Books worth reading [Archive]

Moozy

03-05-2004, 07:44 PM

Hey! I love books too! Now that i'm so free, besides surfing, I can spend as much time as i like to read(which is impossible before cuz, u know, had to mug for SPM)

Ok, this is a very very very good book that I'm gonna introduce to u all :

A Thousand Pieces Of Gold by Adeline Yen Mah

Here is the sinopsis at the back of the book:

Proverbs are fascinating in any country but in China they still play and have always played a far more significant role.

Most Chinese proverbs are based on historical events and the greatest number originate from that extraordinary period of history when the First Emperor of China - creator of the terracotta soldiers - ruled.

Basically, this book is all about China's history from the time the First Emperor(Qing Shi Huang Di) ruled until Liu Bang won the Chu-Han war. And a little about the author's personal life and modern Chinese history where Deng Xiao Ping and Mao ZeDong come into the picture.

It's really a GREAT book! U all should read it, especially Chinese who are not familiar with Chinese history. Funny why our History text book does not include detailed chinese history whereas Chinese make up of the 2nd largest race in M'sia. This book made me appreaciate our chinese culture and history more.

A Thousand Pieces Of Gold can be found in MPH bookstores. They have plenty of storage at MPH Jaya Jusco, Ipoh.

USSDefiantNX74205

03-05-2004, 09:22 PM

Books...heh. Most of the time I don't really read them. Used to be crazy about Enid Blyton till I was 14. After that it was mostly schoolbooks all the way till I was 16. That was when I read a whole lot of books about paranormal stuff - UFOs, ghosts, etc. Still do now, even though it freaks me out after I read them, hehe.

But for any physics buffs out there, an interesting read would be Stephen Hawking's A Brief History of Time. I'm halfway through that book now, and already I'm loving it even though I don't sometimes understand what he's trying to say. Just plain ol' dumb me I guess!

phantom

03-05-2004, 11:31 PM

i guess i enjoy reading becoz i wanna be an author..hopefully.(keeping my fingers crossed)..but unfortunately not many books turn me on.even sidney sheldon,stephen kings and blah blah blah failed to attract my attention,but Jhumpa Lahiri did..so basically,i am opting for Pulitzer winning authors.

and for me,fictions are good lullabies.non-fictions make more sense to my cerebrum. :D

about A thousand pieces of Gold,nice story.sorry i am thousand of miles away from MPH,will seek it at the library.

yeah,i tried reading stephen hawking's book too.how many pages did i peruse,less than 10 i guess before i veered for other book.there's so much hype to that book.all physics major and most engineering undergraduate have read it in my uni.but alas,i didn't digest it.

anyone else have their fav. book?anyone here have read Lolita or Da Vinci Code?any other book that is so powerful?

ElansarGelmir

03-05-2004, 11:51 PM

Nice to see ppl who enjoy reading~! Some ppl just can't stand sitting down for hours to devour a book. ;-)

Hours? I can't even stand sitting down for 20 minutes reading a book!!! That's my bad point. I depend heavily on teacher's explanation for my studies. If i got lousy teachers like my INTEC bio teacher, I mampus liao lor!

DecentMerson

04-05-2004, 12:02 AM

try to follow some authors.... like Stephen King, Jeffrey Archer, Robert Ludlum, Michael Crichton, John Grisham, James Patterson....all their books are quite good.....especially James Patterson and Michael Crichton....

another book.... Vernon God Little by DBC Pierre... try to understand all the jokes....(quite hidden)

b_ronick

04-05-2004, 12:23 AM

this has been one of my favourite so far..

i have always enjoyed reading
tuesdays with morrie by morrie shwartz..

i have read it twice or more..can't remember..
this book teaches about life and what makes this book more special is that this is based on a true story..

currently i am reading seabiscuit...
so far i've only got through a few pages...
let's see how the book is..hehehe..

naturesimple

04-05-2004, 02:51 AM

how about angela's ashes n its sequel memoir???

gal_flower

04-05-2004, 10:03 AM

BOOKS!!!!my love!

haha....cant get enuf of books!

anyone read memoirs of a geisha?
falling leaves?
chromosome 6?[/b]
uncle tom's cabin?

wwhong

04-05-2004, 11:09 AM

i would recommend The DaVinci Code by Dan Brown. It's a really interesting book even though it's a bit suck at the ending of the book (cos you already can guess what's going on) There's some scientific stuff and also some "code breaking" of Da Vinci's artwork.

topdog

04-05-2004, 11:23 AM

some of ken follett's novels are nice...particularly "pillars of earth." what i dislike about his writing style is gratuitous use of sex scenes. cheapens his stories.

pandaboy

04-05-2004, 11:46 AM

Rich Dad Poor Dad...by Robert T. Kiyosaki...
Has anyone read this book yet? I'm halfway through it....it's interesting...He made making money looked so easy... I wish i can be as rich as him....

aquila

04-05-2004, 02:11 PM

Guns, Germs and Steel by Jared Diamond
Bystanders to Genocide: A Problem from Hell by Samantha Power
When Broken Glass Floats by Chanrithy Him
The Nazi Conscience by Claudia Koonz

All are award winning books. The first one refutes the theory that people of different racial origins developed at different rates because of their genetic makeup. For eg, Europeans dominated North America not because Native Americans are genetically more stupid. He attributes the world order today to environmental factors, the east west axis and others. A scholarly book and a heavy read but definitely worth your time! Pulitzer prize winner!

Second book talks about the history of genocides in the 20th century. It goes from the Armenian genocide, to how Lemkin coined the word, to how the genocides in Cambodia, rwanda, iraq, Bosnia Herzegovina and Rwanda took place under American administrators' noses. An important book and a great read! Another pulitzer winner!

When Broken Glass Floats by Chanrithy Him is a personal account of her journey from pol Pot's Cambodia to America. Heart wrenching story but yet a powerful account of how one can rise above one's hopeless circumstances.

I've read memoirs of a geisha before. Interesting but depressing!

Last but not least, let me recommend my prof's book: The Nazi Conscience by Claudia Koonz. Oxymoron? Not quite so. She weaves a story of how Germans truly believed that Jews were extremely different from themselves and subsequently removed the Jews from their sphere of morality. Thus, they viewed their actions as just and correct. All over the world, we see the same thing happening. By differentiating a minority group out, for eg, ethnic minorities, homosexuals, etc. and ascribing them with characteristics that are extremely different from the main group, people of the main group will find it moral to oppress the other group, often with the excuse of trying to defend themselves. An extremely important book on how we view the world. Especially for a country like Malaysia where the race card has been played for so many yrs, I think every Msian should read it!

Disclaimer: I do not support the legalization of gay marriages.

07-05-2004, 02:00 AM

i strongly recommend "little prince" , it is written by a france author......forgot his name........

chenchow

07-05-2004, 03:24 AM

I think those who can read French would prefer the French version of "Le Petit Prince". I think I will read it as part of my French class next year.

Guns, Germs and Steel is a book worth reading, especially that was my first assignment before coming to Cornell. I got the book in June and had to read it over summer and then had a number of panel discussions during orientation on the book, with Jared Diamond came to campus to give a talk.

This year, the book that was selected was "The Trial". Past selection include "Antigone" and "Frankenstein".

littlebigone

07-05-2004, 05:35 AM

i hater Guns, Germs and Steel. At the end of the book, you feel like you were cheated into reading chapters that were paraphrased from the first. It's like he had nothing to say but that one thing which I don't remember anymore.

For light reading, I would recommend Dilbert. Currently reading Dilbert and The Way of the Weasel. Never knew corporate life could be so humorous and scary at the same time.

For those of you interested in math and how it developed through the ages from the "discovery" of the number zero to Cartesian graphs to Einstein's theory of relativity, read Euclid's Window. Easy to understand and covers enough topics that you could easily get into a conversation with a math/physics major.

sanghanuman

07-05-2004, 06:45 AM

Le Petit Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exup?ry.
Some say that this book is about being an adult, but the story is told through a kid's point of view.

He mocks the world of adult, where everything gets objectified and the simple becomes the complicated.

trishotiwuth

07-05-2004, 12:54 PM

aquila

07-05-2004, 01:37 PM

Oh Cornell has summer reading too? My year, we had to read Jonathan Kozol's The Savage Inequalities. Boring as butter. Altho he did raise some important points about the terrible conditions in certain public schools in America. And I thought the US had the least problems and best education!

This yr, the incoming freshmen read "Mountains Beyond Mountains," the story of Duke alumnus and infectious disease specialist Paul Farmer who helped start an international agency that brings modern medical care to the poor.

Always interesting to read about the work of an alumnus/a. I wished they had made us read that last yr! See, the work Paul Famer does is exactly what I'm thinking of doing in the future.

Moozy

07-05-2004, 03:11 PM

BOOKS!!!!my love!

haha....cant get enuf of books!

anyone read memoirs of a geisha?
falling leaves?
chromosome 6?[/b]
uncle tom's cabin?

I read Memoirs of Geisha last year and was very amazed by it. It explained a lot abt Japanese Culture n it has an interesting plot. I was hooked to it once i picked it up. But, if u want to get the right facts, I recommend Geisha of Gion by Mineko Iwasaki. It has a lot of real life pictures with Mineko in them. So, I guess, instead of a fiction(like Memoirs of a Geisha), it's really a biliography of a real geisha called Mineko Iwasaki.

Falling Leaves! Another of my favourite! The author(Adeline Yen Mah) talked about her bitter experience of her childhood. At one part, where her chick/duckling(i forgot, read it some time ago)PTL died, tears were in my eyes. (stupid me..hehe) Really a worth-rading book. U all should read it for light reading.

chenchow

08-05-2004, 01:33 AM

Personally, I love read those biography of people, guess it is sort of a learning summary of those people who have done well in life.

Perhaps this is not books, but I would strongly suggest those who love readings, especially in business/finance, to read Wall Street Journals. It may be boring, but after you get addicted to it, you will step into the wonders of business world. It is the first newspaper that almost every Wall Street people would turn to every morning.

thesoothsayer

08-05-2004, 02:11 AM

I love reading but In KL, good books are usually expensive.

Definitely agree with you there. Relatively speaking, books in Malaysia are so much more expensive and the selection over there is really limited. I'm in the US now and I can say that it's a book lover's fantasy come true. Huge bookstores everywhere and if you are earning USD it'll be even better. You'll think that books are really, really cheap. :)

I have a suggestion to make, we could start a book exchange club for recom members in Malaysia. Maybe meet up fortnightly or once a month and swap books. Sounds geeky I know but that way, we could save money on buying books that we aren't that sure about (good to have but not absolutely necessary). Someone else here may have considered the book a must have and bought it. :)

As for books to recommend, off the top of my head, I'd say "Cry, the beloved country" by Alan Paton and "1984" and "Animal Farm" . The first book is written and set in the years just before South Africa implemented apartheid. The 2nd is a classic about the control of individual thought and information by the government. And finally the 3rd book is a satire on communism. I find these writers to be incredibly prophetic in their writing. Not to be missed. ;)

DecentMerson

08-05-2004, 02:23 AM

I love reading but In KL, good books are usually expensive. A paperback could easily cost RM 30 in MPH or Kinokuniya. Does anybody know where to get good novels at cheaper prices? I don't mind second/third/fourth hand books as long as they're still in readable condition. So far, I've only discovered the Pay Less stores, which are in Amcorp Mall and Ampang Point. You can get Pulitzer and Booker Prize winners for only RM 12 each. CLassics go at cheaper prices, from as low as RM4 for a Shakespeare's and once I found Uncle Tom's Cabin for only RM15!

Care to share you fav haunt, anyone?

er... yup... i 've been frequenting "pay less book" for years.... there's one branch in Subang Jaya Carrefour....

u can get a paperback at rm 12.90 and a hardcover at less than rm20.00

sometimes, there's special sale where u get old bestsellers at rm5 per book....

Moozy

08-05-2004, 04:28 PM

I love reading but In KL, good books are usually expensive.

I have a suggestion to make, we could start a book exchange club for recom members in Malaysia. Maybe meet up fortnightly or once a month and swap books. Sounds geeky I know but that way, we could save money on buying books that we aren't that sure about (good to have but not absolutely necessary). Someone else here may have considered the book a must have and bought it. :)

That's a good idea! But everyone is staying so far away from each other. So how?

thesoothsayer

11-05-2004, 01:42 AM

Think the best way to do it is in your own town.

I used to exchange books with my friend using Pos Laju. Shipping 5-6 average sized novels usually cost around RM7 from KL->Penang. Not cheap but it's wasn't too expensive for me to do it. :)

And should this thread be moved to the reading SIG?

trishotiwuth

11-05-2004, 11:20 AM

As for books to recommend, off the top of my head, I'd say "Cry, the beloved country" by Alan Paton and "1984" and "Animal Farm"

Animal Farm is simply superb. Read it during my Foundation course. It does a great job poking fun at people and politics. Btw, I got it for only RM4 from pay less in Ampang Point hahaha....

__earth

11-05-2004, 11:25 AM

thesoothsayer

11-05-2004, 12:04 PM

Animal Farm is simply superb. Read it during my Foundation course. It does a great job poking fun at people and politics. Btw, I got it for only RM4 from pay less in Ampang Point hahaha....

Only RM4? Think I need to search Ampang Point for books more often. :)

trishotiwuth

14-05-2004, 10:32 AM

Only RM4? Think I need to search Ampang Point for books more often. :)

You should! The books are replenished weekly so go often if you want to grab the best books. And make sure you carefully scrutinize the shelves as some darlings are hidden among crap! Good luck

topdog

15-05-2004, 02:57 AM

any isaac asimov fans out there?

ElansarGelmir

15-05-2004, 03:09 PM

Hmmm... Where can i get Roald Dahl's books? Tried looking at MPH Mid Valley and Pyramid, but only found some books for children.

I first read his Charlie and the Chocolate factory months before UPSR. A very lovely book to a Primary 6 boy. Hehe.... Recently, I've just read his 2 other short stories - A lamb to slaughter (i like the twist of the story, something like the Secret Window), and Bitch (my friend told me that it was published in Playboy Magazine). Juz can't help loving those stories.

chenchow

22-05-2004, 04:18 AM

Just bought this book. "Sloan Rules", by David Farber. Alfred Sloan was former CEO of GM from 1923 - 1946, the time when GM overtakes Ford.

I guess the Sloan Business School in MIT, perhaps derive from Alfred Sloan, although it is just my guessing...

topdog

23-05-2004, 02:07 AM

"Beyond Mahathir: Malaysian Politics and Its Discontents" by Khoo Boo Teik.

chenchow

27-05-2004, 11:10 AM

I haven't read about this book, but this book received strong recommendations by Wharton Knowledge website.

http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/index.cfm?fa=viewArticle&id=985

In Defence of Globalization, written by Jagdish Bhagwati, a faculty in Columbia University.

This book also touches on capital control imposed by Malaysia, as well as many other issues on globalization.

iQing

28-05-2004, 08:26 AM

Little Prince is one of the all time best selling book... Sold out just less than the Bible...

it?s really a good book where the author see the world through his innocent eyes....

he died in a plane fight during world war II....

it?s an important literature so I recommend everyone to read it as well...

For your info, there?s a reading society in malaysia called Little Prince Reading society...
let?s participate in such society often as u will learn a lot from such an organisation....

iQing

28-05-2004, 08:28 AM

here?s a good recommendation:

The Art of Seduction

48 Laws of Power

- by robert greene...

his books is written very detailed and the knowledge is very practical....
explaining everything about human behaviour and how we can make use of them in our daily lives....

I give them 5 star rating...
cheers

chenchow

28-05-2004, 09:56 AM

The Little Prince is a very good book. Thanks for the introduction. I have a French version book with me, which I would need to read for my French class next year.

However, I find out an English version of the story, unabridged, full version including the graphics at:-
http://www.angelfire.com/hi/littleprince/introduction.html

So, I am starting a forum, for all of us to read The Little Prince and have some discussions on it!

The thread for discussion is at:-
http://recom.homelinux.org:8000/~recom/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&p=19174#19174

phantom

28-05-2004, 10:06 AM

i'll try to borrow the book from my library tomorrow and read it during this memorial day hiatus and give my 2 cents later.

can't wait to read that book though,have been reading so many good reviews about it.

iQing

28-05-2004, 10:19 AM

phantom

28-05-2004, 10:22 AM

Has anyone read the book "The Old Man and The Sea" by ernest hemingway, the noble price winner?

have not read that yet.but a nobel laureate's workpiece?wow,must be mesmerizing.

another summer list.

iQing

28-05-2004, 10:27 AM

but it really depends on a reader?s ability to engross into the story...

If u read it like normal buku cerita u will find it like eating sand... hard to swallow...

it requires some literature understanding...

let me suggest this when u read the old man and the sea...

The author writes the story in great detail so that u can imagine... u can "see"... u can "hear" and "feel" in the story...

try to use all the senses and try to understand and experience all the emotions by the charactors in the story and u will really gain a lot from it...

the connection between the reader and the story is important...

that?s all..

chao

ElansarGelmir

28-05-2004, 11:23 AM

Has anyone read the book "The Old Man and The Sea" by ernest hemingway, the noble price winner?

it?s written in very detailed manner.....

a touching story..

somehow if u read carefully... u can see the beauty of the old man?s love towards nature... and his tolerance towards hardship...

he don?t have hatred even though he?s attact by shark and he?s content when he finally lost his fish...

lot?s of great moral value for u to spot in life...

In life, what is important is not what lies in front of your eyes... but something that you can?t see in certain things ..... e.g. love

Watched the movie in our American Cultural Studies class. The beginning was rather hum drum, and i think the conversations are verbatim, taken directly from the book itself. One of the most valuable lesson that I have derived from the story is we should not be ignorant of what's happening around us (from the reaction of the tourists on the sight of Marlin's leftover).

gal_flower

28-05-2004, 12:48 PM

u guys shud try read 'the age of innocense' by edith wharton...
did it for my novel review...if u really analyze it ( i did it wif the help from the internet of coz! =)), there r really 'deep' stuff inside... stuffs tad reflect our society n us humankind...

iQing

28-05-2004, 08:13 PM

by the way .. just a small announcement here....
a new SIG has been set up...
the theme is about Life....

as we have read and learn a lot in Life let?s share some of our life experience in this new SIG...

This SIG is intend not just for us to express ourselves intelectually, but also touching us emotionally... which is an important part of us in life.

everyone is welcome to this new SIG...

burningBUTTERFLIES

24-06-2004, 01:27 AM

found some gems in Pay Less Books. The Leaving and collection of short stories by Budge Wilson are one of them.

Jeffrey Eugenides (Virgin Suicides| Middlesex)
= the way he writes... he makes ugly events beautiful. He weaves in humour subtly and sudden in sombre events. When you're done with his books, you just feel compelled to take it up once more and read again.

Wally Lamb (She's Come Undone | I Know This Much Is True)
= heart-tugging reads. Both books have main characters that are true. They may seem hard to love, but soon you will feel connected to them somehow. Mostly abt human nature (imo). Broken people that heals.
Judy Blume (Smart Women | Summer Sisters) = excellent all i can say

that's all for now... my fave reads =)

chenchow

24-06-2004, 03:58 AM

In conjunction with July - National Reading Month, we should do something to inculcate this habit. Reading will broaden one's mind, and help us reflect on ownself.

wpyeoh

29-06-2004, 02:33 PM

any isaac asimov fans out there?

I'm not exactly a fan of Isaac Asimov, but i like the series about Lucky Starr.

Anyone like Agatha Christie here? (I admit that I didn't read through every post in detail; I skimmed through most, so sorry if I missed anything) I'm a great fan of mystery stories.

There's another series, Arsene Lupin, about a "gentleman-thief" which I'm totally hooked on to now...it's originally in French, but there are english translations. It's something like The Saint series.

DecentMerson

11-07-2004, 09:51 AM

wat about Ian Rankin??? any Ian Rankin "follower"???

saser_sp

20-07-2004, 01:57 PM

huhu~~ i have been reading Vernon God Little ....(till now) :?
the language is quite peculiar for me because ....i don't know american-slang much ....

i try my best to understand the humor inside ...alas i don't find anything interesyting ...(do that mean i don't understand english well???)

arghh sometimes i fell like buying that book not-worthy ,,,,, :cry:

lyzzy

22-07-2004, 06:42 PM

I love all types of books.. i

if anyone is looking for scifi I recommend Asimov. A lot of people don't particularly like Asimov cos they read the Robots series which is not IMHO really very good...

Read the Foundation series, (not Forward the Foundation though) ..really ROCKS!!

And Empire series, which are out of print

The series actually make up one big story.. Robots-Empire-Foundation... one great series..

As for fantasy,

Terry Pratchett is really quite good; his Discworld series..
Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time is great, but you have to read the series in order... it's rather like a soap opera.

I think that Robert Ludlum, Anne Rice, JK Rowling, Tolkien and all the other 'popular' authors are way overrated. Give the less-known/publisied authors a chance
________
buy digital scale (http://www.vaporshop.com/scales)

gal_flower

22-07-2004, 10:34 PM

yo people!!!

get ur hands on tis book:
can you keep a secret?

it's really a hillarious book...i recommend it esp for all the females out there...haha...but i don't like the ending of the book though...so typical...i tot the book was really diff...till the end...fairy tale ending... so blatant...

try tis one too...
the cider house rules

it's a real thick book i admit...took me longer than usual to finish it coz it was packed wif stuff...nvr watched the movie so i thoroughly enjoyed the book...real sad...controversial perhaps...[/b]

wpyeoh

24-07-2004, 11:42 AM

ElansarGelmir

03-08-2004, 10:08 PM

Those who like Humanity kind of books, i recommend Mountains Beyond Mountains, by Tracy Kidder... It talks about how Partners in Health was founded, in the middle of crude and harsh geographical, economical and political condition of Haiti.... Well, it's amazing that the book keeps me reading (coz i'm not the "I-like-reading" kind of person), though i've been reading the 300-page book for prolly a month and still haven't finished with it.... hehe.....

chenchow

03-08-2004, 11:10 PM

Gotten a recommendation of this book from Forbes Magazine:-

Author: Rich Karlgaard
Title: LIFE 2.0

Rich Karlgaard used his own personal and professional midlife crises to look at the state of the American dream?the belief in continuous personal upward mobility?and where it stands in the twenty-first century.

He is a Forbes columnist.

Ic3b3rg

05-09-2004, 05:58 PM

Title: Noble House
Author: James Clavell
Pages:1284

Backdrop: 1960's in Hong Kong

it sucked me into the world of business and espionage, the intricacies of business warfare and strategies, and the grey area between law and disorder. The author managed to pack in murder, kidnapping, sexual liaisons, betrayal into just seven days of the lives of the people of hong kong.

The story gave me a deep insight into the thinking and life principles of the Chinese of that era- their deep interest in prosperity, their practical life philosophy, their preoccupation with "face". The most astonishing idea is that the Chinese of that era think of Westerners as "babarians" and Chinese as "civilized" people! the racist remarks made by the ignorant Chinese were in exact opposite made by the ignorant Westerners. Truly, all fools think alike.

saser_sp

07-09-2004, 01:03 PM

anyone have read Les Miserables by Victor Hugo ???

wpyeoh

07-09-2004, 04:26 PM

I seem to have heard about it before, but I can't recall it. What's it about?

saser_sp

07-09-2004, 04:51 PM

haha ... i dunno but my lecturer said about it on our first french lesson (it seems very popular because my lecturer is from quebec and les miserables is made in France)
he's also mentioned about Balzac ...(i don't know who is he either that time ...)
anyway i found out some info by googling .... :wink:

Les Mis้rables is set in the Parisian underworld. The protagonist, Jean Valjean, is sentenced to prison for 19 years for stealing a loaf of bread. After his release, Valjean plans to rob monseigneur Myriel, a saintlike bishop, but cancels his plan. However, he forfeits his parole by committing a minor crime, and for this crime Valjean is haunted by the police inspector Javert. Valjean eventually reforms and becomes under the name of M. Madeleine a successful businessman, benefactor and mayor of a northern town. To save an innocent man, Valjean gives himself up and is imprisoned in Toulon. He escapes and adopts Cosette, an illegitimate child of a poor woman, Fantine. Cosette grows up and falls in love with Marius, who is wounded during a revolutionary fight. Valjean rescues Marius by means of a flight through the sewers of Paris. Cosette and Marius marries and Valjean reveals his past. - The story has been filmed several times and made into a musical by the composer Claude-Michel Sch๖nberg and the librettist Alain Boublil, opening in 1980 in Paris. The English version was realised in 1985 and the Broadway version followed two years later.

Link
http://www.online-literature.com/victor_hugo/les_miserables/

Ic3b3rg

07-09-2004, 08:09 PM

hee i love that book.!!! erm but i have commented on it before.

http://nac01.kinetichost.net/~recom/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=503&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0&sid=bbb21c25633c64f10d80a138ba6e6002

saser_sp

08-09-2004, 05:36 PM

owh ...sorry ... i din't see it ...~~
anyway i don't have les miserables ....i'll try to read it online .. 8)

wpyeoh

09-09-2004, 10:12 PM

Hmm...maybe I'll try reading it. ^_^

gal_flower

10-09-2004, 04:07 PM

One of the books i really liked is "Not a penny more, not a penny less" (unfortunately I've forgotten the author's name) It's hilarious, about 4 guys who got cheated by a swindler (using legal means, strictly inside the law) and tried to get their money back (legally as well)

It's by Jeffrey Archer. I think all his short stories collection are marvellous. I've read almost all of his other books too.

Man & Boy, Man & Wife are good too~

saser_sp

10-09-2004, 04:08 PM

anyone have read books by Karim Raslan ??

lolilo

22-02-2005, 10:23 PM

i recommend sandra brown's novels
her book is under the romance section but her books are trillers
keep u on the edge

nicodemus

25-02-2005, 12:11 AM

I recommend Dan Brown's book....

"The Da Vinci Code" , "Angels and Demons" , "Deception Point" and "Digital Fortress"... :D

They're cool...mostly about cryptography and the first two are kind of religious, but it's worth reading...

I rate them a 9.8 out of 10. :)

For those who likes complicated and weird stories, like on witchcraft or supernaturals, you can try G.P.Taylor's book...

"Shadowmancer" and "Wormwood"... :)

The book was overally nice but the ending is not like wat I expect it to be...but, it's a nice book. :D

Question here...anyone read "The Wheel of Time" already, by Robert Jordan? I want to know if it's nice...

And have anyone read "The Barthemius Trilogy" already? I forgot the writer's name, sorry.... :wink:

lolilo

27-02-2005, 11:46 AM

i am recently reading michael chricton " timeline" and am wondering about the facts in the novel...
he wrote that what we supposely know in physic classes isnt true as there are new findings in physic nowadays. what he elaborated about is the particle form of light and multiverse, which is many universe exist together. i wonder is this fiction or facts? Can some engineering student or physics student or anyone please explain.
(i dont want to go on believing what is wrong because MC tend to write very realistic novelssuch as Jurassic Park)

lolilo

27-02-2005, 11:50 AM

dan brown book are okay, but i had a not-so-good time trying to finish "deception point". there is so much scentific stuff that made u blur and the whole book is about Nasa and the president. But i must admit Dan is really a geniius.I think andgels and demons is the best:)

nicodemus

05-03-2005, 12:51 AM

Ya....agree with you. " Angels and Demons " is the best among Dan Brown's book..... :D

Anyone read..... " The Amulet of Samarkand " already?? Any comments on the book?? :?

DecentMerson

05-03-2005, 01:08 AM

oh yar... u guys broke the code on the last page of the book Digital Fortress rite...

quite straight forward though...

flibbertigibbet

05-03-2005, 09:50 AM

Just stumbled on this thread.

Well, I have read Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code, Angels and Demons and Deception Point. I just fail to find his Digital Fortress. But out of the three books I've read, Deception Point is the most boring one.

And currently, I am reading Bill Bryson's "A Short History Of Nearly Everything". It is about the universe. But Bill Bryson's way of writing makes all the dull scientific facts more captivating and interesting.

flibbertigibbet

05-03-2005, 09:53 AM

By the way, pardon me if "A Short History Of Nearly Everything" has been recommended before this. I didn't read all the posts in this thread before posting.

lolilo

05-03-2005, 05:42 PM

oh yar... u guys broke the code on the last page of the book Digital Fortress rite...

quite straight forward though...

dont get what u r saying

sno

05-03-2005, 09:56 PM

Has anyone read "A Jarful of Angels" by Babs Horton before?
it's bout 4 children growing up together ..i can't remember the story anymore, read it 3 years ago but i remember the writer was very good at describing background, scenarios n all..........really loved the book..but forgot the story :oops:

sno

05-03-2005, 10:00 PM

DecentMerson

05-03-2005, 10:27 PM

oh yar... u guys broke the code on the last page of the book Digital Fortress rite...

quite straight forward though...

dont get what u r saying

flip to the last page of the book... there's a bunch of number... decipher it to break the code...

lolilo

05-03-2005, 10:37 PM

(i dont want to go on believing what is wrong because MC tend to write very realistic novelssuch as Jurassic Park)

yea, MC's CONGO was such a good read!

it's bout a group of scientists n geologists venturing into the jungles of congo to search for some priceless mineral.........n their violent + mysterious deaths caused another group to go in, this time with a large primate.....forgot if it was a gorilla or ape or wat :P

yup, he always write very scentific and fantasy stuff but you just cant categorized him as a fantasy writer. Hes very good.
Finish reading timeline.learn a lot especially histories.its the kind of fictional books that u can learn a lot besides haveing a good time reading.a very reecomendable writer

nicodemus

18-03-2005, 11:58 PM

to Sno....

i just read The Rule of Four....

really have to agree with you, it's a very complex book. :?

hard 2 understand... but i'll try. :D

sno

19-03-2005, 02:51 AM

to Sno....

i just read The Rule of Four....

really have to agree with you, it's a very complex book. :?

hard 2 understand... but i'll try. :D

i was somewhere in chapter 7 n i lost my book........in my room! 8)

nicodemus

21-03-2005, 11:31 PM

WAT !!!!

How careless of you...

LOST A BOOK ??

IN YOUR OWN ROOM ??

:? .... wonder how it went missing....

hope you find it..... :?

Ixora

22-03-2005, 08:34 PM

WAT !!!!

How careless of you...

LOST A BOOK ??

IN YOUR OWN ROOM ??

sorry to say that, but you sound like her father/mother... :oops:

nicodemus

24-03-2005, 02:07 PM

Come on......everyone will be shocked that one would be so careless to lost his or her own booj in his or her own room right?

:? Losing a book in your own room........ :?:

gal_flower

24-03-2005, 02:12 PM

Losing your own book in your room does sound a little off but it happens...haha...
Here's 2 books that I read for my humanities course:

A Small Place
by Jamaica Kincaid
~ a simple and easy read but full of nuances and meaning and emotions...

Benito Cereno
by Herman Melville
~ one of America's pioneer writers...very interesting read and if read with knowledge of America's history and background, all the shiok.

bp_ffei

02-04-2005, 01:08 AM

I read Schopenhauer's Telescope by Gerard Donovan recently. It is a rather complex book to me... :? Dunno if it's because of the fact that the author used to be a poet? Deals with philosophy and history... Almost 90% of the book content are conversations between a man and another man in a hole. Location: unknown. Time: unknown. Intriguing book...

Anyway, there's a novel I strongly recommend: The Doomsday Conspiracy by Sidney Sheldon. Awesome book! I like the pace of the book and the way it's written...

Apart from that, I just love detective stories... I've finished all of Sherlock Holmes. Dunno if I'll finish reading Agatha Christie's books though...

Oh, and Jeffrey Archer's short stories... wonderful...

hApEenDiNg

07-06-2005, 12:24 PM

i still hv few more chapters to finish sophie's world though, and i think it is an art of grandeur.

after reading it, i find myself contemplating a lot on philosophy and how the world goes round. basically, people find it quite boring and completely hynoptising, but seeing this book in a different light is not hard at all, guys!
read it with ur heart and try to understand the whole rationale of it.

this book is a great turning point for me. hope it will be yours too.

rab_bit

30-07-2005, 10:35 AM

Apart from that, I just love detective stories... I've finished all of Sherlock Holmes. Dunno if I'll finish reading Agatha Christie's books though...

i love detective books too! I've just finish reading two of Agatha Christie's books - The Murder Of Roger Ackyord and The Murder On Orient Express. Very unexpectable and interesting! One just couldn't guess who the murderer is until the end. I was just so amazed at how creative Agatha Christie arranged her plot. I really recommend those books.

budakkerek

30-07-2005, 01:32 PM

i've read Sophie's World, that was when i was in F2 or F3. bloody complicated for a kid who's still trying to figure out how to wake up for school on time and not having to run after the bus.

It;s a good though. and i liked it, maybe coz i like thinking and knowing how other ppl figure this world out. it's a deep one, and you hv to read it carfully. coz if the way everything turned out to be linked and so bloody weird in the end.

i read it again, when i finished school, and still thinks that it is a compliacted book. Dunno why i read it in the first place. maybe coz it's thick and looks impressive haha

but, sreiously, everyone SHOULD and MUST read Sophie's World, at least once in their lifetime. :D

lowch1

30-07-2005, 06:30 PM

Read DaVinci Code recently. It's a very good book. Catered for all sorts fo readers. :D

(ok maybe not for romance reader...)

__earth

03-02-2006, 01:21 AM

I'd like to recommend Liar's Poker by Michael Lewis.

Fun read, hilarious. Real life experience about a bond trader in the 80s.

pinkpau

07-02-2006, 01:39 AM

The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold. the book is told from the viewpoint of a young girl who was raped and murdered, and how she looks down from heaven and sees the lives of her family and friends move on without her. it's a very good book, seen through the eyes of a very naive yet profound little girl.

The Time Traveller's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger. reallllyyyyy good. i dont know how else to describe it besides that :D

James Patterson's Suzanne's Diary For Nicholas is for the romantics. sweet and made me cry. his thrillers are worth a read too, especially the Women's Murder Club ones.

then of course there are the popular favourites like dan brown's, the alchemist, wally lamb etc :)

07-02-2006, 01:57 AM

Hey guys , the traveller by John Katzenbach is superb !!! Check it out !

Agatha Christie's novels are cool too........... :D

abstractrose

10-02-2006, 11:22 AM

In response to all the hype, i went to read Paulo Coelho's The Alchemist..

I dont really noe how to say this but it wasnt remarkable as i thought i was after reading all those reviews..

It was kinda mediocre actually, nothing out of the norm..

Then again, just my two cents :wink:

budakkerek

10-02-2006, 01:49 PM

Iacocca: An Autobiography.

Interesting book.
And quite funny too.

ohmygod

26-02-2006, 02:04 PM

I would recommend "conversations with god" series...

Kind of new age thinking.

GodRox

08-03-2006, 12:20 AM

I strongly recommend

Wild Swans (Three daughters of China)
by Jung Chang
Winner of the 1992 NCR Book Award
and Britsh Book of the year Award

*A very true, extraordinary n great story of survival*

And for animal lovers, dun miss this one:

Where the red fern grows by Wilson Rawls

*An exciting tale of love, friendship n adventure!*

and would also like to share one of my fav when I was in junior secondary
the Giver by Lois Lowry

:wink:

[/b]

pinkpau

08-03-2006, 06:43 AM

I would recommend "conversations with god" series...

Kind of new age thinking.
is this like a book 1, book 2 kinda series or can i just pick any one out and read?

ohmygod

08-03-2006, 08:13 AM

is this like a book 1, book 2 kinda series or can i just pick any one out and read?

Well, they author divided it into book 1, book 2..But actually you don't have to follow the sequence. (it's not novel)

Actually I read book 3 before book 1...

Iraka

20-03-2006, 11:49 PM

I recommend the Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan if you're interested in fantasy. Sure there's like 9 books in the series, but if you're into that kinda stuff, it's a pretty good read. The Pearl Saga by Eric van Lustbader's another series I really like...it's not really pure fantasy, including some sci-fi elements in it, which make it all the more interesting.

If you like vampires and don't mind a little insanity, try Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles. The Vampire Lestat and The Queen of the Damned are popular favourites. I personally liked Blackwood Farm, but quite a lot of Anne Rice fans didn't, same goes for her last book, Blood Canticle.

General fiction...any of Jeffrey Archer's books are good. The ones I remember liking is Abel and Kane, and A Matter of Honour. The Bourne Trilogy by Robert Ludlum's a pretty good page-turner too.

ll_angel86

22-03-2006, 12:12 PM

I recommend Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy.
It's pretty interesting .In the book ,there are different worlds and the main characters are children.

IMHO, much better than Harry Potter.

And, try the Artemis Fowl series by Eoin Colfer too. Although Artemis is not exactly a goody two shoes u won't be able to prevent yourself from liking him. :)

lyzzy

22-03-2006, 01:40 PM

Yeah, I loved Phillip Pullman's His Dark Materials series too. And I was pretty obsessed with the Wheel of Time for a couple of years - the level of fantasy-world-building in insane!!
________
synthetic weed (http://syntheticweed.org)

Moozy

23-03-2006, 06:32 AM

Has anyone tried Gweiloby martin Booth?
I read the first few pages in MPH and loved it! But it costs RM50. It has kind of a 'Roald Dahl' style and makes me feel all warm inside. It's an autobiography of Booth himself as a child in Hong Kong, therein the name'Gweilo' as in white/ghost man in Cantonese due to their pale complexion.[/b]

ll_angel86

31-03-2006, 04:00 PM

I just finished reading Dragon Rider by Cornelia Funke. It's a children's book therefore the language and story is very simple. It took me only 1 day to finish the 500+ pages.

IMHO, the book is pretty good coz it makes you visualise the scenes and it is also full of hope. definitely a good book for both kids and adults.

:D try it.

CurbsideProphet

06-04-2006, 05:52 AM

My reccomendation : William Nicholson - The Society of Others.

It's the most recent book I've read which I really really love. Neo-realistic fiction - it's a book of suspense, adventure, philosophy. What I like most about is it's 'rites of passage'-ness, the transformation of the main character, the way he states things we know, but too often forget . William Nicholson is most well known, I suppose - for writing the script for Gladiator.

Nobody mentioned Douglas Adams yet - I find that vaugely dissapointing. Don't be put off by the movie! Read Hitchikers Guide to the Galaxy and watch a humourist which can really conjure words to his whim... If you're apt at physics - you'd find it doubly amusing. =D

In response to all the hype, i went to read Paulo Coelho's The Alchemist..

I dont really noe how to say this but it wasnt remarkable as i thought i was after reading all those reviews..

It was kinda mediocre actually, nothing out of the norm..

Then again, just my two cents :wink:

A lot of people think very different things about this book. I thought it was quite a heartfelt story, though, some parts exotic, but not very unique in the overall morale, which I think is the emphasis (it has been around for ages) - and like you, don't think it lived up to the hype. I much preffered Veronika Decides to Die.

But it wasn't that bad, and I can understand why people who have not encountered such would find it a source of wisdom and encouragement.

Someone mentioned Wally Lamb - She's Come Undone strikes me as trying too hard, but that may just be me finding it difficult to imagine someone bombarded with so many maladies. It certainly makes me very very thankful for my circumstances! What's good about it is the detailling of the emotions, the study of wants and needs, interpolating, discerning. It does make you feel as though you've travelled with the girl, growing up with her (people always praise wally for writing so girlishly, I beg to differ some parts are so not girlish at all!) - though the downset of that is it's immense length. People just casually interested beware, at some parts the drama won't drag you ahead. =x

And it's so rare to see Wilson Rawls mentioned. =D Remember reading Where the Red Fern Grows and loving it to bits - though it was difficult for me to finish Summer with the Monkeys - and I never bought another of his books again...

I didn't like Phillip Pullman as much as Eoin Colfer. Certainly at the time of the 1st book of Potter (I think I bought both at the same MPH warehouse sale - in 2000), I much preffered Potter to Pullman, though I would not admit it my favourite series now even if you gave me a chance to visit Daniel Radcliffe. u_u I don't really know why I never liked it as much...

Artemis is choked full of sarcastic humour and witticisms. The first book was far by the best, and Colfer's rather-new The Supernaturalist was a great read too. Lots of great fantasy teenage authors coming up lately - everyone's trying to get a slice of the pie, haha.

Just a suggestion - but I think this post should have counterparts denoting the genre - Fiction, Non-Fiction, Fantasy/SF, Crime, Humour, Motivational - or at least in the posts you all post to put an inkling. Browsing through wasn't as informative as I was hoping it to be. =P

ll_angel86

06-04-2006, 11:52 AM

Artemis is choked full of sarcastic humour and witticisms

I love the Artemis Fowl series too. Artemis is such a genius.

Yvette

16-10-2006, 07:09 PM

what about The Diary Of Anne Frank?
Haven't read it yet but heard it's real good

sore_four_eyes

31-03-2007, 06:13 PM

I would definitely recommend Peter Mayle!

He writes travel literature and combines his experience as a Brit living in Provence, Southern France. His book titles are: A Year In Provence, Toujours Provence, Chasing Cezanne, Hotel Pastis, and A Good Year (a 2006 movie... I think) to name a few. His writing style is funny, simple and easy to digest, plus he's got a great sense of humour!

Alexander McCall Smith is awesome too! I think his best are 44 Scotland Street and the follow-up, Espresso Tales.

white2020

10-04-2007, 02:28 PM

er..has any1 ever heard of "the age of EQ"??

syamil_1

20-04-2007, 12:34 AM

for those who like books based on true story i would recommend Jodi Picoult - The Pact.

They even got the movie. Very nice story. About double suicide.

Theano

20-04-2007, 09:05 PM

I prefer "Little Princess" by Frances Hodgson Burnett.

Anyone here who had read "Never Let You Go"? I forgot the writer's name. The story is about a woman named Kathy, telling about her childhood in a boarding school.

burningBUTTERFLIES

20-04-2007, 10:10 PM

Diary of Anne Frank, commended by Yvette, is very very good. It's the sort of book that you could read over and over again and yet it doesn't lose its appeal.

For those who do not know, Anne Frank was a teenager, a Jew during the Holocaust. She's a young teen but her writing and her thoughts surpasses her years. Despite being in hiding, she would write a great many of interesting observations and a toss of humour in a world that is supposed to be bleak. She had a brilliant mind I think, and I do not necessarily mean in academics.

As for my recommendation, I suggest "The Book of Ruth" by Jane Hamilton. What I love most about this book that it's humble, sweet, heartbreaking and true. There's no glitz and miracles that happens like in other books. It's just a simple story that tells the life of Ruth, who has tribulations like any other normal person. Her mother, May, gives her some undeserved hardships and Ruth's brother is the smartest thing ever to come out in her neighbourhood who May dotes on.

Ruth may not be smart or pretty, but she has the talent of rejoicing in the little joys of life, like letters from her Aunt Sid. She make you wish that her life will turn out better.

This book is under the Oprah Book Club, so you could pretty much imagine the sort of story it is...

ngai

27-06-2007, 12:11 AM

If you are looking for books with wicked twists and unexpected conclusions, go for Dan Brown's books. Except please ignore the "historical facts" in Da Vinci Code.
You also have the Loss of Inheritance by Kiran Desai, a 2006 Pulitzer Price winner.

Appolo

28-06-2007, 01:22 PM

For those who are interested in reading about scientific theories by leading thinkers that bears little or no concrete proof, I strongly recommend the book
" What we believe but cannot prove". edited by John Brockman.The book is a collection of comments by renown scholars and journalist who shares difference opinions on intangible scientific reasonings such as the existence of a conscious mind, the sense of self in humans, the evolutionary process experienced by our ancestors, space time continuum, mathematical equtions and etc.

I read it and I gained a lot extra information from this book that definately encourage your crtical thinking.Is it boring? The answer is no.The terms used are very laymen and some of the writers even include analogues just to clarify the arcane theories raised in their writings.

kpy

08-05-2008, 06:36 PM

Pippa

13-05-2008, 12:48 PM

If I'm not mistaken, no one has recommended My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult.
So I'm recommending it.

Its a really touching story. I first bought it because I was at a bookfair and I wanted to buy as many books as I could. My expectation weren't high when I picked this book by random.

I had shockingly pleasant surprise when I start reading it.
The first page had me hooked.
Jodi Picoult writes and narrates the point of view of the characters involved beautifully.
This book is the only book that have made me cry (which is a real feat since I'm not one for waterworks. Most of the time my eyes just get watery but I've never cried in the fullest sense of the word.) and I've read a lot of sappy books since they're my favourite kind.

The flashbacks may be a bit confusing but the overall impression is so powerful you find that you dont really mind the minor confusion.

The ending is really unexpected. (Well, for me anyway) I was feeling shocked and happy and a dozen other emotions at the same time. It was just so...wow.

A definitely must read!

Shawn_Paul

13-05-2008, 12:51 PM

My favourite right now is Honk! If You're Malaysian by Lydia Teh..Ahh the joy of reading about our Malaysia way of life and laughing at ourselves is PRICELESS~!!

Tzezumi

20-05-2008, 10:38 PM

I don't really know if anyone recommend these books yet..just too lazy to go through the past post..anyway:

1. The Black Magician Trilogy by Trudi Caravan
Three books in this complete series The magicians' guild, the novice and the high lord. It's something like Harry Potter but a bit darker.It's about how the main protagonist, Sonea tries to escape the grasp of the Magicians in the Guild and blah blah, it's best you read it on your own. It's a great series seriously.

2. Artemis Fowl series by Eoin Colfer
There's 5 books altogether. I not really sure if the last book is the end but it sounds like the end but Colfer is known to be very unpredictable. The books is about a child genius outdoing the fairy creatures which are like a thousand years more advance than humans or like they what they call us 'Mud Men.'

liangfuhan

21-05-2008, 07:20 AM

A Spot of Bother by Mark Haddon is amazing ahhhhh! If dysfunctional families are the thing for you, and you enjoyed Little Miss Sunshine, A Spot of Bother is spot on.

It's very very cute! So cute that I am taking time of to write this, and I
am actually late for school!

Other books:
1) The Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger
2) The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon
3) To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Caprio

23-05-2008, 04:33 PM

weilun

30-05-2008, 11:50 PM

My favourite right now is Honk! If You're Malaysian by Lydia Teh..Ahh the joy of reading about our Malaysia way of life and laughing at ourselves is PRICELESS~!!

How much does the book cost???worth-reading???

evening_go_jogging

31-05-2008, 11:15 AM

For One More Day by Mitch Albom

qwerkie

31-05-2008, 04:05 PM

2) The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon

this is the book with chapters that are only prime numbers? yes? stroke of genius, imo!

minic00per

31-05-2008, 05:21 PM

The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova is really worth every penny. Suspense, great description mixed with a little romance...it's about Dracula by the way...

Best read in the middle of night lol Once you start, you cannot put it down...it is THAT good...

For those looking for something a little different, The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini is a great choice...the tale begins in Kabul and tells of a father-son relationship, plus the friendship of two young boys whose lives change forever after a betrayal...

i bought the historian bout a month ago and cant push myself to read it....eventhough i'm crazy bout books...i guess since u said its worthy every penny , i'm gonna read it till the end....

and yess!!i l0ve kite runner very much....i'm thinking of buying Khaled Hosseini new book....forgot the tittle...

i read many of jodi picoult books....interesting and unexpected....especially the pact , my sister keeper and salem fall.

i cant stop reading even when spm around the coner and everytime my friends told me to stop reading those books and start study i told them that i'm learning english by reading it....but its true anyway....the bonus u get apart from interesting story....:))

If I'm not mistaken, no one has recommended My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult.
So I'm recommending it.

Its a really touching story. I first bought it because I was at a bookfair and I wanted to buy as many books as I could. My expectation weren't high when I picked this book by random.

I had shockingly pleasant surprise when I start reading it.
The first page had me hooked.
Jodi Picoult writes and narrates the point of view of the characters involved beautifully.
This book is the only book that have made me cry (which is a real feat since I'm not one for waterworks. Most of the time my eyes just get watery but I've never cried in the fullest sense of the word.) and I've read a lot of sappy books since they're my favourite kind.

The flashbacks may be a bit confusing but the overall impression is so powerful you find that you dont really mind the minor confusion.

The ending is really unexpected. (Well, for me anyway) I was feeling shocked and happy and a dozen other emotions at the same time. It was just so...wow.

A definitely must read!

my sister keeper was the first jodi picoult's book i read....i own 6 or 7 of her book....w0nder why its hard to save m0ney....

Yvette

31-05-2008, 10:55 PM

Last year there was this article in The Star stating that 'The Time Traveller's Wife' by Audrey Niffenegger made it into the top 100 list of Must Read Books. So, I gave it a try..

I found the arrangement of the chapters and sub chapters quite annoying at first but soon enough, I got used to it. The author uses different points of views and tells her story according to different days and times. For a simpleton like me, that was quite confusing at first. The book is basically a story about a man, Henry who time travels. He can't control his 'unique' ability and often finds himself displaced in time: in the past or the present. Quite a lot of his visits are made to his eventual wife, Clare, in the past. Imagine visiting a childhood version of your wife! But don't worry cuz this story leans nowhere close to pedophilia.. (remember Lolita? huhu..)

It is a beautiful story once you finish but it has a downside. I thought it had too many explicit parts.. I hate that to be honest..but I had to brace myself through it all for the story.. and erm..i guess the gist and overall impression from it stuck to my mind. Love is strong regardless of time, space or distance. =)

Oh, and I would like to recommend 'The English Teacher' by R.K. Narayan. It's excellent.

d3stinydanc3withm3

31-05-2008, 11:20 PM

this is the book with chapters that are only prime numbers? yes? stroke of genius, imo!

With the help of a pen and whiteboard, you can make an interesting summary of the book by just playing around with the numbers. Guaranteed to make you look like a maths genius :p

kpchen

01-06-2008, 12:27 AM

and yess!!i l0ve kite runner very much....i'm thinking of buying Khaled Hosseini new book....forgot the tittle...

i read many of jodi picoult books....interesting and unexpected....especially the pact , my sister keeper and salem fall.

It's "A Thousand Splendid Suns" :)

Aye to Jodi Picoult! Just finished reading my first Jodi Picoult book 2 weeks ago. My Sister's Keeper. Good book I must say but I found the ending too abrupt for my liking. Hmm.

qwerkie

01-06-2008, 04:17 PM

With the help of a pen and whiteboard, you can make an interesting summary of the book by just playing around with the numbers. Guaranteed to make you look like a maths genius :p

??

you lost me there. but it sounds very interesting!! :knk tell me please...

basikal

19-06-2008, 03:01 PM

orhan pamuk's my name is red is very very beautifully written.and also picture of dorian gray by wilde and the catcher in the rye by salinger is some of the books worth reading.

clep

19-06-2008, 03:51 PM

Graham Greene's 'The Quiet American' is very nice. Talks about the two kinds of colonial attitudes (old colonial like the Europeans; and the 'new' colonialists which are the Americans) towards Asian countries, specifically Vietnam. It's set during the Vietnam War.

I would not have read this if not for the fact that we had to do it for English in school. I'm glad I did, though.

eve88

27-06-2008, 08:21 AM

for something a little lighter...

Douglas Adam's : The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series (5 books)

His sense of humor is a bit ... weird, tho.

music_freak28

27-06-2008, 08:34 AM

I just read Mister Pip by Lloyd Jones. Good book. Could'nt put it down the minute I started reading it

Love stuff by Jodi Picoult too especially My Sister's Keeper

Want to read Kite Runner..didn't manage to watch the show

chongkeat

01-09-2008, 04:49 PM

bluez_aspic

01-09-2008, 06:09 PM

Actually it's Stephen Hawking's books which suck :lol:

Brian Greene's The Elegant Universe covers similar ground - but much better.

Smilehoe

01-09-2008, 08:59 PM

Actually it's Stephen Hawking's books which suck :lol:

Brian Greene's The Elegant Universe covers similar ground - but much better.

I notice bluez read widely. Particularly on maths and physics. That's awesome. I am still only halfway through the economics in one lesson and making sense in modern economics. (which I saw you recommending some time earlier)

Gosh, I gotta make more time for reading. :)

bluez_aspic

04-09-2008, 01:44 PM

The only book worth reading is the Bible :D

youngyew

04-09-2008, 02:16 PM

The only book worth reading is the Bible :D
Don't turn the thread into a degenerative one lah. :D

But seriously, the ONLY? Parochialism?

bluez_aspic

04-09-2008, 10:14 PM

Now now having an opinion hardly qualifies as parochialism. But if that's the tag I have to bear then so be it.

youngyew

04-09-2008, 10:39 PM

Now now having an opinion hardly qualifies as parochialism. But if that's the tag I have to bear then so be it.
No no the "label" parochialism was not referring to the fact that you had an opinion; it's the fact that you think there's only one book worth reading.

raden

04-09-2008, 11:26 PM

try dr.ykk books,
http://www.mindbloom.net/

bluez_aspic

04-09-2008, 11:28 PM

No no the "label" parochialism was not referring to the fact that you had an opinion; it's the fact that you think there's only one book worth reading.
:cool: :cool: :cool: :cool: :cool:

q135790

25-11-2008, 12:18 PM

Did anyone read `The 7 habits o highly Effective people`

qedx

25-11-2008, 12:49 PM

No one seems to have read Heinlein. He wrote Stranger in a Strange Land and Starship Troopers, of course. But I fell in love with Lazarus Long.

henry_yew

30-11-2008, 02:23 PM

I hope I am not repeating here (I didn't read all the threads in this post), but I love the following:

1. Lady Windermere's Fan (Oscar Wilde)
2. A Woman of No Importance (Oscar Wilde)
3. The Importance of Being Earnest (Oscar Wilde)
4. Twenty Thousand Leagues Under The Sea (Jules Verne)
5. Journey To The Centre of The Earth (Jules Verne)
6. Fallen Leaves (Adeline Yen Mah)
7. Oliver Twist (Charles Dickens)

chongkeat

30-11-2008, 04:38 PM

for something a little lighter...

Douglas Adam's : The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series (5 books)

His sense of humor is a bit ... weird, tho.

Actually, there will be a new book in the series, titled "...And Another Thing", due to be out in 2009. (Or at least I hope so)

And it's going to be written by Eoin Colfer!

2. Artemis Fowl series by Eoin Colfer
There's 5 books altogether. I not really sure if the last book is the end but it sounds like the end but Colfer is known to be very unpredictable. The books is about a child genius outdoing the fairy creatures which are like a thousand years more advance than humans or like they what they call us 'Mud Men.'
There are 6 books. I didn't check the date of your posting, so maybe it came out after you posted. Anyway, the sixth and final book is "The Time Paradox".

4. Twenty Thousand Leagues Under The Sea (Jules Verne)
Word up!

JYHee

03-12-2008, 11:56 AM

Sweetheart from hell ^^ written by a young local writer MayZHeeLim

joofei

05-12-2008, 11:17 AM

The 4 Novels by Dan Brown :

The Da Vinci Code
Angels and Demons
Deception Point
Digital Fortress

chongkeat

08-12-2008, 01:09 AM

Yvette

08-12-2008, 06:50 AM

Ok, I just finished Catcher in the Rye yesterday, and would totally recommend it for anyone who likes stuff like The Great Gatsby.

Minor profanity alert, though.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Catcher_in_the_Rye

The Catcher in the Rye is fabulous although it was a bit disturbing for me to read it at quite a young age. Now that I have progressed in years, I do see the book from a realistic perspective. =)

Anyway, another classic I found extremely funny is Don Quixote. Any takers? ;P

phoenix1892

08-12-2008, 12:09 PM

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde. Really interesting. A good read for those who appreciate art and beauty.

Yvette

09-12-2008, 06:19 AM

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde. Really interesting. A good read for those who appreciate art and beauty.

I totally agree!! Excellent piece this one and creepy too! But nevertheless, it taught me about the dangers of vanity in a most ghastly and beautiful way.

chongkeat

09-12-2008, 09:49 AM

Anyway, another classic I found extremely funny is Don Quixote. Any takers? ;P

Well, I've seen a movie, but I'd like to learn Spanish before reading the book. Same principle applies to most books in a foreign language.

Except for Genji, of course. That book is way too deep for me, anyways.

music_freak28

09-12-2008, 04:36 PM

Empress Orchid by Anchee Min. This book got me researching about China's history..lol.

Gabrielle90

10-12-2008, 08:08 AM

anyone reading twilight, new moon, eclipse, and breaking dawn???

qedx

10-12-2008, 11:10 AM

I read Twilight and I was glad that I didn't spend actual money on it. Couldn't do anything about the time I wasted reading it though :( It was a long time ago though and I happily report that I have managed to forget what it was about.

vikraman

10-12-2008, 01:39 PM

Sorry about your wasted time, qedx. I read four pages of twilight in the bookstore and my brain cells started to expire at a pace of more rapid than usual. I left the book in the store and never looked at it again. Thankfully my brain cell expiry rate has declined back to normal soon after putting the book down.

yummyummylicious

11-12-2008, 10:53 PM

anyone reading twilight, new moon, eclipse, and breaking dawn???

yeppi yep... finish reading those 4 books during my sem break recently, they are not bad, worth reading plus i like the character Edward...a beautiful boy i would say...plus the movie twilight is releasing when i am reading stephanie meyer's novel...great combination!

not forgetting to mention Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown is really a book worth reading!

nickvl

04-04-2009, 06:24 PM

Okay, okay...coming off as nerd here. But seriously I think Malaysians need to read...a lot more. I'm not sure if anyone have ever started this kind of thread before so sorry if there is. In my opinion there seem to be three books Malaysians have actually read : Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings and Twilight ( I'm stereotyping ppl here; after all I've only read one of the books mentioned)

What's your fav book or author?
Is there a particular genre you like?
Or maybe a book you think everyone on earth should read?

Okay, I'll start

Title : A Prisoner of Birth
Author: Jeffrey Archer

Genre : No idea

What's it about : Modern version of Dumas's The Count of Monte Cristo. If you haven't read that either... continue reading.
Okay, so there's this dude who's falsely accused of murder and ends up sentenced 20 years in jail. Before you can cry out "Oh, you unfair world..." , he escapes (a little leap of faith needed at this part) and out to get revenge on those who got him into this mess. *For continuation..read the book*

Why should you read it : I dunno. It's just one nice book to read on a rainy day. Quite straight-forward reading.

Quotable quotes from the book : "Both oaks, even if they were planted in different forests... all suffer in different ways by being prisoners of birth"

Rating : 8/10

p/s : I do realise this thread may not get any replies...ever. But I'm sure everyone has their 'Harry-Potter' moments. (Or if u hate HP, just fill in whatever book title u like) LOL
* Harry-Potter moments = books you go crazy about for no reason in particular and one you actually read from page 1 till the last page.

:laugh

youngyew

04-04-2009, 09:46 PM

Moderator Note: Just merged the last post into this thread. I hate to say this, but I would remind everyone to give some effort in finding existing threads before setting up a redundant thread. Thanks.

nickvl

04-04-2009, 10:37 PM

I did search. I type in 'Books' and press search. Came out nada

I read Twilight and I was glad that I didn't spend actual money on it. Couldn't do anything about the time I wasted reading it though :( It was a long time ago though and I happily report that I have managed to forget what it was about.

Haha! One quirk about me is I refused to read books that have already been turned into movies. Especially 'Twilight'. With all that hype (call me cynical but this kind of soppy romance is such a waste of time. My fren watched the movies three times), there are really great books out there...

not forgetting to mention Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown is really a book worth reading!

Heck yeah! Have you tried Angels and Demons? I felt that was even better. Digital Fortress was so so only ( a bit illogical or maybe I dun believe in such genius insight during the jeng jeng jeng moments)

phoenix1892

04-04-2009, 10:58 PM

I've been reading quite a lot of books the past few months. Here are some I'd really recommend:

The Road - Cormac McCarthy
The Hound of The Baskervilles - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
The Devil and Miss Prym - Paulo Coelho
Wicked - Gregory Maguire
Veronika Decides to Die - Paulo Coelho
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon

clep

05-04-2009, 01:30 AM

I'd say Lord of the Rings is a book many Malaysians bought or received as gifts, but never actually finished reading. (This applies to those who only heard of it when the movies came out). It's a huge generalization, but something I would be willing to bet on.

Right now, my favourite authors list is topped by Kafka. Metamorphosis and In The Penal Colony are two of his short stories that I'd recommend, both available in the 'Metamorphosis and Other Short Stories' book.

Harry Potter fans might like to try Ursula K. LeGuin's Earthsea books, written well before HP was conceived.

Other than that, some graphic novels I think everyone should try reading are Alan Moore's Watchmen and V for Vendetta, Shaun Tan's The Arrival, and Neil Gaiman's Sandman series. Alan Moore for character development, depth, ideas and philosophy; Shaun Tan for art; and Neil Gaiman for myths and stories, plus Dave McKean's splendid covers.

qedx

05-04-2009, 05:54 AM

If we're venturing into comic books/graphic novels, I highly recommed Transmetropolitan (http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Transmetropolitan&oldid=281447125) written by Warren Ellis. Trust me, it's worth your while.

btw, I was 15 when I first read LotR and I always try to read the book at least once a year. haven't quite managed to memorize it yet though :P

Chrisntine

31-05-2009, 12:32 AM

how about SECRET??
i think it quite nice but i haven't buy it. Going to buy it and read it.

Da vinci code and digital fortress are nice. I prefer digital fortress. Maybe I am interested in numbesrs.

shoujo_sm

31-05-2009, 12:57 AM

Is Jodi picoit and robin cook's book good? I was thinking buying one of their books since i have the book vouncher...

Gabrielle90

02-06-2009, 06:01 PM

currently, i am reading eclipse. hehe. just borrowed from friends. just finished new moon though. it isn't as boring as others comment about it. i heard some people comment that new moon is boring. but, i personally don't think so. i think it is pretty interesting. i read quite a lot of cecelia ahern's book weeks before and there were all nice especially if you could see me now. it's about how an imaginary friend changes an lady's life.

clep

03-06-2009, 04:55 PM

Granted, I've never actually managed to finish any book by Meyer, but based on the little I've read, I'm tempted to go with Stephen King on her work: "Stephenie Meyer can’t write worth a darn. She’s not very good." http://blogs.usaweekend.com/whos_news/2009/02/exclusive-steph.html

Digression:

If you dare, Encyclopedia Dramatica's article on Twilight. http://encyclopediadramatica.com/Twilight

Please do not murder me, I beg of the Twilight fans here.

ayja

03-06-2009, 05:08 PM

Is Jodi picoit and robin cook's book good? I was thinking buying one of their books since i have the book vouncher...

Jodi Picoult, the recommended book (that's going to be made into a movie) is 'My Sister's Keeper'. Her books always contain a sort of moral dilemma, which is very interesting. However, seeing as I've read a number of her books already, they somehow always revolve around moral dilemmas, not that it's a bad thing, but you tend to feel quite unamused after awhile. Other than that, her books are a good read.

ilyyy

03-06-2009, 05:12 PM

Jodi Picoult, the recommended book (that's going to be made into a movie) is 'My Sister's Keeper'. Her books always contain a sort of moral dilemma, which is very interesting. However, seeing as I've read a number of her books already, they somehow always revolve around moral dilemmas, not that it's a bad thing, but you tend to feel quite unamused after awhile. Other than that, her books are a good read.

its going to b made into a movie??? nice!
thats the only one of hers i read so far. heheh

Gabrielle90

03-06-2009, 07:41 PM

Granted, I've never actually managed to finish any book by Meyer, but based on the little I've read, I'm tempted to go with Stephen King on her work: "Stephenie Meyer can?t write worth a darn. She?s not very good." http://blogs.usaweekend.com/whos_news/2009/02/exclusive-steph.html

Digression:

If you dare, Encyclopedia Dramatica's article on Twilight. http://encyclopediadramatica.com/Twilight

Please do not murder me, I beg of the Twilight fans here.

i am gonna murder you tonight! watch out! jkjk. different people different opinion. it's good to know that there are people who don't like this story that much. but i don't really agree with what is written in encylopedia dramatica. yea, there're some info like rib-breaking pregnancy, emo bella are true but not all.

shoujo_sm

03-06-2009, 07:57 PM

gabrielle, I support you!!! i like the twilight series too!!! New Moon is a well-describe book with interesting plot.

chongkeat

03-06-2009, 11:09 PM

This lulzy (http://encyclopediadramatica.com/Lulzy) and undeniably true (http://encyclopediadramatica.com/True) quote came by way of an interview that King gave to the US Weekend magazine in late January. The interview covered numerous topics, and eventually found its way to Harry Potter (http://encyclopediadramatica.com/Harry_Potter) and Twilight. King admitted that while both series are fantasy novels aimed at prepubescent girls, the difference was that J.K. Rowling is actually a competent writer, whereas Stephanie Meyer is an untalented whore (http://encyclopediadramatica.com/Whore). The quote:

“
Both Rowling and Meyer, they’re speaking directly to young people. ... The real difference is that Jo Rowling is a terrific writer and Stephenie Meyer can’t write worth a darn. She’s not very good."
„
—LOL

Naturally, being averse to all forms of logic, truth, and good taste, this statement enraged the armies of Twilight fans around the internet, creating all sorts of delicious drama and fangirl tears.
On March 6th (http://encyclopediadramatica.com/Last_thursday), USA Weekend put up a poll on their site in response to the internet shitstorm (http://encyclopediadramatica.com/Lulz) that came about as a result of their interview with Stephen King (http://encyclopediadramatica.com/Trolling) to find out which author of the three (King, Rowling and Meyer) truly was the best (http://encyclopediadramatica.com/THE_BEST). Here's the Poll. (http://blogs.usaweekend.com/whos_news/2009/03/best-writer-pol.html) As of now King is dominating the poles with over 60% of the vote, (http://encyclopediadramatica.com/Over_9000) Rowling holds at least 25% (http://encyclopediadramatica.com/At_least_100) leaving Stephenie Meyer, who supposedly was the newest thing and was leaving old authors like King in the dust, (http://encyclopediadramatica.com/Unwarranted_self_importance) with only 15% (http://encyclopediadramatica.com/Fail). Some argue (http://encyclopediadramatica.com/Some_argue) that this is because King is a halfway decent writer and Meyer is a blabbering dipshit.

Okaaaay.......

Now, I've been avoiding Twilight like the plague since I caught wind of the "word on the street", but I really am curious, can it truly be that bad?

Well, they did say curiosity kills the cat.....

Oh, and to stay on topic: Life of Pi FTW!

qedx

04-06-2009, 01:29 AM

Dominic

07-05-2010, 07:02 PM

-The Millenium Trilogy by Stieg Larsson
-The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
-The Winner Stands Alone by Paolo Coelho
- The DI Tom Thorne Series by Mark Billingham

manglish_lysia

10-05-2010, 06:12 PM

The Hole
The Thief
The Witch
Maximum Ride...

My favourite:
Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult.

Dominic

10-05-2010, 06:23 PM

The Hole
The Thief
The Witch
Maximum Ride...

My favourite:
Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult.

I read 4 Maximum Ride books then got tired of them. Have you read Fang, the latest one? What's it like?

baby92

10-05-2010, 06:30 PM

twenties girl by sophie kinsella. a very interesting story. but sumtimes it just dont make any sense.

ara

10-05-2010, 06:55 PM

all jodi picoult books are worth reading....preeta samarasan's EVENING IS THE WHOLE DAY is a beautifully written novel....and aravind adiga's books are all worth reading too..hmm...anyone has read preeta samarasan's novel before??

manglish_lysia

10-05-2010, 07:57 PM

I read 4 Maximum Ride books then got tired of them. Have you read Fang, the latest one? What's it like?

I LOVE THEM! XD Nope, just read about Max, not fang yet though. I like the writing style a lot! The way it was wrote was so different from so many books I have encounter so far. Bored? Why?

all jodi picoult books are worth reading....preeta samarasan's EVENING IS THE WHOLE DAY is a beautifully written novel....and aravind adiga's books are all worth reading too..hmm...anyone has read preeta samarasan's novel before??

Oh yes! Jodi Picoult books are awesome! have you read the latest one? house rules. I don't really get why the book get some -ve review. I have learned so much from it. Perhaps I have fallen for the last paragraph of the book. It makes go awwwwwww!

div1ne

10-05-2010, 08:16 PM

Beyond any shadow of doubts, Lord of The Ring is the best! :P

"Yes my preciioouusssss!!!"

ara

10-05-2010, 08:22 PM

I LOVE THEM! XD Nope, just read about Max, not fang yet though. I like the writing style a lot! The way it was wrote was so different from so many books I have encounter so far. Bored? Why?

Oh yes! Jodi Picoult books are awesome! have you read the latest one? house rules. I don't really get why the book get some -ve review. I have learned so much from it. Perhaps I have fallen for the last paragraph of the book. It makes go awwwwwww!

ahh...the negative comments are always there wan lar...same went for SALEM FALLS...but to me it was awesome...haven't read HOUSE RULES...for its not out in paperback , and the version out nw is just too expensive...i mean i am a maniac for her books but i am currently short on cash..hahahahahah...readin HANDLE WITH CARE...have u read it? its awesome so far, so pls dun spoil anythin by stating wats gonna happen..eheheh:):P:))

div1ne

10-05-2010, 08:28 PM

Oh yeah, have anyone read "The Five People You Meet in Heaven" by Mitch Albom?
I thought it was very touching and meaningful.

I dont know why, but I like to read those tear-jerking books.

And no, Im not sissy LOL.

Restl3ss

10-05-2010, 08:53 PM

Dominic

10-05-2010, 09:48 PM

I read "The Five People You Meet in Heaven". I like it, but I like his "For One More Day" better. :))

What about "the curious incident of the dog in the night time" by Mark Haddon? It's funny. :laugh

yup, curious incident is a great book. you should try his other book as well, 'a spot of bother'.

I LOVE THEM! XD Nope, just read about Max, not fang yet though. I like the writing style a lot! The way it was wrote was so different from so many books I have encounter so far. Bored? Why?

they're getting rather preachy lately, especially all those stuff about the environment. i dislike preachy novels, they should let readers work things out for themselves...

ahh...the negative comments are always there wan lar...same went for SALEM FALLS...but to me it was awesome...haven't read HOUSE RULES...for its not out in paperback , and the version out nw is just too expensive...i mean i am a maniac for her books but i am currently short on cash..hahahahahah...readin HANDLE WITH CARE...have u read it? its awesome so far, so pls dun spoil anythin by stating wats gonna happen..eheheh:):P:))

House Rules is out in paperback, it's been out for a while but that's the expensive version. I haven't bought it yet (can't afford the price) but I've read Handle With Care. Don't worry, I won't spoil it for you. :)

Oh yeah, have anyone read "The Five People You Meet in Heaven" by Mitch Albom?
I thought it was very touching and meaningful.

I dont know why, but I like to read those tear-jerking books.

And no, Im not sissy LOL.

i read Mitch Albom's books, but my favorite by far is 'tuesdays with morrie'. haven't read the latest one yet though. :)

Restl3ss

10-05-2010, 11:38 PM

i read Mitch Albom's books, but my favorite by far is 'tuesdays with morrie'. haven't read the latest one yet though. :)
I think Tuesday With Morrie really teaches us how to live life to the fullest. :) And I don't buy books often too. I can't really afford too many of them. One book easily costs around RM30~RM40 right? Thus I borrow them from the public library. :jk

Dominic

10-05-2010, 11:44 PM

I think Tuesday With Morrie really teaches us how to live life to the fullest. :) And I don't buy books often too. I can't really afford too many of them. One book easily costs around RM30~RM40 right? Thus I borrow them from the public library. :jk

yup, books are really expensive these days. i spend all my money on books, and nothing else...:)

alter_ego

11-05-2010, 12:18 AM

yup, books are really expensive these days. i spend all my money on books, and nothing else...:)
:offtopici wanna buy books in uk ! very cheap. :)

ok ok, sorry for the digression.haha

ara

11-05-2010, 12:20 AM

me wanna know do any of you all read classics?? any classics worth readin???

Restl3ss

11-05-2010, 12:26 AM

I read Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen before. A very famous book. It was nice. Really. :)

wanisyu

11-05-2010, 01:00 AM

Goodnight Beautiful by Dorothy Koomson..
she also write My Best Friend's Girl..
i love this kind of genre..
but i'm looking forward to read The Da Vinci Code though..

MarknJun

11-05-2010, 02:16 AM

rach

11-05-2010, 02:59 AM

i'd recommend poor dad rich dad.

Dominic

11-05-2010, 09:05 AM

me wanna know do any of you all read classics?? any classics worth readin???

I read Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov. Controversial, but a very good book. :)

i'd recommend poor dad rich dad.

i tried that, didn't really like it...

:offtopici wanna buy books in uk ! very cheap. :)

ok ok, sorry for the digression.haha

true! I wish I can study in UK, then I can buy all the books I want. American books are cheap too, you know. :)

ara

13-05-2010, 12:30 AM

hey do u guys read agatha christie.....i have read like 15 books of hers from my sec. school library...and i must say that she is pretty awesoem at her plots...seriously gud stuff...

chocomaniac

26-05-2010, 06:00 PM

I would recommend 'Princess Orchid' (the last empress of china). Sorry, I forgot who's the write already. It has an awesome storyline. (btw, it's based on true story)

nickvl

26-05-2010, 06:26 PM

hey do u guys read agatha christie.....i have read like 15 books of hers from my sec. school library...and i must say that she is pretty awesoem at her plots...seriously gud stuff...

Hehe. Yup, they are pretty good. Have you read 'And There Were None? (novel version, not the play) It was awesome and one of my favourites.

I find the Harley Quin series a bit...odd, if you know what I mean.

donut

29-06-2010, 09:00 PM

Have you read 'And There Were None? (novel version, not the play) It was awesome and one of my favourites.

Heard of the play but I didn't know there was a novel version :blush
It seemed like an awesome book to read though from the title.

The Lovely Bones, I find it horrifying but hopeful at the same time. Prolly horrifying in the sense I seldom read books regarding r-a-p-e, but not that they emphasize on it but. Haha. I dunno how to express myself.

There's also this book I read, but it's a simplify version. Been trying to find the complete version ever since. I had forgotten who's the author, but suddenly writing here, I remembered her name! Haha. I thank thy thread.

'This Rough Magic' by Mary Stewart. It's awesome. For me la. :]

Dominic

29-06-2010, 09:28 PM

I'd recommend Trudi Canavan's The Black Magician Trilogy. It's one of the best fantasy novels I've ever read, combining every single element from adventure, politics, romance, and many others.

nickvl

29-06-2010, 10:19 PM

Heard of the play but I didn't know there was a novel version :blush
It seemed like an awesome book to read though from the title. :]

It's originally a novel which Cristie rewrote when it was adapted to a play. The play has a slightly different and happier ending but it sure doesn't beat the original ending of the novel.

Jeffrey Archer's Kane and Abel is an epic worth reading. It spans 60 over years during which the readers follow the main characters from birth right to the very end. There's also a sequel called 'The Prodigal Daughter'

Dominic

29-06-2010, 10:25 PM

It's originally a novel which Cristie rewrote when it was adapted to a play. The play has a slightly different and happier ending but it sure doesn't beat the original ending of the novel.

Jeffrey Archer's Kane and Abel is an epic worth reading. It spans 60 over years during which the readers follow the main characters from birth right to the very end. There's also a sequel called 'The Prodigal Daughter'

Yeah, I love Kane and Abel! It's both heartbreaking and moving at the same time! I read The Prodigal Daughter first, before Kane and Abel, and immediately fell in love with Florentyna so I went to buy the first book!

Actually there's a third, Shall We Tell the President, which Jeffrey Archer edited to make the president Florentyna instead. In the original it's a different president but I couldn't find any of them in bookstores. I think the storyline remains pretty much the same though, since it's not centered on Florentyna, like The Prodigal Daughter is.

nickvl

29-06-2010, 10:35 PM

Yeah, I love Kane and Abel! It's both heartbreaking and moving at the same time! I read The Prodigal Daughter first, before Kane and Abel, and immediately fell in love with Florentyna so I went to buy the first book!

Actually there's a third, Shall We Tell the President, which Jeffrey Archer edited to make the president Florentyna instead. In the original it's a different president but I couldn't find any of them in bookstores. I think the storyline remains pretty much the same though, since it's not centered on Florentyna, like The Prodigal Daughter is.

Yeah, I read all of them. I also tried finding the original Shall We Tell the President but I couldn't find, not even the one during my mum's time, which I have it now. It's a 1986 publication and it features Florentyna. The original must be way before that.

Have you read The Eleventh Commandment and A Matter of Honour? Both are better than Shall We Tell the President.

Jeffrey Archer's short stories are also awesome especially Christina Rosenthal...

Dominic

29-06-2010, 10:42 PM

Yeah, I read all of them. I also tried finding the original Shall We Tell the President but I couldn't find, not even the one during my mum's time, which I have it now. It's a 1986 publication and it features Florentyna. The original must be way before that.

Have you read The Eleventh Commandment and A Matter of Honour? Both are better than Shall We Tell the President.

Jeffrey Archer's short stories are also awesome especially Christina Rosenthal...

Haven't read either of those books... :P But up to now I've read Sons of Fortune, A Prisoner of Birth, Paths of Glory, and a few of his short story books. My all-time favorite is still A Prisoner of Birth. Not sure why, but maybe it's because that's the first Jeffrey Archer novel I read. :)

I shall try looking for more, but they're always pretty expensive (RM30+ each). All the ones I bought are from secondhand bookstores or during sales. Are the books you recommended more towards the lifetime story kind (Kane and Abel) or the thriller kind (Shall We Tell the President)?

nickvl

29-06-2010, 10:48 PM

Haven't read either of those books... :P But up to now I've read Sons of Fortune, A Prisoner of Birth, Paths of Glory, and a few of his short story books. My all-time favorite is still A Prisoner of Birth. Not sure why, but maybe it's because that's the first Jeffrey Archer novel I read. :)

I shall try looking for more, but they're always pretty expensive (RM30+ each). All the ones I bought are from secondhand bookstores or during sales. Are the books you recommended more towards the lifetime story kind (Kane and Abel) or the thriller kind (Shall We Tell the President)?

I've been wanting to get Sons of Fortune and Paths of Glory but it is too expensive. The ones I mentioned is more towards the thriller kind. For the lifetime story kind like Kane and Abel there's another one called As The Crow Flies. It's good but I prefer Kane and Abel.

A Prisoner of Birth is also one of my favourites. I kept rereading it :))

Speaking of thrillers, have you tried the Jason Bourne trilogy by Robert Ludlum? I read the first two. I have the third but I couldn't bring myself to read it because I don't know...(hard to explain it myself)

Dominic

29-06-2010, 11:08 PM

I've been wanting to get Sons of Fortune and Paths of Glory but it is too expensive. The ones I mentioned is more towards the thriller kind. For the lifetime story kind like Kane and Abel there's another one called As The Crow Flies. It's good but I prefer Kane and Abel.

A Prisoner of Birth is also one of my favourites. I kept rereading it :))

Speaking of thrillers, have you tried the Jason Bourne trilogy by Robert Ludlum? I read the first two. I have the third but I couldn't bring myself to read it because I don't know...(hard to explain it myself)

Sons of Fortune is good! Kinda like the Kane and Abel kind of story, but they were twins, instead of people born on different sides of the world. And I got the hardcover Paths of Glory for only RM24.90! :nuts Was so happy when I saw it!

I think I'll try As the Crow Flies. Stories like that seem to interest me more. I liked Kane and Abel and Sons of Fortune a lot! :laugh

For the Jason Bourne trilogy, I only read the first book because I borrowed that from my teacher. Couldn't borrow the rest and they're rather expensive so haven't read beyond the first book as of now! :)

nickvl

29-06-2010, 11:14 PM

Sons of Fortune is good! Kinda like the Kane and Abel kind of story, but they were twins, instead of people born on different sides of the world. And I got the hardcover Paths of Glory for only RM24.90! :nuts Was so happy when I saw it!

I think I'll try As the Crow Flies. Stories like that seem to interest me more. I liked Kane and Abel and Sons of Fortune a lot! :laugh

For the Jason Bourne trilogy, I only read the first book because I borrowed that from my teacher. Couldn't borrow the rest and they're rather expensive so haven't read beyond the first book as of now! :)

Most of the books I read are not mine. They were either borrowed, given or filched(okay, ignore the last one :P)

Do you like classics? I loved 'A Tale of Two Cities' by Charles Dickens.

Dominic

29-06-2010, 11:25 PM

Most of the books I read are not mine. They were either borrowed, given or filched(okay, ignore the last one :P)

Do you like classics? I loved 'A Tale of Two Cities' by Charles Dickens.

Hmmm...I like certain classics, but not all. I find Charles Dickens depressing (sorry! :P) but I enjoyed several others, like Little Women, Christopher Isherwood's A Single man, Vladimir Nabokov's Lolita, and a few more. But no Charles Dickens for me. Tried Great Expectations once but simply couldn't get through it. :(

I prefer adventure, and crime novels. Or stories that are simply touching, like Jodi Picoult's works, or inspirational ones, like those by Paolo Coelho. :)

ytm

29-06-2010, 11:32 PM

the infamous To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee. :))

It's incredible how Miss Harper Lee can narrate a story through the eyes of an innocent young white girl.

nickvl

29-06-2010, 11:42 PM

Hmmm...I like certain classics, but not all. I find Charles Dickens depressing (sorry! :P) but I enjoyed several others, like Little Women, Christopher Isherwood's A Single man, Vladimir Nabokov's Lolita, and a few more. But no Charles Dickens for me. Tried Great Expectations once but simply couldn't get through it. :(

I prefer adventure, and crime novels. Or stories that are simply touching, like Jodi Picoult's works, or inspirational ones, like those by Paolo Coelho. :)

Yeah...Dickens can be way depressing. But the biggest classic no-no is Wuthering Heights. I just about died. I was so glad to finish the last page and thank heavens it was over. (I had to finish it out of principle :lol) I haven't read Jodi Picoult but my friend told me it's a lil' depressing too.

When I was younger, adventure books such as 'Around the World in 80 Days', Journey to the Centre of the Earth' and King Solomon's Mines kept me awake all night just so I could finish it.

the infamous To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee. :))

It's incredible how Miss Harper Lee can narrate a story through the eyes of an innocent young white girl.

The part about Boo and and the knothole was so touching... I admit that this book made me weep buckets...

Dominic

29-06-2010, 11:49 PM

Yeah...Dickens can be way depressing. But the biggest classic no-no is Wuthering Heights. I just about died. I was so glad to finish the last page and thank heavens it was over. (I had to finish it out of principle :lol) I haven't read Jodi Picoult but my friend told me it's a lil' depressing too.

When I was younger, adventure books such as 'Around the World in 80 Days', Journey to the Centre of the Earth' and King Solomon's Mines kept me awake all night just so I could finish it.

The part about Boo and and the knothole was so touching... I admit that this book made me weep buckets...

Crime novels can keep me up all night just to find out who the murderer is. Mark Billingham is my favorite author of crime novels, and he successfully keep me guessing to the very end! :)

Jodi Picoult's novels are sweet, not really depressing. I've never felt depressed reading her works, and I've read quite a few of them! The only one I truly disliked was Mercy, because the story focused too much on an unimportant issue, compared to the main one the author was trying to tackle, euthanasia.

Another novel I'd like to recommend is The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon. It's a very good book, blending mystery and fantasy together seamlessly. Definitely one every reader should read. :laugh

Yeah, To Kill A Mockingbird is one of the best classics around.I read it once ten years ago, and I bought it again earlier this year just to reread it (got it cheap). The innocence in the novel is simply beautiful! :laugh

ytm

29-06-2010, 11:57 PM

The part about Boo and and the knothole was so touching... I admit that this book made me weep buckets...

Yea! And the part where Scout stood in front of Boo's window after walking him home, envisaging what Boo would have seen from that window through her own eyes...that's really touching too. Boo's really lonely after all.

Another novel I'd like to recommend is The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon. It's a very good book, blending mystery and fantasy together seamlessly. Definitely one every reader should read. :laugh

couldn't agree more! :laugh i was pretty doubtful when i bought it. But i can't stop reading once i'd begun :)) Really enigmatic and definitely a page turner.

Dominic

30-06-2010, 12:01 AM

couldn't agree more! :laugh i was pretty doubtful when i bought it. But i can't stop reading once i'd begun :)) Really enigmatic and definitely a page turner.

Have you tried his other two books (The Angel's Game & The Prince of Mist)? I still like The Shadow of the Wind the best. And I was pretty doubtful too when I bought it because it doesn't sound like any book I've ever read or even seen before! :laugh I still remember a quote from the back of the book, "Even the subplots have subplots." At first I wondered how that could be possible but when I read it I realised how wrong I was! :P Simply amazing book!

ytm

30-06-2010, 12:14 AM

Have you tried his other two books (The Angel's Game & The Prince of Mist)? I still like The Shadow of the Wind the best. And I was pretty doubtful too when I bought it because it doesn't sound like any book I've ever read or even seen before! :laugh I still remember a quote from the back of the book, "Even the subplots have subplots." At first I wondered how that could be possible but when I read it I realised how wrong I was! :P Simply amazing book!

I've seen their front covers but never read them :)). Are their elements very similar to those of the The Shadow of the Wind?

"Even the subplots have subplots."
Yea... how true! The plot keeps branching into smaller ones that I found myself reading so many other little stories instead of a huge focused one. :))

Dominic

30-06-2010, 09:09 AM

The Angel's Game is the prequel to The Shadow of the Wind. However, this time the story is about a writer, instead of a reader. I liked the book, though it left me with a dozen unanswered questions. Somehow it feels rather 'Lost'-like. But still a pretty good read. :-)

The Prince of Mist is actually a teen novel, the author wrote it back in 1992, together with another 3 books (which haven't been translated yet), way before The Shadow of the Wind and The Angel's Game. It's a nice story, my only complaint is that the books is a little short. I would have liked the story to be longer, but as it's not an adult novel, like the other two are, I can understand the need for briefness.

During one of my scholarship interviews, the interviewer asked me to talk about my favorite book, so I chose The Shadow of the Wind. But when he asked me to tell him the story, I got lost! I keep getting muddled because it's not a simple straightforward tale like many others, but with so many different things happening at the same time. In the end I just gave up and told the interviewer to read it himself. LOL! :-D

ytm

30-06-2010, 01:31 PM

Dominic

30-06-2010, 01:38 PM

Hmm..The Angel's Game seems interesting. I've always liked complicated stories which leave one to be all "lost" :P That way, i'm compelled to reread the story with new/better comprehension in every read :))
Might be considering The Prince of Mist too.
Thanks for the recommendation! :laugh

Haha! I'd have told the same thing to the interviewer too! It's impossible to explain the whole plot thoroughly, not when you were only given such limited time in the interview :))

Haha, I'm going to reread The Angel's Game soon, to try and understand the plot better. :laugh Do you watch Lost? If you like complicated stories it's definitely something you should try. :)