Comments | m_mcgregor: Recommend me some books and I shall do the same

m_mcgregor

Recommend me some books and I shall do the same

Jan 10, 2008 00:11

Being rather ill lately has made me want to curl up with a good book (or audiobook, thanks to migraines), but the problem is I tend to have a hard time finding a book I can really get into. For the last two years I've asked all of you out there to recommend TV shows to me, and I've gotten into some great shows because of that - Avatar: The Last ( Read more... )

reading thoughts

Comments 82

bumpkin_is January 10 2008, 06:37:51 UTC

You say you don't like Anne McCaffrey, but I still want to recommend one of her more obscure works to you purely for the content - you may or may not like it - I don't know, but I have to admit to being fascinated by it myself. It's a one off she did way way back in the past called Restoree - very Sci-fi.

Another author I find myself really enjoying is Diane Duane, and if you only read one thing by her it should be the first thing she ever got published - "So, You Want To Be A Wizard?" It's a Young Adult Novel, but as it's contemporary fantasy that doesn't really matter to enjoy the story. :)

Third rec that I can toss off the top of my head is a humour novel by Holly Lisle titled 'Sympathy for the Devil'. You can find it in it's entirety online here.

Well, it's late and that's all I can think of right now, if you want more later let me know - I have a personal library.(That is the reason to have a guest room, to hold the books right?) :)

Marns
~pN

nycorson January 10 2008, 12:30:38 UTC

~waves her converted spare room into a floor to ceiling built in library in Marn's face~ 5000 books and counting... not to mention 1000 gaming books... ~grins and goes back to writing.~

bumpkin_is January 10 2008, 13:23:49 UTC

~Marns goggles at the number 5000~ Then she pauses suspiciously as a *suspicion* hits her...

"Wait a minute," she says, in her voice a dawning understanding. "You have a *understanding* and *accommodating* husband! Heck with that number, maybe even an ... *enabler*! No Fair!" ~grin~

Seriously now, 5000? Wow, I thought I was bad (and the worst tinder risk, as my husband says, in a personal home) with my 2000 or so. Very cool.

Marns
~pN

nycorson January 10 2008, 14:29:56 UTC

What do you mean 'understanding' at least half the books are his, and all the gaming books are (okay 10 of them are mine) when we combined collections we had about 200 or so duplicates... that was...4 years ago... custom built library is my friend.

Thread 5

nothorse January 10 2008, 07:47:13 UTC

I'm going to recommend something outside classic F & SF, but you might like it ( ... )

m_mcgregor January 11 2008, 04:08:09 UTC

I'll try to keep an eye out, and probably will check out at least one of them, thanks.

dreadnaught_vv January 10 2008, 08:07:28 UTC

I suggest going to the Baen Free Library ( ... )

m_mcgregor January 11 2008, 04:09:59 UTC

I'll definitely check out 1632, as I like that sort of premise. David Weber's The Excalbur Alternative was a pretty fun light read with a somewhat similar idea, although this was taking the medieval characters to the future rather than the other way around.

eleas January 15 2008, 13:46:19 UTC

1632 and its sequels are collectively known as the Ring of Fire books. They're absolutely wonderful, and surprisingly nuanced and even-handed (and, dare I say, compassionate) considering the potential for jingoism inherent in the concept.

bumpkin_is January 10 2008, 08:48:32 UTC

Oh yeah there is this one too:

Wizard's Bane

Marns
~pN

Recommendations bgibbons January 10 2008, 09:16:06 UTC

Following up a few of the authors you cited ( ... )

Re: Recommendations rudyhenkel January 10 2008, 09:26:50 UTC

Mort is another good book by Pratchett, but I stand by my recommendation of the Tiffany Aching books as superior. When it comes to reading his Discworld books, Mort is a better comedy than Night Watch, but Night Watch is a more unified combination of his talents as a serious and comedic author.

I strongly second the recommendation of Jhereg by Steven Brust. The author is skillfully able to insert you into a brand new fantasy world and tell a complete story in a relatively short number of pages. A master of showing, rather than telling.

Re: Recommendations m_mcgregor January 11 2008, 04:14:22 UTC

Actually I originally read The Forever War as basically a counterpoint to Starship Troopers. I was reading reviews about Troopers after I'd finished it and found someone who said a great counter to it was TFW. They were definitely right, and I enjoyed The Forever War a whole heck of a lot more. I wasn't aware that he'd actually written a sequel to it, so I'll definitely check into that.

I also have actually tried to read Lord of Light several times, but just could never seem to get into it. Maybe I'll give it another shot, since you're right that almost anything Zelazny's written is pretty damn decent ( ... )