Finished:
Piecake, read The Half Has Never Been Told.
Currently Reading:
???
Haven't decided yet! It'll be something I have out currently, though.
That's good to hear, and will do.
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What are you reading? (December 2014)
- Thread starter Maklershed
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That's good to hear, and will do.
Finished:
That is my acceptance.
Started:
Dresden once told me I should read James Wood because his views as a critic align closely with my own as a consumer of entertainment.
Queued:
I have seen Vandermeer's limits as an writer, and how nothing he could possibly write would live up to the implications and insinuations he creates in our heads. When he tries to, like in Finch, he just turns into yet another pulp sci-fi writer. It is better this way, if he sticks to what he knows best and lets the reader figure out the rest for themselves.
That is my acceptance.
Started:
Dresden once told me I should read James Wood because his views as a critic align closely with my own as a consumer of entertainment.
Queued:
Just for you, Mumei.
Pssssss, I have something to show you.
Also, chaps, what three books should I prioritize on this list?
1. The Power of One Bryce Courtnay
2. A Long Walk to Freedom Nelson Mandela
3. Country of My Skull (Guilt, Sorrow, and the Limits of Forgiveness in the New South Africa) - Antjie Krog
4. My Traitor's Heart (A South African Exile Returns to Face His Country, His Tribe, and His Conscience) - Rian Malan
5. A History of South Africa (3rd Edition) Leonard Thompson
6. Kaffir Boy (An Autobiography-The True Story of a Black Youth's Coming of Age in Apartheid South Africa) Mark Mathabane
7. Portrait with Keys (The City of Johannesburg Unlocked) Ivan Vladislavic
8. I Write What I Like (Selected Writings) Steve Biko
10. The Mind of South Africa Allister Sparks
11. Beyond the Miracle (Inside the New South Africa) Allister Sparks
12. Bring Me My Machine Gun (The Battle for the Soul of South Africa, from Mandela to Zuma) Alec Russell
13. South Africa (The Rise and Fall of Apartheid) Nancy L. Clark
14. When Rain Clouds Gather Bessie Head
16. Race and Reconciliation in South Africa (A Multicultural Dialogue in Comparative Perspective) William E. Van Vugt & G. Daan Cloete
17. The Rise, Fall and Legacy of Apartheid P. Eric Louw
18. The Uncertain Promise of Southern Africa York W. Bradshaw & Stephen N. Ndegwa
Ignore the numbering on here.
NipplesAndToes23
Member
Can anyone recommend me any afrofuturist novels?
Maklershed
Member
NipplesAndToes23
Member
My bad, I guess I should've mentioned what I've already read. I've read all of Octavia's stuff and Who Fears Death? By Nneda.
Maklershed
Member
NipplesAndToes23
Member
Speaking of Kindred, did it also annoy you how we didn't know how the time travel worked by the end of the book? I guess that stuff was happening just cause. I like to assume that one or both of them were wild seeds.
You read Hungarian, or just grabbed that particular picture for no real reason?
Christ, no. I grabbed the first picture I found on Google.
I wish I was worldly enough to read non-english books in their original language.
EverythingShiny
Member
I finished Station Eleven a few days ago and loved it. Fantastic novel.
Now reading this gem:
I bought the second to last copy in my store a few weeks ago. We have like 50 on order and apparently the distribution center is completely out of the book. I guess being named one of the best books of the year creates crazy demand. It's even sold out on Amazon.
Now reading this gem:
I bought the second to last copy in my store a few weeks ago. We have like 50 on order and apparently the distribution center is completely out of the book. I guess being named one of the best books of the year creates crazy demand. It's even sold out on Amazon.
T
Transhuman
Unconfirmed Member
...and Letters to a Young Contrarian, I need to learn focus on one book at once.
Finished Krüger & Krogh - Brennpunkt Oslo no.1. Great fun, can't wait to see what happens next!
Now, about to start Naked Lunch by William S. Burroughs. Don't really know what to expect. I've read stoner-novels before. On the Road was ok, but not among my favourites. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas was a blast, though.
Now, about to start Naked Lunch by William S. Burroughs. Don't really know what to expect. I've read stoner-novels before. On the Road was ok, but not among my favourites. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas was a blast, though.
TheChewyWaffles
Member
Currently reading The Martian.
Seems like a good read so far - about 25% in. Kind of refreshing after VanderMeer's inscrutable prose.
Seems like a good read so far - about 25% in. Kind of refreshing after VanderMeer's inscrutable prose.
sparky2112
Member
Now reading this gem:
I bought the second to last copy in my store a few weeks ago. We have like 50 on order and apparently the distribution center is completely out of the book. I guess being named one of the best books of the year creates crazy demand. It's even sold out on Amazon.
This is only like $6.99 on Kindle, I think. Great buzz for this and Station Eleven both.
RepairmanJack
Member
Speaking of Kindle, these 12 days of Chrismas deals they're rolling out are suuuuuucking. It's definitely worse than the regular daily deals.
sparky2112
Member
Can't disagree with this so far.
I know this is generally frowned upon, but I am judging that book's cover to be pretty amazing.
Currently reading The Martian.
Seems like a good read so far - about 25% in. Kind of refreshing after VanderMeer's inscrutable prose.
After seeing so much of this book in the past few topics, I decided to bite on it on Tuesday, and order it off Amazon.
ಠ_ಠ
(I leave for Turkey on Saturday, the 20th...)
AngmarsKing701
Member
A couple of nice Kindle deals I just jumped on today.
Lord of the Rings One Volume for $5 (50% off)
The Ocean at the End of the Lane for $2.75
Lord of the Rings One Volume for $5 (50% off)
The Ocean at the End of the Lane for $2.75
Very much agreed. Sci-fi covers usually make me facepalm something fierce, but absolutely love this one.
I read this book because the cover was so great. I'm not ashamed to admit that.
Mackenzie 92
Member
finished up Revival. I thought the ending was pretty cheesy, but overall I really enjoyed the journey.
reading War Dogs by Greg Bear now. pretty good military sci-fi
reading War Dogs by Greg Bear now. pretty good military sci-fi
AngmarsKing701
Member
The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker is also just $2.99 today on Kindle and Google Play.
I rated it my favorite book this year, and I know a few others here in the reading thread recommended it.
I rated it my favorite book this year, and I know a few others here in the reading thread recommended it.
Bought the Gaiman novel. May have felt lukewarm towards American Gods, but I felt the concept was great even if the execution was bad.
Also, these two book, Liberty's Torch: The Great Adventure to Build the Statue of Liberty, and All the President's Men are on sale. Has anyone read these?
I enjoyed Ocean much much more than American Gods myself (which I also liked the premise of but didn't quite hit the mark I was hoping for). It's more similar to Neverwhere if you've read that, but even better (to me).
I swear I don't work for Amazon's deals department or any publisher, but another book oft-talked about in here, The Golem and the Jinni, is only $2.99:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008QXVDJ0/?tag=neogaf0e-20
I'm still slogging my way through 1984. It seems good but I'm not in the mood for it.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008QXVDJ0/?tag=neogaf0e-20
I'm still slogging my way through 1984. It seems good but I'm not in the mood for it.
Weirdly, when I read The Martian I was loving all the science stuff even though I agree with most of you about the humor sometimes falling flat. Every time he came up with a new crazy scheme and explained how it worked, chances of it working, numbers, etc. I was eating it up.
Which is odd for me because I usually hate stuff like that. Don't know.
Which is odd for me because I usually hate stuff like that. Don't know.
I have actually never read a Gaiman novel, excluding American Gods and the first volume of Sandman.
Jag
Member
I don't mind book deals being posted. I just picked up the Golem book because of this. Your commission check is in the mail.
RepairmanJack
Member
Ditto. Especially if it's something someone recommends. I don't see any harm in mentioning a book deal on a book you'd recommend.
The absolute dumbest thing in the book but something that actually made me laugh was him saying
"That's what she said."
sparky2112
Member
Yeah, but the one aspect I liked about the humor is
when he's admonished that the whole world is listening, he doesn't bother to stop. At all.
sparky2112
Member
Yeah, I'll bust on anyone that *doesn't* post a deal they know about, how 'bout them apples?
sparky2112
Member
Best (dumb, yes) line in the book.
I also really liked his
personal messages to the rest of the crew.
Sometimes I worry I'll have seen the deal from some other website and accidentally link one with a referral tag on the end and people will think I'm actually doing that.
Yeah, I didn't think people would mind. Just wanted to make sure. And that line was hilarious, too, especially
knowing people on Earth were waiting with bated breath for this long-delayed message.
Yes! That was great. Book managed to be both dramatic and silly.
Yeah, I'm glad I ended up reading it because I had a blast. I keep trying to recommend it to people but nobody listens to me ;_;
Christoff Yurievich
Member
Just ordered American Gods (already read it but it was cheap), LotR One Volume (ditto), and The Golem and the Jinni (because it was on sale). I'm rapidly approaching a volume of books that is untenable.
Fine! Add that to my list as well.
Fine! Add that to my list as well.
RepairmanJack
Member
Another deal bought today. Thanks, this was on my To-Read list.
Jag
Member
Great deal. Jump on it if you haven't read them yet.
Christoff Yurievich
Member
The Name of the Wind: The Kingkiller Chronicle: Day One
The Wise Man's Fear (The Kingkiller Chronicle, Book 2)
The Slow Regard of Silent Things (The Kingkiller Chronicle, Book 1)
Why the different naming conventions?
The Wise Man's Fear (The Kingkiller Chronicle, Book 2)
The Slow Regard of Silent Things (The Kingkiller Chronicle, Book 1)
Why the different naming conventions?
That is an amazon error. Wise Man's Fear should be Day 2.
Slow Regard of Silent Things is just a side story novella.
Christoff Yurievich
Member
I see. Ta!
I think it's confusing to them because unlike most books where it's labeled (Book 1, Book 2, ect.) this series is labeled Day 1, Day 2 because it's Kvothe recounting his life's story and you get a day's worth of that each volume.
Just finished Half a King by Joe Abercrombie.
It's good, but it felt like Abercrombie was reaching for the YA audience. Not nearly as gritty as First Law. Although I suppose that's a good thing, since First Law went to some fucked up places by the end.
Not sure what I'm going to read next. Not really feeling Control or Wolf in White Van. To the wish list then.
It's good, but it felt like Abercrombie was reaching for the YA audience. Not nearly as gritty as First Law. Although I suppose that's a good thing, since First Law went to some fucked up places by the end.
Not sure what I'm going to read next. Not really feeling Control or Wolf in White Van. To the wish list then.
Incandenza
Banned
Jesus, at this rate I'll have Sanderson's whole bibliography before I ever get around to reading any of him.
Yes, it's explicitly a YA book.
I mean, I wasn't a huge fan--the overreliance on coincidence did it for me--but the goal of the book was absolutely to reach the YA audience.
I honestly had no clue. I just saw new Abercrombie and bought it. Damn straight on the overreliance of coincidence.
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