nicoga3000
Saint Nic
I will probably hold out on an upgrade unless someone gives me a glaring reason to do so.
And does the rest of that book read similar to the intro? Or what about it didn't you like?
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What are you reading? (December 2014)
- Thread starter Maklershed
- Start date
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I will probably hold out on an upgrade unless someone gives me a glaring reason to do so.
And does the rest of that book read similar to the intro? Or what about it didn't you like?
AngmarsKing701
Member
Okay so I've read a couple of summaries of Way of Kings. I sort of kind of almost remember some of that. And it's overwhelming.
Deep breath. Ready to dive into Words.
Deep breath. Ready to dive into Words.
A Wild Sheep Chase and Dance Dance Dance are connected. But they are still separate enough that you can easily read them out of order.
Hear the Wind Sing and Pinball, 1973 are also part of the same "series", preceding A Wild Sheep Chase. Those three books are sometimes referred to as the "Trilogy of the Rat".
A lot of it will come back to you when you just keep reading. Past events are referenced enough that it's possible to build an understanding. Still, some small events may pass you by, but that's just the way it is with these enormous books. I like to read them as they come out, but once they're all out, I might retire just to read them all one after another.
Was just looking at that book on Amazon. Sounds really incredible.
I fully recommend it in that cause. The prose is superb, though you have to like a lot of melancholy to really appreciate it I guess.
fredrancour
Member
Got all 6 main-series malazan books I hadn't read yet for christmas. Reading midnight tides now. Enjoying it a lot, after getting over the initial hesitation inspired by the near-total characters-and-setting deviation from the last one.
User 479360
Banned
So, I have about 110+ pages left in Heart-Shaped Box.
Thoughts so far:
Thoughts so far:
It started off as a really interesting ghost story, and hooked me immediately. I still like it and would recommend it, but now I'm questioning Joe Hill's decision-making. Now, there's been a revelation that sexual abuse/child molestation led the ghost to want to haunt Coyne, but it feels like a cheap and unnecessary twist.
Hopefully it'll end up being more sensible by the end.
Hopefully it'll end up being more sensible by the end.
Got 100 Bullets Book 1 which is a collection of 100 Bullets comics (first five volumes) written by Brian Azzarello and art by Eduardo Risso and so it is probably the best thing I have read this year, really kick ass set of stories. I first heard of it because they were going to make it a PS2 game at one point and the idea of the story really caught my interest. Basically the story is a guy named Agen Graves gives people who have been wronged a briefcase with dossiers on the wrong doer and a gun with 100 untraceable bullets, what they do with it is up to them. I really like old film noir movies and crime stories so naturally I was drawn to this collection.
Also trying to finish the hundred and fifty pages of The Martain by Andy Weir to finish my reading of 2014 on a really high note.
Also trying to finish the hundred and fifty pages of The Martain by Andy Weir to finish my reading of 2014 on a really high note.
hardcastlemccormick
Banned
I apparently finished Leviathan Wakes. The ebook version I read came with an entire bonus novel which padded the length out to double, so I thought I was at 50% when I was actually pages away from the end. I've never experienced anything quite like that. I did like 20 double-takes.
I enjoyed a lot of the book, but two factors played into my current "bleh" feeling. One, the above which added a feeling of "that's it?" and two, the Vorkosigan series is about three times better and I just swallowed two of those recently. I really loved the book when I was in the thick of it all though and the TV show had better be amazing.
I also finished 2001: A Space Odyssey. Considering how not-straightforward the movie can be, the book is shockingly simple at times and outright prints its own themes on the page. I can't fault it for this, and it's still an entertaining read. It's hard to know what I'd think of it without the movie existing; as it stands I can't help but think of it as a good companion but nothing more. My self awareness tells my brain that such a view is unfair, but whatever.
Currently reading 2010: Odyssey Two, Stoner, and probably the next Vorkosigan book.
I don't think so, no.
Leviathan Wakes is a good book if you like space opera; it's exciting and doesn't have a ton of details like Dune. It'll do the job. Other recommendations for newcomers to the genre: Foundation, The Caves of Steel, or The Sirens of Titan.
I enjoyed a lot of the book, but two factors played into my current "bleh" feeling. One, the above which added a feeling of "that's it?" and two, the Vorkosigan series is about three times better and I just swallowed two of those recently. I really loved the book when I was in the thick of it all though and the TV show had better be amazing.
I also finished 2001: A Space Odyssey. Considering how not-straightforward the movie can be, the book is shockingly simple at times and outright prints its own themes on the page. I can't fault it for this, and it's still an entertaining read. It's hard to know what I'd think of it without the movie existing; as it stands I can't help but think of it as a good companion but nothing more. My self awareness tells my brain that such a view is unfair, but whatever.
Currently reading 2010: Odyssey Two, Stoner, and probably the next Vorkosigan book.
I don't think so, no.
Leviathan Wakes is a good book if you like space opera; it's exciting and doesn't have a ton of details like Dune. It'll do the job. Other recommendations for newcomers to the genre: Foundation, The Caves of Steel, or The Sirens of Titan.
nakedsushi
Member
Finished:
Landline by Rainbow Rowell
There were The Feels, but it was ultimately a let down. I hate books that don't explain something magical.
Landline by Rainbow Rowell
There were The Feels, but it was ultimately a let down. I hate books that don't explain something magical.
Have read quite a few books that would be described as melancholic, so no worries there. I'll try and check it out soon.
I'm absolutely crawling through Lonesome Dove.
Maklershed
Member
Watched the original The Searchers and rewatched Tombstone and still in a western mood. Any western book recs other than Lonesome Dove, The Sisters Brothers, or Cormac McCarthy books?
With less football watching to do, I have managed to carve some time out for reading again.
I have been working through The Way of Kings again. So glad I picked it back it up. It didn't grab me initially, but I'm loving it now. About halfway through.
I took a break from that to read a bit of my Christmas books. My friend got me a Philip K. Dick collection of short stories. Never read him before, but the couple I read were pretty good.
I also started The Heroes by Joe Abercrombie. The First Law books aren't my favorite fantasy series, but I find I fly through them as fast as any. I've gotten through a good chunk of it so far and really enjoying it.
I have been working through The Way of Kings again. So glad I picked it back it up. It didn't grab me initially, but I'm loving it now. About halfway through.
I took a break from that to read a bit of my Christmas books. My friend got me a Philip K. Dick collection of short stories. Never read him before, but the couple I read were pretty good.
I also started The Heroes by Joe Abercrombie. The First Law books aren't my favorite fantasy series, but I find I fly through them as fast as any. I've gotten through a good chunk of it so far and really enjoying it.
Conkersbadfurday
Member
Finished Revival yesterday. I really, really liked it though I also think it's far from perfect. Ending was smashing, though I've read enough Lovecraft to go, "eh, i've seen this before, more or less"
Still, it's a wonderfully written novel. Some of the best first-person I've ran into in awhile.
Still, it's a wonderfully written novel. Some of the best first-person I've ran into in awhile.
Ready Player One is kind of terrible.
User 479360
Banned
Can anyone recommend any good ghost story (or horror) books for me to read? I have a hard time with period pieces, so take that into consideration. I try to like them, but a lot tend to lose me.
After I finish Heart Shaped Box, I will likely read The Catcher in the Rye.
After I finish Heart Shaped Box, I will likely read The Catcher in the Rye.
Tragicomedy
Member
I read a few Louis L'Amour books as a kid and was absolutely mesmerized. Dude wrote 89 novels and sold over 200 million books, so he's pretty well regarded as the king of westerns. He's best known for his Sackett series, but I was into his four Hopalong Cassidy books that he wrote under the pen name "Tex Burns." I've read he didn't think too highly of those books, but I loved them.
Start here if you're interested, though you might be better off trying out the Sackett line.
Maklershed
Member
Awesome. Thank you both. I'll check these recs out.
EDIT: Aaaaaaaaaaaaaand bought both of them.
Finished Naked Lunch. Strangest, least intelligible book I've ever read. This was a modern, edited edition. The editors must have had a nightmare of a job.
Now, onto a comic book, Black Hole by Charles Burns. Going in with low expectations, since I got it from a friend who didn't like it. But it has been critically acclaimed, so who knows.
Now, onto a comic book, Black Hole by Charles Burns. Going in with low expectations, since I got it from a friend who didn't like it. But it has been critically acclaimed, so who knows.
Maklershed
Member
FYI There is a movie adaptation. I saw it as a kid and it gave me nightmares.
User 479360
Banned
The movie is a mess, though, and not very good itself.
Hello Reading-GAF,
I think the time has come for me to purchase an e-reader but I don't know which hardware to buy. My biggest concern is build quality and compatibility. I saw the Nook Glowlight in stores before Christmas and it seemed so flimsy! I admit that could have been because it was the store display and those get hammered.
-How is checking books out from the library?
-Can you read manga and b&w comics on an e-reader? Okay, I know you can do it, but is it terrible?
-Is the Kindle Voyage/Kobo Aura HD worth the extra expense?
-Is there any retail store where I can look at all major brands of e-readers side by side?
-Is there anything else I should know before I jump in/decide on a model?
I think the time has come for me to purchase an e-reader but I don't know which hardware to buy. My biggest concern is build quality and compatibility. I saw the Nook Glowlight in stores before Christmas and it seemed so flimsy! I admit that could have been because it was the store display and those get hammered.
-How is checking books out from the library?
-Can you read manga and b&w comics on an e-reader? Okay, I know you can do it, but is it terrible?
-Is the Kindle Voyage/Kobo Aura HD worth the extra expense?
-Is there any retail store where I can look at all major brands of e-readers side by side?
-Is there anything else I should know before I jump in/decide on a model?
hardcastlemccormick
Banned
Responses in bold. I have a Kindle Paperwhite 2nd Gen and it's my favorite piece of technology in the house. I've gone mostly digital and I love it. But I'd also say that I could probably switch to Kobo or Nook and feel the same way.
I haven't checked out any library books and I don't read manga or comics.
However, I've owned all iterations of the Nook (except the tablets) and now use a Kindle Paperwhite. I'm perfectly happy with the Paperwhite, so I can't say that the extra features on the Voyage are worth the extra cost. The basic Kindle is just so good to start with.
Overall, it depends where you plan to buy books and to an extent where and how you plan on using the reader. Like hardcastlemccormick said, the store is a huge factor. I had a huge library with Barnes & Noble, and switching to Kindle presented a hassle since the vast majority of ebooks have DRM.
Why did I jump ship from B&N? Amazon's Kindle store had more than a few books that weren't available for the Nook. Prices also seemed cheaper for a lot of specific books I wanted. (Your experience may vary).
As far as the readers themselves, the early Nooks were very pleasant to read on and I really liked the way they were designed (Nook usually beats out Kindle on the "looks" of the device itself). But the latest, Nook Glowlight, had some steps back in functionality that I just didn't care for. These may seem to be minor gripes, but everyone's got their preferences. First, they redesigned it enough that the only cover that reliably fits on it is their own "iPad" style flap. However, it doesn't have a strap or any kind of magnetic closure to keep it closed, so that's really all it is - a flap. Meanwhile all the previous Nooks had great B&N branded covers which kept the screen well protected and actually stayed closed. Keeping it protected is important to me because I carry my reader almost everywhere in my purse. I know it's supposed to have a durable screen, but I would rather have a cover. The Glowlight also has a raised on/off switch right on the front of the device, meaning you can't put anything on top of it or next to it with more than a few ounces of pressure if you don't want it turning on/off by itself all the time.
Whatever reader you might go for, I really hope you enjoy it. Before I purchased my first Nook, I think I read maybe 4-5 paperbacks per year. I read so much more now. They're really great.
As far as what I'm reading to close out 2014: I'm planning to give Mistborn another shot because Brandon Sanderson's other works are great, but first I want to do a re-read of The Way of Kings and Words of Radiance. So fucking good.
Conkersbadfurday
Member
So I plan on starting up Hamlet again. Been awhile and I need something classy after going through a series of somewhat terrible Baen scifi books.
On the audiobook front to get me through work, I'm thinking of grabbing Horns or another Neil Gaiman novel. Not sure yet.
On the audiobook front to get me through work, I'm thinking of grabbing Horns or another Neil Gaiman novel. Not sure yet.
In my search for good horror books I am reading A Grin in the Dark by Ramsey Campbell.
I'm about half way through and its really good.
No blood, no gore, no real violence either. Just a never-ending sense of dread and unreality. And a feeling that something deeply sinister is getting ever closer.
I'm about half way through and its really good.
No blood, no gore, no real violence either. Just a never-ending sense of dread and unreality. And a feeling that something deeply sinister is getting ever closer.
Finished up Gray Mountain by John Grisham the other day. I have read almost all of his books and for me this was maybe the weakest. It takes so long for the story to progress because half the book is just used setting up the story. When it does get going it was enjoyable but then it ends kind of abruptly. I think my biggest complaint is that almost all of his books are about lawyers working on a singular case and this one has a lawyer that works on smaller cases while talking to someone else that is working on the larger case that you actually care about.
Now I need to find something else to read and I am hoping that I find a good book because the last one was pretty disappointing.
Now I need to find something else to read and I am hoping that I find a good book because the last one was pretty disappointing.
Couple more recommendations Mak of a couple books I've had on my to-read list for ages. Need to read them myself someday soon too. Was going to recommend The Son also, which is something I want to read someday too.
Warlock (Legends West #1) by Oakley Hall I remember someone mentioning this in the reading thread ages ago, and I remember at the time I don't think there was a ebook version, but now I see it is available at amazon, so that is good.
Wide Open by Larry Bjornson Just something I saw myself and seemed like it sounded like something special.
I have been reading the Jack Reacher books for the past few months, can't seem to put it down. I have so many other things in my reading backlog, I even managed to start one of the new SW books, but JR keeps pulling me back in. I love series that just keep on going and this is one of them. The books are only about 300 pages so they don't get boring and are very pleasant to get through. I love the fact that they do have some sort of continuity and that at some point there was a book dedicated to the past of the main character.
This series is my new drug, I can't seem to stop reading them and I will be hugely disappointed when I go through the whole series.
Anyone know any other books like the Jack Reacher series?
PS: I hated the movie and was also not a very big fan of the book that they chose to take the story from. I just can't see someone like Tom Cruise portraying someone like Jack Reacher. Tom Hardy would have been a better choice IMO.
This series is my new drug, I can't seem to stop reading them and I will be hugely disappointed when I go through the whole series.
Anyone know any other books like the Jack Reacher series?
PS: I hated the movie and was also not a very big fan of the book that they chose to take the story from. I just can't see someone like Tom Cruise portraying someone like Jack Reacher. Tom Hardy would have been a better choice IMO.
Dollar Yen
Neo Member
- That Issac Newton book from Neil DeGrasse Tyson's list.
- We Want You To Be Rich on the other hand.
- We Want You To Be Rich on the other hand.
Vince Flynn, maybe?
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B004DCAB3W/
I enjoyed that book and felt it was similar to the Reacher books.
Maklershed
Member
I recommend the Kindle Paperwhite with the official Amazon case (automatic on/off). Couldn't ask for a better e-reader experience imo. I've been using it almost every day since it came out.
Sweet thanks. I'll look into these as well.
EDIT: Bought Wide Open. Thanks buddy.
SteveWinwood
Member
Hey y'all. I don't ever find myself in this thread for some reason, but wanted to let you know of a little book club thing that spawned out of the Giant Bomb community thread. We all wanted to read House of Leaves so we decided to do it together! If you have it laying around we'd love for you to join us!
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=961021
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=961021
Finished Black Hole. Good story, beautifully drawn, sad atmosphere, pretty creepy. Can recommend it to comic book fans.
Next book will probably be Pratchett/Baxter's The Long War, which I got for Christmas a year ago from a friend. But I see it's the sequel to another book called The Long Earth, which I haven't read. Is it recommended to read them in sequence, or can The Long War stand by itself?
Next book will probably be Pratchett/Baxter's The Long War, which I got for Christmas a year ago from a friend. But I see it's the sequel to another book called The Long Earth, which I haven't read. Is it recommended to read them in sequence, or can The Long War stand by itself?
SliceSabre
Banned
Gotten back into reading so I picked up three books this past Saturday.
Eventide by Hickman: Totally new book that I saw in the special selection area of my library.
Blackout and Doubletake by Rob Thurman. More books in the Cal Leandros series. I was reading this series before my read habits fell off a cliff when I graudated college.
Started with Eventide and man am I enjoying this book. I've alway been a huge fan of stories set in medieval-esque times with dragons and such and this one is scratching that itch perfectly so far.
Eventide by Hickman: Totally new book that I saw in the special selection area of my library.
Blackout and Doubletake by Rob Thurman. More books in the Cal Leandros series. I was reading this series before my read habits fell off a cliff when I graudated college.
Started with Eventide and man am I enjoying this book. I've alway been a huge fan of stories set in medieval-esque times with dragons and such and this one is scratching that itch perfectly so far.
It's fantastic. By the time you're done you will know about the Rwandan genocide, Mobutu,why great african war took place, why Congo is the way it is, and a lot more.Reached the halfway point of one of my novels (going to be the first novel I complete in 2015 for the 50/50 challenge), so I am moving to another library book:
Supposed to be one of the best journalistic book involving the Congo.
I'm getting close to Part II of the novel, and I have learned so much about the Rwandan genocide/war thus far. Of course, it is taking forever, since unlike Apartheid, I know almost nothing about central Africa or its troubles, so I am doing my best to absorb all the relevant information.
nicoga3000
Saint Nic
I still bought it despite the poor reviews. To be honest, I'm about 1/3 of the way through it and really enjoying it. However, the dialogue and "geek speak" explanations are cringe worthy. Also, just like that review brought up, there's a few times when I wish the author would give me more than just a quick walk-through of what's going on at the moment.
I'm about halfway into Authority and I have to say it's really not grabbing me at all.
It's not really bad, I just don't feel any motivation to keep reading. I don't care about any characters and the plot is just "okay". On top of this the author feels like putting in random seemingly irrelevant details constantly.
I'll keep reading it cause I really don't like giving up on books, but man, it's feeling pretty flat so far.
It's not really bad, I just don't feel any motivation to keep reading. I don't care about any characters and the plot is just "okay". On top of this the author feels like putting in random seemingly irrelevant details constantly.
I'll keep reading it cause I really don't like giving up on books, but man, it's feeling pretty flat so far.
Gnome Scat
Member
2001: A Space Odyssey.
Maklershed
Member
Finished Acceptance and on to The Son. At about 10% in and its a very brutal, yet strong start. Looking forward to reading more.
The Son by Philipp Meyer
The Son by Philipp Meyer
I've gotta say that Authority and Acceptance might be two of my biggest reading disappointments of the past few years. Annihilation was phenomenal and set the stage for something great but unfortunately that story didn't go much of anywhere in the follow ups. Hell, I'm not sure I could even tell you the conclusion to any narrative thread that was created in the first book. I don't know - maybe I'm just dumb dumb that just didn't get a finer message hidden in the text or something. I was just left very .. dissatisfied.
Conkersbadfurday
Member
Review is mine. Couldn't resist plugging my own opinions
sparky2112
Member
I cannot, CANNOT handle another The Goldfinch in my lengthy, deep reading life. Maybe because Goldfinch came along at mid-life, but the critical acclaim that novel received vs. my reaction to it...well it came closer to killing one of the great loves of my life (reading) than anything before or since. What does this have to do with Vandemeer? I dunno...
If you want to see kids save the world by playing an MMO, you could just watch Summer Wars.
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