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Beano's Fourth Chin
7/29/2004, 01:25 PM
It's getting to be late summer and I've just finished another book on my list (A Short History of Nearly Everything - Bryson) and am trying to figure out what I want to read next. I'm probably going to go with fiction before I tackle "John Adams."

Anyway, here's my top 5 fiction books (ones I've read) in no particular order.

Lord of the Rings - Tolkien
Les Miserables - Hugo
The Three Musketeers Trilogy (or quadrilogy or quintilogy depending on the editor of your edition) - Dumas
Three Men in a Boat: To Say Nothing of the Dog - Jerome K. Jerome (this walks a fine line between fiction and non-fiction, but I'll put it in here)
The Fountainhead - Rand

So, what's on your list? Any suggestions for my next undertaking?

I just realized that all my authors are dead.

Of current writers, my favorites are Connie Willis, Orson Scott Card, Halderman anc Crichton.

Sexy Sooner Angel
7/29/2004, 01:32 PM
I would give you my list, but it wouldn't help you. You would hate them all. :D

Mjcpr
7/29/2004, 01:33 PM
I would give you my list, but it wouldn't help you. You would hate them all. :D
You're thinking of Norm.

Boarder
7/29/2004, 01:38 PM
1. On The Beach - Nevil Shute
2. The Christ Clone Trilogy -Beusinger (think Left Behind, but with better writing)
3. Tales Of A Fourth Grade Nothing - Blume
4. Bag Of Bones - Stephen King
5. Eaters Of The Dead - Crichton (This is what they based The 13th Warrior off of, but the movie is HORRIBLE compared to the book.


I was going to say The Book Of Mormon, but all my Mormon friends who KNOW I'm joking aren't on here, so it wouldn't be as funny. I'll be sure to tell them, next time I see them. :D

Norm In Norman
7/29/2004, 01:39 PM
Hitchihiker's Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams
Sword of Shannara series - Terry Brooks
If you like LOTR, you'll probably like Brooks. He sorta took LOTR and changed it a bit. He has a different style than Tolkien though. He kind makes it hard to put one of his books down because of all the subplots going on at the same time. He definitely is responsible for making that type of book popular.

You could always read Orwell's 1984. That's one of my faves (although I haven't read it in years).

Norm In Norman
7/29/2004, 01:41 PM
Tales Of A Fourth Grade Nothing? I am more partial to Superfudge.

Petro-Sooner
7/29/2004, 01:41 PM
The Hobbit. Only fiction book I've read. :)

The Maestro
7/29/2004, 01:42 PM
My Life - Bill Clinton

Just kidding...well, except for the women part.

Mjcpr
7/29/2004, 01:42 PM
3. Tales Of A Fourth Grade Nothing - Blume
I'm confident this will be the only book in this entire thread that I will have read.

Mjcpr
7/29/2004, 01:43 PM
You're thinking of Norm.

Bwahahahahaha.

That was funny.

Boarder
7/29/2004, 01:43 PM
No way, Tales kicks Superfudge.

You ever read one of Judy Blume's more "adult" works? If it were a movie, it'd be on Cinemax, at night.

Norm In Norman
7/29/2004, 01:45 PM
I forgot one: The Story of Ferdinand by Munroe Leaf.

Sexy Sooner Angel
7/29/2004, 01:46 PM
No way, Tales kicks Superfudge.

You ever read one of Judy Blume's more "adult" works? If it were a movie, it'd be on Cinemax, at night.
Yep. Summer Sisters would definitely be on Cinemax.

Beano's Fourth Chin
7/29/2004, 01:46 PM
Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing is a good one.

Norm In Norman
7/29/2004, 01:46 PM
No way, Tales kicks Superfudge.

You ever read one of Judy Blume's more "adult" works? If it were a movie, it'd be on Cinemax, at night.

Nope. Should I?

I'm thinking about re-reading some of my childhood books. Maybe if I read A Wrinkle in Time again I would understand more of it.

Boarder
7/29/2004, 01:48 PM
I would give you my list, but it wouldn't help you. You would hate them all. :D

http://www.randomhouse.com/features/steel/gifs/bdddst-bsh-trio0704.gif ?

Sexy Sooner Angel
7/29/2004, 01:48 PM
Nope no Danielle Steel.

Norm In Norman
7/29/2004, 01:49 PM
I think most chicks have read all 400 of those.

Mjcpr
7/29/2004, 01:51 PM
Nope no Danielle Steel.
?
http://www.fabioifc.com/fabio/FAB_GIFS2/mysticrebeliv.gif

caphorns
7/29/2004, 01:52 PM
Here are my offhand top 5 that I have read --

A Prayer for Owen Meany - John Irving
A Painted House - John Grisham
The Catcher in the Rye - J.S. Salinger
A Separate Peace - John Knowles
To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee

King Crimson
7/29/2004, 01:52 PM
i read the first sword of shannara book. i liked it alot.

also, in the same vein was Ursharak. forget the author.

the CS Lewis Narnia books were pretty good too, back inna day.

for youngster type stuff that i'd go re-read, i loved SE Hinton.

Boarder
7/29/2004, 01:52 PM
Nope. Should I?


Not unless you want to read a book about a movie that would be shown on Cinemax, at night. hint, hint, winky, winky

The one I read was called "Wifey". I was stunned, to say the least.

Sooner51
7/29/2004, 01:53 PM
Lonesome Dove
Dead Man's Walk
Ned and Zeke
Streets of Laredo
Comanche Moon

I can't find anything else to compare to McMurtry. Just finished Ned and Zeke last night and it takes place primarily in Tahlequah. Good stuff.

Sexy Sooner Angel
7/29/2004, 01:53 PM
1. The Devil Wears Prada - Lauren Weisberger

2. The Nanny Diaries - Emma McLaughlin, Nicola Kraus

3. Tales Of a Fourth Grade Nothing - Blume (gotta go with you guys on that one)

4. The Godfather - Mario Puzo

5. Donnie Brasco - Joseph D. Pistone

Beano's Fourth Chin
7/29/2004, 01:54 PM
On those Sward of Shannon books, how many are they? Will I be sucked in and have to read all of them?

Is the series complete... I don't like to start reading a series until it's over so I don't have to wait on the next one.

KC//CRIMSON
7/29/2004, 01:54 PM
Geek Love - Katherine Dunn

Sexy Sooner Angel
7/29/2004, 01:54 PM
Not unless you want to read a book about a movie that would be shown on Cinemax, at night. hint, hint, winky, winky

The one I read was called "Wifey". I was stunned, to say the least.
Summer Sisters is a 1,000 times better!

Frozen Sooner
7/29/2004, 01:55 PM
1. The Discworld series of books, Terry Pratchett
2. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Douglas Adams
3. The Wheel of Time, Robert Jordan
4. Wicked, MacGuire
5. The Past Through Tomorrow, Robert Heinlein

Yeah, I know. Everything's a series.

I was going to put The Holy Bible, but I didn't want to start another political thread.

King Crimson
7/29/2004, 01:55 PM
also, the Elric of Melibone series from Michael Moorcock. on the post-LTR fantasy geek stuff.

Boarder
7/29/2004, 01:56 PM
Honestly, I don't read much fiction. Mostly non-fiction.

You need to read Fatso: Football When Men Were Really Men. By Art Donovan

It's non-fiction, but Art Donovan is so funny.

I also liked Lewis Grizzard books. Until he died. I guess I still like them, even though.

Frozen Sooner
7/29/2004, 01:56 PM
I didn't enjoy the Shannarra novels. I thought that the characters were paper-thin and contrived.

Mjcpr
7/29/2004, 01:57 PM
I was going to put The Holy Bible, but I didn't want to start another political thread.
Me too, but one laugh (Froze) and lots of hatred (everybody else) didn't seem worth the risk.

;)

crawfish
7/29/2004, 01:59 PM
1. Hobbit/LOTR. Read them all at least a dozen times

2. Chronicles of Thomas Covenant 1 & 2 - two trilogies, soon to be three. Fantasy set in a world much different from Tolkien's, but with incredible depth. Some people hate it because the title character is an anti-hero of epic proportions, succeeding at being both honorable and repulsive. Highly recommended, although the first book is tough to get through.

3. HHGTG - First three are greatness, last two less so.

4. Song of Ice & Fire - A multi-book fantasy series by George R.R. Martin, brilliantly written, plotted and filled to the gills with compelling characters. Two downsides: the books are long, and he's only halfway done and it could be ten years before the last one is released.

5. The Stand - the best of the Stephen King books.

* I do read more than SF/Fantasy, but no other genre catches my imagination like it.

Boarder
7/29/2004, 02:00 PM
I was going to put The Holy Bible, but I didn't want to start another political thread.


Copycat! :D

Beano's Fourth Chin
7/29/2004, 02:02 PM
Tarzan and Conan

Ike
7/29/2004, 02:02 PM
LOTR
THGTTG (both already mentioned)
Patriot Games -- Tom Clancy
Catch 22 (forget the author...its been a while since I read it)

after that, it drops off a bit...I don't get a chance to read much fiction anymore.

crawfish
7/29/2004, 02:02 PM
I didn't enjoy the Shannarra novels. I thought that the characters were paper-thin and contrived.
Yet, WOT is in your top 5... </tongue planted firmly in cheek>

Actually, I agree. The first, Sword of Shannara, is pretty good, but it's nearly a scene-for-scene copy of LOTR. I read Brooks' biography and, interestingly enough, that fact was the reason Sword was published in the first place (and became the first fantasy book to grace the NYTimes bestseller list), and was a big reason for the resurgence of LOTR's popularity. Go figure.

Norm In Norman
7/29/2004, 02:03 PM
On those Sward of Shannon books, how many are they? Will I be sucked in and have to read all of them?

Is the series complete... I don't like to start reading a series until it's over so I don't have to wait on the next one.

Lets see if I can rememebr. The first 3 books have different characters but with different generations in each book, so you could stop at any time. The second 3 books are like one series that finishes. There are some more books in the Shannara series, but I can't remember if I have read them or how they relate to the other ones. I am sure they are different characters than the first 2 series though.

You'll read them just because you'll like his style. He also has another series that is called 'Magic Kingdom for Sale: Sold". It is completely different but equally good. The other series of books he wrote are pretty bad.

Beano's Fourth Chin
7/29/2004, 02:04 PM
Catch 22 is near the top of my list of books that I couldn't get into but only finished because I'm stubborn.

War and Peace is on that list because of all the commentary between the story parts.

Frozen Sooner
7/29/2004, 02:04 PM
No, I agree that the characters in WoT are a bit contrived. However, they DO develop over the course of the series. Plus, what I enjoy most out of WoT are the political mechanations. Jordan does a great job creating realistic politics.

Norm In Norman
7/29/2004, 02:08 PM
I didn't enjoy the Shannarra novels. I thought that the characters were paper-thin and contrived.
Ahhhhh - you're one of those. James Bond is paper thin and contrived, but I still enjoy watching those movies. Character development is for suckers.

NYSooner1355
7/29/2004, 02:09 PM
I just finished Life of Pi (Yann Martel) and really liked it.

1984 - Orwell
Fahrenheit 451 - Bradbury
from when I was a kid, I loved Where the Red Fern Grows

Beano's Fourth Chin
7/29/2004, 02:09 PM
So, which book in the series should I start with? The first one?

NYSooner1355
7/29/2004, 02:10 PM
WOOHOO...Just realized I hit 1000, and All Big XII

Frozen Sooner
7/29/2004, 02:10 PM
Nah. I totally enjoy light reading with no character development. However, if you're going for "Epic," there should be some growth.

Frozen Sooner
7/29/2004, 02:11 PM
NYSooner-

See if you can resurrect my thread on Life of Pi from a couple of months ago. We had some decent discussion in there.

crawfish
7/29/2004, 02:12 PM
No, I agree that the characters in WoT are a bit contrived. However, they DO develop over the course of the series. Plus, what I enjoy most out of WoT are the political mechanations. Jordan does a great job creating realistic politics.
I swear, if Nyaeve tugs on her braid one more time, I'm going to throw the book across the room... :)

I've been staring at "Fires of Heaven" for some time now, but 1000 pages of political contrivance and slug-like plot movement is looking pretty daunting.

Beano's Fourth Chin
7/29/2004, 02:13 PM
I just finished Life of Pi (Yann Martel) and really liked it.


from when I was a kid, I loved Where the Red Fern Grows

We read that in 8th grade English class...

She'd give us 20 minutes on some days to read. Anyways, back then, I was a pretty fast reader so I finished up before a lot of the other kids...

So, I just start bawling one day in class. I just put my head on my desk.

Norm In Norman
7/29/2004, 02:13 PM
So, which book in the series should I start with? The first one?
I would say you may as well start at the beginning. I think I started with the 3rd one though. I just picked a book with a cool cover and that was it. i will warn you that there is a few chapters about war that are a bit boring to me. There were several stretches of LOTR that were boring to me too though.

Beano's Fourth Chin
7/29/2004, 02:15 PM
Book that I have started reading half a dozen times over 10 years and never have finished:

Brothers K - dostoevsky

SoonerProphet
7/29/2004, 02:16 PM
1. Siddhartha by Hesse.
2. LOTR, Hobbit, and the Similarion(I guess are all one deal).
3. The Five Fingers by Gayle Rivers and James Hudson, kind of a tweener based on fiction.
4. Red Army by Ralph Peters.
5 Some of you mentioned the Brooks fantasy works, I really dug Weis and Hickman's Dragonlance series, but that is just me.

crawfish
7/29/2004, 02:17 PM
I would say you may as well start at the beginning. I think I started with the 3rd one though. I just picked a book with a cool cover and that was it. i will warn you that there is a few chapters about war that are a bit boring to me. There were several stretches of LOTR that were boring to me too though.
Start with the first one. It's entirely self-contained, if you're not crazy about it there's little need to continue with the next.

TUSooner
7/29/2004, 02:20 PM
5. Eaters Of The Dead - Crichton (This is what they based The 13th Warrior off of, but the movie is HORRIBLE compared to the book....

I read that many years ago, a really cool story told in a wonderful "diary" style if I recall.

Somebody needs to mention Patrick O'Brian's series of Aubrey & Maturin sea stories, starting with "Master & Commander." Don't get hung up on the nautical jargon; these books are about the characters. Read the first book or 2 and you'll want to keep spending time with Jack Aubrey, Dr. Stephen Maturin, Preserved Killick and the slew of 3-dimensional characters that keep appearing. Of course, there are 20 of these books, but read the first 5 for starters. The adventure and action is good too, but the characters will keep you coming back.

Soonrboy
7/29/2004, 02:20 PM
When I taught fifth grade, we always read where the red fern grows...it still gets to be one of their favorites. During summer, I catch up on the Sequoyah book awards nominees. There's a couple of authors that I've really gotten to like from doing this, one is Richard Peck and the other is christopher paul curtis. If you ahve kids in this age group, these are some good books.

NYSooner1355
7/29/2004, 02:23 PM
NYSooner-

See if you can resurrect my thread on Life of Pi from a couple of months ago. We had some decent discussion in there.

I tried doing that, I searched for it but couldn't find it - I recall you (I think it was you) asking what purpose the tiger served or what it represented...I might be mistaken though...

SuperSooner
7/29/2004, 02:23 PM
I'm about 80% non-fiction also but...

1. Hitchhiker's Guide to The Galaxy by Douglas Adams
2. Dirty White Boys by Stephen Hunter
3. Illusions by Richard Bach
4. The Grapes of Wrath by Steinbeck
5. MicroSurfs by Douglas Coupland

edit: replace #3, was If Tomorrow Comes

NYSooner1355
7/29/2004, 02:28 PM
I loved Of Mice and Men, we read it in high school and although short I thought it was one of the most powerful stories I've ever read...

King Crimson
7/29/2004, 02:38 PM
no order:

Stendahl: the Red and the Black
Frederick Exley: A Fan's Notes
Jack Kerouac: On the Road
John Kennedy Toole: Confederacy of Dunces
Don Delillo: the Names

OUstudent4life
7/29/2004, 02:42 PM
Ender's Game
Ender's Shadow
The Once and Future King
The Dark Tower series
Contact

Beano's Fourth Chin
7/29/2004, 02:43 PM
I've never even heard of some of these.

You people are obscure.

Sexy Sooner Angel
7/29/2004, 02:44 PM
I've never even heard of some of these.

You people are obscure.
I was thinking the same thing and wondering what genre half of these fit in.

caphorns
7/29/2004, 02:49 PM
"Confederacy of Dunces" - very funny, but a DAMN hard book to read.

"Hitchhiker's Guide . .." If you havent' heard of this Beano, I'd recommend it for weird humor value alone. Very good stuff

Many of the rest are too obscure for me (particularly the sci fi).

The McMurtry books are excellent for that type of read.

OklahomaTrombone
7/29/2004, 02:52 PM
Harry Potter
Eaters of the dead
The Client - JG
To Kill a Mockingbird
Jurassic Park/The Lost World

TUSooner
7/29/2004, 02:53 PM
Tarzan and Conan
Those are fiction? NO WAY!!!

crawfish
7/29/2004, 02:55 PM
Ender's Game
Ender's Shadow
The Once and Future King
The Dark Tower series
Contact
I can't believe I forgot Ender's Game - an absolute MUST READ. One of the sequels, Speaker for the Dead, is also brilliant. Both in a sci-fi setting but have a much broader appeal. If you haven't read these, you should (at least Ender's Game). I'm not as hot on any of the other sequels.

Both are well-written, easy reads, but can get disturbing. Which makes the humanity of each shine all the more.

jk the sooner fan
7/29/2004, 02:55 PM
i read so few fiction books, but here are ones that come to mind:

The Fatal Shore
Atlas Shrugged
The Killer Angels - fiction based on fact
Cardinal of the Kremlin
Red Storm Rising

the brotherhood of war series was entertaining as well

where's a nonfiction thread?

Beano's Fourth Chin
7/29/2004, 03:00 PM
"Confederacy of Dunces" - very funny, but a DAMN hard book to read.

"Hitchhiker's Guide . .." If you havent' heard of this Beano, I'd recommend it for weird humor value alone. Very good stuff

Many of the rest are too obscure for me (particularly the sci fi).

The McMurtry books are excellent for that type of read.

I must be the only person ever that hated Hitchhiker's Guide.

hated it.

crawfish
7/29/2004, 03:02 PM
I must be the only person ever that hated Hitchhiker's Guide.

hated it.
You are now dead to me.

SuperSooner
7/29/2004, 03:03 PM
I must be the only person ever that hated Hitchhiker's Guide.

hated it.

Yeah, but that's because you've never gotten drunk on Pan Galactic Gargle Blasters. Would it be political if I said I'd vote for Zahprod Beeblebrox?

I've read all 4 books about 3X and have just purchased a hardback that has 2 addtional books in it.

SoonerMason
7/29/2004, 03:05 PM
I don't know how to read.

Norm In Norman
7/29/2004, 03:08 PM
I must be the only person ever that hated Hitchhiker's Guide.

hated it.

I am sure you read some other set of of books. i would say you are dead to me now, but I see that someone else already said it.

SoonerMason
7/29/2004, 03:09 PM
I must be the only person ever that hated Hitchhiker's Guide.

hated it.

You are definately not the only one. I guess we're both dead now :D

Beano's Fourth Chin
7/29/2004, 03:10 PM
I just found that Adams was trying TOO hard to be funny.

He's like Ant on Last Comic Standing. I feel sorry for him trying so hard.

Beeblebrox :rolleyes:

Scott D
7/29/2004, 03:33 PM
There are currently 12 Shannara books... reading order is as follows for ya Beano.

Sword of Shannara
Elfstones of Shannara
Wishsong of Shannara

Scions of Shannara
Druid of Shannara
Elf Queen of Shannara
Talismans of Shannara

First King of Shannara

Voyage of the Jerle Shannara (Trilogy)
Ilse Witch
Antrax
Morgawr

and the last one right now is the first of the High Druid of Shannara set
Jarka Ruus

Next book is due out I believe next summer/fall

Scott D
7/29/2004, 03:36 PM
Bleh, I have way too many books to ever pick a top 5 of them...most of them are series anyhow. Easier for me to say that I'm more or less anticipating some books.

Next Shannara book
Next WoT book (non prequil)
Next SoT book (want to see where Goodkind plans on spinning it)
Next Jack Ryan/John Clark Clancy novel

and of course, the one that I haven't written yet. :)

caphorns
7/29/2004, 03:40 PM
Alright, then I assume Elmore Leonard novels are out for funny as well Beeno? I mean there is definitely an unfortunate effort made there to be funny.

Actually, the funniest book I ever read was Steve Martin's book of short stories - Cruel Shoes. He was definitely making an effort to be funny.

jk the sooner fan
7/29/2004, 03:41 PM
i actually read cruel shoes....almost embarrassed to admit that!

Beano's Fourth Chin
7/29/2004, 03:45 PM
If you've ever seen a Robin Williams interview, you see someone trying too hard to be funny.

Mjcpr
7/29/2004, 03:47 PM
If you've ever seen a Robin Williams interview, you see someone trying too hard to be funny.
I have never felt that Robin Williams' standup routine was funny.

Some of his movies are decent, though.

Beano's Fourth Chin
7/29/2004, 03:48 PM
There are currently 12 Shannara books... reading order is as follows for ya Beano.

Sword of Shannara
Elfstones of Shannara
Wishsong of Shannara

Scions of Shannara
Druid of Shannara
Elf Queen of Shannara
Talismans of Shannara

First King of Shannara

Voyage of the Jerle Shannara (Trilogy)
Ilse Witch
Antrax
Morgawr

and the last one right now is the first of the High Druid of Shannara set
Jarka Ruus

Next book is due out I believe next summer/fall


Holy beans. There's a lot of books there. That's almost overwhelming. How many pages we talking about here? 20,000?

jk the sooner fan
7/29/2004, 03:49 PM
am i the only one here who read/enjoyed "the fatal shore"?

skycat
7/29/2004, 03:51 PM
Book that I have started reading half a dozen times over 10 years and never have finished:

Brothers K - dostoevsky

I've been half way through that book for about a year now.

Beano's Fourth Chin
7/29/2004, 03:51 PM
am i the only one here who read/enjoyed "the fatal shore"?

Never heard of it.

Frozen Sooner
7/29/2004, 03:53 PM
Bleh, I have way too many books to ever pick a top 5 of them...most of them are series anyhow. Easier for me to say that I'm more or less anticipating some books.

Next Shannara book
Next WoT book (non prequil)
Next SoT book (want to see where Goodkind plans on spinning it)
Next Jack Ryan/John Clark Clancy novel

and of course, the one that I haven't written yet. :)

You know, I didn't even bother to read the prequel WoT book. I'm not rewarding that kind of behavior.

The Sword of Truth-I REALLY liked the first few books. After a while though, I started to just holler at the author (in my mind) "OK! I GET IT! You're a Libertarian!" And I'M a Libertarian. I finally picked up the new one in paperback. I'll get around to reading it after about five other books on my TO DO list.

caphorns
7/29/2004, 03:57 PM
i actually read cruel shoes....almost embarrassed to admit that!


Awards
Last year at awards time, two or three people picked most of them up. Their works were indeed superior and the judges had little choice. But this year at Awards time, the men in tuxedos and women in gowns of exoctic cloths and laces heard an even, if not odd, distribution of prizes. The administrators at first gave reasons for certain awards, as through making excuses for decisions of which they were once confident.
"The MacFarland award to Mister Falcon because he spent a lot of time summarizing first."

The room was a murmur and Falcon stood up and marched toward the stage and his coat-tails brushed the oak of the walls of this old building.

Then Jackson was given the prize of distinguished accomplishment. The crowd lowly grumbled and a few peripheral members applauded. The judges seemed defiant, as though they were acting on new information.

The judges continued passing awards out to unlikely people, and favorites were acclaimed in categories they never expected.

And so for forty-five minutes the crowd sat astonished and listened to judges announcing awards for stature and flow of the line.

I think that after the first thirty minutes, the members, now mellowed by wine, began to understand and rejoice in the course of the evening and converastion and wit were heard in the room with the dim chandeliers. Then everyone picked up their wraps and awards, walked outside in the light snow, departed in carriages, or some in their cars, and vanished into a black night, thinking of something they knew long ago.

This sounds familiar no?

Scott D
7/29/2004, 03:58 PM
Yeah I got that feel for the Sword of Truth too...and the further he went in the series the more I went 'I get it...democracy, independence, and generally being american behavior type is good...communism socialist bullyboy mindset is baaaad'

I've never counted pages in a book in my life...other than reading Roots when I was 10 years old. My wife used to chastise me for taking too long to read a book, until I pointed out that my books were about as long as 4-5 of her books, and the plots and character development were far beyond anything her authors could muster....that shut her up :)

skycat
7/29/2004, 04:00 PM
Catch 22 - Heller (funny, poignant, great book)
A Canticle for Leibowitz - Miller (sci-fi religious mix)
Dune - Herbert
Juarassic Park - Chriton (big dinosaur nut as a kid)
Metamorphosis - Kafka (I'm not sure why I like this so much)

Norm In Norman
7/29/2004, 04:01 PM
Holy beans. There's a lot of books there. That's almost overwhelming. How many pages we talking about here? 20,000?

Yeah, but the first series are all seperate books. The second is 4 books that all go together. I imagine the rest are a set too. You can always start at the first and see how far you want to go.

crawfish
7/29/2004, 04:04 PM
If you've ever read an interview with Terry Goodkind, you'll know how much of a jerk he is. He's an Ayn Rand worshipper, and actually hates the entire fantasy genre. My personal belief is that he chose the genre because it's easier to get published in than most others (although harder to get rich).

I've got the first SOT book in my ever-expanding reading queue.

Frozen Sooner
7/29/2004, 04:06 PM
He's a Randroid?

NO WAY!!!!!!!

Well, if he hates the fantasy genre so much, and is only writing in it so that he can get published, he should probably compare his life to that of Howard Roark.

Then he should off himself.

Norm In Norman
7/29/2004, 04:06 PM
The funniest thing I have ever read was when that guy decided to take his revenge on Aurthur Dent after being killed countless times. I have never laughed so hard while reading a book that I couldn't see the pages, but that made me laugh that hard. That was one pissed of spirit.

crawfish
7/29/2004, 04:09 PM
The funniest thing I have ever read was when that guy decided to take his revenge on Aurthur Dent after being killed countless times. I have never laughed so hard while reading a book that I couldn't see the pages, but that made me laugh that hard. That was one pissed of spirit.
I love the bitter immortal who made it his life's work to insult each and every being in the universe, alphabetically.

jk the sooner fan
7/29/2004, 04:12 PM
This sounds familiar no?

its been eons since 've read it, but i used to have his albums memorized start to finish.....i could do his entire standup routine.....

and yes, i'm aware, i had no life

Bourbon St Sooner
7/29/2004, 04:41 PM
The Count of Monte Cristo - Dumas
The Rum Diary - Hunter S Thompson
On the Road - Kerouac
Siddartha - Hesse
The Stones of Summer - Dow Mossman

Ricky's Retired Dreadlock
7/29/2004, 05:51 PM
5. If I Ran The Zoo, Dr. Seuss
4. I Had Trouble In Getting To Solla Sollew, Dr. Seuss
3. I Can Lick 30 Tigers Today, Dr. Seuss
2. The Cat In The Hat Songbook (reminds me of Lenny!)
1. My Book About Me, Dr. Seuss

I admit that I read Dr. Seuss when I can find the time. Sometimes I just have Lenny read them to me. Reading requires too much practice, and I'm just trying to find myself. Dave Wannstadt and Mike Ditka used to give me big, think books with no pictures. Just words and diagrams. No pictures. Just diagrams and little words and numbers. What did they think I was an engineer? I told them I was a running back. Neither one of them cared about how I felt and my freedom. Anyway, all of this book talk makes me tired and hungry. Anyone up for Taco Bell? I sure could use one of those nachos bell grande, chief!

Bourbon St Sooner
7/29/2004, 05:57 PM
Well you know it's hard reading with the helmet on with the visor. Big letters help.

GDC
7/29/2004, 08:02 PM
Nobody has mentioned anything by Robert E Howard or HP Lovecraft, or "Fire on the Mountain" by Edward Abbey.

GDC
7/29/2004, 08:34 PM
Here's a link to the supposed top 100 works of fiction of all time. Don Quixote was called the greatest ever, but the list is alphabetical.

http://books.guardian.co.uk/news/articles/0,6109,711520,00.html

OklahomaTrombone
7/29/2004, 08:48 PM
Chinua Achebe, Nigeria, (b. 1930), Things Fall Apart


Thats a relaly good book.

Howzit
7/29/2004, 10:35 PM
The Stand - Stephen King
Time Enough for Love - Robert Heinlein

A couple of SciFi series I really enjoyed:
Reality Dysfunction - Richard F. Hamilton
Otherland Series -Tad Williams (4 1,000 pagers in a VR setting, pretty entertaining)

For Ike, if you ever get time to read any fiction, check out Stephen Baxter. He is degreed in mathematics and astrophysics and his books are pretty thought provoking.

I have also been reading Greg Bear lately, and his Darwin's Radio and Darwin's Children are pretty good reads.

Sooner in the Bluegrass
7/29/2004, 11:29 PM
Chinua Achebe, Nigeria, (b. 1930), Things Fall Apart


Thats a relaly good book.


Yes, it is. I once had to read that for English History. Not particularly long, and who doesn't like a shout-out to Yeats?

And I'll third the being trapped in the middle of The Brothers Karamazov. Dostoevsky makes Dickens or Hardy look like spy novelists.

The totally pretentious, "serious" list:

1. I, Claudius Robert Graves. Okay, not really pretentious-- it's downright accessible-- but I did discover this while trying to be pretentious. It should really interest anyone who likes history, particularly Roman history, obviously.

2. Bend Sinister Vladimir Nabokov. A look at the horrors of totalitarian left-wing regimes, with plenty of gallows-humor along the way.

3. Appointment in Samarra John O'Hara. I'm a sucker for self-destructive protagonists, I guess.

4. Slaughterhouse Five Kurt Vonnegut. Sort of a shorter companion piece to Catch 22, with a similar mixture of dark humor and bitterness at the inhumanity of WWII.

5. The Sun Also Rises Ernest Hemingway. Maybe it was all the percodan I got after having my wisdom teeth yanked, but I really liked this book. A pretty quick read, and it strikes just the right balance between bitter and sweet.

The non-pretentious(?), genre!geek list:

1. LotR, etc. I think there are some scribbles on some napkins that Tolkien may have written that I haven't read a few hundred times . . .

2. The Sandman Neil Gaiman, various artists. No one said anything about the books not having pictures, so . . .

3. Watchmen Alan Moore, Dave Gibbons. The mid-'80's Cold War backdrop is a bit dated, but the story is dark and mind-blowingly complex. The thematic parallels that Moore builds between the A story and the B story that unfolds in the pirate comic book are the sort of thing that demands at least a second read.

4. The Chronicles of Narnia C. S. Lewis. A sentimental favorite.

5. Some ties here: Just about anything by Douglas Adams . . . a slew of Stephen King books . . . Fray . . .

And speaking of Joss Whedon, I've wanted to give The Killer Angels a read since it was supposedly an inspiration for Firefly. It's further motivation for me to see it on someone's list here. I also express hearty frustration with Robert Jordan and Terry Goodkind, and tend to prefer Tad Williams-- at least he seems to know how to end a sci-fi/fantasy series.

King Crimson
7/29/2004, 11:35 PM
watchmen was cool. unfortunately, i think there are many parallels between the semi-cold war stuff and now. the polarization of "the enemy", the fascination with America as global "super-hero", etc.

and bluegrass: see if you can find the masterpiece theatre version of I, Claudius on video at the local vid store or library. it's multi-volumes, but you'll love it. it's great. truly.

jk the sooner fan
7/29/2004, 11:37 PM
if you're at all a fan of civil war history, the Killer Angels is a must, but his son wrote two even better books, Gods and Generals and the last full measure

PrideTrombone
7/30/2004, 12:02 AM
"House of Leaves" by Mark Danielewski is very good, and even more weird.

Sooner in the Bluegrass
7/30/2004, 02:25 AM
watchmen was cool. unfortunately, i think there are many parallels between the semi-cold war stuff and now. the polarization of "the enemy", the fascination with America as global "super-hero", etc.


Hmmm . . . I hadn't thought of that. There was always-- to my mind-- a certain built-in stability to the Cold War that is lacking in our current situation. Not disagreeing with you at all, though. Today's situation kind of makes the whole "Who watches the Watchers?" theme even more resonant.



and bluegrass: see if you can find the masterpiece theatre version of I, Claudius on video at the local vid store or library. it's multi-volumes, but you'll love it. it's great. truly.

Grrrr. Back when I had a Netflix account, that was my thinking. So I queued the DVDs up, but the first three or so were rented out, so they sent me the fourth. I waited, and waited. And waited. Finally, I gave up. One of these days, though, I'll definitely be watching it-- it's been on my to-watch list since I first read the book back in '98 (I think).

SoonerfanJK:



if you're at all a fan of civil war history, the Killer Angels is a must, but his son wrote two even better books, Gods and Generals and the last full measure


The Civil War is one of my favorite historical subjects/eras, so pretty much all the books listed above have attracted my interest at one time or another (although I hadn't heard of Last Full Measure-- I'm guessing it's about Gettysburg, as well?). Looks like I've got some work to do.

SOONER44EVER
7/30/2004, 02:57 AM
In the past 15 or 20 years:

1) The Stand Stephen King
2) The Silence of the Lambs Thomas Harris
3) Jurassic Park Michael Crichton
4) Bloodstream Tess Gerritson
5) A Time to Kill John Grisham

Long ago:

1) The Andromeda Strain Michael Crichton
2) In Cold Blood Truman Capote (Non-Fiction, but WOW)
3) Slaughterhouse 5 Kurt Vonnegut
4) Soylent Green Harry Harrison
5) 1984 George Orwell

Sooner Born Sooner Bred
7/30/2004, 07:09 AM
To Kill a Mockingbird
Are You There God, It's Me Margaret
Tiger Eyes
The Book of Ruth
Summer Sisters

jk the sooner fan
7/30/2004, 07:13 AM
Bluegrass.....The Killer Angels is about Gettysburg....from just before the battle to the day after.....the author's son then went and researched the war in depth and wrote Gods and Generals, based on the same military characters (non fiction) from his dads book. Gods and Generals is a prequel and starts before the war, at Harpers Ferry, and ends the day before Gettysburg starts. The Last Full Measure is the end and documents the war from the day after Gettysburg to Appomattox. Both are GREAT reads if you love that period

Beano - The Fatal Shore is an excellent book and one I highly recommend.

crawfish
7/30/2004, 07:31 AM
I have also been reading Greg Bear lately, and his Darwin's Radio and Darwin's Children are pretty good reads.
Have you read "The Forge of God" by Bear? That's definitely a great read. The sequel is good, but not great (and is, in a way, an anti-"Ender's Game").

Bear can go a little far with the hard science. "Eon" took me eons to read. After a while, I decided to stop trying to picture the stuff in my head and just read.

Mjcpr
7/30/2004, 07:32 AM
I'm confident this will be the only book in this entire thread that I will have read.
I shoulda been a fortune teller.

Sexy Sooner Angel
7/30/2004, 07:44 AM
To Kill a Mockingbird
Are You There God, It's Me Margaret
Tiger Eyes
The Book of Ruth
Summer Sisters
That was a very good and intriguing book wasn't it. :D I think I finished that book in one weekend.

Howzit
7/30/2004, 07:50 AM
Have you read "The Forge of God" by Bear? That's definitely a great read. The sequel is good, but not great (and is, in a way, an anti-"Ender's Game").

Bear can go a little far with the hard science. "Eon" took me eons to read. After a while, I decided to stop trying to picture the stuff in my head and just read.

Man crawfish, we definitely have the same taste in books. Yes, I have read those Bear books and agree with you on all of them. I in the middle of Vitals now, and it has a real conspiracy theory theme. Did you read his Darwin books? Pretty interesting both in terms of his ideas on the role of viruses in evolution and his social commentary.

And it sounds like the Otherland books by Tad Williams might be of interest to you if you haven't read them.

Scott D
7/30/2004, 10:48 AM
I never have finished the Otherland series...which is a shame because I remember going to the book store the day that To Green Angel Tower came out so I could finish the Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn series.

crawfish
7/30/2004, 10:58 AM
Man crawfish, we definitely have the same taste in books. Yes, I have read those Bear books and agree with you on all of them. I in the middle of Vitals now, and it has a real conspiracy theory theme. Did you read his Darwin books? Pretty interesting both in terms of his ideas on the role of viruses in evolution and his social commentary.

And it sounds like the Otherland books by Tad Williams might be of interest to you if you haven't read them.
I've read the first Darwin book...pretty interesting. I haven't read any others, but there's a few in my queue (which is sitting at about 100 fiction books right now - damn you, Half Price Books!). The first Otherland is also in my queue, as is the first book of "Memory, Sorrow & Thorn". They both certainly sound interesting.

Currently I'm working on Neil Gaimen's "American Gods", but I'm not far enough into it to give a report.

dolemitesooner
8/6/2007, 04:15 PM
I am currently reading Ender's Game - Orson Scott Card.....Its a very easy read and I find it insanly good.

When I get done reading cards stuff I am going to start reading the Wheel of time series again. I need something to read during my football travels.

IronSooner
8/6/2007, 04:52 PM
For Whom The Bell Tolls
Hamlet (does this count?)
The Three Musketeers
Treasure Island
Crime & Punishment

Boarder
8/6/2007, 05:35 PM
Remember when Norm and Beano used to post stuff?

soonerboomer93
8/6/2007, 05:55 PM
aren't they your trolls?

dolemitesooner
8/6/2007, 05:59 PM
Remember when Norm and Beano used to post stuff?
:D Thats the truFF. I don't think they like us any more ...**** YOUR BITCHES BEYONCE NORM BEONCO **** EATETRS

SicEmBaylor
8/6/2007, 06:00 PM
I really don't like fiction. I rarely read any fiction books, but I can probably come up with 5 that I really enjoyed.
(in no particular order...)

1. Atlas Shrugged
2. Harry Potter Series
3. Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan book series
4. The Great Gatsby

Actually, that's all. There's technically more than 4 books there, but I couldn't pick out a favorite in those two series.

TUSooner
8/6/2007, 09:53 PM
I lack the energy and memory to come up with an "all time" top 5, but today I highly recommend any of Alan Furst's WWII spy novels. Start with Night Soldiers. These books drip with pre-war atmosphere and subtle tension, and they seem very realistic, about real characters doing what they can against the fascists (and occasionally bolsheviks). No James Bond type stuff at all, but there is an interesting little character called S. Kolb who pops up now and then and who seems to know how to "fix" things. Immerse yourself!

Snrborn
8/6/2007, 09:53 PM
I read a TON, and I've always been more of a fan of authors, than books.

My favorite book of all time is Lonesome Dove, by McMurtry. I challenge anyone that hasn't read this to do so.

A couple of young authors that i Like: Dave Eggars, and Johnathon Safron Froer They are around my age, and they seem to write from a vantage point that I can understand.

It seems like I often regretfully start a book by John Irving, Cider House Rules/A Prayer for Owen Meany/The World According to Garp - and I never regret reading it. He has a wonderful ability to tell a story, while making you empathize with the characters.

Jeffery Eugenides has only written two books - The Virgin Suicides and Middlesex (which I believe is the current Oprah book, so this book even has the endorsement of the Anti-Christ!!) -and both were 2 of the best I have read.

And last, my Favorite Author, Chuck Palahniuk, If you like dark humor, then he is perfect. If you liked the movie fight club, then you will love his books. I think he writes like noone else. He is disgusting yet hilarious.

I always feel sorry for people who don't read. It's the same as refusing to listen to music, or watch movies....you miss out on so much.

royalfan5
8/6/2007, 10:22 PM
1)Breakfast of Champions-Kurt Vonnegut:I have probably read this book 15 times, and I sure that total will continue to rise
2)Fahrenheit 451-Ray Bradbury:This really could be one 1A, Guy Montag has to be one of my favorite characters ever.
3)Bones of Plenty-Lois Phillips Hudson: IMO, the best novel set in the Great Depression
4)Slaughterhouse 5-Kurt Vonnegut : I really love Vonnegut
5)Thank You for Smoking-Christopher Buckley : Great subversive novel
6)Atlas Shrugged-Ayn Rand : While Bat**** crazy, Rand could spin a yarn.

TMcGee86
8/7/2007, 08:11 AM
1. The Deep Blue Goodbye - John D. MacDonald. (really any book by JDM, he is the master)
2. Flatbellies - A.B. Hollingsworth
3. Death of a Salesman - Arthur Miller (okay i know it's a play, but it reads just like a book, only easier and its short. still very very powerful)
4. Captiva - Randy Wayne White
5. Fools Die - Mario Puzo

whatsername
8/7/2007, 09:12 PM
There is just no way I could pick 5 books. There's too many to choose from. When someone asks which book I'd want to have with me if I were stranded on a deserted island, all I can think is ONE!?!?

But... I lovelovelove it when people are willing to list their top five. Now I have a whole bunch of books to add to my TBR list. :D

pb4ou
8/8/2007, 12:20 AM
1. Frankenstein - Mary Shelley
2. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn - Mark Twain
3. The Greys - Whitley Strieber
4. The Open Boat - Steven Crane
5. An Occurence at Owl Creek Bridge - Ambrose Bierce

Of course the last two were short stories but classics.

Almost a year ago I read the book that Charles Thomson wrote, "Down & Dirty."
I thought it was decent.

Frozen Sooner
8/11/2007, 01:25 AM
1. The Discworld series of books, Terry Pratchett
2. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Douglas Adams
3. The Wheel of Time, Robert Jordan
4. Wicked, MacGuire
5. The Past Through Tomorrow, Robert Heinlein

Yeah, I know. Everything's a series.

I was going to put The Holy Bible, but I didn't want to start another political thread.

Wow. This would have changed some I guess..

Wicked drops out of the Top 5.

I'll put the Harry Potter series in there to replace it.