jakee 1,257 #26 November 11, 2008 Quote I'll have to give it a try. I really liked Anansi Boys and Neverwhere. American Gods was good through much of it, but there were also several parts that seemed to drag for me. It's much shorter than his other novels, so no danger of any part of it dragging(I like the guy so much I even started reading comics (Sandman). Never did that before)Do you want to have an ideagasm? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
caress 0 #27 November 12, 2008 The Bible- it is basic instruction, yet it never ceases to comfort me, teach me, and lead me. Pretty amazing considering how old it is. Marine Sniper-Charles Henderson. I enjoyed reading about Carlos Hathcock. I think he was one of the greatest snipers in American history. After being burnt so awefully saving those men from a burning tank, he was still such a skilled marksman. He is why I own an M1 Garand. Rogue Warrior-Richard Marcinko-This man was a true patriot thru every inch of his being. What a blessing he has been to this country. When you read this book, you will see all he did and how the government screwed him over. It was a read recomended by TunaPlanet ( If anyone remembers him) -Caress I've learned.... That being kind is more important than being right. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CyniQ 0 #28 November 12, 2008 Quote "Just a Couple of Days" by Tony Vigorito. It's just raunchy, rowdy, and incredibly fun, while also having a feel-good message to it. I've started his second book, "Nine Kinds of Naked", but got distracted by another book after just a few pages. I'm looking forward to getting back to it. "Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal", by Christopher Moore...absolute hilarity. I'd also throw most any book by Tom Robbins into the mix here too, who I consider to be one of the most underappreciated authors of our time. "The Stand" (Stephen King) or "Swan Song" (Robert McCammon), both of which are essentially the same book. Post-apocalyptic hijinx with supernatural twists, I've read both of them several times. Also, I'm currently listening to "The Life of Pi" and am absolutely entranced about three quarters of the way through. J.R.R Tolkien and Douglas Adams get very high marks from me too...honestly it's tough to pick just three. Blues, Dave I'm a Tom Robbins fan as well, Half Asleep in Frog Pajamas. And the short story compilation Wild Ducks Flying Backward are some fav's. I especially like his description of the Valley of Vaginas. I'd like to "hike" that. I also like Chuck Klosterman... Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs.Tout est pour le mieux dans le meilleur des mondes possibles. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
futuredivot 0 #29 November 12, 2008 1) Ender's Game 2)Lord of the Rings (the trilogy) 3) Still Life With Woodpecker I read a lot, but these I reread every couple of years and they never get oldYou are only as strong as the prey you devour Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JohnRich 4 #30 November 12, 2008 Quote Quote The Bible. The Dictionary. The Constitution. booorriiiinnnggggg Every modern story is just a remake of something that's in the Bible. The dictionary contains all of the words ever used in any book. So instead of reading all those other books, it's much simpler to just read the dictionary once. And nothing is more important to freedom and prosperity than the Constitution. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CyniQ 0 #31 November 12, 2008 Quote Quote Quote The Bible. The Dictionary. The Constitution. booorriiiinnnggggg Every modern story is just a remake of something that's in the Bible. The dictionary contains all of the words ever used in any book. So instead of reading all those other books, it's much simpler to just read the dictionary once. And nothing is more important to freedom and prosperity than the Constitution. Would you like to see Phineas hit the big screen?? Numbers 25:8 Tout est pour le mieux dans le meilleur des mondes possibles. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
livendive 8 #32 November 12, 2008 Quote 1) Ender's Game 2)Lord of the Rings (the trilogy) 3) Still Life With Woodpecker I read a lot, but these I reread every couple of years and they never get old Dude, WTF is wrong with you. I listed Tom Robbins and J.R.R. Tolken, and Andrew Scott Card would have been up there if we hadn't been limited (not that I didn't go over 3 anyhow) Blues, Dave"I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jumpervint 0 #33 November 12, 2008 Zorba the Greek - Nikos Kazantzakis Life's lessons - grab it while you can and life is pain. The Sojourner - Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings - something about the protagonist's life and how he trudged on interests me. The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame - messing bout in cars and boats. The lure of the road. Vint. . . . . "Make it hard again." Doc Ed “A person needs a little madness, or else they never dare cut the rope and be free” Nikos Kazantzakis Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
grimmie 176 #34 November 12, 2008 "You wouldn't be dead for Quids"-Great Aussie humor. "Report from Engine Company 82"-Read it as a teenager and it motivated me to join. "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn"-Adventure galore reading it as a kid. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jumpervint 0 #35 November 12, 2008 I love The Master and Margarita. I read it in high school many years ago, and then much later as an adult. Clever wit - that and Dead Souls by Gogol are my favorite Russian books. Vint. . . . . "Make it hard again." Doc Ed “A person needs a little madness, or else they never dare cut the rope and be free” Nikos Kazantzakis Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
FlyingJ 0 #36 November 12, 2008 The Alienist by Caleb Carr - historical fiction - serial killer in late 19th/early 20th century NYC (T. Roosevelt is commissioner of police - raised my interest in Theodore Roosevelt) The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt - Edmund Morris - biography that reads like a novel. Pulitzer Prize winner. Really great look at Roosevelt's life up to the point of the assassination of McKinley. Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger. Just love it. Have read it once or twice a year for about 15 years now. Love the writing style, every time I read it I get something different out of it. Can I get away with listing a fourth? I just finished reading the Lonesome Dove series of books. The other three don't compare to the original, but I enjoyed them all. Take the time to read the book, not just watch the movie. Seeing the movie kind of messed up the books for me because I didn't envision the characters anything like who portrayed them.Killing threads since 2004. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
happythoughts 0 #37 November 12, 2008 Quote Quote Quote The Bible. The Dictionary. The Constitution. booorriiiinnnggggg Every modern story is just a remake of something that's in the Bible. The dictionary contains all of the words ever used in any book. So instead of reading all those other books, it's much simpler to just read the dictionary once. And nothing is more important to freedom and prosperity than the Constitution. Whether a person agrees, or disagrees, I think it is funny that they express an opinion on your choices. Like somehow they are the final arbiter in taste and you cannot exist without their validation. "My fav color is green" "Aggghhh" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mann 0 #38 November 12, 2008 Quote Quote "Lord of the rings" by J.R.R. Tolkien But..... that's not a book. It's 3 books. It's a book that is so big that it was published in 3 volumes. It's not a trilogy, it's a book. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JohnRich 4 #39 November 12, 2008 QuoteWould you like to see Phineas hit the big screen?? Numbers 25:8 Movies about plagues? The Reaping Outbreak Doomsday Children of Men I am Legend Zombie movies ... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CyniQ 0 #40 November 12, 2008 Quote Quote Would you like to see Phineas hit the big screen?? Numbers 25:8 Movies about plagues? The Reaping Outbreak Doomsday Children of Men I am Legend Zombie movies ... Okay. Sure... But how about a movie about stabbing people in the genitals? THAT would be original(I think). Numbers 25:8... look it up.Tout est pour le mieux dans le meilleur des mondes possibles. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mann 0 #41 November 12, 2008 QuoteI love The Master and Margarita. I read it in high school many years ago, and then much later as an adult. Did you know that "The Master and Margarita" was published in Estonian faaaaaaaaar earlier than it was allowed to be published in USSR altogether? Although both Russia and Estonia were part of USSR? Thing is, they wanted to show that USSR is openminded enough to publish something like THIS and they chose a language that is spoken by less than a million people - to keep the ideas from being shared. This way, they could tell "Hah, we published Bulgakov, what censorship are you talking about?", but it wasn't before 1990-something that it actually came out in Russian. Estonians had been reading it since... 1968? There were whole books translated in handwriting, being passed under the tables :P I love my copy... PS. edited to say that at least the full version was =P Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JohnRich 4 #42 November 12, 2008 Quote Okay. Sure... But how about a movie about stabbing people in the genitals? THAT would be original(I think). Numbers 25:8... look it up. I did. It says "belly", not genitals. But Hollywood has even done your version: "...the killer gets off by stabbing the genitals of his victims." http://openguys.org/films/tag/online-blood-and-sex-nightmare-film/ "...speared him between the genitals" http://www.sciencemonster.net/16mm/16mm.html "strangles him to death, then dissects the body and plays with the entrails and severed genitals" http://www.subgenius.com/bigfist/goods/O.M.NonSub/X0010_MDianaMovies.html I can think of better things to watch. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
LadiDadi 0 #43 November 12, 2008 QuoteBut how about a movie about stabbing people in the genitals? THAT would be original(I think). The Serpent and the Rainbow. Guy gets tied to a chair and a railroad spike is hammered into his genitals. John - I admire your choices! I'm an Apathist (kind of like an Atheist but without all the effort and concern) and I have read the Bible from cover to cover twice in my life. If you live in the US and have not read the Constitution (and the Declaration of Independence) then shame on you. When I was 12 I begged my parents to get me the complete Oxford English Dictionary for Christmas. It was too expensive so I got the Websters Unabridged Dictionary instead. I still have it. Tattered as hell. Anyway... My list for Fiction is: Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand The most powerful and life changing book I've ever read. Period. Sanity Matinee by Michael Zagst - Kind of like a comedic Falling Down (the movie) The Circus of the Earth and of the Air by Brooke Stevens. I have read this book three times and I'm still not entirely sure what it's about but it's a different experience every time. I mostly read non-fiction and there's no way I could list just three.If you can't laugh at yourself, I'll be happy to do it for you. **************************** Be like the cupcake and suck it up. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jumpervint 0 #44 November 12, 2008 Samizdat? So, that means i read it the first time only a few years after the Estonians, but in English. Eestikelt? A wonderful language, but way too complex for me. What? 14 cases? And wasn't Bulgakov Ukrainian?. . . . . "Make it hard again." Doc Ed “A person needs a little madness, or else they never dare cut the rope and be free” Nikos Kazantzakis Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Baksteen 84 #45 November 12, 2008 I know you said books, but I'm going with series. 1) A Song of Ice and Fire (G.R.R. Martin) - A really dark fantasy novel. The story itself isn't very fast paced, but you get to see it from the perspective of nearly every faction. The chapters are named after the person whose eyes you are currently veiwing the novel through and what i personally like a lot is that Martin adapts his writing style to the character you're experiencing. My advice, even if you don't like it at first, stick with it until "The Unexpected" has happened. You'll know what I mean... 2) Discworld I love the way Pratchett writes his books, I can really appreciate his twisted sense of humour as it kinda resembles my own. What I especially like about Discworld though, is that despite all the "typical" fantasy elements in his novels Pratchett pays a lot of attention to the 'workings' of his city and his world in general. You also see the series mature, where in the beginning the accent is placed on humour and a cheeky mirror to real life, in the later books the mood turns a lot darker and the stories become more serious - but they still have you laughing out loud at frequent intervals. 3) The Company by Robert Littel If you like spy novels (and I do) you're in for a treat. The size of the novel is daunting, the paperback edition is about as thick as a brick. But you'll find yourself simply devouring the pages. Thing is, it is very hard to say anything about the multiple storylines without spoiling the novel for you. Just pick it up and start reading... occasionally you'll be interrupted by the damn alarmclock going off, so's tyou have to go to work. "That formation-stuff in freefall is just fun and games but with an open parachute it's starting to sound like, you know, an extreme sport." ~mom Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SuFantasma 0 #46 November 12, 2008 QuotePlease include a brief description as to why.Quote Skyderiver Information Mamual (SIM), 2008, by United States Parachute Association - A inspirational journey on ambiguity.... You Can't Put No Boogie Woogie oOn the King of Rock and Roll - by Lewis Grizzard - When you want to read a book written from the soul... a collection of previous columns, with the wisdom that a only a Southern journalist can impart on life.... Don Quijote- by Cervantes ... The Spanish version, in old Castelian .... How could so much be written about so little and been given no contextual background ...Y yo, pa' vivir con miedo, prefiero morir sonriendo, con el recuerdo vivo". - Ruben Blades, "Adan Garcia" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites MikeJD 0 #47 November 12, 2008 Wouldn't want to commit to favourites, but three I really like: A Prayer For Owen Meany by John Irving: just one of the most vividly realised characters ever. Surely the only child in fiction who sounds like he's screaming when he talks! And the story is hilarious, moving, gothic and has BIG THEMES. I lost a bit of liking for Owen as he gets older, though - I think he becomes less interesting. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer - about another fascinating child character, who goes on this slightly surreal quest after his father is killed on 9/11. This really moved me too, and sometimes infuriated me because it's a bit too knowingly clever in parts. Still highly recommended. The Hunters by James Salter, because of its aviation theme (it's about about US fighter pilots during the Korean war) but also for its lean prose. I'm a big fan of understatement in writing, and I get turned off when it's overwrought (I'm thinking Robert Ludlum and Dan Brown). The Hunters is quite a short read as well - too many books make better doorstops than novels. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites HeatherObscura 0 #48 November 12, 2008 zorba the greek is another top 10 for me Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites AirWhore 0 #49 November 12, 2008 She Comes First by Ian Kerner Drow Elf Trilogy by R.A Salvatore and probably anything by C.S. Lewis Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites futuredivot 0 #50 November 12, 2008 What? Amazed that the hillbilly can read anything but a PBR can? You are only as strong as the prey you devour Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Prev 1 2 3 Next Page 2 of 3 Join the conversation You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account. Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible. Reply to this topic... × Pasted as rich text. Paste as plain text instead Only 75 emoji are allowed. × Your link has been automatically embedded. Display as a link instead × Your previous content has been restored. Clear editor × You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL. Insert image from URL × Desktop Tablet Phone Submit Reply 0 Go To Topic Listing
MikeJD 0 #47 November 12, 2008 Wouldn't want to commit to favourites, but three I really like: A Prayer For Owen Meany by John Irving: just one of the most vividly realised characters ever. Surely the only child in fiction who sounds like he's screaming when he talks! And the story is hilarious, moving, gothic and has BIG THEMES. I lost a bit of liking for Owen as he gets older, though - I think he becomes less interesting. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer - about another fascinating child character, who goes on this slightly surreal quest after his father is killed on 9/11. This really moved me too, and sometimes infuriated me because it's a bit too knowingly clever in parts. Still highly recommended. The Hunters by James Salter, because of its aviation theme (it's about about US fighter pilots during the Korean war) but also for its lean prose. I'm a big fan of understatement in writing, and I get turned off when it's overwrought (I'm thinking Robert Ludlum and Dan Brown). The Hunters is quite a short read as well - too many books make better doorstops than novels. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
HeatherObscura 0 #48 November 12, 2008 zorba the greek is another top 10 for me Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AirWhore 0 #49 November 12, 2008 She Comes First by Ian Kerner Drow Elf Trilogy by R.A Salvatore and probably anything by C.S. Lewis Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
futuredivot 0 #50 November 12, 2008 What? Amazed that the hillbilly can read anything but a PBR can? You are only as strong as the prey you devour Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
