Favorite Reads

[Niner Outlaw]

King's Dark Tower books
Herbert's Dune series
Simmons' Hyperion novels
Asimov's Foundation series

Preston & Child's Pendergast books are good from the thriller/mystery genre

 

[Used 2 B Hu]

Asimov's Foundation series

Awesome. Even today, and with all the intervening technology advances we've lived through since they were written.

 

[Used 2 B Hu]

I know I've written this in a similar thread but I'll repeat:

Really liked most of Jordan's Wheel of Time series, but I feel like he could have finished it in about 7 books instead of 14. Brandon Sanderson did a good job finishing it off, which lead me to:

Sanderson's Stormlight Archive. It's only two books long at this point, and I'm sure he'll do that same drag-it-out-for-decades that they all do nowadays, but the first two books were excellent.

Also Sanderson's Mistborn Trilogy was pretty good. I went through all three books in about a month. Have not yet read the spinoff books.

Love love love any of the early novels by Philip K. Dick. His later stuff must be read while high on Mescalin, apparently. So much of his stuff has made it into movies, most of them terrible, though.

On @ill 's recommendation I recently got into Terry Pratchett's Discworld books. I'm up to number 6 or 7 now. Like reading a cross between Monty Python and Douglas Addams. I know there's a movie based on the first two books but I haven't seen it yet.

Previously mentioned Asimov: would love to see either Foundation or the Robot Books made into movies or a TV series. If you read all of his books, they're somewhat connected into one long story.

 

[calsnowskier]

Asimov's Foundation series

Awesome. Even today, and with all the intervening technology advances we've lived through since they were written.

Not JUST the Foundation books, though. You have to start with the I Robot books and follow up with the Empire series first.

 

[PatsFan2003]

King's Dark Tower books
Herbert's Dune series
Simmons' Hyperion novels
Asimov's Foundation series

Preston & Child's Pendergast books are good from the thriller/mystery genre

if you liked the Hyperion books you might like his Ilium and Olympos series. Especially Ilium.

I'm re-reading the Stand right now. Still good.

 

[chf]

I loved the first book. Liked the 2nd book. Thought the 3rd and 4th book were ok. 5 and 6 were probably 2 and 3 on my favorite list.

At any rate, sci-fi and fantasy with multiple books offerings...


Still don't get your love Abercrombie.

Yeah, not for everyone.

 

[Cave_Johnson]

 

[Gatorchip]

Playboy sucks now

 

[Used 2 B Hu]

Not JUST the Foundation books, though. You have to start with the I Robot books and follow up with the Empire series first.

Oh yeah, I've read them all...Pebble in the Sky, the Stars Like Dust, Caves of Steel, Robots of Dawn, Robots and Empire

 

[flyerhawk]

Awesome. Even today, and with all the intervening technology advances we've lived through since they were written.

I am in a pretty cool book club and I would love to get them to read Asimov. The first book of the Foundation series might be a good choice.

 

[ill]

I know I've written this in a similar thread but I'll repeat:

Really liked most of Jordan's Wheel of Time series, but I feel like he could have finished it in about 7 books instead of 14. Brandon Sanderson did a good job finishing it off, which lead me to:

Sanderson's Stormlight Archive. It's only two books long at this point, and I'm sure he'll do that same drag-it-out-for-decades that they all do nowadays, but the first two books were excellent.

Also Sanderson's Mistborn Trilogy was pretty good. I went through all three books in about a month. Have not yet read the spinoff books.

Love love love any of the early novels by Philip K. Dick. His later stuff must be read while high on Mescalin, apparently. So much of his stuff has made it into movies, most of them terrible, though.

On @ill 's recommendation I recently got into Terry Pratchett's Discworld books. I'm up to number 6 or 7 now. Like reading a cross between Monty Python and Douglas Addams. I know there's a movie based on the first two books but I haven't seen it yet.

Previously mentioned Asimov: would love to see either Foundation or the Robot Books made into movies or a TV series. If you read all of his books, they're somewhat connected into one long story.

I don't think I recommended the Discworld books since I have yet to read them.

I have heard the next Stormlight book is going through beta readers now, or whatever you call it, so I expect it to be out this year.

I liked the Dresden Files books by Jim Butcher. Fun books to read, great characters, really easy to get into.

 

[Bridgeburner]

Sanderson is awesome. Mistborn, Stormlight... it's all excellent. Don't sleep on the Reckoner series either. A FANTASTIC take on the whole superhero thing. Absolutely loved it beginning to end.

Rothfus is extremely good as is Scott Lynch's Bastard series.

Done with that lazy fuck GRRM. HBO can finish that story for me.

Other than that I've gotten away from the fantasy genre lately. Been reading a lot of period/historical fiction.

 

[Nasty_Magician]

Just finished Devil In The White City, absolutely loved it. It follows 2 main storylines, the main architect for 1893 World's Fair and then a serial killer that uses the fair to lure victims. Apparently Scorsese has signed on to do the movie as well as Leo Dicaprio.

The author has an amazing way of writing nonfiction as a novel. I have another one of his on deck, In The Garden of Beasts. It's about the US ambassador to Germany when the Nazis come into power.

TJ English is a favorite author of mine, must read if you like true crime.

I read non-fiction almost exclusively and decided to dive head first into fiction with 11/22/63 by Stephen King. First 250 pages flew by, the next 150 are absolutely crawling by, hope it picks back up.

 

[darken65]

They still make books? Why bother writing them after the movie has already been out?

 

[DJ]

Playboy sucks now

Technically, that's a magazine.....not a book.

 

[DJ]

Horror novels are my favorite, followed by true crime novels. Truth is often far more disturbing than fiction.

 

[ill]

I am almost done with the second book in Stephen King's John Hodges Trilogy. It is pretty good, if you ask me. It's Stephen King, so I expect things to get weird, but I just don't know when that is going to happen.

 

[Bridgeburner]

Bill.

 

[ill]

Bill.

Dammit, I knew John wasn't right but didn't want to look it up.

Thanks.

 

[Omar 382]

My latest Audible review, that I dedicate to @Wazmankg and @Clayton

Review of The Picture of Dorian Gray, by Oscar Wilde

RATING: 4/5 stars

The Picture of Dorian Gray, written by Oscar Wilde and published in its complete format in 1891, is a masterpiece among works dealing with the duplicity of human nature. Aside from one long-winded chapter, it is very easy to read and offers great rewards and commentary on human nature to those who do so.

I have long been fascinated in character arc's in movies, television, and literature. My favorite of the three archetypes of the character arc is the "moral decay" character arc, such as Michael Corleone's eventual involvement and taking-over of his father's mob family. Aside from AMC's Breaking Bad, no piece of art better captures the moral decay of a character than The Picture of Dorian Gray in its titular character.

Many people believe that they are incapable of extreme immorality. Sure, they might cheat on their taxes or speed while driving, but things like murder and r*pe are off the table. This novel paints (yes, bad pun intended) a ghastly picture to those people. The truth is, when put in the right circumstances, we are all capable of moral decay and corruption, even to the point of the most inconceivable inhuman acts.

Dorian Gray is granted the wish to trade his soul for the worldly pursuits. He then embarks on a life of sin; from manslaughter, to swindling people, to even murder of his once dear friend. It is a tale like this that reminds us all that we are not perfect; we are not Jesus, and just because we have never been put in a position to "break bad;" if we were, we could and would easily bend. Seeing Dorian go down the road of corruption and evil is tantalizing to the reader; it is as if we are able to do so ourselves. After all, Dorian in the beginning of the novel is just like us in his moral aptitude, as is Walter White. But they are put in positions to gain the world and yet lose their souls, and they do so gladly.

My only complaint with the novel would be one minor intricacy in the conclusion, that I will not spoil for the reader. Other than that, Oscar Wilde's Dorian Gray is a masterpiece, and should be read by anyone interested in the possible corruption of one's soul.