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What are you reading? (February 2010)
- Thread starter FnordChan
- Start date
frailimbnursry said:
Yeah, I really enjoyed the Hyperion books. I love how each book in this series gives you something different. Hyperion was the poetic masterpiece, Fall of Hyperion was the epic space opera, and now Endymion (at least so far) is just pure thrill ride.
Dan Simmons is a terrific talent and I'm overjoyed that I have so many of his books to discover. He's my new go-to guy when I need a break from more literary fiction. Not to say he doesn't have literary chops.
Drood sounds awesome, by the way. As does his upcoming Custer book. I'm a sucker for historical fiction.
Finally finished up An American Dilemma by Gundar Myrdal. A damn fantastic read and phenomenal social sciences study. Took me about two and a half months to read, which I think is the longest a book has ever taken me.
Breezed through the Zombie Survival Guide: Recorded Attacks by Max Brooks and Everything's Eventual by Stephen King. Both were good reads. I can't get enough of Dark Tower tie-ins and 1408 kept me up half the night afterwords.
Currently making my way through Ghost Wars by Steve Coll...
Good read so far. Ties in with a bunch of other books I've read about the CIA, Pentagon and others, which always helps.
Breezed through the Zombie Survival Guide: Recorded Attacks by Max Brooks and Everything's Eventual by Stephen King. Both were good reads. I can't get enough of Dark Tower tie-ins and 1408 kept me up half the night afterwords.
Currently making my way through Ghost Wars by Steve Coll...
Good read so far. Ties in with a bunch of other books I've read about the CIA, Pentagon and others, which always helps.
So, I haven't touched a sci-fi or fantasy book since finishing The Dark Tower, but I want to read something a little lighter than the heavy history stuff I've been going through. Any recommendations other than A Game of Thrones? I'm extremely picky with that whole genre, but I loved The Dark Tower, if that helps at all.
Also, FnordChan, how's The Secret Pilgrim?
Also, FnordChan, how's The Secret Pilgrim?
Maklershed
Member
I just finished Have a Little Faith and I'm back to Caves of Steel.
Undeux said:
I've barely had a chance to read any of it so far so I can't really say, but it's off to a good start. Smiley is addressing a graduating class of new agents for The Circus and is about to hold forth with anecdotes about the Cold War, which I imagine will be completely awesome. I'll report back once I've managed to make some headway into the book.
FnordChan
replicashooter
Banned
Pure awesomeness, if you like music you need to read this.
Dude... I liked Breakfast of Champions, but it is most certainly NOT "light-hearted." I found it to be depressing as fuck.Hasan said:
Right now, I just finished The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell... Liked it, but it wasn't as convincing as Blink. He seemed to try a bit too hard to shoehorn his own terminology into the book, and to make everything fit his little theory. However, he's still an excellent writer and pulls you along with his matter-of-fact style.
Still reading:
Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell (His most convincing book so far. Very interesting.)
The Definitive H.P. Lovecraft: Awesome stuff.
Next on the docket:
Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy
The Selfish Gene by Richard Dawkins
Should finish it soon, love this series. I'll probably start Hyperion Cantos when I'm done, they're just there waiting for me.
On the other hand, I wanted to ask some reccomendations on Norse Mythology Literature, with the stories of everything in a book or something, if possible. I love the topic but know almost nothing about it. Anyone got any ideas?
Finished up The Lightning Theif last night, and all in all it was a pretty fun read. I'll definently pick up the second, and hope the story matures much in the way the Harry Potter stories did.
Also got halfway through Generation S.L.U.T. last night, it's not what I expected, but some of the facts are pretty damn shocking. Makes me even more that that I'm not a teen in this day and age. I'll most likely finish that tonight, not sure what I'll start after that.
It's certainly not mythology literature, but since you already like fantasy and norse myths you really, really, REALLY need to read Mickey Zucker Recihert's Renshai series. I think it'll be right up your alley.
Also got halfway through Generation S.L.U.T. last night, it's not what I expected, but some of the facts are pretty damn shocking. Makes me even more that that I'm not a teen in this day and age. I'll most likely finish that tonight, not sure what I'll start after that.
The Judge said:
It's certainly not mythology literature, but since you already like fantasy and norse myths you really, really, REALLY need to read Mickey Zucker Recihert's Renshai series. I think it'll be right up your alley.
Hari Seldon
Member
I'm reading the Assassin's Apprentice series from Robin Hobb. On the last book, it is pretty damn "meh" so far. The first two were pretty entertaining.
Unless this book has a killer ending, I'm officially forming the opinion that Robin Hobb is vastly overrated.
Unless this book has a killer ending, I'm officially forming the opinion that Robin Hobb is vastly overrated.
Government-man
Member
Really interesting book, especially for those interested in music. I do feel that Sacks sometimes drag on too much with some of the case stories, but overall great read so far (read 300 of 400 pages).
OrangeGrayBlue
Member
Could someone recommend some books along the lines of McDowell's Outliers or the book mentioned earlier about time? I like for a book to make me (or at least make me feel) more well-rounded intellectually rather than entertain me. So anything along those lines would be greatly appreciated.
ElectricBlue187
Member
Empty said:
Mass Effect 2 has me on a sci-fi kick.
that's such a great book. One of my favorites by iain and i've read all of his books pretty much.
I'm listening to
Uncut in audiobook. I feel like it could've been so much more without the supernatural religious shit and if King hired someone to write some of the dialog for him so they don't all talk the exact same way. Everybody uses the word 'anyway,' all the fucking time. It's hard because I really want to like this book but its spiraling downward after an amazingly suspenseful start.
Just started Ariel by Steven Boyett (Kindle) after reading about how it was so hard to find for the longest time, and a big influence in the modern fantasy genre. I've read about the first quarter and so far I can see the praise is well warranted.
The story is basically at one point technology (guns, electricity, electronics, ect) just stop working, and are replaced with magic and mythological creatures. Pollution dissapears almost instantly, and the world erupts into chaos. The main characters of the story are Pete, a young man, and his friend Ariel, a full on Unicorn with a smart-ass attitude.
The writing is very fresh, feels like a modern novel and not one published first in 1986. Obviously Pete isn't pining for his iPhone or anything, but the author is smart to not describe cars or other old tech by model, just general terms. For example, Pete runs across "an old Volkswagen." A Jetta popped into my head, but in '86 you'd think a Bumblebee-esque Bug.
I'm liking it a heck of a lot, hopefully it'll continue to impress!
ShallNoiseUpon
Member
I figure asking here is better than making a thread about it.
Can anyone recommend some books about music/music culture (preferably rock or blues or jazz culture)?
Can anyone recommend some books about music/music culture (preferably rock or blues or jazz culture)?
A good Norse primer is "Children of Odin" by Padreic colum. Very simple, almost a kids book, but it will give you the basics.
A good Mass Effect style series is the "Night's Dawn" series by Peter F Hamilton. Super high tech, lots of aliens, adult content. LONG, but worth it.
I'm reading the early Richard sharpe novels by Bernard cornwell. Doing it in order of publication as those older ones are cheaper on the kindle. Amazing how well fleshed out sharpe is even though the "earlier" stuff that happened to him was written over a decade later.
A good Mass Effect style series is the "Night's Dawn" series by Peter F Hamilton. Super high tech, lots of aliens, adult content. LONG, but worth it.
I'm reading the early Richard sharpe novels by Bernard cornwell. Doing it in order of publication as those older ones are cheaper on the kindle. Amazing how well fleshed out sharpe is even though the "earlier" stuff that happened to him was written over a decade later.
Rubashov said:
Finally remembered to pick up World War Z at the store, been enjoying it so far.
I recently finished this, as well as:
Both of which I really enjoyed. I went into The World According to Garp completely blind based solely on the recommendation of a friend. I was surprised not only by what it was, but by how much I really enjoyed it.
I'm trying to figure out where I want to head from here. I'm thinking I might finally read Into the Wild, which I've been meaning to get for quite a while now. Does anyone have a recommendation one way or the other on Malcolm Gladwell's The Tipping Point?
Maklershed
Member
Finished Caves of Steel and moving on to The Help by Kathryn Stockett
"Funes el memorios" by Jorge Luis Borges. It's part of a collection of his short stories, called "Ficciones".
It's about a guy who has a perfect memory.
"Mostly Harmless", 5th book in the "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Trilogy".
It's about a guy who has a perfect memory.
He can tell you exatly what time it is without looking up at the sky or at his watch, he reads 1 or 2 books on latin and learns the language, just like that.
"Mostly Harmless", 5th book in the "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Trilogy".
Musashi Wins!
FLAWLESS VICTOLY!
ShallNoiseUpon said:
There's good and at least interesting writing on a lot of different facets of music and it's not my biggest reading subject but I've enjoyed
Lipstick Traces by Greil Marcus which is about....hmmm...it's about...well, it connects the Situationists and the Sex Pistols. And things get good all around that.
Our Band Could Be Your Life by Michael Azerrad. It's about the indie and punk scene in the 80's and early 90's which is an interest of mine lately. It's uneven in it's coverage, but a fun read.
The Birth (and Death) of The Cool by Ted Gioia. It's about the development and subsequent communication of the idea of cool, the author's viewpoint being that the primary origin is in Jazz/Blues culture. To him, the death of irony is the death of cool. Earnestness is totally uncool. His professional interest is Jazz, but he has a lot of examples that go beyond that in our culture from cartoons to American Idol. I mention it because I just read it, but despite the interesting premise, it wasn't an electrifying read.
In other news.
Samuel Johnson: The Struggle by Jeffrey Meyers. Just about done with this, good read. Boswell's Life can seem pretty frank at times, but he very much cleaned up some of Johnson's reality. There's more madness, sex and guilt going on than was hinted at though I'm sure that doesn't surprise historians. The real story of Samuel Johnson though is how a man of natural talent fights against the odds of health, birth and destructive passions to accomplish so much. Also, I've been interested and disappointed in how this plays out in his religious beliefs.
BenjaminBirdie
Banned
xRosvall said:
A few chapters in
Hope you like exclamation points!
Maklershed
Member
Top of the muffin to you!
way more
Member
DesertEater said:
so far so good.
even better than the previews books.
Refrain from making obvious illiteracy joke, mac.
I finished A Cooks Tour by Anthony Bourdain
Man, he really loves Vietnam. He praises the people, their culture, the families and makes it sound like the happiest place on Earth. But for real and without the 7$ lemonades like Disneyworld.
I'm also reading jumping around in the following.
NonRequired Reading 2008
NonRequired Reading 2009
I'll list the good stories from each but I think I'm done with the NonRequired series. The strange stories in which nothing happens and nothing is explained have lost their mystery and are simply frustrating. In past books such stories were somewhat dangerous, pulpy or para-normal. But I've encountered some that are simply boring and uneventful.
I really want to pick up this comic. It's about a animator and the bizarre things he saw while working in North Korea.
Christoff Yurievich
Member
I just spent the last week reading "Under the Dome" by Stephen King. Read no further if you haven't finished that massive bit of paper yet.Aurelius said:
Really enjoying it. King is back in form!
Really, Stephen? 1075 or so pages? And then at the end it's just "aliens haxxors wtf plz stop kthxbye the end". Christ on a biscuit, I know you have problems with endings but what the hell was that. I read over 1000 pages in a week just to have it be aliens? And not even evil aliens: it''s aliens babiez. there are less than 40 survivors of this devastation, and not even a short chapter about what happens after the dome? ARGH. Plus your writing is getting predictable. Or maybe I should not have read "Lisey's Story", "Just After Sunset", and "Duma Key" right before reading this one. I can tell pages before it happens when you're about to off someone.
Other than that, not too bad.
Aloysius is such a cool character.hednik4am said:
reading it again... their best imo
amitaiwinehouse
Neo Member
Foob said:and now I'm onto this:
Quite enjoyed that when I read it a few months back. Particularly enjoyed the sections on Frobisher, Cavendish and Sonmi.
Now I am reading this:
Quite a significant way in, really enjoyable read.
way more
Member
amitaiwinehouse said:
A very awesome read. I want a movie so badly. Think of how much fun it would be for someone to design Sitka and how cool it would be to see it.
Maybe a fatter Tom Hanks could play Landsman. Or a thinner Tom Seizmore.
Holy crap, wonder Jew duo the Coen bros. are slated to direct the film adaption!
Graphic novel help time.
Anyone know the name of a title put out in 2009 that was about the Iraq war? It was a satire that pointed out how the reasons for going into it were so stupid by saying, "what if," Bush had been right about everything. The WMD's, the being greeted as liberators. I saw it reviewed in a Best of 2009 issue of New York Review of Books but I can't find the article anywhere online.
Combichristoffersen
Combovers don't work when there is no hair
Just finished the final Twilight book, and.. uh.. that book certainly is an.. interesting experience. Wonder how they'll make a movie out of it, without heavy rewrites :lol
Just began readuing Baudelaire's The Flowers of Evil. Pondering on reading Gavin Baddeley's Goth Chic again.
Just began readuing Baudelaire's The Flowers of Evil. Pondering on reading Gavin Baddeley's Goth Chic again.
