Let's Talk Books.

[Zeema]

After going away on holiday for a week, I took to reading a book series 'The Hunger Games'. I really enjoyed it, quite a riveting read.

Set in a future where the Capitol selects a boy and girl from the twelve districts to fight to the death on live television. It's bloody, it's romantic and quite frankly one of the best books I read in a while. It's going To become a movie soon and I don't know what too think of it. The Book's are very violent at times for instance, a guy getting a knife to the back of his head and spews blood on the main charcter.

It's quite frustrating that 'The hunger games' is being related to Twilight. Its not due to Twilight being seen as bad by some, it's just Twilight is not really in the same area of field as the Hunger Games. I am eager to see it thou. I reckon the violence will be downplayed but it will still be awesome.

Death Note I LOVED it was very intriguing and really liked the concept. A killer that only kills criminals and can kill them with just by knowing there name. It created such a moral delima. Is it bad to kill bad people? But I don't wish to spoil some events of the book.

My top 3 books would have to be

1. Death Note
2. The Bartimaeus Triolgy
3. Hunger Games Triolgy

Now Escapist, What's your fave book? What do you think about Book to movies adaptions? What are your top. 3 books? Most Recent book you read?

EDIT: if there are any random full stops or words that seem disjointed. It sbecause this was all wrote on my IPhone 3Gs

 

[Colour Scientist]

Watch Battle Royale if you want to watch a violent version of the story that isn't made in a Twilight-like fashion.

It seems to be the exact same story but Battle Royale was written in 1999 and has two films already.

EDIT: OP: I just finished House of Leaves and it is amazing. Definitely worth a read.

 

[Luftwaffles]

Im more of a short story man (Roald Dahl, Asimov etc) but if i had to pick a favourite book....White Fang by Jack London.

After that, Enders Game and World War Z i guess.

Most recent was The Count of Monte Cristo. Reread it, was good.

 

[The Madman]

Favourite books? That's tough, hmm. Depends on my mood really, but when I think to the three books I've probably re-read and thoroughly enjoyed each time the most it would probably go something like this:

3. The Running Man - Stephen King

2. Men At Arms - Terry Pratchett

1. Neverwhere - Neil Gaiman

The Running Man in particular desperately needs a movie... a real movie as opposed to the Arnold Schwarzenegger movie of the same name. Unfortunately I doubt that will ever happen due largely to the way in which the book ends. Too controversial, it would require a severe re-write to make it feasible in American theatres because there's no way in hell they'd put the books ending on the big screen.

And just in the vague hopes someone listens: Read The Lies of Locke Lamora. It's like Game of Thrones only better in pretty much every way possible with more compelling characters, a unique and vibrant setting, and a story that's dark without becoming outright depressing like the Game of Thrones series does. This series needs more recognition, it's brilliant!

 

[Zeema]

The new Sherlock Holmes book - The House of Silk was really enjoyable. Written by the guy who wrote the Alex Rider series (not a fan of those) but he really nails the Holmes style.

Reading Hitch-hikers Guide to the Galaxy ATM, its brilliant. Don't think that if you've seen the film you can skip the book(s)!

I saw The House of Silk on the shelf at the bookshop. I had to say to myself 'No Trezu you have a backlog finish other books.'

I

 

[nccish]

As far as classics go I quite enjoy Treasure Island, A modest Proposal and Don Quixote (although the last mentioned one is pretty rough to get through, enjoyable nontheless though).
I also like most things written by Dickens and Sr.Arthur Conan Doyle.

When it comes to more modern works I'd say that The Song of Ice and Fire series by George RR. Martin is one of the best reads.
Other than that:

Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordon and more recently Brandon Sanderson
The Mistborn trilogy by Brandon Sanderson (Anything by this man is a good read really)
The Way of Kings also by Brandon Sanderson (I can really recommend this one)
Love in the time of Cholera by Gabriel García Márquez
Blindness by José Saramago
He who Shrank by Henry Hasse

Aaaand those are all that I can come up with of the top of my head. All of them come highly recommended though some of them can be a bit dense.

 

[shwnbob]

I haven't read another author besides Stephen King since I finished the Harry Potter series so my top three are going to be his books. Actually, I take it back, I'm reading a book by another author called When I Go To Sleep. It's pretty good and will most likely make my top three list when I'm done reading it but until then my top three are...
3. Under the Dome- Stephen King
2. 11/22/63- Stephen King
1. 'Salem's Lot- Stephen King

 

[Axolotl]

My top 3 books would probably be:

3: Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S Thompson
2: The Trial by Franz Kafka
1: Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy

There's been talk of a film of Blood Meridian for along time but it's fairly unlikely to be made just because of how violent to book is, I doubt they can make a film that goes that far.

Currently I'm reading The Satanic Verses which is very good from what Ive read but I'm not that far into it so maybe it goes downhill.

 

[Jonluw]

I don't read a lot of books, so I don't have that much to base my decision on, but I liked Lolita quite a lot.

Particularly, I liked the afterword, because it made me think that Nabokov and I think very much alike.

 

[bleys2487]

I never really had a 'favorite' book, that was until I read The Great Book of Amber by Roger Zelazny. It's literally everything in one book. I loved it and constantly reread it. I recommend it if you're into sci-fi/fantasy.

 

[PotluckBrigand]

I never really had a 'favorite' book, that was until I read The Great Book of Amber by Roger Zelazny. It's literally everything in one book. I loved it and constantly reread it. I recommend it if you're into sci-fi/fantasy.

That's funny... I came into this thread and I was reading through and I thought to myself "Man... none of these book are anything like the Chronicles of Amber!" And... there you are! I love pretty much anything by Zelazny ("Dilvish the Damned" and "A Lonesome Night in October" spring immediately to mind), but nothing like Amber. Reading that collection is a yearly ritual for me.

(I'm also the only person I have ever talked to that actually prefers the second five books to the first five. I don't know why... but I always found the characters in Merlin's saga more interesting... especially Ghostwheel.)

1. "The Chronicles of Amber" by Roger Zelazny.
2. "Snow Crash" by Neal Stephenson (My dad loves all of his books, but this was the only one I liked, and I liked it a lot.)
3. "American Gods" by Neil Gaiman, which I didn't read until recently, but hot damn is it a good one.

 

[Yopaz]

I can't rank any of the books I've read. I read mystery novels, thrillers, fantasy and comedy so I can't make a proper list.

One of my favourite series though is The Wheel of Time. I can't wait for the final book, hopefully it gets out around July when I don't have school to worry about.

 

[Gizmo1990]

Top 3. That is difficult. I do not really have 3 fav books but I do have 3 fav series (well 4).

3. Night Angel Trillogy- Brent Weeks/ Nightside series- Simon.R.Green.
2. Codex Alera- Jim Butcher.
1. The Dresden Files- Jim Butcher.

It is difficult for my to choose between The Dresden Files and Codex Alerea for number 1 but The Dresden Files has not finished yet but Codex is so I put it first as it could get even better.

As for movies based on books I have never seen one I liked with the exception of The Lord of the Rings, (and based on the evidence so far The Hobbit will soon be added to this list).

Ironicaly there was a TV series made that was based on The Dresden Files that I throught was good at the time and I was pissed that it was canned after 12 episodes due to low viewership, but I then went and read the books and realised that the TV series was really bad compared to the books.

As for the last book I read I just finished re-reading Cursor's Fury, the third book in the Codex Alera series.

 

[Zen Toombs]

1. A Song of Ice and Fire
2. The Bartimaeus Triolgy
3. A Clockwork Orange

I actually really like the HBO series version of A Song of Ice and Fire, and I love the Clockwork Orange movie. Many pieces of literature aren't translated well (and some don't translate well), but some can be.

As for the most recent book I've read... It depends upon your definition. My last physical book was A Dance with Dragons less than a week ago. My last piece of literature was Pantheocide of the Salvation War Trilogy, which I finished two days ago.

 

[Autumnflame]

Magician- Riftwar cycle Raymond e feist
Pawn of prophecy - Belgariad David eddings
Tomorrow when the war began- tomorrow series- John marsden

 

[BloatedGuppy]

It's quite frustrating that 'The hunger games' is being related to Twilight. Its not due to Twilight being seen as bad by some, it's just Twilight is not really in the same area of field as the Hunger Games. I am eager to see it thou. I reckon the violence will be downplayed but it will still be awesome.

It was an inevitable comparison. Any hugely popular young adult series is going to garner comparisons to Twilight and/or Harry Potter, regardless of whether or not those comparisons are sensible. The goddam Night Circus has gotten comparisons to Harry Potter, and the books couldn't be more dissimilar.

Hunger Games was an entertaining read, but I actually wish Collins had spent MORE time focusing on the "love story" (I know, I know) and less on the anti-war, anti-violence proselytizing. The tone of the third book in particular bordered on strident, and the entertainment value plummeted as a result. The books are too ham-fisted to be particularly thematically resonant...they worked best as pulpy, kinetic adventure serials. Also, the fact Katniss (against all odds) is NOT a Mary Sue, and actually has a somewhat abrasive personality, makes her a compelling lead. Her personal story was a lot more interesting to me than the fate of Panem.

On a side note, all the Song of Ice and Fire fans here really owe it to themselves to read Joe Abercrombie. He's one of the best young authors in the "Dark, cynical fantasy" sub-genre Martin birthed, and unlike Martin he's incredibly prolific. You can actually watch Abercrombie interviewing Martin here:

http://sf-fantasy.suvudu.com/2011/05/joe-abercrombie-interviews-george-r-r-martin.html

I really can't say enough kind things about Joe's books. They're ripping yarns that subvert the traditional fantasy tropes so aggressively it's almost comical.

 

[CrazyJew]

Someone recommended Gaiman, someone recommended Pratchett, how about a collab?

Good Omens is the best book ever.