# Doper recommendations you enjoyed **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 11, 2009, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doper-recommendations-you-enjoyed/489066 "2009-03-11T13:03:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2009, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doper-recommendations-you-enjoyed/489066/1 "2009-03-11T13:03:31Z")
What are some movies/books/music that you read about on the SDMB that were pleasant surprises? ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2009, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doper-recommendations-you-enjoyed/489066/2 "2009-03-11T13:30:14Z")
_Watership Down._ ---
**Author:** ![Mahna\_Mahna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e47c2d/32.png) [@Mahna\_Mahna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahna_Mahna)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2009, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doper-recommendations-you-enjoyed/489066/3 "2009-03-11T13:43:15Z")
I was really dubious about _The Wire_, because I’m not usually a fan of cop shows, but since other Dopers couldn’t stop talking about how amazing it is, I decided to give it a try. Now I’m one of those Dopers who can’t stop talking about how amazing it is. 🙂 Best. Show. EVER. ---
**Author:** ![Southern\_Yankee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/southern_yankee/32/2800_2.png) [@Southern\_Yankee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Southern_Yankee)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2009, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doper-recommendations-you-enjoyed/489066/4 "2009-03-11T13:44:58Z")
I’m enjoying \*The Brothers K \*right now because a number of people raved about it in a recent “5 Favorite Books” thread. ---
**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:** [March 11, 2009, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doper-recommendations-you-enjoyed/489066/5 "2009-03-11T13:54:13Z")
Tough question. I get an awful lot of recommendations here. Most recently: Ken Grimwood’s Replay, the Dresden Files series by Jim Butcher, and My Losing Season, by Pat Conroy (recommended by **Elendil’s Heir** ). ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2009, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doper-recommendations-you-enjoyed/489066/6 "2009-03-11T15:06:45Z")
There have been a lot of books over the years – one that I totally loved that I probably never would have even heard of otherwise is David Mitchell’s _Cloud Atlas_. ---
**Author:** ![willthekittensurvive](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/91b2a8/32.png) [@willthekittensurvive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/willthekittensurvive)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2009, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doper-recommendations-you-enjoyed/489066/7 "2009-03-11T15:14:17Z")
I got my questionable content adiction from a post here ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2009, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doper-recommendations-you-enjoyed/489066/8 "2009-03-11T15:28:36Z")
[The Gone-Away World](http://www.amazon.co.uk/Gone-Away-World-Nick-Harkaway/dp/0434018422) was really good. The constant barrage of threads inspired me to give _Lost_ a try. ---
**Author:** ![Shark\_Sandwich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f04885/32.png) [@Shark\_Sandwich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shark_Sandwich)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2009, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doper-recommendations-you-enjoyed/489066/9 "2009-03-11T15:33:21Z")
[obvious] _World War Z_ [/obvious] ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Sensitive](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/58956e/32.png) [@Darth\_Sensitive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Sensitive)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2009, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doper-recommendations-you-enjoyed/489066/10 "2009-03-11T15:35:55Z")
I got in on BSG based on people’s reactions to the miniseries. ---
**Author:** ![TheMerchandise](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b487fb/32.png) [@TheMerchandise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheMerchandise)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2009, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doper-recommendations-you-enjoyed/489066/11 "2009-03-11T16:00:51Z")
_Name of the Wind_, by Patrick Rothfuss. So good. ---
**Author:** ![Eleanor\_of\_Aquitaine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a88e4f/32.png) [@Eleanor\_of\_Aquitaine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eleanor_of_Aquitaine)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2009, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doper-recommendations-you-enjoyed/489066/12 "2009-03-11T16:05:59Z")
I watched Firefly, Buffy and Angel because of all the raving on the SDMB. I would never have thought I would love a show called _Buffy the Vampire Slayer_. I also thought I was bored with high fantasy until I was convinced to read the _Song of Ice & Fire_ books. I’m still resisting _The Wire,_ because I think I am bored with cop shows. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2009, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doper-recommendations-you-enjoyed/489066/13 "2009-03-11T16:15:57Z")
Oh, a bunch of stuff - a bunch of books on history, science, specific events and trivia. Lots of music - most recently digging into an old 60’s blues/rock CD called Super Session - a CD I have circled for years. Dopers provide a good kick in the pants, you know? ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2009, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doper-recommendations-you-enjoyed/489066/14 "2009-03-11T16:22:17Z")
_Gates of Fire_ by Steven Pressfield. I raved about it so much my wife bought me every other book he’s written for Christmas. It’s not a book, movie, or music, but a doper convinced me I needed to incorporate deadlifting into my strength training routine. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2009, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doper-recommendations-you-enjoyed/489066/15 "2009-03-11T16:29:21Z")
Jared Diamond’s “Guns Germs and Steel”. (And I’m reading “Collapse” right now, though that one was recommended by a friend IRL who I don’t think knew that I’ve read GG&S.) Mark Kurlansky’s “Salt: A World History”. Richard Russo’s “Straight Man”. Probably the Song of Ice and Fire books – I think this is where I heard about them. They were good while they lasted but I stopped after the third one and really don’t have much interest in getting back into it. I went to buy a copy of “The Gone-Away World” last week but didn’t feel like plopping down $25 for a hardcover copy. I’ll probably wait until it’s out in paperback, but I do have every intention of reading it. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Batman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/22d042/32.png) [@The\_Batman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Batman)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2009, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doper-recommendations-you-enjoyed/489066/16 "2009-03-11T16:33:52Z")
This place is what got me into comics. Until 2 years ago I had never read one: Watchmen The Dark Knight Returns Batman: Year One Astonishing X-Men In Books: The Dark Tower series Dune Richard Dawkins, but only his scientific books not his witnessing rants. TV/Film: Firefly and Serenity MST3K Games: City of Heroes Eve Oline ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2009, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doper-recommendations-you-enjoyed/489066/17 "2009-03-11T16:37:42Z")
Office Space. I will be forever grateful for that one. ---
**Author:** ![Gordon\_Urquhart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/db5fbb/32.png) [@Gordon\_Urquhart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gordon_Urquhart)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2009, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doper-recommendations-you-enjoyed/489066/18 "2009-03-11T16:43:33Z")
Dopers’ recommendations have been very costly, but well worth the investment. HBO’s \*Deadwood \*comes readily to mind; not having cable at the time, I would never have tried it if not for Dopers’ recommendations. I Netflixed it, then bought it. Like many others, \*Firefly \*was a Doper recommendation, which I Netflixed, then bought it and _Serenity_. That led me to try \*Buffy \*(loved it, but didn’t buy it) and \*Angel \*(of which I just watched the final episode of season 3 last night). Book-wise, I am glad I heeded recommendations to try (and buy) the books of Mary Roach, including _Stiff_, _Spook_, and _Bonk_. ---
**Author:** ![corvidae](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/898d66/32.png) [@corvidae](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/corvidae)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2009, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doper-recommendations-you-enjoyed/489066/19 "2009-03-11T16:44:11Z")
Richard Cheese - thank you, whoever you were! ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2009, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doper-recommendations-you-enjoyed/489066/20 "2009-03-11T16:47:23Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > … Lots of music - most recently digging into an old 60’s blues/rock CD called Super Session - a CD I have circled for years. > > Dopers provide a good kick in the pants, you know? Smiles modestly. (Glad I could finally return the favor, after all the recommendations you’ve given me over the years.) I definitely need to mention **Marley23** by name – he emailed me (this was before we had PM) and insisted I check out Derek Trucks. I’m not sure what about what I’d said about what music made him know that I would join that particular cult, but I absolutely have – he is quite possibly my favorite guitarist _ever_, and I am moderately knowlegable (for a non-musician) about good guitar. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doper-recommendations-you-enjoyed/489066.md?page=2)