12 replies to this topic

[abby]

I just recently got the summer job of my dreams - BUT, it comes with a 1+ hour commute each way. Fortunately for me, I can take the commuter bus and put those extra 2.5 hours a day towards reading!

And so, having exhausted my intended summer reading list all too early in the summer and with many long commutes to go, I need your suggestions of what to read next!

I enjoy just about everything, fiction and nonfiction (with the exception of dense war histories and formulaic romance novels). I especially enjoy food-themed books, books about vampires, and books about subjects I've never heard of before (its always good to learn something new, right?). Bonus points for page-turners that will hold my attention while the bus driver maneuvers through traffic in ways I'm sure can't be legal.

[rob86]

My all-time favourite book / 'trilogy' of books is 'Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy' and I recommend it to everyone. Not everyone I recommend it to likes it though, so I guess its not something that appeals to all. Unfortunately I don't have too many suggestions for you, the last few years I haven't been reading many books. The funny thing is, I'm actually a read-a-holic, but I don't read many novels. I'm addicting to reading the stuff you see on shampoo bottles, food packages, boxes, etc. You know, those little blurbs of useless stuff. Anywhere there's a small bunch of words, I have to read it. I also enjoy instruction manuals. Growing up my favourite part of Christmas was getting presents that had massive and complicated instruction manuals. I couldn't wait to sit in bed and curl up with a good instruction manual. Weird, I know. And not very helpful to you in the slightest

So if it was me, I'd lug along a small bag of random junk to read on the way. Whatever you find in the house just toss it in a bag, soup cans, tooth paste, rip the tags off your matress and take it with you.

What, not the suggestion you're looking for, you say? Well from my novel reading days, I did enjoy John Grisham, Stephen King novels. I mostly read informative books (when I read REAL books), like books about astronomy, history.

When you say you enjoy food themed books, what does that mean? Cook books? Frankenpizzas brought to life by mad scientists? I love food in general so the idea of food themed books sounds interesting to me..

What books would you recommend, by the way?

(Sorry this isn't very helpful, but I tend to ramble when I'm getting paid myCents... Shhh..)

[abby]

rob86, on Jun 14 2009, 01:43 PM, said:

My all-time favourite book / 'trilogy' of books is 'Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy' and I recommend it to everyone. Not everyone I recommend it to likes it though, so I guess its not something that appeals to all. Unfortunately I don't have too many suggestions for you, the last few years I haven't been reading many books. The funny thing is, I'm actually a read-a-holic, but I don't read many novels. I'm addicting to reading the stuff you see on shampoo bottles, food packages, boxes, etc. You know, those little blurbs of useless stuff. Anywhere there's a small bunch of words, I have to read it. I also enjoy instruction manuals. Growing up my favourite part of Christmas was getting presents that had massive and complicated instruction manuals. I couldn't wait to sit in bed and curl up with a good instruction manual. Weird, I know. And not very helpful to you in the slightest

So if it was me, I'd lug along a small bag of random junk to read on the way. Whatever you find in the house just toss it in a bag, soup cans, tooth paste, rip the tags off your matress and take it with you.

What, not the suggestion you're looking for, you say? Well from my novel reading days, I did enjoy John Grisham, Stephen King novels. I mostly read informative books (when I read REAL books), like books about astronomy, history.

When you say you enjoy food themed books, what does that mean? Cook books? Frankenpizzas brought to life by mad scientists? I love food in general so the idea of food themed books sounds interesting to me..

What books would you recommend, by the way?

(Sorry this isn't very helpful, but I tend to ramble when I'm getting paid myCents... Shhh..)

Ha! Thank you! That was actually really helpful. Hitchhiker's is one of those books that seems like such an obvious choice that I always forget about it, and actually have yet to read.

As for labels, I read them somewhat compulsively before buying things; I have most ingredients for all of my food, toothpaste, shampoo, etc. memorized from reading them so often (and admittedly, they're short lists). Dr.Bronner's, however, is quite the challenge. Are you familiar? THAT is quite a label.

Books I'd recommend? I just finished reading The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao Junot Diaz and found it fascinating, if a bit violent. I also just finished Stalking the Wild Asparagus, which is AMAZING if you have any interest in wild plants and foraging (I guess that's what I meant by food-themed books? Omnivore's Dilemma-esque books). My usual recommendations are anything by Margaret Atwood, or Vandana Shiva and Bruce Ackerman for those into nonfiction.

Edited by abby, 14 June 2009 - 08:12 PM.

[rob86]

Stalking the wild asparagus? The title of that book is actually quite interesting. I suppose I do a bit of foraging sometimes! I pick berries and walk through bug infested swamps for wild fiddle heads among other things. What exactly is the Wild Asparagus book about? Does it tell you how to identify wild plants? Recipes?

I haven't heard of Dr Bronners.

[Fractured.Logic]

I am going to pop in here with a raving review of two authors:

Elizabeth Haydon

I have not read her series The Lost Journals of Ven Polypheme, but I adored her Symphony of Ages, and lovingly collected the hardback versions of all six books therein.

Neal Stephenson

I have read Snow Crash, The Diamond Age: or A Young Lady's Illustrated Primer, and Anathem, and I remain an obsessively-adoring fan of his intelligence and talent.

Between those two, there are several books to whet your appetite (if you like science fiction & fantasy even half as much as I do ). Judging on your interest in Hitchhikers Guide, though, I don't think that's an issue! Hope that helps you out a bit. Enjoy!

Edited by Fractured.Logic, 16 June 2009 - 06:27 PM.

[abby]

Thanks for the suggestions, Fractured.Logic! I shall have to check out those authors (bad library humor? I need sleep).

Stalking the Wild Asparagus is an intermixing of the author's personal stories and commentary on various foods with some tips on where to find them, how to identify them, how to cook them, and some recipes. It includes everything from fruits and veggies to flowers and weeds to fish, frogs, and birds. It has a lot of information, but is written as a narative of sorts so you sort of feel like you come to know the plants rather than just reading factoids on them. The major criticism that I've heard is that the only pictures are hand-drawn diagrams of the plants, but hey, the book was published in 1965.

[Fractured.Logic]

Quote

Thanks for the suggestions, Fractured.Logic! I shall have to check out those authors (bad library humor? I need sleep).

Library humor is never bad, Abby!

Another author that I would recommend looking into (she's not one of my absolute favorites, but she is a fairly decent author nonetheless):

Kristen Britain

And I also hunted down the information on Juliet Marillier (whose name I am never able to remember, for some reason). She is the author of a historical/Celtic-lore fantasy series starting with the book Daughter of the Forest.

[asomormridul]

As you said you love reading anything and everything, I would suggest you to go with some science fictions. I am not a good reader of books and read a few selective books every year. To my list of selection, I always include a science fiction as science fiction books are my all time favorites. I don't like poetry books and neither I would suggest you to go with them. Because, such books needs special interests and if you have, you will add to your summer reading of your own.

[Polipop]

"The House of the Spirits" by Isabel Allende. This is one of the best books I've read. It's about women fighting for their rights. It's a book that will make you think.

[inverse_bloom]

I have thoroughly enjoyed the series of books known as "A song of ice and fire" (the series thus far minus "A dance with dragons").

The author in case you haven't heard of him is George R R Martin and his calibre for story writing wouldnt fall far short of Tolkein. The first book takes a while for you to get into, but once in you'll be hooked!

Edited by inverse_bloom, 15 July 2009 - 04:37 AM.

[VishBoy]

Well i suggest you to read Harry Potter's books, they have interesting story, and they are beautifull books too You can read them few times, and they will not be booring to you

[freshpub]

If you like science fiction, I will suggest Anne McCaffrey. She is a very good and prolific writer, with over 80 books to her name (some co-written with others). This would probably keep you occupied for a few months.

I particularly reccomend the Dragonriders of Pern and the Tower and the Hive series.

If you are looking for non-fiction that will open your mind to new possibilities, I can recommend Time Storms, by Jenny Randles, and the Atlantis Blueprint, by Rand Flem-Ath and Colin Wilson. The first discuss the reality of time storms and quantum physics, the second advances a few interesting theories about the origins of civilisation.

Hope you like it all!

[ASHISHRANJAN]

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