Maji Posted July 15, 2012 Share Posted July 15, 2012 (edited) Hello, Entertainment, I should bug you guys more. After looking around forums (read: this forum, and General), I was astounded to see that there was no book thread! Being a big reader, I might as well start one up, so I can talk about my stuff I read. Hopefully, other people read too, so they can tell me about their stuff, so hopefully, I can have some inspiration as to what to read next. If there is actually a book thread open, that is still alive, then I'm blind, and I'll leave it to the mods to lock this thread. Currently, I am reading Romance of the Three Kingdoms (or just called Three Kingdoms in the version that I'm reading) by Luo Guanzhong, and so far, it's pretty sick. It's like all about war, and corruption in Chinese government, which the author writes it to be very interesting. Of course, there are very graphic details, and people's family getting lanced and beheaded to the left and to the right, but it's war, what can one do? It's a really big book, but the size comes in favour, seeing as it's such a fab read so far. I'm not really that far, just in the middle of Dong Zhao's reign of terror, as I just got it from the university library recently (took a two hour bus ride to go to university to get it), but I'm sure at the pace I'm reading it, it will go quick. Anyway: Da fuq' you guys reading? Edited July 15, 2012 by Maji Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MacLovin Posted July 15, 2012 Share Posted July 15, 2012 H.Rider Haggards stuff is pretty good. That is, if you enjoy victorian adventure. Edgar Rice Burroughs Pellucidar series is also pretty good, as is his Billy Byrne/The Mucker series. Also, D. Hammets Continental Op and Maltese Falcon stories are fun, as are Mickey Spillane''s Mike Hammer stories. Also, G.A. Henty's Historical fiction is pretty good, even though it's old. Lowell Thomas's "The Sea Devil" is another good read, even though it's pretty hard to get.(Antique book, not availible on project gutenburg or Internet Archive or PG. Australia >_>) THe only ways to get it are. Amazon Kindle Version. Buy the actual book, in readable condition. Be able to crack an encrypted text version from the Library of Congress(DAISY) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Original Alear Posted July 15, 2012 Share Posted July 15, 2012 I am pretty sure there are some book threads but they are probably all pretty old so np with new one. I made a silly tier list at http://serenesforest.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=29050&view=findpost&p=1763680 though it is missing plenty of stuff. Right now I'm thinking about reading The Demon Princes by Jack Vance again. Also, D. Hammets Continental Op and Maltese Falcon stories are fun, as are Mickey Spillane''s Mike Hammer stories. Hammet is really good though I never read the Maltese Falcon. I also like Raymond Chandler and Rex Stout a lot - Nero Wolfe is probably the coolest fictional detective. The Sea Devil looks like it's selling pretty cheap on Alibris if anyone's up for it. I also think the Aubrey and Maturin books I've read (not many...) are pretty awesome as far as naval stuff goes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jedi Posted July 15, 2012 Share Posted July 15, 2012 (edited) Omg another Romance of the Three Kingdoms fan.. HI! Anyways I love all kinds of books, my Mom has all the Wizard of OZ books she used to read to me as a kid.. I love J.R Tolkens stuff especially Lord of the Rings, also add Lewis Caroll, C.S Lewis, being 3 of my favorite authors I love harry potter, I also love stuff by Steinbeck, Shakespear, Homer and so many others. My word I could gush about my love of books/plays ect for hours.. So many books so little time Edited July 15, 2012 by Jedisupersonic Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vicious Sal Posted July 15, 2012 Share Posted July 15, 2012 A lot from Michael Crichton, although his last book with Richard Preston finishing it felt to... Deliberate (Bad guys: I hope we don't see a Scolopendra tonight, ---> Good guys attacked by Scolo) Graceling & Fire are good books. name of the writers slipped my mind just now. Northern Lights trilogy. Iliad & Oddysey are great reads. Bryce Courtenay, Read "The Power of One" and "Tandia", and I was awestruck. Then some dutch books like the lionheart brothers from when I was a kid. Especially "The letter for the king" and "Secrets of the wild forest" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MacLovin Posted July 15, 2012 Share Posted July 15, 2012 I am pretty sure there are some book threads but they are probably all pretty old so np with new one. I made a silly tier list at http://serenesforest...dpost&p=1763680 though it is missing plenty of stuff. Right now I'm thinking about reading The Demon Princes by Jack Vance again. Hammet is really good though I never read the Maltese Falcon. I also like Raymond Chandler and Rex Stout a lot - Nero Wolfe is probably the coolest fictional detective. The Sea Devil looks like it's selling pretty cheap on Alibris if anyone's up for it. I also think the Aubrey and Maturin books I've read (not many...) are pretty awesome as far as naval stuff goes. Sea Devil is pretty good, it tells a story about one of the late 19th/early 20th centuries most colorful adventurers. How can you not read Maltese Falcon when reading Hammets works? It's like his Magnum Opis for the detective genre. Ever read Chandlers High Window, or Stouts GOlden Spider? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BBM Posted July 15, 2012 Share Posted July 15, 2012 I'm into mainly sci-fi/fantasy. My favourites are Harry Potter, LotR, The Dresden Files, The Wheel of Time, The Hunger Games, and Rick Riordan's mythology books. The Night Watch tetralogy (originally in Russian) is also really great and not as well known as the other ones I've listed. Currently I'm reading China Mieville's Bas-Lag Trilogy and Tad Williams's Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn series. The first book of Bas-Lag was quite good, but the second one is starting off a bit slow. Same with the first book of Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn, slow at the beginning. The books in that trilogy are also incredibly long (I think the last one is 1600 pages), and long books with slow beginnings are generally annoying to read at first. But I've heard good things from people who've finished it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maji Posted July 16, 2012 Author Share Posted July 16, 2012 A lot of people mentioned The Sea Devil, and ended up getting me curious about the book myself. As expected, my university does not carry such a rare book, but I'll continue looking around, even if I end up having to order it from the internet. I also saw someone mention Homer's works, which I have been meaning to read. Is there a specific recommendation of which of the two I should start with? Finally, while I do have The Lord of the Rings trilogy on my bookshelf, waiting to be read, I unfortunately haven't read it yet (I know, and I call myself a reader), which will have to be done sometime soon, as I've been holding off watching the movies until I read the book. Other books I want to read are Brothers Karamazov, The Count of Monte Cristo (seeing as The Three Musketeers was such a fab read), the other three of the four classical Chinese works, and Don Quixote Currently, my absolute favourite read is The Divine Comedy. Anyone read it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Life Posted July 16, 2012 Share Posted July 16, 2012 (edited) Read Shades of Grey by Jasper Fforde. Not that sex book 50 Shades of Grey or whatever it's called, that's crap. Fforde's book is incredible. Currently, my absolute favourite read is The Divine Comedy. Anyone read it? I've heard of it. Dante Aligheri? *googles* Yep, Dante Aligheri. Damn fine literature. You'd like Canterbury Tales too if you enjoy that. Edited July 16, 2012 by Life Admiral Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz Posted July 24, 2012 Share Posted July 24, 2012 Crime and Punishment. my favorite novel, it's about a guy who commits a crime and even though he constantly justifies himself, the guilt starts to make him go mad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Snow Posted July 25, 2012 Share Posted July 25, 2012 A Song of Ice and Fire by G.R.R.M. current favorite. Also like Narnina (C.S. Lewis), Percy Jackson (Rick Riordan), Harry Potter (J.K. Roweling), Sword Art Online ((Kawahara Reki) light novel still counts). Also really liked Perfume (Patrick Süskind) and The Runaway Jury (John Grisham). I want to read The Divine Comedy but I'm to lazy to order it from amazon and I live in a spanish speaking country, though I prefer to read in english. Is it good? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loki Laufeyson Posted July 25, 2012 Share Posted July 25, 2012 I also love stuff by Steinbeck, Dis nigga. *brofist* Im a big H.P. Lovecraft fan. I also cut my teeth on Tolkien and Stephen King. Dean Koontz (especially Dragon Tears and The Bad Place) rocks too. Im also a Harry Potter fan and an Anne Rice fan. Right now, im super in love with George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series. Hnngh. Another good author to check out is Garth Nix. Dude wrote The Old Kingdom series which is awesome. Ive been meaning to check out his Keys To The Kingdom series too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guy Starwind Posted July 27, 2012 Share Posted July 27, 2012 I love Le Comte de Monte Cristo. It's by far my favorite book. I also love Les Miserables. I of course like LotR. I like The Picture of Dorian Gray. The original Brother Grimm Fairy Tales are fun too. I read a lot of churchy books too but I doubt they would interest anyone here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Original Alear Posted July 27, 2012 Share Posted July 27, 2012 I love Le Comte de Monte Cristo. It's by far my favorite book. I also love Les Miserables. I of course like LotR. I like The Picture of Dorian Gray. The original Brother Grimm Fairy Tales are fun too. I read a lot of churchy books too but I doubt they would interest anyone here. Now, I haven't read Monte Christo (though I'd like to at some point), only seen the 1930s film adaptation, but I thought that movie was pretty good and you might enjoy it. Also, I'd recommend you consider the Demon Princes, by Jack Vance, which is not at all a straight retelling of Monte Christo (at least the film version) but bears some resemblance and is pretty amazing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guy Starwind Posted July 27, 2012 Share Posted July 27, 2012 Now, I haven't read Monte Christo (though I'd like to at some point), only seen the 1930s film adaptation, but I thought that movie was pretty good and you might enjoy it. Also, I'd recommend you consider the Demon Princes, by Jack Vance, which is not at all a straight retelling of Monte Christo (at least the film version) but bears some resemblance and is pretty amazing. I'll have to check it. To be honest while I enjoy film versions of the count(I've seen about five or six of them) most if not all have nothing to very little to do with the book. So, this Demon Princes might be fairly close to the real story. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
General Banzai Posted July 28, 2012 Share Posted July 28, 2012 Bleak House, currently. Unfathomable. 800 pages and almost as many characters. My favorite author is Kafka, I've read everything by him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Celrias Posted July 29, 2012 Share Posted July 29, 2012 (edited) My favorite author is Kafka, I've read everything by him. Interesting. I've been looking to get into Kafka. So far I've only read the Hunger Artist and the Metamorphosis. What would you recommend to get started? edit: Currently reading Ender's Game. Edited July 29, 2012 by Celrias Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Celice Posted July 29, 2012 Share Posted July 29, 2012 Bleak House, currently. Unfathomable. 800 pages and almost as many characters. My favorite author is Kafka, I've read everything by him. Including The Bucket Rider? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Original Alear Posted July 29, 2012 Share Posted July 29, 2012 I'll have to check it. To be honest while I enjoy film versions of the count(I've seen about five or six of them) most if not all have nothing to very little to do with the book. So, this Demon Princes might be fairly close to the real story. In terms of basic plot structure, it's a series of 5 books about a guy seeking revenge against 5 separate characters, and the characters are pretty much the top 5 intergalactic criminals. From what I could tell from comparing some of the wiki summaries of the novel to the film I saw, those are relatively close in comparison. The comparison between Demon Princes and Comte de Monte Christo is merely something I noticed while watching the film I mentioned, and seems to have been felt by others (given comments on the internet). I'm not suggesting it's at all a strict successor, but I think Vance was consciously influenced by Dumas. Bleak House, currently. Unfathomable. 800 pages and almost as many characters. Bwahaha for a second I assumed this meant 800 characters to the tune of 800 typographic symbols. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guy Starwind Posted July 29, 2012 Share Posted July 29, 2012 I'll have to see if I can find it in audio and listen to it at work. I'm always down for stories influenced be The Count. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MacLovin Posted July 30, 2012 Share Posted July 30, 2012 Reading Isaac Asimovs Destination Brain II Fun stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maji Posted August 2, 2012 Author Share Posted August 2, 2012 Reading Isaac Asimovs Destination Brain II Fun stuff. I am part time (i.e-when I get tired of Three Kingdoms) reading his Jupiter right now, and I love his simple, yet effective wording, so even rush-to-Google-for-answers people like me can understand what is going on most of the time! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MacLovin Posted August 2, 2012 Share Posted August 2, 2012 Reading Edgar Rice Burroughs JOhn Carter books. THe movie is a fucking insult to these books. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vicious Sal Posted August 3, 2012 Share Posted August 3, 2012 Even though it's his first two books, The warded man and The desert spear are actually quite good books, although it lacks subtlety a lot. Mostly the names and cultures, they are pretty much copies of RL ones. Bitterblue came out, the third book from the graceling trilogy, and it's incredible. Really different from the first two books. but when a kid reads the memoires of her father, and the first line is: "Little girls are even more perfect when they bleed." You are kinda like... Now I want to know more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Celrias Posted August 6, 2012 Share Posted August 6, 2012 Finished Ender's Game and devoured William Gibson's Pattern Recognition in a day or so. Not sci-fi but I'm a huge Gibson fan so this didn't bother me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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