fiction | Autism PDD
I was addicted to the Harry Potter books when they were coming out...but I am really up for anything! Whenever a book is recommended I always give it a shot, no matter what the genre.
I will say that Dan Brown is still a favorite and I'm patiently awaiting a new book from him.
That said...what's yours??
I would go on forever here, but contemporary fiction and philosophy? William Gibson, Thomas Harris (up until he wrote Hannibal), J.K Rowling, Arturo Perez-Reverte, The Myth of Sisyphus / The Stranger/ The Plague (Anything Albert Camus), Genealogy of Morals/ Beyond Good and Evil - Anything Nietzsche, Diamond Age / Snowcrash/ Cryptonomicon (Anything Neal Stephenson), Fight Club / Choke/ Survivor (Anything Chuck Palahniuk), Syrup / Jennifer Government / Company (Anything Max Barry), Imajica / Weaveworld/ The Great and Secret Show (Anything Clive Barker), The Club Dumas, A Confederacy of Dunces, Lord of the Rings Trilogy, The Fountainhead, Siddhartha, Jeanette Winterson, Anything Kurt Vonnegut, The Book Thief, Out, Perfume: The Story of A Murderer, whatever I happen to be reading today...
Our house is brimming with books. They make me feel happy. :) (and messy!)
Oh yeah...I saw the Dan Brown reference. I have read everything by him. Love his research, but his writing is a bit...pedestrian? His subject matters though are amazing!
I forgot Neil Gaiman! I have read everything by him and also own all the first edition "Sandman" comics, met him inperson and had him sign isues 1-3 and my Orpheus Special. :)
To all you fiction readers, what are your favorite kinds of novels to read? Mystery, romance, horror, drama? Who are your favorite authors? Have any all-time favorite books?
And no, Jenny's new book doesn't qualify, even though some of you may believe it to be quite fictional.Emerald,
I somehow knew that Harry Potter would be brought up. I was pretty happy awhile back when Nate was making a habit of going over to his little cousin's house, where my wife's sister was reading the new Harry Potter book to them every night. Nate's got quite an imagination deficit, and highschool english is especially hard for kids like him. I was glad he was showing such a strong interest in the make believe. It's given me hope.
Who is Dan Brown and what are his books about?
I don't have a favorite author yet? I'm searching. I plan to begin writing my next novel soon, as cold weather will be here again. As a fiction writer I'm at a disadvantage--my life has taken me away from reading fiction for over twenty years. Now I realize that I will need to reclaim a vital part of my youth if I ever hope to produce quality literature.
C.S Lewis books were among my favorites back then. Being of Russian descent (my name was Danielchenko up until immigrations shortened it), I was encouraged by friends to read the works of Dostoyevsky, Checkov, and Tolstoy. As far as stories go, I'm drawn to horror and psychological thrillers. I thought it would be good to read some of Stephen Kings books, only because his is the only name I'm familiar with.
Camusa,
HOLY SCHNIKEES!!! What an iimpressive amount of reading you have under your belt. Perhaps you are more qualified to write than I. I recently finished "How to Read Like a Writer" by Francine Prose. One of the main points she makes is that in order for one to become a great writer, one must also be a great reader. I haven't read Stephen Kings book "On Writing" yet, but I get the feeling his book states the same thing.
David, yeah...it gets pretty sick. I consume all forms of media...movies, books, not so much TV.
I actually do write. I have reams of poetry and philosophy and have started a novel a long time ago. I need to finish it.
I must admit that for the past few months I have not been able to read. I have about 20 books lined up next to the bed and I am in the middle of three of them and cannot seem to motivate in the evening anymore. Just too tired. I have found a love for good audiobooks and I commute a total of 90 miles a day.
iPods rule :) I do need to get back to readin and writing though.
Right now I am listening to the latest Harry Potter book :)
Camusa,
I would've been very surprised if you'd indicated that you'd never tried writing. Its intersting to note that you don't watch too much TV. I think TV can hurt a would be writer in a way, as it would tend to take someone away from reading as much as they should.
Oh! and Emerald, Dan Brown--The DaVince Code, Right? Now I remember. Duh!
By the way, Camusa, care to share what your novel is about? Or do you wish to keep that a secret?[QUOTE=daviddonch]
Oh! and Emerald, Dan Brown--The DaVince Code, Right? Now I remember. Duh!
[/QUOTE]
"The DaVinci Code" preceded by "Angels & Demons" are the two Robert Langdon novels, but "Deception Point" and "Digital Fortress" are brimming with some amazing information. I believe he has a new book coming out soon, but I am unsure when. I think it has been announced on Amazon.
[QUOTE=daviddonch]By the way, Camusa, care to share what your novel is about? Or do you wish to keep that a secret?[/QUOTE]
It is definitely a secret sir, but I will say this...it is an Existential look at serial killing
Thanks for the descriptions. These sound like pretty good stories. Also, I second the notion that there's no 'butting'--I, for one, welcome input from all. I'm pleased with the responses. I was afraid that unless I somehow included the name Jenny Mcarthy in the topic title of this post (and it did cross my mind) that I wouldn't get any responses.
Jan,
Interesting that you should mention a preference for writing screenplays. I recently found a quiz on the web called "what kind of writer are you?" After taking the quiz myself, the results accused me of being a film writer, because, as you've said, you see the scenes in your head. No doubt your strengths are in dialogue and details. I don't know how this little quiz (very short) was able to determine so much with such simple and so few questions. But the results did seem to be accurate.
Thanks for disclosing your interest in mystery. A friend of mine read my first book, said I really knew how to write a story, and quickly suggested I try writing mystery stories. I really don't know why he suggested this. We mused for a bit as to what kind of books I should write. He's such an incredibly funny and entertaining man, that someone who was listening in suggested that he too shoud write--CARTOONS!
I am a big World War II reader. I rarely read fiction, but I love all aspects of History!David, What have you written? I'd love to have a chance to read it / them and hear any publishing stories.Here are the synopsis:
Water for Elephants -
Set during the Great Depression of the 1930s, Water for Elephants tells the story of a young man who leaves his life as a Cornell University veterinary student and joins the circus after his parents are killed in an automobile accident. The story is told as a series of memories. The main character, Jacob Jankowski, is in a nursing home and reminisces about his time with the circus.
Jacob is employed as the show’s veterinarian and he faces a number of challenges in dealing with the head trainer, August, while also learning how to function in the hierarchy of the circus and falling in love.
The Kite Runner -
The Kite Runner tells the story of Amir, a well-to-do Pashtun boy from the Wazir Akbar Khan district of Kabul, who is haunted by the guilt of betraying his childhood friend Hassan, the son of his father's Hazara servants. The story is set against a backdrop of tumultuous events, from the fall of the monarchy in Afghanistan through the Soviet invasion, the mass exodus of refugees to Pakistan and the United States, and the Taliban regime.
Life of Pi -
Life of Pi is a novel by Canadian author Yann Martel. The protagonist Piscine "Pi" Molitor Patel, an Indian boy from Pondicherry, explores the issues of religion and spirituality from an early age and survives 227 days shipwrecked in the Pacific Ocean. I want to add that he is shipwrecked with a Bengal tiger!
Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal is the sixth novel by absurdist author Christopher Moore, published in 2002. In this work the author seeks to fill in the "lost" years of Jesus through the point of view of Jesus' childhood pal, Levi bar Alphaeus (a "forgotten apostle," as Todd Leopold puts it[1]) -- nicknamed "Biff." Absolutely a laugh out loud hilarious book!
Hope all this helps!
No butting, my dear...my book recommendations are open to all
Nice of you to drop in! I've heard of a couple of these titles, but don't have a clue what they're about. In what genre of fiction do some of these stories fall?
Hey there, Mountain Man. I confess I've never read much on WW II. I do vaguely remember, however, as a gradeschooler, being kind of fascinated with the atom bomb, and re-read the same encyclopedia article regarding the bomb and its devastating affects on Hiroshima and that other city, the name of which I cannot immediately recall (I'm getting old). Was it Nagasaki?
I watched the Holocaust movie as a youngster. The depth of our inhumanity is astounding, fascinating to contemplate, and difficult to understand.
I love reading anything I can get my hands on. I'm reading The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid by Bill Brysson right now, it's an interesting book.Some of my favorite books are:
*Life of Pi (Yann Martel)
*One Door Away From Heaven (Dean Koontz)
*The Little Prince (can't spell his name and too lazy to look it up)
*The Enders' Series (Orson Scott Card)
*All Men are Mortal (Simone de'Bouveaouir)
*The Giver (Lois Lowrey)
*The Lovely Bones (Alice Sebold)
*Neverwhere (Neil Gaiman)
*American Gods (Neil Gaiman)
*Flight (Sherman Alexie)
*Harry Potter
My Three Absolute Favorite Books/Series
*The Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger
*His Dark Materials Trillogy (The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife, The Amber Spyglass) - Phillip Pullman
*Anything written by Torey Hayden (they're non-fiction, but fantastic books about her experiences working with special needs children, I have them all if anyone wants to borrow!)
Jessica...you and I should chat!
I forgot Neil Gaiman! I have read everything by him and also own all the first edition "Sandman" comics, met him inperson and had him sign isues 1-3 and my Orpheus Special. :)
Card...you like sci-fi?! nice.
I just read The Giver. I actually bought it for my son, but I thought I would read it first. It was a thought provoking book. My son is in the 5th grade and I think I'm going to wait to have him read it. I'm concerned he isn't mature enough yet.Wi mom, My daughters 4th grade class read this. I thought it was a bit too much for them as well. She really liked it though. Who is Neil Gaiman? What are his books about. Always looking for new authors.
Am thinking about starting a Larry King thread as I have not commented/seen her before this. What do you think Mr. Mod? Have we had enough?
Just finished Exile by Richard North Patterson and Wildfire by Nelson DeMille. Two of my very favorite contemporary authors. It is usually some years between books from my favs, so when I finally get a copy I just look at it for weeks, maybe months before I read it. I love the smell of new books. Stephen White, Karin Slaughter 2 of my newer finds. I probably read more mysteries than anything, but love reading biographies, books on religion and philosophy and whatever I am interested in most at the moment. I have had an ongoing fascination with the Israeli/Palestinian conflict for quite some time so have been reading whatever I can find on this subject. I would love to write if I had the time. More along the lines of a screenplay though. I have so many great scenes in my head. Books, music, art, movies. All at our fingertips. Aren't we lucky!I'm so far out of the "Loop" it's embarrassing!
Serial Killing? Wonderful! One of the novels I had in mind down the road involves this theme. Of course, that's all I can say about that--can't reveal its unique approach-- you know.
You must be having fun with it. I know I would.
Jan,
My only published work is an autism story. It's actually a true story, but, for some insane reason, I chose to write it as if it was a novel. I chose to tell this story from a point of view other than my own. To make things even more confusing, my narrator, a fictional character whose name is never mentioned, so closely resembles the real life person whose role the narrator plays in the story, that it could be said that even he is not really fictional. As a matter of fact, I was so afraid that this person would be offended and angry with me for disclosing some of the conflicts that were taking place between us while this story was taking place, several years ago, that I found it necessary to get his permission to publish the story. He was one of the first people to read the unpublished manuscript. He graciously accepted the way he was portrayed in the book and has conveyed his full support for the story and its message. If you should ever get the chance to read it, pay close attention to chapter four; I think you'll realize how nervous I felt about it.
Anyway, I'll be happy to share some publishing stories and advice if you like. There are a lot of costly pitfalls that a new author can easily fall into. Maybe I could help you avoid some of these--when you're ready to get started, that is.
What helped me with writing this novel, is that I didn't really have to make up a lot of things. The story really happened. All I had to do was write it. I wonder, how will I do when I actually have to dream up a good story that never happened, whose characters don't really exist? I guess I'll find out soon.
Oh, here's one story related to the writing and publishing of the book. http://www.ewritermagazine.com/September%202007/David%20Donc h.htm
2 favorite authors: JK Rowling (the quote in my sig is from HP&DH) & Orson Scott Card
Others (Please forgive the spelling as I don't want to go look at my books in the other part of the house..): JR Tolkien, L. Lowery, Vaunegut, Voltaire, DH Lawrence, Toni Morrison, Steinbeck, Asimov....
Favorite Books at the moment: HP&DH and Ender's Game
I will read any book someone recommends. If I am still interested after one chapter then I will read the whole thing. I read every night before bed as it clears my mind from the day's issues and it keeps me from thinking about tomorrow. It's also my very own world that noone can take from me.
Mindy
Jess, Wi Mom, Jan, anyone, what's "The Giver"? Must be an important work if they're reading it in school. Either that or it's a book by a local author. Our high school wanted to read my book in class. We, however, hated this idea because we know that Nate, (the main character in the book) prefers to not have a lot of attention. We knew how uncomfortable it would make him. It was fine that some classes read it in our elementary school, because he's not there. But having it read at the high school would just be too much for him.David, Wow how cool is that, You are on Amazon. Next payday, I will order a copy. I am really anxious to read it.
I would have trouble with creating a story out of nowhere. But I really have all these moments in time scenes in my head that I know would be great. I guess I should have gone into cinematography. But thats another thread. Thanks for all the info.
David, I think you should read "I know this much is true" by Wally Lamb. I also think you should try some of Stephen Kings earlier books, like "Salems Lot". And of course Zen. I think everyone has to read that one. Your list is growing
Kristy and Leanne, I guess it's time to read it again. A new decade and all.
I love The count of monte cristo by alexandre dumas! I was obsessed with that book since I was a kid I also love the chronicles or narnia by c.s. lewis. I also love mystery/murder stories! I do read alot of true crime books tho.Thanks Jan--Love the suggestions. I'm not really enjoying the "Girl who loved Tom Gordon" that much. Not the story itself, anyway. But the writing, the "woods" setting, I am enjoying. Growing up on a farm with many wooded areas, and spending much of my time out there, I can personally appreciate the detailed and highly accurate scenery and sensations. I can tell the author has spent a lot of time out there himself, observing and articulating.
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance?----Uhhhh, WHAT?
Thanks for your lists, LeAnne C and Kristys. I actually have an old paperback copy of "Pride and Predjudice" I was going to begin reading it a couple of days ago until my DW asked me why I was reading it. I didn't really have an answer, just that I'd heard it was important reading. Frankly, I don't even know what the story is about. I decided on the Stephen King book first. Jane Austen is next.
We go through books like clean underpants! Thanks for the ideas - always looking for new authors. Here are some recommendations. I read gobs of classics, but you already know those books so I'll skip 'em.
Non-fiction that reads like fiction
- In Cold Blood, Truman Capote..the originator of the genre
- Into Thin Air
- Into the Wild
- The Perfect Storm
- Under the Banner of Heaven...about fundamentalist mormon killers (!)
- The Hot Zone (anything by Richard Preston..true bio warfare)
- The Devil in the White City
- Seabiscuit
- A Million Little Pieces (embellished fiction?)
- The Glass Castle
"Recent" Classics
- Paris Trout (anything Pete Dexter)
- A Prayer for Owen Meany (most anything by John Irving)
- Empire Falls (anything by Richard Russo)
- Bel Canto
- Peace Like a River
- Shipping News
- The Little Friend (anything by Donna Tart)
- Middlesex
- What Was She Thinking? Notes on a Scandal
- The Kite Runner
- The Ha-Ha by Dave King - my latest favorite about a guy who gets a head injury and can no longer speak or write his thoughts, but still thinks them. Awesome!
Trash Fiction Authors are Nelson DeMille, John Grisham, Dan Brown, Elmore Leonard, John Case, Michael Crichton, Scott Turow, Jodi Picoult (but not her early romancy crap!), and Greg Iles (but not his weird stuff).
I have a bit of a "book habit" as my husband endearingly calls it. There are bookcases everywhere in our house!
All time favorite books: To Kill a Mockingbird (Harper Lee), Les Miserables (Victor Hugo), Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen), Bastard ouf of Carolina (Dorothy Allison), My Sister's Keeper (Jodi Picoult), Into Thin Air (John Krackauer) - oops now I'm getting into nonfiction - but while I'm there my favorite nonfiction book is Endurance (Alfred Lansing). Also anything by Tolkein (and yes, I do have the Lord of the Rings extended version DVD boxed set as well!)
Back to fiction, I read anything by Jodi Picoult, Dorothy Allison, Vince Flynn, Tom Clancy, all the Harry Potter's of course. Another favorite is Confederacy of Dunces - how did I leave that off the original list? And is the Devil's Dictionary (Bierce) fiction or non-fiction LOL? Love the Jean M. Auel books - is she going to write another one this decade?
Can't forget Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance (Pirsig) and The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy (Adams). And I also enjoy The Art of War (Sun Tzu) which is a must have IEP preparation manual LOL. Another great book is A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth.
OK, I'll stop now lest the Faulkner like stream of consciousness bores you all to tears! Plus, I have to go download some more stuff to my ipod - my other "habit."
Hi Nikki,
The Chronicles of Narnia. "The Last Battle" was my favorite. I wrote a book report on this one. My teacher, Mr. David O'Brien, wrote his comments on it in various places as he usually did, in red pen. One of the comments read "Is this analogous to the battle of Armageddon?" To which I replied "Uhhh---WHAT?"
LOL. There was a lot of philosophizing while drinking chocolate malteds, or while waiting for one to arrive. It's late and I'm at a loss as to any hidden symbolism there... I do remember reading it and wondering what the heck a "chocolate malted" was anyway.
Amie, Thanks for your input. I'm familiar with all the authors, and some of their titles. I'm pleased with the ideas being offered here. I'm going to use them to make myself a little list and form a kind of consensus of favorite books an authors. There are so many books and authors, it's not been easy for me to figure out where I should begin.
Thanks again.[QUOTE=daviddonch]
Mindy,
That's a pretty good looking list of authors you have there. I also loved your comments about reading to clear your mind and escape a little everyday from the hardships of living. Sounds like a good bit of advice I'll want to follow. Thanks!
[/QUOTE]
It's become a ritual I have. 30 minutes everynight is devoted to reading. Right now it's a book called "Overcoming Autism" b/c we're trying to understand more about Ash. But it's become an addiction, especially when it's a good book. Sometimes it ends up being way more then 30 minutes but I figure it's not TV or drinking or smoking so I can indulge myself in reading if nothing else.
Any suggestions on my next book??
Mindy
I read just about anything I can get my hands on that is not a textbook when I have time. I love Agatha Christie, Patricia Cornwell, John Grisham, Janet Evanovich, the Harry Potter Series, L.M. Montgomery, The Little Women's series. I am currently reading all of Beverly Cleary's Ralph the Mouse books to my oldest son. I love most of the classic children's stories Where the Red Fern Grows, Old Yeller, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The Little Prince, etc.Thanks, WIMom, sounds quite interesting.
Payne's Mom, being a fan of the Chicken Soup books, it's obvious that you must be aware of the newly released "Special Needs Soul" edition. I was on that panel of volunteers who worked as story graders but I don't have the book. Have you read any of it yet?
JFK? Most of the women I know have been more interested in the biographies of his wife.
Mountain Man, Good morning. Reading six weeks worth of topics on here in two days time seems more difficult than reading 'War and Peace" in that amount of time. This is about the most active support forum on the web, at least that I've found.
Yes, I own a lot of them...used to borrow them from the library, but I re-read them. I LOVE the new book! Not that I didn't like Jackie O, but I thought he was FAR more interesting. speaking of reading i have spent two days reading all these topics from the last six months - whew!You had some interesting reading then.
[QUOTE=daviddonch]Jess, Wi Mom, Jan, anyone, what's "The Giver"? Must be an important work if they're reading it in school. Either that or it's a book by a local author. Our high school wanted to read my book in class. We, however, hated this idea because we know that Nate, (the main character in the book) prefers to not have a lot of attention. We knew how uncomfortable it would make him. It was fine that some classes read it in our elementary school, because he's not there. But having it read at the high school would just be too much for him. [/QUOTE]
Lois Lowry's "The Giver" won the Newbery Medal. Lowry is from Cambridge, Massachusetts. Here's the description from the back cover:
"Jonas's world is perfect. Everything is under control. There is no war or fear or pain. There are no choices. Every person is assigned a role in the Community.
When Jonas turns twelve, he is singled out to receive special training from The Giver. The Giver alone holds the memories of the true pain and pleasure of life. Now it's time for Jonas to receive the truth. There is no turning back."
I love the Harry Potter books, but I tend to like non-fiction better.ETA - I love Elie Wiesel, the chicken soup books (easy to pickup and put down), Dave Peltzer, biographic novels...especially about JFK.
That's a pretty good looking list of authors you have there. I also loved your comments about reading to clear your mind and escape a little everyday from the hardships of living. Sounds like a good bit of advice I'll want to follow. Thanks!
Morning, Mindy. Have you read Tony Attwood's "Asperger's Syndrome" A complete guide? It was like our bible after we found out about Nate. Back then there wasn't nearly as many autism guides as there are nowadays. There may be some better ones out there, but this is the only good one that I can personally vouch for. I'm sure some of the other members can recommend the best guides available today.LACEYONE, That is so cool--the creepy folks. I've not read any of their books yet. Right now I'm reading King's "The Girl who Loved Tom Gordon". It's probably not his best work, but it's the only book of his in my house right now. I admit I was a bit bored with the first chapter, as he spent a lot of time developing the characters and setting the stage for the story (he actually seems to do this quite well), but now that I'm past that and it's getting more interesting, I think I'll be able finish the whole book before the end of this week.
I'm going to look up this John Saul fellow. It's always nice to meet some new "creepy folks".
Yea, I like Stephen King too...My dh like Koontz and Clancy. When i have time to read i will be reading some books you guys suggested.. I used to love to sit outside with a good book and read.. Where that time has gone I know where in the laundry room and cleaning the house.LOL Hello, danyell782. Laundry and cleaning house. I hear you. That reminds me that I'd better get busy on my "Honey-do" list before I get into trouble. See you later, and welcome to the discussion.My sister is an avid reader and sends books my way. Lately it has been all of the Tami Hoag books. Digital Fortress was great. Love James Patterson novels.
Mostly I love mysterys and suspense.
Hi Adamsmom. Mystery and suspense I would probably enjoy. I enjoy such stories on TV. I'll have to attempt reading one within each these genres to see how much I enjoy them. Do Tami Hoag and James Patterson write such stories?2nd Round Mom: Neil Gaiman is a Sci Fi/Fantasy writer, he's also got a bunch of short stories and Graphic Novels as well.Cam: Most definitely! I've honestly not read any of his graphic novels, or any other books...but I love those two! I've been so overwhelmed with school that my reading has dropped way down (during the summer I average between 1-2 books a week, and that's with working 50+ hours a week.) During the school year, I'm lucky to average 1 a month (not counting reading for school.) Which Gaiman book do you recommend I get next? I love Card. I'm actually missing Enders Game right now, I need to buy a new copy because I want to re-read the series. How do you feel about Spider Robinson? Love the Callahan's series!
EVERYONE: We should start a book club! It'd be fantastic.
Mine are, Dean Koontz, Stephen King, John Saul, all the creepy folks
Well, I've read several more chapters of the Stephen King novel I mentioned earlier. What a humbling experience. I'm simply amazed at the author's ability to use language the way he does, and at his craft in detail. There were some passages that completely blew me away.
I don't know if I will ever be capable of writing this well. I've been told that the ability to write like this is a talent, not something you can learn--unless you have the natural talent. I wonder.
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