Back to basics.

Assuming you can read, what type books do you read most? Since polls cannot be multi-questional, please include things like, how many/often you read, and suggest some good books.

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There is no history until something happens, then there is.

I said fantasy. I also write fantasy for all my english classes. I live in "here and now" I don't need to read so many books about it too.

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I tried sniffing coke, but the ice cubes kept getting stuck in my nose.
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Just fiction in general.

My all-time favorites are the Douglas Adams-books, but I can enjoy a
good thriller (no, I'm not talking about the Da Vinci Code).

Michael Crichton, John Grisham, Stephen King, Tom Clancy (some books), ...

I try to read most of those books in English. Reading books in English
and watching English movies with subtitles disabled (or English
subtitles enabled) is the best way to learn the language, imho.

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:: Forceflow.be :: Nuclear Dawn developer

Personally its Sci-fi as my top favorite but Fantasy adventure is a great second choice.

Choices of author include Timothy Zahn,Heinlein and Clark for Sci-fi.
Choices of author for fantasy is Ed Greenwood and Terry Brooks.

Books? To numerous to be contained within one forum post.

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There is no history until something happens, then there is.

Terry Brooks is really good.

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I tried sniffing coke, but the ice cubes kept getting stuck in my nose.
http://www.dimebowl.com

I don't read much actually, haven't read anything for about 4 months or
so now either. I like books by Tolkien, Gemmel, and Clancy - so mostly
fantasy with a little political/military intrigue :smile: I'm really
unadventurous with reading in that I stick to authors I know, but never
really experiment with others.

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How do you categorize "Harry Potter"? Fiction?

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I haven't read books for quite some time. Well, except for the bible
and some game-design articles and school books (well, no, I don't read
those - I haven't bought much for this year either). And a history book
now and then (mainly about the second world war).

I used to read a lot, though. Varying from japanese books (Musashi,
Taiko) to Star Wars and eventually also Lord of the Rings (though I'm
not at all into fantasy).

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Create-ivity - a game development blog

I don't read. But I still can't resist Harry Potter (I'm asshamed :sad: )

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Nickelplate is my dad

Madedog said:
How do you categorize "Harry Potter"? Fiction?

I would brand them "Fantasy" myself.

The Harry Potter books are among my all time favorites for their class.

I read continuously, be it books or the shampoo bottle in the privy. I read in phases, sometimes many books a month and sometimes one stretches into months.

Reading actually surpasses my computer as most enjoyable pastime.

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There is no history until something happens, then there is.

I like the "Biggles" series by Captain W. E. Johns. I've read about thirty or so.

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Better to be in denial than to be human.

Bill Gates understands binary: his company is number one, and his customers are all zeros.

To be honest, genre doesn't matter. All that matters is the authors command of the characters, plot, and their own language. If all that's there, anything can be an excellent read.

I would say fiction. Just because most non-fiction books are generally written with a "just the facts" attitude. There's always occasional books that aren't like that though.

I really like Michael Crichton as an all round author. Even if he only has one theme. Most everything else I have is just stuff that's well known, since I don't want to pick some book up, read it, and be pissed because it sucked. Not to mention ... books cost an arm and a leg new now. Christ, $8 starting price, unless it's part of a re-print discount series. No wonder less people read, buying movies, or going to the theater, is cheaper. I could find some bad-ass video games for $8! Silpheed only cost $5. I got that and a slice of pizza with a drink instead of getting a single book

I usually go to Good Will (donation store) to buy books. They have a slew of them and they're fairly cheap.

Just the other day I picked up: Bourne Supremacy, Bourne Ultimatum, Knightfall, Contact, What Savage Beast, and Castaways of the Flying Dutchman all for $20. The bourne books are the only ones that are paperback, too. Come to think of it ... that place has supplied about 80% of my book collection and I doubt I've spent more then $50 there on books.

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Blame it on Microsoft, God does.

fantasy fiction

sci-fi

some comedy

im rereading the bourne series by robert ludlum

they are well written and much better than the movies

they dont really follow much of the same plot either after the first one

fav authors: Crichton, Jordan, Ludlum, Orson Scott Card, Eddings,
Tolkien, Terry Brooks, Christopher Moore, and i also enjoyed the Da
Vinci Code cant remember who wrote that though and also Angels and
Demos same author

Crono said:
To be honest, genre doesn't matter. All that matters is the authors command of the characters, plot, and their own language. If all that's there, anything can be an excellent read.

To a point I generally agree. However, I dearly love a western movie and cannot read any western books, no matter whom writes them or how well.

I also find book versions of a story preferable to movie renditions in most cases.

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There is no history until something happens, then there is.

I tend to enjoy them both. I still don't agree with the idea that everything you like has to be in competition. (Book vs. Movie, Console vs. computer, hl2 vs. d3, it's just a little ridiculous, to be honest.)

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Blame it on Microsoft, God does.

<DIV class=quote>
<DIV class=quotetitle>? quoting Crono</DIV>
<DIV class=quotetext>I I still don't agree with the idea that everything you like has to be in competition. (Book vs. Movie, Console vs. computer, hl2 vs. d3, it's just a little ridiculous, to be honest.)</DIV></DIV>

I still do not understand why people ask "why?"

Having a preference is not necessarily a competition. I like some things and dislike others. Confrontation is entirely in the eye of the beholder.

For the record, I prefer books, computers and D3.

I am also assuming that the word "you" was intended generally. You sir, do not know me well enough yet to make such a bold statement about me personally. :wink:

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There is no history until something happens, then there is.

underdog is here

so dont be queer

well said underdog

Yeah ... meant generally ... It was just a statement.

I'm not keeping a record ... who told you that? ... What? This? No! it's not a gun ... HEY What's that over there?!

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Blame it on Microsoft, God does.

Crono said:
I'm not keeping a record ... who told you that? ... What? This? No! it's not a gun ... HEY What's that over there?!

Smiles warmly

This is the point where I say "Hold on a second while I answer the door"

*Underdog is absent a while during which several men in black suits ask him strange non sequitur questions.*

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There is no history until something happens, then there is.

oops, i clicked fiction when i wanted fantasy

harry potter pwns j00 (new movie trailer is out. Mad Eye Moody looks f**king queer and Ron needs a hair cut)

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Nickelplate is my dad

I like fantasy most, although I have read a few Tom Clancy's. I recommend Everworld by K.A Applegate, it's got a good concept. Also the more recent Harry Potter books are definitley worth a read.

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Reckless disregard for childrens well being, women and nothing but utter contempt for other cultures.

Terry Pratchett, leally nice stuff. I never dived into Harry Potter - too much commerce. But I checked out Artemis Fowl. I like it.

EDIT:

Okay: I saw the Harry Potter movies; they're okay. But the "Goblet of fire" Trailer really sucked. The main characters look even worse than they looked in "Prisioner of Azkaban". And especially Ron. I can't believe a wizzard-trainee would like to look like a pot smoking creep. Screw it all.

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Never try to be perfect - just try it and make the best out of it

How can they even think about making movies based on books that are 500 plus words? Also the Harry Potter series shows what Harry is thinking alot of time, and how can movies do this without having constant voice overs?

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Reckless disregard for childrens well being, women and nothing but utter contempt for other cultures.

I'm starting to read political stuff these days. Just finished Noam
Chomsky's "Hegemony or survival", which was interesting but got a bit
tedious towards the end. I've started "How Mumbo Jumbo Conquered the
World" by Francis Wheen, which seems to start out with the boring bits
like economy etc, but then gets more interesting.

I've read all the Harry Potter books so far, purely because I read the
first couple when I was a bit younger, and so by default want to finish
them! It's not too much of a problem, since they only take a few days
to read during the holidays.

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My site

Oh yes, I have seen all of the trailers concerning GoF, and I must say

• really, Moody looks like a f*cking f*g and basically he's NOTHING I

imagined him to be... I thought he was a bit more thinner and wore a
dark black robe and was to scare nuts out of people... instead, he is
more like a clown to me...

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How can they even think about making movies based on books that are 500 plus words? Also the Harry Potter series shows what Harry is thinking alot of time, and how can movies do this without having constant voice overs?

It can be done. It's just the movies based on books most times are pushed by studios. There are rare ones which are really pushed by love of the book by the film makers. A good example is Lord of the Rings.

If you're wondering how well emotion and portrayal can be played out without dialog, watch 2001.

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Blame it on Microsoft, God does.

What happened to comedy?

The day that reading Tom Sharpe doesn't have me in fits of laughter is the day that I have a labotomy.

If you're wondering how well emotion and portrayal can be played out without dialog, watch 2001

Or even watch some of the old silent movies.

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i eat paint

I like reading sci-fi, but can't get enough books to read :sad: . I usually
end up reading fiction stuff, including some real crap of late (John
Grisham's The Brethren=ubers**tty). I've read quite a lot of
non-fiction of late though. Notably: Something Happened by Joseph
Heller. If Catch 22 didn't, this book will mess with your mind.

fraggard said:
I like reading sci-fi, but can't get enough books to read :sad: .

There are many unabridged, text versions of books available on bit-torrent sir. Have you tried there?

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There is no history until something happens, then there is.

I've read a couple of books on my computer (Harry Potter 1-4 and some others) but I'd much rather have it so that I can just read anywhere. I think the Halo series of books are the best literature based on a game that I have ever read.

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Reckless disregard for childrens well being, women and nothing but utter contempt for other cultures.

I enjoy reading the books written by Robert Ludlum, i recently finishd The Bourne ultimatum and the Tristan Betrayal. Both very good books, kept it exciting to the end. I just started in Angels and Demons from dan Brown, for the last year all the books i read were in english, i enjoy it much more then reading in dutch, also the books are cheaper to get here :smile: .

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The strength of the turbulence is directly proportional to the temperature of your coffee.

Nickelplate said:
Terry Brooks is really good.

I've said it before and I'm saying it again, Terry Brooks is the Bud Light of modern fantasy.

Non fiction, ermmmmm novels, mostly horror, and harry potter.

fraggard said:
I like reading sci-fi, but can't get enough books to read :sad: .

There are many unabridged, text versions of books available on bit-torrent sir. Have you tried there?

aye,aye cap'n. I tried and found and downloaded quite a few.
'cept I can't read on a monitor for too long (<2 hrs) whereas I
typically read books in 4-6 hr stretches at a time :/

Nothing beats having the pages in your hand. Not yet, at least.

Bit of anything really - lean toward non-fiction mostly, but I
alternate with occasional dips into random fiction off our hostel
community bookshelves. It's worth noting that non fiction readers and
sales far outstrip fiction nowadays, and have done for some time.

If you want to read some good non fiction, try any of Bill Brysons
books. I have only read 2 so far (Down Under, A Short History Of Nearly
Everything) and they prove to be an excellent blend of facts, humour,
social commentary and a lot more. He is definately worth checking out.

More recently I read "A Safe Area" - Pulitzer Prize winner for
investigative reporting. It was a rather harrowing look at the events
surrounding the Srebrenica massacre in the war of the mid 1990's. A
real eye opener to how UN red tape and pussyfooting can both lead to
tragic consequences and ultimately discredit the organisation which was
founded with the intentions of stopping such events occuring again.

I also finished a few weeks ago a book by an author whose name escapes
me, called "Cuba and the night". Worth a look if you see it lurking on
the fiction shelves of second hand book shelves. Also recently read
"The Terminal Man" , the story of the guy who lived in Charles De
Gaulles Airport, Paris, for 15 years (The movie, "The Terminal" with
Tom Hanks is based roughly on his story). Also worth a read.

Oh, I ticked other, BTW.

Any good story really, I prefer Fiction, but if its a well done non-fiction book, I'll read it

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Signature? What signature!?

A good read is Rainbow Six by Tom Clancy. That is my favorite book.

I really enjoyed Rainbow Six also, probably my favourite Clancy book that I've read.

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Nickelplate said:
Terry Brooks is really good.

I've said it before and I'm saying it again, Terry Brooks is the Bud Light of modern fantasy.

amen to that