Good Novels

[a.k.a.]

Please post your

recommendations for summer reading here. (Fiction only, please.)
I like all genres, as long as it’s

imaginative and original. My most recent finds are:

“Oryx and Crake” by Margaret Atwood - A frightfully

convincing vision of the not-too-distant future. Where bioengineered chicken nuggets grow on “trees”, executions are

the most popular form of internet porn, and drug companies compete by trying to design viruses that their

competitors can’t cure.

“In the Miso Soup” by Ryu Murakami - A psycho-thriller about a young man that works

as a tour guide for Americans that want to experience the seedier side of Tokyo’s night life.

“Homo

Zapiens” by Victor Pelevin - A dark satire in which former apparatchiks from the Ministry of Propaganda dominate the

advertising industry in post-communist Russia.

[CptKipling]

"A Life of Pi" by Yann Martel -

A story about a boy who gets stuck on a life boat with a tiger...or is it? Very entertaining book with a good

spiritual/religious message. You should know of it anyway; if you haven't read it, do.

[a.k.a.]

"A Life of Pi" by

Yann Martel - A story about a boy who gets stuck on a life boat with a tiger...or is it? Very entertaining book with

a good spiritual/religious message. You should know of it anyway; if you haven't read it, do.
I've

almost picked it up several times. Your recommendation clinches it. Thanks. I'm going right out to buy it now.

[DCW]

The DaVinci Code ---It's like a

history lesson, a must read.

[Holmes]

The DaVinci Code

---It's like a history lesson, a must read.

:D :D :D I was just replying with that suggestion.

Definite must-read.

Ignorance, Milan Kundera

American Knees, Shawn Wong

[a.k.a.]

The DaVinci Code ---It's

like a history lesson, a must read.
Oh yes. I also enjoyed Dan Brown's previous thrillers : "Digital

Fortress" and "Angels & Demons".
A little less thrilling, but a lot more historical, Umberto Eco's "Foucolt's

Pendulum" is a conspiracy that spans centuries, involves alliances between the most unlikely historical figures (eg.

Hitler and Francis Bacon) and culminates in an ending that shouldn't surprise you, but it does anyway.

[TopDawg2050]

anything by Gary Paulson :p


and
the Golden Compass Trilogy

[a.k.a.]

anything by Gary

Paulson :p I used to date a teacher that lent me a copy of "The Crossing". What a powerful story! More

hard-edged realism than most so-called adult novels.



and
the Golden

Compass Trilogy
Never heard of this. What's it about?

[DCW]

Curious George Rides A Bike - It's

got classic written all over it.


DCW

[Pancho1188]

I'm sure you're talking

about recent stuff, but I've had a little thing where I've read at least one classic over the summer (I was tired

of everyone saying, "Did you read this? Did you read that? Oh, I had to read that in high school. It was good."),

and so far, I've read a bunch of good books:

The Count of Monte Cristo
The Catcher in the

Rye
Fahrenheit 451
One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest
The Time Machine
The Invisible

Man

I tried to read The Scarlet Letter, but the sentences were too descriptive for me to keep

focused. I kept drifting off while reading it. Maybe I was just burnt out.

Those are some good ones, though.

TTM and TIM, by H.G. Wells, both come in one book by Barnes & Noble.

[Elana]

Curious George Rides A

Bike - It's got classic written all over it.


DCW
Curious George Goes Camping is even better. He

helped those people put out the fire he started. What a monkey!

[EXIT63]

The Hobbit
The Lord of the Rings

1,2,and 3 by Tolkein

Where the Wild Things Are by Sendak

Rainbow 6 by Clancy

Anything written by Anton

Chekov

[Elana]

Where the Wild Things Are

by Sendak
OMG!!!! Exit...I knew that you and I were meant to be together forever in a little log cabin we

call our own.

That is my all time favorite book! I love Sendak and everything he has ever done. In the Night

Kitchen is another awesome children's book. Chicken soup with rice......
I may have to watch my Sendak video

today. :D

[Holmes]

Where the Wild

Things Are by Sendak

A classic. :cool: Anything by Sendak is amazing.


Anything written by

Anton Chekov

The Seagull.

[Holmes]

In the Night Kitchen

is another awesome children's book.

Holy shit! :D I thought that book was long-forgotten. One of my

favorites. Great illustrations.

[belgareth]

Catch 22
The Crystal

Cave
Role of Honor/Executive Orders (One story in two books)
Dune

[Elana]

Holy shit! :D I

thought that book was long-forgotten. One of my favorites. Great illustrations.
You just like Mikey's lil

weenie. :D

yes, the illustrations are fantastic. I love the Signs on the buildings in the city at night. :)



Milk in the batter, Milk in the batter, we make cake and nothings the matter.

[Pancho1188]

Catch

22
So you've read my autobiography? :rolleyes:

I like the Ender's Game and Ender's

Shadow Series by Orson Scott Card if you like Sci-Fi mixed with Action and a little bit of Philosophy and

Psychology.

[belgareth]

Read Enders Game and enjoyed

it. How about some good non-fiction reading for us folk from the 60's and 70's:
The Electric Kool-Aid Acid

Test
Snow Blind
There always Carlos Castenada's series. They're classed as non fiction but he may have had a bit

too much Jimson Weed. It starts with A Yuagi Way of Knowledge.

[Holmes]

Crime And

Punishment.

Anything by Leo Tolstoy.

[beachboy]

Sniffy & Fluffy Have An

Adventure
Kitty Wants a Box
Mr. Coyote Meets Mr. Snail

[Holmes]

The Three Billygoats

Gruff.

[koolking1]

I like Pancho's original

list for someone about his age, just because they were the kind of books I used to read long ago. I've tended

towards non-fiction mostly in my later years but I do like a good read and my recommendation is Norman Mailer's

Harlot's Ghost which is 1200 plus pages and a good all-summer type of book, more for the guys though, not so

intriguing to women that I've been able to convince to read it (yep, I used to tell them I wouldn't have sex with

them till they read it - yep, rarely got laid).

[DCW]

Oh yes. I also enjoyed

Dan Brown's previous thrillers : "Digital Fortress" and "Angels & Demons".
A little less thrilling, but a lot

more historical, Umberto Eco's "Foucolt's Pendulum" is a conspiracy that spans centuries, involves alliances

between the most unlikely historical figures (eg. Hitler and Francis Bacon) and culminates in an ending that

shouldn't surprise you, but it does anyway.


I bought Angels & Demons on Sunday looking forward

to reading it, In fact I think I'll but all his books.


DCW

[a.k.a.]

Lots of interesting titles here.



Belgareth, I think I like your tastes ( “Catch 22” opened my eyes to absurdity and I haven't been able to

close them since. "Dune" may be the most inspired Sci-fi ever written). So who wrote “Crystal Cave” and what is it

about? I would definitely classify Castaneda as fiction. “Journey to Ixtlan” was very cool, but I lost interest in

the series after “The Second Ring of Power”.

Pancho, judging from your list, you might also like “A

Clockwork Orange” by Anthony Burgess and the Sherlock Holmes series by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

Holmes, I’m

sure you’re right about Tolstoy, but I don’t think I could finish one of his books in a single summer.

[xxxPantero]

For

Children:
Walter the Farting Dog
The Stinky Cheese Man
The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad

Pig
No, David, No!

Fiction for Teenagers & Adults:

The Dark Elf Trilogy, by R.A.

Salvatore - A must for any fan of the fantasy genre, especially where D&D is concerned, and definitely if you play

any RPG's.
Bad Boy, by Olivia Goldsmith - A funny romance which ironically parallels many of our own attempts

to improve our "attraction"/"seduction skills"
The Giver, by Lois Lowry - Was required reading years ago in

middle school, but it has had a lasting impact.
Harry Potter, by J.K. Rowling - Although the movies and hype

have ruined a once enjoyable storyline, it was still a very good story, before Warner Brothers screwed it

up.
Lord of the Rings, by J.R.R. Tolkien - I was originally fanatical about the novel, but ironically I like

the movies better. Great story no matter what, though.
Wizard's First Rule, by Terry Goodkind - Harry Potter

minus the childishness plus Lord of the Rings minus the length and the boring parts. This is the first in a series,

but can be read as a standalone novel.

[Holmes]

Philip K. Dick.

[apple]

stinky cheese man freakin ruled! :p

same with wizards first rule....

im reading grays anatomy right now o_O not fiction, not exactly a story, but

it is neat heehee

[SweetBrenda]

The Five people you meet

in heaven
By Mitch Albom
For Mother's Day my sister gave me this book as a gift & actually one of the

best books I ever read. After reading it I have been letting my friends borrow it because is the type of story that

tells about afterlife and the meaning of our lives here on earth. I enjoy reading books like this one and for once I

read something else besides
"Chicken Soup for the Soul" ...LOL ( love them books..)

[belgareth]

Lord of the

Rings, by J.R.R. Tolkien - I was originally fanatical about the novel, but ironically I like the movies better.

Great story no matter what, though.
The extended versions are pretty good, can't wait for the final one to

be released this fall. I'm still offended by some of the things/adventures left out (Tom Bimbidal, for instance)

apparently to make room for a whole series of things that weren't part of the story line. Artistic license, I

suppose.

[Icarus]

Uhhhhh.....

pickup:

Vernon God Little by DCB Pierre

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the

Night-Time by...... eeh, knackers, I forgot his name...

and some others... do you want 'classics' (as

in all time faves, or just some pretty groovy current contemporary stuffs)?

Steve

[metroman]

"The Corrections"-Jonathan

Franzen Great read cover to cover...you wont be able to stop turning the pages after the first chapter

Also

"Burr"-Gore Vidal, if you like historical novels this one is very good...about Aaron Burr who fought a duel with

Alexander Hamilton...

[a.k.a.]

The Curious

Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by...... eeh, knackers, I forgot his name...
Mark Haddon. I

just read a synopsis at mostlyfiction.com. Looks fascinating. Thanks for the tip.


do you want

'classics' (as in all time faves, or just some pretty groovy current contemporary stuffs)?
No

preference.

[Ash]

"The

Corrections"-Jonathan Franzen Great read cover to cover...you wont be able to stop turning the pages after the first

chapter

Also "Burr"-Gore Vidal, if you like historical novels this one is very good...about Aaron Burr who

fought a duel with Alexander Hamilton...

I like G.Vidal's stuff. I read "Creation" by Vidal awhile

back. Very cool story and concept. If a person was born at just the right time and traveled a lot he would have been

able to meet some very interesting people. The main character in the book meets Buddha, Zorastor etc. Many of the

people that shaped the worlds religions and philosophies. Great read.

Another Great read is the "Book of

Pancho". Kinda hard to find though.

[xxxPantero]

The

extended versions are pretty good, can't wait for the final one to be released this fall. I'm still offended by

some of the things/adventures left out (Tom Bimbidal, for instance) apparently to make room for a whole series of

things that weren't part of the story line. Artistic license, I suppose.

You're offended that they

left out Tom Bimbidal, yet you still managed to spell that character's name wrong. Smooth.

[belgareth]

You're

offended that they left out Tom Bimbidal, yet you still managed to spell that character's name wrong.

Smooth.
Never said I could spell. What does that have to do with preferring the story left as it was?

[xxxPantero]

Never

said I could spell. What does that have to do with preferring the story left as it was?

Usually

people who are offended by the changes are very detail-oriented. The Tom Bombadil part would have killed the whole

effect of the movie, having some guy in a yellow hat jump and dance around and sing. Yeah, real

adventure-like.

At first, when I heard that, I was mad, too. Then I saw the movie. Didn't miss it at all.

[TopDawg2050]

Hey you guys, look at me,

I'm the best thing since sliced bread! :-)

[belgareth]

Usually

people who are offended by the changes are very detail-oriented. The Tom Bombadil part would have killed the whole

effect of the movie, having some guy in a yellow hat jump and dance around and sing. Yeah, real adventure-like.



At first, when I heard that, I was mad, too. Then I saw the movie. Didn't miss it at all.
I never could

spell; always thought the best thing about a computer was spell check. The second best is it conceals my very poor

penmanship.

That's possibly true although he follows from the adventures in the forest after they leave the

Shire and leads to the Barrow Wights. They liked the bit with the willow tree grabbing the hobbits so much that they

put an abreviated version in while they were in Treebeards company.