The Reading Recommendations Thread (3 Viewers)

[electrolysis]

Title: Catcher in the Rye
Author: J.D. Salinger
Genre: Fiction
Why you should read it: Because. The character digresses and digression keeps you interested.

lol we did this text in school for 'close study of a text'

 

[electrolysis]

/edited

 

[withoutaface]

Title: A Song of Ice and Fire
Author: George R.R. Martin
Genre: Fantasy
Medium: fiction, novel
Why you should read it: easily the best fantasy series since tolkien, perhaps better depending on how you feel about lotr. absolutely addictive. you wont sleep.

Except:
1. Martin's a fat cunt who'll probably die of heart disease before he finishes it.
2. It's oversexualised...

 

[Captin gay]

Solaris - Stanislaw Lem

 

[bawd]

Tim Winton's Cloudstreet. Read it. A lovely, light-hearted novel about the home where our hearts are.

 

[Hysterik]

Title: Larklight:
Author: Philip Reeve
Genre: Steampunk/Humour/Young Adult
Why you should read it: I picked it up and thought it looked like a kid's book, but it has so much more going on. Nobody I know has actually read it, though. It's set in an alternate Victorian universe where we discovered space travel early. Art Mumby and his sister live with their father in Larklight, a rambling house that just happens to be traveling through outer space. The arrival of elephant-sized white spiders sets in motion an adventure that takes the quibbling siblings across the solar system to battle the forces of evil. I can't express how wonderful it is. It's quirky and humorous, they travel with a collection of ridiculous aliens and the planets that we know are amazing. It's also a rollicking good read, I couldn't put it down. And it's hilarious too, full of tongue-in-cheek humour about Victorian society. Go on the website a read an extract! Seriously great read. Even if you think sci-fi is crap... this is not sci-fi. It's just a wonderfully imaginative story.

http://www.larklight.com/

Also,

Title: Sohpie's World
Author: Jostein Gaarder
Genre: Young Adult/Philosophy
Why you should read it: I just finished reading it, and it's amazing. It's fairly well-known, but basically Sophie, a Norwegian girl about to turn 15, starts to get letters from a philosopher who teaches her about, well, philosophy. Interspersed with all this is the letters Sophie starts to get from the mysterious Hilde and her father the Major. It's a little hard to get through some of the parts of the more boring philosophers of the past, but well worth it. It makes you question your own existence and the ending has been sitting with me for days.

 

[bawd]

Title: Lord of the Flies
Author:William Golding
Genre:...classic?
Medium (fiction, non-fiction, novel, novella, poetry, biography etc):novel
Why You Should Read It: It's a classic so you have to.
Oh and it's dark and compelling.

We read this book in Year 9 for some genre about power. It is a good book, but only now because I'm mentally competent enough to appreciate it.

 

[Melisoverschool]

Title: Marley and Me
Author: John Grogan
Genre: not sure comedy- inspired by true story
It is a wonderful book about a crazy dog but it is such a funny novel and it really made me laugh. Sad in parts but i couldn't put it down. One for all of the dog lovers out there!

 

[XFatimaX]

Title: the bronze horseman, bridge to holy cross, and the summer garden
Author: Paullina Simons
Genre: Love & History
Medium (fiction, non-fiction, novel, novella, poetry, biography etc): Fiction
Why You Should Read It: its a really good book, very well written...interesting.. just research it

 

[icelillies]

Title: Infidel
Author: Ayann Hirsi Ali
Genre: Historical?
Medium (fiction, non-fiction, novel, novella, poetry, biography etc): Biography
Why You Should Read It: Well I think quite a few people shy away from the haphazard intensity that some biographies produce - but this is one piece of work that should be read by everyone. The style is simple but engaging, a highly delevoped piece due to the detail and descriptions. The author posits her view point however still manages to leave some form 'objective space' for the reader to fromulate their own ideas... If you enjoy learning about other cultures and their foundations (socially/culturally) - I would most definitely recomend this book.

*I loved 'Catch-22' And another book (a challenge due to its size) is Tolstoys 'War and Peace' which is quite a suprising satirical piece (despite historical subject matter)

 

[Grey Council]

what happened to the old thread? got unstickied

anyway, some good recommendations.
bitterbynde is heaps good
so is lolita, though thats very controversial. ;p VERY controversial haha.

btw, why is there such an inflammatory post in this thread that no one is commenting on? its outrageous

 

[Nadiaaa]

Title: Forrest Gump
Author: Winston Groom
Genre: Sort of comedic, but I'm not too sure
Medium (fiction, non-fiction, novel, novella, poetry, biography etc): Novel/Fiction
Why You Should Read It: I've never watched the movie, so I read the book, and it was just so good. The style it was written in was addictive, and I absolutely couldn't put the book down. I read it all at once

 

[loz8888]

Not sure if someone's already recommend this, but i absolutely loved 'Nineteen Minutes' by Jodie Picoult. I totally recommend it.

 

[shakky15]

Title: The Book Thief
Author: Markus Zusak
Genre: Fiction
Why You Should Read It: Although it is another book about WWII/the holocaust (there seems to be thousands of them) but it's written from the point of view of death and a german girl whose foster parents are hiding a Jew in the their basement. It is written beautifully and is so moving. It is pretty easy to read, in that it doesnt have pages and pages of descriptions and long words, but deals with big issues. Don't let it's thickness scare you - you'll fall in love with it and finish it in a few days like I did.

hmm i thought this book was a lot like 'to kill a mockingbird' in that most of the book is just describing children's life and then something happens at the end. in fact, i guess zusak achieved his goal when i read what happened and felt this huge loss because (sorry im trying not to spoil it) after reading practically 600 pages on these kids, you get attached to them and then when this happens.. yeah...

i felt a bit unsatisfied and bitter after finishing this book.

anyway, my recommendations:

Title: The Survivor
Author: Tom Cain
Genre: Action i think..
Why you should read it: Just awesome. Very well written and the chapters were very short (just a few pages long, creating the 'chocolate box' effect.. "ill just read one more chapter"..). The plot is fast paced and its very descriptive.

Title: Poison Tree
Author: Sandy McCutcheon (i think thats how its spelt)
Genre: Similar to The Survivor
Why you should read it: For much the same reasons as the survivor. I liked this book more, though. The story alternates between different people/plots and their journey, and they all come together at the end, which is clever. Lots of romance too (not lovey dovey, more making love lol) This book was extremely hard to put down.

 

[mirann]

Title: the bronze horseman, bridge to holy cross, and the summer garden
Author: Paullina Simons
Genre: Love & History
Medium (fiction, non-fiction, novel, novella, poetry, biography etc): Fiction
Why You Should Read It: its a really good book, very well written...interesting.. just research it

I absolutely agree with this rec, for sure it is one of the most compelling series I have read, really beautiful.

 

[Ginny11]

There are so many books that i absolutely love out there!!!
Here's just a few authors names for different genre's....
Bryce Courtenay - My favourite author ever and he writes across quite a few genre's/forms such as true story, pre/mid/post war, fiction, colonial australia, etc. he wrote "the power of one" which most people have heard of and like (there's actually a second book to "the power of one" called "Tandia"). My favs are "the four fires", Australian Trilogy and "The Persimmon Tree"
Kate Forsyth- Excellent fantasy writer. If you like the whole witches, dragons and evil queen thing (i do). Recommend the "Witches of Eileanon" series.
Michael Connelly- for crime fiction-great writing
Maureen Mcarthy- great for teenage girls
I wont say anymore.

 

[boris]

Title: The Dinosaur Alphabet book
Author: Some dude
Genre: Dinosaur Alphabet books
Medium: Fiction/Non-fiction/Auto-bibliography
Why you should read it: Dinosaur alphabets are the best kind

 

[housah0lic]

nigella lawsons christmas cooking book!
more to fap to the pics than anything else, though


god she's so sexy

 

[bubbly89]

Highways to a War by Christopher J Koch

this is such an awesome book... read it, its amazing how much you can hate/love a character, aspire to be and not be one.

 

[SpoonSamba]

the five people you meet in heaven by mitch albom

it changed my life