Read more books! Educate! Educate!

[venta]

I spend a lot of time on trains, commuting. And a lot of that time I spend reading. I have, however, come to a rather sad realisation: I can't be trusted to choose my own books.

This became unusually obvious in late summer, when I was pondering my annual ponder of what to send spindlemere for his birthday. By tradition, I always send him a book. So... what was the best book I'd read all year? Er... The Lies of Locke Lamora[*] Which would be a fabulous present, if only it weren't what he'd sent me for my previous birthday. And, er, I couldn't think of a single other thing I'd read that I felt inclined to recommend.

Most of the books I've read this year that I've really enjoyed have been presents. This isn't really surprising, because my own method of choosing books is ridiculously capricious, and tends to be based around liking the covers or finding them at eye-level on a library shelf. For years that seemed to serve me remarkably well, and I found some real gems, but I've obviously lost my touch.

Accordingly, this year my new year's resolution is to read better books. Which is where you, ladies and gentlemen of LJ, come in. Please recommend me a book which you love, and which I should read. I'd like fiction, but beyond that I'm willing to try anything. It'd be useful if it weren't something which is very out of print, but if you really think it's worth it I'll try and track it down (or turn up on your doorstep demanding to borrow a copy).

[Poll #1887610]


[*] 75% a brilliant work of genius. Loses its way badly by the end, though. Still worth a read.

Comments

[maviscruet.livejournal.com]

If you have read that - let me know and I'll recommended....... :-)

[venta.livejournal.com]

Nope, never heard of it :)

[triskellian]

Additional recommendation: trek all the way to Bath, and go to a Mr B's Reading Emporium book spa, where you'll be served tea and cake, and have a long conversation with a book seller about books you've enjoyed, and then they will bring you a huge pile of things they think you'll like. With, if my experience is typical, a surprisingly good hit rate - my poll recommendation is one I got from there.

Otherwise, there's a Locke Lamora sequel called Red Seas under Red Skies or something like that. Which I liked better than the first one.

[hirez.livejournal.com]

Yes.

Although it's worth just pitching up at Mr B's anyway because they're a lovely bunch.

[venta.livejournal.com]

Funny you should mention that - I was actually given a voucher for Mr B's Reading Spa for Christmas. It sounds fabulous and I'm really excited about going :) (The voucher is lovely, all laid out like a beauty spa voucher... 60 minutes book chat, 30 minutes in their "super-comfy reading chair", etc.)

I didn't actually enjoy the sequel as much as TLoLL, but it was still decent.

[ceb.livejournal.com]

*envy*

[lathany.livejournal.com]

I felt that same way as you about the sequel and preferred the first one. They are apparently the first two of a series of seven.

[ceb.livejournal.com]

Tell us some things you've read and liked...

[venta.livejournal.com]

OK.... a mixed smattering of favourite books in no particular order: An Instance of the Fingerpost (Iain Pears), The Heaven Tree (Edith Pargeter), Neuromancer (William Gibson), Snowcrash (Neal Stephenson), The Eagle of the Ninth (Rosemary Sutcliffe), Emotionally Weird (Kate Atkinson).

In general I like whodunnits (but not police procedurals, nice cosy murders), I like historical fiction, I like books with surreal edges, but not too mad. I like sci-fi and fantasy, but there's a shocking amount of bad stuff out there so I rely on others to do my weeding :)

However, I'm very happy to be recommended out of my comfort zone!

[ceb.livejournal.com]

Ooh! ooh! ooh! I have *just* the books for you. The Small Change trilogy by Jo Walton: Farthing, Ha'penny and Half A Crown. The first is "a cozy country house murder mystery with Nazis". They're set in an alt-history Britain where Britain negotiated peace with the Nazis during the second world war, and they are absolutely excellent.

I don't think they currently have a publisher in the UK, which is shocking given how good they are, so you may have to resort to amazon.com or second-hand places, but they are well worth the resorting.

[beckyl.livejournal.com]

Ben Aaronovitch - Rivers of London

[bopeepsheep.livejournal.com]

Seconding this - (so far) a very good trilogy, well worth it if you like murder, fantasy, etc. The 'police' part is not your standard procedural.

[venta.livejournal.com]

You only get to recommend one, so let me know your final answer :)

[lanfykins.livejournal.com]

However I, not having previously recommended, can add it in :)

[ringbark.livejournal.com]

Please note that I am not recommending any other work by any of these authors. There is no connection between the three suggestions. All other work by Dickens, especially his other Christmas works, should be avoided as too boring or too depressing. I haven't read much else by the other two authors, though might recommend The Three Incestuous Sisters by Niffenegger (though it's actually a picture book rather than a novel) or Jakob Wywialowski and the Angels, a very short story by the same author. A copy of the latter will be in your inbox shortly.

[venta.livejournal.com]

You only get to add one to my list (though of course I'll revisit any extra recommendations).

I might let you off a short story (for which many thanks), but is it to be the time travelling or the Christmas Dickens?

[ringbark.livejournal.com]

If you have not read A Christmas Carol, that will be my recommendation.
If you have already read it, then The Time Traveler's Wife is my recommendation.
Note that The Muppet Christmas Carol is the best adaptation of the book ever made, while the movie of the TTW is widely reckoned to suck like an Electrolux.

[beckyl.livejournal.com]

Hounds of the Morrigan

[marjory.livejournal.com]

Ooh! I love that!

Pedestrians Forbidden!

[lnr]

OK, my vote is an *utter* cheat, but links to the books I've read in 2012, hopefully in a display style which includes my reviews. The Michael Marshall Smith is probably the star of the show, and is a thorough recommendation, but I'll not be surprised if you've already read it.

In terms of stuff read less recently I really rate Susanna Clarke's Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell.

[venta.livejournal.com]

Nah, the whole point is that I'm not allowed to do any choosing - you have to pick one and one only :)

I recently read Michael Marshall Smith's "Only Forward" (the mysterious anonymous parcel I received a few weeks back) and that was ace.

I read Jonathon Strange a few years ago and enjoyed it a lot.

[dr-bob.livejournal.com]

Spares is in the same mode as only Forward, but then he dropped the smith, and switched into thriller-illuminati mode which is a less interesting style IMHO.

[snow-leopard.livejournal.com]

If you liked Only Forward read "One of Us" by Michael Marshall Smith. It would be a toss up which of those two books I prefer.
I read Spares, but found it very VERY dark. Darker than I like my books!

[lnr]

OK, assuming that rules out the MMS and the Clarke my one vote is for Nick Hornby - A Long Way Down - and I'll go put that in the poll instead of the list of read-in-2012 link: http://www.librarything.com/catalog/lnr_blair&tag=read-in-2012

[ebee.livejournal.com]

I'm having a similar problem - all my good enjoyed books are recommendations from you! I've got a book voucher for Christmas for water stones and want to get something fab but keeping hitting a problem of having read too many of the 'easily available' books in the. 3 for 2 section and am just out of options. I intend to raid this comments section!

[venta.livejournal.com]

I think most of the recommendations are as answers to the poll (which annoyingly you can't even see if you're reading via the mobile version of the site :( )

[tigerfort.livejournal.com]

Kate Griffin's books. You start with "A Madness of Angels", and then carry on reading. The weakest is "The Neon Court", and then the next one after that is "The Minority Council", which is fantastic.

I'll probably be putting up a list of what I read this year in a day or two, as well. (Actually, I should put up the lists for 2010 and 2011, too.)

[keris.livejournal.com]

I would recommend you things, but as you well know, my taste in books is so fantastic it's come right round the other side and so most people think it's absolutely terrible :)

[snow-leopard.livejournal.com]

Let me know if you want me to send you some books down! Or can bring a stack down when I see you in March.

[venta.livejournal.com]

Oh, thanks! I'll let you know :)

[beckyl.livejournal.com]

Hounds is a kids book I love, and conveniently in the 12 days of Kindle sale on Amazon for less than £1. Physical book wise, buy Rivers of London. If I have to only recommend one, then Rivers because if you like it, there's a decent chance you'll like the next two, so it's a sneaky 3-for-1 recommendation.

[venta.livejournal.com]

Looks like lanfykins has gone for Rivers of London, so I'll put you on the list as sponsoring Hounds of the Morrigan :)

[undyingking.livejournal.com]

That was probably the best I came across this year for combo of well written and also fun to read.