What are you reading? (January 2016)

Alastor3 said:
Currently reading for the first time Dune. I have a hard time to focus since it's not the style of writing im used to read (i like young adult novel).
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What.
Young adult novel? Aside from the young protagonist, it sure as hell ain't a young adult novel. So many complex themes and ideas.

Writing is simple but then it is edited by John W. Campbell (IIRC, am i right?) who preferred writers to have clear, simple writing.
 
Started reading this again:
51uxWSTr6QL._SX280_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg


Then I'll be moving onto the sequel:
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David Wellington is just awesome :)
 
Woorloog said:
What.
Young adult novel? Aside from the young protagonist, it sure as hell ain't a young adult novel. So many complex themes and ideas.

Writing is simple but then it is edited by John W. Campbell (IIRC, am i right?) who preferred writers to have clear, simple writing.
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You've misread the post, the poster said they tend to read YA so the writing is different from what they're used to.
 
big ander said:
I'll definitely look into those, it seems like I'm mostly complaining but that's only because I did enjoy parts of the book very much, so I'm up for trying more Erickson.
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I'm going to have to make another run at Our Ecstatic Days again...I liked it, but I wasn't prepared for that level of strange going into it. I'm a big boy, though, so I'm not sure why I laid it aside...
 
Just finished up Lines of Departure (Frontlines Book 2) the other day. If you liked the first book, Terms of Enlistment, you will love it. The book is quick and an easy read.

I know some here didn't like the third book, but I'm curious to where it goes.

Cade said:
Did you read On Stranger Tides by Tim Powers? Not a series, but I burned through that book. So good.
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Maklershed said:
Don't know of any series but Pirate Latitdues and On Stranger Tides (the basis for the Pirates of the Carribean movies) are fun. And as a side - the Black Sails show on Starz is fantastic.
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Verdre said:
Like the others, I don't know any series, but you might try Rafael Sabatini's Captain Blood and The Sea Hawk
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Thank you all for your suggestions! I brought Captain Blood ($1) and The Sea Hawk ($0), both on Amazon. Added On Stranger Tides and Pirate Latitudes on my wishlist.

And the pirate fever is coming from me burning through season 1-2 of Black Sails.
 
TheChewyWaffles said:
Whoever mentioned The Passage, thank you!!! Now moved on to The Twelve.
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I bought this a month or two ago, after hearing about it (many times) on Books on the Nightstand, and you've started it thanks to your posting about it.

It's still early going, but I'm enjoying it.
 
Mumei said:
I bought this a month or two ago, after hearing about it (many times) on Books on the Nightstand, and you've started it thanks to your posting about it.

It's still early going, but I'm enjoying it.
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I'm a little over a third of the way through The Passage. Things definitely started getting a little odd.
 
Quick question about e-books. Does the price usually lower when the paperback comes out? There's a book I want, but it seems like the Kindle price is still higher than what they're going to charge for the paperback (that still hasn't been released.)
 
Finished Foe earlier this morning. Coetzee is a solid writer. Even if I wasn't the biggest fan of this book, I can see a lot of thought was put into it. Not my favorite book by him, but I would recommend it to anyone who wants a well-made short(ish) story. But his magus opus, in my eye, is still Waiting For The Barbarians (thanks post-colonialism lit class).

Moved on to the What If? science book. Fun ass read thus far. I'm not a huge science junkie, but his explanation to questions I'd find dull is intellectually pleasing and quite accessible for someone with a limited hard scientific background.

The first Expanse book will be my next fiction read.
 
Pau said:
Quick question about e-books. Does the price usually lower when the paperback comes out? There's a book I want, but it seems like the Kindle price is still higher than what they're going to charge for the paperback (that still hasn't been released.)
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Not when the book releases but a lot do seem to decrease. Pro-tip: add the kindle edition to a wishlist and it'll keep track of how much the price has increased or decreased since you've added it.
 
Is their anywhere that post when interesting kindle books are on sale. I'm trying to do the 50 books challenge. I like to read on my kindle but I'd rather not break the bank doing the challenge.
 
redlemon said:
Is their anywhere that post when interesting kindle books are on sale. I'm trying to do the 50 books challenge. I like to read on my kindle but I'd rather not break the bank doing the challenge.
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If you're an American, you have access to libraries. They have been my holy savior for cutting costs on books.
 
redlemon said:
Is their anywhere that post when interesting kindle books are on sale. I'm trying to do the 50 books challenge. I like to read on my kindle but I'd rather not break the bank doing the challenge.
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ereaderiq

You can even sign up for a daily newsletter and they'll email you popular drops. Its mostly cookbooks and Amish romance novels but you can occasionally find a gem.
 
Finished up 11/22/63 last night. Moving on to James Clavell's Shogun. Bought both Shogun and Tai-Pan in 2014, but never read them. Figured it'd be better to start these instead of buying another book.
 
Finished up the Count of Monte Cristo last night. Have a few minor qualms with the ending but overall what an incredibly enjoyable ride. Buss translation was on point.
 
I have a voucher for a free book. Any of these not terrible?

Divergent by Veronica Roth (501 pages)
The Last Kingdom by Bernard Cornwell (355 pages)
The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen (580 pages)
Ship of Magic by Robin Hobb (834 pages)
Payback by Kimberley Chambers (513 pages)
Sleigh Bells in the Snow by Sarah Morgan (378 pages)

In the event of a tie, I'm going to go with the shortest. :p

(EDIT: Added page numbers for my own benefit.)

Kawl_USC said:
Finished up the Count of Monte Cristo last night. Have a few minor qualms with the ending but overall what an incredibly enjoyable ride. Buss translation was on point.
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Still at 55% (and I've been going over a month now). Woe is me!
 
Number45 said:
I have a voucher for a free book. Any of these not terrible?

The Last Kingdom by Bernard Cornwell
The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen
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I'm sure the Hobb will get the nod from a lot of folks around here. Depending on your tastes, you can't go wrong with either of the above.
 
Number45 said:
I have a voucher for a free book. Any of these not terrible?

Divergent by Veronica Roth (501 pages)
The Last Kingdom by Bernard Cornwell (355 pages)
The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen (580 pages)
Ship of Magic by Robin Hobb (834 pages)
Payback by Kimberley Chambers (513 pages)
Sleigh Bells in the Snow by Sarah Morgan (378 pages)

In the event of a tie, I'm going to go with the shortest. :p

(EDIT: Added page numbers for my own benefit.)


Still at 55% (and I've been going over a month now). Woe is me!
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The Last Kingdom is a great book and kicks off a series that is just wrapping up.
 
Unabridged, and I wonder what all is left out in the different abridged versions since it seemed pretty deftly plotted when it came to all the interactions. I can think of some obvious places to cut some backstory (Betruccios and Bendettos back story, some stuff during the bro'ing out of Rome, etc) but not enough to trim it nearly in half.

Definitely one of my favorite books now though.

It took me nearly a month but that was mostly due to holidays and having company during many weekends. The final 25% were so good in terms of paying off though.
 
Number45 said:
I have a voucher for a free book. Any of these not terrible?

Divergent by Veronica Roth (501 pages)
The Last Kingdom by Bernard Cornwell (355 pages)
The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen (580 pages)
Ship of Magic by Robin Hobb (834 pages)
Payback by Kimberley Chambers (513 pages)
Sleigh Bells in the Snow by Sarah Morgan (378 pages)
Click to expand...
Haven't read any of those but The Last Kingdom BBC series is awesome so I imagine the book is pretty darn good too.
 
Number45 said:
I have a voucher for a free book. Any of these not terrible?

Divergent by Veronica Roth (501 pages)
The Last Kingdom by Bernard Cornwell (355 pages)
The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen (580 pages)
Ship of Magic by Robin Hobb (834 pages)
Payback by Kimberley Chambers (513 pages)
Sleigh Bells in the Snow by Sarah Morgan (378 pages)

In the event of a tie, I'm going to go with the shortest. :p
Click to expand...

All I can say is avoid Divergent at all costs. It's all the bad young adult dystopian sci-fi tropes rolled into one.
 
Started reading Theft of Swords (Riyria Revelations 1 & 2) and I fucking looooove how fast-paced it is. A shit ton has already happened in the first 5 chapters. Super, super enjoyable too so far, really like all the characters and their interactions and, well, whatever is going on with the plot.

As far as I understand it, the first couple of books are more or less standalone stories and the later ones (like book 3 onwards?) start introducing storylines and mysteries that stick around until the end of the series, is this more or less correct?
 
Maklershed said:
Not when the book releases but a lot do seem to decrease. Pro-tip: add the kindle edition to a wishlist and it'll keep track of how much the price has increased or decreased since you've added it.
Click to expand...

That's what I do! Also, Bookbub lets you list your favorite authors and genres and you get an e-mail daily with recommendations for discounted/free Kindle books. Some of them seem like duds but I've gotten a few through there so far.

Number45 said:
I have a voucher for a free book. Any of these not terrible?

Divergent by Veronica Roth (501 pages)
The Last Kingdom by Bernard Cornwell (355 pages)
The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen (580 pages)
Ship of Magic by Robin Hobb (834 pages)
Payback by Kimberley Chambers (513 pages)
Sleigh Bells in the Snow by Sarah Morgan (378 pages)

In the event of a tie, I'm going to go with the shortest. :p

(EDIT: Added page numbers for my own benefit.)


Still at 55% (and I've been going over a month now). Woe is me!
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Bolded the ones I'd recommend. Robin Hobb writes amazing fantasy and you can't go wrong with Bernard Cornwell.
 
Muntu said:
Started reading Theft of Swords (Riyria Revelations 1 & 2) and I fucking looooove how fast-paced it is. A shit ton has already happened in the first 5 chapters. Super, super enjoyable too so far, really like all the characters and their interactions and, well, whatever is going on with the plot.

As far as I understand it, the first couple of books are more or less standalone stories and the later ones (like book 3 onwards?) start introducing storylines and mysteries that stick around until the end of the series, is this more or less correct?
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Eh, having read the first 6 written (so not the prequels) he starts laying some ground work right there from the start.
But agreed the books move at a very satisfying pace. Not the highest class of fantasy, but great fun in my opinion.
 
Doing the audiobook of this:

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The narrator is great, the dialog is sharp, and the story is moving a nice clip. I'm not vibing with the whole Greek culture thing, but otherwise I'm digging Darrow as a hero.

After Way of Kings, it is a breath of fresh fucking air.

The-Way-of-Kings-610664.jpg


I seriously cannot understand the hype for Way of Kings. The writing feels so shallow and middling, the characters are all obvious and explain everything in very clear terms. There is no subtlety, humor, or ya' know - memorable characters that you care about at all. I found myself bored as Kaladin waffled between "I'm sad and I wanna kill myself" and "I'm not sad anymore I'm going to be a leader." for the 10th time.

I had the same problem with Mistborn. I got about halfway before giving up on the Final Empire. The writing is just blatantly bad, the characters are bad, and I can't comprehend the hype it gets.

Also started this in print:

All_the_Light_We_Cannot_See_(Doerr_novel).jpg


It's so good. The prose is gorgeous, to the point that it comes alive in your head like a good Steven Spielberg movie. It's one of the most readable, immediately engaging books I've encountered in a bit.
 
Kodiak said:
l
After Way of Kings, it is a breath of fresh fucking air.

The-Way-of-Kings-610664.jpg


I seriously cannot understand the hype for Way of Kings. The writing feels so shallow and middling, the characters are all obvious and explain everything in very clear terms. There is no subtlety, humor, or ya' know - memorable characters that you care about at all. I found myself bored as Kaladin waffled between "I'm sad and I wanna kill myself" and "I'm not sad anymore I'm going to be a leader." for the 10th time.

I had the same problem with Mistborn. I got about halfway before giving up on the Final Empire. The writing is just blatantly bad, the characters are bad, and I can't comprehend the hype it gets.
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Sanderson really couldn't keep himself from doing that, Kaladin does the back and forth in the second book as well. I totally understand why people don't like it, to me, the world and magic keeps me going.
 
12891107.jpg


Finished it yesterday. It was a bit of drag at points but ultimately came together pretty nicely. The world still left me with lots of questions but it's a nice twist on your usual medievil fantasy. Can't deny that I'm interested to see how it wraps up.
 
Woorloog said:
What.
Young adult novel? Aside from the young protagonist, it sure as hell ain't a young adult novel. So many complex themes and ideas.
Click to expand...

While I agree that Dune isn't a YA, you do know that YA novels can have complex themes and ideas, right? His Dark Materials, Chaos Walking, The Lie Tree - these books aren't exactly a breeze. (And I say this as somebody who's written a lot of adult literary SF novels, and a YA series - my YA is no less complex than the adult. Perhaps those themes aren't as buried, but regardless: I still want to make readers of all ages think.)

ANYWAY: I've read This Census-Taker, and it's not good. I think half of China's writing is amazing, and half of it's less than (where the only terrible thing is The Kraken), but this is definitely lesser. It's basically The Buried Giant: a literary fantasy about memory and storytelling. But the end is weak, and there's a lot of set up that never seems to go anywhere. I felt quite cheated, actually. Not his finest hour.

On the other hand: The Hollow Man, by Oliver Harris, is a blast. It's a really clean, efficient crime thriller about corruption and money, but absolutely pitch-dark in how the protagonist lives and thinks. Very impressive stuff that gets admirably weird.
 
The Last Kingdom it is then. As an added bonus, it's also the shortest one. \o/

Also added The Corrections and Ship of Magic to my "want to read" list, as they seem to be well received.
 
Still plugging away at The Hero of Ages. I like it, but I do miss the simplicity of The Final Empire. It seems like he just keeps adding more POV characters than I really care about.
 
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