Need some book recommendations.

[Schadenfreude]

Alright, the local library is having a summer reading program, and I'm partaking. Being that it's the library, they're fairly open-ended as far as what books to read, but here's some general categories:

EDIT: the following criteria is for 5 separate books. Even if 1 book satisfies multiple criteria, I need to (and want to) read 5. Should have clarified, my mistake.

- Any book that is set before 1950
- The Name of the Rose

- Any book that involves a crime being solved
- Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?

- Any biography
- Zeitoun
- An Obese White Gentleman in No Apparent Distress
- Persimmon Wind

- Any nonfiction
- Judo reference books
- Graphic arts reference books
- Guns Germs and Steel

- Any one book/movie that has a medieval theme

I have my ideas, but let's get some suggestions from the hivemind about this; the program ends by early Aug, but I'd like to get this done by mid-July as I have vacation coming up (I like to fancy myself a [relatively] fast reader so I'm not too worried).

As far as books I like, I am biased towards martial arts biographies (MMA fighters, significant historical figures, etc.) and that includes boxing, sci-fi, dystopian novels, mythology and folklore, etc.

As long as it is well written and presented clearly, I'm up for reading it.

 

[blackdogdeek]

unbroken
zeitoun
lone survivor
genome

these are all non-fiction

 

[slayer202]

well what topics do you like? non-fiction lets you do almost anything

 

[blackdogdeek]

the alienist satisfies the first two criteria and is a good read.

 

[KeithTalent]

Raymond Chandler; he should be able to cover off the first two and he has some pretty amazing stuff. He also did a couple of the greatest noir screenplays.

KT

 

[Schadenfreude]

well what topics do you like? non-fiction lets you do almost anything

Weeeeeell, I can read up on stuff I'm already interested in on the nonfiction stuff - more reference really, but I'm open to suggestions. I'm generally a curious person so as long as it's well written and clearly presented I'm down.

 

[zinfamous]

The Name of the Rose satisfies most of those criteria, and is shit-tons better than the god-awful DaVinci Code.

(It is mostly fiction, of course, with some non-fiction academic-type stuff)

 

[zinfamous]

Raymond Chandler; he should be able to cover off the first two and he has some pretty amazing stuff. He also did a couple of the greatest noir screenplays.

KT

ya. i was thinking Chandler or Hammett when reading the first 3 categories.

 

[Schadenfreude]

Okay, this is my list so far, I will add recommendations that sound interesting:

- Any book that is set before 1950
- The Name of the Rose

- Any book that involves a crime being solved
- Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?

- Any biography
- Zeitoun
- An Obese White Gentleman in No Apparent Distress
- Persimmon Wind

- Any nonfiction
- Judo reference books
- Graphic arts reference books
- Guns Germs and Steel

- Any one book/movie that has a medieval theme

 

[Kadarin]

Alright, the local library is having a summer reading program, and I'm partaking. Being that it's the library, they're fairly open-ended as far as what books to read, but here's some general categories:

EDIT: the following criteria is for 5 separate books. Even if 1 book satisfies multiple criteria, I need to (and want to) read 5. Should have clarified, my mistake.

- Any book that is set before 1950
- Any book that involves a crime being solved
- Any biography
- Any nonfiction
- Any one book/movie that has a medieval theme

I have my ideas, but let's get some suggestions from the hivemind about this; the program ends by early Aug, but I'd like to get this done by mid-July as I have vacation coming up (I like to fancy myself a [relatively] fast reader so I'm not too worried).

A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court fits the first and last categories.

For the 2nd, how about Marooned in Realtime, by Vernor Vinge. It's a rather different scifi murder mystery.

 

[KeithTalent]

ya. i was thinking Chandler or Hammett when reading the first 3 categories.

You know I don't think I've read a single Hammett novel. I really should.


@OP: Zeitoun was ok. I grabbed it at an airport just because I loved Eggers' memoir, but I actually thought it was fiction for most of the book. I liked it enough I guess, but it's nowhere near as good as his memoir.

KT

 

[slayer202]

I'll vote for Guns Germs and Steel since you listed it. I've seen it referenced a few times, haven't gotten around to reading it yet

 

[Rudee]

Unbroken
In the Heart of The Sea
The Last Stand