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  0 0 Oh! The Doomsday Book! Man, that book made me cry. Connie Willis has another book about the same time-travelling technology called To Say Nothing of the Dog. It's funnier and much lighter than The Doomsday Book. Have you read any Ray Bradbury? He's a master of the short story, and if you can find his large collection (some 100+ short stories), that will keep you entertained for ages. For brain candy, especially after a long intensive intellectual endeavor, I like British children's lit (not Harry Potter). During the study break between end of term and finals in my last year of undergrad, I read the entire series of The Borrowers. Immediately following finals, I also read Wind in the Willows and a lot of Roald Dahl. More adult literature that isn't so sciency but that is still richly entertaining: Read Lolita if you never have. It made my head explode. A Confederacy of Dunces is dark and amazing and hilarious, also superbly written. Have fun! MyrnaMinkoff answered in Books & Writing over 2 years ago | Report 4 comments by Tegan M Kaske, MyrnaMinkoff, and Adam… 0 0 Ah, all of the above are on my bookshelf already, if you can believe that... except for the Brit children's lit. In that genre, nothing will ever, ever compare to His Dark Materials. Those books have utterly ruined the rest of that genre with their perfection and incorporation of both the ultimate spirit-animals and giant polar bears who let you ride on their backs. Oh, Iorek... Tegan M Kaske commented over 2 years ago | Report 0 0 Ohmygosh, yes. I read the His Dark Materials series after I picked them up in London, before they'd all made it to North America. They were amazing (though I refused to see the film). Hmm. I think you should call on the ever-resourceful, ever-knowledgeable Paul Constant. My own tastes tend towards early 20th C American lit, personally, and fussy early 20th C British lit. MyrnaMinkoff commented over 2 years ago | Report 0 0 Susan Cooper also produced some great children's books - The dark is rising series. I also like some of the Terry Pratchett books, like Wee Free Men, which should be hidden somewhere it will be found in everyone household that has a clever ten year-old girl. (And my house, too!) Adam commented over 2 years ago | Report 0 0 You know, I've never really liked Terry Pratchett. I've tried and tried, but it hasn't yet worked. I'd intended to write a paper on the Dark is Rising series, I read them all in one go while super sick. And then I got distracted, and didn't write the paper, which is how things usually go... Tegan M Kaske commented over 2 years ago | Report Enter your comment or ask a new question preview THIS IS A PREVIEW: Click "Post" to submit it or "Edit" to make changes. edit Please wait… This could take a minute if the tubes are clogged.

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  0 0 The Children's Hospital by Chris Adrian is easy, long, weird, dark, funny, and kind of totally different. It's enjoyable, but takes some commitment. Sounds perfect for you. Michelle B answered in Books & Writing over 2 years ago | Report 1 comment by Tegan M Kaske… 0 0 Yes... read that too. As well as everything else by Adrian. Thanks! Tegan M Kaske commented over 2 years ago | Report Enter your comment or ask a new question preview THIS IS A PREVIEW: Click "Post" to submit it or "Edit" to make changes. edit Please wait… This could take a minute if the tubes are clogged.

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  0 0 I love David Sedaris. His short stories are always hysterical, and they are very brain-vacationy. My favorite might be "Dinah The Christmas Whore". It's a short story about this prostitute his sister was friends in high school. Hooray! answered in Books & Writing over 2 years ago | Report Comment on this answer Enter your comment or ask a new question preview THIS IS A PREVIEW: Click "Post" to submit it or "Edit" to make changes. edit Please wait… This could take a minute if the tubes are clogged.

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  0 0 If you like Murakami have you thought about reading any of the Latin American authors in the "Magical Realism" category? The "classic" examples are Gabriel Garcia Marquez and Isabel Allende. lonelocust answered in Books & Writing over 2 years ago | Report Comment on this answer Enter your comment or ask a new question preview THIS IS A PREVIEW: Click "Post" to submit it or "Edit" to make changes. edit Please wait… This could take a minute if the tubes are clogged.

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  0 0 Yes: Icelander, indeed! I think you may find some of the surprising, strange and wonderful fun you seek in some of these: Gascoyne, by Stanley Crawford. Who is Gascoyne? Why is he driving all over town with his car-phone, eating Ritz crackers, and making important deals? Is Gascoyne The Man, or just A Man? Either way, you'd better get to know him. Also maybe Jerome Chayrn's Isaac Sidel books - quasi-pseudo thrillers that rocket around with this terrific energy, as through they were written by Chandler's 4 year old kid. Sam Savage's The Cry of the Sloth: funny, and painful, and funny, and painful, and funny, and... funny. Jeffrey Moore's The Memory Artists: Hyper smart, sweetly goofy, brain expanding, fun, and heartbreaking in spots. A Synaesthete who can't forget anything, caring for his mother who can't remember anything. Quite a head trip. I might also mention The Tenants of Moonbloom, by Edgar Lewis Wallant, and you might try Robert Walser if you haven't read him - truly a unique and oddly cheerful voice. Try some stories, maybe. Also - since you're a fan of Doomsday book - Willis has a new one in the same vein: Blackout, a follow-up to Doomsday Book and To Say Nothing of the Dog. Enjoy your much deserved break. David Wright answered in Books & Writing over 2 years ago | Report Comment on this answer Enter your comment or ask a new question preview THIS IS A PREVIEW: Click "Post" to submit it or "Edit" to make changes. edit Please wait… This could take a minute if the tubes are clogged.

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  0 0 Jeff Vandermeer. Haven't had a chance to read Finch, but Shriek, City of Saints and Madmen and Veniss Underground are all great. UnoriginalAndrew answered in Books & Writing over 2 years ago | Report Comment on this answer Enter your comment or ask a new question preview THIS IS A PREVIEW: Click "Post" to submit it or "Edit" to make changes. edit Please wait… This could take a minute if the tubes are clogged.

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  0 0 House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danieliewski is a fantastic maze of a book -- sort of paranormal mystery meets concrete poetry with a few layers of narrative. Despite a complicated structure, the story shines through and is totally addictive and compelling. Jill Blevins answered in Books & Writing over 2 years ago | Report Comment on this answer Enter your comment or ask a new question preview THIS IS A PREVIEW: Click "Post" to submit it or "Edit" to make changes. edit Please wait… This could take a minute if the tubes are clogged.

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