Recommending books to friends.

[Paul Whybrow]

An article in today's Guardian newspaper made me think about what books I've recommended, and given as presents to friends over the years.

http://www.theguardian.com/books/bo...est-books-to-share-with-others-stories-giving

I've read several of the titles mentioned, and one of them Stoner is a favourite of mine. It was recommended to me by an American friend three years ago, so I borrowed it from the library and absolutely loved it. Written by John Williams and published in 1965, it was poorly received at the time but has since been reappraised and is now lauded for its depiction of human truths. It's currently being adapted into a film, and I hope that they do a good job.

Some books take you by surprise, and one of them is a novel that I would never imagine as being to my taste owing to its subject matter. Although I'm spiritual I'm not religious, so a novel about the relationships in a Mormon family wouldn't have been my first choice. I read several favourable reviews of it in 2010, so gave it a chance—and was mightily impressed! The Lonely Polygamist by Brady Udall, is a memorable tale of relationships within a family, being humorous and tragic. It's excellent at depicting the loneliness of the human soul and how we throw ourselves into liaisons for temporary comfort. I gave four copies of it as Christmas presents last year, and am keen to hear what my friends think of it.

Lastly, I'd say that any collection of short stories by Guy de Maupassant is worthy of your time. I think he's still the best short story writer ever, and he packs more about the human condition into a few pages than some writers do in a whole novel. I like his novels, but the shorter form is where he excels. I've given many copies of this Penguin collection Selected Short Stories to friends and lovers over the year. They're good stories to read out loud in bed at night!

What three books would my fellow Colonists share? Remember: one day readers will be passing our stories on...

 

[Jason Byrne]

1. Dracula (Bram Stoker) as one of only two or three horror books that I've ever thought to be truly great. This is how a horror novel should be written, and to this day it stands the test of time. I don't think a movie adaptation has ever been able to equal it.
2. At the Mountains of Madness (H.P. Lovecraft) I cannot in good conscience make a recommendation list without including an H.P. Lovecraft work, and I think this is one of his quintessential works. It is part of his iconic mythos without being too out there; it does a fantastic job of portraying the antarctic which so few of us will ever actually see; his attention to detail with the Elder Things is truly amazing, and I love the twist at the end, and then the double-twist at the very end. This is another one I can read over and over.
3. The Historian (Elizabeth Kostova) a massive undertaking — 241k words, and 10 years to complete — and demonstrates just how a historically-accurate masterclass work of fiction is done. Kostova writes with an astounding faithfulness to historical fact from cultures and locations spanning thirty years and the entire globe, to which I compare myself when grading the success of my own efforts. And this recommendation is as much a test of the reader to which I recommend it as an earnest desire for them to experience reading it. I want to see if you have the same opinion about certain elements of the plot as I did. So far, the people to whom I've recommended it have not let me down.

 

[Chase Gamwell]

1. A Darkling Sea (James L. Cambias). This book took me by surprise. At first, I was really on the fence about whether I wanted to read through the novel, but by the end of the first chapter, I was absolutely smitten. It tells the tale of humans finding a crustacean-like alien species beneath the ice of a Europa-like planet. Things happen. A story is told. I don't want to go too far into detail because I feel like the book needs to be experienced on it's own. Definitely a must read.
2. The Martian (Andy Weir). I read this shortly after it came out and was very impressed with how well researched it was. The main character is also one of the most likable people I've read in a long time.
3. The Faded Sun Trilogy (C.J. Cherryh). I know that this is a trilogy, but it's currently sold as a single paperback, so I'm going to say it should count. I first picked up this book when I was younger and thought it was a good story, but it wasn't until my second read through that I really could appreciate the gravity of what was happening in these books. The story is about a power struggle between Humans and an alien race called the Regul. Stuck in the middle is a nomadic race of mercenaries called the Mri. Things escalate and a human becomes ensconced with a tribe of Mri. The whole trilogy focuses on this tug of war between the three groups.

Since joining Litopia, I've had a few books recommended to me. I still need to pick up Rivers of London as suggested by - I think - @Katie-Ellen Hazeldine. The book sounds fantastic and it's going to be shipped to me with my next amazon purchase!

 

[KG Christopher]

1. Dracula (Bram Stoker) as one of only two or three horror books that I've ever thought to be truly great. This is how a horror novel should be written, and to this day it stands the test of time. I don't think a movie adaptation has ever been able to equal it.
2. At the Mountains of Madness (H.P. Lovecraft) I cannot in good conscience make a recommendation list without including an H.P. Lovecraft work, and I think this is one of his quintessential works. It is part of his iconic mythos without being too out there; it does a fantastic job of portraying the antarctic which so few of us will ever actually see; his attention to detail with the Elder Things is truly amazing, and I love the twist at the end, and then the double-twist at the very end. This is another one I can read over and over.
3. The Historian (Elizabeth Kostova) a massive undertaking — 241k words, and 10 years to complete — and demonstrates just how a historically-accurate masterclass work of fiction is done. Kostova writes with an astounding faithfulness to historical fact from cultures and locations spanning thirty years and the entire globe, to which I compare myself when grading the success of my own efforts. And this recommendation is as much a test of the reader to which I recommend it as an earnest desire for them to experience reading it. I want to see if you have the same opinion about certain elements of the plot as I did. So far, the people to whom I've recommended it have not let me down.

Dracula is both a horror story and a love story for me, I love the book.

 

[Jason Byrne]

Dracula is both a horror story and a love story for me, I love the book.

Yeah, it's a great one. And in its day it was a techno-thriller! They were fighting Dracula with all the most futuristic technology of the age — the phonograph, typewriter, and stenography...

I notice that our preferred genres come out nowhere more overtly than in our book recommendations!

 

[Amber Zade]

The book I would recomment to a person would depend on the person but.....

1 - Stranger in a Strange Land - The best science fiction novel ever.

2 - Gone with the Wind - The best characterization ever.

3 - Kushiel's Dart, Jacqueline Carey - The best story about ambivalence ever.

 

[Boopadoo]

My recommendations are not necessarily what might be considered the best of anything, but all are books that truly enthralled and inspired me.

The Doomfarers of Coramonde, Brian Daley - My favorite fantasy/sci-fi book. Deposed princes, warlock/witch twins, dragons, cross-dimensional travel… …and a Vietnam-era APC crew vs. the denizens of Hell, in Hell! Okay, so it is the best barely-known fantasy novel ever. There’s a sequel which isn’t quite as good, but still worth a read.

The King in Yellow, Robert W. Chambers - Before there was Lovecraft, there was The King in Yellow. The original, original collection of weird horror stories all tied together by reference to the title play, a work with a second act so perverse and outrageous it drives any reader mad. The collection is classic, it’s way ahead of its time, and if you claim to be a Lovecraft fan and haven’t read it, you need to.

Any Moomin book by Tove Jansson - They’re kids’ books, but they’re still brilliant, and when I was a nine year-old kid they made me want to write.

The Chronicles of Ancient Darkness series, Michelle Paver - Again, these are middle grade books, but they are so well researched and written, so perfectly paced with truly lovable characters, that I defy any adult who takes the time to read Wolf Brother to not become entranced. I picked it up based on title alone, and didn’t stop until I’d gotten through Spirit Walker and Soul Eater a few days later. Never in my life had I been so excited for the next book in a series that I’d wait for the bookstore to open on release day, but I did that for Outcast, Oath Breaker, and Ghost Hunter. They made me want to “write like that.” They still do.

 

[Jason Byrne]

My recommendations are not necessarily what might be considered the best of anything, but all are books that truly enthralled and inspired me.

The Doomfarers of Coramonde, Brian Daley - My favorite fantasy/sci-fi book. Deposed princes, warlock/witch twins, dragons, cross-dimensional travel… …and a Vietnam-era APC crew vs. the denizens of Hell, in Hell! Okay, so it is the best barely-known fantasy novel ever. There’s a sequel which isn’t quite as good, but still worth a read.

The King in Yellow, Robert W. Chambers - Before there was Lovecraft, there was The King in Yellow. The original, original collection of weird horror stories all tied together by reference to the title play, a work with a second act so perverse and outrageous it drives any reader mad. The collection is classic, it’s way ahead of its time, and if you claim to be a Lovecraft fan and haven’t read it, you need to.

Any Moomin book by Tove Jansson - They’re kids’ books, but they’re still brilliant, and when I was a nine year-old kid they made me want to write.

The Chronicles of Ancient Darkness series, Michelle Paver - Again, these are middle grade books, but they are so well researched and written, so perfectly paced with truly lovable characters, that I defy any adult who takes the time to read Wolf Brother to not become entranced. I picked it up based on title alone, and didn’t stop until I’d gotten through Spirit Walker and Soul Eater a few days later. Never in my life had I been so excited for the next book in a series that I’d wait for the bookstore to open on release day, but I did that for Outcast, Oath Breaker, and Ghost Hunter. They made me want to “write like that.” They still do.

Good looking out, with the King in Yellow! I have read it, and it is a fantastic and seminal work of weird fiction!

Speaking of reading The King in Yellow, maybe that's what happened to my sanity...

 

[KG Christopher]

I am in constant fights with my sister about books she should read and books I should read. We are always cat calling each other


‘this book is better than that book’

‘how do you know, you haven’t read that book’

‘and you havent read this book’


This battle has been going on for over 30 years, since we first started to critically have our own opinion on what was a good read and what was not.


To that end, it became very argumentative. For instance, I sucked up TLOTR and the Silmarilian when I was a child, kept re-reading them.


‘Judy, you have to read that’


She was more into Jane Austin


‘Kevin, read Mansfield park’


Anyway, we had this constant battle about recommneding good reads to each other, the big chalenge for her was to get me to read HP and for me to get her to read TLOTR.


So, to this date, She has not read TLOTR and I have not read HP.


So, in honor of my little sister who introduced me to these books, which I found wonderful, these are what I would recommend at the moment.



Cloud Atlas --- David Mitchel (Links plot across time and space)

Titus Groan -- Mervyne Peak ( a book that describes everything in detail)

Jude The Obscure -- Thomas Hardy (How tragedy can follow tragedy)


These are books my sister has recommended to me and I would have no hesitation in recommending them to anyone else.


She has recommended I read the Harry Potter books, but ONLY, and only if I actually see her read The Lord of the Rings, will I consider the books, however, I have seen the films.

 

[Jason Byrne]

I am in constant fights with my sister about books she should read and books I should read. We are always cat calling each other


‘this book is better than that book’

‘how do you know, you haven’t read that book’

‘and you havent read this book’


This battle has been going on for over 30 years, since we first started to critically have our own opinion on what was a good read and what was not.


To that end, it became very argumentative. For instance, I sucked up TLOTR and the Silmarilian when I was a child, kept re-reading them.


‘Judy, you have to read that’


She was more into Jane Austin


‘Kevin, read Mansfield park’


Anyway, we had this constant battle about recommneding good reads to each other, the big chalenge for her was to get me to read HP and for me to get her to read TLOTR.


So, to this date, She has not read TLOTR and I have not read HP.


So, in honor of my little sister who introduced me to these books, which I found wonderful, these are what I would recommend at the moment.



Cloud Atlas --- David Mitchel (Links plot across time and space)

Titus Groan -- Mervyne Peak ( a book that describes everything in detail)

Jude The Obscure -- Thomas Hardy (How tragedy can follow tragedy)


These are books my sister has recommended to me and I would have no hesitation in recommending them to anyone else.


She has recommended I read the Harry Potter books, but ONLY, and only if I actually see her read The Lord of the Rings, will I consider the books, however, I have seen the films.

Sounds like the comparative reading lists of mine and my wife's.

 

[Nicole Wilson]

Good looking out, with the King in Yellow! I have read it, and it is a fantastic and seminal work of weird fiction!

Speaking of reading The King in Yellow, maybe that's what happened to my sanity...

Ooh! Hubby got me a collection of horror stories for Christmas (bc I've been wanting to get into horror) and Chambers was the last one I read. I believe the short story was called "The Repairer of Reputations" and the MC used The King In Yellow as his basis for his actions!!

My recommendations:
1. 61 Hours by Lee Child. Anyone looking to get into thrillers I suggest this or the next recommendation because they're both standalone and both **great** books.
2. White Fire by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. I actually gave this to my grandmother for Christmas last year (she does read thrillers, but usually not as deep as this one), and she really enjoyed it.
3. Either 1984 or The Jungle. Depends on the person and which I've read most recently, but I love both of these books.

Also, it may be too early to say because I haven't finished it, but for people who like darker thrillers, I'm reading An Evil Mind by Chris Carter and it's fantastic. It's what Criminal Minds would be if it was a book. I love it.

 

[Jason Byrne]

Ooh! Hubby got me a collection of horror stories for Christmas (bc I've been wanting to get into horror) and Chambers was the last one I read. I believe the short story was called "The Repairer of Reputations" and the MC used The King In Yellow as his basis for his actions!!

My recommendations:
1. 61 Hours by Lee Child. Anyone looking to get into thrillers I suggest this or the next recommendation because they're both standalone and both **great** books.
2. White Fire by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. I actually gave this to my grandmother for Christmas last year (she does read thrillers, but usually not as deep as this one), and she really enjoyed it.
3. Either 1984 or The Jungle. Depends on the person and which I've read most recently, but I love both of these books.

Also, it may be too early to say because I haven't finished it, but for people who like darker thrillers, I'm reading An Evil Mind by Chris Carter and it's fantastic. It's what Criminal Minds would be if it was a book. I love it.

Good choices...

 

[Chase Gamwell]

Can I amend my list to include Battlefield Earth? I'd do so mainly because the book was so much better than that abomination of a film. I remember seeing the movie first and not thinking it was that great, but when I read the book, I was blown away at how much better it was than that movie! And not giving anything away, but where the climax of the movie occurs is about a quarter of the way through the book (where it also happens in a far less ridiculous way). It is insane how much was pushed to the side for the sake of a film that won 19 golden raspberries when it came out...

 

[Amber Zade]

Ooh! Hubby got me a collection of horror stories for Christmas (bc I've been wanting to get into horror) and Chambers was the last one I read. I believe the short story was called "The Repairer of Reputations" and the MC used The King In Yellow as his basis for his actions!!

My recommendations:
1. 61 Hours by Lee Child. Anyone looking to get into thrillers I suggest this or the next recommendation because they're both standalone and both **great** books.
2. White Fire by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. I actually gave this to my grandmother for Christmas last year (she does read thrillers, but usually not as deep as this one), and she really enjoyed it.
3. Either 1984 or The Jungle. Depends on the person and which I've read most recently, but I love both of these books.

Also, it may be too early to say because I haven't finished it, but for people who like darker thrillers, I'm reading An Evil Mind by Chris Carter and it's fantastic. It's what Criminal Minds would be if it was a book. I love it.

Ooohhhh have to have an evil mind

 

[Robinne Weiss]

Hm, most of the books I give as gifts are non-fiction...
But in fiction, I'm very much looking forward to the day my daughter is ready to read Fire by Kristin Cashore. It's not the best book ever, but the character, Fire, has the most honest teenage/young adult behaviour I've ever seen in a character--she's inconsistent, hormonal, and emotional--and incredibly strong and powerful, too. The other two books in that series (Graceling and Bitterblue) are also good, but Fire was my favourite.

The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce is another I'd recommend, though anyone under the age of 40 might not be as moved by it. It's a beautiful book about a mid-life crisis (and, honestly, I'm teary eyed just thinking about the story...).

Anything by Isabelle Allende, preferably in Spanish (though the English translations are excellent, too). I'm particularly fond of Retrato en Sepia and Zorro. Oops! That makes 4 recommendations!

 

[Sea-shore]

I'll have to add all the books here to my ever growing reading list!

Books: there are too many, but almost any book by the following authors:

1. Terry Pratchett - for his wit, his humour, his fantastic stories… I could go on and on. (I was in denial about his passing away for months - he will live on in his books.)

2. Anne Tyler - for her dreamy prose, her realistic characters, delightfully vivid details and her ability to make the-journey-of-life-story-plots sound both mundane and profound at the same time.

3. Brian Cox - non-fiction but his words invoke the wonder of science and makes the boring bits in physics less boring.

 

[Paul Whybrow]

Sometimes I've given books to friends not just because I enjoyed them, but to help them through a difficult period in their lives.

One of these is Margaret Craven's I Heard The Owl Call My Name, which tells the story of the last days of a terminally ill young priest sent to a remote settlement to tend the native population. He's unaware of his limited life-span, which has been kept from him by his bishop. He learns much about life and love before dying. That sounds depressing, but the short novel is a life-affirming read.

Another is a novel called The Maytrees, by Annie Dillard. This is a tale about the mysteries of marriage, as well as the nature of forgiveness. I gave it to several friends whose long-term relationships finished unexpectedly, leaving them to face life alone. The story is a wise reflection on who our soulmates are, and how we sometimes need to maintain a certain distance to appreciate the value of the closeness we crave.

Books can be many things to us, including thrilling, inspirational, educational and amusing. But they're also a source of great comfort.