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What are you reading? (August 2014)

W

whatevermort

Member
Verdre said:
Finished Authority by Jeff VanderMeer

Wouldn't rate it as highly as Annihilation, as it was a bit of a slog at times, but still a good sequel.
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I think that the worst thing about these books - having just finished all three - is the publication strategy. Had this been one novel, which it really is - I don't think they work standalone, not at all - the pacing of book 2 would have been far more appropriate. Acceptance is superb.
 
B

BrokenFiction

Member
Does anyone have any good recommendations for history books on the British Isles? Specifically from probably the pre-historical era, then including Celtic Britain, all the way up through the Norman Conquest. I'd like to read more about that region and era, but I'm having trouble finding something I can settle on. Thanks!
 
N

Nappuccino

Member
whatevermort said:
I think that the worst thing about these books - having just finished all three - is the publication strategy. Had this been one novel, which it really is - I don't think they work standalone, not at all - the pacing of book 2 would have been far more appropriate. Acceptance is superb.
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Good to know :) I was a little let down by Authority, so it's nice to know the series ends on its feet.
 
A

Apt101

Member
Sadly a technical book about certain health IT technologies. I need to finish it for work. Once I'm finally done I'll finish The Pale King, David Foster Walace.
 
H

Haly

One day I realized that sadness is just another word for not enough coffee.
Just not another tome like Making of the Atomic Bomb, what a misguided choice that was.

I believe we were the only two to finish the book within the allotted time.
 
F

fakefaker

Member
Finished up The Supernatural Enhancements by Edgar Cantero today and enjoyed its unusual format and the "ghost" story. The hardcover version is amazing looking.

Now onto Eight Million Gods by Wen Spencer.

Eight+Million+Gods.jpg
 
T

Tragicomedy

Member
Cyan said:
This one's going to be pretty much the opposite. :p
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Good! I didn't dare with the atomic bomb book.

The only thing I currently have queued up is the new Star Wars relaunch book, which I'll start next week. I never read the EU stuff so this should be interesting.
 
N

Narag

Member

Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer


Authority by Jeff VanderMeer

Guess I should read again to fulfill my commitment to the 50/50 thread. That said, liked both of these for different reasons. They reminded me heavily of Roadside PIcniic, as if that book had been split into two discrete parts to become what these are. I found the former's exploration of Area X being reminiscent of any journey into the Zone and the latter's main character emulating the angst of those who lived on the periphery of the Zone.

Looks like I picked a good time to give these a whirl what with the last one due out soon too.
 
M

Mr.Swag

Banned
Any good books either fiction or non-fiction about world travelers?
Maybe something about Marco Polo would be good.

Edit: Reading Brave New World, kind of speeding through it since its short. Like all the ideas so far, but not too fond of the actual narrative.
 
T

TheFightingFish

Member
Shengar said:
Un Lun Dun is funnier and better than I thought it would be. This isn't a YA book, this is an all-age book.
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I feel like it didn't actually do that much for me. But I'm totally willing to admit that "wacky alternate London" just seems pretty played out to me at this point. It tried a few cute bits of genre convention subversion, but for all that it ended up feeling pretty dang standard. I did like a few of the minor characters though, I'd take Mr. Speaker or the bird cage guy (can't remember the name there) over pretty much any of the main crew.
 
V

Verdre

Unconfirmed Member
Finished Skin Game by Jim Butcher.

It basically begins with Dresden re-enacting a parkour gag from a 5 year old episode of The Office and it continues to run it into the ground until the very end of the story.

That's my review. And kind of a summary of the entire series.
 
S

Shengar

Member
TheFightingFish said:
I feel like it didn't actually do that much for me. But I'm totally willing to admit that "wacky alternate London" just seems pretty played out to me at this point. It tried a few cute bits of genre convention subversion, but for all that it ended up feeling pretty dang standard. I did like a few of the minor characters though, I'd take Mr. Speaker or the bird cage guy (can't remember the name there) over pretty much any of the main crew.
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Is there any other "wacky alternate London" book out there? Granted, this is the first I read such book.What makes it funny to me is not just the wackiness, but also the intention Mieville had in mind in certain part.
 
S

superrobot

Member
BrokenFiction said:
Does anyone have any good recommendations for history books on the British Isles? Specifically from probably the pre-historical era, then including Celtic Britain, all the way up through the Norman Conquest. I'd like to read more about that region and era, but I'm having trouble finding something I can settle on. Thanks!
Click to expand...
I enjoyed The Isles by Norman Davies.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B003GK22Z2/

It continues up the modern day, but you can stop reading after the Normans turn up :)
 
F

FlowersisBritish

fleurs n'est pas britannique
Soon i'm finishing The Liar, by Martin hansen. It's a fine enough book, but I'm mostly reading it cause it's my dad's favorite.
Next on my to read list is Molloy by Samuel Becket.
 
cheezcake

cheezcake

Member
Just combed through this thread and found a bunch of interesting sounding stuff, just ordered:

Annihilation - Jeff Vandermeer
Ancillary Justice - Ann Leckie
Horns - Joe Hill
The Wind Up Bird Chronicle - Haruki Murakami
and Meditations for book club

Gonna be happy reading times ahead =D

Also I feel like I can't be the only one who found 1Q84 pretty disappointing compared to Kafka
 
Jag

Jag

Member
BrokenFiction said:
Does anyone have any good recommendations for history books on the British Isles? Specifically from probably the pre-historical era, then including Celtic Britain, all the way up through the Norman Conquest. I'd like to read more about that region and era, but I'm having trouble finding something I can settle on. Thanks!
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Historical fiction or history books?

Sarum for historical fiction or any of Bernard Cornwell's books about England.

Sarum (latterly titled Sarum: The Novel of England) is a work of historical fiction by Edward Rutherfurd, first published in 1987. It tells the story of England through the tales of several families in and around the English city of Salisbury the writer's own hometown - stretching from prehistoric times to 1985.
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H

Haly

One day I realized that sadness is just another word for not enough coffee.
Shengar said:
Is there any other "wacky alternate London" book out there? Granted, this is the first I read such book.What makes it funny to me is not just the wackiness, but also the intention Mieville had in mind in certain part.
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Discworld's Ankh-Morpok is very much pre-industrial London.
1984 was dystopian future London.
Neverwhere explores a mythical "London Below".
 
T

TheFightingFish

Member
Shengar said:
Is there any other "wacky alternate London" book out there? Granted, this is the first I read such book.What makes it funny to me is not just the wackiness, but also the intention Mieville had in mind in certain part.
Click to expand...

Perhaps I'm overgeneralizing a bit :).

Still when I see novels that are "hidden fantasy world below the surface of the real world" they seem to be draw to either London in particular or England in general. All the Victorian Steampunk stuff feeds into this as well.

Stuff like Neverwhere, His Dark Materials, Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, Narnia, The Dark is Rising, Farthing, Harry Potter to name a few. Not that all are the same as Un Lun Dun, but it just feels like pretty traveled territory at this point.
 
H

Haly

One day I realized that sadness is just another word for not enough coffee.
Basically, if you're British, and an author, you'll set one of your stories, whether published or unpublished, in London.
 
Jag

Jag

Member
TheFightingFish said:
Perhaps I'm overgeneralizing a bit :).

Still when I see novels that are "hidden fantasy world below the surface of the real world" they seem to be draw to either London in particular or England in general. All the Victorian Steampunk stuff feeds into this as well.

Stuff like Neverwhere, His Dark Materials, Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, Narnia, The Dark is Rising, Farthing, Harry Potter to name a few. Not that all are the same as Un Lun Dun, but it just feels like pretty traveled territory at this point.
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iZs6aRl.jpg
 
V

VanWinkle

Member
I was reading Promise of Blood by Brian McClellan, but, I don't know, I just can't get into it. Maybe I'll try again soon because I don't want to have wasted $10 on it.

So now I'm reading Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson and I really like it so far, but I'm quite early into it.
 
E

El Topo

Member
Finished 'Sleeping Late on Judgement Day' by Tad Williams. Good ending to the 'Bobby Dollar' series, although the author keeps enough plotlines open to continue it if he ever feels like it.

Still have to finish Black Sun Rising and then the rest of the Coldfire trilogy. Also 'Kafka on the Shore' if I ever manage to get back to it.
 
T

TheBear

Member
Hey guys does anyone know when the new Justin Cronin book comes out? Some places say October other places say 2016?
 
A

AngmarsKing701

Member
Slayerx said:
Finishing off A Memory of Light today and going to start The Broken Eye tomorrow.

I can't believe I went through 14 books in about 3 months, still not sure if it was completely worth it. I genuinely disliked at least 5 books and the portrayal of females was not ideal. The whole Trakand family was unbearable throughout :/

There are many good things as well obviously. The world is rich and detailed and the last book is truly epic. The last three books in general were good and helped me get over the trauma of reading the previous 5 or 6, I don't even remember at this point.

I need to lay off the massive fantasy series for a while I think.
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You should get a cheevo for this.
 
S

ShaneB

Member
Too many distractions have definitely slowed my reading pace. Really enjoying 11/22/63 so far, nearing the 30% mark.
 
B

besada

Banned
I finished Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage last night. i really enjoyed it after a slow start. Much more in the Norwegian Wood zone than the Kafka on the Shore zone. I prefer my Murakami strange, but I still really enjoyed the book.

Next up I'll be reading the new Scalzi, Lock-In, as I wait for September 2nd and the release of Acceptance by VanderMeer.
 
T

Tragicomedy

Member
18007564.jpg


Finished The Martian. ★★★★ Right up my alley, with a strong mixture of survival adventure and hard science fiction. It hit on almost all the right cylinders for me, except the humor was...interesting. Most of the jokes missed with me, but I can understand a person turning to wisecracking as a coping mechanism. I will be shocked if this isn't turned into a blockbuster Hollywood script in the next few years.
 
W

whatevermort

Member
Shengar said:
Is there any other "wacky alternate London" book out there? Granted, this is the first I read such book.What makes it funny to me is not just the wackiness, but also the intention Mieville had in mind in certain part.
Click to expand...

Tom Pollock's Skyscraper Throne series is excellent. It's crossover (so veering close to being YA), but the London shown is one of living sentient crank gods and wolves made of scaffold chunks. It's heaps of fun. Book one of the trilogy is called The City's Son.

IMG_3098-390x390.jpg
 
S

ShaneB

Member
Tragicomedy said:
Finished The Martian. ★★★★ Right up my alley, with a strong mixture of survival adventure and hard science fiction. It hit on almost all the right cylinders for me, except the humor was...interesting. Most of the jokes missed with me, but I can understand a person turning to wisecracking as a coping mechanism. I will be shocked if this isn't turned into a blockbuster Hollywood script in the next few years.
Click to expand...

See, this is where the book lost me. ALL of the humour was a miss with me, so the it sort of messed up the tone of the book. It's definitely an interesting book, and I can see the appeal, but just wish it had been more set in the tone.
 
A

Azulsky

Member
Started the Silmarillion with Tolkein GAF earlier this summer but work has been crazy so I am still about 1/2 way through.

Plan to do a read through of the Tolkein Beowulf Translation afterwards.

I have been slowly rebuilding my attention span for books that I used to have. Feels good man.
 
E

endre

Member
Tragicomedy said:
Finished The Martian. ★★★★ Right up my alley, with a strong mixture of survival adventure and hard science fiction. It hit on almost all the right cylinders for me, except the humor was...interesting. Most of the jokes missed with me, but I can understand a person turning to wisecracking as a coping mechanism. I will be shocked if this isn't turned into a blockbuster Hollywood script in the next few years.
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According to Wikipedia:

A film version directed by Ridley Scott and starring Matt Damon is scheduled for release in November 2015
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T

Tragicomedy

Member
Narag said:
I think Ridley Scott is already in the process of making it a film.
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endre said:
According to Wikipedia:
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Boom. Makes too much sense.

ShaneB said:
See, this is where the book lost me. ALL of the humour was a miss with me, so the it sort of messed up the tone of the book. It's definitely an interesting book, and I can see the appeal, but just wish it had been more set in the tone.
Click to expand...

You didn't like Pirate-Ninjas? Near constant references to bad 70s TV? Disco?

Haha. My response was almost always, "Ugggghh."
I did like the part where he asked the director to tell the investigative team their mothers were whores, then said, "P.S. Tell them their sisters are whores, too."
 
S

Saucy_XL

Banned
51ehtDEYMUL._SY344_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg


Almost done with this for an environmental class. Has some really interesting anecdotes about this area of US with so much history.
 
S

ShaneB

Member
Tragicomedy said:
You didn't like Pirate-Ninjas? Near constant references to bad 70s TV? Disco?

Haha. My response was almost always, "Ugggghh."
I did like the part where he asked the director to tell the investigative team their mothers were whores, then said, "P.S. Tell them their sisters are whores, too."
Click to expand...

Nah, it all seemed like nonsense. Given the theme of the book, I was really expecting something a little more terrifying, more tense, just all over more "edge of your seat" type of tone, whereas the comedy injected that I never found funny sort of ruined all of that in my opinion.

Definitely like the names attached to the movie, so I'll keep my eye on that for sure.
 
M

Mackenzie 92

Member
ShaneB said:
Nah, it all seemed like nonsense. Given the theme of the book, I was really expecting something a little more terrifying, more tense, just all over more "edge of your seat" type of tone, whereas the comedy injected that I never found funny sort of ruined all of that in my opinion.

Definitely like the names attached to the movie, so I'll keep my eye on that for sure.
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Some of it was hit and miss with me. I admit I laughed pretty hard
when they told him he was clear to start drilling and he said, "that's what she said" lol classic
 
N

nakedsushi

Member
ShaneB said:
See, this is where the book lost me. ALL of the humour was a miss with me, so the it sort of messed up the tone of the book. It's definitely an interesting book, and I can see the appeal, but just wish it had been more set in the tone.
Click to expand...

Yeah, same here. It just read like a middle-aged man's blog post to me. I mean, I'd probably read it if it was in my RSS reader, but in a book? Nope.

Finished tonight:

Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng

It's basically about all the ways we could f-up our childrens' psyche with the emotional baggage we bring to parenting. Not really the most assuring thing to read, but I liked how the novel unfolded even though most of it was predictable.
 
John Blade

John Blade

Member
spicewolf_1alt.gif

Got this this for about a week and a half ago and already reading to Chapter 3 of Volume 1. Love the show and kinda want to see how much it difference from the novel. Bought the 1st 3 volume of the novel so I will have enough reading for at least a month or so.
 
C

Christoff Yurievich

Member
Tragicomedy said:
18007564.jpg


Finished The Martian. ★★★★ Right up my alley, with a strong mixture of survival adventure and hard science fiction. It hit on almost all the right cylinders for me, except the humor was...interesting. Most of the jokes missed with me, but I can understand a person turning to wisecracking as a coping mechanism. I will be shocked if this isn't turned into a blockbuster Hollywood script in the next few years.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I liked it for the same reasons though the humor was more my style than yours. I especially liked the one where mission control tells him to watch what he's saying because the entire world is watching and he replies "boobies"...or possibly (.)(.). Either way, the sophomoric humor was at odds with the high falutin science talk and I enjoyed that. It wasn't James Bond in space, it was this guy who's talking about using his own shit for fertilizer and why it would work.
 
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