What book are you reading? And what do you like about it?

The Something Awful Forums > Main > General Bullshit > What book are you reading? And what do you like about it?

A Strange Aeon: Mar 26, 2010; You are now a slimy little toad; The Great Twist

I got a bunch of books for Christmas and have really been enjoying the Golden Peaches of Samarkand. It's a non-fiction catalog of the numerous exotic imports to the Tang dynasty in medieval China.

It seems like it would be dry as hell, but it's such a window into another time and place based on material goods.

The author peppers different sections with appropriate verses from Chinese poetry and in general just makes reading about the differences between white lotus and pink lotus captivating.

# ¿ Jan 7, 2024 20:49

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# ¿ May 15, 2024 04:57

A Strange Aeon: Mar 26, 2010; You are now a slimy little toad; The Great Twist

redshirt posted:

Speaking of mysteries in monasteries, one of my favorite sci-fi books ever (I guess it's sci-fi; it might have another genre though) is "A Canticle for Liebowitz". I read it again from time to time and just love it. So odd a story, such a strange book, and yet it's hypnotizing.

Never certain if this book is well known or not.

Very great book, it comes up in post-apocalyptic discussions sometimes but I get the sense it's kind of an underdog for some reason even though it's brilliant.

Never read the sequel, but been mildly curious.

# ¿ Jan 25, 2024 00:36

A Strange Aeon: Mar 26, 2010; You are now a slimy little toad; The Great Twist

Narzack posted:

Secondhand paperbacks are the greatest things in the world. I don't think I'll read any more of Clavell, but only because they're such a time investment.

The company FASA (known for Shadowrun and Battletech) inexplicably made a number of boardgames based on Clavell novels, among them Shogun and Whirlwind, "the family game of adventure in Iran during the final days of the Shah."

Kinda a weird thing that exists!

# ¿ Jan 31, 2024 13:59

A Strange Aeon: Mar 26, 2010; You are now a slimy little toad; The Great Twist

madmatt112 posted:

I read Left Hand of Darkness, it was emotionally exhausting but I really enjoyed it. The exploration of a hermaphroditic human subspecies and the impact that hermaphroditism has on societal roles was food for thought.

Also read the first three Earthsea books. It was a nice change of pace from other fantasy books. Her writing is captivating and so beautiful. I appreciate how the conflict in the books is often internal to a character or externalized in a metaphor/representation of some intangible concept. Instead of good guys and bad guys with weapons and the need to overpower the other to “win”.

My first encounters with LeGuin and I am very impressed.

I recently read several short story collections of hers and was also smitten. There's a story set on the Left Hand planet that gets into the specifics of how the houses they go to for sex work, definitely not essential but well thought out and unique like all her stuff.

I'll also second the Dispossessed, one of the best good faith explorations of an anarchist society, one that doesn't shy away from the negatives and the ultimate reliance on established forms of power, but presents a compelling picture of how a society that valued solidarity over individual self-interest might actually function.

# ¿ Feb 10, 2024 01:48

A Strange Aeon: Mar 26, 2010; You are now a slimy little toad; The Great Twist

Deep Glove Bruno posted:

you seen either or both versions of "the nun"? not the american horror movie. the 1966 jacques rivette one or the 2013 guillaume nicloux. they both kind of shred. it's convents and not monasteries but who's splitting hairs

Also Sister Act

# ¿ Feb 26, 2024 14:22

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