Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read.
-- Groucho Marx
Reading History
Wherein I track all the books I've read, along with some notes, some commentary, author information, links to more information about each book, and so on. Why? Because I can, that's why. I've got book reviews elsewhere
The Science of DiscworldAuthors
A funny and informative, if slightly outdated, book about science, with a clever framing narrative about the antics of the wizards at Discworld's Unseen University.
Learn more about this book at Wikipedia |
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Identical Strangers: A Memoir of Twins Separated and ReunitedAuthors Category: Biography The story of a pair of twins who were separated at birth and adopted separately.
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The Necronomicon Files: The Truth Behind the LegendAuthors
A study of the fictional grimoire "The Necronomicon", invented by H. P. Lovecraft and its role in popular culture, occult circles, and the various hoaxes that have been perpetrated over the years.
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Police Procedure & Investigation: A Guide for WritersAuthor
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The Monster Show: A Cultural History of HorrorAuthor
As a horror buff, I am of course interested in the history of the genre, particularly in how it has evolved in American society.
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The Horror in the Museum: Revisions by H. P. LovecraftEditor
A collection of stories co-written or revised by H. P. Lovecraft
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The Anatomy of Peace: Resolving the Heart of ConflictAuthor
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Blue BloodCategory: AutobiographyAs I've worked on my novel, I've become more interested in police and the world of policemen. It seemed natural to find a memoir by one of New York's finest.
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HorrorweenAuthor
This is one of those books I keep around to help me feel better about myself as a writer. Not as bad as others I've read, but it's got some structural problems which I believe I, as a writer, have overcome. Still a spooky enough read, though.
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Wriing the Breakout NovelAuthor
I've found this a thought-provoking and useful book in the past for analyzing my own fiction. And now that I have a novel of my own, I plan to incorporate some of Maas's principles into it.
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Something Rotten: A Thursday Next MysteryAuthor
I love Jasper Fforde. He has a brilliant sense of whimsy that he convey effectively through his writing, using puns and literary allusions better than any other writer I can think of.
Learn more about this book at Wikipedia |
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Never Let Me GoAuthor
This book came highly recommended to me by members of my writers' group.
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Soon I Will Be InvincibleAuthor
It's a novel about a supervillain. How could I resist?
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The Road to the Dark Tower: Exploring Stephen King's Magnum OpusAuthor
I thoroughly enjoyed Stephen King's Dark Tower series, so I thought it would be keen to get some deeper insight into the series.
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Harry Potter and the Deathly HallowsAuthor
Learn more about this book at Wikipedia |
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Harry Potter and the Half-Blood PrinceAuthor
Learn more about this book at Wikipedia |
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Harry Potter and the Order of the PhoenixAuthor
Learn more about this book at Wikipedia |
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Harry Potter and the Goblet of FireAuthor
Learn more about this book at Wikipedia |
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The Dark Tower VII: The Dark TowerAuthor
Learn more about this book at Wikipedia |
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Don't Eat This Book: Fast Food and the Supersizing of AmericaAuthor
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A Confederacy of DuncesAuthor
Learn more about this book at Wikipedia |
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Pass the Butterworms: Remote Journeys, Oddly RenderedAuthor
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The ChronolithsAuthor
Robert Charles Wilson is one of the best science fiction writers out there today. This novel, although pretty bleak in its outlook, is still marked with the optimism that marks his other works, and filled with high science and deep metaphysical speculation.
Learn more about this book at Wikipedia |
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Pattern RecognitionAuthor
Learn more about this book at Wikipedia |
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Chinese Mythology: An IntroductionAuthor
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In Search of Genghis KhanAuthor
I've grown interested in the history of Genghis Khan and the Mongolian Empire. This is the second book I've read on the subject.
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Lost in a Good Book: A Thursday Next NovelAuthor
Learn more about this book at Wikipedia |
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Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern WorldAuthor
I've never been all that intrigued by Genghis Khan, but this book was loaned to me by someone in my church, and so far it's absolutely fascinating.
Learn more about this book at Wikipedia |
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Stranger Things HappenAuthor
A collection of really interesting little short stories. Kelly Link is quite talented.
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The Eyre Affair: A Thursday Next NovelAuthor
My mother read another book by this author, and recommended him highly to me. She knows my tastes pretty well, so I bought it from Amazon.
Learn more about this book at Wikipedia |
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StrataAuthor
A non-Discworld book by Terry Pratchett! Who'da thought?
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Refuse to Choose: Use all of your interests, passions, and hobbies to create the life and career of your dreamsAuthor
I'm approaching this book with cautious optimism; I've called myself an intellectual vagabond and dilettante for a long time now, and maybe this book will help me find some direction.
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You Suck: A Love StoryAuthor
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LoopAuthor
Translator
I've enjoyed the first two novels in Koji Suzuki's Ring trilogy, even though they have very little resemblance to the movies. This third novel takes the story even further beyond the storyline as presented in the movies.
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Dreams of Terror and Death: The Dream Cycle of H. P. LovecraftAuthor
There will always be a special place in my heart for the horror stories of H. P. Lovecraft. Why? I don't know. I discovered Lovecraft while I was still in high school, and by now I'm sure I've read his entire catalog at least twice.
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Feeling Good: The New Mood TherapyAuthor
Just for the sake of curiosity.
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Bloodsucking Fiends: A Love StoryAuthor
I'm automatically prejudiced against novels featuring vampires, but I'm told that this one is a funny and worthy read, so I'm giving it a shot.
Learn more about this book at Wikipedia |
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QuietusAuthor
One of the few trade paperback horror novels that I've enjoyed. Sort of Anne Rice meets Dean Koontz meets Jacob's Ladder meets Final Destination. Very well written.
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Fluke, or, I Know Why the Winged Whale SingsAuthor
Christopher Moore is one of my favorite humorists.
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The Night SchoolAuthor
Sometimes I pick up a novel just because I'm in the mood for what the novel seems to represent. In this case, I was in the mood for a cheesy horror novel involving ghosts. So far, the novel is delivering on that.
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Field Guide to the Apocalypse: Movie Survival Skills for the End of the WorldAuthor
This is one of several books in my collection that deal with apocalyptic themes in humorous ways. I also have The Zombie Survival Guide, How to Survive a Robot Uprising, and others.
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SpiralAuthor
Sequel to Ring, and, like that novel, more science fiction than straight horror. This sequel bears almost no resemblance to either Ringu 2 or The Ring Two. Quite a good read.
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RingAuthor
Precursor to the Ringu and Ring series of films. The novel is well written, intriguing, and scary, but it is more science fiction than straight horror.
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The Dark: New Ghost StoriesAuthor
This is an interesting collection of new ghost stories, featuring tales by authors such as Kathe Koja, Ramsey Campbell, and more. It's one of the more successful horror story collections I've seen.
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The Hollow Chocolate Bunnies of the ApocalypseAuthor
Because I\'m a fan of Christopher Moore, Terry Pratchett, A. Lee Martinez, and other humorists, this novel was recommended to me. Unfortunately, I didn\'t find the writing all that engaging, and I ended up quitting after only a dozen pages or so.
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Rocks of Ages: Science and Religion in the Fullness of LifeAuthor
Stephen Jay Gould has always been one of my favorite science writers, and in this book he addresses an issue which is very important in my own life: the intersection of science and religion.
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The New Lovecraft CircleEditor
I've read this collection before, and most of the stories are inferior. A couple, however, are real gems.
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The Undead and Philosophy: Chicken Soup for the SoullessEditors
The perfect book for horror-obsessed ex-philosophy students like me!
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Getting Things DoneAuthor
For years, I've been trying to organize my life around the ideas espoused by Stephen Covey in First Things First and The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. I still think Covey has some brilliant ideas, but this book has some more down to earth advice which I think will help me get myself organized.
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Miss Alice Merriwether's Long Lost Cakes and Further Arcane Inducements to WonderAuthor
Sounded interesting, based solely on the title.
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The Strange Adventures of RangergirlAuthor
I bought it for Jennifer simply because the title amused me. I've read other stories by Tim Pratt, and enjoyed them very much. Heck of a nice guy, too.
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How to Survive a Robot Uprising: Tips on Defending Yourself Against the Coming RebellionAuthor
You know it's coming. Be prepared.
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Duncan Delaney and the Cadillac of DoomAuthor
My wife got me this book for Christmas, based solely on the title.
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Tolkien and the Great War: The Threshold of Middle-earthAuthor
Having watched Fellowship of the Ring again, I'm back on a Tolkien kick. I've got a number of books related to Tolkien, and I've decided to read a couple of them.
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Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood PalAuthor
After years of telling me to read this book and then lending our copy out to someone else, Jennifer finally bought me a copy for Christmas. I'm reading it now before she has a chance to loan it out to someone else.
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Two for the Dough: A Stephanie Plum NovelAuthor
This is the second Stephanie Plum novel by Janet Evanovich. The first was funny, so I have hopes for the second as well.
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Immediate FictionAuthor
A friend of mine from my local writers' group loaned me this book. It has a number of outstanding ideas which make a lot of sense.
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ElantrisAuthor
Since meeting the author of this book, just by accident as he happened by our writers' group meeting one night, I have been interested in this book.
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The Hundred Secret SensesAuthor
I've only read one other novel by Amy Tan, but I enjoyed it.
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A Dirty JobAuthor
I'm a big fan of Christopher Moore. I've read most of his books, and I've enjoyed them all. I wish I could write like he does.
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The Gospel According to the SimpsonsAuthor
I'm reading this (and its accompanying study guide) for a class that I'll be teaching at my church through November.
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Going PostalAuthor
As always, you just can't have Terry Pratchett
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WintersmithAuthor
Especially after seeing him doing a signing in October, I just can't get enough Terry Pratchett.
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Mark Twain's Short StoriesAuthor
I decided to take a quick break from Terry Pratchett to read something by another of the great literary humorists, Mark Twain.
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Hear That Lonesome Whistle Blow: The Epic Story of the Transcontinental RailroadsAuthor
A couple of months ago I went to visit the Railroad Museum in Sacramento, CA, and became fascinated with the history of the transcontinental railroads.
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The Yellow Sign and Other StoriesAuthor
Chambers was a definite influence on Lovecraft's work, and therefore, in a roundabout way, on my own. Especially "The King in Yellow".
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Characters, Emotion, and ViewpointAuthor
I'm trying to improve how characters are presented in my own fiction. This helpful book gives all kinds of tips on how to do that, and exercises geared to helping the writer get a grip on their characters.
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'Salem's LotAuthor
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A Guide to the Project Management Body of KnowledgeAuthor
So now I'm taking a course in project management. I confess that I have a hard time taking topics in management and business seriously, but this was recommended to me by my boss as a good career move. So what the heck.
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The Black TowerAuthor
I was in the mood for a good mystery. They say that P. D. James is among the best. I read her novel The Children of Men many years ago (and I see that a movie of that novel is coming out soon), but never any of her mysteries.
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Conflict, Action, and SuspenseAuthor
I enjoy reading books about writing and writing theory; this one, I hope, will help me put more suspense in my writing, and convey action scenes more effectively.
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The First Five PagesAuthor
A brief book which mostly covers editorial technique and what editors look for in order to reject a manuscript. This book was required for the workshop I took with Ann Crispin, but I never actually read it.
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The Cult of Alien Gods: H. P. Lovecraft and Extraterrestrial Pop CultureAuthor
This is an interesting work; Colavito's thesis is that modern "ancient civilizations" and "ancient astronauts" mythologies have their origin in the fiction of H. P. Lovecraft. I think the premise is dubious at best but I'm looking forward to seeing how he develops his argument.
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Talk to the HandAuthor
People are rude, there's no doubt about that. This book is a call for a return to civility, with humor. I see nothing wrong with that.
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The Matrix and PhilosophyAuthor
I feel a need every now and then to get back in touch with the field I got my degree in.
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Thud!Author
I'm still on my Discworld kick. Pratchett combines humor with pathos and philosophy to make novels which are hilarious and thought-provoking.
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Equal RitesAuthor
I haven't read a single Terry Pratchett book that I haven't loved.
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The Road to Madness: The Transition of H. P. LovecraftAuthor
I've been a fan of Lovecraft since high school, and most people who read much of my fiction will spot a definite Lovecraftian influence. I'm reading this as inspiration while continuing to rewrite The Solitude of the Tentacled Space Monster.
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Men at ArmsAuthor
Can't go wrong with a Discworld novel.
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The Rough Guide to IrelandAuthor
The Rough Guide series of travel books are among my favorite. Chock-full of good advice and useful information with an emphasis on budget travel and on the less touristy areas. It proved very useful on our trip as we were hunting for things to do, though the copy we had was a couple of years out of date. Let that be a lesson to you: always get the most recent edition possible of the travel guide you need.
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Rick Steves' Ireland 2006Author
I've always thought that Rick Steves was one of the best travel writers around, and I love his guidebooks -- they're full of practical day-to-day advice, such as how to tip properly and how to use the telephones, in addition to the standard travel book fare. Unfortunately we lost it within two days of arriving in Ireland.
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Great Expectations (e-book on my Clie)Author
I have this one on my Clie, and mostly I read it while waiting in line at the coffee shop after I work out. So it's taken me over a year to get just over halfway through. But you have to love Dickens. Since this is an e-book which I downloaded onto my Clie, the image is from the Project Gutenberg website, which is where you'll go if you click the link.
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Woman's Life in Colonial DaysAuthor
When my in-laws went to Jamestown last year, they brought me back a number of books about colonial America, since I've had ideas for stories that take place during that time, including books about daily life and books of ghost stories. This is actually the first one that I have started to read.
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Writing the Breakout Novel WorkbookAuthor
I figured I'd use this book as a guide while I rewrite Fred, Again.
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Getting Mother's BodyAuthor
I know very little about this book, except that my wife really enjoyed it, and that Parks is supposedly oustanding at character creation and realization.
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American ChicaAuthor
I picked up this fascinating memoir a few weeks ago in preparation for a story that I'm working on.
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Big FishAuthor
I loved the movie. So far I'm loving the novel even more.
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A Game of ThronesAuthor
With rare exceptions, I avoid fantasy novels; most of them, I find, are derivatives of Tolkien without any originality. I've had many friends recommend this series to me, though, so I finally broke down and started reading it. However, I gave up on it about two thirds of the way through. It just didn't hold my interest.
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The Writer's Book of HopeAuthor
I thoroughly enjoyed Keyes's previous book, The Writer's Book of Hope. It was inspirational and thought-provoking, and gave me a new feel for my writing. I hope that this book provides the same level of inspiration.
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Solving the Da Vinci Code MysteryAuthor
Having slogged my way through the novel, I am now reading this book in preparation for a Sunday school class that I'll be teaching in February.
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A Hat Full of SkyAuthor
One of Pratchett's wonderful Discworld books. I love Pratchett's writing style, and I'm not afraid to admit that I model much of my humor after his.
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EarthcoreAuthor
This is a "podiobook", meaning that chapters are being sent to my MP3 player each day, and I've been listening to it that way. Pretty good story so far.
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CellAuthor
King's third book since his retirement (did anyone seriously believe he could retire?). Pretty decent so far, though the science definitely leave something to be desired.
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Island of the Sequined Love NunAuthor
My goal is to read everything that Chris Moore has written. So far, I've enjoyed each of his books that I've read. Besides, how can you pass up a title like Island of the Sequined Love Nun?
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Aerobics Program for Total Well BeingAuthor
Another book recommended to me by a couple of different physicians and a physical trainer. Let's see if I can find the motivation this time.
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The Da Vinci CodeAuthor
Yeah, I'm reading it. I've been avoiding it because I know that the conspiracy theories behind it are crap, but I'm going to be teaching a class on it at church, so I guess I should. The writing is just about what I expected it to be.
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Coyote BlueAuthor
Chris Moore. Another of my favorite writers. I'm determined now to read all of his books, especially since my wife keeps promising to let me read her copy of Lamb, but keeps giving it away before I get a chance to.
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StardustAuthor
Neil Gaiman is one of my favorite authors. This is an earlier work of his.
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Pirattitude!: So You Wanna Be a Pirate? Here's How!Authors
A birthday gift from my wife. Written by the guys who came up with International Talk Like a Pirate Day! Arrr!
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Christmas ForeverAuthor
'Tis the season for some good old fashioned Christmas science fiction and fanasy.
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Bloodcurding Tales of Horror and the MacabreAuthor
Anyone who's read my fiction can tell you that Lovecraft has been a major influence for me. Or, at least, they SHOULD know.
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SurvivorAuthor
I've only read one other book by this author; that book was Lullaby. Palahniuk, though is probably best known as the author of Fight Club.
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Rincewind the WizzardAuthor
This volume contains the first four Discworld novels: The Colour of Magic, The Light Fantasic, Sourcery, and Eric. These four novels are quite funny, but Pratchett's more recent Discworld novels are, I think, superior.
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Eight Weeks to Optimum HealthAuthor
This book has been recommended to me by several physicians. There are some points that I'm skeptical about, but on the whole I think it seems sound.
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Wriing the Breakout NovelAuthor
I've found this a thought-provoking and useful book in the past for analyzing my own fiction. And now that I have a novel of my own, I plan to incorporate some of Maas's principles into it.
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Did You Say Chicks?!Author
Right now I'm in a comic fantasy state of mind. The Chicks In Chainmail series edited by Esther Freisner contains some of the funniest comic fantasy short stories I've ever read, all centered, of course, around women warriors in fantasy settings. This is the second book in the series.
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Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell (Audio CD)Author
I've been wanting to read this book ever since it came out last year. And I love listening to books on CD. When I found this at the library, I was delighted.
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Looking For JakeAuthor
Even though I was disappointed with Miéville's Iron Council, I still like his fiction overall, and I've read several of his short stories that I've really enjoyed. I'm about halfway through this collection, and it is wonderful. Each story is well written and imaginative and creepy. Some of the stories in this book, such as "Details", have been published elsewhere.
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Smoke and Mirrors: Short Fictions and IllusionsAuthor
Short stories and poems from one of my favorite fantasy writers.
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The Thurber CarnivalAuthor
I've started to take an interest in humor writing and humor fiction. Apparently some people think I write humor fairly well if I don't think about it too much, and others have suggested that it might be therapeutic for me. And I've always thought that James Thurber was one of the funniest writers of all time, so I decided to break this one out and read it all over again.
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Bloodsucking Fiends: A Love StoryAuthor
I'm automatically prejudiced against novels featuring vampires, but I'm told that this one is a funny and worthy read, so I'm giving it a shot.
Learn more about this book at Wikipedia |
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The Problem of PainAuthor
C. S. Lewis is always an inspiration to me. I've read many of his books before, but I've never managed to get around to reading this one.
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More Short and Shivery: Thirty Terrifying TalesAuthor
Ever since I was a kid I've loved scary stories and collections of scary stories like this one. The stories in this collection are based on folktales from around the world, mostly from the United States.
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Anansi BoysAuthor
I've been looking forward to reading this for months. Gaiman is one of the most brilliant fantasists working today, which I belive I've mentioned elsewhere. I've been hooked since The Sandman.
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Guns, Germs, and SteelAuthor
This book was recommended to me by someone who knew that I was preparing to write a big fat fantasy that takes place in a world with a history intimately linked with our own. I needed to learn about how societies grow and evolve, and I'm told that this book is one of the best for that sort of thing.
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Iron CouncilAuthor
I've loved China Mieville ever since I read Perdido Street Station. His fantasy novels and stories are among the best and most original that I've read in a very long time.
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DispatchAuthor
Bentley Little is one of my favorite horror writers. Though not quite in the same league as King, Lovecraft, or Straub, he has his own unique vision of the world which is always entertaining to read. Most of his books I can finish off in a couple of hours.
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Sandman: The Season of MistsAuthor
Neil Gaiman is, in my opinion, one of the best storytellers and writers working today. The Sandman series is among his best works, and I never tire of reading them. I only wish I were as talented.
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How to Write FunnyAuthor
I like to think that I'm a pretty good writer, but I know that I need to inject more humor into my stories. This book is helping me to learn how, if only because some of the writers who have articles in it are among the funniest I've known: P.J. O'Roarke, Dave Barry, and, of course, Bill Bryson are among the contributors.
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Changing Planes (on CD)Author
Everything I've read by LeGuin is lyrical and magical and quite moving. This book is no exception. I've enjoyed listening to the stories here, with absolutely no exception. LeGuin's feelings about the current political situation in the U.S. are certainly clear in this book as well.
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WildAuthor
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Simple Steps to Impossible DreamsAuthor
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Son of the CircusAuthor
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Teach Yourself Chinese Language, Life, and CultureAuthor
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The Broken GodAuthor
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NevernessAuthor
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Descent into HellAuthor
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The Sound and the FuryAuthor
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Silmarillion, TheAuthor
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Indefensible (unpublished manuscript)Author
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Get ShortyAuthor
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Characters and ViewpointAuthor
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The Fourth Hand (Audio)Author
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Maltese Falcon, TheAuthor
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From the Borderlands: Tales of Terror and MadnessAuthor
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Bag of Bones (Audio)Author
Probably my favorite Stephen King book
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Walking with FrodoAuthor
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Gospel According to Tolkien, TheAuthor
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Sherlock Holmes: The Complete Novels and S |
