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What are you reading? (December 2013)
- Thread starter Maklershed
- Start date
The Ascent of Money: A Financial History of the World by Niall Ferguson
Recommended by Phisheep, if I recall correctly (I may not be - apologies if so). Thoroughly fascinating so far. I feel like I should've read this when I was a lot younger though. I'm convinced that my mind isn't set up to intuitively understand markets and economics, but this is nonetheless a really enjoyable read.
That sounds interesting, though I am a bit wary of reading knowing his politics (I thoroughly disagree with it). Is that an issue at all in it? His current views bleeding into the history?
I can't tell since I don't really know his current views, or, indeed, understand economics very well. Sorry
Phi might be able to help you though
Don Quixote is on sale for $1.99 on Kindle. Does anyone have any experience with this translation by Edith Grossman? Some of the reviews on the book page state preferences for other translations.
If on a winter's night a traveler is also on sale, for $2.99. Would an physical version of this novel be preferable, due to the structure of the novel? I seem to remember something of that sort being the case, but maybe I'm wrong.
I'm interested in this book as well, and I'm also interested if Ferguson's ideologies seep through.
If on a winter's night a traveler is also on sale, for $2.99. Would an physical version of this novel be preferable, due to the structure of the novel? I seem to remember something of that sort being the case, but maybe I'm wrong.
I'm interested in this book as well, and I'm also interested if Ferguson's ideologies seep through.
Lord Scrambles
Member
or The President an amazing book and one of, if not THE single most interesting books in early 20th century Latin American literature. It's a magical-realistic satire of the dictatorships that Latin America was rife with in that time period, especially Guatemala's own dictator: Manuel Estrada Cabrera
I've also motivated myself to finish the Legend of Sigmar trilogy, and I'm am glad I did. These books are amazingly well written, and anybody who loves fantasy can very easily jump in, you don't necessarily have to be into Warhammer.
Roger Williams and the Creation of the American Soul: Church, State, and the Birth of Liberty by John M Barry
I'm a big fan of his previous two books and bought this one as soon as I found out it existed. Like most of his books it goes super into detail of the background of his subjects, which can get a bit hard to read at times. I am only a third of the way through but so far enjoying it.
I can't remember anything weird about the structure of the novel, so you'll be fine with an ebook. You might be thinking of Hopscotch by Julio Cortazar
I read that translation of Don Quixote for a class and though I can't compare it to any other translations, I enjoyed it thoroughly.
Been reading this for the last few weeks, and thoroughly enjoying it. My reading habits over the last year have dropped off completely. Probably been playing too many videogames, haha.
The Republic of Thieves is the third book in The Gentleman Bastards series, following The Lies of Locke Lamora and Red Seas Under Red Skies. They're these really slick, modern-feeling fantasy books that remind me more of something like Ocean's Eleven than they do something like Game of Thrones (In part because they revolve around master thieves and grand heists). They're so fast paced and witty and easy to consume that it just makes them really, genuinely enjoyable to read.
I constantly have a grin on my face when I'm reading it.
That is some bloody wonderful cover art.
Yeah, must've just gotten it all confused. I totally forgot about Hopscoth, which I should get around to sometime. Thank you.
Thanks, think I'm going to grab it.
Maklershed
Member
I've also motivated myself to finish the Legend of Sigmar trilogy, and I'm am glad I did. These books are amazingly well written, and anybody who loves fantasy can very easily jump in, you don't necessarily have to be into Warhammer.
Aww no Kindle edition. Boo!
velociraptor
Junior Member
Currently reading the Darksiders novel.
Finishing up The Heroes by Abercrombie, got it while it was on sale a couple of days back. It feels very... stock. With an opening line like, "too old for this shit" you sort of know there's not going to be a lot of surprises. I don't even read much fantasy and this all feels like ground well trodden. Oh well, at least it only cost 1.99.
RepairmanJack
Member
Any must buy's from the Cyber Monday deals?
I would recommend Swan Song by Robert R. McCammon.
I would recommend Swan Song by Robert R. McCammon.
Mackenzie 92
Member
That looks pretty cool. Bought the omnibus.
Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke
Still moment-to-moment vaguely enjoyable, still thoroughly dull
I'm curious how far you are into it. The whole first section is pretty dull but once that book kicks into gear I couldn't put it down. Hundreds of pages just flew by. I really enjoyed that book.
As for me, I really have been slacking with my reading lately. I'm still reading this:
This is the fourth book in the Amber Chronicles. I'm still enjoying it even if I don't find it a complete page turner. The pace moves fairly fast and nothing is too complicated.
Have you tried books from authors like Greg Egan and Alistair Reynolds? Maybe something from Peter Watts?
Somebody give me a classic to read, looking for something random.
For reference in the last year and bit I've read
Dracula
Count of Monte Cristo
The Man in the High Castle
Rubicon: The Last Years of the Roman Republic (suggestions of history books as good as this welcome also)
The Great Gatsby
1984
Slaughterhouse-Five
Blood Meridian
Wolf Hall + Bring Up The Bodies (my favourite on this list I think)
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
For reference in the last year and bit I've read
Dracula
Count of Monte Cristo
The Man in the High Castle
Rubicon: The Last Years of the Roman Republic (suggestions of history books as good as this welcome also)
The Great Gatsby
1984
Slaughterhouse-Five
Blood Meridian
Wolf Hall + Bring Up The Bodies (my favourite on this list I think)
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Strange just ended the Napoleonic War and I put down the book to go read about financial history and play Zelda
Random? I would say One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest or The Jungle.
Still working my way through Battle Cry of Freedom, about 500 pages in. Fantastic read.
Also picked up a Hilary Mantel set during the Black Friday sales on Amazon, and have just started Wolf Hall. Can't really say much about it since I've barely dented it, but I'm looking forward to getting into it. The other books in the set also sound really interesting, especially A Place Of Greater Safety. The French Revolution and the Terror fascinate me.
Also picked up a Hilary Mantel set during the Black Friday sales on Amazon, and have just started Wolf Hall. Can't really say much about it since I've barely dented it, but I'm looking forward to getting into it. The other books in the set also sound really interesting, especially A Place Of Greater Safety. The French Revolution and the Terror fascinate me.
One of the great Russian novels. Tolstoy's Anna Karenina or War & Peace. Dostoyevsky's Crime & Punishment or The Brothers Karamazov. Take your pick. They are utterly magnificent, and deserve every bit of praise they get.
AngmarsKing701
Member
Les Miserables
sparky2112
Member
Finished:
Don't need to say anything more.
Started:
Don't need to say anything more.
Started:
The Octavia E. Butler books available are all great, and definitely worth a purchase especially at those prices. I bought all those that I was missing, even though I've already read them through the local library.
Lilith's Brood (omnibus)
Seed to Harvest (omnibus)
Parable of the Sower
Parable of the Talents
Bloodchild: and other stories
The rest of her books in the deal are just single editions of the novels included in the collections above, more expensive to get them one by one.
I've been wanting to get into Octavia E. Butler, but I don't have a Kindle. Ultimately this is probably a good thing for my wallet.
I just got into Butler earlier this year, now I only have one of her novels left to read which makes me very sad.I've been wanting to get into Octavia E. Butler, but I don't have a Kindle. Ultimately this is probably a good thing for my wallet.
I think you would like her, some of her themes remind me of Le Guin quite a bit.
Gordon0Freeman
Member
Just finished Relentless.
Gonna start to read The Atlantis Gene by AG Riddle.
Gonna start to read The Atlantis Gene by AG Riddle.
Book of the Long Sun
After I finished An Evil Guest, this came really highly recommended from a friend, and since I've never read it, I decided to finally embark on the journey of finishing another one of Wolfe's longer multi-book novels. It was really good. Definitely comparable to Book of the New Sun, and in some ways it surpasses it in characterization and clever plotting. While it employs the same unique use of deceptive language which Wolfe enjoys using, the narrative here is much clearer than his average story... or is it?
The setting on a generation worldship is certainly unique, and was in fact one of the reasons it was recommended to me in the first place, since I introduced him to The Dark Beyond the Stars many years ago. But what really made the story more compelling for me was the heavy religious analogies and religious influence throughout. It's pretty weird, but just a month or so ago, I was lamenting about the lack of quality attempts to adapt the story of Exodus into a science fiction setting, so I pretty got exactly what I wanted out of this.
If Book of the New Sun felt like an embellished account of the writer's great deeds in a world with a culture alien to our own, then Book of the Long Sun certainly feels like a historical or biblical account of events with gaps sometimes filled in with second or third hand knowledge. Gene Wolfe is truly the greatest living scifi/fantasy writer today.
I think they're short novella's if I'm not mistaken, but I think I'll pick them up. I know Mak will recommend them as well as he has before.
Also, book recommendation time, this time for my Dad. His go to preference has always been nonfiction survival type of stories (he's a hunter at heart, wilderness etc etc), or just nonfiction in general, but since I've bought him so many of those, I'm trying to branch out with other things, and definitely LONG books since I hate buying him something and having it read on christmas day.
I was thinking Lonesome Dove for sure, know he'd love that, and maybe other books in that series, but any other suggestions would be appreciated. Not looking for any sort of high literature because I know my Dad wouldn't like that, but definitely something long.
Also, book recommendation time, this time for my Dad. His go to preference has always been nonfiction survival type of stories (he's a hunter at heart, wilderness etc etc), or just nonfiction in general, but since I've bought him so many of those, I'm trying to branch out with other things, and definitely LONG books since I hate buying him something and having it read on christmas day.
I was thinking Lonesome Dove for sure, know he'd love that, and maybe other books in that series, but any other suggestions would be appreciated. Not looking for any sort of high literature because I know my Dad wouldn't like that, but definitely something long.
Mackenzie 92
Member
Lonesome Dove is great. Can't go wrong with those or the prequels and sequels. Dead Man's Walk is my personal favorite.
This one isn't long, but I think you mentioned getting it for your dad before Wilderness. Haven't read it myself yet, but I think Mak liked it.
Would also recommend these, Master and Commander by Patrick O'Brian
or The President an amazing book and one of, if not THE single most interesting books in early 20th century Latin American literature. It's a magical-realistic satire of the dictatorships that Latin America was rife with in that time period, especially Guatemala's own dictator: Manuel Estrada Cabrera
Definitely checking this out. As for me:
Tragicomedy
Member
I'm going to have to read the Book of the New Sun then this. I read The Shadow of the Torturer a couple of years ago and found it fantastic, but for some reason never continued with the series. The only thing I can think of is the prose is so freaking dense it's a very challenging book to read. But the payoff was amazing.
I've read Wolfe's The Wizard Knight books and found them to be some of the best fantasy I've ever experienced. The praise for the Sun books is something I can't keep ignoring.
I remember Wilderness being brought up before indeed and mentioned I think my Dad would like it. Perhaps I'll get a couple Lonesome Dove novels for him, Master and Commander is a good recommendation. I was thinking Moby Dick as well, but I'm not sure how he'd handle a classic like that.
Been reading this for the last few weeks, and thoroughly enjoying it. My reading habits over the last year have dropped off completely. Probably been playing too many videogames, haha.
The Republic of Thieves is the third book in The Gentleman Bastards series, following The Lies of Locke Lamora and Red Seas Under Red Skies. They're these really slick, modern-feeling fantasy books that remind me more of something like Ocean's Eleven than they do something like Game of Thrones (In part because they revolve around master thieves and grand heists). They're so fast paced and witty and easy to consume that it just makes them really, genuinely enjoyable to read.
I constantly have a grin on my face when I'm reading it.
I'm now reading Red Seas Under Red Skies. I read the first book a couple of years ago, really enjoyed it, but the second book got lacklustre reviews so I postponed reading it despite buying the hardcover edition. But since the third book in the series got glowing reviews, I want to continue. So far it's exactly what the doctor ordered: engaging characters, another inventive heist plot in a fantasy setting, humorous lightweight fun.
Finished:
While it wasn't nearly as good as the first two books, I still enjoyed it. I had some troubles with the new characters though. The ending was a bit... meh.
While it wasn't nearly as good as the first two books, I still enjoyed it. I had some troubles with the new characters though. The ending was a bit... meh.
If it hadn't been for the crazy mutiny or counter mutiny the whole affair would have been fairly boring. "Hey everybody, you know that thing that is threatening to kill us all, it will leave us alone if for a minute we pretent we aren't really here." That is not a good security system in my book and I don't care if it was because of the influence of Miller's "simulation".
Salvor.Hardin
Banned
Just bought the leather bound edition of Dune. CBG19 recommended it and I'm enjoying it so far.
Damn that is a gorgeous cover. Know where I can buy it from?
In the words of Bruce Buffer, ITTTTTT'S TIIIIIIIIIME!
It has grabbed me and will not let go.
Words of Radience soon up in this bitch!
Oh god I'm so excited.
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dune-herbert-frank/1116890889
Have the Dracula one and damn is that book gorgeous. Shame they're a bit pricey.
Currently reading:
More than half-way through and whilst I like the premise of the book I'm on the fence about the overall plot. I hope a lot of stuff gets explained, because most of it does not sound feasible at all. Characters are a total miss though, which is a shame.
Book of the Long Sun
After I finished An Evil Guest, this came really highly recommended from a friend, and since I've never read it, I decided to finally embark on the journey of finishing another one of Wolfe's longer multi-book novels. It was really good. Definitely comparable to Book of the New Sun, and in some ways it surpasses it in characterization and clever plotting. While it employs the same unique use of deceptive language which Wolfe enjoys using, the narrative here is much clearer than his average story... or is it?
The setting on a generation worldship is certainly unique, and was in fact one of the reasons it was recommended to me in the first place, since I introduced him to The Dark Beyond the Stars many years ago. But what really made the story more compelling for me was the heavy religious analogies and religious influence throughout. It's pretty weird, but just a month or so ago, I was lamenting about the lack of quality attempts to adapt the story of Exodus into a science fiction setting, so I pretty got exactly what I wanted out of this.
If Book of the New Sun felt like an embellished account of the writer's great deeds in a world with a culture alien to our own, then Book of the Long Sun certainly feels like a historical or biblical account of events with gaps sometimes filled in with second or third hand knowledge. Gene Wolfe is truly the greatest living scifi/fantasy writer today.
I have these sitting on my bookshelf, I was thinking that over Christmas I'd re-read New Sun, then read Urth, then these. But my religious knowledge is very near zero. Would I miss a lot from them, should I do that Bible read-through I've been meaning to do before reading these, or does it not much matter?
Okay, thanks
I won't worry about it then. Which is good because I gave up on the Bible before I'd even finished Genesis, I think, last time.Yeah Bobby was the best! I think there are two or three scenes in the book were Holden is like "God, I wish Bobby was here." Everytime I read that I would go "Me, too." in my head.
Tragicomedy
Member
Finished Catching Fire.
Liked it about as much as I liked the first one.
I do like how it still kept the extremely fast pace of the first one. Feel like another author could have stretched each of these books by at least fifty percent more.
Makes for a quick action filled read.
Liked it about as much as I liked the first one.
I do like how it still kept the extremely fast pace of the first one. Feel like another author could have stretched each of these books by at least fifty percent more.
Makes for a quick action filled read.