Great books to read

I thought it might be fun to share really good books that we've enjoyed. I am going to start with exceptional books that have not been on the best seller list (which is quite limited).

In fantasy, an original one of a kind wild ride: To the Vanishing Point by Alan Dean Foster.

A wonderful sci fi epic: The Web Shifters Trilogy; Beholder's Eye, Changing Vision & Hidden in Sight by Julie E. Czerneda

A wonderful historical novel of early California; written from 3 cultural viewpoints and about 90% fact: The River of Red Gold by Niada West

A great series of mysteries that takes place in Alaska: the Kate Shugak mysteries by Dana Stabenow. There are several books in the series, and each deals with a different aspect of Alaskan life. Read these in order.

That's a good start; I can add many more as time goes on.

tony hillerman

john sandford

hemingway

steinbeck

hawking

the 'stein (if you can stand it)

'the week' ( a light read for your porcelain library-lol-paper too slick for other uses)

the rise and fall of the roman empire

ran out of memory....404 not connected....

reb

Thomas Covenant series by Stephen Donaldson

BlueTopaz wrote:Thomas Covenant series by Stephen Donaldson

Gosh, it's been a long time since I've read that. When was it written? The late 1970's early 80's? It was a very popular series.

melodiccolor wrote:
In fantasy, an original one of a kind wild ride: To the Vanishing Point by Alan Dean Foster.

Is that the same as the 1971 movie Vanishing Point, the one about the guy who goes on an amphetamine-fueled sprint across the western half of the USA in a white Dodge Challenger?

nuckinfutz wrote:

melodiccolor wrote:
In fantasy, an original one of a kind wild ride: To the Vanishing Point by Alan Dean Foster.

Is that the same as the 1971 movie Vanishing Point, the one about the guy who goes on an amphetamine-fueled sprint across the western USA in a white Dodge Challenger?

No this is quite different. And as wild as that movie sounds, this book is even wilder! It is so much fun, that I used it to turn 3 nonreaders into readers over the years.

I read the Thomas Covenant trilogy way back when. Definitely a love hate thing with me. The main character frustrated the crap out of me, but I found the story quite addictive & couldn't stop reading it.

Justin Passing wrote:I read the Thomas Covenant trilogy way back when. Definitely a love hate thing with me. The main character frustrated the crap out of me, but I found the story quite addictive & couldn't stop reading it.

Heehee, exactly. That was what I found so engaging about the series, the guy was such a jerk most of the time.
Donaldson has another series called "The Gap" series with another very dark protagonist that I find disturbingly compelling. Kind of like my affection for Snape even more so.

"The Catcher in the Rye" by JD Salinger - Incredibly well-written, moody, insightful...

"Just A Geek" and "Dancing Barefoot" by Wil Wheaton (Wesley Crusher on Star Trek TNG) these are NOT Star Trek books, but rather autobiographical stories about the life of a geek, an actor, a writer, a stepfather, a son, a brother, and a husband.

"The Giver" by Lois Lowry - Great sci-fi book written from the point of view of an adolescent.

"The Martian Chronicles" by Ray Bradbury - Bradbury does not believe this book is a sci-fi as it has been classified, and I agree. It's dark, tragic, and centered on the examination of humanity. I LOVE this book.

"Farenheit 451" by Ray Bradbury - More Bradbury insights into human nature. He has a great way of exploring along with the reader...

"A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius" by Dave Eggers - An autobiographical, manic, tragic, sarcastic, hilarious book. I must emphasize the 'manic' description here as the author changes from dialogue to ponderings to sarcasm to imagined scenarios, etc. without notice. I followed it quite well as my thinking is about as screwy as this guy's is

"The Immortals Series" by Tamora Pierce - Probably more of a young adult book as the writing edges on juvenile, but the story is interesting and entertaining and I think a lot of HSPs can relate to the main character's connection with animals.

"Timeline" by Michael Crichton - Actually, if you like one of Crichton's books, you'll probably like them all. Scientifically based and contemporary stories, solid characters, believably unbelievable plots. Don't judge this book by its horrendous movie counterpart. Please.

"Adventures of a No Name Actor" by Marco Perella - SO. FUNNY. The book is exactly as the title says; Adventures of no name actor, Marco Perella (nonfiction).

Yeah, I like to read

I just finished reading (actually I read the entire book today, wow) the memoir "Running with Scissors" by Augusten Burroughs

It's...a bit explicit at times, not for everyone, but increeeedibly interesting especially if you hold a particular fascination with the lives and actions of others.

wow!
I like David Egger's book too.
Just to add the pile
"Dark materials trilogy" the first book been made as a movie, I haven't seen it, but the books are amazing!
A wee book called "My year of war." I can't remember who it's by.all
Any Kate Forsythe book.
I'll read any thing, really. I'm quite a prolific reader.

i have not read this, but i'm going to put it forth anyway....'the week' has a column by someone 'literary'; they recommend books they feel are important: recently, Briane Greene 'World Science Festival', and physicist, recommended 'Consciousness Explained' by Daniel Dennett 'I'm frequently asked about my views on concsciousness. I'm not sure why. Dennett's book, while controversial (if it weren't, it wouldn't be worth reading) is the most convincing argument that, while a complex phenomenon, consciousness is the experience of physical processes in the brain.'

lol! and i was just sitting in the chair about 9 pm the other day on the porch thinking 'what do we really know about consciousness? it's only our experience. how do we know that everything else doesn't experience consciousness, just in terms we can't explain...or measure? we konw animals have consciousness, but we discount it as if ours were superior. we know plants do, also, same opinion. what's with our fucking opinions, anyway? again, i come back to human species arrogance......'
and i finished my kook aid and went in the house to take a shower....lol!


others he recommended:

The First Three Minutes/Steven WEinberg

The Ascent of Man/Jacob Bronowski

The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat/Oliver Sacks

Coming of Age in the Milky Way/Timothy Ferris

The Selfish Gene/Richard Dawkins

reb

I just ordered a few books from amazon that I'm excited to dig into...

The Power of Now, by Eckhart Tolle

Leaves of Grass, by Walt Whitman

Not Quite What I Was Planning: Six-Word Memoirs by Writers Famous and Obscure, by Larry Smith and Rachel Fershleiser

Naked, by David Sedaris

It sounds like quite a quality reading list. I'm a bit jealous; I wish I could read the speed I did when I was in my 20's so I could still have time to delve into so many great books. My list of to be read titles averages now about 500. So many books, so little time, sigh.