Point Man Posted June 15, 2007 Share Posted June 15, 2007 It's summer again, so I thought we could discuss what light summer reading people would recommend. I'll start off by telling everyone about the spare-time black hole I discovered. Terry Goodkind's Sword of Truth series is so absorbing it took me away from playing Oblivion (yes, it's that good). In the last month, I have read the first 4 books in the series--no small feat considering that is about 3000 pages. Wizard's First Rule, the first book in the series, is over 800 pages, and I finished it in 6 days. As you can probably guess from the title, it is a fantasy series. While there is a lot of hackneyed fantasy work out there, this is the best written series I have ever read. Goodkind steadfastly avoids the cliches of the genre, while at the same time satisfying the basic formula. If you like fantasy, you will love Terry Goodkind. Even if you do not care for fantasy, but do enjoy good literature, you should enjoy his work. There are some people who would not like it, though: those who detest books with incredibly absorbing epic storylines, wonderfully creative worlds full of exquisite little details that really bring it to life, and fully realized characters who learn and grow and you come to love. A word of warning, though. If you happen to be driving around Milwaukee and see a blue Honda Civic driving erratically, it's just me after a night of staying up far too late reading Terry Goodkind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Samnmax221 Posted June 15, 2007 Share Posted June 15, 2007 His Dark Materials series The Satanic Verses Midnight's Children Shalimar the Clown Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emperor Devon Posted June 15, 2007 Share Posted June 15, 2007 How about Atlas Shrugged? The ideas presented in are downright terrible for the most part, but it's a good choice if you're looking for a non-traditional book that's different from what you tend to read. I got your wife reading it anyway, so you might as well join in. There's also The Fountainhead if you're looking for a slightly less radical (but still very much so) Objectivist story. And for a book that's about as different from that as you can get, there's Marx's Das Kapital. I've not tried that yet myself, but I've been told by everyone I know that it's extremely difficult to read (which in my mind equals 'read as soon as possible' ) There's also a religious book I'm reading right now that makes some very good (but not good enough to convince my atheistic mind ) non-religious and very scientific arguments for the existence of a god. Being a Christian yourself you'd probably like it a lot. I don't have my copy on me ATM, but I should be able to provide the title and author later this night. Ever tried War and Peace or Les Miserables? If you've not read either I wouldn't hesitate to correct that mistake immediately. Every person should read those sometime in their lifetimes. On a less serious note, I would also recommend the (original) Dune series. (Which, in chronological order, consists of Dune, Dune Messiah, Children of Dune, God Emperor of Dune, Heretics of Dune, Chapterhouse: Dune.) All are essential books for any person who claims to like science fiction. I think Jae mentioned you read the Foundation series once, so if you liked those you'll like these even more. If you're brave enough you could also try the sequel to Chapterhouse: Dune, Hunters of Dune. It's written by the new authors who do it very well for the most part, but wrote an ending more abysmal than NWN2's multiplied by 100. If you've not read the Legends of Dune prequels to the original series they wrote, though, you won't get the book at all. They're good enough in their own right, but not as much as the originals. And on an extremely non-serious note, the Dungeons & Dragons webcomic Order of the Stick. It's simple at first, but it picks up an excellent plot with great characters as it goes on. Any person who claims to like D&D should read it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jae Onasi Posted June 15, 2007 Share Posted June 15, 2007 Geez, guys, he said light reading. I want him to emerge from his reading hidey-hole at least once a week. You give him War and Peace or Atlas Shrugged, and he'll be stuck there for like months! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Samnmax221 Posted June 15, 2007 Share Posted June 15, 2007 Bah, I read War and Peace when I was 12. Of course my memories are a little clouded. That one guy becomes a Freemason (Which isn't much of a an improvement), and all that other stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Galt Posted June 15, 2007 Share Posted June 15, 2007 Atlas shrugged was amazing; I read it in four days. Point Counter Point, by Aldous Huxley; some consider it his finest Guns, Germs, and Steel, by Jared Diamond(sp?) is very good; so is Collapse Grant and Sherman, by Charles Flood(a friend of a friend of mine) A Short History of the Byzantine Empire, by John Julius Norwich; very well written historical narrative Parliament of Whores, by PJ O'Rourke; utterly hilarious, he makes a relevant point Brain Damage, and Napalm and Silly Putty, by George Carlin; immensely hilarious and at times oddly thought-provoking. Open to any page and laugh hysterically. Also, the halo novels are well written; the Rogue/Wraith Squadron series is good as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jae Onasi Posted June 15, 2007 Share Posted June 15, 2007 The Stainless Steel Rat series by Harry Harrison. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spinkle Posted June 15, 2007 Share Posted June 15, 2007 London Fields by Martin Amis. Best novel I've ever read. Anything by Tom Robbins is great, though where to start with him is a curious question. Jitterbug Perfume was my first, but I think I like Skinny Legs And All the most (honorable mention goes to Half Asleep In Frog Pajamas) As far as fantasy goes, The Riddlemaster Of Hed Trilogy from Patricia McKilip is absolutely excellent and underread. Totally worth the time. For sci-fi, Robert Heinlein has some incredible stuff, especially the bulk of the Lazarus Long series (though there are a few clunkers in there). Or if you're feeling like getting your dialectic between the aesthetic and the ethical on, you could always dive into Either/Or Part I from the esteemed Soren Kierkegaard....it's worth the effort just for the Diary Of The Seducer =D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Commander Obi-Wan Posted June 15, 2007 Share Posted June 15, 2007 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows... maybe? That's probably the only thing I'll read this summer and maybe the 'His Dark Materials' series. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milo Posted June 15, 2007 Share Posted June 15, 2007 Read Extraterrestrial Civilizations by Isaac Asimov. Fascinating. If you're a nerd that is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aash Li Posted June 15, 2007 Share Posted June 15, 2007 Children of Chaos trilogy by John C Wright. Orphans of Chaos being the first book. Also, Haunted by Kelly Armstrong is pretty good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Lion54 Posted June 15, 2007 Share Posted June 15, 2007 If you're into Fantasy and/or Vampires, I recommend the Noble Dead Saga by Barb and J.C. Hendee. Book One is called Dhampir. Its about... a Dhampir... Seriously though, they are a fun read. The first book is a stand alone book but with the second book, Thief of Lives, the main story arch starts. Basically, the story starts with a young woman named Magiere and her half-elf companion Leesil. They go around from one village to another "killing" vampires in exchange for as much as they can get out of the village. Its a scam. Leesil plays the vampire and they put on a little light show to trick the superstitious villagers. They get tired of "the game," as they call it, and settle down in a little port town. Only, they soon find out that real vampires live there and don't really like Magiere. She is after all, a "hunter." Without giving anything else away (all thats from the first few chapters, anyway), its your basic dark fantasy story, only with Vampires. The writers do a good job of making the word feel real and the story is engaging. Did I mention Vampires are cool? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jae Onasi Posted June 15, 2007 Share Posted June 15, 2007 Bob--you should check out "Those Who Hunt the Night" by Barbara Hambley. Very cool vampire mystery novel. I like just about anything by Grisham or Clancy, and if I'm in the mood for a gory murder mystery, I go for Jeffrey Deaver, especially his Lincoln Rhyme novels. Those are cool. I also like any of the Dragonriders of Pern books by Anne McCaffrey, some of the Darkover novels by Marion Zimmer Bradley, Agatha Christie novels, Star Wars novels, and CJ Cherryh's works. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Posted June 15, 2007 Share Posted June 15, 2007 Pretty much the only thing I'll be reading this summer is the new Harry Potter. And I won't be reading it lightly either. XD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamqd Posted June 15, 2007 Share Posted June 15, 2007 Star Wars: Legacy of the force Series! Just finished Sacrifice, Awesome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RC-1162 Posted June 15, 2007 Share Posted June 15, 2007 A short history of nearly everything - Bill Bryson The Fourth War - Chris Stewart Both are great and the Bill Bryson one was really engrossing. Really good reads. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sabretooth Posted June 15, 2007 Share Posted June 15, 2007 Right now I'm readin literature from the late Victorian and early 20th century eras. So... Brave New World - Aldous Huxley The Coming of the Space Age - Arthur C. Clarke Fahrenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury 1984 - George Orwell H.P. Lovecraft's works, too many to name Seventh Son - Orson Scott Card Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mur'phon Posted June 15, 2007 Share Posted June 15, 2007 Books by Douglas Adams The hitchikers guide to the galaxy: exelent, cynical and mind-flaying crazy a must read for anyone wishing to lose their sanity The resturant at the end of the universe: end does not mean edge in this case............ like the first one, only more insano-crazy Life, the universe and everything: Learning that we did not evolve from apes is always nice for the religious person, learning what we evolved from instead, is not nice to anyone. Another must read for the slightly insane person. When reading any of the books above: DONT PANIC Animal farm by George Orwell: short but nice story about a revolution gone wrong The black magican trilogy by Trudy Canavan: probably the only fantasy triology with no big bady of doom and darkness until the last book. Recomended anyone wishing to disapear for a few hours The age of five by Trydy Canavan: One group of gods are the good guys, one group of heretics the bad guys, sounds familiar? Luckily everything is not what it seems. Recomended for anyone needing to disapear once again after reading the magicans guild. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sabretooth Posted June 15, 2007 Share Posted June 15, 2007 Animal farm by George Orwell: short but nice story about a revolution gone wrong If you've ever wondered why Communism or a related form of government is bad, this book will tell you all you need to know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RC-1162 Posted June 15, 2007 Share Posted June 15, 2007 Books by Douglas Adams The hitchikers guide to the galaxy: exelent, cynical and mind-flaying crazy a must read for anyone wishing to lose their sanity The resturant at the end of the universe: end does not mean edge in this case............ like the first one, only more insano-crazy Life, the universe and everything: Learning that we did not evolve from apes is always nice for the religious person, learning what we evolved from instead, is not nice to anyone. Another must read for the slightly insane person. When reading any of the books above: DONT PANIC And also 'Mostly Harmless' and 'So Long...and thanks for all the fish' Awesome books. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darth InSidious Posted June 15, 2007 Share Posted June 15, 2007 ^I though the last two were a little flat, myself. @topic: Start with The Silver Pigs, by Lindsey Davis, and work your way through the series. One Virgin Too Many takes a little while to get into, but that's a long way down the list... Alternatively, anything penned by Christian Jacq is well worth acquiring. The 'Stone of Light' and 'Ramses' series are definitely worth reading. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Samnmax221 Posted June 15, 2007 Share Posted June 15, 2007 Lolita is great too. I started it not expecting to like it, but I did. I figured I ought to check it out though after I found out that he influenced Rushdie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Samuel Dravis Posted June 15, 2007 Share Posted June 15, 2007 The Hero and the Crown - Robin McKinley. Short but almost fairytale-epic fantasy. Good stuff. There's a related book (sort of a sequel, but more just in the same universe) called The Blue Sword, but I didn't like it as much. Most anything by Garth Nix. I've even read all of his junior fiction Sabriel and The Ragwitch are the best books though, both fantasy. Earth by David Brin - stunning hard scifi novel. Recommended. Also, most stuff by him is good. Also check out the Uplift Series. Anything by Frank Herbert is good. The most recent book I've read by him was Soul Catcher, an excellent novel. The White Plague and Dune, however, are my favorites from him. TWP in particular is very interesting. Anything by Ursula K. LeGuin - I've always found her novels to be uniformly good. Most recent read from her was The Eye of the Heron. The Bolo series by Keith Laumer is very similar to the action-oriented writing of Goodkind. More action-y stuff is David Weber. Mutineer's Moon, The Armageddon Inheritance, The Apocalypse Troll, etc (all scifi) are very fun to read. Anything, and I mean anything, by Orson Scott Card. This guy is truly excellent at writing books that pull you in. The Ender series, the Seventh Son series, A Planet Called Treason, all excellent. Do yourself a favor and read them. All of them. Piers Anthony's Xanth series is great fun to read as well. It's comic fantasy, the best kind IMO. Very punny.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Samnmax221 Posted June 15, 2007 Share Posted June 15, 2007 Anything, and I mean anything, by Orson Scott Card. This guy is truly excellent at writing books that pull you in. The Ender series, the Seventh Son series, A Planet Called Treason, all excellent. Do yourself a favor and read them. All of them. His books are good but he's kind of insane. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Negative Sun Posted June 15, 2007 Share Posted June 15, 2007 Nothing beats Stephen King's Dark Tower series... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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