Book genres that rock your world

[Pua'i Mana'o]

What does it for you? And what goes through your mind upon reading one of those tome?

[kimo55]

I love that new hardback that chronicles all the boulders that have rolled down the hills into homes built right up against the mountains in Hawaii. Seen it?
That tome rocks my world....

[Pua'i Mana'o]

I love that new hardback that chronicles all the boulders that have rolled down the hills into homes built right up against the mountains in Hawaii. Seen it?
That tome rocks my world....

You. Are. Sassy.

To be honest, so many genres rock my world that I am hoping someone will toss out an idea and I can glom onto it...

[kimo55]

You. Are. Sassy.

To be honest, so many genres rock my world that I am hoping someone will toss out an idea and I can glom onto it...

ya mean like a book on glom rock?
ya know, the gary glitter, early Bowie era?

[scrivener]

A well-written book is a good book, whatever it's about and whatever the genre.

However, there are a few genres I enjoy so much that even mediocre writing is good enough for me: sports biographies, murder mysteries, rock criticism, most of the "complete idiots" and "...for dummies" books (which are all very well written), for sure. I'm also huge on books of lists, including almanacs.

I am a sucker for those books written by people who sorta wander around and write about the people they meet. That A Walk Across America series, for example, is amazing, and Charles Kurault's On the Road totally rock my world.

[kimo55]

I once saw a movie with tom hanks and melanie griffiths.
fairly awful flik.
a year or so later, picked up a big tome.
(see whatcha made me do?!)
and poured thru it. couldn't put it down.
excellent writing.
it was Tom Wolfe.
I put it down one night amazed. stunned.
thought to meself:
dis thing should be made into a movie.
Then realised it had been. and i saw it a while back.

Can you guess the title?

[scrivener]

That's gotta be The Bonfire of the Vanities, but shouldn't this be in the other book thread? :)

[kimo55]

there's another book thread?!

[MadAzza]

I once saw a movie with tom hanks and melanie griffiths.
fairly awful flik.
a year or so later, picked up a big tome.
(see whatcha made me do?!)
and poured thru it.

(kimo55)

poured what through it?
whiskey? sugar?
shoyu?
wasn't it messy?
how'd you read it after that?

(/kimo55)

[kimo55]

(kimo55)

poured what through it?
whiskey? sugar?
shoyu?
wasn't it messy?
how'd you read it after that?

(/kimo55)



poured my hard and sole thru it.

poored people on welfare thru it.

poured and starboard thru it.

poured stiff so I read sumpin else.

[Pua'i Mana'o]

A well-written book is a good book, whatever it's about and whatever the genre.

However, there are a few genres I enjoy so much that even mediocre writing is good enough for me: sports biographies, murder mysteries, rock criticism, most of the "complete idiots" and "...for dummies" books (which are all very well written), for sure. I'm also huge on books of lists, including almanacs.

I am a sucker for those books written by people who sorta wander around and write about the people they meet. That A Walk Across America series, for example, is amazing, and Charles Kurault's On the Road totally rock my world.

do you own many Dummies books? I enjoy flipping through them all, but there is only one title that is 1)worthy enough to sit on my shelf and 2)worthy enough to give as grad/wedding/bday gifts: Personal Finance for Dummies.

In fact, the personal finance genre is so hit-or-miss, that some of those titles belong in the other thread™.

[kimo55]

do you own many Dummies books?



whad did ya call me?!

[scrivener]

but there is only one title that is 1)worthy enough to sit on my shelf and 2)worthy enough to give as grad/wedding/bday gifts: Personal Finance for Dummies.
That was the first one I bought for myself, and yes, I love it. I also have The Complete Idiot's Guide to the American Presidents (the title of which I know is just ripe for a million Kimo jokes), and have read a few others. This is the way all textbooks should be written.

[Pua'i Mana'o]

whad did ya call me?!

**eyes flashing**

[kimo55]

I've been flashed by better body parts than that!

[Pua'i Mana'o]

...about that C&C of Honolulu-funded coffee table book...

[kimo55]

That was the first one I bought for myself, and yes, I love it. I also have The Complete Idiot's Guide to the American Presidents

yas know, lately I do believe idiots must be guiding the american presidents.

[kimo55]

...about that C&C of Honolulu-funded coffee table book...

that was no book, that was overly designed kindling.

[pzarquon]

My dorky adolescence (succeeded now by my dorky adulthood) gives me a soft spot for science fiction and fantasy. Although my preference was either dark, now cheesy '80s cyberpunk (William Gibson) or the totally absurd (Douglas Adams). Political fiction probably comes in second, and your typical crime dramas third.

Of course now, my favorite books are any books I can find time to read. If I get through one or two thick tomes a year, I'm lucky.

[sinjin]

I read a lot of books on travel. Paul Theroux, Tim Cahill, Redmond O'Hanlon, Bill Bryson and the like. I'm also partial to stories real or fictional that involve ships and sailing.

[Glen Miyashiro]

My dorky adolescence (succeeded now by my dorky adulthood) gives me a soft spot for science fiction and fantasy. Although my preference was either dark, now cheesy '80s cyberpunk (William Gibson) or the totally absurd (Douglas Adams). Political fiction probably comes in second, and your typical crime dramas third.If you liked William Gibson, you should read Bruce Sterling. His novels Heavy Weather and Distraction used to be science fiction, but in today's world just sound like gonzo journalism. :p

[kimo55]

I read a lot of books on travel. Paul Theroux, Tim Cahill, Redmond O'Hanlon, Bill Bryson and the like. I'm also partial to stories real or fictional that involve ships and sailing.



yea anything by Paul Theroux is fab. happy isles of oceania is great.

[sinjin]

yea anything by Paul Theroux is fab. happy isles of oceania is great.

He's my favorite of them all. I've read all his stuff. Just finished "Dark Star Safari", his recent work. He's an Oahu resident these days but you probably knew that. Keeps bees I'm told. I would recommend "Hotel Honolulu" although it's not travel writing. I thought it had some great insights on living in Hawaii and the characters you find living there.