Recommended books?

2 posts

What are some books that you have read that you would recommend to a person? Why would you recommend it? Was it really good or was it bearable?

From So. California-USA, 3015 posts

That's a tough question andrew791. I could recommend any number of books to you but without knowing your reading tastes it could be a waste of both our times. I have a very eclectic reading list, from espionage thrillers, to cop drama, to medical drama, to westerns, to scifi, to fantasy. There are some pretty complete lists of recommended reading on previous threads at this very Books forum. If you want to be more specific as to your tastes in reading material, myself and others would gladly oblige. I encourage you to scout some of those previous threads also. Let us know what you find or what you are interested in and we'll be glad to help. I can tell you thepaladin will recommend To Kill A Mockingbird, which I also enjoyed. If I were to recommend one book to you I'd go with The Godfather. Hope to get into dialogue with you because I love to read and I love to know what's good to read also, as others here do also.

4085 posts

On the nose. I'd also recommend The Lord of the Rings, but your right, i don't know what direction to take. Techno thrillers? Alternate History? Classic Lit.? I suppose you mean fiction as in novels...but that covers a lot of ground.

From Exeter, 151 posts

Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom is fantastic. He also did [B]The Five People You Meet in Heaven[/B which is just as amazing.

Anything by Steven King. Misery, 1408(short story), Pet Cemetary

Richard Matheson's ] I am Legend is magnificent, best fiction I've ever read.

Try those and I'll give u more later

4085 posts

That's interesting, i like science fiction, but didn't really care for I Am Legend. I liked the concept but thought Matheson (hope I spelled that right) did a better job in the Incredable Shrinking Man. I really did like the idea behind "legend". Not to use up the thread, what other volumes do you like? I'd be hard pressed sometimes to pick one. Did you ever read any of A. E. Van Vogt's stuff? How about an old sci/fi book called When Worlds Colide? It's hard to find now.

Well, just thought I'd take a stab at starting a sci/fi conversation.

From Us, 2 posts

Hi folks

I would recommend something hilarious, adventurous and down to the earth. Nicky Testaforte tells over 70 stories of the ridiculous things in his book “Tales of a New York Limo Driver”. This New York City limo driver tells hilarious passenger stories: many tales of the self-important, the socially inept, the priapic and the certifiable. He also gives great commentary about the limo industry. During my traveling days, I used a lot of limo services and I wish I had this book back then. The trade talk and inside baseball chat would have made my work easier. I hope the author writes more of the same.

From Exeter, 151 posts

Originally posted by thepaladin on 4 Jul 2007 2:54 AM
That's interesting, i like science fiction, but didn't really care for I Am Legend. I liked the concept but thought Matheson (hope I spelled that right) did a better job in the Incredable Shrinking Man. I really did like the idea behind "legend". Not to use up the thread, what other volumes do you like? I'd be hard pressed sometimes to pick one. Did you ever read any of A. E. Van Vogt's stuff? How about an old sci/fi book called When Worlds Colide? It's hard to find now.

Well, just thought I'd take a stab at starting a sci/fi conversation.

I did like the incredible shrinking man, but I'd just finished I am Legend and absolutely loved it. What about it didn't you like? See I didn't go for it because it was Sci-Fi, I was recommended by a friend, and it was such a page turner. I'm not looking forward to the film... Looks like a hollywood misrepresentation to me... Your thoughts?

All the best - Havoc

4085 posts

It would be hard to finger I think it's over all because of the strong nihilistic tone that I find in Mathson, though some would say i'm mistaken in that. There is the hint that "something" goes on. But mostly both books tell the stiry (I'll admit told well) of someone in a long struggle with a sort of ultimate failure. So, what I don't care for would actually be a plus to some readers. You do get the feeling that the shrinking man will continue to "shrink" into something, but I find myself wondering how his lungs function when he's smaller than a molocule of oxygen. Stilll, it's just a matter of taste.

I have another friend whom I have compared notes on novels with over the years and she just can't seem to give fantasies a chance. She is a (now retired) school teacher, we have never been able to see eye to eye on things like the Lord of the Rings. There is a book I really loved from maybe 35 years ago titled The Riddle Master of Hed, by Patricia A. McKillip. I recommended it to her as a good book that happened to be a fantasy, no soap. While she could enjoy say Robert Ludlam, she couldn't suspend reality enough to read fantasy. So, you're already ahead of her and on your way to a whole new genre of reading.

I'm glad you like Matheson, stand by your taste. try some Van Vogt. He's (or possibly was to be sad about it as he died in 2000) a writer with a lot of range. You'll probably love some of his stuff and hate others.

From Exeter, 151 posts

I see what you mean with the shrinking man. But surely no matter how small he shrinks, he will still be in his current proportion, so his lungs will still work. He would just be however, due to the abundance of oxygen, constantly high

But I do love his stuff.

Preferred I am legend to shrinking man though.

My tastes vary hugely though, the only "sci-fi" I like is matheson, I'm more horror focused.

As a point of interest, if you like reading, perhaps you could read some of a book I'm currently writing for me. More Non-fiction than Fiction, but still may interest you.

4085 posts

I barely have time to read my own you see....I'm writing too. I have several novels in various levels of completion. I finished a youth novel a 3+ years ago and started working publishers from the Writers Market, I could paper a wall with rejection notices. Most places didn't even look at it. Most publishing houses have gone to a stance of taking submissions only through agents. I put that book on hold as most of what I'm writing is of an adult reading level. I've got another within a couple of chapters (though I'm sort of blocked now, I know where the story is going, but can't get it to flow.)

Keep writing, maybe one of us will get published. Then we can recommend our own books here.