What Type of Books

[RemyLover]

do you normally like to read?

I like a lot of different types. I like autobiographys the most though.

Epic is probably the first Sci-Fi book I've ever read and I was pleasantly suprised to see how much I liked it.

[PiratePhil]

I normally read my textbooks... oh you said like to read... history books, autobiographies, and anything on mountainbiking and hiking since those are my new hobbies.

[IronDog]

I like to be intertained. The nice thing about DOD is that it captured the reader quickly and kept you involved. I cut my teeth, as it were, with a great author and a wonderful series. John D. MacDonald and his Travis McGee series had you involved halfway through the first page. Spent a summer in Alaska and got hooked on EE Doc Smith's The Lensmen Series and have been a scifi fan since.

[Logan]

Generally fiction. When I was younger I pretty much read everything with a Dragonlance title affixed to it. I read a lot of different fantasies and sci-fi's but its getting harder to find good ones now. A friend of mine that teaches literature at LSU is recommending good sci-fi now so its getting easier.

Lately its been a smattering of non-fictions (Rising Tide is a must read for anyone who is curious as to how America screwed up by leveeing the Mississippi River) and more traditional mysteries/thrillers. James Patterson is a great author. The Stephanie Plum novels (Janet Evanovich) are pretty freaking funny. Dan Brown needs to write more books, because Angels and Demons is the best thing he's written (in my opinion). A bunch of different books that I can't remember because I read them too fast and move on.

I read a lot. Currently reading The Lucifer Effect by Phillip Zimbardo. It's a non-fiction psychology book that studies how good people can do evil things simply by being effected by situational stresses. Pretty interesting and ultimately distressing because it's easy to see how people can be corrupted.

[0011 NE]

I read screenplays. I'd love to be a screenwriter some day, and the best way to learn is to read 'em... good or bad. (and there's lots of bad out there)

[Skonar]

Currently chewing through Great Expectations. Now isn't that a cliche? Just finished the middle David Gemmel retelling of Troy book, and, uhhh. COuple of other generic sci-fi/fantasy type books. Oh, and a really interesting one on the origins of mathematics in Babylonian/Egyptian societies. Very interesting conjecture in there on the nature of counting in the lives of cavemen, too.

[0011 NE]

In addition to finishing up DoD, I am reading both the short story Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption and the screenplay adaptation The Shawshank Redemption.

I plan on re-reading DoD and then The Mist short story by Stephen King before the new movie comes out. For someone with little time to read (with my new job and projects at work), I'm putting a lot on my plate, but it's all good.

[Colonel Young]

Growing up i began reading mysterys and eventually moved on to SCI-FI. If it had a Star Wars attached to it I read it, well everything except for the X-Wing Series. In colege I slacked and read mostly sports mags and online articles with a book here and there. At the end of college I started reading more fiction, The Manchurian Cadidate for one, a good read if you get the chance. Since then I've read The Bourne Identity and Supremecy and began the Bourne Ultimatum, but shelved it for DoD.

Now I humbly await the release of OT. I have another series of books I need to read, written by a good friend of mine. I also need to finisih the Bourne Ultimatum, as well as a few other books I picked up in the past year or two and haven't gotten around to reading. Though, once OT comes out it'll be OT and only OT till I finish.

[Dercol's Goatee]

I love fiction. I love science fiction and thriller books... I also like self-help books.

[Logan]

You ever read any self-help science fiction books?

Most of the time they aren't very helpful, but I read them just in case one day I have a problem communicating with my cybernetic arm. You have to open up a dialogue with no assumptions, otherwise those cybernetic arms just get irritable.

[Aaron]

The great majority of what I read is science fiction. I'd say that comprises about 90% - 95%, but I do have some fantasy, some westerns and some military books as well. I read pretty fast -- on average, one book per week. On occasion, two or three books in one week.

The link below contains the list of books that I own. I haven't read all of them yet, but I'm working on it. I'd be interested to see what others have read, and what influences you. As a writer, do you find that reading other books influences your work? And if so, do you consider it a gift or a curse? (the last two are directed more towards Lee, but feel free to chime in....)

http://www.spuler.us/temp/books.txt

[Lee Stephen]

As a writer, do you find that reading other books influences your work? And if so, do you consider it a gift or a curse?

Sounds like a good blog question! Repost it there so I'll see it next time around.

[0011 NE]

Been reading Call Center Forecasting and Scheduling and Call Center Technology Demystified: The No-Nonsense Guide to Bridging Customer Contact Technology, Operations and Strategy lately. Sound like a good read? :-p

A lot of stuff for work as of late. Grrr...

[Lee Stephen]

I will whole-heartedly recommend the Luthiel's Song (www.luthielssong.com) series, if anyone is into fantasy fiction here. The author, Robert Fannéy, is a pioneer in the independently published world. Excellent book from an excellent author. The sequel should be coming out soon, as well, so those who like the story shouldn't have too long of a wait ahead of them.

[Becan]

I enjoy military novels, and faith-based.

I stumbled on the Left behind series, by accident, and was immediately hooked, had to get the whole series. i finished that before reading DoD.

After DoD, I found Brad Thor's series that chronicles the life of an ex navy SEAL, now Secret Service agent as he fights terrorism accross the world. It's riveting and the insight into the intelligence community makes it a compelling read.

I truly cannot wait for OT.

[Pewter Picaroon]

I wish I read more period. I like history, especially WWII era. I like Sci-fi, but I get picky about it. I loved DoD because, while still sci-fi, there's a sense of realism to it, for me. I don't care for fantasy - magic, spells, etc.

If I do read, it's usually humor or Christian-oriented.

[Betsy]

Mystery's, fantasy, Sci-Fi, nature, horror.... I love to read just about anything except romances. Never could get into those......

Right now, I'm going through the Harry Potter's again. I was hoping to have them all read by the time #7 comes out next Saturday, but I'm only just finishing #1. So unless I take a lot of No-doze and just read for the next 8 days.......

[Polyester-DK]

I used to read a lot when I was a kid but unfortunately these days I rarely find the time to just sit down and relax with a book.

I am a big fan of Stephen King. His writing does get a bit corny at times but the stories just drags me in and I am fascinated and easily scared by horror books as well as movies. It started when I watched It at a very young age. By far the scarriest movie I have ever watched and it took years before I could actually sit through it all. But when I finally picked up the book that opened a whole new world. It is much better than the movie and offers a lot more depth to the story. The last 300 pages is among the best I have ever read, also because that part is by far the worst of the movie. But I think it is impossible to make an ending that would do the book justice. I'm trying to get through the Black Tower series now but with the rate I'm going at it is going to take years for me to finish.

[0011 NE]

Svet, did you ever read The Mist by Stephen King? Good stuff and they are making it into a movie. I WAS trying my hand at writing a screenplay adaptation, but someone beat me to it.

[Pewter Picaroon]

I've never read any of Stephen King's books. I really don't care for too many of his movies. Like Svet said, they can be a bit cheesy at times. Maybe his books are more 'scary', but the made for tv movies and feature length movies just never do it for me.

Except for the Shining. That was great.

[Logan]

Yeah, I agree with Pewter, a lot of King's movie adaptations are pretty bad. That could be said with most book/movie adaptations, since so much gets lost in the translation, but King is a very psychological writer and he controls the pace of his books in a deliberate fashion. If the movie doesn't do the same, it has a tendency to lose me.

Although some of his movies are so bad they're hilarious. Ever see The Langoliers? What the heck was that about? Haha!

[Pewter Picaroon]

Yes! I didn't make it through the entire movie. I suppose I could give one of his books a shot. Any recommendations? Nothing that's going to make me laugh when I'm supposed to be 'scared'.

[Colonel Young]

Yeah, I agree with Pewter, a lot of King's movie adaptations are pretty bad. That could be said with most book/movie adaptations, since so much gets lost in the translation, but King is a very psychological writer and he controls the pace of his books in a deliberate fashion. If the movie doesn't do the same, it has a tendency to lose me.

Although some of his movies are so bad they're hilarious. Ever see The Langoliers? What the heck was that about? Haha!

The movie did a horrible job of explaining what the Langoliers were. The book is much better. I won't go into it in case anyone wants to read it, but the book is much better.

[Logan]

I'm actually positive the book is much better, because no one in their right mind would make a movie that weak unless they were intending on getting it to match a much better book.

As for what King books are good, I hear the Dark Tower series is really good (although I've never read it yet). The Stand, The Shining, and It are the most popular and for good reason: they are decent reads.

I have an overactive imagination and I don't actually handle creepy books well, even though they are some of the most successful books at getting the reader involved.

Some other good authors that I recently read:
China Mieville (very good, detailed fantasy/steampunk/magic sci-fi)
James Rollins (similar to Dan Brown in his use of history and mingling action)
Janet Evanovich (I think we discussed her once, sort of girly but still funny)

That'll do for now.

[Pewter Picaroon]

I think I have an overactive imagination as well - I don't think I've ever read a real good horror-esque book before. Next stop at the bookstore I'm picking one of those up... not sure which one, but it'll probably depend on the cover art :)

What's steampunk?

[Logan]

Steampunk is similar to cyberpunk. Basically, its an alternative world where instead of everything being computer-driven and 'hackerish', its a world where steam-driven objects are the primary source of technology. Its kind of like technology never branched off into the electric world, instead really focusing all development on steam driven tech. The world (cities specifically) is characteristically covered in large piping, steam (obviously), and all vehicles are fantastic and large, instead of sleek and 'pretty'.

The punk aspect comes in its attitude. They are books typically about rebellion or have a gritty edge to them.

Mieville is very detailed as a writer, and somehow convinces you that his extremely over-the-top races can actually exist together in a realistic world. How over the top? Think humans with beetles for head (entire beetles), cactus-men with sap in their veins, a strange race whose blood solidifies the moment it touches air and who create armor for themselves by cutting their body to 'bleed' armor. There are more as well, some even weirder.

Regardless of all these strange races, the world is driven by realistic politics, fear and oppression. Most of his books in some way reflect Mieville's socialist/communist leanings and tendencies. Regardless, they are interesting albeit somewhat wordy pieces of literature.

[Pewter Picaroon]

Wow, it sounds interesting. I'm curious to read it. I don't know if I'd like it. It's doesn't really fit into a genre I normally consider my 'taste', but I'm also not confined to a certain topic.

And I learned something new today. Yay!

[Polyester-DK]

As for what King books are good, I hear the Dark Tower series is really good (although I've never read it yet). The Stand, The Shining, and It are the most popular and for good reason: they are decent reads.

The Dark Tower series is huge though. And it isn't really a horror story, at least not the parts I have read so far. It is more of a fantasy novel. I have heard people say there are certain similarities to Lord of The Rings. There are plans to make it into a movie but the people I know that have read the books are very skeptical abut that idea though.

As for horror books I can definately recommend It. But I am totally biased when it comes to that book. I'm sorry to say I actually haven't read the Shining but it will be on my to do list when I finally finish the Dark Tower series. It is usually regarded as one of his best books ever.

Speaking of Stephen King movies it is true that his horror storries doesn't translate onto the big screen very well. There are way too many things going on in the minds of the characters that doesn't really come out in a movie. As was said earlier in the thread, there is a lot of psycology in his books. However, The Green Mile and Shawshank Redemption have turned into some amazing movies.

[Sveta81]

I like Grishom type books. I also like a lot of Christian fiction romance type. I'm such a girl!

[IronDog]

Just re-read the Orson Scott Card Alvin Maker series. Man that's good stuff.

Am now listening to the Bourne Series. Gotta tell ya they went super-Hollywood in the movies. The first one never even talked about Carlos "the jackal". The second movie doesn't even resemble the second book. Heaven help the third one.

[Logan]

Just re-read the Orson Scott Card Alvin Maker series. Man that's good stuff.

All I've read of his was Ender's Game (VERY good book). So you recommend the Alvin Maker books?

Am now listening to the Bourne Series. Gotta tell ya they went super-Hollywood in the movies. The first one never even talked about Carlos "the jackal". The second movie doesn't even resemble the second book. Heaven help the third one.

Yeah, man, the books are COMPLETELY different than the movies. It's almost, no wait, it IS ridiculous. Both are decent in their own right, but jeez, its weird that they share the same titles.

I did enjoy the books, but a lot of the times it seems like Ludlum thickens up his books with pointless things. He spends a lot of time analyzing and picks into the brains of his characters over every little thing. If people like that sort of writing, then I guess I recommend them. But I could have passed on them now that I've read them. :)

[Mooze]

Let's see. Military history.. (Love the cable channel!) Stephen King, George G Gilmore, Tom Clancy.

For light reading, Calvin & Hobbes, The Far Side, Dilbert.

[Furrier678]

do you normally like to read?

I like a lot of different types. I like autobiographys the most though.

Epic is probably the first Sci-Fi book I've ever read and I was pleasantly suprised to see how much I liked it.
I'm right there with you. I've never been a science fiction fan until DOD! I've always read classic literature, romance, and crime fiction. (Bronte, Austen, Sparks, & Grisham).. So picking up a science fiction book was stepping out of my boundaries a bit. However, I was so surprised! I think one of the main reasons I loved this book was because it didn't come across as science fiction to me. It became the story about a man. It had drama, suspense, romance.. you name it! :)

[Lucifers Mom]

I prefer mysteries - my fav authors are John Grisham, David Baldacci and Stephen White. I had to laugh at the Stephen King remarks above - the only books of his I've been able to make it through are The Shinning and Needful Things - that is a weird one, but I would highly recommend it - not scary but creepy ! I'm not usually a sci-fi fan, but I did thoroughly enjoy DoD also.