[Red]

So yeah, I'm in need of some books I could use for my outside reading project in English. Has to be "school appropriate"(I'm guessing the only thing barred being sexually explicit things) and over 300 pages. Preferably not too much over 300, though. Oh, and a movie can't be made out of it. Or at least, it can, as long as it is something like 1984 that's considered a "classic"(note I've already done 1984 last quarter, so). If you could, provide a meaningful book, not garbage. Although I doubt you guys would give me garbage to read, anyway. I'm rambling, so I'll stop here.

[Kvitne]

Read the book Boneshaker by Cherie Priest. It's a really great story. Best way to categorize it is a steampunk-zombie-airship adventure. In other words right down your alley.

If you need something a bit more traditional, my favorite book of all time is Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card. It's actually taught in a bunch of schools as part of the curriculum. It's an incredible story, look it up.

[Red]

I love Ender's Game, and in fact it is taught by some teachers at my school(however I read it in eighth grade, and had none of the teachers who taught it in middleschool or highschool). However I've used it like three times now for outside reading projects, so...

e: oh, and I'll definitely check that out; probably not for school, but, sounds interesting.

This post has been edited by Red: 20 November 2009 - 05:03 AM

[Sway]

Uh, Twilight, obviously?

[Red]

You know I'd so do that if that was an option(the entire report on it being sarcastic, of course). But that's barred. Anything else, guys?

[Sway]

Blindness by Jose Saramago could work. Google Books says 294 pages, is that close enough? I wanted to recommend The Road by Cormac McCarthy, but the movie is coming out really soon and it's 287 pages. Maybe The Jungle by Upton Sinclair. There's Dune, by Frank Herbert, but that shit's long and I didn't really think it was that good. Uh... The Yiddish Policemen's Union by Michael Chabon... The Road to Gandolfo by Robert Ludlum... All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque is 295 pages... The Beautiful and Damned by F. Scott Fitzgerald... I don't know, check those out and get back to me if you're not interested in any of them.

[Red]

We've done All Quiet in class, so that's out. My teacher is very anal when it comes to these things; it has to be exactly 300 pages or more, no less. I'm a bit interested in The Beautiful and Damned as well as The Yiddish Policemen's Union, but for the sake of having as many options as possible what else do you can you recommend?

[Kvitne]

There's The Green Mile, which is a very good book by Stephen King. Its page count comes in at 399, so it's a bit long, but it goes by fast because you're enjoying it so much.

[KennEH!]

The Knight by Gene Wolfe. It's not particularly accessible, but, as with many things which require thought and work, it becomes a rewarding read if you stick with it. Not great literary work but I enjoyed it a lot.

[Sway]

Alright, well, I did some more plugging into Google Books and most of my other recommendations are either 640 pages or 240 pages it seems. Foundation by Isaac Asimov clocks in at 296 pages, so maybe a different version pushes it over 300. There's Dracula, by Bram Stoker -- you know how hot vampires are right now. Cormac McCarthy also wrote Blood Meridian, with no movie yet and coming in at 337 pages. That might be a good one.

That's about all I got around the 300-450 page mark.

[Season-Shifter]

lol read boks fff










...







Actually, check out Love Thy Neighbor: A Story Of War. It's about Bosnia in the early 90s and is an enlightening read.

[Red]

Alright, thanks guys.

I guess I'll go with The Yiddish Policemen's Union, but I'll be checking out most of everything else you've recommended, since I've been lacking in the book department anyway. Thanks again for the great recommendations! I guess you can use this thread to plug any other good books you've read, couldn't hurt as I don't think we've had a literature thread anywhere.

[Sway]

Good choice. I might plug more books, but I'm not as much of a reader as I may seem, and I am pretty sure basically everyone here is even less so. It would end up as pathetic as when I tried to start a movie club.

[angelfire]

Try The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje, I think it's close to 300 pages if not a little over. It's one of my favorites. And just a note: if you haven't yet, DON'T read Schindler's List. It may seem like a good pick because it can be considered a classic, but don't get it, it's so boring and just a bunch of facts, names and dates.

[NiGHTS Noob]

Sway, on 22 November 2009 - 06:04 PM, said:

There's Dracula, by Bram Stoker -- you know how hot vampires are right now.

Well, do this for next quarter then if you have to do another. Dracula is definitely one of my all time favorite books. I love Bela Lugosi and all, but the way Dracula is described in the book is just bloody epic. Plus the whole thing is done from this neat 'letter and journal entry' style that really lets the character's thoughts and fears wiggle into you as they're facing this completely incomprehensible and over bearing force.

Oh yeah, and my paperback Border's copy was only $6.50, and it's 359 pages so I'm guessing almost any version will be over the 300 mark, and you can get it for real cheap. I do like my hardback one better though, it just feels like the proper respect to give this book.

(Yes I own two copies of this book, I didn't want to bring my hardback copy to school and have it get ruined because I took the book for when I had nothing to do in study hall.)

This post has been edited by NiGHTS Noob: 04 December 2009 - 02:46 AM