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Thread: Book Suggestions

  1. Book Suggestions

    I've been wanting something to read lately, specifically something that is both solid and interesting in its ideas but also with a good sense of humor. For those that have read it, Snow Crash is the most perfect example I can think of (which reminds me, I no longer own that so I should buy a new copy tonight). I'd like it to be at least somewhat quirky, a totally realistic read isn't out of the question though I much prefer reality with a twist (ex: Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World), but it needs to have a good sense of humor.

    Suggestions, please?

  2. Stuff by Dave Duncan.

  3. I probably can't give you much good to read as I'm all into military autobiographies and fiction/non-fiction but I can give you some suggestions you might like:

    -Generation Kill (Non-fiction, written by a reporter from Rolling Stone who rode into Iraq with the spearhead of the invasion: The USMC First Recon Battallion. A lot of excitement and funny moments, great book in my opinion.)

    -Jarhead (Non-fiction written by a Marine Scout/Sniper who fought in the first Persian Gulf war, has a lot of dry humor in it as it also contains a lot of events that had nothing to do with the war.)

    -Recondo (Non-fiction written by an Army recon soldier in Vietnam, the whole book is set during the war and his recon missions. Good deal of excitement and some dry combat/war humor.)

    -Red Storm Rising (One of the best books I've ever read. Tom Clancy novel about the Soviet Union invading NATO in 1986, very broad description of semi-modern warfare and a great story. There's some moments you might find funny but the book is pretty serious, it's also very long.)
    http://www.the-nextlevel.com/board/image.php?type=sigpic&userid=1739&dateline=1225393453

  4. Someone here pointed out Donald Westlake to me. I've read like 5 of his books, and the Dortmunder series is a lot of fun to read (he's a theif, pretty funny, lots of fun characters and heists. Kinda like Oceans 11). But my favorite one from him so far is The Ax. That shit was nuts. And when I read it, I was looking for a job so it fit really well with my mindset at the time.

  5. Quote Originally Posted by Mike
    Stuff by Dave Duncan.
    The only book I saw by him at Borders was Gilded Chain, is that one any good?
    Quote Originally Posted by Rumpy
    Someone here pointed out Donald Westlake to me. I've read like 5 of his books, and the Dortmunder series is a lot of fun to read (he's a theif, pretty funny, lots of fun characters and heists. Kinda like Oceans 11). But my favorite one from him so far is The Ax. That shit was nuts. And when I read it, I was looking for a job so it fit really well with my mindset at the time.
    Hm, cool, sounds interesting.

    Has anyone read Diamond Age? I've been meaning to get around to it but I also really want to start Stephenson's new epic series Baroque Cycle, and if Diamond Age has a similar style of humor to Snow Crash then I'd rather pick that one up.

  6. Donald Westlake is good. If you like him, you may want to check out Elmore Leonard, who is good. Carl Hiassen writes more modern stuff that is in the same vein.

  7. Perfume: The Story of a Murderer by Patrick Suskind

    Well, this isn't much like what you requested, but it is such a unique book I think I should mention it. It is set in the 1700's in France. It is about a emotionally stunted man who has the most sensitive nose in the world. A prodigy of scent, you could say. It has a lot of wonderful detail about the period, & the art of perfume making. There is also a good bit of black humor mixed in with everything else. I've never read a book so centered around something so hard to describe: smells. The main character is not a nice guy and his obsession with possessing certain scents is what drives him to do very unpleasant things.

    It is a pretty small book, just a little over 200 pages I think, but like I said, I haven't really read anything else like it.

    JM

  8. The Man Who Was Thursday, by G.K. Chesterton. A police officer pretending to be a poet pretends to be an anarchist in order to infiltrate a secret dynamiters society (where everyone is codenamed with the days of the week), who plans on blowing up the French President. It's beautifully written, with plenty of plot twists. In the vein of Kafka and C.S. Lewis (both were fans of Thursday).

  9. Quote Originally Posted by JM
    Perfume: The Story of a Murderer by Patrick Suskind

    Well, this isn't much like what you requested, but it is such a unique book I think I should mention it. It is set in the 1700's in France. It is about a emotionally stunted man who has the most sensitive nose in the world. A prodigy of scent, you could say. It has a lot of wonderful detail about the period, & the art of perfume making. There is also a good bit of black humor mixed in with everything else. I've never read a book so centered around something so hard to describe: smells. The main character is not a nice guy and his obsession with possessing certain scents is what drives him to do very unpleasant things.

    It is a pretty small book, just a little over 200 pages I think, but like I said, I haven't really read anything else like it.

    JM
    I like the sound of it, seems quite different.
    Quote Originally Posted by Sqoon
    The Man Who Was Thursday, by G.K. Chesterton. A police officer pretending to be a poet pretends to be an anarchist in order to infiltrate a secret dynamiters society (where everyone is codenamed with the days of the week), who plans on blowing up the French President. It's beautifully written, with plenty of plot twists. In the vein of Kafka and C.S. Lewis (both were fans of Thursday).
    That sounds awesome. Thanks guys!

    Has anyone read Gun, With Occasional Music?

  10. neverland-neil gaiman Sounds close to what you want, reality, but from a really skewed perspective, it is fiction,and a lot of odd stuff happens, but how its framed makes it still seem beleivable, even while its clearley not. Its about a guy who "falls through the cracks" and finds this strange feudalistic world in the london underground, its all in realistic locations, but among the homeless and derilicts, he finds this world of kings, monster hunters, rat-servents, and the like.
    Quote Originally Posted by Compass
    Squall's a dick.

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