On January 09 2012 13:42 scarper65 wrote:
What books would you guys recommend for someone new to sci fi/fantasy. I really have enjoyed popular books such as the song of ice and fire, inheritance series, and ender's game

I was never too into fantasy (I've read the first 2 song of fire and ice + ender's game as well but that was pretty much it) and I gave up on the first book of Wheel of Time not even half way through.

I recommend the books from this guy :
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R.A._Salvatore

The forgotten realms books he writes are straight forward fantasy, pretty short (about 200 pages each). I haven't been able to stop myself from reading them (as I said earlier, 12 books in 2 weeks).

Slaughter

United States20254 Posts

January 09 2012 04:53 GMT

#143

I just finished the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo Trilogy and now I am reading The Archaeology of Death and Burial by Mike Pearson...

After that I will start on the books I got for Christmas:

Bioarchaeological Studies of Life in the Age of Agriculture edited by Patricia Lambert

Bioarchaeology of the Human Head: Decapitation, Decoration, and Deformation edited by Michelle Bonogofsky

and

Mississippian Mortuary Practices: Beyond Hierarchy and the Representationist Perspective edited by Lynne Sullivan and Robert Mainfort Jr.

These are academic books related to my field but they should still be very exciting! :D

Critter

United States196 Posts

January 09 2012 04:57 GMT

#144

Currently reading Stonewielder by Ian C. Esslemont (partner of Erikson in the Malazan world, writing his own 5 books, this is the 3rd). I might actually finish this tonight depending on how slow work is.

After that I have A Wise Man's Fear in the pipeline, along with a couple other books that I saw suggested on NPR (I was looking to branch out since I'm about caught up on everything). Rule 34 by Charles Stross, a book about internet scammers being murdered (or something, as I said I'm trying to branch out), and The Heroes by Joe Abercrombie, which sounded interesting because the whole book takes place in one battle from many points of view.

After I've read all those, I'll likely re-read the Dark Tower series since it's been a while, or possibly pick up the Mistborn series since Sanderson's writing was good enough in The Way of King's to get me interested.

Archas

United States6531 Posts

January 09 2012 13:36 GMT

#145

I'm absolutely enamored with Clancy's works.

incifan

Germany138 Posts

January 09 2012 14:08 GMT

#146

for everyone remotely interested in history and strategic decision making, i can only recommend this book (and basically every other book Luttwak wrote)

finished reading this a while ago and it is a great trip back to my childhood and into the future
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read some other books, but nothing worth recommending

TheAmazombie

United States3714 Posts

January 09 2012 14:12 GMT

#147

I am half-way through a weird and epic sci-fi novel called 10 Billion Days and 100 Billion Nights that was just translated into English from Japanese for the first time.

While I am only half-way through and somewhat confused, there are a ton of things coming together in this book and I recommend it.
http://www.amazon.com/Ten-Billion-Days-Hundred-Nights/dp/1421539047/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1326118221&sr=8-1

FallenShard

Serbia4 Posts

January 09 2012 14:20 GMT

#148

Got this one for New Year, it seems like it's a really great book, and I've only read like 1/5 so far.

qeMix

Germany71 Posts

January 09 2012 14:39 GMT

#149

currently:
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unfortunately in english and not in japanese so some parts are cut out :/

TheUltimate

82 Posts

January 09 2012 14:49 GMT

#150

This is the most update to date and complete account of the biggest disaster of the 20th century, perhaps claiming more lives than any event in history except WW2. Thanks to way-too-ambitious plans combined with incredibly naive decision-making, Mao Zedong starved, beat and tortured to death potentially 45 million of his own countrymen, while the other billion Chinese endured privation beyond imagining.

More politically speaking, it is a stunning account of precisely why autocracy is a poor form of governance, even when the leader has the best of intentions (which in Mao's case, is very debatable.)

A very interesting read, but makes me burn with anger at what so many innocent people were put through for one man's pride.

nOia.pod

Hungary263 Posts

January 09 2012 14:51 GMT

#151

Taekwon

United States8155 Posts

January 09 2012 16:25 GMT

#152

EDIT: disregard

sa8095

9 Posts

January 09 2012 16:28 GMT

#153

Awesome books with some great characters

Trotske

410 Posts

January 09 2012 16:30 GMT

#154

Just finished falling in love with The name of the wind , and wise man's fear and now working through the dresden books.
If you havn't read
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it's amazing

Xcobidoo

Sweden1871 Posts

January 09 2012 16:38 GMT

#155

JohnBiolante

26 Posts

January 09 2012 16:40 GMT

#156

I like football theory. I have quite a few books on different systems and schemes. I like to know what I am watching.

http://www.amazon.com/Delaware-Wing-T-Order-Football/dp/0131983261/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1326126889&sr=8-1

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If you just want a basic better understanding of the average football game then I'd highly recomend this:

+ Show Spoiler +

http://www.amazon.com/Take-Your-Eye-Off-Ball/dp/1600783910/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1326127097&sr=1-1

mememolly

4765 Posts

January 09 2012 17:15 GMT

#157

On January 03 2012 08:52 Cops wrote:
Just read:

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Grapes of Wrath - The Steinbeck classic set during the Dust Storms of the 1930s. I can understand why it was controversial at the time because of the anti-capitalist sentiments in it. Really enjoyable book aside from the powerful message, you really warm to every member of the Joad family.
--

Currently reading:

Bret Easton Ellis is my favourite author. Trying to get through all of his novels.
--

Reading next:

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Got it for Christmas, never read anything by DeLillo but my brother raved about him so

BEE is just a terrible writer, dunno how you can mention him in the same breath as Steinbeck or DeLillo

User was temp banned for this post.

Croaker

United States101 Posts

January 10 2012 11:31 GMT

#158

Game of Thrones is pretty good. The imp is by far my favorite character, just spouting sarcasm and pulling amusing stunts all the time. Some of the characters seemed a little artificial though - Ned's wife in particular has some really odd behavior and opinions. The Name of the Wind is also great, although the society that hasn't figured out the connection between sex and reproduction is remarkably silly. The whole fairy sequence was out of left field too - both of these developments occur in the sequel (Wise Man's Fear). The love story is top-notch, though, as is the main character: Kvothe ftw.

As for what I'd read myself, here's a spoiler:

+ Show Spoiler +

This isn't what I'm reading, but I highly recommend it. It's the first book in a trilogy. If you can deal with some pretty black subject matter and a detectable atheist bias, then this is the book for you. Noir fantasy is perhaps the easiest way to describe the genre. The characters are perfectly developed and likeable, even when they're absolute evil. I've never enjoyed creative use of cliches so much.

[image loading]

you can try clicking to look inside, but your mileage may vary

Also, if you like your fantasy a little more heroic and a little less thought-provoking, try this:

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