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I really enjoyed Reza Aslan's take on Islam in "No god but God", especially since as a teenager I was one of those annoying militant atheists who had just read God Delusion. Is there any other decent books about Islam that take a more nuanced look into its background and current internal conflict? A background like Reza Aslan in religious studies and social sciences/humanities is a definite bonus.
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Oct 24, 2015 05:18
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I'm sorry to be a pain but my friend has a very specific request and it 's something I need TBB's collective expertise for. My friend is a former gang member who was recruited and indoctrinated by the Mexican Mafia when he was under the age of 10. He's looking for memoirs, biographies, etc written by people who came from similar experiences just, you know, minus the "...and then I found God/Allah/Rap/Buddhism" stuff. Sorry if it's a tall order. I just really want to help him work through this and he's specifically looking for literature.
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Oct 26, 2015 03:46
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usb teledildonics posted:I'm sorry to be a pain but my friend has a very specific request and it 's something I need TBB's collective expertise for. My friend is a former gang member who was recruited and indoctrinated by the Mexican Mafia when he was under the age of 10. He's looking for memoirs, biographies, etc written by people who came from similar experiences just, you know, minus the "...and then I found God/Allah/Rap/Buddhism" stuff. Sorry if it's a tall order. I just really want to help him work through this and he's specifically looking for literature. look up anything by Jimmy Santiago Baca. He is mainly a poet but has written novels and screenplays about his life, including the screenplay for Blood In Blood Out, an excellent film about gangs in LA.
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Oct 26, 2015 04:02
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edit: Just saw the russian lit thread. Moving my question there... But if you know a lot about russian literature, please feel free to drop in and give me a recommendation, my question is on page 4 
prinneh fucked around with this message at 19:22 on Oct 27, 2015 |
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Oct 27, 2015 17:19
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so the book depository is doing a christmas sale [checks calendar, sighs]. Other than Terry Pratchett, is there anything remotely worthwhile in this discount? Because at first glance it's ... really bad. http://www.bookdepository.com/our-top-christmas-picks
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Oct 27, 2015 18:52
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double nine posted:so the book depository is doing a christmas sale [checks calendar, sighs]. Other than Terry Pratchett, is there anything remotely worthwhile in this discount? Because at first glance it's ... really bad. I'm not a fan of his, but if you like Pratchett, you might enjoy Welcome to Night Vale. I didn't care for it, though.
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Oct 27, 2015 19:24
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double nine posted:so the book depository is doing a christmas sale [checks calendar, sighs]. Other than Terry Pratchett, is there anything remotely worthwhile in this discount? Because at first glance it's ... really bad. e: Oh, nevermind, it's just Lovecraft stories in a fancy package. Teease. Here I thought someone actually went and wrote that thing. anilEhilated fucked around with this message at 20:11 on Oct 27, 2015 |
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Oct 27, 2015 20:08
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funkybottoms posted:I'm not a fan of his, but if you like Pratchett, you might enjoy Welcome to Night Vale. I didn't care for it, though. I really like the podcast but I cannot imagine it would work as a book double nine posted:so the book depository is doing a christmas sale [checks calendar, sighs]. Other than Terry Pratchett, is there anything remotely worthwhile in this discount? Because at first glance it's ... really bad. I've heard The Paying Guests is very good
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Oct 27, 2015 20:14
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double nine posted:so the book depository is doing a christmas sale [checks calendar, sighs]. Other than Terry Pratchett, is there anything remotely worthwhile in this discount? Because at first glance it's ... really bad. Huge slam on Malala out of nowhere.
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Oct 27, 2015 20:59
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double nine posted:so the book depository is doing a christmas sale [checks calendar, sighs]. Other than Terry Pratchett, is there anything remotely worthwhile in this discount? Because at first glance it's ... really bad. The Ocean at the End of the Lane is decent Gaiman.
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Oct 27, 2015 23:00
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What if? by Randall Munroe would make a great bathroom reader
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Oct 27, 2015 23:13
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I'm going to be spending a few months in Cambodia and want to learn more about the country before I move there. Does anyone know any particularly good books about Cambodian history (or just SE Asia in general, if that's too specific)?
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Oct 29, 2015 01:16
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regulargonzalez posted:What if? by Randall Munroe would make a great bathroom reader I think you'd be better off just using toilet paper.
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Oct 29, 2015 02:07
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Quandary posted:I'm going to be spending a few months in Cambodia and want to learn more about the country before I move there. Does anyone know any particularly good books about Cambodian history (or just SE Asia in general, if that's too specific)? Maybe not much help, but a friend of mine was there last year on holiday and she brought these two books with her: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5069715-cambodian-folk-stories-from-the-gatiloke https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4372.When_Broken_Glass_Floats The first one is a collection of old folk stories and the second one is a memoir from the khmer rouge years, she said she enjoyed both, but I'm saving them for when I eventually go. Whatever you scrounge up, please drop by here and tell us, I'd like to add a few more to my list. Also, maybe ask the people in the SE asia thread in the travel subforum, they're real nice and they might know a lot better
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Oct 29, 2015 02:38
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A human heart posted:I think you'd be better off just using toilet paper. Pretty edgy
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Oct 29, 2015 02:39
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prinneh posted:Maybe not much help, but a friend of mine was there last year on holiday and she brought these two books with her: Appreciated, I will check these out.
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Oct 29, 2015 18:16
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I just finished "And the Band Played On"' and it was excellent. Can I get more recommendations of investigative journalism books that dissect a subject?
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Oct 30, 2015 01:44
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Mojo Threepwood posted:I just finished "And the Band Played On"' and it was excellent. Can I get more recommendations of investigative journalism books that dissect a subject? Do you want to stick with an infectious disease theme?
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Oct 30, 2015 02:34
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xcheopis posted:Do you want to stick with an infectious disease theme? Not necessary, like I really enjoyed "Hiroshima" and "Command and Control." Something really well sourced and factual, but also readable. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
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Oct 30, 2015 05:56
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Anyone got any recommendations for autobiographies where the people lead completely messed up lives or are thrown into situations no normal person should experience. Things like The Heroin Diaries by Nikki Sixx, Dreamsellers by Brandon Novak, or even Ozzy Osbourne's book had some stories about the depths he sank to. Not specifically after drug ones though, I haven't read it but Pimp by Iceberg Slim sounds like something I would want to read.
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Oct 30, 2015 11:44
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Street Soldier posted:Anyone got any recommendations for autobiographies where the people lead completely messed up lives or are thrown into situations no normal person should experience. Things like The Heroin Diaries by Nikki Sixx, Dreamsellers by Brandon Novak, or even Ozzy Osbourne's book had some stories about the depths he sank to. Not specifically after drug ones though, I haven't read it but Pimp by Iceberg Slim sounds like something I would want to read. David Sterry's Chicken
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Oct 30, 2015 12:32
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Mojo Threepwood posted:I just finished "And the Band Played On"' and it was excellent. Can I get more recommendations of investigative journalism books that dissect a subject? Anything by Jon Krakauer or Jon Ronson would be worth a look (although if you're Mormon you probably won't like Krakauer's Under the Banner of Heaven). Lawrence Wright's Going Clear takes apart Scientology beautifully. If you don't mind older stuff, try Truman Capote's In Cold Blood, Barbara Ehrenreich's Nickel and Dimed, or Michael Lewis's Liar's Poker.
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Oct 30, 2015 13:58
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Street Soldier posted:Anyone got any recommendations for autobiographies where the people lead completely messed up lives or are thrown into situations no normal person should experience. Things like The Heroin Diaries by Nikki Sixx, Dreamsellers by Brandon Novak, or even Ozzy Osbourne's book had some stories about the depths he sank to. Not specifically after drug ones though, I haven't read it but Pimp by Iceberg Slim sounds like something I would want to read. The Glass Castle is fairly good. I don't know if A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius counts as "completely" messed up life, but (no spoilers, this happens within the first 20 pages) it's about a 20ish year old guy whose parents both die in a relatively short period of time and he's left to raise his very young brother. It's a really good read and is written in a pretty unique way, almost meta-fictional at times.
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Oct 31, 2015 03:56
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This might be similar to some reccomendations I've asked for in the past but looking for something a bit different. Looking for a book that captures the broken, rough and bleak part of the South/Appalachia. If you've ever seen Winter's Bone that kinda deep, rustic, drug-addled, "backwards" setting where the people and places are kinda run-down and husks. Not really looking for the classic Southern Gothic but something maybe a bit more modern?
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Nov 2, 2015 14:45
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Kvlt! posted:This might be similar to some reccomendations I've asked for in the past but looking for something a bit different. Have you read any of Daniel Woodrell's books? He's the author of Winter's Bone and most of them take place in a similar setting. You could also check out Ron Rash, Joe Lansdale, and Cormac McCarthy. edit- Mel Mudkiper's picks are good, I just couldn't remember a few of them off the top of my head. Jayne Anne Phillips is another that comes to mind. funkybottoms fucked around with this message at 15:55 on Nov 2, 2015 |
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Nov 2, 2015 15:14
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Kvlt! posted:This might be similar to some reccomendations I've asked for in the past but looking for something a bit different. Oh boy this genre is entirely my poo poo, let me help a brother out American Rust by Phillip Meyer A Single Shot by Matthew Jones Bull Mountain by Brian Panowich A Land More Kind Than Home by Wiley Cash
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Nov 2, 2015 15:39
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funkybottoms posted:Have you read any of Daniel Woodrell's books? He's the author of Winter's Bone and most of them take place in a similar setting. You could also check out Ron Rash, Joe Lansdale, and Cormac McCarthy. In the back of my mind I think I knew Winter's Bone was a book, but I never read it I just saw the movie. Adding it to my list, thanks! Mel Mudkiper posted:Oh boy this genre is entirely my poo poo, let me help a brother out These are exactly what I was looking for, you rock dude! Got a long list to work through!
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Nov 2, 2015 20:20
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Kvlt! posted:This might be similar to some reccomendations I've asked for in the past but looking for something a bit different. I recall William Gibson saying on the Coode Street podcast a while ago that he specifically based the near-future Appalachia of The Peripheral on Winter's Bone (and the protagonist on the film's protagonist). I haven't read it yet myself though, so not sure how much of it is set there - a lot of it is in far-future London too.
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Nov 3, 2015 10:09
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I recently read the first Wizard of Oz book and I really enjoyed it. It was like a unique fairy tale. Should I read the other 13 books in the series, and/or the other books in the series written by other people? Or should I read the first X because it goes downhill after then?
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Nov 3, 2015 16:22
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Zaphiel posted:I recently read the first Wizard of Oz book and I really enjoyed it. It was like a unique fairy tale. Should I read the other 13 books in the series, and/or the other books in the series written by other people? Or should I read the first X because it goes downhill after then? I haven't read all the books in the series, but from what I have read the quality is pretty even across the series. I've tried a couple of Ruth Plumly Thompson's books, and her style is notably different from Baum's but they were still fun reads. Haven't tried any of the other "official" authors. I'd say just go ahead and see how you like 'em.
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Nov 3, 2015 17:11
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Zaphiel posted:I recently read the first Wizard of Oz book and I really enjoyed it. It was like a unique fairy tale. Should I read the other 13 books in the series, and/or the other books in the series written by other people? Or should I read the first X because it goes downhill after then? Yes, at least read everything Baum wrote. The Jack Snow Oz books are also good
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Nov 3, 2015 20:20
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Selachian posted:I haven't read all the books in the series, but from what I have read the quality is pretty even across the series. I've tried a couple of Ruth Plumly Thompson's books, and her style is notably different from Baum's but they were still fun reads. Haven't tried any of the other "official" authors. I'd say just go ahead and see how you like 'em. xcheopis posted:Yes, at least read everything Baum wrote. The Jack Snow Oz books are also good Awesome, thanks!
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Nov 4, 2015 00:02
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Kvlt! posted:This might be similar to some reccomendations I've asked for in the past but looking for something a bit different. Not really modern but I enjoyed Tim Gatreaux's The Missing which I think fits the bill
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Nov 4, 2015 05:54
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God remember that freakish '80s era Oz movie where Dorothy goes back and it's all post-apocalyptic and there's those freaks who go on all fours with wheels for hands? Was that in the books?
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Nov 4, 2015 13:13
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Return to Oz, which is the Oz film I grew up with.
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Nov 4, 2015 13:37
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freebooter posted:God remember that freakish '80s era Oz movie where Dorothy goes back and it's all post-apocalyptic and there's those freaks who go on all fours with wheels for hands? Was that in the books? The movie is a mashup of a couple of Baum's later books, and yes, the Wheelers are in them. 
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Nov 4, 2015 17:12
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AARP LARPer fucked around with this message at 01:21 on Jan 22, 2016 |
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Nov 5, 2015 00:34
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freebooter posted:God remember that freakish '80s era Oz movie where Dorothy goes back and it's all post-apocalyptic and there's those freaks who go on all fours with wheels for hands? Was that in the books?
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Nov 5, 2015 01:25
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Do Not Resuscitate posted:I'm in the mood for some brainless stuff and I was searching around for post-apocalyptic books where it's an EMP that gets things rolling. Whitley Strieber's Warday might do you.
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Nov 5, 2015 04:20
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I've been listening the The History Of Rome podcast (which owns and you should listen to) and it's really got me hungry to get inside the head of Gaius Julius Caesar, as he literally sounds every inch the larger-than-life figure that he's been portrayed as since. Are there any non-fiction works that really centre around the man and his thoughts and feelings? In particular he seems to have been at once incredibly emotional and passionate whilst utterly clinical and calculating and I wonder how he reconciled this in his own head?
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Nov 5, 2015 10:25
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