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OT: Book recommendations- need help findng a good book

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Re: OT: Book recommendations- need help findng a good book 

Post#41 » by duetta » Sun Jun 3, 2012 1:28 am

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Re: OT: Book recommendations- need help findng a good book 

Post#42 » by Bigmo5246 » Sun Jun 3, 2012 5:04 pm

Not much of a reader, but"The Lost Witness" by Robert Ellis is my favorite book. I was reading it while on vacation in Egypt a couple years ago and couldn't put it down.
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Re: OT: Book recommendations- need help findng a good book 

Post#43 » by cshoops » Sun Jun 3, 2012 7:02 pm

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Then you'll know it's ok to read this.
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Thank me later.
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Re: OT: Book recommendations- need help findng a good book 

Post#44 » by kosmovitelli » Mon Jun 4, 2012 12:51 am

If you like hardboiled fiction, noirish stories of the 50s and 60s then I can suggest Lionel White (Obsession), Jim Thompson (The Killer Inside Me) or William Irish (Waltz into Darkness).

Another suggestion, modern and very different : American Pastoral by Philip Roth and The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen. Two of the best novels of the past 20 years.
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Re: OT: Book recommendations- need help findng a good book 

Post#45 » by Iamphilhughes » Wed Dec 5, 2012 6:13 pm

Bringing this thread back from the dead. Since I wrote this thread, I must have read 20 or 30 books. Thanks to the person who recommended Enders Game! That was one of the best books i've ever read. Also got really into Murakami (his stuff is amazing although weird). Just finished up Shadow of the wind (one of my favorite books ever) and looking for a new one-any suggestions?

What was the last few books you guys read? I'll start.

-Memoirs of an imaginary friend (very original)
-Norwegian Wood (amazing yet disturbing)
-Ask the dust (very good if you like Bukowski)
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Re: OT: Book recommendations- need help findng a good book 

Post#46 » by Iamphilhughes » Wed Dec 5, 2012 6:16 pm

Guano wrote:
mrpoetryNmotion wrote:
moocow007 wrote:Dante's Trilogy...Inferno, Purgatorio and Paradiso. Greatest work of literature of all time.


+1 Though it's debatable with Homer's works, maybe.

Lolita is also a good novel off the top of my head by Nabokov. The Road by Cormac McCarthy is good if you're into the post-apocalyptic setting.

I also know a lot of contemporary poetry if anyone is interested, though probably not.


Lolita was a difficult read- not just because the subject matter, but because the author was a writing wizard.

All of Cormac McCarthy's novels are beautiful works of art, but I don't particularly enjoy reading them. They leave me feeling despondent, similar to Breaking Bad.


Totally agree with you about Mccarthy. Read The Road and thought it was nothing special. Cannot understand the acclaim. Also tried Blood Meridian and couldn't get into it.

And Lolita is a very difficult read! It's like poetry in a story form.
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Re: OT: Book recommendations- need help findng a good book 

Post#47 » by j4remi » Wed Dec 5, 2012 6:19 pm

For any fans of the horror genre, particularly Poe and Lovecraft inspired stuff...Thomas Ligotti is absolutely BRILLIANT. His short story collections are great, I've got two of them Grimscribe and Noctuary.

My non-fiction book upcoming is gonna be one of Terrence Mckenna's works or the Sacred Mushroom...haven't picked yet.

Also started American Psycho, that book is sick in the head but hilarious somehow. I have to get back to that, Ligotti has owned my attention for a few weeks now though.
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Re: OT: Book recommendations- need help findng a good book 

Post#48 » by 21shumpshumpst » Wed Dec 5, 2012 6:27 pm

Count of Monte Cristo.
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Re: OT: Book recommendations- need help findng a good book 

Post#49 » by Knicks218 » Wed Dec 5, 2012 6:41 pm

Bill cooper - Behold a pale horse
Jim marrs - Ruled by secrecy
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Re: OT: Book recommendations- need help findng a good book 

Post#50 » by frogfood » Wed Dec 5, 2012 6:42 pm

From what you listed, soudns like Kurt Vonnegut would be ideal. I loved Cat's Cradle and Slaughterhouse Five
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Re: OT: Book recommendations- need help findng a good book 

Post#51 » by MaseInYourFace » Wed Dec 5, 2012 6:49 pm

Sports- I'm currently reading When the Garden was Eden, which is about the 70's era Knicks. Very good book and I think it's perfect for people who weren't alive at that time and want to learn more about those teams.

Current Fiction: Basically anything by Christopher Buckley or Junot Diaz is guaranteed to be pretty good. IMO those are the two best American fiction writers right now. Buckley writes a lot of political satire though which is not everyone's cup of tea.

You seem to be into the classics, or more specifically american literature from 20th century. Have you read any Hemingway? A Farewell to Arms is excellent book.
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Re: OT: Book recommendations- need help findng a good book 

Post#52 » by j4remi » Wed Dec 5, 2012 6:55 pm

DE FENSE wrote:If you liked Choke, you might like Survivor, also by Palahniuk. Invisible Monsters is great as well.

I would also recommend novels by Bret Easton Ellis, such as American Psycho, Glamorama, Rules Of Attraction, etc.


My Palahniuk book rankings since I've read almost all of 'em

1. Choke
2. Invisible Monsters
3. Fight Club
4. Survivor
5. Rant
6. Hell
7. Lullaby
8. Haunted
9. Diary

I read the beginning of Pygmy and it'd take me a couple of months of close reading to really break it down and I haven't done close readings since I got my degree.

knicksh20b wrote:Ender's Game for science fiction. Even if you're not into science fiction, I think you'll enjoy this book a lot, anyway.


I've been meaning to buy that, heard great things. I downloaded Battle Royale because I loved the movie, heard some of the themes overlap with Ender's Game and I agree with heads that say Hunger Games ripped off BR.

moocow007 wrote:Dante's Trilogy...Inferno, Purgatorio and Paradiso. Greatest work of literature of all time.


Paradise Lost by Milton >>>> Inferno IMHO...And I'm not religious at all.

frogfood wrote:From what you listed, soudns like Kurt Vonnegut would be ideal. I loved Cat's Cradle and Slaughterhouse Five


Galapagos by Vonnegut is a slept on classic. I like it more than Slaughterhouse Five.
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Re: OT: Book recommendations- need help findng a good book 

Post#53 » by E86 » Wed Dec 5, 2012 6:59 pm

If you want to take a break from fiction, Adam Carolla's "In Fifty Years We'll All Be Chicks" was friggin hilarious.
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Re: OT: Book recommendations- need help findng a good book 

Post#54 » by movingon » Wed Dec 5, 2012 7:21 pm

Iamphilhughes wrote:-Norwegian Wood (amazing yet disturbing)


Just read Murakami's latest 1q84.
Wow it's long.
I love his stuff, but it's not really worth it.

To echo some others' recommendations, I'm a big Vonnegut fan and Junot Diaz is nice, too
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Re: OT: Book recommendations- need help findng a good book 

Post#55 » by Perdido/BR » Wed Dec 5, 2012 7:29 pm

Iamphilhughes wrote:Hey everyone, I'm looking to find a good book but I don't know where to start. I've asked some friends but wasn't too pleased with their suggestions. Im not a huge fan of biographies and non-fiction, so keep that in mind. Some books I've enjoyed: catcher in the Rye, 1984, Choke, Hunger Games series (slightly embarrassing), A song of fire and ice series. Thanks.


We´ve read a lot of the same books.

I´ll leave some of there here for you:

1. The Dark Tower, by Stephen King.

Bar none, the best series I´ve ever read. It really long, though. Seven books (more, if you want to read some books that touch on the lore). But it´s just great, great, storytelling. In fact, read (most) anything by King, and you should be happy. Another great book is The Stand

2. The Ender Series

If you liked the Hunger Games, might as well read Ender´s Game. They are also making a movie out of it, it also deals with teenagers (in the case of ender´s game, kids) dealing with a hard situation in a dystopic future. Ender´s game is way better, though.

If you like it, then go read the INFINITELY superior Ender´s Shadow (and the follow ups, Shadow of the Hegemon, Shadow Puppets and Shadow of the Giant). Stay away from Speaker for the Dead and Xenocide.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ender's_Game_(series)

3. I didn´t see Lord of the Rings on your list, but I´ll assume you have read it.

Other than that, some random suggestions: Lord of the Flies, Neuromancer, The Discworld series, Hitchiker´s guide to the galaxy...

Enjoy.
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Re: OT: Book recommendations- need help findng a good book 

Post#56 » by j4remi » Wed Dec 5, 2012 7:36 pm

movingon wrote:
Iamphilhughes wrote:-Norwegian Wood (amazing yet disturbing)


Just read Murakami's latest 1q84.
Wow it's long.
I love his stuff, but it's not really worth it.

To echo some others' recommendations, I'm a big Vonnegut fan and Junot Diaz is nice, too


I downloaded a sample of 1q84 based on some people hyping it and I couldn't remotely get into it. The few scenes I got to read were dragged the hell out and while the descriptions fit with the plot line, it just felt ridiculous to me...Maybe I shoulda read more though.
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Re: OT: Book recommendations- need help findng a good book 

Post#57 » by TheToothFairy » Wed Dec 5, 2012 9:27 pm

I was just talking bout reading over the Xmas break...hmmm
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Re: OT: Book recommendations- need help findng a good book 

Post#58 » by Jmonty580 » Wed Dec 5, 2012 9:39 pm

All Dan brown books (personally really liked Digital Fortress and the Lost symbol).

Almost all James Patterson books (the alex cross series is excellent and easy reading).
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Re: OT: Book recommendations- need help findng a good book 

Post#59 » by Iamphilhughes » Thu Dec 6, 2012 12:32 am

movingon wrote:
Iamphilhughes wrote:-Norwegian Wood (amazing yet disturbing)


Just read Murakami's latest 1q84.
Wow it's long.
I love his stuff, but it's not really worth it.

To echo some others' recommendations, I'm a big Vonnegut fan and Junot Diaz is nice, too


I read Iq84 tries too hard to be vintage Murakami. It's the only book I haven't read by him. For those who recommended vonnegut, I totally agree. Absolutely brilliant. Cats cradle is my favorite.

To the person who mention monte cristo, can anyone else vouch for this? I'm trying to get more into classics. What about Hemmngway?
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Re: OT: Book recommendations- need help findng a good book 

Post#60 » by HixNixKnicksTix » Thu Dec 6, 2012 12:44 am

Before I Go To Sleep


This is sort of a thriller/suspense/mystery version of Adam Sandler's 50 First Dates. A lot of times I find novels have long dead spots, but this one is truly very hard to put down.


Synopsis:
Every day Christine wakes up not knowing where she is. Her memories disappear every time she falls asleep. Her husband, Ben, is a stranger to her, and he's obligated to explain their life together on a daily basis--all the result of a mysterious accident that made Christine an amnesiac. With the encouragement of her doctor, Christine starts a journal to help jog her memory every day. One morning, she opens it and sees that she's written three unexpected and terrifying words: "Don't trust Ben." Suddenly everything her husband has told her falls under suspicion. What kind of accident caused her condition? Who can she trust? Why is Ben lying to her? And, for the reader: Can Christine’s story be trusted?
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