Tell me what to read

[DiapDealer]

Yes. Another "recommend me something to read" thread. Except different.

I could peruse the many other recommendation threads, but that would still involve me having to actually make a choice. Clearly, the current "selection funk" I'm in hinges on my ability to choose—an ability that seems to have temporarily abandoned me—so I'm not going to (choose). You are. I'm going to read what the first person tells me to read—the first person to give me a title that falls within certain parameters, that is.

The "rules:"

1. Immediately available as an ebook (in the U.S.).
2. Fiction.
3. Something I've not already read.
4. Speculative (whether scifi, fantasy, horror, or some fast & loose hybrid thereof) would be nice, but should not be considered a requirement.
5. Quirky (maybe not outright humor, but something slightly offbeat/weird).
6. Not part of any series. That one's quite firm, I'm afraid. I don't care if that very special book you're just dying to suggest could be read all by itself if I chose to do so; if it's part of a series ... it's out. Period. Circumvention of the "no series rule" through the omnibus loophole won't be tolerated, either.
7. Obviously "good" is quite subjective, but I would prefer not to be punk'd with anything atrocious just because it meets my criteria.

First title that doesn't break any of the rules gets read. GO!

P.S. I promise not to lie about having read it or not, if you promise not to waste time trying to thwart the "not part of any series" rule through the usual semantic hooey.

[Mike L]

Immediately available as an ebook

Re that point .... You'll have to tell us what geographic region you are in. A book might be available as an ebook in one country, but not in another.

Mike

[jmilica]

How about The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by Mike L

Re that point .... You'll have to tell us what geographic region you are in. A book might be available as an ebook in one country, but not in another.

Mike

True. I'm in the U.S. I appear to have a "winner" already, but since I may return to this thread from time to time, it's certainly relevant.

[orlok]

The Wasp Factory by Iain Banks fits most of the criteria, I think. Just don't know if you've read it?

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by jmilica

How about The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami

Done! I've never read any Murakami, but always intended to. Thanks for the loan of some decisiveness.

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by orlok

The Wasp Factory by Iain Banks fits most of the criteria, I think. Just don't know if you've read it?

I've not read it yet. I will seriously consider it after the Wind-up Bird Chronicle. Thanks for the suggestion.

[jmilica]

Great! Let us know what you think.
I was first thinking of Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World, but since you said no series, and that one is supposedly part of series, I recommended the winner

[rkomar]

"The Last Wish" by Andrzej Sapkowski.

[DianNC]

I realized I couldn't play when I got to Rule #6. (I read a LOT of series stuff).

[crich70]

The City at World's End by Edmund Hamilton is good. It's older but it is available online to download (I think it's at manybooks.net).

[AndrewH]

Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke.

Or, Tigana by Guy Gavriel Kay.

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

Done! I've never read any Murakami, but always intended to.

I read Kafka on the Shore not too long ago, it was quite... odd. Yet good, too. I'm not quite sure what genre it would be considered... it's definitely speculative fiction, though it doesn't really fall into what I consider fantasy and it's not science fiction or horror.

[Apache]

If you have not already read Armor by John Steakley, you might give it a go.
Apache

[elemenoP]

Geek Love by Katherine Dunn

[poohbear_nc]

Life After Life - by Kate Atkinson