Books: What are you reading tonight? - Page 617 - The Lounge Discussion and Review on Literature, Arts, Culture

There are so many options. Do you have a particular type of fiction you enjoy more than others? While he's typecast as a horror writer, he crosses a ton of genres

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07-15-2016 , 06:48 AM

#15403

50yearoldnit

grinder

Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 696

I was thinking about his pure horror novels.

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07-15-2016 , 07:33 AM

#15404

kioshk

Nixonian

Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 92,966

Pet Sematary ftw! King at his horror heyday best.

Work up to The Stand.

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07-15-2016 , 09:23 AM

#15405

diebitter

Grotesquely Handsome

Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 65,989

Start with Carrie

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07-15-2016 , 11:58 AM

#15406

Gioco

veteran

Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 2,417

Finished Shiloh and Other Stories by Bobbie Ann Mason. High quality writing; these are "New Yorker" stories with a Kentucky setting. They have a fresh and genuine feel about them.

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07-15-2016 , 12:03 PM

#15407

50yearoldnit

grinder

Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 696

Thanks for the tips. Just left the bookstore and got Pet Sematary. Carrie wasn't in stock, and The Stand looked a little to hefty for a starter!

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07-15-2016 , 01:17 PM

#15408

Dominic

Tripod

Join Date: Jun 2004 Posts: 74,611

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrbaseball

Once An Eagle - Anton Myrer

Starts in WWI but spans into WWII and beyond. Great story but I read it 35+ years ago. It was made into a TV mini-series starring Sam Elliot which was also real good. Basically the story of a heroic soldier making his was through the ranks and his West Point nemesis.

Wow! I had forgotten all about this...loved this book when I was a teen.

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07-15-2016 , 01:21 PM

#15409

Dominic

Tripod

Join Date: Jun 2004 Posts: 74,611

If you're going to start with King, you've gotta get Salem's Lot or The Shining. Pure story-telling at its finest. Carrie can be oft-putting for some, as a lot of it is told in newspaper articles.

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07-15-2016 , 06:40 PM

#15410

Deep

grinder

Join Date: Jul 2012 Posts: 433

Altered Carbon gets a thumbs up. Reviews are mixed on the next two books though. Anyone read the series?

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07-16-2016 , 12:14 AM

#15411

vhawk01

Carpal \'Tunnel

Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 31,866

Quote:

Originally Posted by 50yearoldnit

Thanks for the tips. Just left the bookstore and got Pet Sematary. Carrie wasn't in stock, and The Stand looked a little to hefty for a starter!

The Stand is my favorite but probably not what I'd recommend to start and especially not if you want pure horror. I'd go with 'Salem's Lot or IT

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07-16-2016 , 09:00 AM

#15412

ChaseNutley26

Pooh-Bah

Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 4,594

Pet Sematary's as good a spot to start as any for King's pure horror. The Shining is probably my favorite in that department, though.

I wasn't expecting much from Stieg Larsson's The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, but I got a pleasant surprise out of it. Good, brutal mystery wrapped up in a vengeance plot with some solid characters. It didn't deliver everything I was hoping for once I was invested, but it kept me interested all the way and has some nice swerves.

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07-17-2016 , 07:22 AM

#15413

ChaseNutley26

Pooh-Bah

Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 4,594

I finished Richard Morgan's Altered Carbon, too. I think I like the idea more than the actual book: futuristic noir where people's consciousnesses can be downloaded into "sleeves". The plot moves along well, the writing's not half bad, and there are some cool things happening (chemical enhancements, the Hendrix hotel, the threat of infinite torture, etc.), but I didn't connect with any of the characters. Plus I think the setting and some of the themes are underdeveloped. I give it a just okay.

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07-17-2016 , 07:30 AM

#15414

Enrique

Pooh-Bah

Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 3,883

I got the book last year and I read another Frank Morgan book when the Lounge had one in its book club. I'll try to read it later in the year.

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07-17-2016 , 12:27 PM

#15415

diebitter

Grotesquely Handsome

Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 65,989

I just got my first fiction book on Kindle, and it's currently free for the next few days - and free to keep forever if you 'buy' it now. PM me if you want the details.

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07-17-2016 , 11:48 PM

#15416

Baltimore Jones

Pooh-Bah

Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts: 5,835

Does anyone have a specific recommendation on a book about Marie Laveau, the voodoo queens, and/or New Orleans voodoo in general?

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07-18-2016 , 02:35 AM

#15417

Pauwl

grinder

Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 629

Quote:

Originally Posted by Baltimore Jones

Does anyone have a specific recommendation on a book about Marie Laveau, the voodoo queens, and/or New Orleans voodoo in general?

Last year I googled that same thing and ended up reading a book called "Voodoo Dreams: A Novel of Marie Laveau" by Jewell P Rhodes. It wasn't great but it had everything you asked for. I liked learning the different names of voodoo gods and the history of that. Some of the phrases I used for a while after that to mess with people.

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07-18-2016 , 08:28 AM

#15418

JudgeHoldem

banned

Join Date: May 2012 Posts: 8,197

I think Needful Things is a very underrated Stephen King book

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07-18-2016 , 09:08 AM

#15419

diebitter

Grotesquely Handsome

Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 65,989

Quote:

Originally Posted by Baltimore Jones

Does anyone have a specific recommendation on a book about Marie Laveau, the voodoo queens, and/or New Orleans voodoo in general?

If you want a book commenting it from a 50s Brit viewpoint + a little patronising racism, the book of Live and Let Die is pretty great.

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07-18-2016 , 09:12 AM

#15420

master3004

Revisionist Historian

Join Date: Mar 2010 Posts: 56,462

Quote:

Originally Posted by 50yearoldnit

Thanks for the tips. Just left the bookstore and got Pet Sematary. Carrie wasn't in stock, and The Stand looked a little to hefty for a starter!

Great starter book. The Shining is an absolute must after that imo. Also Skeleton Crew is his best short story collection for pure horror, though you can tell many of them were written when he was still very young and still finding his voice as a writer.

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Originally Posted by JudgeHoldem

I think Needful Things is a very underrated Stephen King book

I love Needful Things. I think it's one of his most perfect studies of Americana

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07-18-2016 , 01:54 PM

#15421

I_AM_EVIL

Carpal \'Tunnel

Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 13,271

Quote:

Originally Posted by JudgeHoldem

I think Needful Things is a very underrated Stephen King book

It's in my top 5 King books.

Highly underrated and forgotten when people list his books.

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07-18-2016 , 04:31 PM

#15422

Dominic

Tripod

Join Date: Jun 2004 Posts: 74,611

Quote:

Originally Posted by diebitter

I just got my first fiction book on Kindle, and it's currently free for the next few days - and free to keep forever if you 'buy' it now. PM me if you want the details.

you wrote a novel??

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07-19-2016 , 12:31 AM

#15423

Baltimore Jones

Pooh-Bah

Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts: 5,835

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pauwl

Quote:

Originally Posted by diebitter

If you want a book commenting it from a 50s Brit viewpoint + a little patronising racism, the book of Live and Let Die is pretty great.

Thanks, meant non-fiction, though Voodoo Dreams probably still is in the ballpark somewhat.

For fiction the early '90s computer game "Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers" is a good one. In fact I'd probably recommend watching a playthrough of it if you love the Louisiana voodoo theme. Detective mystery that takes place in 1992 New Orleans. Just make sure you don't buy/watch the recent remake by accident. Original has stellar voice talent - Tim Curry, Michael Dorn, Mark Hamill, Leah Remini, Virginia Capers as the amazing Creole narrator.