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What are you reading? (April 2015)
- Thread starter Maklershed
- Start date
Magic
Reading the Colour of Magic and am currently about halfway through. Got through the first half real quick but have been slowing down as my interest wanes. Probably after I finish this I will be looking for something else and go back to read more of the series later.
I am the opposite and maybe I would like the second book more. I just do not like how The Colour of Magic feels like a bunch of short stories.
I am the opposite and maybe I would like the second book more. I just do not like how The Colour of Magic feels like a bunch of short stories.
Maklershed
Member
Fixed the OP. Also, I'm reading ..
Kinde
Ubik by Philip K. Dick
Hard copy
The Quiet American by Graham Greene
Audio
A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson
Kinde
Ubik by Philip K. Dick
Hard copy
The Quiet American by Graham Greene
Audio
A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson
DurielBlack
Member
Just finished reading Monster Hunter International over the weekend. Waiting in queue to get the sequel from the library.
Picked it up on recommendation of a co-worker it was pretty good. I normally don't like 1-st person perspective writing, but found it didn't get in the way of my enjoyment.
Book was something like Michael Bay directing a film that crosses Blade with H.P. Lovecraft. Could totally see it starring The Rock and Megan Fox.
Picked it up on recommendation of a co-worker it was pretty good. I normally don't like 1-st person perspective writing, but found it didn't get in the way of my enjoyment.
Book was something like Michael Bay directing a film that crosses Blade with H.P. Lovecraft. Could totally see it starring The Rock and Megan Fox.
ClosingADoor
Member
Just finished the book. That all these people involved walked away with millions is really something... When the author says these firms shouldn't be publicly traded like this since it removes all responsibility I can only agree.
I see that movie is on Netflix here. Will check it out later, thanks for the tip!
Chromium.Wings
Member
Well, it is and it isn't (a la Platform 9 3/4s). And it's sorta just waved off as a "people only see what they expect to see".
Kyleripman
Member
Is there a good summary of the Way of Kings out there that I can read before Words of Radiance? I read it maybe 1.5 years ago and would like to get a refresher before I start the sequel.
I enjoyed it well enough at the time. I think Sanderson's dialogue is clunky, especially when his characters are attempting to be witty, but it was undoubtedly entertaining.
I enjoyed it well enough at the time. I think Sanderson's dialogue is clunky, especially when his characters are attempting to be witty, but it was undoubtedly entertaining.
H.Protagonist
[-_-]/
I'm so glad it wasn't just me...
User 479360
Banned
I'm still near the beginning with regards to both Ready, Player One and 20th Century Ghosts (short stories, though). Also want to finish 11/22/63.
Just finished
Really enjoyed it. I don't know if i would have read a book about the worlds fair without it having the serial killer angle as well. But I actually ended up finding some of the worlds fair stuff the most interesting parts of the book.
Just started The Girl on the Train. It's ok sofar, main character is a bit much.
Really enjoyed it. I don't know if i would have read a book about the worlds fair without it having the serial killer angle as well. But I actually ended up finding some of the worlds fair stuff the most interesting parts of the book.
Just started The Girl on the Train. It's ok sofar, main character is a bit much.
Tenth of December is a really good collection. Guess I should go check out Saunders' earlier work.
I have some recommendations for short fiction, genre and literary work and all the stuff in between. Here's stuff you should definitely check out:
Fictions by Jorge Luis Borges (I read Andrew Hurley's translation)
The Best of Gene Wolfe by Gene Wolfe
Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri
Dangerous Visions edited by Harlan Ellison
The Metamorphosis and Other Stories by Franz Kafka (I read Stanley Appelbaum's translation)
This Is How You Lose Her by Junot Díaz
Stories of Your Life and Others by Ted Chiang
Close Range by Annie Proulx
The Bible Repairman and Other Stories by Tim Powers
Here's some suggestions for stuff I liked but less so than the work above:
I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream by Harlan Ellison
Jagannath by Karin Tidbeck
A Model World and Other Stories by Michael Chabon
Engraved on the Eye by Saladin Ahmed (Kindle version free)
Stranger Things Happen by Kelly Link
I can elaborate on these picks if you want more information. I'm pretty new to short fiction, so there's plenty more I should check out.
sparky2112
Member
I have been reading O'Brian now for years, but I sip his work like fine wine, rather than gulp. Still, can't believe I'm only on #13. Sheesh. Aubrey and Maturin fit like the best pair of well-worn leather shoes...
Recently finished:
Winter's Bone by Daniel Woodrell
This was pretty good.The actual plot was kind of predictable and less compelling than it should have been, but Woodrell is a really good writer and he did a great job bringing the setting to life. I'm not sure if his depiction of life in the Ozarks is really accurate or not, but I grew up in the rural southern Appalachians, in an area that was very far off the beaten path back then (1980s), and there are things in this book that reminded me of certain people I grew up around.
Annihilation by Jeff Vandermeer
I really enjoyed this for the most part. It didn't bother me that he left so much unexplained. The book is very abstract, but in a good way, and he provides more than enough information for a reader to appreciate the character's struggle and get caught up in the suspense. I loved all the weird creepiness and the dreamy atmosphere.
Still, I'm not actually sure if I want to read the other two books. This felt very nicely self contained, and so many people seem to dislike the sequels that I'm afraid they might ruin it.
Elric Book 2: Sailor on the Seas of Fate
I enjoyed the first Elric book a lot, but it took me a while to get around to reading this one. Now I wish I'd read it sooner.I have a thing for fantasy that blends in science fiction elements, and this book had plenty of that. The only thing holding it back was a general lack of cohesion. It basically feels like 3 or 4 short stories strung together to make a novel (I'm pretty sure that's exactly what it is) but they're all good stories and it was a quick easy read.
Scavenger Book 3: Memory by K.J Parker
This was a fantastic closing volume for the best Fantasy series I've read in ages. It probably isn't the sort of thing that everybody would enjoy, partly because Parker likes to put the reader in very difficult moral positions, and partly because it's full of random unexplained weirdness, but I put it right up there with any of the best epic fantasy I've ever read. Many of the events are so dark that It really ought to be unredeemably bleak, but there's so much wonderful gallows humor that you just can't help but have fun with it. KJ Parker is an amazing writer, and every fantasy fan on this board ought to give his/her books a try. I'll probably tackle the Fencer series next.
Winter's Bone by Daniel Woodrell
This was pretty good.The actual plot was kind of predictable and less compelling than it should have been, but Woodrell is a really good writer and he did a great job bringing the setting to life. I'm not sure if his depiction of life in the Ozarks is really accurate or not, but I grew up in the rural southern Appalachians, in an area that was very far off the beaten path back then (1980s), and there are things in this book that reminded me of certain people I grew up around.
Annihilation by Jeff Vandermeer
I really enjoyed this for the most part. It didn't bother me that he left so much unexplained. The book is very abstract, but in a good way, and he provides more than enough information for a reader to appreciate the character's struggle and get caught up in the suspense. I loved all the weird creepiness and the dreamy atmosphere.
Still, I'm not actually sure if I want to read the other two books. This felt very nicely self contained, and so many people seem to dislike the sequels that I'm afraid they might ruin it.
Elric Book 2: Sailor on the Seas of Fate
I enjoyed the first Elric book a lot, but it took me a while to get around to reading this one. Now I wish I'd read it sooner.I have a thing for fantasy that blends in science fiction elements, and this book had plenty of that. The only thing holding it back was a general lack of cohesion. It basically feels like 3 or 4 short stories strung together to make a novel (I'm pretty sure that's exactly what it is) but they're all good stories and it was a quick easy read.
Scavenger Book 3: Memory by K.J Parker
This was a fantastic closing volume for the best Fantasy series I've read in ages. It probably isn't the sort of thing that everybody would enjoy, partly because Parker likes to put the reader in very difficult moral positions, and partly because it's full of random unexplained weirdness, but I put it right up there with any of the best epic fantasy I've ever read. Many of the events are so dark that It really ought to be unredeemably bleak, but there's so much wonderful gallows humor that you just can't help but have fun with it. KJ Parker is an amazing writer, and every fantasy fan on this board ought to give his/her books a try. I'll probably tackle the Fencer series next.
obin_gam
Member
DON'T!
I just read through the trilogy and the first one is the only one that has quality writing in it. The second one is boring as hell and the third one is an incomprehensible mess.
Just be satisfied with the first one and pretend it's a stand alone short story with no continuation.
Christoff Yurievich
Member
Hyperbole, it's an amazing thing.
I feel like it's evenly split between those who like the two books and those who don't. I think the second book could have benefitted from them telling you who Control was taking over for a little earlier, and maybe some better exposition (I know, exposition being what it is in these books) to help understand the politics/conflicts that you're thrust into. Using Control as a blank slate wasn't the best narrative tool, especially when he kept saying, "treat me as if I don't know anything" and you think you're going to learn something but then the characters don't tell him anything because they hold him in contempt.
Read them. They're short and the worst that will happen is you'll say, "I read a bad book today." Everyone reads bad books and it's never the end of the world.
I feel like it's evenly split between those who like the two books and those who don't. I think the second book could have benefitted from them telling you who Control was taking over for a little earlier, and maybe some better exposition (I know, exposition being what it is in these books) to help understand the politics/conflicts that you're thrust into. Using Control as a blank slate wasn't the best narrative tool, especially when he kept saying, "treat me as if I don't know anything" and you think you're going to learn something but then the characters don't tell him anything because they hold him in contempt.
Read them. They're short and the worst that will happen is you'll say, "I read a bad book today." Everyone reads bad books and it's never the end of the world.
UGH. It was ONE character who said she was witty and gorgeous, and it was an old sailor who had probably never heard anything witty nor seen anything gorgeous in his life.
I love Sanderson's dialogue. I mean, yes, she tries too hard, but that's a character trait, and she's only like 16 years old.
Kyleripman
Member
Hahaha, excellent. There was a little bit of that creeping into Sanderson's Wheel of Time books (thinking of Egwene's logic arguments in the Tower) but not quite so bad.
ehehehehe
Shallan has dad joke level witticisms. I get the feeling she was just an outlet for dumb jokes Sanderson makes on the regular. That has to be it lol. They were so bad.
Als een Branden Huis, dutch translation of Caminho como uma casa em chamas by Portuguese author António Lobos Antunes. Title translates as 'I'm running like a burning building'.
Picked it up as I have a big affection for Portugal, and I'm trying to learn more of the Portuguese culture and history (even learning Portuguese at the moment). Heard Antunes is one of the greatest Portuguese writers, and (thanks to a great translation), I can't disagree.
The book is essentialy an anthology of stream of consciensnesses.Every chapter is told in first person from one of the tenants of an apartment bulding. While they tell their tale, it gets interupted by other thoughts, sounds from other apartments, memories of the past, etc. Everything flows trough each other, sometimes mid-sentence they can go from telling what they feel at the moment to a memorie of a distant past, and back.
So it's at times a difficult read (not recommended when you are tired for instance), but in a way it is very gripping too. The stories reffer to Portuguese history, but also themes as Saudade (longing for something that will never materialize, or something that will never come back, or the idea that the future can never be as good as the past. Hard to translate
)... If you read it as flowing as it is writing, and let the proze flow over you, it's quite the experience.I'm almost trough it. Bought some other novels of him (Fado Alexandrino, which is his suposed masterpiece for instance), but will probably read something more light first).
PassiveObserver
Member
Dusted off Station Eleven (really dug that one) and cracking into
Kurt Vonnegut is comfort food reading.
Kurt Vonnegut is comfort food reading.
PoweredBySoy
Banned
Just finished Dead Wake. Might be my favorite book of Larson's. But I tend to be partial to naval history stuff.
Speaking of which, I finished In The Kingdom Of Ice the other month as well, by my favorite author, Hampton Sides. Anything he writes is f'ing amazing, but, again, this one had a naval angle to it.
It's been a good year so far for books.
Speaking of which, I finished In The Kingdom Of Ice the other month as well, by my favorite author, Hampton Sides. Anything he writes is f'ing amazing, but, again, this one had a naval angle to it.
It's been a good year so far for books.
That's the same exact copy I'm reading!!Dusted off Station Eleven (really dug that one) and cracking into
Kurt Vonnegut is comfort food reading.
Horray for thriftbooks.com
Ranger Taffles
Member
Annihilation by Jeff Vandermeer
I really enjoyed this for the most part. It didn't bother me that he left so much unexplained. The book is very abstract, but in a good way, and he provides more than enough information for a reader to appreciate the character's struggle and get caught up in the suspense. I loved all the weird creepiness and the dreamy atmosphere.
Still, I'm not actually sure if I want to read the other two books. This felt very nicely self contained, and so many people seem to dislike the sequels that I'm afraid they might ruin it.
I enjoyed the trilogy as a whole and it's a refreshing take on horror of its kind. Plenty of people don't regard the sequels as good as the first one but I was engaged throughout. Sure you can expect some differences in the narrative between all the books but they tie up together pretty well in the end. Also it's worth mentioning that the continuing ambiguity was its best feature for me but I can understand it doesn't work for everyone.
Now this is funny.
Christoff Yurievich
Member
Thematically or something else? Rant is about time travel. Damned is about a a 13-year-old girl and uses "archetypes of characters from The Breakfast Club, i.e., a rocker, a nerd, a beauty and a jock".
PassiveObserver
Member
Yup, picked it up from a physical thrift store! I rarely buy books for more than $1-2; even used bookstores prices are too rich for my blood. My copy is pretty grimy though. Have to wash my hands after every reading session.
fredrancour
Member
My mother apparently got bored enough to read my old copy of gardens of the moon. This is hilarious to me because she never reads anything remotely like it. She finished it too. I didn't leave a copy of deadhouse gates lying around. A shame. It would have been even funnier if she'd actually kept going.
Going through a manga phase atm, so not really reading anything with just them words. I did manage to finish The Time Machine by HG Wells, which was interesting enough.
Kind of casually flicking through X-Wing: Rogue Squadron samples and a sample about how sex workers actually controlled the real estate market in London in the 1700s which is pretty interesting
Kind of casually flicking through X-Wing: Rogue Squadron samples and a sample about how sex workers actually controlled the real estate market in London in the 1700s which is pretty interesting
"God's Beard!"
Member
Solid SOAP
Member
American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis. I'm going through it slowly, I've ready about 130 pages in a month (I'm not a huge reader!), but I really like it so far! It's chilling and... dark. Damn. I saw the movie many moons ago and loved it, I knew it was based off of a book and that the book was much more violent and vivid than the film, but damn! The killings in this thus far are... intense. More than I ever imagined. Patrick Bateman does some fucked up shit, man.
I like the points it tries to make about sincerity in human relationships. Patrick Bateman is a man who dresses himself up real nice, is intelligent and well spoken, but he hides his true desires behind his mask. I think it's brought out a bit better in this book than it is in the film so far.
This is the book that really got me back into reading after years of not doing it for pleasure! I'd recommend it to those looking for a crazy, psycho-analytical adventure with a touch of violence.
[QUOTE="God's Beard!";158638669]I posted in here before when I was reading it, but I had trouble finishing even the first book because I thought it was so bad. Not conceptually or in terms of the plot, but because I thought that the author was a pretty unskilled writer. So many unnecessary adjectives, and the reaction -> internal monologue pattern started to grate on me. In the last book the constant narrative perspective(1st/2nd/3rd person) changes were more annoying than I think the author intended.
Also, the weirdness was so random and sprinkled that it was hard to feel like the characters were in a different world. They'd be walking through a meadow and BAM THING HAPPENS. Then everything is normal world again. It never felt like it was ramping up tension. Wandering, monologues, flashback, monologue, wandering, THING HAPPENS, wandering, monologue, THING HAPPENS.
On the other hand....
This is my favorite book. It does everything Vandermeer wants to do so much more smoothly, the writing style is so dreamy that you forget that you're reading after a while. Nothing feels forced, and everything weird is allegorical enough that you feel like it's always a crucial part of the story. Consistent strong writing throughout with enough going on to let you really sink into the themes. Murakami expresses himself without disrespecting the reader's intelligence here. Just a beautiful book that really clinged to me after I finished.
I always get a bittersweet feeling when I finish his books.[/QUOTE]
Well, I disagree pretty strongly on the Vandermeer book, but I agree 100% on Wind-up Bird. That was an amazing book, and certainly better than Annihilation in pretty much every way.
Also, the weirdness was so random and sprinkled that it was hard to feel like the characters were in a different world. They'd be walking through a meadow and BAM THING HAPPENS. Then everything is normal world again. It never felt like it was ramping up tension. Wandering, monologues, flashback, monologue, wandering, THING HAPPENS, wandering, monologue, THING HAPPENS.
On the other hand....
This is my favorite book. It does everything Vandermeer wants to do so much more smoothly, the writing style is so dreamy that you forget that you're reading after a while. Nothing feels forced, and everything weird is allegorical enough that you feel like it's always a crucial part of the story. Consistent strong writing throughout with enough going on to let you really sink into the themes. Murakami expresses himself without disrespecting the reader's intelligence here. Just a beautiful book that really clinged to me after I finished.
I always get a bittersweet feeling when I finish his books.[/QUOTE]
Well, I disagree pretty strongly on the Vandermeer book, but I agree 100% on Wind-up Bird. That was an amazing book, and certainly better than Annihilation in pretty much every way.
"God's Beard!"
Member
I dunno, I feel like Annihilation was a Lovecraft-style short story that was forced into a book and Vandermeer couldn't find enough content to fill the pages. I really couldn't help the feeling that every chapter was padded as I read. And it's not a long book to begin with.
It doesn't help that I was pretty insulted by the psychology plot points. If it was just a one-off horror short story I could let it slide, but being a major axis for three books was just way too much for me. Suspension of disbelief went way out the window, it was pretty apparent how little research went into creating each of the characters' professions.
Nappuccino
Member
[QUOTE="God's Beard!";158641324]I dunno, I feel like Annihilation was a Lovecraft-style short story that was forced into a book and Vandermeer couldn't find enough content to fill the pages. I really couldn't help the feeling that every chapter was padded as I read. And it's not a long book to begin with.
It doesn't help that I was pretty insulted by the psychology plot points. If it was just a one-off horror short story I could let it slide, but being a major axis for three books was just way too much for me. Suspension of disbelief went way out the window, it was pretty apparent how little research went into creating each of the characters' professions.[/QUOTE]
Not sure if this really matters but:
It doesn't help that I was pretty insulted by the psychology plot points. If it was just a one-off horror short story I could let it slide, but being a major axis for three books was just way too much for me. Suspension of disbelief went way out the window, it was pretty apparent how little research went into creating each of the characters' professions.[/QUOTE]
Not sure if this really matters but:
It becomes apparent that the psychologist was desperate and taking unnecessary risks. Also, I don't think the book is meant to be "realistic," which becomes apparent in Authority.
"God's Beard!"
Member
Realism isn't necessary for suspending disbelief. And the psychologist's motivations aren't my problem, even though a number of characters' motivations and actions don't line up with any sort of rationality(especially the second book's
lead character
The things that the psychologist, or the manager, or the biologist do, they don't feel like actions of those jobs. The thing that frustrates me the most is the
hypnotism that pervades the trilogy
Nappuccino
Member
[QUOTE="God's Beard!";158643598]Realism isn't necessary for suspending disbelief. And the psychologist's motivations aren't my problem, even though a number of characters' motivations and actions don't line up with any sort of rationality(especially the second book's
, as you mentioned).
The things that the psychologist, or the manager, or the biologist do, they don't feel like actions of those jobs. The thing that frustrates me the most is the
using concepts that were discredited decades ago. If you're going to do these sorts of things, at least try and use some sort of set up that feels like part of your world, instead of hand-wavy nonsense you probably read in a book about Sigmund Freud.[/QUOTE]
Your latter points are exactly what I mean by the book isn't meant to be realistic. In this world, those things exist. They also make the point that some of these characters aren't particularly great at their jobs, the biologist especially.
lead character
The things that the psychologist, or the manager, or the biologist do, they don't feel like actions of those jobs. The thing that frustrates me the most is the
hypnotism that pervades the trilogy
Your latter points are exactly what I mean by the book isn't meant to be realistic. In this world, those things exist. They also make the point that some of these characters aren't particularly great at their jobs, the biologist especially.
Yeah, that's how I took it as well. The real world in Annihilation isn't really very much like our real world. The powers given to the psychologist are probably the main example, but there were other more subtle hints too.
My curiosity about this aspect is probably the main reason I would be interested in reading the other books if I ever do.
"God's Beard!"
Member
I understand that
Control
if they just said that the psychologist could hypnotize people as part of her contact with Area X, I'd be happier to believe that. Instead, hypnotism just works in the book in a way completely divorced from reality. It's just something she can do for no reason.
Conceptually, I do like the idea of an At the Mountains of Madness meets Solaris-type of story, but the way it played out just wasn't very satisfying to me.
Really well written, messed up, and funny book. Even if you see the movie there is a lot about the book to make well worth a read.
TestMonkey
Member
I hate reality sometimes.
Finished Tower Lord, liked it a lot. About the ending though:
Who were the guys attacking Lyrna at the end, and who was the guy "rescuing" her? I'm sure it wasn't Frentis but the thing about crushing her to his chest and "Burn" had me wondering. I'm guessing it's something to do with the ally and that they're maybe trying to get some of these parasite things into her?
I hate reality sometimes.
HFT is the future bro. Only a quarter in, and while it's no Big Short, it's a solid book thus far.
BronzeWolf
Banned
Just started
.
Fun so far, but for sure it won't gain any literary awards soon
.Fun so far, but for sure it won't gain any literary awards soon
Maklershed
Member
New Jeffrey Lent novel this coming Tuesday! Wheeeeeeeeee! (pre-ordered)
A Slant of Light by Jeffrey Lent
A Slant of Light by Jeffrey Lent