posted
Would there be any way to have a board for suggested reading? We can always post it here, true, but the ones that are suggested in other threads tend to get lost. If there was a board dedicated to that it would be easy to see what people are suggesting, and easier to find when a particular thread is outdated. People could post the title in the "Subject" line and others could add comments in the thread.
Susan, who is looking for some good reading material!
posted
Man that's a tough question. There are so many great ones to choose from.
Certainly "David Copperfield" for pure entertainment.
"Lord of the Flies" for symbolic social commentary at its finest.
Any of Henry James' ghost stories to see psychological story-telling done by a master. I especially suggest "The Jolly Corner," "The Turn of the Screw," and "The Beast in the Jungle," although that last one isn't a ghost story.
posted
How about Animal Farm by Orwell and A Catcher In The Rye and To Kill A Mockingbird, oh and don't forget Of Mice and Men.
Now if you like other genres look to Heinlien for Sci-fi, Stephen King for horror (I'd personally suggest Firestarter), and Dean Koontz for thrillers and suspense.
Just a few that I've come up with off the top of my head.
-Bryan-
[This message has been edited by Monolith (edited August 15, 2004).]
posted
Stephen King's Dark Tower series: The Gunslinger, Drawing of the Three, The Wastelands, Wizard and Glass, Wolves of the Calla, and Song of Susannah....as well as the last book, which I think comes out in September.
It's truly phenomenal.
Also, Neuromancer, by William Gibson. And the Children of Men, by PD James. Wow, I could go on forever. But I'll stop now. After I mention Dune, by Frank Herbert. And Ella Minnow Pea, by Mark Dunn.
Elements of Style Strunk & White Eats Shoots and Leaves (for punctuation) Immediate Fiction by Jerry Cleaver How to Write Killer Fiction by Carolyn Wheat Telling Lies for Fun and Profit by Lawrence Block
Fiction Anything in the Fairy Tale Series edited by Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling The Sun the Moon and the Stars by Steven Brust as an excellent 1st person POV example.
[This message has been edited by MaryRobinette (edited August 16, 2004).]
posted
I should probably include some speculative fiction titles. Here are my personal favorites:
NOVELS:
Science Fiction -- BRAVE NEW WORLD by Huxley Heroic Fantasy -- THE LORD OF THE RINGS by Tolkien Contemporary Fantasy -- BOY'S LIFE by Robert R. McCammon Horror -- THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE by Jackson
SHORT FICTION:
Literature -- "Parker's Back" by Flannery O'Connor Science Fiction -- "Flowers for Algernon" by Daniel Keyes Horror -- "The Yellow Wallpaper" by Charlotte Perkins Gilman
Scifi- Farenheight 451 (Ray Bradbury, also look up his short stories)
Fantasy- Dragonlance (The Weise and Hickman ones, also I hear the 'Ledgend of Huma' is good. I also recommend 'the Seige of MT. Nevermind'. But be careful, I think the Dragonlance world has the most novels written about it, It can be psycotic trying to read them all.)
posted
I'll try to avoid repeats, but I love several of the authors and books listed above... If I don't list books, there are too many to list!
C. S. Lewis - Chronicles of Narnia Lloyd Alexander - Chronicles of Prydain Ursula K. LeGuin - The Earthsea books Andre Norton Marion Zimmer Bradley Anne McCaffrey Mercedes Lackey Leo Frankowski - Adventures of Conrad Stargard (The Cross-Time Engineer series) Piers Anthony (The Apprentice Adept series, Incarnations of Immortality series, Xanth series) David Eddings (The Belgariad series) Stephen R. Donaldson (The Mirror of Her Dreams, A Man Rides Through; NOT NOT NOT the White Gold Wielder books) Elizabeth Ann Scarborough (the Godmother books) Robert Asprin (Phule books - 1st 2 or 3, Myth books - all)
Authors I am finally getting to and enjoying (I met them both at Balticon): Lois McMaster Bujold (the Vorkosigan books) Catherine Asaro (Primary Inversion, Catch the Lightning which I read in a day - didn't sleep much - these are in her Skolian Empire set of books)
Ok, I know I could go on. What scares me is there is so much that is good out there, stuff I have yet to get to... How in heck am I going to get this good? Good enough for anyone to want my book (um, did I say the "b" word? I won't censor what I wrote, but uh oh), when they can read one of THESE? The mere fact that I have had to cut back on my reading to do my own writing is amazing, and just at the time when I'm discovering more and more books to read.
I think I need to play the lottery...
Whoops - left off: C.S. Forester - The Hornblower books Francis Hodgson Burnett (The Secret Garden, Little Princess) and even more.
[This message has been edited by punahougirl84 (edited August 16, 2004).]
posted
I too have felt a great deal of anxiety whenever I think about how much I haven't read. But a college professor once told me this: "Just think instead, you'll never run out of anything good to read."
That doesn't help all of the time, but it helps most of the time.
Anything by Roger Zelazny, particularly the Amber series and Lord of Light. (Zelazny is a wonderful writer and storyteller, except that he has a tendency towards weak endings.)
The End of Eternity by Isaac Asimov (underappreciated--his best standalone novel and, I think, his best, period)
Have Space Suit Will Travel by Robert Heinlein (his best YA book) The Puppet Masters and The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by RH (his best adult books)
A Fire Upon the Deep by Vernor Vinge (does wonderfully what nothing but SF can do)
Startide Rising by David Brin (a really good look at a galactic setup where all the aliens are really far advanced over us)
Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett (historical fiction, not his usual thriller)
The Snow Queen by Joan D. Vinge (and sequels World's End, which is not so great, but small, and The Summer Queen which is better [I think] than the original Hugo-winning novel)
The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester (The first time I read this, I thought I was going to hate it for the first 2 or 3 pages. I was so wrong)
Anything by Louis Sachar (except I'm not wild about the "Wayside school" books. They're ok, and silly, but they don't compare to his other stuff.)
Way Station by Clifford Simak (Hugo winner, a quiet sensitive book)
The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. LeGuin (This is another where I thought I wouldn't like it at first, and for good reason, but it's worth revisiting repeatedly)
The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick (One of the earliest and best alternate history novels)
The Time Machine by H.G. Wells (his first and best book, but not the only one worth reading. I can't think of a singe general SF category that didn't have an entry by this man)
I'll stop here. But I've got more. I tried not to mention anything listed in previous posts, sorry if I duplicated anything. I also especially looked for things that might be less familiar, but for the most part I see I've got a bunch of award winners and near-winners. Oh, well.
Oh, and Shadowynd, probably the main reason that most of the books mentioned are older is simply that past time encompasses a much longer period than present time. There simply isn't as much good stuff that's been written in the last five years (say) as in the previous fifty or two hundred or whatever. But if you're looking for something really new, try:
Graycloak, by Rick Fisher (Title subject to change)
* David & Leigh Eddings - The Redemption of Althalus (although I know a lot of people don't like it... I bought my copy from a remaindering shop) * Ian Stewart and Jack Cohen - Wheelers (OK, so the authors are both lecturers from my old university, but its still a good book) * Robert Harris - Fatherland (an alternative history detective novel, a few years old now, worth a read)
I've heard good things about S. L. Viehl's Stardoc series, although I haven't read any yet, but I've read the short stories on her web site ( http://www.sff.net/people/slviehl/ ) which are pretty good.
That could help you with finding more recent books. Or, look up a living author at borders.com and check copyrights - or go to their websites to find their newest work.
Or, hit the library and check the new book shelves, or hit the bookstore and check out the new book tables.
I bet a lot of us are catching up on reading too - things we've meant to read but hadn't yet managed due to sheer volume.
Thanks Balthasar, btw - I think I'll make that a sticky note - an optimistic viewpoint is what I need right now!
posted
I will second JB Shearer on the Terry Brooks - Running with the Demon Series. It is a great inventive story. Probably his best work IMO, set in modern times. It is my favorite!
I will also throw a plug out for Weiss and Hickman's, The Death Gate Cycle. Way better than any Dragonlance novel. This one is more grown-up and is not set in a specific D&D setting. Some of the best world building I have ever read.
Last year, I read John Grisham's, A Painted House. And I highly recommend it. It isn't Fantasy or Sci-Fi, just a good standard fiction story.
I also recommend a book by Michael Malone, called Handling Sin, it is good Humor fiction. Some things will make you laugh out loud.
I won't recommend any Horror at this time, I haven't found any that intrigue me enough. If I read a Horror novel I want to be scared. Vampires and the like just don't turn me on, and a slasher doesn't do it either. I am still looking for a good Horror book. I wouldn't mind writing one myself someday. Perhaps dealing with insanity or something like that.
There are others I could mention, but that is enough for now. Looks like you have quite a list to choose from.
I forgot to mention Stations of the Tide, by Michael Swanwick, most stuff by Neil Gaiman [I particularly was a fan of Good Omens (w/Terry Pratchett), Neverwhere, and his Sandman series (which are graphic novels but still absolutely incredible!) ], and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead by Tom Stoppard (it's a play).
posted
Here's some really great ones that have not yet been mentioned.
(question: how do you do italics or underlines on these posts?)
One of my new favorite SF authors is Kage Baker. Anything by her is awesome. Want a short, satirical comedy? Read Empress of Mars. But to really get into her, you gotta read her Company novels. Start with Garden of Iden.
For fantasy, there is no one better in my opinion than Robin McKinley. She hasn't written too much, and some of it is YA, but I highly recommend anything by her. My favorite is Deerskin, and another really good one is Rose Daughter.
If you like mystery but prefer it to be rather tongue-in-cheek, read the Ellie Haskell mystery series by Dorothy Cannell. Start with The Thin Woman. Picture Erma Bombeck writing mystery, and you're close.
For something rather lyrical yet deeply disturbing, try Waking Beauty by Paul Witcover, or Black Wine by Candas Jane Dorsey.
Another good SF writer is Sheri Tepper. I recommend Grass, but she has others which are good as well.
I could go on and on, but those are some of my personal favorites.
Peter Pan by James Barrie (This is a great book, folks, and wonderfully written. Don't let the movies fool you. Even the good ones are no match for the original.)
posted
Ran across this site while searching for reading lists for my 12-year-old.
It's a list provided by the Gotham Writer's Workshop and gives books that exemplify excellence (or lack of it) of various themes, such as Characterization, Plot/Structure, Point of View, Setting, Dialogue, etc.
For instance, Mr. Munsill, it lists The Sun Also Rises (Hemingway) and A Severed Head (Iris Murdoch) as novels that handle a large cast of characters well.
Didn't find a good list for my 12-year-old. I'm just too stuffy, I suppose. I'm not all that interested in her reading books rife with sex and foul language. There just isn't much out there to feel safe about in this in-between-juvenile-and-young-adult stage.
Any suggestions there? Particularly in the classics range? The must-reads in order to have a well-rounded literary education?
[This message has been edited by djvdakota (edited August 23, 2004).]
posted
"My Teacher flunked the Planet" by Bruce Coville, I read it one night while trying to fall asleep at 16, (back when I belived that reading was boring.) It was a dang deep book even though it was written for the younger. I didn't care for it's predicessor though. (But I was 10 when I read that one.)
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