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I've really enjoyed most of Umberto Eco's books, are there other authors who have a similar style?
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Aug 6, 2009 10:21
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Encryptic posted:I haven't read anybody quite like Eco, but you might dig Arturo Perez-Reverte's stuff. He's a Spanish writer who's gotten a reputation for writing "literary thrillers". I've read a lot of his stuff and it reminds me a lot of Eco at times since he's not afraid to write characters with a lot of depth or venture into philosophical meandering, rather than just writing a page-turner. The Club Dumas sounds pretty interesting, I'll snag that one. I suppose literary thrillers or "like the Da Vinci Code but not stupid" describes what I was looking for a little better. ShutteredIn posted:Italo Calvino's work is a little more out there and fantastical at times but shares a lot of the same themes as Eco's books. I've already read a couple of his books actually; If on a winter's night a traveler and The Nonexistent Knight/The Cloven Viscount. Are any of his other books or collections especially good? Invisible Cities is the only other I've seen mentioned with any regularity.
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Aug 7, 2009 05:37
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Encryptic posted:As an addendum to my previous suggestion, I just remembered that An Instance of the Fingerpost by Iain Pears is really good as well - very Name of the Rose-ish in style. Instance sounds pretty cool too, I have it incoming. I'm looking for some sort of murder mystery sort of forensics book; but not something dumb that'd you find in a supermarket. I have no clue about the genre, are there any particular books that stand out?
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Aug 15, 2009 06:13
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Funyon posted:I'm looking for some recommendations for good non fiction titles, preferably history. I know it's a broad topic, but I want to learn about pretty much anything. I just got done reading Confessions of an Economic Hitman, and it opened my mind towards lot of things. I've posted a general list below, but if you think I should read about a certain topic, or learn more about something, please go ahead and recommend it. I'd like the best of the best titles. John Adams by David McCullough is really good. Adams views about many events of the day are pulled right out of letters he wrote to his wife and other folks. It paints a very clear portrait of who Adams was. It doesn't concentrate on the Revolutionary War itself though, since Adams was off in Europe most of the time. McCullough also wrote 1776, which I haven't read, but it deals more with Washington and stuff on the home-front. Buut, that one didn't win the Pulitzer and John Adams did.
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Aug 17, 2009 10:07
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Flaggy posted:I want to read most of the books that comprise the Cthulhu mythos, I know it starts with Call of Cthulhu, but I can't find any list that has anything relating to the mythos, or specifically what books to read by Lovecraft that explain and have Cthulhu in them. I know some other authors have used Lovecrafts universe but really just want to read as much about Cthulhu as I can, please recommend books. Thanks. I just requested The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath off of bookmooch, I think I heard that that one is supposedly a good starting point.
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Aug 28, 2009 21:46
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Anunnaki posted:Just started an Eastern Asian History class, and one of the assignments is to read a non-fiction book that has anything to do with Eastern Asia pre-19th century, that's 250-300 pages long. Anyone have any recommendations for a book that isn't so boring it makes you want to gouge your eyes out? I think we're all aware of who Vlad is. Pre-19th century east asia is pretty vague...just read something about the samurai? Everyone likes them. The Taming of the Samurai by Eiko Ikegami and Legends of the Samurai by Hiroaki Sato were both pretty good. The second was less dry if I recall correctly.
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Sep 2, 2009 10:26
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Charlie Mopps posted:An excellent starter would be Ira Lapidus' A History of Islamic Societies. While the book is about 1000 pages and covers the whole history of Islam from it's rise until the beginning of the 21st century, the first 250-300 pages are about the time period requested and the book has an excellent bibliography to delve further into it. I'm reading it for a MA course right now, so i guess it might be a bit too daunting for the amateur reader though. A History of the Arab Peoples by Albert Hourani was pretty good, if a bit dry.
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Sep 6, 2009 09:26
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Shameless posted:I'm looking for recommendations for intelligent, historical novels about the occult/secret societies/conspiracy theories. Basically "I love Umberto Eco, where do I go now?" I asked for the same thing and was pointed in the direction of The Club Dumas by Perez-Reverte and An Instance of the Fingerpost by Iain Pears. I haven't read either of them yet, so I cannot comment as to their quality.
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Sep 18, 2009 08:30
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Encryptic posted:What are some other good books that tackle the same subject that Guns, Germs and Steel does? I remember reading on here that GG&S was pretty flawed and someone recommended a couple other books that they considered to be better-written and not logically unsound, but I didn't write them down and I can't remember for the life of me what they were called. I would also like to know of books similar to GG&S.
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Sep 30, 2009 21:55
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TreFitty posted:I want astronomy/astrophysics books. I'm thinking something about String Theory or...anything along those lines. Michio Kaku loves string theory. Parallel Worlds was pretty good, but it's not really in depth.
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Dec 21, 2009 12:37
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What's a good book about the French Revolution? Preferably in the layman's more readable category, like say, David McCullough style.
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Dec 30, 2009 21:52
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Sneakums posted:Does anyone have recommendations for some fast-paced or epic fantasy-setting books? I loved the first Drizzt Do'Urden trilogy (Salvatore) as well as the Dragonlance Chronicles trilogy (Weis and Hickman). I am going to continue those two series but I'm looking for some new ones as well. I hate to do it, but you'll probably like Game of Thrones. You may also want to give pretty much anything by Guy Gavriel Kay a shot; he does "historical" fiction, and his characters are well fleshed out. Tigana is his most "fantasy" book, the others have a specific historical setting that they're based on (Vikings, Constantinople, Medieval Spain etc...).
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Jan 3, 2010 12:21
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General Washington posted:Hey goons, I was wondering if anyone had a recommendation for any books containing a mixture of mythology and science fiction. I hate to make the comparison but if anyone is a fan of the show "Lost", then that is what I'm interested in. Any books or novels(or even comic books)with a combination of sci-fi, random ancient mythology and maybe even time travel I'd be heavily interested in. Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson is sorta like that. It's mostly Sumerian/Assyrian/Babylonian mythology though. Another possibility is Ilium by Dan Simmons. It deals with (obviously) the Trojan War and additional sci fi things.
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Jan 4, 2010 08:21
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Joshtafari posted:Jack McDevitt's 'Alex Benedict' books - A Talent for War, Polaris, Seeker and The Devil's Eye. The main character is an archeologist or relic hunter who looks for artifacts in space. I've only read Seeker, which was entertaining, if not great. The archeology in the book was not so much alien, but rather factions of humanity lost to time as people moved out beyond Earth. There's also his "Academy Series", which seems to have a pretty similar theme. Although in Engines of God the artifacts are definitely alien.
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Jan 18, 2010 22:24
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Two posted:I was just wondering if anybody knew of a good fantasy series? I havent come across any good fantasy books since I was in high school and the poo poo I used to read back then is not appealing to me any more. I am not incredibly picky but I will say that vampires are not my favorite subject. So whatever you can think of, throw some suggestions at me if you have any. Thanks! I recall Tigana by Guy Gavriel Kay being pretty good. If you haven't read LotR, I'd say give that a go since it's a classic.
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Feb 11, 2010 22:39
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HaroldofTheRock posted:I'm in the mood for a book where the protagonist lives in a very unfriendly world where he/she needs to eke out an existence while there is an oppressing society that will kill you on sight. Something like I Am Legend, with a sense of isolation as the main character skulks around like a mouse trying to survive. The Road.
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Feb 14, 2010 00:45
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unleash the unicorn posted:Are there any good Star Wars books at all or are those just the least terrible? For certain definitions of "good", yes. If you're going in expecting a cool sci fi story set in the Star Wars universe, you won't be disappointed.
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Feb 15, 2010 22:45
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7 y.o. bitch posted:It's actually pretty superficial and ideologically driven compared to much more well-researched, theorized, and scholarly Marxist, post-Marxist, and critical theory texts. Anything you'd recommend?
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Feb 16, 2010 03:55
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unleash the unicorn posted:To be blunt, what I'm implying here is that the people who criticize her writing style are lying or exaggerating just to keep other people from actually reading the books. It's an objectively bad book, sorry.
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Apr 3, 2010 00:36
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cmurphy50 posted:I'm looking for a good fantasy/sci-fi novel/series, whether it be mideivel fantasy/sci-fi etc doesn't matter as long as it fits the general category. I have read all the Warcraft novels (None of the "World of Warcraft") and I have read more Star Wars novels than I can count and I think it's time to try a new universe. I was browsing the shelves at Borders and realized I read too many JUST Star Wars books when the fantasy/sci-fi section is SO large. I'll second Soft Money's recommendation; the Drizzt books sound right up your alley. If you want to branch out a bit, Tigana is a good place to start.
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Apr 6, 2010 19:50
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Facial Fracture posted:Why don't you just skim the Yeah, the The Selfish Gene was a pretty good rundown of how evolution works. It didn't really have much in the way of "ammunition against the it's only a theory" folks (in that it wasn't written specifically for that purpose), but it helps you understand how genes can drive evolution.
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Apr 9, 2010 20:12
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Anamnesis posted:Virgil's Aeneid. See ya Dido. WHY YOU
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May 21, 2010 10:11
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Affi posted:Do I have to read it in french? Proust can only be enjoyed in the original language, so yes. I mean oui.
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May 22, 2010 21:51
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Hung Yuri posted:I want to read a good Star Wars Book. I find that the book versions of the movies are considerably better, but some of them are pretty mediocre. I think Timothy Zahn's stuff is generally regarded as being good. He wrote the first three EU novels: Heir to the Empire, Dark Force Rising, and The Last Command. I don't really remember if they're actually good, or just good "for a Star Wars book". Probably the latter.
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Jun 5, 2010 00:26
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Did That on Television posted:Does anyone have a good books on "riding the rails" in North America? I suppose I'm looking more for a book that discusses this phenomenon culturally -- how it was done for pleasure as well as in order to begin life anew elsewhere -- but also works in personal experiences of people who've done it, too. I guess something "scholarly" maybe is what I'm looking for, but I'm not wholly sure. There was a recent PBS doc about people riding the rails during the Great Depression. Sounds up your alley: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/rails/ There's a further reading link on the site with a bunch of related books.
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Jun 6, 2010 08:57
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I would also not object to TV or film documentaries that do much the same.
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Lascivious Sloth posted:I'm looking for Epic scifi or fantasy series that creates a detailed in depth world around itself. For example, Wheel of time comes off as a realistic world with a map, boundaries, different cultures etc. just like LOTRs middle earth. Even though more of a satire, the discworld series still has it's world the each story revolves around. In sci-fi the Dune series does a great job of creating the story around the planet and cultures within. I know it's exactly what you're asking for, but have you considering A Game of Thrones?
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Jun 26, 2010 21:34
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Evfedu posted:Are there any vampire books out there that aren't, well, complete poo poo? Fevre Dream was a pretty good vampire book as I recall. I don't think it went really in depth into vampire society or anything like that, but it was pretty cool and had a pretty heavy Heart of Darkness vibe what with the riverboats and all.
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Jun 28, 2010 00:54
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^^^ Is Persepolis worth reading if I've seen the movie?
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Jul 7, 2010 10:49
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i see things posted:I'm looking for non-fiction books on American imperialism in South America and the Middle-East. A People's History of American Empire is kindof a lighthearted graphic novel that touches on Latin America and SW Asia. Veins sounds pretty good though, I tossed that on my library queue. The amazon reviews are full of people going "  American haters will love this book", if it's good enough to piss people off, it's good enough for me.
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Jul 17, 2010 08:14
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omnibobb posted:I just got a Kindle and I'm looking to try some new things. Traditionally, I've just read fantasy stuff (WoT, Forgetten Realms, etc) and I'm looking for some good horror novels, maybe some post-apocolyptic stuff? As for post apocalyptic stuff, The Road is really cool, Canticle for Leibowitz was also good (it's got more of a sci-fi angle). I own but haven't yet read (but I hear they are good) Alas, Babylon and Childhood's End. Son of Quakerman posted:I'm looking for any good histories of the Diadochi, or a good history of the expansion of the early roman republic, including the Punic Wars. Any suggestions? I don't really have anything that deals only with the early Republic, so here's a few books about Rome that I'd recommend: Greece and Rome at War covers the early Republic and the Punic Wars, but also (obviously) covers the Greeks and the later Republic/Empire. It's got a pretty strong slant towards archaeology though, as in, pictures of swords and armor found at a particular battle site, followed by pictures and descriptions of the battlefield, and then finally the history of that particular period/battle. It makes museums way cooler though, since you can look at some random bit of armor or weaponry and know where it came from. No clue why it's suddenly unavailable from Amazon and people are selling it for 200USD  .Soldiers and Ghosts The Fall of the Roman Empire: A New History of Rome and the Barbarians You might also enjoy the Aeneid, if you've never read it.
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Jul 20, 2010 11:27
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timothyreal posted:This may sound a bit broad, but can someone recommend me any books about the history of the Middle East and North Africa before European imperialism (from ancient times to before the 19th century, I guess.) It's a region and era I didn't learn much about in school, so I'm curious to learn more. I'm reading "Destiny Disrupted" by Ansary, I think it'd serve as a good introduction to ME history. It doesn't cover pre-Islamic civilization that much (after all it's subtitle "A History of the World through Islamic Eyes"), so you'll probably have to read something else to get that portion. It does however hit pretty heavily on the effects of colonialism and imperialism on the the Middle East, and on more fundamental aspects of Islamic society. If you want ancient history, "Ancient Iraq" by Roux was pretty solid, but a bit dense. It covers everything from Sumeria out to the Hittites or at least Assyria I think (I forget how far it went in time). Another option is "A History of the Arab Peoples" by Hourani, is a really good overarching history of the whole Middle East, it suffers a bit at times from trying to stuff too much information into too small a space. It was still good though.
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Jul 28, 2010 20:02
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jmaze posted:I'm reading Blindsight right now, and absolutely loving it. If you have an e-reader, Peter Watts has released it for free here: drat, and the robot just called me from the library to tell me that Blindsight is waiting for me.
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Aug 3, 2010 19:49
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What are some good, and not too scholarly, books about the history of Communism? I don't really know much about the differences between Marx, Lenin, and all those dudes. Stuff about socialism is okay too.
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Aug 13, 2010 07:23
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7 y.o. bitch posted:Leslie Holmes's Communism: A Very Short Introduction is probably the best thing for you, since it's written by an expert in the field and covers a wide range of material in discrete sections. The "further reading" in the back will also be invaluable. It's probably the most unbiased beginning source you'll get, considering the subject. A lot of "histories of Communism" tend to mix theory, people, and political policy up rather indiscriminately, so it can be very tough going for someone new to it, especially if they don't know in particular what sorts of subjects relating to Communism/Socialism/Marxism they want to get into (for example, history of theory in general, within specific nations, political policy, "horrors of communism" type stuff, communism and capitalism, Marxism and the humanities/social sciences, etc etc.). Yeah that sounds right up my alley. Of course it has to be one of the few in that series that my library doesn't have, buying books  .
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Aug 14, 2010 20:43
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Grand Fromage posted:The story in LOTR is good but the writing can be a slog. Don't even bother trying The Silmarillion unless you're hardcore. I find it's easier to read if you imagine that it's an English translation of some old Norse legend. It works especially well if you have the red fake leather version.
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Aug 16, 2010 01:34
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I finished Blindness and I really enjoyed it. Which Saramago books are also incredibly awesome? I also just finish Were you Born on the Wrong Continent?, I'm pretty interested in reading more about post-war German economic development, or really just post-war Germany in general.
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Nov 14, 2010 06:07
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What are some good book about Rome? I've got some Heather, Goldsworthy, and Holland stuff, but I'd like to know more! And there's so much to choose from! Also I liked 'Ill fares the land' by Judt, and was thinking of picking up the Galbraith set (Galbraith: The Affluent Society and Other Writings 1952-1967), since it sounds like a sortof critique of disaster capitalism deal. Anything else along those lines I should take a look at?
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Jun 2, 2011 02:11
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What's a good book about how stars collapse? Like electron degeneracy, neutron degeneracy, the hydrogen to iron cycle thing, all that jazz.
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Jun 30, 2011 01:51
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Day Man posted:I really liked Death From the Skies. It's about lots if different ways the universe could destroy the earth, including stars going supernova, gamma ray bursts, asteroids/comets, black holes, the eventual heat death of the universe, and more. It may not be as detailed specifically about a star's life cycle as you're looking for, since that's just one section, but it has good, easy to understand scientific explanations of lots of cool space stuff. Yeah Phil Plait is cool, I'll probably snag that one eventually, but right now I'm looking for some real hardcore star poo poo.
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Jul 2, 2011 08:18
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Keven. Just. Keven posted:Hello everyone I didn't want to make a thread for this so here's a question: Which translation of War and Peace is best I was gonna grab a copy last week but they had like four translations and I got paralyzed by false choices. If anyone knows which translation is generally considered the most reputable please let me know. Thanks. The Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky translations are well respected. I haven't read their version of War and Peace, but their Brothers K is great and if I were snagging War and Peace I'd definitely get their translation. Edit: What's a good history of the French Revolution?
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Jul 3, 2011 06:10
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