Random books

[Redlin5_v1legacy]

You're bored, for whatever reason you can't/won't play video games[footnote]Can't think of a situation that could happen in your household? Imagine all your game hardware simultaneously turned to ash.[/footnote]and are seeking entertainment in the comfort of your chair. If you are lucky as I am, you have a father who really is into reading and has quite a respectable library.

Okay, the point of this thread is have you ever just picked up a random book, regardless of genre and enjoyed it instantly?

I made this thread as this happened to me two days ago. I picked up "Sorcerer's Son" by Phyllis Eisenstein just off the shelf and started reading.

Spoiler: Click here for book cover

I ended up taking a break from video games to finish it. I didn't read with my typical speed as I've been working but I did blitz through it pretty fast. I liked it.

Have you had a similar experience with a random book you've picked up off the shelf?

I understand that many times you'll run into a random book that just plain sucks. It has happened to me too.

So, have you enjoyed a random book once and awhile?

 

[NotSoNimble]

Congrats on the advertisement! I hope you are getting paid for it!

Random doesn't exist, but since you ask....

'Have you had a similar experience with a random book you've picked up off the shelf?'

Nope, I don't do random.

 

[Thyunda]

Yes. I took The Gunslinger by Stephen King from my bookshelf and read that.
Now I'm finishing up the series with The Dark Tower. I think that's a success story.

 

[Tharwen]

I sometimes see an old book on my shelf and spend a few hours re-reading it. They're mostly aimed at a younger audience (me about 6 years ago), but it's nice to remember them like that.

 

[Sonicron]

I did, once. The cover caught my attention, and for some reason the title "Eisenhorn" seemed promising enough.
By this point I own just about three quarters of existing W40k novels.

 

[rabidmidget]

Due to my dad's ENORMOUS collection of books, this happens fairly regularly, such as when I was once browsing and found a copy of 1984.

Awesome book BTW.

 

[Mukil]

Ben Bova's (yes that is his real name)Venus Book. Never heard of the guy, but I loved his book.

 

[Betancore]

I have a bad habit of choosing books based on their covers. I usually have no idea what the book is about, or if it's any good, or who the author is, but the cover is nice. So I read it. Currently reading a book by Rupert Thomson called 'The Book of Revelation' which I picked up because of the name. And it's pretty good.

So, not quite random, but then I rarely make informed decisions either when it comes to books.

 

[Daxus13]

I'm being slightly biased here but any of the Wheel of Time books by Robert Jordan, but I'm also quite partial to reading discworld novels.

 

[Prince Regent]

Random doesn't exist, but since you ask....

'

In quantum mechanics it sure does!

I'm reading the Illiad right now. Page long metaphors hillarious.

 

[Marter]

I picked up The Last Vampire randomly off my shelf. I had been given a bunch of books, and never looked at any of them. I was told to bring a book to the hospital, and ended up finishing it before we even got called in.

Still the only fiction novel that I've really enjoyed.

 

[Mcupobob]

He I made this thread not to long ago, with a different variation. Though yours is much better done so I'll let it slide.

OT: Yes, it was called The Flight of the Eagles. I picked up around 2 am when the power went out and read by flashlight. It was pretty good, though near the end it got heavy on the christen under-tones which I expected(It was a gift from my deeply religous aunt and uncle) But the premise and charaters alone were good enough to keep me reading.

 

[similar.squirrel]

Plenty of times. It's how I came across Milan Kundera, Kurt Vonnegut, Szerb Antal, Patrick McCabe, Frank McCourt...

Anyway. Moral of the story is that picking random books from shelves is a sound practice.

 

[Cowabungaa]

It's how I picked up Ayn Rand's The Fountainhead, one of the most interesting books I've ever read.

So yes I do that, and it's awesome.

 

[Ldude893]

The most recent chapter book I picked up was The Oxford Murders. It was meh, there was a lot of math in the book that I don't get one bit.

 

[Broken Boy]

Fahrenheit 451

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fahrenheit_451

Good book imo I don't read that much. Unless it's history & science books. Yes I'm that boring that I read text books for fun.

 

[Tehlanna TPX]

I was really bored at a friend's house one time, so I grabbed a book from their shelf and started reading. Later, her mom told me that I could keep the book if I want, and so I did. I still read the book annually. It was Xenogenesis by Octavia E Butler. Good stuff.

 

[Funkiest Monkey]

Erm, no. I haven't.

I pretty much just read Magazines, Graphic Novels and Manga. I enjoy the visual aspects of things.

 

[Kungfu_Teddybear]

Yes back in high school I was in the library and picked up a book called Lirael started reading it and found out that it is in fact fucking amazing. Later I noticed it was acctually part of a trilogy the 2nd part in fact so I got the other 2 books Sabriel and Abhorson together they make The Abhorson Chronicals or The Old Kingdom series is another name for them. Still the best books I have ever read and I think you should go get them and read them right now.


No seriously... get them.