The Almighty Book Thread

[kyuketsukimiyu]

I read normal books! …Kind of. These days I normally do audio books instead of print books. I can listen to them while I am working, and a lot of things I do at work let me split my attention well enough where it is possibly the only reason I am sane.

My favorite book series for years and years was the His Dark Materials series . The Amber Spyglass - the third in the series is my favorite, though it is only what it is because it had two books of build up. The Golden Compass - the first in the series - is probably the most well known since it is the one that got the (mostly terrible) Hollywood movie adaptation. The series is still very near and dear to my heart and I have read it a number of times. I really enjoy Pullman’s prose, especially since I think it hits the right balance between descriptive enough to make you feel and visualize everything, but not being so bogged down that the descriptions impede your enjoyment of the plot.

My favorite as of about 2 years ago, though, is The Diamond Age: Or, a Young Lady’s Illustrated Primer. I thought this book was bloody brilliant. It is a sort of cyberpunk novel that follows the story of a young girl who gets access to highly advanced electronic book. The girl is very poor and her parents are terrible and at times abusive. Through this book, which falls into her hands by chance, she grows up getting an education well beyond what would normally be available to someone in her position. It is a coming of age story, and uses its setting to really effectively take on issues of classism and education in a deft and compelling manner. Plus, the primer is basically the coolest piece of fictional tech ever imho. Incidently it inspired both the codename used in development of Amazon’s Kindle, and helped inspire the One-Laptop-Per-Child project.

I’d recommend it to anyone who’s seen the film and who’s mental voice can do a half decent Tommy Wiseau impression to read his lines in.

Sold!

[EternalMagician]

If we’re talking about ‘normal’ normal literature then the only thing I’m really reading is Jim Butchers books, especially the Dresden Files, though nowadays I mostly listen to the audiobooks instead.

But if we’re counting other forms of ‘normal’ literature then I really enjoy several different Light Novels with everything from Spice & Wolf to Danmachi, Mahouka Koukou and Konosuba.

Right now though I’m reading a book about HSP (Highly sensitive person) which is something I’ve recognised more and more about myself in. Really interesting, enlightning and thought provoking.

[King_Titanite_XV]

Go Set a Watchman

I didn’t want to read it in case it sullied my original vision of the characters from the original but if it’s good I’ll take a look.

[U4ea]

It’s a good one~ It is true that the characters change, particularly Atticus. I don’t want to give any spoilers as to how he changes, but I will say that I liked this version of Atticus better. He felt a lot more realistic to me, considering the time period this story takes place. If you loved the Atticus in the original, you might not like this one as much, but I still think it’s worth giving a shot!

I recommend dipping your toes in by reading the first chapter of Go Set a Watchman, which is avalible online for free!

[akafa123]

My guilty pleasure is reading Pretty Little Liars, lol. Don’t judge me.

[Wonderlander]

My guilty pleasure was watching it, so no judging

[akafa123]

Oh god, don’t remind me of that horrible finale

[thesorceress]

I have difficulty mentioning individual books so I think I might mention some authors that I really love.

1. Haruki Murukami: a magical realism modern writer whose works are catching and bizarre. He’s got this way of writing that’s almost entrancing it’s so difficult to describe. Almost as difficult to describe as the plots of his novels which are all twists and turns and convoluted but it’s more about the sensation than the plot. Books of his I especially recommend: Kafka on the Shore, the story of a boy destined to kill his father and marry his mother who runs away from home so he doesn’t become Odeipus and ends up working in a library; Sputnick Sweetheart, a love story between two women as told through the point of view of someone in love with one of them; The Wind Up Bird Chronicle, which is about a cat and a marriage I can’t really say any more than that.

2. Agatha Christie. You guys probably know all about her. I probably don’t have to go into details about why she’s amazing or what she’s done for the mystery genre or how good of a writer she is. Books of hers I especially recommend: And The There Were None, ten strangers are invited to an island and start to mysteriously die according to a poem; Witness for the Prosecution, a short story about a man accused of murder who’s wife testifies for the prosecution; The ABC Murders, a mysterious killer starts to kill people with a first and last name starting with A and continuing down the alphabet.

3. William Faulkner: a southern writer with a disjointed writing style who writes about family. He has a tendency to work with multiple and flawed points of view and deals with some pretty intense layers of emotions in all of his writing. None of his stories are exactly happy and his writing is very much about what it’s like to live in the southern United States but it you can get past these points he’s pretty fantastic. Books I especially recommend: The Sound and the Fury, the story of the Compton siblings and their maid told through each of their points of views with their differing perceptions of life and their situations, As I Lay Dying, a family’s reaction to the death of their mother and the very weird things that happened to them afterward.

4. Ellen Raskin: my personal favorite children’s book writer and the person who introduced me to mystery novels. I may have a shield of nostalgia over my eyes for her work, but I can’t imagine anyone not enjoying her work. Writes “romantic mysteries” for children. Books I especially recommend: The Westing Game, a rich man dies and sends his will to the residents of an appartment building, telling them whoever finds out who kills him gets his entire fortune; Figgs and Phantoms, a surreal story about a family and a town.

5. Nella Larsen: a Harlem Renessainse writer who wrote realistic fiction focusing on point of view, race, and sexuality. A bit like Faulker, very focused on the place and context of where she was writing but it only makes her better. Only wrote two novels that I’m aware of but they’re both amazing: Passing, the story of a mixed race woman who meets an old friend who she realizes is trying to pass as white; Quicksand, the story of a woman who tries to travel the world to find a family.

Several other authors I love a lot: Kurt Vonnegut, especially: Slaughterhouse Five; Vladamir Novokov, especially: Lolita; Gabirel Garcia Marquez, especially: News of a Kidnapping and Chronicle of a Death Foretold; Italo Calvino, especially: Invisible Cities; and Aimee Bender, especially: The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cakes.

I love all these authors and I could probably think of some more but for now, these are all novels that I can wholeheartedly recommend.

[kyuketsukimiyu]

Haruki Murukami

I loved his 1Q84 novel. That my introduction to him, and it is one I get excited when I find people who I think would also enjoy it. It has 2 POV protaginists who’s stories slowly start to overlap. I thought the charactiziation in that one was intriguing and watching the seemingly very seperate story lines start to converge was really interesting. Also, the goat.

I then read his Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage which was…fine. That one follows a strange tale of man who goes to find the answers as to why his group of friends seemingly abandoned him years ago. I think the characterization in this one was a lot weaker, and while parts of it were very interesting, I think the complete picture of the story at the end was much more lacking in any kind of impact.

I had been thinking the next book from him I would pick up would be The Wind Up Bird Chronicle, but I must say now Kafka on the Shore has my eye.

[thesorceress]

Kafka on the Shore is /very/ good and I’d recommend it over Wind Up Bird Chronicles if I had to pick between them. It doesn’t write women…great? but I think that’s a general failing of Murakami’s in general with a few exceptions (like Sputnik Sweetheart). I only bring that up because it’s one of the few things that deters from my enjoyment of the novel. Overall it’s a pretty fantastic experience and I super recommend it.

[Karifean]

I’m thinking of reading the Cormoran Strike series. Anyone here read that one?

[kyuketsukimiyu]

I have! I have read all three and plan to read anymore that come out. The third book was really tense and felt more like a drama/thriller then a mystery to me, but it was still very good and worked with the character development of the two leads. The best mystery was the second book . The series has some graphic crime scenes but I imagine most people in 07th Expansion forum wont balk at that much. Definitely worth reading, especially if you already had your eye on them.

[Funyarinpa]

Currently reading Rendezvous With Rama. It’s only decent, but I’d gotten it as an ebook for $2 a long while ago so I’m satisfied. Nothing Clarke has written comes close to 2001 or 2010 for me. Only two real problems so far: One, I really don’t fully understand the description of Rama’s structure. Two, one of the chapters starts with a 100-word riff by a character about how some women are better off not allowed on spaceships since their boobs are too distracting in zero gravity. …Yeah.

Also, I also support Murakami and especially Kafka On The Shore. It’s one of my favorite books. I wouldn’t be able to tell you why exactly, myself. I love Murakami’s style though, there’s something special about the way he starts his novels with beautifully simple characters and slowly slides down into surrealism. I love his motifs as well: Cats, mysterious women, even more mysterious dreams, jazz, bars, kooky sex, and a pervasive sense of loneliness and isolation accompanied by the surreal. I especially like that the confusing elements in his novels are not there to hint at some meaningful depth or room for analysis- they’re just there, and all the incomprehensible things are presented so simply that I never feel like I don’t understand. Kafka was simply my first experience, and I read it in May (2015)- loaned from my school library. As a person who feels the happiest when at home (or at least, in the city), Murakami’s settings are one of the few places in novels where I immediately feel familiar with the setting. The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle and 1Q84 are two of my other favorites. The former’s just Murakami at the peak of his style, and the latter’s basically the largest scale at which his style could work in my opinion (although I admit much of Book III felt either like denouement at best and outright redundant at worst). The Manchuria flashback in the Chronicle is prize-worthy, and one of my favorite passages in all literature (alongside 1984’s last page and the introduction to Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy). Murakami is probably my favorite contemporary author- few other novels set in contemporary cities feel as timeless, if any.

[SleepingPliskin]

Been reading Discourses on Livy by Niccolo Machiavelli. Really interesting read, providing interesting text about civil rights. Would recommend anyone who’s interested in politics

[akafa123]

I’m reading Three Kingdoms right now. Despite hundreds of names I can’t remember it’s really epic story and I’m sucker for ancient chinese history!

[amenenee]

I have shit ton of Ranma 1/2 manga that I binge bought like early last year and still haven’t even touched.

[Vetinari]

It’s so sad to see this thread dead so maybe it’s about time to breathe some life into it.

If I were to list all the books I love, I’d most likely reach the character limit. I don’t think I recall any book I didn’t enjoy. In this case I’ll just list the ones that hold a special place in my heart.

The Discworld series by Terry Pratchett
I can’t list only one book from that series, I loved them all. I’m still in the middle of reading through all the books in a chronological order, and so I can tell how Pratchett’s writing improved with time. The Death books might just be my favorite of them all.
I want to share with you a quote I found particularly relevant to this forum, after all, isn’t this basically one of Umineko’s lessons? (Death is the one speaking in all caps.)

“All right," said Susan. “I’m not stupid. You’re saying humans need… fantasies to make life bearable.”

REALLY? AS IF IT WAS SOME KIND OF PINK PILL? NO. HUMANS NEED FANTASY TO BE HUMAN. TO BE THE PLACE WHERE THE FALLING ANGEL MEETS THE RISING APE.

“Tooth fairies? Hogfathers? Little—”

YES. AS PRACTICE. YOU HAVE TO START OUT LEARNING TO BELIEVE THE LITTLE LIES.

“So we can believe the big ones?”

YES. JUSTICE. MERCY. DUTY. THAT SORT OF THING.

“They’re not the same at all!”

YOU THINK SO? THEN TAKE THE UNIVERSE AND GRIND IT DOWN TO THE FINEST POWDER AND SIEVE IT THROUGH THE FINEST SIEVE AND THEN SHOW ME ONE ATOM OF JUSTICE, ONE MOLECULE OF MERCY. AND YET—Death waved a hand. AND YET YOU ACT AS IF THERE IS SOME IDEAL ORDER IN THE WORLD, AS IF THERE IS SOME…SOME RIGHTNESS IN THE UNIVERSE BY WHICH IT MAY BE JUDGED.

“Yes, but people have got to believe that, or what’s the point—”

MY POINT EXACTLY.”

There are more quotes like that but I don’t think this thread is the best place for them.

Neuromancer by William Gibson
This book is most likely what made me interested in the cyberpunk genre. It’s interesting to see how the author managed to predict some things related to the modern virtual world.

Mystery novels by Agatha Christie
Umineko made me start reading her works and I absolutely loved them. I was pleasantly surprised how unpredictable the solutions were, I honestly thought nothing would slip past me after what Umineko taught me about the world of mystery novels.

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
Together with the Discworld series, the funniest books I’ve read. Maybe I’m just in love with the British humour, who knows.

He was staring at the instruments with the air of one who is trying to convert Fahrenheit to centigrade in his head while his house is burning down.

Actually, this post is probably already longer than what most people would feel like reading, so I’ll stop here for now and hope that the thread gets revived.

[Sapphire]

William Gibson, eh? Can’t say I’m into him, not that I’ve read him, but science fiction and the, uh, negative aspects of technology and such don’t interest me in the slightest and besides, the contents of Neuromancer seem rather violent to me. As for the other ones you mentioned, I’ve just read one book by Agatha Christie, which is fine but it doesn’t interest me too much to want to talk about it. But, by all means, please do list more of your favourites, maybe I’ll find an author we mutually like.

[Vetinari]

I’m sure that’s possible.

The thing is, I don’t read books because of the author, I just read what catches my interest. That’s why I’ve read plenty of books from authors I wouldn’t read under different circumstances. I suppose what I’m trying to say is that I’m open-minded and try my best not to confine myself to one author or genre.
For example, I really enjoyed Ray Bradbury’s collection of short stories, "The Illustrated Man."
I’m fond of short stories in general.
After all, I can’t handle horror movies and video games, but as for books… I find Stephen King’s various short stories very interesting and enjoyable.
Speaking of him, his nonfiction book, “On Writing”, is a captivating read. I’d even recommend it for people who don’t plan on becoming writers.

There’s more, but I’d also like you to mention some of your own favorites. That way finding things we both like will be easier as well. And I’m always looking forward to expanding my never-ending backlog.

[Sapphire]

I didn’t say that I read books because they are written by an author who has received a lot of praise. Actually, I’m quite against it, I don’t like people who read books because they’ve been praised at all, I’ll immediately drop something I don’t like just by reading its first few pages. That’s the only way to read books for me, to immediately drop what you dislike and read only what you’re interested in. Well, I’m sure many will disagree with me on that, saying that I should give the, uh, books I’m not interested in a chance, but I’d rather go with my gut and I have no patience for bad writing.

As for my favourites, well, there’s too many, I cannot possibly pick just a few and besides I haven’t read too much, I’ve just recently gotten into reading. But well, I know about some good titles. If you are interested in short stories and essays, I definitely recommend Alice Munro for the former, maybe Lydia Davis too. As for essays, you can never go wrong with Joan Didion or Susan Sontag or John Berger for that matter. Obviously I am leaving out many names, but these are the first off the top of my head. As for Ray Bradbury, he is good, though I’ve just seen a few excerpts from him, never read him, but I plan to in the future.