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I don't know if anything like this exists, but I would love to read something that is a political campaign but on a galactic scale. Really anything about politics in a space context, like the galactic Senate from Star Wars. I'd prefer if it was actually about that and not used as a setting for a murder or an end of the world event or something, but I'll take what I can get.
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May 24, 2011 03:38
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thepedestrian posted:I don't know if anything like this exists, but I would love to read something that is a political campaign but on a galactic scale. Really anything about politics in a space context, like the galactic Senate from Star Wars. I'd prefer if it was actually about that and not used as a setting for a murder or an end of the world event or something, but I'll take what I can get. Dune.
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May 24, 2011 03:50
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Any recommendations for someone who has Hercule Poirot novels and the Da Vinci Code as their favorite books?
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May 24, 2011 18:29
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WeaponGradeSadness posted:Are there any good books about Turkey? I'd prefer fiction, but good, readable nonfiction would be cool too. I don't care if it's modern or in the Ottoman period or whatever, either, just any good books about Turkey would be appreciated, thanks You might want to try Bliss by O. Z. Livaneli. It's an interesting novel that gives you several different aspects of Turkish society.
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May 24, 2011 19:26
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tookie posted:You might want to try Bliss by O. Z. Livaneli. It's an interesting novel that gives you several different aspects of Turkish society.
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May 24, 2011 20:09
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We were having a good nerdy discussion about generation ships and interplanetary colonization at work today. Now I'm all excited about them -- is there a good book (doesn't have to be a giant series) that you can recommend that covers themes like that? Is that way too general? I don't read a ton of sci-fi.
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May 24, 2011 23:22
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Is Metro 2033 any good?
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May 25, 2011 00:20
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MrChupon posted:We were having a good nerdy discussion about generation ships and interplanetary colonization at work today. Now I'm all excited about them -- is there a good book (doesn't have to be a giant series) that you can recommend that covers themes like that? Is that way too general? I don't read a ton of sci-fi. The Long Sun books by Gene Wolfe.
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May 25, 2011 02:11
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What's the best biography of Pablo Picasso? Paul Gauguin? And recommend any other excellent bios of painters you may have read.
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May 25, 2011 05:09
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Quantify! posted:What's the best biography of Pablo Picasso? Paul Gauguin? And recommend any other excellent bios of painters you may have read. Jackson Pollock by Steve Naifeh is excellent. The movie made from it is also excellent.
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May 25, 2011 13:39
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Quantify! posted:What's the best biography of Pablo Picasso? Paul Gauguin? And recommend any other excellent bios of painters you may have read. It's way further back than you're maybe interested in, but Vasari's Lives of the Artists is a good read. Penguin has a good edition spread out over two books.
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May 25, 2011 15:34
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I have an interest in the excess of the Gilded Age (the giant mansions, accumulation of wealth, etc.) of late 19th century America and just read a NY Times article about the death of the last living heiress of that era. Can anyone recommend some good fiction set in this era, especially if some of the titans of industry (Rockefeller, Carnegie, Vanderbilt, etc.) from that time period factor into the plot?
Parker Lewis fucked around with this message at 15:57 on May 25, 2011 |
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May 25, 2011 15:54
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Quantify! posted:Paul Gauguin? I don't know of any good biographies on him, but this collection of his essays and correspondence is a really good read: http://www.amazon.com/Writings-Savage-Paul-Gauguin/dp/0306807009/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1306341697&sr=1-1 For other artists, Seeing is Forgetting the Name of the Thing One Sees about Robert Irwin is by far the best artist biography I've ever read.
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May 25, 2011 17:44
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MrChupon posted:We were having a good nerdy discussion about generation ships and interplanetary colonization at work today. Now I'm all excited about them -- is there a good book (doesn't have to be a giant series) that you can recommend that covers themes like that? Is that way too general? I don't read a ton of sci-fi. Learning the World by Ken Macleod is an exellent book that covers this area. The main focus of the book is actually a first contact situation (and he does an amazing job of making humans seem alien from the natives perspective and vice versa) but it does still contain a lot of the things that you want.
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May 25, 2011 21:40
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Parker Lewis posted:I have an interest in the excess of the Gilded Age (the giant mansions, accumulation of wealth, etc.) of late 19th century America and just read a NY Times article about the death of the last living heiress of that era. Can anyone recommend some good fiction set in this era, especially if some of the titans of industry (Rockefeller, Carnegie, Vanderbilt, etc.) from that time period factor into the plot? You might like 'The Beautiful and the Damned' by F. Scott Fitzgerald. His 'titan' is fictitious, though, and it's mainly about his heir losing it all and being unhappy.
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May 25, 2011 21:48
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I'm looking for something that's a more modernized version of How to Win Friends and Influence People. I'm moving back to my home town, and I'm getting a job where a friend works, but other than he and a few go-to friends, I know about ten times more people in my college town than home. I want a book that will help me revitalize my social life, in a more modern context, any recommendations will be helpful.
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May 25, 2011 21:58
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I'm looking for recommendations for thriller novels, preferably silly and over-the-top ones that don't go all into taking stances on serious, real-world issues. I don't really care when they were written/where they're set, though I'm a bit bored of Islamic extremists as the villains. The main thing I care about when reading books is how curious they make me, so I'd like something where I'd be dying to know what insane thing was going to happen next. Most of the thrillers I've read were not like this so I probably haven't read whatever you'd recommend. uXs posted:Any recommendations for someone who has Hercule Poirot novels and the Da Vinci Code as their favorite books?
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May 26, 2011 01:53
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The Duke of Avon posted:I'm looking for recommendations for thriller novels, preferably silly and over-the-top ones that don't go all into taking stances on serious, real-world issues. I don't really care when they were written/where they're set, though I'm a bit bored of Islamic extremists as the villains. The main thing I care about when reading books is how curious they make me, so I'd like something where I'd be dying to know what insane thing was going to happen next. Hmm. I enjoy more "man on the run" type thrillers as opposed to "race to prevent terrorist attack". But if that interests you, here are some authors I've liked: Linwood Barclay, Simon Kernick, David Morrell, Harlan Coben's non-Bolitar books, Jeff Abbott. http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6090807-fear-the-worst http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43931.The_Woods http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/a/jeff-abbott/panic.htm http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2010/dec/04/last-10-seconds-simon-kernick-review http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21829.Creepers
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May 26, 2011 02:04
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I'm reading Dune for the first time (really loving it) and about to put in an order for the rest of the series. Now I find out his son kept writing them - are they worth ordering too? There's a single post on page 10 that suggests they aren't. So should I just stick to Frank's works? Edit: Whoops, posted this in the wrong thread. KingEup fucked around with this message at 11:43 on May 26, 2011 |
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May 26, 2011 11:30
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Anyone knows of a decent book about Mobutu Sese Seko, or Congo's 20th century history?
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May 26, 2011 15:44
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KingEup posted:I'm reading Dune for the first time (really loving it) and about to put in an order for the rest of the series. Now I find out his son kept writing them - are they worth ordering too? There's a single post on page 10 that suggests they aren't. So should I just stick to Frank's works? I would finish Frank's works first, then just library borrow the first one his son wrote. I really did not care for it at all. The writing quality seemed very hack-like to me and by the numbers.
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May 26, 2011 18:20
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Any Paul Auster fans here? I've read the New York Trilogy and Mr. Vertigo, and was wondering what to read next.
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May 26, 2011 19:57
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MiracleWhipHipster posted:Any Paul Auster fans here? I've read the New York Trilogy and Mr. Vertigo, and was wondering what to read next. Unless you want to feel like life is total crap, don't read Man in the Dark.
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May 26, 2011 20:25
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AARP LARPer fucked around with this message at 01:12 on Jan 22, 2016 |
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May 26, 2011 21:05
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I'm looking for something along an action/horror/absurd situation novel, perhaps with a dash of buddy comedy thrown in the mix. I really loved John Dies at the End, Snow Crash, and the lesser known The Coyote Kings of the Space-Age Bachelor Pad. The fate of the world being thrown haphazardly into the hands of a couple average jerks touches a spot in my heart, and I'm really eager to read something new that fits along the aforementioned criteria. Also, if any of you find John Dies at the End to be of your liking, you might want to give a look at The Coyote Kings of the Space-Age Bachelor Pad.
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May 27, 2011 08:57
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hxcorpse posted:I'm looking for something along an action/horror/absurd situation novel, perhaps with a dash of buddy comedy thrown in the mix. I really loved John Dies at the End, Snow Crash, and the lesser known The Coyote Kings of the Space-Age Bachelor Pad. The fate of the world being thrown haphazardly into the hands of a couple average jerks touches a spot in my heart, and I'm really eager to read something new that fits along the aforementioned criteria. Gil's All Fright Diner by A. Lee Martinez might be the sort of thing you're looking for. It's not exactly Pratchett or Douglas Adams, but it ain't half bad, either and it might fit what it sounds like you're looking for.
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May 27, 2011 10:22
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hxcorpse posted:I'm looking for something along an action/horror/absurd situation novel, perhaps with a dash of buddy comedy thrown in the mix. I really loved John Dies at the End, Snow Crash, and the lesser known The Coyote Kings of the Space-Age Bachelor Pad. The fate of the world being thrown haphazardly into the hands of a couple average jerks touches a spot in my heart, and I'm really eager to read something new that fits along the aforementioned criteria. Joe Lansdale's Hap and Leonard books meet most of the criteria, as does Don Winslow's Savages. Hell, if you're willing to look past the author's annoying quirks, Dean Koontz's Fear Nothing and Seize the Night would work perfectly, not to mention being easily available second-hand.
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May 27, 2011 11:13
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WeaponGradeSadness posted:Are there any good books about Turkey? I'd prefer fiction, but good, readable nonfiction would be cool too. I don't care if it's modern or in the Ottoman period or whatever, either, just any good books about Turkey would be appreciated, thanks Orhan Pamuk is always the first answer to a request like yours. If you'd prefer Ottoman era fiction there's MY NAME IS RED and SNOW for more contemporary but still topical fiction. If you're interested you could see his page in Wikipedia for the rest of his writing. He's brilliant. Sorry this is so late. I don't get into this thread as often as I'd like.
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May 27, 2011 12:14
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geegee posted:Orhan Pamuk is always the first answer to a request like yours. If you'd prefer Ottoman era fiction there's MY NAME IS RED and SNOW for more contemporary but still topical fiction. If you're interested you could see his page in Wikipedia for the rest of his writing. He's brilliant. 
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May 27, 2011 13:29
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My sister is a pretty big fan of fantasy and a bit of sci-fi and I've been getting her books for most of her previous birthdays/Christmas gifts. She's thoroughly enjoyed "A Song of Ice and Fire" series as well as pretty much every book written by Orson Scott Card. She's been through a crapload of drama through the last few weeks and I was wondering if there were any good new fantasy or sci-fi books that aren't really dark or depressing, as so many of them tend to be.
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May 27, 2011 20:13
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Short notice but I need to pick up a good true crime book tonight. I haven't read a book in probably 5 years. I'm mostly interested in heist/robbery type stuff rather than murderous things, but if it's bizarre enough, I'm definitely interested. Also interested in prisoner stories, but I'd like to stay away from "THE US PRISON SYSTEM IS SO EVIL!" soapboxes or just really gruesome WWII/abuse stories. Thanks in advance.
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May 27, 2011 22:12
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Wojtek posted:Short notice but I need to pick up a good true crime book tonight. I haven't read a book in probably 5 years. I really enjoyed Catch Me If You Can by Frank Abagnale and Stan Redding. http://www.amazon.com/Catch-Me-If-You-Can/dp/0767905385 Its not murderous, but it isn't really heist/robberyish either. Mostly based on fraud. Edit: quote:My sister is a pretty big fan of fantasy and a bit of sci-fi and I've been getting her books for most of her previous birthdays/Christmas gifts. She's thoroughly enjoyed "A Song of Ice and Fire" series as well as pretty much every book written by Orson Scott Card. She's been through a crapload of drama through the last few weeks and I was wondering if there were any good new fantasy or sci-fi books that aren't really dark or depressing, as so many of them tend to be. Depending how far into light-hearted you want to get the Terry Pratchett or Robert Asprin books are always good. So are the Jim C. Hines books I've read lately. But those are all humorous fantasy, so if you're looking for something light but still serious I'm drawing a blank on anything good at the moment. nessin fucked around with this message at 22:25 on May 27, 2011 |
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May 27, 2011 22:19
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nessin posted:I really enjoyed Catch Me If You Can by Frank Abagnale and Stan Redding.
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May 27, 2011 23:10
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Wojtek posted:Ugh...unfortunately I've seen the movie and hated it. I think I'll just wander into Barnes & Noble after work and grab Famous True Crime Book #27 from the display. I haven't seen the movie, but when has a movie and a book (assuming the movie was based on the book instead of the other way around) every been even remotely similar beyond names of characters? (Hell, they don't even go that far in some of them, like Starship Troopers)
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May 27, 2011 23:54
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I've never seen the movie, but I can't imagine Leonardo Dicaprio playing the character as written in the book. Which is largely why I've never seen the movie (I read the book first). Check out the first couple of chapters in the store, it sets the tone pretty quick.
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May 28, 2011 00:42
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Are there any 'romance' books that I really should read? I've read Pride and Prejudice and most Shakespeare but I've never really thought about it before.
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May 28, 2011 00:53
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Tutu posted:Are there any 'romance' books that I really should read? I've read Pride and Prejudice and most Shakespeare but I've never really thought about it before. The Sleeping Beauty Trilogy by Ann Rice should do it for you.
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May 28, 2011 01:43
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The Duke of Avon posted:I'm looking for recommendations for thriller novels, preferably silly and over-the-top ones that don't go all into taking stances on serious, real-world issues. I don't really care when they were written/where they're set, though I'm a bit bored of Islamic extremists as the villains. The main thing I care about when reading books is how curious they make me, so I'd like something where I'd be dying to know what insane thing was going to happen next. Have you checked this thread out? http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3282164 rasser fucked around with this message at 23:29 on May 28, 2011 |
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May 28, 2011 15:14
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I'm looking for a book about the early history of Israel(primarily the story of it's founding but up the 6 days war). It's important that whatever book I read be pretty thorough(or at least not leave out important events because it makes somebody look bad).
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May 28, 2011 22:47
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Oo.m
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May 28, 2011 23:25
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