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I need a book. .to read.
- Thread starter Radical Edward
- Start date
Radical Edward said:
it's not a show. It was a movie. I haven't seen the the movie. But the book is good.
Enders game by orson scott card would probably meet your reading needs. The talisman and it's sequel The Black house by stephen king and peter straub are great but more in the fantasy horror genre.. But they had me thinking about them long after I stopped reading.
I can not recommend enough the writings of either Sam Harris or Christopher Hitchens on the above topics.
I've read quite a few by Hunter S. Thompson, and of course, loved the movie version of Fear and Loathing, but I haven't had the chance to read the book, and most of his books I've read were so long ago, I didn't really appreciate the beauty of his writings. Definitely going to be reading more of his books.
*head desk* Well, now I feel like an idiot. Heh heh. But, alright, I'll check out the book. A friend of mine just bought it, actually, while I was at the mall with him. I'm sure he'd loan me it after he's done with it.
Have heard of/read a lot of these, but thanks for reminding me about them! It's been so long since I've read an actual book that I wouldn't have even thought to look them up and check out some of the newer stuff. ^_^ Thanks again!
I was hoping you'd chime in. I'll definitely check into those.
Oh yay! I'm getting quite the list. I'll be entertained for weeks! Woo yeah.
Seeing how he just recently passed away, maybe something by Ray Bradbury might be up your alley. I liked The Illustrated Man myself, but all his books are good reading.
there is a book called the fool on the hill by Matt ruff. decently long, but doesn't drag on, it does start kinda slow but it's because there are like 4 storylines that's come together. it's awesome! my favorite book I've ever read by far, and I'm pretty well versed in English literature. mostly modern, but you can't beat to kill a mockingbird if you want some classic action 
I'm shocked that nobody's mentioned A Song of Ice and Fire, which is the name for the book series that A Game of Thrones is based on, (of which A Game of Thrones is the first book). seriously. you want a crazy series that'll make you think, and keep you going nonstop? go read that. one of the most well written sagas i've ever picked up... and i've read a LOT.
Two suggestions that are interesting and created controversy.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0679763996/ref=redir_mdp_mobile/187-9405311-1336855
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0684824299/ref=mp_s_a_1?qid=1339212220&sr=8-1
Read both for a psych class. There was a lot of discussion surrounding both books.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0679763996/ref=redir_mdp_mobile/187-9405311-1336855
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0684824299/ref=mp_s_a_1?qid=1339212220&sr=8-1
Read both for a psych class. There was a lot of discussion surrounding both books.
As an Amazon Associate, TalkBass may receive commissions from qualifying purchases made via links on this site.
1984 by George Orwell, it'll give you everything on your list and more. It's on my "all time best of" list. My list kicks the crap out of Oprah's.
Life of Pi
Alive
Angela's Ashes
Dune
The Island of the Day Before
On the Bible: everybody should read it. Whether you're religious or not, it's the single most influential set of writings in western civilization, or indeed the world, and knowing what's in it will immensely deepen your understanding of a lot of other things. Most of it's not a page turner, though. Don't try to read it cover-to-cover; remember that it's really a collection of 66 different books, not all one book. Pick your way through it intelligently and it's not that hard to deal with:
The story begins in Genesis and runs to about half-way through Exodus: then a lot of legal and ritual material comes in that can be really hard to slog through, so skip to the death of Moses at the end of Deuteronomy and go on into Joshua. From there the narrative line pretty much continues through Judges, 1 & 2 Samuel and 1 & 2 Kings. Apart from that, the Old Testament has lots of books of prophets, and several books of wisdom and poetry, of which you'll probably find Ecclesiastes and Song of Solomon most interesting.
For the New Testament, pick just one of the four gospels (maybe Luke?) and then go to Acts. You can go back and read the other gospels later; the rest of the NT is letters on theological and moral matters which you can pick off one by one as you see fit, and then there's Revelation, a set of visions about the end of the world.
Alive
Angela's Ashes
Dune
The Island of the Day Before
On the Bible: everybody should read it. Whether you're religious or not, it's the single most influential set of writings in western civilization, or indeed the world, and knowing what's in it will immensely deepen your understanding of a lot of other things. Most of it's not a page turner, though. Don't try to read it cover-to-cover; remember that it's really a collection of 66 different books, not all one book. Pick your way through it intelligently and it's not that hard to deal with:
The story begins in Genesis and runs to about half-way through Exodus: then a lot of legal and ritual material comes in that can be really hard to slog through, so skip to the death of Moses at the end of Deuteronomy and go on into Joshua. From there the narrative line pretty much continues through Judges, 1 & 2 Samuel and 1 & 2 Kings. Apart from that, the Old Testament has lots of books of prophets, and several books of wisdom and poetry, of which you'll probably find Ecclesiastes and Song of Solomon most interesting.
For the New Testament, pick just one of the four gospels (maybe Luke?) and then go to Acts. You can go back and read the other gospels later; the rest of the NT is letters on theological and moral matters which you can pick off one by one as you see fit, and then there's Revelation, a set of visions about the end of the world.
You are ripe for Kurt Vonnegut.
Cat's Cradle
Mother Night
God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater
Breakfast of Champions
and of course, Slaughterhouse Five.
Anything else with his name on it is good, too.
Cat's Cradle
Mother Night
God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater
Breakfast of Champions
and of course, Slaughterhouse Five.
Anything else with his name on it is good, too.
1812: Napoleon's Invasion of Russia by Paul Britten Austen.
Hands down, the best history book I have ever read. It was actually released as three previous books, 1812: The March on Moscow, 1812: Napoleon in Moscow, and 1812: The Great Retreat. 425 pages long, with 25 pages more of footnotes and references.
In spite of the length, I was never bored. Truth can be far stranger than any fiction, and this book proves it page after page. It includes the deadliest day of battle known to man up until that time, until surpassed at the Battle of the Somme in WWI using far more deadly weapons. Battle of Borodino, occupation and burning of Moscow, the long, cold retreat, extremes of human behavior......it's all there.
When the old French army sergeants would get together as veterans of Napoleon's campaigns and drink and talk of the old battles, it would always come around to the Great Russian Campaign, the mother of all nightmare campaigns, and Sergeant Burgoyne of the Old Guard said that none of the many false stories he had heard about the campaign could come anywhere close to the real truth as far as being unbelievable. Many of the events of the campaign were so unimaginable that you almost had to lie to get anybody to believe you.
It took Britten a dozen years to write the entire book, and amounted to 1/4 of his entire literary output.
Moscow 1812 by Adam Zamoyski is a condensed version of the 1812 Russian Campaign, and he emphasizes in the introductory notes how the campaign echoes down to our time and would eventually lead to WWI, WWII and the Cold War. Even Britten's monumental history will be seen to be a condensed version. None of the early versions of the campaign are accurate, as they had political intent and/or limited scope of the entire campaign to cloud the big picture.
The Russian Campaign cost Napoleon his empire, and since that time the old aristocracies of the world have been regaining their hold on the common people that the American and French Revolutions had sharply reversed.
Did you know that Vladimir Putin is an illegitimate son of the Russian Romanov aristocracy??? He has recently regained his President-Czar position in Russia by a 2/3 majority vote against 4 other candidates, and will be reelected a second term for sure as long as he is alive and healthy. No political leader in the west can compare to him (unless you include a dead Kennedy). He intends to carry out Romanov objectives and return Russia to its prior wealth and glory. The international bankers who murdered Czar Nicholas II and the Romanov ruling family and bogged Russia down in war and political suicide for 7 decades are in for some payback if he gets his way. But since they control OUR mass media as well as the banking system, we aren't going to be hearing too much positive about him, no matter how much the Russian people like him. Vladimir Putin is different in one big and very important way compared to his foreign political enemies: He actually likes and cares for the people he rules over. He has zero intentions of surrendering Russia's sovereignty to a New World Order, because he is a literal grandson of Peter The Great and will not play second fiddle to the international banking elite as American politicians do.
The aftermath of the 1812 Russian Campaign continues, and you are caught up in it.
Hands down, the best history book I have ever read. It was actually released as three previous books, 1812: The March on Moscow, 1812: Napoleon in Moscow, and 1812: The Great Retreat. 425 pages long, with 25 pages more of footnotes and references.
In spite of the length, I was never bored. Truth can be far stranger than any fiction, and this book proves it page after page. It includes the deadliest day of battle known to man up until that time, until surpassed at the Battle of the Somme in WWI using far more deadly weapons. Battle of Borodino, occupation and burning of Moscow, the long, cold retreat, extremes of human behavior......it's all there.
When the old French army sergeants would get together as veterans of Napoleon's campaigns and drink and talk of the old battles, it would always come around to the Great Russian Campaign, the mother of all nightmare campaigns, and Sergeant Burgoyne of the Old Guard said that none of the many false stories he had heard about the campaign could come anywhere close to the real truth as far as being unbelievable. Many of the events of the campaign were so unimaginable that you almost had to lie to get anybody to believe you.
It took Britten a dozen years to write the entire book, and amounted to 1/4 of his entire literary output.
Moscow 1812 by Adam Zamoyski is a condensed version of the 1812 Russian Campaign, and he emphasizes in the introductory notes how the campaign echoes down to our time and would eventually lead to WWI, WWII and the Cold War. Even Britten's monumental history will be seen to be a condensed version. None of the early versions of the campaign are accurate, as they had political intent and/or limited scope of the entire campaign to cloud the big picture.
The Russian Campaign cost Napoleon his empire, and since that time the old aristocracies of the world have been regaining their hold on the common people that the American and French Revolutions had sharply reversed.
Did you know that Vladimir Putin is an illegitimate son of the Russian Romanov aristocracy??? He has recently regained his President-Czar position in Russia by a 2/3 majority vote against 4 other candidates, and will be reelected a second term for sure as long as he is alive and healthy. No political leader in the west can compare to him (unless you include a dead Kennedy). He intends to carry out Romanov objectives and return Russia to its prior wealth and glory. The international bankers who murdered Czar Nicholas II and the Romanov ruling family and bogged Russia down in war and political suicide for 7 decades are in for some payback if he gets his way. But since they control OUR mass media as well as the banking system, we aren't going to be hearing too much positive about him, no matter how much the Russian people like him. Vladimir Putin is different in one big and very important way compared to his foreign political enemies: He actually likes and cares for the people he rules over. He has zero intentions of surrendering Russia's sovereignty to a New World Order, because he is a literal grandson of Peter The Great and will not play second fiddle to the international banking elite as American politicians do.
The aftermath of the 1812 Russian Campaign continues, and you are caught up in it.
Perhaps something by Ian Banks? He is without a doubt my favourite author, he writes incredibly well, he is always funny and his characters are highly compelling. He writes modern fiction which deals with family issues/relationships, and tackles things like identity and mental illness. However, he also writes very cerebral and undeniably funny science fiction as Ian M. Banks, which is some of the finest science fiction I have ever read, his creativity is unparalleled.
I would just warn you that his books are not for the squeamish, he does not shy away from issues like rape and murder, and some scenes are very visceral/graphic. If you do try them though, they will certainly make you think, I hope in a good way.
Here are some titles I would suggest:
As Ian Banks
'The Crow Road'
'Whit'
'The Wasp Factory' (Beware, this one is psychologically disturbing, its written from the point of a sixteen-year-old, Frank, who is unconventional to say the least. Here's a short excerpt; 'Two years after I killed Blyth I murdered my young brother Paul, for quite different and more fundamental reasons than I'd disposed of Blyth, and then a year after that I did for my young cousin Esmerelda, more or less on a whim. That's my score to date. Three. I haven't killed anybody for years, and don't intend to ever again. It was just a stage I was going through.')
As Ian M. Banks (sci-fi)
'The Player Of Games'
'Use Of Weapons'
'Against A Dark Background'
Phew, wrote more than I meant to!
I would just warn you that his books are not for the squeamish, he does not shy away from issues like rape and murder, and some scenes are very visceral/graphic. If you do try them though, they will certainly make you think, I hope in a good way.
Here are some titles I would suggest:
As Ian Banks
'The Crow Road'
'Whit'
'The Wasp Factory' (Beware, this one is psychologically disturbing, its written from the point of a sixteen-year-old, Frank, who is unconventional to say the least. Here's a short excerpt; 'Two years after I killed Blyth I murdered my young brother Paul, for quite different and more fundamental reasons than I'd disposed of Blyth, and then a year after that I did for my young cousin Esmerelda, more or less on a whim. That's my score to date. Three. I haven't killed anybody for years, and don't intend to ever again. It was just a stage I was going through.')
As Ian M. Banks (sci-fi)
'The Player Of Games'
'Use Of Weapons'
'Against A Dark Background'
Phew, wrote more than I meant to!
i have to admit, the other writings didn't really rub as much as the book. But I will say this; the guy was relentless.
whenever I use that word, I end up thinking about the song: http://youtu.be/2qMWu3o9SPg
I recomend this one. Very well written.
http://www.amazon.com/The-Grizzly-Maze-Treadwells-Obsession/dp/B000ILZ5IS/ref=pd_sim_b_5
And this one. A masterpiece by Joachim Fest
http://www.amazon.com/Hitler-Joachi...=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1339240571&sr=1-5
http://www.amazon.com/The-Grizzly-Maze-Treadwells-Obsession/dp/B000ILZ5IS/ref=pd_sim_b_5
And this one. A masterpiece by Joachim Fest
http://www.amazon.com/Hitler-Joachi...=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1339240571&sr=1-5
As an Amazon Associate, TalkBass may receive commissions from qualifying purchases made via links on this site.
