Requesting Book Suggestions - Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community

kermitology · 01-15-2006, 04:59 PM

I've got this Indigo gift card burning a hole in my pocket and I want desperately to find some books to buy. I've got one already in mind, but I'm looking for something that's REALLY dark, perhaps disturbing, and really good to read.

I figure that CP is generally a great resource to find out about anything new, so here goes.

Give me your suggestions for books to read. I generally read a lot of history but I'm really looking for fiction here. I'd like to avoid murder mystery if possible, just not what I want to read right now.

GO!

socalwingfan · 01-15-2006, 05:11 PM

American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis - the movie comes nowhere close to doing the book justice.

Antithesis · 01-15-2006, 05:13 PM

I would have suggested "A Million Little Pieces" if not for the current problems surrounding its nonfiction nature.

I thoroughly enjoyed "Moneyball" by Michael Lewis when I read it.

"The Way It Looks From Here" by Stephen Brunt is a really interesting compilation of Canadian sportswriting.

If you're looking for fiction, I can't really help. edit: Except to say you could try Fight Club. A great book as well.

flamingchina · 01-15-2006, 05:43 PM

Anything by Chuck Palahniuk
I'd suggest survivor

Mike F · 01-15-2006, 05:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flamingchina

Anything by Chuck Palahniuk
I'd suggest survivor

I'd second that.

Avoid Invisible Monsters, though, IMO.

JiriHrdina · 01-15-2006, 05:51 PM

Anything by Douglas Coupland - though I'd start with Microserfs if its your first Coupland book.

If you're in the mood for nonfiction a couple of suggestions:
- Emergency Sex and Other Desperate Measures - chronociles 3 young people working in various UN relief efforts around the world. Including Rwanda.
- Down to This - the author went and lieved in a shantytown down in Ontario for 1 year. Will cause you to take a much different look at homelessness
- The Road to Hell - history of the Hells Angels in Canada.

Sportswise:

- There's a great compilation of George Plimpton out right now. No one looks at sports like Plimpton and his participatory works are pure gold.
- Michael Lewis, Moneyball - don't have to be a baseball fan to enjoy this one

And my top pick:

They Don't Play Hockey in Heaven by Ken Baker: Simply put - the best sports book I've ever read. Should be mandatory reading for being a hockey fan.
-

Hakan · 01-15-2006, 05:53 PM

The Flashman series is a great read.

Frank the Tank · 01-15-2006, 05:54 PM

If you want to discover the true insanity that is Scientoligy, try "A Piece of Blue Sky". The author escapes me right now though....

Flame On · 01-15-2006, 06:31 PM

Have you read Life of Pi, of not do so. Slow start that almost made me put it down but soooo glad I didn't.
Don't read State of Fear what ever you do.

Captain Sensible · 01-15-2006, 06:57 PM

I would suggest "African Safari Papers" by Robert Sedlack......definitely dark, definitely weird and definitely fun to read.....he is also originally from Calgary and does most of his writing in Banff.

RougeUnderoos · 01-15-2006, 07:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hakan

The Flashman series is a great read.

I have just started (he's still a teenager) this series and already I'm pretty fond of it. Other people should read it because it's funny.

Other suggestions...

The Fortress of Solitude by Jonathan Lethem
Vernon God Little by DBC Pierre
Portnoy's Complaint by Phillip Roth

None of these are particularly dark though. I don't know, maybe they are. What do you mean by "dark"? Scary? Gruesome? You won't be "disturbed" by any of these unless you are particularly sensitive. They are great books though. They will make you laugh.

Zarathustra · 01-15-2006, 07:06 PM

I am also looking for a good book to read. Anybody know any good non-fiction books?

Quote:

Originally Posted by JiriHrdina

They Don't Play Hockey in Heaven by Ken Baker: Simply put - the best sports book I've ever read. Should be mandatory reading for being a hockey fan.
-

That was a good book.

kermitology · 01-15-2006, 07:10 PM

I guess what I mean when I say dark is just something that is really creepy or something.. If you've read The Shining the scenes in room 217 (in the book) are along the lines of what I'm thinking. Those parts just gave me chills. I want something that I can really get into. Not looking for humor though, not right now at least.

For the person that asked if I've read Life of Pi, I sure did, did that one in a week this fall, that was a great book.

Thanks to everyone for the suggestions so far, I'll be checking them out, but keep em coming!

Agamemnon · 01-15-2006, 08:18 PM

If you can stomach fantasy novels, the A Song of Ice and Fire series by George RR Martin is amazing. 4 novels out already in a 7 novel series, but beware, each is over 1000 pages... real time-consumers.

Agamemnon · 01-15-2006, 08:24 PM

And for non-fiction, The Lexus and the Olive Tree by Thomas Friedman is a great look at globalization, easy to read.

Superfraggle · 01-15-2006, 08:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zarathustra

I am also looking for a good book to read. Anybody know any good non-fiction books?

That was a good book.

Depends what kind of book y'all are looking for, but here's a few:

Non-fiction:

Touching the Void - Joe Simpson. Haven't seen the movie, but the book is riveting if you're into that sort of thing.

Switchbacks - Sid Marty

Anything by James Herriot.

Fiction:

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams. The entire trilogy in five parts. I enjoyed the movie, but it does NOT do the book justice.

Catch 22 - Joseph Heller?

I'll second the nomination of Life of Pi by Yann Martel

FlamesFanInEdm · 01-15-2006, 08:30 PM

East of Eden - John Steinbeck

A classic and a very good read.
________
ULTIMATE FIGHTERS

coaster · 01-15-2006, 08:39 PM

I'm reading the Pullitzer winning"Lonesome Dove" right now and it is very good so far.

Two others that come to mind are "A prayer for Owen Meaney" by John Irving I think which became a movie called Simon Birch.

The Brothers K by David James Duncan.

You can't miss with either of these.

Jake · 01-15-2006, 08:57 PM

I prefer books with alot of action that require little thinking. I did list one that doesn't fit in that catagory though.

"Les Miserables" by Victor Hugo
"Janson Directive" by Robert Ludlum
"Rainbow Six" by Tom Clancy
The Bourne series by Robert Ludlum (the movies did not follow the books plot... the only similarity was the name Jason Bourne)

icarus · 01-15-2006, 09:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kermitology

I've got this Indigo gift card burning a hole in my pocket and I want desperately to find some books to buy. I've got one already in mind, but I'm looking for something that's REALLY dark, perhaps disturbing, and really good to read.

If this is what you want all I can suggest is anything by 20th century's greatest author of the genre, H.P. Lovecraft.

If you haven't heard of him do an internet search, he has a huge cult following. See Metallica's "The Call of Ktulu" from Ride the Lightning.

EDIT: Here's an ongoing list of all the pop-culture references to Lovecraft including, Star Trek, Stephen King, Batman comics, Metallica, and the Simpsons: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Referen...Cthulhu_mythos