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Beat Writer  Posts: 199 Joined: 30 Jul 2008     | |
On the Record  Posts: 5542 Joined: 13 Aug 2008     | The War of the Spider Queen is hands down one of the best series I've ever read, in terms of pure enjoyment. And it is closely rivaled by the Otherland series by Tad Williams. |
Gone Gonzo  Posts: 3326 Joined: 10 Oct 2008     | The series by George R. R. Martin called "A Song of Ice and Fire". It the best and most mature fantasy series ever made. HBO is making it into a TV series and it will kick ass because ROME kicked ass. These books are truly the best fantasy ever written IMHO. |
Infamous Scribbler  Posts: 621 Joined: 21 Aug 2008    | Hitchhikers guide - Douglas Adams Good books, my friends! |
Gone Gonzo  Posts: 1143 Joined: 23 Dec 2008   | "Andromeda Strain" by Michael Crighton is hands down one of the best books I've ever read. |
Gone Gonzo  Posts: 1662 Joined: 2 Nov 2008   | Bah, the Inheritance was always a second rate series, don't even know why it's so popular. The Hobbit and His Dark Materials are fantastic though. I also recommend Sun of Suns, Queen of Candesce and Pirate Sun and lots more but I suppose this is quite enough ._. edit: As you may or may not have noticed, I'm sort of ignoring famous titles unless they truely deserve notice, in my humble opinion. The rest of the books are books I think should be famous, but fame has nothing to do with quality unfortunately. |
Press Junketeer  Posts: 413 Joined: 1 May 2008     | Terry Pratchett's Discworld series is a must. I love just about anything by Terry Brooks. When it comes to epic fantasy, he's the man. Terry Goodkind has written a great series that is also a very good political commentary. I'm a fan of L.E. Modesitt's Recluse series and I understand that his sci-fi stuff is pretty good as well. xitel has mentioned the Otherworld series, but I actually liked Tad's other stuff a bit better. I'm more of a fantasy reader. However, all of his stuff is good. um... Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series is fantastic and there is an author finishing the last book of the series. Those are just a few of the authors I read. :) |
Gone Gonzo  Posts: 1819 Joined: 18 Nov 2008    |
YES! good suggestion, that way you'll be able to get the number 42 and dolphin jokes... |
Press Junketeer Posts: 413 Joined: 1 May 2008 |
I found it to be one of the most boring series to try to read. I read the first two books when they came out and moved on to better stuff. Just goes to show how taste in books is as far reaching as there are readers. |
Pulitzer Laureate  Posts: 719 Joined: 29 May 2008   | I second the Terry Pratchett reccomendation. Great books. Also, I am particular to Anne MCcaffery's books, any of them, they are all good, Though the Brainship series are my favorite. The Myst Reader, which is 3 books in one volume, is also very good. It will be mentioned many times, but World War Z is really good, and I have heard good things about The Road, though I can't find a copy to read. Micheal Chrichton's books are also good, so I also second that reccomendation. I also highly reccomend any of Clive Cussler's books, if you like action/semi mystery storys you will enjoy the Dirk Pitt or Oregon Files books.
Yes Yes Yes! I enjoyed Enders Game and Enders Shadow, though I found Xenocide and the others a tad boring. All of the Dune books are required geek reading, and the books his son has written are not too bad either. |
Press Junketeer  Posts: 462 Joined: 5 Feb 2007     | Since noone's yet said it, I highly recommend Ender's Game, by Orson Scott Card. My personal all-time favourite. Currently, I am reading Herbert's Dune which has proven to be quite good thus far. |
Muckraker  Posts: 320 Joined: 25 Sep 2008   |
I have to agree. This series of so damn amazing so far. My favorite series out there. The characters are great and the political story is very well written. The setting is so immersive vast and I would recommend this to anyone for a good read. |
Gone Gonzo  Posts: 1557 Joined: 31 Dec 2007  | Brave new world, All my favourite :) |
Pulitzer Laureate  Posts: 894 Joined: 13 Oct 2007    | I'd recommend The Digital Person by Daniel Solove. Its a book talking about security in the digital world. and how much information companies can obtain from government or other private sources. And how that data is not as secure as we may think it is. It goes over the current laws that govern data privacy, and he goes over possible ways to change the system in order to protect personal data. It is by no means a boring book. No blockbuster thriller though. He relates things you wouldn't really expect and you're like wow... I'm really vulnerable. I doubt it will interest anybody here. But I've always found law to be quite interesting. I'm a huge proponent for privacy, and I love computers. So its the perfect book for me. |
Gone Gonzo  Posts: 1311 Joined: 4 Jul 2008 | if you liked Inheritance And The Abhorsen trilogy, i recommend the following. 1. Terrier, by Tamora Pierce. Oh. And WHATEVER you do, Don't Read anything by Ted Dekker. God, i wish i could unread Saint. |
Gone Gonzo  Posts: 3567 Joined: 13 Aug 2008   | In spite of its flaws, I love the Sword of Truth series. |
Paperboy  Posts: 48 Joined: 10 Sep 2008   | I'm going with the posts above that say Terry Pratchett. I don't think he's written a bad book.(typically a fantasy setting, but a satire of our world with things taken too far) I've only just gotten the Ender's Game series by Orson Scott Card. I got the first one from my dad, and started reading at 1:00 AM. Next time I noticed anything but the book, it was 4:30. (Sci-fi setting, humanity preparing for the expected 3rd war against an alien race). The Bartimaeus trilogy, by Jonathon Stroud is good, especially any parts written in the title characters perspective (Fantasy; demon summoning in old-school london. Actually, maybe not so old-school. Cars are common, so probably late 20th century) Agreeing with the above mentions of Wheel of Time, pure epic fantasy. The Polity books by Neal Asher. Afew sub-settings, try and find Gridlinked or The Skinner first (Sci-fi, humanity is controlled by AIs in a benevolent dictatorship)(Actually has my favourite weapon ever; a one-of-a-kind semi-AI hovering disc with spinning blades that can extend out to about 25 cm. It has enough AI and speed to intercept bullets aimed at it's owner) If anyone wants to ask me more about these (Neal Asher's books in particular lack info on wikipedia), go ahead. |
Gone Gonzo  Posts: 1394 Joined: 31 Aug 2008   | I'm going to suggest my favorite books, because they're my favorites! 1984 by George Orwell Dystopian totalitarian society Animal Farm by George Orwell Excellent parody of Russian communism. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley see 1984, however there are quite a few differences War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy Russian society during the Napoleonic Era (Specifically 1805, 1807, and finishing off with the War of 1812, along with its aftermath). Very long though, so make sure you have patience and time. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley Just awesome, a novel about a scientist who creates a monster who torments him Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky Just amazing, not sure whether to describe it, it might give some of it away, although what the main character does is obvious. It says it on the back of my copy, so I'll describe it in a spoiler below here. Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott VERY Descriptive at times, a historical novel setting in England just after the 3rd Crusade. About a knight who loves a princess, but can't marry her and must prove his worth. They're all awesome! I especially suggest 1984, Animal Farm and Brave New World Edit: Oh and of course, anything by Tolkien and The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams, as has been said above. |
Beat Writer Posts: 199 Joined: 30 Jul 2008 | Hmm, these will keep me occupied for a while. And yeah, I've read the hitchhikers books, and they were incredible. I still need to finish the very last one though. Also, I have to dissagree with fullmetalangel, I personally love the inheritance cyce, but then again, opinions are opinions. |
On the Record  Posts: 7343 Joined: 8 Nov 2008  | I love Orson Scott Card. Tolkien, duh. The Wheel of Time series is good, overly long however. R.A. Salvatore writes good books. Also Michael Crichton(RIP). |
Beat Writer  Posts: 212 Joined: 25 Sep 2008   |
absolutely love this series also check out the Hyperion cantos by Dan Simmons |
Gone Gonzo  Posts: 2574 Joined: 17 Jul 2008  | Anything by: Clive Cussler... |
Muckraker  Posts: 299 Joined: 24 Dec 2008    | Anything by HP Lovecraft would be my recommendation, "Call of Cthulhu and other Weird tales" if you need a start =) The Nightwatch series is also good, they really have little to do with the films if you didn't like them. |
Copy Clerk  Posts: 56 Joined: 8 May 2008   | this will probably make the entier forum hate me or atleast ignore me for life or until i redeem myself but Twilight not that it was my choice to read it i was bored and lack of entertainment does strange things to ones mind. Although i will say fucking good book...too many feelings for my liking but other than that great book. |
Gone Gonzo  Posts: 1538 Joined: 21 Dec 2007 | Very high on my list: |
Gone Gonzo  Posts: 1966 Joined: 13 Sep 2008   | E.M.Remarque's "All quiet on the Western front", "The Way Back", "Three Friends" and "A time to Live and a time to Die" are all excellent books. Tim Butcher's "Blood river" is also one of my favorites. Most of T.Pratchett's books are also quite good. I found T. Findley's "Pilgrim" a most interesting read as well. Also, as mentioned above, Douglas Adams's "Hitchhikers guide to the Galaxy" and anything by J.R.R.Tolkien. |
Infamous Scribbler  Posts: 551 Joined: 3 Jan 2009   | Hmm.. seems to be filled with fiction. Must say not a fan. Non-fiction: The Shark Net by Robert Drewe. Excellent set of memoirs written like like a novel. Aussie author. NO WAY SAVE VICTORY - Compiled selection of essays covering just about every aspect of World War 2. The Great War - a book based of a classic TV series surmising all the events of World War 1. Tge Secret life of the Natural History Museum by Richard Fortey. Need I continue? For mindless bedtime reading: William King and his TrollSlayer series. Totally free of any thought, just a good fun. Good book to wind down too. Robert Ludlam and the Apocalypse Watch. Now, this is a goodie but old. It's set about the premise of the McCarthy trials, except in the modern era and instead of commies, it's Nazis! Seriously well written book, except the start... but it's done for a reason.
Have you read "Last Chance to See" by Douglas Adams? He goes in search of endangered species and essentially writes his about his travels and experiences with the animals, the threats they face and the people trying to save them. Seriously good read. |
Pulitzer Laureate  Posts: 942 Joined: 4 Dec 2008    | 1984 by George Orwell |
Beat Writer  Posts: 147 Joined: 10 Sep 2008  |
I've been looking for that book for ages, luckily I found a local bookshop that sells it (Okay, the only bookshop in my town) so later I'm going down there and buying it. |
Beat Writer  Posts: 166 Joined: 13 Apr 2008  | The sword of Truth series are good. They're from Terry Goodkind. other then that: Hitchhikers guide |
Copy Clerk  Posts: 80 Joined: 20 May 2008    |
second, one of my favourite books of all time |
Copy Clerk  Posts: 84 Joined: 3 Dec 2007   | Although I'm a fan of fantasy novels, I really don't like Tolkein... I ubderstand and appreciate what he did for the genre, but I just cant get into his style of writing.. I'm also surprised nobody has mentioned Raymond E. Feist's Riftwar trilogy. And if you want a nice, easy read, I suggest "The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists" by Gideon DeFoe. They're so short you could read them in an afternoon, but bugger me, it's funny. |
Pulitzer Laureate  Posts: 794 Joined: 12 Feb 2008  |
Haha, i was about to suggest both Raymond E. Feist, as well as all of Gideon DeFoe's Pirates books. Also.. maybe Mathew Riley. Not exactly intelligent reads, but heaps of fun. |
Pulitzer Laureate  Posts: 884 Joined: 19 Sep 2008   | Seeing as though everyone is suggesting fantasy/sci-fi/the old cliches like 1984, I'll go with something different... The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks. About a boy in an isolated part of Scotland who creates and observes his own weird religios rituals. Cock and Bull - Will Self. A Kafka-esque two-part novella about spontaneous and inexplicable sex-changes. Rant - Chuck Palahniuk. Pretty hard to sum up, so I'll just say its miles ahead of Fight Club. |
Copy Clerk  Posts: 81 Joined: 4 Jan 2009 | 'Voice of the Blood' by Jemiah Jefferson. (There are others, but the only other one I can think of is 'Wounds' by the same author) I highly recommend the Anita Blake series to anyone who likes that genre of books. It's based in a parallel world to ours where zombies are real, vampires are legal citizens and werewolves and almost any other kind of 'were' you can think of (leopards, lions, hyena, bear, dog, tiger etc) are known as lycanthropes and 'lycanthropy' (the thing that makes them change at the full moon) is classed as a blood borne disease. I'll say no more other than the main character, Anita, is awesome. 5'3'', German/Mexican descent, and an asskicker to boot. |
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This is a general discussion on books you like and think others would, but I am looking for reading material myself. Partially to show what kind of books I like, here is my recommendation list:
The Inheritance cycle
The Hobbit
The Halo Series (bar The Flood)
His Dark Materials Trilogy
The Abhorsen Trilogy
To name a Few. There are a lot more I like, but I can't think of them right now. I