What are you reading? (August 2013)

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I took a break from Gravity's Rainbow for a few days to read Mortal Sins: Sex, Crime, and the Era of Catholic Scandal. It is... overwhelming. In broad strokes, it didn't tell me anything I didn't already know, but the detail of decades and decades of lying, cover-ups, abuse, rape, and... ugh. It's so disgusting.

But it should still be read.

Nymerio said:
Finished Coraline earlier this week and started The Last Unicorn yesterday. I'm 10% in and enjoying it so far.

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And so should this! <3
 
Maklershed said:
Ahh that makes a lot of sense. Was that ever explained though? Or were we to deduce that? Either way I feel like a dummy for not figuring it out.
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The potential for inter-Silo rivalry was explicitly stated, but the divisions of the populations of the silo was extrapolated. That is, the Silo makers did intend for IT, Mechanical, Supply, etc, to adopt a "us vs them" mentality towards the other groups, but what the ultimate goal of that division was I don't quite remember. The whole "forging a stronger society through adversity" is my interpretation of their plan.
 
finished The Great and Secret Show by Clive Barker, fun book didn't like it as much as Weaveworld

now reading:
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very slow start
 
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Cryptonomicon - Neal Stephenson

audiobook on Audible. William Dufris's narration is excellent.

Really enjoying it, especially the WWII parts. Bobby Shaftoe is the best.
 
Finished "Cyberstorm" last night and rated it 4/5. Some tense moments and the character development was done fairly well, but the slow pace at times dragged it down a little. Also kinda saw the end coming a little too. Interesting story though.

Now reading "Night Film" after hearing it mentioned a lot. Barely read anything last night before falling asleep but it already gave me some weird dreams!
 
About 30% through Clandestine by Ellroy. I was mistaken about it being set in the 40s LA .. seems to be 80s LA but in a way that makes it even more unique. I'd love to see a movie adaptation of this but kept it 80s. Really loving this book. Its refreshing going back to Ellroy's purer work before he became insane and ultra-violent in the American Tabloid books.

Mackenzie 92 said:
Thrift shop had all of them for 75 cents each lol
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Nice! Man, can't beat that.
 
ShaneB said:
Started up Night Film last night, the page count seems a bit bloated with the images and whatnot, so perhaps it's not as long as it states. Enjoying it so far, always love a good whodunnit, and this is off to a good start.
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There actually isn't as much in the way of images as the early going in the book would lead you to expect.
 
Mackenzie 92 said:
Just got all of these for a fiver. Think I'm gonna get started on them after I finish up Night Film.
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Don't bother with the revelation space series. The final book is one of the most unsatisfying books I've ever read. It retrospectively shit on the entire series.
 
CrichtonKicks said:
There actually isn't as much in the way of images as the early going in the book would lead you to expect.
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Yeah, I'm realizing that the more I read. Still loving it though, it still feels like a fast read since I'm enjoying it so much. The characters introduced are definitely funny and I've had a few laugh out loud moments, which means I can expect some dread later for the full spectrum.

edit: I also picked this up last night, seems like something I'd like as well. Inspired by the recent thread about non-zombie PA and I like to discover new books myself, and this seems fitting.
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I picked this up on a whim from my local library. I had never heard of it and had no expiations really. The premise is that it's the autobiography of the author of a famous book in a society that has successfully eradicated death by any cause other then violence. There's some interesting world building and the plot, if a fictional autobiography can be said to have a plot, is reasonably good. I wish there was more Stephenson level exposition but it's lack will likely be a plus for as many people as it's a negative.

All in all worth a look.


*edit* Hmm, in looking up the cover I found that this seems to be part of a series. I'll likely try to find the rest but given that I had no idea it was part of a continuity I'd say its fine as a standalone.
 
kidko said:
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Cryptonomicon - Neal Stephenson

audiobook on Audible. William Dufris's narration is excellent.

Really enjoying it, especially the WWII parts. Bobby Shaftoe is the best.
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Book definitely has an epic feel. More people should read it.
 
i_am_ben said:
Don't bother with the revelation space series. The final book is one of the most unsatisfying books I've ever read. It retrospectively shit on the entire series.
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Ah, really? I thought it was pretty well liked. Oh well, will probably still give it a shot. Been in the mood for some good space opera stuff.

Blitzzz said:
I just read all the spoilers in the Maklershed/Haly discussion cause I don't give a shit about this book any more
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lol yeah I did the same.
 
tmarques said:
Just finished a heartbreaking book on Jean Arthur. I need to stop reading biographies, nothing good ever comes out of it.

On to my first Camus, let's see what the fuss is all about.
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Camus is god-tier. Are you reading it in french?
La peste is awesome too if you like his style.
EvaristeG said:
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This one was a mixed bag. It was very tedious in areas, because of the huge amount of references to other authors, myths, etc, there's a tremendous amount of erudition in there, but sometimes it's very pedantic. Some stories were brilliant and really inspired, but many of them didn't age well and were done much better by other writers. Maybe I'm just not educated enough to appreciate this, but I consider it an overrated book.
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Wat.
 
Just finished:

Pandora's Star - Peter F Hamilton

I took a really long time to finish this, because at about 80% I randomly stopped reading for ages.

Overall I actually really like it. The book for a bit stagnant at times as I could not se what the hell was the point of certain character story lines, but by the end of it I got really into. The ending has left me on a major cliffhanger. However it will be a while before I start reading the second and final part.

Enjoyed the world and the technology. A bit too hi-tech considering it was not that far into the future from our current time, but I went with it. I liked the characters and really enjoyed the way the non-human perspective was handled.
 
Just finished Lords and Ladies, probably my favourite Disc World book so far.
quite liked the Disc World take on elves, I was slightly worried that this book was Granny Weatherwax's last with a few pages to go but nope she ends it more powerful than When she started , love her great character
 
Meteorain said:
Just finished:

Pandora's Star - Peter F Hamilton

I took a really long time to finish this, because at about 80% I randomly stopped reading for ages.

Overall I actually really like it. The book for a bit stagnant at times as I could not se what the hell was the point of certain character story lines, but by the end of it I got really into. The ending has left me on a major cliffhanger. However it will be a while before I start reading the second and final part.

Enjoyed the world and the technology. A bit too hi-tech considering it was not that far into the future from our current time, but I went with it. I liked the characters and really enjoyed the way the non-human perspective was handled.
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Yeah that was my favorite part of the books.

Judas Unchained is a easier and faster paced read I think, when you do get around to it.
 
Verdre said:
My favorite book in the world. Glad a lot more people are going to be introduced to it after the humble bundle.
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Pat Rothfuss said it was his all time favorite fantasy novel on his blog a while back so it's been something I've wanted to read for a while. Was super happy when it appeared in the humble bundle.

Looking it up he appears to be the quote on one of the editions of the book lol.

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bengraven said:
Time of Contempt? If not, that's really exciting!
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Yea, it's Times of Contempt. Last month for EU this week for NA. I'm still on the second last, finally have some time to read today.
 
Realised today that I just finished this book a few hours ago:

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I say realised, because I have the Shadow and Claw Omnibus and did not realise that I came to the end the first of the 2 books!

(I have a terrible tendency sometimes to read multiple books at the same time).

I loved the book and am looking forward to the next one, but I do have one single gripe with the book. Wolfe has this slightly off putting tendency to just jump from one situation to a completely different one without any sort of transition or warning. I sometimes think that my ebook has had an error and it's all gone horribly wrong!

That being said I find his unique sense of writing style to be engaging because of it's uniqueness and the story itself is intriguing.
 
Meteorain said:
I loved the book and am looking forward to the next one, but I do have one single gripe with the book. Wolfe has this slightly off putting tendency to just jump from one situation to a completely different one without any sort of transition or warning. I sometimes think that my ebook has had an error and it's all gone horribly wrong!

That being said I find his unique sense of writing style to be engaging because of it's uniqueness and the story itself is intriguing.
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This is the only major flaw with the books, I think. It's just too disjointed, like we're being taken from attraction to attraction in the theme park of Book of the New Sun.
 
I'm looking for a good reference book on Folklore and Mythology. Does anyone have any good suggestions?
Something with great pictures and text, almost like DK Smithsonian books.
 
I just started reading Infinite Jest for the first time ever.

The opening chapter had me laughing so hard, tears were streaming out of my eyes and I re-read it 3 times just because.
 
Pau said:
I'm basically going through Mumei's Goodreads feminism tag
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Cyan said:
I'm banning you at the first opportunity.
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Now, now. ;)

Haly said:
This is the only major flaw with the books, I think. It's just too disjointed, like we're being taken from attraction to attraction in the theme park of Book of the New Sun.
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On Larry McCaffery's (literary critic, professor of English and comparative lit) 20th Century's Greatest Hits: 100 English-Language Books of Fiction, he lists The Book of the New Sun at #78 with this comment:

78. The Book of the New Sun Tetrology (The Shadow of the Torturer [1980], The Claw of the Conciliator [1981], The Sword of Lictor [1982], The Citadel of the Autarch [1982]), Gene Wolfe [In this sprawling series of interrelated novels set in some distant future Wolfe conjures up an epic adventure that unfolds as a series of sensuously rendered, fabulous micro-quests and mock summaries of cultural artifacts reminiscent of Borges or Calvino.]​

I think thinking of it like that - as a series of micro-quests - helps sooth some of that sense of disjointedness.

Pau said:
I almost picked this up at the library, but I'm not sure if there's any particular order I should start reading bell hooks's stuff.
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I read Feminism is For Everybody first, which often quotes from that. I think it seems like it would be a good place to start, but I haven't read it myself.
 
Acrylic7 said:
I'm looking for a good reference book on Folklore and Mythology. Does anyone have any good suggestions?
Something with great pictures and text, almost like DK Smithsonian books.
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This book is pretty interesting. Has a bunch of stuff in there I had never heard of prior to reading, ie the wandering Jew and a town in medieval Germany that was caught up in a dancing disease epidemic


Curious Myths of the Middle Ages: The Sangreal, Pope Joan, The Wandering Jew, and Others by Sabine Baring-Gould
 
Some good stuff on the daily deals today ...

The Poisonwood Bible by Kingsolver
People's History of the United States 1492 to the Present by Zinn
Last Call: The Rise and Fall of Prohibition by Okrent
Wonderboys by Chabon

A bunch of cool looking graphic novels too.
 
AngmarsKing701 said:
What do you like? Space opera (Alastair Reynolds, David Weber, Peter Hamilton)? Hard sci fi (Isaac Asimov, Greg Bear (in some cases))? Cyberpunk sci-fi (Neal Stephenson)?
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David Weber is great. I really liked off Armageddon reef and that series. Sci fi/fantasy stuff is really what I like. The march upcountry series is my favorite series of all time.
 
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