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Post by Luke on Oct 30, 2008 19:50:27 GMT -5
I was having a conversation the other day about how despite my love of books, I have to be forced into reading them because it's rare I find something that I'm really excited about or want to grab. So people have to badger me by telling me repeatedly how good a book is, and how much I'll love it (and I will be like, "I know YOU love it, but seriously will I? Because you know what sort of things I like. Will I REALLY like this?) and more often than not people actually have to put the book in my hands.
BUT I have discovered so many awesome things thanks to people's bewildering persistence with this. In fact all my favourite books were recommended by people I trust. It got me into Tom Robbins (favourites are Fierce Invalids Home From Hot Climates, Skinny Legs and All, and Jitterbug Perfume), made me adore A Confederacy of Dunces, read a lot of David Sedaris, and I couldn't put down Geek Love (which is not about geeks as in you or I, but geeks as in archaic circus geeks who sit in a pit and bite the heads off chickens. It is one of the most engrossing, fucked up, but crazily clever books ever).
And I do read a lot of graphic novels. I'm not trying to be pretentious with the term, I'm just saying that I'm not picking up issues of comics. But I try and read whatever stuff gets recommended to me in this regard, and with Suzanne working at the library I get a lot of stuff to try out. I am just about finished reading Dungeon (lent to Suzanne and I by Grug - I can return it to you tomorrow at NBF if you like) and it is absolutely brilliant. Beautifully written, plotted and drawn, funny, poignant, and I never would have picked it up (or even known about it) if someone hadn't put it in my house.
So here's the thread where you let people know what's good to read. Important because you're output is always effected by your input.
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grug
Gad about Town
Posts: 351
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Post by grug on Oct 30, 2008 20:57:20 GMT -5
That's be fine, Luke, if you're done with them (No hurry though)
Would you like me to bring you so more stuff, or is that a bad day to do it?
I'll contribute to this thread in a couple of days, after the NBF.
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Post by Suzanne on Oct 31, 2008 8:45:20 GMT -5
For the ladies: Time Travellers Wife by Audrey Niffeneger. Boys dont have the capabilities for this one, but man will it chew you up and spit you out. Heartwrenching.
For everyone: Extremely loud and Incredibly Close, by Jonathan Safran Foer. Delicate and clever and totally awesome.
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stryderwolfe
Citizen
don't touch me don't taint me don't tempt me don't hate me
Posts: 90
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Post by stryderwolfe on Nov 1, 2008 9:11:34 GMT -5
That's awfully sexist of you Suzanne....but you're probably right...still if I ever see it I'll try it just to prove you wrong....
Today I recommend "The Hotel New Hampshire" by John Irving. Sure it's not one of his fancy, made-into-a-movie-starring-Spider-Man" books but it's the weirdest and funniest of his work that I've read. Incest fantasies, a little girl trying to grow, a blind man and a bear on a motorcycle, german terrorists...this book has it all....
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Post by Suzanne on Nov 2, 2008 6:16:02 GMT -5
Do you have a lady, Mike? Seriously, get her to read it, read it yourself, and watch in wonder as it reduces her to tears whilst not eliciting any interest in you whatsoever. Its one of those miracles of biology.
Also I recommend His Dark Materials by Phillip Pullman. I've foisted this series off on so many kids at school, usually unwillingly, and they all come back babbling about how awesome it is. But the beauty is its in the Young Adult category - and thats its main audience - but I first read it at twenty and it absolutely devastated me. Its a life-changer. My favorite book (oh come on, its one story) EVER.
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stryderwolfe
Citizen
don't touch me don't taint me don't tempt me don't hate me
Posts: 90
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Post by stryderwolfe on Nov 2, 2008 19:06:40 GMT -5
haha well I'll take your word for it...the girl I'm seeing right at the moment isn't much for reading...but don't underestimate my girliness or ability to be choked up over what most guys would scoff at  |
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grug
Gad about Town
Posts: 351
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Post by grug on Nov 3, 2008 0:55:46 GMT -5
I stupidly forgot to get the Dungeon books off you, but that's OK, I'll pick them up when we come by to pick up our comics.
I'll also drop you off some new stuff to read, including:
Vampire Loves by Joann Sfar. This is probably my all time favourite graphic novel. I am re-reading it right now, as I just got it back from a friend who has had it over a year.
Other books by Joann Sfar - Klezmer, The Rabbi's Cat, The Professor's Daughter. All great stuff!
A.L.I.E.E.E.N. by Lewis Trondheim. It is a really neat concept for a book, which is that it's a comic book for alien kids, from an alien planet that has somehow found it's way to Earth. It's printed as if it's a bit old, the colours are off and stuff like that. The text in it is all in the alien language (similar to what Chris did with his 24 hour comic this year, those in the know)
Other books by Trondheim - The Spiffy Adventures of McCooney, which are mostly great, though there's one that I think something has gone really wrong in the translation (the first of the Fantagraphics reprints) . Mr O. It's very silly and crude, but great fun.
Isaac the Pirate by Christophe Blain. Amazing books! It's known as the comic artists comic. It was really big in the indie comics professional circles a year or two ago. I can't wait for the next book!
These are all French artists, and are all my favourites in comics.
I heartily recommend all of them!
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Post by Luke on Nov 3, 2008 4:20:26 GMT -5
Yeah I stupidly forgot too. By the time we got back to the car I just wanted to get the fuck out of dodge. Let me know what day you're coming and I'll lug them all to the office. Thanks! Can't wait to read more.
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Post by heath on Nov 3, 2008 8:29:31 GMT -5
Well you already have His Dark Materials, Tom Robbins and John Irving covered...
That's pulling out the big guns for the overture.
("The World According to Garp" is *sublime*...)
Anyway. In no particular order and based on trying to picture my bookshelf.
-J.D Salinger's stuff, though not for everyone, will always be a perennial favourite for me. And I'm not talking about Catcher in the Rye. It may be his 'seminal work' but try "Franny and Zooey", "For Esme with Love and Squalor" or "Seymour: An Introduction."
-Clive Barker, his horror horror stuff if you are in to that but don't overlook "Imajica" or his books theoretically for younger readers, "The Thief of Always" and the two "Abarat" books.
-"The Princess Bride" Okay so the movie is ten kinds of brilliant in a five pound bag so you might be tempted to miss this. Don't. It is different from the film, but equally awesome.
-"The Dice Man" by Luke Rhinehart. A Cult classic. And would incidentally make a great film.
-"Yes Man" the 'man' in the last one reminded me of this but it is a really entertaining, at times laugh out loud funny book that may even make you think twice about your whole approach to life.
-"At Swim Two Birds" by Flann O'Brien. This one is Literature. As in - maybe you'll be squinting a bit and re-reading on occasion. Its dense. Not James Joyce dense but takes some work. Its worth the effort though, my yes. FUNNY. (I've tried to get Lizbt to read it several times to no avail..)
-"Lolita" by Nabakov While we are on literature.
-"The Collector" is great too if you have the stomach for it. Not a cheer-you-up book. But gripping. Most of John Fowles worth a look actually. "The Majus" is my favourite headfuck of his.
-"Fear and Loathing in Los Vegas." No explanation necessary.
The last few were getting dark, let me think, lighter reading...
-In a more Fantasy vein "The Lions of Al-Rassan" by Guy Gavriel Kay
-American Gods is wonderful. This is by Neil Gaiman. I'm prejudiced because the man is my favourite author, period. But look at anything with his name on it, truly. Also - his blog (http://journal.neilgaiman.com/) proves that he preternaturally nice and that he seemingly has some kind of link/relationship with every other cool creative type in the universe.
-"Snowcrash" by Neal Stephenson. This is getting vintage now for sci-fi, considering some of the things he was writing about are practically a reality. It’s such a great book. Listen to me gush and read it already.
-While we are on interweb megastars Cory Doctorow is an interesting one. Try "Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town" or "Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom".
- "Accelerando" by Charles Stross is another tremendous sci-fi read.
Luke mentioned how much he likes the Graphic Novels. Don't have time to get all exhaustive and these are popular much-read choices but Sandman, Preacher, Johhny the Homicidal Maniac, ANYTHING by Alan Moore. (Seriously, read League, read From Hell, V for Vendetta, Watchmen,) His America's Best Comics are just plain pulp adventure fun. (Tom Strong, Promethea, Top Ten etc.) Also if you can get your hands on the three volume monster that is Lost Girls, jump at the chance - some of the finest pornography that has ever been put to paper. Not necessarily in a get-you-off-read-one-handed way, (though some parts) but really something. My girl Lizbt bought it for me, hooray.
On the other end of the scale, less R18+, more PG, you might like to read
-Oscar Wilde's 'fairy stories' (The Happy Prince, The Selfish Giant etc. etc.)
-"Watership Down". "Wind in the Willows", "Alice in Wonderland" Classics, but just in case they passed you by.
-"The Little Prince" by Antione de St Expury. (Wow I spelt that wrong… google it.) Best. Story. Ever.
Phew. This is turning in to long post. So uh.. I'll leave non-fiction, poetry etc for another time. And the titles that I probably forgot.
N.B. If you haven't checked it out already, librarything.com is addictive, and a great way to find out what people with similar taste in books are reading. If you are at all OCD you'll take to it like a Fundamentalist Christian to a book burning. Enter all your books! You know you want to!
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Post by Suzanne on Nov 3, 2008 8:38:45 GMT -5
holy crap, thats commitment.
I will add this:
Read Asterix. It's funny and pun-heavy and very well done.
Read TinTin. It's clever and art-wise above reproach. And Captain Haddock is surely one of the first and finest comic drunks.
not highbrow, but very instrumental in my personal development.
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Post by heath on Nov 3, 2008 8:47:49 GMT -5
How did I forget Asterix and Tintin!?
Glad you corrected my oversight so swiftly.
Instrumental - I hear that. If (nay, when!) I write an autobiography I always planned on a chapter called "Everything I Ever Needed to Know About Ancient History I Learned from Asterix."
Right after the chapter "Monkey Magic - My Spiritual Growth Begins"...
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Post by Suzanne on Nov 3, 2008 9:04:51 GMT -5
Everything I Ever Needed to Know About Ancient History I Learned from Asterix I hear you. I knew Latin when I was seven, for heavens sakes. |
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Post by Luke on Nov 3, 2008 18:58:06 GMT -5
That's a great post, Heath, and one I will continue to refer to. On that list I've read and enjoyed Catcher in the Rye, American Gods, The Collector, and a fair bit of Clive Barker in my youth, the short stories mostly. Which reminds me that I also read a lot of the short Lovecraft stories which were also great.
Graphic novel wise I am working my way through all the Moore. Suzanne and I were just talking the other day about what a gem Top Ten is. I love that series so much. Like when the cops enter the bar full of Gods and say, "OK, nobody move in a mysterious way."
Was looking at the penguin classics not too long ago and wondered if Lolita was worth a read.
Oh, speaking of Monkey you should read the graphic novel American Born Chinese. I would have been even more satisfied if it had been twice as long, but it was good fun.
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Post by Colossal Cockhole on Nov 3, 2008 20:34:29 GMT -5
Heath shared a few that I would have as well (American Gods, Fear and Loathing, and JTHM to name a few), but I have a couple that may be of interest.
Coraline by Neil Gaiman. It's a young adult book by Gaiman and is pretty good.
Stranger than Fiction and Choke by Chuck Palahniuk. Both are now movies, but the books are great reads if you haven't read them yet. In Choke, the main character fakes choking in restaurants so other diners will save him from dying, making them feel that they need to look out for him, so they send him money. He also goes to sex addicts meetings to pick up sex partners. His friend stops masturbating, so to fill the time, he builds a castle. Stranger than Fiction is a series of short stories in a similar vein that are all true but very strange. Speaks of his fathers freak murder as well. Fight Clubs good too if you haven't read it.
Batman: Hush - just a really good Batman/detective story.
The Gunslinger - Stephen King. Kings hit or miss depending on what you like in a book, and even then its inconsistent. The Gunslinger (first book in the Dark Tower series) is probably the most original of any of his books. The rest of the DT series is enjoyable too if your interested in it.
The Foxfire Books - ok, so these are based on people who were born and raised in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, so think of the stereotype the beverly hillbillies were based on. There are about 10-15(?) of these, and they sort of a combination of how-to manuals, folklore, first hand accounts, and "other affairs of plain living". They are a great insight to an era, and a people, and you can also learn how to best build a log cabin, amongst other useful everyday bits.
Illuminatus! Trilogy - Robert Shea and Robert Anton Wilson. I don't really know how to describe it. The 1st 100 pages will piss you off, the next 100 pages you start to get into it, the following 100 pages your totally invested, and then you're not sure what happened, but you think they just stopped the Illuminatus from ruling the world through the use of excessive drugs and religious sex rituals. Its a giant conspiracy orgy, with an orgy in the midst of it all.
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Post by Colossal Cockhole on Nov 4, 2008 18:55:19 GMT -5
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