I have heard rumors all my life, repeated by strange specters throughout my schooling, of a place where the books are free and the women are cheap…. A place where everything that is known, can be known if you just know how to look.
The truth is something else entirely.
Now, the books aren’t free in the sense that they can be taken forever, and the women aren’t cheap in the sense that they will have sex for you for very little money. It’s more along the lines that you can borrow a book for free, and the people involved in this genius profit scheme make very little money and thus live a frugal lifestyle.
In either case, I have found this place, and it is called “The Library.” Today, I got my official “Library Card” which is what I understand they give to intrepid explorers, such as myself, to take back to a room full of British thrill seekers so we can place it on the wall next to the elephant tusks.
Anyway, now that I have ventured to this magical kingdom, and fought its weather beaten hobos, senile old people, and frigid sex-hating librarians: I have a request.
So, my readers and my friends, any good books you’d like to recommend?
I hope you’re not implying this is your first library card. I’ve just finished two books, one called “My Labotomy” by Howard Dully and “Another Day in the Frontal Lobe” by Katrina Firlick. I must think I need my head examined.
If it’s by Kage Baker, Cory Doctorow, Lois Bujold, or Elizabeth Moon, read it.
I personally enjoy RA Salvatore. Anything including Drzzt and the like is worth reading.
Links are to Amazon, so you can see book covers and check reviews.
“Diaspora” by Greg Egan
http://tinyurl.com/diaspora-greg-egan
“Everything Bad Is Good for You: How Today’s Popular Culture Is Actually Making Us Smarter” by Steven Johnson
http://tinyurl.com/bad-is-good
“Me Talk Pretty One Day” by David Sedaris (brother of Amy Sedaris, from “Strangers with Candy”)
http://tinyurl.com/talk-pretty
“Look Me in the Eye: My Life with Asperger’s” by John Elder Robison (brother of Augusten Burroughs: “Running with Scissors” and other family memoir books)
http://tinyurl.com/life-with-aspergers
“On Killing: The Psychological Cost of Learning to Kill in War and Society” by LTC David Grossman
http://tinyurl.com/on-killing
“Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers” by Mary Roach
http://tinyurl.com/lives-of-cadavers
“Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal” by Christopher Moore
http://tinyurl.com/biff-gospel
Series:
Discworld, fantasy/satire by Terry Pratchet
Dragonriders of Pern, sci-fi by Anne McCaffrey
That should do to start, I think.
Mordant’s Need: This Mirror of her dreams & a Man rides through.
- Stephen Donaldson
The Hyperion Cantos by Dan Simmons. Delicious.
hmmm – maybe you could be the first person to whom I recommend ‘The Diamond Age’ by Neal Stephenson who’ll actually get through the whole darn thing.
I loved it so much I’ve read it three times now.
http://www.complete-review.com/reviews/stephenn/diamond.htm
that link should give you a half decent idea as to what it’s about…however I’m apparently the most enthusiastic person who’s read it! (it’s freakin great dammit!)
Your first checkout was “Winter of Our Discontent” by John Steinbeck, winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature? Well, if you like the classics, here are some more that I think you will like: “The Sun Also Rises” by Ernest Hemingway; “Demian” by Hermann Hesse; “The Plague” by Albert Camus; and “Hunger” by Knut Hamsun. All of the above won the Nobel Prize for Literature. I was mesmerized by the power of these authors when I was a teenager. Believe me, reading these will be time well spent, especially for someone who aspires to be a famous writer.
Jim Butcher’s “Stormfront”. It’s an amazingly well-connected detective novel set in Chicago, featuring Harry Dresden, the only wizard to advertise in the phone book. Also, he does magic.
Like, for real.
Anything with Clifford the big red dog. My head would probably be in an oven right now if it wasn’t for his books.
Oh oh, anything by Chuck Palahniuk! Also, American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis. The Hannibal Lector trilogy by Thomas Harris.
I think you said you’ve never read The Lord of the Rings, so DEAR GOD READ THOSE BOOKS!! And I’d also say His Dark Materials, but I think you’ve read them.
Augusten Burroughs. He is so hilarious.
Thank you all. I’m going to read every single one of these when I get the chance. Going to the library is going to be my new hobby!
I miss the library. I had just gotten my library card before me moved and only got to use it a couple of times. It makes me sad. I don’t have any books to recommend though.
Max Brooks – World War Z
Seconded on the World War Z.
Also, in the epic fantasy department: if you haven’t already, check out The Prince of Nothing series by R. Scott Bakker. I think he’s one of the best writers working in fantasy today. The series starts with The Darkness That Comes Before.
Also check out The Warded Man by Peter V. Brett. It’s a first novel, so some of the prose is a little shaky at times, but overall a very good read, and a nicely unique magic system to boot. Plus, it’s got some of the same ethos as the world in which your fantasy stories are set, which will either be right up your alley or completely off-putting (I know that when I find a story or book that has the same feel as something I’m writing or the worlds are similar, I go into a semi-depressed funk that can actually lead to a block – but maybe I’m just projecting. Okay, probably.).
Also, if you read and like Stephenson’s The Diamond Age, you should probably check out his most recent novel, Anathem, which is the book for which he’s been striving since TDA, IMNSHO.
I suspect you’ve already consumed Scalzi’s stuff, so that’s moot. My current favorite scifi author is Peter F. Hamilton – he’s pretty much the modern master of space opera. He’s a wordy sunuvabitch, so most of his stuff runs toward the 250k words-per-book multi-volume series model, but for a nice stand-alone check out Fallen Dragon. That’s where I got my start with Hamilton, and I’ve not looked back.
Okay, that – combined with the other suggestions in the comments – should keep you in books for… oh, say, the next year or two.
HOW COULD I FORGET WWZ!
It is my favorite book. I have read it over and over. I also have the Zombie Survival Guide.
I hope you’ve read ‘the Dark Tower’ series by Steve King. That’s a HEAVY series.
I also enjoyed the Earthsea series by Ursula K. Le Guin. (even though the recent sci-fi channel movie just lobotomized the entire series, the books are special…and a quick read too. very thin)
On the sci-fi front, check out the ‘Rama’ series. The first one kinda leaves a bitter taste in your mouth but i think that’s the fastest i’ve ever gone out and bought the second book. (4 total i believe)
Please read The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell (http://www.amazon.com/Sparrow-Mary-Doria-Russell/dp/0449912558/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1245953007&sr=8-1 ) You will absolutely love it.
@Tat.
I would DEFINITELY second Mordant’s Need, as well as anything by Augusten Burroughs – particularly Possible Side Effects.
I have a copy of “Spanking Lesbians” on my night stand. It’s a must read.
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy series by Douglas Adams are some of my most favorite books.
My MOST favorite books are the Discworld series, by Terry Pratchet. The ones that are about the City Watch are the best, in my opinion.
I’m also a huge fan of The Dresden Files series by Jim Butcher. They’re an AMAZING blend of film noir style mysteries and magic.
Have fun at the library! It’s my most favorite place!!!
A couple people have mentioned the Dresden Files. I’ll go ahead and agree that they’re worth reading, however I think I should add that I didn’t really get into them until I got to the end of the third or fourth book. The first couple books aren’t really all the well written, in my opinion and the opinion of the people who recommended this series to me. I almost discarded the series entirely after reading the first book, and then again after the second book, but a friend of mine whose opinion a respect a great deal basically said, “Yea, the ideas in the first few are pretty good but Butcher hasn’t quite nailed his writing style in them. Try to push through a couple more books, they get better I promise.” So yea, the Dresden books aren’t bad, but you may have to push through a couple books you’re not thrilled with before you get to the good stuff.
Butcher has another series I thought was interesting. I can’t think of the series title at the moment, but the title of the first book of it is Furies of Calderon.
If you’ve seen the movie Willow and enjoyed it you should try to find the Shadow Wars Trilogy by Chris Claremont and George Lucas. It’s three books which are sequels to Willow and I think they’re fantastic. I believe the title of the first book in that line is Shadow Moon.
Anne Rice is always fun. A lot of people give her shit, but she presents some really interesting ideas in the Vampire Chronicles.
Pretty much anything by Orson Scott Card is worth reading, the Ender series in particular.
Lets see… my boyfriend turned me on to Laurel K Hamilton’s Merry Gentry series last year, so you may want to try that. I liked it.
Lilith St Crowe’s Dante Valentine books are pretty good too.
Hmmm… I think I’ll have to go home and look at my bookshelf before I recommend anything else.
You should read The Strain by Guillermo Del Toro and Chuck Hogan it is like sci-fi/horror/thriller/medical thriller all wrapped into one. it is the start of a trilogy. I disagree on the Dante Valentine books though. the first one kicks ass, the second one was okay and I found the third one unreadable. I didn’t even try to read the rest. Chuck Palahniuk is amazing minus Snuff and Rant.
@Eileen
You now know of a 2nd “Diamond Age” reader who’s gone start to finish on it…again and again.
Other books… Hmm… you just might find the Omar Khayyam I mentioned months ago. On that note, if you’re willing to just open you’re mind for a bit and let thoughts wash over, I’ve found the KJV Bible or at least 1 English translation of Koran to be interesting for that.
@AngelKnigh(t?)
The bible is a great story! And really no need to open your mind for it to be.
I’m planning on reading everything here, so I’ll just let people know about the books that have been recommended that I have read.
Again, thank you all so much for your suggestions.
1. I have read Anatham, and loved it.
2. I have read “The Dark Tower” and loved the first four books. I accepted the last three books because I can’t imagine what would have been an acceptable ending.
3. I have read the Earthsea books, and enjoyed them. My favorited was the Tombs.
4. I have read the first Rama book, and intend on getting the second.
5. I’ve read all the Hitchhiker books, and found them immensely satisfying.
6. I consume as much Terry Pratchett as I can. It makes me feel better about the world to know people like Terry Pratchett exist, so I try to read up as much of his stuff as I can.
7. I have read Anne Rice. I will say nothing else in the interests of being a gentleman.
8. I have read all the Enders Game, and my satisfaction with it is equalled only by the loudness of my “WTF?” moments when I read about OSC’s personal political beliefs.
I guess I will have to pick up a Terry Pratchett book. I see them at the bookstores here but pass them up. (They have a lot of book stores like one in every “mall” (tons of what we consider malls) but the ones that have English books don’t have many.)
OH! I don’t know if you like Dean Koontz but his book “Life Expectancy” is awesome. I wasn’t a huge fan of his but I love that book.
Two suggestions for ya:
1. Anything by Jorge Luis Borges
2. The Fortunate Pilgrim by Mario Puzo. It is some of the most beautiful writing I’ve ever read.
I see you’ve read all the Hitchhiker books. I have too, and thought they were tremendous.
Hey, have you seen this news article?
New details about Michael Jackson’s Death Emerge
I was wondering if you were going to blog about this…
I think that you would enjoy “Pilote de guerre” by ANTOINE DE SAINT-EXUPÉRy. We have roughly the same bibliography, and this book is something else in my opinion. I am sure you can find an English translation, it’s out there in Danish so why not? It’s a pretty short read, but very powerful.
@ Eileen and Angelknigh
oooh fellow “diamond age” readers! tell me, did you find it more mature than Snowcrash, i.e. more concerned with sociological elements, rather than pure action/neuroscience?
i would reccomend everything Lois Mcmaster Bujold, she writes great science fiction and fantasy. her Vor-saga is spaceopera at its best.
for a more science-laden author, i can reccomend David Brin and his uplift series. He worked as a nasa-scientist before his writing career, so he actually bothers to eplain a lot of the governing principles of his universe (a big plus in my book, cant stand authors who leave too much untold when youre done with a series).
*sigh* And I had such high hopes that you wouldn’t be one of the people who trashes Anne Rice, BC. Seriously though, how far in/what series did you read? Because in regard to the Vampire Chronicles, I thought she had a really interesting creation myth/history for the vampires and I really like some of the philosophical/theological ideas she puts forth. But you don’t really get to any of that until after The Vampire Lestat. And you either have to be able to enjoy or overlook all teh gay in order to appreciate it.
And if you liked the Ender series, you should read the alternate perspective book, Ender’s Shadow. For some reason I’m completely blanking on the kid’s name right now, but one of the kids Ender commands in Ender’s Game got his own series. Also, the Alvin Maker books are pretty good.
@Banshee
Upon first reading Anne Rice, I was excited. I thought and still think her early work was great. As I kept reading, my 12 year old naive mind couldn’t grasp the detailed descriptions of “teh gay.” So I promptly stopped reading her work.
I hear she’s batshit crazy for Jesus now.
@Sark
For some reason I haven’t been able to delve into any other novels by Neal Stephenson…and that really annoys me. Just like it annoys me that I can’t get into fantasy – because it’s such a huge genre and I know that there are hundreds of great stories unavailable to me…
I have enjoyed a few hybrids though lately!
If anyone likes their scifi HARD, with intriguing psychological bits and pieces (including a brand new version of vampires no less!!) then try some Peter Watts. He’s posted much of his work online.
@Jessica
*chuckles* I didn’t really have that problem, despite picking up The Vampire Lestat for the first time at about 14 years old.
The Count of Monte Cristo – Alexandre Dumas. Fantastic book.
Cat’s Cradle – Kurt Vonnegut. Hilarious, and I couldn’t put it down
@ Eileen
if i recall correctly, Snowcrash almost reads as a prequel to Diamond age, so if you do decide to tangle with stephenson again, it might be a good place to start.
Hes also written the most amazing comprehensive historical trilogy about the premiere developments in the baroque period, a lot of which are the foundations of our society. Its amazing, but heavy as all hell. you have to be a huuge history/royal society of england/versaille/15-16century geek to like it. (all og which are conditions-of-geekery i suffer from).
@DJ
Definitely pick up Pratchett.
And I don’t mind a little Dean Koontz every now and again, but I prefer Stephen King by far.
@zak
I will look into it.
@Melanie
*high five*
@Michael
I don’t know that I have anything very profound to say on that subject.
@Rasmus
Well I will definitely look into it. That certainly sounds fancy.
@Sark
Thank you again for the suggestion.
@Banshee
Well, I didn’t really “bash” anyone, so much as I declined to comment. I read “Interview with a Vampire” “The Vampire Lestat” “Queen of the Damned” “Blackwater Farm” and several others. Enough to get a feeling that it was just not for me.
Also, I don’t mind reasonable depictions of gay people the same way I don’t mind reasonable depictions of straight people. I just like people to be reasonable. Like “Red and Andy” in “The Shawshank Redemption.”
@Jessica
Yeah, I hear she writes all kinds of novels about Jesus now.
@Eileen
Promise me you’ll try to read the Wheel of Time. Promise me!
@Banshee
See, I just was like “Oh Christ! Keep it in your pants for five seconds!” the whole book.
@Red
I loved the Count of Monte Cristo.
I have not read “Cat’s Cradle” but I have read “Slaughterhouse Five.”
@Sark
Cryptonomicon just came into the library today. Whoo hoo!
A book I will recommend is one of my favorite classics The Picture of Dorian Gray.
@Sark
“Diamond Age” was very much more concerned with how groupings of people interacted; it was the unit of culture for any given culture in that setting.
@Eileen
I take it you’ve given “Cryptonomicon” a try and it didn’t work out?
@any “Diamong Age” fan
Anyone know the 1 character that’s hinted at existing in both “Age” and “Crash”? Not a minor or background character; this character has speaking lines in both books.
@BC
Alright, if you read through to Queen of the Damned then you definitely gave it enough of a chance. Ahh well. And I know you didn’t actually bash anything, but I tend to read “no comment” and “if I comment, I’m going to say very mean things/rant about it, so I’ll just not say anything”.
@ Angelknigh
-i did also read Diamond Age to be about cultural roots versus personal evolution becoming societal revolution.
I am afraid i dont know what character that is in both books, but im not sure i read both of them in english, so that migth have confused matters even more.
Also; please read William Gibson. he is fantastic.
I think i have the same problem with Anne Rice as i have with Jean M Auel, to me they both come off as the literary equivalent of a long and convoluted art-film in a foreign language. their characters seem to have intense emotions over their morning coffe. The one time i really felt in touch with a character, was when Lestat had a minor breakdown in “tale of the bodythief” because he had to poop again for the first time in 400-odd years.
For random non-scifi stuff, I love Ayn Rand (preferably Atlas Shrugged, but Fountainhead is good too) for the difference in perspective. I have very eclectic tastes in books. Current stack next to my bed includes WoT, Anna Karenina, several Stephen King, SQL manuals, Doctorow, Scalzi, Herbert, l’Engle, Susan Cooper, and Linda Goodman (yes, the astrologer).
Ooh, anything by Annie Proulx, except my favourite story of hers that I have read is The Shipping News. Btw, I will start reading Elantris tomorrow. I had to order it from the US..
i know this is off topic but, every time i read your sister’s name…or the word “sister” i want to punch someone in the face.
hmm…good books to read? anything Conn Igulden has written.
snow crash by neal stephenson, the illuminatus trilogy by robert shea and robert anton wilson, and cradle of saturn by james p hogan.
probably by far the most interesting books in this thread.
have you read whitley strieber’s communion series? all of his books on the alien/ufo topic are extremely well written, including both real accounts and his own suppositions (which are very well thought out and put forth), and some fictionalization of actual events.
David Eddings has some really good fantasy epic multi book stories.
E.E. Knight’s Vampire Earth series is a good future dystopia series.
@DJ
I’m going to read that on-line eventually. There’s a site called “Forgotten Books” that has a bunch of the classics that have passed out of copyright.
@Neal Stephenson Fans
I am going to read all of his books eventually.
@banshee
Well, I was probably being more than a little dickish so I can understand. I read her books and got the feeling “Maybe this is something other people would enjoy, but this is totally not for me.”
Can’t win ‘em all I guess.
@Sark
I’ll definitely check out Gibson.
@Marm
I’ve read all the Rand books. Even Anthem and We the Living. Also, what do you get out of the astrologer?
@Kristi
Well, I’ll definitely check out that author, and I hope you enjoy Elantris.
@Clay
I’ll looking into them.
Also, I have had people e-mail me and apologize for being named Rachel. I guess to readers of my stuff it’s kind of like finding out your name is the same name as the villain’s name.
@szaszha
Is Szaszha your real name? Also do you speak with a Russian accent?
I haven’t read any of those, but I’ll check them all out eventually. I think you guys have got my reading list set out for the next year.
@Nick
I’ve read one of Eddings’ novels but haven’t read any of the others.
And I’ll check out Vampire Earth.
I’m sure you’ve read these but these two are the ones I always recommend when someone asks.
Good Omens by Pratchett and Neil Gaiman
Swan Song by Robert McCammon (and his book Boy’s Life too. Yeah, that’s three.)
Pratchett sadly enough was far too english for me. I read like twelve of his books back to back though so it became a bit much. One no one has said so far is The Sword of Truth Series by Terry Goodkind just don’t read past Faith of the Fallen because it seems like he just gives up and is doing it to milk the teet for every drop it’s worth. Chuck Palahniuk is quite possibly one of the most unique and twisted writers i have ever read. He did write Fight Club for fucks sake. Denis Johnson’s Jesus’s Son has such wonderful writing which is only seconded in my opinion by how messed up are his characters.
@redb
I’m a big fan of Good Omens. I even referenced it in my BSG liveblog.
And I’ll make sure to check out Swan Song. I’m going to have to update some more before you guys give me too many books to read in a life time.
@Drewbot
I’ve read all the Sword of Truth books, and I’ve read some Palahniuk but unfortunately have yet t consum all of his works.
And I’ll check into Jesus’ Son.
“Also, what do you get out of the astrologer?”
Mostly just difference in perspective. I can suspend disbelief long enough to get through a book on astrology, and she’s done a book on other esoteric things which I found interesting, as well as a long book of odd poetry, which I also found interesting.
Other classics for horizon-broadening: Tao of Pooh, and Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.
Then again, I’ve been known to read cereal boxes and shampoo bottles for lack of anything else right that minute, so I may be a little *too* open-minded.