Those weird books without pictures... (last good books you read?)

[lugaru]

Would put it under the Film, etc thread but I guess it is more at home under general.

Greatest Show on Earth by Richard Dawkins As an athiest I've read a few books on the subject and never liked the ones by Dawkins much... I feel that religion is one of those sensitive subjects that requires humor to tackle and he has none. When writing about science though, he is really on his game. This book could be called "Evolution is really cool, let me geek out about it"... I think it has something for everyone who is interested in science and it really helped me grasp a few concepts that I could see the edges of but not quite wrap my mind around.

The Strain by Chuck Hogan/Guillermo del Toro I cheated and listened to this on audio book curtesy of Audible and read by the awesome Ron Pearlman. More of a biological horror outbreak book, I found it to be tense, interesting and super well though out. He really gets into his crazy parasite vampire monstes and most of the characters that emerge as heroes along the way are entertaining.

My Life In France by Julia Child She is charming and speaks about food in a way that inspires me. A fairly complete biography with lots of annecdotes and soaked in her voice.

[Glitch Girl]

The Day of the Jackal by Frederick Forsyth  Found this at Goodwill while looking for costume supplies a while back.  I'd never seen the movie (or is it "movies" now?) but heard good things about it.  Despite knowing the outcome more or less, it was a surprisingly suspenseful book with fascinating characters, a bit of wit, and a lot of twists and turns.  

The Stainless Steel Rat trilogy by Harry Harrison  Technically, this was three books ("The Stainless Steel Rat", "The Stainless Steel Rat's Revenge", and "The Stainless Steel Rat Saves the World") bound up in one volume.  I hadn't read it in since college, so it was kinda like revisiting an old friend.  Parts felt a little dated (not surprising considering they were written before I was born) and the third book was a bit of a slog due to time travel paradoxes, and ending that made me go "whaaaa?" and so forth so I can't recommend it. The other two faired better, the first one being pretty fun and the second holding up the best of the three.

[ow_tiobe_sb]

I'll limit my recommendations to recent non-fiction pleasure reading:

Rocking the Classics: English Progressive Rock and the Counterculture (1997) by Edward Macan and
The Music's All That Matters: A History of Progressive Rock (1998) by Paul Stump

These texts offer two foundational studies of this culturally rich, though historically much-maligned, movement in rock music: the first from the perspective of an American musicologist and the second from the perspective of a British music journalist.  Both works avail themselves of sociological methodologies in analysing the historical and cultural factors that gave shape to what many critics now consider an embarrassing moment in rock history.  Professor Macan's text relies on at least glancing knowledge of music theory, so it may not be for everyone (Of course, he explicitly takes pains to limit his reliance on musicological concepts and jargon.).  Both are rather well written and critically fair (meaning, e.g., they know well enough when to admit that Emerson, Lake and Palmer suffered from pomposity).  I would highly recommend these books to any popular music history buff.

Music Alone: Philosophical Reflections on the Purely Musical Experience (1990) by Peter Kivy

This palatable philosophical work by a Rutgers University professor explores the experience of listening to instrumental works of music or "the pure musical experience" devoid of the linguistic structure afforded by lyrics and the human voice.  One of the highlights, for me, is Professor Kivy's argument that emotions, or the lineaments of what we call emotions, appear to be woven into the fabric of pure music; the further implication of such a position seems to lead in an anti-Cartesian, anti-monadic direction about the locus of mental activity (which, for instance, begins to break down the perhaps only imagined separation between Mind and World).

ow_tiobe_sb
Phantom Bunburyist and Whirled Braker

[daglob]

Haven't been reading much non-fiction lately, the last being a book on Falling Water (the house by Frank Lloyd Wright), but I've just finished The Spy Who Haunted Me by Simon Green. Lots of fun, lots of in-jokes (as usual), action, adventure, thrills, chills, and derring-do. Started re-reading In Re: Sherlock Holmes by August Derleth (the first Solar Pons book) today.

Glitch Girl: I have found that re-reading stuff years later is almost as much fun as reading it the first time. Now you've got me wishing that I had easy access to my copies of The Stainless Steel Rat and Deathworld.

[tommyboy]

Consilience by Edward O. Wilson. I highly recommend it.
A beautiful argument in favour of unity of knowledge in science.
"Challenging and thought-provoking, Consilience is an enormous intellectual adventure from one of the most eminent thinkers of his generation." ;back cover blurb that, for once, is apposite.

[Tawodi Osdi]

Although I am an avid reader, as a current English student, most of my reading list is defined for me, and books on my personal reading list are progressing slowly; however, I have found that I have liked some of the books and stories on my required reading list.

On my required list:

Pride and Prejudice by Austen

The Great Gatsby by Fitzgerald

The Heart of the Matter by Greene

For stories,

"The Tragical History of Dr. Faustus" by Marlowe

Portions of The Faerie Queene by Spenser

Portions of The Canterbury Tales by Chaucer

to name a few.

For personal reading,

The Screwtape Letters by Lewis

Inferno by Alighieri

Currently reading whether required or by choice

Invisible Man by Ellison

John Donne the Reformed Soul by Stubbs

Signature in the Cell by Meyer

If anyone has been wondering why I haven't been very active lately, this should clue you in as to why.

[BlueBard]

Good books, you say...

That leaves out most of what I read to my kids at bedtime.

I'd have to say that the best last good book I read was "Flinx Transcendant" by Alan Dean Foster.  It's the culmination of over 20 years of novels surrounding the Adventures of Flinx and Pip and it ties up all of the threads in a way that is for the most part satisfying.  Epic SciFi is an endangered species, but I'm happy to say that Alan Dean Foster is helping to keep it alive.  If you've never read any of these, you're missing a universe as rich and detailed as anything ever created by any author.  BUT... and there is a large caveat... you can't read "Flinx Transcendant" cold.  You simply will not have the references to make it really enjoyable, especially if you've not read the last few years of the series.

I hate to see the series at its' end... but I would have hated it more if there hadn't been some kind of closure.

Another SciFi series I have greatly enjoyed and highly recommend is the "Kris Longknife" series by Mike Shepherd.  The best description I can give is that it is Military SciFi surrounding the adventures of the scion of a legendary family who is building her own legend... whether she likes it or not!  In fact, the latest book should be on the shelves now.

[daglob]

Good books, you say...

That leaves out most of what I read to my kids at bedtime.

I'd have to say that the best last good book I read was "Flinx Transcendant" by Alan Dean Foster.  It's the culmination of over 20 years of novels surrounding the Adventures of Flinx and Pip and it ties up all of the threads in a way that is for the most part satisfying.  Epic SciFi is an endangered species, but I'm happy to say that Alan Dean Foster is helping to keep it alive.  If you've never read any of these, you're missing a universe as rich and detailed as anything ever created by any author.  BUT... and there is a large caveat... you can't read "Flinx Transcendant" cold.  You simply will not have the references to make it really enjoyable, especially if you've not read the last few years of the series.

Now I have to look for that; I haven't been able to keep up with Pip and Flinx lately.

[Uncle Yuan]

Good books, you say...

That leaves out most of what I read to my kids at bedtime.

I'd have to say that the best last good book I read was "Flinx Transcendant" by Alan Dean Foster.  It's the culmination of over 20 years of novels surrounding the Adventures of Flinx and Pip and it ties up all of the threads in a way that is for the most part satisfying.  Epic SciFi is an endangered species, but I'm happy to say that Alan Dean Foster is helping to keep it alive.  If you've never read any of these, you're missing a universe as rich and detailed as anything ever created by any author.  BUT... and there is a large caveat... you can't read "Flinx Transcendant" cold.  You simply will not have the references to make it really enjoyable, especially if you've not read the last few years of the series.

I hate to see the series at its' end... but I would have hated it more if there hadn't been some kind of closure.

Another SciFi series I have greatly enjoyed and highly recommend is the "Kris Longknife" series by Mike Shepherd.  The best description I can give is that it is Military SciFi surrounding the adventures of the scion of a legendary family who is building her own legend... whether she likes it or not!  In fact, the latest book should be on the shelves now.

Hm, I don't know BB.  After very much enjoying Flinx I recently picked up "Trouble Magnet" (the next book in the series for me) and Utterly. Hated. It.  I seriously could not stand to finish it.  Not to impugn your taste in writing (taste is, after all, a very personal thing) but while I used to like ADF, in my recent experience he hasn't written anything worth reading in 15 years.

In the fantastic realm I really enjoyed "Mainspring" by Jay Lake, a fascinating introduction to a great steampunk/clockwork universe (at the equator is a giant impassable cog that is used to rotate the earth).  I'm also eagerly awaiting the next Dresden novel (While I really like Dresden, I really have not been able to get into his Codex Alera).  For non-fiction I recently read and really enjoyed "Theodore Rex" the T. Roosevelt biography by Edmund Morris.

[lugaru]

The Stainless Steel Rat trilogy by Harry Harrison  Technically, this was three books ("The Stainless Steel Rat", "The Stainless Steel Rat's Revenge", and "The Stainless Steel Rat Saves the World") bound up in one volume.  

Read the first one in highschool and always felt bad for never tackling the other two. I might give 'em a stab, even if they might seem dated 12 to 14 years (my entire adult life) later.

I'm gonna be started Cell by Stephen King soon. I've always said that I LOVE his short stories and hate his novels but I really have not read his novels, if I must be honest. Looks like a not particularly bad place to start... at least it is not 10,000 pages about a rabid dog.

[Mr. Hamrick]

The Stainless Steel Rat trilogy by Harry Harrison  Technically, this was three books ("The Stainless Steel Rat", "The Stainless Steel Rat's Revenge", and "The Stainless Steel Rat Saves the World") bound up in one volume.  

Read the first one in highschool and always felt bad for never tackling the other two. I might give 'em a stab, even if they might seem dated 12 to 14 years (my entire adult life) later.

I'm gonna be started Cell by Stephen King soon. I've always said that I LOVE his short stories and hate his novels but I really have not read his novels, if I must be honest. Looks like a not particularly bad place to start... at least it is not 10,000 pages about a rabid dog.

Actually, I agree with you on Stephen King.  I like his short stories much more than his novels with some noted exceptions.  Honestly, I don't think he's been that good in years.  I think it has something to do with the accident he was in years ago.  I recommend "Firestarter" (it's so much better than the movie!) and "Eyes of The Dragon" (not the standard King material).

As for other books...

It's a bit cliche but I am going to recommend "The Girl with The Dragon Tattoo".  I am reading the book after seeing the movie but I am still really enjoying it.  And it's not really hurting my liking of the movie.  

If you haven't read "Kitchen Confidential" by Anthony Bourdain, read it.  Same thing with his second book "The Nasty Bits".  

My copy of "Trainspotting" was stolen from me a while back.  I will eventually get another copy and reread it.  The sequel is good too.

And last but not least, "What She Knew" is worth a read but it's kind of an odd book.  It was written by my friend KR Dickerson and her friend TL Horton.  It's an alternate history of the events surrounding the deaths of Marilyn Monroe and John F. Kennedy.  It's a quick and entertaining read that might merit a re-read.  It's being made into a film independently.  (I'm not involved with it currently.)  Regardless, it's a good, fun read.

[laughing paradox]

I've read The Cell by Stephen King a few months ago and absolutely enjoyed it. It starts off strong and really kept me engaged. I didn't love the ending, but I understood the purpose of it. It read quickly, which was surprising... reading IT by King took forever.. way too verbose.

The last book I finished reading was The Resort by Bentley Little. I really enjoy the author and am going to read several more of his books.

I am currently reading House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski. It's a very fun read so far.

[BlueBard]

Hm, I don't know BB.  After very much enjoying Flinx I recently picked up "Trouble Magnet" (the next book in the series for me) and Utterly. Hated. It.  I seriously could not stand to finish it.  Not to impugn your taste in writing (taste is, after all, a very personal thing) but while I used to like ADF, in my recent experience he hasn't written anything worth reading in 15 years.

"Trouble Magnet" was not one of the better books.  It's only real purpose is to set up the revelation about Flinx's father in "Patrimony", which was pretty good overall.  I didn't care much for "Sliding Scales" either, but it set up another thread concerning the AAnn in "Transcendant".

Basically, if you read "The Tar-Aiym Krang", "Flinx In Flux", "Reunion", and "Flinx's Folly", you have most of the background you need to understand what's going on in "Flinx Transcendant" -- and those are all good yarns.

ADF is hit-or-miss, I agree.  I read "Quofum" and hated that one, too.  He's spent a lot of time "novelizing" movies and the results have not been all that great.


Oh, and I just picked up "Redoubtable" in the Kris Longknife series.  A very good read, maybe not quite as good as some of the earlier ones, but the setup for the next book suggests its' going to be a real humdinger.  I'll only have to wait a whole year for the next one

[Dartman X]

Just got back from vacation, and read a great book while I was away: Already Dead by Charlie Huston (whom I became enamoured of during his 'Moon Night' run).  The closest thing I can think of calling it genre-wise is 'Vampire Noir'. This ain't no 'Twilight' - think of a Vampire novel written by Mickey Spillane, and you might be close.  Thoroughly enjoyed it, and cruised right through it. It was pretty tight, and although the tie-up at the end was a bit twitchy for me, I still loved it. Hear there's a sequel in the works, and I can't wait for it.  I would post a synposis, but it would reveal too many spoilers. Check it out if you're looking for a Vampire book with a different slant to it.

[lugaru]

I love how Vampires are almost always used in stories as invitations to write about the basest, worst things in our society yet just because of twilight everyone has make that distinction. "So I read Bram Stokers novel called Dracula but dont worry, it is totally not a twilight knockoff".

On that subject though (a movie endorsement rather than book, although a book exists) you dudes NEED to watch the original Let The Right One In before the remake is released. I'm not anti remake and it might end up being good, let me just quote my own review of it:

http://www.theconnoisseurs.com/lettherightonein.html

The reason I am worried is because Let The Right One In is balanced on an atomic level, even re-cutting it would change the tone and feel significantly. I know that it has become cliché for a critic to beg audiences to learn how to read subtitles and telling them that remakes are always bad can be dishonest. What we should do is point out when something is irreproducible, that in waiting for it to be re-cast with American teens you will be missing out on something as unique and miraculous as a snowflake.

Back to books I'm reading The Family by Jeff Sharlet. Not gonna get into that much too much given the forums politics on politics but I do think it is one that anyone on this forum would enjoy regardless of their beliefs.

[ow_tiobe_sb]

I love how Vampires are almost always used in stories as invitations to write about the basest, worst things in our society yet just because of twilight everyone has make that distinction. "So I read Bram Stokers novel called Dracula but dont worry, it is totally not a twilight knockoff".

I'll add that Dracula, in particular, not only addresses "the basest, worst things in our society," but also thematises xenophobia by problematising the reader's ability to pass ethical judgments on, e.g., the Count, whose methods and actions become mirrored by those of his human antagonists.  The novel was, IMHO, Stoker's way of both cashing in on literary fads (i.e., the potboiler and gothic novel, in particular) and landing a few blows on fin de siècle British nationalism and ethnocentrism (cultural projects which were, in many instances, indistinguishable).

On that subject though (a movie endorsement rather than book, although a book exists) you dudes NEED to watch the original Let The Right One In before the remake is released.

I could not agree more.  The experience of the 2008 film is wonderfully disorienting, especially for those of us who may have seen the version of the film dubbed into English from the original Swedish.  I fully expect the 2010 remake to be much more palatable to U.S. tastes, which will probably decrease the original's alienation effects through casting, costume, etc.  'Tis even available for rent and streaming video on Netflix.

ow_tiobe_sb
Phantom Bunburyist and Whirled Braker

[herodad1]

Abraham Lincoln:Vampire Hunter

[Jakew]

Anyone read The Passage by Justin Cronin? It's a pretty epic read, if you like your post-apocalyptic vampire/zombie stuff.

[WyldFyre]

On that subject though (a movie endorsement rather than book, although a book exists) you dudes NEED to watch the original Let The Right One In before the remake is released.

My wife and I enjoyed this movie immensely.  I expect (from the previews I've seen) that the American version will tend more to the "blood and gore" that passes for horror in Hollywood.  The original is a refreshing take on the vampire genre.

[thalaw2]

I really love The Chinese in America!  great book