Remember to eat and get sleep once every few days. Please read responsibly!
-
Hey Guest. Check out your NeoGAF Wrapped 2025 results here!
What are you reading? (December 2015)
- Thread starter Maklershed
- Start date
- Status
Remember to eat and get sleep once every few days. Please read responsibly!
15% left in The Count of Monte Cristo.
Spoilers!
Spoilers!
I'm just up to the part where the Count has hidden in some little passageway near Valentine's room to protect her. It's funny how as the novel progresses, you seem to cheer less and less for Edmond. Him knowing that Mme. de Villefort was systemically murdering basically her entire family but not doing anything was crazy. I'm very interested to see how everything ends. Danglars and de Villefort still don't know who the Count really is.
PSA: Don't Read And Drive.
Completed 11/22/63. That was one hell of a ride. First King novel, and now I am a believer of that man. I expected to take about a month to read this lengthy novel but it only took less than two weeks. A true page turner. Now I have a couple non-fictions and a couple of magazines (Economist, Harvard Business Review) to read before I move onto my next fiction. I am heavily debating whether I should start Wheel of Time, Hyperion, or Dune.
whatevermort
Member
You do know that Young Adult books can be really good, right?
Imp the Dimp
Member
Did you read the Mistborn series? Is it as good?
So I finally finished Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell and I'm a bit torn on the book. On one side I really enjoyed reading it but on the other side it sometimes felt like it was really dragging its feet. I liked the narration but often nothing much seemed to happen and I was really bored by it.
Anyway, I started The Emperor's Blades yesterday:
Anyway, I started The Emperor's Blades yesterday:
I read the Mistborn series first and really liked it too. They're not as "epic" as the Starlight Archive, but I'd definitely check them out after to finish WoK and WoR.
And Warbreaker. Actually, I'd read Warbreaker before WoR -- there are minor crossovers between the two which I wouldn't want to have missed out on when reading WoR (I read Warbreaker before WoR as well and am glad I did).
I'm clearly a sucker for Sanderson's books and the cosmere and how it all is connected.
Alright, you guys wore me down. Started The Count of Monte Cristo last night. The Buss translation seems to be really on point so far. That was one of the higher recommended translations right? I also have an audiobook and it would be nice to switch back and forth with some driving I have coming up, but I think it's a different translation which could pose some issues.
Quote
Member
That's neat you can tell, because as far as I know, Weir was releasing the chapters as he wrote them on his blog originally. Once it was completed his fans asked him to publish a Kindle version, which he did for $0.99. It wasn't until later that a publisher scooped it up.
Imp the Dimp
Member
I liked the movie better than the book in all honesty.
The Martian was the last book I finished. The movie was definitely better (the book dragged on just a bit more than the movie). But they're still both awesome works of fiction. It's incredible how well the movie matched the book if anything. Save for one significant part and some roles being downplayed in the movie they are almost a scene for scene copy.
Before that was Armada then before that Seveneyes. Currently reading The Expanse, because I heard good reviews about people who read it and watched the scifi pilot of the same show based on it. If the show copies it it could be really good. About halfway through.
Before that was Armada then before that Seveneyes. Currently reading The Expanse, because I heard good reviews about people who read it and watched the scifi pilot of the same show based on it. If the show copies it it could be really good. About halfway through.
RepairmanJack
Member
I felt like the book and movie were great for companion pieces. The book was like the detail oriented transmissions and the movie was a lot of the actions actually playing out and seeing a lot of the reactions he didn't actually put in his transmissions. I thought they were both great, but together they worked really well.
sparky2112
Member
Sigrud is awesome. Delightfully droll.
My only complaint so far (about halfway through) is the city itself feels empty/not really fleshed out. It's a place for the characters to run around in, but not much of a character itself, if that makes sense.
I don't think I've come across anyone else who's read this series, I'd be interested to hear what you think when you finish it. I thought the series was really great (and the amnion are hella scary).
TimeEffect
Member
I haven't read anything recently, but if you're interested in the events leading up to 9/11, I highly, highly recommend The Looming Tower by Lawrence Wright. It won the Pulitzer.
Thank you, but I'd like to read before this, with Russia's involvement with Afghanistan, and all that fun stuff.
For me he was forgettable, just an
unstoppable killing machine
I finished City of Stairs and overall I thought it was a good story, but I just didn't like any of the characters at all. Or the ending.
Anyway, I started The Emperor's Blades yesterday:
I'm looking forward to hearing what you think. Now that the final book in the trilogy is just around the corner, I've decided to pick up The Emperor's Blades once I'm done with Hobb's Tawny Man trilogy. I can only do so many chunky fantasy trilogies in one year...
You're really not going to like hearing that Sigrud is going to be the main protagonist of the third book...
#teamsigrud
I'm okay with that. (Because I know when to bail on a series that isn't for me!)
I think the cover and title just reminded me of City of Bones, which I don't think I have to read to group into the pile of YA fiction I have zero interest in.
Dead Prince
Banned
i'm 50% done with Salvation Of A Saint and i'm just stretching it out until the next book arrives Saturday.
Does anyone have any recommendation in mystery/thriller and/or horror?
let's go with i never read a book in my life. thanks!
Does anyone have any recommendation in mystery/thriller and/or horror?
let's go with i never read a book in my life. thanks!
Mackenzie 92
Member
EverythingShiny
Member
Quite a large portion of the book focuses on Russia's invasion of Afghanistan and the aftermath. It mostly follows Bin Laden and the formation of Al-Qaeda in the 80's and 90's.
Two horror novels I read recently that left an impression were A Head Full of Ghosts by Paul Tremblay and The Ritual by Adam Neville. I will be 100% honest and say that The Ritual starts off fantastic but I found the second half of the book disappointing. The first half is pretty great, though. A Head Full of Ghosts is good throughout.
I've been on a horror kick lately so if you want more recommendations, let me know.
Dead Prince
Banned
omg. i forgot i have a library literally 5 minute away by car. i should check it out. lol and they have A Head full of ghosts. might stop by today.
Ben Morales
Member
Hey, just saw this deal on Bookbub. Thought I would let y'all know.
The Kindle edition of C. S. Lewis' The Space Trilogy: Omnibus Edition is on sale for $3.99 (regular $19.99!). Not sure how long the sale is on for but I grabbed it. It includes Out of the Silent Planet, Perelandra, and That Hideous Strength.
The Kindle edition of C. S. Lewis' The Space Trilogy: Omnibus Edition is on sale for $3.99 (regular $19.99!). Not sure how long the sale is on for but I grabbed it. It includes Out of the Silent Planet, Perelandra, and That Hideous Strength.
Maniac Magee was one of my favorites in elementary school. I don't really remember it that well now, though, besides ... running and a knot and some racial / segregationy stuff.
You... forgot?
Christoff Yurievich
Member
...
My son just bought both of those books. He's not 13 though so I don't think he's on GAF.
Anyway: The Westing Game is a top five book for me. Like, all-time. I was so happy when he picked that for the Newbery reading assignment he had last year. After he read it we talked about the story and talked about why you read a book a second time because he said he would never read a book more than once because it would be a waste of time. I went through and picked out passages that were clues that stood out more on the second reading and (somewhat) convinced him that it was sometimes fun to read a book twice.
We worked all the way through the six volumes (out of three) of the Hitchhiker's Guide. The first is the best and they do really decrease in quality. The last one was so spiteful, I dunno. It just wasn't as fun as the others. (By last I mean the last real one, not the sixth)
Right now we're going through the Prydain books, and we're halfway through The Book of Three. These could, in a capable hand, be a pretty good movie series if not a TV series. One season for each book, 13 episodes a season. Not as grown-up as GoT but something with a decent budget. One can dream, right.
Personally I'm working my way through the Pendergast books, starting from the beginning. I've read about half of them but for some reason not all of them, and certainly out of order.
I'm also working on some Matt Taibbi books, though the one I started with is really pissing me off with how stupid people are. His theory that people don't vote issues anymore - they just vote against the people they hate - is way too true. I have co-workers who shit on Obama for all the reasons you'd think - he's taking away their guns, he's not an American citizen, all of the things you think are exaggerated on the Internet. Nope. Oh and they like Trump. They "don't agree with all of his ideas" but they do like most of them. Can't get stranger than that.
Totally forgot to mention that I just had my ID changed so I used to be allegate. 'lo
D
Deleted member 125677
Unconfirmed Member
Hey,
getting a Kindle Paperwhite from my folks this christmas. I need to get some titles on my amazon wishlist. Some of my favorite books from this year has been Franzen's Purity, Ben Marcus The Flame Alphabet and The People in the Trees. I'm also a major history nerd, so if anyone has read something really good - no matter the period/area - please let me know (if it's on kindle store, that is). No sci-fi/fantasy pls. (sorry)
Merry XXXXX and thanks
getting a Kindle Paperwhite from my folks this christmas. I need to get some titles on my amazon wishlist. Some of my favorite books from this year has been Franzen's Purity, Ben Marcus The Flame Alphabet and The People in the Trees. I'm also a major history nerd, so if anyone has read something really good - no matter the period/area - please let me know (if it's on kindle store, that is). No sci-fi/fantasy pls. (sorry)
Merry XXXXX and thanks
RepairmanJack
Member
I think Dan Simmons has to put every single detail he got from his research into his books. Almost halfway through The Fifth Heart and I think I may have to give up. This is just so damn wordy at some points for just no apparent reason and I care more about what Sherlock figures out about himself than I care at all about the mystery which makes me just want to look up some spoilers and care less to continue reading. Maybe this would work more if I was actually reading it, but I struggle to pay attention to the audiobook when it gets to the especially rambling parts.
ClosingADoor
Member
History as in hard history, or historical fiction? For the latter I liked Gates of Fire, Killing Rommel and currently Genghis: Birth of an Empire.
Just finished:
Next up:
Well, there was no story in this, unfortunately. The bits and pieces I already knew are the pieces which would make it worth it a little bit more. The other part about human nature fits the time and society but nowadays that impact is lost and regarding myself, I couldn't identify myself with it at all. Apart from the second story, which was pretty bad, the other ones were interesting to read (one apparently spoilered me "Crime and Punishment" somewhat...).
Next up:
Dead Prince
Banned
Lol. It's one of those things you know it's there but it becomes part of the forgettable when you always drive by it almost every day.
Anyways.
Finished salvation of a saint last night.
Enjoyed the ending. Should have noticed the way the author wrote. Always give you the evidence in the beginning then a bit in the middle. And you could figure it out then or you wait until the end when they just tell you in some fascinating way.
Imp the Dimp
Member
Next up:
Read that one a few weeks ago. Really memorable book. I recommend it highly.
Next up:
The Forever War was the first book I read due to recommendations and love on GAF. It's one of my favourite novels now! Great choice.
FlowersisBritish
fleurs n'est pas britannique
Finished Fahrenheit 451. I forgot about a lot of great bits within it, but I did remember the ending to varying degrees. I remembered disliking it a lot, because the build up to it is just so great and fast paced, then it comes to a slow kind of whimper ending. But after this read, I like it a lot more. Still very heavy handed in a kind of allegorical deus ex machina way, but there were still a lot of really great bits in that last twenty pages.
Gonna move onto some short stories next. Maybe a novel by Collette that I picked up cheap the other day.
Gonna move onto some short stories next. Maybe a novel by Collette that I picked up cheap the other day.
I'll go with a book that I've recommended and has seen some love recently on this page from other users. The Child Thief by Dan Smith.
I finished Star Wars: Aftermath last night, that was ok. Don't think it ever really hooked me, and some of the writing felt goofy at times.
Undecided what is next.
Rereading The Wheel of Time from the beginning, currently about to finish book six. No I don't make good life choices, why do you ask?
Between Wheel of Time books I'm reading The Saga of the Seven Suns. It veered wildly away from my expectations by the second book, but it's enjoyable enough.
On top of that I'm reading the Book of the New Sun as they trickle in. My library systems great, if any of the 30 or so libraries in it has a book they'll send it to yours for you, but requests can take some time to be filled. I'm loving it, I just had to resign myself to the fact that Gene Wolfe is more intelligent that I could ever dream of being, and that I'm not going to have a clue what he's talking about half the time.
Between Wheel of Time books I'm reading The Saga of the Seven Suns. It veered wildly away from my expectations by the second book, but it's enjoyable enough.
On top of that I'm reading the Book of the New Sun as they trickle in. My library systems great, if any of the 30 or so libraries in it has a book they'll send it to yours for you, but requests can take some time to be filled. I'm loving it, I just had to resign myself to the fact that Gene Wolfe is more intelligent that I could ever dream of being, and that I'm not going to have a clue what he's talking about half the time.
RepairmanJack
Member
Started reading We need to talk about Kevin
Are these the most insufferable characters ever? Liking the book, hating the people.
Edit: This is also scary as shit as a new parent.
Are these the most insufferable characters ever? Liking the book, hating the people.
Edit: This is also scary as shit as a new parent.
internetwolf
Banned
Going to read that Steven King book before the Hulu show drops
Hmm, one less book to worry about.
- Status