books for 18 year old

[ezco25]

well im an 18 year old boy and i barely ever read... all i really care about is music, but i said i think its time to pick up a book...
please give me book recommendations - nothing long please, i will never finish...
and please say what the book is about...

the last book i read was stephen christian's (yes from Anberlin, and Anchor & Braille) "the orphaned anythings"


THANKS!

[_brodie_]

read The Outsider by Albert Camus. thats pretty cruisy and easy to read.
about an anomic protagonist who kills an arab on a beach, but its basically a parable about being persecuted for not understanding social norms.
or
Slaughterhouse 5 by kurt vonnegut
an anti war novel about a time travelling guy, pretty awesome
or
war and peace by tolstoy
its totally short

[Reaver]

i don't really like to read either, it bores me way too much. but there are some books that are so exciting i can't stop reading. which is everything from dan brown, and the harry potter books.

[_brodie_]

i remember the da vinci code was the first book i ever read, or at least chose to read, not for school. and i could not put it down, like i read it in a few hours. but then i revolted against what i considered to be mainstream subversive literature, an ironic and paradoxical concept, so i never touched dan brown again. im that cool.

[Reaver]

i remember the da vinci code was the first book i ever read, or at least chose to read, not for school. and i could not put it down, like i read it in a few hours. but then i revolted against what i considered to be mainstream subversive literature, an ironic and paradoxical concept, so i never touched dan brown again. im that cool.

sounds just stupid to me. :shrug:

[_brodie_]

yeah it is. i just cant handle anything popular, and i know thats stupid. i would probably love harry potter but i wont give it a chance because too many people like it. i guess that is stupid.

[Broden Terry]

I suppose it depends on personal preference. The last fictional book I read was The Shining by Stephen King. I'd never seen the film and I really enjoyed it. I usually just read music and sport biographies.

[owiseone35]

The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton really good book and like 180 pages too. It's basically about fictional street gangs in like the 50's in new york.

Also if you like action books read The Maximum Ride Series by James Patterson. Three books in the series all over 300 pages long and it's and excellent series, Highly Recommended pretty easy read too. About a girl and her group who our studies in a government experiment so they have wings and crazy stuff goes on. They escape and it's pretty crazy, if you like comic books you'll enjoy this.

[Smash Adams]

There are plenty of good books about music
start with High Fidelity by Nick Hornsby

[cheezwhiz]

read The Outsider by Albert Camus. thats pretty cruisy and easy to read.
about an anomic protagonist who kills an arab on a beach, but its basically a parable about being persecuted for not understanding social norms.
or
Slaughterhouse 5 by kurt vonnegut
an anti war novel about a time travelling guy, pretty awesome
or
war and peace by tolstoy
its totally short

I thought it was called The Stranger? I had a strong, adverse reaction to it, but I have a feeling it's because it went over my head somehow. As far as recommendations, The Giver by Lois Lowry. You might have read it for school already, but it's one of my favorites.

[smogs]

The Perks of Being a Wallflower
The Bell Jar
if you like the Red Hot Chili Peppers, read Scar Tissue
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
Into the Wild (then watch the movie)
On the Road
A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius

[Daigle lol]

There are plenty of good books about music
start with High Fidelity by Nick Hornsby

A Long Way Down is really good too by Nick Hornsby..
Try The Fuck-Up by Arthur Nessarian.. very strange, kind of crazy, but one of the best books I've read

[bailmeout13]

The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Agree with this one. Simple read, directed toward teens. I am actually finding it on the required summer reading tables at bookstores now for local high schools.

Also would throw in some Chuck Palahniuk.

I'm an English major and have to read lots of things I'd probably rather not read (A Family of Strangers by Deborah Tall) and when I'm in a funk of not wanting to read things for pleasure I turn to books that are now movies. See if some of the movies you enjoy were books first, Fight Club, American Psycho and even the James Bond novels.

[on a frequency]

I thought it was called The Stranger? I had a strong, adverse reaction to it, but I have a feeling it's because it went over my head somehow. As far as recommendations, The Giver by Lois Lowry. You might have read it for school already, but it's one of my favorites.
dianaaaaa this is the first time i've ever come across you in a forum. i thought of you when i read that post, and i was gonna correct it too. and i was going to suggest the giver as well.

ALSO steve martin's the pleasure of my company. it's not amazing, but it's a really quick, quirky, funny read. i loved it.

[I am Mick]

Most teenagers love, and have absolutely no trouble reading, The Catcher In The Rye by J.D. Salinger

[alltimecam]

Third Perks of being A Wallflower. Incredible book

[makeshiftmind]

Post Office by Charles Bukowski. It is a pretty easy read, and highly entertaining

[smogs]

Agree with this one. Simple read, directed toward teens. I am actually finding it on the required summer reading tables at bookstores now for local high schools.

Also would throw in some Chuck Palahniuk.

I'm an English major and have to read lots of things I'd probably rather not read (A Family of Strangers by Deborah Tall) and when I'm in a funk of not wanting to read things for pleasure I turn to books that are now movies. See if some of the movies you enjoy were books first, Fight Club, American Psycho and even the James Bond novels.


Man, that's great that it's becoming required summer reading. It's such a fabulous book.

And props to you being an English major. I'm a biology major and I've taken only one lit class so far and while it was absolutely amazing and I loved it, it was just so much reading. Haha.

[inuewiwedem]

House Of Leaves

small joke

[Anderson]

There are plenty of good books about music
start with High Fidelity by Nick Hornsby
This, I like all the Nick Hornby I've read. Fever Pitch is probably my favourite, while it's based around football it's all about male obsession, so it could be music, fishing or almost anything else.

http://www.punknews.org/images/covers/michael_azerrad-our_band_could_be_your_life.jpg

[MattRM]

House Of Leaves

small joke
Good suggestion. I hear it's a pretty easy read, not too long either.

[inuewiwedem]

Good suggestion. I hear it's a pretty easy read, not too long either.
Yeah, he should dive right in. No turning back, once he starts, he has to finish it.

[bailmeout13]

Man, that's great that it's becoming required summer reading. It's such a fabulous book.

And props to you being an English major. I'm a biology major and I've taken only one lit class so far and while it was absolutely amazing and I loved it, it was just so much reading. Haha.

I only have one term left of school, three upper division English courses. One of them is British Theater though, so should be interesting. I am taking a summer course on memoirs and I've actually found myself wanting to do the reading, as opposed to some where you do the first few and then because books are similar (typically in English classes) don't want to read them anymore. The biggest problem is that I find myself not wanting to read for fun during the school year, because of the commitment to the in class things. That's where my whole, "read the books of your favorite movies" comes from, great way to get back into reading for fun.

If the OP is at all interested in graphic novels or comic books for that matter, read Fun Home by Alison Bechdel. I am not interested in comics or graphic novels, so it took me awhile to get going in this book, but it is a memoir written in a graphic novel manner and is a super fast read and rather interesting. Just not what you'd expect from a 400 level English course.

[AFSjulian]

Try The Basketball Diaries by Jim Carroll. Or since you're really into music, try reading autobiographies/biographies about musicians. Slash's is a great read, so is David Crosby's. I hope you get into books...reading is a truly great thing!

[CstSnow]

well im an 18 year old boy and i barely ever read... all i really care about is music, but i said i think its time to pick up a book...
please give me book recommendations - nothing long please, i will never finish...
and please say what the book is about...

the last book i read was stephen christian's (yes from Anberlin, and Anchor & Braille) "the orphaned anythings"


THANKS!

Just so the op isn't confused this is actually called the Stranger.

[Bob Payne]

I'm going to start cutting off heads if people keep recommending Chuck Palahniuk. I don't mean in this thread specically, I mean in general. It's okay when you're 14, but for fuck's sake, read more than 2 Palahniuk books, catcher in the rye, and the perks of being a wallflower before you call yourself a reader.

[MattRM]

I've never really been able to get into Palahniuk anyways. :shrug:

[roche]

A Prayer For Owen Meany was one of the first books I ever bothered to read all the way through. Also, The Kite Runner is a simple but powerful book amd I would really recommend it if you haven't read it yet.

[MattRM]

A Prayer For Owen Meany was one of the first books I ever bothered to read all the way through.
My favorite book! I'd definitely recommend this one to most people, but maybe not for someone who's just trying to get into reading... it can get wordy and long-winded at times.

[roche]

My favorite book! I'd definitely recommend this one to most people, but maybe not for someone who's just trying to get into reading... it can get wordy and long-winded at times.

Ya but the humor makes it enjoyable none the less. The Christmas Pageant part is absolutely priceless.

[MattRM]

Ya but the humor makes it enjoyable none the less. The Christmas Pageant part is absolutely priceless.
That part was great. All the symbolism in that book blew my mind, too.

[SincerelyMe]

Most teenagers love, and have absolutely no trouble reading, The Catcher In The Rye by J.D. Salinger

False. I know plenty of kids who hate this.
Try Perks of Being a Wallflower. It's based of Catcher, but a thousand times better.

[taylerx0]

I am probably the only person who thinks that Perks of Being a Wallflower is one of the most overrated books ever.

[_brodie_]

I thought it was called The Stranger? I had a strong, adverse reaction to it, but I have a feeling it's because it went over my head somehow. As far as recommendations, The Giver by Lois Lowry. You might have read it for school already, but it's one of my favorites.
yeah its "le etranger" or something in french. but it comes under both titles. i own it as the stranger, but called it the outsider cos thats how heaps of bookshops sell it here. i dont know why. i was looking to buy it one time, and i asked if they had any camus, and the guy at the bookshop said "yeah we only have the outsider" and i said "no i want the stranger" he let it slide and said i would probably be happy with the book they had haha.

[fallingheart]

if you just want an easy interesting book to read check out exit here by jason myers. it's about a guy who comes home from failing his first year of college, and wants things to go back to how they were. there's a lot of drugs, sex, alcohol, it's funny and gets pretty intense and shocking at times. it's nothing too deep, it's young adult, but overall a really good book.

[fallingheart]

I am probably the only person who thinks that Perks of Being a Wallflower is one of the most overrated books ever.
nope. i agree.

[optimusrob]

Hard Core Logo by Michael Turner if you're looking for anything kind of music related or anything by Palahnuik

[BlackAxxe]

dude you should read Espedair Street by Iain Banks. Its a totally brilliant novel about a suicidal musician. really brilliant stuff.

[Protested Hero]

The only book that ever needs to be read is World War Z.

[_Sumeet_]

read The Outsider by Albert Camus. thats pretty cruisy and easy to read.
about an anomic protagonist who kills an arab on a beach, but its basically a parable about being persecuted for not understanding social norms.
or
Slaughterhouse 5 by kurt vonnegut
an anti war novel about a time travelling guy, pretty awesome
or
war and peace by tolstoy
its totally short

Camus and Vonnegut. Two of my favorite books from two of my favorite authors. :thumbup:

[_Sumeet_]

Well, if you're not a fan of reading:
--The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton is a good place to start. Also anything by
--Lois Lowry (The Giver remains to be one of my favorite books).
I guess I would consider those authors more "guy-ish" (funny, because they are both women).
--The Girl with the Flammable Skirt by Aimee Bender is also a great read; it's an anthology of short stories that are pretty whimsical but extremely amusing. (Kinda girly though, but I know some guys who really love the book.)
--Novels by Chuck Palahniuk are usually entertaining too. (Personally, I thought Fight Club was the most substantial novel of his, some people are in LOVE with his other novels though.)
--Torrents of Spring by Hemingway (it's a novella, good read too.)
and if those are a bit simple:
--On the Road by Jack Kerouac is a powerful novel (although, Kerouac can be long-winded at times, and some people tend to lose interest)
--Naked Lunch--William Burroughs (Really trippy, a bit more difficult to read)

[SincerelyMe]

I am probably the only person who thinks that Perks of Being a Wallflower is one of the most overrated books ever.

It is somewhat overrated, but it's still great.

[Pudge Halter]

I don't think it matters how old you are or your gender when choosing books to read. You just have to keep an open mind.

BEST BOOKS I'VE EVER READ
White Oleander - Janet Fitch
Ender's Game - Orsen Scott Card
Atlas Shrugged - Ayn Rand
Looking For Alaska - John Green
Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini

[geoff.]

i agree with smogs.
perks of being a wallflower is an amazing book, and really short!

[Bluth]

Anything by Dave Eggers. (A Heartbreaking Work... is my favorite)
Anything by David Foster Wallace. (Brief Interviews With Hideous Men is my favorite.)

[Alou]

Anything by Dan Brown. They are long, but you will love them. Great books. They all deal with conspiracies and such. Very suspenseful.

[bailmeout13]

I am probably the only person who thinks that Perks of Being a Wallflower is one of the most overrated books ever.

I agree. It was not a book I enjoyed all that much, however in this instance I would recommend it to the OP. It is a super easy book to read.

[chokeychicken]

I am probably the only person who thinks that Perks of Being a Wallflower is one of the most overrated books ever.

when you get older, you'll appreciate it.

[ezco25]

does any1 think i should go with the kite runner? ive heard the movie was great... and a few people here recommended it...

or should i read the outsiders??

[ezco25]

read The Outsider by Albert Camus. thats pretty cruisy and easy to read.
about an anomic protagonist who kills an arab on a beach, but its basically a parable about being persecuted for not understanding social norms.
or
Slaughterhouse 5 by kurt vonnegut
an anti war novel about a time travelling guy, pretty awesome
or
war and peace by tolstoy
its totally short

considering the outsider - thanks

[ezco25]

The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton really good book and like 180 pages too. It's basically about fictional street gangs in like the 50's in new york.

Also if you like action books read The Maximum Ride Series by James Patterson. Three books in the series all over 300 pages long and it's and excellent series, Highly Recommended pretty easy read too. About a girl and her group who our studies in a government experiment so they have wings and crazy stuff goes on. They escape and it's pretty crazy, if you like comic books you'll enjoy this.

thanks im considering the outsiders...

[bailmeout13]

does any1 think i should go with the kite runner? ive heard the movie was great... and a few people here recommended it...

or should i read the outsiders??

Start with The Outsiders.

[ezco25]

Start with The Outsiders.

ye? alright thanks man!

[xidreamofyou32x]

Into The Wild by Jon Krakauer
Scar Tissue by Anthony Kiedis
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
Looking For Alaska by John Green

[flaucinauci]

I don't think it matters how old you are or your gender when choosing books to read. You just have to keep an open mind.

BEST BOOKS I'VE EVER READ
White Oleander - Janet Fitch
Ender's Game - Orsen Scott Card
Atlas Shrugged - Ayn Rand
Looking For Alaska - John Green
Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini

Seconding Looking for Alaska and Ender's Game. John Green is my favorite YA author--maybe because he's not overly romantic and shallow. His book An Abundance of Katherines is awesome, too. It's about a kid genius looking for his purpose on a roadtrip who ends up in the podunk town Gutshot where they make tampon strings. It's hilarious and unpredictable, with a bit of irony tossed in for good measure.

[ReignofFiction]

Love is a mixtape by Rob Sheffield Just read it you'll enjoy it.

[Greg.Kushlan]

read some Ray Bradbury, Richard Matheson, George Orwell, Arthur C. Clarke and H.G. Wells. It doesn't really matter which book since most of them are good.

[NickLopez]

Anything by Dave Eggers. (A Heartbreaking Work... is my favorite)
Anything by David Foster Wallace. (Brief Interviews With Hideous Men is my favorite.)
:-D:-D

:rotfl:

[XchrisX]

The Boy Detective Fails by Joe Meno

[Ryzenfall]

The Perks of Being a Wallflower
The Bell Jar
if you like the Red Hot Chili Peppers, read Scar Tissue
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
Into the Wild (then watch the movie)
On the Road
A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius

EL&IC is awesome. This list is awesome. You are awesome.

Agree with this one. Simple read, directed toward teens. I am actually finding it on the required summer reading tables at bookstores now for local high schools.

Also would throw in some Chuck Palahniuk.

I'm an English major and have to read lots of things I'd probably rather not read (A Family of Strangers by Deborah Tall) and when I'm in a funk of not wanting to read things for pleasure I turn to books that are now movies. See if some of the movies you enjoy were books first, Fight Club, American Psycho and even the James Bond novels.

I think Chuck is great but he's not for everyone. I finished Fight Club, liked it, appreciated it, and then decided that I really didn't need to read any more Chuck.

Fight Club is worthwhile though. My friend ruined the ending for me and i still enjoyed it.



Also, Watership Down is, I think, one of those springboard books that gets people into reading novels.
Most Agatha Christie and Ray Bradbury are also very fast quality reads.

[Pudge Halter]

Seconding Looking for Alaska and Ender's Game. John Green is my favorite YA author--maybe because he's not overly romantic and shallow. His book An Abundance of Katherines is awesome, too. It's about a kid genius looking for his purpose on a roadtrip who ends up in the podunk town Gutshot where they make tampon strings. It's hilarious and unpredictable, with a bit of irony tossed in for good measure.


I liked Abundance of Katherines, but not as much as Looking For Alaska. Though, John Green fans tell me that whichever one you read first will be the one you like best. Didn't he come out with something new recently?

[bailmeout13]

I think Chuck is great but he's not for everyone. I finished Fight Club, liked it, appreciated it, and then decided that I really didn't need to read any more Chuck.

Fight Club is worthwhile though. My friend ruined the ending for me and i still enjoyed it.

Agreed. I personally am more than sick of him, but I did enjoy Fight Club and Survivor, not much else.

[smogs]

EL&IC is awesome. This list is awesome. You are awesome.



I think Chuck is great but he's not for everyone. I finished Fight Club, liked it, appreciated it, and then decided that I really didn't need to read any more Chuck.

Fight Club is worthwhile though. My friend ruined the ending for me and i still enjoyed it.



Also, Watership Down is, I think, one of those springboard books that gets people into reading novels.
Most Agatha Christie and Ray Bradbury are also very fast quality reads.

Why thank you!! You're awesome yourself for thinking I'm awesome.
Also, I agree about Chuck. I read Choke and it was enjoyable but that was all I really needed.

[MarsEatWorld]

I'm an 18 year old girl and my book section is longer than my favorite bands section so just look at my profile. Also, the orphaned anythings was really good.

[MarsEatWorld]

Love is a mixtape by Rob Sheffield Just read it you'll enjoy it.
I'm reading that after I finish on chesil beach!

[flaucinauci]

I liked Abundance of Katherines, but not as much as Looking For Alaska. Though, John Green fans tell me that whichever one you read first will be the one you like best. Didn't he come out with something new recently?

Yeah, Paper Towns. It's about a high school kid and a quirky girl named Margo who has some kind of weird past. Some people said the female character was a manic pixie dream girl (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ManicPixieDreamGirl) and a bit of a cliche. But I haven't gotten around to reading it yet, so I can't really say.

Also, I read Looking for Alaska first, but I enjoyed An Abundance of Katherines a lot more. Alaska was dark and serious while Katherines was more light-hearted and fun, so I imagine that has something to do with it.

[smogs]

I'm an 18 year old girl and my book section is longer than my favorite bands section so just look at my profile. Also, the orphaned anythings was really good.

So I checked out your book section...you have fabulous taste. I love blink and need to read the other Gladwell books. How was Maus? I really want to read that

[Chop[chop]]

I think Chuck is great but he's not for everyone. I finished Fight Club, liked it, appreciated it, and then decided that I really didn't need to read any more Chuck.

Fight Club is worthwhile though. My friend ruined the ending for me and i still enjoyed it.


Same with Choke for me. I enjoyed it when I was reading it, but it doesn't compare to most other novels I've read.
I was going to get Invisible Monsters after Choke, but now I've got no motivation to read more of his work. Maybe I'll pick it up in a few years time.

In the middle of some short stories by F. Scott Fitzgerald at the moment. Cementing his position as one of my favourite authors.

[Ryzenfall]

;50744542']Same with Choke for me. I enjoyed it when I was reading it, but it doesn't compare to most other novels I've read.
I was going to get Invisible Monsters after Choke, but now I've got no motivation to read more of his work. Maybe I'll pick it up in a few years time.

In the middle of some short stories by F. Scott Fitzgerald at the moment. Cementing his position as one of my favourite authors.

I have a Fitzgerald collection compiled by Bruccoli. His stories are fantastic.

[JesusV2]

Catch 22
Catch 22?
Catch 22!
CATCH 22

I've read my fair share of Dan Brown books and man are they all the exact same plot with different conspiracy

[MarsEatWorld]

So I checked out your book section...you have fabulous taste. I love blink and need to read the other Gladwell books. How was Maus? I really want to read that
Thanks!
Maus is amazing. It isn't thought of highly since it's a comic but it is outstanding and a book that I could read in the car without getting sick!

[smogs]

Thanks!
Maus is amazing. It isn't thought of highly since it's a comic but it is outstanding and a book that I could read in the car without getting sick!

Haha excellent! It's on my book list for sure. I remember a friend telling me about it and it sounded so cool

[MarsEatWorld]

Haha excellent! It's on my book list for sure. I remember a friend telling me about it and it sounded so cool
Yeah! It's great. I'm sure you'll enjoy it. I had to read it for school in 10th grade. Lol.

[bowl of oranges]

Less Than Zero by Bret Easton Ellis was decent. Sorta disturbing though.
I'm only really suggesting it because it's quite easy to read and I guess it appeals to 17-20 year olds.

[smogs]

Yeah! It's great. I'm sure you'll enjoy it. I had to read it for school in 10th grade. Lol.

You read it in school? How awesome!!

[MarsEatWorld]

You read it in school? How awesome!!
Yeah, then we had to make our own comic story. Good times.

[scho815]

The Road by Cormac McCarthy is an excellent read

1984 and Animal Farm by George Orwell is what got me into reading and I highly suggest both of them

[devinisdie]

I am probably the only person who thinks that Perks of Being a Wallflower is one of the most overrated books ever.

*raises hand* I enjoyed it but I was also 16 at the time. And for someone to say that Perks is better than Catcher in the Rye is just absurd.