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Waaahmbulance Chaser posted:Thanks for all your recommendations! Right now I'm trying to decide between Black Swan Green or A Favor for Owen Meany. Any of you read those? The former is pretty good so far. A Prayer for Owen Meany is one of my favorites, and I just re-read it last year. The first read was emotional for me, but the second time I was able to see how technically fantastic the writing is. Great book, very funny and sad.
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Oct 3, 2016 17:43
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Waaahmbulance Chaser posted:Thanks for all your recommendations! Right now I'm trying to decide between Black Swan Green or A Favor for Owen Meany. Any of you read those? The former is pretty good so far. Black Swan Green is a book from David Mitchell's fantastic period (from Cloud Atlas to The Bone Clocks), and I highly recommend it.
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Oct 3, 2016 21:04
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Fantastic period as in they're of high quality or they have a fantastical subject matter?
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Oct 4, 2016 10:38
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Mr. Squishy posted:Fantastic period as in they're of high quality or they have a fantastical subject matter? In my opinion, both. But he probably meant the subject matter.
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Oct 4, 2016 10:59
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Take the plunge! Okay! posted:In my opinion, both. But he probably meant the subject matter. No, I meant when he was writing really good books. Black Swan Green is just a story of a boy growing up in Thatcher's Britain, but it's well-realized and interesting.
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Oct 4, 2016 17:41
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In the last three months I've read all of The Dresden Files, the first three books of The Gentlmen Bastard Sequence, The Codex Alera and both Mistborn Trilogies. Anyone got any recommendations to fit into this sort of style?
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Oct 5, 2016 07:21
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The Vlad Taltos books by Steven Brust? They're about a smartass assassin trying to eke out a living in a world ruled by magical rear end in a top hat elves. Idiotic naming scheme aside, they're mostly a really fun read. Pretty short books too. Plus they tie into the Khaavren Romances and those are amazing. anilEhilated fucked around with this message at 10:26 on Oct 5, 2016 |
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Oct 5, 2016 10:22
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Second the recommendation of Brust. I'd also suggest you check out Roger Zelazny's Amber books or Lord of Light, as well as Ben Aaronovitch's Peter Grant books.
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Oct 5, 2016 15:34
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I'm so far loving the Story of Owen Meany. What a great voice and build-up in the beginning parts. I love how in the beginning he's describing his senile grandmother as a way of describing himself and says, "she remembers who I was as a kid. But when she looks at me know, she doesn't know who I am anymore." Thanks for the recommendation. The book does like, pick up and have a telling story though right? It's not just about some kid with a significant birth defect they like to tease or whatever?
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Oct 5, 2016 15:56
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Waaahmbulance Chaser posted:I'm so far loving the Story of Owen Meany. What a great voice and build-up in the beginning parts. I love how in the beginning he's describing his senile grandmother as a way of describing himself and says, "she remembers who I was as a kid. But when she looks at me know, she doesn't know who I am anymore." Yes, it has roughly three main plots, which will become apparent during Part 2. There's a lot of references/similarities to Christianity, mainly about Jesus and his disciples, so you may want to do some research to get some extra layers.
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Oct 5, 2016 16:36
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Thanks for the recommendations guys!
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Oct 5, 2016 23:51
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Take the plunge! Okay! posted:In my opinion, both. But he probably meant the subject matter. In terms of subject matter, his fantastical period is probably just warming up, going be the arc of his published books and his interviews.
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Oct 7, 2016 17:08
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BravestOfTheLamps fucked around with this message at 09:17 on Oct 8, 2018 |
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Oct 8, 2016 21:41
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BravestOfTheLamps posted:Can anyone recommend good academic works/sources on Victorian painting or Victorian visual art in general? The Story of Art has three chapters (24-26 specifically; 54 pages with illustrations) that cover it and the era as a whole, but that's all I got.
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Oct 8, 2016 22:30
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BravestOfTheLamps posted:Can anyone recommend good academic works/sources on Victorian painting or Victorian visual art in general? lol midterm papers coming due
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Oct 9, 2016 03:12
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BravestOfTheLamps fucked around with this message at 09:16 on Oct 8, 2018 |
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Oct 9, 2016 09:37
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You should read noted autistic virgin John Ruskin
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Oct 9, 2016 09:56
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Anyone read Bruce Springsteen's autobio "Born To Run"? Any good?
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Oct 9, 2016 22:10
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I have never read or studied anything about paintings or art history, but recently watched a bunch of Robert Hughes documentaries and started reading about Francisco Goya and am now interested. Could someone please recommend me a book, or maybe a book series, that is a good introduction to art history, with a focus on paintings? Preferably featuring coloured illustrations. A real 101 sort of dealy.
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Oct 10, 2016 09:23
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BravestOfTheLamps fucked around with this message at 09:17 on Oct 8, 2018 |
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Oct 10, 2016 10:50
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Hocus Pocus posted:I have never read or studied anything about paintings or art history, but recently watched a bunch of Robert Hughes documentaries and started reading about Francisco Goya and am now interested. I'd point you in the direction of H. W. Janson's A History of Art. The newest edition is, unfortunately, textbook priced, but you can pick up an older edition cheap.
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Oct 10, 2016 18:00
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I recently picked up Island of Vice: Theodore Roosevelt's Doomed Quest to Clean up Sin-loving New York on an impulse buy, but it's flipped a switch in my brain and I'm becoming quite interested in 1880s - 1910s New York City history. Any fiction or non-fiction that revels in the grimier, more criminal aspects of the city during that time? Not necessarily interested in Great Gatsby-esque examinations of the American Dream but I'm open to suggestions like that if its deemed essential reading by you fine folks.
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Oct 12, 2016 02:18
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Captain Hotbutt posted:I recently picked up Island of Vice: Theodore Roosevelt's Doomed Quest to Clean up Sin-loving New York on an impulse buy, but it's flipped a switch in my brain and I'm becoming quite interested in 1880s - 1910s New York City history. Any fiction or non-fiction that revels in the grimier, more criminal aspects of the city during that time? Not necessarily interested in Great Gatsby-esque examinations of the American Dream but I'm open to suggestions like that if its deemed essential reading by you fine folks. Absolutely read Five Points: The 19th-Century New York City Neighborhood That Invented Tap Dance, Stole Elections, and Became the World's Most Notorious Slum, by Tyler Anbinder. It reaches a bit earlier than your1880s cutoff date but it's great read and will give you a vivid, grimy, gutter social history of the area at the time.
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Oct 12, 2016 02:46
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I'm looking for some breezy sword and sorcery books with more of an emphasis on action/adventure and less on magical mumbo jumbo and prophecies (a little magic is fine). Preferably part of a series and/or available in audio form. Also any cyberpunk books that fit a similar build, mystery/action oriented, pulpy, nothing too deep.
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Oct 12, 2016 03:20
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Human Tornada posted:I'm looking for some breezy sword and sorcery books with more of an emphasis on action/adventure and less on magical mumbo jumbo and prophecies (a little magic is fine). Preferably part of a series and/or available in audio form. Michael Sullivan's Riyria Revelations and Simon Morden's Petrovich books
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Oct 12, 2016 03:53
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Human Tornada posted:I'm looking for some breezy sword and sorcery books with more of an emphasis on action/adventure and less on magical mumbo jumbo and prophecies (a little magic is fine). Preferably part of a series and/or available in audio form. scott lynch, the lies of locke lamora more magical but with a lot of action/adventure: mistborn, brandon sanderson
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Oct 12, 2016 04:00
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Captain Hotbutt posted:I recently picked up Island of Vice: Theodore Roosevelt's Doomed Quest to Clean up Sin-loving New York on an impulse buy, but it's flipped a switch in my brain and I'm becoming quite interested in 1880s - 1910s New York City history. Any fiction or non-fiction that revels in the grimier, more criminal aspects of the city during that time? Not necessarily interested in Great Gatsby-esque examinations of the American Dream but I'm open to suggestions like that if its deemed essential reading by you fine folks. Caleb Carr's The Alienist will be perfect for you. It's a crime mystery set in 1896, Teddy Roosevelt is one of the characters, and the author is a historian obsessed with New York and getting the small details right.
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Oct 12, 2016 08:04
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Captain Hotbutt posted:I recently picked up Island of Vice: Theodore Roosevelt's Doomed Quest to Clean up Sin-loving New York on an impulse buy, but it's flipped a switch in my brain and I'm becoming quite interested in 1880s - 1910s New York City history. Any fiction or non-fiction that revels in the grimier, more criminal aspects of the city during that time? Not necessarily interested in Great Gatsby-esque examinations of the American Dream but I'm open to suggestions like that if its deemed essential reading by you fine folks. Gangs of New York by Herbert Asbury (The book Scorsese based the movie on) non-fiction and amazing. Low Life by Luc Sante also non-fiction and about New York's underworld and corruption in the early twentieth century..
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Oct 12, 2016 16:09
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I just moved to Montana and I realized quickly that I know very little about the history of Native Americans in the USA (not just Montana). Can I get a recommendation for a book that's either specific to Native Americans in the Midwest or the USA in general? It's probably a incredibly broad subject so if there's a very good book about a more specific time period or geographic area that would work as well. Thanks!
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Oct 12, 2016 16:54
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Human Tornada posted:I'm looking for some breezy sword and sorcery books with more of an emphasis on action/adventure and less on magical mumbo jumbo and prophecies (a little magic is fine). Preferably part of a series and/or available in audio form. The Greatcoats series by Sebastien de Castell. There's magic and there might have been prophecy but it's mostly a Three Musketeers-style adventure with fun action scenes and a good narrative voice.
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Oct 12, 2016 16:59
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terre packet posted:I just moved to Montana and I realized quickly that I know very little about the history of Native Americans in the USA (not just Montana). Can I get a recommendation for a book that's either specific to Native Americans in the Midwest or the USA in general? It's probably a incredibly broad subject so if there's a very good book about a more specific time period or geographic area that would work as well. Thanks! The Earth Shall Weep: A History of Native America by James Wilson. Te amazon page pops up with three other good recommendations as well.
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Oct 12, 2016 17:13
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Humbug Scoolbus posted:Gangs of New York by Herbert Asbury (The book Scorsese based the movie on) non-fiction and amazing. I was just about to recommend these. So consider it seconded. Human Tornada posted:I'm looking for some breezy sword and sorcery books with more of an emphasis on action/adventure and less on magical mumbo jumbo and prophecies (a little magic is fine). Preferably part of a series and/or available in audio form. If you haven't read Fritz Leiber yet, he'll probably fill the bill.
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Oct 12, 2016 18:27
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Selachian posted:If you haven't read Fritz Leiber yet, he'll probably fill the bill.
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Oct 12, 2016 18:41
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What's a good fantasy recommendation for a 11 year old kid? I've already suggested Mouse Guard and he loved it, but that was as far as my knowledge went. Someone recomnended Sanderson's Alcatraz, would those fit the bill? I love Sanderson to bits, but I'm not sure what's the target age on his younger stuff.
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Oct 12, 2016 20:16
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If they liked Mouse Guard they'd probably love Bone. It's very much a classic that has wide age appeal so doesn't tend to insult people's intelligence like a lot of stuff designed for that age bracket can. Another classic that might be worth looking into is Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy. It does get significantly more heavy as it goes on though, so that might be a concern maybe.
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Oct 12, 2016 20:47
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Note also that His Dark Materials gets pretty heavy-handed in its atheism by the third book, which may or may not be an issue for you. I'd suggest you look into Lloyd Alexander's Prydain books, or Susan Cooper's "The Dark Is Rising" series. (Skip the first book, Over Sea, Under Stone, and go straight to The Dark Is Rising. You won't miss anything and it's a much better book.) And if he liked Mouse Guard he might also like the Redwall books. They're not my cup of tea personally but obviously a lot of people disagree with me. Oh, and The Phantom Tollbooth. Everyone must read The Phantom Tollbooth at least once in their lives.
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Oct 12, 2016 21:12
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Yeah, I read Dark Materials a bunch of years ago and I think they're a couples shade darker than what I'd go for in this case. I'll check the other suggestions, thanks!
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Oct 12, 2016 21:17
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The Phantom Tollbooth is fantastic. I seem to remember that age is when I got into the Discworld books. The Tiffany Aching stuff was written for a younger audience but honestly the main books don't have anything particularly objectionable in them, even if they are a bit naughty at times.
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Oct 12, 2016 21:19
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Not really fantasy, but Pratchett's Truckers trilogy is also very good.
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Oct 12, 2016 21:24
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In the theme of "mice with swords", I have to admit that I loved all of Brian Jacques' Redwall books when I was that age.
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Oct 12, 2016 21:42
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