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Author Topic: For lack of a better title, The Book Thread!  (Read 54450 times)

onewheelwizzard

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For lack of a better title, The Book Thread!
« on: 22 Jul 2005, 10:04 »

It surprises me that there appears to be no thread in which forums members can talk about books and literature.  I was so surprised, in fact, that I involuntarily reached for the mouse and before I knew it I was typing this.  Well, I've gotten this far, I might as well actually start a discussion.

I don't pretend to be the biggest or most avid reader in the world, but I sure as hell do like me some good books.  Here's my current list of authors to be all up ons:

Tom Robbins.  OK, I promise not to write a whole long drawn-out blurb abour EVERY author or book I put up here, but Tom Robbins is special.  Tom Robbins is special because he is simply the best writer currently operating in the English language.  You should go out and buy a Tom Robbins book tomorrow (today if you've got time) and read it immediately.  Yes, I mean every one of you.  He is that good.  I can guarantee with at least 94% certainty that you will like him a whole lot, and about 60% of you that actually do read his books will call him your favorite author after getting halfway through the second one you read.  I'd start a sentence with "For a good idea of what to expect, imagine ... " but I would be unable to end it satisfactorily because his writing is so far ahead of just about anyone ever that there's simply no comparison to be made.

Now that I've got that out of the way, here are some other authors you should try out.

Neal Stephenson
Khalil GIbran
Terry Pratchett
Neil Gaiman
Angela Carter
C. D. Payne

That's an incomplete list but you should only need to look at it after you've read a Tom Robbins book or three.  Oh man.

Discuss!
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starcastic

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For lack of a better title, The Book Thread!
« Reply #1 on: 22 Jul 2005, 10:12 »

I read all the bloody time, but you have to LIKE the books that I do to have to want to read any of them...I read those romantic comedies, fluffy books that don't require too much intensive thinking.  Jennifer Crusie has to be my favorite fluffy author.  Other than her, I read Janet Evanovich (the Stephanie Plum series) and just love her..  When you can get hooked on a series of books, you know the writer has at least a smidgen of talent.  I used to be hooked on Chuck Palahnuik, Aldius Huxley (sp?) and stuff like that, but I don't read them much anymore.  

I really don't have a lot of favorite authors recently because I have a library in my house and I just find a title that looks good.  It's been working, so I'm sticking with that way of picking them out.
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heretic

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For lack of a better title, The Book Thread!
« Reply #2 on: 22 Jul 2005, 10:15 »

as i've said before; if you like pratchett, check out piers anthony. he is the man. much better writer than pratchett, but the humor isn't as prevalent
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lastclearchance

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For lack of a better title, The Book Thread!
« Reply #3 on: 22 Jul 2005, 10:16 »

Tom Robbins...I'll check him out.  C.D. Payne.  Is that the Youth in Revolt/Revolting Youth guy?
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JJMitchell

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For lack of a better title, The Book Thread!
« Reply #4 on: 22 Jul 2005, 10:18 »

I have to second that, Piers Anthony has some good stuff.

One of my favorite books is:
With A Single Spell
by Watt-Evans, Lawrence

I read it when young though so I'm probably prejudice.

I enjoy Neal Stephenson also.
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heretic

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For lack of a better title, The Book Thread!
« Reply #5 on: 22 Jul 2005, 10:21 »

a couple of my fav books
grapes of wrath
cather in the rye
brave new world (it's Aldous Huxley, not pronounced Aldius and how, it's pronounced Aldoo, but not blatently americanized)
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clasicks

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For lack of a better title, The Book Thread!
« Reply #6 on: 22 Jul 2005, 10:29 »

i just reread the Golden compass series, by Phillip Pullman. Definitely a good read if you like fantasy/adventure type. it keeps you page turning.
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onewheelwizzard

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For lack of a better title, The Book Thread!
« Reply #7 on: 22 Jul 2005, 10:31 »

I really enjoy Janet Evanovich books.  I don't know why, but I do.  They're fun.

I read a lot more fluffy stuff that I'm willing to admit.  Most of it is pretty standard fantasy/sci-fi stuff.  Right now my favorite throwaway fantasy writer is Carol Berg.  Her plots and characters are really extremely engaging.  There's little to say beyond that, but if you want a book that'll make sure you keep reading it until it's over, get one of hers.  Elizabeth Haydon is similar in that regard, she's also a high quality fantasy writer.

C. D. Payne ... yes, he wrote Youth In Revolt, and that is one of the funniest books EVER written.  He also wrote Frisco Pigeon Mambo.  It's about talking pigeons who think they're human and rob liquor stores.  It's amazing.

I almost got into Piers Anthony, and what I have read of his is really quite enjoyable.  But I find that Pratchett's work, particularly the more recent stuff, trumps it in just about every category.  "Thief of Time," "The Truth," and "Jingo" are good examples of Pratchett at his prime.
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KharBevNor

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For lack of a better title, The Book Thread!
« Reply #8 on: 22 Jul 2005, 10:34 »

I mostly read speculative fiction. My favourite authors are Iain Banks, Philip K. Dick, J.R.R. Tolkien, Terry Pratchett, Adam Roberts, Urusula K. LeGuin, Peter F. Hamilton, Dorothy L. Sayers, Umberto Eco, Anne Rice, Alastair Reynolds, Kim Stanley Robinson, William Gibson, Harry Harrison (His old material especially), the sci-fi big three (Clarke, Asimov, Heinlein), Philip Jose Farmer...etc.

Out of all those, if I was to pick five books you MUST read before death:

Ursula K LeGuin - The Left Hand of Darkness
Iain Banks - The Bridge
Harry Harrison - Bill, The Galactic Hero
J.R.R. Tolkien - The Lord of The Rings (The films are NOT a substitute. Force yourself through the dull bits)
Kim Stanley Robinson - The Years of Rice and Salt

Get crackin'
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lastclearchance

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For lack of a better title, The Book Thread!
« Reply #9 on: 22 Jul 2005, 10:37 »

Quote from: KharBevNor
J.R.R. Tolkien - The Lord of The Rings (The films are NOT a substitute. Force yourself through the dull bits)

Why would you think that everyone should read before death a series which you admit has "dull bits" through which a reader must "force" her/himself?

(I say this having read the series and forced myself through the dull bits.  It was good, just not requisite.)
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KharBevNor

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For lack of a better title, The Book Thread!
« Reply #10 on: 22 Jul 2005, 10:43 »

Because The Lord of the Rings is a landmark work of unbelievable importance in English language fiction, single-handedly inventing an entire genre and reconstructing an entire anglo-saxon mythology from years of painstaking research and work. It is also a joy to read, and one of the most meticulously constructed works in any genre ever. I just appreciate some people might not 'get it'.*

I first read it when I was 10.

*That said, I don't think I've got through all the ringbearers quest more than twice in the five or six times I've read it.
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sp2

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Re: For lack of a better title, The Book Thread!
« Reply #11 on: 22 Jul 2005, 10:50 »

Quote from: onewheelwizzard
that out of the way, here are some other authors you should try out.

Neal Stephenson
Khalil GIbran
Terry Pratchett
Neil Gaiman
Angela Carter
C. D. Payne


That list with no William Gibson?  For shame!

Anyways, other authors:

J.D. Salinger

Really, Catcher in the Rye is awesome, but so is just about everything else by Salinger.  He's pretty much an angsty Kerouac.  Which is not a bad thing.

Shirley Jackson

Oh!  More angst!  She wrote horror, sort of, and just simple stories about alienation and going crazy.  Her short story "The Lottery" is a classic among classics, and most of her fiction is damned good.  She can't write an ending worth a damn, but that's okay by me, because endings are overrated anyways.  Hangsaman is worth reading, as is The Haunting of Hill House and The Road through the Wall.  And of course "The Lottery."

Jack Kerouac

Just read him.  For your own good.  Seriously.  On the Road is the obvious choice.
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onewheelwizzard

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« Reply #12 on: 22 Jul 2005, 10:52 »

I first read Lord of the Rings when I was 10 or so too.  It might just be the greatest literary work in the history of English.

Before I get flamed for saying that, let me just present my reasoning ... Lord of the Rings is not particularly exceptional when it comes to prose.  Tolkien's writing can be dense and unnecessarily obscure (not to any severe degree, but still), and his plot might look a little hackneyed if you look at it from the perspective of someone who read his followers' works with the same eye.  But in terms of scope and vision, Tolkien was completely unparalleled.  His creative output trumps that of just about every author I've ever read.  He created entire languages and cultures, formed a complex and intersting mythology for his world, and, effectively, created a universe every bit as full and complete as our own, all in his head.  It wasn't just the books, it was the entire universe that they represented.  Middle-Earth goes a long way beyond the Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit.  In order to fully appreciate it you have to look into The Silmarillion and the many other works associated with its mythology and backstory.  The complexity of Tolkien's vision just couldn't be communicated in one series.
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johnnylaw

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For lack of a better title, The Book Thread!
« Reply #13 on: 22 Jul 2005, 10:53 »

Quote from: heretic
a couple of my fav books
grapes of wrath
cather in the rye
brave new world (it's Aldous Huxley, not pronounced Aldius and how, it's pronounced Aldoo, but not blatently americanized)

If you're a fan of Catcher, you should read the underappreciated Franny and Zooey by Salinger.  Personally, I like it better.
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sp2

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For lack of a better title, The Book Thread!
« Reply #14 on: 22 Jul 2005, 10:55 »

Quote from: KharBevNor
Because The Lord of the Rings is a landmark work of unbelievable importance in English language fiction, single-handedly inventing an entire genre and reconstructing an entire anglo-saxon mythology from years of painstaking research and work. It is also a joy to read, and one of the most meticulously constructed works in any genre ever. I just appreciate some people might not 'get it'.*


To be fair, there was indeed fantasy (even quest fantasy) before Tolkein.  Lovecraft wrote it (Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath, for example) as did many other authors.  Tolkein definitely put in nods to Beowulf, Norse mythology (most of the characters' names were stolen directly), the King Arthur legend, and even Lovecraft (the watcher in the lake outside Moria, yeah, if that's not Lovecraftian....).  He knew pretty well that he was walking in the footsteps of other people instead of treading new grounds.  This has just been forgotten to large extents.
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KharBevNor

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« Reply #15 on: 22 Jul 2005, 11:00 »

@onewheel: Precisely. The only reason I've been able to re-read it so many times is the amazing depth. There's all the things you miss the first time (when the only other Tolkien works I'd read were The Hobbit and Farmer Giles of Ham, which is completely unrelated) that leap out once you've read the Silmarillion, or the history of Middle Earth...But the scope is, indeed, unparalleled. Think that tolkien invented every cliche. Almost every fantasy book after him has to some degree been based on his work, the breadth of his vision is IMPOSSIBLE to escape. Every stock cliche of the fantasy world: Elves, Orcs and everything else, all his. Also, Sindarin is almost certainly the greatest artificial language ever constructed. I've got to say my copy of Lord of the Rings is one of my favourite possessions: single volume, hardbacked, illustrated, beautiful dust-jacket and my poncy private school creative writing prize firmly stuck in the front.

@sp2: Yes, but all that came before was basically 'Tales of Mystery and the Imagination' type material. Tolkiens use of Arthur and Beowulf (as well as countless lesser known works) was of course deliberate: Tolkien was one of the greatest Beowulf scholars of his generation. The Lord of the Rings is, in his own words 'a reconstructed anglo-saxon mythology'.
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negative creep

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For lack of a better title, The Book Thread!
« Reply #16 on: 22 Jul 2005, 11:09 »

the lord of the rings DOES NOT have any "dull bits".
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KharBevNor

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« Reply #17 on: 22 Jul 2005, 11:16 »

Fan as I am, most of Book IV is pretty tedious on the second reading.
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negative creep

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« Reply #18 on: 22 Jul 2005, 11:35 »

um... what exactly is book IV about? i always confuse them...
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KharBevNor

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« Reply #19 on: 22 Jul 2005, 11:49 »

IV is the portion of the ringbearers quest in the Two towers. From round-about when they meet Smeagol to just after Shelobs cave. It livens up nicely at each end but it's rather drawn out in the middle.
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« Reply #20 on: 22 Jul 2005, 12:04 »

hm i didn't find that part *that* boring...
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KharBevNor

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« Reply #21 on: 22 Jul 2005, 12:17 »

It's not really the first time round.

As I said, it's when you know exactly what's going to happen that interest starts to wane.
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« Reply #22 on: 22 Jul 2005, 12:23 »

well... i enjoyed it every time i read it,... which is about 5 times in german and twice in english.
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KharBevNor

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« Reply #23 on: 22 Jul 2005, 12:26 »

What's Der Herr De Ringe (did I get that right?) like anyway? Translation wise and such. I've had thoughts about reading it in Icelandic, but have no idea where you'd get such a thing.
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« Reply #24 on: 22 Jul 2005, 12:34 »

welll der herr der ringe is really good, the translation is a bit old fashioned maybe, but still really nice to read, in my opinion. in german i especially liked the hobbit, the translation is really nice.
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KharBevNor

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« Reply #25 on: 22 Jul 2005, 12:42 »

The Hobbits closer to my German reading level, certainly.

Reading proper literature in foreign languages is something I always mean to get around to. I expect a German copy of the Hobbit with dictionary on stand-by would do more for my Grammar than a year or so of German lessons.

Anyway, back to other things, I mentioned The Left Hand of Darkness...anyone read it? Indeed, anyone read any Ursula K LeGuin at all apart from The Wizard of Earthsea etc. (Which are great books, don't get me wrong, but don't represent the best of her work imo) I think she rocked at your subtle, thought provoking 'Protest books': The Left Hand of Darkness and The Word For World is Forest particularly. Same with Anne McCafferey. She should have stuck to things like The Ship Who Sang rather than those endless Chronicles of Pern sequels. There are literally only four or five decent Pern Books before the whole thing gets over the top: The original trilogy, The White Dragon, and Dragonsdawn. Maybe Dragondrums as well...actually no.

Also, did she ever finish The Survivors? I only ever remember reading two of those. FINALLY, who here likes schlock pulp sci-fi? I love the stuff. Anyone who does should check out Edmund Cooper. He was one of my dads favourites for the same reasons, and I have almost his complete works, he's mostly out of print now though. In particular, Pratchett fans should get hold of Coopers 'The Last Continent', which Pratchett actually makes tributes/parodies/references to in the discworld book of the same title.

ALSO, anyone else love Pratchett's sci-fi stuff?
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Trollstormur

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« Reply #26 on: 22 Jul 2005, 12:47 »

I've read a lot of piers anthony, but I've felt I've grown out of it. I've been reading a lot of comics recently. Only book I've been reading I've been working on for two years now, the collected Justine by the Marquis De Sade.
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Maui

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For lack of a better title, The Book Thread!
« Reply #27 on: 22 Jul 2005, 13:42 »

4 books you must read before you die:

Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger
1984 by George Orwell
Life of Pi (its by Yann Martel fyi)
To Kill A Mockingbird

Theres a lot more really, but these four are probably my favorites. I mean, stuff like harry potter rocks too though, like i said, this is just 4.
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« Reply #28 on: 22 Jul 2005, 13:48 »

Quote from: Trollstormur
the collected Justine by the Marquis De Sade.


Oh man, that was a sick sick sick book, albeit not as sick as Juliette.
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« Reply #29 on: 22 Jul 2005, 13:52 »

Quote from: KharBevNor
What's Der Herr De Ringe (did I get that right?) like anyway? Translation wise and such. I've had thoughts about reading it in Icelandic, but have no idea where you'd get such a thing.


Don't. The Icelandic version isn't as good, we don't have the words for many things Tolkien talks about, so the translation sounds rather silly. Also I believe that the original version of books are always better, exactly as the writer intended them.

That said we should all read as much H. P. Lovecraft as possible.
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onewheelwizzard

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« Reply #30 on: 22 Jul 2005, 14:00 »

1984 is genius, pure and simple.  It's not for everyone, but it's airtight ... there's really nothing you can legitimately say against it as a work of literature.

Catcher in the Rye is a weird quandary ... it's so perfectly written that you realize how little it's actually saying (it is, after all, written from the point of view of an angsty adolescent, and therefore not particularly meaningful, all things considered).  It doesn't present any new ideas, what little social commentary it contains is hardly groundbreaking or particularly perceptive, and I didn't see any valuable lessons to be learned in it.  But it's such a 100% perfect rendition of what it's presenting that it's impossible to shrug at.  Salinger's a great writer, but I can't say his work interests me to any great extent ... I'm long past the stage in my life when Catcher in the Rye was anything approaching relevant.

To Kill A Mockingbird is excellent, but it's excellent in low-key conventional ways.  It's not something that will rework the way we think and act, but it is something that should be appreciated as a work of art.  It's sort of like the literary equivalent of a still-life done by an undisputed master painter.  Its quality is irrefutable, but it won't change any lives.

Life of Pi is the only one of those four I haven't read.  From what I've heard about it, it's like The DaVinci Code for people who like philosophy.  I'll get to it eventually, I hope.

If I could force everyone in the world to read one book, it would be Skinny Legs and All by Tom Robbins.  That book says more about life in 7 pages than 90% of literature could come close to saying in its entirety.
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happybirthdaygelatin

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« Reply #31 on: 22 Jul 2005, 14:37 »

I've been working my way through both the Bourne and Discworld series.  Tis an odd combination.
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« Reply #32 on: 22 Jul 2005, 14:44 »

Quote from: sp2
Quote from: Trollstormur
the collected Justine by the Marquis De Sade.


Oh man, that was a sick sick sick book, albeit not as sick as Juliette.


People, people. 200 days of Sodom. Even though the last two sections are just outlines...the man deserves some sort of prize for evil.
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« Reply #33 on: 22 Jul 2005, 14:54 »

Quote from: sp2
(Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath, for example)


One of my favourite Lovecraft stories and one of my favourite fantasy quest type stories.
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For lack of a better title, The Book Thread!
« Reply #34 on: 22 Jul 2005, 15:29 »

I LOVE NEIL GAIMAN, hence I love you.

I read all the time as well, which I pride myself in.

Since january I've prolly read over 30 books, which I think is pretty good.

Some of MY favorite authors are:

Neil Gaiman
Lesley Choyce
Arthur Nersesian
Kafka
Vonnegut
Yann Martel
Zadie Smith
Mark Haddon
Chuck Palahniuk

and more or less, much more.

Im actually reading a pretty interesting book called STEAL THIS BOOK by Abbie Hoffman, which is just full of ways to steal food from restaurants and how to be a young activist, more or less.

The only problem I have with it is  that the bastard is bloody confident in their methods, even when it comes to gun use :/

They talk about lifting from super markers and they're like 'and dont worry about those convex mirrors, cashiers never look at them'

Then again, the books been around for a looooong time, so unfortunetaly things have changed since then.
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For lack of a better title, The Book Thread!
« Reply #35 on: 22 Jul 2005, 15:48 »

Talking about the above post...

Everyone has read the anarchists cook-book, right? I mean, I want to be sure and certain that in the event of some massive global take-over by an evil secret society, everyone is totally aware how to make pipe-bombs and distill impossibly deadly poison from cigarettes.
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[22:25] Dovey: i don't get sigquoted much
[22:26] Dovey: like, maybe, 4 or 5 times that i know of?
[22:26] Dovey: and at least one of those was a blatant ploy at getting sigquoted

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SeanBateman

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For lack of a better title, The Book Thread!
« Reply #36 on: 22 Jul 2005, 15:50 »

Boeuf, I love you even more. Gaiman is a god, Palahniuk is my fucking hero, Life of Pi was brilliant and the fact that you are reading steal this book is basically the coolest thing ever.
However, do not do ANY of his bomb ideas, as they do not work. At all.
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KharBevNor

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For lack of a better title, The Book Thread!
« Reply #37 on: 22 Jul 2005, 16:03 »

Tbh, all you need for a decent bit of anarchy is Molotov cocktails, and maybe some pipe bombs. Anything more complex and you're going to fuck up. Columbine, for example, was meant to murder 600, but Klebold and Harris didn't put together the igniter on their fuel bomb correctly.

Although, if you're out for some fun, and have a good place to test them where you're not likely to accidentally kill people, fertiliser bombs offer an excellent bang to buck ratio.
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[22:25] Dovey: i don't get sigquoted much
[22:26] Dovey: like, maybe, 4 or 5 times that i know of?
[22:26] Dovey: and at least one of those was a blatant ploy at getting sigquoted

http://panzerdivisio

Se7en

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For lack of a better title, The Book Thread!
« Reply #38 on: 22 Jul 2005, 16:18 »

I read just about everything pratchett writes, and a lot of doug adams too.

The humour just matches my own precisely, and i must admit, pratchett has had a huge influence on my own writing style.

For science fiction, its got to be asimov, or ray bradbury.

I love books, i wish i had more time for fiction though. When you consider a paperback costs less than a movie ticket and popcorn, its great value entertainment.
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clasicks

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« Reply #39 on: 22 Jul 2005, 16:23 »

douglas adams is very good stuff. too bad the movie rendition of Hitchhikers guide was uterly terrible. didnt give the book justice at all.
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JP

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For lack of a better title, The Book Thread!
« Reply #40 on: 22 Jul 2005, 17:27 »

I'm currently reading This Side of Paradise by F. Scott Fitzgerald.

That's right, I like F. Scott Fitzgerald.
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Skibas_clavicle

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For lack of a better title, The Book Thread!
« Reply #41 on: 22 Jul 2005, 17:43 »

I like fucked up books. If they have sex, drugs and violence (and zombies) in them, I should theoretically like it.  Some of my favourite books are

Kiss Me, Judas - Will Christopher Baer
Glamorama -Brett Easton Ellis
Invisible Monsters -Chuck Palahniuk
The Wooden Bird - Jerzy Kosinski
Mother Night - Kurt Vonnegut
Catcher In The Rye
Hearts In Atlantis/Rose Madder - Stephan King
Black Hawk Down - Mark Bowden
Menstruating Mall - Carlton Mellick III
ETC.

I'm currently reading Sarah by JT LeRoy, its a fucking halarious book about truck stop hookers and such. NOTE: I fucking hated Life of Pi.
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I like the way you work it.

Praeserpium Machinarum

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For lack of a better title, The Book Thread!
« Reply #42 on: 22 Jul 2005, 17:50 »

The only books I consider a must are Dune and Lord of the Rings, but I think Lotr is pretty tedious in passages hence why I have only read them once. It's been so long since a book really grabbed me, I just ordered(library) Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, I hope it will break the curse. Since I am reading The Da Vinci Code now, and while it's fun and all, it's not that good.
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Se7en

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For lack of a better title, The Book Thread!
« Reply #43 on: 22 Jul 2005, 18:17 »

You know what? maybe the new TV and movies section should include books too? Just a thought.
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SeanBateman

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« Reply #44 on: 22 Jul 2005, 18:22 »

Quote from: Skibas_clavicle

The Wooden Bird - Jerzy Kosinski


I agree with most of the things you said in that post, specially Ellis. But do you perchance mean the painted bird? Because that was a fucking brilliant, although slightly shattering, book. If the wooden bird is something else, tell me what it's about, I am a big fan of kosinski.
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Acclrator

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« Reply #45 on: 22 Jul 2005, 19:08 »

Right now, I'm on the 3rd book of "Of Fire and Ice" series by George R. R. Martin. It's pretty entertaining and unlike many authors who will let you pick favorite characters, this one always has a twist you did not expect.. It's more fantasy, but it's politics and such really keep you entertained.

Another book I just read was "Paranoia". Unfortunately, I can not remember the author, but it's something to check out if you're in to a techno thriller/drama type thing. It's a quick weekend read, maybe a week tops, but it's really really good. Again, it doesn't turn out like you'd think.
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siobhan

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« Reply #46 on: 22 Jul 2005, 21:37 »

i'm an avid reader of anything put in front of me that has words on it.. which means i'm caught reading the ingredients in a chocolate bar when there's nothing better around.

when i need to relax i pull out the romance novels (Nora Robers, Elizabeth Lowell, Johanna Lindsey) because they don't require too much from me.

i finished the Dune series a couple weeks ago and have been in a reading draught since then, i might go to the library soon and pick up some of my favorite Margaret Atwood novels.. i believe i was the only person in my 12U english class who enjoyed 'Alias Grace' though
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elcapitan

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For lack of a better title, The Book Thread!
« Reply #47 on: 22 Jul 2005, 22:00 »

I read too much...

General Fiction:
Thomas Pynchon - Gravity's Rainbow (I can't recommend this highly enough, it's easily one of the best books I've ever read).
Pat Barker - The Regeneration Trilogy.
Ernest Hemingway - The Sun Also Rises.
John Fowles - The Magus.
Tim Winton - Cloudstreet.
Robert M. Pirsig - Zen And The Art Of Motorcycle Maintenance.

Fantasy:

George R.R. Martin - A Song Of Ice And Fire (series).
Anything ever written by Robin Hobb.
Mervyn Peake - The Gormenghast Trilogy.
Tim Powers - The Anubis Gates and On Stranger Tides.
Allan Dean Foster - Spellsinger. (Pure 80s acid fantasy!)

Sci-Fi:

Dan Simmons - Ilium,  the Hyperion Cantos, and The Hollow Man.
Frederik Pohl - Gateway (and to a lesser extent, the rest of the Heechee Saga).
William Gibson - Neuromancer (of course), Pattern Recognition, and The Difference Engine (with Bruce Sterling).
Philip K. Dick - The Man In The High Castle.
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elcapitan

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« Reply #48 on: 22 Jul 2005, 22:02 »

Quote from: siobhan
i'm caught reading the ingredients in a chocolate bar when there's nothing better around.


You do this too?
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siobhan

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« Reply #49 on: 22 Jul 2005, 22:04 »

sadly enough, i do.. BUT! it's only when i'm at work, in the lounge and there's nothing but insufferable people around me

maybe i've justified it ?
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