Books impossible to put down thread

Discussion in 'TMB Book Club' started by Gin Buckets, Aug 16, 2012.

  1. Blackterno

    Blackterno Well-Known Member
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    Daniel Silva never disappoints.
     
  2. TLAU

    TLAU Dog Crew
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    Hi. new to the thread and the book board in general but saw this thread title and decided to check.

    Ordered Ready Player One about a month ago and gonna take a break from ASOIAF to read it. Excited that nearly everyone has good reviews for it on here.

    Lonesome Dove is long as fuck but was the only school-assigned reading material that I carried around everywhere with me and read any amount I could even if I had very little time. Favorite book by far.

    Two others that I found really hard to put down and were great reads IMO: The Basketball Diaries and DaVinci Code. Hate that both the movies adaptations sucked dick.
     
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  3. Arkie Proud

    Arkie Proud The Dungeon Master
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    Honestly, The DaVinci Code was a fun read. Dan Brown takes a healthy ration of shit for his books (and deservedly so for some, especially that last thing about overpopulation and shit), but The DaVinci Code was cool.

    Welcome.
     
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  4. soulfly

    soulfly Well-Known Member
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    Just to try and get a gauge are there classics that you're real in to? I've said it before but outside of Dune I've never found sci-fi shit appealing. On the previous page you said Name of the Wind is a top 10 book. I'm trying to figure out if I can take that seriously enough to give it a shot.
     
  5. The Blackfish

    The Blackfish The Fish in Black
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    The Name of the Wind is fantasy, not science fiction and yeah it's pretty awesome. Rothfuss's prose is fantastic.
     
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  6. soulfly

    soulfly Well-Known Member
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    I guess the same question applies to you regarding what classics you enjoy
     
  7. Arkie Proud

    Arkie Proud The Dungeon Master
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    The Name of the Wind is really good. Rothfuss has a way of writing that is prosaic but not pretentious. I would highly recommend it.

    As far as classics that I enjoy... I'm kinda weird there. The things I consider classics that I enjoy would be H.P. Lovecraft, Fritz Leiber, Robert Howard, Tolkien... I like The Great Gatsby, To Kill a Mockingbird, Of Mice & Men, most Shakespeare...
     
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  8. The Blackfish

    The Blackfish The Fish in Black
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    I read far more fantasy than I do classics, but my favorites in no particular order (Outside of classic fantasy)

    War and Peace
    Steinbeck (oM&M, EoE, GoW)
    Catch-22
    Don Quixote
    To Kill a Mockingbird
    A Tale of Two Cities
    The Count of Monte Cristo

    among others
     
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  9. KJROD20

    KJROD20 the ends will justify the means.
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    Just blew through The Martian. Loved it and should be in this thread.
     
  10. prerecordedlive

    prerecordedlive Sworn Enemy of Standard Time
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    It's a little off-putting realizing it's all video log entries but you quickly learn that it suits that book. It reads so fucking well.
     
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  11. dfmPSU

    dfmPSU don't drive angry
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    I just finished it over the course of a few days and thought it was pretty good. It's really straightforward/easy to read and reminded me a lot of the TV series Black Mirror. It's being turned into a movie with Tom Hanks and Emma Watson involved.
     
  12. Blackterno

    Blackterno Well-Known Member
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    This trailer belongs ITT as this book was awesome. I cannot wait to see this.

     
  13. Bishop

    Bishop Future Member
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    Ready Player One
    Name of the Wind
    Under the Banner of Heaven
    ASOIAF 1-3
     
  14. HIIMTROYMcCLURE

    HIIMTROYMcCLURE Well-Known Member
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    For some quick easy fantasy reads David Gemmell is great. I have mentioned him a few times on here with no responses. You fantasy guys need to give it a shot I need some reassurance that his books are as good as I think they are.
     
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  15. Arkie Proud

    Arkie Proud The Dungeon Master
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    Jesus, that guy wrote a lot of books. Gimme one to start, HIIMTROYMcCLURE
     
  16. HIIMTROYMcCLURE

    HIIMTROYMcCLURE Well-Known Member
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    Well his first and most popular is Legend which is really good but kind of rough around the edges. Sword in the Storm and Lion of Macedon are really good. Really, if you like any of them you will like all of them.
     
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  17. Shiggityshwo

    Shiggityshwo Well-Known Member
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    Just got through Part Two of this, don't have the time to fly through, but it's been incredible so far.
     
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  18. TLAU

    TLAU Dog Crew
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    dove into The Martian last night around 9. Next thing I know it's midnight and I'm on page 90. Excellent book so far and can't wait to do absolutely nothing but lay in the recliner and read tonight
     
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  19. TLAU

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    So I'll probably be done with The Martian by the end of the weekend.
    Ready Player One up next and already waiting for me on the night stand

    What should the next one be? I like ordering them in advance and since the GF studies a lot on the week nights I think I'm gonna be reading a lot this semester while she studies.
     
  20. laxjoe

    laxjoe Well-Known Member
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    Read Shantaram after seeing this post. Couldn't fly through it, but only bc iI had a wedding, then moved, then football season started. But I really really enjoyed this book. Thanks
     
  21. jkun

    jkun UGA, United, Falcons, Braves, Tennis, Chelsea
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    Finished two nights ago myself, enjoyed it a lot and liked his writing style
     
  22. Gin Buckets

    Gin Buckets Well-Known Member
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    Been really out of it on books lately, and have only listened to a fraction of the amount I was listening to from 2010-2015. It's a complete and total bummer. I really need a few books that really force me back into the game.

    Stephen Kings The Institute was a good start, though a bit slow early. Most things King are great.

    Would y'all put The First Law Trilogy on this list?
     
  23. The Blackfish

    The Blackfish The Fish in Black
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    First Law is great. Not sure if I would put it in the cannot put down list but it would be close I guess.
     
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  24. Gin Buckets

    Gin Buckets Well-Known Member
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    Impulsively bought the first one today. We shall see how it goes.

    I have a few books on ice in my audio library that I just haven't brought myself to listen to yet, has anyone read any of these or are at least familiar with the authors?

    The Border by Don Winslow (Probably should just wrap up this trilogy first)
    Outlaw Platoon by Sean Parnell, John Bruning
    Strange Angel by George Pendel (Why do I even have this book?)
    A Bend in the River by VS Naipaul
    The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith/JK Rowling

    And then these I started, but just didn't finish or make it too far.
    Gardens of the Moon by Steven Erikson (The book I blame for actually pulling me out of wanting to listen to books anymore)
    Circe by Madeline Miller
    The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker (Probably won't finish, got halfway through already)
    The Green Hills of Africa by Hemingway (MEH)
    Golden Lion by Wilbur Smith
     
  25. Truman

    Truman Well-Known Member
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    Only one of those I’ve read was The Border and it was outstanding.
     
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  26. The Blackfish

    The Blackfish The Fish in Black
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    I don't think I could have listened to Gardens of the Moon on audiobook the first time through. You're so lost and playing catch up at the beginning that it would be easy for my mind to wander.

    That said, Malazan is my favorite series of all time, and next time through will probably be on audiobook.
     
  27. Gin Buckets

    Gin Buckets Well-Known Member
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    It's very tough. I knew it would get good once it caught on, I just never made it that far in 3 attempts at listening. The GF made it like 60% thru (maybe more) and was still lost, so that's when I kind of gave up as well.
     
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  28. HIIMTROYMcCLURE

    HIIMTROYMcCLURE Well-Known Member
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    Just finished Dune and Lonesome Dove for the first time, couldn’t put down either. I think Pillars of the Earth is up next, but also considering Shantaram, Leviathan Wakes, The Luminaries and The Earth is Weeping.
     
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  29. Gonff

    Gonff Prince of Mousethieves
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    Malazan books should not be listened to the first time. Waaay too complex
     
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  30. Gin Buckets

    Gin Buckets Well-Known Member
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    So many good books mentioned in 1 sentence.
     
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  31. Cornelius Suttree

    Cornelius Suttree the smallest crumb can devour us
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    Solo Faces - James Salter
    The Hunters - James Salter
    Wildlife - Richard Ford
    End Zone - Don DeLillo
    Running Dog - Don DeLillo
    Libra - Don DeLillo
    The Moviegoer - Walker Percy
    Wise Blood - Flannery O'Connor
    Ironweed - William Kennedy

    for a variety of reasons I found those books especially easy to breeze through in one or two sittings
     
  32. Gin Buckets

    Gin Buckets Well-Known Member
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    Of the Delillo and Salter books, which would you recommend reading first?
     
  33. Cornelius Suttree

    Cornelius Suttree the smallest crumb can devour us
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    End Zone and Solo Faces would be really easy introductions to their worlds

    End Zone would be hugely popular here if more widely read
     
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  34. RJF-GUMP

    RJF-GUMP Daubert Qualified in Cooler Thermodynamics
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    Is Don Quixote a difficult read?
     
  35. RJF-GUMP

    RJF-GUMP Daubert Qualified in Cooler Thermodynamics
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    war and peace sounds like it would be difficult to get through if "large sections are philosophical discussions"
     
  36. The Blackfish

    The Blackfish The Fish in Black
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    Neither of these are difficult reads in my opinion. LeonardWashington does wax philosophical in War and Peace but it works. I never felt bogged down.
     
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  37. TC

    TC Peter, 53, from Toxteth
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    By 2020 standards these are both quite difficult reads
     
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  38. DriveByBBQ

    DriveByBBQ Well-Known Member
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    American Gods - Neil Gaiman
     
  39. soulfly

    soulfly Well-Known Member
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    Don Quixote is an easy read and the only book I’ve ever finished and immediately became depressed that it was over.

    War and Peace is boring as hell, but I’m a Dostoevsky>>>>>Tolstoy kinda guy
     
  40. Gin Buckets

    Gin Buckets Well-Known Member
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    Man, I put that one down so many times. Decent book, but not Stephen King gripping, for me anyway.
     
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  41. Irush

    Irush Well-Known Member
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    I couldn’t finish American Gods tbh
     
  42. Truman

    Truman Well-Known Member
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    I finished it but thought it was pretty meh. Loved Norse Mythology though
     
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  43. admiralawesome1

    admiralawesome1 Well-Known Member
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    If you like gaiman, try neverwhere. I loved it. Story progresses much faster than American gods. American gods was intentionally meandering
     
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  44. The Blackfish

    The Blackfish The Fish in Black
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    Stardust too. Love that book
     
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  45. Gin Buckets

    Gin Buckets Well-Known Member
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  46. BayouMafia

    BayouMafia Thought Leader in Posting
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  47. Cornelius Suttree

    Cornelius Suttree the smallest crumb can devour us
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    Anything Sebastian Barry wrote. Jaysus I love that man