Anyone reading good books?

[ZerO Stay Tokin]

"Vision" by Ken Carey.

My mom gave it to me.

"Lovely Bones" - Alice Seabold.

I found it on the train, its a good book.

[godiva]

Originally Posted by 4ction

lol... condoms wtf??
Nice bookcase

Practising "safe" reading?

[.ViciouS.]

I just ordered:

The Tao of Pooh - Benjamin Hoff
Vurt - Jeff Noon
A Wild Sheep Chase - Haruki Murakami
Duncan Delaney and the Cadillac of Doom - A. L. Haskett
Sewer, Gas and Electric: The Public Works Trilogy - Matt Ruff
Key Weird - Robert Tacoma

If you can't tell, I'm a sucker for fiction novels, especially humorous but at the same time deep in meaning.

I just finished A Dirty Job by Christopher Moore, and it sure is another great book by him. I'm surprised to see that no one has even posted a mention of him earlier in this thread, I think he's an amazing author.

I'm currently reading Fool On the Hill by Matt Ruff, and I must say I'm really enchanted by it, even now I had to force myself away from the book to be sitting here posting this. It's a fantasy based novel that has to deal with the events mostly taken place around Cornell University, with a lot of awesome characters and plots that all converge into one. This is a MUST READ, especially if you like fantasy based fiction novels. I think it's time I go finish it now

I'm also taking my time on The Confederancy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole and Fierce Invalids Home from Hot Climates by Tom Robbins. While reading Fool on the Hill, I don't have much time for these books just yet :P

[ptrckroe]

I had to stop reading books I choose because I started classes and have so much reading i have to do

[RuffRat]

I loved

Howard Marks - Book Of Dope Stories

That book taught me alot.

[Blix]

Originally Posted by ZerO Stay Tokin

"Lovely Bones" - Alice Seabold.

I found it on the train, its a good book.

That was a really wrenching read for me. Such a powerful book.
I doubt I could get through it again.



Anyway, right now I'm reading

The Stand by Stephen King

Splinter Of The Minds Eye by Alan Dean Foster

and

Feeling Unreal: Depersonalization Disorder And The Loss Of The Self by
Daphne Simeon, MD & Jeffrey Abugel

[godiva]

The Stand was a great read - hopefully you havent seen the film, that kinda sucked

I was rummaging about in the back of one of my bookcases the other day and came across Roddy Doyle's "A Star Called Henry". One of my all time faves that was. It was supposed to be the start of a trilogy or something, but nothing else seems to have materialised over the years. Don't you just HATE that! lol

[.ViciouS.]

Vurt by Jeff Noon is now added to my lists of pretty good to damn good books. It's a surreal sci-fi novel about this guy who loses his sister to the "Vurt" which is basically a virtual reality drug. It's pretty insane, this guy describes it like it's actually real. It's all around good book, interesting characters/plot/writing style and all that, and some symbology incorporated to relate to life as we know it. Deep shit

But the best book I just finished, it's a magical world (calvin and hobbes). I was actually trippin on shrooms and came across it and finished from where I left off, it sure as hell gave me a good trip. Bill Waterson is a damn genious.

[canadia]

huge fan of Tom Robbins here - i've read all his works.
some other authors/work i adore...


Anne Rice:

The Vampire Chronicals

• Interview with the Vampire
• The Vampire Lestat
• The Queen of the Damned
• The Tale of the Body Thief
• Memnoch the Devil
• The Vampire Armand
• Merrick
• Blood and Gold
• Blackwood Farm
• Blood Canticle

Carlos Castenadas:

The Mastery of Awareness

• The Teachings of Don Juan: A Yaqui Way of Knowledge
• A Separate Reality: Further Conversations with Don Juan
• Journey to Ixtlan: The Lessons of Don Juan
• Magical Passes: The Practical Wisdom of the Shamans of Ancient Mexico

The Mastery of Transformation

• Tales of Power
• The Second Ring of Power
• The Eagle's Gift
• The Active Side of Infinity

The Mastery of Intent

• The Fire from Within
• The Power of Silence: Further Lessons of Don Juan
• The Art of Dreaming
• The Wheel Of Time : The Shamans Of Mexico

Hunter S. Thompson:
The Rum Diary
Hells Angels: A Strange and Terrible Sage
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: A Savage Journey to the Heart of the American Dream


Kurt Vonnegut:
Welcome to the Monkey House
Slaughterhouse-Five
Goodbye Blue Monday
Jailbird
Hocus Pocus
God Bless You, Dr. Kevorkian


Leonard Cohen:
The Favourite Game
Beautiful Losers

Collections of Poetry, Prose and Songs

Let Us Compare Mythologies
The Spice-Box of Earth
Flowers for Hitler
Parasites of Heaven
Selected Poems 1956-1968
The Energy of Slaves
Death of a Lady's Man
Book of Mercy
Stranger Music


Sylvia Plath:
The Bell Jar
collections of poetry


William S. Burroughs:
Junkie
Naked Lunch
The Ticket That Exploded
The Wild Boys: A Book Of The Dead
Ghost of Chance


more later

[.ViciouS.]

Wow finally someone who actually likes Tom Robbins. Which book is your favorite? I'd probably have to say Another Roadside Attraction is mine which was my first Robbins I read. Skinny Legs and Jitterbug Perfume are close 2nds. He is the one who really got me into reading.

I've only read Cat's Cradle by Vonnegut and I liked it, i was planning on getting slaughterhouse 5 of his next.

Funny thing is I was about to get The Bell Jar earlier today but changed my mind and got Invisible Monsters by Palahniuk. Other than Thompson I never heard of the other authors you posted, i'll have to check them out some time since you obviously know your authors.

[canadia]

Originally Posted by .ViciouS.

Wow finally someone who actually likes Tom Robbins. Which book is your favorite? I'd probably have to say Another Roadside Attraction is mine which was my first Robbins I read. Skinny Legs and Jitterbug Perfume are close 2nds. He is the one who really got me into reading.....

i reckon we're tom robbins soulmates... if there was such a thing. my favorite book by robbins is Another Roadside Attraction as well, as it was the first book of his i read. i'd gone on a two or three year hiatus from active reading - and like you, it was he who inspired me to return to the world of reading great literature - an art seemingly lost on my/our generation.

i'm one of those cats who attempts to read an author's work in the order in which they were written, thus from Another Roadside Attraction i went on to Even Cowgirls Get the Blues, Still Life with Woodpecker, Jitterbug perfume... and so on. i am the same way with films and music. i'll often hold day-week long marathons where i'll watch a particular director's films by order of creation dates, and albums by order of release. i'm a geek like that.

oh. my friends and i often swap books, and i also donate books to various places as i somehow end up with doubles of certain novels... i happen to have an extra copy of Slaughterhouse-Five. if you're interested, pm me. i'd offer a copy of The Bell Jar... but one is missing pages, and the other is... well, i dropped it in the bathtub, and it never fully "recovered".

[.ViciouS.]

Haha that is awesome, I don't even remember how I came across Another Roadside Attraction but after that book my mindset on books changed dramatically. Before that, books were only something to be read in school. I'm really, really glad I got into books. I can't seem to stop reading them now and they've probably gotten to the point of my addiction to music.

That's pretty cool that you start by the first of any series of books/music, etc. That makes more sense than what I used to do, which is usually surf through Amazon recommendation lists based on certain books, then check into the authors and get their books in somewhat random order or just go by people's recommendations. But now for other authors I come by I have been starting with their first books, such as Jeff Noon and Matt Ruff.

If you like fantasy at all, you definitly need to check out Fool On the Hill by Ruff, I love the damn book. If you want to delve into a more philosophy based book, you definitly also need to check out Lamb: the Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal by Christopher Moore, they are up there on my favorite list with Robbins although I really haven't read that many books.

It sucks that most of my friends don't read books, not having to talk to someone about an author's literary greatness is a bummer

[canadia]

thanks for the recommendations. i'm always looking for new stuff to read, and i've never heard of either of the authors you mentioned... so i'll definitely add them to my growing list!

thankfully, i have a couple of friends who read... we're nerds and we'll sit around some nights, smoke it up while each reading different novels and then have discussions and swap books when we're done. hah. it's a shame you don't live closer, you could join us.

[pyro2005]

As of late, reading has once again become my favorite activity, especially to distract me from my school work as the first semester of college comes to a close.

I have just powered through The Cannabible series (I-III) by Jason King. Pretty informative, though most entries weren't incredibly in depth. However, given the sheer volume of strains he has had to see and painstakingly photograph, he did a great job. They are more of the "coffee table" type books, filled with phenomenal, glossy pictures. Anyone can appreciate the pictures, if not the plants or the literary content.

Also, the $64 Tomato was a really enjoyable read, by William Alexander. A must for any gardener/gentleman farmer, or enthusiast. Basically, it's a true story of all of his problems trying to raise a successful garden in the Hudson River Valley. The author is very well spoken, easily understood, and sure to make you smile.

Also, I have (as of two days ago) finished Hyper-Chondriac: One Man's Quest to Hurry Up, and Calm Down, by Brian Frazer. I absolutely loved his writings/musings. It's a hilarious read, sure to make you laugh out loud, as well as make you feel better about yourself, considering the plethora of problems the author has/faces. Loved it.

As soon as I finished Hyper-Chondriac I picked up Scar Tissue, by Anthony Kiedis, lead singer of Red Hot Chili Peppers for those of you not in the know. Granted, I am only about 100 pages into it, but so far it is a very interesting, candid look into the life of the lead singer of one of the most popular bands of my time.

Now that i'm thinking about it, I also finished Anthem, by Ayn Rand about a month ago. It's the type of book you can finish in an hour if you are a fast reader. It is along the lines of 1984, and focuses more on the collective experience of society. Enjoyable, the type of book you read on a train or something.

Also, I recently re-read Home Before Daylight by Steven Parish. It's a story about the Grateful Dead, comraderie, drugs, sex, and the entire Dead experience. Highly recommended, to be accompanied with a joint in a hammock preferably.

Peace, love and happiness

Mike

[Durchii]

I'm currently scanning through a few volumes sitting on my coffee table:

Food of The Gods (Which I'm almost done with)

The Emperor Wears No Clothes (Required bathroom reading)

Kingdom of Fear, Hunter S Thompson

The Meditation Year (I've been frequently meditating for the past two years, on and off for about five)

Che Guevara, A Revolutionary Life

The Joy of Cooking (Yum! )