Peter Needs Books

[inkmonkey]

I have a birthday coming up. My parents request a list of potential gifts. So, I ask of you: Give me books. Tell me what you have read recently that you liked. Tell me of books you found profound. Tell me what inspired you and what made you cry. I need books.

Comments

[bishi_wannabe]

Recently?

Europe: A History - Norman Davies
Ender's Game - Orson Scott Card

Less recently:

Pattern Recognition - William Gibson
The Count of Monte Cristo - Alexander Dumas

And a whole bunch of RPG books ^_^

[goselam]

I just finished Altered Carbon (Richard K. Morgan) and liked it a lot. It has a well-constructed mystery plot, and an excellent hardboiled noir atmosphere. It also has some pretty intense violence and explicit sex; whether that's a plus or minus is left as an exercise to the reader.

I'll second the recommendation of Pattern Recognition. Another book which achieves a consistent feel.

Jim Butcher's "Harry Dresden" series is pretty enjoyable pulp fantasy, with occasionally chancy plotting but almost always engaging characters. The first book is called Storm Front.

I can't remember if you read Across the Nightingale Floor, by Lian Hearn, but I'm sure I recommended it to you at some point. Yet again, more notable for its well-crafted ambience than anything else.

[bishi_wannabe]

"I can't remember if you read Across the Nightingale Floor, by Lian Hearn, but I'm sure I recommended it to you at some point. Yet again, more notable for its well-crafted ambience than anything else."

I haven't read the third in that series yet, for some inexplicable reason.

I shall rectify once house has been moved and the contents of my life unboxed ^_^

[goselam]

I know the reason I haven't read it yet is that it's only available in hardcover (last time I checked, which was months ago).

[nixicat]

Anything by Walter Jon Williams. Some of the best written sci-fi I have ever read. This is what they mean when they call the genre the last literary refuge of ideas

[inkmonkey]

I'm pleased that (almost) everyone who posted included at least one book I already have. I feel good about that.

But many, many I don't! Thank you all! I have a list!

[intimations]

Better late than never, right?

The Art of the Start: The Time-Tested, Battle-Hardened Guide for Anyone Starting Anything, by Guy Kawasaki, is the single most needed book for anyone wanting to change the world or go into business for themselves, or really anything in between.

Survivor by Chuck Pahlniuk (which I probably misspelled) is a fun, sort of nhilistic read, as is are the oldies-but-goodies, Sirens of Titan and Mother Night, both by Kurt Vonnegut jr. The former is a fun sci-fi romp BTW.

Finally, if you are looking for sheer and total fluff, the A Gatti's Tale trilogy by Gayle Greeno is a mix of sci-fi and fantasy which is based around what are basically telepathic, empathic cats. No, I'm not kidding.