Books that have inspired you in life

[Sonny]

Im not much of a reader, so when I do pick up a book it usually has to be exactly what I want, which can be a problem and I usually end up not reading anything. This forums probably a place where I can find a lot of people who have similar mindsets, so hopefully share similar tastes in literature?

 

[TheLoneRat]

well first off, what authors do you like?

 

[TheLoneRat]

It's always nice to read coming of age stories on the road because traveling usually has something to do with it.

 

[Sonny]

Its hard to say who I like because of how little I read, Dan Brown is always fun, but just doesnt write about the kind of stuff Im interested in anymore, same with Mario Puzo. I really want a good adventure book, something about hitting the road or going nomad, something not to dated. Or something epic like lord of the rings, but not so..lord of the ringsy? lol

 

[fateoficarus]

It's always nice to read coming of age stories on the road because traveling usually has something to do with it.

Evasion is one of my favourite books about traveling

 

[TheLoneRat]

hmm. have you read The Road? by Cormac McCarthy. pretty grim but also a rather beautiful story.

 

[Sonny]

hmm. have you read The Road? by Cormac McCarthy. pretty grim but also a rather beautiful story.

I saw the movie, I really liked it but even though the books probably a billion times better as they tend to be, I want a fresh new story, as ignorant as that might sound.

 

[littlekittenteeth]

The outsiders which is a classic. Mr. Was a very good book if you are into time travel!!

 

[TheLoneRat]

gotta say hemmingway's Old Man and the Sea is one of my favs. Ironically, I read this along with Cannery Row by john steinbeck.

Grapes of Wrath and East of Eden are two others of his which have really influenced me.

 

[fateoficarus]

Anything written by Noam Chomsky is pretty damn good

 

[Sonny]

I thought of another theme I really like, the oddesy theme, like in Cold Mountain or Legends of the Fall.

 

[zhivago]

east of eden is an amazing book.
i like a lot of poetry, frank o'hara particularly.
i love eeeee eee eeeeee by tao lin,
henry rollins' solipsist and black coffee blues
i finished steppenwolf a week ago which was interesting.

 

[Asar]

The Call of the Wild and the Hobbit are the two books I read as a kid that made me want to travel and have some sort of adventurous life. As far as reading after I got older, my favorite and most inspiring book is easily The Snow Leopard by Peter Matthiessen.

 

[Kim Chee]

...not sure if I've been inspired in life by literature. I kinda like short stories myself. I don't have to invest a lot of time to read 300 pages to discover a book sucks.
If its only 5-20 pages I'm not going to be disappointed if the story isn't up my alley. Just kinda flick to the next one and off you go.

http://bestsciencefictionstories.com/category/science-fiction-short-story-reviews/

 

[Nemo]

Get some novels by Kerouac man! He's real easy to read and keeps you interested.

 

[CXR1037]

The Savage Detective - Roberto Bolaño

That book blew On The Road out of the water.

Also:
- Anything Richard Brautigan (Trout Fishing in America, In Watermelon Sugar, The Abortion, to name a few...)
- Any issue of A Public Space (one of my favorite lit mags)

 

[lalalazoe]

jack kerouac's sexist, but his literature is undeniably inspiring and exciting, and easy to read. there's also Bound for Glory, by Woody Guthrie, which is his autobiography, which is sickkk! AND it has tons to do with the great depression and the old hobo and freight hopping scene back then. also gives you an insight into what childhood was like before we all got so easily brainwashed by mainstream media - videogames, movies, etc. they actually DID shit. theres a sweet, epic chapter about a slingshot battle they have over the kids' fort on a hillside near their town. a lot of old lingo from back then too.
happy reading

 

[hobogestapo]

Charles Bukowski Women. its semi-autobiographical. if you like science-fiction H.P. Lovecraft

 

[Sonny]

I think im going to pick up a kerouac book, I looked him up and he sound pretty interesting, a lot of people on the internet say on the road and dharma bums are the best, which one would you reccomend?

 

[ftcollinsanarcho]

living my life by emma goldman
prison memoirs of an anarchist by alexander berkman
fathers and sons by ivan turgenev