McCovey Chronicles: An SB Nation Community

Navigation: Jump to content areas:

Around SBN: Check out our NFL Scoreboard: scores, schedule and blogs Bar-right-arrows

OT: Good Reading

Hb307-1_tiny by marcello on

Baseball-wise it is a little slow right now, outside of the HOF discussions.  In addition, the stupid (valid, but annoying to me personally) writers strike has left me with little to watch.  Gladiators is not how I remembered it as a kid and there is no way in hell I'm going to watch something like Celebrity Apprentice.  Although I will probably check out that "Nothing But The Truth" game show where they hook the "contestant" up to a lie detector and ask them f-ed up questions.  Mostly out of train-wreck curiosity.

Anyways, given all that, I'm looking for something good to read.  My taste in books might not be on par with some of you, but I don't really care.  My interests tend to skew towards baseball reading (not really interested in that right now) and sci-fi, although I'm open to other types if the subject is appealing.  Preferably fiction.  The last two books I've read are Starship Troopers and Snow Crash, if that helps with suggestions.  I would definitely love to hear about some books in that genre or style.  

For those that don't know, Starship Troopers focuses on a Marine in the future.  It is supposed to be a very realistic view of military life, although I would not know.  It also includes a somewhat harsh critique of our current political system and it's imminent failings.  A movie was made which loosely followed the book; it was decent for a B-flick.  Snow Crash is tough for me to describe.  It's sort of a "hacker" book.  Again, set in the future, where the internet has evolved into a cross between the Matrix and Second Life (a video game).  The story follows the main character, Hiro Protagonist (awesome name), and his quest to prevent a person from spreading a virus that would kill everyone who viewed it (not as corny as it sounds, like in the movies where you visit a website and then die a few days later, at least I think not as corny).  People who have read these books might be able to give a better description, when I read I don't look too deep.

Now this diary obviously isn't just about helping me find some good books to read.  Please feel free to use it to discuss any and all books you've read, want to read, or that others should read.

This FanPost is reader-generated, and it does not necessarily reflect the views of McCovey Chronicles. If the author uses filler to achieve the minimum word requirement, a moderator may edit the FanPost for his or her own amusement.

0 recs | Comment 82 comments

Story-email Email Printer Print

Comments

Display:

Re: OT: Good Reading
I just bought a book called Baltimore: or, the Steadfast Tin Soldier and the Vampire. It's a collaboration between Mike Mignola (of the Hellboy comics fame) and Christopher Golden (who also worked on Hellboy, it looks like, but might be better known for something like Ghosts of Albion, or his BTVS comics work). Wikipedia sums it up rather concisely with this quote
"Lord Henry Baltimore fights on a battlefield during World War I and is bitten by a vampire bat. His family is killed by the resulting plague, and Baltimore put together a team to kill the Red King, the source of the evil that had befallen his family"

Anyway, I'm excited about reading that. It's a cool looking hardback, and it's not terribly long, either. Sounds like it might be a bit up your alley. Not really sci-fi or baseball, but hey, fantasy and horror are apparently related genres to sci-fi.

If, rather, you're looking for Giants oriented baseball sci-fi, I've mentioned this book before. Looks like you can pick it up cheap, too.

He is Vengeance. He is the Knight. He is Dave Righetti. PRAY TO HIM! / Also, my blog. For writers.

by howtheyscored on Jan 8, 2008 4:29 PM PST   0 recs

Re: OT: Good Reading
Yeah, for me, Fantasty, Sci-Fi, and Horror go together.
Adoptive father of David Quinowski: Fuck it, dude, let's go bowling

by marcello on Jan 8, 2008 4:49 PM PST to parent up   0 recs

I reccomend the Dresden Files Books..
by Jim Butcher. If you like sci-fi, modern-day fantasy. They're really fun reads.
And Boom Goes the Dynamite

by Andy from DC on Jan 8, 2008 4:36 PM PST   0 recs

Re: OT: Good Reading
Check out http://www.goodreads.com for book reviews/recommendations.
Kids, you tried your best and you failed miserably. The lesson is, never try. - Homer Simpson

by attinger on Jan 8, 2008 4:45 PM PST   0 recs

Re: OT: Good Reading
Also, my favorite Sci-Fi books are the two Connie Willis time travel books, Doomsday Book (awesome!) and To Say Nothing of the Dog (hilarious!). I would highly recommend both. Just fun, good, deep, old fashioned sci-fi yummy time travel.
He is Vengeance. He is the Knight. He is Dave Righetti. PRAY TO HIM! / Also, my blog. For writers.

by howtheyscored on Jan 8, 2008 4:49 PM PST   0 recs

Re: OT: Good Reading
To say nothing of the dog is really a great read, particularly if you've read 3 men in a boat beforehand.

by prospecthound on Jan 8, 2008 7:33 PM PST to parent up   0 recs

Re: OT: Good Reading
Right now I'm reading "Confessions of a Baseball Purist" by our very own Jon Miller. It's as entertaining as his stories on the air. I even found one that he's mentioned a few times (Phil Rizzuto's "WW"). I also learned about his thoughts on Bud Selig, which made me respect him even more (Miller, not Selig).
Nattowear | comics | Durham? I hardly know 'im!

by Natto on Jan 8, 2008 5:19 PM PST   0 recs

Re: OT: Good Reading
Oooh, I'm adding that to my shopping list on Amazon.
He is Vengeance. He is the Knight. He is Dave Righetti. PRAY TO HIM! / Also, my blog. For writers.

by howtheyscored on Jan 8, 2008 5:39 PM PST to parent up   0 recs

Re: OT: Good Reading
In the words of our very own Mike Krukow, "I'm gonna get that,I'm gonna get that, I'm gonna get that". I watch waaay to many Giants games :-)
My adopted son Matt Downs. Because face it, everybody else was already taken by the time I got here.

by nvsfg on Jan 8, 2008 8:37 PM PST to parent up   0 recs

Re: OT: Good Reading
Too many... or not enough?
Nattowear | comics | Durham? I hardly know 'im!

by Natto on Jan 8, 2008 11:00 PM PST to parent up   0 recs

Re: OT: Good Reading
Same difference.
All your signature are belong to us.

by EliminateMe on Jan 9, 2008 9:56 AM PST to parent up   0 recs

Re: OT: Good Reading
The Hardball Times annual.

it's a good one.

I wish i was more into Sci-Fi.

Pedro Feliz: Marginally better this year.

by SloIsLonelyForTheOrange on Jan 8, 2008 5:54 PM PST   0 recs

Re: OT: Good Reading
I've been doing a lot of reading lately and have several to recommend. Unfortunately, none of them are baseball related in the least. In order of recommendation:
  • Killing Yourself to Live, as well as Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs - both by Chuck Klosterman.
  • Love is a Mixtape by Rob Sheffield.
  • A Long Way Down by Nick Hornby. It's not nearly as good as some of his other books, though, but still worth a look.
I think I'm on my "music people who write books" phase.

by MidKnight on Jan 8, 2008 6:01 PM PST   0 recs

Re: OT: Good Reading
i love klosterman... i'm sure i'd want to punch him if i ever engaged in a conversation with him, but as a read he's tops.
Dodgers fans eat their young.

by redhornet78 on Jan 8, 2008 7:17 PM PST to parent up   0 recs

Re: OT: Good Reading
Agreed.

I read Sex, Drugs, and Coco Puffs and while a lot of it was amusing the amount of just wordy smugness was overwhelming at times for me and got on my nerves. Not a terrible read.

One of my friends, who I think secretly wishes he was Chuck, loved the book and recommended it to me.

by xanthan on Jan 9, 2008 5:47 AM PST to parent up   0 recs

Re: OT: Good Reading
Glad to hear I'm not the only one.  I keep having to put 'Killing Yourself' down & starting something else.  But I keep coming back to it.  One day I'll finish it.
Brian Sabean's favorite song: "Centerfield" - John Fogerty

by ResDog on Jan 9, 2008 8:44 AM PST to parent up   0 recs

Re: OT: Good Reading
I think the cross-section of Klosterman fans and McCovey Chronicles fans would be fairly large, Chuck's writing kind of reminds me of Grant's.

by Stoned Slacker on Jan 9, 2008 9:02 AM PST to parent up   0 recs

Re: OT: Good Reading
Grant obviously needs to write more in-depth analyses on the Real World.

Don't get me wrong, Chuck is funny, but everything that comes out of his mouth (pen?) just drips with uber-hipster pretentiousness. When I read him, I just can't shake the mental image of some guy wearing horn-rimmed glasses chuckling to himself about how witty and pop cultural he is.

by xanthan on Jan 9, 2008 10:52 AM PST to parent up   0 recs

Re: OT: Good Reading
I couldn't put my finger on why his books bother me so much, but there it is. Not to say I didn't LOL when reading Sex Drugs and Cocoa Puffs, but still.
Democracy is lovely but baseball is more mature. BVCE supports Manny Burriss and SF Dugout.

by BaronVonCurrentEvents on Jan 9, 2008 3:25 PM PST to parent up   0 recs

Re: OT: Good Reading
That Sheffield book is a heartbreaker. Don't try to read it on the subway.

by Evan on Jan 9, 2008 9:38 AM PST to parent up   0 recs

Re: OT: Good Reading
"Our next 'contestant' is a baseball player of some dubious recent fame , please welcome Roger Clemens..."
Rockies juggernaut rolls o...ver , dead. NL West TempestTeapot CASE IN POINT!

by victor frankenstein on Jan 8, 2008 6:11 PM PST   0 recs

For "hacker" / cyberpunk type books
try George Alec Effinger's Marid Audran series of books.

It has a interesting and unconventional setting. It's a typical "post apocalyptic" cyberpunk type future setting, with the notable exception that the protagonist is a Moroccan in an Arab setting.

The Merchant Princes series by Charlie Stross is also a pretty good "tech geek" series. The heroine is a travels between the real world and another world trading contraband.

by rfloh on Jan 8, 2008 6:17 PM PST   0 recs

Re: OT: Good Reading
If you like Starship Troopers (my favorite book when I was a kid), try Armor by John Steakley.

Cryptonomicon might be better than Snow Crash, but I liked all of Neal Stephenson.

Best sci-fi I read last year was "Plague Year".

by zenbitz on Jan 8, 2008 7:28 PM PST   0 recs

Re: OT: Good Reading
I just read Crypto and thought it was excellent, but I actually enjoyed Stehenson's Boroque cycle starring Half Cocked Jack the King of the Vagabonds and Sir Isaac Newton better.

by prospecthound on Jan 8, 2008 7:35 PM PST to parent up   0 recs

Re: Neal Stephenson
Absolutely. Neal Stephenson is amazing. The Baroque Cycle is the most impressive thing I've ever seen written. Just like Cryptonomicon, the intelligence just drips off the page, and Neal's research is jaw-dropping. I'm pretty sure your IQ goes up a couple of points for each Stephenson book you read. There's just no way to adequately describe his books.

If you're into SF (horror and fantasy are NOT part of that genre, imho), I hope you've already read:

  1. Foundation series, Isaac Asimov
  2. "The Martian Chronicles,""Fahrenheit 451," Ray Bradbury
  3. "2000," "2010," & "Rendezvous with Rama," Arthur C. Clarke
  4. "Red Mars," Kim Stanley Robinson
  5. "Ringworld," "Lucifer's Hammer," & "Footfall," Larry Niven
  6. "The Handmaid's Tale," Margaret Atwood
  7. "Ender's Game,""Speaker for the Dead," Orson Scott Card
  8. "Timescape," Gregory Benford
  9. "Kiln People," David Brin
  10. "Mars," Ben Bova
Greg Bear, Alastair Reynolds, and Jack McDevitt are other authors you should check out. I also like Catherine Asaro, but she's a bit of a hybrid.
The SF Giants: we're not much, but you should check out our team in Augusta!

by Lyle on Jan 9, 2008 3:06 AM PST to parent up   0 recs

Re: OT: Good Reading
Just read "The Road" by Cormac McCarthy. It's a post-apocalyptic book about a man and his son traveling through the collapsed U.S. in search of food and whatnot. I cried violently.

Also finished "Get in the Van" by Henry Rollins. Basically a tour diary of Black Flag. Pretty depressing, too, frankly, but I liked it.

Now reading: "Son of a Witch" by Gregory Maguire.

I've heard a few people mention "Starship Troopers," so I'll have to check that out next.

by Dan from NM on Jan 8, 2008 7:40 PM PST   0 recs

Re: OT: Good Reading
I just finished "The Road" last night. I'm a gonna go watch some video of some 2007 Matt Cain games to cheer myself up.

Jeez.

Good book, though.

by Grant on Jan 8, 2008 7:44 PM PST to parent up   0 recs

Re: OT: Good Reading
The Road surprised the hell out of me. I was expecting not to like it very much on account of being the kind of academically critical success it was (which usually translates to boring), but it has ridiculous mainstream crossover value. I absolutely loved it.
He is Vengeance. He is the Knight. He is Dave Righetti. PRAY TO HIM! / Also, my blog. For writers.

by howtheyscored on Jan 8, 2008 7:48 PM PST to parent up   0 recs

Re: OT: Good Reading
My wife asked if I was alright after finishing 'The Road'.  I'm still not sure if I am.
Brian Sabean's favorite song: "Centerfield" - John Fogerty

by ResDog on Jan 9, 2008 8:46 AM PST to parent up   0 recs

Re: OT: Good Reading
Wow, am I the only one who thought it actually had a happy ending?
He is Vengeance. He is the Knight. He is Dave Righetti. PRAY TO HIM! / Also, my blog. For writers.

by howtheyscored on Jan 9, 2008 11:39 AM PST to parent up   0 recs

Re: OT: Good Reading
In honor of his recent passing, I would like to recommend anything by George MacDonald Frazier. He's best known for his Flashman series, but even more enjoyable to me was his semi autoigraphical "The General Danced at Dawn" about his time is a Scottish regiment in North Africa at the termination of  WWII and his actual biography of his time in the Burma Campaign "Quartered Safe Out Here".   If you are into good sci-fi I can only assume that you already have read alot of Iian M. Banks, but if not, Consider Phelbas, Excession, Use of Weapons and Player of Games are all superb. Finally, I have recently reread Tim Powers 'Last Call' and Steven Brust's 'Freedom and Necessity", and for good, hard sci-fi, you can't go far wrong than the Niven/Pournelle classic "The Mote in God's Eye".

by prospecthound on Jan 8, 2008 7:44 PM PST   0 recs

Re: OT: Good Reading
I can't believe I left "The Mote in God's Eye" off my list! Fantastic. Even "The Gripping Hand" was good.
The SF Giants: we're not much, but you should check out our team in Augusta!

by Lyle on Jan 9, 2008 3:07 AM PST to parent up   0 recs

Re: OT: Good Reading
my top books of all time

Duncan: The Brothers K
Irving: A Prayer for Owen Meany
Powers: The Time of Our Singing
Hosseini: Kite Runner
Atwood: The Blind Assassin
Niffenegger: Time Traveler's Wife
Zafon: Shadow of the Wind
Csikszentmihalyi: Flow, the Psychology of Optimal Experience

by uncle bob on Jan 8, 2008 7:56 PM PST   0 recs

"I Am Legend"
My favorite story of all time.  Let me clarify what the story is actually about, so those of you that have seen the movie get an idea of what it's really supposed to be.

Robert Neville is a scientist that survived a bacterial outbreak, witnessing it take the lives of both his wife and daughter, as well as the rest of society.  While Neville was immune to this bacteria, everyone else is wiped out by it.  But they don't really die.  They become vampires.  So, Neville boards himself up every night in his house while the vampires outside call for him to come out, the women striking lewd poses and pummel his house with rocks.  The only thing that keeps him safe are the necklaces of garlic, the mirrors, and the crucifixes he hangs on his doors and windows.  The story is about his search for a cure, and his studies of vampirism.  The ending is perhaps one of the best ever written for a horror story, and it's too bad that Hollywood ruined it.  It's only about 300 pages, so it's a quick read for those of you that don't have much time.

It was written by Richard Matheson (for all you "Twilight Zone" fanatics), and this story inspired authors Brian Lumley, Dean Koontz, and Stephen King.  This story gave King the idea for his famous "Salem's Lot," and inspired George Romero to create the classic "Night of the Living Dead," which in turn created the zombie genre.  If Romero is the father of Zombie films, Matheson should be considered the Grandfather.

Anyways, as I said before, it's my favorite story and I love it to pieces.  Anybody that enjoys vampires or psychological thrillers, you will LOVE this book.

Brian Anderson: I can has spot in Fresno 'pen?

by Anticon23 on Jan 8, 2008 8:10 PM PST   0 recs

Forgot to mention . . .
I'm currently reading Cormac McCarthy's "No Country for Old Men."  I loved the film so much I had to read it, and O M G it's amazing.

Surprisingly enough, the dialogue from the film and pretty much everything is directly from the novel, for the most part.  So I'm even more proud of the Cohen brothers now.

Brian Anderson: I can has spot in Fresno 'pen?

by Anticon23 on Jan 8, 2008 8:11 PM PST to parent up   0 recs

Re: Forgot to mention . . .
I think there is a certain amount that McCarthy has actually been writing with the screen in mind on his last few books. The first thing I thought when I was reading The Road was how it would look in 16:9. The book read like it was preparing itself to transfer to the screen, and I imagined that it would be an easy easy script adaptation.

Needless to say, before the strike the script was already being written!

He is Vengeance. He is the Knight. He is Dave Righetti. PRAY TO HIM! / Also, my blog. For writers.

by howtheyscored on Jan 8, 2008 8:27 PM PST to parent up   0 recs

Re: Forgot to mention . . .
I think there is a certain amount that McCarthy has actually been writing with the screen in mind on his last few books. The first thing I thought when I was reading The Road was how it would look in 16:9. The book read like it was preparing itself to transfer to the screen, and I imagined that it would be an easy easy script adaptation.

The dialog would transfer over easily, but most of the beauty of the book is in McCarthy's description and command of the language. So unless the Coens want to have a Darabont/King joined-at-the-hip kind of thing, I'd give any "The Road" movie about 5% chance of being good.

by Grant on Jan 9, 2008 12:20 PM PST to parent up   0 recs

Re: Forgot to mention . . .
I think it would have a small chance of being a very successful movie, and obviously the direction would take some real finesse, but I found it to be a pretty vividly visual book. Obviously, the beauty of reading McCarthy's words would be lost, but I think that the medium would naturally make up for it with the beauty of the (decimated) landscape and visuals.

That's just how I felt, anyway.

He is Vengeance. He is the Knight. He is Dave Righetti. PRAY TO HIM! / Also, my blog. For writers.

by howtheyscored on Jan 9, 2008 12:58 PM PST to parent up   0 recs

Re: Forgot to mention . . .
And I mean, obviously it's not something that would work in hands, say, lesser than Alfonso Cuaron's (to indiscriminately throw out a name), but I doubt any studio would approach The Road with any intentions less than Oscars. On the one hand, that could doom it to Ron Howard, but on the other hand it could be cause for an actual inspired pairing.
He is Vengeance. He is the Knight. He is Dave Righetti. PRAY TO HIM! / Also, my blog. For writers.

by howtheyscored on Jan 9, 2008 1:01 PM PST to parent up   0 recs

Re: OT: Good Reading
I have to recommend A Song of Ice and Fire by George R. R. Martin. It's where I got my screen name from for heck's sake, so I better mention it on a thread like this.
Anyway, it's light fantasy as far as fantasy goes, so it's accessible to anyone that just plain likes good writing. Oh, and it's long, real long. So you'll need to be a voracious reader to attempt it. It's a series of seven books and he's so far written four -- and all are around 1,000 pages a pop. You'll fall in love with the characters though, and Martin is a master of making complicated, twisting plotlines very simple to follow. By the middle of the first book, A Game of Thrones, you will crap your pants and be a Martin follower forever. Try it out, you may be surprised how much you enjoy these books.
Another dream come true for the Patrick make-a-Misch foundation

by Dolorous Edd on Jan 8, 2008 11:10 PM PST   0 recs

+1
Ned Stark for GM.
And Boom Goes the Dynamite

by Andy from DC on Jan 9, 2008 8:56 AM PST to parent up   0 recs

Re: +1
Varys = Head scout

Jon Snow = Pitching coach

Tyrion = Manager

The Hound = Closer

Robert Baratheon = Clean up hitter

Another dream come true for the Patrick make-a-Misch foundation

by Dolorous Edd on Jan 9, 2008 11:44 AM PST to parent up   0 recs

Re: +1
Breanne - Cammy Blackstone.
And Boom Goes the Dynamite

by Andy from DC on Jan 11, 2008 2:01 PM PST to parent up   0 recs

Re: OT: Good Reading
You know, I suppose, that The Song of Ice and Fire was picked up by HBO to run as a weekly show, slated to start in '09?  As the rumors go, each book would be made into a single season of episodes.  I'd have to think that casting would be a huge hurdle, with so many characters in the mix, but this has the chance to be great on the small screen.

But in my eyes, the fantasy-type series better than ASoIaF is The Prince of Nothing trio, by R. Scott Bakker.  It's like Conan the Barbarian meets The Crusades meets Cormac McCarthy.

by biff pocoroba on Jan 9, 2008 10:25 AM PST to parent up   0 recs

Re: OT: Good Reading
For all the people talking about sci-fi, do yourself a favor and pick up a collection of short stories from Phillip K Dick. I'm going through a collection now and they are fantastic, PDK really is one of the masters of sci-fi. I love his themes of humanism, technology, and underlying hope that seems to run through his works.

by xanthan on Jan 9, 2008 5:50 AM PST   0 recs

Re: OT: Good Reading
Also, put me in the "I wish I had more time to read" category. Since I started my new job in December, my free time has dwindled ;(

by xanthan on Jan 9, 2008 5:51 AM PST to parent up   0 recs

Re: OT: Good Reading
Actually, read the novels too.  I think I actually have a complete collection.

by zenbitz on Jan 9, 2008 7:54 AM PST to parent up   0 recs

Re: OT: Good Reading
I read 'We Can Build You' this past year and loved it. The novels are just as good and I'd like to read more of them.

by xanthan on Jan 9, 2008 7:54 AM PST to parent up   0 recs

Re: OT: Good Reading
My favorite of his novels is 'Confessions of a Crap Artist' , followed close by Dues Irae

by prospecthound on Jan 9, 2008 10:59 AM PST to parent up   0 recs

Re: OT: Good Reading
I love "A Scanner Darkly" (haven't bothered to see the movie, though). Although it doesn't get as much praise as some of his other books, "Time out of Joint" is perhaps my very favorite Dick novel. When I first saw "The Truman Show", it reminded me a lot of "Time" in the way the veneer of artificiality starts falling apart.

Also, there are five volumes of "The Collected Stories of Philip K. Dick" which I highly recommend.

All your signature are belong to us.

by EliminateMe on Jan 10, 2008 10:28 AM PST to parent up   0 recs

Re: OT: Good Reading
I too tore through a collection of Phillip K Dick last Fall.  Jonathan Letham has put together a couple of collections of PKD it seems.  The Man in the High Castle is a alt-history what if the the Nazis had won story.  Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep is the source for Blade Runner, but different enough that watching the movie(s) doesn't spoil the book.

If a book fits scifi-fantasy-horror, it might be Gaiman and Pratchett's "Good Omens". I got it for Christmas from my sister and read it last week.  An end of the world tale with Angels, Demons, little kids, chatty Satanists, goofy Witchhunters, and a lot of humor. it might be a better TV-replacement book than PKD.  Dick's works are more of a drug-replacement variety.

by kennv on Jan 9, 2008 7:45 AM PST   0 recs

Re: Gaiman
I love Neil Gaiman.  If you like Omens, you'll like all his other books probably even more.  American Gods and Neverwhere are my favorites.
Kids, you tried your best and you failed miserably. The lesson is, never try. - Homer Simpson

by attinger on Jan 9, 2008 8:54 AM PST to parent up   0 recs

Re: Gaiman
I want to read the author's edition of Neverwhere. Apparently the original printings in the US and UK were cut down pretty heavily (to different degrees), and I imagine that a lot of my vague misgivings about Neverwhere are solved in the actual, full text.

Good Omens is pretty ridiculously funny. One line will always always be ingrained in my head, whether I'm remembering it exactly or not. "People say the road to hell is paved with good intentions, but that's not true. It's paved with lawyers."

He is Vengeance. He is the Knight. He is Dave Righetti. PRAY TO HIM! / Also, my blog. For writers.

by howtheyscored on Jan 9, 2008 11:44 AM PST to parent up   0 recs

Re: OT: Good Reading
Good Omens is one of the most enjoable books I've ever read, and reread. But then again, just about all f Gaiman's solo works  are good (though American Gods is the best), and as for pratchett,  I have read everything he's written with great joy and satisfaction.

by prospecthound on Jan 9, 2008 11:04 AM PST to parent up   0 recs

Re: OT: Good Reading
I think American Gods is certainly his most expansive, ambitious novel, but I really believe that Ananso Boys is his best. The writing is more consistent. The humor is snappier. The plot is generally tighter. The climax doesn't anti quite as much. Not nearly as big or as ambitious, but the craft is generally one notch higher in AB than in AG.

Coraline is a wonderful children's book (being adapted in stop motion by Nightmare Before Christmas director Henry Selick, which is very cool - though I've seen a clip released online and I'm not thrilled with the Coraline model itself). Fragile Things as a short story collection is better than Smoke and Mirrors, both of which are better, but neither of which are cooler than Angels and Visitations.

And I'm looking very forward to The Graveyard Book.

Also, I'm pretty sure you can get his new Odd and the Frost Giants for about $1 on amazonuk.

He is Vengeance. He is the Knight. He is Dave Righetti. PRAY TO HIM! / Also, my blog. For writers.

by howtheyscored on Jan 9, 2008 11:52 AM PST to parent up   0 recs

Re: OT: Good Reading
Good Omens is one of my favoritest books ever. The authors are interested in a film version and have written a script, but for now it's in development hell.
Nattowear | comics | Durham? I hardly know 'im!

by Natto on Jan 10, 2008 10:21 PM PST to parent up   0 recs

Re: OT: Good Reading
One of the big problems is that the top director for that movie has ALWAYS been Terry Gilliam. And, well, it's pretty darn hard to get a Gilliam movie made when he's completely onboard, much less when he's putting other projects in front like he has with this one.
He is Vengeance. He is the Knight. He is Dave Righetti. PRAY TO HIM! / Also, my blog. For writers.

by howtheyscored on Jan 10, 2008 10:38 PM PST to parent up   0 recs

Re: OT: Good Reading
"The World Without Us" by some author guy, a book about what would happen to the planet if humans suddenly and absolutely disappeared.  Its non-fiction but obviously very speculative.  A good book that has gotten a bit too heavy-handed on the environmental stuff, but worth it if only for the great visuals.....like a barren landscape 1000 years from now, overgrown with no trace of humanity except for the fire hydrants still sticking out of the ground.

by Stoned Slacker on Jan 9, 2008 9:06 AM PST   0 recs

Re: OT: Good Reading
Oh cool, I put it on my list.  I should get to it roughly when humanity is gone from the earth.

I had an idea for a sci-fi novel which is about alien archeologists studying why intelligent life never evolved on a series of planets where "it should have".

Turns out they all have a thin "line" (like the K/T) boundary in their geological strata which is basically compressed concrete and plastic, with extraordinary amounts of refined metal ores.

by zenbitz on Jan 9, 2008 10:04 AM PST to parent up   0 recs

Re: OT: Good Reading
Caught Stealing by Charlie Huston. A terrific bloody thriller about a Giants fan in NYC trying to keep tabs on the team's playoff run while dodging Russian gangsters, etc.

by Evan on Jan 9, 2008 9:37 AM PST   0 recs

Re: OT: Good Reading
Okay I want this book.
Democracy is lovely but baseball is more mature. BVCE supports Manny Burriss and SF Dugout.

by BaronVonCurrentEvents on Jan 9, 2008 3:26 PM PST to parent up   0 recs

Re: OT: Good Reading
I ran across a book recently that was a bit of a mix of genres...part culinary, part travel/ adventure.  I can't remember the title off hand, but it was a riveting tale of how this unnamed main character was being offered certain breakfast items in various locales, you know, in boxes or with foxes, and how they were rejected at every turn.  I don't want to give up the ending, but he finally does give the meal a try.

Very rich story telling.  Author was a doctor.  Got through the entire read in two or three days.

by biff pocoroba on Jan 9, 2008 11:12 AM PST   0 recs

Re: OT: Good Reading
I'm also a big fan of Brett Easton Ellis' "American Psycho."  Very sophisticated, and highly disturbing.
Brian Anderson: I can has spot in Fresno 'pen?

by Anticon23 on Jan 9, 2008 12:00 PM PST   0 recs

Re: OT: Good Reading
I also love B.E.E, have you read Lunar Park? I've been meaning to pick it up since it came out last year. American Psycho is probably one of my top-10 all-time books.

by xanthan on Jan 9, 2008 12:24 PM PST to parent up   0 recs

Re: OT: Good Reading
5 days later I finally see a response . . .

I haven't read Lunar Park yet, but it's definitely on my "must read" list.

Brian Anderson: I can has spot in Fresno 'pen?

by Anticon23 on Jan 14, 2008 10:50 AM PST to parent up   0 recs

Re: OT: Good Reading
I say "finally see a response" because I was too dumb to look before. =)
Brian Anderson: I can has spot in Fresno 'pen?

by Anticon23 on Jan 14, 2008 10:51 AM PST to parent up   0 recs

Re: OT: Good Reading
I'm reading The Yiddish Policeman's Union right now by Michael Chabon. I don't really like Chabon's short stories and I really meant to read K&K before jumping into this one, but this book looks really good. I'm not very far into it as of yet, but I'm enjoying it very much. If you like Jewish stuff, I suppose Chabon is one of your men.
He is Vengeance. He is the Knight. He is Dave Righetti. PRAY TO HIM! / Also, my blog. For writers.

by howtheyscored on Jan 9, 2008 12:02 PM PST   0 recs

Re: OT: Good Reading
I really liked Anansi Boys by Gaiman too, haven't got to his others yet.  And I loved Stephenson Snow Crash & Diamond Age, the later ones sounded too abstract but I'll look at them since you folks liked em.
T.C. Boyle writes novels about odd and difficult people, they sure grab me and they're thought provoking. Here's the titles I've read by him:

Drop City, a hippie commune moves to Alaska and meets survivalists.  
Riven Rock, fictionalized biography of rich guy who flips out, and is cared for by ignorant 1920's-era shrinks and private nurses. way better than that sounds
A Friend of the Earth, about radical earth firsters and tree sitters, set in future after climate has gone crazy
In Sci Fi, Robert J Sawyer is great, especially if a dinosaur is on the cover (Fossil Hunter, Far-Seer, Foreigner, End of the Line)
"Rose" by Martin Cruz Smith (his big hit was Gorky Park) is fine thriller/mystery set in English coal mining town around 1830

adopter/sponsor of "Go, Antoan" Richardson

by foothillsfan on Jan 9, 2008 12:48 PM PST   0 recs

Re: OT: Good Reading
Hound brought up the Burma campaign, so I got to mention John Masters "The road past Mandalay" and "Bugles and a tiger".  If you're interested in Asia and the british colonialists, they are excellent writing.  So are his novels, like Bhowani Junction, the Lotus and the Wind, Himalayan Concerto, to the Coral Strand
adopter/sponsor of "Go, Antoan" Richardson

by foothillsfan on Jan 9, 2008 12:58 PM PST   0 recs