Reading Suggestions?

[Zkribbler]

Originally posted by duke o' york
Can I leap in and recommend both Don Quixote and Moby Dick?

I couldn't get through either of them.
But if we're talkin' classics, then may I suggest;
"To Kill a Mockingbird"
"Uncle Tom's Cabin

[Eli]

Don Quixote. On a scale of boringness, it's defeated only by The Master and Margarita, the only book I ever gave up on in mid reading.

[DarkCloud]

Speaking of boring- "To Kill a Mockingbird"- one word: "Yeeech."

[Zoid]

"The Wheel of Time"

Yawn-o-rama!

[Lord Avalon]

Originally posted by Zoid
"The Wheel of Time"

Yawn-o-rama!

I'd agree on books 5-10 - Jordan was really in need of samurai editor. I liked the first few, however, and the latest. I wonder if his illness has made him more focused on finishing the series, because things really picked up.

[DarkCloud]

I'd argue that book 5 was the best of the series. The Fires of Heaven had an excellent mix of intrigue, action, and actual plot movement (unlike books 8,9, and 10... which seem to take place over the course of perhaps 2 days... and Rand can't leave the **%*ing tower... and for some reason the 'fatal' flaw (his fear of harming women) makes absolutely no sense and barely had a grounding in book one (it just seemed to be invented around book 3)- the vermissiltude of the series really takes a hit when the characters get all emo and paralyzed and afraid to harm "frail" women when clearly in this world women can take care of themselves since they're basically in charge of everything!

Books 4-6 were probably the high point.

1-3 were tedious and droll... I'm not quite certain why I stumbled through them... I found them at best passable ripoffs of tolkien- not even as good as the Runelords or Dragonlance series... and books 7-10 relied FAR too highly on kidnapping... I think at one point three characters were kidnapped by three different factions... and then Jordan brings back two forsaken for no reason except to extend the series and actually give some challenge to the 'last battle'- since all the good forsaken are dead by then (Ravin, et. al.)... [I mean- who is actually afraid of Graendal or the often-beaten dream girl... I'd argue that Messanna- the one in the White Tower is probably the one with the most intriguing character...] and then when Osangar and Arangar are resurrected- one changes gender- but that doesn't matter because it has no bearing on anything else... and they don't seem to have much memory of their pasts and are completely different- WTF?

[Ecthy]

I've read some WOT before... started one book and it was indeed boring... started with Rand being some peasant boy who got dragged into it all, and 80% of the story - if not more - seemed copycatted off LOTR.

[Zoid]

Indeed, Ecthy speaks teh truth

[Zkribbler]

Indeed he do.

[Ecthy]

[molly bloom]

Originally posted by Ecthy
bump: What Turtledove book is a good read? Just ordering First Man in Rome by McCullough and Red Storm Rising by Clancy (neve rread any Clancy before, so...)

'Agent of Byzantium'. It has the benefit of being interlinked stories rather than one long dull repetitious novel cycle... and it features a Mohammed converted to Eastern Christianity.


Controversy !

[DarkCloud]

I've read some WOT before... started one book and it was indeed boring... started with Rand being some peasant boy who got dragged into it all, and 80% of the story - if not more - seemed copycatted off LOTR.

Thank gosh I'm not the only one who thinks that. I spent longer than I should have arguing with several people that the Green Man was a cheap ripoff of Tom Bombadil and that Lan and Moiraine = Gandalf the Grey.
--
Oh and Echty, you wanted a good turtledove book- If you were an american, I would recommend Guns of the South- it's his best Civil War alternative history. In it, gunrunners go back in time to give AK-47's to the South.

Another good turtledove series is the "Legion of Videssos" series where a group of Romans get transported into a realm of magic after being on the losing side of a battle with Germans.

A non historical book would be the Gerin the Fox series- it's classic Conan the Barbarian adventurer style action and has some amazing battle scenes.

I also recommend "Between the Rivers" which is about a pseudo-ancient Babylonian world with living Gods IIRC.

[Lord Avalon]

D'oh! I forgot to mention those:

The Misplaced Legion
An Emperor for the Legion
The Legion of Videssos
The Swords of the Legion

He also wrote some prequels that take place in Videssos prior to the legion's arrival.

The Time of Troubles
The Stolen Throne
Hammer and Anvil
The Thousand Cities
Videssos Besieged

The Tale of Krispos
Krispos Rising
Krispos of Videssos
Krispos the Emperor

[Ecthy]

Thanks guys, I think never has a 2 liner of me attracted so much support

[Addled Platypus]

Military Bios- Patton, Eisenhower, Churchill, Mein Kamph

Military- Silent Warrior, Bravest Man,

Sci- Fi - Red Mars, Green Mars, Blue Mars

Space Opera- Honor Harrington series; by David Weber
On Basilisk Station
The Honor of the Queen
The Short Victorious War
Field of Dishonor
Flag in Exile
Honor Among Enemies
In Enemy Hands
Echoes of Honor
Ashes of Victory
War of Honor

Area 51 Series


Alternate History - 1632,1633

Other-
Principia, Uriel's Machine

AVOID - L. R. Hubbard's decology --10 books of boredum