I'm looking for recommendations for contemporary(ish) literary fiction written by folks who are not white men.
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posted by shakespeherian
on May 7, 2013 -
55 answers
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?
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posted by dynamiiiite
on Apr 23, 2013 -
37 answers
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.
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posted by zarq
on Apr 2, 2013 -
61 answers
Seeking recommendations for fiction that features matriarchy / female led societies.
posted by travelwithcats
on Feb 4, 2013 -
36 answers
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
Another book recommendation question. I'm looking for a few general history books to read as preparation for diving into Thomas Pynchon's "Against the Day".
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posted by Lorin
on Sep 4, 2012 -
9 answers
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:
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posted by valannc
on Apr 21, 2012 -
3 answers
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
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?
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posted by Foci for Analysis
on Feb 14, 2012 -
13 answers
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.
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posted by Doleful Creature
on Oct 21, 2011 -
15 answers
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.
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posted by jeanmari
on Sep 23, 2011 -
36 answers
My best friend is getting married! And I am doing the reading! Yay! Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to find anything that really
fits the couple. Halp.
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posted by griphus
on Sep 22, 2011 -
20 answers
Seeking strategies to get all reading done within allotted time without sacrificing close reading on literature.
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posted by easilyconfused
on Jan 21, 2011 -
8 answers
What are the best magical duels and battles in literature? Sorcerors blasting each other with lightning bolts, the metaphysical shenanigans of Last Call etc, whatever. I haven't actually read the Harry Potter books, so if there are any particularly good wizard battles in that, do say.
posted by nicolas léonard sadi carnot
on Dec 17, 2010 -
38 answers
Please recommend short books (15-35 min from start to finish) for middle schoolers who read at the 3rd through 5th grade level.
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posted by halogen
on Nov 18, 2010 -
10 answers
Please tell me, what is the best English translation of the Mahabharata? I'm not particularly concerned that it be a verse translation. I would prefer something that's available in electronic form (for reading on my Nook). Something that's public domain, and therefore available on Google books, even better. But these are preferences, not hard requirements. I'm more concerned with reliability of the translation.
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posted by Ipsifendus
on Nov 12, 2010 -
5 answers
Midwestern Urban Fiction: What are the great novels that exemplify or characterize (as opposed to "are set in") any of the industrialized cities of the U.S. Midwest (St. Louis, Chicago, Detroit, the Twin Cities, etc.)?
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posted by jjjjjjjijjjjjjj
on Nov 3, 2010 -
25 answers
What are good resources for magazine/journal literacy, maps of the terrain of the periodical world?
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posted by RogerB
on Oct 7, 2010 -
3 answers
I miss the Common Reader catalog. Have you missed it too, and do you know where to find a list of what was in the inventory?
posted by msamye
on Sep 16, 2010 -
4 answers
How should I prepare myself to read
The Recognitions by William Gaddis? Should I just dive right in? Any tips or advice that will help me get through all 956 pages?
posted by Houyhnhnm
on Aug 11, 2010 -
6 answers
I'm trying to make a list of epics that kill most people in college Lit - the really great ones that for many people are impossible to get through, but can be so worthwhile if they do. Here's a rough list so far:
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posted by soulbarn
on Jul 28, 2010 -
65 answers
Yet another reading recommendation request. Fellow literature nerds, help me out here. Specific requirements inside.
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posted by Lobster Garden
on Jul 26, 2010 -
45 answers
LiteraratureFilter: this summer, my travels will take me to Copenhagen, Oslo, and Reykjavík. Please recommend fiction (either historical or contemporary) that is set in these cities and conveys the local atmosphere well.
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posted by halogen
on May 11, 2010 -
13 answers
I'm looking for suggestions for a "common read" book for a large public university. Any ideas?
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posted by Madamina
on Feb 9, 2010 -
26 answers
I'm interested in getting a print copy of Zhuangzi to read. What's a good translation or edition?
posted by Arturus
on Dec 14, 2009 -
7 answers
Please help me remember the title and author of a short story I read maybe 15 years ago. A handicapped woman, living with her sister and her sister's family, sees a man in church she feels quite sure is the devil. In order to get away from him, she struggles to regain the physical independence she had given up. (She had gone into a wheelchair because walking was possible, but too painful.) She does manage to become self-sufficient enough to move out on her own--and then wonders if it was worth it, after all. I am almost sure the author was Italian. Can anyone help?
posted by uans
on Nov 16, 2009 -
0 answers
I need a book recommendation for my girlfriend; her favourite book is Yann Martel's "Life of Pi". Any ideas?
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posted by mizike
on Oct 7, 2009 -
28 answers
I've taken responsibility for a very small children's library and I'd love your ideas for making it awesome.
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posted by serazin
on Sep 3, 2009 -
14 answers
People talk about "writing the Great American Novel." What do you think are valid examples of the G.A.N.? What novels, American or otherwise, did you enjoy reading and wish you had written?
posted by Busoni
on Jun 20, 2009 -
70 answers
