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Post by Hippie Van on Jul 8, 2008 22:06:43 GMT -5
What are some good books that you like, and would recommend to others?! I just finished reading Galapagos and 1984, both of which are excellent. I also read Weetzie Bat recently, which is very strange but still cool.
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Post by bocaj on Jul 8, 2008 22:16:39 GMT -5
Slaughter House 5. I've been really into Kurt Vonnegut, lately.
Cat's Cradle (which I just finished), is also good, but maybe a little worse (comparatively).
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Post by Seventy2 on Jul 8, 2008 23:10:39 GMT -5
i enjoyed the trilogy "his dark materials". you know, the series with the golden compass. i'm christian yet i still liked his take on what really went down.
also, anything by Greg Bear.
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Post by Hippie Van on Jul 8, 2008 23:13:46 GMT -5
My grandpa used to try to get me to read that book all the time. I never did finish it. I don't usually like the type of books that are given awards, especially children's or young adult's. It seems like it's always adults giving out these awards, who really have no idea of what we find interesting.
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Post by Skullbie on Jul 8, 2008 23:26:40 GMT -5
Life of Pi (good story, shitty writer) I know why the caged bird sings Malcolm X autobiography(awesome, hard read tho) angels and demons Of mice and Men Don't sweat the small stuff Eragon(not bad- cliche though)
I tend to read high school girly dramas also, they're crap but i can't help it. ._.
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Post by Arashi on Jul 9, 2008 3:20:14 GMT -5
I've been reading some stories by Anne Rice. Interview with the Vampire and The Vampire Lestat are beyond incredible. I wouldn't see the movies, though. As for nonfiction, I tend to read educational books, mainly in the field of learning Japanese. I'm reading Success for Dummies by Zig Zigler, which I got as a gift, which is pretty neat. It repeats a lot of stuff, which is predictable (it's hard to overly reinforce optimistic suggestion) and has a little that I disagree with, but there is a lot of value to be found in the book. And what I really need to read is some H.P. Lovecraft. I'm a pretty avid writer and my stories and poetry has been repeatedly compared to his work, though I haven't really read any of his writings. Oh, and Stephen King is also one of my favorite authors.
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Post by Seventy2 on Jul 9, 2008 6:45:48 GMT -5
I could never get into Stephen King. The movies are lackluster (like most book films), and his writing just doesnt do it for me. Not that i havent tried, but i dont think i've been able to finish any book of his that i picked up.
I tried to get into Anne Rice's , Vampire Chronicle's. But i could never find the books i wanted to read. And after reading only 3 or 4 of them, i just lost intrest. However it is still a recommended read.
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Post by bocaj on Jul 9, 2008 12:38:56 GMT -5
Interview with the Vampire I wanna read this book! I've heard such great things about it.
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Post by Arashi on Jul 9, 2008 14:22:23 GMT -5
I could never get into Stephen King. The movies are lackluster (like most book films), and his writing just doesnt do it for me. Not that i havent tried, but i dont think i've been able to finish any book of his that i picked up. Yeah, unfortunately many of his movies or those adapted from his books are pretty sub-par or b-movies. His books are greater beyond comparison, however. I don't know how much of a difference it makes when you are a writer, but the asthetics you get when reading may vary if you have interest in the field of wrtiting. For instance, when I read, I analyze the reason and the way I am enrapt within a story, or why I am not, and the type of ambience the writer manages to instill within a book, be it influenced by the vocabulary, the characters, setting, etc. I don't allow it to take away from the story at all, in fact, it may cause me to grow closer to the characters and the happenings within, but I can see myself finding a value in addition to simply perusing the story.
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Post by Hippie Van on Jul 9, 2008 16:44:04 GMT -5
You sound like one of those English teachers that takes all the fun out of even your favourite books by making you analyze the heck out of them.
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Post by Arashi on Jul 9, 2008 19:14:16 GMT -5
no no no! Not at all! In fact, I have difficulty finishing books because I grow too sentimental! It drives my family crazy, actually. They'll be wanting to watch a movie that was adapted to a book and I'll be like "no wait! just let me finish!" and years later I'll be saying the same thing about the same book. I grow too attached to the story and the characters. I completely disagree with the standard English Teacher's methods of analyzation. It's dumb and saps all the goodness from a story.
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Post by Hippie Van on Jul 9, 2008 20:34:28 GMT -5
Well that's good, then. I've only had one English teacher who could actually get us to analyze a book without completely ruining it for me. I get attached to stories and characters, too. I get really sad when I finish a good book.
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Post by custardtrout on Jul 9, 2008 22:32:45 GMT -5
I'm quite fond of 'Incompetence' by Rob Grant (co-creator of Red Dwarf), and 'Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep', which the movie Blade Runner is based on. I like Philip K. Dicks other stuff as well.
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Post by Hippie Van on Jul 9, 2008 23:50:31 GMT -5
Has anyone read any of David Sedaris' stuff?! I read a few of the stories from Naked, which sometimes made me laugh out loud, but when I tried reading When You Are Engulfed In Flames, I just ended up getting pissed off at how whiny he is, and how he obviously embellishes his stories. So I have mixed feelings.
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Post by Seventy2 on Jul 11, 2008 23:37:27 GMT -5
Christopher Moore does alot of great comedic horror books. You Suck and A Dirty Job
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