Book thread

[JonMiller]

So as to not disrupt other threads:

I think that Neverwhere and Stardust are great books by Gaiman. I remember thinking that Good Omens was good, and thought that American Gods was OK (I have only read the last book once, unlike all the other books I just named). I also have read Smoke and Mirrors, and while I know I liked some, I know I didn't like all and I don't remember how many I liked.

Since I mentioned Good Omens, I also like Terry Pratchett. If you are in to fantasy, I think that the entire diskworld is great stuff (although sometimes it seems to similar to eachother). Guards Guards is probably the best? A part of that, but contains many references to religion and not just fantasy tropes is Small Gods (also a diskworld novel, to be clear) which is probably the best Terry Pratchett novel.

Jon Miller

 

[StormyOne]

thanks I will check them out over the next few months.....

I really like Stephen King's "Dark Tower" series even though the ultimate ending leaves something to be desired... the multi-dimensions as well as the conflict of goals and such, in my mind capture human reality.....

 

[JonMiller]

I read books 1, 2, and 4 of that series. I thought that 4 was obviously worse than 1... is it worth chasing down the others?

Jon Miller
(I read 4 first..)

 

[Moriah_Conquering_Wind]

Stephen King's The Stand bes absolutely its fav King book ever.

It enjoyed Pullman's trilogy His Dark Materials as well.
It bes readsy Clive Barker, Neil Gaiman, and used to enjoy John Saul for a good piece of dark perverse pulp back in its early teen years....

Let's see what else. Anyone ever read The Savage Girl by Alex Shakar? That story bes so hip and fresh when it first came out (2002) it makesy tomorrow look like yesterday. Might still have that effect -- either way it bes a great read and one of the best first novels by anyone it has ever seen.

The Riddles of Epsilon by Christine Morton-Shaw bes a good read too. Supposed to be a "young adult" novel but pretty sophisticated for such a thing.

Speaking of fav authors that write for the younger set ... Sleator!

 

[JonMiller]

I thought that the first book in His Dark Materials was good.. but a bit annoying and I was getting too annoyed by the end of the second book to pick up the third. This was over 10 years ago, and I haven't picked the series back up.

JM

 

[Moriah_Conquering_Wind]

You have to just "blip over" the boggy parts. There bes meaty enough story worth doing that for, it thinks. It enjoyed especially the whole bit in the 3rd book about those sentient creatures with an interdependence with a particular species of tree ... very fascinating and deeply metaphoric, those parts.

 

[Moriah_Conquering_Wind]

Moriah on the whole finds reading fiction exceedingly difficult, and must be "grabbed" mentally/emotionally by something and carried at just the right pace in order to get through any work of fiction, long or short. Most books with too much bog-down or too much enamorment with aspects that don't interest daimonizomai get put down and not resumed. Pullman's trilogy being one of the rare exceptions where it pushed to get through despite his obvious obsession with steampunk airships and that annoying bear. LOL.

 

[JonMiller]

I have probably read over 10k books in my life (although probably not 10k different books).

During highschool and middle school, I would read between 1 and 5 books per day. A lot of that was speculative fiction, but not all.

Jon Miller

 

[StormyOne]

I read books 1, 2, and 4 of that series. I thought that 4 was obviously worse than 1... is it worth chasing down the others?

Jon Miller
(I read 4 first..)

well let me qualify this Jon... when I began reading the Dark Tower series it was the early 80s, so I actually had to wait on the next installment.... thus if you notice it was 20 yrs between the very first book and the last.... having said that I read and reread the 1st three, Gunslinger, The Drawing of Three and Wastelands... I liked Wizard and Glass, the last 3 were okay but not like the first 4 in my opinion. I think he decided to finish the series after that close call he had with death so the books seemed rushed to me.... PM me and I can provide the spoiler if you opt not to read them....

 

[RC_NewProtestants]

I really enjoyed the Dark Tower Series, I also started it years ago and when I got to number 4 I think realized it was not done so had to wait and then he had the accident and there was the possiblitiy that it was never going to be finished. As it turns out he finished it well, the ending should have been different I think and would have felt better but what is interesting is that he placed himself within the end books including the accident. Really clever I thought.

The stand is excellent also. Another quite similar is Swan's Song by Robert Gammon I think.

I am currently listening to (I listen at work) Robert Jordan's Wheel of time series. I am on book 2 now though I read the prequeal book also. Really good stories. Not much in the way of clever ideas to take away from them the books but engaging stories.

It is also interesting to compare them to some of King's works. Ka is a wheel vs. wheel of time spins in Jordans work.

As for the spoiler of the Dark tower. It is a book of journey not the outcome in those books.

 

[JonMiller]

I really liked the wheel of time between my junior year of highschool and my junior year of college. I really feel like it started wandering a lot by about book 9? (the highpoint was before that)

Additionally, he died and it is incomplete. I haven't read the last couple of books, and unless someone tells me that the final book (which is partially written, and I know someone else will complete) is great and a mustread for someone who was a fan of the series I probably won't read any more of it.

My overall view is that wheel of time wanders between good and bad...

Jon Miller
(It is definitely never well written, but than Steven King doesn't seem to be a great writer either)

 

[StormyOne]

I like Orson Scott Card's "Enders Game" as well as the Ender series.... I stumbled upon that one through my son who was assigned Ender's Game for summer reading....

 

[JonMiller]

Everything I have heard about the prequels makes me want to stay far away. I very much enjoyed Ender's Game, and thought that it's sequals were OK to good.

JM

 

[RC_NewProtestants]

I would have to disagree that stephen King is not a good writer. Or rather a great writer. He is probably one of the best around but because he is so prolific people don't appreciate it. I think even his crappy books are generally well written. I think his descriptive talent is right up there with John Steinbeck.

 

[Moriah_Conquering_Wind]

King loves to get into his character's heads, that bes for sure.

 

[Chanah]

The White Lie; Walter Rea ... Why is this book so expensive? As much as Id like to read it Im not prepared to spend that much money on it. Can anyone here point me to where I can find it cheaper than $80? Thanks!

 

[StormyOne]

The White Lie; Walter Rea ... Why is this book so expensive? As much as Id like to read it Im not prepared to spend that much money on it. Can anyone here point me to where I can find it cheaper than $80? Thanks!

it use to be online somewhere....

 

[mva1985]

I would highly recommend this book to anyone. Excellent.

 

[JonMiller]

Yeah, Pilgrim's progress was good!

I also liked a lot of the Christianity books of CS Lewis (Mere Christianity/etc).

JM

 

[RC_NewProtestants]

The White Lie; Walter Rea ... Why is this book so expensive? As much as Id like to read it Im not prepared to spend that much money on it. Can anyone here point me to where I can find it cheaper than $80? Thanks!

Only portions of the White Lie were on line.
but it is several chapters just click the arrow forward button at the bottom of the page:
http://www.ellenwhite.org/rea/rea.htm


It costs about 20 dollars plus shipping I suppose here is a site:

http://www.penfoldbooks.com/product/52/251