ElectricBlue187
Member
Am now reading No Country For Old Men by Cornac McCarthy. I love the movie and McCarthy's writing so I'm entirely sure in going to love this book
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What are you reading? (August 2013)
- Thread starter Maklershed
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You guilted me into it. I listened to Taliban on audiobook. The narrator has a soothing British voice! I'm actually, slowly, reading classics in my spare time. Homer is tough but he spits mad verses. Meditations is that real politic that I so enjoy.
I was too stupid to actually read these kinds of books when I was assigned them so coming back to them now is fun.
A few chapters in, and I'm enjoying it so far. My only issue is some of the zany last names these characters have.
I loved your review for The Lies of Locke Lamora, so I'm wondering what you'll saw about this, as I have it on my to-read list as well.
It's taking me forever to get through The Dogs Of Riga. The best parts of the book are the character studies of Wallander, the worst are the teetering into B-movie machinations set in Latvia. Wallander always seems on the verge of either having a breakdown or just curling into a corner with a bottle.
Thanks! I wouldn't call that a review because that makes it sounds like it's more than a sentence long
And Looking for Alaska seems like a very light read. I'm 60 pages in and that's what I've been able to read in-between 2 bus rides to my job and that's almost one third of the book. My girlfriend read The Fault in Our Stars recently and liked it so I thought I'd check out John Green for myself, specially after I'd heard his books compared with The Perks of Being a Wallflower (which I admittedly haven't read but I thought the movie was good
). By this point I can definitely see why both would be extremely comparable AlwaysPlaying
Member
Driven, its the sequel to Drive. Just as off the wall and strange as drive...both equally awesome.
Doctor No by Ian Fleming
This one was just all over the place. In what seemed would be a nice followup to Live and Let Die given the setting and returning cast, instead I get some
Bond's girl in this one was mostly useless and effectively window dressing as she's a throwaway character. This is disappointing as until now the Bond girls were typically interlinked with the story to one degree or another.
Another thing that finally got to me was how Fleming uses entire ethnic groups for his antagonists. It seemed fine in Casino Royale as it came across as an international encounter on either side while Live and Let Die was blatant about it what with if you were black anywhere on the east coast, you not only knew of Mr. Big but you feared him and probably worked for him. I thought nothing of it with Moonraker or From Russia With Love as I realized I'm indoctrinated into the whole Russians/Germans are bad by default when in a cold war setting much like the Italian-Americans as mafia in Diamonds Are Forever. Dr. No was much closer to Live and Let Die in this regard as if you were Chinese, congratulations, you're not only evil but in Dr. No's employ without a doubt. It was just really off-putting as while it seems like a tool that allowed for Fleming to easily convey who the antagonists were for the sake of the reader, it also marks it very much as a product of its time.
Get ready to experience the GOAT novel!
Gordon0Freeman
Member
Finally finished House of Suns. Fucking loved it too. Hopefully he returns to the universe soon. Along with starting The Terror, what Alastair Reynolds book should I start? I've only read HOS by him.
Spoiler on HOS, but what is the
Spoiler on HOS, but what is the
Bootes Void supercivilization
Easystride
Member
I've reading this the last week. I am enjoying it despite Homer being a fairly boring main character.
Loved that book, as well as The Fault in Our Stars. Will Grayson, Will Grayson was pretty good, too, but I still need to read his other books.
Finally finished:
The last third was kind of a battle, partly due to my growing dislike of Humbert Humbert.
Also finished:
Loved it and am really looking forward to read more of this man any recommandations? Ethan Hawk was a terrible narrator though.
At the moment I'm about a third into:
So far I'm enjoying it even more than the first one. Wolfe is really good at giving the reader just the right amount of information. A little less and it would be too vague and a bit more and it wouldn't be as eerily fascinating as it is.
Also listening to:
It's nothing too special but the two main heroes are really likable and have a great chemistry and so far it hasn't been boring. The narrator is also doing a rather good job in giving everybody a distinctive voice without overdoing it.
The last third was kind of a battle, partly due to my growing dislike of Humbert Humbert.
Also finished:
Loved it and am really looking forward to read more of this man any recommandations? Ethan Hawk was a terrible narrator though.
At the moment I'm about a third into:
So far I'm enjoying it even more than the first one. Wolfe is really good at giving the reader just the right amount of information. A little less and it would be too vague and a bit more and it wouldn't be as eerily fascinating as it is.
Also listening to:
It's nothing too special but the two main heroes are really likable and have a great chemistry and so far it hasn't been boring. The narrator is also doing a rather good job in giving everybody a distinctive voice without overdoing it.
AngmarsKing701
Member
Finally finished:
Also finished:
Loved it and am really looking forward to read more of this man any recommendations? Ethan Hawk was a terrible narrator though.
It's been a while since I read Vonnegut but The Sirens of Titan and Galapagos were two I remember liking very much.
nakedsushi
Member
I'm currently reading Looking for Alaska, which is totally different from what I usually read.
60 pages in.
How is the dialogue and writing in this one? I liked The Fault is In Our Stars fine but was distracted at how eloquent and self-aware the teenagers were. It's like the Gilmore Girls where everyone sounds too artificial
Mackenzie 92
Member
It definitely kind of feels like this, but I guess it's somewhat justified that some of the characters supposedly have known each other for years and thus have lots of inside jokes and know each other well enough to have witty come backs and dialogue all the time
in comparison, the main character seems a bit less witty since he knows them less, but I absolutely understand what you're saying, and yes, this is written very much like that. If you saw The Perks of Being a Wallflower movie, you'll get an idea of how the dialogue is written since the characters and their dynamics are extremely similar. I actually have a hard time not seeing the cast of that movie in my head while reading this book 
Collete
Member
Finished:
This book was pretty interesting that it expanded on the lore of Earthsea in general and the ending was good when
Going to start reading these when they come in the mail:
This book was pretty interesting that it expanded on the lore of Earthsea in general and the ending was good when
the Nameless Ones finally show what they're capable of and started swallowing the Place of Atuan, it gives you a realization that they were as powerful as they were explained.
Going to start reading these when they come in the mail:
Professor Chaos
Member
shamo42
Member
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17855756-dust
Just started this. It's the 3rd (and afaik final) volume of the Silo series. I hope it can live up to the hype.
Mackenzie 92
Member
Finished The Door into Summer, was pretty good.
Not sure what to read next, was thinking about giving Shift another try, or starting Cyberstorm.
Not sure what to read next, was thinking about giving Shift another try, or starting Cyberstorm.
The Artful Dodger
Member
Took a short break (few months >.<) and now I'm reading
I'm about halfway through and can't say I'm enjoying it as much as Dune. Theres just not enough interesting things going on, or rather, theres hardly anything going on.
The first three I think are the best books of that series...but that being said, Dune is the best one of those three.
It's a good book, but yeah, not as enjoyable as the first one.
Gordon0Freeman
Member
Blue Remembered Earth sounds interesting. Have you read it
The Artful Dodger
Member
Been rereading this: http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51vSAeHjiCL.jpg
It's out of Print but if you can nab a copy (I got mine through amazon), I recommend it. It's not fantasy like Tolkein, but old Ghost tales by Kipling and Kafka and other writers around the world. Basically Borges, Ocampo and Casares decided to make an anthology of great short stories they know of by writers around the world in the "fantastic genre" (not fantasy there's a difference), and made a collection of them. It's fantastic. I love it soo much.
Aside from that I've been readingthis version of The Arabian Nights: Tales of 1,001 Nights. Highly recommended.
It's out of Print but if you can nab a copy (I got mine through amazon), I recommend it. It's not fantasy like Tolkein, but old Ghost tales by Kipling and Kafka and other writers around the world. Basically Borges, Ocampo and Casares decided to make an anthology of great short stories they know of by writers around the world in the "fantastic genre" (not fantasy there's a difference), and made a collection of them. It's fantastic. I love it soo much.
Aside from that I've been readingthis version of The Arabian Nights: Tales of 1,001 Nights. Highly recommended.
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17855756-dust
Just started this. It's the 3rd (and afaik final) volume of the Silo series. I hope it can live up to the hype.
But it's not out until October?
Edit: Hang on, the Kindle version is out but not the hardcover?
Pretty sure all the Silo books have been on Kindle first, IIRC, the Wool Omnibus of was released as "dead tree" edition pretty recently even.
shamo42
Member
The paperback is out. AFAIK it was available a few days before the Kindle edition for once.
http://www.amazon.com/Dust-Silo-Saga-Volume-3/dp/1490904387/
Mackenzie 92
Member
Recently I gave some fantasy book suggestions on one of these threads, and afterwards realised every single one of them was by a male author. Largely because I mostly read fantasy by male authors. So I've been reading fantasy by female authors recently:
Resenting the Hero series. The first book was pretty good, quite funny and a decent main character. The second book was ok too, but after that... dull, stupid story, there is no humour and the characterisation is just a regurgitation of quirks from the first books. Also, basically it's fantasy-romance. Eh. I'm slowly reading the 7th and last book on my phone on my lunch break.
Next was this:
Transformation, Revelation, Restoration (Rai-Kirah series) by Carol Berg. I loved loved the first book, real proper compelling fantasy with great characters and fantastic pace. The followup had some story and pacing issues and though the final book was better, it had some plot deficiencies. But overall pretty damn fine.
At the moment I'm reading this:
Black Sun Rising by Celia Friedman. So far it's decent, though it's not grabbing me the same way Transformation did.
Also I'm reading Jagannath by Karin Tidbeck. Some of the stories are nearly excellent, but others are rather flat.
I finished Don't Bet on the Prince. Some of the fairy stories were good, others were pretty poor. The essays were, with one exception, dull, with not a single interesting or 'ah-ha!' moment. The last essay, analysing the various illustrations to Red Riding Hood, was actually quite interesting.
Resenting the Hero series. The first book was pretty good, quite funny and a decent main character. The second book was ok too, but after that... dull, stupid story, there is no humour and the characterisation is just a regurgitation of quirks from the first books. Also, basically it's fantasy-romance. Eh. I'm slowly reading the 7th and last book on my phone on my lunch break.
Next was this:
Transformation, Revelation, Restoration (Rai-Kirah series) by Carol Berg. I loved loved the first book, real proper compelling fantasy with great characters and fantastic pace. The followup had some story and pacing issues and though the final book was better, it had some plot deficiencies. But overall pretty damn fine.
At the moment I'm reading this:
Black Sun Rising by Celia Friedman. So far it's decent, though it's not grabbing me the same way Transformation did.
Also I'm reading Jagannath by Karin Tidbeck. Some of the stories are nearly excellent, but others are rather flat.
I finished Don't Bet on the Prince. Some of the fairy stories were good, others were pretty poor. The essays were, with one exception, dull, with not a single interesting or 'ah-ha!' moment. The last essay, analysing the various illustrations to Red Riding Hood, was actually quite interesting.
does it have a kooky doctor sealab throwback?
ElectricBlue187
Member
Already finished No Country for Old Men, was incredible as expected.
Started Forever Peace.
Started Forever Peace.
Plasticine
Member
Finished Incubi by Edward Lee. So far, it's probably my favorite Lee book. This novel really was a big step up from his previous two books. It's tight and very controlled. It feels like Lee is confident and knows exactly where he's going with the story. The occult stuff is interesting and comes off very "real" even if Lee was making it all up. The police procedural stuff was dated, but still interesting enough. I can see why it's one of Lee's personal favorites.
Up next...
I thought I'd take a break from Lee. Since I'm in the middle of revisiting The Crow movies, I thought I'd give this book a shot. I love Poppy Z. Brite. I love The Crow. Hopefully two great tastes, taste great together. I guess I'll find out.
Up next...
I thought I'd take a break from Lee. Since I'm in the middle of revisiting The Crow movies, I thought I'd give this book a shot. I love Poppy Z. Brite. I love The Crow. Hopefully two great tastes, taste great together. I guess I'll find out.
sparky2112
Member
I found it fine, but not Earth-shattering.
Lionheart1827
Member
Just started reading this:
Its probably gonna be a long one but its definitely interesting.
Its probably gonna be a long one but its definitely interesting.
Severely Beardy
Neo Member
Hi folks. I'm hoping someone can steer me in the right direction, and help me become a regular reader of sorts.
I didn't read much as a youngster, and had put it down to never finding the right material to keep me interested. It seems I'm still having the same problem.
A few books were recommended to me recently (I like Sci-Fi) ;
Ready Player One
The City & The City
The Unincorporated Man
The Windup Girl
I tried to read 'Ready Player One', but to no avail as the usual pattern emerged. I found the book interesting at first, as it scratched an itch. Then found it hard to push through more than half the book.
In this particular case, I think the writing was a bit childish? Maybe that's unkind, I'm not an expert. I just didn't find it very engaging, and it read like an instruction manual. That is the best way to describe it.
I would like to read just one book, and enjoy it. Hopefully sparking an interest to pick up another thereafter. I like dystopian themes like Bladerunner, and the Shadowrun games. Something of that ilk would be ideal, though I'm open to other forms of fiction.
If anyone could give me an idea of a couple of titles to check out, that would be great. They don't have to be the best books you've ever read, but something interesting and solid that I could build on. I did have a look at the lists in the OP, but there are just so many I don't know where to start.
p.s I didn't mean to cause offence with my description of 'Ready Player One', or by mentioning those other titles. I really have no idea what stance they have in the book world.
I didn't read much as a youngster, and had put it down to never finding the right material to keep me interested. It seems I'm still having the same problem.
A few books were recommended to me recently (I like Sci-Fi) ;
Ready Player One
The City & The City
The Unincorporated Man
The Windup Girl
I tried to read 'Ready Player One', but to no avail as the usual pattern emerged. I found the book interesting at first, as it scratched an itch. Then found it hard to push through more than half the book.
In this particular case, I think the writing was a bit childish? Maybe that's unkind, I'm not an expert. I just didn't find it very engaging, and it read like an instruction manual. That is the best way to describe it.
I would like to read just one book, and enjoy it. Hopefully sparking an interest to pick up another thereafter. I like dystopian themes like Bladerunner, and the Shadowrun games. Something of that ilk would be ideal, though I'm open to other forms of fiction.
If anyone could give me an idea of a couple of titles to check out, that would be great. They don't have to be the best books you've ever read, but something interesting and solid that I could build on. I did have a look at the lists in the OP, but there are just so many I don't know where to start.
p.s I didn't mean to cause offence with my description of 'Ready Player One', or by mentioning those other titles. I really have no idea what stance they have in the book world.
Mackenzie 92
Member
Just started reading this:
Its probably gonna be a long one but its definitely interesting.
That reminds me.. guess it's time to start The Twelve
The Twelve by Justin Cronin
Finished Shift by Hugh Howey yesterday. It was okay. Not as good as the first but I stayed entertained. Ordered a signed copy of Dust online. It was only a few dollars more than a standard copy so I figured I might as well.
Next up is Before They are Hanged by Joe Abercrombie. The first was better than I expected so I'm looking forward to the sequel. I know this is petty, but I really dislike the cover of this book. Looks really gimmicky to me.
Next up is Before They are Hanged by Joe Abercrombie. The first was better than I expected so I'm looking forward to the sequel. I know this is petty, but I really dislike the cover of this book. Looks really gimmicky to me.
AngmarsKing701
Member
TheKaeptain
Banned
Severely Beardy
Neo Member
Thanks for the recommendation, but I read it about 6 years ago. It didn't really flick my switch though.
Okay, I have whittled the selection down to a few titles, with hopes of a winner.
Snow Crash
Stranger in a Strange Land
Foundation
The Stars My Destination
Neuromancer
Wish me luck.
Neuromancer!
It's short and moves pretty quickly, and if you like it you can either jump right into the next two Sprawl books or break it up with some of the others on that list.
I'd pick foundation as my second. It's the only other one I've read, but it's good and easy to break into.
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