Posted: Sat Mar 25, 2006 8:48 pm Post subject: Good book/movie rocommendation
I've been looking for a new book to read but I'm in the mood for something new and worth reading. I was hoping you guys could give me some recommendations for 1 book and 1 movie that you think everybody should see. Reasons behind which and a brief description would be helpful minus any spoilers included.
A book that I would recommend would be 1984 by George Orwell. It's setting would be something like what America would be like in it's not to distant future at our current rate of war and insecurities.
The movie however is a hard choice because I don't watch many movies but I would recommend the new movie 'V for Vendetta'. Follows the same lines of America's future.
I reccommend the "Cronica de una muerte anunciada" of "Gabriel Garcia Marquez", no idea if that book has his translation to english but i recently readed that one.
I also readed the "I Robot" book by "Isaac Asimov" because of a homework, i liked it.
Movies, new ones I don't know, but I like the comedia ones, so maybe if u like 'em, any of Jim Carrey is OK (Ace Ventura or Me, Myself and Irene)
Joined: 07 May 2005 Location: Bay Area, California
Posted: Sat Mar 25, 2006 10:26 pm Post subject: Re: Good book/movie rocommendation
[SIN]wrath wrote:
I've been looking for a new book to read but I'm in the mood for something new and worth reading. I was hoping you guys could give me some recommendations for 1 book and 1 movie that you think everybody should see. Reasons behind which and a brief description would be helpful minus any spoilers included.
A book that I would recommend would be 1984 by George Orwell. It's setting would be something like what America would be like in it's not to distant future at our current rate of war and insecurities.
The movie however is a hard choice because I don't watch many movies but I would recommend the new movie 'V for Vendetta'. Follows the same lines of America's future.
Your input would be most helpful.
Fiction:
If you like 1984, you should read Animal Farm by the same author (Orwell).
Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson.
Anything by William Gibson.
Nonfiction:
Anything by Al Franken, Cornel West, Barbara Ehenreich, Noam Chomsky.
I'm oddly drawing a blank for my list of books that everyone should read, so I guess I'll go with the most memorable one I've read in the past couple months. The Book of Saladin by Tariq Ali is a historical fiction novel -- actually, Amazon.com reviews can probably sum it up better than I can. I thought it would be boring when I read its description, but I was surprised at how fascinating the novel turned out to be. The author's writing style is superb, in my opinion. I also liked it because, as this is a Christian country, I'd never read about the "other" side of the Crusades in textbooks or anything like that.
For movies, everyone should see the independent film Pi. Actually, not really, it's just the only good movie that comes to mind that not everyone has seen already. It makes you think and is entertaining because of it.
For movies, everyone should see the independent film Pi.
I thought Pi was a pretty good movie; however I would suggest also checking out Darren Aronofsky's follow-up movie to that "Requiem for a Dream". It's a really great movie and shows how quickly ones life can decay through various events.
Posted: Sat Mar 25, 2006 11:21 pm Post subject: Re: Good book/movie rocommendation
niv wrote:
If you like 1984, you should read Animal Farm by the same author (Orwell).
Yeah, Animal farm was good. Although it was short (only a 2 day read) it was really well done. Basically a satirical allegory of the Russian Revolution. The pigs of the farm led a revolt against the masters and then developed their own government. Shortly after the government was born, the pigs become corrupted by power and a new tyranny is established under the pig 'Napoleon' (Stalin).
Great line from the book went something like 'All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.' The pigs were such noobs
Posted: Sat Mar 25, 2006 11:28 pm Post subject: books/film
Okay you asked for it
This is what one Ive been reading:
Politics:Christopher Hitchens -No one Left to Lie Too The Triangulations of William Jefferson Clinton.I myself enjoy Noam Chomskys work too(N
iv's avatar makes sense after checking out that list of authors)
Fiction:Italo Calvino-Mr.Palomar,Gore Vidal-Burr(historical fiction,also Myra Breckinridge is a fun read by same author)
History:Albert Speer-Infiltration(Der Sklavenstaat),some pan this book but i find it a very intersting read,Einhard-Life of Charlemagne(aka in Latin as Vita Karoli Magni)
Essays:Montaigne-The Complete Essays,might sound a little stuffy but this is a great work,also you should check out Orwells collection of essys
Horror:Only one guy to read-H.P.Lovecraft
Sci-Fi:Go for anything by Philip K. Dick
Ive Blathered enuff here,as Gollum noted hit up amazon for reviews of the above authors/books.
Okay Movies-Ive been on a Blake Edwards kick,nuff said
I know the titles in spanish of some Stephen King books, if u can translate it maybe you know
La niebla
Eso
El ciclo del hombre lobo
Those are the ones who i've already read of this great author, also it's a hitler book, here is called "Los hornos de Hitler" but don't know title in english, sorry.
Posted: Sun Mar 26, 2006 5:35 am Post subject: Books and movies, woohoo!!
It's already been mentioned, but I'd have to say that Animal Farm by George Orwell left quite an impression on me. I did read it at an impressionable age, but after reading it, I became much more attuned to the bigger picture in whatever I did or observed. The book satirizes the Russian Revolution and the Soviet Union under Stalin, but even as an American child in the late 20th century, I saw parallels for Old Major, Snowball, Napoleon, Benjamin, Boxer, et al in so many different contexts.
My official book recommendation for the purposes of this thread is Nerds 2.0.1 - A Brief History of the Internet, by Stephen Segaller. The space program and the Internet were conceived around the same time, but only now is the Internet getting its just due, and it cost a whole lot less to boot. Nerds 2.0.1 chronicles the trials and triumphs of the geeks, misfits, programmers, and engineers, among others, whose work made Zdaemon possible.
As for my movie recommendation, it's a crying shame you're limiting me to just one. I've got a spreadsheet with at least 130 "must see" flicks. How am I supposed to pick just one?! Well you asked for something recent, and since nothing that's come out recently makes my top twenty of all time, I get to nominate two: Munich and Good Night, And Good Luck. Both are very good movies with tie-ins to historical events (the Israel/Palestine question and censorship/McCarthyism) that are as pertinent today as ever. And just in case history isn't your thing - you can always watch the best action movie of all time, Ronin, which is fairly recent.
========================================
Now that I've officially responded to the thread, here's an unofficial supplement for those who care to read it.
They're not for everybody, but I'm a big fan of the Sherlock Holmes mysteries by Arthur Conan Doyle. The mini-novel A Study In Scarlet is the first in the series. It's an easy, entertaining read. Other fiction I recommend: The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury and Ordinary People by Judith Guest. For younger children, I recommend the Soup series by Robert Newton Peck and The Great Brain series by John D. Fitzgerald. They are written more for boys, but girls might like them, too.
If you're in a mathematical mood, then read A Beautiful Mind by Sylvia Nasar and watch Darren Aronofsky's Pi. If you're in a criminal state of mind, then read Mario Puzo's The Godfather and watch Francis Ford Coppola's Godfather trilogy.
I can go on all day about movies, but I'll try to keep this list on the short side.
Best of the Best: The Matrix, Dr. Strangelove, Office Space, Forrest Gump, Doctor Zhivago, Wonderboys, Murder On The Orient Express
Action: Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels and The Professional (a.k.a. Leon)
Chick Flick: Steel Magnolias
Comedy: Amelie and O Brother Where Art Thou
Documentary: The Buena Vista Social Club
Drama: Chinatown, Go, Hoosiers, The Hunt For Red October, Lean On Me, Metropolitan (1990), The Right Stuff, Schindler's List, The Shawshank Redemption, Traffic, The Usual Suspects
Suspense/Thriller: Fargo, Frailty, The Game, The Others
War: Apocalyspe Now and Saving Private Ryan
Western: The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly and Unforgiven
Posted: Sun Mar 26, 2006 1:52 pm Post subject: Re: Books and movies, woohoo!!
nogame4me wrote:
It's already been mentioned, but I'd have to say that Animal Farm by George Orwell left quite an impression on me. I did read it at an impressionable age, but after reading it, I became much more attuned to the bigger picture in whatever I did or observed. The book satirizes the Russian Revolution and the Soviet Union under Stalin, but even as an American child in the late 20th century, I saw parallels for Old Major, Snowball, Napoleon, Benjamin, Boxer, et al in so many different contexts.
My official book recommendation for the purposes of this thread is Nerds 2.0.1 - A Brief History of the Internet, by Stephen Segaller. The space program and the Internet were conceived around the same time, but only now is the Internet getting its just due, and it cost a whole lot less to boot. Nerds 2.0.1 chronicles the trials and triumphs of the geeks, misfits, programmers, and engineers, among others, whose work made Zdaemon possible.
As for my movie recommendation, it's a crying shame you're limiting me to just one. I've got a spreadsheet with at least 130 "must see" flicks. How am I supposed to pick just one?! Well you asked for something recent, and since nothing that's come out recently makes my top twenty of all time, I get to nominate two: Munich and Good Night, And Good Luck. Both are very good movies with tie-ins to historical events (the Israel/Palestine question and censorship/McCarthyism) that are as pertinent today as ever. And just in case history isn't your thing - you can always watch the best action movie of all time, Ronin, which is fairly recent.
========================================
Now that I've officially responded to the thread, here's an unofficial supplement for those who care to read it.
They're not for everybody, but I'm a big fan of the Sherlock Holmes mysteries by Arthur Conan Doyle. The mini-novel A Study In Scarlet is the first in the series. It's an easy, entertaining read. Other fiction I recommend: The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury and Ordinary People by Judith Guest. For younger children, I recommend the Soup series by Robert Newton Peck and The Great Brain series by John D. Fitzgerald. They are written more for boys, but girls might like them, too.
If you're in a mathematical mood, then read A Beautiful Mind by Sylvia Nasar and watch Darren Aronofsky's Pi. If you're in a criminal state of mind, then read Mario Puzo's The Godfather and watch Francis Ford Coppola's Godfather trilogy.
I can go on all day about movies, but I'll try to keep this list on the short side.
Best of the Best: The Matrix, Dr. Strangelove, Office Space, Forrest Gump, Doctor Zhivago, Wonderboys, Murder On The Orient Express
Action: Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels and The Professional (a.k.a. Leon)
Chick Flick: Steel Magnolias
Comedy: Amelie and O Brother Where Art Thou
Documentary: The Buena Vista Social Club
Drama: Chinatown, Go, Hoosiers, The Hunt For Red October, Lean On Me, Metropolitan (1990), The Right Stuff, Schindler's List, The Shawshank Redemption, Traffic, The Usual Suspects
Suspense/Thriller: Fargo, Frailty, The Game, The Others
War: Apocalyspe Now and Saving Private Ryan
Western: The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly and Unforgiven
I havnt read but have herad good reviews from close friends about the martisan chroniclesand I've read Ferenheight 451. I thank evetybody for their input. I'll let you know which book I tackle next.
Niven: Ringworld
Asimov: Foundation
Pohl: Gateway [my favorite novel, maybe]
Baxter: Manifold _____, Raft, any xeelee timeline stories
Bova: Rock Rats
Chalker: Wonderland Gambit
Julian May: Sentient Milleu series
Misc: Dangerous Visions; Again, Dangerous Visions
Fantasy
Eddings: Belgariad [all others get progressively worse over the years]
Duncan: Man of his Word, King's Blades
Donaldson: Thomas Covenant
Jordan: D&S epic Wheel of Time
Weis&Hickman: Death Gate cycle
Misc
Straub: the Throat [prolly best novel on this list], Shadowland
the Destroyer [series of fast, fun action novels about Remo Williams]
King: Dark Tower series, the Stand [original, not expanded version]
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