# Good reads



## Ash

Everytime i walk into a book store or a library my mind goes blank. I know no authors by name. My search keywords are to vague and misleading. 

I just finished the popular books, 1984, Animal Farm, the Pearl, The Giver. Ive read Off the Map and Evasion awhile back. At the moment i am halfway through the book Ishamael. And im wanting to get the next book prepared. I have spend a lot of time in a book store searching for nothing in perticular.

Know of any good books ?


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## danvan

fuck i just typed this massive thing about books and then acedently got rid of it

ohhh well here goes take 2

the one book that i think you must read is 

Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts

its a fantastic adventure thats sposed to be based on the true life of the writer 
he escaped from prison and went over to india and did well umm he does so many things 

its just genraly fantastic

its in almost all the book stores here in aus 
so it should be over in the states

so steal yourself a copy!!!


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## Cush

*danvan wrote:*


> so steal yourself a copy!!!



not posi. if there is any type of store that you shouldn't steal from, but should support, it's bookstores. yes they may be major corperations but all the major bookstore chains (borders, barns n nobles, waldenbooks) are all great companies. they treat thier employees very well, they offer nothing but the best things in the world, and they don't exploit anyone in the process. i don't care how much punk credit i lose by supporting a major corperation, I love borders and i'll do what i can to support them. same thing for barnes and noble.


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## Beyond The Sun

I just finished reading "At the Bottom of the River" by Jamaica Kincaid. I'd highly suggest it, very poetic. 

Homer's "Odyssey" is good, I've only read the translation by Stanley Lombardo, but I liked it. Very easy to understand.

Check out any of Hemmingway's short stories.

The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry is good as is Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut. Shit there's so many good books out there, I could go on and on. Just go to the library and browse for a while.


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## danvan

ohhh um ok 

well i wasn't being all to serious about it 
but yeah i spose your right

regardless its a good book

oh and fear and loathing in las vegas 
and fight club 
and the rum diary is pretty decent
nothing really happens but hunter is a great writer so its intresting

Post edited by: danvan, at: 2007/02/13 18:19


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## mike

A friend of mine got this book a while back called the alphabet of manliness, its pretty rediculous but I thought it was funny.


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## Cush

i've seen that one.

L is for lumberjack 
C is for chuck norris.
P is for pirates.

that's all that i can remember from it but it was pretty awesome.


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## scottyfoothill

some good ones:

education of a wandering man, louis l'amour. - not his usual western, but a memoir of his traveling (ships, freights, etc) and how he learned through reading and observing

the old patagonian express, paul theroux. rides passenger trains from the united states all the way down to patagonia.

walden, henry david thoreau. a classic and quite insightful, at least i think so.

chronicles - volume one, bob dylan. whether or not you're into his music, his observations on the people he has met through the years and his life are really interesting

hobo, eddy joe cotton. fun and quick

if you're into bike travel at all there is:

catfish and mandala, andrew x. pham - he rides all through vietnam and has some crazy experiences while paralleling that trip with his life growing up and then leaving vietnam

two wheels north, forgot who wrote it. published by oregon state university, true story about two fellas in 1909 who take off from santa rosa, ca on their bikes and ride to seattle for a big expo. 

so yeah, those are a few i might suggest...

-foothill


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## crustychris

I'm starting to read a lot of horror books. Currently I'm reading School Days by Robert Hughes and I like it a lot so far. I also liked Steal This Book by Abbie Hoffman. It's about living a free life. Kinda out dated, but still a great read.


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## Poking Victim

My favorite authors are J.D. Salinger, F. Scott Fitzgerald, William Burroughs, Hunter S. Thompson, Jack Kerouac, Ram Dass and Aldous Huxley.

Oh, and George Orwell

Post edited by: Poking Victim, at: 2007/02/15 01:53


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## Matt Derrick

*Cush wrote:*


> *danvan wrote:*
> so steal yourself a copy!!![/quote]...pport them. same thing for barnes and noble.
> 
> i couldn't disagree more. not only are they easy targets for the beginning shoplifter, but you should absolutely, without a doubt, rip them off as much as possible. bookstore chains are just as bad as walmart.
> 
> barnes and noble breaks unions, supports starbucks, and runs other, potentially way cooler mom and pop book stores with some actual personality out of town, just like walmart does to other mom and pop businesses. they also make it harder for 'used' book stores to compete, which are great stores, if you ever get to check one out, do it, because not only are you supporting a person, and not a corporation, but you usually get a hell of a deal on great used books. and they will BUY books back from you. great recycling practice.
> 
> speaking of recycling, most book store chains DO NOT recycle the thousands and thousands of books they throw out each week. we are talking about THOUSANDS of books that get thrown out (after getting the cover ripped off, so they can't be re-sold) not because there is anything wrong with them, but because they simply don't want anyone else to profit in any way (which is why they tear the covers off) that's the kind of greed we're dealing with here, they won't even donate them anyone or any organization.
> 
> so ya know what? fuck em. they aren't the great places of learning and saints of knowledge you think them to be. and im sorry, but while some book chains do have some benefit programs for their employees, they still get shit pay, no where near or even close to a living wage. so fuck that corporate sympathy shit, burn em all to the ground! (after taking all their books of course )


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## FrumpyWatkins

Not to mention they never carry any socially unacceptable or risque books. For the few books they do carry, they are dreadfully understocked except for shit to the likes of Harry Potter.


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## Mady

Alex Shakar's The savage girl is awesome. Also House of Leaves by Danielinski is amazing. They arnt super revolutionary novels but they are really entertaining.


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## stinkpickle

i've been reading franz kafka alomg my travels.. fuckin' amazing and mm jack london people of the abyss


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## frankie b sick

Wow! Okay, a book that I read, and it pretty much changed my life, or at least was a big part of it, is called *The Alchemist*.
*The Alchemist* is a book about a shepard who wishes to travel. This is why he becomes a shepard. He is told that there is no use in travel, etc. But, he knows he must. I wish I could remember better details for you, but it taps into some pretty amazing knowledge about the center of everything, and the connection we all have, etc. It is powerful and eye opening, and helped me reach into a higher realm of conscousness!

I hope you are able to check it out! . ^.^

Also, thank you to MattPist for educating us all about coorporate book stores. I knew that what was said about them felt wrong, but also didn't have enough knowledge to rebute it, so thank you for sharing this! ^_^


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## danvan

i lost my nerve when i tryed to steal fight club and brought it 

and payed a stupid amount 

it made me sick when i did 

i always feel a lil ill after buying something that i know should be free or cheaper 

its a good thing tho cos i get to put more cash away for my trip to America


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## Tamah Go Das

my best friends been telling me about that book and it sounds fucking awesome I gotta read it.


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## Cush

i've just finished master and margarita by bulgakov. it was amazing. I read mostly fantasy. the steriotypical elves, dwarves, wizards, goblins, and dragons (insert DnD joke of choice here) and i just picked up the entire white gold saga by stephen donaldson, the entire riddle master of hed trilogy, the gates to witchworld, and some random book called the assassins apprentice. although i finished up that last one on a plane ride to wyoming this morning.


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## RejectofSociety

I just finished reading Penny Rimbaud's autobiography 'Shibboleth - My Revolting Life'. If you can find a copy it's great stuff.


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## Code Name Mary

I recently finished reading "I, Lucifer" which is amazing and poetic and hysterically funny/vulgar/disgusting it's narrated by the devil himself...supposedly. Another excellent read is shutter babe, complete with photo's it's about a photo journalist and all of her amazing adventures and travels. And all of it's true so it makes that much better. I have been meaning to read dharma punx...any body know if it's any good?


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## Code Name Mary

I recently finished reading "I, Lucifer" which is amazing and poetic and hysterically funny/vulgar/disgusting it's narrated by the devil himself...supposedly. Another excellent read is shutter babe, complete with photo's it's about a photo journalist and all of her amazing adventures and travels. And all of it's true so it makes that much better. I have been meaning to read dharma punx...any body know if it's any good?


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## Bendixontherails

don't know about dharma punx, but *Kerouac's Dharma Bums *kicks ass. written in a frenzy of eleven day manic typing sessions, he rails on about the urban houses, and cookie cutter life style he was beginning to see in america, and which we are witnessing even more. def.l check it out.


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## jaysin66

i just finished reading dharma punx......its pretty good......gets a bit preachy at the ends.......like one of those free spiratual books they give you in prison......


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## Code Name Mary

hmmm...well I'll hafta check both of those out the next time I'm at borders... you know,those big warehouses full of free books.


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## 5ifth

i agree with bendix
dharma bums is a great read

che guevera's motorcycle diaries is a great book too

i would also reccomend anthony bordain's a cooks tour


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## Bendixontherails

OHH... 5th... if I follow you home will you have premarital sex mith me? Jk.

I love moto diaries

but there's _nothin_ like bourdain. I can pick up cook's tour, or his Kitchen Confidential and open it to *anywhere*, and know exacty where he is and what he's talkin about. I know i'm predjudiced cause I'm a cook, but I reccomend these to everyone who ever worked in a kitchen... fuckin priceless.


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## 5ifth

i saw anthony bourdain give a reading when he was going around promoting a cooks tour - he was great
and totally, if you have ever worked as a cook, waiter, whatever in a resteraunt kitchen confidential is the best - and if not, its a real insight into the underbelly of the food industry


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## Cush

everyone who considers themself a punk should read these two books.

darmha punks
and
hardcore zen

i don't think i spelled darmha right. and i think they're by the same author. definatly chekc them out.


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## Mady

Igniting a Revolution....

High recommendations from me. Thanks Deed for lending it to me.


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## repulsive_culture

Kurt Vonnegut has some really good stuff. My personal favorite is Breakfast of Champions, it takes an average american shithole suburb and shows how disgusting american culture is.

and by the way i just read that he passed away yesterday, so go read some of his books in remberance of a great author, who fucked mainstream literature.


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## 5ifth

Kurt Vonnegut RIP

THE ONLY PROOF HE NEEDED 
FOR THE EXISTENCE OF GOD 
WAS MUSIC 
-Kurt Vonnegut 

now there's an epitaph

i haven't yet, but i'd like to pick up a copy of his last book, A Man Without a Country.


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## bakerdoo

Vonnegut is good

i have been reading some good Charles Bukowski (women and ham on rye) hes a great poet as well

THe other book i love is The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chboski

So many good ones out there


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## repulsive_culture

*5ifth wrote:*


> i haven't yet, but i'd like to pick up a copy of his last book, A Man Without a Country.




I have it, it's mostly him talking about current politics and the bush admin. I need to go finish it


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## Code Name Mary

perks of being a wallflower is good... Christopher Moore's A dirty Job is really good, too.


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## Bendixontherails

have to agree on the vonnegut. I sometimes sit and stare at water and wonder... Ice Nine... what if...


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## otgetdw

*5ifth wrote:*


> Kurt Vonnegut RIP
> 
> THE ONLY PROOF HE NEEDED
> FOR THE EXISTENCE OF GOD
> WAS MUSIC
> -Kurt Vonnegut
> 
> now there's an epitaph
> 
> i haven't yet, but i'd like to pick up a copy of his last book, A Man Without a Country.



when did he die? and where did he write that "the only proof he needed..."?

i'd like to read that. 

i love science fiction a lot i think it's the best ever i recommend "the martian chronicles" by ray bradbury it's pretty interesting and crazy like. the best part about science fiction is that most of the time it's so extremely political from the view of the author but like crazy skewed because they're all sci-fi-ed and most often in the future GAAAh i love it. 

Philip K. Dick is always a killer as well. philip k. dick is oh so awesome. 

i also read *Something Wicked this way comes * by bradbury it's not sci fi it's dark fantasy and it's pretty good.

my favorite thing i've read EVER is this short sci fi story called *DESERTION* by Clifford D Simak written in 1944 kinda hard to believe *SO *AHEAD OF IT'S TIME i have it in this collective of sci fi stories called "THE OXFORD BOOK OF SCIENCE FICTION STORIES" that i somehow aquired from my school..

if you read it don't worry it starts off all sci-fi geek like just so the geeks can get off but then he goes out onto jupiter with his dog and it totally pulls a 180 and becomes the best story i've ever read ever.


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## otgetdw

*5ifth wrote:*


> Kurt Vonnegut RIP
> 
> THE ONLY PROOF HE NEEDED
> FOR THE EXISTENCE OF GOD
> WAS MUSIC
> -Kurt Vonnegut
> 
> now there's an epitaph
> 
> i haven't yet, but i'd like to pick up a copy of his last book, A Man Without a Country.



when did he die? and where did he write that "the only proof he needed..."?

i'd like to read that. 

i love science fiction a lot i think it's the best ever i recommend "the martian chronicles" by ray bradbury it's pretty interesting and crazy like. the best part about science fiction is that most of the time it's so extremely political from the view of the author but like crazy skewed because they're all sci-fi-ed and most often in the future GAAAh i love it. 

Philip K. Dick is always a killer as well. philip k. dick is oh so awesome. 

i also read *Something Wicked this way comes * by bradbury it's not sci fi it's dark fantasy and it's pretty good.

my favorite thing i've read EVER is this short sci fi story called *DESERTION* by Clifford D Simak written in 1944 kinda hard to believe *SO *AHEAD OF IT'S TIME i have it in this collective of sci fi stories called "THE OXFORD BOOK OF SCIENCE FICTION STORIES" that i somehow aquired from my school..

if you read it don't worry it starts off all sci-fi geek like just so the geeks can get off but then he goes out onto jupiter with his dog and it totally pulls a 180 and becomes the best story i've ever read ever.


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## xmattx

*Cush wrote:*
not posi. if there is any type of store that you shouldn't steal from, but should support, it's bookstores. yes they may be major corperations but all the major bookstore chains (borders, barns n nobles, waldenbooks) are all great companies. they treat thier employees very well, they offer nothing but the best things in the world, and they don't exploit anyone in the process. i don't care how much punk credit i lose by supporting a major corperation, I love borders and i'll do what i can to support them. same thing for barnes and noble.[/quote]

i agree with mattpist whole heartedly on this. he pretty much hit the nail on the head.

*Bendixontherails wrote:*


> don't know about dharma punx, but *Kerouac's Dharma Bums *kicks ass. written in a frenzy of eleven day manic typing sessions, he rails on about
> the urban houses, and cookie cutter life style he was beginning to see in america, and which we are witnessing even more. def.l check it out.



i really dislike dharma bums. not only is kerouac sexist as shit, the book was kind of boring. the whole 'dharma bums' concept is kinda lame.

*Mady wrote:*


> Igniting a Revolution....



this book is pretty killer, and i recommend it just as much as mady does.

*repulsive_culture wrote:*


> Kurt Vonnegut has some really good stuff. My personal favorite is Breakfast of Champions, it takes an average american shithole suburb and shows how disgusting american culture is.



he wrote a short story called 'harrison bergeron' which i very highly suggest.


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## Matt Derrick

i just recently read "neuromancer" by william gibson. probably one of the best sci-fi books ive ever read. he basically coined the term 'cyberspace' and a lot of other internet terms we use today.


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## savage_brad

fear and loathing in las vegas by hunter s thompson is one of my favs.
im about halfway through breakfast of champions which is good so far.


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## Tusk!

*xmattx wrote:*


> i really dislike dharma bums. not only is kerouac sexist as shit, the book was kind of boring. the whole 'dharma bums' concept is kinda lame.



xmattx, i can understand how you dislike _the dharma bums_ but please take in consideration this book was published in '58 & written in kerouacs' own style of "stream of consciousness" creating an unique description of the time in which this young man lived. throughout his work, kerouac never attempts to obscure his own sexism & alcohol abuse through his fictitious alter-ego, ray smith, leaving his books with an essence of truth. _the dharma bums_ is accredited with launching the "rucksack revolution" inspiring thousands to look for something more in life than just the nine to five.

anyways, _one flew over the cuckoo's nest_ by ken kesey is an amazing novel. "Kesey’s One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest is based largely on his experiences with mental patients. Through the conflict between Nurse Ratched and Randle Patrick McMurphy, the novel explores the themes of individuality and rebellion against conformity, ideas that were widely discussed at a time when the United States was committed to opposing communism and totalitarian regimes around the world. However, Kesey’s approach, directing criticism at American institutions themselves..."


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## Bendixontherails

true. 
over the cuckoo's nest rocks.

and absolutely check out the "Ender's Game" series by Orson Scott Card. 
Amazing. will change how you look at some things, especially you're preconcieved notions of others.


and... while it can be hard to find as a whole anymore, because of the topic of one of the stories, (school shooting)... 
* I HIGHLY reccomend a book of 4 short stories called " The Bachman Books" they were actually written by Steven King, under his Richard Bachman pseudonym. this book was formative for me in my school years. the stories in the book were, "Rage", "Road Work", "The Long Walk", and "The Running Man".* 

I copied the book Rage, (a student takes over his algebra class and changes all the kids to his side for life) and put a copy in the mailbox of every teacher in my highschool. B)

Post edited by: Bendixontherails, at: 2007/04/14 14:40


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## Bendixontherails

okay... I never looked for it online till now... just in bookstores. 

I red this through three bindings of ducttape after the original went.

http://tinyurl.com/2tzm5w

and if anyone could tell me how to do that cool tinyurl thing that some of yall do so it dosen't look so damn big, that'd be cool.



> answer from matt pist: just go to tinyurl.com, and follow the instuctions there!



Post edited by: MattPist, at: 2007/04/16 04:43


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## repulsive_culture

*otgetdw wrote:*


> *5ifth wrote:*
> 
> 
> 
> when did he die? and where did he write that "the only proof he needed..."?
> 
> 
> 
> That is in his newest, and now his last book, _a man without a country_
> 
> he died last wednesday
> 
> Post edited by: repulsive_culture, at: 2007/04/15 04:09
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Click to expand...
Click to expand...


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## repulsive_culture

haha i really fucked up that quote thing


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## snor

"still life with woodpecker" is a pretty good one...forget the author Tom...something?


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## Code Name Mary

Tom Robbins


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## blackmatter

I really like james baldwin, im reading giovannis room right now which is about his relationship with this dude in paris back in the 50s baldwin fled with alot of others during the 50's to paris to escape the extreme racism and violence going on, then he came back to harlem to right about it so yeah real good shit im also into alot of radical feminist writing i.e. Susan brownmillers' "Against our will: men womyn and rape"
Andrea dworkin, john stoltenberg, germaine greer. and ted conovers the shit hes this journalist whos written abook about being a prison guard at sing sing prison and hopping trains as well as being a taxi driver in aspen and crossing the border with migrant worker illegally sweet shit peace


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## smegmabreath

*mike wrote:*


> A friend of mine got this book a while back called the alphabet of manliness, its pretty rediculous but I thought it was funny.




hilarious, a friend gave a copy for my birthday


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## rocksy

what about non fiction sort of anarchy books? i just finished "Tearing Down The Streets: Adventures in Urban Anarchy" by Jeff Ferrell. It told some of the history of anarchy, and wove it in with his own experiences with busking and rides with Critical Mass.


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## TBone

Last book I read that I just could not put down was Hell's Angels by Hunter S. Thompson. I cashed my chips in and took a Greyhound last summer I read that book in about a day and a half. A Greyhound will make the worst book seem interesting though haha although this is a really great read.


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## Kagu

For basically a better and more interesting version of Kerouac check out Ginsberg's "Junky" or Burrough's "Naked Lunch". Its along the same lines of what most of Jack's books were but I think they were a little bit better. Louis Ferdinand Celine wrote some amazing books like Journey To The End Of The Night and Death On The Installment Plan that basically started the whole beat generation that Kerouac and Ginsberg were doing...Only Celine was by far the most bitter and humourus about it which in my mind made it better. And A+ on the Thompson book TBone. That was a good read.


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## Kagu

Thought I might add a disclaimer and one more good book as well. There is a current author Dan Chaon who wrote an amazing book called Among The Missing that is really good as well. And with Celine, later on in his years he did write a couple manifestos that were anti-semetic that caused him to get exiled from france. Its definitly odd that a man so good at writing could embrace such a b.s. idea. If you read Journey..... or Death.... however there is no mention of his bigotry and are still incredible books despite Celine's political leanings and what not that came later in his life.


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## Kagu

haha, sorry, one more post. Burroughs wrote Junky, I was thinking of Howl by Ginsberg that was really good.


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## xBarbie In Bondagex

Ive been reading omnivores dilema, its fucking amazing, gives you another perspective on food, which is great! Also i really recoment the alchemist by Paulo Coehlo, sorry if i spelled that wrong


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## Clay

i've said it before on a differnt forum, but i highly recommend days and nights in love and war by eduardo galeano. totally badass south american writer from uraguay--pretty certain this predates the crimethinc book with the suspiciously similar name. it's written in short (1-5 paragraphs generally) vaguely connected pieces that come together to form this really radical (politically) mosaic. Tons of ideas about revolution, oppression, history, love, sex, ect... all written using tiny flashes from different peoples experiences. very subtle but effective.

The guy has written tons of books though, the 4 or so that i've read have all been awesome.


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## Clay

double post

Post edited by: Clay, at: 2007/06/13 18:53


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## Clay

just adding, he is kind of like a south american howard zinn but, his writing is extremely poetic rather than academic. ok, thats all.


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## Clit Comander

THE NAKED LUNCH is amazing.

HUNTER S. THOMPSON
EVERY MATHA FUCKING BOOK IS FANTASIC... FUCKING FATASIC.

after getting that out of the way.
I have never read one flew over the coo coo nest. but i saw the movie and that was one of the better films i've seen in my day. Books are ussualy better, so im sure its a mighty fine read

Post edited by: Clit Comander, at: 2007/06/13 19:09


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## A better World

smack! is a good book its pretty short but its a fun read its about 2 teenage runaways that get into squatting, punkrock, and then eventually into terrible heroin addiction

another fun book is Never mind the pollacks by neil pollack its a fictional journey through rock and punk history from the point of view of a drugged up homeless underground traveling rock critic

also the outsiders is a very good book if you read alot youve probably already read it


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## possum

well there is a sort or sequel kind of book by daniel quinn that expands on the themes in Ishmael. its called beyond civilization. you should check it out.


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## Grace

I think that for traveling, the longer the book is, the better. In that case I would have to go with Ellison's Invisible Man. That book fucking rocks. Otherwise, I'm a fan of poetry and Toni Morrison. And I just realized that probably the best book to be around for an extended period of time, if one can handle it, would be Joyce's Ulysses. It'll take me a lifetime and I still won't properly understand it. 

And Arrow, if you liked Castenada, you should look into Daniel Pinchbeck's Breaking Open the Mind (or something like that). He deals more with drugs than anything else, but his theories are like Castenadas, and it's a quick read. He's also kind of a conspiracy theorist, if you like that sort of thing.


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## finn

Ruth Ozeki's "All over Creation" fiction, fun to read, has a bit about genetic engineering.

Holly and Burt Davis "Dwelling Portablely" 80's compilation of the classic nomad zine (the zine might still be in print)

Bill Watterson's Calvin and Hobbes, best mainstream cartoons ever.


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## Bendixontherails

the Eragon series is pretty good. I was surprised.

another really good series is the 'Ender' series by Orson Scott Card. Great story/writing, with political/social overtones that make you think about your automatic assumptions of people and things around you.

right now I'm rereading Assimov's 'Foundation Trilogy'. seemed appropriate with our seemingly impending economy collapse


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## Bendixontherails

cs lewis wrote a lot of good stuff. I think I first read the screwtape letters in middle school, who knows how many years ago. his 'the pilgrim's regress' was good too, but you kind of have to read ' pilgrim's progress' by John Bunyan to know what he's talking about.


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## dirty_feet

finn said:


> Holly and Burt Davis "Dwelling Portablely" 80's compilation of the classic nomad zine (the zine might still be in print)




It is still in print actually - it's a really awesome read. Very informative and entertaining, inspiring even. You can get it through Microcosm Publishing.


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## 1stcavmp77

ok here's a list of authors and some of the books i've read. 
good horror books of course stephen king, william w. johnstone and dean koontz (watchers, tick tock, house of thunder) 
post-apocolyptic rebuiling America type books the ashes series by william w. johnstone. 
great fantasy books- anything and everything by R.A. Salvatore
westerns- Louis L'amour and elmer kelton
classics - swiss family robinson, call of the wild, white fang, bram stokers dracula
military- anything by richard marcinko, black hawk down, we were soldiers anything by stephen hunter
murder mystery- james patterson and also the maximum ride series by patterson
teen style books- the lightning thief by rick riordan.
also the dangerous book for boys has a lot of cool things in it, especially if you have kids. 
oh yeah, i almost forgot my gf is addicted to the twilight series, vampire books but i don't know the author.


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## desaparecido

1. The Unbearable Lightness of Being - Milan Kundera
2. Winesburg, Ohio - Sherwood Anderson
3. The Spoon River Anthology - Edgar Masters
4. The Stranger - Albert Camus
5. The Plague - Albert Camus

and if you're at all poetically inclined,anything by Robinson Jeffers is gold. Try googling "The Purse Seine" which is something most self-sufficient travelers can appreciate.


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## Treath

The best book I've read lately was Vurt by Jeff Noon.
It's a cyberpunk/druggie kind of a book.
I usually can't find a book that really interests me, but I read it in 3 days.

I highly recommend it.


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## zarathustra

I thought the rebel sell was kinda BSy, but w.e. I could go on about why but I won't. 

I really like Joyce. Not that he has much to do with traveling, but "A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man" is a really beautiful book. I've memorized big parts of it.

"I go to encounter for the millionth time the reality of experience and forge from the smithy of my soul the uncreated conscience of my race, etc, etc, etc." Good shit.


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## DFA

I really enjoy irvine welsh's novels.
He writes in the scottish dialect, so it fucks with your grammar a bit...


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## dirty_feet

Don't know if it was mentioned because this is a rather large thread but the Boomers Bible is pretty awesome.

[ame]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Boomer_Bible[/ame]

check. it. OUT!


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## skiptown

I read a lot and I read a wide variety of genres, but for traveling I generally prefer books that are humorous fiction or personal essays. Really anything that is a page turner but that are a bit easy to read (like I wouldn't read Thomas Pynchon if I needed to devote half my attention to keeping one eye on my surroundings). My personal favorites for being on the road are Christopher Moore (Lamb, Fluke, The Island of The Sequined Love Nun), David Sedaris (Naked, Me Talk Pretty One Day, When You Are Engulfed in Flames etc.), Piers Anothony (The Xanth series), Mark Childress (Long Gone). I'm also a little embarrassed to admit I am totally obsessed with the young adult vampire series called Twilight. In the Twilight series these books are pretty long for fiction aimed at teens (I think they averaged out to about 500 pages each roughly, give or take a hundred) and I seriously couldn't put them down. Very entertaining. Also a book called Booneville (can't remember the author). Also Eric Lyle's On the Lower Frequencies: A Secret History of the City. zines since they are light weight.

When I'm at home or can dedicate my full concentration to my book I really enjoy the aforementioned Thomas Pynchon, Tom Robbins or drier non fiction and biography kind of stuff. And cookbooks.


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## skiptown

I read a lot and I read a wide variety of genres, but for traveling I generally prefer books that are humorous fiction or personal essays. Really anything that is a page turner but that are a bit easy to read (like I wouldn't read Thomas Pynchon if I needed to devote half my attention to keeping one eye on my surroundings). My personal favorites for being on the road are Christopher Moore (Lamb, Fluke, The Island of The Sequined Love Nun), David Sedaris (Naked, Me Talk Pretty One Day, When You Are Engulfed in Flames etc.), Piers Anothony (The Xanth series), Mark Childress (Long Gone). I'm also a little embarrassed to admit I am totally obsessed with the young adult vampire series called Twilight. In the Twilight series these books are pretty long for fiction aimed at teens (I think they averaged out to about 500 pages each roughly, give or take a hundred) and I seriously couldn't put them down. Very entertaining. Also a book called Booneville (can't remember the author). Also Eric Lyle's On the Lower Frequencies: A Secret History of the City. zines since they are light weight.

When I'm at home or can dedicate my full concentration to my book I really enjoy the aforementioned Thomas Pynchon, Tom Robbins or drier non fiction and biography kind of stuff. And cookbooks.


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## urse

scottyfoothill said:


> some good ones:
> 
> education of a wandering man, louis l'amour. - not his usual western, but a memoir of his traveling (ships, freights, etc) and how he learned through reading and observing
> 
> the old patagonian express, paul theroux. rides passenger trains from the united states all the way down to patagonia.
> 
> walden, henry david thoreau. a classic and quite insightful, at least i think so.
> 
> chronicles - volume one, bob dylan. whether or not you're into his music, his observations on the people he has met through the years and his life are really interesting
> 
> hobo, eddy joe cotton. fun and quick
> 
> if you're into bike travel at all there is:
> 
> catfish and mandala, andrew x. pham - he rides all through vietnam and has some crazy experiences while paralleling that trip with his life growing up and then leaving vietnam
> 
> two wheels north, forgot who wrote it. published by oregon state university, true story about two fellas in 1909 who take off from santa rosa, ca on their bikes and ride to seattle for a big expo.
> 
> so yeah, those are a few i might suggest...
> 
> -foothill



walden is a great book.


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## urse

also, diary of a drug fiend by aleister crowley. i just got done reading child 44 by tom rob smith. it was okay, a little too much of a love story for my tastes. it was about communism and the soviet union, which i find interesting.


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## Geoff

Cush said:


> *danvan wrote:*
> 
> 
> not posi. if there is any type of store that you shouldn't steal from, but should support, it's bookstores. yes they may be major corperations but all the major bookstore chains (borders, barns n nobles, waldenbooks) are all great companies. they treat thier employees very well, they offer nothing but the best things in the world, and they don't exploit anyone in the process. i don't care how much punk credit i lose by supporting a major corperation, I love borders and i'll do what i can to support them. same thing for barnes and noble.



Can't say I completely agree. Books there are way too expensive and i just can't afford to buy books for that price, that's why I steal. But by charging such high prices it deprives those without money to the beauties and power of knowledge.

Oh and if you're looking for things to read try anything by Jack Kerouac. You should also read The Diary of Anne Frank if you haven't yet, Also To Kill a Mockingbird is one of my favorites. And Borderlands/La Frontera by GLoria Anzaldua (she's a radical Lesbian Chicana Feminist writer and she's fucking amazing) that's it for now.


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## Geoff

Grace said:


> I think that for traveling, the longer the book is, the better. In that case I would have to go with Ellison's Invisible Man. That book fucking rocks. Otherwise, I'm a fan of poetry and Toni Morrison. And I just realized that probably the best book to be around for an extended period of time, if one can handle it, would be Joyce's Ulysses. It'll take me a lifetime and I still won't properly understand it.
> 
> And Arrow, if you liked Castenada, you should look into Daniel Pinchbeck's Breaking Open the Mind (or something like that). He deals more with drugs than anything else, but his theories are like Castenadas, and it's a quick read. He's also kind of a conspiracy theorist, if you like that sort of thing.



Breaking open the head by daniel pinchbeck. Stole that one from Barnes and Noble. lol. Great book. He retells of his psychedelic experiences during the rituals he went through with different tribes.


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## permentaly damaged

Naked Lunch br william burroughs is a pretty interesting read, doesnt make a whole lot of sense the first few times you read it if at all.

im reading the Primal Screamer by Nick Blinko right now which is pretty cool also.

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest is a classic and a must read.


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## Spinelli

I finished "Snuff" not too long ago, his books are fucked up, Chuck Palahniuk check him out!


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## Spinelli

rememberusername said:


> That the same guy who wrote Choke? Girlfriend is reading that right now.


Yeah he is, that and a bunch of other stuff. I heard he just finished writing one about terrorist trained children who are then put up for adoption in America, it sounds pretty warped.


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## Labea

I turn into a sort of book worm during the winter, and I'll read anything so long as it can keep my attention. 

no matter how played out R.L. Stine is, the guy really got me into reading. I still enjoy his B-horror books that are aimed towards preteens. Fear Street, shit like that!

BOOKS ERRYBODY SHOULD MOST DEFINITELY READ:

Ten Little Indians by Agatha Christi - Murder Mystery 

Rule of the Bone by Russel Banks - Novel? 

The Zombie Survival Guide by Max Brooks- its just good to have a back up plan
(I heard World War Z was good too)

In reply to people talkin about Dharma Punx, I think that book sucks. It does get preachy and I do get bored and stop reading halfway through. 

As for the Twilight series by Stephanie Meyer, fuck yeah they're good books, (except for when she gets further into the series things seem to just happen so there will be something to write about. So many angry avenging vampire lovers.) but its too bad that she is such a fucking sell out. The heard the movie that came out last friday based on the first book was ultimately terrible. She is a pop sensation now, there are at least 3 or 4 of her books in every highschool classroom of mine, sitting on some girls desk. I've even met a few guys who dig her books. Its interesting that they are the first novels she'd ever written.


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## veggieguy12

Ecotopia Emerging -- Ernest Callenbach
The Little Earth Book -- James Bruges
Ishmael -- Daniel Quinn
The Story of B -- Daniel Quinn
My Ishmael -- Daniel Quinn
Beyond Civilization -- Daniel Quinn
As the World Burns -- Darrick Jensen
Endgame vol. 1 -- Darrick Jensen
Endgame vol. 2 -- Darrick Jensen
V for Vendetta -- Alan Moore
Snow Man -- Carolyn Chute
The Monkey Wrench Gang -- Edward Abbey
Hayduke Lives! -- Edward Abbey
World Made By Hand -- James Kuntsler
Expect Resistance -- CrimethInc.

Johnny Got His Gun -- Dalton Trumbo
Palestine -- Joe Sacco
The Iron Heel -- Jack London
1984 -- George Orwell
Fahrenheit 451 -- Ray Bradbury
The Grapes of Wrath -- John Steinbeck
What Uncle Sam Really Wants -- Noam Chomsky
Killing Hope -- William Blum
Freeing the World to Death -- William Blum
Confessions of an Economic Hit Man -- John Perkins
Lies My Teacher Told Me -- James Loewen
Best Evidence -- David S. Lifton
Infidel -- Ayaan Ali-Hirsi
The God Delusion -- Richard Dawkins
Letter to a Christian Nation -- Sam Harris

The Watchmen -- Alan Moore
In Dubious Battle -- John Steinbeck
The Great Gatsby -- F. Scott Fitzgerald
Fire on the Mountain -- Edward Abbey
Red Dragon -- Thomas Harris
The Importance of Being Earnest -- Oscar Wilde
Batman: Year One -- Frank Miller
The Corner -- David Simon & Edward Burns
The Lorax -- Dr. Seuss


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## spoorprint

Homage to Catalonia -George Orwell
Vida -Marge Piercy
Woman on The Edge of Time- Marge Piercy
Post Scarcity Anarchism- Murry Bookchin

But right now I'm reading North American Railyards by Michael Rhodes
its a few years old, but has all sorts of stuff on Major yards in the nineties to about 2003

I like Veggieguys recommendations -Carolyn Chute & Ed Abbey are great.


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## frankblank

If you've never read "Crime and Punishment" by fyodor dostoyevsky, it is really good. It was written in 1866 and tells about a failed law student who commits a very calculated murder. It is very dark. There is also a non-fiction book I liked called "No Logo" by Naomi Klein. It looks at the dirty tactics of the superbrands. If you like late 70's NYC punk, I highly reccomend "Please Kill Me: The Uncensored Oral History of Punk".


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## bote

Mavis Gallant - 
any of her short story collections...

an amazing woman, way ahead of her time. One of the most insightful, best writers alive today (big talk, I know).

Roberto Bolano -
I'm reading "The Savage Detectives" right now. Makes me want to live in Mexico city, have lots of sex, and write lots of poetry. I like it.


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## dirty_rotten_squatter

Jack Kerouac on the road great read wasnt too sure about it at first, it read sorta like a diary but all in all it was pretty pleasant read.


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## bote

i read "A room of her own" by Virginia Wolff about a month ago. If you are interested in women and history and writing and things that are well-written, you would probably like this book. Her other books are good, but less accessible.


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## Toddy

i second danvan. i just finished Shantaram a few weeks ago and it was epic.


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## Punkabond

I read the alchemist in this list, Coelho's amazing, if you liked that book I also recommend The Devil and Miss Prym. 

Brave New World(Aldous Huxley), if you liked 1984. 

Grapes of Wrath, Of Mice and Men, and In Dubious Battle by Steinbeck 

The Stand, by Stephen King.

Walden's already been mentioned, I'll add the essays "Civil Disobedience" and "Walking" to the Thoreau list.


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## enocifer

I love books, reading, and learning in general. Right now I'm in the middle of a Crimethink book, & I don't know what to think of it. There's valid points, but it seems to have a bunch of socialist propaganda bullshit in it, as well as a strong inclination towards atheism. I will admit it's making me wanna be more subversive, I'm just not sure of the intentions of the authors. A lot of it seems like doublespeak. Makes me wonder if it's stuff put out to disillusion would-be intellectual anarchists. But as far as books go, Robert Anton Wilson is my favorite. His books rock. Check out the Illuminatus! Trilogy, and its sequel, Schroedinger's Cat. Cosmic Trigger was cool, too. He draws heavily on the theories of Timothy Leary and Aldous Huxley, two very influential authors in my mindset. Robert Anton Wilson was the one who said "Tyranny or Anarchy: You must decide NOW!" It's very open minded material, very intelligent and spiritual at the same time as being I-don't-give-a-fuck. There's descriptions of pornographic stuff & extreme acts of violence right next to Qabalistic diagrams and equations of quantum functionality, fer Chrisakes. I love that shit. Damn good author. Check him out.


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## syphilust

"My side of the Mountain" by Jean Craighead George

I have a tattoo from it


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## bote

I've been meaning to say this, but keep forgetting:

I finished "The Savage Detectives" by Roberto Bolano, and it is the best book I've read in quite awhile.


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## maus

Cush said:


> *danvan wrote:*
> 
> 
> not posi. if there is any type of store that you shouldn't steal from, but should support, it's bookstores. yes they may be major corperations but all the major bookstore chains (borders, barns n nobles, waldenbooks) are all great companies. they treat thier employees very well, they offer nothing but the best things in the world, and they don't exploit anyone in the process. i don't care how much punk credit i lose by supporting a major corperation, I love borders and i'll do what i can to support them. same thing for barnes and noble.



what the fuck? fuck that. im taking all your punk points. im going to put them in a drawer and you can have them back when you bring me stolen book.

stealing is punk. period. fuck business as usual.


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## Supertramp

say what you want about barnes n noble, but fuck stealing from Powell's in Portland, its a fucking book MALL!!! not only that, but all of the employees are way awesome. Several have noserings and whatnot, and even a crass tattoo here and there. Not only that, but any book you want, you can find. in one sitting i found Lexicon Devil, about 5 zombie novels, including the Zombie Survival Guide, the Joy of Sex, the Joy of GAY Sex, Everything is illuminated, and an outdoor survival guides for like 3-10 a book. GREAT selection.


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## Angela

Supertramp said:


> say what you want about barnes n noble, but fuck stealing from Powell's in Portland



Nobody would really need to steal from them, you can sit in there all day and just read the books on the spot but maybe that's just me, I've spent more hours in there than I'd like to admit. The one out in Beaverton even provides these really comfy chairs all over the store to sit and read in.


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## Beer Mortal

I always freeze up and forget or become unsure about what book im looking for when I go to a bookstore or library haha
its like the moment I walk it, i go blank. but then I just go and explore biographies, anatomy books, look at titles of fictions that could catch my interest, go to world history or philosophy and psychology. sociology too


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## moe

ha, fuck borders.
it's good to find all them books you can't find in smaller local indie bookstores (like myopic in chi-town)
or whatevers, 
but i checked out the music books section, and found that copy of lexicon devil.
i wanted toget it, but i only had 10 bucks.
the damn book was 39 or some shit like that.
i sat for 3 hours on a couch and finished the whole damn book.*high five* =D
and it was a pretty damn good book.
i love the germs.

anyway, lol, i read throughout this whole thread and took notes on some good books, that sounds decent, cuz i was running out of options.

throughout the thread, i noticed two of the greatest books (other classics already mentioned) were not listed.
*running with scissors by augsten burroughs, i found it hilarious, and a guide to recognizing your saints by Dito montiel.

i love graphic novels, funny/weird pictures makes a story a bit more interesting to read. 
i totally recommend all books by marjane santrapi, especially persepolis.
and minimum wage by bob -something.

=]


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## dirty_rotten_squatter

Ive seen alot of mention of kurt vennegut, but his book slapstick is pretty funny. I havent finished it yet, but what I have read is pretty good.


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## incendiary

I read alot, I like Steppenwolf by Herman Hesse, anything by Kurt Vonnegut, Emma Goldman, Aaron Cometbus, zines, & non fiction (about the ethics of food, political theory, history, women's rights, biographies, etc). I'm currently reading Tropic of Cancer by Henry Miller and a compilation of the works of Mikhail Bakunin.



bakerdoo said:


> Vonnegut is good
> 
> i have been reading some good Charles Bukowski (women and ham on rye) hes a great poet as well
> 
> THe other book i love is The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chboski
> 
> So many good ones out there



I definitely second the Bukowski recommendation, I've read Ham on Rye, Factotum, Women, Post Office, and a bunch of his poetry and really enjoyed them. My favourite poem by him is probably Dinosauria, We. 



veggieguy12 said:


> Ecotopia Emerging -- Ernest Callenbach
> The Little Earth Book -- James Bruges
> Ishmael -- Daniel Quinn
> The Story of B -- Daniel Quinn
> My Ishmael -- Daniel Quinn
> Beyond Civilization -- Daniel Quinn
> As the World Burns -- Darrick Jensen
> Endgame vol. 1 -- Darrick Jensen
> Endgame vol. 2 -- Darrick Jensen
> V for Vendetta -- Alan Moore
> Snow Man -- Carolyn Chute
> The Monkey Wrench Gang -- Edward Abbey
> Hayduke Lives! -- Edward Abbey
> World Made By Hand -- James Kuntsler
> Expect Resistance -- CrimethInc.



I just finished Endgame volume 1 not too long ago, and found that I agreed with a lot of Jensen's opinions about how we are exploiting both the environment and the people in it to sustain our notion of 'civilization.' It wasn't really anything new/that hasn't been said ever before but I still found it interesting and liked his writing style.


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## Angela

I've been digging through my pdf book collection and I'm in the process of uploading a few of the classics to the downloads section. Hope folks that maybe haven't read them before or want a paperless version(pdf's are much lighter to haul around the country) will enjoy them!


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## Ubi

Vonnegut is maybe my favorite author, Slaughterhouse Five, Dead Eye Dick, and Cat's Cradle are all fantastic. Invisible Monsters by Chuck Palahniuk (who's name for the life of me I cannot pronounce) is very good also. Right now I am reading The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood, and it is amazing. It's about a dystopian society dictated by Christian extremists, told from a woman's viewpoint. I read The Tent by her, also, which is just a bunch of short stories, or themes, really. It was very good.

I'm going to make a list from this forum next time I go to the library. woo, books!


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## keg

xxxxxx


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## Mouse

I'm currently reading:

STIFF: the curious lives of human cadavers.

and I must say.. damn good read. funny, creepy, informative, and all around intersting as hell. some of the best NF I've read in a long time.


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## Bendixontherails

just finished Steinbeck's East of Eden and Wayward Bus last week. Both very enjoyable.
finished Hemingway's Islands in the Stream today. Great read, but sad. and the whole time I kept thinking that I wanted to turn the book into a drinking game.


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## derailed

three books that changed everything for me:

nausea-john paul sartre
the conquest of bread-kropotkin
walden-thoreau 

all of these books i've read multiple times and each time their meanings change for me. especially nausea, i remember reading that book when i was sixteen and lying awake in bed at night, i couldn't get it out of my brain..it's pretty cliche, but it really did change everything for me. even years later, i still think back often to that story.


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## bote

yeah, I liked nausea too. Often overlooked is the fact that it`s part of a trilogy, so if you haven`t checked out the other two, you might want to, they are good.

¨Vagabonds¨ a collection of short stories by Maxim Gorky
just read it, really good.


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## nuckfumbertheory

The Tao of Pooh by Benjamin Hoff 
Illusions: adventure of a reluctant messiah by richard bach

The Little Prince, Antoine de Saint Exupery

Revolution For The Hell of It Abbie Hoffman

short but really good reads.


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## oldmanLee

"The Female Man",Russ;"100 Years of Solitude",Marquez;"The Stars my Destination", Bestler.


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## Holly

My favorite authors are Chuck Palahniuk and Bret Easton Ellis.


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## judas

my favorite is "direct action" by anne hansen


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## KoffinKat

Some thing you might like is jack london's sea wolf. traveling stories aboard ships but tells an amazing story. He covers the concept of lonliness really well like mice and men well. He transposed a lot of his personal travel experinece and observations from hobo life into his stories with out feeding us something tired. He traveled during early depressions bout thirty years before kerouac. He wrote The Road long before and was an actual pirate! awesome


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## Rash L

Mouse said:


> I'm currently reading:
> 
> STIFF: the curious lives of human cadavers.
> 
> and I must say.. damn good read. funny, creepy, informative, and all around intersting as hell. some of the best NF I've read in a long time.



I read this awhile ago... years now probably... and I agree, AWESOME book!! very entertaining as well as informative. I had a hard time putting it down and I was sad when its over (although thats how I am with most books...)


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## lobotomy3yes

For nonfiction, I would recommend all Chomsky and Zinn as high priority. If you haven't read the People's History of the United States before, you should definitely pick it up. All Chomsky is good, but can be quite boring and tedious. I must confess that I have never picked up one of his books and read it cover to cover in a short amount of time. I always read some, read another book, and then come back. His books cause an information overload, but it is all good information.

Both of those authors are anarchists, but their books are about a lot of different things. 
If you want the basics of anarchism, you should read Peter Kropotkin's Mutual Aid. Also, Bakunin is good. I haven't read any of his books, but I have read his essays.

A personal favorite of mine is Shibboleth: My Revolting Life by Penny Rimbaud of Crass. It is basically the story of his life, but anarchy is an underlying concept in the book. To see how some anarchist thought actually played out within the punk community of the time, there is no better read.


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## LovelyAcorns

sanFRANCIS said:


> \
> 
> i love graphic novels, funny/weird pictures makes a story a bit more interesting to read.



Graphic novel? SELL OUT! Its called a comic book.



I find the defenses of corporate bookstores bizarre. I'm going to assume someone refuted them, but I'm too lazy to read the 100-odd posts. Since when is B&N not the third on the "indie killing assholes" list, right after Walmart and Starbucks? I used to self-righteously shoplift B&N blind and go trade the loot with the independent book exchange a couple blocks over.


But to go back on topic, Distress and Diaspora, both by Greg Egan. Greg Egan is just plain the best hard science fiction writer. Plus, Diaspora has implicit anarchist points, while Distress has very explicit- the bases of the story is that some bio-engineers "steal" the copyrighted GMOs they designed and use them to build an artificial island called "Stateless".


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## theodore kaczynski

well this is a long thread so apologies if any of these have been posted before

anything by john muir 
anything by john steinbeck

travels with the flea-jim perrin
rachel carson-silent spring
it still moves-amanda petrusich
parallel lines-ian marchant
fire and steam,the story of british railways-christian wolmar
the ragged trousered philanthropists-robert tressel
saturday night,sunday morning-alan sillitoe
the loneliness of the long distance runner-alan sillitoe
a kestrel for a knave-barry hines
attention all shipping-charlie connelly
the green fool-paddy kavanagh

im sure ill think of more later


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