Help me pick out a book for a present...please.
I'm going to get my girlfriend a couple of books for Christmas I think, and it would be great if I could get some suggestions for what to get her, as there's definately people here that read way more than I do.
She likes Vonnegut, Palahniuk, that Perks of Being a Wallflower book, Life of Pi, stuff like that. I don't think she has enough patience for Welsh, and I don't know how much she'd like anything by Bret Easton Ellis.
I'm not necessarily looking for books by the authors above, but if there's something that sticks out along the same vein that you'd think she might like let me know. Thanks!
Then again, I might be wrong.
penn jilletes 'Sock'
neil gaimans 'Neverwhere'
max barry's 'Syrup' or 'Jennifer Government'
Katharine Dunn's Geek Love
Do it.
Come on. Somebody's got to recommend The Contortionist's Handbook by Craig Clevenger.
[QUOTE=PGoutis01]Come on. Somebody's got to recommend The Contortionist's Handbook by Craig Clevenger.[/QUOTE]
i was going to but if she cant get into any bret easton ellis, might not be able to get into that one either
[QUOTE=Suicidal maniac]I liked [i]Story of my life[/i], by Jay McInerney.
A little less light-reading, but my personal favorite: [i]Grits[/i] by Niall Griffiths![/QUOTE]
That is McInerney's worst novel. Get any other McInerney novel but that one. I love McInerney but that novel was recycled tripe.
I was here. Then I wasn't. Then I was again.
This book called [I]Parasites Like Us [/I] by Adam Johnson is vaguely reminiscent of Vonnegut and was enjoyable. It just came out in paperback.
I was here. Then I wasn't. Then I was again.
is that parasites like us as in parasites really, really like us
or parasites are a lot like us
Why not Douglas Coupland?
[i]Microserfs[/i] or [i]Miss Wyoming[/i].
We can spend our lives letting the world tell us who we are.
[QUOTE=karbunkle]is that parasites like us as in parasites really, really like us
or parasites are a lot like us[/QUOTE]
The latter.
Though I would like to read the former as well.
I was here. Then I wasn't. Then I was again.
If she liked "Slaughterhouse Five" she might like "The Things They Carried" by Tim O'Brien.
PS: Sup, plastic.
There is hope, but not for us.
[QUOTE=jane s.]If she liked "Slaughterhouse Five" she might like "The Things They Carried" by Tim O'Brien.
PS: Sup, plastic.[/QUOTE]
Not diggin into you or anything, but Slaughterhouse Five and TTTC are similar books? Really? Maybe I need to go back over SH-5, but I thought the whole interdimensional thing wasn't all that prevalent in TTTC. Could be wrong. Going After Cacciato is an O'Brien book a bit more along those spacy lines. Not that these little comments should stop anybody from buying and/or reading The Things They Carried as it is indeed one of the best books EVER. As my italian friend says, "It's really a-good."
maybe some Kundera?
THATS SO +3 STILETTO DUDE
[QUOTE=Rents]Not diggin into you or anything, but Slaughterhouse Five and TTTC are similar books? Really? Maybe I need to go back over SH-5, but I thought the whole interdimensional thing wasn't all that prevalent in TTTC. Could be wrong. Going After Cacciato is an O'Brien book a bit more along those spacy lines. Not that these little comments should stop anybody from buying and/or reading The Things They Carried as it is indeed one of the best books EVER. As my italian friend says, "It's really a-good."[/QUOTE]
I was going to suggest Cacciato...
I was here. Then I wasn't. Then I was again.
[QUOTE=lofivinyl]maybe some Kundera?[/QUOTE]
His recent stuff is shorter and tighter than his earlier work. Try [I]Slowness[/I] or [I]Identity[/I] maybe for a gift.
Of course his classic (and best) is The Unbearable Lightness of Being.
But Kundera is not the sort of thing that appeals to someone who stays in the Palahniuk/Ellis/etc. realm. Totally different kind of author.
I was here. Then I wasn't. Then I was again.
[QUOTE=Parkaboy]His recent stuff is shorter and tighter than his earlier work. Try [I]Slowness[/I] or [I]Identity[/I] maybe for a gift.
Of course his classic (and best) is The Unbearable Lightness of Being.
But Kundera is not the sort of thing that appeals to someone who stays in the Palahniuk/Ellis/etc. realm. Totally different kind of author.[/QUOTE]
oh. well ok then, what about some douglas coupland?
THATS SO +3 STILETTO DUDE
[QUOTE=lofivinyl]oh. well ok then, what about some douglas coupland?[/QUOTE]
Yes. Coupland is good. My on-again-off-again girlfriend sent me some Coupland to read. Now that we are back "on-again" maybe I can read the second book she sent...
Anyway, Coupland is good.
Life After God is great, Gen X is his most famous. I piccked up Miss Wyoming myself not too long ago, looks promising.
You could try that for your GF.
I was here. Then I wasn't. Then I was again.
[QUOTE=sara faye]No, I don't think they're really that similar in terms of genre, other than the whole war focus. But "Things They Carried" has some really supernatural elements: the music coming out of the fog, the 17 year old fiancee who joins the SF (sorry, it's been a bunch of years since I've read it). To me it has a lot of the same "feel", sort of a not-really-pro-not-really-anti war/life/whatever feel. Like "This is what happened. I'm not proud or pleased or sad about what I did. I just want to tell you this story."
That's my own interpretation though.
--Jane[/QUOTE]
word.
I'd recommend A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole. I talk about that book a lot, but it's really great. Check it out and see if you think it would be the right gift. High Fidelity by Nick Hornby is great for the significant others as well.
[QUOTE]I'd recommend A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole.[/QUOTE]
Agreed. Class.
If you're going to give a Coupland - I reckon it has to be Girlfriend In a Coma, as long as you assure her there is no hidden message in the title.
[QUOTE=karbunkle]penn jilletes 'Sock'
neil gaimans 'Neverwhere'
max barry's 'Syrup' or 'Jennifer Government'[/QUOTE]
Yes! I was going to say Syrup!
Girl, Interrupted is a good book. Better than the movie. Other than that? I'm stumped right now. Ugh.
[QUOTE=jane s.]If she liked "Slaughterhouse Five" she might like "The Things They Carried" by Tim O'Brien.
PS: Sup, plastic.[/QUOTE]
How's it going? It's really been a while...
Then again, I might be wrong.
[I]As She Climbed Across the Table[/I] - by Jonathan Lethem
[I]The Lovely Bones[/I] - by Alice Sebold
Coupland's a good choice too.
"I'm going on the record as it's not good for my rehabilitation to be around hard narcotics and funk music. Write it down."
-Barrett Rude Sr. to his parole officer
in Jonathan Lethem's [I]The Fortress of Solitude[/I]
Pratchett, Doglas Adams (I hear anything beyond the Hitchhiker's Guide is a bit thick), I recently discovered Robert Rankin. He's got the best title of any book I have every seen - "The Hallow Chocolate Bunnies of the Apocalypse" I'm starting The Witches of Chiswick which seems good so far.
If one was to fall in love with you,
That is, if one were so inclined,
Would you love one in return as well,
Or would you be to one unkind?
[QUOTE=DrFunk97][I]As She Climbed Across the Table[/I] - by Jonathan Lethem
[I]The Lovely Bones[/I] - by Alice Sebold
Coupland's a good choice too.[/QUOTE]
I enjoyed [I]As She Climbed Across the Table[/I].
I was here. Then I wasn't. Then I was again.
[QUOTE=plastic]How's it going? It's really been a while...[/QUOTE]
Not too bad. I just took my last final this morning. FREEEEEEEEDOM. I'm going home tomorrow to kip out for a good three weeks. Yourself?
There is hope, but not for us.
Same, I just took my last one this afternoon, and I'm a little burnt out. Six hour drive tomorrow though!
ps. Thanks for the suggestions everyone, that should be more than enough but if you feel like adding any more I'll be sure to take a look.
Then again, I might be wrong.
I liked [i]Story of my life[/i], by Jay McInerney.
A little less light-reading, but my personal favorite: [i]Grits[/i] by Niall Griffiths!
[size=-2]
"what's so amazing about really deep thoughts?" - Tori Amos
"I can resist everything except temptation" - Oscar Wilde[/size]