Book recommendations

[LinuxRandal]

Ok, so we have movies, Linux distro's, country music stars, etc. lately; since I won't have a shop for a while, how about good book recommendations (best not shop related, don't depress me more )?

I am halfway through a book called Decipher, which I am enjoying, and the last two non technical (computer/diy type books), I've read, were Cryptonomicon, and the Davinci code (movie goofed it up).

[Mr__Bill]

For a nice fast read that's not to heavy but keeps you engrossed try anything by John Straley. His last book, "The Big Both Way" I think that's it, has twists and turns, and totally improbable situations that turn out to be based on real events. His books all take place in or on the way to Alaska and offer interesting views of life and the people there. You will find his work in the Mystery section of the Library tho it's really not a mystery.

Another good book is John Grissums (sp) "Playing for Pizza" it's strange, it's about sports but it's not and just reading the restaurant eating scenes can cause you to gain weight.

Bill

[RAFlorida]

Was gonna recommend

Dan Brown's "Davinci Code"; (I liked the movie but the book was better nmho). But one aurthor, John D. McDonald has the Travis McGee series. It's about a PI in the state of Florida.
Tom Clancey too.

[JoeyGee]

The Kite Runner is a great book, but it will rip your heart out in places. I loved it, but it really haunted me for weeks after I finished it.

One of my all time favorites is Rocket Boys by Homer Hickham. This was the book that was made into the movie October Sky. The movie trashed it completely. The book is so much better than the movie. I probably would have liked the movie if I didn't read the book first.

[BobSch]

Can anyone thing of a case where a movie was better, or at least as good, as the book it was based on? I can't off the top of my head.

[gsmittle]

Depends on what kind of stuff you like to read. I'm an SF buff, so my tastes tend toward Larry Niven, Spider Robinson, that sort of stuff. (Believe me, I see the irony of a math-disabled guy preferring hard SF.)

I read a lot of performance theory & criticism stuff, too. Peter Brook's The Empty Space is pretty accessible for a non-theatre person (we call them civilians) and gives a good overview of theory. Oscar Brockett's The Essential Theatre is an excellent primer on the whole live theatre schtick, with more detail than you probably want. This is the stuff I geek out over.

If you can find a copy of the VonHoffman Brothers's The Big Dam* Book of Sheer Manliness, it's a hoot and even has some useful info. Be careful with the chapter on card games--it's decorated with nudie playing cards. I was on the waiting list at powellsbooks.com for two years for that one. It's been out of print for quite a while.

Might want to check out goodreads.com. It's a networking site for book readers. Setting up an account is painless and I've gotten some pretty good suggestions from other members. Once you're signed up, look for me.

g.

[crokett]

Can anyone thing of a case where a movie was better, or at least as good, as the book it was based on? I can't off the top of my head.

I liked the Harry Potter movies better than the books. In the movies Harry didn't come across as so much a whiny wuss. But that just is this man's opinion.

The first James Bond movie, Dr. No, was as good as the book. Ursula Andrews was as good as my imagination. Sean Connery played Bond just like the character was written. Some things were trimmed down or taken out, but the spirit of the book was there. The thing that ruins most movies for me is bad casting.

[drillman88]

I enjoy reading Clive Cussler.He really knows how to spin a yarn.Lots of action and a compelling story.
They made a movie from Sahara, but the movie followed the book very loosely and I didnt enjoy it very much.

[stocktr8er]

I grew up on SF and recommend Heinlein to anyone that wants to dwell in that arena.

Lately I have been hooked on the Lee Child series. I feel that he has penned the best modern day "hero" out there right now. Sure hope they don't screw it up with a movie.

The third writer I like is Dean Kootz. Some of the books get a little far fetched but on the whole I liked everything he has. I tend to think of him as Stephen King light...same type of stories but not as hard to read.

[Alex Franke]

Maybe I'm telling a bit too much about myself with these recommendations, but i have a hunch you'd appreciate them.

Longitude: The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time
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Rating: 4.0 of 5, 266 review(s)


The Computational Beauty of Nature: Computer Explorations of Fractals, Chaos, Complex Systems, and Adaptation
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Used: $32.99 (21% savings)
Rating: 4.5 of 5, 15 review(s)


THE MAN WHO LOVED ONLY NUMBERS: THE STORY OF PAUL ERDOS AND THE SEARCH FOR MATHEMATICAL TRUTH
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Rating: 4.0 of 5, 92 review(s)


The Code Book: The Science of Secrecy from Ancient Egypt to Quantum Cryptography
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Rating: 5.0 of 5, 254 review(s)


The Mystery of the Aleph: Mathematics, the Kabbalah, and the Search for Infinity
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Rating: 4.0 of 5, 58 review(s)


Fermat's Enigma: The Epic Quest to Solve the World's Greatest Mathematical Problem
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Rating: 4.5 of 5, 253 review(s)


Extra Life: Coming Of Age In Cyberspace
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Rating: 4.5 of 5, 18 review(s)



...and here's a family favorite! (I can't even tell you how many times I've read it!

Baby Danced the Polka (Ala Notable Children's Books. Younger Readers (Awards))
New: $6.86 (47% savings)
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Rating: 5.0 of 5, 25 review(s)

[Papa]

Books

I highly reccommend 1) Tony Hillerman's Navaho detective series, 2) Anything by Bernard Cornwell, 3)anything by W.E.B. Griffin, 4)anything by P.T. Deutermann, 5)anything by David Baldachi, and anything by Lawrence Sanders.

Warren

[jackellis]

Anything by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child, but they tend to be pretty intense novels. Thunderhead and Ice Limit were excellent stories with lots of unusual twists and turns. I have Riptide but knowing how intense it's likely to get, I'm having trouble getting started - worried about nightmares I guess.

I'm reading Thomas Friedman's The World is Flat and I recommend it to anyone with kids. The first part is mostly anecdotes about globalization but in the second part, he starts asking and attempting to answer some good questions.

Although it's been out for a long time, the expanded edition of Stephen King's The Stand is also an outstanding read. It was recommended to me by a co-worker 30 years ago and I've read both the first edition and the longer update.

[frumper64]

I would vote for "To Kill a Mockingbird" as one of the few movies which was (almost) as good as the book. Gregory Peck was born to play Atticus Finch

[radhak]

Can anyone thing of a case where a movie was better, or at least as good, as the book it was based on? I can't off the top of my head.

The English Patient should lead this list. Seeing that the book won a lot of critical acclaim, I know that I risk being quartered and hung for this, but I found the book - how should I put it mildly - boring. It seemed written for the sake of awards, or at the very least, to show how lofty the author's ideas and prose are. The book follows classic Ondjaate style of complex stories and intricate characters, but it's one of the toughest books to follow and keep track of.

The movie, on the other hand, was made simply for the sake of winning Oscars . Knowing the attention span of the average movie audience, the complexity was somewhat reduced and the plot made far more coherent. And boy, were there some steamy scenes to liven up the proceedings !

But in defense of the author and the book, when you get the basic concept and the 'thread' of the plot, it's a very touching story.

[Alex Franke]

In the fantasy and sci-fi departments I'd recommend these:

(first of a series)
Ender's Game
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Rating: 4.5 of 5, 2550 review(s)


The Lord of the Rings (Illustrated Edition)
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Used: $5.75 (92% savings)
Rating: 4.5 of 5, 1005 review(s)



If you last read Narnia as a child, you might want to pick it up and read it again!

The Chronicles of Narnia
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Rating: 4.5 of 5, 1024 review(s)