Tragicomedy
Member
For my money, he's the greatest writer in the English language.
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What are you reading? (August 2013)
- Thread starter Maklershed
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For my money, he's the greatest writer in the English language.
I hope physical books stick around just because I like browsing bookstores... even if I don't buy anything, which I guess doesn't help them in sticking around.
ah ok... I've been reading on tablets, cause it's the only way to get library books in Canada, so searching/jumping etc is much faster. Although I love my old kindle 3 for the e-ink, it was very slow
Having said all that, I can't imagine reading a textbook in digital form though. Are school doing that nowadays?
sparky2112
Member
This book is more than worth the price of admission for the porn convention essay and Host, the profile of a right-wing talk radio host. The rest is gravy.
Not yet, but more and more textbooks are available on Kindle or other E-readers now and E-ink just can't replicate a good 30 lbs textbook, without even speaking of diagrams.
Finished reading Brave New World. Took me two tries to finally finish it, but that's mainly because I'm not a big fan of Huxley's writing. I appreciated the book's message and themes. There is some Revisited part at the end that I still need to go through, but that doesn't seem relevant to the actual story.
Thinking of either starting 11/22/63, Yellow Birds, or Every Day next. I might just go with the shortest novel first.
Thinking of either starting 11/22/63, Yellow Birds, or Every Day next. I might just go with the shortest novel first.
Sure, I can agree that physical copies are superior in certain ways. If only for the simple pleasure of having my bookshelves filled with books I love. It may be a vanity, but I enjoy looking at the books I've read or picking up a favorite copy and re-reading it; Pages worn from use.
So I just finished up The Chronicles of The Black Company today which includes the first three books (The Black Company, Shadows Linger, and The White Rose) and I loved it. I was new to the fantasy genre when I started reading ASoIaF after all the recent hype for it and when I was done I wanted to keep trying the fantasy genre. I found these monthly threads here on GAF and saw quite a few recommendations for these Black Company books, so thanks to you guys for the suggestion! These were great. Here are some spoilery thoughts on each book. Don't read these unless you have read the books!
The Black Company:
Shadows Linger:
The White Rose:
I was going by a bookstore last week and popped in to see if they had any of the other books for this series. They had the next set (Books of the South), so I grabbed that and will be jumping into that tonight I hope. Excited!
The Black Company:
It took me a bit to get the hang of who everyone was. Probably until they head to the north (I almost want to reread those first bits as I feel like they'd go better now), but after that I really got into this one. The battle at Charm may be my favorite part of the trilogy. You get this grand battle which these books don't do often, but you also get all of these character revelations. All the double crossing with the Taken. The relationship with the Lady and Soulcatcher. And then really anytime Croaker and the Lady are hanging out, you are in for a treat. And its around then that I realized who Darling was which was pretty awesome. Great book.
Shadows Linger:
I really dug the back and forth of perspectives here. It worked out well because coming out of the first book, Croaker and Raven were my favorites, so you had the Croaker chapters like in the first book, but also the other chapters which while they weren't from Raven's perspective, he had a big presence which was cool. Another great read if probably a bit of a stepback from the first book. I just don't think I liked the general plot quite as much as the first book's. It was still good though.
The White Rose:
Early on this book wasn't hitting me as well as Shadows Linger. I still loved the Croaker chapters, but the Bomanz/Corbie chapters weren't working as well for me. If I had realized who Corbie was maybe I'd have felt different, though Raven is a character I liked less as the series went on. On that note I always fall for these "this character is some other character" thing... haha. I need to start looking out for these. Anyway, things really pick up in a hurry though. The Croaker/Lady relationship is fascinating so when they start hanging out again, I was loving it. To see their relationship go from Croaker's humorous fantasies to something much darker and then to this book's bond was just super interesting. Plus seeing the Lady in a different way was really cool. The same can be said for Darling in this book. I loved seeing her plans play out. Some of them were just wild. The Plain of Fear turned out to be a cool setting too with all of these weird creatures like Windwhales and the like. The way everything ended out was a good way to wrap up the trilogy. I'd put this right up there with the first book.
I was going by a bookstore last week and popped in to see if they had any of the other books for this series. They had the next set (Books of the South), so I grabbed that and will be jumping into that tonight I hope. Excited!
Some books are just pure art and lose much when turned into a ebook. Such as The Long Ships; an amazing book cover to gaze upon, opening it up reveals the yellow inside cover, and the maps of Orm's voyages which you can turn back to at any time seal the deal. Plus the smell of the paper, the solid weight of the pages as you turn them to enjoy more of the adventure...I love my Kindle, but it will never, for me, take place of my love for a book.
Unless of course I can't find that older hard to find book, then the Kindle is the best.
dragonlife
Member
I have a question about a series: I went to Barnes & Noble and tried to look for this particular series/first book, but I didn't know the name at all, just that it has some girl(?)(drawn) on the cover in a blue/patterned top with beige sleeves and flowing hair. She's carrying a sword, I think. She's looking sideways, and I THINK the cover is black besides what's drawn on it. It's part of a trilogy, but they all have different names.
I know I've seen it mentioned in some of the older threads, but I thought it'd be faster to ask instead of looking.
ANYWAY, I finished reading:
I was always a fan of the movie, and now I can say I'm a fan of the book. It was a pretty enjoyable read, even if it started to feel a bit repetitive as it went on. I totally dug some of the deaths, and one in particular actually made me cringe/grimace as I read, which I thought was awesome.
Now I'm halfway through:
EDIT: I found it! I looked at last month's thread. This is the one:
It's funny seeing how much one actually remembers when they don't...
I know I've seen it mentioned in some of the older threads, but I thought it'd be faster to ask instead of looking.
ANYWAY, I finished reading:
I was always a fan of the movie, and now I can say I'm a fan of the book. It was a pretty enjoyable read, even if it started to feel a bit repetitive as it went on. I totally dug some of the deaths, and one in particular actually made me cringe/grimace as I read, which I thought was awesome.
Now I'm halfway through:
EDIT: I found it! I looked at last month's thread. This is the one:
It's funny seeing how much one actually remembers when they don't...
On chapter 6 of The Curse of Chalion now. I'm enjoying it quite a bit even though there isn't much happening. This is my first Bujold book and her writing is fantastic. I realized I haven't read many female authors so it's a nice change of pace/tone.
I couldn't stand the narrator or story for Shift so I've put it on hold for now. Started listening to this instead.
Moonwalking with Einstein: The Art and Science of Remembering Everything by Joshua Foer
Great narrator and pretty interesting.
I couldn't stand the narrator or story for Shift so I've put it on hold for now. Started listening to this instead.
Moonwalking with Einstein: The Art and Science of Remembering Everything by Joshua Foer
Great narrator and pretty interesting.
Incandenza
Banned
DFW readers: Is The Pale King worth reading? I'm looking to start a new book and figure it might be worth jumping into, but even as someone who ranks Infinite Jest as maybe the best book ever, it's pretty daunting. I mean, if IJ is his idea of a "finished" book, I shudder to think of what unfinished Wallace could be.
If not, then I'll just read The Wind Through the Keyhole or something.
If not, then I'll just read The Wind Through the Keyhole or something.
That's a tough call. The Pale King was the first work of DFW's I read, and while it is absolutely brilliant in parts, it feels incomplete (for obvious reasons) and very much like a cleaned up first draft; which coming from David is still quite impressive. It's also a book in which one of the central themes is boredom, and while Wallace is able to say some interesting things about how we as human beings live with boredom, it can be a bit overbearing at times.
If you are looking for something by Wallace I'd recommend Consider the Lobster, I'm a few essays in and it is brilliant so far. I also quite enjoyed Although Of Course You End Up Becoming Yourself, which is a book of interviews that Dave Lipsky published after DFW's death. The interviews take place right after the publication of Infinite Jest and it is really interesting to read the reactions Dave has to his newfound fame, and a slew of other topics. You can almost see the gears turning in his mind as he works out answers to questions, it's fascinating.
bengraven
Member
I'm still up in the air about what to read.
I know this is going to sound strange (maybe not considering a post a few up from mine), but I'm not really in the mood to read a book on my Kindle. I may read some light reference type stuff for a bit until I can find Lirael in paperback.
Was probably me who posted it.
I still need to start book 2, but I'm excited. What a great series! Seriously some of the best written YA fantasy I've ever read. I may end up reading more Garth Nix later on.
I know this is going to sound strange (maybe not considering a post a few up from mine), but I'm not really in the mood to read a book on my Kindle. I may read some light reference type stuff for a bit until I can find Lirael in paperback.
EDIT: I found it! I looked at last month's thread. This is the one:
It's funny seeing how much one actually remembers when they don't...
Was probably me who posted it.
I still need to start book 2, but I'm excited. What a great series! Seriously some of the best written YA fantasy I've ever read. I may end up reading more Garth Nix later on.
Now reading:
I want to read this because of the cute cat on the cover. lol
Plasticine
Member
Finished Edward Lee's Ghouls yesterday. Lee states the book is overwritten to by about 50 pages. I think that's a conservative estimate, and the real number is closer to 75. There's a ton of description and overly detailed passages that ultimately add little to the proceedings. Lee wasn't crazy about his editor during this But that said, it's still a really fun read. You really see Edward Lee's future obsessions taking shape. You have the rednecks, strange and graphic erotica and even bits of extreme horror. The story still moved quickly and the main characters were nicely sketched out. It was a strong 1990s horror novel, and definitely worth checking out; especially if you're into the cheap, paperbacks that were being churned out on a weekly basis by the major publishers back then.
I've decided to keep going with Lee:
This was his second real novel, and supposedly sees Lee starting to move toward his more extreme horror direction. He describes it as a 70s B-movie, so I'm definitely looking forward to it.
I've decided to keep going with Lee:
This was his second real novel, and supposedly sees Lee starting to move toward his more extreme horror direction. He describes it as a 70s B-movie, so I'm definitely looking forward to it.
Book 2 is even better than the first. A lot better actually. In comparison Sabriel reads like a longish introduction chapter. And when it comes to reading more Nix I can fully recommend his Keys to the Kingdom series. Awesome books that, for YA material are quite dark at times and in my opinion belong to the more imaginative works out there.
sparky2112
Member
Of course. 'Not finished' for Wallace means you get an ambiguous ending other than the ambiguous ending Wallace intended. He was onto something special with TPK, and it would have been (and actually is) a fitting follow-up to IJ.
renegade_dewitt
Member
Reading Dan Brown's The Inferno. Like his previous works, this one is hard to put down, and the historic facts about Dante and Italy are a nice bonus too. You always learn something when reading Brown's works (how true they might be is up for debate), but it is interesting nonetheless.
idrinkalone
Banned
Dharma bums
powicewobots
Neo Member
Halfway through Wool by Hugh Howey. Really enjoying it so far, very easy to read.
What is "Wool"?
I've seen it in the kindle store, is it a monthly series or something?
Or is that "Silo"?
Wool is a series of novellas about a post-apocalyptic world.
Finished reading Last Argument of Kings by Joe Abercrombie. I enjoyed the trilogy, but I really hated one of the main characters. I'm pretty sure he wrote that character that way, but it got annoying to me towards the end to the point were I would skip scenes he was in and just read ahead.
Edit:Without giving to much away I think my biggest disappointment was the final battles. I guess I was expecting one thing, and the author chose to go another route.
Edit:Without giving to much away I think my biggest disappointment was the final battles. I guess I was expecting one thing, and the author chose to go another route.
AngmarsKing701
Member
Glokta or Jezal?
NekoFever
Member
I finished Neuromancer this morning. A good story that really zips along, and considering that it was written in 1984, it did a remarkable job of predicting a plausible future in the days before the Internet. A couple of glaring misses like apparently not foreseeing mobile phones and 3MB RAM apparently being a big deal, but we can forgive that.
I'll probably read it again at some point because some parts are quite hard to decipher because of the slang, and the flipping of perspectives doesn't help; I'm sure I'd pick up on stuff I missed if I went back and read the first half again, knowing what all the slang meant.
Now I'm reading The Aquariums of Pyongyang. Amazon had it on sale and I love reading about North Korea, so here goes.
I'll probably read it again at some point because some parts are quite hard to decipher because of the slang, and the flipping of perspectives doesn't help; I'm sure I'd pick up on stuff I missed if I went back and read the first half again, knowing what all the slang meant.
Now I'm reading The Aquariums of Pyongyang. Amazon had it on sale and I love reading about North Korea, so here goes.
Ventilaator
Banned
The first Malazan book is way more readable than I thought it would be. The number one thing I heard about this series was that you kind of have to force yourself through the first one, but all the others are great.
Constantly hearing that probably made me expect utter indecipherable nonsense. Sure, it's complicated and kind of throws you in the middle of events without explaining much, but I still have enough information to be able to keep up.
Constantly hearing that probably made me expect utter indecipherable nonsense. Sure, it's complicated and kind of throws you in the middle of events without explaining much, but I still have enough information to be able to keep up.
AngmarsKing701
Member
It's all about expectations. Hype yourself too much and you'll be bummed even by things that might be great. Set low expectations and average things can come off great. In my experience anyway.
Glokta and towards the end Bayez.with glokta it was practically different variations of the same scene over and over again. It got annoying rally fast, but overall I still enjoyed the books.
solid mike
Member
Just finished Sophie's World, moving onto this
Any other Zafon fans here? What did you think of pic related?
Any other Zafon fans here? What did you think of pic related?
Mackenzie 92
Member
You picturing Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss?
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Just about done with Emperor of Thorns. I go back and forth between loving it and being lukewarm on it. Will be glad to wrap it up and start something else.
Bought this daily deal today, hoping it's similar to Ready Player One, but sounds a little darker.
MetaGame by Sam Landstrom
sazabirules
Unconfirmed Member
I just finished The Cold Dish. It is the first book in the Walt Longmire series. It was a thrilling read. I'm glad it didn't have the exact same plot as episodes from the show. I think I'll check out the next book in the series sometime.
Easystride
Member
Finished up The Crown Tower. I don't know what it is about this series, but I just love it. I think it is the relationship between the two main characters. I can't wait for The Rose and the Thorn. Also Michael Sullivan seems like a really cool guy. He had a promotion where you could send in a copy of your pre-order receipt to his email, and win some free stuff. I got the Kindle edition of his short story that was a part of The Unfettered Anthology, and I think I will be getting some stuff in the mail, too.
Had two audiobooks at the end of July, Death By Black Hole by Neil DeGrasse Tyson and You by Austin Grossman.
For the life of me, I could not get into You. Maybe it's due to the self referential events about mythical characters from a world made by a fictional developer... mythical characters and a world explained in a way that assumes the reader cares. But I didn't. I barely made it mid way through and realized I hadn't even been paying attention even after starting from the very beginning a second time with the book. As an 80's gamer kid, it still didn't appeal to me (even though it should have), so I've decided to move on.
I enjoyed Death By Black Hole, but if you watch The Science Channel or Through the Wormhole with Morgan Freeman regularly, it's really nothing new. Still an interesting read, even if I was blinded by the brain stinging physics equations spouted off at rapid fire.
Question...
I'm sitting here with mild Song of Ice and Fire withdraw a month after ADWD. Any suggestions on what to read for August? I love fantasy, cyberpunk (Snow Crash and Altered Carbon are my favorites), and science fiction. Can you guys give me some suggestions? Preferably something long. My coworker wants me to try the 50 Shades series, but I... eh... I don't know about that.
For the life of me, I could not get into You. Maybe it's due to the self referential events about mythical characters from a world made by a fictional developer... mythical characters and a world explained in a way that assumes the reader cares. But I didn't. I barely made it mid way through and realized I hadn't even been paying attention even after starting from the very beginning a second time with the book. As an 80's gamer kid, it still didn't appeal to me (even though it should have), so I've decided to move on.
I enjoyed Death By Black Hole, but if you watch The Science Channel or Through the Wormhole with Morgan Freeman regularly, it's really nothing new. Still an interesting read, even if I was blinded by the brain stinging physics equations spouted off at rapid fire.
Question...
I'm sitting here with mild Song of Ice and Fire withdraw a month after ADWD. Any suggestions on what to read for August? I love fantasy, cyberpunk (Snow Crash and Altered Carbon are my favorites), and science fiction. Can you guys give me some suggestions? Preferably something long. My coworker wants me to try the 50 Shades series, but I... eh... I don't know about that.
Mackenzie 92
Member
I read it before the movie came out, think I pictured a Mila Kunis type chick lol
Yeah that is the worse book I have bought this year. Big disappointment.
Any books y'all refuse to read for a stupid reason?
There's a certain author which isn't that famous that ha authored three books I'll never read.
My reason?
He and I share the same exact name.
I fuckig hate seeing my name on a book I didn't write myself. Makes me sad, and makes my dream of being published one day, an unaccomplishable one.
There's a certain author which isn't that famous that ha authored three books I'll never read.
My reason?
He and I share the same exact name.
I fuckig hate seeing my name on a book I didn't write myself. Makes me sad, and makes my dream of being published one day, an unaccomplishable one.
Sounds like you're trying to talk yourself out of it before you even begin.
Finished up The Crown Tower. I don't know what it is about this series, but I just love it. I think it is the relationship between the two main characters. I can't wait for The Rose and the Thorn. Also Michael Sullivan seems like a really cool guy. He had a promotion where you could send in a copy of your pre-order receipt to his email, and win some free stuff. I got the Kindle edition of his short story that was a part of The Unfettered Anthology, and I think I will be getting some stuff in the mail, too.
Yup, I enjoyed the series a lot as well. It doesnt do anything spectacular, but it is just good fun and plotted extremely well with very good pacing. I quite enjoyed the characters as well.
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