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Book-GAF What should I read next?

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F

Forsaken82

Member
So the last year has been comprised of reading through all 5 of the A Song of Ice and Fire books, and I finally just finished up book 5.

I am trying to figure out what to read next out of the following:

The Road
No Country for Old Men
Blood Meridian
Wool
Gone Girl
World War Z
Hunger Games(entire series)

I am definitely leaning towards Wool or The Road. Will be nice to read something a little lighter in content (i am referring to the word count here, not the tone)from the mammoth size of the ASoFaI books. Thoughts?

EDIT: Starting with The Road :p Thanks for the recommendations
 
N

nimbus

Banned
Yes The Road is short, but my attention span was shorter. You'll probably have better luck than I did, though. I say go for it.
 
M

Mr.Swag

Banned
World War Z
I tried reading The Road, and I just couldn't. Hated the way it was written.

It's not on your list, but what about 11/22/63?
It's what I'm currently reading, and it's shaping up to be the best story I've read in years. It is long tho. 800+ pages.
 
F

Forsaken82

Member
Mr.Swag said:
World War Z
I tried reading The Road, and I just couldn't. Hated the way it was written.

It's not on your list, but what about 11/22/63?
It's what I'm currently reading, and it's shaping up to be the best story I've read in years. It is long tho. 800+ pages.
Click to expand...

Yeah, im a fan of Stephen King, and I will likely add it to my collection eventually, but I am in no rush to begin another 800+ page book. That and Under the Dome are on my radar.
 
C

CiSTM

Banned
Wool is such awesome collection, start with it. Then Blood Meridian and Road, you can skip NCFOM and just watch the movie, Coens did it better. Skip Hunger Games altogether. World War Z is bit dumb from time to time but I did like some of the stories.
 
L

Like the hat?

Banned
the road is one of my favorite books ever. I say read that.

The Hunger Games books were fun, and quick reads (I finished all three in like a week)
 
F

Forsaken82

Member
CiSTM said:
Wool is such awesome collection, start with it. Then Blood Meridian and Road, you can skip NCFOM and just watch the movie, Coens did it better. Skip Hunger Games altogether.
Click to expand...

I have seen NCFOM and loved it. Is this a shared opinion among those that have read NCFOM and seen the film?
 
V

Verdre

Unconfirmed Member
Wool is a very mediocre book/series for how often it's recommended, but it's definitely a short, light read.
 
C

CiSTM

Banned
Forsaken82 said:
I have seen NCFOM and loved it. Is this a shared opinion among those that have read NCFOM and seen the film?
Click to expand...
I think it's common opinion. NCFOM was first intended as a screenplay and not a novel and I think it works best in that format too. Film follows the book very closely but has some very minor changes that make the experience so much better.

Edit. If you like the author then you should read the book too. It's a good book, just not good as the movie.
 
I

IamMattFox

Member
Forsaken82 said:
I have seen NCFOM and loved it. Is this a shared opinion among those that have read NCFOM and seen the film?
Click to expand...
It's good, but it reads like it was written for a film adaptation. I thought the Coens translated it pretty much perfectly to the screen when I saw the film after reading the book.

The Road is better.
 
F

Forsaken82

Member
CiSTM said:
Edit. If you like the author then you should read the book too. It's a good book, just not good as the movie.
Click to expand...

Well, NCFOM is what turned me on to Cormac McCarthy to be honest. Never read any of his books. As a fan of Westerns, he seems to have a knack for solid story telling in the genre across all time periods it seems. Granted I am basing this solely on the 2 films that have been made :p (i have only seen parts of the road)
 
B

blainethemono

Member
Although it is really fucking brutally violent though so I guess maybe wait a while if you're looking for something lighter than ASOIAF or something
 
F

Forsaken82

Member
blainethemono said:
Although it is really fucking brutally violent though so I guess maybe wait a while if you're looking for something lighter than ASOIAF or something
Click to expand...

In regards to "lighter" i just mean in the sense of actual wordcount. I am not looking for 1000+ pages to read through after having just read almost 5000 pages worth of Medieval Fantasy
 
H

Haly

One day I realized that sadness is just another word for not enough coffee.
Forsaken82 said:
Out of curiosity, what is it that makes the hunger games books so shitty? lol
Click to expand...

They're not exactly bad in the context of their genre (YA), but unless you have a soft spot for Twilight-esque "one (teenage) girl is torn between two (teenage) guys" setup it can get really grating. On the other hand, it's pretty brutal when it does delve into violence and mental instability so it has that going for it.

Not to mention the world is pretty shallow and makes no sense (and is possibly racist in some ways).
 
F

f0rk

Member
Forsaken82 said:
Out of curiosity, what is it that makes the hunger games books so shitty? lol
Click to expand...

When they are described as young adult it is an excuse for very basic writing. The first book had a good premise in an interesting world and I thought even the teenage romance stuff was a different take even if the main character is quite dumb.
But after that the writer clearly wasn't planning on the book being a success and the attempts at upping the stakes and showing some of the world are constantly hindered by Kat being increasing naive, selfish and an all around idiot. The romance stuff turns into a really stupid love triangle and having the narrative always tied to Kat makes the plot ridiculous.
 
M

Mumei

Member
The Road was one of the first books I read last year, and one of the best. Strongly recommend.

If the rest of his stuff is as good, I'd also recommend the other Cormac books, but I haven't actually read them.
 
F

Forsaken82

Member
I think I have ultimately decided on The Road and then Ill move on to Blood Meridian (unless The Road makes me want to kill myself after reading, in which case ill likely move on to the Wool...)
 
F

Fey

Banned
Not sure if HG is the best option right after ASoIaF. Going from a well-written fantasy series to a mediocre, predictable series might make it seem worse than it is.

I haven't read all of the rest, but I would go for Blood Meridian.
 
W

WastedJoker

Banned
I'm really enjoying The Red Knight by Miles Cameron.

red-knight-book-1.jpg


It's a fantasy epic set in a medieval world with knights, serfs, lords, ladies and royalty. Oh and it also has daemons, wyrms, boglins and assorted monsters from The Wild north who are trying to claim their land back from the humans.

Oh and some people are imbued with magic from the sun or from nature and this forms the crux of the battles.

It uses a similar style to Game of Thrones in that each chapter is from a different persons viewpoint including the good guys, the bad guys and the not-sure guys.

Some of the characters are amazing - The Red Knight and Jean de Vrailly, the self-styled "Greatest Knight that ever lived" are my favourites.

I really recommend it if you like well-written fantasy. It's a long satisfying read. I'm only two-thirds through it though but I'm dying to find out how it ends.
 
F

Forsaken82

Member
WastedJoker said:
I'm really enjoying The Red Knight by Miles Cameron.

red-knight-book-1.jpg


It's a fantasy epic set in a medieval world with knights, serfs, lords, ladies and royalty. Oh and it also has daemons, wyrms, boglins and assorted monsters from The Wild north who are trying to claim their land back from the humans.

Oh and some people are imbued with magic from the sun or from nature and this forms the crux of the battles.

It uses a similar style to Game of Thrones in that each chapter is from a different persons viewpoint including the good guys, the bad guys and the not-sure guys.

Some of the characters are amazing - The Red Knight and Jean de Vrailly, the self-styled "Greatest Knight that ever lived" are my favourites.

I really recommend it if you like well-written fantasy. It's a long satisfying read. I'm only two-thirds through it though but I'm dying to find out how it ends.
Click to expand...

Not really looking for another Fantasy novel to get into just yet. But ill keep it in mind
 
G

GayForMaster

Banned
Forsaken82 said:
So the last year has been comprised of reading through all 5 of the A Song of Ice and Fire books, and I finally just finished up book 5.

I am trying to figure out what to read next out of the following:

The Road
No Country for Old Men
Blood Meridian
Wool
Gone Girl
World War Z
Hunger Games(entire series)

I am definitely leaning towards Wool or The Road. Will be nice to read something a little lighter in content (i am referring to the word count here, not the tone)from the mammoth size of the ASoFaI books. Thoughts?
Click to expand...

Hunger games...? Don't read that trash. It was clearly inspired by Battle Royale. Battle Royale is also infinitely superior. Fuck Hunger Games.
 
F

Forsaken82

Member
GayForMaster said:
Hunger games...? Don't read that trash. It was clearly inspired by Battle Royale. Battle Royale is also infinitely superior. Fuck Hunger Games.
Click to expand...

I think I simply have interest in the Hunger Games as a "I don't give a fuck what it is, I just want to read" series... I am sure everyone has those books that they just want to shut down their brain right?

Like watching a Michael Bay film!
 
W

wenis

Registered for GAF on September 11, 2001.
Pick one of these!

385353_101524059266854djww.jpg


its my current reading list, set me back 6 bucks
 
S

SuperEpicMan

Banned
It is a bit of random choice but I was recently in your position, having read all the ASOIAF in about 4 months I needed something different. I got the first walking dead compendium on GAF recommendation and it makes an awesome change of pace.
 
M

MarinaraMartini

Neo Member
Hunger Games was lame.

Definitely go with Wool. The Road was amazing too but you have to be in the right mood to read it (as with most McCarthy books).

Gone Girl was a really fun read. The twist was awesome (you might get a horrible inkling of what it is early on though).
 
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