Anyone got book recommendations?

[Jaymes]

I have a $25 Barnes and Noble gift certificate that I really need to get around to using... anyone know of some good books? I'd love to read something nonfiction, since I almost always read fiction, but I have no idea what nonfiction books are considered good. Any suggestions?

 

[Feathers in Hair]

One of my favorites is... Well, any of the 'Discworld' series would work. I know that counts as fiction. Then again, so does my other recommendation! (Works out nicely, that.) "Good Omens" is a wonderful, wonderful tale by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett. I love it not only for the story but also for the social commentary.

There's a couple non fiction books that I might recommend, too. Are you in the mood for something esoteric? *pulls out bookshelf*

 

[Jaymes]

Ooo, I loved Good Omens.

I'm in the mood for anything that's interesting, really. I just want to force myself to read nonfiction since not counting school books I've read about... two nonfiction books (as opposed to my hundreds of fiction books). It's quite sad, really.

 

[Aqualung]

I have a $25 Barnes and Noble gift certificate that I really need to get around to using... anyone know of some good books? I'd love to read something nonfiction, since I almost always read fiction, but I have no idea what nonfiction books are considered good. Any suggestions?

Well, the dictionary is non-fiction. And you wouldn't be wasting your money on a book that you finish in a day....
I always like history books. If you're into that sort of thing, I read an awesome book that was called something like "the Journals of Lewis and Clark," and the entire book was excertps from journals of people on that trip, mostly Lewis (or maybe clark) and one of their guys. I really enjoyed it, but I really enjoy reading about that time period.

 

[Majikthise]

Cosmos, by Carl Sagan, is one of my favorites. It discusses science, religion, politics, literature, myths and legends, and humanity in general. It effected the way I veiw the world.

 

[Feathers in Hair]

I've gotta admit, I've got a serious crush on Crowley.

I've begun reading political books, for the first time in my life, hehee. Would something like that be interesting to you?

 

[Jaymes]

Sure I've only read... oh heck, his name escapes me. The guy that wrote 'Rush Limbaugh is a Big Fat Idiot and Other Observations.'

Majikthese: I'll have to check it out. Sounds interesting!

 

[Feathers in Hair]

Al Franken. His more recent work, "Lies and the Lying Liars that Tell them", deals more with the FOX news channel than anything else. (I like his writing style a lot. Very self-depreciating while funny and moving.) Molly Ivans is also an author I love.

For a book of essays, though, I'd suggest any of David Sedaris' works! My sister and I often sing the Oscar Meyer theme song to each other in the song stylings of Billie Holliday, due to one of his pieces in "Me Talk Pretty One Day."

 

[Katzpur]

I have a $25 Barnes and Noble gift certificate that I really need to get around to using... anyone know of some good books? I'd love to read something nonfiction, since I almost always read fiction, but I have no idea what nonfiction books are considered good. Any suggestions?

Have I got the book for you! It's called "Do They Hear You When You Cry?" (It's non-fiction.) Here's part of an editorial comment on the book:

Fauziya Kassindja describes her upbringing in a small Western Africa village as "part modern, part traditional, and Muslim throughout." Her Muslim father did not force his daughters to wear veils and encouraged their individualism. Most importantly, Kassindja's father instilled in her a distrust and fear of female circumcision, a controversial procedure still performed in many parts of the world. Tragically for Fauziya, he would die an untimely death, but his emphatic disgust at this dangerous and life-threatening operation had a remarkable effect on his daughter. She would flee the country just hours before her own circumcision, eventually arriving in the United States, where she faced an immigration nightmare.

Fauziya recounts her harrowing ordeals in both Africa and the United States with eloquence and remarkable depth. Her initial naïveté in assuming that she would automatically gain asylum only adds to the tragedy of her story, as she instead faces isolation and religious persecution in high-security prisons. She graphically describes the horrors of strip searches and a terrible sickness that was ignored by prison staff.

This is a book of unspeakable despair put into words as well as a remarkable friendship forged between Fauziya and her lawyer (and contributing editor) Layli Miller Bashir, who was at the fore of Fauziya's case and brought national attention to the plight of these females seeking asylum. Fauziya gained her political asylum in June 1996, but the book ends on a cautionary note; the immigration process for these women is still arduous and often unsuccessful.

Barnes and Noble would most likely not have it in stock since it's kind of old. But I bet they could order it for you. You'd love it!

 

[Scuba Pete]

CS Lewis' "Out of the Silent Planet", "Perelandra", and "That Hideous Strength". He was the author of "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe". This is not supposed to be HORROR, but it will make your toes curl!

 

[Jaymes]

Oh nooo, I knew I'd end up with too many good recommendations. You guys are gonna get me to blow all my cash on books again! :biglaugh: Thanks for the recommendations, everyone. They all sound wonderful... and I'm going to have a heck of a time figuring out how to fit as many as possible on a $25 gift certificate budget.

 

[Aqualung]

and I'm going to have a heck of a time figuring out how to fit as many as possible on a $25 gift certificate budget.

Well, bringing a gun might help :biglaugh:
Knockout

 

[jewscout]

if you're a lover of history like i am i have to recommend the alternative history books by Harry Turtledove, especially his Great War series!

 

[The Black Whirlwind]

if you like Chinese history theres the Records of the Grand Historian, by Sima Qian. It chronicles the Qin and Han dynasties. Its by Burton Watson.

 

[Ori]

The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold.

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly by Jean Dominique Bauby.

And Hawkwoods Voyage by Paul Kearney.

 

[Feathers in Hair]

Poor Jensa! *hugs* You did know what group you were dealing with, though, when asking for suggestions, heheee! Maybe we can have a group list at RF with book recommendations from various members, and why they enjoy the work...

 

[QTpi]

If you like the area of science:
"A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson
"The Hot Zone" by Richard Preston

 

[Shadow Wolf]

I like to flip through the pages of the Guniess Book of World records. That or the Ripleys Believe it or not book. Or some book filled with little bits of knowledge that are interesting to know.

 

[EnhancedSpirit]

Well, my book would be the first one I recommended, but another good one I think you might like, from what I know of you is The Arena-

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click picture to see book at Barnes & Noble​

Callie Hayes agrees to be a guinea pig a college science experiment and is thrown into an alien world filled with terror and destruction looming at her from every direction. Her path of choice will decide her ultimate fate. Left to her own fears and stubborn refusal to follow instructions, she must travel the arena in search of a way out, but not alone. Many others before her have left the safe road and chosen the hard way.

Callie fights to hear the voice of truth as lies are continually thrown at her. Who does she believe? All around her are those who have chosen their own path and ended up dead, tortured, or resolved to stay in the Arena with no escape. Callie continues to make mistakes and listen to her fears as she searches for the truth, the reader cheering her on to continue and breathing a sigh of relief when she finds it, only to discover the work has just begun.

During her trek through the Arena, she develops a relationship with Pierce Andrews who is also searching for the way out. The relationship adds a dynamic dimension to the story, as the characters must make choices that will not only affect themselves, but those around them.

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

Elegant Universe: Superstrings, Hidden Dimensions, and the Quest for the Ultimate Theory​