# Can you recommend some good books? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 14, 2003, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-recommend-some-good-books/188497 "2003-07-14T22:22:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Steven\_J\_LeMieux](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/958977/32.png) [@Steven\_J\_LeMieux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steven_J_LeMieux)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2003, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-recommend-some-good-books/188497/21 "2003-07-16T23:06:53Z")
_On the Road_ , an excellent road trip book indeed. ---
**Author:** ![Aslan\_of\_Narnia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecd19e/32.png) [@Aslan\_of\_Narnia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aslan_of_Narnia)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2003, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-recommend-some-good-books/188497/22 "2003-07-17T00:04:42Z")
If you’re looking for something heavy to read, and by heavy I mean you’ll be lugging it around, I’d suggest you try **IT** by Stephen King. Quite nice, long and extended. Mainly good, and shows almost nothing of the “It’s usually only good if it’s no longer than 450 or so pages” thing King usually has with his writing. If you’re still looking for something heavy to read that’s not horror and non fiction, I’d suggest anyone of the Uncle John’s Bathroom Reader series. Almost every page is brimming with interesting facts, or takes on history that usually make them fresh or interesting even if you’ve already read about it in the history books. Most of them are in the 400-500 page range. ---
**Author:** ![Daoloth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/82dd89/32.png) [@Daoloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daoloth)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2003, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-recommend-some-good-books/188497/23 "2003-07-17T06:02:48Z")
Check out the ‘Song of Ice and Fire’ series by George R.R. Martin. The first novel would be _A Game of Thrones_. But while on vacation, have some good vacation lit prepared. Start with _Holidays in Hell_ by PJ O’Rourke. This should enlighten your stay as you learn what it’s like going on holidays in utter shitholes. Follow this up with the more serious _Balkan Ghosts_ by journalist Robert Kaplan. This is a fascinating travelogue concerning Eastern Europe, and makes for surprisingly excellent reading. ---
**Author:** ![Snake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/50afbb/32.png) [@Snake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snake)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2003, 7:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-recommend-some-good-books/188497/24 "2003-07-17T07:25:00Z")
Anything , and I mean ANYTHING by Andrew Vachss ! The man is a master . ---
**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:** [July 17, 2003, 11:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-recommend-some-good-books/188497/25 "2003-07-17T11:52:04Z")
I’m currently enjoying _I Thought My Father Was God_, by Paul Auster. Paul Auster has (had?) a radio show which he used to solicit short, true anecdotes on any topic from listeners. Most are only a page long, and the book is organized into sections called Love, Death, Animals, War, Objects, etc. I get a lot of my reading material from the library based on recommendations from the board, so if this book has already been mentioned here, please excuse me! ---
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2003, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-recommend-some-good-books/188497/26 "2003-07-26T15:07:00Z")
Even Cowgirls Get the Blues by Tom Robbins Anything by Patricia Cornwall Tailchasers Song by Tad Williams The Magus by John Fowles ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2003, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-recommend-some-good-books/188497/27 "2003-07-27T19:04:28Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by bagkitty \* > \*\*Books I would recommend to anyone who likes books (good anytime of year, but I had summer reading in mind): > > _The Wasp Factory_ by **Iain Banks** > _The Crowroad_ also by **Iain Banks** > _The Mysteries of Pittsburgh_ by Michael Chabon > _Not Wanted on the Voyage_ by **Timothy Findlay** > _A Canticle for Leibowitz_ by **Walter M. Miller** > _Midnight’s Children_ by **Salman Rushdie** > _The Cowards_ by **Josef Skvorecky** > _Almost Transparent Blue_ by **Ryu Murakami** > _Trainspotting_ and _Porno_ by **Irvine Welsh** (the latter is the sequel > > Should be something in there for most tastes… \*\* I’m terrified at how similar our tastes in books are… if you’d put Catch-22 in there I’d be out ring-shopping 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Suse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@Suse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suse)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2003, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-recommend-some-good-books/188497/28 "2003-07-27T20:34:21Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by 7 up yours \* > \*\* > But I would just like to point out that time travel facinates me. \*\* Try Outlander, by Diana Gabaldon. ---
**Author:** ![konspiration](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/7993a0/32.png) [@konspiration](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/konspiration)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2003, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-recommend-some-good-books/188497/29 "2003-07-27T22:27:58Z")
Terry Pratchett’s Discworld series. Funny, exiting and insightful at the same time. Books you can actually read in public without feeling weird. ---
**Author:** ![konspiration](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/7993a0/32.png) [@konspiration](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/konspiration)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2003, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-recommend-some-good-books/188497/30 "2003-07-27T22:29:56Z")
Terry Pratchett’s Discworld series. Funny, exiting and insightful at the same time. Books you can actually read in public without feeling weird.😃 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-recommend-some-good-books/188497.md?page=1)