
amazon link
False: read the vampire metaphor.
Illusions by Richard Bach
This is more accurate
Relevant
Win, I'm currently reading Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Killer It's amazing.
That would imply one should learn from history. Not very viable when people are busy re-writing or re-interpreting history to further their causes. As an example look what some have done with Abraham Lincoln.
That's zombies, if you want vampires you may want to move towards Abe Lincoln's autobiography.
And here iis a link to the book it is based on...
http://www.amazon.com/Abraham-Lincoln-Vampire-Seth-Grahame-Smith/dp/0446563080
Yarp.
Let's get grammared this weekend!
I <3 your phrase! :D
My last final is on the May 12th, so I'm not done yet.
Anyway, Happy Almost Birthday!!!! My b-day is coming up soon too: May 26th
I'm sorry I don't read much but the last book I read and loved that seems to be in your realm of interest was:
Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter
Same book on paperbackswap.com
I enjoyed Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter.
I found his uncensored biography.
Doomsday Book by Connie Willis. A historian gets sent back in time to study the middle ages and gets stuck there.
Wait, do you mean this Doomsday Book? Because that was SF mainly set in the past. And I enjoyed it very much.
Doomsday Book by Connie Willis is phenomenal.
I also really enjoyed Summer of Love by Lisa Mason
Should be an interesting read. One of my favourites is still Connie Willis' The Doomsday Book, so this should be interesting. Thanks for the recommendation.
Came here to say this. Connie Willis has a series of tremendous science fiction books about time travelling women.
My two favorite from that series are The Doomsday Book and To Say Nothing of the Dog, which is the best light-hearted sci-fi I've ever read.
I haven't gotten to read the books. I'm disappointed in myself.
I need the first one, so i can start. Used paperback is more than okay. My Nook no longer works, so no digital for me. D:
And those two kids are adorable! I love his little knight costume. <3
I'd love to have the first book but the ebook would would be fine as well.
The kiddos look awesome!
unicorn
book
I think you should buy this for yourself.
Then possibly THIS for me since, well, they kind of go together.
Buy yourself a copy of Game of Thrones! It's sooooooooooooo amazing--you really have to read it :D You're going to love it!
As for myself, I'd love a gift card to add to my Kindle Fire fund. I have a long ways to go before I can afford it, but I'm super excited for it!! And every little bit helps :)
It's a little over $10 - but you have this on your WL, and you NEED it..like...right NAO
and I would want a surprise, because that's just how I roll.
A Song of Fire and Ice - George R.R. Martin.
I'm not sure what version of the book you have, but page 703 in this version shows that after taking off the poultice and putting mud on, the wound had become infected.
http://www.amazon.com/Game-Thrones-Song-Fire-Book/dp/0553573403
If you're not used to the large cast of characters, keep in mind it may feel a little slow. Keep reading, once you get used to it you'll be very impressed. And the superfluous details here and there usually are for a reason, they'll come back at later books to make you want to reread again.
A Song of Ice And Fire (Book One is Game of Thrones). Try the free "Look Inside" sample and decide for yourself.
Yeah, she likes Garak. I do too, but damn, that book is expensive!
Dr. Bashir: Of all the stories you've told me, which ones were true and which ones weren't?
Garak: My dear doctor, they are all true
Dr. Bashir: Even the lies?
Garak: Especially the lies
Apparently Andrew J Robinson wrote a novel from Garak's view that fills in a lot of the back-story on him and shows events from his point of view. It got plenty of good reviews.
http://www.amazon.com/Stitch-Time-Star-Trek-Space/dp/0671038850
Read this. Written by Andrew Robinson who portrayed Garak
Definitely do!
I have a some personal favorites I can recommend:
DS9's Terok Nor Trilogy
DS9's A Stitch in Time
TNG's The Romulan Prize
TNG's Imzadi
TNG's Kahless
I.K.S. Gorkon Trilogy
Note: I think all of these are available for the Kindle, which is handy because so many are out of print.
"They" being the guy that played Garak (http://www.amazon.com/Stitch-Time-Star-Trek-Space/dp/0671038850).
guhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh like the end of 2015 MAYBE more like mid-2016 MAYBE uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
stop reminding us.
In the meantime though, there are cool short stories. One comes out in a few weeks!
http://www.amazon.com/The-Slow-Regard-Silent-Things/dp/0756410436
Read the main series first though.
It should be out now. http://www.amazon.com/The-Slow-Regard-Silent-Things/dp/0756410436
The Slow Regard of Silent Things by Patrick Rothfuss
Working on Where Wizards Stay Up Late: The Origins of the Internet, then it'll be on to Slow Regard of Silent Things.
Amazon link - from goodreads, google wouldn't give it as a result
I imagine someone will ask him in Portland or Seattle. Hopefully news will out.
Did you try "Aztec" ? It's not a "horror" book but historical fiction.
There is some good horror elements though, because of their weird relationship with death (sacrifices, cannibalism, etc) :
https://www.amazon.com/Aztec-Gary-Jennings/dp/0765317508/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=gary+jennings&qid=1558981213&s=gateway&sr=8-1
&#x200B;
&#x200B;
>I would like similar themes (does not have to be Aztec) but i would like it based in the jungle. More horror then fantasy, no romance with very little sex. Fiction loosely based on facts but not a must. Could have expeditions to find lost citys, a bit like the movie lost city of oz flick
It will be very hard to find the book you want, at this point, maybe try to write it yourself ;-)
Here is a good read: AZTEC by Gary Jennings www.amazon.com/Aztec-Gary-Jennings/dp/0765317508
I have all the books in a box in storage. I was reading them when I was in 6th grade, and now I'm 48.... tells you what an impact they had. There might have been 5 or 6 of them. I honestly don't remember much from them now except for the physical things (like the reallly thin string that can cut you in half if you don't handle it right, made to hold the night/day solar panels together). Since then, I've been much more into real science, black holes, physics, etc. I tried reading some of the classic sci-fi like Asimov and Dune and the Hobbit books but just couldn't get into them.
One exception is a book called Aztec [Amazon.com link] by Gary Jennings who wrote about the Spanish invasion of Mexico from the viewpoint of an Aztec. He also wrote one about Marco Polo (I think?) which was about the spanish explorer's world travels. Other than those..... I only really read about hard science and scientists' biographies. And I'm a jazz musician if I didn't mention it before.
I enjoyed Refuge, by Richard Herley. It's about a man who thinks he is the last person in the world until he discovers a recently-killed body in a creek near his home.
Here is the book's first chapter.
There's also Aztec, by Gary Jennings, which is a fantastic adventure story set in pre-Columbian Mexico. You can get a preview on its Amazon.com page.
Unfortunately, I haven't played this game so I can't speak for its veracity or lack thereof. But I am going to piggy-back off your question to ask my fellow panelists about some other Mesoamerica-in-pop-culture questions.
Have any of you read Gary Jennings Aztec? It's been sitting on my shelf for a while but I haven't gotten around to reading it yet. If you have read it, how well does it score for historical accuracy?
I've also not seen Apocalypto either. How well (or poorly, if what I've heard of it is accurate) does that film reflect Mayan culture at the time?
Aztec series by Gary Jennings, if you're into something epic.
The King in Yellow was arguable Lovecraft's biggest influence.
Mervyn Peake's Gormenghast books might be a good fit.
Haruki Murakami in my opinion does "dreamlike" better then anyone else I have read. The Wind up Bird Chronicles, might be a good start.
For something like Stardust, I would recommend John Crowly, particularly Little Big, Winters Tale, and maybe Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell.
I think Clive Barker hits the tone you are looking for sometimes, but not in all of his work, maybe someone who has read him more can give a better recommendation.
If you have not read China Miéville Perdido Street Station would be a good start.
I just started The Drowning Girl so can't really give a full review, but so far it seems like it would also be a good fit.
For something that is not really what you asked for, but is a fun read for a Lovecraft fan I would recommend Charles Stross' The Laundry Files Series, Starting with The Atrocity Archive A semi comic story about the bureaucratic side of the secret agency that deals with the impending lovecraftian nightmare apocalypse, a little pulpy, but lots of fun.
A couple of suggestions for you, as a fellow lover of magical realism:
Moonlight on the Avenue of Faith by Gina Nahai
Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke
The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaimen (my favorite of his - it is more magic realism than most of his other fantasy/slipstream style books)
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
Nights at the circus by Angela Carter
I recommend the book Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell to anyone who likes deep fantasy. This book, however, is really not for you if you love action scenes, or descriptive violence. This book has a big, big weird world. It's influenced by "faerie" stuff and lore. It's not a black and white morality book like a lot of fantasy.
Mostly, it's totally interesting, and weird, and funny, British dry-humoury. I recommend it if you like fantasy, but not necessarily traditional tropes of sword-carrying, dragon-slaying heroes.
EDIT: Link to Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Jonathan-Strange-Mr-Norrell-Novel/dp/0765356155
The first review is pretty helpful to get a gauge on how you'll like it (or not!).
The best fantasy book I ever read was Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell. It's a slow burn, but the world building is second to none. There was a BBC miniseries as well. I haven't watched it but it's well-reviewed.
Some others I really like:
Hoity toity literature: Moby Dick (way more fun than it's reputation lets on), Notes From the Underground by Dostoevsky.
Non-fiction: The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson (chronicles the building of the World's Fair in Chicago alongside HH Holmes building his Murder Castle), The Emperor of All Maladies by Siddartha Mukherjee (history of cancer).
Great sci-fi: Dune, Canticle for Leibowitz, Fahrenheit 451.
Books that are really fun to read: Anything by Neil Gaiman, Dresden Files series.
I'm having a little trouble because most fantasy things, set in another universe with worldbuilding like LOTD, Wheel of Time, GoT, etc, don't really have horror elements, and vice versa. Even Lovecraft's stuff is mostly set on Earth, even though it's decidedly non-real. For classic horror I recommend Dracula, which is apparently free on Kindle, or I Am Legend.
I am legend book
I love reading books! :D
Did you like Owen Meany? I hated it, but I had to read it over the summer for my senior year of high school. I also didn't like Ender's Game. :( Boo, I know.
Anyway, I would suggest White Oleander by Janet Fitch, for some reason it sort of reminds me of the subject matter in John Green's books but it's quite different. I would also suggest The Gates by John Connolly, I thought it was quite good. :D
I would like dis book, mass market paperback is fine. :D
Thanks for the contest!
Here's a link to the book. Some of the stories are really good even if they only take up two or three pages.
Dachsund
Scottish Fold
Chameleon
Woof Woof! I'd like this book.
If you want some blanks filled in, try the Force Awakens novelization. I haven't read it myself, but I've heard from a lot of people that there's some information in there that wasn't in the movie, as well as further developed character relationships.
I also suggest The Force Awakens Visual Dictionary. After seeing the movie the first couple of times, I had a ton of questions. This book answered a great deal of them.
It sucks that the comic isn't good. I wasn't expecting much, simply because it was a 4-issue mini-series. That seemed really short, so I basically expected them to speed through the plot, rather than adding to it.
I had really hoped that Disney would take this opportunity to really streamline the Star Wars universe, and keep everything consistent and in-continuity across the board. I'd hoped they'd put people in charge who really cared about the quality of the stories they were telling and the products they were releasing. But that hasn't really been the case. Between low quality releases and completely ignoring The Old Republic, I haven't been terribly happy with the new expanded universe.
I linked to Aftermath, and you can grab it. The TFA novel is also out in kindle (Jan hardcover... which is bull that buying that doesn't let you DL the digital as well -__-;), which could also have extra backstory.
Assuming you mean the book http://www.amazon.com/Force-Awakens-Star-Wars/dp/1101965495/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1450587365&amp;sr=8-3&amp;keywords=The+force+awakens
http://www.amazon.com/The-Force-Awakens-Star-Wars/dp/1101965495
> novel
this one?
http://www.amazon.com/The-Force-Awakens-Star-Wars/dp/1101965495
You can get the kindle and audible/audiobook off amazon now. Print edition comes out in january.
http://www.amazon.com/Force-Awakens-Star-Wars/dp/1101965495/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1451370741&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=the+force+awakens
Amazon?
Reading Rainbow
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1101965495/ref=aw_wl_ov_dp_1_14?colid=26IW6Y9KKNGU9&amp;coliid=I3REBDGGX8F2KX
I am a nerd and I'm not ashamed.
I definitely like Kylo more than Rey. I'm super HAPPY with the entire cast including Rey. But my heart has always been with the bad guys. I knew I was going to love Kylo the most the moment I saw him. In fact the moment I saw him I looked at my boyfriend and said "You're costuming that." like he didn't have an option, I'm making him a Kylo and he's going to be mine and that's that!
But I LOVE the point you brought up that this movie really makes you sympathize with the bad guys and I loved that. You feel for Finn who is freaked out by the power and cruelty of the first order and you actually feel for Kylo who is struggling between light and dark. Watching the promos and getting hyped, I never imagined I would feel for Kylo. I assumed I'd sit there and think he was amazing but I didn't think I'd connect with him, it was actually kind of nice! I'm circle jerking, I know, I can't help it.
Here's a list of shit you need to pick up:
The visual dictionary
The Art of Star Wars the Force Awakens
And you mentioned having a book with layouts of the death star and such so you may like Incredible Cross Sections.
And from what EVERYONE I know has been telling me, The Force Awakens novelization is a must read if you want juicy little details that weren't made crystal clear in the movie!
Also, if you are not reading the comics. STOP. RIGHT. NOW. AND. READ. THEM!!
In order of priority:
Darth Vader
Star Wars
Princess Leia
Shattered Empire
And read Kanan if you're a Rebels fan. I HAVE the comic I just haven't read that one yet!
But no seriously that Darth Vader comic. The stuff that happens. UGH. NERDGASM. After reading them and re-watching the movies in preparation for TFA I fell in love with the originals all over again. It was like that fresh awesome new love I had for them the first time! So good!
Mushashi by Eiji Yoshikawa
Musashi
I didn't tag book of five rings because this book is about Miyamoto Musashi and not just his philosophy which seems to be what you're looking for. I would read this first then you'll likely want to read the rest. I read this book 10 years ago and it changed my life. It jolted me into action and still affects how I am today.
Perhaps you've already gotten him a book by now, but here are my recommendations for him and anyone else who reads this thread. I'm a martial arts researcher and a former martial arts teacher. I even wrote my Master's Thesis on martial arts. I've read literally hundreds of books on the subject. There are a lot of terrible books out there on the martial arts but you can't go wrong with any of these.
If he studies Shotokan, the best place to start is with the guy who invented it.
Karate-Do: My Way of Life is written by the founding master of Shotokan, Gichin Funakoshi.
http://www.amazon.com/Karate-Do-Way-Life-Gichin-Funakoshi/dp/1568364989/ref=sr_1_10?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1411959258&amp;sr=1-10&amp;keywords=shotokan
My number one recommendation is When Buddhists Attack by Jeffery Mann - This is an very well researched book on the history of the relationship between Zen and the Martial arts. It is a fantastic book that will help him deepen his understanding of martial arts instead of intentionally mystifying it more to try to sell more books like most martial arts books do.
http://www.amazon.com/When-Buddhists-Attack-Curious-Relationship/dp/4805312300/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1411958781&amp;sr=1-1&amp;keywords=when+buddhists+attack
If he's more into stories, I'd recommend Musashi by Eiji Yoshikawa. It's a novelization of one of the most famous samurai to ever live. It's an exaggeration of his life but very entertaining.
http://www.amazon.com/Musashi-Epic-Novel-Samurai-Era/dp/156836427X
If he'd rather learn about the real person I'd recommend The Lone Samurai by William Scott Wilson. Wilson is a famous translator and historian, his work is very well researched and enjoyable to read.
http://www.amazon.com/Lone-Samurai-Life-Miyamoto-Musashi/dp/1590309871/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1411958941&amp;sr=1-1&amp;keywords=the+lone+samurai
I'll end with a list of books NOT to buy. These are books are really popular but are full of misinformation, outright fabrications, or worse.
Joe Hyams - Zen in the Martial arts
Eugen Herrigel - Zen in the Art of Archery
Inazo - Nitobe - Bushido
Hope this helps! If not, you have gift ideas for next year!
I read this book when I was 15-ish
https://www.amazon.com/Musashi-Epic-Novel-Samurai-Era/dp/156836427X/ref=asc_df_156836427X/?tag=hyprod-20&amp;linkCode=df0&amp;hvadid=312009759033&amp;hvpos=1o1&amp;hvnetw=g&amp;hvrand=14384639465927352324&amp;hvpone=&amp;hvptwo=&amp;hvqmt=&amp;hvdev=m&amp;hvdvcmdl=&amp;hvlocint=&amp;hvlocphy=9028805&amp;hvtargid=pla-432396557900&amp;psc=1
When I needed my first internet username I picked that and I’ve used it for 20+ years now.
here's a link to Musashi
Musashi: An Epic Novel of the Samurai Era https://www.amazon.ca/dp/156836427X/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_K9YyzbPJGTKSP
This:
https://www.amazon.com/Musashi-Epic-Novel-Samurai-Era/dp/156836427X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1487355717&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=Musashi
What does it read like ... historical, fantasy? Do you know of any western novels or simply genres that compare?
/u/Toptomcat nailed it. Wholeheartedly agree in reference to Bubishi, not very practical but interesting nonetheless. I loved Draeger's CAFA and Unante is comprehensive thesis on the historical origins and lineages of the Okinawan fighting arts. These titles might not be for everyone but I am a history buff in addition to a martial artist so I enjoyed them.
Couple of others:
A few off-topic but related titles:
feudal Japan is a fascinating topic. I recommend Musashi by Eiji Yoshikawa,as a fun intro to an amazing time and place.
A Boy Called H A story of a kid growing up during WW2
Shank's Mare also know as Tōkaidōchū Hizakurige. The best way the book was described to me was Beavis and Butthead in medieval Japan. It's about two travelers walking around and getting into trouble.
Musashi: An Epic Novel of the Samurai Era - the story of Miyoto Musashi, one of the most well known sword saints in Japan.
Shipwrecks A story of a village set in the Edo era, interesting premise but disappointing ending.
If you like the book Shogun, James Clavell wrote another one based during the Meji Restoration titled Gai-Jin
Is this the same book?
https://archive.org/details/MusashiEijiYoshikawa
Musashi: An Epic Novel of the Samurai Era
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/156836427X/ref=pd_aw_sim_sbs_74_3?ie=UTF8&amp;dpID=51HImP4tNRL&amp;dpSrc=sims&amp;preST=_AC_UL100_SR100%2C100_&amp;refRID=17E5J6YAN59D0PH3M1YA
The first in what I hope will be a series of stellar Ted Chiang adaptations!
ANYONE who is into beautiful, idea-centric sci-fi will benefit from the book this is based on! http://www.amazon.com/Stories-Your-Life-Others-Chiang/dp/1931520720
I used to think so too, but having read The life of Pi I'm not so sure any more.
Abraham Lincoln the great vampire hunter
Well, you need to be on your toes when you're a vampire hunter
He has a short story coming out in October I believe.
http://www.amazon.com/Regard-Silent-Things-Kingkiller-Chronicles/dp/0756410436/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1406913321&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=pat+rothfuss
It's about Auri and I suspect it will be a great read. Unfortunately it isn't book three :(
I would also suggest cross-posting this to r/booksuggestions.
Also, I love historical fiction so a few of my recommendations:
> Richard Matheson, Vincent Price, Charlton Heston, and Will Smith already did this...
FTFY
There were two types of infected: 1) Those infected who did not succumb to the infection leading to death and 2) Those infected whom did die and could become reanimated. The reanimated ones were feral, having no memories of their past lives and killed without hesitation, which is where I think the confusion lies between vampirism and modern day zombies.
The symptoms are that of vampirism and not that of typical "walking dead" as we know them today.
I'd recommend reading the novel the movie is loosely based on by Richard Matheson.
His vampirism was a catalyst in the development of modern day zombies and heavily influenced the likes of George A. Romero and Stephen King.
Romero himself is quoted as saying, "I had written a short story, which I basically had ripped off from a Richard Matheson novel called I Am Legend." The title of Romero and co-author John Russo's short story is called "Monster Flick" and was originally intended to be a horror comedy which has little resemblance to the final product.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1101965495/ref=mp_s_a_1_fkmr0_1?qid=1450752989&amp;sr=8-1-fkmr0&amp;pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&amp;keywords=star+wars+episode+7+novelization
Good Omens