# Books you've read because of the SDMB **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 4, 2003, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-youve-read-because-of-the-sdmb/217025 "2003-12-04T21:14:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![smoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@smoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smoke)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2003, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-youve-read-because-of-the-sdmb/217025/1 "2003-12-04T21:14:34Z")
Often, while reading the SDMB, I keep a window for [amazon.com](http://amazon.com) open, so that I can search for movies, music, and books that are referenced in threads here. Because of this fantastic place, I have been exposed to several fantastic books, movies, and bands that I might not have otherwise heard of, and my wish list at Amazon is HUGE. I thought maybe we could share some of the works that we might not have been exposed to , if not for the SDMB. And I’ll go first: ## Books: “A Confederacy of Dunces”, by John Kennedy Toole How in the world I never came across this book on my own is beyond me. Quite possibly the most enjoyable read I’ve had in years. “A Morbid Taste for Bones”, by Ellis Peters I’m just about done with this one now. I’ve never had much interest in mysteries, but I’ll definitely continue on with this series. I can’t remember how I heard of this, but I know we have a **BrotherCadfael** (the protagonist) on these boards. “Greek Fire, Poison Arrows & Scorpion Bombs: Biological and Chemical Warfare in the Ancient World” by Adrienne Mayor Haven’t read this one yet, but it’s sitting on my shelf waiting for me to finish “A Morbid Taste…” “The Bad Beginning”, by Lemony Snicket (book 1 of the Series of Unfortunate Events) If you like that Potter kid, check these out! (I heard about them through one of the MANY Potter threads.) Also has a strong “Alice in Wonderland” feel to it. Well, I’ll add more if this thread takes off. In the meantime, maybe some of you can pop in and pass on some of the cool works you’ve found because of this board. -j ---
**Author:** ![Live\_Better\_Electrically](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/46a35a/32.png) [@Live\_Better\_Electrically](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Live_Better_Electrically)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2003, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-youve-read-because-of-the-sdmb/217025/2 "2003-12-04T22:02:43Z")
I started a thread a long time ago requesting suggestions for apocalyptic novels because I was (and still am) reading every one I could get my hands on. I think I read every book suggested that met my requirements. Two I remember that came from the SDMB are Robert Charles Wilson’s The Harvest and Gordon Dickson’s Wolf and Iron. I also received a recommendation for Allan Eckert’s The HAB Theory, which I found to be one of the worst, almost unreadable novels I have ever suffered through. ---
**Author:** ![Spurious\_George](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/94ad74/32.png) [@Spurious\_George](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spurious_George)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2003, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-youve-read-because-of-the-sdmb/217025/3 "2003-12-04T22:04:10Z")
I’m currently reading [House of Leaves](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0375703764/qid=1070574892/sr=8-1/ref=sr_8_1/102-3917164-2489745?v=glance&n=507846) due to **Mofo Rising’s** answer in this [“Favorite movie that never existed”](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=213681&highlight=Navidson+Record) thread. ---
**Author:** ![Agrippina](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8797f3/32.png) [@Agrippina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agrippina)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2003, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-youve-read-because-of-the-sdmb/217025/4 "2003-12-04T22:31:27Z")
_Geek Love_ by Katherine Dunn. I’m not sure who mentioned it or even what thread (about a year ago), but I’m thankful because it’s now one of my favorite books of all time. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2003, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-youve-read-because-of-the-sdmb/217025/5 "2003-12-04T22:37:58Z")
Ancient Lights by Davis Grubb – I think Ike recommended it, but I don’t remember for sure. There have been others but that one stands out. ---
**Author:** ![rackensack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e5b9ba/32.png) [@rackensack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rackensack)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2003, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-youve-read-because-of-the-sdmb/217025/6 "2003-12-04T22:42:31Z")
I’ve read most of George Macdonald Fraser’s _Flashman_ novels over the last few years, and picked up the first one largely due to recommendations from others here. I read most of Arnold Bennett’s _The Old Wives’ Tale_ because **Ukulele Ike** recommended it especially for me in the infamous **Candy for Ukulele Ike** book recommendation thread a couple of years ago. Don’t tell Ike, but I didn’t finish it – I _liked_ it well enough, but got distracted by something else before I was done and never got back to it. ---
**Author:** ![Archergal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c89c15/32.png) [@Archergal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Archergal)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2003, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-youve-read-because-of-the-sdmb/217025/7 "2003-12-04T23:16:40Z")
**The Fencer Trilogy** by K. J. Parker. Comprised of **Colours in the Steel, The Belly of the Bow** , and **The Proof House.** I can’t speak for the stuff in the first and third books, but his bowmaking stuff in the second book was right on. Even the squicky parts. Very interesting books. Not real cheery, but interesting… ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2003, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-youve-read-because-of-the-sdmb/217025/8 "2003-12-05T00:22:26Z")
Dum de dee de dee de dum de deee > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by rackensack \* > \*\*I didn’t finish it – \*\* …HEY! ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2003, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-youve-read-because-of-the-sdmb/217025/9 "2003-12-05T00:24:02Z")
I’ve started re-reading my “Conan The Barbarian” novels, because of a thread here. Better than I remember. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2003, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-youve-read-because-of-the-sdmb/217025/10 "2003-12-05T00:56:53Z")
I read **American Gods** and **Fast-Food Nation** because of all the raves they were getting from Dopers. ---
**Author:** ![Super\_Gnat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@Super\_Gnat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Super_Gnat)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2003, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-youve-read-because-of-the-sdmb/217025/11 "2003-12-05T01:01:57Z")
George R. R. Martin’s **Ice Fire and Wind** series. _Never_ would have picked those up if it hadn’t been for the Dope, and now they’re one of my favorite sagas. Same for **American Gods** (replacing “saga” with “book”). Lemony Snicket also, though I really didn’t care for it that much. ---
**Author:** ![KidCharlemagne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed8c4c/32.png) [@KidCharlemagne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KidCharlemagne)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2003, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-youve-read-because-of-the-sdmb/217025/12 "2003-12-05T02:12:57Z")
Guns, Germs, and Steel by Jared Diamond First Man in Room by Colleen McCullough Blood Meridian: Or the Evening Redness in the West by Cormac McCarthy ---
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2003, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-youve-read-because-of-the-sdmb/217025/13 "2003-12-05T02:15:46Z")
**Guns, Germs and Steel** by Jared Diamond **Choke** and **Survivor** by Chuck Palahniuk ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2003, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-youve-read-because-of-the-sdmb/217025/14 "2003-12-05T02:31:26Z")
Those dadblasted **Straight Dope** books… ---
**Author:** ![KidCharlemagne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed8c4c/32.png) [@KidCharlemagne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KidCharlemagne)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2003, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-youve-read-because-of-the-sdmb/217025/15 "2003-12-05T04:57:53Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Sublight \* > \*\ ***Guns, Germs and Steel** by Jared Diamond > **Choke** and **Survivor** by Chuck Palahniuk \*\* We must have seen the same thread because now I recall having read Survivor based on an SD recommendation. ---
**Author:** ![ITR\_champion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c67d28/32.png) [@ITR\_champion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ITR_champion)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2003, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-youve-read-because-of-the-sdmb/217025/16 "2003-12-05T05:02:07Z")
I read my first ever Pratchett novel, _The Color of Magic_, after seeing numerous raves in this very forum. Well worth it, and I will certainly read some more in the future. ---
**Author:** ![shy\_guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a6a055/32.png) [@shy\_guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shy_guy)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2003, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-youve-read-because-of-the-sdmb/217025/17 "2003-12-05T05:29:05Z")
I read **Neuromancer** thanks to the SDMB, and I swear one day I’m going to read more of Gibson’s stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Doomtrain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/0ea827/32.png) [@Doomtrain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doomtrain)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2003, 6:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-youve-read-because-of-the-sdmb/217025/18 "2003-12-05T06:25:36Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ITR champion \* > \*\*I read my first ever Pratchett novel, _The Color of Magic_, after seeing numerous raves in this very forum. Well worth it, and I will certainly read some more in the future. \*\* It’s a good one, but the Watch books are my favorite. **Guards, Guards** , **Men At Arms** , and **Night Watch** are some of the best Pratchett. ---
**Author:** ![Yookeroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yookeroo/32/323_2.png) [@Yookeroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yookeroo)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2003, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-youve-read-because-of-the-sdmb/217025/19 "2003-12-05T06:59:17Z")
**Last Call** by Tim Powers. Don’t remember who recommended it, but thanks…that was a fucking great book. ---
**Author:** ![HolyCow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ec9cab/32.png) [@HolyCow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HolyCow)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2003, 7:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-youve-read-because-of-the-sdmb/217025/20 "2003-12-05T07:04:49Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Super Gnat \* > \*\*George R. R. Martin’s **Ice Fire and Wind** series. _Never_ would have picked those up if it hadn’t been for the Dope, and now they’re one of my favorite sagas. \*\* The series is called **A Song Of Ice And Fire**. I love this series! I am dying, waiting for **A Feast For Crows** to come out. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-youve-read-because-of-the-sdmb/217025.md?page=2)