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MajorDon Major Don from Western European Theatre Since: Aug, 2009
#51: Sep 3rd 2009 at 2:13:44 AM

Et Tu, Babe - Mark Leyner. (He seems to have a cult following, but I've never met anyone who's read him. The book's offbeat in the extreme, but very funny.)

Welcome To Coolsville - Jason Mordaunt (Trope-orama, funny and exciting.)

As you were.
EtherealFrog Junior Grammar Nazi from Grammar Germany Since: May, 2009
Junior Grammar Nazi
#52: Sep 3rd 2009 at 2:47:28 PM

I read ''Wolf Brother'' before there were 3 books and people knew the series existed. I just wish Michelle were less sneaky when releasing her books. She snuck out 4 books when I wasn't looking. I'm also the only person I know to have read The Space Trilogy, and anything by Neil Gaiman that isn't Coraline.

I also read The Chosen and thought it was good some years ago, but it doesn't make any sense to me now.

Edit: Just now I searched for The Chosen. I read a different one than the one we have here. The one I read involved nobles with faces so awesome that people who see them need to either have their eyes sewn shut or be executed on the spot.

edited 3rd Sep '09 2:52:42 PM by EtherealFrog

''"L-look at you, hacker, a pa-pathetic creature of meat and bone. Panting and sweating as you r-run through my corridors." -SHODAN
Morven Nemesis from Seattle, WA, USA Since: Jan, 2001
Nemesis
#53: Sep 3rd 2009 at 3:42:59 PM

Mary Gentle's work gets little attention in the US — a little better in her native UK, of course. "Golden Witchbreed" was probably her first noteworthy novel, and the series that started with "Rats & Gargoyles" is fascinating — it's a kind of alternate history/reality in which Renaissance-type magic and alchemy actually works.

And then there's "Ash: A Secret History" (published in four paperbacks in the US, I believe), which is, again, an alternate reality, kinda (to explain further would be spoilers) set in a medieval Europe which is in some ways shockingly different to ours and in other ways the same. It displays Gentle's intense and deep knowledge of medieval warfare and weaponry, for one thing — she's rather interestingly misnamed, I always felt. Excellent books though not to everyone's taste.

A brighter future for a darker age.
LuckyRevenant ALMSIVI from The Flood Since: Jan, 2001
ALMSIVI
#54: Sep 4th 2009 at 6:28:41 PM

Haha, sorry Parable. It's like I said, my dad didn't like them, and at that point we had a similar taste in books. If I still have them, I might give them a go, though.

"I can't imagine what Hell will have in store, but I know when I'm there, I won't wander anymore."
Redheadedgnomegirl from 221B Baker Street. Since: Oct, 2009
#55: Oct 13th 2009 at 7:09:52 PM

@Sneeb: I really enjoyed The Man Who Was Thursday, despite its symbolism overload at the climax.

What I would consider my favorite book happens to be one that almost no one I know of has ever heard of: The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Orczy. I finally forced a friend to read it so we could geek out about it together.

Madrugada Since: Jan, 2001
#56: Oct 13th 2009 at 8:26:12 PM

I prefer her Old Man In The Corner Mysteries more.

Moogi A Mediocre Khan from everywhy Since: Jan, 2001
A Mediocre Khan
#57: Oct 15th 2009 at 6:51:10 AM

The Historian, by Elizabeth Kostova. I found it to be really cool.

I liked that book, too. I thought the ending was sort of an anticlimax, but otherwise, it was a very good novel. It's one of my favourite vampire books, although admittedly, I don't generally go out of my way to read about vampires.

Surprisingly few people have read The Edge Chronicles, which are probably my favourite books ever written. I did, however, launch the Wiki's article on the series, which I think is the only page I've ever created on here.

And nobody has read the Apotheosis cycle, mainly due to the considerable handicap of me not having written it yet.

edited 15th Oct '09 6:53:02 AM by Moogi

https://www.facebook.com/emileunmedicatedanduncut
FurikoMaru Reverse the Curse from The Arrogant Wasteland Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: He makes me feel like I have a heart
Reverse the Curse
#58: Oct 16th 2009 at 11:48:55 PM

What's Bred in the Bone, by Robertson Davies. And The Eight, by Katharine Neville. Both bestsellers, neither known to anyone but me or a handful of Can Lit geeks (and even then only Bred, since Neville's American). I suspect the Freemasons are responsible.

edited 16th Oct '09 11:49:59 PM by FurikoMaru

A True Lady's Quest - A Jojo is You!
ImipolexG frozen in time from all our yesterdays Since: Jan, 2001
frozen in time
#59: Oct 17th 2009 at 7:32:09 PM

Fifth Business, also by Robertson Davies. First part of a trilogy, which I was going to finish, but got sidetracked.

no one will notice that I changed this
MachtLovece Since: Oct, 2009
#60: Oct 18th 2009 at 5:08:46 AM

I once read a book called 'you don't know me'. I don't remember who the author was, but i do remember it was one of my favourite books of all time and that i found it burried in the bottom of an 'on sale' at school. Taste is a funny thing.

If I'd told you I was joking, would you have laughed?
~ ;) from the ''ruined'' temple Since: Jan, 2001
#61: Oct 18th 2009 at 5:54:35 AM

The Winter's Tale by Mark Helprin, it's one of the most beautiful works I've ever read but it's pretty obscure.

edited 18th Oct '09 5:54:40 AM by ~

aka Venhax
Wicked223 from Death Star in the forest Since: Apr, 2009
#62: Oct 18th 2009 at 7:02:24 AM

The Pendragon Adventure by D.J. Machale.

You can't even write racist abuse in excrement on somebody's car without the politically correct brigade jumping down your throat!
James_S_Pratt 1st ever Livepan Snarker from This universe Since: Dec, 1969
1st ever Livepan Snarker
#63: Oct 18th 2009 at 7:35:22 AM

redheadedgnomegirl has solar energy!

What I would consider my favorite book happens to be one that almost no one I know of has ever heard of: The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Orczy. I finally forced a friend to read it so we could geek out about it together.

You know whats even more unknown? The twenty or so sequels it has

Also, everyone knows Zorro mostly through movies and TV and the fact that he inspired Batman, but I doubt many people have read Johnston Mc Cully's The Curse Of Capistrano or any of the other pulp fiction stories  *

And it just gets better from there!
Zolnier The Odd Lad from A suspiciously dull shop Since: Apr, 2009
The Odd Lad
#64: Oct 19th 2009 at 4:44:16 PM

Aliens Ate My Homework. I've only read it once when I was eight but it made an impression.

Life's Gonna Suck When You Grow Up... But Is It That Great Now?... Also I'm Skylark2 now.
Redheadedgnomegirl from 221B Baker Street. Since: Oct, 2009
#65: Oct 20th 2009 at 7:18:58 PM

"You know whats even more unknown? The twenty or so sequels it has"

Actually, I have managed to track down quite a few of it's sequels. They're still very good. They're just nearly impossible to find anywhere.

Zyxzy Embrace the mindscrew from Salem, OR Since: Jan, 2001
Embrace the mindscrew
#67: Oct 20th 2009 at 9:51:45 PM

The Pendragon Adventure by D.J. Machale.

Hey, I remember those. Only read the first one though.

What's the frequency Kenneth?|In case of war.
insofar Monstrum from Areopagus Since: Apr, 2009
#68: Oct 20th 2009 at 9:56:31 PM

I'm going to get scalped by angry feminists, but Enid Blyton.

My words fly up, my thoughts remain below.
FurikoMaru Reverse the Curse from The Arrogant Wasteland Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: He makes me feel like I have a heart
Reverse the Curse
#69: Oct 20th 2009 at 10:22:21 PM

Why? They were written in the fifties for children; of course they're awkward as fuck in parts. Lots of shifty gypsies and such, wasn't it?

Incidentally, do we have a trope for the conservatism of kids' lit? Seeing as it's kinda the source of the Animation Age Ghetto?

edited 22nd Oct '09 1:38:40 PM by FurikoMaru

A True Lady's Quest - A Jojo is You!
insofar Monstrum from Areopagus Since: Apr, 2009
#70: Oct 21st 2009 at 8:07:33 PM

Well, my favorite series of hers was The Famous Five which had a lot to say about girls being whiny idiots and only worthwhile when they acted like boys.

My words fly up, my thoughts remain below.
Daiquiri Delish! Since: Aug, 2009
Delish!
#71: Oct 22nd 2009 at 10:39:16 AM

Really? I could never get into the Famous Five, but I loved the Adventure Series. I remember hating Dinah's guts because she whined and hated all sorts of bugs and other cool awesome animals, but the other girl was alright.

Are her female characters really portrayed as more useless than the boys?

slowzombie Platypus! from Way up North Since: Jan, 2001
Platypus!
#72: Oct 22nd 2009 at 12:58:40 PM

Well, I know for a fact some people have heard of it, but I do think The Raw Shark Texts Needs More Love. This book was one of the rare successes that has me coming back to airport kiosks whenever I pass by, just to check if they have anything good. 99% of the time, they don't, but I digress. My only major complaint with the book is that the secondary villain really doesn't get used to his full potential. I mean, he's a freaking network of mind-clones in stolen bodies all over the place. You'd think he'd be more present. Then again, considering the other villain is a mind-shark (that eats minds, unsurprisingly,) he's got some stiff competition.

Liveblog | Deadblog
FurikoMaru Reverse the Curse from The Arrogant Wasteland Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: He makes me feel like I have a heart
Reverse the Curse
#73: Oct 22nd 2009 at 1:32:25 PM

@insofar: But... in those kinds of books, girls are always portrayed as either motherly, irritating or 'boyish'. That's just how ripping boys' adventures for the under-twelves are written. It's the genre that sucks about women's roles, not any author specifically.

On that note, The Great Brain series. Hot damn I do love me a genius-boy.

A True Lady's Quest - A Jojo is You!
jtmmachine Since: Sep, 2009
#74: Oct 22nd 2009 at 8:34:18 PM

The Ear, The Eye, and The Arm by Nancy Farmer.

It's a really interesting sci-fi book that takes place in a futuristic Zimbabwe. I always felt that a lot of effort was placed into making the setting believable. For example, the story tells about how the titular characters (who are mutants) have to compensate for having very large eyes, ears, and the ability to hear thoughts. Best of all, it actually pays attention to its setting, including many references to African culture. The result is a cool mix of spirituality and technology.

Zyxzy Embrace the mindscrew from Salem, OR Since: Jan, 2001
Embrace the mindscrew
#75: Oct 22nd 2009 at 8:36:08 PM

Oh yeah, that was a great book. Wasn't there a sequel?

What's the frequency Kenneth?|In case of war.

Total posts: 273
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