Discussion Topic |
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justthemaid
climber
Jim Henson's Basement
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Topic Author's Original Post - Apr 28, 2010 - 03:38pm PT
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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.
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couchmaster
climber
pdx
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Apr 28, 2010 - 03:39pm PT
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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.
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Gene
Social climber
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Apr 28, 2010 - 03:41pm PT
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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
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Wayno
Big Wall climber
Seattle, WA
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Apr 28, 2010 - 03:47pm PT
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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.
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Acer
Big Wall climber
AZ
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Apr 28, 2010 - 03:50pm PT
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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).
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le_bruce
climber
Oakland: what's not to love?
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Apr 28, 2010 - 03:50pm PT
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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.
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livi
climber
ventucky
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Apr 28, 2010 - 03:53pm PT
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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?
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Gene
Social climber
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Apr 28, 2010 - 03:54pm PT
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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
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Prezwoodz
climber
Anchorage
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Apr 28, 2010 - 03:55pm PT
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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
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justthemaid
climber
Jim Henson's Basement
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Topic Author's Reply - Apr 28, 2010 - 03:57pm PT
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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.
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Levy
Big Wall climber
So Cal
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Apr 28, 2010 - 03:58pm PT
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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.
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Josh Nash
Social climber
riverbank ca
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Apr 28, 2010 - 04:00pm PT
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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.
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Mighty Hiker
climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Apr 28, 2010 - 04:01pm PT
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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.
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Prod
Trad climber
Dodge Sprinter Dreaming
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Apr 28, 2010 - 04:06pm PT
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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.
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reddirt
climber
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Apr 28, 2010 - 04:07pm PT
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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.
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Mungeclimber
Trad climber
sorry, just posting out loud.
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Apr 28, 2010 - 04:14pm PT
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2nd Royal's book... partially set in So Cal. Many of the themes ring true with many climbers.
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Cancer Boy
Trad climber
Freedonia
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Apr 28, 2010 - 04:14pm PT
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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...
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happiegrrrl
Trad climber
New York, NY
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Apr 28, 2010 - 04:15pm PT
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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.
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BBWolf
climber
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Apr 28, 2010 - 04:15pm PT
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Adrift
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gonzo chemist
climber
Crane Jackson's Fountain St. Theater
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Apr 28, 2010 - 04:16pm PT
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Try "Gilead" by Marilynne Robinson. Very thoughtful. 2005 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.
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Roughster
Sport climber
Vacaville, CA
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Apr 28, 2010 - 04:16pm PT
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More Female targeted: anything Jodi Picoult - House Rules is her newest. My wife loves all of her books. They are usually suspense based.
If you like Fantasy / Sci-Fi: Fire and Ice series by George RR Martin. 1st book is Game of Thrones
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bluNgoldhornet6
Big Wall climber
Tampa, Fl
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Apr 28, 2010 - 04:18pm PT
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SciFi- FlashForward by Robert J. Sawyer
Really good book. Well, atleast i enjoyed it. Basic Physics enough to melt your mind. Better than the show.
Science NonFiction- A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking.
Actually just orderd this one and i hope to bend my mind again. I guess he put it in terms Non scientist can understand.
Non Fiction- In to the Wild by Jon Krakauer.
Best book i have read. May make you pack your sh#t and hit the road.
Just a few and of course. Oh and, stick to the classics you will never go wrong.
Cheers
Matt
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justthemaid
climber
Jim Henson's Basement
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Topic Author's Reply - Apr 28, 2010 - 04:22pm PT
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This just helps me to narrow things down. I get overwhelmed walking into the library or bookstore sometimes.
Talking with Flouride about naval history last weekend.... I just realized one that is missing from my "maritime disasters collection"... just now ordered: "A Furnace Afloat: The Wreck of the Hornet and the Harrowing 4,300-mile Voyage of Its Survivors"
...but keep em' coming.
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MisterE
Social climber
Across Town From Easy Street
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Apr 28, 2010 - 04:27pm PT
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"Out of Freedom, Into Slavery" by Gerry Spence is a good read.
"The Milagro Beanfield Wars" by John Nichols is a classic if you haven't read it, as is "Desert Solitaire" or "The Monkeywrench Gang" by Ed Abbey.
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jbaker
Trad climber
Redwood City, CA
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Apr 28, 2010 - 04:28pm PT
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Another vote for The Big Short. Extremely well written. And infuriating.
Other good recent nonfiction:
The War that Killed Achilles by Caroline Alexander (who wrote The Endurance).
Predictably Irrational by Dan Ariely
Priceless by William Poundstone
The Bridge: The Life and Rise of Barack Obama, is pretty good so far.
Rolling Nowhere by Ted Conover. It isn't recent, but just re-reread it and it is still good.
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pda2540
climber
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Apr 28, 2010 - 04:30pm PT
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Recently reread 'Soul of Nowhere' by Craig Childs. I love that book.
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max factor
Trad climber
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Apr 28, 2010 - 04:39pm PT
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"The Things They Carried"
An awesome collection of stories about the Vietnam War. Very visceral and full of emotion.
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Jaybro
Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
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Apr 28, 2010 - 04:56pm PT
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Geek Love, by Katherine Dunn
you'll either thank me
or
kill me.
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tradchick
Trad climber
Vermont
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Apr 28, 2010 - 05:16pm PT
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Outlander by Diana Gabaldon (the first book in a series of 6)
Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett
Shadow Divers by Robert Kurson (a true account of the discovery of a German U boat off the Jersey coast)
Nelson Demille wrote 4 books that feature detective John Corey that are lots of fun. Plum Island, The Lions Game, Wild Fire and I can't remember the 4th.
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Prezwoodz
climber
Anchorage
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Apr 28, 2010 - 05:19pm PT
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If your into History check out Brunelleschi's Dome by Ross King and Michelangelo and the Popes Cieling. The first one is probably the best history book I have read to date.
Also Armor by John Steakely is my all time fav Sci-Fi
Oh Cats Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut! One of the best for sure.
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Off White
climber
Tenino, WA
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Apr 28, 2010 - 05:20pm PT
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Non Fiction: Mistakes Were Made (but not by me) - an awesome examination of cognitive dissonance that will affect the way you look at a lot of things (in a good way). Super readable pop sociology ala Malcolm Gladwell but warmer and more personal.
Fiction: The Baroque Cycle by Neal Stephenson. This is actually three fat books (Quicksilver/The Confusion/System Of The World) that make up a 3000 page novel that covers the time between the execution of Charles I in England 1649 to 1714 or so. Threading the fantabulous and fictional in with stacks of real history, it takes in the life of Isaac Newton (scientist & alchemist) the Dutch invention of banking, the Siege of Vienna, development of the scientific method by the Royal Society, and a bazillion other things that will have you constantly checking to see what and who are real as compared to imagined. How can you not love a novel featuring Half Cocked Jack Shaftoe, named after a botched attempt at a cure for the French Pox administered with a red hot poker?
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The Wolf
Trad climber
Martinez, CA
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Apr 28, 2010 - 05:22pm PT
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River of Doubt
Lee Child's Jack Reacher series of books are great fun.
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Jaybro
Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
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Apr 28, 2010 - 05:46pm PT
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The Baroque cycle; I'll give quarter to anyone who can get half way through just Quicksilver without skipping pages, take about someone who needs a new editor. And this from the Author of Snow crash!
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zeta
Trad climber
Berkeley
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Apr 28, 2010 - 05:51pm PT
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a couple of my favorites:
Angle of Repose--Wallace Stegner
A Fine Balance--Rohintan Mistry
Reading Lolita in Tehran--Azar Nifisi
all are great! let's keep this thread going by the way, i'd love a list of more cool books to read
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High Fructose Corn Spirit
Gym climber
Full Silos of Iowa
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Apr 28, 2010 - 05:58pm PT
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My recommendation:
A Genetic Switch, by Mark Ptashne
c.1987
Shows the mechanistic basis of the virus lamda, and by extenstion, E. coli... and by extension, all life, all living things... I mean, if you want to know about that, how life really works. Down deep. Some don't.
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justthemaid
climber
Jim Henson's Basement
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Topic Author's Reply - Apr 28, 2010 - 06:13pm PT
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I just cut and pasted all the titles that I haven't already read.
The tiny used book store down the street from me owes me about $150.00 in store credit for all the books I've given him. He almost never has anything I want to buy since the place is the size about the size of a broom-closet. Now I can walk in with a list and hopefully he will cough some books up.
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le_bruce
climber
Oakland: what's not to love?
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Apr 28, 2010 - 06:15pm PT
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"The Things They Carried"
Should be mandatory.
"Geek Love"
Gack! But I liked it, I think?
Someone recommended some newer Cormac McCarthy - don't forget the old ones either!
Best knife fight: All The Pretty Horses.
Best necrophiliac cave dweller in rural Tennessee plot: Child of God.
Best hobo living in Knoxville, a town nobody ever writes about: Suttree.
Best and freakiest bad guy who will haunt you: The Judge in Blood Meridian.
Great list from everybody, I'm taking notes on the suggestions.
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justthemaid
climber
Jim Henson's Basement
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Topic Author's Reply - Apr 28, 2010 - 06:26pm PT
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Necrophiliac cave dweller? Gotta add that to the list!
Since others are taking notes too.
A couple of my personal favorites:
Favorite Sci-Fi: Hyperion + Hyperion Cantos by Dan Simmons (I've read them like...10 times) &
One of my favorite history books: Nathaniel's Nutmeg which is the nautical history of the spice trade- written in a very entertaining (not dry)style.
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Nibs
Trad climber
Humboldt, CA
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Apr 28, 2010 - 06:26pm PT
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continuing the history thread -
Mapmaker's Wife - Robert Whitaker (author does a great job of placing a woman's survival story in historical context)
Blood and Thunder - Hampton Sides
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MisterE
Social climber
Across Town From Easy Street
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Apr 28, 2010 - 06:27pm PT
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Speaking of David James Duncan, "The Brothers K" is terrific, but you gotta not hate baseball...
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krahmes
Social climber
LP
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Apr 28, 2010 - 06:33pm PT
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William J Gass – The Tunnel – Great use of language (Rushdie comes close)
Guterson – Our Lady of the Forest – I’m from the NW. I dig the vibe.
Joseph Campbell – Hero with a Thousand Faces - The root of religion?
Thomas McGuane – Nobody’s Angel or Sporting Club - For about 10 years this guy was my favorite.
SciFi - Vernor Vinge - A Deepness in the Sky/A Fire Upon the Deep
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#310
Social climber
Telluride, CO
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Apr 28, 2010 - 06:36pm PT
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Among my recnet favorite reads are:
Born to Run by Christopher McDougal ( a great read for non- runners as well as runners - covers Tarahumara trail running and more)
Blood and Thunder by Hampton Sides - great history of the SW
The Anotholgy of Turquoise by Ellen Meloy
Anything by Craig Childs
Anything by Antonya Nelson
Dead Pool by James lawrence Powell - a good summary of Glen Canyon Dam and Colorado River water history
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couchmaster
climber
pdx
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Apr 28, 2010 - 06:54pm PT
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i second Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett and "The Right Stuff" by Tom Wolfe. All of Tom Wolfes stuff is classic.
Thought that Shackleton, and the entire Patrick O'Brian series "Complete Aubrey/Maturin" novels kicked ass. I bought the full series and got totally sucked in until all 26 books were read.
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okie
Trad climber
San Leandro, Ca
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Apr 28, 2010 - 07:24pm PT
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Cadillac Desert by Marc Reisner- a history of water as a resource in the development of the American West. Owens Valley is just one of the stories of political intrigue and sleight of hand...a fascinating read IMO. What's going to happen to LA and Vegas, Phoenix, etc. in the future?
Guns, Germs, and Steel by Jared Diamond- Why did Europeans devolop on a different trajectory than other peoples of the world?
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martygarrison
Trad climber
The Great North these days......
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Apr 28, 2010 - 07:56pm PT
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"catfish and madala" cool book about an american vietnamese riding his bike across vietnam
"the road" no description needed but really a good read. I hear the film is weak.
"lovely bones" same as above.
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FRUMY
Trad climber
SHERMAN OAKS,CA
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Apr 28, 2010 - 08:08pm PT
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ENDURANCE The greatest adventure story ever told by alfred lansing
"the DUKE of the ABRUZZI" an explorer's life
"the MALAY ARCHIPELAGO" alfred russel wallace
"surely you're joking mr. feynman" richard p. feynman
"NANSEN" the explorer as hero - roland huntford - before Amundsen there was NANSEN
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David Knopp
Trad climber
CA
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Apr 28, 2010 - 08:11pm PT
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want to second le bruce on mccarthy.
Blood Meridian is his best book and will keep you awake nights. i read and reread it on long trips....
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Jingy
Social climber
Nowhere
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Apr 28, 2010 - 08:16pm PT
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"Frogs Into Princes" - Richard Bandler
Neuro-linguistic Programming
Book is from back in the day,but has a fe insights into the mind and how it can be used for good!!! LOL
cheers
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Apr 28, 2010 - 08:35pm PT
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Pick up The Bone People.
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neebee
Social climber
calif/texas
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Apr 28, 2010 - 09:36pm PT
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hey thre say... here you go:
the JAKE SMITH RANCH SERIES...
by me... :)
neebee
(neebeeshaabookway)...
you'll have a lot for a long time,
you can do a series study, if you like... :)
JAKE ('I'm thinkin'...')
JAKE AND SOFIA
JAKE HUGS TEXAS
JAKE'S RANCH AND THE SECOND GATE
STEPPINGSTONES THROUGHT JAKE'S RANCH
VOL, 1-5
http://stores.lulu.com/neebeeshaabookwayreadjakeanddonate
unlike anything you have ever read before...
:)
fully of words and meaty phrases to think on...
and great characters and even situations that
can be learned from, and food for thouhgt, as to
other situations in life, or in yours, as it
can apply in flexible ways... :)
or---just take it as a story...
:)
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MeatBomb
Gym climber
Boise, I dee Hoe
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Apr 28, 2010 - 09:38pm PT
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The Shadow of the Wind was really good. Carlos Zafron I think.
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jmap
Social climber
NC
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Apr 28, 2010 - 09:59pm PT
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I'm in the middle of Mark Helprin's "A Soldier of the Great War." It's an expansive novel, but well worth the read so far.
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stevep
Boulder climber
Salt Lake, UT
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Apr 28, 2010 - 10:04pm PT
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And Soldier of the Great War has climbing in it. So not OT.
Good SF read recently was Spin by Robert Charles Wilson
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Spider Savage
Mountain climber
SoCal
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Apr 28, 2010 - 10:21pm PT
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Skip, Okay, Okay, So you like Hyperion but you don't care for Simons other works. Hard for me to figure, but check this. "River God" By Wilbur Smith. If you've not tried Smith he's like one of the most poplar historical fiction writers in the world. African. Everything he does is about Africa.
River God is the story of a slave is who also a brilliant thinker living in a lost Egyptian epoch about 4,000 years ago. He is the brains behind powerful figures that rule the day. Lots of riveting human drama like the tales of the Cantos. Socially, much like our current culture. NO fantasy. Diabolical historic accuracy. Women and men tend to both like this book about the same. It speaks to both genders but in different ways.
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willie!!!!!
Trad climber
99827
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Apr 28, 2010 - 10:23pm PT
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David Foster Wallace, RIP
"Infinite Jest"
It'll last a while.
He also has some good story collections. "Brief Interviews With Hideous Men" is one.
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couchmaster
climber
pdx
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Apr 28, 2010 - 10:33pm PT
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I had bought Mark Helprin's "A Soldier of the Great War." based on Dingus's earlier solid recommendation. I need to get into it.....
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Gary Carpenter
climber
SF Bay Area
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Apr 28, 2010 - 10:34pm PT
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I'll also recommend: The Mapmakers Wife; Pillars of the Earth; West with the Night and The Milagro Beanfield Wars.
Just finished Stones into Schools - very inspiring
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LuckyPink
climber
the last bivy
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Apr 28, 2010 - 10:37pm PT
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Skip!
"The Translator" by Daoud Hari. a memoir of surviving today's craziness of the genocide in Dafar. First person account.
"The Hakawati" by Rabih Alameddine a Lebanese ex pats to USA, then returns to Beruit and family for the death of his father. Whopping big story of family, myth (the old stories retold and woven into the current time story)..a story of the current war in personal perspective.. sort of Arabian Nights meets Gulf War meets Seinfeld.
I'm trying to expand off the usual adventure true story epics ..
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Off White
climber
Tenino, WA
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Apr 28, 2010 - 11:01pm PT
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Jaybro said: The Baroque cycle; I'll give quarter to anyone who can get half way through just Quicksilver without skipping pages, take about someone who needs a new editor. And this from the Author of Snow crash!
You owe me a quarter Jay. I would think that widefetish thing would develop your patience, I mean who wouldn't love to do an off width and skip a few moves?
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chez
Social climber
chicago ill
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Apr 28, 2010 - 11:11pm PT
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a confederacy of dunces jonathon kenedy otoole. out of print
Otoole or toole i can't remember, kind of rough as he died before it went to print.
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stevep
Boulder climber
Salt Lake, UT
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Apr 28, 2010 - 11:46pm PT
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I'm with Jaybro. Loved Snowcrash, Diamond Age, Cryptonomicon, and even the newer Anathem. Couldn't get into the Baroque books.
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IntheFog
climber
Mostly the next place
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Apr 28, 2010 - 11:50pm PT
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Great question. Thanks for asking it, and thanks to everyone who answered. I've got some good ideas for summer reading.
With all those great suggestions, I hate to add to your options, especially when it's a BIG book, but...
If you like history that's compellingly written and driven by character and plot, you might like Robert Caro's "The Master of the Senate." It's about LBJ's rise to power in the Senate in the 1950s. It focuses on his struggle to solve a really hard puzzle -- how can a Southerner become President? Reading about his maneuvers to keep Southerners thinking he's one of them, while also convincing Northern liberals that he's one of them, sounds dull and boring. It isn't. LBJ has the morals of the Godfather, except he's a real guy.
As a bonus, once you are done, you'll have a much better handle on what exactly is going on in Washington these days. You'll see that some things haven't changed.
Maybe you will even agree with those who say quarrel and strife are inevitable in the age of the Kali Yuga.
Here's what President Obama said about LBJ:
I’m fascinated by Lyndon Johnson; there’s a piece of him in me. That kind of hunger – desperate to win, please, succeed, dominate – I don’t know any politician who doesn’t have some of that reptilian side to him. But that’s not the dominant part of me.
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Michelle
Social climber
The sucking black hole that is Tuolumne County
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Apr 28, 2010 - 11:54pm PT
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the Sparrow and Children of God by Mary Doria Russel
the Anita Blake Vampire Hunter series by Laurell K Hamilton, although the later books in the series are just downright pornographic, so start at the beginning
Dresden Files books by Jim Butcher
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Duke
Social climber
PSP
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Apr 29, 2010 - 12:42am PT
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Infinate Jest is a project, not a book.
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enjoimx
Big Wall climber
SLO Cal
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Apr 29, 2010 - 01:00am PT
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I dont know if I would recommend "Even cowgirls get the blues," as that one IS heady.
But, if you like non-fiction, "The Botany of Desire" is a very cool book with great history and it wont challenge your reality too much.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Apr 29, 2010 - 01:05am PT
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Damn, I guess Skip isn't goin' climbering for a while!
I would second CancerBoy's vote for Beryl Markham - a beautifully written true life inspiring read.
(I didn't want to make the list longer)
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susu
Trad climber
East Bay, CA
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Apr 29, 2010 - 03:41am PT
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I haven't read it yet but heard on NPR that "The Dirt" is a great indulgent read.
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Anastasia
Mountain climber
hanging from a crimp and crying for my mama.
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Apr 29, 2010 - 03:52am PT
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This one blew my mind and I think the artist in you will love it.
Dr. Seuss Went to War:
A Catalog of Political Cartoons
by Dr. Seuss
--
Well before Sam ever considered eating green eggs and ham or Horton heard a who, Dr. Seuss was drawing biting cartoons for adults that expressed his fierce opposition to anti-Semitism and fascism. An editorial cartoonist from 1941 to 1943 for PM magazine, a left-wing daily New York newspaper, Dr. Seuss launched a battle against dictatorial rule abroad and America First (an isolationist organization that argued against U.S. entry into World War II) with more than 400 cartoons urging the United States to fight against Adolf Hitler and his cohorts in fascism, Benito Mussolini, Pierre Laval, and Japan (he never depicted General Tojo Hideki, the wartime prime minister, or Togo Shigenori, the foreign minister). Dr. Seuss Goes to War, by Richard H. Minear, includes 200 of these cartoons, demonstrating the active role Dr. Seuss played in shaping and reflecting how America responded to World War II as events unfolded.
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goatboy smellz
climber
Nederland
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Apr 29, 2010 - 03:59am PT
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The Braille version of the Karma Sutra, I’ve heard it improves finger strength, YMMV.
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Charlie D.
Trad climber
Western Slope, Tahoe Sierra
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Apr 29, 2010 - 08:52am PT
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They've been suggested, a must read.....
The Angle of Repose
A Soldier of the Great War
The Brothers K (don't let the baseball scare you off, if you came of age in the 60's you'll love it)
All full life epic tales, here's some more......
The Poison Wood Bible
The Joy Luck Club
Animal Dreams
I typically don't read murder mysteries but I just finished, "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" and loved it enough to get his second, "The Girl who played with Fire".
Enjoy!
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kc
Trad climber
lg, ca
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Apr 29, 2010 - 10:09am PT
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Perfect books for you! The Outlander series by Diane Gabaldon. Historical fiction with a little bit of sc-fi thrown in for good measure.
One of the best books I've ever read, however, is Shantaram, by Gregory Roberts.
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Delhi Dog
Trad climber
Good Question...
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Apr 29, 2010 - 11:02am PT
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"One of the best books I've ever read, however, is Shantaram, by Gregory Roberts."
Ya that's a good one!
Not entirely true but good enough for anyone's imagination.
Epic novels...
Can go wrong with any of Clavell's
Also a great story teller is Wilbur Smith.
Pillars of the Earth
World Without End
by Ken Follett...
are fun reads if you like Historical Fiction with a twist and the early M. Ages
However,
Games Climbers Play is probably one of my all time favorites..
Edited by Ken Wilson...bonus is the climbing content.
Okay one last author...
I have enjoyed just about all of Jeff Shaara's works.
http://www.jeffshaara.com/
Happy Reading,
DD
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cliffhanger
Trad climber
California
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Apr 29, 2010 - 05:18pm PT
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Two Years Before the Mast
A very good true story about the days of sail.
After running across yet another reference to HP Lovecraft in the Bloop thread I've decided to finally read some of his work. From the Bloop thread:
"The Call of Cthulhu". "Then, driven ahead by curiosity in their captured yacht under Johansen's command, the men sight a great stone pillar sticking out of the sea, and in S. Latitude 47°9', W. Longitude l23°43', come upon a coastline of mingled mud, ooze, and weedy Cyclopean masonry which can be nothing less than the tangible substance of earth's supreme terror - the nightmare corpse-city of R'lyeh, that was built in measureless aeons behind history by the vast, loathsome shapes that seeped down from the dark stars."
http://www.supertopo.com/climbers-forum/1155020/Monsterous-deep-sea-noises-The-Bloop
Online text of Lovecraft's works:
http://www.dagonbytes.com/thelibrary/lovecraft/thecallofcthulhu.htm
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habitat
climber
grass pass
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Apr 29, 2010 - 06:16pm PT
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Another vote for "The Art of Racing in the Rain" by Garth Stein.
Philosophy, adrenaline, and testosterone, doggie style -- loved it.
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BlueGuy84
climber
San Luis Obispo, CA
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Apr 29, 2010 - 06:18pm PT
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The Wild Trees
The Search For the Lost City of Z
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d-know
Trad climber
electric lady land
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anything by h.p. lovecraft or
algernon blackwood.
and the ass saw the angel - nick cave
johnny got his gun - dalton trumbo
100 years of solitude - gabriel garcia marquez
food of the gods - terence mckenna
some excellent suggestions
from this here thread!
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cowpoke
climber
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Just Kids by Patti Smith
It is the story of her relationship with Robert Mapplethorpe, set in the fascinating late 60's-early 70's NYC scene. The writing isn't always outstanding, but often it is.
And, the story is wonderful.
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nature
climber
Tucson, AZ
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The Prophet
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myterious
Trad climber
Joshua Tree
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Check out 'Godel, Escher and Bach' ISBN 9780465026562
Pulitzer pize winning and an all time mega-classic.
MM
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HighTraverse
Trad climber
Bay Area
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Rory Stewart: A Walk Across Afghanistan.
Real life adventure/travel/ancient history lesson/ethnology of what present day Afghanistan is like.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/11/books/review/11cover_bissel.html[/quote]
January 2002, Herat to Kabul, the direct route through the mountains, entirely on foot and 90% of it alone.
Read it with Google Earth in front of you. Follow his every step. But Google Earth only gives you the physical geography. Rory gives you the entire ethno/religious/economic/social picture. And it's much more complex than the media ever portrays.
A very good companion book to Greg Mortensen's Stones Into Schools.
Two Years Before the Mast Should be required reading for all California History students.
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TwistedCrank
climber
Ideeho-dee-do-dah-day boom-chicka-boom-chicka-boom
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The Gone-Away World by Nick Harkaway
Post-Apocalyptical ninjas, mimes, mutants and challenging human relations. Road Warrior meets Howdy Doody, really.
3/4 of the way into the book you'll have a "holy fug I can't believe that just happened" moment and you'll immediately want to read it again when you're done
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Tea
Trad climber
Behind the Zion Curtain
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Shantaram-Gregort David Robers
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MisterE
Social climber
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Check out 'Godel, Escher and Bach' ISBN 9780465026562
Pulitzer pize winning and an all time mega-classic.
MM
That book is freaking THICK reading - made The Glass Bead Game easy by comparison.
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salad
climber
Escondido
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i read a book the other day. the road. first book in maybe 3 years. wait i think i read one last year on our anniversery trip to mexico.
annnyway, i enjoyed it and couldnt put it down. would have read it start to finish in a single sitting but my wife was already 3/4 of the way done and stole it from me for an hour or two.
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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So, did Skip ever find SOMETHING to read???
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nb3000
Social climber
Bay Area
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If you like Geology/Earth Science, the new(ish) one by John McPhee "Annals of the Former World" is a good one.
Most of it takes place either on the East Coast or somewhere in the west (as in, NOT midwestern states) as McPhee goes roadtrippin' with one geologist or another during the late 70's and early 80's. Not too technical, but just enough.
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Mighty Hiker
climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Second for: "Annals of the Former World". Excellent, especially if you like natural history. Nominally looking at the geology of the USA from east to west along Interstate 80, but with an awful lot more included, and very well-written. No wonder McPhee won the Pulitzer Prize for it.
http://www.johnmcphee.com/annals.htm
The second of the four books of which it is comprised is "Rising from the Plains", which is largely about a Wyoming geologist named David Love. An extraordinary man, and great-nephew of John Muir. Yosemite connection! How's about that, eh?
http://www.madeinwyoming.net/profiles/extras/David-Love-Biography.pdf
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GhoulweJ
Trad climber
Sacramento, CA
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Enduring Patagonia by Gregory Crouch
I LOVE THIS BOOK!!!!
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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In Patagonia by Chatwin - Only surpassed by his Songlines about Australia
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Scraptee
Trad climber
Tacoma
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"Matterhorn" by Karl Marlantes is best book I've read in years. Kind of a cross between "Catch 22" and "Saving Private Ryan" in Viet Nam. I was not inclined to accept the all expense paid trip to Viet Nam in the 70s and don't normally read military stuff, but this is really well written and had me sweating bullets so to speak.
Terry
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Jaybro
Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
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Yeah whatever happened with this?
Second on the John McPhee books, Joseph Campbell and Neuromancer should be shared with all as well. As Should the Winnie the Pooh books The Tao of Pooh, as well.
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justthemaid
climber
Jim Henson's Basement
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 1, 2010 - 09:20pm PT
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I've got a monster list going from this thread. I should be good for at least 50 years at this point LOL.
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Crimpergirl
Sport climber
Boulder, Colorado!
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Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks.
Really great book on many levels.
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Prezwoodz
climber
Anchorage
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Heres some more since I love good books.
Slaughterhouse 5 - Vonnuget
Breakfast of Champions Vonnuget ( weird but neat in that strange way. Then watch the Bruce Willis movie...or don't)
How about the short classics?
Falling up, A light in the Attic, and Where the Sidewalk ends. I just read these again and that man was a genius!
There is a book called Discovery of Slowness by Sten Nadolny, it changed my perception of people and also others perception of me. Wonderful book.
The Dark Tower Series by Stephen King. Much better then I expected, way out there and just great!
Minus 148 by Art Davidson, its about hte first winter ascent of Denali. Makes you wonder what it would take to actually kill those guys...
Quest for Adventure by Chris Bonington. Gives a bunch of amazing stories in a nice thick book that makes you pack your bags.
Kon - Tiki, Think you need a giant cruise ship to go across the ocean? These guys did it with logs tied together... Thor Heyerdahl.
No Picnic on Mt. Kenya - Escape from a British POW camp for an attempt on Mt. Kenya...break back in. Crazy? Perhaps
Siddhartha : Herman Hesse. It was great..not the best ive ever read but great non the less.
Sometimes the Soul by Gioia Timpanelli - Some wonderful short stories from a great storyteller.
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bluering
Trad climber
Santa Clara, Ca.
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C.S. Lewis, "Mere Christianity" is good. So is Steinbeck's "Of Mice and Men"...
C.S. Lewis though blew my mind...written so long ago.
C.S. Lewis, a former atheist, expressed his new-found love for Christianity to J.R. Tolkien (The Lord of the Rings author) and J.R. essentially told him, "I've been a Catholic my whole life, STFU, I already know all this stuff!"
It's excerpted from the "Inklings" book. Another good read if you wanna get into the heads of C.S. Lewis and Tolkien.
Pretty cool stuff.
EDIT: anything from Hemingway is good too! Old Man of the Sea!!!!!
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sunflower
climber
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The Road is a great book to read, and another book to read is called One Man Wilderness by John Branson.
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Dickbob
climber
Colorado
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Ahh..The Dark Tower. I have read it many times. My dog is named Oy. Good stuff.
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bluering
Trad climber
Santa Clara, Ca.
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Quit being a Dick, Bob.....sorry, I had to.......
carry on!
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slobmonster
Trad climber
OAK (nee NH)
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heck out John McPhee's "Uncommon Carriers." Great collection of vignettes describing the details of our transportation infrastructure. Nominally boring, right? You'll like it.
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Dickbob
climber
Colorado
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The name is actually Richard Robert and I am serious about the D. T series. King is under rated.
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Jaybro
Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
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Multiple OT; Bluering Have you ever heard the theory that the Voice of Treebeard, from LOTR is actually CS Lewis voice? JR was writing while CS was down the hall lecturing one thing led to another...
And Dickbob is a-okay, and a Stephan King Fan; I once subjected him to a comparative reading of Stephan King followed by Graham Green,infamous lapsed catholic; (as orated by our mutual friend; Dru) in the mtn room bar, of all places.
No kidding, I can't make this sh#t up!
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Dickbob
climber
Colorado
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I kinda remember that jaybro..long time ago.
How about Tree Of Smoke by Denis Johnson. That was good.
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MisterE
Social climber
Bouncy Tiggerville
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Hesse KNOWS human nature, if one is interested:
Beneath the Wheel
Narcissus and Goldman
Siddhartha and The Glass Bead game (as already mentioned).
Developmental to my random rants here on the 'Topo. ;)
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bluering
Trad climber
Santa Clara, Ca.
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You f*#kers are all Hippies....
I give up. There's good thought out there, but y'all stick to the commies.
....whatever.....enjoy yourselves! That's all you live for....
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ex-bouldergirl
Boulder climber
boulder, co
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History: "Blood and Thunder" by Hampton Sides. Kit Carson and others in the wild wild west...
"As the forerunners of Western civilization, creeping up the river valleys and across the mountain passes, the trappers brought smallpox and typhoid, they brought guns and whiskey and venereal disease, they brought the puzzlement of money and the gleam of steel. And on their liquored breath they whispered the coming of an unimaginable force, of a gathering shadow on the eastern horizon, gorging itself on the continent as it pressed steadily this way.”
Sounds like a bunch of climbers on an outing :).
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tuolumne_tradster
Trad climber
Leading Edge of North American Plate
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Louis De Berniere's "Birds Without Wings"
A beautifully written love story between a Christian girl, Philothei, and a Muslim boy, Ibrahim, set in western Turkey at the end of the Ottoman Empire and the rise of Mondern Turkey.
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Ed Hartouni
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
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I'm in the middle of Garret Birkhoff's Lattice Theory, gripping for me... but I don't think I can recommend it... it's only 274 pages long but I'll be lucky if I can work through it by New Years.
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MisterE
Social climber
Bouncy Tiggerville
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Ed - By some funny contrivance in my brain I connect this to your book: I am doing a fence-cap in lattice today where I have to line up the weaving to maximally block the neighbor's view. I have two 8' X 15" pieces to theorize...I mean, work with...
It's not rocket science.
;)
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Jaybro
Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
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The Razor's edge. WSM
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Ed Hartouni
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
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not rocket science for me neither... more like algebraic topology...
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Mighty Hiker
climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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You f*#kers are all Hippies....
I give up. There's good thought out there, but y'all stick to the commies. Actually, a lot of the books and authors cited are not only DWMs, they're acknowledged as part of the western canon. Poison to Liberals.
Although there are lots of other good books cited, too, by authors who are not necessarily dead, white, male, or taught in classic liberal-arts programs.
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Jaybro
Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
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For those concerned wit author demographics;
The Naked Lunch
The Fire Next time
Soldier of a great War
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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OK Bluey,
Since we're apparently still at it with the Rooskies then ya better
read how they kicked the Hun's heinie in the Big One. There's a reason
they are the best chess players on the planet most of the time.
It took the fall of the Evil Empire to enable access to previously
untouchable files. To wit, it was the Ali rope-a-dope on a massive scale
and way more intricate than merely a scorched-earth retreat as commonly thought hitherto.
Thunder On The Dnieper by Fugate and Dvoretsky
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H
Mountain climber
there and back again
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I'll have to check out ex-bouldergirl's book Blood and Thunder. I am a fan of Kit Carson as well as John Freemont. However it reminds me of two books: "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jerad Diamond its about the history of civilization and "The Men to Match the Mountains" by Irvine Stone a great discourse of the settling of the west.
A couple other books I have enjoyed are:
A short walk in the Hinducush by Eric Newby
Adrift by Steven Callahan
The long walk by Slavomir Rawicz
In Siberia by Colin Thubron
No picnic on Mt. Kenya by Felice Benuzzi
Ship of Gold in the Deep Blue Sea by Gary Kinder
Happy reading,
H
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neebee
Social climber
calif/texas
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hey there say, all....
got to wave a flag to my novels, and books here, once again...
:)
the story of jake smith and his twin sister's love will
touch your heart, forever...
:)
JAKE ('I'm thinking...')
JAKE AND SOFIA
JAKE HUGS TEXAS
JAKE'S RANCH AND THE SECOND GATE
STEPPINGSTONES THROUGH JAKE'S RANCH, SHORT STORIES,
VOL 1-5
:)
different and unique, and will keep you busy...
:)
http://stores.lulu.com/neebeeshaabookwayreadjakeanddonate
*what would YOU do if you witnessed a friend having a seizure?...
http://go.neebeeshaabookway.com
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Beatrix Kiddo
Mountain climber
ColoRADo
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Just read Mutant Messages from Down Under. Pretty good, easy read.
If you want it, it's yours, no charge. Just shoot me your Address. Someone gave it to me so I might as well pass it on.
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Wade Icey
Trad climber
www.alohashirtrescue.com
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Jul 23, 2010 - 05:03pm PT
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Tony Bird
climber
Northridge, CA
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Jul 23, 2010 - 05:09pm PT
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maidsie--
sometimes the problem is the bookstore itself. if you're a b. dalton, borders or flarnes and squaggles captive, it's time to change your ways.
i know you're in my neighborhood, and i recommend the sam johnson bookstore on venice blvd., just east of centinela. it's an adventure every time i go in there, and i always come away with something worthwhile. they are a small, mostly used, bookstore and the people are real booklovers. if you cruise in there on a saturday or especially a sunday, you'll find the nicest little circle of book people who spend most of the afternoon sitting around and chatting.
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Reggaemylitis
Sport climber
Sacramento, CA
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Jul 23, 2010 - 05:49pm PT
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As someone who has read everything Dan Simmons has ever written, I understand why the OP has read the Hyperion series 10 times, as I am on at least 5 or 6. Best Sci-Fi series of all time in my book, up there with the Foundation Series by Asimov or Rama series by Clarke.
The book that has made me laugh more than any other book I have ever read is Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal, by Christopher Moore. I may end up re-reading this book more than anything else over the course of my life. Just thinking about it makes me smile.
I personally think The Road blew. The style made me want to shoot the dad, the kid, and myself, not necessarily in that order! :)
I will stay away from Pulitzer Prize winners after that. Same goes with The Dark Tower Series. I love me some Stephen King, but the last three books of that series are an abomination. He should have quit after the first four.
Lots of other good recommendations in here though. Great books not mentioned by authors that WERE mentioned would be:
Till We Have Faces by C.S. Lewis
The Broken Wings by Kahlil Gabran
Travels With Charley by John Steinbeck (Only book I read without stopping)
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rockermike
Trad climber
Berkeley
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Jul 23, 2010 - 07:40pm PT
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Don't know at all what you are into, but if you like history - intellectual history in particular, I'm 3/4ths of the way through "The Passion of the Western Mind" (Tarnas) Follows religion/philosophy/science from pre-Socratic through modern era, all in one grand comprehensive sweep. I'm loving it.
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Charlie D.
Trad climber
Western Slope, Tahoe Sierra
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Jul 23, 2010 - 09:00pm PT
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Timid TR, a California history treasure is Up & Down California by William Brewer. His diary to his brother from the Whitney Survey crew 1860's.
I just finished Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese, a life epic tale outstanding!
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bestill
Trad climber
s. ca.
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Jul 23, 2010 - 09:03pm PT
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"snow falling on cedars" and other books by same author."euclid in the rainforest" by joseph mazur."the essential rumi" translated by coleman barks.
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phylp
Trad climber
Millbrae, CA
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Jul 23, 2010 - 11:05pm PT
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Hey Justthemaid,
I just saw this post (I was in Rome on a two week trip when it was first posted!, and, understandably, not really checking in on ST).
You say you like non-cheesy scifi:
If you haven't checked them out yet, I'll add my vote to the recs by jaybro and stevep for Neal Stephenson's work. I too liked Snowcrash, loved Anathem. Cryptonomicon is one of my favorite books ever. And I was really looking forward to the Baroque cycle but when it came out, couldn't get past p 150 of the first book. I really tried, but it is a historical focus so maybe you'll like that one too.
Cheers, Phyl
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rockermike
Trad climber
Berkeley
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Jul 23, 2010 - 11:13pm PT
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speaking of CS Lewis, I recently listened to a Teaching Company "university course on tape" on CS Lewis (12 lectures), his life and writings. found it quite interesting.
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allapah
climber
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Jul 24, 2010 - 02:01am PT
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The Left Hand Of Darkness,, Ursula Leguin
sci fi-- a winter mountaineering slog marked by hermaphroditic sexual tension; i got the feeling Leguin had done a few ski tours, she gets it right...
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426
climber
Buzzard Point, TN
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Jul 24, 2010 - 04:40pm PT
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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.
seriously, try some neal stephenson if you haven't....I just read Anathem which is really damned good, sci-fi ish and still has me wondering what happened to Fraa Jad. (not a spoiler)...it's even got some mountaineering, yo!
Jay! you owe me a quarter! It's been a while but I remember I looked up Boyle's Law and a whole bunch of other stuff while Quicksilvering and had a raging brainer throughout...but sometimes my head hurt. I read it with the 'Net close by and really hammered some neurons. It took me a long time to read Quix. The second and third books are much more fun historic fiction (and easier reading) with pirates and loot and phosphorus and luminaries like Newton showing up. I'd say you could (should?) skip the first pretty easily...
Cryptonomicon is fantastic if you are geeked out on codes and WWII like me.
http://www.nealstephenson.com/
Haven't read Big U or Command, but have read his earlier stuff like Snow Crash.
Deeper in the sci-fi, you can't go wrong with the mindbending Philip K. Dick..."when the going gets weird, the weird turn pro..." (Hunter S. Thompson). Try "The Man Who Japed" or his short stories before you get into the truly bizarre debraining stuff like the "3 Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch"...
http://www.philipkdick.com/works_novels_manwhojaped.html
Climbing? Terray's "Conquistadors of the Useless"...White Spider and others are great too (David Roberts comes to mind) but for a bunch of reasons I just really like CotU...
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Largo
Sport climber
The Big Wide Open Face
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Jul 24, 2010 - 04:43pm PT
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Plain Tales from the Hills, Kipling's first and best. More human than all get out, and masterly simple and direct.
JL
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WandaFuca
Social climber
From the gettin place
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Jul 24, 2010 - 05:42pm PT
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sempervirens
Trad climber
Trinity County
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Jul 24, 2010 - 06:00pm PT
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"Don't let's go to the dogs tonight", non-fiction about a British ex-pat growing up in sub-equatorial Africa in the 70's and 80's. An easy read that kept me really into it the whole time. Has some adventure. She tells a passionate story.
Also if you have any interest in India check out Shantaram. It's kinda long, the first 2/3 are excellent and make the whole thing worth it if you like to hate to like India. It's non-fiction but toward the end ya really gotta wonder.
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neebee
Social climber
calif/texas
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Jul 25, 2010 - 11:41pm PT
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hey there say.... oh myyyyy, you STILL just GOT to try reading my novels/and shortstory books, too.... :)
*well, a gal's got to try, you know.... hint hint... :)
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Elcapinyoazz
Social climber
Joshua Tree
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Jul 27, 2010 - 10:58am PT
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Best of what I've read in the last few months:
100 Years of Solitude - Marquez. Amazing achievement. Rich, funny, and universal to the human/family/community experience. One of the best novels I've ever read.
Lord Jim - Conrad. Bettter IMO than the more lauded Heart of Darkness. A great narrative device, and another universal story about fear, duty, heroism, redemption. Considering Conrad was not a native english speaker (his third language, I believe, he was a Pole), this is that much more impressive. The theme and narrative voice are very well done, a deserved classic.
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Jaybro
Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
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Jul 27, 2010 - 05:59pm PT
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Okay James I owe you a quarter, ori'll loan you my copy of Big U.
i started that one after quix, but didn't get very far. even after skipping ahead and looking for keywords like, smartwheels™ but couldn't do it, muuch to the embarrassment of my two bros and Nephew; not for all the pirates in the world, and they were the best part, whatever happened to 'half cocked Shaftoe'? or did I glaze through that part?
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dfrost7
climber
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Jul 27, 2010 - 06:41pm PT
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C.S. Lewis 'Til We Have Faces' was good.
Mere Christianity is excellent (also C.S. Lewis)
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Norwegian
Trad climber
Placerville, California
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Jul 27, 2010 - 11:08pm PT
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aurthur clarke.
childhood's end.
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MisterE
Social climber
Bouncy Tiggerville
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Jul 27, 2010 - 11:13pm PT
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That's a great read, 'wegie.
I haven't read "Lies My Teacher Told Me" ( about US History), but I heard that one is excellent.
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paul roehl
Boulder climber
california
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Jul 28, 2010 - 01:12am PT
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Just finished "You Can't Win" by Jack Black... slimy but compelling; I couldn't put it down. What a read! AK press.
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BMcC
Trad climber
Livermore
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Jul 28, 2010 - 03:14am PT
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Try any of the three books (so far) in Ann Parker's award winning 'Silver Rush' series. Historical fiction (mysteries) set in Leadville, Colorado, during the height of the silver rush (1879-1880). Fun stuff from an excellent author.
You can read the beginnings of and more about the books at:
http://www.annparker.net/book.htm
Reviews of the books at:
http://www.annparker.net/reviews.htm
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Jaybro
Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
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Jul 28, 2010 - 04:01am PT
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The watt towers?
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ExtraBlue
Ice climber
the ford VT
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Jul 28, 2010 - 08:40am PT
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HOOKER AND BROWN
by
Jerry Auld
Probably the best climbing book to come out in the last year. But it's not really a climbing book. Just a story that takes place in the mountains. And in mountains that don't really exist, but did at one time...
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the kid
Trad climber
fayetteville, wv
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Jul 28, 2010 - 08:45am PT
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all cormac mccarthy books. try the road..
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rtoddclimb
Trad climber
NH
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Jul 28, 2010 - 09:30am PT
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The Life Of Pi is a great book
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flyn
Big Wall climber
las vegas
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Jul 28, 2010 - 04:31pm PT
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Blood Meridian
Stranger in a Strange Land
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nutjob
Trad climber
Berkeley, CA
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Jul 28, 2010 - 05:10pm PT
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Pillars of the Earth (Ken Follett)
There is a new series of 1-hour segment movies on Netflix, but way not doing justice to the book.
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FRUMY
Trad climber
SHERMAN OAKS,CA
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Jul 28, 2010 - 05:33pm PT
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HITCHHIKER'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY
by Douglas Adams
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phylp
Trad climber
Millbrae, CA
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OH, the LIFE OF PI! Yes that was a wonderful book!
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Gary
climber
Desolation Basin, Calif.
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Herodotus The Histories
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Dickbob
climber
Colorado
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Oct 22, 2010 - 02:02am PT
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Room by Emma Donoghue
Fiction about a woman held captive who has a little boy by the kidnaper. The mother and child escape when the boy turns five. Unique. You might like it. I did. Just published.
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mcreel
climber
Barcelona
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Oct 22, 2010 - 07:17am PT
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Three of the last books I have read are all great:
The Road by Cormac McCarthy
Little Bee by Chris Cleave
The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet by David Mitchell
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Fluoride
Trad climber
Hollywood, CA
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Oct 22, 2010 - 09:02am PT
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"Never Let Me Go"
by Kazuo Ishiguro ("Remains of the Day")
Am beholden to it at the moment.
Simply brilliant and heartbreaking. As good a novel at it gets.
PS - everything Cormac McCarthy has done is genius. "The Road" is my favorite novel of all time. Not for everyone, but the best novel I've ever read. Moving, scary, compelling. Have read it many times over and it never gets old.
The best of storytelling. Period.
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Richard
climber
Bend, OR.
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Oct 22, 2010 - 09:56am PT
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Anything by Leon Uris, Wally Lamb, or Barbara Kingsolver
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Oct 22, 2010 - 10:03am PT
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Recently re-read two old classics "All Quiet on the Western Front" and "For Whom the Bells Toll." They are simply awesome.
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mrtropy
Trad climber
Nor Cal
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Oct 22, 2010 - 10:31am PT
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"The Historian" is a fun read
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justthemaid
climber
Jim Henson's Basement
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Topic Author's Reply - Oct 22, 2010 - 11:00am PT
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Thanks again everyone!
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Hoots
climber
Toyota Tacoma
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Oct 22, 2010 - 11:51am PT
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Two recent faves include:
The Glass Castle- Jeanette Walls (An amazing, page turning memoir)
Undaunted Courage- Stephan Ambrose (The history of the Lewis and Clark expedition)
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Mad
Social climber
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Oct 22, 2010 - 11:57am PT
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The Magic Mountain by Thomas Mann.....won the Nobel Prize for literature in 1929.
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Radish
Trad climber
SeKi, California
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Oct 22, 2010 - 12:58pm PT
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Just finished the Grapes of Wrath.....Steinbeck, in my quest to read all of his books.Great read! This book was an eye opener to a better understanding of what the farm workers go through now. Plus, it talked about the area I live in. Now what to read next??????
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Oct 22, 2010 - 01:02pm PT
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I thought the Grapes of Wrath was about SuperTopo?
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Johnny K.
Mountain climber
California
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Oct 22, 2010 - 01:03pm PT
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Jupiter's Travels by Ted Simon
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Branscomb
Trad climber
Lander, WY
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Oct 22, 2010 - 02:46pm PT
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Don't waste your time with all those touchy-feely contemporarys.
Celine...Journey to the End of the Night. Or his trilogy, Castle to Castle: North: Rigadoon.
Rip your head off.
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Fingercrack
Trad climber
Just left of there
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Oct 22, 2010 - 03:02pm PT
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Reilly wrote:
"I thought the Grapes of Wrath was about SuperTopo? "
perhaps you meant "the ingrates of wrath"
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Gary
climber
Desolation Basin, Calif.
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Oct 22, 2010 - 03:05pm PT
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Piano Lessons by Anna Goldsworthy
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Batrock
Trad climber
Burbank
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Oct 22, 2010 - 03:13pm PT
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Up And Down California by William H. Brewer
The journal of Brewer while leading the California Geological Survey of 1860-1864
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Dickbob
climber
Colorado
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Mcreel mentioned Little Bee by Chris Cleave. It crossed my path and was very well written. Based on some facts of the disturbing oil conflict in Uganda.
Full Dark, No Stars by King. Four Novellas. The first and the last are the best. For those in the know...all things must follow the beam. 19
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justthemaid
climber
Jim Henson's Basement
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Topic Author's Reply - Dec 7, 2010 - 10:09pm PT
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Wow- I've got a list long enough to keep me going till I'm like.. 99 years old by now. Well... maybe just 92 once I filter out the touchy-feely ;)
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Charlie D.
Trad climber
Western Slope, Tahoe Sierra
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BR, yea "Up and Down California" awesome read!!!
Here's two great fiction stories, full on life epic's:
"Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close", by Johathan Safran
"Cutting for Stone", by Abraham Verghese
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TGT
Social climber
So Cal
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The Road to Reality
Rodger Penrose
I probably won't live long enough to finish that one, let alone comprehend it all.
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nutjob
Trad climber
Berkeley, CA
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Definitely not highbrow literature, but Wilbur Smith writes entertaining adventure stories about ancient Egypt, Dutch and English pirates, white settlers in Africa, etc.
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