Srlsly, Need Halp OK Thx
In the past, my devoted readers have been valuable sources of recommendations for books which I can give as gifts and which the recipient will love. Just about every book I ever gave my brother was based on your advice, so you know I take you seriously. So, Internet, I turn to you once again for help, this time for me. I need some fiction! But I don’t know what to buy! So would you mind offering some advice on what I should check out?
Generally speaking, I like a more serious book. It has to be complicated enough and well written enough to be interesting, though not hard for hard’s sake, obviously. That’s just stupid. I like mysteries/crime genre, sci fi, and historical fiction. But not that historical fiction that’s all about women having epic romantic journeys - that stuff bores the tits off me. I don’t like fantasty, not even Tolkein (I know! Gasp!). I love stories (especially true ones) about man gettin’ whupped by nature (I own lots about journeys to Anarctica, for example). I am irrationally drawn to big books. I like a psychologically and/or politically complex story. And for god’s sake do not recommend The Da Vinci Code.
Here are some books I have loved:
- Everything by Neal Stephenson. And Kim Stanley Robinson.
-The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco
-Shogun by James Clavell
-The Road by Cormac McCarthy
-Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrel by Susanna Clarke
-The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro
-The Children of Men by P.D. James
If that sparks any ideas, I’d love to hear them. All of the above books I listed came to me because of someone else’s recommendation - doesn’t it always seem like the best books fly under the radar? It’s like there’s a secret underground method of divining what’s worth reading.
Posted in Reading |
August 19th, 2008 at 3:18 pm
1. Any sci-fi by Iain Banks. Particularly Use of Weapons or Player of Games. (His mainstream stuff runs from excellent to good to seriously disturbed.)
2. For something lighter, the Miles Vorkosigan books by Lois McMaster Bujold are always fun. I’m rereading one of her books right now.
3. For historical fiction, the Josephine B. trilogy was pretty good. It’s a fictionalized diary of Josephine Bonaparte. I can give that to you, if you’re interested.
August 19th, 2008 at 3:47 pm
Better to just tell me the author and titles. I don’t like to borrow books because I tend to be quite hard on them and feel guilty about abusing other people’s things! Also if I like it I’ll want to keep it.
August 19th, 2008 at 4:07 pm
I only really keep books that I intend to reread. While that book is very good, it is also very, very long, so I am unlikely to reread it.
It is likely to go in the next purge, so if you want it, it’s yours.
August 19th, 2008 at 4:41 pm
In that case, I would be pleased to accept! Sounds intriguing!
August 20th, 2008 at 5:58 pm
So…if a fantasy novel were like unto Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrel you’d be interested?
Though it’s as much an alternate history novel as a fantasy…
I’ll ponder & get back to you..
rory
August 21st, 2008 at 9:38 am
Quite right - fantasy in that vein is quite acceptable. I guess it’s sword and sorcery I don’t like.
August 21st, 2008 at 2:08 pm
Cool.
Though it might be hard (outside of Neil Gaiman) to find something in the vein of JS+mN.
I’ll ponder more, but try “The Physician” by Noah Gordon
It’s set in the middle ages & follows a English orphan’s journey to become a physician, traveling from England to Persia and back.
August 21st, 2008 at 7:38 pm
I just finished two excellent books that I can’t recommend highly enough that are both so totally different.
First one is Crooked Little Vein by Warren Ellis, which I have only seen at Blackberry Books on Granville Island (where I bought it) and Amazon. The first chapter is up at Amazon in PDF form. I should warn that the book is guaranteed to offend, but is actually quite an enjoyable read, despite the content. Its the story of a burned out PI who is hired to find the “other” US Constitution. I loved it.
The second book is called Spin by Robert Charles Wilson, which I found at White Dwarf Books. It won the 2006 Hugo Award for best sci-fi novel and is a brilliant story of three characters who deal with life over 30 years after the stars suddenly disappear one night. This is another one that I absolutely loved, and I can’t recommend it highly enough.
August 21st, 2008 at 10:05 pm
My reading list is shaping up! By the way Rory, thought I’d let you know more in particular that I’ve given books (or series) on your recommendation about six times and every one has been a hit. Perhaps there’s a business opportunity in this somewhere…?
August 22nd, 2008 at 10:54 am
Thanks - that’s good to know!
It’s somewhat selfish: if stuff *I* like is read/purchased by others then my favorite authors are more likely to write more books.
Also to try :
The Historian, by Elizabeth Kostova.
It’s got mystery, history, and a quest for Vlad Tepes. It’s not as good as the Physician, but you may enjoy it.
I’ve also recently started reading Ian Rankin’s “Rebus” novels(crime/mystery in Scotland). I really enjoy his writing style - so if you haven’t read anything by him you might want try his stuff out.
Rory