Fun Stuff > ENJOY
For lack of a better title, The Book Thread!
tetsuotheironboy:
terry pratchetts discworld series is magnificent, gets better with every book imho but although its my favourite character set, his recent focus on sam vimes and the city watch in most of his work is puzzling. The witches of lancre, rincewind the wizzard (or does he spell it with three z's?), death have all taken a back seat to parodies of modern life through the ankh morpork/city watch character set. Gotta love brave new world and 1984, as cliche' as they are for leftie types like myself they're just great. Animal Farm is better though. Anyone ever read ben eltons eco-warrior type books stark and this other eden? cheesy but very funny. Especially the spray-on condoms...
StrikeThePostman:
I'm re-reading The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster. It's regarded as a children's book, but I think it's my favourite. I haven't read it since I was about nine and there are a lot of things that are more relevant to me now than there were then (mostly because now, I'm a word and funky math freak).
liberation_party:
--- Quote from: TheToon_Ashtoon ---
plus, he and tori amos are tight. unfortunately, my music taste differs from anyone else who reads QC somehow. so that may not be that big of a deal. I think its super awesome, though. IMO Tori Amos writes damn interesting lyrics.
--- End quote ---
(Temporarily continuing the hijack....) I like Tori Amos. I have several of her CDs, some of her bootlegs, and have even attended one of her overpriced stadium shows. I'll also agree that she has interesting lyrics. Some of her turns of phrase are wonderful things to savor. That said, her songs rarely make a lick of sense to me. I explain it as "I understand the words, but I don't speak the language." Maybe if I attempt unpretty line-by-line translation.
Books! Books books books!
My favorite authors include Dr. Seuss, Madeleine l'Engle, Douglas Coupland, Neil Gaiman, Charles deLint, C.S. Lewis, Umberto Eco, and Orson Scott Card, among many others. Those are just the first few who floated to the top of my head.
My favorite Dr. Seuss book is My Many Colored Days, which I honestly enjoy for the pictures above the text. Do look for it. It's fun to read to strangers on the bus.
Madelein l'Engle has also written some fantastic picture books (The Other Dog stands out), but she's also done the Time Quartet (the first three volumes being excellent) and a host of other novels which have enough depth revealed in various places to keep me rereading throughout the years.
Konigsburg's From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler is a tweenager must read. So is The Phantom Tollbooth.
Neil Gaiman... I would sacrifice small defenseless rodents to Cthulhu and the fire if it would grant me the ability to write as he. Stardust, Neverwhere, American Gods... yes.
Douglas Coupland: terribly funny. Really, he's terrible. His humor tends to come from the vacuity of modern culture butting up against those imperfect good things (like familial love) we hope are permanent, but aren't always. Still, his work is evolving, and each novel trips a little closer to finding meaning in a totally fucked-up world. I'm told he coined the term Generation X with his eponymous novel. I just think All Families Are Psychotic was a solid read, and want more.
Charles deLint writes urban fantasy, and it's usually pretty solid. My favorites from his canon are Tapping the Dream Tree (short stories) and The Onion Girl (novel re: the past of a major character). Most of his unrelated novels take place in Newford, with overlapping casts.
I'm falling unconsious, so I'll post and leave and hope I haven't repeated someone else's opinions word-for-word in my exhaustion. Maybe I'll post later.
La Creme:
Finished The Sea Hawk yesterday. Do not read this book, it was terrible.
Picking up I, Lucifer again. Knowing it's gonna be better than the fucking book I just finished is reassurance enough. BLARRRGHHH.
offcitylimits:
currently reading a million little pieces by james frey. a very powerful, heartrending memoir of a 23 year-old trying to kick his addictions to alcohol and crack.
also reading me talk pretty one day by david sedaris for a little levity.
Navigation
[0] Message Index
[#] Next page
[*] Previous page
Go to full version