Book club
I'm just a little unwell
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: USA
Posts: 2,219
I have tried to get into Terry Pratchett books and I just can not do it. I think my husband owns almost everything Pratchett has written so when I'm out of stuff to read I go sift through the bookshelves with an open mind, willing to read ANYTHING I haven't read before. I just couldn't do it with Pratchett. I tried.
Member
Join Date: Jul 2008
Posts: 812
"Atonement" is by Ian McEwan.
I finished "A Mercy" by Toni Morrison in less than 12 hours. It's a tremendous book--beautifully written and keeps you turning the pages.
For novels, I like Don DeLillo, Cormac McCarthy, Wally Lamb, Jeffrey Eugenides, John Irving, F Scott Fitzgerald, Toni Morrison, Vladimir Nobokov, Franz Kafka, and on and on . . .
For short stories; Ha Jin, Flannery O'Connor, William Faulkner, Joyce Carol Oates, Alice Munro.
For poetry: John Keats, William Blake, Wallace Stevens, Elizabeth Bishop, Louise Gluck.
For nonfiction: Richard Dawkins, David Sedaris, Primo Levi.
Thomas Pynchon's "Crying of Lot 49" is the most "readable" of his novels. I admire him as a prose stylist and linguistic innovator, but his plots leave me cold.
I finished "A Mercy" by Toni Morrison in less than 12 hours. It's a tremendous book--beautifully written and keeps you turning the pages.
For novels, I like Don DeLillo, Cormac McCarthy, Wally Lamb, Jeffrey Eugenides, John Irving, F Scott Fitzgerald, Toni Morrison, Vladimir Nobokov, Franz Kafka, and on and on . . .
For short stories; Ha Jin, Flannery O'Connor, William Faulkner, Joyce Carol Oates, Alice Munro.
For poetry: John Keats, William Blake, Wallace Stevens, Elizabeth Bishop, Louise Gluck.
For nonfiction: Richard Dawkins, David Sedaris, Primo Levi.
Thomas Pynchon's "Crying of Lot 49" is the most "readable" of his novels. I admire him as a prose stylist and linguistic innovator, but his plots leave me cold.
Member
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: north yorkshire, england
Posts: 1,891
If you have to try too hard its probably never going to be worth it lol.Good Omens is different from his usual stuff, its set in the real world (kind of).
The way I am at the moment I'm just rereading favourite books, new stuff freaks me out a bit, I need to get back into trying different authors, comfort is good but I need to move on.
All suggestions gratefully received.
Member
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Los Angeles, California
Posts: 8,326
"Good Omens" was my favorite too.
Anyone read "A Confederacy of Dunces"? Written in 1965 (or so) and one of the funniest books I've ever read. Truly made me laugh out loud.
I tend to reread old favorites too. One good thing about insomnia is that I do read a lot!
Love,
Lenina
Anyone read "A Confederacy of Dunces"? Written in 1965 (or so) and one of the funniest books I've ever read. Truly made me laugh out loud.
I tend to reread old favorites too. One good thing about insomnia is that I do read a lot!
Love,
Lenina
Member
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: UK
Posts: 18,299
Originally Posted by allport 
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My all time favourite author is Terry Pratchett, Im a wee bit obsessed, he collaborated on a book with Neil Gamain which is awesome, its called Good Omens and it makes the end of the world fun.
My all time favourite author is Terry Pratchett, Im a wee bit obsessed, he collaborated on a book with Neil Gamain which is awesome, its called Good Omens and it makes the end of the world fun.
Currently I am on a PG Wodehouse kick, before that I was reading all the "Flashman" books by George McDonald Frasier, they are spoof historical autobiographies with this guy recounting his exploits in teh Army in Victorian times.
I tend to download the audiobooks of things cos I don't have enough concentration to read for long.
I haven't really read any recovery books except the big book and "One breath at a time" about Buddhism and the steps and I have just started "12 steps on Buddhas path" which seems OK so far.
Member
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: north yorkshire, england
Posts: 1,891
Slow down there stone they seem a bit deep!
Stay shallow it hurts your brain less,
For anyone who like Dawkins I would recommend Daniel Dennet, he's less accessible than Dawkins but more thoughtful, and quite possibly a more hardcore atheist if you can believe it!!!
Stay shallow it hurts your brain less,
For anyone who like Dawkins I would recommend Daniel Dennet, he's less accessible than Dawkins but more thoughtful, and quite possibly a more hardcore atheist if you can believe it!!!
sentient puddle
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Essex, UK
Posts: 180
Originally Posted by Lenina
Tom Robbins, as in "Even Cowgirls Get the Blues"? And "Still Life with Woodpecker"? I loved those books.
I like Margaret Atwood and Marge Piercy. "Crake and Oryx" really twisted my head.
I like good Science Fiction too. A new guy has caught my eye, John Scalzi. His "Old Man's War" trilogy was fab. Harlan Ellison is another old favorite.
Thanks for the recommends. Let's have some more, please!
Love,
Lenina
I like Margaret Atwood and Marge Piercy. "Crake and Oryx" really twisted my head.
I like good Science Fiction too. A new guy has caught my eye, John Scalzi. His "Old Man's War" trilogy was fab. Harlan Ellison is another old favorite.
Thanks for the recommends. Let's have some more, please!
Love,
Lenina
If you like SF then you should check iain m banks out - start with "consider phlebas"...
sentient puddle
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Essex, UK
Posts: 180
Originally Posted by allport
I also read Harry Potter although I thought the last couple were very bloated.
My all time favourite author is Terry Pratchett, Im a wee bit obsessed, he collaborated on a book with Neil Gamain which is awesome, its called Good Omens and it makes the end of the world fun.
My all time favourite author is Terry Pratchett, Im a wee bit obsessed, he collaborated on a book with Neil Gamain which is awesome, its called Good Omens and it makes the end of the world fun.
I really recommend checking out neil gaiman's stuff too, try "neverwhere"...
sentient puddle
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Essex, UK
Posts: 180
Originally Posted by stone
I LOVE Pratchett! I must be shallow too! LOL I have read them all many times.
Currently I am on a PG Wodehouse kick, before that I was reading all the "Flashman" books by George McDonald Frasier, they are spoof historical autobiographies with this guy recounting his exploits in teh Army in Victorian times.
I tend to download the audiobooks of things cos I don't have enough concentration to read for long.
I haven't really read any recovery books except the big book and "One breath at a time" about Buddhism and the steps and I have just started "12 steps on Buddhas path" which seems OK so far.
Currently I am on a PG Wodehouse kick, before that I was reading all the "Flashman" books by George McDonald Frasier, they are spoof historical autobiographies with this guy recounting his exploits in teh Army in Victorian times.
I tend to download the audiobooks of things cos I don't have enough concentration to read for long.
I haven't really read any recovery books except the big book and "One breath at a time" about Buddhism and the steps and I have just started "12 steps on Buddhas path" which seems OK so far.
I'd like to get into wodehouse, douglas adams raved about him, in fact he was often described as being quite similar in the way he liked to play with language...
sentient puddle
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Essex, UK
Posts: 180
Originally Posted by allport
Slow down there stone they seem a bit deep!
Stay shallow it hurts your brain less,
For anyone who like Dawkins I would recommend Daniel Dennet, he's less accessible than Dawkins but more thoughtful, and quite possibly a more hardcore atheist if you can believe it!!!
Stay shallow it hurts your brain less,
For anyone who like Dawkins I would recommend Daniel Dennet, he's less accessible than Dawkins but more thoughtful, and quite possibly a more hardcore atheist if you can believe it!!!
I also recommend christopher hitchens and sam harris.
Also derren brown's "tricks of the mind" is really good, a lot of stuff in there about atheism, which probably surprised all the people who bought it to learn how to do mind reading!
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