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[Chorazin]

I just finished Halo: Ghosts Of Onyx yesterday and was surprised in the end at how good it got. If you're a fan of the games but scoff at the books, maybe you should give them a try. They start off as perfunctory, if dark, military sci-fi thrillers but develop into a series about family of all things. The three books in Nylund's series form a parallel trilogy that compliments the games well, although there are some slight discrepencies in the fiction that will make your head hurt if you try to think too hard. I was a bit bummed out when I finished it since I really liked Blue team's story and I hope Nylund can go back at some point and write some more.

Today I'm starting off on Nightwings as recommened by Alucrid last month, hopefully it's a fun ride.

I'm a big fan of the Halo books as well, they are are generally well thought out and written military sci-fi. You could read these books independant of the Halo games and still get a lot of enjoyment out of them!

 

[FnordChan]

I think I need to read more Heinlein--never got into most of his more well-known stuff.

My favorite Heinlein novel is The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, the story of a Lunar penal colony that revolts with the aid of a sentient computer. I also like his compilation The Past Through Tomorrow, which is out of print but available cheaply used. It collects short stories throughout Heinlein's career, all taking within his Future History timeline.

Then there are later, dirty old man Heinlein novels like Time Enough For Love which I enjoy - Heinlein was never less than entertaining and could have turned the phone book into a fun, fast-paced read - but I wouldn't generally recommend outright because, let me tell you, he became a dirty, dirty old man.

For good measure, I'll pass along my favorite Heinlein anecdote. Heinlein attended the major SF conventions throughout his life and was always dressed in a full suit and die for the occasion. At one of these conventions in the 70s, a couple of random folks were looking at all the weirdos running around and trying to figure out what was going on. They spot Heinlein, nicely dressed and sporting a convention badge, and ask him what everyone is there for. Without missing a beat Heinlein replies, "Gay nazis for Christ".

FnordChan

 

[innervision961]

Bill Bryson - A Short History of Nearly Everything

&

Carl Sagan - Demon Haunted World (Science as a candle in the dark)

With my work schedule and piss poor attention span, it'll likely be months before I finish them... Can anyone recommend Stephen Hawkins? Are his books not only informative, but interesting (in they style of Carl Sagan? I know no one comes close but..)

Also, I came dangerously close to picking up Origin Of A Species (Darwin), I'm a bit of a Science sponge here lately, and I figured I should educate myself as much as possible, but I feared it would be dreadfully dry.

By all means GAF, please recommend some good Science, Cosmology, Physics or Electronics books to me, please!

 

[Christoff Yurievich]

Pygmy - Chuck Palahniuk



The writing style is pretty annoying, but I'm half way through, too invested to just drop it.

The book I'm currently reading - The Organ Grinders by Bill Fitzbugh - is like this. The politics in it are a little too blatant for me, but then he's a satirist so maybe he's doing it on purpose. Either way, it's off-putting but I'm too far into it to just stop.

 

[Boozeroony]

Finished Blink and Outliers last 2 weeks. I used to be more of a fiction-reader, but i really enjoy his writings. Suggestions are welcome

 

[Bishman]

What type of book?

Theres a few threads kickin round for Fantasy and Sci-Fi if you google em.

Politics

 

[Salazar]

By all means GAF, please recommend some good Science, Cosmology, Physics or Electronics books to me, please!

Read James Gleick's biography of Richard Feynman. 'Genius'

Also, read everything by Stephen Jay Gould, beginning perhaps with 'I Have Landed'

Martin Gardner's 'Science: Good, Bad, and Bogus' is essential.

 

[Salazar]

Politics

Mark Kurlansky's '1968: The Year That Rocked the World'

 

[eznark]

Mark Kurlansky's '1968: The Year That Rocked the World'

I prefer Kaiser's 1968 In America: Music, Politics, Chaos, Counterculture, and the Shaping of a Generation personally.

 

[Salazar]

I prefer Kaiser's 1968 In America: Music, Politics, Chaos, Counterculture, and the Shaping of a Generation personally.

If you were only interested in American events in and around that year, I guess so. I'd argue, though, that a serious-minded historical account of 1968 has to be global in perspective. Part of what is important about that year lies in the simultaneity of action in different countries, or the communication of ideas and atmosphere from one group to another. Kurlansky's book is largely about the American university protests, the Yippies, and so on, but it does take intelligent and thorough stock of Prague, Paris, Berlin etc...

 

[eznark]

I guess I should have clarified and meant its more entertaining.

 

[Keen]

Been awhile since I read the first one, so a bit hard to get into. Still, pretty good so far.

 

[Deleted member 1235]

just seriously beginning the 'under the dome' monster after starting it a few weeks back, so far like all of stephen kings reads, it's excellent at the beginning. He's really good at characters.

dreading the ending of the book :lol

 

[aidan]

The Desert Spear by Peter V. Brett.

 

[FnordChan]

Politics

Try Hunter S. Thompson's Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail '72, a collection of his Rolling Stone articles leading up to Nixon's re-election that year. I think it's the best thing Thompson ever wrote, combining his trademark gonzo style with some impressively detailed political analysis, particularly the breakdown of delegate shuffling tactics being used at the national conventions.

Fnord and Loathing in the NeoGAF '10

 

[Guileless]

GAF, recommend me a book to read. I've read some books for classes in college but I want to actually read a book for non-academic reasons.

The only book I've read is the Art of War. And I only read parts of it to help me play Starcraft and RTS better.

:lol Impressive candor. I guess that means you haven't read any of the Command & Conquer books. One of my dreams is to find one for 50 cents at a sale somewhere to read what it's like.

Politics is a broad subject. You could try a straightforward book of reporting by Bob Woodward on a subject that interests you. He writes in a narrative style that is easy to follow, and he has written a lot of books that are widely available.

If you follow the political threads here, I recommend What's Left? by Nick Cohen.

If you want something more ambitious and history-focused, and depending on your interests, I recommend Nixonland by Rick Perlstein and The Age of Reagan by Sean Wilentz. They both write from squarely on the Left side of the political spectrum, but are entertaining for anyone.

 

[WedgeX]

Politics

Along with what has already been mentioned, if you're into biographies (or think you could be into them), go with some Robert Caro. His Power Broker about Robert Moses and his effect upon New York (political makeup and physical layout) is enlightening and infuriating all at the same time. The same goes for his Lydon Johnson series, which is currently sitting at three out of four books completed. The complexities of LBJ and his involvement in civil rights, the war on poverty and Vietnam (and how he trampled people in his way) as illustrated by Caro make for a better read than many novels. And as someone on GAF once said, his third LBJ book is a must read if you're even remotely interested in what goes on in the US Senate.

 

[eznark]

Politics

Radicals for Capitalism: A Freewheeling History of the Modern American Libertarian Movement

Fantastic, fantastic read. Plenty to love for wingnuts and nutroots alike.

 

[Tim the Wiz]

The Desert Spear by Peter V. Brett.

That's out already?

Edit: No, April, it seems, with Butcher's Changes. Guess it must be an ARC. Enjoy, you lucky devil.

 

[Guileless]

Along with what has already been mentioned, if you're into biographies (or think you could be into them), go with some Robert Caro. His Power Broker about Robert Moses and his effect upon New York (political makeup and physical layout) is enlightening and infuriating all at the same time. The same goes for his Lydon Johnson series, which is currently sitting at three out of four books completed. The complexities of LBJ and his involvement in civil rights, the war on poverty and Vietnam (and how he trampled people in his way) as illustrated by Caro make for a better read than many novels. And as someone on GAF once said, his third LBJ book is a must read if you're even remotely interested in what goes on in the US Senate.

That may have been me. Caro's multi-volume LBJ biography defies description. I remember reading all the mellifluous praise from the reviews excerpted on the inside cover before starting the first volume, and I thought to myself, "Calm down people, it can't be that good." But it is. It's hard to imagine that the art of political biography on such an interesting and important subject could get any better.

However, I wouldn't recommend it to beginning serious readers of history or politics since it is so sprawling. A bit like giving Demon's Souls to a first-time console buyer. That's not to say that anyone here is incapable of reading it, just that it makes sense to start smaller.

 

[Manics]

Reading Green Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson. Totally engrossed in it after Red Mars, also taking is slowly and loving the book. I'm at the point where I'm getting melancholy knowing the series will come to an end after Blue Mars. :lol I hate that, I like it so much that I just want it to continue but I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.

 

[Ryu]

Finished this on Tuesday. I Liked the Forever War a LOT better honestly. I think this book was pretty boring in lots of places and throwing three major stories together and resolving everything in basically 2 pages just didn't sit well with me. Feels more like at the end the author went "whoa, this book is pretty long, better wrap this up."

Oh well.

Reading this now -

About 90 pages in. Pretty good so far. Have to agree that it's good if you like the Mass Effect universe, but I can see how it can be pretty ho-hum if you have no interest in the games. Kind of reminds me of the Halo novels.

 

[JoeBoy101]

Really shocked at the number of people here who haven't read World War Z. Its really not your standard zombie fare as it takes a fascinating position on how some cultures evolve (and devolve) in the face of the zombie threat. Israel and Russia being two very interesting ones.

Anyways, got this coming in the mail:

I really enjoyed his first major outing:

The concept of the unsympathetic protagonist who, over the course of the book, becomes sympathetic really appeals to me for some reason. Probably because the thread of redemption. Anyways, Horns continues with a similar type of unsympathetic hero.

And I'm just going to assume everyone knows Joe Hill's worst kept secret in publishing.

 

[zaxor0]

Same. Nearly done the first division of the transcendental logic.

Really? That's awesome! I'm halfway through the transcendental analytic. I'm taking a break now as one of my reading group buddies is at a philosophy conference in Chicago.

 

[chuckddd]

Almost half way through Revelation Space by Alastair Reynolds. Fantastic book, very highly recommended.

Hows the rest of the Revelation Space series, better or worse than the first book?

From what I've heard, the second book is good, the third book is bad. I'm going to stop while I'm ahead.

I'm about half way through Consider Phlebas now. (Sorry eznark) Love it. Probably going to just go straight to The Player of Games next. I do, however, have this waiting for me now:

 

[WedgeX]

That may have been me. Caro's multi-volume LBJ biography defies description. I remember reading all the mellifluous praise from the reviews excerpted on the inside cover before starting the first volume, and I thought to myself, "Calm down people, it can't be that good." But it is. It's hard to imagine that the art of political biography on such an interesting and important subject could get any better.

However, I wouldn't recommend it to beginning serious readers of history or politics since it is so sprawling. A bit like giving Demon's Souls to a first-time console buyer. That's not to say that anyone here is incapable of reading it, just that it makes sense to start smaller.

Yeah, true. I guess All the King's Men by Robert Penn Warren might be a better place to start. Real life as fiction, which Primary Colors would later replicate. And it follows an idealist politician (in reality, Huey Long) on his journey to becoming a compromising, corrupt politician.

Also, now I know who to attribute that quote to :lol . Definitely stuck with me.

 

[Nymerio]

Currently reading Iron Council by China Miéville. I already finished Perdido Street Station and The Scar and i think they (including Iron Council) are some of the most mediocre books I ever read. I could never really get into the whole strange world the books play in and Perdido Street Station and The Scar had really anti-climactic endings. I'm almost through Iron Council and I have the feeling the ending's again going to be a letdown. Next on my list is either Unseen Academicals by Terry Pratchett or The Child Thief by Brom.

 

[Chorazin]

The concept of the unsympathetic protagonist who, over the course of the book, becomes sympathetic really appeals to me for some reason. Probably because the thread of redemption. Anyways, Horns continues with a similar type of unsympathetic hero.

And I'm just going to assume everyone knows Joe Hill's worst kept secret in publishing.

Absofuckinglutely love that book. Didn't know Horns was coming out, I'll need to check and see if it's on Kindle!

 

[Guileless]

Yeah, true. I guess All the King's Men by Robert Penn Warren might be a better place to start. Real life as fiction, which Primary Colors would later replicate. And it follows an idealist politician (in reality, Huey Long) on his journey to becoming a compromising, corrupt politician.

Also, now I know who to attribute that quote to :lol . Definitely stuck with me.

I do remember recommending it here when the subject of politics came up earlier. Anyone following the health care debate would be enthralled by Master of the Senate, about how the first civil rights bill came to be.

I was discussing Primary Colors recently, and I want to go back and re-read it if I can find my copy. I haven't read it since shortly after its release. Starting with real-life-as-fiction like that or Warren is another good idea. If you wanted to go with a more fictionalized slant on politics and power, try American Tabloid by James Ellroy.

 

[Musashi Wins!]

Currently reading Iron Council by China Miéville. I already finished Perdido Street Station and The Scar and i think they (including Iron Council) are some of the most mediocre books I ever read. I could never really get into the whole strange world the books play in and Perdido Street Station and The Scar had really anti-climactic endings. I'm almost through Iron Council and I have the feeling the ending's again going to be a letdown. Next on my list is either Unseen Academicals by Terry Pratchett or The Child Thief by Brom.

I agree, the guy is very interesting, has different ideas for his worlds, but is an interminably boring writer. I have tried many times to get into his books.

 

[joeblackisback]

Just finished Devil in the White City by Erik Larson. It's about the 1893 World's Fair in Chicago. Pretty amazing read, I would definitely recommend it. It contrasts the building of the fair with the incredible evil going on just a short distance away. It's almost hard to believe this stuff actually happened!

 

[Dresden]

Just finished 'Ship of Fools.' What a great book. First time in a long while I was creeped out by a spaceship. :lol

 

[Tim the Wiz]

Currently reading Iron Council by China Miéville. I already finished Perdido Street Station and The Scar and i think they (including Iron Council) are some of the most mediocre books I ever read. I could never really get into the whole strange world the books play in and Perdido Street Station and The Scar had really anti-climactic endings. I'm almost through Iron Council and I have the feeling the ending's again going to be a letdown. Next on my list is either Unseen Academicals by Terry Pratchett or The Child Thief by Brom.

Personally, I like the anticlimax involved in both Perdido Street Station and The Scar, and with the latter especially. As for Iron Council, I'll agree with you on that point. I've been reading it for over a month now (dipping back in from reading and finishing other novels - maybe ten or eleven by now) and it has been primarily a travelogue so far. His writing is so much better when he's working within a strong sense of place. But, I'm only halfway through and it would be unfair to speculate further.

 

[WretchedTruman]

I love this guy. His work's been inspiring my writing for years. The "cosmic horror" subgenre sounds tacky, but I'm just a sucker for it.

Chills me to the bone, and his excessively ornate language and sentence structure gives me hope that I can get by with some of my more glaring flaws as a writer.

 

[Maklershed]

Finished I, Robot and now on to Pebble in the Sky

 

[Hieberrr]

Can someone recommend me a light fictional read? I have a gift card for Chapters and I'm looking to spend it, so I'm wondering if you guys can help me find a quick light read, 200-300 pages.

I'm not looking for anything in particular aside from a fictional book with a great storyline and character development. Something that I can pick up and murke in a few sittings.

 

[Maklershed]

Kinda hard not knowing what you're into or what you're looking for specifically but you might want to give one of the Lady's Detective Agency books a try. Real light reading. Only about 200 or so pages each. You'll get through them in no time. Each story is pretty good and it has great characters.

(and if by chance you've seen the HBO show based on the book and didn't like it, don't let that sway you .. I loved the books, hated the show)

 

[Hieberrr]

I like books that tell an adventure without getting too out of control to the point where fantasy and reality is interchangeable. I don't mind some of it, but I guess Im not the fan of books like Harry Potter or Narnia. I think I like something a little more, realistic in terms of setting. I have the The Great Train Robbery by Michael Chrichton, although not fiction, I'm looking for something along the lines of that (if that makes sense). I got into it, but due to a busy schedule I haven't been able to finish it

I also have Catcher In The Rye, which I absolutely hated with passion.

 

[Maklershed]

Well since its pretty much my all time favorite book and it seems to fit your criteria I'll also recommend The Testament by John Grisham. Has adventure, good/interesting characters, easy to read, and not overly daunting in the page count category.

 

[Hieberrr]

Well since its pretty much my all time favorite book and it seems to fit your criteria I'll also recommend The Testament by John Grisham. Has adventure, good/interesting characters, easy to read, and not overly daunting in the page count category.

Cool, thanks I'll check it out

 

[JoeBoy101]

I love this guy. His work's been inspiring my writing for years. The "cosmic horror" subgenre sounds tacky, but I'm just a sucker for it.

Chills me to the bone, and his excessively ornate language and sentence structure gives me hope that I can get by with some of my more glaring flaws as a writer.

See I call it more classical horror, but the twist that knowledge is a danger. That's what makes his writing so fantastic that he manages to make the solving of a puzzle/riddle/ mystery a threat in and of itself to characters.

 

[cicero]

I'm still in the midst of Rommel/Patton biography. pretty intriguing read so far but haven't had much time to dig in properly yet, few pages here - few page there on the subway and what have you.

If you are still interested in reading more about Patton after you finish that, check out the outstanding biography "Patton: A Genius for War" by Carlo D'este.

 

[rareside]

Just finished Lucifer's Hammer.

Currently reading PYONGYANG: A Journey Through North Korea (very quick read since it's a comic)

Next up is World War Z.

 

[crowphoenix]

Now that I'm well again, I've started reading The Wheel of Time series of books. I'm only about 90 pages in, and while I am enjoying it, I feel that I have done this book a grave disservice by either not reading it earlier or by playing so many shoddy jRPGs over the years.

The beginning is such a jRPG cliche that it's not just a beaten dead horse but one that has been drug through the muck so much that all that's left is the femur, patella, and maybe a bit of the tibia. And yes, I had to look that up.

It's also a bit slower than I want, but I can definitely feel myself being sucked into the world.

 

[aidan]

Now that I'm well again, I've started reading The Wheel of Time series of books. I'm only about 90 pages in, and while I am enjoying it, I feel that I have done this book a grave disservice by either not reading it earlier or by playing so many shoddy jRPGs over the years.

The beginning is such a jRPG cliche that it's not just a beaten dead horse but one that has been drug through the muck so much that all that's left is the femur, patella, and maybe a bit of the tibia. And yes, I had to look that up.

It's also a bit slower than I want, but I can definitely feel myself being sucked into the world.

If you think it's slow now...

 

[crowphoenix]

To be fair, IIRC it came out in '89, predating a whole lot of the jRPGs you're probably thinking of.

I believe the beginning of the first book is intended to strongly evoke the Lord of the Rings (maybe a little too strongly). It sheds that mantle part-way through the book, and becomes its own beast entirely.

Oh, I'm not really knocking it. I was more curious as to the sentiment at the time it came out. And I didn't want to do too much digging in case I spoiled myself.

Also, is it wrong that I'm beginning to get a feeling from some of Dragon Age's setting came from this?

If you think it's slow now...

You know how to make a man feel excited for a brisk and jaunty stroll.

 

[kaiwing]

After having the books for years, I finally sat down to read the Icewind Dale Trilogy. I just finished the first one, The Crystal Shard, and it was pretty good. Now onto Streams of Silver.

 

[silvon]

Man I've been on such a reading kick this month...

I started with this, which I picked based on GAF recommendation. It's fantastic.

Then I moved on to this. I've always liked Ha Jin for his simple and understated writing style, and this book does not disappoint.

I finished the next book in two days, it's just so damned engrossing, one of the best books I've ever read.

Next is this... I haven't started though.

 

[crowphoenix]

Heh. Well, it is a truth universally acknowledged that the books start to slow down in book 7, and continue to do so for the next two books and through the hopelessly plodding book 10. On the other hand, the pace picks way up in 11-12, to more like what the pace is in the best of the early books. Which are, frankly, pretty awesome.

If I love the characters, I don't think slow will stop me all that much. Although, I probably will take my time reading through these.

 

[Burger]

About a quarter of the way through The Dispossessed by Ursula Le Guin. Quite interesting so far, considering not very much has happened.