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Offline Ħ

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Looking for some good fiction....
« on: July 21, 2011, 02:20:32 AM »
Hey everyone, so I'm getting back into reading, and sometimes nonfiction can get a bit dry.  I like to work on a fictional story most of the time, but I haven't really done so since high school.  I guess I got burnt out from all the assigned reading.

The types of books I like are ones that have really memorable characters.  I don't like books that are rooted in muckracking (like The Jungle) or social messages (The Awakening).  I like books that are written for the sake of imagination without an ulterior motive.  I also like books that are very realistic in the setting they are in...for example, I don't really like deus ex machina kinda stuff.  In general, I like fantasy unless it's really good.

Anyway, some of the best books I know of:
- The Hobbit
- The Lord of the Rings (although it has weak narration, I was drawn into the complexity of the universe)
- Harry Potter series
- The Catcher in the Rye
- A Tale of Two Cities (although it has a strong anti-government message and lots of forced plot twists, I'm in love with Sydney Carton's character)
- The Sound and the Fury
- Beowulf

Books I really dislike:
- The Jungle
- The Awakening
- House on Mango Street
- To Kill a Mockingbird (has great characters like Atticus, but the ulterior social motives of the author are kind of a turnoff)
- 1984
- Animal Farm
- Joy Luck Club

So hopefully you guys have an idea.  But yeah, I'm getting way into reading again.  I'm probably going to go into a Tolkein frenzy pretty soon with The Hobbit coming out soon.
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"All great works are prepared in the desert, including the redemption of the world. The precursors, the followers, the Master Himself, all obeyed or have to obey one and the same law. Prophets, apostles, preachers, martyrs, pioneers of knowledge, inspired artists in every art, ordinary men and the Man-God, all pay tribute to loneliness, to the life of silence, to the night." - A. G. Sertillanges

Offline yeshaberto

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Re: Looking for some good fiction....
« Reply #1 on: July 21, 2011, 02:59:09 AM »
have you checked out any of peretti stuff?
I highly recommend This Present Darkness.  nothing else like it
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Offline Ħ

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Re: Looking for some good fiction....
« Reply #2 on: July 21, 2011, 03:02:05 AM »
I haven't delved that much into Christian fiction, but I'll put that on the list.  Do you like Francine Rivers?  I know her books are girly but I'm still sentimental about her stories.
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"All great works are prepared in the desert, including the redemption of the world. The precursors, the followers, the Master Himself, all obeyed or have to obey one and the same law. Prophets, apostles, preachers, martyrs, pioneers of knowledge, inspired artists in every art, ordinary men and the Man-God, all pay tribute to loneliness, to the life of silence, to the night." - A. G. Sertillanges

Offline yeshaberto

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Re: Looking for some good fiction....
« Reply #3 on: July 21, 2011, 03:03:02 AM »
he is the only fiction I have ever read.  I'm not much of a reader
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Offline Ħ

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Re: Looking for some good fiction....
« Reply #4 on: July 21, 2011, 03:04:29 AM »
Quote from: yeshaberto on July 21, 2011, 02:59:09 AM
I highly recommend This Present Darkness.  nothing else like it
Quote from: yeshaberto on July 21, 2011, 03:03:02 AM
he is the only fiction I have ever read.  I'm not much of a reader
:biggrin:
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"All great works are prepared in the desert, including the redemption of the world. The precursors, the followers, the Master Himself, all obeyed or have to obey one and the same law. Prophets, apostles, preachers, martyrs, pioneers of knowledge, inspired artists in every art, ordinary men and the Man-God, all pay tribute to loneliness, to the life of silence, to the night." - A. G. Sertillanges

Offline jsem

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Re: Looking for some good fiction....
« Reply #5 on: July 21, 2011, 03:29:40 AM »
Earthsea.

Now. It's REALLY good. It's a trilogy originally.
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Offline Perpetual Change

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Re: Looking for some good fiction....
« Reply #6 on: July 21, 2011, 03:50:30 AM »
Hayden, you need to jump on the Game of Thrones bus immediately!
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Offline Super Dude

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Re: Looking for some good fiction....
« Reply #7 on: July 21, 2011, 04:40:54 AM »
Ulterior social motives?
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Offline TheCor

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Re: Looking for some good fiction....
« Reply #8 on: July 21, 2011, 05:07:34 AM »
Quote
Earthsea.
Never read the book but I remember seeing a (mini-series?) movie called that; it was a fairly low budget, fairly blatant rip-off/mash-up of LoTR and HP that featured Danny Glover as the Gandalf-like character if I remember correctly.  It was pretty bad, but worth watching for the LOL's.
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Offline AcidLameLTE

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Re: Looking for some good fiction....
« Reply #9 on: July 21, 2011, 05:10:30 AM »
Quote from: Ħ on July 21, 2011, 02:20:32 AM
Anyway, some of the best books I know of:
*1 slightly negative thing about A Tale of Two Cities*

Books I really dislike:
- 1984
- Animal Farm
wat

The Stand
The Painted Man/The Warded Man
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Offline skydivingninja

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Re: Looking for some good fiction....
« Reply #10 on: July 21, 2011, 05:12:06 AM »
If you don't like 1984 we are not a match.
If you think Catcher in the Rye is one of the best books ever we are not a match.

Go read Ender's Game.  Fucking love that book.
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Offline jsem

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Re: Looking for some good fiction....
« Reply #11 on: July 21, 2011, 05:13:19 AM »
Quote from: TheCor on July 21, 2011, 05:07:34 AM
Quote
Earthsea.
Never read the book but I remember seeing a (mini-series?) movie called that; it was a fairly low budget, fairly blatant rip-off/mash-up of LoTR and HP that featured Danny Glover as the Gandalf-like character if I remember correctly.  It was pretty bad, but worth watching for the LOL's.
The movie was complete and utter garbage. Nothing like the books at all.
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Offline GuineaPig

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Re: Looking for some good fiction....
« Reply #12 on: July 21, 2011, 05:13:42 AM »
Quote from: Ħ on July 21, 2011, 02:20:32 AM
Books I really dislike:
- The Jungle
- 1984
- Animal Farm

 :angry:


But if you like fantasy, I suppose you owe it to yourself to read the best fantasy series ever.
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Offline alirocker08

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Re: Looking for some good fiction....
« Reply #13 on: July 21, 2011, 05:34:50 AM »
Quote from: Ħ on July 21, 2011, 02:20:32 AM
Anyway, some of the best books I know of:
- Harry Potter series
:D
Quote from: Ħ on July 21, 2011, 02:20:32 AM
- To Kill a Mockingbird (has great characters like Atticus, but the ulterior social motives of the author are kind of a turnoff)
D:

I'm going to recommend Dracula, purely because it's a book that I think everyone should read given the massive surge in popularity of vampires in recent years. Other than that, Chinese Cinderella is a good read, not necessarily fiction as it's the authors autobiography of her childhood, but it's really moving none the less.
« Last Edit: July 21, 2011, 05:51:56 AM by alirocker08 »
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Offline Genowyn

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Re: Looking for some good fiction....
« Reply #14 on: July 21, 2011, 05:47:14 AM »
As recommended before, George RR Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series is excellent.

Also check out The Kingkiller Chronicles by Patrick Rothfuss. I'll also recommend any Chuck Palahniuk book (Rant is my favorite) and House of Leaves by Mark Z Danielewski.
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Offline skydivingninja

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Re: Looking for some good fiction....
« Reply #15 on: July 21, 2011, 08:56:29 AM »
Quote from: Ħ on July 21, 2011, 02:20:32 AM
- To Kill a Mockingbird (has great characters like Atticus, but the ulterior social motives of the author are kind of a turnoff)

Just saw this.  Wat?  Are you not aware that the use of art to inspire social change or to call attention to some issue is the focus of like, 99% of great art?   :facepalm: :facepalm: :facepalm: :facepalm: :facepalm: :facepalm:

There aren't enough facepalms H.  Just not enough facepalms.
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Offline Durg

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Re: Looking for some good fiction....
« Reply #16 on: July 21, 2011, 09:02:41 AM »
Quote from: yeshaberto on July 21, 2011, 02:59:09 AM
have you checked out any of peretti stuff?
I highly recommend This Present Darkness.  nothing else like it

I've read This Present Darkness, Piercing the Darkness, and The Oath.  I like his stuff. This Present Darkness really makes Christians think about the spiritual realm that we can't see.  Along the same lines as The Screwtape Letters but more exciting.
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Offline Sir GuitarCozmo

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Re: Looking for some good fiction....
« Reply #17 on: July 21, 2011, 09:07:55 AM »
Quote from: skydivingninja on July 21, 2011, 05:12:06 AM
If you don't like 1984 we are not a match.
If you think Catcher in the Rye is one of the best books ever we are not a match.

What I read of 1984, I didn't care for.  I very much enjoyed Catcher in the Rye.  :lol

For any fans of sci-fi, Vonnegut's "The Sirens of Titan" is fantastic.
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Offline sonatafanica

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Re: Looking for some good fiction....
« Reply #18 on: July 21, 2011, 09:08:10 AM »
Quote from: Ħ on July 21, 2011, 03:02:05 AM
I haven't delved that much into Christian fiction

i thought you read the bible though

teehehehhehhehhehhckckchhehekkcgehekche
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Offline TheVoxyn

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Re: Looking for some good fiction....
« Reply #19 on: July 21, 2011, 09:20:59 AM »
Quote from: sonatafanica on July 21, 2011, 09:08:10 AM
Quote from: Ħ on July 21, 2011, 03:02:05 AM
I haven't delved that much into Christian fiction

i thought you read the bible though

teehehehhehhehhehhckckchhehekkcgehekche
:lol
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Offline Nekov

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Re: Looking for some good fiction....
« Reply #20 on: July 21, 2011, 09:26:07 AM »
Deathgate Saga by Margaret Weiss and Tracy Hickman
The Shadow of the Torturer by Gene Wolfe
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Offline lonestar

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Re: Looking for some good fiction....
« Reply #21 on: July 21, 2011, 09:26:43 AM »
Try A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving. One of my all time favorites. A novel of true friendship and faith.

I'll also second The Stand, Enders Game, and add on Pastwatch by Orson Scott Card as well.
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Offline Ryzee

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Re: Looking for some good fiction....
« Reply #22 on: July 21, 2011, 09:31:23 AM »
Quote from: sonatafanica on July 21, 2011, 09:08:10 AM
Quote from: Ħ on July 21, 2011, 03:02:05 AM
I haven't delved that much into Christian fiction

i thought you read the bible though

teehehehhehhehhehhckckchhehekkcgehekche

 :rollin


Anyway, like a lot of others I'm gonna say A Song of Ice and Fire is your best bet.  Freaking amazing fantasy series.  Like a few others I'm gonna also say The Stand, and if you dig that and wanna check out more King then go with It.  (The book, I'm not saying "go with it" I'm saying "go with It."  Eh, you get the picture.)  Also The Dark Tower series is awesome if you wanna get deep into the King world.  Also, like many others I am disturbed by the number of classic books you disliked.  Animal Farm?  1984?  To Kill a Mockingbird?  WTF?  ???
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Offline SystematicThought

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Re: Looking for some good fiction....
« Reply #23 on: July 21, 2011, 10:04:35 AM »
You disliked 1984.....   :sadpanda:   :\

That just seems impossible!
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Offline Durg

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Re: Looking for some good fiction....
« Reply #24 on: July 21, 2011, 12:03:24 PM »
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Offline zxlkho

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Re: Looking for some good fiction....
« Reply #25 on: July 21, 2011, 12:23:21 PM »
Quote from: sonatafanica on July 21, 2011, 09:08:10 AM
Quote from: Ħ on July 21, 2011, 03:02:05 AM
I haven't delved that much into Christian fiction

i thought you read the bible though

teehehehhehhehhehhckckchhehekkcgehekche

:rollin :rollin
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Quote from: Ħ on September 15, 2011, 01:19:43 AM
Orion....that's the one with a bunch of power chords and boringly harsh vocals, isn't it?

Offline Dynia

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Re: Looking for some good fiction....
« Reply #26 on: July 21, 2011, 12:24:24 PM »
Try to find The Witcher series, I think the first and the second part of the saga have been released in English language. Great fantasy series, one of the best books i've ever read. Andrzej Sapkowski, the writer, has created an amazingly complex world and a fantastic political plot.

Also, some of Stephen King's books are fantastic, such as The Stand, IT, Pet Sementary or The Shining.

Oh, and the Discworld series by Terry Pratchett, the books are really fun to read.

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Offline axeman90210

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Re: Looking for some good fiction....
« Reply #27 on: July 21, 2011, 01:32:35 PM »
Stephen King epics... The Stand, It, and The Dark Tower series.
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Offline Ħ

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Re: Looking for some good fiction....
« Reply #28 on: July 21, 2011, 02:50:58 PM »
Quote from: skydivingninja on July 21, 2011, 08:56:29 AM
Quote from: Ħ on July 21, 2011, 02:20:32 AM
- To Kill a Mockingbird (has great characters like Atticus, but the ulterior social motives of the author are kind of a turnoff)

Just saw this.  Wat?  Are you not aware that the use of art to inspire social change or to call attention to some issue is the focus of like, 99% of great art?   :facepalm: :facepalm: :facepalm: :facepalm: :facepalm: :facepalm:

There aren't enough facepalms H.  Just not enough facepalms.
I don't like books that are written for that purpose.  They don't inspire me.  That's all there is to it.
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"All great works are prepared in the desert, including the redemption of the world. The precursors, the followers, the Master Himself, all obeyed or have to obey one and the same law. Prophets, apostles, preachers, martyrs, pioneers of knowledge, inspired artists in every art, ordinary men and the Man-God, all pay tribute to loneliness, to the life of silence, to the night." - A. G. Sertillanges

Offline sonatafanica

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Re: Looking for some good fiction....
« Reply #29 on: July 21, 2011, 03:11:00 PM »
yeah, because the lord of the rings definitely wasn't an allusion to the industrialization of ireland or anything
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Offline LeeHarveyKennedy

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Re: There's a joke to be made here, but... Nah
« Reply #30 on: July 21, 2011, 03:15:06 PM »
Without reading through the rest of the thread, I have to recommend East of Eden by John Steinbeck. Just a fantastic book.
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Offline Durg

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Re: Looking for some good fiction....
« Reply #31 on: July 22, 2011, 06:02:18 AM »
Quote from: axeman90210 on July 21, 2011, 01:32:35 PM
The Dark Tower series.

I have a long commute so I listened to each unabridged book from this series.  It was one of the most amazing journeys I've ever taken in my mind.  Hated the ending but the journey was amazing.
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Offline rogerdil

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Re: Looking for some good fiction....
« Reply #32 on: July 22, 2011, 10:05:35 AM »
Kurt Vonnegut - Breakfast of Champions
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Offline Ħ

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Re: Looking for some good fiction....
« Reply #33 on: July 22, 2011, 04:23:00 PM »
Some great suggestions.  In particular, I forgot about Steinbeck.  Gotta check him out.  Thanks guys for the suggestions.
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