JoBlo

bedhead_dl · #1 12-14-2006, 01:11 PM

Yo, can you help a fellow schmoe out?

Just read a long series of books on my 'to-read' list by people who have said - YOU MUST READ THIS!! and so I have. I've enjoyed them all.

The major good ones were:

-Survivor - Chuck Palaniuk
-The Subject Steve - Sam Lipsite
-Norwegian Wood - Harakuri Murakami (sp?)

Based on those books could you give me some direction of what to read next - I'm going to read American Psycho next to see what that's like coz between me and you - I've never seen the film..

If you could give me any more cool authors or titles of other material I should read please do so. You'll be helping me out loads and make me look much less of a fool the next time I go to Borders.

Cheers!

Sh8dy Milkman · #2 12-14-2006, 04:36 PM

Hmm...if you liked Survivor, then I would recommend Choke and Fight Club. They, along with Survivor are the best of what Chuck Palahniuk's work.

outsyder · #3 12-14-2006, 04:43 PM

If you liked the movie American Psycho, you'll probably like the book. I find the meticulous and almost obsessive attention to detail is transferred quite well.

Annie Hall · #4 12-14-2006, 05:00 PM

The Rachel Papers - Martin Amis

It's a little bit superfluous and silly, but at its heart it really represents one of the final, clear cut stages of "growing up", and that's reaching sexual maturity beyond just knowing how to do it. It's one of the wittiest, most dead-on "novels" I've come across.

The Beach - Alex Garland

Don't trust the people who say the movie sucked, because the book is grand and is highly regarded by those who have read it. Also very "generation defining" in its brilliance.

Lolita - Vladmir Nabokov

A more recognizable classic. If you can tolerate Palahniuk, you can stomach this.

HannibalGuy · #5 12-15-2006, 06:09 PM

Read the entire Aubrey-Maturin series by Patrick O'Brain. Should be a great year's worth of reading.

chinton · #6 12-15-2006, 06:25 PM

Boy's Life by Robert R. McCammon

Best book I've ever read.

UseYourIllusion · #7 12-18-2006, 07:41 AM

If you're in for a good Stephen King book, check out "The Talisman" by King and Peter Straub. Fucking great book.

HannibalGuy · #8 12-18-2006, 08:32 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by UseYourIllusion
If you're in for a good Stephen King book

Then read everything he's written

cerealkiller182 · #9 12-19-2006, 05:03 PM

If you like Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, then you should read Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Prachett. And if you liked Catcher in the Rye you should read The Fuck-Up by Arthur Neressian(sp?) (for newer generations).

bedhead_dl · #10 12-20-2006, 02:04 PM

Thanks for those guys - alot of those sound really interesting.

Have you guys read the Sam Lipsite book I listed earlier - The Subject Steve? It's so fucked up but brilliant.

Anyways - anymore good recomondations? I'm always reading something...

KcMsterpce · #11 12-20-2006, 08:38 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by chinton
Boy's Life by Robert R. McCammon

Best book I've ever read.

*nods*

bedhead_dl · #12 12-27-2006, 10:33 AM

Started 'The Fuck Up' as spotted it in a sale. Thanks for the advice guys. Any more?

bedhead_dl · #13 02-13-2007, 04:21 PM

Just finished 'A Catcher In The Rye'.

I really enjoyed it. Any more recomendations?

What have you all being reading? What's good? What's shit?

KcMsterpce · #14 02-13-2007, 05:18 PM

BOY'S LIFE is both good AND shit.
It's so good, it's The SHIT!

Out and About · #15 02-25-2007, 12:26 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by HannibalGuy
Then read everything he's written

Too true.

The one book I can't recommend enough is The Long Walk . For the longest time I was searching for a Stephen King book I could cite as my "favorite." After I read that novel, I stopped looking.

Scorpio24 · #16 03-01-2007, 05:48 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by chinton
Boy's Life by Robert R. McCammon

Best book I've ever read.

I'm intrigued by yours and KC's comments.

What's it about?

bourahioro · #17 03-01-2007, 04:55 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Out and About
Too true.

The one book I can't recommend enough is The Long Walk . For the longest time I was searching for a Stephen King book I could cite as my "favorite." After I read that novel, I stopped looking.

I'm a big King fan, and I can't for the life of me get into the gunslinger series at all.

bedhead_dl · #18 04-17-2007, 12:43 PM

Recently finished "Erasure" by Percival Everett.

Strangest structured book I've ever read.

Any other recommendations?

TheMazVolta · #19 04-18-2007, 06:29 AM

American Gods and Neverware. Both By Neil Gaiman.
The LA Quartet (The Black Dahlia, The Big Nowhere, LA Confidential and White Jazz) - James Ellroy
If you want something fantasy fictiony go for His Dark Materials by Pullman.

bedhead_dl · #20 05-11-2007, 11:30 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by chinton
Boy's Life by Robert R. McCammon

Best book I've ever read.

I can't find this book anywhere?!

Any ideas where I can pick it up.

I live in England.

Scorpio24 · #21 05-30-2007, 07:32 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by bedhead_dl
I can't find this book anywhere?!

Any ideas where I can pick it up.

I live in England.

Right here bro.

http://www.biblio.com/search.php?aut...Boy's+Life

chinton · #22 05-30-2007, 11:31 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Scorpio24
I'm intrigued by yours and KC's comments.

What's it about?

It's hard to actually say what the book is about as it's so epic and so episodic, but it is essentially about a boy growing up in a small Souther town during the 50s I believe.

As far as what happens this is the only way I can describe it. Imagine a mystery novel crossed with Fried Green Tomatoes. Then imagine that novel was written by Bradbury and Stephen King and you have somewhat of an idea.

Scorpio24 · #23 05-31-2007, 01:47 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by chinton
It's hard to actually say what the book is about as it's so epic and so episodic, but it is essentially about a boy growing up in a small Souther town during the 50s I believe.

As far as what happens this is the only way I can describe it. Imagine a mystery novel crossed with Fried Green Tomatoes. Then imagine that novel was written by Bradbury and Stephen King and you have somewhat of an idea.

Yeah I took a look on Amazon for the reviews. They were the same as yours. Hard to explain but epic.

I bought it a little while back now after reading this thread but as per usual I haven't got to it because I haven't got through the mass of books I buy because of this damn forum.

bedhead_dl · #24 09-17-2007, 10:09 AM

Woah!!

Just went travelling across Europe and took 'Boys Life' with me.

That book is awesome! Really one of the best books I've read and I'm not American and I didn't grow up in a small town. It just kind of defines being 12 all over again.

Thanks for the tip folks - really worthwhile read. I felt like I'd lost a close friend when I'd finished it.

Any more recomendations? Anything like Boys Life?

Reading Haunted by Chuck Palanuik at the moment. Hilarious.

Oh - read Slick by Daniel Price. Re-read that recently and still as impressive as ever. Funny as hell.

martyds761 · #25 09-17-2007, 12:02 PM

If you like Chuck Palanuik, try his Invisible Monster. Might not be his best, but I found it entertaining.

American Psycho by Ellis is great.... Made me shudder (and no, not in same way Batemen does) at one scene. Think my mind was working overtime on it.

KcMsterpce · #26 09-17-2007, 01:14 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by bedhead_dl
Woah!!

Just went travelling across Europe and took 'Boys Life' with me.

That book is awesome! Really one of the best books I've read and I'm not American and I didn't grow up in a small town. It just kind of defines being 12 all over again.

Thanks for the tip folks - really worthwhile read. I felt like I'd lost a close friend when I'd finished it.

Very glad you read it. Also very glad you loved it. I was pretty sure you would, since just about anyone who reads it will probably love it.

Can't think of any recommendations which compare to BOY'S LIFE.

bedhead_dl · #27 09-28-2007, 10:25 AM

Kind of on the same note as this topic - does anyone know any websites that have reviews and ratings of books for free?

Similar to allmusic but... books?

MidnightAngel · #28 09-30-2007, 08:33 PM

Robert Heinlein-I Will Fear No Evil
Philip K. Dick-A Scanner Darkly
Dean Koontz-The Taking
Bret Easton Ellis-Lunar Park

Inglorious · #29 10-09-2007, 03:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bourahioro

I'm a big King fan, and I can't for the life of me get into the gunslinger series at all.

Me either. I have NO CLUE why. Im guess I probably should not have read the introduction.

Cronos · #30 10-09-2007, 09:28 AM

Donald Moffitt - The Jupiter Theft

fixedMind · #31 10-12-2007, 06:30 PM

Stranger in a Strange Land(Robert Heinlein)
Dune(Frank Herbert)*
The Gunslinger(Stephen King)*
A Game of Thrones(George RR Martin)*
Eye of the World(Robert Jordan-R.I.P)*
Gardens of the Moon(Stephen Erikson)*
The Darkness that Comes Before(R. Scott Bakker)*
Ishmael(Daniel Quinn)
Wraeththu(Storm Constantin)
Anything by Tom Robbins

*--First book in an amazing series.

Vash_4_Prez · #32 11-04-2007, 11:45 PM

If we're talking fiction, the last three books I've read are definitely recommendable (is that even a word?). Neuromancer, by William Gibson, is regarded by many as the greatest piece of cyberpunk ever, and both Darkly Dreaming Dexter and Dearly Devoted Dexter, both by Jeff Lindsey, are obviously where the Showtime show comes from, but they're sooooo different in a much better way.

Sonny Corleone · #33 01-20-2008, 08:49 PM

Monster Island by David Wellington
You Suck by Christopher Moore
A Dirty Job by Christopher Moore
Blaze by Richard Bachman (Stephen King)

Sonny Corleone · #34 09-23-2008, 10:43 PM

The Rum Diary by Hunter S. Thompson
Rant by Chuck Palahniuk
American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis

and check this out if you're in for a short read

A Good Man Is Hard To Find by Flannery O'Connor

bedhead_dl · #35 06-18-2011, 02:13 AM

Does anybody have any further recommendations. I am finding myself stuck again searching for a new author to get into.

Evil Ed · #36 06-20-2011, 05:11 PM

I'm a big Bret Easton Ellis fan, and personally my favorite is Glamorama. Think of it as one part American Psycho, one part Zoolander, and one part Hitchcock. It's very underrated and to me, ranks in his top 2. I also really enjoyed Lunar Park.

One of my favorite books that I've recently read was Under the Dome by Stephen King. Don't be afraid of the length, this story FLYS by, and just begs to be made into an HBO miniseries. You will not be able to put this baby down! What would you do if your small town was suddenly trapped within in inpenetrable, invisible, dome?

How about some mind craziness? House of Leaves, just try and read that baby. God it makes my head hurt just thinking about the summer I spent with that thing!

In the mood for shorter unrelated stories? Check out the Books of Blood Omnibus by Clive Barker! Really cool and imaginitive short stories. If you aren't a fan of the Hellraiser films or Candyman, etc associated with Clive's name, don't shy away! These stories are very well written and very imaginitive. The short length also helps!

How about some straight up goofy fun? Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter was a great read for me! Catch it before the movie spoils all the fun of it! It's not as pretentious as you think it would be, it's great!