I got Jennifer Egan's "The Keep" from the library because there was so little to choose from that wasn't Stephen King or Clive Cussler. I couldn't make it more than 10 pages, the writing was so bad. Now I'm reading this Leonardo Sciascia book I've had lying around, "To Each His Own." Also working on a book of short stories from a local author, which I'm very impressed by so far.
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What are you reading? (February 2013)
- Thread starter Maklershed
- Start date
can anyone recommend me a nonfiction book about the Victorian England society? I'm more interested in the darker side of the era (forced labor, epidemics, work houses, mental institutions, well you get the idea 
). I'm running out of wiki articles and just randomly google articles at this point
). I'm running out of wiki articles and just randomly google articles at this point
nakedsushi
Member
can anyone recommend me a nonfiction book about the Victorian England society? I'm more interested in the darker side of the era (forced labor, epidemics, work houses, mental institutions, well you get the idea
I haven't read this yet, but it's been sitting on my bookshelf for months:
The London Underworld in the Victorian Period: Authentic First-Person Accounts by Beggars, Thieves and Prostitutes by Henry Mayhew
Maklershed
Member
can anyone recommend me a nonfiction book about the Victorian England society? I'm more interested in the darker side of the era (forced labor, epidemics, work houses, mental institutions, well you get the idea
Thunderstruck by Erik Larson might suit your fancy. Although the darker part of the story takes place in the Edwardian era.
sparky2112
Member
Unless Egan tried something experimental in that book, you lose. She won the freakin' Pulitzer, man.
can anyone recommend me a nonfiction book about the Victorian England society? I'm more interested in the darker side of the era (forced labor, epidemics, work houses, mental institutions, well you get the idea
I read Poverty and Compassion: The Moral Imagination of the Late Victorians by Gertrude Himmelfarb for a History of Philanthropy course in college.
I think I'm gonna pick up this series soon. Heard lots of great things and I'm in the mood for some good sci-fi.
Started it today. Really excited for the 3rd book as well.
Right now, I'm about halfway through:
I've had it for a while now, but I've been distracted with other books. Decided its time to get into it back when we had a thread in here about the movie. I'm enjoying it so far, but I'm struggling with the terminology. I can follow whats going on, but only barely sometimes. lol And things are really fast-paced once its gets going. That was kind of unexpected. Its not a long book and already there's been a decent amount of adventure.
I'm definitely gonna continue on with the series, but I might start on the Leviathan Wakes series first.
Also still rereading A Feast for Crows. Slowly but surely! Its usually my bathroom reader.
Kyleripman
Member
What? The prose was more than serviceable for what it is, being an action packed story analogous of The Thing.
Anyway, was in the mood for more horror and started this last night
Dead Sea by Tim Curran
This sounds SO up my alley. Thanks! Have you ever read any William Hope Hodgson?
hardcastlemccormick
Banned
After eight months of on and off reading, Cryptonomicon is finished. Goddamn glorious. Not only had I not laughed that hard at a book in a long time, but it managed to do so multiple points throughout.
That she won the Pulitzer is not necessarily indicative of her writing ability. It's an impressive accomplishment but that does not mean someone with a Pulitzer is beyond scrutiny.
The writing just put me off completely. I guess the way I'd describe it would be sophomoric. It seemed to be going for a tone of forced inelegance ("The towers had those square indentations around the top that little kids put on castles"; "But finally he made it... and hoisted himself onto a flat walkway-type thing"). I have no problem with attempts at internal perspective but this seemed either lazy or juvenile. I thought the dialogue was bad. To be fair I only read a chapter but I was so put off by it I put it down, which is a rare thing for me to do. It's a library book but I might try to read Goon Squad which I own a copy of, later.
Mackenzie 92
Member
No I haven't. Anything you'd recommend?
KuwabaraTheMan
Banned
I enjoyed Gardens, but it definitely took me a little bit to start really getting into it. I'm finding the style of Deadhouse Gates to be better, and it's certainly a much more well written book, although I miss a lot of the characters from the first book. It's pretty great, though, and I'm enjoying all of the new characters and plots.
The only knock against it compared to the first book is that it's a lot harder for me to keep track of where everything is.
Started it today. Really excited for the 3rd book as well.
Enjoy. I read it about a month ago, and now I can't wait for the third book. This series has become a favorite of mine very quickly.
doctorcdcs
Member
Just finished "The Forever War".
It was a great read, and had an interesting take on the future, and how war "works".
It was a great read, and had an interesting take on the future, and how war "works".
Picked this up yesterday as an entry point to Vonnegut and I am already in love with it. The dark humor, satire and general themes are right up my alley.
I have only ever read Cat's Cradle. I enjoyed it, but for some reason I haven't really felt inspired to take on more Vonnegut since then.
I started Walter M. Miller's A Canticle for Liebowitz today. I am only one chapter in; I'm hoping to get through it by Sunday.
Cat's Cradle is probably his most inaccessible work out of what I've read by him imo. In fact, despite the fact I read Moby Dick beforehand (which Cat Cradle's plot struture borrows heavily from). I still found it confusing and hard-to-follow compared to Slaughterhouse-five and Mother Night at the very least.
Finished:
A great finish to the series. Pacey does a great job in bringing Abercrombie's characteres to life though I won't lie that some of his accent choices were... peculiar.
Since for some strange reason audible.de does not have Best served cold in its libary I will jump into The Heroes next. See if it keeps up.
A great finish to the series. Pacey does a great job in bringing Abercrombie's characteres to life though I won't lie that some of his accent choices were... peculiar.
Ferro speaking with a french accent really put me off at first.
sparky2112
Member
I've had it for a while now, but I've been distracted with other books. Decided its time to get into it back when we had a thread in here about the movie. I'm enjoying it so far, but I'm struggling with the terminology. I can follow whats going on, but only barely sometimes. lol And things are really fast-paced once its gets going. That was kind of unexpected. Its not a long book and already there's been a decent amount of adventure.
I always pop in with a response whenever O'Brian comes up. M&C is not an easy book - mostly because O'Brian doesn't care whether you understand nautical terminology or not. That, to my mind, is the ONLY fault of the series. There are a few companion guides out there by Dean King that are helpful - maps, definitions, etc. My favorite (I think) is still Post Captain, which is book #2. I'd at least read that before making any decisions about the series as a whole.
Patrick O'Brian: literature disguised as bromance/adventure.
TheChewyWaffles
Member
I'm definitely gonna keep going with the series. Like I said, I'm still enjoying it and I'm still following things, but yea, its a bit merciless when it comes to the 18th century nautical vocabulary. Its also surprisingly funny. Not laugh out loud funny, but witty and kind of endearing, especially with Jack and Stephen.
I need a laptop, really. I spend most of my time reading in bed and I'm always having to get up and go look up something.
Kyleripman
Member
Sorry I didn't see your post until now. But yes!
"The Boats of the Glen Carrig" is a short novel full of shipwreck, mysterious monsters, octopus attacks, slimy weed-men in the Sargasso sea, and it's told in a great old-fashioned style of language. "The Ghost Pirates," despite its lame title, is a really captivating story of a journey across the ocean in a haunted ship. Both books are free on the Kindle. However, he wrote many many short stories in a similar fashion:
I recommend his full collected works: you should probably start with volume one if you like the sound of it. He wrote a bunch of horror stuff that isn't seafaring-related, but the first volume is ALL seafaring, and it's all highly entertaining. I should stress that his prose is deliberately antiquated, but that's part of the charm (and part of the reason that these stories work).
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/89579.The_Collected_Fiction_Vol_1
Mackenzie 92
Member
TestMonkey
Member
Not bad so far. Kinda feels like a Christopher Moore and Jim Butcher collaboration.
Maklershed
Member
Great book on sale today for $2.99 as a Kindle daily deal. Isabelle Allende's Island Beneath the Sea. Loved this book and highly recommend it.
Island Beneath the Sea by Isabel Allende
Island Beneath the Sea by Isabel Allende
Finished Osama by Lavie Tidhar. Bizarre book, but I liked it a lot once I pieced it all together. Very surreal noir story.
Now reading an indie book that showed up in my Amazon recommendations randomly called Poor Man's Fight by Elliott Kay. It's pretty cool. Exciting military sci-fi, and some nice world building with mankind spread out across the galaxy. Definitely worth the $2.99 on Kindle. What's interesting is that education costs and student debt is a major aspect of the book. Sort of a weird thing :lol but it works.
Now reading an indie book that showed up in my Amazon recommendations randomly called Poor Man's Fight by Elliott Kay. It's pretty cool. Exciting military sci-fi, and some nice world building with mankind spread out across the galaxy. Definitely worth the $2.99 on Kindle. What's interesting is that education costs and student debt is a major aspect of the book. Sort of a weird thing :lol but it works.
Maklershed
Member
Ohh forgot to mention, I finished Wilderness yesterday and started Foundation's Edge
Foundation's Edge by Isaac Asimov
And has anyone read Richard III by David Baldwin? The news of finding his body has me curious about him and that era. From poking around on Amazon and Goodreads, it looks like Baldwin's book might be the best choice.
Foundation's Edge by Isaac Asimov
And has anyone read Richard III by David Baldwin? The news of finding his body has me curious about him and that era. From poking around on Amazon and Goodreads, it looks like Baldwin's book might be the best choice.
Finished book three of the Dresden Files Grave Peril today. I liked this one the most of the three books I've read up to now and it looks like shit really hit the fan at the end with the
I'll be starting the fourth book today:
war of the vampire courts against the white council.
I'll be starting the fourth book today:
Kyleripman
Member
Mackenzie 92
Member
Yes, that looks like it has a pretty good variety of his stuff in it. Enjoy!
Picked it up. Thanks again for the recommendation!
Also finished
Dead Sea by Tim Curran
This was really good, reminded me of The Mist a little bit, but was much better. Would definitely recommend.
This was the second book to ever make me laugh out loud. Which is because Cat's Cradle was the first. Haha. So it goes...
Like the hat?
Banned
Read Full Dark, No Stars by Stephen King. Pretty good.
About to start Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy. Heard it is good. Anyone hear read it (I assume so)?
About to start Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy. Heard it is good. Anyone hear read it (I assume so)?
Thanks for the heads up, picked it up! The only Allende book I've read before was The House of the Spirits many years ago, but I remember loving it.Great book on sale today for $2.99 as a Kindle daily deal. Isabelle Allende's Island Beneath the Sea. Loved this book and highly recommend it.
Island Beneath the Sea by Isabel Allende
Getting back into the audio version of
Had put this aside for the first law series because, I don't know, not because I didn't like it. I just wasn't in the mood for that kind of story I guess and somehow Abercrombies dark cynicism suited me better at the time. Luckily I have a good memory for stories so I had no trouble going back into even after almost four months.
I still enjoy the style of the book very much. I often read that people complain about Kvothe being a Mary Sue. I'm not gonna argue if that is actually the case or not, but I have to admit that the way he almost solves every problem he is confronted with, with ease is amusing.
Still, I find the book to be really well written and I'm a sucker for magical education stories.
Not sure if, after I finished this (have some 5-6 hours left), I should jump right into Wise Man's fear or go back to some Abercrombie. Have The Heroes and red Country waiting on my Sansa Clip... decisions, decisions...
Had put this aside for the first law series because, I don't know, not because I didn't like it. I just wasn't in the mood for that kind of story I guess and somehow Abercrombies dark cynicism suited me better at the time. Luckily I have a good memory for stories so I had no trouble going back into even after almost four months.
I still enjoy the style of the book very much. I often read that people complain about Kvothe being a Mary Sue. I'm not gonna argue if that is actually the case or not, but I have to admit that the way he almost solves every problem he is confronted with, with ease is amusing.
I mean, even when he is a homeless orphan he is perfect at it
Not sure if, after I finished this (have some 5-6 hours left), I should jump right into Wise Man's fear or go back to some Abercrombie. Have The Heroes and red Country waiting on my Sansa Clip... decisions, decisions...
I only read (listend to) the First Law trilogy so far and for this of course you should start with The Blade Itself. The books are very good, but especially the first one is a bit slow in the begining. Abercrombie takes his time setting up his characters.
Maklershed
Member
The Blade Itself!