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Post by Q3 on Feb 25, 2011 19:25:31 GMT -5
Do you have a book that you think other members should consider reading? Know a great story? Share your recommendations here.
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maitospf
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Post by maitospf on Feb 25, 2011 21:31:38 GMT -5
Reading is my passion . . . at a pinch, I will read anything. The Temeraire series by Naomi Novik is one of my favorites. I think there are six books by now. For those of you who don't read fantasy, it might put you off if I told you there are dragons in this series. However, it is so well written and the characters so vivid and real that you will quickly be caught up in their world. I introduced the first book "His Majesty's Dragon" to my bookclub ( no other fantasy readers and long suffering objects of my book choices :  and got five of them hooked on the series. Hope some of you will give it a try - you are in for a treat! |
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readon
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Post by readon on Feb 27, 2011 19:59:41 GMT -5
Reading is my passion . . . at a pinch, I will read anything. The Temeraire series by Naomi Novik is one of my favorites. I think there are six books by now. For those of you who don't read fantasy, it might put you off if I told you there are dragons in this series. However, it is so well written and the characters so vivid and real that you will quickly be caught up in their world. I introduced the first book "His Majesty's Dragon" to my bookclub ( no other fantasy readers and long suffering objects of my book choices : and got five of them hooked on the series. Hope some of you will give it a try - you are in for a treat! I love fantasy and I love dragons. Off to Amazon to order the first book and check it out. I will let you know what I think. If I like the first book, of course, I will order the rest of the series. Thank you. |
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readon
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Post by readon on Feb 27, 2011 20:16:58 GMT -5
As Adam create #2, there is going to be a lot of down time. If you are a reader and have not yet experienced Terry Pratchett, now would be a good time. If you love British humour, you will love Pratchett. His entire discworld series it teeming with wonderful characters, fantasy, parallels to real life, witches, wizards, dogma, cynicism, politics, movies, government, etc. There are 36 books in the DiscWorld series, so this should get you through the Adam #2 hiatus.
My first introduction to Terry Pratchett was "Guards!, Guards!". (See it even has exclamation points). You might also want to start with the first Discworld book "The Color of Magic". Guards introduces you to the Night Watch and Ventinari. The Color of Magic introduces you to the Wizards at Unseen University. Try it. Even if your aren't a fantasy fan, I think you will like it.
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maitospf
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Post by maitospf on Feb 27, 2011 22:32:08 GMT -5
Dear readon-
It's been awhile since I read "Guards! Guards!" and Ventinari is one of my favorite characters. I will have to make time to re-read some of those books.
I would love to know how you like the Temeraire book - somehow I think you will really like it. What else do you read?
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sugaree
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Post by sugaree on Feb 28, 2011 16:44:08 GMT -5
Bringing over the posts and recommendations from Atop1.
Alison's first post starting the thread:
I am starting this thread for the purely selfish reason that I like to read, but I don't read nearly often as I would like to. I appreciate getting recommendations from people whom I respect, find interesting, and with whom I share common interests. And Atopians are all that and more.
I am sure that I will be more of a lurker than a poster because I am just a casual reader. I mostly like historical fiction (particularly about the English monarchy - major Anglophile here!). But I would love to read more philosophy, poetry, and dig into the classics. I also love when people post their favorite quotes.
To start off: I started reading Alison Weir's, The Six Wives of Henry the VIII, when I became obsessed with Showtime's The Tudors a few years ago, in order to pinpoint the historical inaccuracies in the series (of which there were many--but loved the series anyway). She makes reading history interesting. She also began writing historical fiction a few years ago. I have read two of them and enjoyed them both, but liked "Innocent Traitor" better than "The Lady Elizabeth."
Anyway, please post anything that suits your fancy. As we should all know by now, Atopians are comfortable in any depth of water. That's what makes
us so great!
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sugaree
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Post by sugaree on Feb 28, 2011 16:44:45 GMT -5
From Animated
THE LAST JEW by Noah Gordon
Setting is during the Spanish Inquisition.
Reviews call this - a provocative historical fiction.
I find the historical tapestry he weaves as very fascinating...
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sugaree
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Post by sugaree on Feb 28, 2011 16:45:34 GMT -5
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sugaree
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Post by sugaree on Feb 28, 2011 16:46:25 GMT -5
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sugaree
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Post by sugaree on Feb 28, 2011 16:47:04 GMT -5
From adamrocks
I enjoyed Back Stage Passes by Angela Bowie. She is Bowie's first wife and she gives her perspective on Bowie and others in Rock n' Roll during the 60/70's. Interesting read.
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sugaree
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Post by sugaree on Feb 28, 2011 16:47:51 GMT -5
From Im2718
I read that book. Very interesting read :shock:
It is not well written and you can feel her anger when you read the book but what a life....
It seems like their marriage was based on her supplying his day to day needs more like a day to day manager/housekeeper then a wife. She felt like she was not loved by him just used.
I think the Bowie's autobiography is due to come out this year and it will be interesting to hear his side.
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sugaree
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Post by sugaree on Feb 28, 2011 16:48:31 GMT -5
From gelly14
May i recommend one of my all time favorite books
The Last Temptation of Christ by Nikos Kazantzakis
Nikos Kazantzakis was one of the most important writers and philosophers of modern Greece.
The book was included by the Roman Catholic Church in the index of Prohibited Books and also the Greek Orthodox Church excommunicated him.He didnt have a proper burier the church denied it, and on his epitaph are his words " i hope for nothing. I fear nothing. I am free"
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sugaree
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Post by sugaree on Feb 28, 2011 16:49:20 GMT -5
From Buderschnookie
I just finished a quite remarkable book- Cutting For Stone by Abraham Verghese. It was truly an excellent piece of writing. Very rarely does a book surprise me like this one did- I had a literal "gasp" moment where I actually had to set it aside for a bit to regroup and gather my thoughts. It made interesting a geographic location I previously had no interest in, taught me a culture's history I had never paid attention to, and forced me to acknowledge things about myself that I did know but had conveniently forgotten.
One of those books where the characters are so finely drawn that even after you close the last page you wish them well and hope that life treats them kindly.
It's one I'm certain I will revisit in the future- a real treat.
Next Juliet, Naked by Nick Hornby. It's a hysterical and very insightful look at fandom, message boards, being overinvested in an artist, and what fame can do to people.
The Sculptor by Gregory Funaro is free on Kindle right now and a very entertaining "super smart serial killer" in the Hannibal vein with a lot of Michelangelo/Italian art history focus.
Preposterous, but good if you like gooshy body parts and novel methods of body manipulation/transformation.
And ETA last recommendation of the day- light reading alert!
Ladies, ladies, ladies- not a classic "bodice ripper" by any means but quite graphic (lots of sex and violence) is the Black Dagger Brotherhood series by J.R. Ward. Eight books so far, each one better than the last. They are six foot six smoking hot sexy vampire hunk warriors, each deeply flawed and damaged with an engrossing backstory full of pain and tragedy, and eventual redemption.
Highly recommended if it sounds even the least bit interesting to you- in the mythology of their world they do remarkable good for mankind, not evil at all.
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sugaree
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Post by sugaree on Feb 28, 2011 16:50:09 GMT -5
From crispy
I love the idea of this thread! And I'd like to add my definite thumbs up to this one. Not just Kavalier & Klay (which I believe was one of Adam's favorite books) , but just about anything written by Michael Chabon. He's one of my favorite authors, and he has a series of essays called Manhood for Amateurs that came out in paperback last fall. Really a wonderful writer. I'm also reading The Warmth of Other Suns, which is a really fascinating account of the Great Migration (where much of the black south simply left because the oppression was so great).
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sugaree
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Post by sugaree on Feb 28, 2011 16:50:49 GMT -5
From Im2718
Crispy did you read his book "The Yiddish Policemen's Union"? I love his imagination and the world he built in that book.
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Let's celebrate the music together!
I would like to recommend the following: