Media Books in the Bag

Nebby Baggington

Bag Dweller
Member
Hi! I'm Nebby! I like books! Post like.... book recommendations here if you want. Some of my personal favorites are:

Ready Player One: RPO is about a VR game called "The OASIS" that represents the worlds' education system, economy, and work environment. When the creator of the game passes away, he leaves a hint to a hidden easter egg in the game, that players go on a hunt for to become the richest person in the world! (And get the girl) Also the movie is coming out next year so read this first :p

Mosquitoland: [Hey disclaimer, don't read this book if you're eight it has language :p] [Also this book focuses on them H E A V Y subjects like Psychosis, divorce, death and stuff like that, so if you aren't into that kinda stuff avoid] Mosquitoland is about Mim Malone, who sets off on a 947 mile journey to find her mother, who was separated from her for an unknown reason! On the way Mim meets many interesting characters, like an old lady and a guy wearing a poncho! I don't know if I can classify it has dark comedy or comedic drama, but it's one of those two.

Nemesis: So this girl gets killed every two years, and so does this boy, and then they piece together some strange puzzle as to what's going on, and they find out the school has something to do with it, then it turns into Lord of the Flies. I can't really explain this book. It's something you have to read, as the back cover doesn't do anything. I finished this book in, like, two days because it actually kept me interested that long!


Also read Bart Simpson's Guide to Life. Otherwise your life will never be complete
 

GrandPanacea

Thread Necromancer
Advanced Member
Member
I'll start with my two go-to recommendations.

Disclaimer: Both recommendations are 16+, and I will mention why.

Battle Royale by Koushun Takami.
The basic concept is simple. A group of Ninth Graders are sent to an island to kill one another, as is required by the government once a year. Hunger Games drew inspiration from this book, actually. It deals with a totalitarian government, rebelling against said government, and a lot of complex social issues. It's around 800 pages. The author doesn't spare any details when it comes to description of the gore. It's almost poetic, in a way, how he describes some of it. There are some pretty intense scenes, and it can make the reader pretty uncomfortable at times, but it's a thrilling read. A very controversial book, due to the nature of Junior High students, y'know, killing each other at the command of the government.

Brave New World by Aldous Huxley.
Written back in the 1930s, and banned in various places at various times (including the author's native Ireland), Brave New World also deals with a rigid, unforgiving government. It's a dystopian setting (specifically, a utopia disguised as a dystopia), and it's set in the far future. The reason it was banned is largely due to the fact that, in the context of the novel, the government enforces a very open sexuality. Everyone sleeps with everyone, and birth control is as common as chewing gum. (Needless to say, the very Catholic Ireland didn't like that, especially in the 30s). About half of the book is also dedicated to an outsider, and how he deals with attempting to integrate into this vastly different lifestyle. It gets very dark in places.
 

Digital Dragon

Thinks Chandelure is the cutest Pokémon
Member
One of my favorites is Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. It's short, but very good. The story is set in dystopic future America, where firemen burn books and the public has turned away from literature and intelligence, instead mindlessly watching TV. It has many bizarre science fiction elements and lavish descriptions (though these annoy some people). I would very highly recommend this book to anyone.
 

Nick Tornell

Haha, art go brrrr
Member
The Hobbit: Moral don't let 13 Dwarves into your'e home unless you want adventure/ little people can do big things
Lord of the Rings:you read the prequel now read the original story.
Both by J.R.R. Tolkien
 

JadeGemTM

In terms of water, we have water
Forum Mod
Member
The Warriors series by Erin Hunter. The series is about cats who live in the woods in different groups. Highly recommended. This is the series that originally got me into the study of medicinal herbs and the series is very exciting. I will say the 3-5 books are a bit boring at some points, but overall a great book.

Also Interword by Neil Gaiman and Michael Reaves is very good. A science fiction about a boy named Joey Harker and a group of people very similar to him...

Both of these books are under young adult, but I'd say they are hood for any age 12+. They are both very well written.
 

DragonFang101

Funky China Man
Member
The Martian by Andy Weir. Excellent novel provides in-depth details and the drama speaks for itself. It is scientifically based and explores the possibilities of what could happen if (or when, rather) man steps foot on Mars.
 
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DragonFang101

Funky China Man
Member
My final book recommendations are One Second After and One Year After by William R. Forstchen. I have an affinity for realistic novels, and these are no exception. Both are pretty intense stories and shed light on the potential problems that would occur if an E.M.P. hit the United States. The first one follows the story of a veteran who moves to Black Mountain, North Carolina to take care of his daughters after his wife died of cancer. The real story happens when at 4:50 p.m., on the second Tuesday of May, an E.M.P. hits the entire eastern United States and confusion ensues because the source of the E.M.P. is unknown.

Like The Martian, it's really a book about survival, especially in the case that the main protagonist's daughter has medical complications that become harder to treat without insulin. In the end, it becomes a love story because he falls in love with a nurse that lived in the area of the blackout zone.

The book One Year After is the sequel, when the government decides to step in and sends the younger men and women to be drafted into the “Army of National Recovery." So really, the second one is about the entire town protesting against the government's regime. The first one is probably better.

Both of these books are pretty intense and thought-provoking (especially in the case of preparing for the apocalypse), so I would suggest both books for readers 16+
 

Nebby Baggington

Bag Dweller
Member
Well I forgot about this thread so in an effort to bump it here's books:

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? is a very interesting book. Most lameos know it as the inspiration for Blade Runner, but it's more than that in every way but the action aspect of Blade Runner. The book offers more insight into the world and various aspects of it such as Mercerism and Buster Friendly than the movie which completely ignores those for some reason. The book is really, reallllly, REALLLLLLLY slow, and will probably bore anyone who is expecting it to be Blade Runner. A lot of the book is just detail, and talking. Speaking of talking, the dialogue is very well written. This book isn't for someone who doesn't have the time or patience to be engrossed into a world like Phillip K. Dick's, but this is certainly his most interesting I've read about thus far. EDIT: I usually give age ratings, but I forgot. I'd suggest 12+. The book can get really confusing at times, but what's even more confusing is that it has a 490 Lexile, which is ridiculously low for a book like this

The book I'm reading now is The Hate You Give which is about Starr, and how she copes after her best friend Khalil is shot by a police officer. I'm about four chapters in right now and the book offers some insight into aspects of African American culture that only someone like the author could provide. Reading this also gives insight into the lives of people affected by things like this, which is what most of the book is about, obviously, since the actual shooting occurs in chapter two. The book also uses a more realistic approach to things, and doesn't write itself as a novel, but as a diary, or as if it was being told by the actual character, instead of a narrator taking the characters shoes. A big part of this is the language in how the book is written, it's such a small detail, but using slang words, and making it more casual makes the book feel even more in depth when exploring issues involving race and society today.
 
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GrandPanacea

Thread Necromancer
Advanced Member
Member
I'm still currently reading The Road by Cormac McCarthy. I've been reading it on and off for months. It's quite entertaining, but I just suck at reading.
 

Their Goominess

pesky flying croissant
Member
Even though I often see it being labelled as a kids book (personally I think it's more YA) I absolutely adore A Series Of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket. The premise is pretty simple; 3 orphans lose their parents in a fire, then go to live with a relative who only really cares about their fortune and chases them through multiple guardians. There are some fairly absurd moments, some points where it's more comedic, but for a series supposedly for children it does have some pretty dark moments (The Hostile Hospital and The Carnivorous Carnival in particular -at least in my opinion-).
I also enjoy the way in which it's written - it's the story of the orphans, but it's told by another character in the same world (and he often tells anecdotes about himself and other characters in the story)
Although I will admit it isn't without fault; the first five books pretty much have the same basic plotline - in fact it's not until the end of book five that V.F.D (an organisation which, from book six onwards, is an important part of the series) is even mentioned; and even then book six and seven have the same general plotline as 1-5 (although with a couple twists).
There's also a lot of mystery in the books - if you're the type that likes making theories about a series then this has a lot of potential.

(kind of related, I do think the first series of the Netflix adaptation did a wonderful job of staying true to the storyline and the things it added that weren't in the book made a lot of sense imo)
 

Nebby Baggington

Bag Dweller
Member
I have finished reading "The Hate U Give" and it's probably up there with one of my favorite books. HEADS UP BEFORE I REVIEW THIS BOOK DEALS WITH MURDER AND HAS REALLY STRONG LANGUAGE. What's even more insane to me is that this novel is the author's first, meaning they can literally only build from here. As I mentioned above the book is about a young man named Khalil who is shot and killed by a police officer in front of his childhood friend Starr, the main character of the book. The shooting happens very early, Chapter Two I believe, which I prefer over chapters of exposition before the story actually begins. The book's sad. And not the soppy sad where the dog dies at the end, like, actually depressing in the way the story is told, and how Starr copes with his death, and the racially insensitive things thrown his way. The sad part is that it's all too real. If you handed me this book and told me it was based off a true story, I would believe it, because this is just how America is today, and there needs to be change. Beyond this plot, there are multiple side stories, but this book is better experienced without spoilers, and because it's Black History Month, now is the best time to do so. As I mentioned above there is strong language, but it doesn't feel overused, and never gets in the way. I wouldn't give it to a child, though. Ages 12+, 5 stars
 

The Last Shaymin

Floof
Member
I like the Wings of Fire series because dragons. And dragons. Is that not enough? Dragons.

Seriously, tho, it is a good book.

You should read it.

It has dragons.
 

Nick Tornell

Haha, art go brrrr
Member
X-Files Origins- Agent of Chaos: One question. Do you believe in the extra-terrestrial? This book was good but, be warned, discretion is advised as it contains adult language. Written by Kami Garcia

X-Files Origins- Devil's Advocate: Of coarse the story of a skeptic has to be shared too. I'm not finished reading it yet but its good (again, some adult language). Written by Jonathon Maberry
 

Nebby Baggington

Bag Dweller
Member
In my very long time away from the forum I’ve read multiple books. I’m not going through all of then in detail but I’ll give basic outlines of each

Counting by Sevens: So like there’s a genius girl, her parents are dead, boom adoption, boom her parents die again. It’s pretty sad, I really like it, read please.

Farewell to Manzanar: It’s about a girl and her experience in an internment camp. Liked it, not as good as other books, read if interested in subjec

Dear Martin: Literally The Hate U Give but with a slightly different story that focuses more on race issues than an actual shooting, read after The Hate U Give

One of Us is Lying: I didn’t like it to be honest

This is Where it Ends: it’s about a school shooting, it got real intense, almost quit reading several times, finished it, regret it, don’t know if you should read

I’m currently reading “Unbroken”, which is the true story of Louis Zamperini and his experience in a POW camp during WW2
 
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Anime Psyclone

Guiding Light. Will Unchanged.
Member
I like a book known as "Whales On Stilts". It's a slightly self aware book that is both funny and serious.
 
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