A few months ago, I was asked if I could do a post once in a while about some of my other interests aside from anime. It took me a while to think of something interesting to write, but I figured that I might as well use this post to keep track of the different books and novels I read from time to time. Do note that this list is over the scope of a couple of years: I’m a very slow reader, and usually take three months to finish one book. These all have nothing whatsoever to do with anime or Japan: most are either American thrillers, fantasy or European history, or a combination between these. Do note that some of these entries contain spoilers.
The Dreamers 1: The Island Thurn – David Eddings & Leigh Eddings
A story that takes place in a fantasy world, where a huge focus is spent on building up, and setting everything up correctly. While it’s a bit too caught up in its need to do everything by the book, give every single character background and enough time to develop, up to the point that there’s not much excitement along the way (nothing really happens through the first three quarters of the book), it does deliver nicely in the end, although nothing spectacular.
The Magic Circle – Catherine Neville
The prime example of how you can also get too convoluted. This novel set out with grand ambitions, as it attempted to tell a plot that spreads across 2000 years, with a story containing a huge amount of symbolism, referencing Jesus, Hitler some Roman Emperors and other notable historical figures all caught up in it. In the end, though, it becomes clear that it never really knew what it wanted to go for, and the story didn’t really accomplish anything, other than establishing the ridiculously complex family history of the female lead character. Seriously, in the end the twists about her family became so formulaic that you can almost predict the exact page at which the next increasingly ludicrous plot twist would arrive. It’s got a lot of nice trivia, though. The author really did some intensive historical research on this one.
The Collectors – David Baldacci
A very nice in-depth look in how con artists do their jobs, as we follow a group of four of them as they try to get away with a multi-million dollar scam. Great attention to detail, and a huge focus on careful preparation, only ruined by a joke of an ending which forsakes everything that the story has been building up for and instead goes for a nonsensical action end. The other story that runs parallel through the book also isn’t the most interesting: a bunch of old people solving a murder may sound good on paper, but it’s not the most exciting thing out there.
The Golden Compass – Philip Pullman
Excellent book, and I still need to get my hands on the continuation of this one. The whole idea of every person being accompanied by his own daemon (a sort-of animal that accompanies him everywhere; they even can change shapes for children) is fleshed out really well. The lead character may be just a little girl, but she’s a very likable lead. This is one story that gets increasingly better as it goes on.
Gone Baby Gone – Dennis Lehane
Absolutely fantastic. There’s no other way I can say it. The sheer imagination with which such a police thriller is told still amazes me. It’s an in-depth look at police cases involving missing children. It tells the story about two detectives, looking for a missing four year-old girl, and continues to keep the reader in the dark throughout the largest part of the book. But when a second child disappears, it finishes with an incredibly strong final quarter. I can safely say that this has been the best book I’ve ever read.
The Lost Labyrinth – Kate Mosse
This book tells about two stories as they intertwine: one about 12th century Carcasonne (France), and the other, happening about 8 centuries later. The former one is really good, with a likable female lead and a story that gets increasingly more interesting. The latter, however, just feels like second fodder in comparison. It’s full of plot holes, lacks detail and especially the romance that pops up near the end from out of nowhere feels a bit jarring. It’s got quite a few nice ideas, though.
Deverry: Daggerspell – Katherine Kerr
I’m only nearly halfway through this one at the moment, but I’m having a lot of trouble to get through it. Basically, this book is the first one of a large series of fantasy novels as it tells of a series of very annoying romances. Seriously, we have this guy who already was screwed in the head. His father dies and he continuously angsts and throws tantrums about it. He then proceeds to screw his sister and kill his best friend (no, really). When the bugger finally dies, you’d think that the annoyance finally stops, but no: he reincarnates, and the annoying romance starts all over again. Sure, in the end the story might have a very good conclusion, but I’m about to just drop it because people continue to behave like complete and unlikable imbeciles.
So yeah, one thing I noticed is that each medium has its own share of strengths and weaknesses. The things I noticed with these novels is that in nearly all cases, the thing that decides whether they succeed or not is their final quarter, the rest is all or mostly build-up. Nearly all of the above-mentioned ones either had very promising first halves, only to fall apart completely in the end, or fairly uneventful first halves, only to come together wonderfully in the end.
Another thing I can appreciate is the large diversity of lead characters. Okay, I may have just picked out the right books for this, but it feels like every lead character of the ones mentioned above comes from a different age group, as opposed to anime which tents to usually pick out teenagers. Still, the reason why I prefer anime to novels at this point is that novels lack the ability to suck me in and create an atmosphere. I’m a big fan of all sorts of things multimedia, and the thing I like about anime is how it combines all these things (audio, visuals, storytelling, etc) in order to create a coherent story. So yeah, in the end it’s just a matter of personal preference here, though with some of the above mentioned books, I’m glad to be able to have read them. Especially in the case of Gone Baby Gone. There are geniuses in every single kind of medium.
I may update this entry in the future as I read more. In the meantime, what are some of your favourite novels? I’m really a noob at this medium, so some help in deciding what to read next is always appreciated. ^^;
“His Dark Materials Trilogy (Golden Compass) is one of my favorite series. Oddly enough I originally read it because someone compared it to Escaflowne. The comparison ended up being very small but it was still a great read. What I especially liked about it is Philip Pullman did not use the D&D world that so many fantasy writers do.
I shall also post positive praise for the His Dark Materials trilogy. Although i do resent the ‘Golden Compass’ title, it’s not a freaking compass :p, ‘Northern Lights’ isnt so hard a title really, is it?
I only relatively recently encounted the books, having heard great things about them for a long time and being recommended them by friends many a time. I finally gave in and started Northern lights and consumed it in just over a day. Completely fell in love with it.
And while some sequels or follow-ons can be a little tenuous, i have to say, The Subtle Knife and the Amber Spyglass are incredible. As you said about the story getting better as it goes on, i think that’s also true of the other books.
The extension of the character-collection works so well and introduces my, quite possibly, favourite protagonist in Will. I dare you not to shed a little tear at the end of The Amber Spyglass. hah :p
YAY! You read books too xD
Thanks for mentioning these. They seem interesting. Yet more interesting books for me to add in my reading/buying list *_*
my favorite novels? they can be found here and here but they will certainly be updated once I get to read more. Ehehe. *not that updated to books because I’ve been focusing more on manga*
I catch up on novel reading lately so I talk about them here.
but if I have to mention specific novels . . . it seems that you’re into fantasy thrillers . . . I recommend to you Neil Gaiman’s works xD Hehe. He’s amazing.
I don’t read much fantasy, but I can say that if you’ve never read anything by Terry pratchett, you should definitely give him a shot. However, his style has changed considerably over the years, and some people prefer his older stuff to his newer works or vice versa.
I’ve listened to the “His Dark Materials” audiobook and really liked it.
I also like Garth Nix (Keys to the Kingdom series) and Jonathan Stroud (Amulet of Samarkand, Golem’s Eye). Both create very imaginitive worlds and likeable characters.
I’m sure you did not mention many of your readings, so this may fall flat, but I feel that I should recommend some classics of fantasy and SF:
– Dune of Frank Herbert: magnificent setting (Arrakis, a desert planet), well done middle-east cultural re-hash (freeman = Palestinians, Empire = greco-romans), family intrigue (machiavellian renaissance-like family strife), mystical wonder (messianic events, religious orders, etc). Space opera at its best.
– Foundation by Isaac Asimov: A series of novels about a decaying galactic empire about to collapse into a dark age and the efforts of a foundation to minimize the damage. Another great space opera.
I gather you know about The Lord of the Rings, so I could instead suggest some of Jack Vance production: Lyonesse, a trilogy about some pre-arthurian kingdoms (interesting magic, political machinations, interesting mix of childs and adult fantasy), and the Dying Earth cycle, a series of novels about characters living in Earth near its end, when the Sun is about to shut down: extremely fun and cynical.
I guess you know about Lovecraft? Horror stories stemming from cultural shock between a pessimist and the scientific revolution at the beginning of the XXth century (best aliens ever! ^_^)
But before spamming you further, you should probably specify a date limit or interest to narrow down recommendations…
When I was 12 – 14, I’ve read all the R.L.Stine Fear street books, i must say they remain my favorite reading ever since, but I really like historical books pretty much too, I’ve read a long biography ( more than 600 pages!) about the princess Elysabeth of Austria, the French Revolution, the Romanov family, but now I’m not a very tough reader, I like watching anime best, mostly for the same reasons but I like books too, my imagination uses most of them now to create anime characters, but my favorite of all , that may sound weird , are the Fear Street series, especially ” the house of whispers”, but they’re all great!!!! At the time, I’ve been spending all day long to read them, that brings back some memories, now I don’t read very fast too and not often I must say, probably also one book per three months, since I have to read books for the upcoming exams anyway, now we study ” Frankenstein” of Mary Shelley and ” the mid-summer night dream” of Shakespeare, I don’t read anything on my own at the moment. But I read some manga when I have the time my latest being ” Gals” of Mihona Fujii and also the manga version of “Jigoku shoujo” of Miyuki Eto.
Read the Fucking Count of Fucking Monte-Cristo.
Easily the best book I’ve ever read.
I’ll give you my three favorite books of all time and I’ve read quite a lot. These are all fairly short books 200-300 pages (especially the first one only 100).
1. Flatland: A Romance across many dimensions
2. 1984
3. Brave New World
1984 and BNW were written at about the same time and are about two totally different dystopian future stories if you read one you have to read the other.
I actually thought that although Pullman did a good job on writing his books, his characters weren’t really that endearing. Now Tolkien’s characters in the Children of Hurin were wonderful, and of course Rowling’s Harry Potter characters as well. I think the heart and soul of a book is it’s characters, because the emotions that those fictitious characters are what the audience will feel. You should add the Harry Potter Books to your list.
Wow, people here sure have good taste. 1984, Monte-Cristo, Asimov books…
Currently I’m reading a book by Bernard Cornwell entitled “Harlequin”. It’s from the “The Grail Quest” trilogy. So far I’m not impressed with the plot/characters, though the battles scenes are very well-written. The next one I will read is “The Winter King”, by the same author. This one is from his King Arthur series, which is regarded as the best of his trilogies. It might be worth to check out one of his books if you are interested in historical novels.
If you’re into horror I also recommend “The Shinning”, by Stephen King. It’s very worth of your time, even if you’ve watched the movie adaptation. One of my favorite books.
Also I’d like to say I really enjoy reading your reviews and how you blog about not-so-mainstream shows. If weren’t for your blog I probably wouldn’t have given Seirei no Moribito, Terra e and others a chance.
My favorite fantasy series is the Dark Is Rising Sequence, by Susan Cooper. Over Sea Under Stone, The Dark Is Rising, Greenwitch, The Grey King, and Silver On The Tree. It’s a young adult series, but anyone of any age can appreciate it. Susan Cooper is an AMAZING writer, and her characters are just really likable and interesting. And there’s this definite sense of magic and wonderment in every paragraph… she honestly writes some of the most vivid descriptions of scenery and mood that I think I’ve ever encountered.
Another series I’d recommend, which WOULD tie in to the anime theme, is the Billy Chaka Mysteries by Isaac Adamson. Tokyo Suckerpunch, Hokkaido Popsicle, Dreaming Pachinko, and Kinki Lullaby. Essentially, they’re like nerdy Japanophile spy mysteries, and they’re absolutely hilarious. Adamson is an amazing author, and he’s an absolute master of sarcastic, witty banter. He also knows Japan – like, knows it so well, it’s obvious he’s spent quite some time there – so virtually every aspect of the series serves as an excellent tongue-in-cheek satire of the country’s many quirks, walking that fine line between totally over-the-top and JUST BELIEVABLE ENOUGH to be really fun. (:
The latter would probably be right up your alley, I think, and the former… is just really, really good.
They’re short books, too! Well worth a look.
Oh, and speaking of short books… I have one more recommendation, which is the exact OPPOSITE of a short book! (: That recommendation is… Brave Story!
The Brave Story novel, translated to English by Alexander O. Smith and published in a gorgeous 816-page hardcover tome, is absolutely fantastic. Don’t let the anime turn you off to the series – the anime was absolute crap compared to the original novel. I mean, heck, in the book, Wataru doesn’t even get into Vision until around page 230 or so… up until that point, you get to learn all about his life in Tokyo, his dysfunctional family, the abandoned building, and a wheelchair-bound girl in a vegetative state with whom Wataru becomes completely obsessed.
The story inside Vision, too, is MUCH more interesting and detailed than in the movie, with every single character getting a LOT more development, and a much more interesting overarching storyline (which they shamelessly removed from the movie altogether, despite the fact that it’s essentially the driving force of the plot!). It’s also a LOT darker, exploring themes of sacrifice, murder, suicide, and self-loathing in great detail. Only a small portion of the suicide theme made it into the movie… the rest was omitted altogether.
When describing the Brave Story novel to others, I usually compare it to the Narnia series, with the qualification that “it’s a heck of a lot darker and more disturbing”. That about sums it up. I recommend giving it a shot sometime. Despite its daunting size, trust me, it really is worth taking the time to read.
-Tom
Oh, and I second Flatland, and also recommend one of its many unofficial sequels, written 60 years later by a Polish scientist, called “Sphereland”. If you look online, you can find a “double-feature” book containing both Flatland and Sphereland in one volume. The former book changed the way I see the world, and the latter expanded upon it brilliantly, introducing many of Einstein’s theories into the world of Flatland.
-Tom
Ah, The Shining was good but it’ll take you more than 3 months because it’s longer than an average book. I am currently reading a book called Still Alice, by Lisa Genova and it’s extremely good. It’s not a horror, nor is it fantasy.. but a very good story about the effects of Alzheimer’s on a personal and social level. I highly recommend this book.
ooh makes me wanna read some books XDD!!
Yay, someone else reads The Dark is Rising! Awesome ^^
After watching anime, I have found it greatly effects how I read novels. The way I imagine worlds, speech, emotion, sound, visuals etc. are very based in the images and feelings I have got from anime. In some cases, my mind can paste a character design I have seen in an anime or manga onto a character in a book, even if they don’t correspond even in looks or personality.
And of course, looking at plots and characters of novels creates some interesting parallels between anime and manga. I look at angsty teens, ridiculous plot twists and other common aspects of anime in a different light whenever I read a book nowadays.
Recently I have been reading the series: A Song of Ice and Fire, The Wheel of Time, Memory Thorn and Sorrow, and The Name of the Wind – all four of which I recommend to you if you ever have the time.
Although this is an anime blog, I really value your opinions on plotlines and characters and such whatever the medium – I would love it if you did more blog entries about books in the future.
English Novels and Japanese Media forms two sides of the same card when it comes to me and how I enjoy fiction.
I would recommend:
Sold of Ice and Fire Saga by George R.R. Martin
The Elderling Saga by Robin Hobb
Tom,
If you liked flatland you might also like “flatterland:like flatland only more so” I haven’t read sphereland, but I just might check it out.
Can’t believe no one else has suggested the other books by Dennis Lehane, there a several in a series before Gone Baby Gone… sharing the two detectives.
2nd Gaiman and Pratchett. Read Good Omens and knock em both out at once. If you go either or American Gods or Neverwhere by Gaiman and Terry Pratchett…pick a discworld book. I prefer the ones about Death such as “Mort” I also liked “Moving Pictures” quite a bit.
Mary Stewart’s Merlin Trilogy
Ursula K. Le Guin’s Earthsea
Orson Scott Cardʻs Ender Quartet*
Eoin Colfer Artemis Fowl Series
All great audiobooks and surely great reads.
Yosh! It’s great to know that you like reading books too. 🙂
In referring to your taste in animes, I think that you’ll enjoy Scott Baker’s Prince of Nothing trilogy and Steven Erikson’s A Tale of The Malazan Book of The Fallen series. 😀
Also recommend Felix Gilman’s The Thunderer and Peter V. Brett’s The Warded Man.
My favorite books are…
Chinese Cinderella by Adeline Yen Mah (BEST book ever!!!)
Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery (and all the sequels, though I’ve only read 2 sequels)
A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett
Before Green Gables by Budge Wilson
So B. It by Sarah Weeks
Percy Jackson and the Olympians (series, though I only have the first 3 books) by Rick Riordan
Ballad of a Shinigami (light novel series) by Keisuke Hasegawa
American Girl books (series)
I found a new book that I REALLY love: Mockingbird by Kathryn Erskine. Please read it! It’s such a cute book!