Help BrandNew get back into reading them book things

[TakingBackSunday]

The last two or three years or so, I have been neglecting my intellectual duty to further broaden my mind and explore the depth of both classical and modern literature, as well as nonfiction pieces as well.  This lack of a constant intake of knowledge has made me feel, quite honestly, stupid.  My writing has suffered, my understanding of the world around me has dwindled, and I fear that my 20s will be defined by a 9-5 and beer, and only those two things.  I want to correct that!

So for some of the big readers on the Bore (who I respect and believe to be some of the more intelligent forum-goers I've encountered), can you recommend me some books and pieces to start back up with?  What about some resources on how to find new books that are getting critical praise (that ISN'T the NYT Best Seller list)?  How can I keep track of the best modern authors?

To help you out, my favorite materials happen to some of the following:

Catcher in the Rye, Slaughterhouse 5, Brave New World, most Oscar Wilde materials, the works of Author Rimbaud, T.S Eliot, old english literature (Chaucer), Lord of the Rings books, most of JD Salinger's work

I realize that is an embarrassing list of Creative Writing 101 bullshit, but as I said, I really want to start digging and finding great works that I'm missing out on.  I'd love to get more into sci-fi and horror fiction, but I'd also like to get more familiar with modern authors as well.

Please excuse my ignorance – I'm trying to get better 

[Am_I_Anonymous]

[Yulwei]

There is nothing better than sitting down and reading a damn good book.

I could geek the fuck out with Sci-fi recommends but I will simply recommend this

[Am_I_Anonymous]

There is nothing better than sitting down and reading a damn good book.

I could geek the fuck out with Sci-fi recommends but I will simply recommend this

(Image removed from quote.)

Just started reading Iain Banks shit



 

[Yulwei]

The Culture 

Consider Phlebas is a good book, but the series gets  much better after that entry.

The two books that come after that, The Player Of Games and Use Of Weapons,  are amazing.

[Eric P]

New York Review of Books, LA Review of Books are good places to start for mainstream publishing.  It's where I find a lot of interesting sounding things in a variety of different genres / disciplines.

http://www.nybooks.com/
http://lareviewofbooks.org/

If you want to keep hipster cred high, check out Volume 1 http://www.vol1brooklyn.com/  though be forewarned, like many hip places, it seems to place a lot of emphasis on novelty and recursion. Unlike with music where you can pretty much instantly tell if something isn't for you, it can take a bit longer for a book.

If you don't mind delving into the past a bit, everything I have read from Valencourt Books has been excellent, regardless of genre.
http://www.valancourtbooks.com/

[TakingBackSunday]

Thanks Eric!  Resources like that are just what I've been looking for.

[Supermanisdead]

[Mr. Gundam]

Fuck Tao Lin so hard.

I don't read much anymore. I think the only book I've read this year was the new Haruki Murakami, which I managed to read in it's entirety on the flight from Seattle to Detroit.

[Madrun Badrun]

I'm reading Harry Potter right now because PD is always talking about Harry Potter and every time he mentions it I feel like I should also read harry Potter.  I fought the urge for years but finally submitted two weeks ago. 

[jakefromstatefarm]

Slaughterhouse 5, Brave New World, most Oscar Wilde materials

I fuck with these

Sounds like you'd like T. H. White, check out The Once and Future King.

Dune is the alpha and omega when it comes to sci-fi. You might also wanna see if Terry Pratchett is up your alley, but I'm way outta my element when it comes to this genre.

spoiler (click to show/hide)

Chaucer is Middle English, fwiw

[close]

as for non-fic, what are you looking for specifically?

[Steve Contra]

Dune 

[Am_I_Anonymous]

Dune

[Am_I_Anonymous]

Dune

 

[Mr. Gundam]

Dune

[Am_I_Anonymous]

[Steve Contra]

(Image removed from quote.)

Better than the books

[ToxicAdam]

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


There are chapters in this book that are hot fire and will seer into your brain. The story is an absurb comic romp and merely a vehicle to let Robbins throw out some wild shit, but it's worth it.

[Am_I_Anonymous]

[Steve Contra]

If BrandNew hasn't read Tom Robbins we can take away his hipster card

[TakingBackSunday]

of course I fucking haven't, didn't you read my OP.  I'm an embarrassment

[Madrun Badrun]

The scifi channel Dune mini series are great.  New your pretty enough that you don't need to read anyways.  Watch those.

[Steve Contra]

 

You have some catching up to do my friend.

[ToxicAdam]

Dune starts off really rough though. I had to read those first 3-4 chapters about three times before I even knew what the hell was going on. I was only 13 at the time, but had really good reading comprehension for my age.

[Steve Contra]

The David Lynch Dune is the only one you need.  it doesn't make any sense, but that production design 

[TakingBackSunday]

Jodorowsky's Dune sounds like it would've been an even bigger mess, just prettier and more rapey

[Steve Contra]

So it has one more good thing than the book is what you're saying

[Am_I_Anonymous]

[Positive Touch]

stay away from that fancy booklearing bullshit, boy. cone with me to the illiterate side

[Steve Contra]

When someone finally recommends Franzen just say "no thank you, I'm white but not that white"

[Am_I_Anonymous]

I could do this all day

[TakingBackSunday]

you think I know these words you write

I don't

[Phoenix Dark]

was gonna neg AiA for recommending Eragon, but his Iain Banks post makes up for it.

[Yulwei]

was gonna neg AiA for recommending Eragon, but his Iain Banks post makes up for it.

 

fuck, making me laugh this hard when i have a cough