TBB Book Recommendation Superstation !!

The Something Awful Forums > The Finer Arts > The Book Barn > TBB Book Recommendation Superstation !!

Hasseltkoffie: Nov 22, 2006

I like to read trash fiction sometimes, action, milfic, however you call it. Stuff like Joe Ledger, Mitch Rapp, Jack Reacher, etc. The Bad dudes saving presidents genre I guess...

I'd like to read more books like that but with a lead character like Furiosa from Mad Max, any thoughts?

I prefer my trash to have no (or at least not too much) awkward sex or author stand-ins political exposition

# ? Feb 24, 2017 02:12

Adbot: ADBOT LOVES YOU

# ? May 19, 2024 07:01

Selachian: Oct 9, 2012

Hasseltkoffie posted:

I like to read trash fiction sometimes, action, milfic, however you call it. Stuff like Joe Ledger, Mitch Rapp, Jack Reacher, etc. The Bad dudes saving presidents genre I guess...

I'd like to read more books like that but with a lead character like Furiosa from Mad Max, any thoughts?

I prefer my trash to have no (or at least not too much) awkward sex or author stand-ins political exposition

Try the Modesty Blaise books.

# ? Feb 24, 2017 14:30

Wheat Loaf: Feb 13, 2012; by FactsAreUseless

Does anyone have any recommendations for English-language books on the history of France between the Franco-Prussian War through to the end of the First World War or so?

# ? Feb 28, 2017 21:27

dreesemonkey: May 14, 2008; Pillbug

First trip to TBB. I've been trying to read my notion of "classics", mostly defined as "hey, I've heard of that" and written within the last 100 years. I'm looking for some titles that I can put on my to-read list. Here is what I've read so far that I consider falling into my "classics" genre, in a semi-ranked form:

To Kill A Mockingbird - 5/5 - Excellent book.
Of Mice and Men - 5/5 - I guess this is more novella? Whatever, it was enjoyable.
Fahrenheit 451 - 5/5 - Was a much better version of "1984 spooky government / mindless society" to me
Animal Farm - 4/5 - Pretty good book. Not politically savvy enough to understand was kind of "-ism/-archy" it was, but it was a good read.
1984 - 3/5 - Too long, F451 was more too the point and incited more emotions/anxiety/suspense for me
Slaughterhouse Five - 2/5 - It was meh, I guess it's just not my kind of thing.

I unapologetically consider myself the stereotypical "Big mac and fries" book guy. I don't think I will really enjoy books that are heavy on the subtle symbolism that I'm supposed to tease out the deeper meanings.

tl;dr - What "modern classics" should I consider a must-read?

# ? Mar 3, 2017 14:42

Franchescanado: Feb 23, 2013; If it wasn't for disappointment
I wouldn't have any appointment; Grimey Drawer

dreesemonkey posted:

First trip to TBB. I've been trying to read my notion of "classics", mostly defined as "hey, I've heard of that" and written within the last 100 years. I'm looking for some titles that I can put on my to-read list. Here is what I've read so far that I consider falling into my "classics" genre, in a semi-ranked form:

To Kill A Mockingbird - 5/5 - Excellent book.
Of Mice and Men - 5/5 - I guess this is more novella? Whatever, it was enjoyable.
Fahrenheit 451 - 5/5 - Was a much better version of "1984 spooky government / mindless society" to me
Animal Farm - 4/5 - Pretty good book. Not politically savvy enough to understand was kind of "-ism/-archy" it was, but it was a good read.
1984 - 3/5 - Too long, F451 was more too the point and incited more emotions/anxiety/suspense for me
Slaughterhouse Five - 2/5 - It was meh, I guess it's just not my kind of thing.

I unapologetically consider myself the stereotypical "Big mac and fries" book guy. I don't think I will really enjoy books that are heavy on the subtle symbolism that I'm supposed to tease out the deeper meanings.

tl;dr - What "modern classics" should I consider a must-read?

Time's 100 Greatest Novels published since 1923
How to Read Literature Like A Professor contains a very good book list and why they are good.

# ? Mar 3, 2017 15:02

Take the plunge! Okay!: Feb 24, 2007

dreesemonkey posted:

First trip to TBB. I've been trying to read my notion of "classics", mostly defined as "hey, I've heard of that" and written within the last 100 years. I'm looking for some titles that I can put on my to-read list. Here is what I've read so far that I consider falling into my "classics" genre, in a semi-ranked form:

To Kill A Mockingbird - 5/5 - Excellent book.
Of Mice and Men - 5/5 - I guess this is more novella? Whatever, it was enjoyable.
Fahrenheit 451 - 5/5 - Was a much better version of "1984 spooky government / mindless society" to me
Animal Farm - 4/5 - Pretty good book. Not politically savvy enough to understand was kind of "-ism/-archy" it was, but it was a good read.
1984 - 3/5 - Too long, F451 was more too the point and incited more emotions/anxiety/suspense for me
Slaughterhouse Five - 2/5 - It was meh, I guess it's just not my kind of thing.

I unapologetically consider myself the stereotypical "Big mac and fries" book guy. I don't think I will really enjoy books that are heavy on the subtle symbolism that I'm supposed to tease out the deeper meanings.

tl;dr - What "modern classics" should I consider a must-read?

Based on my current mood:

Truman Capote's In Cold Blood - a true crime story about a really disturbing murder case.

Albert Camus' The Stranger - even if you hate it, it's short. Sort of like life.

Tom Wolfe's Bonfire of the Vanities - a huge, rich, political novel set in the eighties with great characters and an HBO original series type of plot.

Charles Bukowski's Post Office - a drunkard starts delivering mail. Weird and funny poo poo happens to him.

# ? Mar 3, 2017 15:44

Transistor Rhythm: Feb 16, 2011; If setting the Sustain Level in the ENV to around 7, you can obtain a howling sound.

Fruits of the sea posted:

Any recommendations for fictional non-fiction books? Two examples are Motel of the Mysteries and The Atlas of Remote Islands.

Has this made it this far with nobody suggesting Calvino!? "Invisible Cities," my child.

# ? Mar 3, 2017 15:48

Bilirubin: Feb 16, 2014; The sanctioned action is to CHUG

Franchescanado posted:

Time's 100 Greatest Novels published since 1923

This is an...interesting...list. The choices made often seem like compromises to get more even alphabetical distribution. For instance, Ubik and The Blind Assassin as representatives of their respective authors? I mean, they're good, but the best?

# ? Mar 3, 2017 15:51

Franchescanado: Feb 23, 2013; If it wasn't for disappointment
I wouldn't have any appointment; Grimey Drawer

Bilirubin posted:

This is an...interesting...list. The choices made often seem like compromises to get more even alphabetical distribution. For instance, Ubik and The Blind Assassin as representatives of their respective authors? I mean, they're good, but the best?

The list wasn't put together alphabetically, that's just how the full list is sorted. It's a mix of "These books have held up well since they've been released during the publication of TIME" and "These are the best well-reviewed books in TIME", with consideration to mix up genres and authors.

It's not the best list, but it's the best one for what dreesemonkey requested.

edit: Also, a lot of people consider Ubik to be PKD's best.

# ? Mar 3, 2017 16:35

Wheat Loaf: Feb 13, 2012; by FactsAreUseless

dreesemonkey posted:

tl;dr - What "modern classics" should I consider a must-read?

The Great Gatsby.

# ? Mar 3, 2017 17:30

Lawen: Aug 7, 2000

dreesemonkey posted:

tl;dr - What "modern classics" should I consider a must-read?

Since you've already read F451 and 1984, maybe A Brave New World. It's probably the one that best predicted our current political/cultural situation.

Also, Gatsby. Thought it was boring and overrated in high school, reread as an adult and loved it.

Lolita, Lord of the Flies, Invisible Man (Ellison, not Wells

), On the Road, All Quiet on the Western Front, Old Man and the Sea (or other Hemingway), The Little Prince.

# ? Mar 3, 2017 18:21

Selachian: Oct 9, 2012

To those already recommended, I'd suggest Catch-22 (a novel about the insanity of the military, bureaucracy, war, and life in general) and maybe John Dos Passos's U.S.A. trilogy.

# ? Mar 3, 2017 19:32

A human heart: Oct 10, 2012

Bilirubin posted:

This is an...interesting...list. The choices made often seem like compromises to get more even alphabetical distribution. For instance, Ubik and The Blind Assassin as representatives of their respective authors? I mean, they're good, but the best?

wow I can't believe time magazine's literature choices aren't very good

# ? Mar 3, 2017 20:32

dreesemonkey: May 14, 2008; Pillbug

Thanks all for the recommendations, I added them to my amazon wishlist and will slowly chip away at them

# ? Mar 3, 2017 22:13

Secret Agent X23: May 11, 2005; Dave, this conversation can serve no purpose anymore.

For what it's worth, Ubik is usually the book I try to initiate people into PKD with. Of course, that, in and of itself, doesn't necessarily equate to "the best," although it would mean I consider it "among his best." So...I guess what I'm trying to say is that Ubik seems to me like a valid choice for the list if we're to understand it as something intended to recommend books to people.

# ? Mar 3, 2017 22:23

Ras Het: May 23, 2007; when I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child - but now I am a man.

dreesemonkey posted:

Thanks all for the recommendations, I added them to my amazon wishlist and will slowly chip away at them

Please read something that doesn't star American Men. The Stranger is a good start at least, Steppenwolf might be a logical continuation. Lolita is also a very good book but depending on how wooden your brains actually are, it might just piss you off with its not-exactly-having-a-message-iness

# ? Mar 4, 2017 22:55

Sethex: Jun 2, 2008; by FactsAreUseless

Dazerbeams posted:

Can someone recommend contemporary sci-fi that isn't The Expanse? It's a little shallow and pulpy for my tastes.

The culture series and altered carbon.

# ? Mar 9, 2017 05:11

TommyGun85: Jun 5, 2013

Can someone recommend science fiction. Not sure what the term would be, but I'm looking for novels along the lines of the movies Gravity or Interstellar, 2001, Jurassic Park, etc. (I realize some of those are also novels). Im not looking for anything with gloops or bleepblorps, no Dune and not any "speculative fiction" like Atwood.

Basically, just good scientific novels.

Thanks

# ? Mar 9, 2017 18:36

Humbug Scoolbus: Apr 25, 2008; The scarlet letter was her passport into regions where other women dared not tread. Shame, Despair, Solitude! These had been her teachers, stern and wild ones, and they had made her strong, but taught her much amiss.; Clapping Larry

Hal Clement's Mission of Gravity, is interesting and fairly epic science fiction that doesn't get talked about a lot. It has aliens but most of the science is rock solid.

# ? Mar 9, 2017 19:13

Khizan: Jul 30, 2013

TommyGun85 posted:

Can someone recommend science fiction. Not sure what the term would be, but I'm looking for novels along the lines of the movies Gravity or Interstellar, 2001, Jurassic Park, etc. (I realize some of those are also novels). Im not looking for anything with gloops or bleepblorps, no Dune and not any "speculative fiction" like Atwood.

Basically, just good scientific novels.

Thanks

Kim Stanley Robinson, maybe? I've read Aurora and his Mars trilogy and feel like they'd both qualify here.

# ? Mar 9, 2017 20:23

Selachian: Oct 9, 2012

Khizan posted:

Kim Stanley Robinson, maybe? I've read Aurora and his Mars trilogy and feel like they'd both qualify here.

KSR seconded.

# ? Mar 9, 2017 22:45

TommyGun85: Jun 5, 2013

Khizan posted:

Kim Stanley Robinson, maybe? I've read Aurora and his Mars trilogy and feel like they'd both qualify here.

great, ill check them out.

# ? Mar 10, 2017 03:35

Fallendragoness: Mar 10, 2017

Lawen posted:

Since you've already read F451 and 1984, maybe A Brave New World. It's probably the one that best predicted our current political/cultural situation.

Also, Gatsby. Thought it was boring and overrated in high school, reread as an adult and loved it.

Lolita, Lord of the Flies, Invisible Man (Ellison, not Wells ), On the Road, All Quiet on the Western Front, Old Man and the Sea (or other Hemingway), The Little Prince.

Atlas shrugged, catcher in the rye

# ? Mar 10, 2017 14:51

Fallendragoness: Mar 10, 2017

Khizan posted:

Kim Stanley Robinson, maybe? I've read Aurora and his Mars trilogy and feel like they'd both qualify here.

I read this book trilogy called "The Atlantis Gene" recently which was really cool and integrated some science with some science fiction. I read it straight through in just a few days and really enjoyed it! Maybe you will too! It also was super cheap on Amazon because the author is newish.

# ? Mar 10, 2017 14:52

Ras Het: May 23, 2007; when I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child - but now I am a man.

Fallendragoness posted:

Atlas shrugged, catcher in the rye

Delete your account

# ? Mar 10, 2017 14:54

Dirty Frank: Jul 8, 2004

TommyGun85 posted:

Can someone recommend science fiction. Not sure what the term would be, but I'm looking for novels along the lines of the movies Gravity or Interstellar, 2001, Jurassic Park, etc. (I realize some of those are also novels). Im not looking for anything with gloops or bleepblorps, no Dune and not any "speculative fiction" like Atwood.

Basically, just good scientific novels.

Thanks

Three Body Problem is a good book that fits this request.

# ? Mar 10, 2017 15:11

chernobyl kinsman: Mar 18, 2007; a friend of the friendly atom; Soiled Meat

Ras Het posted:

Delete your account

# ? Mar 11, 2017 04:52

ArmadilloConspiracy: Jan 15, 2010

I just finished Elric of Melnibone after a whole lot of nonfiction, and it was glorious.

It's been literal years since I read actual swords and sorcery books. What's serviceable and entertaining?

# ? Mar 11, 2017 05:45

Izzhov: Dec 6, 2013; My head hurts.

Are there any series of fantasy books other than Harry Potter and LOTR that are both a) finished and b) good? Everything I can think of either fails the first requirement (ASoIaF) or the second (Eragon).

# ? Mar 11, 2017 06:49

StrixNebulosa: Feb 14, 2012; You cheated not only the game, but yourself.
But most of all, you cheated BABA

Izzhov posted:

Are there any series of fantasy books other than Harry Potter and LOTR that are both a) finished and b) good? Everything I can think of either fails the first requirement (ASoIaF) or the second (Eragon).

Malazan, if you can handle a dark, gory series.

e: Fortress in the Eye of Time as well. Not dark or gory, but weird in its own way.

# ? Mar 11, 2017 07:14

coolusername: Aug 23, 2011; cooltitletext

Does anyone have recommendations for fantasy or sci-fi that is inspired by non-Western settings/traditions? Rather than "European middle ages with dragons!" For example: Something similar to Bridge of Birds, Yoon Ha Lee's Ninefox Gambit, Cixin Liu's books or Nnedi Okorafor's Binti.

# ? Mar 11, 2017 08:59

wheatpuppy: Apr 25, 2008; YOU HAVE MY POST!

deathbot posted:

Does anyone have recommendations for fantasy or sci-fi that is inspired by non-Western settings/traditions? Rather than "European middle ages with dragons!" For example: Something similar to Bridge of Birds, Yoon Ha Lee's Ninefox Gambit, Cixin Liu's books or Nnedi Okorafor's Binti.

I liked Curt Benjamin's Seven Brothers trilogy, though I didn�t care for the follow-up novel. They're set in Not-China and Not-Tibet.

# ? Mar 11, 2017 09:24

StrixNebulosa: Feb 14, 2012; You cheated not only the game, but yourself.
But most of all, you cheated BABA

deathbot posted:

Does anyone have recommendations for fantasy or sci-fi that is inspired by non-Western settings/traditions? Rather than "European middle ages with dragons!" For example: Something similar to Bridge of Birds, Yoon Ha Lee's Ninefox Gambit, Cixin Liu's books or Nnedi Okorafor's Binti.

Ian McDonald's Luna: New Moon. Most of your protagonists in this are from Brazil/South America, the culture is very distinctly not American or European, and it's really well written. I read about half of it and loved it before the library wanted it back, and plan to return to finish it.

I'm also waiting for his River of Gods to get here, which is set in India.

# ? Mar 11, 2017 10:33

Selachian: Oct 9, 2012

deathbot posted:

Does anyone have recommendations for fantasy or sci-fi that is inspired by non-Western settings/traditions? Rather than "European middle ages with dragons!" For example: Something similar to Bridge of Birds, Yoon Ha Lee's Ninefox Gambit, Cixin Liu's books or Nnedi Okorafor's Binti.

Jessica Amanda Salmonson's "Tomoe Gozen" books, perhaps.

ArmadilloConspiracy posted:

I just finished Elric of Melnibone after a whole lot of nonfiction, and it was glorious.

It's been literal years since I read actual swords and sorcery books. What's serviceable and entertaining?

Karl Edward Wagner's Kane books (not to be confused with REH's Solomon Kane) often get overlooked, which is a pity because they're drat good.

Fritz Leiber's Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser books are witty and beautifully written, but do suffer from icky treatment of female characters.

# ? Mar 11, 2017 14:26

anilEhilated: Feb 17, 2014; But I say fuck the rain.; Grimey Drawer

deathbot posted:

Does anyone have recommendations for fantasy or sci-fi that is inspired by non-Western settings/traditions? Rather than "European middle ages with dragons!" For example: Something similar to Bridge of Birds, Yoon Ha Lee's Ninefox Gambit, Cixin Liu's books or Nnedi Okorafor's Binti.

Well, you can try the rest of Nnedi Okorafor, I recommend Who Fears Death.
Also maybe an obvious classic suggestion, but have you read Zelazny's Lord of Light?

Selachian posted:

Fritz Leiber's Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser books are witty and beautifully written, but do suffer from icky treatment of female characters.

Seconding this - as long as you keep in mind when they were written, they are fantastic.

# ? Mar 11, 2017 15:20

Hieronymous Alloy: Jan 30, 2009; Why! Why!! Why must you refuse to accept that Dr. Hieronymous Alloy's Genetically Enhanced Cream Corn Is Superior to the Leading Brand on the Market!?!; Morbid Hound

deathbot posted:

Does anyone have recommendations for fantasy or sci-fi that is inspired by non-Western settings/traditions? Rather than "European middle ages with dragons!" For example: Something similar to Bridge of Birds, Yoon Ha Lee's Ninefox Gambit, Cixin Liu's books or Nnedi Okorafor's Binti.

Guy Gavriel Kay has a number of books that aren't *standard* western -- i.e., byzantine empire fantasy, fantasy moorish spain, fantasy china, etc.

Possibly the Earthsea books by LeGuin.

The big one for sci-fi is going to be Zelazny's Lord of Light.

# ? Mar 11, 2017 15:35

Hieronymous Alloy: Jan 30, 2009; Why! Why!! Why must you refuse to accept that Dr. Hieronymous Alloy's Genetically Enhanced Cream Corn Is Superior to the Leading Brand on the Market!?!; Morbid Hound

Izzhov posted:

Are there any series of fantasy books other than Harry Potter and LOTR that are both a) finished and b) good? Everything I can think of either fails the first requirement (ASoIaF) or the second (Eragon).

Depends on what you mean by "Good."

For example, parts of Wheel of Time are great, but other parts are very bad.

Gene Wolfe's Book of the New Sun is finished and is very, very good -- for a very precise and intellectual meaning of the word "good." (Do you enjoy going online after you finish the books so you can google till you figure out what happened?)

Malazan is what happens when a very smart writer turns his GURPS campaign into a fantasy series, but it definitely has charms for a lot of readers.

Discworld was more a setting than a "series" but it's as finished as it's gonna get

Chronicles of Thomas Covenant is . . . again, very specific value of "good." Technically well written, but, well, really rapey (answering the question "what if the protagonist of your fantasy novel decides it's all just a hallucination, and acts accordingly?")

Jig the Goblin series by Jim Hines is light-hearted and funny fantasy parody, especially if you've played a lot of D&D.

Deed of Paksenarrion by Elizabeth Moon is what happens when a decent writer decides to turn her 1st Edition AD&D paladin into a series of novellas

Amber series by Zelazny is finished and has good parts but it's the worst thing Zelazny wrote (he did it to pay the bills and it shows, but it's still Zelazny and therefore still brilliant in flashes)

Narnia is again good in some volumes but not others. Ditto for Dark Materials.

There are other series out there that are finished but that I haven't read.

The main problem is that most fantasy authors, even the good ones, can't maintain a high standard of quality over the course of a whole series.

# ? Mar 11, 2017 15:50

Humbug Scoolbus: Apr 25, 2008; The scarlet letter was her passport into regions where other women dared not tread. Shame, Despair, Solitude! These had been her teachers, stern and wild ones, and they had made her strong, but taught her much amiss.; Clapping Larry

deathbot posted:

Does anyone have recommendations for fantasy or sci-fi that is inspired by non-Western settings/traditions? Rather than "European middle ages with dragons!" For example: Something similar to Bridge of Birds, Yoon Ha Lee's Ninefox Gambit, Cixin Liu's books or Nnedi Okorafor's Binti.

How about non-standard western?

Midori Snyder's The Flight of Michael McBride, Cowboys, Unseelie, and Native American mythology.

# ? Mar 11, 2017 20:47

dordreff: Jul 16, 2013

deathbot posted:

Does anyone have recommendations for fantasy or sci-fi that is inspired by non-Western settings/traditions? Rather than "European middle ages with dragons!" For example: Something similar to Bridge of Birds, Yoon Ha Lee's Ninefox Gambit, Cixin Liu's books or Nnedi Okorafor's Binti.

Ken Liu's Dandelion Dynasty series. Fantasy intrigue and battles, inspired by Chinese history and literature rather than European. The Grace Of Kings is the first one.

# ? Mar 11, 2017 22:31

Adbot: ADBOT LOVES YOU

# ? May 19, 2024 07:01

Tiggum: Oct 24, 2007; Your life and your quest end here.

Izzhov posted:

Are there any series of fantasy books other than Harry Potter and LOTR that are both a) finished and b) good?

deathbot posted:

Does anyone have recommendations for fantasy or sci-fi that is inspired by non-Western settings/traditions?

It's been a long time since I read it, but I remember the Empire trilogy by Raymond Feist and Janny Wurts being pretty good. Not any of other books from that setting though, just those three.

# ? Mar 12, 2017 04:06

The Something Awful Forums > The Finer Arts > The Book Barn > TBB Book Recommendation Superstation !!

«‹›476 »