Suggest me a good book to read

Just a suggestion, but I think the OP would be easier to use if the lists were hidden in expand boxes. Also, shouldn't general fiction be the top category? (I.e. Contemporary; Nearly Classics; Classics -to go at the top but the rest of the list to stay the same.) Furthermore, Salman Rushdie's Midnight's Children is not really historical fiction. I mean, it uses an historical event as the starting point of the novel but it doesn't concern itself with the historical/factual side of things so much as the characters and their journeys (not that historical fiction doesn't always), but I feel it would be better placed in the "Nearly classical" section. Same for the works of Hosseini (or at least A Thousand Splendid Suns). This is why you need a section for Fiction from Around the World in your contemporary section. Surely historical novels about war (e.g All Quiet on the Western Front) should be under War not Historical Fiction. In fact I'm confused by the Historical section as I can't tell whether you mean things SET during specific eras (but are entirely fictitious in content) or novels that actually deal with issues and events of those periods more directly. I also think given some of the things you have already put in Classics that Steinbeck should be in there (as much as I detest OM&M). Also if you used the same reference style all the way through, i.e. Novel title - Author rather than putting the authors name in brackets it would look a bit tidier and again easier to use. Perhaps alphabetical order too?

Now. I think I'm ready to make three suggestions (I should have just submitted my list when everyone else was choosing loads of tripe at the start, but I'm too decent to force my preferences on others to such an extent.)

Star of the Sea - Joseph O'Connor Contemporary Fiction
The End of Alice - A. M. Homes Contemporary Fiction (Explicit content warning.)
The Glass Palace - Amitav Ghosh Contemporary Fiction (Indian Literature.)

If you're going to make it alphabetical order, btw, then these can go in Not Classics not Contemporary because I don't want them to be associated with the trash that passes for contemporary fiction.

(edited 13 years ago)

Reply 81

Aky786UK

19

Now, I'm looking for a good, easy to read, knowledgeable book that may help in trying to come to terms with my personality but also how to improve things.

I've seen some books which baffle me with it's gobble de gook language which puts me off so something simple would be perfect for me.

Any suggestions of books that may have helped anybody else?

Cheers

:smile:

Reply 82

KingofSpades

13

Maybe this?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Existentialist-Real-Making-Excuses/dp/1441188436

Reply 83

KingofSpades

13

Humpty Dumpty: Closet Rapist?- Non Fiction

Reply 84

Minthew!

Original post by bananabrain

Hey everybody, I'm looking for some books to read, but don't really know which ones to buy/ ask someone to get me for christmas so I was wondering if you kind people could give me some recommendations.
I'm looking for fiction books (not really into autobiographies/biographies), here are some examples of books that I like:
Adrian Mole
Harry Potter
Twilight Saga

Thanks :smile:

Shiver (i can't remember who it's written by though, sorry)
True Blood series by Charlaine Harris
Bill Bryson books, I just love his stuff!
And just because it's my favourite book ever, 'To Kill A Mockingbird' by Harper Lee.

Reply 85

OhMyWow

Original post by bananabrain

Hey everybody, I'm looking for some books to read, but don't really know which ones to buy/ ask someone to get me for christmas so I was wondering if you kind people could give me some recommendations.
I'm looking for fiction books (not really into autobiographies/biographies), here are some examples of books that I like:
Adrian Mole
Harry Potter
Twilight Saga

Thanks :smile:

if you happened to actually quite like the twilight saga I suggest reading the house of nights books.
They're much better and have a far better story line than twilight.
Despite reading the twilight saga, I've totally gone off of it.

But yeah
:smile:

read them, they're good.

Reply 86

Low Profile

1

~~Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand.~~

one of the best books written.

EDIT: i have crossed out my original recommendation due to it being too advanced for OP

(edited 13 years ago)

Reply 87

lonely14

15

Original post by Low Profile

Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand.

one of the best books written.

The girl likes Twilight.

Reply 88

Happy Insomniac

12

Original post by Vintage <3

Oh and Wind up Bird Chronicle - Haruki Murakami

<333

I think you're the first person I've seen mention Murakami on here. I was going to suggest Hard Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World.

Reply 89

Low Profile

1

Original post by lonely14

The girl likes Twilight.

Oh crap, didn't even read the OP. :colondollar:

Reply 90

eapw1991

Original post by OhMyWow

if you happened to actually quite like the twilight saga I suggest reading the house of nights books.
They're much better and have a far better story line than twilight.
Despite reading the twilight saga, I've totally gone off of it.

But yeah
:smile:

read them, they're good.

i totally agree with you on this! thanks to the movies etc and all the hype **** that has come with it i really don't even want to pick up the books again lol.
I love the house of night books! i can't wait for the next one to come out :biggrin:

Reply 91

Vintage <3

16

Original post by happy insomniac

<333

i think you're the first person i've seen mention murakami on here. I was going to suggest hard boiled wonderland and the end of the world.

, he's great !

Reply 92

Alesha17

Original post by eapw1991

the time travelers wife.
A bouquet of barbed wire.
The house of night series (7 books atm, next one coming out in jan)

cant wait til house of night :d

Reply 93

eapw1991

Original post by Alesha17

cant wait til house of night :d

me neither, can't wait til jan when it comes out! :smile:

Reply 94

GeordiePride

Just wondering if anyone has read any good historical fiction books that they could reccomend for me wether it be Romans, Vikings, Saxons, Spartans, Old England that sort of thing that has good action in it and good story based. Dunno if this will help but films like Centurian where the roman soldiers are on the run from the picts but in book form. Thanks in advance :smile:

Reply 95

lonely14

15

Original post by GeordiePride

Just wondering if anyone has read any good historical fiction books that they could reccomend for me wether it be Romans, Vikings, Saxons, Spartans, Old England that sort of thing that has good action in it and good story based. Dunno if this will help but films like Centurian where the roman soldiers are on the run from the picts but in book form. Thanks in advance :smile:

"The pillars of the earth" by Ken Follet - it has almost everything.

I, Claudius by Robert Graves.

Reply 96

Saichu

11

The Man in the High Castle

Reply 97

iwwhty

1

Original post by Aky786UK

Now, I'm looking for a good, easy to read, knowledgeable book that may help in trying to come to terms with my personality but also how to improve things.

I've seen some books which baffle me with it's gobble de gook language which puts me off so something simple would be perfect for me.

Any suggestions of books that may have helped anybody else?

Cheers

:smile:

Shyness is basically a fear, a fear of social interaction or a fear of looking stupid/being rejected/not fitting in e.t.c. On that basis, I would recommend 'fear-the friend of exceptional people' by Geoff Thompson and 'Feel the fear and do it anyway' by Susan Jeffers. Both books are easy to read.

The only problem with reading both of those books is that nothing will change unless you actually take the advice in the books and put it in to practice. Too many people read self-help books and state that it did nothing to change them but they haven't even done anything other than read them!

If you want to get a feel for Geoff Thompson's work and the type of advice that he gives, check out the articles on his website which is in my signature. There are loads of them.