BIBLIOPHILIA
The love of books....how does one learn to love books?
That is a question that I have asked myself on more than
one occasion. I think that my obsession with books (you know what I mean
if you have seen the extensive library lining the walls of our home) can
be clearly traced to my parents and the appreciation of books that they
instilled in me at a very young age.
I have since moved by book list; including read, reading and planning to read; over to Shelfari.com. Hit up that link to see all of my past, present and some of my future favorite books.
Here I would like to share some of the books, in no particular
order, that I have enjoyed in the last few years or so:
Neuromancer, Count Zero and Mona Lisa Overdrive by William Gibson
These three books comprise the Sprawl Trilogy, one of the original cyberpunk cycles from one of the fathers of the cyberpunk movement. Written during the 80's, these books were prophetic. Check them out.
Spain: From Dictatorship to Democracy, 1939 to the Present (A History of Spain) by Javier Tusell
This book outlines the post-Civil War period in Spain. The analysis of the interest groups in post Civil War Spain such as Falangists, Monarchists, the Army, and the Church, and the way that Franco negotiated these interest groups while maintaining absolute power make this a very interesting read. If you are interested in how Spain moved from fascism to democracy and the details of that phenomenon, this is the book for you.
The
Clock of the Long Now: Time and Responsibility by
Stewart Brand
This book is very hard to describe. It is the product
of the Long Now Foundation,
a foundation that was established to foster long term thinking in modern
society. The name of the foundation was coined by Brian Eno, one of the founding
board members. The is absolutely no way for me to do them
justice in a short paragraph, so if you are interested in long term thinking
and sustainability, just click on the above link and read a little bit more
about them.
Lycidas by
Christoph Marzi
This book will once again require some German reading
ability. This is the first book of a fantasy trilogy that continues with Lilith and Lumen that
chronicles the adventures of Emily and her friends through London and Prague
in a trilogy that has been described as a mixture of the victorian atmosphere
of Charles Dickens with the magic of Harry Potter.
Schattenläufer by
Markus Heitz
For this one you are going to have to be able to
read German. This is actually a compilation volume of 3 Shadowrun novels
written by German bestselling fantasy author Markus Heitz. I don't think
that these are available in English, but if you enjoy fantasy and can read
German, give this book a look.
Harry
Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
The final book in the seven book Harry Potter saga
is well worth the read. Claudia feels that this is the best book in the
series. I have a few favorites in the series but also think that it is
one of the good ones.
Mountain
Bike Like a Champion by Ned Overend, Ben Hewitt, Ed Pavelka
If you are interested in mountainbiking and want to improve your riding skills,
you might want to take a look at this book. It is well worth the read.
Die
13 1/2 Leben des Käpt'n Blaubär by Walter
Moers
A wonderful book that succeeds in the same manner as works by authors as
Roald Dahl and Joanne K. Rowling in being equally entertaining for adults
as they are for children. Of course, this one is unfortunately only available
in German.
Vampire
: The Masquerade (Revised Edition) by Justin
Achilli, Andrew Bates, Phil Brucato, Richard E. Dansky, Ed Hall, Robert
Hatch, Michael B. Lee
This is the main game rulebook for the popular White
Wolf Publishing game. It outlines the extensive background for
this roleplaying game of modern-day vampires.
Lost
Empires of Faerûn (Dungeons & Dragons:
Forgotten Realms, Campaign Supplement) by Ed Bonny and Travis Stout
This is a Dungeons and Dragons handbook that outlines
a multitude of information about the lost civilizations in the Forgotten
Realms campaign world.
Hunters
of Dune by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson
This is a continuation of the original Dune series written by Frank Herbert.
Based on notes and outlines found after Frank Herbert's death, this first
of two books takes up where Chapterhouse Dune left off.
Armageddon's
Children by Terry Brooks
This is a new trilogy that will tie together his Shannara and Knight of the
Word series of books. We will finally know how Shannara was created.
West
With the Night by Beryl Markham
I have read this book multiple times and can sincerely say that it is the
best book that I have ever read.
Why
Buildings Stand Up: The Strength of Architecture by
Mario Salvadori
If you ever wondered about the intricacies of architecture from the pyramids
to the present, this is the book for you. The author takes the reader through
layman's explanations of the complicated processes of construction.
