# Book Recommendations, Por Favor **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 5, 2004, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-recommendations-por-favor/273140 "2004-11-05T05:09:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2004, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-recommendations-por-favor/273140/21 "2004-11-05T19:50:41Z")
1. What is your favorite book of all time? I can not answer this question. Watership Down, The Shining, Gone With the Wind…there are so many more. Let’s just move on. 2. What is the title of the last good book you read? The Kid: what happened after my boyfriend and I decided to go get pregnant : an adoption story, by Dan Savage. Dan is a gay man who writes a sex advice column. I laughed aloud a couple of times during this one, which is unusual for me. 3. What book would you recommend to others? Again, there are too many answers to this one. I’m currently pushing some James Herriot books on my daughter. I’d be happy to recommend them to anyone. 4. What book have you heard good things about but not yet read (if any)? One of the books in the to-read pile that I’m especially looking forward to is When Will Jesus Bring the Pork Chops, by George Carlin. **Dolores** , I’m listening to Fannie Flagg read Welcome to the World, Baby Girl. Can’t say I’m loving the book itself, but I do look forward to hearing her voice each day. So far, your reading choices make you sound the most like me…if you haven’t read the Sweet Potato Queens books by Jill Conner Browne, I think you would like them! ---
**Author:** ![Mal\_Adroit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df788c/32.png) [@Mal\_Adroit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mal_Adroit)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2004, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-recommendations-por-favor/273140/22 "2004-11-05T20:13:20Z")
(Sentimental) favorite of all time- _Marathon Man,_ William Goldman Last good book read- Thomas Tryon’s _The Other_ Book I’d recommend to others- _Created in Darkness by Troubled Americans (Best of McSweeney’s Humor Category)_ Heard good things about- just about anything by Graham Greene. Haven’t read nearly enough of him. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2004, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-recommendations-por-favor/273140/23 "2004-11-05T20:39:08Z")
Sounds like **glee** and I have similar tastes. We’ll have to swap reading lists. I highly recommend all three of his (her?) books (I haven’t read the Saberhagen one either). To avoid repetition, though, I’ll pick different ones: 1. Favorite: _Time Enough For Love_ by Robert Heinlein, or possibly _Dune_ by Frank Herbert. My answer changes with my mood, and I’m in a science fiction mood at the moment. 2. Last Good Book: _Fools Crow_ by James Welch. It’s great historical fiction. 3. Book I’d Recommend: _Hawks Rest_ by Gary Ferguson. Nature writing at its best. (Note: Those last two titles have no apostrophes. If you search for “Fool’s Crow” or “Hawk’s Rest”, you probably won’t find them) 1. Heard Good Things About: _Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim_ by David Sedaris. ---
**Author:** ![Agrippina](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8797f3/32.png) [@Agrippina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agrippina)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2004, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-recommendations-por-favor/273140/24 "2004-11-05T22:17:11Z")
1. “Nineteen Eighty-Four” by George Orwell 2. “The Road to Wellville” by TC Boyle: I loved this book so much that it’s one of my favorites now. I love the cast of characters and the way Boyle writes about a small part of US history. 3. “The Road to Wellville” by TC Boyle or “Geek Love” by Katherine Dunn ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2004, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-recommendations-por-favor/273140/25 "2004-11-05T22:19:31Z")
> [@InvisibleWombat](#): > > 1. Last Good Book: _Fools Crow_ by James Welch. It’s great historical fiction. I read this years ago and remember liking it a lot. ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2004, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-recommendations-por-favor/273140/26 "2004-11-05T22:36:25Z")
1. Non-fiction: _Walden_ by Henry David Thoreau. Fiction: _Dandelion Wine_ by Ray Bradbury. 2. _The Story of Civilization_ by Will and Ariel Durant. 3. _A Confederacy of Dunces_ by John Kennedy Toole. 4. So many! How about _The Red and the Black_ by Stendhal. ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2004, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-recommendations-por-favor/273140/27 "2004-11-05T23:04:33Z")
> [@Nightwatch Trailer](#): > > Actually it’s _ **Incident** _, not _ **Case** _. > > Just so no one has trouble finding it or anything. Ta! My goodness, what was I confusing it with? Oh, thanks, Mrs Hudson, I will have a cup of tea. And so will the good doctor. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2004, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-recommendations-por-favor/273140/28 "2004-11-05T23:21:35Z")
> [@InvisibleWombat](#): > > Sounds like **glee** and I have similar tastes. We’ll have to swap reading lists. I highly recommend all three of his (her?) books (I haven’t read the Saberhagen one either). To avoid repetition, though, I’ll pick different ones: > > 1. Favorite: _Time Enough For Love_ by Robert Heinlein, or possibly _Dune_ by Frank Herbert. My answer changes with my mood, and I’m in a science fiction mood at the moment. > > 2. Last Good Book: _Fools Crow_ by James Welch. It’s great historical fiction. > > 3. Book I’d Recommend: _Hawks Rest_ by Gary Ferguson. Nature writing at its best. > > (Note: Those last two titles have no apostrophes. If you search for “Fool’s Crow” or “Hawk’s Rest”, you probably won’t find them) > > 1. Heard Good Things About: _Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim_ by David Sedaris. The clues, Watson, to glee’s gender are all there in the profile. Chess, roleplaying and computer games make the male choice almost inevitable. Thanks for your compatibility! I think this is an appropriate thread to discuss more of my (our?!) favourites, so here goes. First your choices. I reread Dune regularly. 🆒 (Sadly I feel the rest of the series gets steadily worse.) I’ve read a couple of Heinlein, but not the one you mention. I’ve never heard of the other authors. :eek: :o Second, further favourites of mine (in category) Science fiction/fantasy: Larry Niven (also with Jerry Pournelle): ‘The Legacy of Heorot’ (but not the followup) ‘Ringworld’ series ‘Magic goes away’ series ‘Dreamworld’ series Saberhagen: ‘The Second Book of Swords’ Beserker series Dracula series Swords series Detective: Rex Stout’s Nero Wolfe Conan Doyles’ Sherlock Holmes Robert Parker’s Spenser That’s a big enough sample! ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2004, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-recommendations-por-favor/273140/29 "2004-11-05T23:42:14Z")
> [@glee](#): > > The clues, Watson, to glee’s gender are all there in the profile. Chess, roleplaying and computer games make the male choice almost inevitable. :smack: I should have looked at the profile. Of course, my daughter is heavily into roleplaying and computer games, and she’s thoroughly female… > [@glee](#): > > I’ve read a couple of Heinlein, but not the one you mention. Drop everything. Run, don’t walk, to your favorite bookstore and get _Time Enough For Love_. It’s a long book, so I don’t expect you to read it all tonight. Do let me know what you think of the ending, though… Larry Niven is one of my favorite authors, including the series you’ve listed. Remember that short story, _Man of Steel, Woman of Kleenex_ (subtitled "Why Superman can’t get a girl)? That created some mental images that took a while to get rid of. 😉 I haven’t read any Saberhagen or Robert Parker. Which are the best ones to start with? Have you read any of these? \*\*Science Fiction/Fantasy: \*\* - Spider Robinson’s _Callahan’s Crosstime Saloon_ series - Anne McCaffrey’s _Pern_ series **Mystery:** - John Dunning’s Janeway series (start with _Booked to Die_) - Isaac Asimov’s _Black Widowers_ stories (in small doses) **Nonfiction:** - Stephen Hawking’s _A Brief History of Time_ - Steven Levy’s _Hackers_ ---
**Author:** ![koeeoaddi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/koeeoaddi/32/408_2.png) [@koeeoaddi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/koeeoaddi)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2004, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-recommendations-por-favor/273140/30 "2004-11-05T23:47:03Z")
1. What is your favorite book of all time? _A Soldier of the Great War_ by Mark Helprin - Alessandro Giuliani is 80 years old, he’s a professor of Aesthetics and he missed the bus. Along with an young illiterate factory worker he begins a long walk to catch it in the next town. As his none too bright companion listens raptly, our hero tells story after story of his amazing life. It’s brutal, beautiful, funny, absurd and life affirming. Just an incredible book. 2. What is the title of the last good book you read? _The Things They Carried_ by Tim O’Brien - written as a series of short stories, they are probably the best (most effecting) Vietnam narratives I’ve ever read (I’ve read piles of 'em, too). 3. What book would you recommend to others? _Madness of a Seduced Woman_ by Susan Fromberg Schaeffer. Love, obsession, murder and all sorts of fun stuff happens when a seriously batshit woman runs amuck in turn of the century Vermont. Beautifully written, completely absorbing. 4. What book have you heard good things about but not yet read (if any)? I’m waiting for _Florence of Arabia: a novel_ by Christopher Buckley to come in for me at the library. I haven’t heard too much about it. I’m only hoping it’s at least half as funny as _No Way to Treat a First Lady_ which almost killed me. ---
**Author:** ![Jayn\_Newell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Jayn\_Newell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jayn_Newell)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2004, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-recommendations-por-favor/273140/31 "2004-11-06T00:06:03Z")
> [@InvisibleWombat](#): > > - Anne McCaffrey’s _Pern_ series A note to anyone who hasn’t read it yet but wants to. If possible, read the books in the order they were written, not the order they take place. There’s two reasons for this- 1. Anne’s writing gets a lot better over time, so you’ll get to watch as her style evolves. 2. It’s best read this way because some of the later books take place before the bulk of the series, and some things will be mentioned that are unknown in some the the books that were written earlier but take place later. Books written after these will bring these elements back in. I started with _Dragonsdawn_ first, then read _Moreta’s Ride_, and ran into this myself. I was reading the book, wondering the entire time, “What happened to the dragonlings?” Good series though, well worth reading. Now, on to the OP. 1)Though it’s hard for me to pin it down to one, I’ll go for the _Kushiel’s Dart_ trilogy by Jaqueline Carey. Wow. Just wow. These books are amazing on their own merit, and to add to the wow-ness, they’re her first novels. Well-written and a very intriguing plot. And best of all, I didn’t run through them in two days, like I do with most other novels. I think it took me at least a week to get through each one. Loved them all. 1. _Crisis at Doona_ by Anne McCaffrey and…someone who’s name escapes me, as does the book itself. I mainly picked it up because I absolutely love Anne McCaffrey. 2. _stares blankly_ Just one? I’ll leave Anne alone for now, and say _The Nine BIllion Names of God_, a collection of short stories by Arthur C. Clark. Personally, I think they’re better than his novels, since he can just take an idea and write it, versus having to actually tack on all the things that make a novel worth reading. 3. _American Gods_. I’m also always looking for anything Anne McCaffrey wrote that I haven’t read yet (Are we sensing a pattern yet?) ---
**Author:** ![Ghanima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Ghanima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ghanima)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2004, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-recommendations-por-favor/273140/32 "2004-11-06T00:25:42Z")
1. Favorite: _Dune_, by Frank Herbert 2. Recent goody: I’m reading _Shogun_, its pretty good 3. Just one recommendation? I’d have to recommend authors: Iain Banks and Tim Powers 4. Hmmm…(looks through this thread…) guess I’ll go with Pynchon’s _Vineland_ ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2004, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-recommendations-por-favor/273140/33 "2004-11-06T04:25:33Z")
> [@Jayn\_Newell](#): > > A note to anyone who hasn’t read it yet but wants to. If possible, read [Anne McCaffrey’s] books in the order they were written, not the order they take place. I strongly agree. Read the original trilogy first. The second trilogy overlaps the times and events of the first, told through different eyes. I think it would lose a lot if they were read out of order. Then start in on the other books that explore the prehistory. > [@Jayn\_Newell](#): > > …_The Nine BIllion Names of God_, a collection of short stories by Arthur C. Clark. Personally, I think they’re better than his novels, since he can just take an idea and write it, versus having to actually tack on all the things that make a novel worth reading. I forgot about _The Nine BIllion Names of God_. Great book! I’m also a fan of the short stories (especially Niven’s and Asimov’s), but I wouldn’t go so far as to say Clark’s short stories are better than his novels. He’s written some awesome novels. _Childhood’s End_ is great, for example. > [@Jayn\_Newell](#): > > _American Gods_ That book was _bizarre_. What genre would you put that in, anyway? Sort of fantasy/mythology/horror/alternate universe/cyberpunk? ---
**Author:** ![Silver\_Fire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e4f/32.png) [@Silver\_Fire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silver_Fire)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2004, 7:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-recommendations-por-favor/273140/34 "2004-11-06T07:25:53Z")
Favorite book **of all time**? Probably “Where the Wild Things Are”, but only if you have the puppets to go with it. Last book I read was King’s “The Eyes of the Dragon”, and I’d probably recommend it. I really like Cynthia Rylant’s “I Had Seen Castles”, too. ---
**Author:** ![Mal\_Adroit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df788c/32.png) [@Mal\_Adroit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mal_Adroit)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2004, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-recommendations-por-favor/273140/35 "2004-11-08T13:49:47Z")
> [@Jayn\_Newell](#): > > _The Nine BIllion Names of God_, a collection of short stories by Arthur C. Clarke. Personally, I think they’re better than his novels, since he can just take an idea and write it, versus having to actually tack on all the things that make a novel worth reading. Having just read his blow-your-mind story “The Star” this past weekend, I’d be inclined to agree with you. His stories seem to hinge on the success of a single idea rather than character or conflict. Not that I doubt the overall quality of his novels. (Next on my plate is Asimov’s “Nightfall,” which I’ve heard referred to more than once as the greatest sci-fi story ever. No hype there, I hope!) ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2004, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-recommendations-por-favor/273140/36 "2004-11-08T14:06:39Z")
> [@Moody Bastard](#): > > (Next on my plate is Asimov’s “Nightfall,” which I’ve heard referred to more than once as the greatest sci-fi story ever. No hype there, I hope!) I think you’ve found another example where the original short story is better than the novelization. I think Nightfall was definitely one of the best short stories of all time, science fiction or otherwise. ---
**Author:** ![Rebo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rebo/32/13005_2.png) [@Rebo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rebo)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2004, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-recommendations-por-favor/273140/37 "2004-11-08T14:59:49Z")
> [@Dung Beetle](#): > > 1. What book have you heard good things about but not yet read (if any)? > One of the books in the to-read pile that I’m especially looking forward to is When Will Jesus Bring the Pork Chops, by George Carlin. > > **Dolores** , I’m listening to Fannie Flagg read Welcome to the World, Baby Girl. Can’t say I’m loving the book itself, but I do look forward to hearing her voice each day. So far, your reading choices make you sound the most like me…if you haven’t read the Sweet Potato Queens books by Jill Conner Browne, I think you would like them! Thanks! I’ll check them out. And the one by Carlin has a great title! My husband loves reading Carlin. ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2004, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-recommendations-por-favor/273140/38 "2004-11-08T15:52:29Z")
> [@InvisibleWombat](#): > > :smack: I should have looked at the profile. Of course, my daughter is heavily into roleplaying and computer games, and she’s thoroughly female… These hobbies need more females! > [@InvisibleWombat](#): > > Drop everything. Run, don’t walk, to your favorite bookstore and get _Time Enough For Love_. It’s a long book, so I don’t expect you to read it all tonight. Do let me know what you think of the ending, though… I can’t run to _m_z_n.c_.\*k :eek: But I will indeed look out for that book. > [@InvisibleWombat](#): > > Larry Niven is one of my favorite authors, including the series you’ve listed. Remember that short story, _Man of Steel, Woman of Kleenex_ (subtitled "Why Superman can’t get a girl)? That created some mental images that took a while to get rid of. 😉 Oh yes. Walls in Smallville riddled with tiny holes… > [@InvisibleWombat](#): > > I haven’t read any Saberhagen or Robert Parker. Which are the best ones to start with? Well they are different genres. Saberhagen and Parker are both storytellers, but Saberhagen uses science fiction and fantasy. Try the ‘First Book of Swords’. it’s about how the Gods decide to play games by giving humans powerful magical weapons, and what effects follow. Alernatively meet the tough PI Spenser (by Parker). He works out and is handy with a gun. But he likes cooking and is a thoughtful chap, when not clashing with violent crooks. > [@InvisibleWombat](#): > > Have you read any of these? > > \*\*Science Fiction/Fantasy: \*\* > > - Spider Robinson’s _Callahan’s Crosstime Saloon_ series > - Anne McCaffrey’s _Pern_ series > > **Mystery:** > > - John Dunning’s Janeway series (start with _Booked to Die_) > - Isaac Asimov’s _Black Widowers_ stories (in small doses) > > **Nonfiction:** > > - Stephen Hawking’s _A Brief History of Time_ > - Steven Levy’s _Hackers_ [/quote] Certainly Anne McCaffrey! (I also like Usrula Le Guin). And Isaac Asimov (what a prolific author!). (Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes too). I have read Hawking too. I’ll make a note of the others - thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2004, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-recommendations-por-favor/273140/39 "2004-11-08T16:02:07Z")
\*\*1. What is your favorite book of all time? \*\* Too many to list & depends on mood. There are a few romance authors, but I would be mocked. \*\*2. What is the title of the last good book you read? \*\* About a Boy, by nick hornby. Very funny, cynical and reprehensibly selfishly charming. \*\*3. What book would you recommend to others? \*\* n/a \*\*4. What book have you heard good things about but not yet read (if any)? \*\*n/a ---
**Author:** ![SamIAm336](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SamIAm336](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SamIAm336)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2004, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-recommendations-por-favor/273140/40 "2004-11-09T02:12:30Z")
1. What is your favorite book of all time? To Kill a MockingBird, Lorna Doone and others as I re read them 2. What is the title of the last good book you read? Incubus Dreams, by Laurell K Hamilton 3. What book would you recommend to others? Anything by Anne McAffrey of course to Kill A Mockinbird and for lightweight fantasy… Mercedes Lackey Sci Fi… The Way of the Pilgrim, by Gordon R. Dickson Friday… Heinlein or anything else Heinlein fun sci fi… Any Callahans series by Spider Robinson, the Myth Series by Robert Asprin Romance… Any Jude Devereaux, Linda Lael Miller, Kathleen Woodiwiss, Nora Roberts or Barbara Delinsky 4. What book have you heard good things about but not yet read (if any)? I can’t remember any right now [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-recommendations-por-favor/273140.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-recommendations-por-favor/273140.md?page=3)