Worth Your Valuable Time
I don't know about you kids, but I generally can't stand to have a book recommended to me. Movies? Awesome! Music? Bring it. But books... eh. I think it's because a book is such an investment of time, or at least more of an investment than movies or music, and if it sucks, then you've just wasted a few days slogging through, say, Love In The Time Of Cholera, which is a book that's only purpose is to serve as the answer for the question, "What's the novel that's going to put me to sleep the fastest?".
NOTE: C-dog recognizes that Love In The Time Of Cholera is a universally loved and respected work of fiction. He does not care.
My point is, with books, I have a pretty short attention span when it's something I, personally, choose for myself to read. It's even more of a dicey gamble when it comes to books recommend by others, so I hope you take that into account when I tell you that Girlfriend recommended a book to me the other day that I fucking loved.
That book (if you haven't already figured it out from the picture up top) is Ender's Game. Now, don't let the fact that it's quite obviously a science fiction novel scare you. It's really not. I mean, yes, it's set in the future and there's spaceships and an alien race and all that junk, but it's just a science fiction novel in much the same way that Casablanca was just a movie about a guy who owned a bar.
Ender's Game is a novel about war. More specifically, it's about the strategic side of war, and how a battle must be fought with the brain as well as with the muscles if it's to be won. It's also about humanity's last hope being pinned on one person, a situation made all the more difficult by the fact that that one person happens to be an eight-year-old boy. It's unlike any other book I've ever read and it's one I can't recommend to you good, enjoyable folks heartily enough. Also, please know that I'm not just saying this because she's my Girlfriend; I've not liked other books she's had me read, just as she's disliked some of the choices I've forced upon her (some people just aren't that into books about 70's baseball, it seems).
Anyway, give it a look-see if you're in the market for a fast-paced, entertaining story that will also make you think. If not, well, there's always the work of Gabriel Garcia Marquez.
posted by Clinton at 2:14 PM
18 Comments:
I LOVE that book! I've read the whole series and while you might not believe it now, believe me, the second book (I think it's called Speaker for the Dead) is just as amazing! Actually, Card explains it in the beginning (author's note or something of Ender) talks about his process or something... Anyway, yeah, couldn't put it down, thumbs up, four stars!!!
Ender's Game is CLASSIC. Just awesome. If we're on the subject of great reads, though, might I humbly also suggest Snowcrash by Neal Stephenson, Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman, and Armor by John Steakley. All great reads and worth checking out, as they are some of my favorite books of all time.
Benticore
Out
I wish I could reed.
I nevir wuz book lernded.
Ender, Eh?
I kinda like the sound of that.
but seriously, who needs books when there are blogs?
Enders Game is one of the best books ever. I can't say much for the follow up. You have to read Armor, probably the best book ever written Sci-fi ways at least. Well maybe, except the one the one I just submitted to a publisher for review of course.
Playing Ugly... I'm going to pick that up at some point, totally.
Benticore... Thanks for the tips! And where ya been, dude?
Big Daddy... I think you're lying, BD. I do.
Lioux... Dirty!
Blythe... Books are blogs you can take on the subway. Also, there's usually less typos.
David... Is your book about aliens? Because aliens are awesome. Just sayin'.
"Books are blogs you can take on the subway. Also, there's usually less typos."
How do you comment on them?
Me no lye.
Hookt on foniks din't evin wurk fir me.
Lioux... Um, ever heard of magic? Duh.
Big Daddy... I'm just going to go ahead and say "magic" for you too.
OOh I LOVE books! I LOVE BOOKS! I love 'em!!!!!
I am currently loving the book, "Love's Executioner." It is a big, thick book and when I smash it down on a big, fat, buzzing fly that is annoying the shit out of me while I'm trying to read a blog, it makes a squish noise that goes "fllllpppppp" and when you lift the book away, there is one flat fly, all squished.
Try THAT with a blog.
it's cool. i found a book about blogs.
I read "Love in the Time of Cholera" three times... It is magnificent. I'm sorry you didn't like it but, hey, thank god for diversity... ;-)
Love in the time of Cholera??? Does it have a shitty ending?
Stewpid... My blog kills bugs dead. Also brain cells.
Blythe... But do you have a blog about books about blogs?
Alejandra... I have no doubt it's a great book, seriously. I was just being a wise-ass. Me, personally, I couldn't get through it, but then again I have a hard time making it through an issue of Mad Magazine without getting distracted.
Me... Wouldn't know. Didn't get that far.
i will. i will.
i give my children this book when they are 12.
now, i also give them the road.
given that this post has like 3 in front of it, you prolly won't get this. but Ender's Game is fucking awesome. I was very adamant about not reading science fiction, then I read that book and was completely obsessed for like a year. totally freaking awesome.
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