THE GREAT "I RECOMMEND THIS BOOK" THREAD.

Ross Dolan

Ross Dolan

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Credit to Ugly Truth's "Best way to kill time" thread: https://www.justplainpolitics.com/showthread.php?92340-Best-way-to-kill-time

While posting there, it became apparent that "reading" was a favorite of many people. So...here is a thread devoted to recommending books you've read...and commenting on 'em.

I'm going to start with one of my all time favorites...James Clavell's Shogun.

Damocles mentioned that he has read it several times...and I have read it twice. (It is that kind of book.)

So...what else have we got?
 
I'm not much into books, I tend to prefer my own story lines. I don't write though, but I do have a vivid imagination to entertain myself. The stuff I entertain myself with are on the lines of manga style stories, or like that Divergent series stuff. If I could write who knows if it would go anywhere.
 
Jade Dragon said:
I'm not much into books, I tend to prefer my own story lines. I don't write though, but I do have a vivid imagination to entertain myself. The stuff I entertain myself with are on the lines of manga style stories, or like that Divergent series stuff. If I could write who knows if it would go anywhere.
Click to expand...

Give it a try, JD. You might be better at it than you think. And...practice makes perfect.
 
OK here goes ---

Try
The Moon is a Harsh Mistress
Starship Troopers
Time Enough for Love

All by Robert Heinlein. He writes SciFi but its different scifi. He mainly writes about people in a different place and time but about people and how they interact with each other.

The Moon is a Harsh Mistress ---- the moon has been turned into a penal colony like Australia was. They decide they want to be free. Discusses the philosophy of what it means to be free..... One passage ---- they were looking at possible forms of government if they win..... "look at all forms that have been used on arth and discard them - they all failed".. This book also coined the phrase TANSTAAFL (there aint no such thing as a free lunch). In other words nothing is free even if the govt says it is. Someone always pays for it.

Starship Troopers --- they made a movie based on this book. The movie completely missed the point of the book. The book explores the realtionship we have with our govt and vice versa. What do yo owe your govt and what does it owe you.... Remember TANSTAAFL.....

Time Enough for Love -- a man was born about 1910 and lived for over 4,000 years. Goes into how he lived and so forth and what he learned. Great book ---- it will make you think for a fact.....
 
Frank Apisa said:
Credit to Ugly Truth's "Best way to kill time" thread: https://www.justplainpolitics.com/showthread.php?92340-Best-way-to-kill-time

While posting there, it became apparent that "reading" was a favorite of many people. So...here is a thread devoted to recommending books you've read...and commenting on 'em.

I'm going to start with one of my all time favorites...James Clavell's Shogun.

Damocles mentioned that he has read it several times...and I have read it twice. (It is that kind of book.)

So...what else have we got?
Click to expand...

Currently on book three of The Stormlight Archive, Oathbringer, by Brandon Sanderson. Great stuff if you like epic high fantasy.
 
flyboyut said:
OK here goes ---

Try
The Moon is a Harsh Mistress
Starship Troopers
Time Enough for Love

All by Robert Heinlein. He writes SciFi but its different scifi. He mainly writes about people in a different place and time but about people and how they interact with each other.

The Moon is a Harsh Mistress ---- the moon has been turned into a penal colony like Australia was. They decide they want to be free. Discusses the philosophy of what it means to be free..... One passage ---- they were looking at possible forms of government if they win..... "look at all forms that have been used on arth and discard them - they all failed".. This book also coined the phrase TANSTAAFL (there aint no such thing as a free lunch). In other words nothing is free even if the govt says it is. Someone always pays for it.

Starship Troopers --- they made a movie based on this book. The movie completely missed the point of the book. The book explores the realtionship we have with our govt and vice versa. What do yo owe your govt and what does it owe you.... Remember TANSTAAFL.....

Time Enough for Love -- a man was born about 1910 and lived for over 4,000 years. Goes into how he lived and so forth and what he learned. Great book ---- it will make you think for a fact.....
Click to expand...

By first sci fi novel (I used to devour the short story anthologies) was Heinlein's Stranger in a Strange Land...still one of the greatest sci fi novels ever.

I just read Children of Time, by Adrien Tchaikovsky. Truly a fine novel...and the kind of novel a Heinlein fan would enjoy.
 
countryboy said:
Currently on book three of The Stormlight Archive, Oathbringer, by Brandon Sanderson. Great stuff if you like epic high fantasy.
Click to expand...

I don't do much fantasy...but I should really give it a try. I'll keep this one in mind.

I'm currently reading The Angel of Darkness by Caleb Carr...a follow up to The Alienist.

I spend lots of time in New York City...so these books are must read. They tell the history of the Big Apple...in a tight murder mystery.
 
Frank Apisa said:
I don't do much fantasy...but I should really give it a try. I'll keep this one in mind.

I'm currently reading The Angel of Darkness by Caleb Carr...a follow up to The Alienist.

I spend lots of time in New York City...so these books are must read. They tell the history of the Big Apple...in a tight murder mystery.
Click to expand...

Nice, I like murder mystery/detective novels. One of my favorite series is the J.P. Beaumont series by JA Jance. It takes place in and around Seattle.
 
Hey does anyone here like novels about the days of wooden ships and iron men?

There is a series by Alexander Kent ( real name Douglas Reeman) on a Brit Naval officer from about 1780 or so until after the death of Napoleon. Great bunch of books - 28 of them. I have them all and have read them multiple times. They are called the Bolitho series.

Good books. The first time I read them I only took about 2 hours per book. Subsequent reading I slowed down and took 4-6 hours per book to read. Great series. More about the people involved than the ships or battles or other things. He writes like Robert Heinlein - about people and not the extraneous stuff
 
flyboyut said:
Hey does anyone here like novels about the days of wooden ships and iron men?

There is a series by Alexander Kent ( real name Douglas Reeman) on a Brit Naval officer from about 1780 or so until after the death of Napoleon. Great bunch of books - 28 of them. I have them all and have read them multiple times. They are called the Bolitho series.

Good books. The first time I read them I only took about 2 hours per book. Subsequent reading I slowed down and took 4-6 hours per book to read. Great series. More about the people involved than the ships or battles or other things. He writes like Robert Heinlein - about people and not the extraneous stuff
Click to expand...

I'll take a look at that. Thanks.

Heinlein was one of my favorite authors; Valentine Michael Smith one of my favorite fictional characters.
 
Jade Dragon said:
I'm not much into books, I tend to prefer my own story lines. I don't write though, but I do have a vivid imagination to entertain myself. The stuff I entertain myself with are on the lines of manga style stories, or like that Divergent series stuff. If I could write who knows if it would go anywhere.
Click to expand...

If not fiction, then there's always nonfiction. I recommend any history by David McCullough.
 
Frank Apisa said:
Credit to Ugly Truth's "Best way to kill time" thread: https://www.justplainpolitics.com/showthread.php?92340-Best-way-to-kill-time

While posting there, it became apparent that "reading" was a favorite of many people. So...here is a thread devoted to recommending books you've read...and commenting on 'em.

I'm going to start with one of my all time favorites...James Clavell's Shogun.

Damocles mentioned that he has read it several times...and I have read it twice. (It is that kind of book.)

So...what else have we got?
Click to expand...
I read it when I was high school age but not as a school assignment. Great epic read that I’ve read several times. I would suggest though that Clavell’s minuscule, by comparison, novel “King Rat” is the greater work.
 
flyboyut said:
OK here goes ---

Try
The Moon is a Harsh Mistress
Starship Troopers
Time Enough for Love

All by Robert Heinlein. He writes SciFi but its different scifi. He mainly writes about people in a different place and time but about people and how they interact with each other.

The Moon is a Harsh Mistress ---- the moon has been turned into a penal colony like Australia was. They decide they want to be free. Discusses the philosophy of what it means to be free..... One passage ---- they were looking at possible forms of government if they win..... "look at all forms that have been used on arth and discard them - they all failed".. This book also coined the phrase TANSTAAFL (there aint no such thing as a free lunch). In other words nothing is free even if the govt says it is. Someone always pays for it.

Starship Troopers --- they made a movie based on this book. The movie completely missed the point of the book. The book explores the realtionship we have with our govt and vice versa. What do yo owe your govt and what does it owe you.... Remember TANSTAAFL.....

Time Enough for Love -- a man was born about 1910 and lived for over 4,000 years. Goes into how he lived and so forth and what he learned. Great book ---- it will make you think for a fact.....
Click to expand...
Nothing like reading a Heinlein novel to make you want to take a flame thrower to everyone within a kilometer then drink a beaker of cyanide.

I would not want to live in a bleak Heinlein world.

Having said that I have the following Lazarus Long quote hanging on my office wall at work.

A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects!
 
Mott the Hoople said:
I read it when I was high school age but not as a school assignment. Great epic read that I’ve read several times. I would suggest though that Clavell’s minuscule, by comparison, novel “King Rat” is the greater work.
Click to expand...
I agree, but love all his works
 
Mott the Hoople said:
I read it when I was high school age but not as a school assignment. Great epic read that I’ve read several times. I would suggest though that Clavell’s minuscule, by comparison, novel “King Rat” is the greater work.
Click to expand...

Never read King Rat...but I've heard that before. I loved the movie.
 
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