Sunday, January 29, 2006

What should I read? And why?

12:10 PM

12 Comments:

I've been chewing my way through the Hard Case Crime series.

For nonfiction, have you picked up the Will Eisner books "Comics and Sequential Art" and "Graphic Storytelling"? Fantastic stuff, and he really taps into the advantages of comic book storytelling vs other media. There's also the "Understanding Comics" book by Scott McCloud. Fun book explaining different aspects of how comics work, all done in comic book format.

On the comic side, I've been loving Ex Machine by Brian K Vaughn and Tony Harris.

By  Kody Chamberlain, at 1:25 PM  

I'm reading a great book - Magical Thinking by Augusten Burroughs. It's a book of true stories from his life, childhood to now. He's hysterical.

By  Christina, at 3:42 PM  

THE MOON AND SIX PENCE by W. Somerset Maugham.

Because it kicks ass.

By  Anonymous, at 4:15 PM  

THE LAND OF LAUGHS by Jonathan Carroll.

Except if you like Neil Gaiman's stuff, you've probably read it already.

By  Stephen Gallagher, at 5:56 PM  

Tipping Point by Malcom Gladwell... An excellent book about small events that essentially change our world... He takes alook at epidemics, fads and a bunch of other things... very well written

Freakonomics is another great book that I've read. Funny and insightful :) Its by Steven Levitt

By  Jason Sanders, at 6:27 PM  

Oh yeah, Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell is an excellent fantasy book by Susanna Clarke. Amazingly indepth, reads like an alternate history of England. Lots and Lots of footnotes make it very interesting and you should read it before the movie comes out... have not clue how their going to pull that off...

By  Jason Sanders, at 6:29 PM  

I second the reccomend for "The Kite Runner". Excellent book that moved me and gave me a new insight into the Muslim world.

By  writergurl, at 8:58 AM  

I'm embarassed to so shamelessly self-promote, but you should be reading my online novel DINGO (chapter 1 is here.)

26 of the 27 chapters have been posted and the final chapter goes up this Friday. It's a fun little pulp fantasy which you can read in a couple of lazy afternoons.

By  Unknown, at 10:23 AM  

John Birmingham's got a fun alternative hostory series going set during WWII - first book is called Weapons of Choice, and the second (Designated Targets) was recently published... very good reads...

Second the Complete Peanuts recommedation above - those books are a must-have... :)

By  John Hudgens, at 11:58 AM  

Since Mike Nelson started it (Thanks, Mike!) I'll continue the shameless self promotion by urging you and everyone reading to go pick up both volumes of the TALES OF THE SHADOWMEN anthologies. Not just for my short story contributions, but for the stories by Jess Nevins, John Peel, Brian Stableford, Win Scott Eckert, Randy & Jean Marc Lofficier, et al.

You can get them both at:
www.blackcoatpress.com

By  Cunningham, at 2:15 PM  

David Mitchell's CLOUD ATLAS is the best book I've read in a few years. Nearly virtuoso fiction.

It involves some commitment to really throw yourself into it, but about 1/4 of the way in you'll be hooked.

That, and (not because I'm always thinking about storytelling prospects on the screen) I think it could make an kick-ass film if done just right. Kind of in that they-said-The-Hours-could-never-be-filmed sort of way.

By  is that so wrong?, at 6:57 PM  

Did you pick a book yet? Add to the list "The World According to Garp" because it is funny and moving, "As I Lay Dying" because the point of view play with knock your socks off, and "Blood Meridian" because Cormac McCarthy takes to ask all American values in beautiful prose.

http://blog.myspace.com/adicaroy

By  AdicaRoy, at 11:38 PM  

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