In search of something to read

[Myroria]

It is quite possible I might actually have free time soon. Thus, I am looking for a recommendation for a book. Who better to ask than the always enthusiastic readers of Taijitu? Normally I would explain my preferences, but to keep things interesting I will refrain from doing so. I will read the first thing that someone suggests (that I have not already read)

[St Oz]

anything by Chimamanda, especially Americanah.

[Khem]

WORM

[Allama]

Absurd and horrifying, The Trial chronicles the struggles of a man attempting to defend himself from legal charges without knowing what the charges are. Some translations of this work are pretty terrible so be careful to read translation reviews before picking up a copy.




Pride of Baghdad is a good choice if you're in the mood for a serious graphic novel. It's about a small group of lions from the Baghdad Zoo and their experiences before and after their incarceration there. An American bombing raid affords them the opportunity to escape into the war-torn city, where they are nominally free but must struggle to survive.




For weird hippie free love libertarian sci-fi goodness, I present to you: Stranger in a Strange Land! A man raised by Martians is returned to the planet of his parents and immediately causes an uproar. His unique take on how a human can live is quite interesting (and to some of us odd ones, very appealing).




The Lies of Locke Lamora is a great lazy day read. The characters are interesting and often terribly witty, plus the author doesn't pull punches with the plot. So much action and so many twists! It's set in a city called Camorr, which takes some hints from Venice of olde but still feels like its own unique place.

You can treat this as a standalone novel or, if you wish, continue on to the next 2 books.




Now if you are ready for some truly epic fantasy reading, delve into The Way of Kings. It kicks off a series that will ultimately span 10 volumes, the first 2 of which are available now. I truly cannot praise this author's worldbuilding skills highly enough! The world of Roshar is a vivid and incredible place, populated by intriguing characters you'll both love and hate.




If you're in the mood for something a bit more contemplative but still want a graphic novel, I highly recommend The Rabbi's Cat. The cat gains the ability to speak by devouring a parrot and proceeds to question and debate everything the rabbi who owns him says or does. It's set in Algeria.

[Wast]

You're inviting me to be cruel, but I will resist suggesting such masterpieces as Infinite Jest and Gaddis' J.R., since you probably would like to retain your sanity and spend less than an eternity reading each book. That, and read something enjoyable. My additions to the list:

The Crying of Lot 49 - Pynchon's shortest work by far, and a good introduction. This way you can experience that feeling of vague disappointment without having suffered through 5783845 pages of Gravity's Rainbow.

Pale Fire - An extraordinarily intricate novel that's difficult to summarize. It's worth it for the satire of pretentious writing and literary criticism alone, but there's much more to it. For bonus metafictional fun, read some of the actual literary criticism of it!

Cryptonomicon - You've probably either read it or find Neal Stephenson's writing insufferable, but I'll include it here anyway.

Absurd and horrifying, The Trial chronicles the struggles of a man attempting to defend himself from legal charges without knowing what the charges are. Some translations of this work are pretty terrible so be careful to read translation reviews before picking up a copy.

Ugh, I wish I had been more careful when selecting a translation of The Trial. The one I read was almost unbearably awful, and it's given me unpleasant memories (and not in the intended way) of a work I really like.

[Allama]

Absurd and horrifying, The Trial chronicles the struggles of a man attempting to defend himself from legal charges without knowing what the charges are. Some translations of this work are pretty terrible so be careful to read translation reviews before picking up a copy.

Ugh, I wish I had been more careful when selecting a translation of The Trial. The one I read was almost unbearably awful, and it's given me unpleasant memories (and not in the intended way) of a work I really like.

Oh no, that's the worst! Sorry you had such a bad Kafka experience. : / That's how I feel about The Hunchback of Notre Dame, of which I first read a spectacularly dry translation in which even lust is boring.

[Rapture]

Anything by Orson Scott card. Unless it's super heroes or Shakespeare.

[Myroria]

Thank you to everyone for the recommendations!

Any thoughts on Blood Meridian? I'm a McCarthy fan but never got around to reading it.