# Book Recommendation Thread



## Subtle Murder (May 19, 2012)

Read a book recently that you want to tell someone about? Have a favourite book that you'd like to expose other PerC members to?  Or just have a couple of good recommendations you think people would like? Share them here! 

Use this form for recommendations (or don't, it's up to you).  



> [insert cover image here if applicable]
> *Title:*
> *Author:*
> *Blurb:*
> ...


Just to kick start us off, here are a couple of personal recommendations. 









*Title:* Skulduggery Pleasant
*Author:* Derek Landy
*Blurb:* 



> Meet Skulduggery Pleasant. Sure, he may lose his head now and again (in fact, he won his current skull in a poker match), but he is much more than he appears to be—which is good, considering that he is, basically, a skeleton. Skulduggery may be long dead, but he is also a mage who dodged the grave so that he could save the world from an ancient evil. But to defeat it, he'll need the help of a new partner: a not so innocent twelve-year-old girl named Stephanie. That's right, they're the heroes.
> 
> Stephanie and Skulduggery are quickly caught up in a battle to stop evil forces from acquiring her recently deceased uncle's most prized possession—the Sceptre of the Ancients. The Ancients were the good guys, an extinct race of uber-magicians from the early days of the earth, and the scepter is their most dangerous weapon, one capable of killing anyone and destroying anything. Back in the day, they used it to banish the bad guys, the evil Faceless Ones. Unfortunately, in the way of bad guys everywhere, the Faceless Ones are staging a comeback and no one besides our two heroes believes in the Faceless Ones, or even that the Sceptre is real.
> 
> So Stephanie and Skulduggery set off to find the Sceptre, fend off the minions of the bad guys, beat down vampires and the undead, prove the existence of the Ancients and the Faceless Ones, all while trading snappy, snippy banter worthy of the best screwball comedies.


*What did you like about it?* The one thing that I really liked most about this book was Derek Landy's sense of humour. The banter between the two main characters is often side-splitting, pleasantly witty. So, despite the fact this could be classified as a 'Young Adult/Teenage' type of book, it's actually pretty appealing to a wider audience.  
*Who do you think would like this book?* I think anyone who really enjoyed Harry Potter could enjoy this series.  It has your typical good guy, your bad guy, your young hero(ine), and a battle between two worlds. 
*GoodReads Link (if applicable): *Skulduggery Pleasant









*Title:* Exquisite Corpse
*Author: *Poppy Z Brite
*Blurb:*



> The novel unfolds in alternating chapters from the points of view of the four main characters. Andrew Compton, a convicted serial killer (based on real life serial killer Dennis Nilsen), leaves his prison cell as a dead man in a self-induced cataleptic trance and rises again to build a new life. His journey takes him to New Orleans' French Quarter-- to the decadent bars and frivolous boys that haunt the luscious dark corners of a town brought up on Voodoo and the dark arts.


*What did you like about it? *Absolutely everything. I loved how violent and sickening this book was, how passionate the protagonist was about his "hobbies", and how vividly the author painted the murder scenes. This book isn't for the faint of heart. Just a warning: it contains cannibalism and necrophelia.
*Who do you think would like this book? *Anyone who likes horror and has a strong stomach. 
*GoodReads Link (if applicable):* Exquisite Corpse


Apologies if there is a thread similar to this one. I looked but I couldn't find it. I also think this would be a cool sticky thread, coz people could come back to it and keep adding to it over time.


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## Subtle Murder (May 19, 2012)

*Title:* The Book Thief
*Author: *Markus Zusak
*Blurb:*



> It is 1939. Nazi Germany. The country is holding its breath. Death has never been busier, and will be busier still.
> 
> By her brother's graveside, Liesel's life is changed when she picks up a single object, partially hidden in the snow. It is The Gravedigger's Handbook, left behind there by accident, and it is her first act of book thievery.
> 
> ...


 *What did you like about it? *Everything. It's hard to pinpoint exactly what I liked about it - the writing style, the characters, the themes (endurance, love, acceptance, death etc). It was just an incredibly well written book. And the quirky thing? It's written from Death's P.O.V.*
Who do you think would like this book? *Most people I have recommended it to have loved it. I think if you're willing to give it a shot, you will like it. *
GoodReads Link (if applicable):* The Book Thief


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## Stelmaria (Sep 30, 2011)

I had been meaning to post something in this thread after my exams, I'm surprised this thread hasn't got much love in the mean time, I guess other members of this forum don't feel that others should read books.
:tongue:

I therefore present:









*Title:* Without fear of wind or vertigo (English translated version)
*Author:* Vorts Viljandi
*Blurb:*

Caught within a whirlwind of twists and cliffhangers, both real and imagined, the reader soon learns learns to confront their fear within the gathering of the shadows. This is a novel that gives the sense of the world after the end of the world, the sense that the world is the end of everything that there is in the world, that the only thing there is in the world is the end of the world.

*What did you like about it?*

Before reading, I suggest avoiding the reviews on Goodreads or Amazon. Both to avoid spoilers, but to also avoid seeing the deeply polarised reviews, in fact after reading more than a few reviews you may be forgiven for thinking that some of the readers were reading a completely different book. I think this is a book that should at least be tasted for a chapter before forming judgement. This book is as much about a relationship between the author and the reader as it is the story itself.

Related aside: I found this book after seeing it mentioned in "How to Be an Explorer of the World" and I'm glad I did.

*Who do you think would like this book?*

̶P̶o̶s̶t̶m̶o̶d̶e̶r̶n̶i̶s̶t̶ ̶a̶u̶t̶h̶o̶r̶s̶,̶ ̶c̶o̶u̶n̶t̶e̶r̶f̶e̶i̶t̶e̶r̶s̶,̶ ̶p̶s̶e̶u̶d̶o̶i̶n̶t̶e̶l̶l̶e̶c̶t̶u̶a̶l̶s̶ ̶a̶n̶d̶ ̶g̶u̶y̶s̶ ̶w̶h̶o̶ ̶s̶e̶c̶r̶e̶t̶l̶y̶ ̶f̶a̶n̶c̶y̶ ̶L̶u̶d̶m̶i̶l̶l̶a̶ ̶V̶i̶p̶i̶t̶e̶n̶o̶, you dear reader.


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## geekofalltrades (Feb 8, 2012)

*Title: *_The Eyre Affair

_*Author: *Jasper Fforde

*Blurb:
*


> Welcome to a surreal version of Great Britain, circa 1985, where time travel is routine, cloning is a reality (dodos are the resurrected pet of choice), and literature is taken very, ​_very_ seriously. England is a virtual police state where an aunt can get lost (literally) in a Wordsworth poem, militant Baconians heckle performances of ​_Hamlet_, and forging Byronic verse is a punishable offense. All this is business as usual for Thursday Next, renowned Special Operative in literary detection, until someone begins kidnapping characters from works of literature. When Jane Eyre is plucked from the pages of Brontë's novel, Thursday must track down the villain and enter the novel herself to avert a heinous act of literary homicide.​


*What did you like about it?*
This novel is just wildly imaginative, but Fforde does a great job of seeing you through to the end. Contrast that with someone like Tom Holt, who has a great imagination but leaves me, personally, feeling completely lost as a reader sometimes (case in point: _Here Comes The Sun_). The book is also often praised for its many references to classic fiction. It's a delightful read, but a bit rough around the edges; not unexpected, considering that this was Fforde's first novel. If you persevere, the remaining novels in the series are much smoother.

*Who do you think would like this book?
*There's a certain brand of humor that is clever, but completely un-subtle. Fans of Dave Barry know the type of humor I'm talking about, and you occasionally get good examples of it in _Family Guy_ (but if you don't like _Family Guy_, don't let that turn you off of my recommendation). It's humor that's so blatant that you can't help but snort. Some people like it, some people don't. I happen to love it, and so I loved _The Eyre Affair_. If you hate that sort of comedy, you'll probably not like the book very much. Example: one of the main antagonists is the head of the evil Goliath Corporation, name of Jack Schitt. I should also note that Jasper Fforde was recommended to me as someone who's a fan of Terry Pratchett.

*GoodReads: *The Eyre Affair (Thursday Next #1) by Jasper Fforde - Reviews, Discussion, Bookclubs, Lists


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## Subtle Murder (May 19, 2012)

Snow Leopard said:


> I had been meaning to post something in this thread after my exams, I'm surprised this thread hasn't got much love in the mean time, I guess other members of this forum don't feel that others should read books.:tongue:


I was definitely looking forward to more book recommendations! ;( Thank you for your contribution!  









*Title:* Gerald's Game
*Author: *Stephen King
*Blurb:*



> A different kind of bedtime story from Stephen King, as a game of seduction between a husband and wife ends in death. But the nightmare has only just begun...


 *What did you like about it? * This has got to be one of my all time favourite Stephen King books. I borrowed this book off my eldest brother at the age of thirteen, and it is what got me hooked on King's writing. 

A psychological thriller which deals with the consequences of sex play gone wrong, _Gerald's Game_ had me biting my nails in anticipation. I found I could not put it down because I needed to see how the heroine would figure her way out of her predicament. 

When introducing people to Stephen King, I usually recommend this book as it doesn't fall short like some of his other books do. If you like character driven novels, this is definitely the book for you. There's not too much plot in the way of things happening, yet it is still an incredibly interesting and compelling read.
* Who do you think would like this book? *Anyone who is a fan of Stephen King, or justwilling to give this a go. I really highly recommend it.  *
GoodReads Link (if applicable):* Gerald's Game


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## adrianna114 (Jul 18, 2012)

*Title:* The Fault In Our Stars
*Author:* John Green
*Blurb: *This book is about, among other things, cancer. If you don't like sad stories you might not want to read it, but I personally don't think books should be dismissed just for not being happy all the way through.
*What did you like about it? *Well-written. Meaningful. Not too predictable. It gets you really involved in it and maybe even a little attached to the characters. You'll probably finish it quickly even if you're a slow reader.
*Who do you think would like this book? *People who like a story that has romance in it, but has more meaning than that - it is not a stereotypical love story. People who like emotional books, or people who just want to read a good book and are open to different genres. It's a young adult book but I don't necessarily think you'd have to be a young adult to enjoy it.
*GoodReads Link (if applicable):* I can't post links yet 


If you like other John Green books, you'll probably like this one. I read both Paper Towns and Looking for Alaska before this book but was blown away by this one. Actually...writing this review makes me want to re-read it. I know some people don't like this book but hey, not everyone can like everything.


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## Setsuna (Jun 27, 2012)

*Title:* Unless
*Author: *Carol Shields
*Blurb:* Reta Winters is a happily married, middle-aged mother of three daughters who writes light fiction. But one day her oldest daughter, Norah, drops out of college and begins sitting on street corners, panhandling with the aid of a sign that reads, 'Goodness'. The book is largely about Reta- what happens to her, how she feels, what she does about her life once her daughter has effectively 'dropped out' of her own.
*What Did You Like About It?:* Good heck, everything. Carol Shields is a killer writer- she has this truly rare mix of deep intelligence that just flows forth so effortlessly. You know those people who are trying to show off how smart they are, all the big words that they know? And it all feels so forced? Shields is the total opposite- a truly intelligent woman whose smarts can't help but show. The story is so compelling and yet somehow never over-the-top or cheesy. I could see this happening to me. Some people argue that it's too slow, too little happens. But I'm sick of tour de forces, of books that are just so EPIC. There's just as much force behind Reta Winters- it's just that it's a silent hurricane. But I have personally always preferred lightning to thunder.
*Who do You Think Would Like This Book?:* Oh, I would say anyone could potentially see the magic in this novel. But especially women. It's a feminist manifesto really- just the quiestest one that I've ever heard.
*GoodReads Link (if applicable): *www.*goodreads*.com/book/show/74462.*Unless
*Argh. My filter is blocking GoodReads. I think that the above link is right (it was on the Google searchpage underneath the link), but yeah...


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## zethry (Nov 15, 2011)

Okay, so I love Lois McMaster Bujold's Vorkosigan Saga. I would recommend that you start with Young Miles (an omnibus)
[insert cover image here if applicable]
*Title:* _Young Miles_
*Author:* Lois McMaster Bujold
*Blurb:* THE WARRIOR'S APPRENTICE: When 18-year-old Miles Naismith Vorkosigan's dream of being in the military is ruined, he decides to go on vacation. His vacation becomes an adventure and ends up creating an alternate personal Admiral Naismith and taking over a mercenary outfit. It's a fantastic story about self-discovery and reaching your dreams despite the odds.
THE MOUNTAINS OF MOURNING (novella): Miles, on leave from the academy, gets to "play detective" for a back-country murder case in his home district. 
THE VOR GAME (2nd novel of the omnibus): Miles graduates from the academy hoping to receive ship duty. Instead, he's given a post at Kyril Island (AKA Camp Permafrost by anyone who's ever been posted there), predicting and combating the local weather. He butts heads with his commanding officer right from the start. When he finally gets home leave he is sent on a secret mission (as Admiral Naismith) by Imperial Security.
*What did you like about it? *I loved the characters--they are so real! And the world building. I can't think of anything that I DIDN'T like, actually. I always get sucked right in!*
Who do you think would like this book? *People who like science fiction. People who don't like science fiction (it's not aliens and earth being attacked and things like that.) People who like adventure.Anyone who likes well written characters and worlds.*
GoodReads Link (if applicable):* Young Miles (Vorkosigan Saga, #3-4; Vorkosigan Omnibus, #2) by Lois McMaster Bujold - Reviews, Discussion, Bookclubs, Lists


Basically, I just want to chant READ IT READ IT READITREADITREADIT!!!!


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## Enkidu (Apr 19, 2010)

*
Title:* _The Fifth Head of Cerberus _
*Author:* Gene Wolfe
*Blurb: 
*


> Back in print for the first time in more than a decade, Gene Wolfe's The Fifth Head of Cerberus is a universally acknowledged masterpiece of science fiction by one of the field's most brilliant writers.
> 
> Far out from Earth, two sister planets, Saint Anne and Saint Croix, circle each other in an eternal dance. It is said a race of shapeshifters once lived here, only to perish when men came. But one man believes they can still be found, somewhere in the back of the beyond.
> 
> In The Fifth Head of Cerberus, Wolfe skillfully interweaves three bizarre tales to create a mesmerizing pattern: the harrowing account of the son of a mad genius who discovers his hideous heritage; a young man's mythic dreamquest for his darker half; the bizarre chronicle of a scientists' nightmarish imprisonment. Like an intricate, braided knot, the pattern at last unfolds to reveal astonishing truths about this strange and savage alien landscape.


*What did you like about it?
*The first-person perspective, the theme of alienation, changing styles of storytelling, and the depth of meaning. The character development unfolds slowly, secrets about each character involved (over the course of the 3 stories) is revealed incrementally. The story itself is brilliant, not only because it is non-linear, but for the simple reason that it leaves you guessing until the last page. 
*Who do you think would like this book?
*If you're literate, relatively well-read, and enjoy a challenge. Something my favorite author wrote comes to mind, “While we read a novel, we are insane—bonkers. We believe in the existence of people who aren't there, we hear their voices... Sanity returns (in most cases) when the book is closed.” This book will pull you into a fantasy world; it's horribly unique and clearly the work a of an extremely individualized imagination. 
*GoodReads Link (if applicable): *Check it out!


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## disasterbunny (Jul 2, 2012)

title _The Good Soldier Svejk
author Jaroslav Hasek
This is what i like about this book it's hilarious

__Hilarious quotes from the novel The Good Soldier Švejk__ * "Jesus Christ was innocent too,' said Svejk, 'and all the same they crucified him. No one anywhere has ever worried about a man being innocent. Maul halten und weiter dienen ('Grin and bear it and get on with the job') - as they used to tell us in the army. That's the best and finest thing of all."__ * "After debauches and orgies there always follows the moral hangover."__ * "The lieutenant’s fooling around again with the telegraph girl at the station,” said the corporal, after he had gone. “He’s been running after her for a fortnight and he’s always frightfully furious when he comes from the telegraph office and he says about her: “She’s a whore. She won’t sleep with me!"__ * "When Švejk subsequently described life in the lunatic asylum, he did so in exceptionally eulogistic terms: 'I really don't know why those loonies get so angry when they're kept there. You can crawl naked on the floor, howl like a jackal, rage and bite. If anyone did this anywhere on the promenade people would be astonished, but there it's the most common or garden thing to do. There's a freedom there which not even Socialists have ever dreamed of."__These hilarious quotes from The Good Soldier Švejk will help you deal with life cheerfully and calmly.
_


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## Subtle Murder (May 19, 2012)

*Title:* After the Quake
*Author: *Haruki Murakami
*Blurb:*



> The economy was booming. People had more money than they knew what to do with. And then, the earthquake struck. Komura's wife follows the TV reports from morning to night, without eating or sleeping. The same images appear again and again: flames, smoke, buildings turned to rubble, their inhabitants dead, cracks in the streets, derailments, crashes, collapsed expressways, crushed subways, fires everywhere. Pure hell. Suddenly, a city seems a fragile thing. And life too. Tomorrow anything could happen. For the characters in Murakami's latest short story collection, the Kobe earthquake is an echo from a past they buried long ago. Satsuki has spent 30 years hating one man: a lover who destroyed her chances of having children, and who now lives in Kobe. Did her desire for revenge cause the earthquake? Junpei's estranged parents also live in Kobe. Should he contact them? Miyake left his family in Kobe to make midnight bonfires on a beach hundreds of miles away. Four-year-old Sala has nightmares that the Eathquake man is trying to stuff her inside a little box. Katagiri returns home to find a giant frog in his apartment on a mission to save Tokyo from a massive worm burrowing under the Tokyo Security Trust Bank. "When he gets angry, he causes earthquakes" says Frog. "And right now he is very, very angry."


 *What did you like about it? *I love how absolutely quirky Murakami's writing is. I am a huge fan of character driven novels, and these short stories were very much character-centric. Often you would get the feeling of an incomplete story, or having been dropped into the middle of things. But _After the Quake_ is a wonderful collection of stories about people surviving in the best way that they know how to. *
Who do you think would like this book? *Pretty much anyone. The writing style isn't hard to grasp, the characters are likeable enough, and the stories themselves aren't all that long so you won't feel bogged down. *
GoodReads Link (if applicable):* After the Quake


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## Subtle Murder (May 19, 2012)

*Title:* Cloudstreet
*Author: *Tim Winton
*Blurb:*



> Struggling to rebuild their lives after being touched by disaster, the Pickle family, who've inherited a big house called Cloudstreet in a suburb of Perth, take in the God-fearing Lambs as tenants. The Lambs have suffered their own catastrophes, and determined to survive, they open up a grocery on the ground floor. From 1944 to 1964, the shared experiences of the two overpopulated clans -- running the gamut from drunkenness, adultery, and death to resurrection, marriage, and birth -- bond them to each other and to the bustling, haunted house in ways no one could have anticipated.


 *What did you like about it?* I like how honest this book was. It's almost as if Winton went: "Okay, so here are these two families who've been through some pretty traumatic shit. Let's throw 'em together and see what happens!"And that is basically what he does. The results were pretty captivating, and I found I couldn't put the book down. *
Who do you think would like this book? *Anyone who likes bestsellers. This was on the Top 100 chart of one of the main bookstores I worked for for over 2 and a half years. Also, anyone who is interested in stories about the everyday mundane struggles of suburban families. This isn't an epic book by any means, but it's definitely relateable. Also, it has a lot of Australian colloquialisms in it, so if you have trouble understanding it, feel free to ask me questions.  *
GoodReads Link (if applicable):* Cloudstreet.


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## Athesis (Sep 2, 2012)

The definitive book of body language


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## The Nth Doctor (May 18, 2012)

_Nation_, by Terry Pratchett.

*Blurb:* Mau is the only one left after a giant wave sweeps his island village away. But when much is taken, something is returned, and somewhere in the jungle Daphne—a girl from the other side of the globe—is the sole survivor of a ship destroyed by the same wave. 
Together the two confront the aftermath of catastrophe. Drawn by the smoke of Mau and Daphne's sheltering fire, other refugees slowly arrive: children without parents, mothers without babies, husbands without wives—all of them hungry and all of them frightened. As Mau and Daphne struggle to keep the small band safe and fed, they defy ancestral spirits, challenge death himself, and uncover a long-hidden secret that literally turns the world upside down. . . . 

*What did you like about it?* It's just an excellent, well-written, thought-provoking story. It's not an epic, but it's not mundane either. It's neither a comedy nor a tragedy. It's about life and death, it's about belief and scepticism, it's about progress and destruction. It's all presented in a fun and interesting way.
*Who do you think would like this book?* Anyone who likes Terry Pratchett, anyone who is fascinated by big ideas, anyone who likes to read good stories. 
*GoodReads Link (if applicable):* Here.


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## Paradox1987 (Oct 9, 2010)

*Title*
_Hangover Square_ - Patrick Hamilton


*Blurb*


> London, 1939, and in the grimy publands of Earls Court, George Harvey Bone is pursuing a helpless infatuation. Netta is cool, contemptuous and hopelessly desirable to George. George is adrift in a drunken hell, except in his 'dead' moments, when something goes click in his head and he realizes, without a doubt, that he must kill her. In the darkly comic Hangover Square Patrick Hamilton brilliantly evokes a seedy, fog-bound world of saloon bars, lodging houses and boozing philosophers, immortalising the slang and conversational tone of a whole generation and capturing the premonitions of doom that pervaded London life in the months before the war.


*What Did You Like About It?*
This is a superb black comedy. The author does truly capture pre-war London. There are excellent references to the appeasement policy. You get a real sense for the old Earl's Court. The one that my parents speak of. A far cry from the sanitised and downright 'posh' Earl's Court of today. The plot is different, it's a very different love story, one in which you'll root for the protagonist, and I felt the whole gamut of emotions for him; pity, despair, disgust, elation and trepidation. The characters are well crafted, the landmarks such as "The Shakespeare" pub still stand today.

*Who Do You Think Would Like This Book?*
Anyone with a dark sense of humour. If you like the macabre, and can laugh at the disturbing elements of mankind, this book you will enjoy. It requires a basic understanding of the slang of the era, so anyone with an interest in pre-war London will lap this book up. You truly will smell the gin from the pages :wink:. If social satire, bleak humour and social history aren't your thing at all, avoid.

*GoodReads Link (if applicable)*
Hangover Square by Patrick Hamilton - Reviews, Discussion, Bookclubs, Lists


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## Kore (Aug 10, 2012)

Paradox1987 said:


> *Title*
> _Hangover Square_ - Patrick Hamilton
> 
> 
> ...


You got me interested in a book that I can only get from the university library! Parking is always 15 bucks+! :crying:

Blasphemy! 

But really, thank you, it's on my "do it now" list.


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## Dolorous Haze (Jun 2, 2012)

Paradox1987 said:


> *Title*
> _Hangover Square_ - Patrick Hamilton
> 
> 
> ...


I saw a review about that on Sky Arts ages ago and I've been meaning to read it but I can't find it anywhere! I'm just going to have to order it online I suppose.


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## friendly80sfan (May 12, 2011)

*
Title: *The Chocolate War *Author: *Robert Cormier
*Blurb: *I'm not good at describing what books are about, so I'll just put part of the blurb from goodreads: Stunned by his mother's recent death and appalled by the way his father sleepwalks through life, Jerry Renault, a New England high school student, ponders the poster in his locker-_Do I dare disturb the universe?_
Part of his universe is Archie Costello, leader of a secret school societ-the Virgils-and master of intimidation. Archie himself is intimidated by a cool, ambitious teacher into having the Virgils spearhead the annual fund-raising event-a chocolate sale. 
*W**hat did you like about it?
*I found it to be a very meaningful book. I could read it ten times and find a new meaning every time. I'm planning on intensely studying this book. I like how the point of veiw changes from protagonist and antagonists. It really shows both sides. It has great character developement. It is an interesting book. It never felt boring. It has a beautifully depressing ending (my favorite kind). The main reason I loved it was because it's jam packed with meaning and I love books that leave me with more than a cool story.
*Who do you think would like this book?
*I think it would be a good book for people who search for meaning in books, people who don't mind a book that's a bit depressing, and anyone interested in reading a really good book.*
GoodReads Link (if applicable):* The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier - Reviews, Discussion, Bookclubs, Lists


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## Paradox1987 (Oct 9, 2010)

*Title/Author*

_The Secret History_ - Donna Tartt

*Blurb*


> Under the influence of their charismatic classics professor, a group of clever, eccentric misfits at an elite New England college discover a way of thinking and living that is a world away from their contemporaries. But when they go beyond the boundaries of normal morality their lives are changed profoundly and for ever.


*What Did You Like About It?*
This book is riveting. I couldn't put it down. It's thematically incredibly nuanced. It explores Nietzsche's take on Greek life, the opposition between the lifestyles of Appollo and Bacchus. It handles ideas of reality, fiction, beauty etc and explores them in subtle and compelling ways. Even though the book isn't mysterious, in that you know what'll come next, you read on anyway. This book is a true celebration of literary style whilst remaining accessible to everyone.

*Who Do You Think Would Like This Book?*
Anyone who enjoyed tales like "Crime and Punishment" but with richer background canvases, a more narratory style and a real exploration of the human, all too human mind.

*GoodReads link*
The Secret History by Donna Tartt - Reviews, Discussion, Bookclubs, Lists


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## Subtle Murder (May 19, 2012)

*Title:* Changing Planes
*Author: *Ursula K. Le Guin
*Blurb:*



> Sita Dulip has missed her flight. But instead of listening to garbled announcements in the airport, she has found a method of bypassing the crowds at the desks, the long lines at the toilets, the nasty lunch, the whimpering children and punitive parents, the bookless bookstores, and the blue plastic chairs bolted to the floor.
> 
> This method - changing planes - enables Sita to visit fifteen societies not found on Earth. She will encounter cultures where the babble of children fades over time into the silence of adults; where whole towns exist solely for holiday shopping; where personalities are ruled by rage; where genetic experiments produce less than desirable results. And many other erotic landscapes whose denizens are fundamentally human...


 *What did you like about it? *Everything. Each chapter is a different plane, exploring a different theme in relation to society and humankind. Very thought-provoking whilst being incredibly fun to read. Le Guin has a way with words that gets your imagination racing. I really enjoyed reading this book. *
Who do you think would like this book? *Anyone who is interested in science-fiction or astral traveling. It's only 250+ pages, so it's a quick read if you have a day or so to put aside. *
GoodReads Link (if applicable):* Changing Planes.


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## Paradox1987 (Oct 9, 2010)

*Title/Author*

_Gulliver's Travels_ - Jonathan Swift

*Blurb*


> Jonathan Swifts's classical satirical fable was first published following the 'South Sea Bubble' and other financial and commercial scandals which sadly strike a chord in our own times. It introduced many fictional lands and peoples which have since entered the English language, including the minute inhabitants of Lilliput, the giants of Brobdingnag, and the Yahoos in the land of the Houyhnhnms. Swifts's attack on the futility of science which is not applied to human betterment in its widest sense, is relevant to today's post-industrial culture.


*What Did You Like About It*
I first read this as an abridged children's version. But read the original as a teen. Since then the book never lost relevance. The criticisms of Swift about each element of humanity in his fictional people/species is still relevant today. It amazes me how people still cling to colonial style cultural hubris, especially after Swift created the houyhnhnms. This is a scathing critique of humanity and politics. The importance this book has had on Britain, and the Anglophone world cannot be overstated. A classic in every way, and a satire that will depress you, make you chuckle, and ultimately make you realise that not that much has changed. Sadly.

*Who Do You Think Would Like This Book?*
Anyone who has not read it. Anyone who seeks a social satire but grows weary of the Dickensian polemics, here is the book you seek. If you've never read the full version of this, or any version for that matter; what are you waiting for?

*GoodReads link*
Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift - Reviews, Discussion, Bookclubs, Lists


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## FiNe SiTe (Dec 11, 2009)

The Dune Trilogy by Frank Herbert.


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## Aya the Abysswalker (Mar 23, 2012)

*
Title: *_At the Mountains of Madness_ 
*Author:* H.P. Lovercarft

*What did you like about it?*
The writing style was what I liked the most. Even though this is just a novella (Lovecraft wrote mainly novellas and short stories), it's wonderfully rich in details that make your suspicion of disbelieve surprisingly easy. The characters are all feel very human, probably due to the first person narration, with detailed back-stories that will be useful in the story's development.
I just give you one warming, not to read the end before you finish it. Lovecraft is master of suspension and twist endings, reading the final line will ruin your experience.
*
Who do you think would like this book?*
Horror, suspense and mystery fans, but also the fans of Stephen King and Neil Gaiman.

*Recommended Playlist:
*<strong>




*Read It:
*At the Mountains of Madness - Creepypasta Wiki


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## Penny (Mar 24, 2016)

Sorry about the huge picture. ive forgotten how to resize pics on here. I recently acquired this book and would definitely recommend it. It;'s the best book on Ayurveda I've come across. I've been following the diet plan for my dosha type and I feel great. It includes some recipes and sections on yoga and lots of other stuff too.


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