Summer reading recommendations?
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For those of us in the Northern hemisphere going into summer and potentially holidays it's traditional to stock up on books that can be read on holidays while lazing beside a large body of water sipping the beverage of your choice. A good summer read should be a book that suits the mood of a relaxing holiday, enjoyable, not too deep but thought provoking is ok (I.E. not War and Peace), definitely fiction (NO PROGRAMMING BOOKS), ideally a single self contained novel, not a huge series etc. I'm taking the summer off after a hard 5+ years of straight long hours, anyone have any summer reading recommendations? My recommendations for a couple of classics: Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury[^] While I read it many years ago it's an all time classic and I'd recommend The left hand of darkness by Ursula LeGuin[^]
"110%" - it's the new 70%
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For those of us in the Northern hemisphere going into summer and potentially holidays it's traditional to stock up on books that can be read on holidays while lazing beside a large body of water sipping the beverage of your choice. A good summer read should be a book that suits the mood of a relaxing holiday, enjoyable, not too deep but thought provoking is ok (I.E. not War and Peace), definitely fiction (NO PROGRAMMING BOOKS), ideally a single self contained novel, not a huge series etc. I'm taking the summer off after a hard 5+ years of straight long hours, anyone have any summer reading recommendations? My recommendations for a couple of classics: Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury[^] While I read it many years ago it's an all time classic and I'd recommend The left hand of darkness by Ursula LeGuin[^]
"110%" - it's the new 70%
John Cardinal wrote:
I'm taking the summer off after a hard 5+ years of straight long hours, anyone have any summer reading recommendations?
This place is full of developers, so they'll all say "Shakespeare", "Dickens", etc, to show how cultured they are. ... But what they'll be reading themselves is Playboy and D&D manuals.
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I've read all of the books and pretty much all the books and short stories written by the authors you mentioned, all good choices. I too first got addicted to sci fi reading Heinlein in junior high school, however going back and reading some of it now it's very different.
"110%" - it's the new 70%
Heinlein is what got me into real science fiction in Jr. High as well. I think my first was Spaceman Jones. Let me think of stuff that you might not have read that is sci-fi since you seem to be really well read.
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Heinlein is what got me into real science fiction in Jr. High as well. I think my first was Spaceman Jones. Let me think of stuff that you might not have read that is sci-fi since you seem to be really well read.
Hi, I think that's a losing cause there is pretty much noting between Jules Verne and whatever latest paperbacks were released in the last month that I have not read, I started this topic more for the benefit of others but thanks anyway! :)
"110%" - it's the new 70%
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I battled through that The left hand of darkness. Was a tough read. Looking at Jim Crafton's List there's some good stuff; Hyperion was good but the series went on a bit, definately not a quick read. I've heard good things about the Illium series though. I've just started Peter Hamilton's - Night's Dawn Trilogy, so far they're cool but they're also not quick reads. Some other old classic sci fi that I enjoyed: I. Asimov - Foundation Ray Bradbury - Fahrenheit 451 John Wyndham - The Day of the Triffids Philip K. Dick - Do Androids dream of Electric sheep (the book Blade runner was based on) Robert A. Heinlein - Starship troopers Orson Scott Card - Ender's Game, Speaker for the dead Larry Niven - Ringworld I don't know if you enjoy warhammer 40k but there was a book by Dan Abnett called Eisenhorn that was fantastic. I've also heard good things about William Gibson's Neuromancer although I haven't read it myself yet. Oh, and you can never go wrong with Terry Pratchett or Neil Gaiman.
Dad always thought laughter was the best medicine, which I guess is why several of us died of tuberculosis. I can picture in my mind a world without war, a world without hate. And I can picture us attacking that world, because they'd never expect it.
Other excellent recommendations. Neuromancer is excellent but if you read it for the first time now it's easy to think that he's copying other authors when in fact he was the originator of the genre (although some claim Neil Stephenson got there first I disagree, Burning Chrome is also a good read). To this day we still have "Thompson Eyephones" in our service management application's sample database. I have a lot of fun putting literary references into sample data, I also have sample users that are all characters out of Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand.
"110%" - it's the new 70%
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As a sci-fi geek I've been chastising myself having missed Frank Herbert's "Dune" from my reading list until only recently. Fantastic read that I have a hard time putting down! Will definitely be buying the rest of the series. A fave of my favorite sci-fi authors: Issac Assimov: Foundation series for an enthralling (long) read, or pick up one of his great robot books (e.g. Caves of steel) for a quick read. William Gibson: Early work like the sprawl series (Nueromancer, Burning Chrome, Monolisa overdrive) are easier IMHO to read than his more recent work, but I enjoy almost anything he releases. Neil Stephenson: Cryptonomicon and Snow-crash are my faves...i'll be starting on his latest trilogy after I finish Dune. Iain Banks: Most of his sci-fi work follows a similar, but enjoyable theme. Or perhaps just flick threw the Hugo and/or Nebula award winners and take your pick?
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John Cardinal wrote:
NO PROGRAMMING BOOKS
That doesn't sound like much of a holiday to me! ;) My Blog: http://allwrong.wordpress.com[^]
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If you have lots of spare time & fancy something different & very rewarding, I'd recommend "In Search of Lost Time" by Proust. It's quite a sizeable series but worth the effort. Science Fiction/Fantasy-wise Tad Williams' "The Dragonbone Chair" is one of my favourites, & up there with Tolkien IMO. History: "A People's History of the United States: 1492-present" by Howard Zinn Quick & brilliant Philsophy: "The Consolations of Philosophy" by Alain de Botton Inspiring Biography: "Che Guevara: A Revolutionary Life" by Jon Lee Anderson Superb classics: "The Iliad"; "Dangerous Liaisons"; "One Hundred Years of Solitude"; "The Catcher in the Rye"; "1984 Nineteen Eighty-Four" (Perhaps relevant now more than ever). Enjoy!
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The Count of Monte Cristo is a great read. Has it all: politics, violence, romance. It's a little different from the recent movie.
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Fiona bought me The World According to Garp which so far is pretty good.
regards, Paul Watson Ireland & South Africa
Shog9 wrote:
And with that, Paul closed his browser, sipped his herbal tea, fixed the flower in his hair, and smiled brightly at the multitude of cute, furry animals flocking around the grassy hillside where he sat coding Ruby on his Mac...
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John Cardinal wrote:
I'm taking the summer off after a hard 5+ years of straight long hours, anyone have any summer reading recommendations?
This place is full of developers, so they'll all say "Shakespeare", "Dickens", etc, to show how cultured they are. ... But what they'll be reading themselves is Playboy and D&D manuals.
Well the younger ones might but by and large this place is full of sucessfull developers with many years under their belt so you would probably be more likely to find a lot of married people a little beyond the D&D and playboy stereotype, normal, sucessful, well adjusted social people that actually like to go mountain biking in their spare time or race cars or any number of non stereotypical activities.
"110%" - it's the new 70%
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Other excellent recommendations. Neuromancer is excellent but if you read it for the first time now it's easy to think that he's copying other authors when in fact he was the originator of the genre (although some claim Neil Stephenson got there first I disagree, Burning Chrome is also a good read). To this day we still have "Thompson Eyephones" in our service management application's sample database. I have a lot of fun putting literary references into sample data, I also have sample users that are all characters out of Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand.
"110%" - it's the new 70%
John Cardinal wrote:
Neuromancer is excellent
Thanks! I'll read it after I finish starship troopers. I'm also trying to finish battlefield earth but it's taking a while to get into it.
John Cardinal wrote:
characters out of Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand
I had no idea Ayn Rand wrote fiction. I thought most of her stuff was philosophy. I'll see if I can find the book. Thanks for the suggestion!
Dad always thought laughter was the best medicine, which I guess is why several of us died of tuberculosis. I can picture in my mind a world without war, a world without hate. And I can picture us attacking that world, because they'd never expect it.
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John Cardinal wrote:
Neuromancer is excellent
Thanks! I'll read it after I finish starship troopers. I'm also trying to finish battlefield earth but it's taking a while to get into it.
John Cardinal wrote:
characters out of Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand
I had no idea Ayn Rand wrote fiction. I thought most of her stuff was philosophy. I'll see if I can find the book. Thanks for the suggestion!
Dad always thought laughter was the best medicine, which I guess is why several of us died of tuberculosis. I can picture in my mind a world without war, a world without hate. And I can picture us attacking that world, because they'd never expect it.
Atlas Shrugged is a fictional novel used to present her philosophical ideas. It's one of those books that everyone should read just to see that objectivist point of view, but I wouldn't call it light summer reading, she didn't benefit from a good editor on that one, it could have been pared down a few hundred pages and improved tremendously.
"110%" - it's the new 70%
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Well the younger ones might but by and large this place is full of sucessfull developers with many years under their belt so you would probably be more likely to find a lot of married people a little beyond the D&D and playboy stereotype, normal, sucessful, well adjusted social people that actually like to go mountain biking in their spare time or race cars or any number of non stereotypical activities.
"110%" - it's the new 70%
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John Cardinal wrote:
this place is full of sucessfull developers with many years under their belt
And over their belts also. ;P
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Yup all good reads, I really liked Cryptonomicon, and Burning Chrome is excellent.
"110%" - it's the new 70%
Two other authors who never fail to entertain me are Tom Robbins and Terry Pratchett.
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Two other authors who never fail to entertain me are Tom Robbins and Terry Pratchett.
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Ahh! Pratchett, excellent summer reading, I don't recall reading anything by Robbins or at least not in a long time. Cheers!
"110%" - it's the new 70%
It's been a while, but Still life with woodpecker, Skinny legs and All, Half Asleep in Frog Pajamas stand out in my memory as being excellent, entertaining books. After reading his bio on wikipedia (see link in my previous message), I never realised he was a friend of Terrance McKenna...i've also read some of Terrance's work, namely Food of the Gods and The Invisible Landscape. The later was pretty hard going, but Food of the Gods is interesting if you go in with an open mind. I will say that I think his Timewave zero theory is bogus, despite the Mayan coincidence...but at least we don't have to wait too long to find out! To go further off-off-topic :) there is a total solar eclipse that coincides approximately with this date in 2012, and after experiencing the last solar eclipse to land in my part of the world (Australia), i'm not going to miss this one either!
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I really enjoyed Alexander McCall Smith's No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency[^] series. Yes, it's a series, but most of the novels are self-contained and short. If you like science fiction, then Iain M. Banks' is a good bet, especially (IMO) Consider Phlebas[^] and Player of Games[^]. I'd also recommend (some of) his non-sf books, especially Crow Road[^] (others, like Complicity and the Wasp Factory are probably an acquired taste...). If you're in the mood for something slightly off-the-wall, try J.G.Ballard - I very much enjoyed Cocaine Nights, Super-Cannes and Millenium People (his most recent novels) as well as some of his first ones (The Drowned World, The Burning World, The Crystal World - NOT a series, but related, as they're all 'end of world/civilization' fantasies). What else....if you can find it, Harry Harrison's 'A Transatlantic Tunnel, Hurrah!' was a nice piece of 'alternate-world' fiction, as was Stephen Fry's 'Making History'. Neal Stephenson - not his enormo-tomes of recent years (although I *did* enjoy, and would recommend, 'Cryptonomicon'), but 'Snow Crash', 'The Diamond Age' and 'Zodiac'. If you can find room for some non-fiction, I can heartily recommend Simon Singh ('The Code Book', 'Fermats Last Theorem' aka 'Fermats Enigma: The Epic Quest to Solve the World's Greatest Mathematical Problem') and Dava Sobel ('Longitude'). If you have an interest in 'alternative' music, Michael Azerrad's 'Our Band Could Be Your Life' is excellent (and not just because the title is taken from a Minutemen song!). Well, that lot would keep me going for a couple of weeks if I were on a 'lounging
Stuart Dootson wrote:
What else....if you can find it, Harry Harrison's 'A Transatlantic Tunnel, Hurrah!' was a nice piece of 'alternate-world' fiction
I think I've still got a copy you can have for the price of the shipping... It was the only Harry Harrison story that I didn't like... Trevor.
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Well the younger ones might but by and large this place is full of sucessfull developers with many years under their belt so you would probably be more likely to find a lot of married people a little beyond the D&D and playboy stereotype, normal, sucessful, well adjusted social people that actually like to go mountain biking in their spare time or race cars or any number of non stereotypical activities.
"110%" - it's the new 70%
