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[TTG]

The 'paradox of choice' is real, y'all. I have hundreds of unread books and non of them are screaming READ ME NOW!!!!!! Sigh...it's like there's a lull in the wake of an engrossing reading experience where I just need some recovery time...

I thought about setting a number of books to read for the year, but almost immediately realized the hardest part was finding 50(or whatever) books worth finishing. I think I lack a sort of base, not brilliant, but stuff I can go back to with confidence that I'm going to enjoy my time reading. Sci fi used to be that like 2 years ago, but I think that well may be running dry. Doesn't help that I don't have much of a tolerance for... umm stuff I find unappealing.


edit: 2017 READING CHALLENGE! Add 50 books to my new "gave up on" shelf on goodreads.

 

[Mackenzie 92]

Finished up The Jungle by Upton Sinclair. Depressing read, and still relevant a hundred years later.


The Jungle by Upton Sinclair

 

[Atraveller]

Really enjoyed that, but I liked Masters of Doom much more.

Added to my wishlist.

 

[Sean C]

Finished up The Jungle by Upton Sinclair. Depressing read, and still relevant a hundred years later.

The switch between miserablism and weirdly polemical optimism at the very end is pretty jarring.

 

[naib]

A little LTTP, but I haven't enjoyed a sci-fi novel this much in a long time.

Apparently it's going to be a Netflix mini-series.

 

[Green Embers]

I was trying to read the Scar and gave up. I enjoyed book 1, but I feel the author takes way too long to get to the point and that aspect was worse with book 2.

Moved on to reading:

I'm liking it so far, feels a bit more of the same and I am okay with that.

 

[N7 MRP Weasel]

The Three Body Problem
By: Cixin Liu

Chapter 9 - excellent so far

 

[lawnchair]

making slow progress with Jerusalem, enjoying it. it's heading in a more obviously supernatural direction. good stuff.

 

[TissueBox]

 

[Number45]

It's been awhile since i watched Blade Runner but i think it differs in some major ways from this book, i'm gonna watch the movie again. I enjoyed the book and now Kipple has entered my lexicon.

Yeah, it's a fairly loose relationship between the two. Lots of Blade Runner talk recently, think I might watch it tonight. But which cut?

 

[Aurelius]

Very interesting, gives some context to the current tensions with Russia.

 

[Maklershed]

For anyone that loved The Devil All the Time and Knockemstiff, Donald Ray Pollock's new book The Heavenly Table is on sale today for $1.99. First time I've ever seen it dip below $13.99.

Also, Noah Hawley's Before the Fall is $3.99 today.

 

[Spectromixer]

Started reading Wishful Drinking by Carrie Fisher.

Finished Wisfhul Drinking. Good, quick read if you haven't read anything by Carrie Fisher like myself.

I am reading the Rogue One novelization now by Alexander Freed.

 

[duckroll]

Finished two books recently. Enjoyed them both quite a bit.

Silence - Shusaku Endo

The emotion and psychology presented in this journey of faith and doubt is really powerful. The authentic Catholic overtones in the text really gives the narrative that extra layer. It's the same impression I have of Gene Wolfe's works. The approach to the story especially at the end was surprising in an eye opening way. I think as a Japanese Catholic who traveled the world, Endo has a very unique perspective about the subject matter and there are scenes at the end that hit me really hard.


Yakuza Moon - Shoko Tendo

Been meaning to read this for years but never really actually did it. Finally managed to grab a copy at the library and blazed through it after Silence. It's a very straightforward autobiography written in really easy to digest chapters. I kinda wish she went into more details about certain things, because sometimes it felt like she was leaving out entire chunks of details to focus on the points in her life she really wanted to talk about. It's understandable though. There are probably things she doesn't really feel she needs to share, especially about family and friends who are still alive and have their own lives to lead. Definitely an interesting read into a life of a person with a rather unique upbringing and a lot of struggles in her life though.

 

[mu cephei]

Recently read Rocannon’s World, and Planet of Exile, by Ursula Le Guin. I enjoyed both of them a lot. Rocannon’s world was a traditional fantasy quest story, with a kind of science fiction filter, which really worked for me. Also I liked the characters. The societies weren’t particularly interesting though; having several intelligent species could have really gone somewhere. But it was good fun.

Planet of Exile was also really good; it is a set-up - stranded colonists on a world with another intelligent species - which I love but haven’t read much of, for whatever reason. The story was fairly slight, but I thought the prejudices on both sides was nicely done, and it was great how concisely it showed a society acting against its own best interests due to personal strife and point-scoring.

Most recently I finished The World of Edena by Moebius. The colours were gorgeous, the art mostly wonderful, and much of the story was pretty interesting if not something that particularly resonates with me. But one of the two main characters is sidelined, and the final chapter is weak. But overall well worth it.

 

[Deleted member 125677]

Considering setting re/reading Proust's À la recherche du temps perdu as a 2017 reading challenge. I have read the first few volumes a couple of times in Norwegian and French, and bits and pieces of the later volumes as part of lit/philo studies, but never really burned through the whole thing.

Tried to recruit Cyan in the mod chat to no avail


WHO'S WITH ME??

 

[theapg]

Does anyone have a suggestion for a good book with a snowy setting?

 

[Mackenzie 92]

Does anyone have a suggestion for a good book with a snowy setting?

The Terror if you like historical type stuff.


The Terror by Dan Simmons

 

[kswiston]

Does anyone have a suggestion for a good book with a snowy setting?

Regular fiction or science fiction?

If the latter, you can try The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin.

 

[Lombax]

It is helping a lot.

 

[duckroll]

Does anyone have a suggestion for a good book with a snowy setting?

 

[BumRush]

I finished 56 books, comprising ~24,500 pages, according to Goodreads in 2016. My original goal was 35 books, which I bumped to 50 when I hit that goal in July or August.

I will probably set this year's initial goal for 36 books. I recently got a PS4, and will be trying to play through some games for the Final Fantasy 30th anniversary thread. Free time is limited, so my reading will likely take a hit. If I end up reading more than expected, I can always adjust later.

Married with a kid and a book a week...impressive!

 

[sparky2112]

Considering setting re/reading Proust's À la recherche du temps perdu as a 2017 reading challenge. I have read the first few volumes a couple of times in Norwegian and French, and bits and pieces of the later volumes as part of lit/philo studies, but never really burned through the whole thing.

Tried to recruit Cyan in the mod chat to no avail


WHO'S WITH ME??

Read it all 18 years ago. STILL not sure I'm ready for a re-read. If I ever do, though, it will be with one or two reader's guides as well. There was too much of the middle that was sloggish, and I never really ever saw how Swann's Way - which is all most people ever read I suppose - ties into the rest of the work.

 

[Magus1234]

Going to run through some Shakespeare this weekend, currently almost done with Macbeth. Probably going to finish Othello and Hamlet. Just been so long since I read any and thought it might do good to get reacquainted with his work.

After though, I have a stack of Russian books I have been meaning to get through and not sure which to tackle fist, if anyone has a recommendation let me know. Currently I have

Regarding Proust, I read the first volume twice about 11 years apart. Both times I would get more than halfway through and feel like I was not old enough yet to fully enjoy it. No idea why but I think one day I will be happy I did not read it when I could have(the whole set)

Gogol

Pushkin

And Turgenev

 

[Killua]

Just finish Ender's Game and Speaker for the Dead. I absolutely loved them.

I'm gonna be moving on to Xenocide

And I'm planning on going through Bride Collector by Ted Dekker as well.

 

[Servbot #42]

Does anyone have a suggestion for a good book with a snowy setting?

I have enjoyed the following books:

-Deception Point by Dan Brown
-Ice Hunt by James Rollins
-The Ice limit by Preston Douglas
-At the Mountain of Madness by HP Lovecraft

 

[manhack]

After not reading much the past year (Game of Thrones series is all I read for sure) I've decided to try and knock out some of my backlog.


Spent a few nights reading and finished this:

It was pretty decent and I really liked the concept, it fell short in a few areas I can't quite put into words, it took awhile for me to buy into the gods thing, I suppose. There was a lot I liked about the main character, Shadow, and how he dealt with the experience that kept me reading. I hear there is a TV show in production, so will check that out when it airs.

No idea what to read next but want to stick with Sci-Fi and Fantasy for the short term.

 

[mu cephei]

Considering setting re/reading Proust's À la recherche du temps perdu as a 2017 reading challenge. I have read the first few volumes a couple of times in Norwegian and French, and bits and pieces of the later volumes as part of lit/philo studies, but never really burned through the whole thing.

Tried to recruit Cyan in the mod chat to no avail


WHO'S WITH ME??

ooh.

... I'm thinking about it...

I do have the first volume in the penguin classic which I randomly picked up second-hand ages ago... I mean, I spent a few hours one time comparing translations (I don't recall what I concluded but I don't think it was in favour of the copy I own >.<) so I am interested...

 

[TTG]

WHO'S WITH ME??

You've hit on two traits I dislike in one proposal, it's autobiographical and about childhood. I don't know.

After though, I have a stack of Russian books I have been meaning to get through and not sure which to tackle fist, if anyone has a recommendation let me know.

Despite that dreary cover, Dead Souls is quite light and humorous. I really enjoyed it. Have not read either of the latter two books, although I can't imagine poetry in translation working as intended.

 

[kswiston]

Married with a kid and a book a week...impressive!

My wife and daughter go to bed at 9pm. I typically go to bed at midnight or so. Leads to some free time.


Plus, I cheat some by doing the Kindle/Audible whisper-sync thing. Driving = book time.

 

[BumRush]

My wife and daughter go to bed at 9am. I typically go to bed at midnight or so. Leads to some free time.


Plus, I cheat some by doing the Kindle/Audible whisper-sync thing. Driving = book time.

I love books-on-tape...but my new job is based predominantly out of my house right now so I have no commute (a trade-off I'll happily take)

 

[sparky2112]

Regarding Proust, I read the first volume twice about 11 years apart. Both times I would get more than halfway through and feel like I was not old enough yet to fully enjoy it. No idea why but I think one day I will be happy I did not read it when I could have(the whole set)

To my mind the third volume (last 2 books, same) is the payoff, and absolutely worth it. But it's a loooong way to get there.

 

[Grimalkin]

I finished Swan Song last week.

The book was sloppy. The themes were heavy handed and pointless. In the end, every action was preordained to happen, thus no one had any real agency. The theme of preordination wasn't handled well. The true purpose of Job's Mask had me sigh audibly. Any part of the book that had promise was squandered. The book did have some ideas worth pursuing but instead of focusing on one of them and cutting all the fat, they are jumbled together and don't coalesce into anything worthwhile.

The best chapters were the

Spoiler

Devil

chapters, as he was the best character and the only one even remotely thematically interesting or fleshed out. The book should have been about him, and much darker in tone.

Not the worst book I've read but if you are looking for apocalyptic fiction, pass on this one. Choose something with teeth, as this novel is PG-13 at best. I would honestly put this on the same level as Eragon, as the prose is what I'd expect from a "talented" sixteen year old.

 

[ATF487]

Just finished the Shining. Technically I've read The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon, but as I was about 12 or so at the time I'm counting this as my first real Stephen King novel. Really liked it! I knew the gist (mostly through the Simpsons Treehouse of Horror Parody...) but still found it really engaging.

Going to be working on:

The Myth of Sisyphus - Albert Camus. About a third of the way through this, find it a bit denser and harder to follow than his novels. Still like it though
Blood Meridian - Cormac McCarthy
At the Mountains of Madness - HP Lovecraft (got his collected works for a dollar a few months ago, thought this would be a good place to start)

 

[Plasticine]

Just started this. Decided to read a bunch of urban fantasy type stuff. I want to write one of these things, so I thought I'd get a feel for the genre before diving in.

 

[Draconian]

I finished Red Rising earlier today. I enjoyed it for the most part even if the ending was a little anticlimactic. Probably going to go to Wonder Boys and then The Way of Kings next.

 

[lawnchair]

how did it happen that Lovecraft and lovecraftian things are having such a massive boom right now? dozens of videogames, boardgames, all types of stuff..

 

[GK86]

Finished my second book of the year, "The Simpleton." Overall, I enjoyed it. The romance felt kinda tacked on and I felt the ending was abrupt. As if the author couldn't be bothered to come up with something more interesting.

Next up, I have been reading a lot of SciFi so I'm going to switch it up. I have "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea", and "Moby Dick" ready. I'm excited to read both of these books as I'm trying to make an effort this year to broaden my tastes, as well as read classics. I don't think I ever read Moby Dick in Junior/High school.

 

[MrOogieBoogie]

Both those covers are dope af.

 

[Zackat]

Thinking about doing another read through of The Baroque Cycle. I dunno if Gaf loves Stephenson or not, but I sooooo enjoy his world building.

As for a new book I am not sure. Glad we have threads here that I can get some good ideas on it.

 

[Apt101]

I am still slowly working through Prophet of Moonshae by Douglas Niles. A college course I am taking for work is really retarding my progress (I'd have usually burned through a book of this length in a week otherwise).

Also cracked open Armada by Ernest Cline, got a signed edition, but only read maybe 45 pages before putting it on hold.

 

[Draconian]

Thinking about doing another read through of The Baroque Cycle. I dunno if Gaf loves Stephenson or not, but I sooooo enjoy his world building.

As for a new book I am not sure. Glad we have threads here that I can get some good ideas on it.

I love Stephenson. The third volume of the Baroque cycle is on my to read list for the early part of this year. I just want to finish a few smaller books before it because I know it'll take me a month to get through it.

 

[BajiBoxer]

Started reading this:

And this:

The beginning of the Three Body Problem was pretty damn disturbing. It really pulls you in to the madness of that time. Beautifully written though.

Also halfway through:

Nice art, pretty good Transformers feel with some characters I recognize, and others that are new to me. As a Transformers fan, I like it so far.

 

[Deleted member 125677]

You've hit on two traits I dislike in one proposal, it's autobiographical and about childhood. I don't know.
.

Only partly

 

[Mumei]

Considering setting re/reading Proust's À la recherche du temps perdu as a 2017 reading challenge. I have read the first few volumes a couple of times in Norwegian and French, and bits and pieces of the later volumes as part of lit/philo studies, but never really burned through the whole thing.

Tried to recruit Cyan in the mod chat to no avail


WHO'S WITH ME??

Unfortunately, I only read in English. I had been planning on reading the Penguin edition in 2018, when they release the translations of the final volumes.

But I suppose I could read the Moncrieff-Kilmartin-Enright translation just to get the flavor of both.

 

[TTG]

I figure instead of a reading challenge, I'll just try to write something about every book I read, that way I have a record slightly more detailed than x number of stars out of 5. So here's the first one, it's really really good. Not what I have to say about it, but the book.

What a discovery The Leopard turned out to be. I have been giving up on books a lot more often than finishing them lately and it dampens one's prospects for what's out there. Well, Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa is here to remind all of us how vast the literary world really is. The setting is late 19th century Sicily, a time of political turmoil that would unify Italian states and end the aristocracy's role as ruling class. It is the end of an era and our Prince's fate, unwilling or unable to change, follows in the old way's decline.

If that appears a straightforward set up for historical fiction, the book certainly isn't. I wasn't surprised to find that it was the author's first(and only) novel, it's full of shifts in scope and venues, a lot of book fitted in 300 pages. We begin with 24 hours of our main character's life, by the end of the first chapter an emotional topology far more rich and complex than what you're likely to find anywhere in historical fiction from War and Peace to Wolf Hall is constructed. The book expands to include family dynamics, a clash of classes, jumps elsewhere and contracts again. Through it all, the quality of the prose(even in translation!), imagery, set pieces, and just how damn affecting it is puts it among the best. All of it is seamless, set up masterfully, a beautiful book.

 

[dracula_x]

Going to run through some Shakespeare this weekend, currently almost done with Macbeth. Probably going to finish Othello and Hamlet. Just been so long since I read any and thought it might do good to get reacquainted with his work.

After though, I have a stack of Russian books I have been meaning to get through and not sure which to tackle fist, if anyone has a recommendation let me know. Currently I have

Regarding Proust, I read the first volume twice about 11 years apart. Both times I would get more than halfway through and feel like I was not old enough yet to fully enjoy it. No idea why but I think one day I will be happy I did not read it when I could have(the whole set)

Gogol

Pushkin

And Turgenev

definitely Dead Souls from that list &#8211; one of best novel of all time. It's unfinished though, Gogol destroyed second part.

 

[jonno394]

It was my new years resolution to read more in 2017, and after starting with two Light Novels in the Bakemonogatari series, I stumbled upon this book in this thread and liked the sound of the premise. Basically it's very much like a Vault from the fallout series.

Blitzed through the first three parts. Really enjoying the authors style of writing as well as the characters and the extremely well realised world and setting he has created. Extremely good page turner that is hard to put down with the whole "just one more chapter" feel to it

 

[Number45]

Have had a bit of a hiatus from reading, going to start back up with:

I've wanted to read it for a while but I don't think it was available on Kindle when I first found out about it.

 

[Peru]

Does anyone have a suggestion for a good book with a snowy setting?