For the Dan Brown fans I've seen in the thread, you should check out "The Eight" by Katherine Neville. I believe it was written in the late 80s and predates his style of historically/religiously influenced fiction. Takes place in 1790 and 1972. Tom Wolfe is one of my absolute favorite authors, so I agree with any recommendation of his (although he kind of lost it with I Am Charlotte Simmons). Some of his collections of social essays are fantastic, including The Kandy Kolored Tangerine Flake Streamline Baby. Of course, if I'm going to recommend one book to read, it will always be A Confederacy of Dunces. It's where my screen name comes from, it's absolutely hilarious, and its author, John Kennedy Toole, was so convinced of its brilliance that he killed himself over his book's lack of acceptance. Drove up to a hill, ran a hose from his exhaust to the window, and went to sleep. His mother tried desperately to get the book published after that, and eventually succeeded. It went on to win the Pulitzer Prize.
Yup. A Confederacy of Dunces is hilarious. I heard rumors they were going to do a movie, Will Ferrell in a fat suit? -- might be a comedic goldmine. I figured you must be a fan of this book!
What a Grand Dame. I shrieked like hell from start to finish. Full of sass and wisdom she was. RIP, Marie.
I read this one over a weeklong hiking trip back in February (I could have finished it in a day, but it was so good, I wanted to enjoy it. Like a 16oz prime rib, medium rare: savor the flavor instead of seeing how fast you can eat it. Yeah, its that good.) Even if you could care less about hiking or nature, you will be :rofl2: http://www.amazon.com/Walk-Woods-Re...bs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1209090055&sr=8-1
^That was a great book...read it while staying in my friend's cabin in woodstock...I know, it's the catskills.
I was on the Appalachian Trail most of the time (view of book from the top of Wesser Bald observation tower, just off the trail)
It will make you laugh out loud, which is a rare thing for a book. Bryson is a great author, I've read several of his books since. But that is still my favorite. You really can't go wrong with this book, even if you could care less about stepping outside and leaving the AC behind.
I wasn't trying to be confrontational. I just feel really strongly about the book, probably because of the hype it receives.
hey guys. check out goodreads.com you just add books and rate them and find out what friends others are reading. you get good suggestions all the time.
I just knocked off "World War Z" by Max Brooks. It's about a Global Pandemic that turns people into zombies. VERY interesting read on how the plague spreads etc. It definitely makes you think. It's one of the better books that I've read in a while.
thats a hell of a book i really enjoyed the down under and notes from a small island books by him as well
LOL. I loved that one I read it twice. I hear it's going to be made into a movie -- if so, I'm going to watch the shit out of it!
Hey Jeff, My paperback copy arrived the other day via Amazon. Already loving the first chapter on the Burr-Hamilton duel. This is something I knew nothing about (shows how little I know of your history) but what a great yarn. So this was how things were only 200 years ago. I would definitely try and visit that site at dawn when I visit NY. Shame Hillary and Obama couldn't have an 'interview' to settle the democratic nominee race.
I've read some really good ones recently: Phillip Pullman - His Dark Materials Trilogy (The Golden Compass is the first in the series) Cormac McCarthy - The Road Patrick Rothfuss - The Name of the Wind (The Kingkiller Chronicle, Day 1) Jim Butcher - The Dresden Files Series Neil Gaiman - Neverwhere and American Gods I can't recommend the Gaiman books highly enough....he is now one of my favorite authors. I've read the first 3 of the Dresden Files. I always start off annoyed reading them, but they suck me into them by the end and make me want to read the next one. The Road was excellent (ignore that it is an Oprah Book Club book). While I didn't love the last book in the His Dark Materials series, I really enjoyed the series overall. I've also read the first two of the Dark Tower series...they are good, but I can tell that in typical King fashion he will screw up the ending.
I just finished All the King's Men by Robert Penn Warren, great book to read during an election year. Don't judge the book by its poor, recent remake. Before that, I read The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera. I'm visiting Prague in a week and I felt that I needed to read a book that is Czech in essence, and also represents the period of Communism. This book was stellar, great stuff.
I've been reading alot of Nelson Demille Books recently. I enjoy them alot (save for Cathedral--couldn't get through it).
