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What are you reading? (August 2013)
- Thread starter Maklershed
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AngmarsKing701
Member
I read this a couple years ago. 3/5 from me. Pretty slow. It had some interesting bits but overall I thought it was too long for what it was trying to do.
Since S&L is reading this as a group read and it's free from my library, I figure I'll join in.
The Curse of Chalion by Lois McMaster Bujold
Great book. Maybe my favorite Bujold novel.
AngmarsKing701
Member
I love Bujold's writing too.
Maklershed
Member
I have a feeling Angmars comments above will probably reflect my same opinion by the time I'm done. I'm about 40% through and not much has happened - although I did just get through an exciting bit where
the monster chased the ice master (Blanky I believe) up the mast of the ship and then out into a field of icebergs
EverythingShiny
Member
I have a bit of an odd request - my sleep medicine doc has recommended that I read a, for lack of a better word, boring book at night when I can't sleep. Nothing too engaging because I don't want to stay up all night reading it, but I'd like for the subject matter to be somewhat interesting. Anyone have any favorite biographies or history books that are a bit dry?
Mackenzie 92
Member
I really loved it, but the setting has always fascinated me. I also didn't have anything on tap to read next, so I just kind of soaked it all in and took my time with it. It is slow at times, especially the first half, but it starts picking up in the middle and last 3rd of the book.
Also when I finished it, I started researching the real life expedition that it's based on and all of the real life characters, so it came to life a bit more for me. You can even take a look at the place they were stranded in google earth. But I don't recommend doing any of that until you finish the book.
BenjaminBirdie
Banned
25% into The Twelve and it's maybe almost TOO Stand-y (Stand-Off-Ish? lofl) but Cronin still drops bombs like
that elevate this stuff to best-ever-level tier. I'm amazed that someone who can write like this is writing stuff like this.
"I could have held his hand."
AngmarsKing701
Member
Tragicomedy
Member
I'm almost finished with Terry Pratchett's Pyramids, but not sure what I'm going to read next. Ten more to go to finish the reading part of my 50/50 challenge. I'll end up going beyond it probably, but I want to plot out the last ten.
I'm thinking some combination of the following:
James S.A. Corey - The Butcher of Anderson Station *
James S.A. Corey - Leviathan Wakes
James S.A. Corey - Caliban's War
James S.A. Corey - Gods of Risk *
James S.A. Corey - Abaddon's Gate
Brandon Sanderson - The Way of Kings
Brandon Sanderson - The Rithmatist
Peter Heller - The Dog Stars
Hugh Howey - Wool omnibus
John Scalzi - Old Man's War
Dan Simmons - Hyperion
Veronica Roth - Allegiant
* Not sure these are worth reading, since they are short and seem more like side stories than the actual series. Does anyone have an opinion on them?
I'm thinking some combination of the following:
James S.A. Corey - The Butcher of Anderson Station *
James S.A. Corey - Leviathan Wakes
James S.A. Corey - Caliban's War
James S.A. Corey - Gods of Risk *
James S.A. Corey - Abaddon's Gate
Brandon Sanderson - The Way of Kings
Brandon Sanderson - The Rithmatist
Peter Heller - The Dog Stars
Hugh Howey - Wool omnibus
John Scalzi - Old Man's War
Dan Simmons - Hyperion
Veronica Roth - Allegiant
* Not sure these are worth reading, since they are short and seem more like side stories than the actual series. Does anyone have an opinion on them?
I think the Caro LBJ biographies are perfect for this. Very good, but very detailed and deliberate style that makes it good bedtime reading.
Recently finished (and/or put down without bothering to finish)
The Dresden Files 01: Storm Front by Jim Butcher
The first time I tried to read this, I couldn't get through the opening third, which is extremely boring and very paint-by-numbers. This time I powered through, and things improved quite a bit once the story got rolling. The plot relies way too much on coincidence, and the way magic is used seems kind of cheap. Harry's level of strength seems to vary wildly depending on what is needed to make the plot work. Still, I've heard this series gets drastically better, and I thought this showed a lot of potential, so I went ahead and started the second book, which already feels like an improvement.
[
The Sorcerer's House by Gene Wolfe
This is my second try at a Gene Wolfe book, after getting somewhat irritated with the New Sun books and putting them down without finishing them. I liked this a hell of a lot more, and it clicked for me right away. I have no idea what really happened. You could probably read it about five or six different ways, all of them highly entertaining. I've been planning to give the New Sun books another try for a while, because I saw a lot of other things I liked when I tried to read them before, and I've always felt like I was just in the wrong mood to read them at the time. I think this book gave me a better feel for what Wolfe is all about, and I might start the New Sun books over soon to see if I can get into them.
The Ceremonies by T.E.D. Klein
This is a horror novel from the 80s that gets quite a bit of praise. It has some decent Lovecraftian style creepiness here and there, and the actual writing style is pretty nice. He does a good job creating a sinister atmosphere. Unfortunately, he writes terrible characters and the story is painfully slow. I tried, but I just couldn't force my way through it.
The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner
Honestly, Faulkner is obviously a brilliant writer, a gargantuan talent, every single word just drips with pure genius... but... the opening of this book is unquestionably the literary equivalent to trolling. It is like the worst, most inconsiderate opening you could possibly imagine. It's almost hilarious in a way. Not only is it intentionally incomprehensible, constantly shifting in time over a 30+ year period with a narrator who is incapable of properly understanding the world around him, which naturally leads to lots of confusion all by itself, he also starts playing games with character names to purposefully confuse, and does all sorts of other annoying shit to make the book as impenetrable as possible... I'm sure there's some wonderful stuff later when the "ah ha" moments start rolling in, and I'm sure it's great on a reread, but I can't justify giving this book enough time to get that far. I'm thinking of starting Sanctuary soon. Apparently Faulkner wrote it for strictly for money. Maybe it is a little more considerate in terms of trying to engage the reader. It wouldn't have to be much better, because even with all the problems, this book almost hooked me anyway. I found myself constantly varying between total rage and extreme fascination, but rage won out in the end.
The Dresden Files 01: Storm Front by Jim Butcher
The first time I tried to read this, I couldn't get through the opening third, which is extremely boring and very paint-by-numbers. This time I powered through, and things improved quite a bit once the story got rolling. The plot relies way too much on coincidence, and the way magic is used seems kind of cheap. Harry's level of strength seems to vary wildly depending on what is needed to make the plot work. Still, I've heard this series gets drastically better, and I thought this showed a lot of potential, so I went ahead and started the second book, which already feels like an improvement.
[
The Sorcerer's House by Gene Wolfe
This is my second try at a Gene Wolfe book, after getting somewhat irritated with the New Sun books and putting them down without finishing them. I liked this a hell of a lot more, and it clicked for me right away. I have no idea what really happened. You could probably read it about five or six different ways, all of them highly entertaining. I've been planning to give the New Sun books another try for a while, because I saw a lot of other things I liked when I tried to read them before, and I've always felt like I was just in the wrong mood to read them at the time. I think this book gave me a better feel for what Wolfe is all about, and I might start the New Sun books over soon to see if I can get into them.
The Ceremonies by T.E.D. Klein
This is a horror novel from the 80s that gets quite a bit of praise. It has some decent Lovecraftian style creepiness here and there, and the actual writing style is pretty nice. He does a good job creating a sinister atmosphere. Unfortunately, he writes terrible characters and the story is painfully slow. I tried, but I just couldn't force my way through it.
The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner
Honestly, Faulkner is obviously a brilliant writer, a gargantuan talent, every single word just drips with pure genius... but... the opening of this book is unquestionably the literary equivalent to trolling. It is like the worst, most inconsiderate opening you could possibly imagine. It's almost hilarious in a way. Not only is it intentionally incomprehensible, constantly shifting in time over a 30+ year period with a narrator who is incapable of properly understanding the world around him, which naturally leads to lots of confusion all by itself, he also starts playing games with character names to purposefully confuse, and does all sorts of other annoying shit to make the book as impenetrable as possible... I'm sure there's some wonderful stuff later when the "ah ha" moments start rolling in, and I'm sure it's great on a reread, but I can't justify giving this book enough time to get that far. I'm thinking of starting Sanctuary soon. Apparently Faulkner wrote it for strictly for money. Maybe it is a little more considerate in terms of trying to engage the reader. It wouldn't have to be much better, because even with all the problems, this book almost hooked me anyway. I found myself constantly varying between total rage and extreme fascination, but rage won out in the end.
Thisssss.
I really should try her fantasy books. I have only read her Vorkosigan collections.
Maklershed
Member
Hot, Flat, and Crowded
Guns, Germs, and Steel
Saints and Sinners
1776
Curious Myths of the Middle Ages: The Sangreal, Pope Joan, The Wandering Jew, and Others
And I guess some might call it boring (not me) but J Edgar Hoover: The Man and the Secrets
Super boring fiction: American Gods
Probably the best book to start off with for Wolfe is The Fifth Head of Cerberus. Make sure to get the version with three stories, and not just the standalone novella since the stories are connected.
I second American Gods as super boring fiction, also.
Recently finished (and/or put down without bothering to finish)
The Dresden Files 01: Storm Front by Jim Butcher
The first time I tried to read this, I couldn't get through the opening third, which is extremely boring and very paint-by-numbers. This time I powered through, and things improved quite a bit once the story got rolling. The plot relies way too much on coincidence, and the way magic is used seems kind of cheap. Harry's level of strength seems to vary wildly depending on what is needed to make the plot work. Still, I've heard this series gets drastically better, and I thought this showed a lot of potential, so I went ahead and started the second book, which already feels like an improvement.
The series does get a bit better, but Harry is always exactly as powerful as the plot calls for. But they're quick, usually fun reads, so I don't hold it against them too much.
I've been thinking of reading Cerberus also. It would be a little less of a time investment than jumping right back into New Sun, and sounds pretty cool.
Also, American Gods is sort of amazing
Well that may end up bothering me, but if they stay fun, and continue to expand the world and characters, I might be able to put up with it. The best thing about the book ended up being Dresden himself. By the time I finished, I felt like he was especially likable character, and it seemed like there was a lot of potential in the overall setting for gradually building something pretty interesting around him.
Currently reading The Brothers Karamazov, about 500 pages into the Pevear/Volokonsky translation. I'm really enjoying it.
I went on a bit of a Faulkner binge at the start of this year, and this book has become one of my absolute favourites (along with Absalom, Absalom!, which I read first). It's true that the first half or so is confusing as all hell, but I would say stick with it. I also read Sanctuary, which I would recommend.
The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner
I went on a bit of a Faulkner binge at the start of this year, and this book has become one of my absolute favourites (along with Absalom, Absalom!, which I read first). It's true that the first half or so is confusing as all hell, but I would say stick with it. I also read Sanctuary, which I would recommend.
I'll second Guns, Germs, and Steel.
Also, American Gods is sort of amazing
Yes, it is amazing how boring Gaiman can be when he puts his mind to it.
But seriously, I just really didn't like how dry it was, especially after Sandman or his lighter fare like Stardust.
Nappuccino
Member
Only 14% in, but it's not really grabbing me. I can't really get into it due to how fragmented it is.
That's pretty much my main fear about reading it.
Outbox: The Corrections. This novel really picked up steam in the second half: the cruise ship, Lithuania, and the final two chapters are all astounding. Say what you will of Franzen being a detached, and sometimes even obtuse writer, he really had me on the verge of tears by the end of the book. How Franzen uses the children's lives to show that we can never really escape our parents is great, and the theme of old school values versus new school sensibilities rang true throughout. It seems that Franzen is trying to say that while some things have gotten better over the years, we now have a new slew of evils to face down in the 21st century.
Inbox: Welcome to the Monkey House. Vonnegut is without a doubt my favorite author. I love that he is able to infuse humor and simple prose to get at human truths most writers are incapable of capturing. I've read a lot of the short stories already, but it's nice to revisit some of my favorites, like "Harrison Bergeron" and "Report on The Barnhouse Effect." Vonnegut is the perfect change of pace after Franzen. Been a fun week of reading.
Inbox: Welcome to the Monkey House. Vonnegut is without a doubt my favorite author. I love that he is able to infuse humor and simple prose to get at human truths most writers are incapable of capturing. I've read a lot of the short stories already, but it's nice to revisit some of my favorites, like "Harrison Bergeron" and "Report on The Barnhouse Effect." Vonnegut is the perfect change of pace after Franzen. Been a fun week of reading.
Incandenza
Banned
Yes, it is amazing how boring Gaiman can be when he puts his mind to it.
But seriously, I just really didn't like how dry it was, especially after Sandman or his lighter fare like Stardust.
American Gods and King's 11/22/63 are both very similar reads in that they initially seem like big adventures, only to ratchet the pace wayyy down in the second act for an exploration of small-town life. That's not a bad thing, but I'm not surprised that a lot of people get bored with it. In fact I think I like it a lot more upon reflection than I did when I was reading it. But it has a lot of memorable moments and I like Gaiman's storytelling. I bet I would really love it upon reread.
I love the main books in the Expanse series, but I haven't read the short stories, but I'm sure they're pretty good too. If you're looking to pad your book count, by all means read em!
I'm about halfway into Shift right now and I feel the same as others in this thread. It's not a bad book, there just isn't much gripping me right now. I don't really care about the characters and the world has already been established in Wool so there isn't much excitement there. I've heard it gets better so I'll be crossing my fingers and hoping that's the case.
edit: Forgot to ask. Has anyone read Tales of Dunk and Egg? Where is a good place to pick them up? They are far too expensive online and I don't have an eReader so I can't get a cheap digital copy.
edit: Forgot to ask. Has anyone read Tales of Dunk and Egg? Where is a good place to pick them up? They are far too expensive online and I don't have an eReader so I can't get a cheap digital copy.
Actually I had serious problems with 11/22/63 for exactly the reason you mentioned, but I sort of liked it in American Gods. The overall weirdness of the story seemed more suited to a spooky, textured treatment, rather than a big adventure. The only minor annoyance for me were the little interlude chapters, but in the end, I decided they--just barely--worked to the betterment of the book.
The Kindle PC reader is free. You do not need a Kindle to buy books for your Kindle account. Only an amazon account.
Also all these American Gods naysayers smh.
Wiktor
Member
With the early books each is a big improvement. By 6th one it reaches the level that's absolutely unbeatable in it's genre.
AngmarsKing701
Member
I barely managed to finish the first book and never went back to the series. don't understand the love. also haven't been able to get into his fantasy series either (only read the sample on amazon, but found it underwhelming)
Ooo I hadn't considered that. Thanks, I'll look into it!
I don't see myself going back to TSATF for a long time, if ever. It's been a while since a book has infuriated me to this extent. I may give it another try if I read a few more Faulkner books and end up liking them. Sanctuary sounds like it might be more to my liking, or maybe As I Lay dying. The thing is, I really love Cormac McCarthy, who is clearly influenced by Faulkner in a big way, and random samples of Faulkner's prose always blow my mind, but so far I haven't been impressed with his storytelling ability at all, though, granted, I haven't tackled anything with a serious intention of finishing it except for TSATF, which is known to have a rough start.
Ventilaator
Banned
...landing on The Allowable Rhyme when picking a random Lovecraft story was pretty funny. Took me a while before I realized that there probably aren't going to be monsters in this one.
I don't really understand the love for them myself, I mostly just think they're among the least worst of the urban fantasy genre. (A genre filled with genuinely horrible books.) His other fantasy series is definitely worse than the Dresden books.
Wiktor
Member
The love comes from people who read the whole series. It does start underwhelming, but if you can last through initial ones it does get better, a lot better. There's nothing else out there with comparable quality in urban fantasy category to Dresden Files once it get going. Unfortunatelly it takes some time to get going, so I can't really blame people who bail out before that.
That's said, to me this is the most entertaining series in print currently. I anticipate launch of each volume more than I wait for any other book, movie, game or tv season premiere. I love the characters, the plot twist, the great world building, the humor and the awesome action scenes. Plus it has a lot of really "fuck yeah!!!" moments, when you want to just stand up and start cheering because the hero just did something truly awesome.
This is the kind of praise that caused me to give the first book another try. I've seen several people on this board in the past start with the first book and barely finish it, and then before you know it, they've read about five or six books, and after that they just power through them really fast.
I figure there has to be a reason for that.
Also, in theory, I should be a big fan of urban/contemporary fantasy... I tend to be a big fan of supernatural horror, which is a kind of contemporary fantasy, and I enjoy stuff like American Gods, and The Sorcerer's house, which is a different kind of tone, but still in the same general realm. And I love a lot of urban fantasy on TV, like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, so I figure the book version of that sort of popcorn fun urban fantasy is supposedly Dresden Files. If it gets better than the first book, I'm sure I'll end up enjoying it.
Mackenzie 92
Member
Never could get into Shift either. Seemed like a big step down from Wool.
You might check your library for the Dunk and Egg stuff. Or just buy the digital versions and read them on your PC/Tablet/Phone, they're so short that I doubt you'd have much trouble making do with what you got.
They're all self contained, though you still have to read them in order. So definitely less daunting than some of the other giant fantasy series that never finish anything in one book.
Gordon0Freeman
Member
Yea the setting and the mystery definitely fascinate me. Which is the main reason I will start reading it. Thanks
Wiktor
Member
Well, they are all pretty much stand alone. There is a lot of plot threads running through all of them, but each book is about one particular case and with exception pf one volumne, they all end with satysfying thump, that allows you to take a rest from the whole series if you like.
They're more like detective novels than fantasy ones this way. It's not Song of Ice and Fire where you end up each book with agony for the next or Malazan Book of the Fallen, when if you don't follow with next volumne soon you will forgot all the hundreds of names that Erikson keeps throwing into each bool.
How far did you get into The Sound and the Fury?
In regards to his other works that I've read, Sanctuary is more straight-forward story-wise, as is Light In August. As I Lay Dying is similar to TSATF in that it contains first person narration from a number of people, but it's easier to follow. I liked it, but didn't love it.
I'm a big McCarthy fan too, Blood Meridian is sublime.
I didn't make it too far into TSATF, maybe halfway through Benji's section, or a little more. Then I got super-pissed off around the time when
female Quentin shows up and there is a scene on a porch swing that (i'm pretty sure) is jumping back and forth in time...
On Cormac McCarthy: I thought Blood Meridian had some of the best individual sequences I've ever read, but I actually prefer both Child of God and The Road overall.
Ah ok, didn't know they were that standalone, so maybe I'll check them out eventually.
I'm not really liking "Some Are Sicker Than Others" a whole lot right now, just passed 25% done. The writing style just feels off, since it's not in first person, but each chapter is written in the style of the characters. I guess I want to find out what happens at least, so that much is a positive.
MrOogieBoogie
BioShock Infinite is like playing some homeless guy's vivid imagination
More than halfway through Game of Thrones.
Strong contender for one of my top three favorite novels ever. Not even kidding. I actually find myself struggling to put it down to get other shit done. George R.R. Martin is a great writer; love his prose and how vividly he paints scenes. Also love the pacing; unlike, say, Dune, which starts at a crawl before finally picking up, I feel like the plot and characters are constantly moving in Martin's story. But it's never so convoluted that you can't tell what is going on. The short chapters that focus on one character is a fantastic way to keep everything coherent.
Strong contender for one of my top three favorite novels ever. Not even kidding. I actually find myself struggling to put it down to get other shit done. George R.R. Martin is a great writer; love his prose and how vividly he paints scenes. Also love the pacing; unlike, say, Dune, which starts at a crawl before finally picking up, I feel like the plot and characters are constantly moving in Martin's story. But it's never so convoluted that you can't tell what is going on. The short chapters that focus on one character is a fantastic way to keep everything coherent.
I haven't read it yet but I don't doubt it. It's one of the flaws of Stephen King. He thinks of a situation and writes about it, sort of putting off the ending until he gets to it.
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