READ

[toosuto]

I'm headed to the library on Thursday and I am looking for a recommended reading list to take with me. The tiny branch Library near our home is now picked over and it's meager sci-fi offerings have been consumed. What do you think I should read (for enjoyment) I am hoping to get decent suggestions outside of the sci-fi/fantasy realm as that is the only section I have the patience to browse for reading myself and I am feeling the need to read something more... well something else anyway. Short fiction, non-fiction, historical fiction or even something sociomalogical if it is entertainingly written.

Comments

[ttamsivart.livejournal.com]

How about Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follet or maybe Sunne in Splendor by Sharon Kay Pennman. The former is about cathedral construction (kinda) in 11th cent. England, the latter will give you a new perspective on Richard the III. Oh yeah, unless you like WWII spy novels, stay away from Ken Follet's other stuff, completely different...

[toosuto.livejournal.com]

Duly noted, how is London treating you?

[secret-hippie.livejournal.com]

Hey you! Add me to your friends list so I can reply to your journal!

Sara

[toosuto.livejournal.com]

Rereading classics is always good. Also I managed to skip reading many of them. The only one I don't regret not reading was The Scarlet Letter.

[portlandpiglet.livejournal.com]

The scarlet letter is pretty damn boring. The only reason they make you read it in school is because a) it's early american literature, and b) it is FULL of symbolism. So unless you are fascinated with juxtaposition and symbolism, you can probably skip it.

[toosuto.livejournal.com]

Exactly!

[dr-tectonic.livejournal.com]

Given how very much I enjoyed the Stephen Brust novels that are apparently a major homage to Dumas, maybe try some Dumas. (Three Musketeers.)

[thedragonweaver.livejournal.com]

Incidentally, The Man In the Iron Mask has almost nothing about the title character. All of those movies based on that theme are creations of the scriptwriters with a very interesting premise. Most of the book is actually The Four Musketeers Get Old And Die.

Along those line, The Count of Monte Cristo is quite good. As is Les Miserables— don't get an abridged version. Hugo goes off on incredible tangents which can be entertaining in and of themselves. The only one I skip is the bit on Waterloo (and why Napoleon lost.) You only need the last bit of the final chapter (yes, chapter) of that tangent.

The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins is one of the classic mystery novels, and it's from the early Victorian era just to give you a historical flair.

Simon Winchester is excellent for nonfiction reading. He's under several categories, so look him up in the catalog first. James Herriot wrote fictionalized tales of his life as a country vet (like the Little House On the Prairie books, they're not quite true to life). I won't give you any names of books because they were published differently in the States than in the UK.

Frankly, if you get really bored, I'd move over to the mystery section to browse. That works pretty well for me, the big fantasy geek. (Not so much for Rob, but he's got different tastes.)

[mrsbrewer.livejournal.com]

I really enjoy novels by Tim Robbins (Jitterbug Perfume is probably my favorite) and Christopher Moore (Lamb is my favorite). I'm also starting to like Christopher Buckley (I enjoyed No Way to Treat a First Lady pretty well but am really looking forward to reading Thank You for Smoking) and enjoy some of the writing of Salman Rusdie (I thought Fury was pretty interesting).

[portlandpiglet.livejournal.com]

I also enjoyed Lamb. It's a really clever study in comparative religions, or at least, philosophies.

[o-my-goodness.livejournal.com]

I would probably consider it my favorite book of all time.

[thedragonweaver.livejournal.com]

Our bookstore got to have breakfast with him once, because our sales of Lamb were an anomalous spike for the region. This was entirely due to the manager loving the book and all but forcing the staff to read it (okay, forcing by scrounging as many free copies as he could... I actually haven't read it yet.) A motivated sales staff works quite well to promote a book. ("I LOVED this book; try it!")

I got a copy of Fluke, signed, from that breakfast. And Christopher Moore talked about how he'd always wanted to be a horror writer... but after months of writers' groups laughing hysterically over his descriptions of blood and gore, bowed to the inevitable.

[mrsbrewer.livejournal.com]

I assume that everyone knows I meant Tom Robbins.

[toosuto.livejournal.com]

Yes. Another Roadside Attraction is my favorite.

[portlandpiglet.livejournal.com]

It is so funny that you are asking about this, because I just started reading a series of books that I immediately thought you might enjoy. They are fantasy but I found them in the Juvenile section. For that reason, they aren't a difficult read, butt they are far better written than several fantasy books I've read recently that were intended for a grown-up audience. They're called "The Edge Chronicles", and are at least 5 books long. The authors are Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell, and I think that they are from Great Britain, so you can probably find the books where you are. I was initially drawn to the books because of the "old fashioned" style covers and great illustrations. But when I started reading them I loved the story and the pace of the writing. (Granted, I'm only on book 2, so it could go horribly wrong...)

[thedragonweaver.livejournal.com]

Heh. Read some K.J. Parker— that *IS* a British author, under a psuedonym*... and one I know. My mom's even gotten a book dedicated to her by the real person.

*The books are very, very different in style and tone, and it wouldn't do to have someone pick up a book by British Author and find out it was drastically different than the light humorous fantasy they had come to expect. And no, this isn't Pratchett.

[toosuto.livejournal.com]

Have I recommended Garth Nix to you at all? Read the Abhorsen trilogy but anyone who likes YA fantasy should also enjoy his Keys to the Kingdom series which is not as robustly written but still an excellent adventure yarn.

[dr-tectonic.livejournal.com]

Oh!

Check for Ian Banks. Ian *M* Banks is his SF name, Ian Banks is for "normal" fiction.

And "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time", by Mark Haddon, is quite good.

[toosuto.livejournal.com]

TCIotDitNT is the one about the autistic man who solves a crime isn't it?

[dr-tectonic.livejournal.com]

Yes!