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[psychomonkeyz16]

So, I'm looking for book recommendations.  Any suggestions you might have would be lovely and greatly appreciated!

Comments

i have a feeling you mean novels mostly

[apocryphilia]

"What is the What" by Dave Eggers was the last book I read that blew me away. I can't recommend it highly enough.

As well as "The World According to Garp" but I have a feeling you've read that already. If you haven't though, please do.

"The Road" by Cormac McCarthy is really great, too. Bleak. Intense. Amazing.

Re: i have a feeling you mean novels mostly

[psychomonkeyz16]

Oooh, I read "What is the What" over the summer and really enjoyed it. And "The World According to Garp" was my favorite book all through high school.
I keep hearing buzz, for lack of another word, about "The Road" but hadn't really looked into it. Thank you!

Re: i have a feeling you mean novels mostly

[apocryphilia]

ha, i just read "garp" and i was trying to remember who recommended it to me...i think there's a very strong possibility that you were one of several people who did, years ago.

"what is the what" really stuck with me a lot...have you read "you shall know our velocity" by him? also very good.

[psychomonkeyz16]

Yeah, that's well within the spectrum of possibility. On sort of pallindromical note, I remember somebody recommending "You Shall Know Our Velocity" to me whilst I was reading "Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius". That was probably you. That said, it's on the list.

[apocryphilia]

i think "a brief history of nearly everything" by bryson is also good.
a really awesome, digestible explanation of biology, astronomy, geology, etc...written in a way that makes you go "whoaaaaa"

or it did for me at least.

[psychomonkeyz16]

Hahaha! I've played a board game based on Pillars of the Earth! Thank you for the recommendations.

[psychomonkeyz16]

in regards to atlas shrugged, do you mind if i ask what (do you think) in particular drew you to it: the writing, the plot line, or the political/philosophical message (so to speak, and not to imply that any of the previous are mutually exclusive)? because i must say, the reason i haven't read it previously is that a) the story has never really struck me as particularly fetching and b) i've always heard that it's greatness derives mostly from it's qualities as a manifesto on objectivism which, to be frank, is a school of thought that i don't particularly agree with and don't care to spend my free time being lectured on.

[psychomonkeyz16]

good god, that's inelegantly phrased.

[apocryphilia]

i would like to un-recommend anything ayn rand. but that's just me.

also, there's this essayist george saunders who i've really dug lately. his sense of humor would jibe well with you, i think. my mom got me a copy of his book "the braindead megaphone" and i highly recommend it

[bunnygiant]

yeah, i would use recommend not reading ayn rand or, and if you don't want to be sad, i would say don't read raymond carver.

also, based on those two books and bc i will never meet them, i'm going to ahead and say not to read anything that jessicarulz suggests.

i suggest foundation series by isaac azimov.
and i suggest gaberial garcia marquez. probably 100 yrs of solitude, but if you read that maybe love in the time of cholera. i don't not suggest a death fortold.

good luck