Favorite Books

[VampireLord1024VampireLord1024's icon]

What makes you like Grapes of Wrath more than Cannery Row? Anything Steinbeck is great, but I don't think I even finished Grapes of Wrath, yet I would probably rank Cannery Row as one of my favorites of all time.
View attachment 24169

I never read that one of John Steinbeck's (Cannery Row) so I can't answer.

 

[MegaHiro91]

I think I saw a movie adaptation of this a long time ago.

Likely the '93 version starring Kate Maberly. That's the one most are familar with.

It has been adapted numerous times though. There's the black and white one from 1949. The 75 version I recommended. The 87 version which was told as a flashback and had a slightly more cynical take on Mary. The 93 version which is the one most from my generation remember. 94, the animated one. 2017 the steampunk one. And most recently 2020, the one made by the Harry Potter director.

 

[diapered]

I never read that one of John Steinbeck's (Cannery Row) so I can't answer.

Oh, well if Grapes of Wrath is one of your favorites I would really recommend it then, I think most would consider the prose to be Steinbeck's best. Grapes of Wrath is certainly a more ambitious work, but I think cannary row is more engaging. Also, MUCH shorter :P

 

[gundamnut14]

ASOIAF was probably the thing that got me into reading when I was younger. Would have to add Kafka's The Trial and Vasily Grossman's Life and Fate as must-read books.

 

[Octopus]

Here's some promised photos of my little actual book collection, not counting my TTRPG stuff (I have a lot) and comic books.




More stuff I found while looking, here's my copies of the first four books of Series of Unfortunate Events, love them (ignore the gaviscon looming over them);


Dave Mustaine's autobiography, frontman of Megadeth;


And a piece of gold I discovered which unlocked a brain blast of memory of me reading it, and shows my national pride (I actually have very little, but we have a lot of cool UFO sightings for some reason);


Everyone's favourite mid 2000s absurdist satire that went over the heads of many who thought it was real;


The Halo books were fucking amazing, I had the whole series but I ended up giving away all but the first one, which is I think the best of the whole Eric Nylund stuff;


Sadly I couldn't find that Alex Ross book, I hope its just somewhere else in the house and I didn't lend it to someone and forget about it.

Oh, bonus round of a looseleaf binder of guitar tabs I printed off of websites when I was like 13.

Post automatically merged: Feb 11, 2025

I'll do another bonus round of my TTRPG shelf, why not.

Behold, the nerd library. There's like 4 copies of the 5th edition DnD book here because that's just what happens, for some reason;


And a picture of the nerd library's terrible guardian as a freebie;

 

[Karnik]

Lately I've been reading, as they are published in epubs format, various anthologies with the best horror stories from the legendary magazine Weird Tales, published in the early twentieth century in the United States, and which launched writers like Lovecraft, Howard, Seabury Quinn, Ashton Smith etc. Do any of you know it and have read any of its stories?

 

[Octopus]

Lately I've been reading, as they are published in epubs format, various anthologies with the best horror stories from the legendary magazine Weird Tales, published in the early twentieth century in the United States, and which launched writers like Lovecraft, Howard, Seabury Quinn, Ashton Smith etc. Do any of you know it and have read any of its stories?

Oh yeah, I haven't read any actual issues of Weird Tales of course but I've read a good number of the stories that were in them. It's really interesting how many writers it had that would become famous in the genre, and how many of the writers then became editors of it for various periods. Lovecraft edited it for I think a good 2 or 3 years before he set out to become a travel writer, I think Howard did some editing work on it before his death (could be wrong on that).

 

[ATenderLad]

Lately I've been reading, as they are published in epubs format, various anthologies with the best horror stories from the legendary magazine Weird Tales, published in the early twentieth century in the United States, and which launched writers like Lovecraft, Howard, Seabury Quinn, Ashton Smith etc. Do any of you know it and have read any of its stories?

Some of them, mostly Lovecraft and Howard though. (I've mentioned it elsewhere on here but I love Conan.)

 

[LiberoVulpesLiberoVulpes's icon]

Do any of you know it and have read any of its stories?

I own this book:

 

[Octopus]

Some of them, mostly Lovecraft and Howard though. (I've mentioned it elsewhere on here but I love Conan.)

What's your favourite Conan story? I only started reading the stories maybe about 3 or 4 years ago, don't know why I waited so long but they're of course amazing.

Mines probably Queen of the Black Coast, love the atmosphere of it and the finale is I think Howard's best fight scene writing, and thats tall competition. After that, maybe The Black Colossus or Red Nails.

 

[LiberoVulpesLiberoVulpes's icon]

I am more of a Solomon Kane guy.

 

[ATenderLad]

What's your favourite Conan story? I only started reading the stories maybe about 3 or 4 years ago, don't know why I waited so long but they're of course amazing.

Mines probably Queen of the Black Coast, love the atmosphere of it and the finale is I think Howard's best fight scene writing, and thats tall competition. After that, maybe The Black Colossus or Red Nails.

Of Howard's stuff? Probably *also* Queen of the Black Coast and Red Nails, with an honorable mention to Beyond the Black River.

It's a little heretical, but I grew up reading a lot of the comics and Marvel stuff first, and I liked some of them just as much or more. I can't find the issue, but there was one with a secret kingdom and a priest of Mitra that I remember really enjoying as a kid.

(Oh, and this is about books, but the first movie is a classic for the Basil Poledouris score alone, perfect for Conan or *any* fantastic adventure.)

 

[Octopus]

I am more of a Solomon Kane guy.

Hell yeah, Solomon Kane I think is just as good as Conan. Sad that he never had a chance to write more Kane stories. Red Shadows and Wings in the Night are top tier Howard stories.

Beyond the Black River.

Oooh I forgot about that one, good pick.

(Oh, and this is about books, but the first movie is a classic for the Basil Poledouris score alone, perfect for Conan or *any* fantastic adventure.)

The first Conan movie is one of my favourite movies of all time, man. "For us, there is no spring. Just the wind that smells fresh before the storm." When Subotai comes back to save him near the end, I shed a single manly tear.

 

[ATenderLad]

The first Conan movie is one of my favourite movies of all time, man. "For us, there is no spring. Just the wind that smells fresh before the storm." When Subotai comes back to save him near the end, I shed a single manly tear.

I've been telling people to "Contemplate this, on the Tree of Woe" basically my whole life. (I am *extremely* obnoxious.)

I love the brass section going bananas after the valkyrie save in the final fight scene, as Conan gets his bearings, but the music during the (sorry) giant snake orgy is unbelievably good. I wouldn't think you could compose a piece that says "fantasy orgy", but Basil had a mission.

 

[Strategist's iconStrategist]

 

[Waffles's iconWaffles]

Yo, guys: please keep politics away from the forum.

That shit already shapes way too much of our lives outside of this little digital island, and there's a rule against it, too.

 

[Strategist's iconStrategist]

Yo, guys: please keep politics away from the forum.

That shit already shapes way too much of our lives outside of this little digital island, and there's a rule against it, too.

My bad, Waffles. Just got baited by the agitator. My dislike of propaganda gets the best of me. Feel free to delete anything that you feel went too far.

 

[Octopus]

I've been telling people to "Contemplate this, on the Tree of Woe" basically my whole life. (I am *extremely* obnoxious.)

I love the brass section going bananas after the valkyrie save in the final fight scene, as Conan gets his bearings, but the music during the (sorry) giant snake orgy is unbelievably good. I wouldn't think you could compose a piece that says "fantasy orgy", but Basil had a mission.

I'll have to watch it again and pay attention to the score more, I always get distracted by the snake orgy.

 

[Waffles's iconWaffles]

My bad, Waffles. Just got baited by the agitator. My dislike of propaganda gets the best of me. Feel free to delete anything that you feel went too far.

That's fine, man.

Although all 10 (!) offensive posts on the threads will have to go.

No warnings for anyone... this time.

 

[HITMAN_99]

That's fine, man.

Although all 10 (!) offensive posts on the threads will have to go.

No warnings for anyone... this time.

sorry @Waffles i posted a joke comment, and then @Strategist show up and starting acting agitated, then it got all out off hand

ok @Strategist lets shake hands, and be friends.

 

[Strategist's iconStrategist]

sorry @Waffles i posted a joke comment, and then @Strategist show up and starting acting agitated, then it got all out off hand

ok @Strategist lets shake hands, and be friends.

I mean, you started bringing up politics. All I said was that a certain "author" didn't have the intellectual capacity to write a book by himself and I was right. The rest, I was baited, but whatever. As long as you don't flood the board with propaganda its fine. Otherwise, I'll report your ass every time you post something political about you know who.

 

[HITMAN_99]

I mean, you started bringing up politics. All I said was that a certain "author" didn't have the intellectual capacity to write a book by himself and I was right. The rest, I was baited, but whatever. As long as you don't flood the board with propaganda its fine. Otherwise, I'll report your ass every time you post something political about you know who.

i will take that ramble as a yes, cool, hope you have a nice day bro.

 

[Waffles's iconWaffles]

*Clears throat*.

Anyway... I just ordered the entire Sammy Keyes collection. I normally can't stand those kinds of books, but Van Draanen makes them SO. DANG. GOOD.

 

[IDMTINP]

Any non-fiction readers here?

Spoiler: A Short History of Nearly Everything - Bill Bryson

Just to give you an idea of how good this book is, this reviewer called it "the best book ever written". Is it really? Doubt it, but it's still a soul-clenching book for anyone with a hunger for understanding. The history of how we know what we know is far from what the classrooms depict. It's not formal nor sophisticated, it is messy, dramatic, and worthy of plenty of gossip.

 

[Zerpina]

Well. these didn't turn me into a Reader. but
Anything Cosmic horror. yes H.P. Lovecraft yada yada
Course i Love Poe. and Shakespeare and well i have random taste in books.

But i think my Favorite book Series is the Sonja Blue Collection. Set in the World of Darkness from Vampire the Masquerade. Really good reads, Written by Nancy A. Collins.


Sunglasses After Dark
1989
In the Blood
1991
A Dozen Black Roses
1996
Darkest heart
2002