Favorite books?

shredzilla · Post by **shredzilla** » 17 Nov 2005 20:54

Currently reading Book 2 of Dean Koontz' Frankenstein series called "City of Night". It rocks.

Troyson · Post by **Troyson** » 14 Dec 2005 19:49

Harry Potter series
LOTR trilogy including the hobbit
Go ask alice
a clockwork orange
The Art of Happiness-The Dhali Lama(single best book ive ever read...it changed my life!

)

BainbridgeShred · Post by **BainbridgeShred** » 15 Dec 2005 10:49

For Whom the Bell Tolls-Hemingway
Franny and Zooey-Salinger
Sons and Lovers-Lawrence
1984-Orwell
Mother Night-Vonnegut
The Heart is a Loney Hunter-McCullers
The Rainbow-Lawrence
Invisible Man-Ellison
I, Claudius-Graves
Lolita-Nabokov
Three Soliders-Dos Passos
The Plauge-Camus
Heart of Darkness-Conrad
The Old Man and the Sea-Hemingway

dragonhack · Post by **dragonhack** » 16 Dec 2005 14:51

Anything Bruce Lee, namely, striking thoughts
the electric kool aid acid test is quickly becoming one of my favorite books.
and the book of swords series by fred saberhagen.

Shredder- · Post by **Shredder-** » 30 Dec 2005 10:33

I've just read recently and now part of my favorites list: The hound of Baskervilles (im a suspense guy), Life of Pi...not really a favorite but i like it.. And Lyra's oxford (another His Dark material's sequel).

Shredder-

Jeremy · Post by **Jeremy** » 09 Jan 2006 17:45

A Million Little Pieces - James Frey

In my top 3 favourite books ever I think. Everybody should read this. I'm half way through and I think it's fucking amazing.

BainbridgeShred · Post by **BainbridgeShred** » 09 Jan 2006 19:26

What's it about?

Jeremy · Post by **Jeremy** » 10 Jan 2006 01:38

Basically it's the memoir of James Frey from while he was in rehab for his hardcore drug and alcohol addiction - so it's non-fiction. It has a recommendation by Bret E Ellis (American Pyscho) and is compared with Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (although personally I think it's better than FALILV.

BainbridgeShred · Post by **BainbridgeShred** » 10 Jan 2006 13:49

Basically it's the memoir of James Frey from while he was in rehab for his hardcore drug and alcohol addiction - so it's non-fiction. It has a recommendation by Bret E Ellis (American Pyscho) and is compared with Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (although personally I think it's better than FALILV.

In what way is it comparable to FALILV? I just don't see how a story about someone in rehab (Generally considered a drug free place) could be comparable to FALILV?

Oh, and you're signature really irks me. It only proves the self-righteousness that I know has always existed in you.

wolfpac444 · Post by **wolfpac444** » 14 Jan 2006 10:50

http://www.exile.ru/2003-May-29/book_review.html wrote:A Million Little Pieces is the dregs of a degraded genre, the rehab memoir. Rehab stories provide a way for pampered trust-fund brats like Frey to claim victim status. These swine already have money, security and position and now want to corner the market in suffering and scars, the consolation prizes of the truly lost. It's a fitting literary metonymy for the Bush era: the rich have decided to steal it all, even the tears of the losers.

Ouch ;-]

BainbridgeShred · Post by **BainbridgeShred** » 14 Jan 2006 11:23

One would expect someone so blindly Socialistic to be able to victimize someone who INDIVIDUALLY screwed up their lives when they had everything set out for them, Jeremy.

I was in the library the other day and I started reading this novel, which is what it is as opposed to a "memoir". Yeah right. Memoirs aren't supposed to be fictionalized so heavily to the point where the author actually has the nerve to try and pass off his protaganist as undergoing mouth surgery without painkillers. This shit is just bogus and I put it down immideatly after reading that. No one is going to go through dental surgery without pain killers because they'd pass out from the pain less than a minute into the surgery.

Anyways, a very fitting book for you Jeremy. I'm still trying to see how this was like Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.

slapdash21 · Post by **slapdash21** » 14 Jan 2006 15:06

yeah, i heard A Million Little Peices was really fictionalized to a ridiculous degree and was basically a crock of shit.

carl winslow · Post by **carl winslow** » 18 Jan 2006 23:32

I'd like to hear Jeremy's opinion on the book now that it has been revealed that Frey lied in much of the book.
Hes never even been in jail and yet in interviews talked about how scary jail is. What a liar.

tuomoruutufan · Post by **tuomoruutufan** » 22 Jan 2006 16:42

MY FAVORITE BOOK OF ALL "choke" by Chuck Palahniuk

I have lost track of how many times i have read this book and its still funny and oddly inspiring in a reflective way.

Harry potter (4 and 6 being my favs)
Survivor by Chuck
Fight club
Haunted was pretty good also (just skip the bs filler story and enjoy the awesome short stories)

American Psycho

Lord of the rings (fellowship sucks but TT and ROTK fucking rule)

Amy hempel short story novels (very interesting books she is chuck palahniuks favorite author but dont make assumptions based on that she is like nothing you could possibly imagine) Her style is very metaphorical and hard to understand but some storys will leave you speachless in how ingenius her writing can be (but i think most would hate her books)

The entire bourne identity series

The movies are a complete travisty towards the novels cause they are not the same story. I mean completely stole the title and the name of one charector and then threw the book in the garbage and wrote their own script, A person who has seen these movie doesnt know anything more about the books than someone who hasnt, so dont let this be your excuse to not read these books cause THEY ARE NOT THE SAME, different story different charectors different conflict different resolution different EVERYTHING. So check them out they are great reads.

Tsiangkun · Post by **Tsiangkun** » 22 Jan 2006 17:11

pretty much anything by JT Leroy kicks ass.

Jeremy · Post by **Jeremy** » 22 Jan 2006 20:30

The book (A Million Little Pieces) is compared with fear and loathing because it's written in a fairly similar "gonzo journalism" style with a similar philosophy and topic (ie. that drugs fuck you up).

Regarding how fictionalised the book is - It's fairly obvious reading the book that is indeed dramaticised in many ways - just like all memoirs are. The fact that the book is true or false does not effect the experience of reading the book at all in my opinion. When you look at my favourite books and the histories of the authors I think it's clear that they're all based around their own lives but dramatised to varying degrees:

Chuck Palahnuik, Bret Easton Ellis and Hunter S Thompson

I really don't care how true the book is and I don't see it having any impact on my life - it's not a book about politics - it's a book about somebodies life and probably about their own perception of their life. The facts aren't at all important in such books. I am as moved by a book like "American Pyscho" - which I know is false - as I am by this book. It's the book that I think is important.

On this subject I was fairly dissapointed with "A Long Walk To Freedom" - Nelson Mandela because comparing the "facts" of what I've read about his experience with the book I felt that he was far too modest and although it's still an uplifting read - I think that's because of what actually happened rather than the book.

There are no facts to discover from either book so I don't see it as an issue. Read the book for yourself and assume that it is fiction - it's still the one of my favourite books. All of Hunter S Thompsons work is grossly exaggerated and I still enjoy reading him. Ernest Hemmingway is the same. etc. etc. I really don't understand why it is neccessary for such writers to follow what actually happened. You're reading the books because of the writing skills and for what they can give you - not to find out exactly what happened to those people. If you wanted to know exactly what happened you'd read something written by somebody who is impatitial - people writing about themselves never tell the whole truth and it doesn't matter.

BainbridgeShred · Post by **BainbridgeShred** » 22 Jan 2006 20:37

The book (A Million Little Pieces) is compared with fear and loathing because it's written in a fairly similar "gonzo journalism" style with a similar philosophy and topic (ie. that drugs fuck you up).

Regarding how fictionalised the book is - It's fairly obvious reading the book that is indeed dramaticised in many ways - just like all memoirs are. The fact that the book is true or false does not effect the experience of reading the book at all in my opinion. When you look at my favourite books and the histories of the authors I think it's clear that they're all based around their own lives but dramatised to varying degrees:

Chuck Palahnuik, Bret Easton Ellis and Hunter S Thompson

I really don't care how true the book is and I don't see it having any impact on my life - it's not a book about politics - it's a book about somebodies life and probably about their own perception of their life. The facts aren't at all important in such books. I am as moved by a book like "American Pyscho" - which I know is false - as I am by this book. It's the book that I think is important.

On this subject I was fairly dissapointed with "A Long Walk To Freedom" - Nelson Mandela because comparing the "facts" of what I've read about his experience with the book I felt that he was far too modest and although it's still an uplifting read - I think that's because of what actually happened rather than the book.

There are no facts to discover from either book so I don't see it as an issue. Read the book for yourself and assume that it is fiction - it's still the one of my favourite books. All of Hunter S Thompsons work is grossly exaggerated and I still enjoy reading him. Ernest Hemmingway is the same. etc. etc. I really don't understand why it is neccessary for such writers to follow what actually happened. You're reading the books because of the writing skills and for what they can give you - not to find out exactly what happened to those people. If you wanted to know exactly what happened you'd read something written by somebody who is impatitial - people writing about themselves never tell the whole truth and it doesn't matter.

Co-sign... Doesn't change the fact that this book is garbage though.

Jeremy · Post by **Jeremy** » 23 Jan 2006 00:25

wolfpac444 wrote:
http://www.exile.ru/2003-May-29/book_review.html wrote:A Million Little Pieces is the dregs of a degraded genre, the rehab memoir. Rehab stories provide a way for pampered trust-fund brats like Frey to claim victim status. These swine already have money, security and position and now want to corner the market in suffering and scars, the consolation prizes of the truly lost. It's a fitting literary metonymy for the Bush era: the rich have decided to steal it all, even the tears of the losers.
Ouch ;-]

I think this review completely misses the point of the book - which is that James doesn't claim victim status and whenever people offer up reasons for his drug abuse - genetics, problems in his life etc he refuses to accept the evidence and instead takes responsibilty for his actions and says the reason for his drug abuse is entirely his own fault and has nothing to do with those reasons. Obviously the scientific evidence regarding addiction suggests that he's wrong but I think his approach to the addiction (at least in the book) is one of the strongest parts of it. Obviously he's a wealthy person - but equally many of the charachters in the book are not wealthy - again one of the strong parts of the book is showing that addiction really is a problem for all kinds of different people. Prostitutes, judges, crime bosses - rich and poor alike.

Regarding Dan's last comment - You gave the impression to begin with that you haven't actually read the book? If you have read it why did you ask what the book was about? If you haven't why do you think it's garbage?

Anyway is there anybody else who has read this book? I'd like to hear what other people who have read it think. I'd especially recommend it to Shawn Boyle since you've mentioned a lot of my favourite books as yours (and some shockers)

NotHisRealName · Post by **NotHisRealName** » 23 Jan 2006 05:07

Wizards First Rule (and the whole 'Sword of Truth' series) - Terry Goodkind.
Lolita (so beautiful in it's use of english)
Life of Pi (Jeremy and I got something different out of it, and that's cool)
Trainspotting (you have to read it with a Scottish accent)

Ummm. That's all I can think of at the moment.

tuomoruutufan · Post by **tuomoruutufan** » 23 Jan 2006 05:46

jeremy did you read haunted yet

This book really had some amazing short stories.

And what other Bret E. Ellis books would you recomend beside the odvious american psycho.

and has anybody tried reading Irvine Welsh, I atempted to read trainspoting but couldnt handle the english slang dialect, I think i read 3 pages LOL

but i will be starting the book extasty soon which is suposed to be good by welsh. and its in proper english