Recommended books

[Cornflower MM]

Why not? I mean, I haven't read any Shakespeare - yet - but it seems everyone takes it for granted that Romeo and Juliet is a romance. Sounds that way to me, in all honesty.

[Jetthebinturong]

Actually there's kind of a split between people who think R&J is a romance, and people who think it's a cautionary tale about commitment to you first crush.

Allow me to be clear; as a romance, Romeo and Juliet absolutely sucks in an incontrovertible way. There is literally no real love in the entire play, R&J barely know each other and they decide to get married and then they kill themselves. It works better as a warning. It's also pretty boring.

[James Gryphon]

R&J could be framed as being a form of social criticism; with even a feminist message. After all, Juliet is essentially being placed in a situation where she'll be forced to marry somebody, probably somebody who she doesn't want to, in the near future. While her father at least initially holds off on arranging the wedding until she's 15 or 16, it's made very clear what her options in life are. It isn't impossible that a frustrated young girl with no freedom would take such drastic actions, effectively given the choice between being forced to marry an older nobleman she doesn't love, and running away with an exciting crush of a more similar age who's equally infatuated with her. If the social order wasn't set up as it was then, perhaps none of this would have happened.

Whether a romance or no, it's technically considered to be one of Shakespeare's "tragedies", a label which suits it fine.

[Cornflower MM]

Actually there's kind of a split between people who think R&J is a romance, and people who think it's a cautionary tale about commitment to you first crush.

Allow me to be clear; as a romance, Romeo and Juliet absolutely sucks in an incontrovertible way. There is literally no real love in the entire play, R&J barely know each other and they decide to get married and then they kill themselves. It works better as a warning. It's also pretty boring.

That does sounds indescribably dull. . . . Thanks for the warning.

[Eulaliaaa!]

Romeo and Juliet is a very boring book. I'm reading it in my English class, and it's painful to read. If I were you, I wouldn't bother reading it. It's not worth your time (this is coming from the girl who hates romance and is bored by any book that doesn't have large amounts of blood, fire, death, or violence. So my opinion is quite strong and you might actually enjoy it).

Maximum Ride is a fun book. The earlier books are better, if you ask me. It's by James Patterson.

[Lady Ashenwyte]

Nobody should read Shakespeare. They are meant for the theater and as such should be viewed in the theater.

[Jetthebinturong]

That may be so, but Much Ado About Nothing does not have to be watched to be awesome. Nor does Macbeth.

[LT Sandpaw]

I would second the recommendation a few of the books on here as well, namely Mistmantle Chronicles, and Lord of the Flies, are both really good series/stories.

Now if you like a book series that is nothing but fantasy, has unreal amounts of gore, fighting, adventure, and tension, not to mention flying pirate ships which are kept up by heating giant floating rocks, a million and one fantastic species of intelligent animals and most of them are unique to the books. Then the Edge Chronicles by Paul Stewart and Chris Riddel is the book series for you. And let me tell you, the writer has no fear of killing off characters... It is a 10/10 would read again type of good, especially as you get further into the series.

Another stand alone book I'd suggest is The Amazing Marice and his Educated Rodents,, by Terry Pratchett. Now this book I cannot explain without giving away everything, but rest assured it is hilarious, and a very interesting idea. It is also loosely based off of the fairy tale the Pied Piper. Pratchett also wrote The Wee Free Men, and I haven't read the whole book, as I could only borrow it from my friend for a short time. But it seemed like a good read.

Lastly there is the Sword in the Stone, by T.H. White and of all the before mentioned books this one is the best. It follows the childhood story of King Arthur and his schooling under Merlyn. Its a very worthwhile book to read, and I'd suggest it for a long trip, where you have lots of time to read. Or I could just be a slow reader...

Anyway that's my two cents right there.

[Jetthebinturong]

If you ever see anything by Terry Pratchett just grab it immediately, especially if it's a Discworld book. You could breeze through one in about two hours.

[Wylder Treejumper]

I would highly recommend the Chronicles of Prydain, by Lloyd Alexander. A great example of high fantasy, excellent writing, and wonderful story. Also, the main character, Taran, has one of my favorite examples of character development over story arc. Skewed towards a slightly younger audience, but fantastic nonetheless.

[Jukka the Sling]

I've heard of the Edge Chronicles - I think Skarzs or someone might've mentioned it once.  Sounds like it has steampunk elements?  Besides violence, it's totally clean, right?

Okay, my recommendations:

*points at profile pic*  The Maze Runner trilogy.  I've only read the first two books, but I'm gonna start the last one soon.  Be warned:  it's really violent and bleak, and the main characters are all teens.  But besides a bit of kissing and very occasional mild language, it's totally clean (with the possible exception of the prequel The Kill Order, which, from what I've read on review sites, is even more violent than the main series and has an instance of a rather suggestive joke).

The Shadow Children sequence by Margaret Peterson Haddix.  It's set in a future where the oppressive government limits families to only two children, but there are many secret third children who have to live in hiding.  I've read the first five out of seven, and it's totally clean as well as suspenseful.

For that matter, most of Haddix's books are pretty clean and great for people who like suspenseful thriller-mysteries.  Try Double Identity, Escape from Memory, The Always War, and Claim to Fame.  (Small warning for that last one: there's what seems to be a child predator making creepy remarks about someone, but believe me, he's not what he seems and it all ends happily.)

[Skyblade]

The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro is a very good novel. It offers a lot to think about. Furthermore, its last two pages are some of my all-times favorites from literature, and not every quote makes it in my signature

[Banya]

The Farming of Bones by Edwidge Danticat is a moving and deeply insightful fictional story of a woman who survived the 1937 Haitian genocide. In other words: the feels.

Out of all of Shakespeare's works, I recommend Macbeth.

[Lady Ashenwyte]

(this is coming from the girl who hates romance and is bored by any book that doesn't have large amounts of blood, fire, death, or violence. So my opinion is quite strong and you might actually enjoy it).

You'll enjoy Warhammer books, then. Lots of violence.

[Jukka the Sling]

(this is coming from the girl who hates romance and is bored by any book that doesn't have large amounts of blood, fire, death, or violence. So my opinion is quite strong and you might actually enjoy it).

You'll enjoy Warhammer books, then. Lots of violence.

And the Maze Runner trilogy.  Lots of death, violence, and blood, and only minimal romance.