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A Good Read: Book Suggestions & Recommendations

I can't find it now, but I read an economic explanation why thick books sell better. Maybe more value for money feeling?

This seems to have changed a little in recent years but book pricing, in the UK at least, seems to be by "format" so an average length paper back novel of about 300 pages might be 8.99, a 1000 page novel published with the same page dimensions might be the same or maybe 9.99 and a 100 page novella would be 7.99 or 8.99. So the longer books are more content for (almost) the same price. Trade paperbacks seem to be more, regardless of length andhardbacks the most. There does see, to be a wider variety of pricing more recently though, some longer PBs approaching the cost of cheaper HBs.
 
The deepest Sea by Charles Barnitz. 8th century Viking bard on a raidinto England finds himself seperated from his crew and traveling a cross the country having all kind of gripping adventures including attacking ships using Greek fire pretending to be a monk on Lindersfarne, meeting the ghost of the Venerable Bede and encountering the coolest dragon in literature since Smaug. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Deepest-Se.../ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=
 
Peridio Steet Station by China Mieville . In the weird city of New Crobuzon, fat, eccentric scientist Isaac Dan dar Grimnebulin and his insect headed lover Lin uncover the horrid source of the hallucigenic drug dreamshit and become embroiled with an angry inhuman drug lord, security forces and giant mind eating moths with hypnotic wing patterns. One of the strangest fantasy books ever written and one of the nest.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Perdido-St...eville+perdidon+street+station,aps,169&sr=1-1
 
Titus Groan by Mervyn Peak. My number one novel. Gormenghast is a city sized, ancient city whose inhabitents are bound by complex law the purpose of which have long been forgotten. The birth of Titus Groan, son of Lord Sepulchrave and hair to the labyrinthine castle sends wheels of ritual into motion. Steerpike a conniving kitchen boy climbs the castles social ladder with manipulation and murder whilst Swelter, the evil, obese chef of Gormenghast engages in a vendetta with Mr Flay the cadaverous bodyguard of Sepulchrave. Awesome gothicness at its very best.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Titus-Groa...s+groan&qid=1587144598&s=books&sr=1-1-catcorr
 
Titus Groan by Mervyn Peak. My number one novel. Gormenghast is a city sized, ancient city whose inhabitents are bound by complex law the purpose of which have long been forgotten. The birth of Titus Groan, son of Lord Sepulchrave and hair to the labyrinthine castle sends wheels of ritual into motion. Steerpike a conniving kitchen boy climbs the castles social ladder with manipulation and murder whilst Swelter, the evil, obese chef of Gormenghast engages in a vendetta with Mr Flay the cadaverous bodyguard of Sepulchrave. Awesome gothicness at its very best.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Titus-Groa...s+groan&qid=1587144598&s=books&sr=1-1-catcorr

I assume you've read the third book? What about the fourth? And Boy in Darkness?
 
Three Hearts and Three Lions by Poul Anderson. During WWII a Danish soldier is catapulted to another dimention and becomes a prophecy fulfilling knight. Dragons, unicorns, tolls, giants, goblins, dwarfs and elves are all met along the way. Great fantasy romp that was highly influential on Dungeons and Dragons. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Three-Hearts-Lions-FANTASY-MASTERWORKS-ebook/dp/B004BDOJLS/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1FFYVO8JV3ZA&dchild=1&keywords=three+hearts+and+three+lions&qid=1587145717&s=books&sprefix=three+hearts+and+three+lions,digital-text,208&sr=1-1

Great, Great, Great! An obvious influence on Heinlein's Glory Road which I also love.
 
Peridio Steet Station by China Mieville . In the weird city of New Crobuzon, fat, eccentric scientist Isaac Dan dar Grimnebulin and his insect headed lover Lin uncover the horrid source of the hallucigenic drug dreamshit and become embroiled with an angry inhuman drug lord, security forces and giant mind eating moths with hypnotic wing patterns. One of the strangest fantasy books ever written and one of the nest.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Perdido-Street-Station-Crobuzon-Book/dp/B005LVYIV0/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3G354BDAUECEN&dchild=1&keywords=china+mieville+perdido+street+station&qid=1587143477&s=books&sprefix=China+Mieville+perdidon+street+station,aps,169&sr=1-1
Coincidentally, I've just written about Perdido Street Station on the dedicated China Mieville thread. I must've typed it within minutes of your post!
 
What is your opinion of the third and fourth books?
Third is obviously cobbled together from Peak's notes after his death. It has an unfinished feel and i don't like the futuristic elements. Fourth book is just Titus stumbling from one situation to another. I do like it when he reaches Sark and meets Peak himself, his own creator. Didn't like the BBC series at all.
 
The Borribles trillogy by Michael de Larrabeiti . Quite unlike anything you have ever read. Imagine Peter Pan crossed with the Wombles and Mad Max. Quite, quite brilliant and the most anarchic kids books ever written. https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1447251792/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i2
I loved The Borribles books as a kid, Michael de Larrabeiti really had something against The wombles, in the books he had them as ferocious rat like beings with spears, called rumbles I think, quite violent for kids books.
 
Last months I've been reading about the outliers of neurology and human behaviour. (Thankful not to have them personally.) I can recommend, about addiction:

Never Enough: The Neuroscience and Experience of Addiction
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show...h?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=CTIfURmIXZ&rank=1

The Biology of Desire: Why Addiction Is Not a Disease
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show...e?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=obKpCNDGMS&rank=1

Fentanyl, Inc.: How Rogue Chemists Are Creating the Deadliest Wave of the Opioid Epidemic
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show...c?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=RxFCRL2RCx&rank=1
 
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Then I drifted into "standard" psychotherapy and neurology. I can recommend:

Creatures of a Day: And Other Tales of Psychotherapy
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show...y?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=6uCA3hZlhf&rank=1


Love's Executioner and Other Tales of Psychotherapy
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show...y?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=vum6wpC9mA&rank=1

Behave: The Biology of Humans at Our Best and Worst
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31170723-behave?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=MzMz85tkJn&rank=1
 
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Now I've drifted into reading about eating disorders. It is surprisingly subtle and complicated. I can recommend these two books. The first one is well written and seems to be notorious because people with an eating disorder often use it as a "how to do it" guide, instead of a guide how to get better:

Wasted: A Memoir of Anorexia and Bulimia
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show...arch=true&from_srp=true&qid=qbxhdThHQi&rank=5

Purge: Rehab Diaries

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6114974-purge?from_search=true&from_srp=YyyAkqTTSH&qid=1

Both books have a relatively happy ending.

And reading them, I was reminded of some medieval saints. Might for example St. Liduina of Schiedam have had a bit of anorexia?

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lidwina
 
And now I have a question.
Next up I would like to read about the transgender phenomenon, that is such a heated topic of discussion.

Do you know any readable and reliable books about that?
 
And now I have a question.
Next up I would like to read about the transgender phenomenon, that is such a heated topic of discussion.

Do you know any readable and reliable books about that?

After the unrelenting barrage of misery you’ve listed above, might l suggest a few minutes in the Humour section of Amazon Books?

maximus otter
 
Three Hearts and Three Lions by Poul Anderson. During WWII a Danish soldier is catapulted to another dimention and becomes a prophecy fulfilling knight. Dragons, unicorns, tolls, giants, goblins, dwarfs and elves are all met along the way. Great fantasy romp that was highly influential on Dungeons and Dragons. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Three-Hearts-Lions-FANTASY-MASTERWORKS-ebook/dp/B004BDOJLS/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1FFYVO8JV3ZA&dchild=1&keywords=three+hearts+and+three+lions&qid=1587145717&s=books&sprefix=three+hearts+and+three+lions,digital-text,208&sr=1-1

Poul Anderson - very underrated The Broken Sword is one of the best fantasy novels written. He also heavily influenced Micheal Moorcock.
 
I loved The Borribles books as a kid, Michael de Larrabeiti really had something against The wombles, in the books he had them as ferocious rat like beings with spears, called rumbles I think, quite violent for kids books.

Yes and it promotes murder too.
 
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