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Author Topic: Suggest a book  (Read 5300 times)

3man75

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Suggest a book
« on: September 24, 2014, 07:42:55 pm »

Just a thread i thought i would make. I've been away from reading fun things since high school and haven't been able to find anything in my local library. Care to suggest something to me fellow bay12 members?

Also the only book i read over and over again was "Rifles for Watie" and "phantom of the opera".


((funny story about phantom of the opera. i didn't know plays were still a thing until i asked one of my teachers off handedly. I still facepalm myself whenever i think of phantom of the opera.))
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Orange Wizard

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Re: Suggest a book
« Reply #1 on: September 24, 2014, 07:52:06 pm »

My personal favourite is The Count of Monte Cristo. As far as more modern reading is concerned, anything by Terry Pratchett is usually good.
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Gnorm

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Re: Suggest a book
« Reply #2 on: September 24, 2014, 08:26:26 pm »

The Count of Monte Cristo
Make sure to get a good, unabridged translation.
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3man75

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Re: Suggest a book
« Reply #3 on: September 24, 2014, 08:29:34 pm »

The Count of Monte Cristo
Make sure to get a good, unabridged translation.

Is the count of monte cristo English or French?
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Loam

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Re: Suggest a book
« Reply #4 on: September 24, 2014, 08:30:09 pm »

Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, about two magicians in 1800's England. Very original - also very long, and written to imitate a Victorian style (so, Jane Austen, Dickens, etc). But it's a fun read, I thought.

More serious: Riddley Walker, by Russel Hoban. Post-apocalyptic (like, millennia post), written in what's essentially bastardized Cockney, so the language can be difficult. Maybe not a "fun" book, but it's good, and very thought-provoking.

And as long as we're talking French books, Les Miserables. You can get the abridged version, unless you want to learn everything about the Paris sewers.
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Re: Suggest a book
« Reply #5 on: September 24, 2014, 11:57:23 pm »

I recommend the Mistborn Trilogy~
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Orange Wizard

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Re: Suggest a book
« Reply #6 on: September 25, 2014, 02:08:07 am »

The Count of Monte Cristo
Make sure to get a good, unabridged translation.
Is the count of monte cristo English or French?
It was originally written in French. The translation I read was English, unabridged, and had notes to explain all of the things that were only understandable in French. It's a slow-paced book, but I think the experience over all is well worth the time you put into it.
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Antsan

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Re: Suggest a book
« Reply #7 on: September 25, 2014, 06:06:00 am »

Unfortunatley I don't know either of the books you mentioned, so I cannot really make fitting suggestions.

If you're into fantasy, consider "The Kingkiller Chronicles" by Patrick Rothfuss. It's masterfully written and I've never read any fantasy like it.

If you can use philosophical science fiction I recommend anything by Stanislaw Lem.
If you'd like something more lighthearted, try anthing with Ijon Tychi by him like "The Star Diaries" or "The Futurological Congress". Stories with Pirx ("The Test") are a bit more serious.
If you aren't afraid of something more long winded I'd recommend "Solaris", "Master's Voice" and "Golem". Read them in that order, they read increasingly like scientific reports instead of a novel, but in my eyes all of them are worth it.
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Meph

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Re: Suggest a book
« Reply #8 on: September 25, 2014, 08:21:25 am »

My personal favourite is The Count of Monte Cristo. As far as more modern reading is concerned, anything by Terry Pratchett is usually good.
+1

Also Umberto Eco's Foucault's Pendulum; or for something more light, Neal Stephenson's Snow Crash.
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Anvilfolk

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Re: Suggest a book
« Reply #9 on: September 25, 2014, 09:47:18 am »

I'm a big fan of non-fiction, so if you're into opening up your horizons as far as relationships are concerned, you can read about polyamory! It's super fun, and makes you grow like a pea plant listening to heavy metal (i.e. a lot):

Opening Up, by Taormino - about open relationships in general, both sexual and romantic
More Than Two, by Veaux and Rickert - more of a practical guidebook to behaving ethically in relationships (with a focus on open relationships)
Sex at Dawn, by Ryan and Jethá - thoughts on how humans really evolved to be, sexually and socially
The Myth of Monogamy, by Barash and Lipton - scientific evidence on why sexual monogamy isn't actually a thing

All pretty nifty. Really opened my eyes!

3man75

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Re: Suggest a book
« Reply #10 on: September 25, 2014, 11:42:51 am »

I'm a big fan of non-fiction, so if you're into opening up your horizons as far as relationships are concerned, you can read about polyamory! It's super fun, and makes you grow like a pea plant listening to heavy metal (i.e. a lot):

Opening Up, by Taormino - about open relationships in general, both sexual and romantic
More Than Two, by Veaux and Rickert - more of a practical guidebook to behaving ethically in relationships (with a focus on open relationships)
Sex at Dawn, by Ryan and Jethá - thoughts on how humans really evolved to be, sexually and socially
The Myth of Monogamy, by Barash and Lipton - scientific evidence on why sexual monogamy isn't actually a thing

All pretty nifty. Really opened my eyes!

To amazon!

Unfortunatley I don't know either of the books you mentioned, so I cannot really make fitting suggestions.

If you're into fantasy, consider "The Kingkiller Chronicles" by Patrick Rothfuss. It's masterfully written and I've never read any fantasy like it.

If you can use philosophical science fiction I recommend anything by Stanislaw Lem.
If you'd like something more lighthearted, try anthing with Ijon Tychi by him like "The Star Diaries" or "The Futurological Congress". Stories with Pirx ("The Test") are a bit more serious.
If you aren't afraid of something more long winded I'd recommend "Solaris", "Master's Voice" and "Golem". Read them in that order, they read increasingly like scientific reports instead of a novel, but in my eyes all of them are worth it.


Possibly.
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Doomblade187

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Re: Suggest a book
« Reply #11 on: September 25, 2014, 12:29:53 pm »

I personally suggest two things- one book and one series.

The book is 'Armor' by John Steakley, and is an amazing book. It just is. While it may start out as a war story, and in a way it's all about the effects of a war, it's simply quite amazing, with very real-feeling characters.

The series is 'Monster Hunter International'. It reads like a B-movie on steroids with extra guns (that are actually effective!) and one hell of a plot. I picked up the first book thinking that it would be a 'fun read', but discovered that there was very high quality writing and characters involved in the book. And then I discovered the sequels. And they were good too.
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Remalle

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Re: Suggest a book
« Reply #12 on: September 29, 2014, 01:32:44 am »

Seconding Les Mis and Discworld, and putting forth everything Neil Gaiman has ever written.
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jetex1911

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Re: Suggest a book
« Reply #13 on: September 29, 2014, 04:13:34 pm »

The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher
Daemon and Freedom by Daniel Suarez
All things Discworld by Terry Pratchet
A Song of Ice and Fire series by George R. R. Martin
Iron Druid Chronicles by Kevin Hearne
Night Angel Trilogy by Brent Weeks
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
World War Z by Max Brooks
Robopocalypse by Daniel H. Wilson

These are the favorites of mine off the top of my head, and I don't know if any of them are up to your tastes, but since I liked them I thought I'd just toss them up and see what sticks.
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Anvilfolk

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Re: Suggest a book
« Reply #14 on: September 29, 2014, 04:54:41 pm »

I'm a big fan of non-fiction, so if you're into opening up your horizons as far as relationships are concerned, you can read about polyamory! It's super fun, and makes you grow like a pea plant listening to heavy metal (i.e. a lot):

Opening Up, by Taormino - about open relationships in general, both sexual and romantic
More Than Two, by Veaux and Rickert - more of a practical guidebook to behaving ethically in relationships (with a focus on open relationships)
Sex at Dawn, by Ryan and Jethá - thoughts on how humans really evolved to be, sexually and socially
The Myth of Monogamy, by Barash and Lipton - scientific evidence on why sexual monogamy isn't actually a thing

All pretty nifty. Really opened my eyes!

To amazon!


Check your local library too! In case I forget to come back here, do send me a message if any of these books made a lasting impact on you :)
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