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What are you reading? (December 2015)
- Thread starter Maklershed
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How is that? I tend to love Tim Powers stuff, but I haven't read much yet...
It's taken me a very long time to get roughly halfway through it. I blew through On Stranger Tides but this one's kind of draggy. The overall mythology is very cool though but not a lot happens so far.
TouchMyBox
Member
About 25% through, not feeling it as much as the first one.
I really enjoyed spending time in that universe so I really enjoyed all 4 books in the series, but yeah the first is top-tier sci-fi and the rest are just good.
Just wanted to chime in: The Stress of Her Regard is the only Tim Powers book I've read and it completely put me off from reading his other books. It was interesting at times but overall I found the book to be boring.
RepairmanJack
Member
Was on a space adventure type feel after The Force Awakens so I picked up The Warrior's Apprentice by Lois McMaster Bujold.
I'm about 60% through right now and I'm enjoying it, but it's weird reading a book like this that moves so fast. There's just no lingering on anything, it can be a good thing and a bad thing.
I'm about 60% through right now and I'm enjoying it, but it's weird reading a book like this that moves so fast. There's just no lingering on anything, it can be a good thing and a bad thing.
Maklershed
Member
Finished Trunk Music (Bosch #5) and now on to Childhood's End as promised
Childhood's End by Arthur C. Clarke
Childhood's End by Arthur C. Clarke
You are probably going to get several responses telling you to go back and read Shards of Honor and Barrayar after you finish; you should listen to those people (and me!). They are (aside from one story that is better read later and is set hundreds of years earlier) the first books in the chronology of the Vorkosigan Saga.
Maklershed
Member
RepairmanJack
Member
Will probably do this, was wondering about all the war and history they bring up in this one, but figured it may just go into more detail later.
AngmarsKing701
Member
I've read a couple of Powers's books, the latest of which was The Stress of Her Regard. I actually found it really good and better than some of his other stuff. I don't believe I've read On Stranger Tides though, so I'll have to go chase that one down. TSoHR is definitely a slow burn, but I like creepy stories like that, where the atmosphere almost becomes a character.
I'd say read The Anubis Gates or On Stranger Tides. The former is what got me into his books, the latter is a favorite of many friends. I also liked Last Call.
Cheers. Think I'm just going to read something from my shelf.
Dead Prince
Banned
i have like 25% left in Brother. should be done with it by tonight.
I'm unsure if I like the book. i mean it started out good with the kidnapping then it drew out the backstory a bit too long in the middle. there's a few kidnapping and killing going on now. and i'm unsure if i'm suppose to like the
arousal from the kids in the story or not or the "incest"
but it paints a good picture of the family though 
feels like the author would have gone into more details but she held back lol.
I'm unsure if I like the book. i mean it started out good with the kidnapping then it drew out the backstory a bit too long in the middle. there's a few kidnapping and killing going on now. and i'm unsure if i'm suppose to like the
corpse
they aren't blood
feels like the author would have gone into more details but she held back lol.HamPster PamPster
Member
I finished Jim Butcher's The Aeronaut's Windlass and thought it was very good, much better than any of the Codex Alera books (IMO). It didn't hurt that I have a soft spot for talking animals and the whole book had a final fantasy vibe from all the crystals and air ships.
I also caught up with Jack Campbell's Pillars of Reality series. I wanted to give it a shot since it was quite the shift for Campbell - going from his large sci-fi ship battling series to YA fantasy/romance. I enjoyed the first book, it moved at a good fast pace and he has a fairly efficient writing style (which is nice as an audio book). A nice simple story with good action. Unfortunately book 2 went off the romance novel deep end - of course I say that has someone who never read a grocery store romance novel - lets just say it went "full CW." Book 3 to a lesser extend as well. It got tedious after awhile but at least its not love triangle levels of nonsense. Book 3 ended with a cool reveal (which was obviously coming but I still enjoyed it when the curtain was pulled back).
I also caught up with Jack Campbell's Pillars of Reality series. I wanted to give it a shot since it was quite the shift for Campbell - going from his large sci-fi ship battling series to YA fantasy/romance. I enjoyed the first book, it moved at a good fast pace and he has a fairly efficient writing style (which is nice as an audio book). A nice simple story with good action. Unfortunately book 2 went off the romance novel deep end - of course I say that has someone who never read a grocery store romance novel - lets just say it went "full CW." Book 3 to a lesser extend as well. It got tedious after awhile but at least its not love triangle levels of nonsense. Book 3 ended with a cool reveal (which was obviously coming but I still enjoyed it when the curtain was pulled back).
nailbombxx
Member
My first novel by Michael Cisco - I'm about 3/4 through with it. Loving it so far, very much unlike anything I've read before.
Surreal, morbid, dreamlike, enigmatic and occasionally humorous are a few words that I would use to briefly describe this book. I know that says very little, but what else can I say?
I don't want to spoil much, but I really love the concept of the novel so I'm going to talk about it for a bit. The main character is the titular Divinity Student, who, in perhaps some sort of mysterious ritual, travels to the top of a mountain during a storm and is killed by a bolt of lightning. His body is recovered, where it is taken and gutted, his innards replaced and stuffed with pages from books, his body resurrected. Then he is set to work as a word-finder, his ultimate goal to find and record words of a sacred language lost to the world of men, except in dreams and in the memories of those passed.
Can't wait to finish it.
TestMonkey
Member
It felt incomplete. Most of the crazy, insightful side stuff that is present in most of the Discworld books was not present. Don't get me wrong, it was really touching. Written by a man who knew he was on his way out and wanted to leave a legacy. R.I.P. Sir Terry.
Dead Prince
Banned
Just finished brother. Ending was good.
4/5 despite my complaint from earlier ;p
Starting NOS4A2 tomorrow.
Edit. Omg. So I just looked at the book. They may as well increase the font because the book is basically 1400 pages long if they didn't above so many words per page. Rip.
everyone dies even if they didn't say Alice lived or not
4/5 despite my complaint from earlier ;p
Starting NOS4A2 tomorrow.
Edit. Omg. So I just looked at the book. They may as well increase the font because the book is basically 1400 pages long if they didn't above so many words per page. Rip.
I just got started on Station Eleven, hoping to finish that in a few days and get cracking on one final book before the year is out.
I'm looking forward to picking this up once the paperback drops. I'm assuming, based on what I recall of your posting history, that you read The Fifth Dragon short that precedes this?
Complex story about living on the moon. Multiracial/multicultural cast, including heavy presences from Brazil, India, and Russia. Every breath is counted, each drop of water puts you deeper in debt.
You Know Nothing
Member
I've been reading the same book for eight days so far.
The end of year lethargy is real.
I just finished The Fifth Season, by N. k Jemisin and it was just delightful.
Very cool little pre-apocalyptic world. The book follows three (black) magician ladies in a world consistently rocked by cataclysmic seismic events, in the run up to what the prologue promises is the actual end of the world. The youngest goes to magic school (which I'm always a sucker for), the oldest pursues her stolen daughter, the middlest explores the boundaries of this magic they all share.
Really lovely world, full of fascinating anachronisms. The book is conspicuous with sexual liberation and homosexuality and transgenderism, with a powerful undercurrent of racial politics and environmentalism, but not overbearing. The prose is a bit uneven, running from gripping poetic imagery to some kludgily-handled cliffhangers. Definitely worth a read.
Very cool little pre-apocalyptic world. The book follows three (black) magician ladies in a world consistently rocked by cataclysmic seismic events, in the run up to what the prologue promises is the actual end of the world. The youngest goes to magic school (which I'm always a sucker for), the oldest pursues her stolen daughter, the middlest explores the boundaries of this magic they all share.
Really lovely world, full of fascinating anachronisms. The book is conspicuous with sexual liberation and homosexuality and transgenderism, with a powerful undercurrent of racial politics and environmentalism, but not overbearing. The prose is a bit uneven, running from gripping poetic imagery to some kludgily-handled cliffhangers. Definitely worth a read.
As a related-to-that-book-aside, I remember there was a thread at some point this year (?) about books with black protagonists? Anyone remember that or can pull it up? My search-fu has failed me. This one had three black protagonists in an apparently black plurality / majority world. Curious if anyone there posted about it, I'd like to reach out to discuss.
Imp the Dimp
Member
About 25% through, not feeling it as much as the first one.
I liked that better because its pacing and structure was so much more approachable. I enjoyed some stories in the first Hyperion but not all wheres I enjoyed the entirety of Fall of Hyperion.
I kind of like the idea of bridging the gap between the films, but yeah it's not great.
ClosingADoor
Member
Finished Genghis: Birth of an Empire
I was already familiar with most of the story from the movie Mongol (great film btw), so no big surprises there. But the book is an excellent read and tells a great story about how Temujin (later known as Genghis) grows up and survives some pretty bad situations.
It is strange you really want him to succeed one page and he seems like this really honorable and likable guy, and the next you see what a messed up time this was with him pillaging, killing and raping his way through the country. He's an interesting guy to be sure, but those were some rough times to live in.
On to the sequel now and almost done with that one, about the conquest of the Chin empire.
I was already familiar with most of the story from the movie Mongol (great film btw), so no big surprises there. But the book is an excellent read and tells a great story about how Temujin (later known as Genghis) grows up and survives some pretty bad situations.
It is strange you really want him to succeed one page and he seems like this really honorable and likable guy, and the next you see what a messed up time this was with him pillaging, killing and raping his way through the country. He's an interesting guy to be sure, but those were some rough times to live in.
On to the sequel now and almost done with that one, about the conquest of the Chin empire.
RepairmanJack
Member
Finished The Warrior's Apprentice
Overall I ended up liking it. I kept getting thrown off by the break neck speed that everything was advancing but by the end I came around on it a lot. It was mostly a story of a genius kid falling into a lot of dumb luck and happening to find himself in charge of a small army. I would rather it have taken more time to develop more characters besides Miles and Elena, but overall I liked it.
Next up:
I still haven't finished the last book in the Mistborn series, but a friend has been bugging me to start digging into this series as soon as possible. This is going to take me forever.
Overall I ended up liking it. I kept getting thrown off by the break neck speed that everything was advancing but by the end I came around on it a lot. It was mostly a story of a genius kid falling into a lot of dumb luck and happening to find himself in charge of a small army. I would rather it have taken more time to develop more characters besides Miles and Elena, but overall I liked it.
Next up:
I still haven't finished the last book in the Mistborn series, but a friend has been bugging me to start digging into this series as soon as possible. This is going to take me forever.
Finished listening to:
Mixed emotions. I liked how it was written for the most part, and I loved the
but a lot of it is repetitive and just consists of people being snide to each other, then abruptly friendly. It's an odd book.
Now I've started reading:
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What a fantastic cover. Too bad I'm reading the Kindle edition. The plot sounded great and I'm in the mood for some more Dick.
Mixed emotions. I liked how it was written for the most part, and I loved the
ambiguity about whether the house really is haunted or if Eleanor is causing it and/or mad, etc.
Now I've started reading:
What a fantastic cover. Too bad I'm reading the Kindle edition. The plot sounded great and I'm in the mood for some more Dick.
Revisiting Nagel/Newman's Godel's Proof... This book influenced much of how i think of science and sparked my love for logic. Godel is a hero of mine.
Question time. How do you guys keep your bookshelf/collection, dust cover on or off? Dust covers nowadays seem worth keeping safe, they're not just functional components but design pieces (Turing's Cathedral and its punch-card dust cover for example).
Question time. How do you guys keep your bookshelf/collection, dust cover on or off? Dust covers nowadays seem worth keeping safe, they're not just functional components but design pieces (Turing's Cathedral and its punch-card dust cover for example).
Is it recommended to start the this series with the first book published (Barrayar?) versus starting with the first one chronologically? I would like to start this series in the future.
Maklershed
Member
Heads up: The kindle version of Master and Commander is only 99 cents right now. Fantastic book.
Master and Commander by Patrick O'Brian
Master and Commander by Patrick O'Brian
sparky2112
Member
What about the whole series, man? WHAT ABOUT THE SERIES
Maklershed
Member
They have that on the site for $200. One of the few big kindle collections I've ever seen. Book 1 is the only one on sale though.
Nappuccino
Member
Reading Don Delilo's White Noise. Guy sure talks about fat women a lot, so far lol.
Maklershed
Member
Are you a CME fan by any chance? They just talked about that book on Mondays podcast and it had me interested to read it.
sparky2112
Member
I was kidding! But, yes, that's around $9 a book, so really no savings over physical.
All according to plan
Oh, and I think this book might interest you.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25621291-the-war-on-alcohol
In short, it seems that her argument is that The New Jim Crow has its origins in the Prohibition era.
Pfft. Nice try.
When you're done, please let us know your thoughts on it.Reading this at the moment. I only really get to read during lunch breaks, so it's gonna take awhile:
Nappuccino
Member
Can't say I am. The book's a part of my reading list for an exam I get to take in February. I might check out CME once I make it further into the book.
Will do! I read a few books about Ancient Rome a couple of years ago, but I went on kind of a hiatus due to crap work hours. Finally starting to get back to normal, so I'm eager to spend as much time with it as I can.
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