What are you reading? (January 2014)
- Thread starter Maklershed
- Start date
Kelsier
Elend
Sazed
Breeze
that shapeshifter
True, but Jasnah is awesome. And I like Shallan. She felt like some smart, witty normal, naive young girl with some problems and character flaws thrown into a gigantic mess.
Gonna have to check out Emperor's Soul. I haven't really bothered with Sanderson's novels outside of Mistborn and Way of Kings.
Shallan's wonderful. And a scientist! Don't see too many female scientists in books or elsewhere. EDIT well, a historian. Or something. Close enough.
a biolostorian
The new Murakami is out in Germany and, man, it's good stuff. I never really warmed up to his 1Q84 saga and already thought that I'll might not read another Murakami book that truly captures me -- but I was wrong. It's a really nice book. Hopefully the English translation won't take too long anymore, either.
The cover of the book is pretty neat, btw. Fits the whole "colorless" scheme pretty well.
(Those aren't my pictures.)
Youre just jealous that Shallan is more awesome than you. TWOK>Emperors Soul (though only by a tiny bit)
Jealousy. I knew it.
On another topic, I just picked up Saga by Brian Vaughn thanks to Mumei and some other peoples' recommendations on here. Havent started it yet, but I am looking forward to it. Its actually my first graphic novel too
-ImaginaryInsider
Member
I liked Shallan/Jasnah/Navani, none of them really gave off the traditional "female/love interest that needs saving" vibe. Three different women at different stages in their lives, and hopefully they will all get an expanded role in the next book.
Maklershed
Member
A hot witch and a mute?
Lady -
the most powerful person in the world for awhile and then the leader of The Black Company
the most powerful person in the world for awhile as well and the ruler of Taglios for a few years
the true ruler of the Taglios lands
arguably the craftiest leader of The Black Company
brings Lady, Dominator, and Limper's powers to an end
the most feared demi-God in the world
And then there's also Stormbringer, Whisper, Shara, and Lisa Bowalk who are all feared/capable in their own rights.
I was half joking but I've also only read the first 3. For some reason I thought Silent was a guy...
Tragicomedy
Member
Yeah, Silent is a dude. Other than that, spot on. I've convinced my wife to give them a read based on the strength of the characters.
I'm reading Dreams of Steel right now and Lady is so freaking cool.
I'm reading Dreams of Steel right now and Lady is so freaking cool.
melonrabbit
Member
Hit a bit of a reading slump but recovered nicely.
Reading Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor.
Seems exactly what I was looking for it in a light-fantasy novel. I'm only a few chapters and really enjoying myself and the atmosphere.
Reading Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor.
Seems exactly what I was looking for it in a light-fantasy novel. I'm only a few chapters and really enjoying myself and the atmosphere.
I'm about 350ish pages in. So far.. it rocks my socks! Really enjoying it, and it's one of those "Wellllll, I'll take an extra 5 minutes on my lunch break, I really wanna finish this chapter and I probably won't get caught" kind of books.
Bad Hythlo, bad
I've been going back and forth for the past week or so, but today I finally bit the bullet and ordered a Kindle Paperwhite.
Reading occasionally on my iPad wasn't so bad, but now that I'm reading about 500% more often, it hurts my eyes after awhile, especially at night. Not to mention my iPad 3 is too bulky and "heavy" now.
Also, I had no idea that Amazon bought GoodReads and incorporated it into the Kindle too, excited to check that out!
Reading occasionally on my iPad wasn't so bad, but now that I'm reading about 500% more often, it hurts my eyes after awhile, especially at night. Not to mention my iPad 3 is too bulky and "heavy" now.
Also, I had no idea that Amazon bought GoodReads and incorporated it into the Kindle too, excited to check that out!
Gordon0Freeman
Member
HORRORSHØW
Member
Has anyone read On Such a Full Sea? I'm not familiar with the author, but the synopsis is intriguing and more exposure for Korean American authors is welcomed.
charlemagne
Member
I read it recently as well, and although I thought it was fantastic I wouldn't say it depressed me either. It was definitely grim, but I would describe the feeling it gave me more as a profound numbness or emptiness than simple sadness.
Might pick these up down the line then once I'm done with the Mistborn trilogy.
I've never read anything by the author. How would you describe their work?
She's the main character, but every other single important character is male. Anyone who does anything is male. Most of the time women are mentioned, it has to do with rape. :/ I'm just tired of having my gender ignored beyond one or two characters in a genre I enjoy.
And Kelsier is another POV, yeah.
I've only just started so I can't comment much, but these kinds of anthologies are pretty safe, especially if you recognize and like a few of the authors. You'll probably get a few good stories, a couple duds, some fun concepts that might not otherwise sustain a novel, hopefully be introduced to some new voices, etc.
Finished my reread of this, completing my reread of the series. Must say, I enjoyed this far more the 2nd time around, just as I did with Feast. By comparison, its much less 'holy shit!' than previous books, but I'm realizing that very little happens that isn't very important in some way or the other. I enjoy the writing quite a bit as well, apart from 'My name is Reek, it rhymes with' and 'Where do whores go?'.
I can see why people feel the movie adaptations of this and LOTR are so spot-on. There is very little time spent milling about details and it basically just gets to the adventure bits and makes it a fun little read. There's hardly anything that's in the movie(only watched the first one so far) that isn't in the book, down to pretty small details. Definitely has a very 'kid friendly' approach to the story(a basic sense of humor, nothing too shocking happens).
Good page-turner, just like Gone Girl was. Its a 'who dunnit' as well, set in a very disturbing setting with disturbing people. Not entirely unpredictable, but it was entertaining.
Never seen the movie, but the book was really funny. Especially the first third of it or so. Good change of pace from all the more serious stuff I read.
Just started:
I'm about 350ish pages in. So far.. it rocks my socks! Really enjoying it, and it's one of those "Wellllll, I'll take an extra 5 minutes on my lunch break, I really wanna finish this chapter and I probably won't get caught" kind of books.
Yeah, it's really a fun book. One of the greatest starts to a big Fantasy series.
In contrast, right now I'm trying to slog my way through the first Malazan book, and I don't care how good the series gets down the road, Erikson is doing a really crappy job of launching the story. I think it's a miracle that the series ever took off with a debut like this. I'm gonna make myself finish it, and at least start the second book before I make any judgements about the series, but wow... There are some points of definite interest here and there, but there is no finesse in the exposition at all, and the book is so damn dry. It's like he's willfully trying to scare readers away or something.
michaeltraps
Member
Came in here specifically to post that I just started this. This is my first foray into reading Tolkien, so I'm really excited.
I had no problem with the writing but the world and characters felt rather standard. It was all right but not nearly good enough to get my to read rest of the series.
How i'd like to read a long, good fantasy series... Read WOT, ASOIAF... any good long (3 or more books) series? Didn't like the Black Company nor Belgariad.
Tragicomedy
Member
The Paperwhite is amazing, but the Goodreads "integration" is fairly underwhelming at this point. It basically equates to you seeing the books on your different different lists (to read, read, etc.) and offers you the ability to give the book a rating on both Amazon and Goodreads when you finish it. I'm sure Amazon will put more effort into it in the future. I'd like to be able to start a book and have it automatically move to my "reading" pile, as well as the option to have it automatically track reading progress as well.
I started The Black Company last year and am on the sixth book right now. In a word, amazing. Likeable and believable characters, a world full of interesting geographic features and creatures, moral ambiguity (most characters are good and bad, hence gray), and some of the most epic-scale battles I've read in fantasy. The first book culminates in battles that make Helm's Deep seem like a minor skirmish by comparison.
Top notch stuff.
Obviously we have very different tastes if you didn't like WOT or ASOIAF, so i would hesitate to give you any recommendations myself. Some others on the board might be able to do a better job.
The Malazan book might actually end up appealing to you more than it is to me right now. It certainly does seem to have some different influences compared to a lot of other fantasy. There is something very anime about it in terms of the mythos. Erikson also mentions Dune as an influence in the forward, and I would say the tone of the writing is very similar to Herbert's writing in Dune. If you liked that, (a lot of people seem to) you might like this.
I personally didn't actually like Dune that much. It was too dry and detached for me, and Herbert seemed totally uninterested in the elements of the story that I was most fascinated by. He kept skipping around, purposefully focusing on the boring parts. Erikson isn't really doing that, but he also has an infuriating storytelling style in other ways, at least so far.
edit// Just occurred to me... if you're interested in a big fantasy series that really breaks out of all the traditional boxes, you should check out Stephen King's Dark Tower series. It ranks right up there with any of the other big series in terms of quality. Great writing, great characters, and it breaks totally new ground in a number of different ways.
Those pictures look fantastic. They're using the same slipcover as 1Q84! Now I suddenly wish I kept up with my German lessons from a decade ago.
I bought the Kindle version on the weekend and am reading it right now. I'm only 7% in so I can't yet comment on it, though.Grimløck;97173536 said:
I like WOT and ASOIF alot.
Dune is scifi (well, planetary romance so blurring the line between scifi and fantasy), and i've read it and love it. Still don't like Malazan that much. Sure, the first book is okay, works as a standalone. But as i said, it didn't sell me the rest, nor will i bother.
Never been interested in The Dark Tower. Everything i know about it points at "not my thing".
Tragicomedy
Member
I haven't read nearly as many longer fantasy series as most probably have, but you've already stated you didn't like The Black Company, which would be my first recommendation.
Second recommendation: the Stormlight Archives by Brandon Sanderson. Second book drops 4 March.
My third recommendation is The Book of the New Sun by Gene Wolfe. I've only read the first book in the series but I was utterly mesmerized. I've read two other books of his (Knight and Wizard) and consider him the best fantasy writer working today. If you go that route you'd have the five books in the New Sun series, followed by the four books of the Long Sun series, ending up with the three books of the Short Sun series.
I hear very good things about early Raymond E. Feist and Robin Hobb stuff, and they've each put out a dozen or so books. I'll eventually get around to reading those.
I quite enjoyed Sullivan's Riyria Revelations series
Long Price Quartet by Abraham is amazing
Those arent super duper long, but long enough
Tragicomedy
Member
Speaking of The Black Company:
I finished Dreams of Steel. This is actually the sixth book of the Black Company series, although it was incorrectly packaged in the omnibus as #5. Lady takes front and center here and develops into easily the most interesting character of the series. Highly recommended.
Seven books down, 43 to go!
I finished Dreams of Steel. This is actually the sixth book of the Black Company series, although it was incorrectly packaged in the omnibus as #5. Lady takes front and center here and develops into easily the most interesting character of the series. Highly recommended.
Seven books down, 43 to go!
For a second I thought you meant you had 43 more books to read in The Black Company series. D:
Left Sanderson's work unmentioned. Read all of it. And gonna read all of it.
Perhaps i should be more specific: a finished series is what i want. Have enough waiting with ASOIAF and The Stormlight Archive as it is.
Recall people recommending Wolfe before. Guess i'll try one of his books.
And Robin Hobb... Have the Farseer trilogy and currently re-reading it. Not sure if i want to continue to the next trilogy though. Will know after i've finished re-read.
I'll write these up to my list then.
For those looking for something new to read (and are science fiction/fantasy-inclined), I've gathered together my favourites from 2013 and compiled of a list of what I'm going to nominate for the Hugo Awards this year.
Short version:
The Republic of Thieves by Scott Lynch
Shattered Pillars by Elizabeth Bear
Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie
The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman
The Tyrant's Law by Daniel Abraham
Short version:
The Republic of Thieves by Scott Lynch
Shattered Pillars by Elizabeth Bear
Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie
The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman
The Tyrant's Law by Daniel Abraham
Tragicomedy
Member
Even if it were the greatest series of all time, I doubt I could survive that. 6+ books is a "long" series in my mind.
I should have guessed you had read Sanderson. Everyone has read him, it seems.
For a shorter intro, try Wolfe's Wizard Knight duo. Stellar books!
No I haven't.
I'll pick his Mistborn trilogy sometime later this year. I've heard a lot of thing about his work, and how he done magic in his trilogy, and I'm not particularly fond of that.
The Culture Vulture
Member
Soldiered to the end of The Night Circus. It was the first time a book introduced to me on GAF was a disappointment. Brilliant cover art and interesting concept that falls apart fairly quickly and strangely has next to no conflict in the final third of the book.
Moving to something I have confidence will turn 2014 around, reading Jurassic Park for the first time.
Moving to something I have confidence will turn 2014 around, reading Jurassic Park for the first time.
Listening to this at work and its damn good. Don't really agree when he talks about sexuality, philosophy, and ideas, but I guess thats to be expected of a book written in the 50s. The narrative is damn entertaining and informative though, which is a great achievement considering the scope of it all. Really impressed.
Just finished reading both of the volumes and it was damn good. Pretty much everything about it was top notch. I want more damnit!
Going to start this. I feel like I need some more Greek history even though I just read the Egypt, Greece and Rome book. Greek names a bit tricky for me to remember, so I want it drilled into my head again. Plus, the organization of the material seems interesting
Based on your taste in prose, I'm not sure how you'll take to him, honestly.
solid mike
Member
Neil Gaiman - The Ocean at the End of the Lane
Can anyone tell me if I'm in for a treat or will be disappointed?
Can anyone tell me if I'm in for a treat or will be disappointed?
You'll have to wait until at least April, unfortunately. The Image solicitations for April are out soon and it should be on there.