Author Topic: Book Discussion  (Read 1586 times)

Tell us about your favorite books, bad books, books with good endings, etc.

I've got a few favorites, though I generally read sci-fi because everything else either has a stuffty storyline with simplistic unimaginative plots or no good literary elements and plot devices.

• Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut.
It's about a man named Billy Pilgrim who becomes unstuck in time, causing him to move around his life and experience everything that happens to him, most of the events center around his experiences in WWII. Along the way he meets an alien species that teach him about the fourth dimension, allowing him to embrace his condition. Listen: the book is loving amazing. I've read it seven times in a year because of Vonnegut's amazing satirical metaphors that point out the flaws with society, war, and some political matters. You can't live until reading this book. I can't even begin to tell you how perfect this book is.
• Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card.
A young boy is recruited by the military for space-based combat against an alien species. He is forced to do many things he doesn't want to, and eventually learns the value of an individual life. The ending made me cry like a baby.
• Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein.
This is widely regarded as THE most popular science fiction novel ever, and I found it very interesting. A man born on Mars is taken to Earth and converted to a branch of Christianity, and then experiences life on Earth to the fullest. It's hard to comprehend, but to dumb it down, we are shown the effect religion and a few other of society's elements would have on someone new to Earth, thus with an innocent mind. Wonderful read.

I'd like to write about some others like Planet of the Apes or Franz Kafka's work, but I'm eager to see what you guys like.

Oh man, Vonnegut is the bomb.

The Sirens of Titans is another work of art by Vonnegut.
The story is about the richest, most depraved man in the world, Malachi Constant, who is offered a trip to the outer planets of the universe. It's such a deep book that looks upon culture, civilization, religion, and human nature.It's sad, and it's funny, but it's loving amazing and if you haven't read this book you haven't lived

The Giver was a pretty cool short read, it's about this kid that is chosen to hold all the memories of past people from our civilization in a world where everything is controlled and the same and he's like "forget this stuff, i'm going to spacea world where i can have fun with snow and sunsets and rainbows and stuff" and apparently there are a few sequels but i havent read them

also The Hunger Games series is pretty similar, but more action and main-character-is-super-tough-girl

The Giver was a pretty cool short read, it's about this kid that is chosen to hold all the memories of past people from our civilization in a world where everything is controlled and the same and he's like "forget this stuff, i'm going to spacea world where i can have fun with snow and sunsets and rainbows and stuff" and apparently there are a few sequels but i havent read them
That book was great, pretty forgeted up with the whole euthanasia thing.

I'm halfway through Catcher in the Rye. I quite like it but he keeps saying "god damn."
« Last Edit: July 15, 2011, 11:25:17 PM by Kevdude »

To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee

An amazing story. It's well-written, and has every aspect of story type one would like. It turns from a ghost story to a thriller to a courtroom to a murder, not necessarily in that order, and not necessarily all at once. It's not surprising we had to read it for class. It is a fantastic read.

That book was great, pretty forgeted up with the whole euthanasia thing.
that was pretty sad, and really kinda forgeted up because his dad didnt even feel remorse for---spoiler alertkilling the baby

on the topic of sad, A Boy Called It and proceeding books
semi-true story of a kid that was abused by his parents

Dr. Seuss Series
Percy Jackson and the Olympians
The Tale of Desperaux
The Giver
The Chocolate War
The Lost Hero

Oh man, Vonnegut is the bomb.

The Sirens of Titans is another work of art by Vonnegut.
The story is about the richest, most depraved man in the world, Malachi Constant, who is offered a trip to the outer planets of the universe. It's such a deep book that looks upon culture, civilization, religion, and human nature.It's sad, and it's funny, but it's loving amazing and if you haven't read this book you haven't lived
I know Cat's Cradle got Vonnegut his anthropology degree, but I wasn't sure his earlier was that good. Your description makes me want to read Sirens right now. Vonnegut is God of the pen.

Oh, and I've been wanting to read Catcher in the Rye for a while.
« Last Edit: July 15, 2011, 11:26:14 PM by Mega-Bear »


I know Cat's Cradle got Vonnegut his anthropology degree, but I wasn't sure his earlier was that good. Your description makes me want to read Sirens right now. Vonnegut is God of the pen.
Definately.

Cat's Cradle is a book that you have to read to the end to appreciate it fully.

Halo serious by Eric Nylund and that William cigarette who wrote one or two of them.

Why did you quote me?
I'm on my iPod and was going to reply to you but couldn't scroll down, so I just put my line of text at the bottom.
Halo serious by Eric Nylund and that William cigarette who wrote one or two of them.
I read those. Surprisingly, they were all right.

I read those. Surprisingly, they were all right.
You, and everyone else who reads the books cant say they're right or wrong about the beginning of Halo or anything. The book is telling the story of the beginning and they are the only sources of information of the beginning.

You, and everyone else who reads the books cant say they're right or wrong about the beginning of Halo or anything. The book is telling the story of the beginning and they are the only sources of information of the beginning.
The stuff about Reach? I feel you bro, when the game wasn't like the novel I got kinda pissed. :/