Weekly Entertainment

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

Since everyone THREADED LIKE MADMEN yesterday, I'm gonna make this simple.

Book recs: things you've read lately, old favorites, things you can't believe aren't represented in the game, whatever you'd like. Tell me what to reeeeeead.

Comments

[endsthegame]

Oh, I am the worst ever at even reading books. *cough* So all I have is HI THIS GUY'S CANON which everyone already knows.

And comics.

I am of the opinion all should read Cable & Deadpool. And Garth Ennis era Hellblazer. Just putting that out there.

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

I liked the Ender's Game books. Then read the Alvin Maker series.

...also, I saw Martian Successor Nadesico which, uh, is certainly interesting if you've read Ender's Game.

As a side note, the first RP I ever played in had a Val and a Peter but no Ender and so I had to go back and reread the book to go '...huh.'

.......and Hellblazer is LOVE. *hearts Conjob everso*

[first-guardian.livejournal.com]

I've been reading Rosemary Sutcliff again lately. She was my favourite author as a kid and now I've been slowly buying them off of amazon (they released a bunch again after they went out of print for ages). I guess her writing style is old fashioned now, but I still adore it. She manages to just pull you back in time and make everything feel so real.

I reread Frontier Wolf a few weeks back. It was my favourite book and then I started wondering how a character from Ancient Rome would survive in Fandom. *eyes brain*

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

Hey, I've been considering someone from the Codex Alera which is... pretty much a pup from pseudoAncient Rome. Or something.

And old fashioned is cool. ...I have an extended love affair with the Allan Quartermaine books and they're pretty dern old. I love the old coot, and while I have read League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, I do vaguely want to kick Mr. Moore in the shins for doing what he did to Allan. Never read Sutcliff. Any recommendations?

[joan-notjane.livejournal.com]

I always recommend Kelley Armstrong's 'Women of the Otherworld' series - where Savannah, Eve & Sean are from. It's an amazing series with lots of strong female characters.

I also recently started on the Rogue Angel series, where Annja is from.

Um... my To Be Read pile is RIDICULOUSLY huge. I'm also really into Jodi Picoult lately. Her books are more serious reads - they deal with really current topics but are so well-crafted.

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

I saw the Rogue Angel series but kept putting it down.

Might have to try the Women of the Otherworld.

[unddann]

Christopher Moore, dude. And not just Lamb. (*waves to Biff*) Travis (Practical Demonkeeping) and Tommy (Bloodsucking Fiends and You Suck -- the latter of which is NOT Moore's best work) and Tuck (The Island of the Sequined Love Nun) and Theo (Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove) and holy crap, why did almost all his early protagonists have names starting with T? Someone should totally bring in a Sam Hunter from Coyote Blue. Just 'cause the meta would amuse the hell out of me. . . . Fun fact, Island of the Sequined Love Nun by Moore is the only book that ever prompted me to write fan mail to the author.

Anything by Esther Freisner. Seriously, anything.

Douglas Adams is a no-brainer. Elizabeth Peters to get someone non-sci-fi-fantasy-humor on the table. She's romantic-murder-mystery-humor. Robert Rankin, to go back to the absurdist fantasy folks, especially his Brentford Trilogy (all five of them, but he stole that shtick from Adams).

To get more "literary", Michael Chabon (The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay and others). Who I have a new and abiding love for since I read the first part of his non-fiction work Maps and Legends and discovered that he loves genre fiction and especially the archetype of the trickster as much as I do. Tom Robbins I loved for awhile, but then started to get tired of his overly enigmatic metaphors and realized he was just in love with his own far too wordy voice. Of course, it's also possible that Fierce Invalids at Home from Hot Climates just isn't his best work -- I really ought to reread Villa Incognito and Jitterbug Perfume, since those are the ones I fell for him on.

I could probably go on. Scratch that, I could definitely go on, but I have babbled enough.

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

I love Moore. The vampire books are some of my favorites, though Fluke and Lamb are awesome. ...I have a weakness for anything with Emperor Norton in it.

Robert Rankin! *squeees*

Esther Freisner is a lot of fun and I thought for the longest time I was the only person who really enjoyed her stuff.

Never tried Chabon. Will have to do that sometime.

[raspberryturk]

I have issues with wandering attention, so more often than not, I end up starting a book, making it halfway through, and then putting it down again to collect dust.

But I have gotten through books in the past! Real ones, with words and everything, honest!

Christopher Golden's Of Saints and Shadows totally ate my brain. Because, really, dark, different twists on vampires are just full of shiny. But not sparkly. That's the wrong series entirely.

I'm a sucker for Richard Adams, too. Watership Down and The Plague Dogs, about cute, fuzzy animals though they may be, were both excellent reads. And I might have cried at the end of Plague Dogs. Shh.

Douglas Adams! Give me some Hitchhikers Guide any day of the week, and there's a book I'll breeze through with ease.

And manga. Because it is shiny. Granted, all I've been reading lately is Genju no Seiza. But it's pretty. So ner. *shakes fist*

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

I am no stranger to this.

I will pick something up, read halfway, and then OO SHINY something else. I have recently grabbed Monster Blood Tattoo as I'm finally done with Tomorrow's Magic (which, OMG, so good, I loved it and how much I want to hug Earl Bedwas must be measured in mega-whatevers). I also have a tendency to start one and then go "...lalala reread something old and familiar." Somehow, reading Elizabeth Bear's Promethean Age books required that I go and read the entirity of the Elenium in the middle.

Christopher Golden? Really? ...I've only ever seen him do crappy novelizations. But I'm always willing to give people another shot and I love twists on vampires. *hugs Night Watch, etc to her chest*

Never read Adams.

...I know, I'm a heathen.

What's Genju no Seiza? *is all curious*

ETA: The Watership Down stuff, not Douglas! *HEARTS DOUGLAS ADAMS* *...pops in Key To Time arc now just because she feels the need to*

[crazypilotman.livejournal.com]

I have been working my way through Gone With The Wind. My goal is to finish the thing this year. *started in Jan*

It's a lot to digest, there. hee.

Outside of that, I have a ton of Mercedes Lackey and Terry Brooks. I also like the Witchworld series by Andre Norton.

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

I've always been interested in the Witchworld series.

[sparklyvirgin.livejournal.com]

Twilight, dude. That series is like the cotton candy of literature.

[repeterpetrelli.livejournal.com]

Is it true that book 2 has blank pages? I realize Twilight means never having to say you're kidding, but...

[repeterpetrelli.livejournal.com]

I have finally gotten around to watching The Guild (http://www.watchtheguild.com/) and oh my god is it love. I have such a girlcrush on Felicia Day now. Girls who can write are HOT.

[morpherboy.livejournal.com]

I ... am not allowed near libraries. (Even though I now work for one...) I read a lot of psych studies (really weird ones too) which I'm sure people find fascinating *eye roll*. For fun.

I also read Tanya Huff, working on Terry Pratchett, Good Omens remains my most favorite book ever, trying to work through Allison Weir (hopefully spelled her right), debating whether to read the other books from the Queen's Fool series (lovely style, horrible history). There's plenty more, but these are the current ones that pop into my head.

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

I have a weird psych obsession with the subject of eccentrics. So yes.

...and abnormal is always really interesting to read.

[l1ttle-billy.livejournal.com]

Books that I keep re-reading, are The King and Raven by Carey James; a re-telling of the Arthur Myth told from the POV of a peasant turned-knight. I like that it has a more realistic portrayal of Knights and the whole chivalry thing, in terms of their attitudes towards the commoners.

Across the Grain by Jean Ferris, a fun Teen-Drama bit (I still kinda love that genre of fiction)

Hobgoblin by John Coyne, a nice twist on the teen thriller.

Tunnel in the Sky by Robert A. Heinlein, sort of like an anti-lord of the flies.

The Belgariad, by David Eddings, or the Shannara series by Terry Brooks. My favorite Fantasy serieses.

Rifles for Watie by Harold Keith, a fantastic tale of the Civil War.

Oh and as for Comics, my current favorite is one called Boneyard. It's hilarious.

Honestly I could go on and on on this subject.

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

EDDINGS REPRESENT!

*cough cough cough FH does not need Unrak or Lelldorin, please remind me of this?*

[thismaskiwear.livejournal.com]

Weeeeeeeeeell. Hmm. Other than re-reading almost the entirety of the Star Wars New Jedi Order books for the sake of writing Tahiri's app (I have the compulsive need to mainline canons right before app period) I haven't been reading much that I'm not ashamed to admit to lately.

One thing that comes to mind is Scarlet, the second book in Stephen Lawhead's King Raven trilogy. Which is . . . well . . . it's Stephen Lawhead. Which is to say (IMO anyway) the description is occasionally overwrought, the 'period' dialogue sometimes comes across as very affected, and his need to infuse elements of early Celtic Christianity into all of his books is simultaneously fascinating and (mildly) annoying. All of which I'm willing to largely forgive for the fact that the guy writes books about figures from historical legend and puts them into an early Celtic setting; the Pendragon cycle sets the Arthurian legend in 5th and 6th-century Britain, and the (as yet unfinished) King Raven trilogy puts Robin Hood in late 11th-century Wales, and it's all kind of neat and back-to-source-legend-y and makes me geekily happy.

. . . I'd recommend his Song of Albion trilogy, too, actually, for all that Lewis is, essentially, that guy who falls into Middle-Earth a parallel, primeval Celtic universe by accident.

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

My favorite Arthurian is probably going to be Peter David or Pamela Service (yes, that second one is new but I can't help it; post-apocalyptic Arthurian stories with wee!Merlin made me squee) but I've stared at Lawhead many many times.

...I tried Mists of Avalon and FAILED so that was kind of my worry.

[talon-wraith.livejournal.com]

I'd say the whole X-wing series, but, well, that's a given! :) I've read the whole thing twice in the past 2 months, and then re-read the Wraith Squadron ones again to do Myn's app. I first read them back in high school, but there's definitely something to be said for re-reading a series once you get older.

Also? Diana Wynne Jones. READ HER. She's incredible. Not just 'Howl's Moving Castle' (which is a wonderful book but I really don't like the movie), but things like the Chrestomanci books, 'A Tale of Time City', and 'Fire and Hemlock' which is still my favorite book of all time because I see something new in it every time I've read it (which is more than 10 times so far, at least).

Ursula K LeGuin, Madeline L'Engle, Mercedes Lackey...I read a lot of female authors, I've noticed, but they're excellent. I've also recently rediscovered Zilpha Keatley Snyder from my childhood and realized she does adult books too (duh, silly me). So many good authors out there. I'm trying not to go stare at my bookshelf!

You got me on a topic I can very easily tl;dr, you see :) I'm going to try to shut myself up now.

[withoutverona]

SNYDER WRITES ADULT BOOKS????

I did not know that! And I like her kids' books enough and am dorky enough that my daughter is, in part, named after the title character in my favorite book by her. Any titles you especially like?

[withoutverona]

I can't believe we don't have anyone from Scott Westerfield's Uglies series. I'm just finishing it and it seems full of perfect fits.

Favorites: I am pretty much a book slut, and if it has words, I'll read it. But I really like Haruki Murakami (his latest paperback collection of short stories, Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman, kept me entertained for an entire plane ride last week), George Saunders' Pastoralia, Lorrie Moore, Margaret Atwood, VONNEGUT (who is so awesome he deserves all caps), and Shirley Jackson.

Graphic novels are a whole nother thing, and of course I love Sandman, Y: The Last Man, Runaways. I liked the first few volumes of Fables but the politics of it are getting in the way for me a bit.

And I have a huge and somewhat embarassing weakness for true crime books, especially ones where the crime goes unsolved.

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

...can I admit that it's my secret dream to app Billy Pilgrim to a game? I'd go insane, but still.

*HEARTS VONNEGUT*

[atreideslioness]

Dangerous question to ask a librarian!

Of course, I always need to pimp my canon at people. I think the first three Dune books by Herbert show the cycle of the messiah in a fantastic manner, and everyone should read them.

I'll also echo the earlier pimp of Christopher Moore. I love those books. I really really do.

Let's see...Neil Gaiman (anything), Jasper Fforde (Thursday Next), Diane Duane (Young Wizards Series), Scott Westerfield, Tammy Pierce (anything), Gregory Maguire (Mirror Mirror is my favorite), Charles deLint, Susanna Clarke (Ladies of Grace Adieu!!!), Fuyumi Ono (The Twelve Kingdoms)...

On the manga end, I love Gunsmith Cats, Gunslinger Girl, Eureka SeveN, Ranma 1/2, and FMN. For comics, I so so so pimp Nextwave, The Red Star, Girl Genius, Digger, Runaways, and the first four volumes of Elfquest.

If I could see a Marquis de Carabas from Neverwhere in the game sometime, I might have to love that person forever and ever and ever.

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

RED STAR!

...I know just the person you should buuuug for a really good deCarabas, but she might kill me.

[ella-obeys.livejournal.com]

Indirectly related, but I just wanted to pimp LibraryThing. This is me. (http://www.librarything.com/profile/septembergrrl)

Looking at all my book covers makes me happy, what can I say?

Edit: And I forgot to mention my love for Francesca Lia Block. I would love to see Cherokee and Witch Baby in Fandom, or even a wee Weetzie.

[atreideslioness]

EVERYONE should try LibraryThing. It is free and addictive and it lets me organize my bookshelves in LoC order.

Yes, I really am that much of a geek.

[harrydresden.livejournal.com]

George R R Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire is just a fantastic series and something I think all fantasy fans should read.

Steven Erikson's Malazan Book of the Fallen is another awesome epic fantasy series, and one that I love because I can't tear through the books at my usual speed. They actually take me TIME to read and they are huge fat books and there are lots of them.

Nick Sagan's series that I don't remember if it had a name or not, but it's Idlewild/Edenborn/Everfree is cool.

And, oh, Naomi Novik's Temeraire series is fabulous. Napoleanic wars...with DRAGONS. What's not to love?

Obviously everyone should read my canon. Obviously.

And I made need to come back with more later, after I've thought about it.

Oh, on a completely different note The Sound and the Fury is one of my favorite books of all time. Seriously.

[swipedthatfoot.livejournal.com]

You and Molly inspired me to look for Dresden books at the library today!

Unfortunately, all they had was Dead Beat, but I figure starting in the middle >>> never starting at all.

[solo_sword]

I somehow seem to have very little time to read due to always playing. *blames game* Though I have been almost constantly mainlining Star Wars books in the last year.

I am, however, a HUGE fan of David Sedaris, and if you're not reading him, you should be. Same for the entire Discworld series by Terry Pratchett (where Gladys, Moist and Gaspode are from). We so need more characters from that. Same for Lois McMaster Bujold's Vorkosigan series. We need a really good Cordelia to be BFF with Ghanima and make me happy.

[missed-the-gate.livejournal.com]

Um. So I'm currently reading three (maybe four?) series of other people's canon plus really trashy novelizations of my own, so let's dig into the past!

I'm gonna go out on a limb and recommend A Canticle for Leibowitz (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Canticle_for_Leibowitz) because I'm a whore for post-apocalyptic sci-fi novels.

[crazypilotman.livejournal.com]

There are more that people will mention that it'll make me go 'OOOOH!', but I wanted to add Harry Turtledove and Clive Cussler.

Turtledove does amazing things with twisted/alternate histories and Cussler... well, let's just say that we need Dirk Pitt at FH. :D

[firebringerborn.livejournal.com]

Someone already said Christopher Moore, so I'll add Bradley Denton to that, anything anything, and David Prill - also anything anything, but especially Serial Killer Days. You have to love a town who, realising they're dying (this is not a pun), decides to celebrate the only thing they have: A regular serial killer. The main character WILL be in Fandom some day. Black humour at its finest.

I just finished reading Go Go Girls of the Apocalypse by Victor Gischler, and holy hell it was good.

I'm also going to say David Weber's new series, Off Armageddon Reef & By Schism Rent Asunder - they really are his magnificent octopus magnum opus.

Umm, I could go on for all eternity, but lets throw in The Lies Of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch, which I just finished and am about to read the sequel (The series is called The Gentleman Bastards - come on!), and the Red Wolf Conspiracy by Robert Reddick.

ALSO: If you have not read anything by Robin McKinley GO FORTH NOW AND DO SO. I'll wait. Seriously, you are missing out. She does lots of fairy tale retellings, but if you're not into that, try Sunshine and her new one Dragonhaven.

Mmmm, and I'll go Old School for a minute and add the Borderlands series (Terri Windling, Emma Bull, Will Shetterly, Steven Brust, et al), particularly Finder by Emma Bull.

Hell, lets add the Vlad Taltos series by Steven Brust, and ANYTHING by Charles de Lint.

...my fandoms are primarily book fandoms, could you tell? I could go on and on, but I won't.

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

SUNSHINE!

[ktarian-wildman.livejournal.com]

Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

The Baby-Sitters Club

Malory Towers

Tomorrow When the War Began

The Princess Diaries

There are also a lot more, but these are the main series that I've been reading and a couple are old favourites that I'll never grow tired off *cough BSC*.

[senor-chado.livejournal.com]

I've just recently picked up Da Chen's second memoir, Sounds of the River, which is turning out to be as amazing as his first, Colors of the Mountain. It's a chronicle of his struggle for an education and success during the aftermath of Mao's Cultural Restoration, which I am a total, insane, impossible geek for, but the memoirs are so incredibly written.

Along that line, Dai Sijie's Balsac and the Little Chinese Seamstress? AMAZING BOOK.

But the by-far, without-a-doubt best book I've read this year is Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami. It's really hard to describe this book other than with "fantastic and magical," but it's one of the most mystifying tales I've ever read. Very strange, but beautiful and engrossing right to the end.

Also, Chuck Palahniuk's Invisible Monsters should get an honourable mention for being the first book in a long time to actually continually surprise me.

[itsjustlanguage.livejournal.com]

I don't get enough time to sit down and actually read anymore! The last book I read was Stephen Lawhead's Avalon: The Return of King Arthur which was pretty good, even if I kept picking apart the idea of the entire British line of succession being wiped out to the point that King Arther could return to claim the crown.

Also, because a couple of other players got me interested in it, I'm reading Diane Duane's Young Wizards series at the moment.

[crazypilotman.livejournal.com]

I have some of the Young Wizards, but like you, when the heck do I read anymore? *curses a certain RP* lol

A good one for King Arthur time/tale... Marion Zimmer Bradley The Mists of Avalon. That was good.

[dojima-hime.livejournal.com]

In case anyone is still peeking back here, I thought I'd toss out a bit of a pimp.

Mr. Neil Gaiman has made Neverwhere available for for free online (http://www.harpercollinsebooks.com/9EFF2F64-67E1-4BBF-B82F-4DF0F18E8D3F/10/125/en/NeilGaiman) via his publisher, and it's downloadable. Because Mr. Neil is made of awesome.

Or as he says;
The bad news is you don't get to keep it forever. It's yours for thirty days from download, and then the pdf file returns to its electrons. But if you've ever wondered about Neverwhere or wanted to read it for free, now is your chance. And free is free...