An Ogre by any other name ...
December 3, 2013 10:44 AM Subscribe
Yet another asking for a friend book recommendation. Looking for teen / older tween books that are based in/around Florida, punny, humor-wordplay, fantasy based, not that usual go-to-guy.
Right now I'm leaning towards #16 Demons Don't Dream as his least worst that meets this criteria if I have to suggest that author, but if there's something out there I've missed in YA readability, I'd love to hear it.
It's a recc targeted toward self-selected readers, not reluctant readers, and will be presented along the lines of "If you liked XYZ, check out [book] as well!".
Right now I'm leaning towards #16 Demons Don't Dream as his least worst that meets this criteria if I have to suggest that author, but if there's something out there I've missed in YA readability, I'd love to hear it.
It's a recc targeted toward self-selected readers, not reluctant readers, and will be presented along the lines of "If you liked XYZ, check out [book] as well!".
Oh, and I would mention Terry Pratchett, of course, but he's so much a better writer that it can be a little hard to jump from Xanth to Discworld--- if all you've eaten your whole life is McDonalds, then a plate of haute cuisine may be a bit "WTF" for you. Humor that relies on things other than lolpuns and "boobies!", stories that provoke actual -thought-, etc.
Really I only mention Pogo because it was the only thing I could think of that had any connection with Florida and was 'fantasy'. Other than Carl Hiassen, fiction but not fantasy, set in Florida, but that might be a bit vicious for teen/tweens... although given The Hunger Games, maybe not.
posted by The otter lady at 11:40 AM on December 3, 2013
Really I only mention Pogo because it was the only thing I could think of that had any connection with Florida and was 'fantasy'. Other than Carl Hiassen, fiction but not fantasy, set in Florida, but that might be a bit vicious for teen/tweens... although given The Hunger Games, maybe not.
posted by The otter lady at 11:40 AM on December 3, 2013
I remember loving Magic Kingdom For Sale by Terry Brooks when I was that age and reading that guy.
posted by valoius at 12:06 PM on December 3, 2013
posted by valoius at 12:06 PM on December 3, 2013
Carl Hiassen does have some YA books now I believe. I read some of his crime novels when I was fifteen or so - they're definitely capers, not hardcore murder and such, but from memory the language is a little salty in his adult works.
posted by mippy at 2:48 PM on December 3, 2013
posted by mippy at 2:48 PM on December 3, 2013
I very much liked the early Robert Asprin books, as The otter lady recommended. I also liked valoius's suggestion.
Together those brought to mind The Unbeheaded King series by L. Sprague de Camp. They aren't quite as punny, but I recall them being fun and a bit silly at times. Some sex, but all off camera, I was a young teen when I read it. More serious then Xanth or Myth for sure, but still lots of jokes and humorous scenes.
More on the punny side, the Wizardry books by Rick Cook are very funny as I recall; all about a world where magic can be controlled by programming. The one downside is if you don't have a background in programming you miss a number of the jokes (ie there is one about a unix deamon) but I didn't have one at the time and I still quite enjoyed the first few. This one isn't based around Florida at all, but it has bits in the US at least, though not most of them.
posted by Canageek at 5:05 PM on December 3, 2013
Together those brought to mind The Unbeheaded King series by L. Sprague de Camp. They aren't quite as punny, but I recall them being fun and a bit silly at times. Some sex, but all off camera, I was a young teen when I read it. More serious then Xanth or Myth for sure, but still lots of jokes and humorous scenes.
More on the punny side, the Wizardry books by Rick Cook are very funny as I recall; all about a world where magic can be controlled by programming. The one downside is if you don't have a background in programming you miss a number of the jokes (ie there is one about a unix deamon) but I didn't have one at the time and I still quite enjoyed the first few. This one isn't based around Florida at all, but it has bits in the US at least, though not most of them.
posted by Canageek at 5:05 PM on December 3, 2013
Might be a bit too advanced, it's been a while since I've read it, but I recall it being pretty accessible - what about Neil Gaiman's "Anansi Boys"?
posted by jferg at 8:48 PM on December 3, 2013
posted by jferg at 8:48 PM on December 3, 2013
Response by poster: Aaaaugh. Read #16 excerpt online. Yeah no.
I'll check out the new suggestions, thanks, folks.
posted by tilde at 9:14 PM on December 4, 2013
I'll check out the new suggestions, thanks, folks.
posted by tilde at 9:14 PM on December 4, 2013
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Oh, and Alan Dean Foster's "Spellsinger" books. Fantasy adventure, humor, some wordplay, hints of naughty.
posted by The otter lady at 11:29 AM on December 3, 2013