# Book Recommendations **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 10, 2007, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-recommendations/411133 "2007-07-10T00:25:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![iftheresaway](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ecae2f/32.png) [@iftheresaway](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iftheresaway)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2007, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-recommendations/411133/1 "2007-07-10T00:25:18Z")
OK, I tried to search for a similar thread, but apparently either the website or my computer is interpreting “search” as “sit there and do nothing”. The point being: my husband and I are buying a house (yay!) so many of my 1000+ books are boxed up (boo!) and I would like some recommendations for books or authors I might enjoy (and can trawl either Amazon or my local libraries for). I am actually looking for two sets of recommendations, both general and specific. I figured that for the general recommendations I would list some of my favorite books/ authors, and those who had similar taste (or hell, just want to mention a random book they love) could share. For the specific recomendations, I am looking for some science-related literary non-fiction. I am very interested in anthropology, archaeology, and zooarchaeology, as well as many of the other sciences, and am interested in reading some interesting non-fiction along those lines. In that vein, I loved _The Science of Jurassic Park_, _Java Man_, _Spix’s Macaw_, and _Tyrannosaurus Sue_ and am currently reading something about the science of Star Trek. I have Stephen Jay Gould’s _The Hedgehog, the Fox, and the Magister’s Pox_, but I haven’t really been able to get into it. I just really like books which impart a lot of information, but also have a plot or at least are well-written. As for the general, here is a smattering of the things I love: Douglas Adams, Terry Pratchett, Tom Holt (for the most part), Tim Dorsey, John MacDonald, Carl Hiaasen, some Christopher Moore (i.e. Biff, but not so much Coyote Blue), Phillippa Gregory, Tamora Pierce, Piers Anthony, Kurt Vonnegut, Tom Robbins, John Irving (every word he’s ever penned), Wesley Stace’s _Misfortune_, Katherine Dunn’s _Geek Love_ (and I would be delighted if anyone else has ever read that, because I stumbled upon it in a Goodwill and it’s freaking awesome), Dave Barry, Micheal Thomas Ford, Audrey Niffenegger’s _The Time-Traveler’s Wife_, Erica Lopez, Fannie Flagg, Florence King’s _Memoirs of a Failed Southern Lady_ … ok, I’ll stop now. I’m a huge book geek. Thank you so much for anyone who can help me expand my horizons. ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2007, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-recommendations/411133/2 "2007-07-10T00:36:29Z")
Oh gosharoonie, narrative non-fiction has been SO big lately I hardly know where to start. Longitude by Dava Sobel Zero: Biography of a Dangerous Idea by Charles Seife The Ice Finders: How a Poet, a Professor, and a Politician Discovered the Ice Age by Edmund Bolles Gorillas in The Mist by Diane Fossey Breaking the Maya Code by Michael Coe Isaac Newton by James Gleick The Difference Engine by Doron Swade (not to be confused with the novel of the same name by Bruce Sterling) ---
**Author:** ![iftheresaway](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ecae2f/32.png) [@iftheresaway](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iftheresaway)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2007, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-recommendations/411133/3 "2007-07-10T00:45:53Z")
I may be the only person on the planet who dances upon learning of new books to pursue… but probably not. _dance, dance, dance_ ETA: That also reminded me of another one I really enjoyed, \*The Professor and the Madman: A Tale of Murder, Insanity, and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary \* ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2007, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-recommendations/411133/4 "2007-07-10T00:46:04Z")
_The Song of the Dodo_ by David Quammen. (I’ll keep recommending it every chance I’ve got until every Doper alive has read it. The dead ones are off the hook.) ---
**Author:** ![Man\_With\_a\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cab0a1/32.png) [@Man\_With\_a\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Man_With_a_Cat)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2007, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-recommendations/411133/5 "2007-07-10T00:49:44Z")
Work your way through [Jasper Fforde.](http://www.jasperfforde.com/) Based on what you like, which is a lot of what I like, you’ll like these. ---
**Author:** ![wonderlust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonderlust/32/7237_2.png) [@wonderlust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonderlust)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2007, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-recommendations/411133/6 "2007-07-10T01:52:44Z")
You might enjoy Charlaine Harris’ _Southern Vampire (Sookie Stackhouse)_ series, starting with **Dead Until Dark**. They’re funny and tell good stories. ---
**Author:** ![chrissysissystar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5e9695/32.png) [@chrissysissystar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chrissysissystar)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2007, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-recommendations/411133/7 "2007-07-10T03:51:06Z")
Also Charlaine Harris’ [Harper Connelly](http://www.amazon.com/gp/series/92623/ref=rcx_ser_ed_0/002-6742247-3980053) books starting with \*Grave Sight \*. Jim Butcher’s [Dresden Files](http://www.amazon.com/gp/series/83652/ref=rcx_ser_ed_0/002) books. I love [Haven Kimmel’s](http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_b/002-6742247-3980053?initialSearch=1&url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=Haven+Kimmel) books, both her memoirs and her novels. I recommend Kage Baker’s [Company novels](http://www.amazon.com/Kage-Bakers-quot-Company/lm/25S9HT41XWASC/ref=cm_lmt_dtpa_f_2_rdssss0/002-6742247-3980053?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=listmania-center&pf_rd_r=1QZ4SS9K4G33XVGQD4JD&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_p=253462201&pf_rd_i=0765315521) to EVERYONE. ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2007, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-recommendations/411133/8 "2007-07-10T03:57:31Z")
[QUOTE=Mr Bus Guy] Work your way through [Jasper Fforde.](http://www.jasperfforde.com/) Based on what you like, which is a lot of what I like, you’ll like these. [/QUOTE] Seconded. The Nursery Crime Division novels are a hoot. ---
**Author:** ![wonderlust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonderlust/32/7237_2.png) [@wonderlust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonderlust)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2007, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-recommendations/411133/9 "2007-07-10T04:31:43Z")
I agree with Dresden Files and Haven Kimmel. I guess it’s time I read the Company novels I have on my shelf. Thanks, chrissysissystar. ---
**Author:** ![stucco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e56c9b/32.png) [@stucco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stucco)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2007, 7:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-recommendations/411133/10 "2007-07-10T07:52:36Z")
I’m in the middle of [Mutants: On Genetic Variety and the Human Body](http://www.amazon.com/Mutants-Genetic-Variety-Human-Body/dp/0142004820/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/102-4079298-9596968?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1184053728&sr=8-1) by Armand Marie Leroi. It’s one of the coolest books I’ve read. The author goes through different types of mutations, talking about the biology behind them. He also gives a lot of interesting historical background. It’s very well written and if I hadn’t left it at home, I’d be reading it now. ---
**Author:** ![Miss\_Purl\_McKnittington](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9a140/32.png) [@Miss\_Purl\_McKnittington](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Purl_McKnittington)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2007, 8:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-recommendations/411133/11 "2007-07-10T08:03:51Z")
How about _Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell_ by Susanna Clark? It’s . . . different, to say the least. You can read [an extract](http://www.jonathanstrange.com/copy.asp?s=2) on the author’s website. ---
**Author:** ![kittenblue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ba8739/32.png) [@kittenblue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kittenblue)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2007, 11:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-recommendations/411133/12 "2007-07-10T11:10:17Z")
If you like Hiaasen, you’ll probably like G. M. Ford. The Leo Wasserman series is a bit lighter in tone than the Frank Corso series. ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2007, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-recommendations/411133/13 "2007-07-10T12:21:34Z")
If you like fun science books, you could do a lot worse than [Dr. Tatiana’s Sex Advice to All Creation: The Definitive Guide to the Evolutionary Biology of Sex](http://www.amazon.com/Dr-Tatianas-Sex-Advice-Creation/dp/0805063315/ref=sr_1_1/104-8478305-5623951?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1184069010&sr=1-1). ---
**Author:** ![delphica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9a140/32.png) [@delphica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/delphica)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2007, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-recommendations/411133/14 "2007-07-10T12:30:02Z")
Two pop science books I enjoyed recently: _The Ghost with Trembling Wings: Science, Wishful Thinking, and the Search for Lost Species_ by Scott Weidensaul \*Stuffed Animals and Pickled Heads: The Culture and Evolution of Natural History Museums \* by Stephen Asma – This one was especially good, because in addition to normal information about the development of natural history museums, the author will periodically geek out about some particularly gruesome or cool specimen, and his enthusiasm is appreciable. ---
**Author:** ![Smith8762](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de0a6/32.png) [@Smith8762](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smith8762)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2007, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-recommendations/411133/15 "2007-07-11T01:11:52Z")
[QUOTE=iftheresaway] …As for the general, here is a smattering of the things I love: Douglas Adams, Terry Pratchett, Tom Holt (for the most part), Tim Dorsey, John MacDonald, Carl Hiaasen, some Christopher Moore (i.e. Biff, but not so much Coyote Blue)… [/QUOTE] I also am quite the fan of Adams, Pratchett, and now recently Moore. That being said, for something in that vain I would strongly recommend _ **Foop!** _ by Chris Genoa. It’s actually his first book but it’s fantastic. I haven’t finished the book yet but it’s definitely worth checking out. ---
**Author:** ![iftheresaway](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ecae2f/32.png) [@iftheresaway](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iftheresaway)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2007, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-recommendations/411133/16 "2007-07-11T21:29:23Z")
I think it is interesting (and awesome) that the only one of these (science-y) books I’ve heard of so far was _Stuffed Animals and Pickled Heads: The Culture and Evolution of Natural History Museums_; how could you not pick up a book with that title? As far as Jasper Fforde, I’ve found him to be a little bit hit or miss. I really enjoyed _The Fourth Bear_, but i thought that _The Eyre Affair_ seemed almost too self-congradulatory. I don’t know - I just looked him up on Amazon, and he’s written more than I thought he has, so I think I’ll do some more reading before I make up my mind. ---
**Author:** ![Talon\_Karrde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Talon\_Karrde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Talon_Karrde)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2007, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-recommendations/411133/17 "2007-07-11T22:44:33Z")
For a general recommendation, you might like Neil Gaiman. He co-wrote a book with Terry Pratchett called _Good Omens_ which is worth reading. Some of his other books are _American Gods_ (which I haven’t yet read), _Neverwhere_, and a great short stories collection called _Smoke and Mirrors_. He’s also written some great comics. ---
**Author:** ![KlondikeGeoff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3e96dc/32.png) [@KlondikeGeoff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KlondikeGeoff)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2007, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-recommendations/411133/18 "2007-07-11T23:54:48Z")
Just finished _The Kite Runner_,by Khaled Hosseini. Absolutely marvelous book. Sad but also uplifting. ---
**Author:** ![denquixote](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9bd4f/32.png) [@denquixote](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/denquixote)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2007, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-recommendations/411133/19 "2007-07-12T02:58:41Z")
If you like Hiassen you will love Elmore Leonard, just stay away from the last 5 or so He is losing it. All the others are great.