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RE: Reading suggestions for my failed vacation... - 12/21/2011 9:44:45 AM   
Moonhead


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quote:

ORIGINAL: Snort


quote:

ORIGINAL: samboct

I dunno about V...


I preferred Garvity's Rainbow, actually. Here is a comment about that novel:

quote:


Gravity's Rainbow was a joint winner of the 1974 National Book Award for Fiction... In the same year, the fiction jury unanimously recommended Gravity's Rainbow for the Pulitzer Prize though the Pulitzer board vetoed the jury's recommendation, describing the novel as "unreadable", "turgid", "overwritten", and in parts "obscene", and no prize was awarded.


With Pynchon, just let the stories flow and find delight in the crazy juxtaposition of images and stories. Consider it a non linear novel lol.

There's better places to start than Gravity's Rainbow, though: I have a suspicion that one gets talked up a lot because it's the hardest novel to get through, and the litcrit massive like a bit of obscurity and hard to get posturing. V is less impressive technically, but it's a simple and linear story, and a lot easier to get through. The Crying of Lot 49 and Mason & Dixon are fine reads as well (and for my money, Mason & Dixon is a better novel than Gravity's Rainbow, though it'll probably be at least another fifteen years before the universities or the TLS 'fess up to that one.)

Actually, if you're looking for an easy introduction to Pynchon, you could do a lot worse than Slow Learner, which is a wonderful short story collection...


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RE: Reading suggestions for my failed vacation... - 12/21/2011 9:53:22 AM   
GreedyTop


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Status: offline 		James Patterson's books for young adults are fun, too! The Maximum Ride books, and Witches and Wizards! Obviously written for adolescents, but they are fun reads..

actually, I have yet to read ANYTHING by JP that I don't like.


I just picked up a book called "Miss Peregrine's home for peculiar children". I am only about 3 chapters in (that includes the prologue), and am already totally intrigued...

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RE: Reading suggestions for my failed vacation... - 12/21/2011 9:56:05 AM   
lazarus1983


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Status: offline 		I'd stick with some classics, like A Scanner Darkly, by Philip K. Dick, or perhaps some collected short stories by Harlan Ellison, such as Approaching Oblivion, or Angry Candy.

Hell, let's go really obscure. North Dallas Forty, by Peter Gent. One of the funnier books I've ever read.

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RE: Reading suggestions for my failed vacation... - 12/21/2011 10:05:31 AM   
xxblushesxx


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quote:

ORIGINAL: GreedyTop

James Patterson's books for young adults are fun, too! The Maximum Ride books, and Witches and Wizards! Obviously written for adolescents, but they are fun reads..

actually, I have yet to read ANYTHING by JP that I don't like.


I just picked up a book called "Miss Peregrine's home for peculiar children". I am only about 3 chapters in (that includes the prologue), and am already totally intrigued...


That's on my wishlist...


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RE: Reading suggestions for my failed vacation... - 12/21/2011 10:43:43 AM   
GreedyTop


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Status: offline 		Chrissy, when I am done I will send it on to you ;)

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RE: Reading suggestions for my failed vacation... - 12/21/2011 10:44:40 AM   
xxblushesxx


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Status: offline 		*YaY*!! (did you get your book yet?) (and I sent you something else yesterday)

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RE: Reading suggestions for my failed vacation... - 12/21/2011 10:48:41 AM   
GreedyTop


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Status: offline 		not yet, but I'll check on my way home tomorrow (I usually only check the mailbox every other day/two days)

love ya, sexygirl!!

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RE: Reading suggestions for my failed vacation... - 12/21/2011 12:34:58 PM   
Snort


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quote:

ORIGINAL: GreedyTop

Terry Pratchett and DOuglas Adams are timeless treasures, IMO.


Don't recall if I have ever read Pratchett, but I'm pretty sure I read everything Adams wrote. I'll have to check out this Pratchett person.

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RE: Reading suggestions for my failed vacation... - 12/21/2011 12:44:26 PM   
Snort


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quote:

ORIGINAL: Moonhead

Alfred Bester's Tiger! Tiger! (aka The Stars My Destination) is the best science fiction novel ever published. Bruce Sterling once described cyberpunk as the 8o's version of the regular rediscovery of Bester's work. His earlier novel, The Demolished Man isn't quite as good, but is still better than most other sf. Other cyberpunk books worth a look are Frontera by Lewis Shiner, Schismatrix by Bruce Sterling, Hermatech by Storm Constantine and Metrophage by Richard Kadrey.



Thank you. Looks like Bester's work never made it into electronic print, so I'm going to have to read it the old fashioned way. Too late for this trip, but I'll look forward to it!

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RE: Reading suggestions for my failed vacation... - 12/21/2011 12:57:41 PM   
Snort


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quote:

ORIGINAL: xxblushesxx

The Odd Thomas series by Koontz is amazing (and NOT horror)

Anything by Robert B. Parker.

Anything by Amy Tan.

The Number One Ladies Detective series.





Oh, cool. Every once in a while I go on a binge of good, entertaining books. Parker looks like a perfect fix for that addiction :)

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RE: Reading suggestions for my failed vacation... - 12/21/2011 1:01:45 PM   
Snort


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quote:

ORIGINAL: Iamsemisweet

Oh, thought of another choice. Since you will be in the mountains, try "Into Thin Air" by John Krakuaer. In fact, anything by John krakauer is good, with the exception of "Into the Wild". Another good choice is anything by the late, great Christopher Hitchens.


Lol, my literary insight is spotty, to say the least. A friend mentioned Hitchens' obit and I looked totally blank. My buddy was actually excited that he had read an author I had never even heard of. He's on my list now that I have been publicly called out as a low brow poseur.

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RE: Reading suggestions for my failed vacation... - 12/21/2011 1:14:37 PM   
Snort


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quote:

ORIGINAL: Moonhead

There's better places to start than Gravity's Rainbow, though: I have a suspicion that one gets talked up a lot because it's the hardest novel to get through, and the litcrit massive like a bit of obscurity and hard to get posturing. V is less impressive technically, but it's a simple and linear story, and a lot easier to get through. The Crying of Lot 49 and Mason & Dixon are fine reads as well (and for my money, Mason & Dixon is a better novel than Gravity's Rainbow, though it'll probably be at least another fifteen years before the universities or the TLS 'fess up to that one.)

Actually, if you're looking for an easy introduction to Pynchon, you could do a lot worse than Slow Learner, which is a wonderful short story collection...



I read Pynchon a long time ago. It was different from anything i had ever read in a lot of ways, and I found delight in the constant freshness of the work. I don't often talk to the books I read, but I made a lot of odd yummy noises as something new would unfold.

That said, I also have always suspected that my interest was heightened by the changing world and inexperience of youth at the time I read it. I mean, I thought Winnie the Pooh was pretty damn pithy when I was six... I have thought for a few years that I should read Gravity's Rainbow again, but I have procrastinated for fear that it will be merely an intellectual exercise this time instead of an emotional response.

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RE: Reading suggestions for my failed vacation... - 12/21/2011 1:18:33 PM   
Snort


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quote:

ORIGINAL: lazarus1983

I'd stick with some classics, like A Scanner Darkly, by Philip K. Dick, or perhaps some collected short stories by Harlan Ellison, such as Approaching Oblivion, or Angry Candy.

Hell, let's go really obscure. North Dallas Forty, by Peter Gent. One of the funnier books I've ever read.


Ellison and Dick are old "friends", but North Dallas Forty? Now that might be a really fun read. Thanks!

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RE: Reading suggestions for my failed vacation... - 12/21/2011 1:38:47 PM   
slaveluci


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quote:

ORIGINAL: GreedyTop

I just picked up a book called "Miss Peregrine's home for peculiar children". I am only about 3 chapters in (that includes the prologue), and am already totally intrigued...

I read this and absolutely loved it even though it's so not the usual type of thing I enjoy reading. The real, vintage photographs were so fascinating that I just had to read the story crafted around it. Highly recommended!

As Steven said, the James Lee Burke "Dave Robicheaux" series is my absolute favorite. Actually, ANYTHING by James Lee Burke is always at the top of my list.

Donald Ray Pollock's novel "The Devil All the Time" that I just finished was terrific. I couldn't put it down.

I'm currently reading "A Thousand Lives: The Untold Story of Hope, Deception and Survival at Jonestown" by Julia Scheeres and it's really good. She comes at it from a bit of a different angle than most.

I've recently read a couple novels by Grant Jerkins - "A Very Simple Crime" and "At the End of the Road" - that I enjoyed alot.

RJ Ellory is another author I've recently discovered and enjoyed everything I've read.

"Nightwoods: A Novel" by Charles Frazier and "Crimes in Southern Indiana" by Frank Bill are two other recent gems I've read.

Just one librarian's choices from the last six months............luci



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RE: Reading suggestions for my failed vacation... - 12/21/2011 2:53:46 PM   
Hippiekinkster


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quote:

ORIGINAL: calamitysandra

quote:

ORIGINAL: Snort
I'll check it out. I also powered through some fun books by Jim Butcher called The Dresden Files. Fun romps about a wizard plying his craft in Chicago.


If you like Butchers writing, you might want to take a look at his second, already finished series, "Codex Alera".

I am partial to Vernor Vinges "Peace War", however, I am never really sure if the book is really that good, or if it is some kind of nostalgia that keeps me going back.

David Eddings series  "The Belgariad" and "The Mallorean" are like old friends, I pick them up about once a year. His later series "The Elenium" and "The Tamuli" are not as stellar, but still very, very good.

Yes, absolutely! I'm re-reading "The Mallorean" now. They're standing in front of Chabat at the Temple in Rak Urga, trying to see Agachak.

I really enjoyed Vinge's A Deepness in the Sky as well. I liked the "Hrunkner Unnerby" character.


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RE: Reading suggestions for my failed vacation... - 12/21/2011 5:23:08 PM   
Iamsemisweet


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Status: offline 		I love James Lee Burke, also.  For a darker version of the same thing, try Andrew Vachss

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RE: Reading suggestions for my failed vacation... - 12/21/2011 6:19:44 PM   
slaveluci


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Status: offline 		Indeed - another of my faves

luci

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RE: Reading suggestions for my failed vacation... - 12/22/2011 6:13:26 AM   
Moonhead


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Status: offline 		If you're taken with Tolkeinoids of the Eddings/Donaldson pattern, maybe you'd be interested in M John Harrison's Vriconium books as well? For some reason Harrison doesn't seem to have much of a rep in the 'States...


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RE: Reading suggestions for my failed vacation... - 12/22/2011 6:19:30 AM   
Aylee


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quote:

ORIGINAL: Kirata


quote:

ORIGINAL: Aylee

In those classes I learned that scenes about meals, food, and eating were put in because they could not have sex in children's books.

Some people need to stop teaching literature classes and get laid more often.

K.


Damn, I wish I had that comment to say 15 years ago. Thinking back, she probably DID need to get laid.


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RE: Reading suggestions for my failed vacation... - 12/22/2011 6:23:20 AM   
Kana


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-Gravitys Rainbow-really? This is a book that has another book written just to detail all the characters and conspiracies. It ain't light summer reading though. I mean, it's a great book and all, but 90% are gonna hate it and the remainder will fall in love with it.
-Good call on the Vachss, but get one of his early Burke novels-the latter tend to degenerate into unintentional self parody.
-JL Burke is always good, moody, atmospheric with decent plots
-Patterson is a schlok-a crap writer who does formula stuff. His writing is so bad, so painful, that I literally can't read it. Yeah, I know he's a bestseller, but he's a writer who will always, always take the easiest path.
-If ya want fantasy, follow HBO and read Game of Thrones by GRR Martin. If ya wanna get real deep or in touch with your inner geek, get Neal Stephenson's Baroque Cycle or Cryptonomicon
-Sticking with fantasy, maybe give Patrick Rothfuss, Joe Abrecrombie or Scott Lynch a try, especially the final two. Lies of Locke Lamora is escapism at it's best and Abrecrombie is successful combining the fantasy/military genres with frightening ease.



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