• Hey Guest. Check out your NeoGAF Wrapped 2025 results here!

What are you reading? (February 2016)

Status
Not open for further replies.
I really do think part of the reason why I enjoyed The Expanse books so much is because of the TV show. I feel the show is an improvement over the source material, which I find is rarely the case.
You might have just sold me on the show. I read the first book (maybe the second?) and thought it was just okay. But if the show is better...
 
Finished:
51GRq3MFKHL._SY344_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg


Thanks Mumei for recommending this here. Liked it a lot. I really enjoyed how the author managed to describe quite modern phenomenons of society via this fictional clash of old vs. new. I also liked the ending.
Since it was pretty clear from very early on that Leemet could not have a real happy ending, in which he would see his way of living prevail, I liked that he at least got some peace, since through the whole book, the poor man goes through nothing but tragedy.

Currently reading:

55399.jpg


This is my second attempt at this. I enjoy the writing and the world a lot but like it has been mentioned many times before, there is a lot going on and you get thrown into this events rather violently.

41LmTF24BIL._SX258_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg


As a new years resolution I pledged to read more non-fiction books.
 
Just finished "Man's Search for Meaning" by Viktor Frankl. Seriously such an amazing book.

Now I'm about to start "The Psychopath Test" by Jon Ronson. And then the graphic novel Persepolis.
 
I started Troublemaker: Surviving Hollywood and Scientology by Leah Remini. Cults are fascinating to me.

Once I finish, I have Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro.
 
It's time.

7126.jpg

:D

Finished:
51GRq3MFKHL._SY344_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg


Thanks Mumei for recommending this here. Liked it a lot. I really enjoyed how the author managed to describe quite modern phenomenons of society via this fictional clash of old vs. new. I also liked the ending.
Since it was pretty clear from very early on that Leemet could not have a real happy ending, in which he would see his way of living prevail, I liked that he at least got some peace, since through the whole book, the poor man goes through nothing but tragedy.

It's a real pick-me-up, is what you're saying.
 
To all the people recommending City of Stairs, thank you. Read the two books in the series and loved them both. Can't wait to see where things go with a third book.
 
Finished Lolita, really enjoyed it. It ended up not going where I thought it was going but it was definitely a satisfying ending.
The part about him being a murderer especially wasn't what I thought would happen. I was expecting it to turn out he was going to be blamed for the mothers death or he somehow caused the death of Lo. I also expected his paranoia to not be validated, but the way it all rolled together was pretty surprising.

I still get strong vibes of it being an unreliable narrator and that makes me wonder how much is what actually happened and how much is either sugar coated or fluffed up.

I think this may be a book I will need to reread now that I've read it all and know how it goes I can pay attention to more of the nuance. Right now though I just need to sit and think on it.

Next up:

24499258.jpg


Slade House

Had it recommended as a better more recent horror novel.
 
Someone a month or two posted about "My Brilliant Friend," and I just started it. I like it a lot so far. Whoever you were, thanks.

I've read the first two and have taken a break for Infinite Jest, but the end of Book 2 had some really strong writing, and I wanted to go right to Book 3, which NEVER happens with me.
 
I'd planned on watching some adaptations once I've finished (70% through), but I need to know more about this.

Retains the major core and themes of the story but the writers took some major creative liberties altering the details and setting (Sci-Fi), an incredible soundtrack, unique animation, a stellar English dub, Albert-focused narrative,
Albert subtlety showing his homoerotic feelings toward the Count (rivaling Sam/Frodo)
, an incredible ending, and one of my favorite animated shows to date. I was introduced to The Count of Monte Cristo due to the show. I was delighted to see it respected the source material but had its own heart.
 
I just finished reading Living with Honor, by Salvatore A. Giunta.

I'm not really sure whether it's good or not according to what the majority of people think, but I liked it a lot, especially helped pass the time when we've finished everything on the schedule and get to spend the rest of the day doing nothing at the barracks.

The book felt pretty intense too, especially because there were things we were taught here during basic training that I semi-shrugged off as "yeah, of course", then a month later I'm reading about these things actually happening in Afghanistan. Damn.

Now am going to either read Animal Farm by George Orwell or Paprastas Darbas by Svetimas, it's a lithuanian military book, couldn't really find if there's any translation available, but here's the cover.

 
Someone a month or two posted about "My Brilliant Friend," and I just started it. I like it a lot so far. Whoever you were, thanks.

I've read the first two and have taken a break for Infinite Jest, but the end of Book 2 had some really strong writing, and I wanted to go right to Book 3, which NEVER happens with me.

Yeah first book was great, 2nd an absolute smackdown. People say the books just get better through to #4. I took a break too, because I have so much on my list and I don't like to stick to one thing for too long, but it was tempting.
 
I know it not technically reading but do you guys and gals have any audiobooks to recommend? I just finished Childhood's End.
 
Bought The Man Who Spoke Snakish. After all the people on here posting about it I could not pass it up.

Just started Leviathan Wakes by James S.A. Corey, hope it is good.
 
I don't know about you guys but whenever I'm reading a long book I gotta have side books. I guess I'm just not that faithful.

In other words I'm bout to start reading this:
8491340.jpg

Cause Narag's post reminded me I own it.
 
I don't know about you guys but whenever I'm reading a long book I gotta have side books. I guess I'm just not that faithful.

In other words I'm bout to start reading this:
8491340.jpg

Cause Narag's post reminded me I own it.

Happened to me during A Feast for Crows, of course by that point I was a little burnt out after reading A Song of Ice and Fire books 1-3 right in a row.
 
I don't know about you guys but whenever I'm reading a long book I gotta have side books. I guess I'm just not that faithful.
I've never done it before but reading The Count of Monte Cristo, which I'm enjoying, I feel like I should have had a second book on the go to break it up a little.
 
gods-eye-view-225.jpg


Whenever Barry Eisler releases a new book (which is once every few years now), I just drop whatever else I'm reading to read it. I'm only a couple of chapters in, but this one is about surveillance. It's a work of fiction, but Eisler always grounds his books deeply in reality.
 
gods-eye-view-225.jpg


Whenever Barry Eisler releases a new book (which is once every few years now), I just drop whatever else I'm reading to read it. I'm only a couple of chapters in, but this one is about surveillance. It's a work of fiction, but Eisler always grounds his books deeply in reality.

If you suggested a first-read for him, what would it be?
 
If you suggested a first-read for him, what would it be?
It would either be this, since it appears to be a standalone, or what used to be called Rain Fall (he retitled all his books, so it's now called A Clean Kill in Tokyo), which is the first of the rest of his books, which are all in the same series. He had a standalone series as well, but it ended up merging with his main series.

The Rain series is about an assassin who specializes in "natural causes" deaths. Eisler himself is actually former CIA, and he brings his knowledge into his writing (as far as a civilian like me can tell). It also takes him forever to write his books because he likes to scout out locations and take tons of pictures of them, so he can describe them in intricate detail.
 
It would either be this, since it appears to be a standalone, or what used to be called Rain Fall (he retitled all his books, so it's now called A Clean Kill in Tokyo), which is the first of the rest of his books, which are all in the same series. He had a standalone series as well, but it ended up merging with his main series.

The Rain series is about an assassin who specializes in "natural causes" deaths. Eisler himself is actually former CIA, and he brings his knowledge into his writing (as far as a civilian like me can tell). It also takes him forever to write his books because he likes to scout out locations and take tons of pictures of them, so he can describe them in intricate detail.

Sounds interesting. The library had it under the old title but not the new, so thanks for being thorough. :)

Unfortunately some other jerk has it out now, so my hold will probably come through in, like, three weeks.
 
Sounds interesting. The library had it under the old title but not the new, so thanks for being thorough. :)

Unfortunately some other jerk has it out now, so my hold will probably come through in, like, three weeks.
No worries. Unfortunately, all subsequent books in his series aren't at all shy about spoiling content from their predecessors (I unfortunately started on his second book, Hard Rain, which is also called something else now), so it would be best to start from the beginning.

He also releases some digital-only short stories in that shared universe, as well. Eisler seems to be really into self-publishing and the Amazon ecosystem, so there're no physical version of those. I think he also recently released his characters into Kindle Worlds, so there is also a slew of fan-fiction, probably.
 
I'm trying to remember the title of a book I read several years ago. It was a sci-fi ish book that featured characters who manned a large wall that was built along a shoreline. There was talk of some coming cataclysm I think. And the main character was revealed at the end to be some kind of weird ape thing? Does this sound familiar to anyone?
 
Just finished Crime and Punishment and am currently having that feeling you get after finishing something you were really invested in. I can't quite remember when was the last time that happened, though I already know it's inevitably going to happen again whenever I read the last 2 volumes of Sandman.
I need some time now before starting another book. Probably like a week or so.

I've already decided I'll read "The Little Prince" and then either another small book, one of the fantasy books I've got laying around or something by Gaiman (I do need to finish American Gods, though I'll have to restart it since it's been so long since I stopped reading it).
After that, The Count of Monte Cristo awaits me.
 
I'm trying to remember the title of a book I read several years ago. It was a sci-fi ish book that featured characters who manned a large wall that was built along a shoreline. There was talk of some coming cataclysm I think. And the main character was revealed at the end to be some kind of weird ape thing? Does this sound familiar to anyone?
Kingdoms of the Wall?

Might be a stretch, but maybe. I haven't read it.
 
Reading Shadows of Self right now. It's good, but it references Alloy of Law a lot and apparently I forgot everything about that book.

It's been a bit rough.
 

Been writing a lot more than reading lately, but I picked this up and it's been a really easy read so far. It's almost as if Pratchett is a widely-renowned author or something.
 
Just started K.J. Parker's Fencer series. Read his Scavenger series a short while back, and I gotta say, I'm not sure if there's a more underrated epic fantasy writer out there.

The Scavenger series was amazing and totally unique. This seems to be just as good so far.
 
It wasn't a terrible read by any means but it felt very thin. A lot of big ideas were touched upon but nothing was fleshed out in a meaningful ways. A lot of it felt like characters wandered around and bickered with one another or a boilerplate problematic marriage drama.

Kind of reminded me of the TV show Lost. A ton of questions that didn't even lead to anything of substance. I'm open to hear other interpretations or what not but I'm baffled that people compared it to A Roadside Picnic.

I really disliked the series so don't feel too bad. There were some solid concepts but I just really didn't like the execution. The third book is one of the few books I've actually stopped reading halfway through.

I'll probably pick it back up just to say I've read it but it'll be awhile.
 
Finally finished The Laws of Nature: A Collection of Short Stories of Horror, Anxiety, Tragedy and Loss. Thought it was decent, but not great. Some of the stories were really good; others were boring and I was happy to close them out.

23744777.jpg


I had put down Ready Player One a while back. I'm picking back up about half-way through. It's strange how much I still remember. I actually don't mind the book - I know it gets a LOT of shit, but it's a fun and relatively mindless read.

20603758.jpg
 
Just started K.J. Parker's Fencer series. Read his Scavenger series a short while back, and I gotta say, I'm not sure if there's a more underrated epic fantasy writer out there.

The Scavenger series was amazing and totally unique. This seems to be just as good so far.
Where's the best place to start with Parker?
 
Where's the best place to start with Parker?

The Fencer books are more popular I think, but I started with the Scavenger books, and loved them. Very dark, but also funny. Great characters. Totally unpredictable.

The basic starting premise is sort of a fantasy take on the Jason Bourne concept, but then it goes in all sorts of crazy directions.
 
Just finished Carry On by Rainbow Rowell, loved it. Now on to The Song of the Quarkbeast by Jasper Fforde. Also, still reading The Righteous Mind
Wanted to respon to this earlier: have you read his book about color, Shades of Gray? Interesting ideas in it, and it's taken him forever to write the next book - the prequel is only out this spring.
 
Need help, BookGAF. The GF has asked for a book from me when I go to visit in a few days but I'm a kindle man so I'm just going to buy her something fun.

What's a good sci-fi/fantasy book to start someone out on that isn't particularly nerdy? I want to introduce her to my genres of choice but I don't necessarily want to throw her into something like Hyperion or Branderson's stuff just yet.

Also I'm re-reading book 2 of the Expanse. Just 'cause.
 
Need help, BookGAF. The GF has asked for a book from me when I go to visit in a few days but I'm a kindle man so I'm just going to buy her something fun.

What's a good sci-fi/fantasy book to start someone out on that isn't particularly nerdy? I want to introduce her to my genres of choice but I don't necessarily want to throw her into something like Hyperion or Branderson's stuff just yet.

A Discworld book that parodies another genre might not be a bad choice either. Guard Guards is my top pick.
 
I'm still making my way through The Brothers Karamazov. It's not like I'm not enjoying it, it's just that it doesn't seem like a book I can just power through. I'm about a quarter in and I feel like it's picking up though.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top Bottom