I Need a Good Book.

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justthemaid

climber

Jim Henson's Basement

Topic Author's Original Post - Apr 28, 2010 - 03:38pm PT

Hey Peeps...I need new reading material and the last few trips to the bookstore were totally fruitless or I come home with stuff that sucks. I just keep re-reading old stuff I know doesn't suck but I've been doing that for like- a year now.

Suggestions?? Post em' up.... and I'm not interested in politics, romance or spirituality bull-honky.

couchmaster

climber

pdx

Apr 28, 2010 - 03:39pm PT

Maid, maybe you can name a couple of things you have read and loved and we can better offer suggestions.

Like, I loved "The Rising Sun", by John Tolman, but it's a history of WW2 told with the Japanese viewpoint and might not be your thing. I loved it, and it won the Pulitzer prize, but my wife would most likely dislike it, and she had Japanese ancestry relatives who were in military intelligence and right there during these battles.

Gene

Social climber

Apr 28, 2010 - 03:41pm PT

Have you read A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini? I recently read Moby Dick. It is much better now that i am not in high school. What genres do you prefer?

g

Wayno

Big Wall climber

Seattle, WA

Apr 28, 2010 - 03:47pm PT

I'm in the same boat. The last book I read was, "Blink". Alright for the first half and a bit boring after that. I also have a couple history books that I can't seem to get into.

Acer

Big Wall climber

Apr 28, 2010 - 03:50pm PT

Try something like Chaucer.

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.

Anne Rice

Blood Red Sun by Steve Mertz

Stephen Mertz is an American fiction author who is best known for his mainstream thrillers and novels of suspense. His work covers a wide variety of styles from paranormal dark suspense (Night Wind and Devil Creek) to historical speculative thrillers (Blood Red Sun) and hardboiled noir (Fade to Tomorrow).

le_bruce

climber

Oakland: what's not to love?

Apr 28, 2010 - 03:50pm PT

A Thousand Splendid Suns

Powerful book. Hard read. Characters and scenes that stick with you for years.

The Big Short by Michael Lewis. Get ready to rage.

livi

climber

ventucky

Apr 28, 2010 - 03:53pm PT

Last few reads;
American rust -can't remember the author

Last American man E gilbert (not girly like eat pray love)

Currently reading Grounded by seth s?
good book about an around the world trip without flying

Classic Doug R book, Anight on the ground, day in the open?

Gene

Social climber

Apr 28, 2010 - 03:54pm PT

The Big Short is a very good read if you are into that sort of thing. In the same vein, Conspiracy of Fools, which is about Enron is also excellent.

Fun read - The Right Stuff by Tom Wolfe.

g

Prezwoodz

climber

Anchorage

Apr 28, 2010 - 03:55pm PT

Heres some Greats :

Thoughtful : Witch of Portabello - Paulo Cuehlo
Funny + Satire : A Man Without a Country - Kurt Vonnegut
Thoughtful : Yan Martel - Life of Pi
Hilarious : Fluke - Christopher Moore

justthemaid

climber

Jim Henson's Basement

Topic Author's Reply - Apr 28, 2010 - 03:57pm PT

Thanks guys....I'll start a list of the stuff anyone throws out and research the suggestions.

I tend to read History, weird non-fiction stories and good (non-cheesy) sci-fi, but I'm all over the board with interests. I haven't actually read many climbing novels but would like to read more.

Levy

Big Wall climber

So Cal

Apr 28, 2010 - 03:58pm PT

Skip,

As someone who works for the Los Angeles Library System, I would suggest the following:

"The Art Of Racing In The Rain" Garth Stein ~ A story of the dynamic of a family in crisis seen thru the eyes of a dog, who narrates the story. A real gem.

"Homer's Oddyssey" Gwen Cooper ~ A woman's memoir of a blind cat she adopted.

"Hoodwinked" John Perkins ~ An expose of the economic conditions that have landed the world in such dire circumstances. Perkins' earlier book "Confessions Of an Economic Hitman" is another great book. He fully blames the culture of Wall Street for being greedy and unscrupulous.

Feel free to call me for more suggestions based on what you've read & enjoyed.

Edit American Rust is by Philipp Meyer. I have not read this but I see it circulate often.

Josh Nash

Social climber

riverbank ca

Apr 28, 2010 - 04:00pm PT

no country for old men-McCarthy
the road-McCarthy

the two best books I have read in a long time. McCarthy has a really good writing style.

Mighty Hiker

climber

Vancouver, B.C.

Apr 28, 2010 - 04:01pm PT

And on the eighth day, god had finally figured things out, and she made libraries and librarians.

Visit your library, check out the 'recommended' or "new books" sections, or talk with the librarian. Bound to produce something worth reading, doesn't cost anything, and if you really like something you find, you can always buy it.

If you haven't read the new translation of Kristin Lavransdatter, by Tina Nunnally, I recommend it. Historical chick lit.

Prod

Trad climber

Dodge Sprinter Dreaming

Apr 28, 2010 - 04:06pm PT

Looking for some edge? Check out anything by Chuck Palahniuk. Pretty easy reading (not too heady), can gross you out here and there. I'd recommend Choke, and Rant.

Classic? I just finished The Prince and the Pauper. Loved it. Anything Twain is going to be great.

Classic Edge? Well now your talking the Marquis De Sade. There was a man who knew how to get his funk on! Justine is a long read but worth it, some of his shorts are awesome as well.

I second the John Irving recommendation.

Just some thoughts.

Prod.

reddirt

climber

Apr 28, 2010 - 04:07pm PT

I just started reading stuff by Haruki Murakami.

I've got lots of pdf's of his stuff in case anyone's interested.

PM if interested.

edit:
here's a link to his short story Honey Pie, originally published in the New Yorker.

Mungeclimber

Trad climber

sorry, just posting out loud.

Apr 28, 2010 - 04:14pm PT

2nd Royal's book... partially set in So Cal. Many of the themes ring true with many climbers.

Cancer Boy

Trad climber

Freedonia

Apr 28, 2010 - 04:14pm PT

West With the Night, by Beryl Markham (autobio)
This is a book I would never have heard of without a friend's rec. BM was the first person to fly across the Atlantic E-W. Most of the book is about her childhood in Kenya and training racehorses as a young woman.
Literally one of my best reads ever, and the writing is as good as her story. It is a girl-power book, big time. If only I could convince my still impressionable daughters to pick it up...

happiegrrrl

Trad climber

New York, NY

Apr 28, 2010 - 04:15pm PT

Greg Mortensen's new book: "Stones Into Schools"

I read "Burning Daylight" by Jack London a few months ago and loved it. Definitely interested in reading more of his work.

Also just finished "Black Sun by Edward Abbey - quite good.