289 posts tagged with literature and books. (View popular tags)
Displaying 1 through 50 of 289. Subscribe:

Publishing options for a collection of literary short fiction

I'm nearing completion of a book of very short stories that riff in various ways on the 'joke' form. The pieces are 1-2 pages. I want to publish this book. I'm not sure the best way. [more inside]
posted by skwt on May 27, 2013 - 4 answers

 

Diamonds in the haystack

I'm looking for the unexpected, overlooked masterpieces hiding within conventionally marginal artistic genres: novelty Christmas music albums, mass market cowboy novels, direct-to-video action movie sequels, etc. [more inside]
posted by Iridic on May 7, 2013 - 16 answers

I read way too many books by white dudes.

I'm looking for recommendations for contemporary(ish) literary fiction written by folks who are not white men. [more inside]
posted by shakespeherian on May 7, 2013 - 55 answers

No Murakami please

Asking for a friend: I like to read, but I don't like reading Literature. I feel really crappy about this. What literary books might I like that do not read like literature? [more inside]
posted by goosechasing on Apr 24, 2013 - 51 answers

Iraq and Afghanistan fiction from women writers

Crowd-sourcing a student's question: I'm looking for contemporary novels about Iraq, Afghanistan, 9/11, and the war on terror that have been authored by women. [more inside]
posted by gerryblog on Apr 24, 2013 - 15 answers

Great books about honest people struggling against a corrupt society?

I have in mind two (fiction) classics on the subject: An Enemy of the People (Ibsen) and The Winter of Our Discontent (Steinbeck). I would appreciate it if you could guide me to other valuable works on this issue.
posted by Basque13 on Apr 23, 2013 - 27 answers

I need a culture fix!

If I were to choose 10 fiction and 10 non-fiction books to read within the next year to make me a better, more well-rounded conversationalist (for argument's sake, let's say within a college-educated professional audience), what books would give me the most bang for my buck? [more inside]
posted by dynamiiiite on Apr 23, 2013 - 37 answers

What was this book of short horror stories?

Help me find a short story collection I read maybe 20 years ago. [more inside]
posted by Pope Guilty on Apr 15, 2013 - 9 answers

Looking for wonderful books I can read to my kids, one chapter at a time

My kids (a boy and a girl) are now five years old, and my wife or I read to them every night before bed. I'd like to start reading larger books to them which we can stretch out throughout a week or more, by reading them a chapter a night. Please help me put together a great reading list of age-appropriate books that will capture their imaginations and inspire happy dreams. [more inside]
posted by zarq on Apr 2, 2013 - 61 answers

Help me find a specific (art piece?) book

I was linked a book some time ago via twitter, but that account is now gone and with it went the link. Things I remember: Pretty sure it was called "Daylight" (maybe not that, but definitely a time word. daytime? morning?) Content: the text was just the entirety of a single day's New York Times transcribed The link went to the publisher, I recall seeing it on Amazon also. I believe published in the early 90s. 93ish? But still purchasable Currently going crazy trying to find it with such not-so-limiting search terms. My browser history doesn't go back far enough to find it there. Hoping someone familiar with it happens upon this, I guess.
posted by arsey on Mar 8, 2013 - 1 answer

What to read?

Seeking recommendations for fiction that features matriarchy / female led societies.
posted by travelwithcats on Feb 4, 2013 - 36 answers

What Elmore Leonard book should I start with?

Simple enough question. I've never read any Elmore Leonard, and think I will give him a whirl. Where should I start?
posted by Alaska Jack on Jan 21, 2013 - 18 answers

Toooo maaany booooks

How do you decide what books to read? Recommendations? Reviews? Go to the bookstore and read a chapter? I often find myself overwhelmed with the zillions of choices. How do you narrow it down?
posted by SampleSize on Jan 9, 2013 - 40 answers

Russian travel prep

I'm traveling to Moscow (and likely St. Petersburg as well)! Tell me all your best resources, materials, and hacks! [more inside]
posted by greta simone on Dec 18, 2012 - 12 answers

Camelotfilter: Best "Arthurian" work.

Which is the "best" version of the Arthurian legend to read? [more inside]
posted by inbetweener on Dec 16, 2012 - 31 answers

Helplessness at a busy crosswalk

Can you help me identify a 25+ year-old short story that describes someone unable to cross a city street? [more inside]
posted by argonauta on Nov 13, 2012 - 10 answers

Nothing on my bookshelf was written by a woman. Help!

I looked at my bookshelf recently. Nearly every writer on there is dead and male. I should rectify this. Which books by women, living or dead, might I like? Details inside. [more inside]
posted by Rustic Etruscan on Oct 24, 2012 - 52 answers

Looking for a book to last me a month

I'm going to be spending the next few months backpacking in the wilderness. I'm looking for 1-2 long books that would both be a great read and would last most of the trip if possible. [more inside]
posted by aleatorictelevision on Sep 16, 2012 - 37 answers

Looking for classic children's literature to read to my class of five year olds

Please recommend me classic children's literature to read aloud to five-year-olds. [more inside]
posted by schmoo on Sep 15, 2012 - 32 answers

What is this thin, elusive book called?

Need help identifying book. [more inside]
posted by mr.marx on Sep 5, 2012 - 2 answers

Fantasy novels with enchanted guns/weapons?

What fantasy/SF/steampunk/cyberpunk novels feature guns or other modern or futuristic weapons with enchantments or magical effects on them?
posted by shivohum on Sep 4, 2012 - 16 answers

Great fight scenes from literature

I'm looking for great fight scenes from literature. I've seen the questions on fight scenes from movies and I'm not looking for those (or TV or comics). Books only, please (I suppose plays count, but you can safely assume I'm familiar with every fight scene from Shakespeare). [more inside]
posted by zanni on Aug 28, 2012 - 25 answers

The Best of Contemporary Literary Characters

Please help me find contemporary literary/fictional characters that make you want to love them, hate them, or -- even better -- both. [more inside]
posted by GnomeChompsky on Aug 2, 2012 - 44 answers

Authors like Ian McEwan?

In what literary tradition is the work of Ian McEwan? Which authors, past or present, are stylistically related?
posted by shivohum on Jul 31, 2012 - 9 answers

Do you think I can listen all day to such stuff?

What are some rhyming kids' books (4-7 yrs) that are actually enjoyable for the poetry, as well as the story and pictures? [more inside]
posted by Bardolph on Jul 13, 2012 - 25 answers

Postcards for the Pokey

My little brother is currently in jail, and will likely be staying there or in a similar facility for quite a while. He is only allowed to receive postcards, and softcover books mailed from Amazon or B&N. If either of these items violate the byzantine regulations (details contained within), they will not reach him. What are some creative things that are basically just pieces of paper (no paint, stickers, double layers, etc) I can send as postcards? What are some books that won’t be taken away for sex, drug, gang, etc content you’d recommend for a 23 year old male who never really read for pleasure, recently earned his GED, and likes Hunter S. Thompson? [more inside]
posted by Juliet Banana on Jun 28, 2012 - 100 answers

If only literary inference was axiomatic...

How do I get better at reading literature? Looking for books, lectures, and your perspective. [more inside]
posted by dragonfruit on Jun 25, 2012 - 23 answers

What the hell is "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep" trying to say?

Alright guys. I just finished Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep. [more inside]
posted by Tevin on Jun 11, 2012 - 25 answers

help queer my summer reading list please!

What are some great (somewhat) recently released novels/books/memoirs with queer/LGBTQ themes or characters? [more inside]
posted by kylej on May 23, 2012 - 31 answers

Akashic Books Noir Series. Which are your favorites?

Akashic Books Noir Series. Which are your favorites? Each book is an anthology of original short stories. It looks like they've published over fifty volumes. I find they differ greatly in style and overall quality of writing. It makes sense... each anthology has its own editor. I'd like to read the volumes that have the best quality writing, and are the most fun. Here's what I've read so far, in most favored order: [more inside]
posted by valannc on Apr 21, 2012 - 3 answers

Books about the beginning needed.

I saw Cave Of Forgotten Dreams and loved it. Now I want to read more about early human history. Please recommend some good books on the beginnings of human art in particular and the emergence of human society and the beginnings of conciousness in general. I'm not a scientist and I'm not looking for a textbook, but I'm not afraid of a challenging read, either.
posted by vibrotronica on Mar 26, 2012 - 16 answers

Literary fiction served with a side of romance, please

I'm looking for (at least borderline) Serious Literature published in the last 20 years with romantic elements. [more inside]
posted by jingle on Mar 11, 2012 - 26 answers

Can you identify this book?

Help one of my colleagues identify a short story (we think) for a patron! [more inside]
posted by naturalog on Mar 8, 2012 - 1 answer

Keep me up at night!

Scare me please! I am looking for the scariest book out there. I have read most of Stephen King, The Exorcist, etc. But i want to find something new that will frighten me even more than the evening news...
posted by keep it tight on Feb 27, 2012 - 54 answers

Things learned by reading biographies

How did reading a biography learn you a valuable lesson, help you gain a crucial insight, change your worldview or impact you in some other, non-trivial way? [more inside]
posted by Foci for Analysis on Feb 14, 2012 - 13 answers

Help me become well read and entertained at the same time

What is the intersection between the set of books I should read and the set of books I'd reallyenjoy reading? [more inside]
posted by jpdoane on Jan 15, 2012 - 46 answers

Media depictions of empathy?

Film and literature that depict empathy (or lack of) between adults? [more inside]
posted by morganw on Dec 31, 2011 - 38 answers

Armchair Travels

Next year, I'll be travelling to the Netherlands and (briefly) Belgium, then later a trip to Tallinn, Helsinki and Stockholm. Are there any films or novels I should check out to get a feel for the places before I get there? [more inside]
posted by mippy on Dec 18, 2011 - 22 answers

Man's Search for the Right Book About Depression

I'm looking for a book about depression for a smart fella who has been feeling down. [more inside]
posted by reren on Dec 5, 2011 - 12 answers

Did F. Scott Fitzgerald every say "everyone's youth is a dream, a form of chemical madness"?

F. Scott FitzgeraldFilter: "Everyone's youth is a dream, a form of chemical madness." I've seen this quote attributed to F. Scott. Did he actually say it? [more inside]
posted by toomuchkatherine on Nov 28, 2011 - 4 answers

losterature

I entered graduate school in literature six years ago, and since then I feel like I've lost track what's happening in contemporary literature. Help me catch up: What are the essential works of the last six years?
posted by gerryblog on Nov 15, 2011 - 17 answers

Books like *Misery* or *Phantom of the Opera*?

I am writing a story about an artist who is held captive on the condition of creating a work for the captor. I want to know what other works in the same sub-genre are like. Can you suggest some books and movies with a similar motif, especially where a captive is expected to do something for the captor as a condition of their release? Thanks!
posted by Atrahasis on Nov 14, 2011 - 21 answers

How readable is A Dance with Dragons?

I am going to be bored by A Dance with Dragons, aren't I? [more inside]
posted by Foci for Analysis on Nov 8, 2011 - 35 answers

"The life so short, the crafts so long to learn"

I have never read Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, but I would like to. Please recommend to me your ideas for the best way to approach this. Web, Kindle or iOS friendly methods welcome. [more inside]
posted by Doleful Creature on Oct 21, 2011 - 15 answers

Good edition of The Ambassadors

Could someone suggest a nice reading edition of Henry James's The Ambassadors? [more inside]
posted by feelinggood on Oct 14, 2011 - 3 answers

Butcher, Baker, Candlestick Maker: Tell Me More About Someone's Work

More non-fiction please! As a strange antidote to having to read a lot of dry academic articles, I enjoy pleasurable non-fiction writing about jobs and work. Books I've liked in the past include May Roach (Stiff); Atul Gawande (Complications, Better); Barbara Ehrenreich (Nickeled and Dimed); and Tracy Kidder (House, Among Schoolchildren). I'd like recommendations for more non-fiction along those lines. [more inside]
posted by jeanmari on Sep 23, 2011 - 36 answers

Publishers like Library of America and the Pléiade?

Both the Library of America and the Bibliothèque de la Pléiade publish handsome, authoritative texts in uniform, built-to-last editions (with or without extensive notes), and being selected for publication in either is seen by many as affirming the author's place in the canon. What other publishers do the same thing? [more inside]
posted by villanelles at dawn on Aug 26, 2011 - 16 answers

Recommend books and films with a medieval setting.

Help me find books and films with a medieval setting. [more inside]
posted by jonesor on Aug 24, 2011 - 44 answers

Please help us find a book. Or maybe don't.

Please help us find a book my friend saw mention of somewhere. Or recommend other books. [more inside]
posted by KChasm on Aug 5, 2011 - 10 answers

Help me understand why desciptive bibliography is useful.

How are descriptive bibliographies of modern books useful to scholars & researchers? Rephrased: what questions are answered by the information they contain? [more inside]
posted by wowbobwow on Jul 26, 2011 - 2 answers

Page: 1 2 3 4 5 6