[OT] What do hearthlings read?

[burgingham]

Since we already have a music and a games thread, I thought to myself: Why not make something similar for books? Because I am always interested in new stuff to read.

For myself, I am much into classics. Not much of the modern literature seems to be able to catch me.
Some recommendations off the top of my head:

Albert Camus - L'etranger (The stranger), La chute (The Fall), basically everything by Camus
Honoré de Balzac - La Peau de Chagrin (The magic skin) (Read this!! Never found my own state of mind described so well as in this book)
Jane Austen - Emma
Oscar Wilde - The picture of Dorian Gray
Thomas Mann - Der Zauberberg (The magic mountain)
Orhan Parmuk - My name is red (One of the few recent books I really love)

Well I could go on and on here, but now it is your turn.

OK, one last book that gave me the idea to create this thread. I read about a novel from a writer called Cory Doctorow today. He is writing a kind of science-fiction, but not in a classical manner. His latest book is dealing with the developement of online gaming. In his novel the gaming industry has become one driving power on earth and everyone is playing. The rich countries buy their items from sweatshop workers in China or India. The story then deals with the persons on both sides. Rich European gamers on one side and exploited kids in the third world trying to rise up against this machinery and fight for proper payment on the other. The novel is called "For the win" and you can download it here for free .

[sabinati]

i've become completely tainted by the internet. i read boingboing.net (cory doctorow is involved with that site, by the way), slashdot, a few cooking blogs (saltandfat.com is my favorite at the moment), this forum and a few others.

as far as actually reading books goes, i started reading burr (by gore vidal) last year but never got around to finishing it. the last book i actually finished was mother night by kurt vonnegut. a scanner darkly is the only other book i can recall reading recently. all these books were good and i recommend them to anyone who actually can make time to read.

[burgingham]

all these books were good and i recommend them to anyone who actually can make time to read.

Well I can only recommend everyone to make that time. As fascinating as our new technologies are, there is nothing like a good book (hey there are e-books too now). A cheap and valuable way to educate yourself.

[Aurion]

I personally love reading. I tend to multitask while doing my farming in game. At present, I'm reading the complete works of Sherlock Holmes. I read all sorts of books though, from the Communist Manifesto, to The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, to Candide, to the works of Homer and Plato. Just depends on the mood or what's next on my list.

[theTrav]

Sci Fi:
Greg Egan - Permutation City
Neal Stephenson - Snowcrash, Diamond Age, Criptonomicon
William Gibson - Neuromancer, Count Zero, Mona Lisa Overdrive
Frank Herbert - Dune series
Asimov - I Robot, Foundation series
Dan Simmons - Hyperion & Fall of Hyperion
Peter F Hamilton - Commonwealth saga, The Nights Dawn Trilogy

[burgingham]

I personally love reading. I tend to multitask while doing my farming in game. At present, I'm reading the complete works of Sherlock Holmes. I read all sorts of books though, from the Communist Manifesto, to The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, to Candide, to the works of Homer and Plato. Just depends on the mood or what's next on my list.

Hmm I know what you are talking about when it comes to the right mood. I always wanted to read more philosophical texts or specialized books of all kind for that matter. But I am rarely ever in the right mood, especially when you got to read all those texts for university anyway. So I chose the middle path and take "demanding" novels when I have the time.

Btw when it comes to fantasy or sci-fi which I guess many gamers love, I am a huge fan of Pratchett. But then again, who isn't?

@ theTrav, you should try out Stanislav Lem. I especially liked the "Star diaries", kinda like a sci-fi Munchhausen.

[Ninijutsu]

Some of my favourites:

Kathyren Lasky - The Guardians of Ga'hoole series
Lemony Snicket - A Series Of Unfortunate Events books
JRR Tolkien - The Hobbit and The Lord Of The Rings series

[vikingdragons]

pretty much anything from Baen Books (especially ones by John Ringo) and my favorite series from them is Paladin of Shadows. I also like Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card (the book that started me on science fiction).

[theTrav]

I am a huge fan of Pratchett. But then again, who isn't?

word

@ theTrav, you should try out Stanislav Lem. I especially liked the "Star diaries", kinda like a sci-fi Munchhausen.

Thanks for the tip, his wikipedia page looks interesting

[Bl1tzX]

I read the forums.
...
Well, I was recently reading a series by a guy called Chris D'Lacey...