Please advise me on some good books
Books!!!!
I have been spending a lot of time on the road, which means a lot of book reading! Sadly I can’t just tick books off a list of “books to read” and rely largely on 2 ways to decide what to read next: And now that I’m going to be unemployed I will have plenty of time to go to the library ad pick up some books to “enrich” myself (read: prevent boredom and cabin fever in my apartment)
1) Recommendations from friends
2) Literally judging books by their covers at the bookstore (I know I’m not supposed to do that!)
3) I used to be in a book club which fell apart when some members dated eachother and we all got a case of the “spozedas” like “I’m spozeda go to have a book club meeting, but I decided not to leave my apartment due to hangover”
4) Books most normal people had to read in their high school (or junior high) reading class but for some reason I never got around to.
Here are my “Top picks” from each category:
Recommended Books (which I in-turn am recommending to you, my devotee, even if I haven’ read them all):
1) Microserfs (Douglas Coupland) – I don’t know who recommended it, but this may be my favorite book of all time. Very good for discovering your inner geek.
2) One Hundred Years of Solitude (Gabriel Garcia Marquez) – This is a book I have attempted to get through several times but can only make it about halfway because its so freakin boring. But I have been promised that the ending is “amazing”, so one of these days I’ll suck it up and finish it.
3) About a Boy (Nick Hornby) – Surprisingly good for a book that is painfully British
4) He Died with a Falafel in His Hand (John Birmingham) – This book is awesome. I love it. Some Australian recommended it to me and I kept thinking to myself “this soooo reminds me of college living”.
5) Confederacy of Dunces – Another book I haven’t read but people say I would love it. I’ll assume that they know me that well!
Judging Books by their Covers (or going by the “Staff Recommendations” at Barnes and Noble)
1) Lullabye by that guy who wrote “Fight Club” – This book is crazy!
2) Howl’s Moving Castle – This is being made into the latest Miyazaki movie and it’s a very strange book. I am reading it now. OK, it’s a children’s book, but I’m comfortable with my maturity level!
3) Eragon (Something Paolini) – The book is actually pretty good, and very good considering the author was only 15 years old! When I was 15 I could barely pee my name in the snow!
4) Genghis Khan (can’t remember his name but it’s the one at the bookstore with the picture of a Genghis Khan statue) – This book makes you want to go to Mongolia
5) The Alexander Trilogy (Something Manfredi) – This series of “novels” is pretty interesting and is much more riveting that that shithouse movie by Oliver Stone. Peee-yew! Stinky stinky!!
Book Club Books
We only read a couple, but I liked “The Namesake” by Jumpa Lahiri. I lot of people can relate to the second generation immigrant kids, although I found myself relating more to their parents….also liked a book called “The Feast of Love”, which was a bunch of interconnected short stories. In some ways it reminded me of “Kissing in Manhattan”, only not as retarded.
Books I read later in life than normal because I was too busy reading comic books in junior high and my high school English teachers had VERY strange taste in required reading:
1) Watership Down– This may be my favorite book ever. Who knew rabbit culture could be so fierce! Also its “cold war-licious!!
2) Lord of the Flies – This book is completely fucked up! My boss from Solly always says his Scottish boarding school was just like this!
3) The Chocolate War – This was such a teen angst book. Not sure why everyone liked it so much in junior high. I read it about a year ago and wasn’t super impressed!
4) Catcher in the Rye – Again, not sure why people have literally gone nuts over this book, but I guess its kinda interesting.
5) Invisible Man (Ralph Ellison) – Most people read this in high school, but I read it in college under the tutelage of a militant lesbian. Amazing book. I heard that his next book wasn’t as good.
OK, so those are some teasers for you the read, but I would encourage you to respond with your recommendations because I am constantly looking for new things and I’m kinda picky. You should also know that I’m on a history kick right now…
