Recommended Reading List
A Clockwork Orange by: Anthony Burgess
I give it a 10.
Warning: This book contains lots of violence and adult
situations.
Note: Only the post 1986 American novels contain
the final chapter, and the story loses all meaning without it. If you live
in the United States, be sure to pick up a newer version.
I can't recommend this book enough. It's a sort
of coming-of-age story featuring delinquent Alex and his gang of friends.
The book's main theme is criminal rehabilitation and a man's right to choice.
And just what is a clockwork orange? Something that appears natural, should
be natural, yet when examined proves to be unnatural, a mechanism. This
is my all time favourite book, and I suggest picking it up, although it
is not for the weak-stomached.
The Great Gatsby by: F. Scott Fitzgerald
I give it a 10.
I usually don't go for American literature; I've
just a natural affinity for British writing. That's why it came as such
a surprise when I loved this novel. Nick Carraway is the most honest man
he knows, and life in New York seems like a dream to him when he first
arrives. The fast, rich life of the high class in the 1920's is embodied
in this novel, and surrounds Nick thoroughly, but lies breach the world
of this honest man. Gatsby lives in the castle-like mansion next door to
Nick. He holds elaborate parties every week, having loads of alcohol during
the prohibition, full blown orchestras, and the highest and lowest of company
in Long Island. Some say Gatsby was a German come to the United States
after the war. Some say he's an Oxford man. Some think he's a bootlegger.
Others even swear he's killed a man. In the end, however, only Nick will
be able to reveal the truth to us behind Jay Gatsby. Possibly my second
favourite novel, this book is absolutely incredible, and makes you want
to believe in the green light.
The Hobbit by: J.R.R. Tolkien
10.
What can I say, I meant to
read this book a while ago, and it just so happened that I finished the
last chapter the day after I saw the first movie. It's a great fantasy
epic, and is a good stand alone read. Pick it up.
The Proposition by: Judith Ivory
I give it an 8.5.
Warning: This book does contain adult situations.
Under normal circumstances, I tend to scoff at contemporary
novels written by women for women and have either roses or couples on the
covers -- you know, the racy romantic sort. However, if you add a Cockney
rat-catcher, a ferret, lots of locution and some conspiracy to an old Cinderella-typed
mix, you can get an amazing story out of it. I was thoroughly impressed
with this novel, I must have read it three times. It is well-played and
dramatic, featuring Edwina Bollash, an philologist, is faced with the task
of turning Mick Tremore, a Cockney/Cornish ratcatcher come to London, into
a suitable facsimile of a duke in six weeks.
To Kill A Mockingbird
9.
I really liked this book.
It's about the South in the 60s. I usually don't like books focusing on
racism, most seems to try to shove it down your throat, but this book has
a very potent message that is delivered in a highly entertaining and suspenseful
way. Anti-prejudice speakers would be unecessary if this book was fully
appreciated by society. Of course, the entire book isn't about racism,
a lot of it's fun in the vein of Tom Saywer as well.
How Green was my Valley
7.
This book jumps around a lot,
but overall it's a great story of growing up in a coal mining community,
or just plain growing up. Very coming of age. Also, although the book is
in English, it uses Welsh speech patterns, which is just interesting. It's
really very complex, with lots of little stories on: school days, romances,
society, and action. It's just a well rounded novel, and deep. You'll feel
different after you read it.
The Wanting Seed by: Anthony Burgess
I give it a 10.
This is possibly the scariest book I've ever read
in my life, if only because I do not doubt that it could be a reality someday.
It follows the life of Tristram Foxe in our world's future, a time of Perpetual
Peace. However, as the history teacher well knows, things work in states,
and the end of the Pelphase is inevitable. Over-population has crowded
the world to a point where the government bans families from having more
than one child -living or dead- and begins to promote homosexuality as
the lifestyle of choice. Food and housing shortages plague the people,
making the masses lose faith in the government and workers lose the will
to continue their labor. Religion is outlawed. With little food and little
faith, it is only a matter of time until society cracks. A modern, political
horror story, this book is testament to the saying "Science fiction writers
do not try to predict the future; they try to prevent it."
The Doctor is Sick by: Anthony Burgess
I give it an 8.
There's not too much to be said about this book.
It's a comedy, and I enjoyed it. There's really nothing world-shaking in
it, but it's a good read. Edwin Spindrift fears the removal of a tumour
in his brain, and the night before surgery he flees the hospital. Having
spent his life sheltered in his knowledge of books and the written word,
a week in London comes to be a learning experience he will never forget,
and perhaps one more vital than all of his reading provided for him.
The Metamorphosis by: Franz Kafka
I give it an 8.
Des bought this book and so I picked it up. It's
a short story that is 56 pages in length and a quick read. Gregor Samsa
wakes up one morning to find himself turned into a giant bug with no explanation
and no warning. How will the world react to his metamorphosis? Well, how
his family acts is of more importance, being as how Gregor's is not the
only transformation in the book. I don't know how to describe this story
or how it made me feel when I finished it. I like it even though it is
odd, and I suggest giving it a read.
Dilbert Future by: Scott Adams
I give it a 9.
The truth is funny. Scott Adams predicts the future
of our world using the world around us to prove his points. He also gives
a good theory to disprove gravity. It's thought provoking and sarcastic,
so how could you go wrong?
Hamlet
Macbeth
Music
Super Furry Animals
Fuzzy Logic
In my opinion: 9.
The SFA's first album is very garage band-y, with
lots of distortion, but some acoustics thrown in as well. Note: All Furries'
lyrics are incredible, whether you can understand them or not. From the
hard core God! Show Me Magic and Frisbee to the almost Olde-English-ballad-sounding
Gathering Moss, this album is unforgettable and catchy. Subject Matter
ranges from alien abduction to hamsters, truancy to trauma. This may not
be the SFA's best album, but it's worth being picked up. Go. Now.
Radiator
In my opinion: 10.
After they got categorized as a Britpop band, the
SFA came out with this album that defied classification (and got them out
of the Britpop category). Radiator is strangely diverse and coherent at
the same time. Once again there is the range in subject matter: Vampire
bats to the way the world works. Chupacabras is distortion, Download is
insightful and eerie, Torra Fy Ngwallt Yn Hir is traditional, catchy, and
Welsh. I can't recommend this album enough. As if that isn't enough, buy
the album for one song alone: Mountain People. I can't even begin to describe
that song, but I can say that I have never heard one person who listened
to it say anything negative about it. Quite the opposite: It's a huge favourite
among both Furry loving fans and complete outsiders alike.
Outspaced -10
Guerilla -10
Mwng -9
Manic Street Preachers
Everything Must Go -10
This is My Truth Tell Me Yours
-10
Know Your Enemy -8
Travis
Good Feeling -9
The Man Who -10
The Invisible Band -8
Gomez
Bring It On
In my opinion: 10.
If I had to sum up this album in one word, it would
be catchy. If I had the option, other words would be: intoxicating, addictive,
the only album to listen to in a classic car, and likely-to-get-you-moving.
This album is gritty yet smooth. Gomez is a strange combination of Rock,
Blues, and Jazz that works so well together -- you either love it or hate
it. Yes, that's the problem with their style, if you love music, you're
likely to love this album more than anything, and if you don't, well...
It's worth the money, however. Love is Better than a Warm Trombone will
get your foot tapping at the least. Get Myself Arrested will make you wish
you had a BMW to drive and a long stretch of highway to go with it, and
Tijuana Lady will make you sigh in its glory.
Liquid Skin -8
Abandoned Shopping Trolley
Hotline -8
The Beatles
(The White Album) -8
Rubber Soul -9
New Radicals
Maybe You've Been Brainwashed
Too -9
Stone Roses
Second Coming -8
Weezer
Weezer
-10
Pinkerton -8
The Green Album -7
Bare Naked Ladies
Stunt
-10
Soul Asylum
Grave
Dancers Union -8
And the Horse They Rode in
on -7
Beethoven
Daft Punk
Discovery -10
(As a warning, Homework is
not nearly as good (4).)
Anime Soundtracks
Inu Yasha -7
Do As Infinity: Fukai Mori
Single -10
Trigun: The First Donuts -9
Yuu Yuu Hakusho Best Selection:
Saikyou -10
Yuu Yuu Hakusho Collective
Rare Trax -10
Fushigi Yuugi: Singles Collection
-8
Final Fantasy 1987-1994 -10
Comic
Books/Manga
Sailor Moon -9
Peach Girl -7
Ogre Slayer -10
Blade of the Immortal -6
3 x 3 Eyes -8
Video Girl Ai -9
Any pre-1995 X-Men comics -9
X-Men: Children of the Atom -10
Parasyte -7
Inu Yasha -8
Slayers -10
Magic Knight Rayearth -10
Club 9 -9
Saint Tail -8
Maison Ikkoku -10
Trigun -7
Skull Man -7
Record of Lodoss War -10
Record of Lodoss War: Deedlit's Tale -7
Mars -6
On
the Silver Screen
Frankenstein -10
X-Men -9
National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation -9
Monty Python and the Search for the Holy Grail -10
The Wall -10
The Shawshank Redemption -10
The Cowboys (starring John Wayne) -9
The Goonies -9
Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring -10
Video
Games
I have yet to finish the games with a * after them.
Final Fantasy 3 (also called 6) -10
Final Fantasy 7* -9
Chrono Trigger (the new version for PS is awesome) -10
Chrono Cross* -8
Phantasy Star 4 -10
Street Fighter vs. SNK* -9
Puzzle Fighter -10
Pocket Fighter -7
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night -8
Slayers Royal (Import) -8
Tetris -10
Wild ARMs -9
X-Men: Children of the Atom -9
Street Fighter II -10
Street Fighter vs. X-Men -7
Magic Knight Rayearth -8
Clocktower* -10
This is the scariest game I or any of my friends
have played ('cept maybe Ry).
Resident Evil (the series) -9
Link to my page.
This page is run by Shell Presto. I don't own Zelgadis,
Tux, the SFA, or a Clockwork Orange. I do own what I have written
on them, however, and that includes the fanfiction and fanart. This is
a non-profit site.
Please don't steal the image at the top of the page,
it took me hours to edit. I can be reached at
mangetsu@email.com
for any commentary, criticism, info you may have.
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