Book Recommendations

If I might ask for recommendations from people, I've been caught up in a desire for more science fiction works, and most recently, drawn to the steampunk genre. Does anyone know anything good in that neighborhood?

 

Sticky-ed so that people can easily get opinions on books they want to read, get advice on books they may enjoy and give out said advice to other members ^^.

@Ego Imperium: I've heard that the Howl's Moving Castle series by Dianna Wynne Jones (while aa fairly easy read) is quite steampunky in style, so that might be a good one. I have also heard that "The Infernal Devices" trilogy is good, though others can verify the truth in that statement :).

 

Book Recommendations?

I just finished reading my last book in my stack of things to read and have been kind of stuck on what to read next...

I am looking for something thats non fiction, but more of a writer like Chuck Klosterman (Writer of Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs, and Killing yourself to live)

any suggestions KHV?

 

Try the Hunger Games Trilogy.

You probably don't like classics (or you may have already read these), but Of Mice and Men as well as The Catcher in the Rye are outstanding.


I hope that helps in your search for a good book.


*salutes*

 

I have read a lot of the classics, Catcher In The Rye was fantastic I agree with you. And I can't find my copy of the first Hunger Games books.... but if I can't find it soon, its time to buy a new copy

 

_Merged

with current book recommendations thread.

And to ad onto the discussion

The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fyord:

It's a pretty interesting tale of time shenanigans and a spin of Jane Eyre that will probably leave you wanting to read it. xD

 

If your library has it, I would look for Lord of the Flies. It was a book I read during my Sophomore year, I believe, and there are some pretty interesting parts in it that will leave the reader in suspense.

There's a movie for it, too, if I recall correctly.

 

My personal recommendation would be:

Alex rider series.

I've been reading the books in the series repeatedly in spare time. and i love them. full of action and suspense.

another would be the magic faraway tree , it's very old , 3 books that my mother handed down to me. full of fantasy and adventure.
i don't know much about skullduggery pleasent , but a few months ago i read one. i loved it too , another fantasy genre , some detective genre mixed in

thats all i can think of for now.

 

Have you ever read the InkHeart trilogy?
They're great books in my opinion. Fantasy, I believe is what they'd be genre'd as.
It's basically about a man who is able to read in such a way, that he is able to cause whatever he reads, to become true - but he can't control it.
He caused two horrid antagonist from a book, "Ink Heart" to be brought to life. Whenever something like this occurs, one other human must be sacrificed into the book. His wife was put into the book, as the two antagonists prepare to somehow take over this world.
Epic battles and such are then held.

This book sounds really lame when I explain it. >:

 

Perrrrrrrn. Pern series is boss.
Another is the Magicians by Lev Grossman. Kinda new, but still a big kid version of Harry Potter.
And lastly, I'll recommend any book in the Dragonlance series.

 

Your explanation isn't lame! You actually capture the essence of Inheart very well.

I remember reading the first book after Hurricane Katrina knocked out our power for like two weeks (and at te time, Inkheart was the only one that had been released).

I highly recommend it along with the Cirque Du Freak series.

The movies for both suck, but the books themselves are great. Plus, the Cirque Du Freak books are less than 250 pages each, so they keep you entertained in bursts while you anticipate opening up the next one (there are twelve books total and if you skip one, you'll be a bit lost).

 

Oh, I've always wanted to read the Cirque Du Freak series. I've just had no time to, and 12 books means some cash that needs to try and creep it's way in. Ha ha. Yeah...


Anyway, i would recommend of course, Harry Potter. But I've seen everyone has recommended that as well.

I also have to agree with the Hunger Games trilogy. I personally really enjoyed this, especially the 2nd installment. It really grabs you and keeps you flipping from page to page all night. You'll feel like you want to be part of the Hunger Games, as awful as the games do go.

I also recommend Neil Gaiman's Fragile Things. It's a compilation of short stories and poems and some monologues that he wrote. It's super fresh. And since the stories are all different, it's like you've got a bunch of little reads all in one book. Plus, Gaiman's got such an out of this world mind so you can get really inspired and creative after reading his works.

Jame's Patterson & Michael Ledwidge's Daniel X is really cool too. Another fantasy book. It's about a boy who has the power of creation. It's a general concept but with Daniel's past and missions make it a very fun read. It's also a very fun read because Daniel's character is very young and acts quite child-like. He sometomes reminds me of Peter Pan actually. It makes me smile, his character. I've only read the first book, I'm not too sure if there are more. I reckon there is but I haven't had the time to get them just yet.

Another fantasy series I read was The Gate Keepers. The author was Anthony H. I forgot what the H stood for. I bought the series at a book sale, it looked interesting. And I wasn't disappointed. It's quite action packed, and a little apocalyptic. Not really, but there's a point where the guy kind of fights for his life - and others' lives really. I don't remember much, having read this such a long time ago (I promise I will again soon), but all I do remember is that this is such a great read. I stuck to the story for such a long time.

There's also a series called the Kingdom Keepers. It's about kids working in Disneyland and they get into all sorts of trouble with the actual disney characters! It reminded me a bit of Kingdom Hearts so I gave it a go. Of course, KH is super different and a lot more complex but this was so fun to read. I'm sure a lot of others would enjoy this book too.

Sarra Manning's Guitar Girl made me fall in love even more with my fantasies of being part of a band when I grow up. This has romance and deception and reality. It's beautiful. It's about a band coming together and friendships being formed and raw teenage livestyles in the mature world of the music industry of Europe. It's a very 'real' book, which is why it's pretty close to my heart.

Lastly, again from Sarra Manning, is Pretty Things. This is a story about a girl who loves a boy who loves a boy who loves a girl who loves girls. It's super cute and super fun. It's a book about teenager life once again, wrapped with artistic people. There's Brie who is in love with her gay best friend Charlie. Charlie's in love with bad boy Walker. And walker finds himself in love with a lesbian that starts with the letter 'D'. Haha, I forgot again. I fell in love with Charlie. I want him as my gay best friend. Brie annoyed me to bits. Walker and D sounded really cool. It's a fun read, once again, and very relatable.

 

I was just about to recommend all three of these books (well 5 including the entire trilogy) xD

I would also recommend The great Gatsby (by F. Scott Flitzgerald), The Shining and Misery (both by Stephen King).

The Great Gatsby is a classic and I have to read it for A level English literature and the way story is quite simple but it's done in such a lovely way, I haven't finished it yet but I am really enjoying it so far. I like the way Flitzgerald writes as well, it's understandable and doesn't go too off topic all the time although it does describe scenes which paints a lovely picture in your minds eye. A great classic!

The Shining is a bit of a horror story and it's all about a haunted hotel that drives a guy insane to the point of wanting to kill his family. You may have seen the film, the book is different to the film (a lot better imo). I haven't read it in a while but it was a book I really enjoyed reading as I was always curious as to what would happen next, it took a lot to put the book down.

Misery, I only recommend this book if people don't mind graphically described gore. It's a good story as it makes you thankful of your own freedom, there is a woman who finds her favourite writer after a car crash and takes him back home to heal him. All she asks in return is for him to rewrite one of his books so that one of the characters doesn't die. But since he cannot move due to broken limbs, he is stuck there and so is forced to do so. It describes the pain he's in as he isn't being treated in a hospital and it makes you really hate this woman who is 'helping' him but also destroying him. I couldn't put this book down, it was just amazing.

 

I recommend the Conquerer Series by Conn Iggulden. It follows the great Genghis Khan, from his humble origins to his death, and continues on to his heirs and finishes at Kublai Khan. The series isn't over yet. The first book, Wolf of the Plains was the first book to pull me into actually start reading more and I just picked it up from a charity shop. I never knew much about the Mongol people before this series but it really gripped me the struggles that these tribals endured to become the largest conquering nation in history. I also love how it portrays the characters, really unique from each other.

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, which I read while doing my A-level in Eng Lit, is a great book. A modern classic if I can use the term, it holds the idea of immigration, family, class, religion and so much more. One of the few books I've read that I wanted to finish, because I want to know what happens bow things turn out. And somethings are cliche in the plot but I admit that made it just right for me. Really sets you in the mood for what it's like to be an Afghani citizen inthe last 20 years, and I've come to respect the peopl. Quote: 'For you, Amir, a thousand times over'

 

You have good taste.

The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss

Just read it.

1984 by George Orwell

I will not trust your taste in any media until you have read this.

The Giver by Lois Lowry (And any book by her)

Lowry is one of my favourite authors because of her dream like way of writing. It is upsetting and relaxing at the same time, and it flows very nicely. I would not have missed reading her works for the world.

Animal Farm by George Orwell

Nothing necessary. My first book by him. It changed me completely.

The Magicians by Lev Grossman

A very sad read. The sequel should be coming out shortly.

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

Another book needing no introduction. Wilde is considered the greatest master of language to this day by many people, including me.

V For Vendetta (Comic) by Alan Moore

They say that there is a broken light for every heart on Broadway; they say that life's a game and then they take the board away. They give you masks and costumes and an outline of the story, and then they leave you all to improvise their vicious cabaret.

This is one of the very few comics that I enjoyed reading, and it is a favourite over many other mediums. A must-read.

Gardens of the Moon by Steven Erikson

A bit epic for some, but it entertains me. Be sure to read the character indexes before each book if you think that you have forgotten some of them. Worth reading at least the first time.

The Malazan Book of the Fallen (Series) by Steven Erikson

I doubt you will want to stop there if you read the first one...

Dragonsong by Anne McCaffrey
Dragonsinger by Anne McCaffrey
Dragondrums by Anne McCaffrey

My first trilogy. A great introduction to her books if you are not ready for the bigger stuff yet.

The Dragonriders of Pern (Series) by Anne McCaffrey

Keep going.

Harry Potter (Series) by J. K. Rowling

The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien

The Bourne Trilogy (Series) by Robert Ludlum

If you have seen the films, then you need to read the books to see what they got wrong. Both were good series, but they were different things entirely. The books were more psychologically based, and I enjoyed them thoroughly. Would read again, probably.

I am very bad at giving reviews or commenting on things, alas...

And telling stories.

 

I only have 1 for now because I can't think of anything else but...

Watership Down by Richard Adams. This book is amazing. As weird as this sounds it is about rabbits surviving in the wild after there home is destroy. It is filled with action and suspense. Its also unique to see a semi-realistic view into their lives but added a Godish view on their existence.

 

Donnie had something to say about this.

[video=youtube;NAryr1htkDM]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAryr1htkDM[/video]

I have not read the book. I will give a serious opinion if and when I have.

 

1.) Percy Jackson & The Olympians series
2.) The Heroes of Olympus series (sequel of the Percy J. series)
3.) The Fault In Our Stars

 

I do recommend this book too! xD It's very interesting.
2-Alice through the Looking Glasses;
3-Percy Jackson;
4-Harry Potter;
5-Hamlet.

 

1. Legacy Of the Force

2. Xanth Series

3. Transformers Movie Novels (Ghosts Of Yesterday, Movie 1, The Veiled Threat, Movie 2, and Movie 3)