new to books - help me with recommendations pls

Discussion in 'TMB Book Club' started by hipsterjoe, Aug 22, 2019.

  1. joe-

    joe- yesterday is a hard word for me
    Donor TMB OG
    Kansas City RoyalsDSA

    I'm trying to eliminate screen time after dark so I'm looking to start reading again. haven't really read much over the last 8-10 years so I'm a bit out of the loop. have any of you read any of these?

    • man of the year - caroline louise walker
    • looker: a novel - laura sims
    • swearing is good for you - emma byrne
    • normal people - sally rooney

    I am also very open to recommendations
     
  2. Truman

    Truman Well-Known Member
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    Haven’t read any of those. What genre or topics are you interested in?
     
  3. joe-

    joe- yesterday is a hard word for me
    Donor TMB OG
    Kansas City RoyalsDSA

    I’m not even sure really. Generally fiction but even some of the new ~*~*~self help~*~*~* books sound interesting
     
  4. The Blackfish

    The Blackfish The Fish in Black
    Staff Donor TMB OG
    Alabama Crimson TideIndianapolis ColtsBook Club

    Check out the books you’ve read in 2019 thread and see what we’ve been reading and what we’ve liked and what among those sound good to you.

    I have not read any of the ones you’ve listed
     
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  5. Truman

    Truman Well-Known Member
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    Good idea.
     
  6. RonBurgundy

    RonBurgundy Well-Known Member

    Here’s an overwhelming but maybe somewhat helpful list of books I’ve read starting by when I started recording them in 2012 with my ratings.

    *disclaimer - I like Fantasy and Sci fi

    — 2012 —

    Eragon *5.0
    The Hobbit *7.5
    Tim Tebow through my eyes *3.0
    Freakonomics *7.0
    Superfreakonomics *6.0
    Of Mice and Men *7.5
    Hunger Games *7.5
    Catching Fire *8.0
    Mockingjay *6.5
    A hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy *8.5
    A Thousand Splendid Suns *7.0
    Harry Potter 1: Sorcerer's Stone *7.5
    The Restaurant at the End of the Universe *6.5
    Ready Player One *9.0
    A Game of Thrones (ASOIAF 1) *8.0
    Grapes of Wrath *6.5
    A Clash of Kings (ASOIAF 2) *8.0
    The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo *8.0
    Harry Potter 2: Chamber of Secrets *6.5
    A Storm of Swords (ASOIAF 3) *9.5
    Harry Potter 3: Prisoner of Azkaban *7.0
    The Girl Who Played With Fire *7.5
    A Feast for Crows (ASOIAF 4) *6.5
    Harry Potter 4: Goblet of Fire *7.5
    The Girl who Kicked the Hornets Nest *7.5
    Harry Potter 5: Order of the Phoenix *8.0
    A Dance With Dragons
    (ASOIAF 5) *7.0
    Harry Potter 6: Half Blood Prince *7.5
    [#31.] Harry Potter 7: Deathly Hallows *7.5

    — 2013 —

    11/22/63 *9.0
    The Passage *8.5
    The Twelve *6.5
    Gone Girl *10.0
    Outliers *6.5
    The Shadow of the Wind *8.0
    Under the Dome *6.5
    Re-Read A Game of Thrones - *8.5
    Re-read A Clash of Kings - *7.5
    The Gunslinger - 4.5
    Cloud Atlas - 2.5
    [#12.] Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs - 4.0

    — 2014 —

    Inferno *7.0
    Strong Willed Child *6.0
    The Ocean at the end of the Lane *7.0
    Re-Read A Storm of Swords *9.0
    Breakfast of champions *4.0
    Divergent *6.5
    Insurgent *6.5
    Allegiant *6.5
    Grapes of Wrath - 4.5
    The Name of the Wind *8.5
    A Wise Man's Fear *9.0
    Re-Read A Feast for Crows 8.0
    The Racketeer *7.0
    Fahrenheit 451 *4.5
    The Dream Team - 7.0
    The Book Thief - 4.5
    The Maze Runner *6.5
    The Alchemist *7.0
    The Martian *8.5
    Re-read A Dance With Dragons *8.0
    Wool *7.5
    The Scorch Trials (Maze Runner 2) *6.0
    In The Woods *5.0
    The Tales of Dunk and Egg *7.0
    Steelheart *7.0
    Into Thin Air *7.0
    Sharp Objects *5.5
    Mistborn: The Final Empire *8.5
    Mitosis *6.0
    The Death Cure (Maze Runner 3) *5.5
    Ghost in the Wires *6.0
    The Kill Order (Maze Runner 4) *5.0
    [#33.] Mistborn 2: The Well of Ascension *8.0

    — 2015 —

    Mistborn 3: The Hero of Ages *7.0
    The Girl on The Train *7.5
    The Lightning Thief: (Percy Jackson 1) *6.0
    Firefight (Reckoners 2) *7.0
    David and Goliath *5.5
    Killing Lincoln *6.0
    The Sea of Monsters (Percy Jackson 2) *5.0
    Dad is Fat *6.5
    One Hundred Years of Solitude *7.0
    The Titan's Curse (Percy Jackson 3) *5.0
    The Ice Dragon *6.0
    Let's Explore Diabetes with Owls *0.5
    Ender's Game *8.5
    The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe *5.0
    The Battle of the Labyrinth (Percy Jackson 4) *5.0
    The Last Olympian (Percy Jackson 5) *5.0
    The Way of Kings *9.0
    Words of Radiance *9.5
    Seveneves *5.0
    All the Light We Cannot See *9.0
    Armada *6.0
    Uprooted *7.0
    The Alloy of Law *7.5
    The Goldfinch *7.0
    House of God *6.5
    Off to Be the Wizard *7.0
    Shadows of Self *7.5
    Cutting for Stone *5.0
    Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter *6.5
    [#31.] Spell or Highwater *6.5

    — 2016 —

    1. Speaker for the Dead *7.0
    2. Three Body Problem *5.5
    3. The Power of Habit *4.5
    4. Partials *7.0
    5. An Unwelcomed Quest *7.5
    6. The 5th Wave *5.0
    7. The Eye of the World (WoT1) *7.0
    8. Fragments (partials2) *6.0
    9. A Brief History of Seven Killings *3.5
    10. Orphan Master's Son *6.5
    11. The Great Hunt (WoT2) *7.5
    12. Bands of Mourning *8.5
    13. The Dragon Reborn (WoT3) *7.5
    14. Mistborn: Secret History *6.0
    15. The Slow Regard of Silent Things *6.0
    16. The Lost Symbol *5.5
    17. The Shadow Rising *6.5 (WoT4)
    18. Saturn Run *7.0
    19. The Gunslinger *6.0 (DT1)
    20. Neverwhere *6.5
    21. Ruins (partials3) *5.5
    22. The Drawing of the Three *6.5 (DT2)
    23. The City of Mirrors *7.5
    24. League of Denial *6.0
    25. The Fires of Heaven (WoT5) *7.5
    26. Lord of Chaos (WoT6) *8.5
    27. A Crown of Swords (WoT7) *8.0
    28. Planetfall *7.0
    29. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child *8.0
    30. Dark Matter *9.5
    31. The Path of Daggers (WoT8) *6.5
    32. The Waste Lands (DT3) *7.0
    33. Winter's Heart (WoT9) *6.0
    34. Grunt *5.0
    35. Crossroads of Twilight (WoT10) *6.0
    36. A New Spring (WoT0) *7.0
    37. Knife of Dreams (WoT11) *6.0
    38. The Gathering Storm (WoT12) *9.0

    — 2017 —

    1. Towers at Midnight (WoT13) *9.0
    2. A Memory of Light (WoT14) *8.0
    3. Riders of the Dawn *6.0
    4. The Emperor's Soul *10
    5. The Eleventh Metal *6.0
    6. Allomancer Jak and the Pits of Eltania, Episodes 28 through 30 *6.0
    7. Gardens of the Moon *8.0 (Malazan1)
    8. White Sands short story *7.0
    9. Shadows of Silence in the Forests of Hell *6.5
    10. Sixth of the Dusk *6.0
    11. Edgedancer *7.0
    12. Wizard and Glass *9.0 (DT4)
    13. The Wolves of the Calla *8.0 (DT5)
    14. Deadhouse Gates *8.5 (Malazan2)
    15. Song of Suzannah *5.0 (DT6)
    16. The Dark Tower *6.5 (DT7)
    17. As I lay Dying *6.0
    18. The Time Traveler's Wife *7.5
    19. When Breath becomes Air *7.0
    20. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button *6.0
    21. Nine Inches *7.0
    22. Lonigan *6.0
    23. The Time Machine *8.0
    24. My Brief History *5.0
    25. Ender in Exile *6.5
    26. The Grand Design *7.0
    27. Ender's Shadow *7.5
    28. You're Never Weird on the Internet *7.0
    29. White Sands Graphic Novel Book 1 *7.0
    30. Red Rising *8.0
    31. Golden Son *7.0
    32. Astrophysics for People in a Hurry *6.5
    33. Morning Star *5.5
    34. By the Light of the Moon *5.0
    35. Memories of Ice *8.0 (Malazan3)
    36. Leviathan *7.0
    37. Redshirts *8.5
    38. Elantris *6.0
    39. Lone Stars *6.0
    40. The Way of Kings re-read *9.5
    41. Oathbringer *9.0
    42. Artemis *7.0
    43. Farside *5.5

    — 2018 —
    1. The Lost Gate *8.0
    2. The Gate Thief *5.0
    3. All our Wrongs Today *7.5
    4. Children of The Fleet *7.0
    5. End of Watch *6.0
    6. House of Chains (Malazan4) *8.0
    7. Wind Through the Keyhole *8.5
    8. The Dog Stars *7.0
    9. When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing *8.0
    10. The Story of Your Life *4.5
    11. Making Rounds with Oscar *4.0
    12. Midnight Tides (Malazan5) *8.5
    13. White Sands #2 *7.0
    14. Stranger in a Strange Land *7.0
    15. The Running Man *7.0
    16. Learn to Concentrate *5.0
    17. The 5 People You Meet in Heaven *8.0
    18. The Bonehunters *8.5 (Malazan6)
    19. 7 Habits of Highly Effective People *5.0
    20. The Purpose Driven Life *5.0
    21. Bandwidth *6.0
    22. Into the Thickening Fog *2.0
    23. Factfulness - Ten Reasons We’re Wrong about the World and Why Things are Better than you Think *9.5
    24. The Rider of Lost Creek *6.0
    25. The Revenant *8.0
    26. Right and Wrong as a Clue to the Meaning of the Universe *4.0
    27. What Christians Believe *5.0
    28. Speaker for the Dead *7.0
    29. Christian Behavior *4.0
    30. The First Steps in the Doctrine of the Trinity *5.0
    31. The Book of Basketball *7.0
    32. Boys Among Men *6.0
    33. The Name of the Wind (Re-read) *9.0
    34. The Hidden Brain *5.5
    35. Basketball (And Other Things) *6.5
    36. Prelude to Foundation *7.5
    37. The Wise Man’s Fear (Re-read) *8.5
    38. Forward the Foundation *4.5
    39. Enlightenment Now *6.0
    40. 13 Things Mentally Strong Parents Don’t Do *7.0
    41. Behemoth *7.0
    42. Half a King *7.5
    43. Reaper’s Gale (Malazan 7) *9.0
    44. Half the World *7.5
    45. Foundation *7.0
    46. The Self Driven Child *5.0
    47. Half a War *6.0
    48. Between the World and Me *8.0
    49. Philosophy of Mind *4.5
    50. The Vainshing American Adult *6.5
    51. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them *5.0
    52. Them *7.5
    53. Annihilation *7.0
    54. Daemon *7.5
    55. Twilight *5.5
    56. Harry Potter 1 (Re-read/Kid) *7.5
    57. Guns, Germs, and Steel *6.0
    58. Brief Answers to the Big Questions *7.5
    59. Law of the Desert Born *6.5
    60. Alone Together: Why We Expect More from Technology and Less from Each Other *5.0
    61. The Island of Doctor Moreau *6.5
    62. Earth *4.0
    63. Toll the Hounds (Malazan 8) *9.5
    64. What if? Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions *7.5
    65. The Fool’s Run *6.0

    — 2019 —
    1. The Urban Monk *5.0
    2. Fire and Blood *7.0
    3. To Pixar and Beyond *7.0
    4. Dust of Dreams (Malazan 9) *7.0
    5. Pet Semetary *9.0
    6. Skyward *7.5
    7. The Crippled God (Malazan 10) *9.0
    8. Lucky Suit *5.5
    9. This is Your Brain on Parasites *8.0
    10. Sovereign *7.0
    11. One Word Kill *7.5
    12. Zoo Nebraska *3.0
    13. Becoming *7.5
    14. Brionne *8.0
    15. Dark Canyon *7.0
    16. Killoe *5.0
    17. Warbreaker *6.5
    18. The Golden Compass *6.0
    19. The Stand *9.0
    20. A short History of Nearly Everything *6.0
    21. Recursion *8.5
    22. Alien III Audiobook *2.0
    23. The Dead Drink First *6.0
    24. Hyperion *7.0
    25. Tiger Trap *7.0
    26. Blood Song *8.5
    27. Belichick *3.0
    28. Re-read Count of Monte Cristo *8.5
     
  7. joe-

    joe- yesterday is a hard word for me
    Donor TMB OG
    Kansas City RoyalsDSA

    Just bought:

    Hollow kingdom - Kira Jane Buffon

    The world doesn’t require you - Rion Amilcar Scott
     
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  8. Hank Scorpio

    Hank Scorpio Globex Corporation, Philanthropist, Supervillain
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    Looking to start reading again and will be pulling heavily from this list based on ratings you gave books I've read.
     
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  9. The Blackfish

    The Blackfish The Fish in Black
    Staff Donor TMB OG
    Alabama Crimson TideIndianapolis ColtsBook Club

    What are a few that he rated highly that you agree with and what are you thinking about starting?
     
  10. Hank Scorpio

    Hank Scorpio Globex Corporation, Philanthropist, Supervillain
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    Mainly the ASOIAF and Harry Potter books and seeing there are things rated higher.

    Actually think I'm going to start at the top of the book of the month thread with 11/22/63. Just ordered an e-reader last night.
     
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  11. RonBurgundy

    RonBurgundy Well-Known Member

    Way of kings if you haven’t read it
     
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  12. The Blackfish

    The Blackfish The Fish in Black
    Staff Donor TMB OG
    Alabama Crimson TideIndianapolis ColtsBook Club

    Excellent choice. I love that book so much.
     
  13. TC

    TC Peter, 53, from Toxteth
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    :lovelove:
     
  14. Dildo Dawgins

    Dildo Dawgins Well-Known Member
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    A few books I re-read often to get out of reading slumps. These are three of my all time top five favorite reads - all shortish, easy, and classics.

    I Am Legend
    Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy
    Fahrenheit 451
     
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  15. joe-

    joe- yesterday is a hard word for me
    Donor TMB OG
    Kansas City RoyalsDSA

    so Hollow Kingdom is weird, but it’s an entertaining read so far. It’s mainly from the point of view of a domesticated crow that can talk, during the apocalypse
     
  16. TC

    TC Peter, 53, from Toxteth
    Donor
    South Carolina GamecocksCarolina PanthersCarolina Hurricanes

    1984?
     
  17. joe-

    joe- yesterday is a hard word for me
    Donor TMB OG
    Kansas City RoyalsDSA

    catch-22
     
  18. joe-

    joe- yesterday is a hard word for me
    Donor TMB OG
    Kansas City RoyalsDSA

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  19. Voodoo

    Voodoo Fan of: Notre Dame
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    I’ve never read Hitchhiker’s. I’m saving it to use as a self-care book for when I’m done with Ulysses.
     
  20. Cornelius Suttree

    Cornelius Suttree the smallest crumb can devour us
    Donor TMB OG
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    really good fiction recommendations below:

    Running Dog by Don DeLillo
    Great Jones Street by Don DeLillo
    White Noise by Don DeLillo
    Crime and Punishment by Dostoyevsky
    The Brothers Karamazov by Dostoyevsky
    Moby Dick by Melville
    The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers
    Carpenter's Gothic by William Gaddis
    A Frolic of His Own by William Gaddis
    Bleeding Edge by Thomas Pynchon
    Inherent Vice by Thomas Pynchon
    Wise Blood by Flannery O'Connor
    The Violent Bear It Away by Flannery O'Connor (Kevin Morby is definitely a fan)
    Child of God by Cormac McCarthy
    All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy
    Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy
    Commonwealth by Ann Patchett
    Bel Canto by Ann Patchett
    Seize the Day by Saul Bellow
    Dangling Man by Saul Bellow
    Ironweed by William Kennedy
    The Plague of Doves by Louise Erdich
    The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
    The Shipping News by Annie Proulx
    Rabbit, Run by John Updike
    The Centaur by John Updike
    The Last Hurrah by Edwin O'Connor
    The Sportswriter by Richard Ford
    A Piece of My Heart by Richard Ford
    Killer Diller by Clyde Edgerton
    Where Trouble Sleeps by Clyde Edgerton
    Walking Across Egypt by Clyde Edgerton
    Raney by Clyde Edgerton
    All That Is by James Salter
    The Stone Diaries by Carol Shields
    Waiting for the End of the World by Madison Smartt Bell
    Under the Volcano by Malcolm Lowry
    Charming Billy by Alice McDermott
    A Death in the Family by James Agee
    American Pastoral by Philip Roth
    Goodbye, Columbus by Philip Roth
    The Human Stain by Philip Roth

    I have a couple bookcases with non-fiction titles and some other fiction. But my truly elite fiction collection is below. This bookcase and collection of books is right there with my truck and music library for most cherished possession in my life

    [​IMG]
     
    #20 Cornelius Suttree, Sep 15, 2019
    Last edited: Sep 15, 2019
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