Writing Jeh's Book Club

[James]

[color=#707875]It's that time again...I need a new book to read. The thing is, I really don't have a clue about [i]what[/i] to read.

And I know that some of you are avid readers with fantastic taste! So, I thought I'd start a little book club of sorts here. ~_^

I guess that right now, what I'm looking for...is for people to recommend books for myself (and others) to read. So, list the title and author...and maybe write a little synopsis and mini-review of it. Or something along those lines anyway. The book can be fiction or non-fiction, too.

For me personally, if I'm reading fiction, I prefer science fiction or fantasy. There are variations on that, but it really depends on whether the story captures my imagination. I generally don't like to read fiction about "real life", if that makes sense.

So anyway, I'll kick the discussion off. ^_^

[b]Geisha of Gion
[size=1]Mineko Iwasaki[/size][/b]

This is the most recent book that I have read. I also recommended it to Zidargh, who also enjoyed it.

If you're interested in Japanese culture, I guarantee that you'll love it. And even if you're not, you may still enjoy it.

The book is basically about the life of Mineko Iwasaki, who is Japan's most famous Geisha for a generation. The autobiography basically talks about her experiences as a Geisha in Gion Kobu and how she "rose to the top", so to speak. The book also describes what it's like to live as a Geisha. It's somewhat like living as a nun, but with more freedom in some ways...and more constraints in others.

Geisha are truly fascinating to study. Their entire life is surrounded by mystery and magic. And their careers are incredibly interesting. For those of you who don't know, a Geisha is basically a hostess. That's the most crude way of describing her job. She is actually a number of professions tied into one person -- she's a professional hostess (Geisha are famous for their Tea Ceremonies in Japan) and she is also a professional dancer. Geisha perform all sorts of traditional dance across Japan and this is a huge part of their career.

[spoiler]There is one moment in the book where Mineko describes a visit by Prince Charles to Japan. She describes a moment where he took her fan from her and signed it without her permission. Mineko was so upset (as it was her favourite fan), that she ordered her maid to dispose of it that very evening. She thought he had ruined it. I found that pretty interesting. ~_^

Also, she recalls how she sat next to Queen Elizabeth II during a state dinner. The Queen did not speak to her all night and basically ignored her. Mineko felt that this was very rude behavior...so she deliberately sat very close to Prince Phillip and flirted with him. She recalls the icy stare that she received from the Queen on that night. lol[/spoiler]

Mineko also talks about other famous people who she hosted, including Henry Kissinger and others. It's very interesting.

So, I could go on and on about this book here. Go and borrow it from your local library or better yet, buy it. You won't regret it. It even has some interesting photographs and historical details about Japan. Great stuff.

So there you have it. Anyone else got a recommendation for me? ^_^[/color]

[Doukeshi]

Well James, I would like to put forward the trilogy of 'His Dark Materials' by Philip Pullman

I shall talk to you about the first book, known in it's nation of origin as 'Northern Lights' but the US title is 'The Golden Compass'

Now, this novel is a blend of fantasy and some scientific element, it's aimed more towards older teenagers, however it has been acclaimed as a great adult novel also. Easy reading, it's a wonderful tale that's gripping, humorous and totally enthralling.

The central character is a young girl called Lyra she and her 'daemon' - (soulmates if you will, beings that can change shape at will until they and their host reach a certain age, whereby the daemon becomes fixed in one shape, supposedly to reflect the human's nature) - become caught up in a tale of vengence, subterfuge and entrapment. It is, as I have said, a wonderful tale, that introduces many characters that will become a part of your life. It continues in the second and third installments named 'The Subtle Knife' and 'The Amber Spyglass', all are masterpieces in themselves, however it took me a while to get into 'The Subtle Knife' (I was young at the time ^_~).

I recommend all of Philip Pullman's books to anyone who will listen, and even those who don't.

[Mina]

Let's see.
Assuming you've already read Harry Potter 5, I'll reccomend the Dragonlance series. It's very fantastic and even though I haven't read it myself, I've heard it has a great storyline and imagery.
------------------

2)Green Rider and it's sequel of which I forgot the name by Kristen Britain.
In Green Rider, our heroine, Karigan G?ladheon, is a feisty and independent soul, perhaps even a bit headstrong and hasty. Expelled from school (unfairly, in her opinion), she chooses to head for home on foot, to face her father?s wrath, rather than waiting for it to come to her. Along the way, she encounters one of the mysterious messengers of Sacoridia, a Green Rider. Wounded and near death, he beseeches her to take a vital message to the king. Almost against her better judgement, Karigan swears to deliver the message. With this oath, she finds herself set on a strange and perilous journey, aided only by a mysterious talisman, a nameless, headstrong horse and possibly the ghost of the Green Rider. What Karigan doesn?t know is that an evil long believed to be vanquished from the land has returned and is now hunting her.

Pursued by unknown assailants bent on preventing the delivery of the message at any cost, Karigan finds help in the unlikeliest of places. In addition to providing assistance, some of the people she meets also contribute a bit of lighthearted humor to some tense situations. Karigan has reason to be grateful for such respite, because she soon discovers that her task will not end with the delivery of the message. In fact, her ordeal has just begun.

I've enjoyed this book Immensely. And I would assure anyone they wouldn't be bored. The heroine is a girl and she really relates to everyone in her actions and thoughts.

[James]

[color=#707875]I haven't read Harry Potter 5. So someone can jump in and talk about that if they like. ~_^

But try not to give away too much. Hehe

Actually, I'm nearly finished reading Harry Potter 4 right now. I don't really love the series or anything, I'm mostly reading it because I have nothing else to read. And I always need to have a book by my bed. ^_^[/color]

[Brasil]

I highly recommend Heart Of Darkness by Joseph Conrad.

It was what Apocalypse Now was adapted from (although A.N. really changed the flow and scope of the narrative). It tells the story of a renegade ivory trader, Kurtz, who has gone insane in the deep Congo of Africa. We tag along with Marlow, an officer of the Company, who is sent to put an end to Kurtz's savage behavior.

It's a fantastic book, both from a narrative standpoint and from a human behavioral study. As Marlow goes deeper into the jungle, he begins to understand Kurtz and in a sense, becomes him at the end.

The interplay between civilized thought and animal instinct really gets the reader thinking. Are we really as humane and trustworthy as we proclaim ourselves to be? Do we really act on the side of reason and sensibility? Are we above our naturalistic urges? This is all examined in Heart Of Darkness.

When you read it, pay attention to the savage at the wheel of the boat. He's the only way Marlowe can keep his civilized mind. Interesting stuff...a savage keeping a man from losing himself.

Hell, I should post my research paper. It compared Dante's Inferno, Apocalypse Now, and Heart Of Darkness. Quite fun stuff. John Milius was lying through his teeth when he claimed The Odyssey as basis for Apocalypse Now. He used Dante's Inferno.

[Raiha]

[color=royalblue]Incidentally James, the title Memiors of a Geisha is the title of yet another book by Mr. Arthur Golden. His is about a fictional geisha's life, her name is Nitta Sayuri, and her troubles are many.

I reccomend it strongly if you prefer fiction to nonfiction. It's full of lyrical writing, prosey phrases, and lovely poetry in many forms. Generally, I enjoyed it out of the 100 other books on my summer reading lists. It's very adult, surprise surprise. But well worth it.[/color]

[James]

[color=#707875]I have deliberately avoided Arthur Golden's book. It's full of distortions and inaccuracies.

Did you know that Mineko Iwasaki was one of his primariy sources of information, but she ended the relationship because she was dissatisfied with the way his story represented Geisha?

For instance, Mr. Golden apparently implies that Geisha are prostitutes or something similar, when this could not be further from the truth. I recommend that you read Iwasaki's book even moreso now. ^_^

EDIT: I just realized that I was thinking of Golden's book in the first place. *slaps forehead*

Mineko Iwasaki's book is called [b]Geisha of Gion[/b]. I'll fix my first post.[/color]

[Raiha]

[color=royalblue]Well, according to yet another geisha book I read which supports some of Golden's writings. Some. I knew he had spoken with her, but I didn't know about the finer details.

I spoke with my Japanese exchange student friends and they said that geisha were high end prostitutes, so I suppose...it's all in who you know. The Geisha book....can't remember the title, but it had lovely photographs, national geographic quality, and was generally very informative and factual. She interviewed more than a dozen geisha and people who work with geisha. The end result was well worthit. Sure the photos were partially indecent and such, but the Japanese never had reservations about nudity.[/color]

[Corey]

'The Dark Tower' books by Stephen King are very good.
There are four right now, but he plans on writing three more.

The first tells the tale of Roland Of Gilead, the worlds last Gunslinger in some strange post apocholyptic mock-earth, as he travels across an immense desert in pursuit of The Man In Black.
It's a very good book. As are the others. However, I won't ruin the others for you seeing as they all tie into eachother.

[The Harlequin]

[font=gothic][color=indigo]My advice, for a fantasy section, would be Janny Wurt's "War Of Light And Shadow" series. Ignoring the rather absurd title, it's quite a long series, so will provide quite a bit of entertainment, but it also enjoys the distinction of being the best-written piece of literature I have ever read....And I've read quite a lot. Janny Wurts is extremely talented and descriptive, and has a truly amazing vocabulary. The start of the series, which of course is the least interesting of the books, is called "Curse of the Mistwraith".

Other than that, I'd recommend anything else by Janny Wurts, or anything by Anne Rice if you're into that kind of thing. Failing that, something by Melanie Rawn, probably Ruins of Ambrai, or by Sara Douglas, particular her Axis series, starting, eponymously, with Axis.

Other than fantasy....I don't know. I only read fantasy.[/font][/color]

[Shinmaru]

I'll have to go with KnightOfTheRose and recommend the Dark Tower books by Stephen King. They're quite fascinating and really hook you in (which, in my opinion, is what a good book should do). I won't give away any plot points, but here are the four books that have been released so far: [i]The Gunslinger[/i], [i]The Drawing of the Three[/i], [i]The Waste Lands[/i], and [i]Wizard and Glass[/i]. Right now, I'm partway through [i]Wizard and Glass[/i].

I've also been in a Star Wars kick lately. I've reread my favorite trilogy, the Grand Admiral Thrawn trilogy, written by Timothy Zahn, which include [i]Heir to the Empire[/i], [i]Dark Force Rising[/i], and [i]The Last Command[/i]. If you're a Star Wars fan, then I would suggest checking those three out, because they're the best of the Star Wars novels that I've read.

EDIT: Another good book I forgot to mention is [i]The Fountainhead[/i] by Ayn Rand. Very good read if you're looking for something philosophical. I read it last year and enjoyed it very much. Really makes you think about things.

[Tix]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Raiha [/i]
[B][color=royalblue]Incidentally James, the title Memiors of a Geisha is the title of yet another book by Mr. Arthur Golden. His is about a fictional geisha's life, her name is Nitta Sayuri, and her troubles are many.[/color] [/B][/QUOTE]


I can confirm it, that book is really great. I read it this year and it was really good. When I took it the boys in my class were like: "No it's so girlish...blah blah". But I took and start reading and in the begining it was boring but then it started to be very very good, loved that book. That's why you don't have to judge the book by it's cover or ummm...by the arguments:smirk: Go on read it, it's good:babble:

[Kei]

[color=darkblue]I'd have to recommend [u]The Sight[/u] by David Clement-Davies. It's a fictional book mainly regarding animals, but it's extremely good in my opinion. It's set in Transylvania, and tells the story of a pack of wolves on the run from another wolf to try and prevent her from getting an evil power to control all animals. It may sound very child-like, but it's much better than it sounds.

If you so happen to like that one, you could also give his first book, [u]Firebringer[/u] a read.

[u]Lucas[/u] by Kevin Brooks is also a pretty good read. Very interesting at some points, and it being set in England helps a lot. For me, anyway.[/color]

[Mina]

How could I forget Firebringer??? *slaps self 3x*

That is the greatest book. Some say it was modeled after Watership Down and it's more about deer rather than rabbits.
---------

Also look for the books by Mercedes Lackey.
They are all pure fiction/fantasy and she writes very well. I've almost read the Black Gryphon series. It has all the magic, magical animals etc. Love it.

[Semjaza]

I don't read much anymore... but some books I like:

Sphere by Crichton. The movie might be crap, but the book was great from what I remember. I read it Freshman year of High School and I read the whole thing through in a very short period of time. Worth checking out. Basically some scientists find a spaceship in the ocean.

Wise Blood. I forget the author. I read this for Senior year in High School. It's basically about a guy's search for a purpose in really strange places. I thought it was excellent, although a bit weird.

And of course, The Phantom Tollbooth. It's a kids' book, but it's so damn cool. Everyone owes it to themselves to read it.

[Mitch]

[size=1] Hm..

[i]The Clan of the Cave Bear[/i] by Jean M. Auel is a very good book...it's been a while since I've read it, but it was great. It's part of like a 4-part series or something I think. I have the next book in the series and I have yet to read it.

Basically it's about this girl that gets lost somehow and ends up in this clan where there's certain rules and stuff...

It's a little hazy in my mind...but from what I remember, the beginning was relatively slow, then the things sped up like crazy and had my clinged on reading it. Definitely a good book from what I remember.

[i]The Dead Zone[/i] by Stephen King I recently read. It's been made into a mini series from what I remember...on USA or whatever.

The book was really good. It's like 600 pages long, and I read it in almost a day and a half. It was that good. Even at the beginning it wasn't too slow.

Basically, it tells of a man named John Smith who was injured in a hockey accident as a boy...and from it he gained the abilities to sort of predict things as they happened.

Then the book goes to when he's twenty, or around there, and tells how he meets this girl named Sarah. They meet because they are fellow teachers.

It tells of how he went to the fair with Sarah, and then when they were about to leave Johnny decided to stay and spin one of those wheel-things, ones that are like roulette. Where you put a bet on some certain number, or odd numbers, or even numbers.

He spins the wheel many times, and with his little sense he is able to get a pretty sizable amount of money.

Hm..I don't want to ruin too much, so here I'll spoiler the text.

[spoiler] While John's spinning the wheel, Sarah's feeling sick from eating a bad hot dog or something. So as John gets more and more money, he finally decides to leave for her. So they leave in his car.

John drops her off at her house. Sarah had been intent upon having him stay the night that night and them having sex. But she was too sick then to do it, so reluctantly she told Johnny to leave.

Hm. I remember that Johnny must've been driving Sarah's car, so he took a taxi. In the taxi the driver mumbled on and on about his son and other things.

Johnny had said that good luck brings bad luck, and he had been right.

As the taxi driver mumbled on..eventually they got in a crash. I can't exactly remember how, but I think it was some street racers from what I seem to remember.

Then he goes into a coma, and I think four-and-a-half years pass. Sarah gets married.[/spoiler]

I don't really want to recount the entire book lol. But from then on, Johnny's powers get even stronger. He's able to see things by touching people's hands because of a dead zone in his brain, which causes his brain to use parts of itself it usually doesn't.

And that's enough on that book...but yeah. Great book. Definitely one of King's finest.[/size]

[Raiha]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Semjaza Azazel [/i]
[B]

And of course, The Phantom Tollbooth. It's a kids' book, but it's so damn cool. Everyone owes it to themselves to read it. [/B][/QUOTE] [COLOR=royalblue]WOOHOO! I have that book and I read it at least once every couple of months. I read it outloud to some students...and around only half got it. :D

I also reccomend all Brian Jacques books. Sure they're sorta like....for kids, but the descriptions and such are very lovely, storytelling is marvelous. They're also good for reading outloud.[/COLOR]

[Semjaza]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Raiha [/i]
[B][COLOR=royalblue]WOOHOO! I have that book and I read it at least once every couple of months. I read it outloud to some students...and around only half got it. :D[/COLOR] [/B][/QUOTE]

I think I'm in love with you Raiha. It's my favorite book ever to this day.

So yes, read it! Even the movie is really cool.

[Raiha]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Semjaza Azazel [/i]
[B]I think I'm in love with you Raiha. It's my favorite book ever to this day.

So yes, read it! Even the movie is really cool. [/B][/QUOTE] [COLOR=royalblue]So marry me my darling love! Let us sail away together on the Sea of Knowledge! *dramatic gesture*[/COLOR]

[Corey]

Not just their hands, Mitch. Objects that people have touched aswell.
I have two words for all of you.

[b]The Stand[/b]

[Mitch]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by KnightOfTheRose [/i]
[B]Not just their hands, Mitch. Objects that people have touched aswell.
I have two words for all of you.

[b]The Stand[/b] [/B][/QUOTE]

[size=1] Yeah, I meant that as well. O.o

Yeah...[i]The Stand[/i] is good as well. Heh.

The only thing that bothered me is that it was [i]really[/i] slow at the beginning for my tastes...but it's that way with most books like this. It's 1000-something pages. Sure took me a long time to read that whole thing.[/size]

[Luminaire]

[color=crimson]My favorite book is [U]The Crystal Shard[/U] by R.A. Salvatore. It's the first book of the [U]Icewind Dale Trilogy[/U]. The book is actully the first he ever wrote, and it started off groups of other books he has written. There are fifteen books out now about Drizzt Do'Urden and his friends, three of which are the prequel trilogy and three more have yet to come out. You don't have to read the prequels to understand [U]The Crystal Shard[/U], but they are good books as well. I recommend it because it is a compilations of problems today, set in a fictious environment. It has action(battles), interesting characters and a wonderful tale to it.
I would also recommend [U]DreamCatcher[/U] by Stephen King. Yes, it has to do with aliens, and even if you have seen the movie, it is still a good read.
>looks to bookshelf<[U]The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle[/U] by Haruki Murakami is a really good book. And, he has written some others, I would suggest [U]Dance Dance Dance[/U], [U]Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World[/U](strange title, ne?), and [U]The Wild Sheep Chase[/U].
Summary for [U]Wind-Up Bird Chronicle[/U]: In a Tokyo suburb, a young man named Toru Okada searches for his wife's missing cat. Soon he finds himself looking for his wife as well in a netherworld that lies beneath the placid surface of Tokyo. As these searches intersect, Okada encounters a bizarre group of allies and antagonists: a psychic prostitute; a malevolent yet mediagenic politician; a cheerfully morbid sixteen-year-old-girl; and an aging war veteran who has been permanently changed by the hideous thing he witnessed during Japan's forgotten campaign in Manchuria.
I better stop now or there will be like twenty books on this list. O_o

~Lumi ^_^[/color]

[Sara]

[size=1]I agree with whoever recommended [i]His Dark Materials[/i] by Philip Pullman. The three titles are [i]The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife,[/i] and [i]The Amber Spyglass.[/i]

I've also enjoyed several books by [b]Orson Scott Card.[/b] If you're interested, the first one you should read is [i]Ender's Game.[/i] There are several related books, but you're under no obligation to read them unless you enjoy the first. It's a self-contained novel, and you can thoroughly enjoy it without committing yourself to several thousand pages of sequels.

[i]Ender's Game[/i] is set in a future when it is forbidden to have more than two children. Ender's parents, however, having produced two other brilliant children, are asked to have a third child. Hopefully, the third child would be fit to send to Battle School, a sort of space station where children are trained (by means of playing games) in battle tactics and strategies.

Ender [i]is[/i] the perfect candidate for the school, and is sent there at a young age. He is, in turn, a member of several "armies," and becomes a "general" early on.

That only covers, really, the beginning. I really enjoyed this book. I found the school battles, and Ender's ideas very interesting. I stayed up late to finish it (admittedly not a rare occurance) and I was thoroughly satisfied at the end.

It's sort of a cross between a school story and a war story. There were some great characters, and I really liked reading about them. I was pleased with the sequels/companion books that I've read, as well.

I don't really know what else to say without spoiling things, heh.[/size]

[Lady Asphyxia]

[size=1]Actually, Mitch, I started [i]Clan of the Cave Bear[/i] at my friend's house. Much to my regret, I wasn't allowed to borrow it [it belonged to her mother], and I've never actually finished the book. What I've read, however, is really quite interesting.

[i]Clan of the Cave Bear[/i] [hereafter referred to as Clan -- I'm slightly lazy] is set in prehistoric times, and follows the life of a girl, whose mother died when she was young. In the first book, she had to survive on her own when she was little [I think about 4] until she was found by another clan, and [grudgingly] accepted into their midst. She was raised by the healer, and, when she's older, the chief takes interest in her.

About then or so, the book splits to a new character [I read this book about 2 years ago, and I cannot remember their names], this time male. He and his friend are travelling.

Personally, I didn't think the beginning was all that slow. It was a good read [of course, I don't know about the ending...], and while some parts were slightly slow, not all of them. It was really interesting to see some of the rituals and everyday things they did.

I'd certainly reccomend that you check the book out.

[center]_________________[/center]

[b]08.09.03[/b]
I have to reccomend you to a book [b]Duckness[/b], by Tim Richards. I read this a while ago, and it's a series of short stories on compeltely unrelated topics, but it's entertaining nonetheless. The title originates from the first story, about a woman who has to cater to her father because he's sick, or something like that.

The book is quite funny, and well written. In fact, I think it's brilliant -- and I'd buy it...but I haven't come across it yet.
[/size]

[Bandit Joeykuba]

I just finished reading this book named [B]RIM: A NOVEL ON VIRTUAL REALITY[/B] by [i]Alexander Besher[/i]. It's very interesting...

Taking place in a futuristic time where nearly everything is technology, RIM starts off with a scene with an old man. Sounds real exciting, yes? Anyway, you find out the importance of the old man (and other characters) as the story progresses. The book is actually about a guy named Dr. Frank Gobi, ex-private eye. It's kind of confusing, seeing how it jumps from one scene (the present, I guess) to how it all occured, with no warning whatsoever. Basically, [spoiler]the biggest virtual city, Virtuopolis (creative, yes?), crashes, killing many adults (especially those involved in sexual activity, according to the book) and sending kids into comas, including Gobi's own boy, Trevor. Gobi is hired by Action Wada, important figure in Virtuopolis, to reverse this virus, and save peoples lifes.[/spoiler] He meets many... interesting characters, some friends... and others posing to be just that. It also uses several Japanese words, but provides context clues to help the Japanese-illiterate. The ending is kind of confusing, but you figure it out if you think about it.

This book is not meant for people under the age of thirteen (or even fourteen) due to suggestive and sexual scenes.