your favorite author - lite

Discussion in 'Art & Culture' started by cole grey, Apr 12, 2006.

  1. cole grey Hi Valued Senior Member

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    So, when I want to wind down, i like to read "lite" books.
    Harry potter is a good example. The prose would never be compared to a serious master's work, but the story is fun, and you can read 700 pages of it in one night, or just playfully leaf through it at your leisure.
    The problem is, most books in this vein are almost unreadably bad.
    I tried to read a couple of star wars books and they were terrible, I could barely get through them, and this is from someone who wishes the jedi were real, so no.
    I tried reading sherlock holmes, but honestly, those kind of sucked too.
    I remember reading "xanth" books when i was a kid - they were great, but would I be able to get through them now? I don't know.

    Please, please, please - refer me to some "lite" books that you have enjoyed, they needn't have been written exceptionally well, but at least to the level of literary value in Harry Potter - below that kind of ruins the experience.
    Thank you.

    any type of fiction is what I am talking about - "confederacy of dunces" and "life of pi" were ok too - but the lighter the better, as long as I can read it and enjoy it.
     
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  3. water the sea Registered Senior Member

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    Do the classic adventure novels.
    Robinson Crusoe.
    Moby Dick.
    Gulliver's Travels.

    Then, pretty much anything by Dickens.


    These books were written for the sheer enjoyment of reading, and in my experience, they deliver well. I've only recently discovered that. I had read these books in my teens, but that was a different kind of reading than now.
     
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  5. stretched a junkie's broken promise Valued Senior Member

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    I am not sure exactly how to classify 'lite" but here are a couple that is easy on the brain.

    Joseph Wambaugh - The Glitterdome (for example) Very funny, ex New York cop author
    Steve Martini - whodunnits legal stuff
    Mervyn Peake - Gormenghast (gothic fantasy in a series)
    Terry Prachett - Discworld (very funny sci fi/fantasy)
     
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  7. Cottontop3000 Death Beckoned Registered Senior Member

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    I read nothing but "lite," I think, unless you don't want to call hard sf lite. I read pretty much only sci-fi and fantasy. If you like the Harry Potter books, which I do too, you might like:

    Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time Series. (Fantasy) 10 or 11 thick books so far. Could keep you going for a while.

    Joan D. Vinge's Psion and Catspaw (together as Alien Blood). My favorites of all time, so far. (Sci-fi) I hear there is a third one out now too.

    Peter F. Hamilton's The Reality Dysfunction series. (Sci-fi) 6 books.

    All the J.R.R. Tolkien books centered around Middle Earth, of which there are many beyond the original 4. (Fantasy)

    Anne Rice's The Witching Hour.

    L. Ron Hubbard's Battlefield Earth. (Sci-fi) The movie fucking sucked. The book is awesome.

    David Feintuch's Voices of Hope. (Sci-fi) Great book.

    Margaret Weiss and Tracy Hickman's Dragonlance Chronicles. (Fantasy) There are many books beyond the original trilogy.

    Arthur C. Clarke's Rendezvous with Rama series. (Sci-fi)

    Roger Macbride Allen's Caliban. (Sci-fi)

    Robert A. Heinlein and Isaac Asimov: Anything.

    If you try some of these and like them, and want some more, let me know. I'm leaving out a shit-load of good books, but there are so many.

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  8. cole grey Hi Valued Senior Member

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    I don't know if moby dick qualifies as "lite" for what I am talking about doing with these books, i.e shutting down. i might get too involved in the philosophical aspects of that book, from what i have heard about it, I'm sure i will read it some time. Gulliver, and Robinson Crusoe might work.
    The only dickens I've read was "great expectations", and that doesn't work - I don't want to cry, just relax. Maybe you know which books of his are "lite"?

    cotton,
    What are the tolkien books you are talking about, is the silmarillion one of them? The silmarillion was bit ponderous when i looked at it before. Maybe like William Blake lite, with a great story I'm sure, but william blake, even lightened up a bit, is still not "lite". That seems more serious than Lord of the rings stuff.
    I basically want to read Lord of the rings, the chronicles of narnia, and harry potter, but have already done those. SCi-fi is good too.


    Thanks all for the list, please give me more, as I probably have many years ahead to get to all of it, and am sure I will have many, many hours, where I will want to just zone out in a good (not too serious) book, and will keep this list. And there are about 20 libraries within easy driving distance from me here in LA, so I am pretty sure I can find just about anything.
     
  9. Cottontop3000 Death Beckoned Registered Senior Member

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    cole grey, yeah, I was thinking of The Silmarillion, The Book of Lost Tales I and II (the whole History of Middle Earth series -- about 12 parts/books in all), and The Tolkien Reader (which includes 4 separate stories).

    Here's a link to a complete list of his work:http://www.tolkiensociety.org/tolkien/bibl2.html

    When I was in 8th grade, I really got into all the history of middle earth books.
     
  10. Jenyar Solar flair Valued Senior Member

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    I also think you would really enjoy Robert Jordan.

    You could try Terry Pratchett, but start with Soul Music or Maskerade, maybe even Mort. He's written so many that it's a bit hit-and-miss. His later books are a little more complex and harder to follow, but can be more satisfying if you're already a fan.
     
  11. Oxygen One Hissy Kitty Registered Senior Member

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    Washington Irving without a doubt.
     
  12. spuriousmonkey Banned Banned

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    It is indeed tricky to find books like 'harry potter'. people call me silly for reading them, but I have the same experience with them as you have. And I can reread them quite easily too.

    And to be honest, I cannot think about anything else that is 'lite' and has the level of Harry Potter.

    Heinlein was mentioned, but not all his stuff is lite. He has several books I cannot read beyond the first 3 pages. Starship troopers is fairly light, but it has a heavy message. "the moon is a harsh mistress' is lite in my eyes, but still heavy if you want it to be. Thin books. Easy to read.

    My favourite history book is Berlin - the downfall -1945. When i was in south america it was the only book I had on me. I read it about 5 times in a row. I forgot how many times exactly.

    Charles Buckowski always writes in a very basic and simple manner.
    'post office', 'Ham on Rye'. I can easily reread this particular books at least on a yearly basis.

    I used to be a big fan of the 'Peter F. Hamilton's The Reality Dysfunction series. (Sci-fi) 3 books IN EUROPE' that cotton mentioned.

    I have read it back to back for a half dozen times. Now I can't read it anymore though.

    Maybe something else will come to my mind later.
     
  13. Oxygen One Hissy Kitty Registered Senior Member

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    Now that's something I like about the Harry Potter books. They're books for either an adult OR a kid. I still re-read them.
     
  14. cole grey Hi Valued Senior Member

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    I keep forgetting that there is supposed to be a difference between an adult and a kid.
     
  15. Oxygen One Hissy Kitty Registered Senior Member

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    There is. Taxable income.

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  16. Avatar smoking revolver Valued Senior Member

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    Jules Verne
    Douglas Adams
    Michael Moorcock
    Mark Chadbourn
     
  17. water the sea Registered Senior Member

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    Well, myself, I fancy older literature, 19th century. Some of those books can be read as "lite", or not.
    I esp. fancy novels like "Jane Eyre" and "Wuthering Heights", it is such a delightful read to me.
    But they do have teary moments ...


    As far as I know, they all have teary moments as well.



    * * *

    But Douglas Adams is fun too.
     
  18. Cottontop3000 Death Beckoned Registered Senior Member

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    I always liked Wuthering Heights a lot too.
     
  19. Tyler N. Registered Senior Member

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    Hitchikers guide to the galaxy
    Dune (sequels are more philosophical though)
    Battlefield earth
    I really liked the belgariad series when I was younger, but don't know anymore if its any good. 14 year olds aren't the best judges.
     
  20. Zarklephaser Registered Senior Member

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    You should check out The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.
     
  21. Tyler N. Registered Senior Member

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    life of pi
     
  22. Tyler N. Registered Senior Member

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    life of pi
     
  23. Zarklephaser Registered Senior Member

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    I thought it was pretty good.
     

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