Make sure it's Robin Buss!
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What are you reading? (February 2014)
- Thread starter Maklershed
- Start date
Make sure it's Robin Buss!
AngmarsKing701
Member
Just keep going. It just keeps delivering at least through A Civil Campaign.
lastflowers
Banned
Jony Ive always reminds me of John Locke from Lost. Not sure I'll ever be able to shake that connection
It's fun fluff although after the first three they feel pretty same-y and get boring.
AngmarsKing701
Member
You're the Wurst
Ehhhh so far =/
OfWhiteSkinOnRedLeather
Member
I haven't really noticed anything particularly different, but I don't really pick up on those things unless they drastic. But yeah, hopefully they return to the older formula if that's the case. A couple less main characters would be nice too, since I find myself not caring about a couple of them (Avasarala, Anna, for example).
I have to say though, I really wanted Bobbie
to become their permanent gunner. 
Maklershed
Member
Finished Count Zero and since I'm jonesin for some James Ellroy I'm gonna start Blood on the Moon
Blood on the Moon by James Ellroy
Blood on the Moon by James Ellroy
The Artful Dodger
Member
Just nabbed this book.
von Stroheim
Member
The Passage - Justin Cronin
The Sixth Extinction - Elizabeth Kolbert
Yup, we're causing it.
The Sixth Extinction - Elizabeth Kolbert
Yup, we're causing it.
I've been reading The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. It's an interesting idea and the book is quite well-done, but I just find it very depressing for some reason. I'm not sure why: I don't even know anyone with behavioural issues (well, maybe one guy, but it's very mild in his case), but I still find everything described in this book to be really sad.
The Culture Vulture
Member
Finished Animal Farm and am into 1984. Have a sneaking suspicion that I will prefer Farm when all is said and done.
Hey GAF,
I know this is kind of the wrong thread, but it's somewhat related so I'm throwing this out there.
I've been an avid reader all my life and have always loved books. I 've got those bittersweet memories of lugging around big ass Sci-Fi anthologies in my backpack, struggling to choose which books to carry in my bags on trips, the whisper of the pages late at night, and the smell of a brand new book (which is maybe third only to the smell of a fresh pack of trading cards and butt-busting spicy chicken wings.)
Now, after years of living in Japan with insane price markups, long-ass shipping times, and less space to store my atheneum - I'm finally considering an e-reader.
How many of you use a reader? Do you miss the tactile sensation of actually reading? Mumei had an excellent post a while back about the differences between the two mediums that was a good read, but I'm also interested in your opinions.
The idea of buying a book (often cheaper!) and then downloading it instantly is really tempting - almost scary if I think about my credit card bill! So what do you think? Am I just a paper dinosaur? Should I get with the times and save some trees?
As for books I'm reading -
I just started A Dance With Dragons and am reading it along with 人はなぜ形のないものを買うのか - a book about why people spend money on digital goods and microtransactions. I'm convinced that Japan CAN make an ethical, consumer-friendly social game that can contribute a positive experience without exploiting gambler psychology...yeah, good luck with that.
As for A Dance With Dragons, I'm excited about more
, but I can't say that I was thrilled with his opening chapter so far.
See you in March!
I know this is kind of the wrong thread, but it's somewhat related so I'm throwing this out there.
I've been an avid reader all my life and have always loved books. I 've got those bittersweet memories of lugging around big ass Sci-Fi anthologies in my backpack, struggling to choose which books to carry in my bags on trips, the whisper of the pages late at night, and the smell of a brand new book (which is maybe third only to the smell of a fresh pack of trading cards and butt-busting spicy chicken wings.)
Now, after years of living in Japan with insane price markups, long-ass shipping times, and less space to store my atheneum - I'm finally considering an e-reader.
How many of you use a reader? Do you miss the tactile sensation of actually reading? Mumei had an excellent post a while back about the differences between the two mediums that was a good read, but I'm also interested in your opinions.
The idea of buying a book (often cheaper!) and then downloading it instantly is really tempting - almost scary if I think about my credit card bill! So what do you think? Am I just a paper dinosaur? Should I get with the times and save some trees?
As for books I'm reading -
I just started A Dance With Dragons and am reading it along with 人はなぜ形のないものを買うのか - a book about why people spend money on digital goods and microtransactions. I'm convinced that Japan CAN make an ethical, consumer-friendly social game that can contribute a positive experience without exploiting gambler psychology...yeah, good luck with that.
As for A Dance With Dragons, I'm excited about more
Tyrion
See you in March!
I have a Nook. One of the first. I didn't keep up with using it because I almost never found books I wanted to read on it. That soured me on the experience. Granted, this was three years ago.
My sister recently bought a Kindle and loves it. I honestly think most people can be okay with the transition, and hey if it makes economic sense, go for it. Personally, I love the feel of paper, to the point that I have really bad (and annoying...) habits of consistently flipping through books. (No idea how else to explain it.) It calms me down, and it's one of the things I enjoy most about reading: having this object that I can manipulate physically while doing a more mental activity. I never got quite the same experience with my Nook. But I think I might just be a weirdo.
If you're travelling or in a non-permanent location, an e-reader is invaluable.
What it sucks for is books where you want to flip around a lot to try and re-read information to figure out what's going on. Textbooks or long fantasy novels or sci-fi bullshit where you're like "What's this alien name? where did this character come from? When was the last time I heard about this kingdom etc"
I love my kindle, especially for... like, junk novels I just want to one-and-done, but I prefer paperbacks.
Does Japan get good free/cheap book shipping from anywhere?
What it sucks for is books where you want to flip around a lot to try and re-read information to figure out what's going on. Textbooks or long fantasy novels or sci-fi bullshit where you're like "What's this alien name? where did this character come from? When was the last time I heard about this kingdom etc"
I love my kindle, especially for... like, junk novels I just want to one-and-done, but I prefer paperbacks.
Does Japan get good free/cheap book shipping from anywhere?
Tragicomedy
Member
Been on the Kindle bandwagon since the very first one was released. It was a freaking lifesaver in Iraq and Afghanistan (no way to pack and ship that many books around).
I finally upgraded this past year to a paperwhite. I'm absolutely in love with the form factor, the convenience, and surprisingly, the reading experience. Call me weird, but I'll take the Kindle version of a book over a physical copy every single time.
What I cannot explain is why I read faster on a Kindle, but that's been my observation. I get through more books at a faster pace.
I finally upgraded this past year to a paperwhite. I'm absolutely in love with the form factor, the convenience, and surprisingly, the reading experience. Call me weird, but I'll take the Kindle version of a book over a physical copy every single time.
What I cannot explain is why I read faster on a Kindle, but that's been my observation. I get through more books at a faster pace.
rudieboy77
Member
In the last two weeks I finished the last Dresden Files book.
And just today I finished the in my opinion completely unfinished...
I listen to audiobooks while working so I go thru a book in a couple of days.
And just today I finished the in my opinion completely unfinished...
I listen to audiobooks while working so I go thru a book in a couple of days.
Plasticine
Member
I have a Kindle Fire HD and love it. I still buy physical editions (only for books I want to collect) but mostly stick with the Kindle version. I don't miss the experience of hard copy books at all. While it is different, it's still an engrossing and enjoyable experience.
There are upsides to physical but it's hard to beat having your library at your beck and call. And I'm one of those people who frequently rereads, so if I'm in the middle of a commute and I feel like reading some Pratchett, by god I will read Pratchett.
charlemagne
Member
I definitely prefer physical copies. I like the tactile feel, I love feeling like reading is something I can do completely offline and non-digitally, and I really like being able to display my collection. Lending my books isn't a huge deal, but it's nice to have the option when somebody asks for a recommendation. I generally only buy stuff for my kindle when it's a great deal cheaper, which leaves me with more than enough material for times when I can't take enough physical reading material.
tauroxd
Member
I have read both of them but didn't really make a connection until now, maybe it was because I read Cuckoo's in July and finished Night Film 2 weeks ago, but you will see that both have very different stuff to not think about them like a similar thing.
I hope you you enjoy Night Film as mush as I did, wich was a lot.
While I do really enjoy physical books, I'm kinda picky when it comes to fonts/quality of print, and reallllly dislike reading on mass-market paperbacks in general. I'd say I prefer physical if I can get a nice edition, otherwise I rather go with my Kindle.
I also borrow a lot from the local library, which, thankfully, has a great ebook selection - and being able to pick a book to read, download and start it right away is fantastic. It also saves me from the risk of ending up with a beaten up/dusty/dirty library book, which is something that I can't stand D:
Also, the Paperwhite is unbeatable when reading in bed!
I also borrow a lot from the local library, which, thankfully, has a great ebook selection - and being able to pick a book to read, download and start it right away is fantastic. It also saves me from the risk of ending up with a beaten up/dusty/dirty library book, which is something that I can't stand D:
Also, the Paperwhite is unbeatable when reading in bed!
Yeah, while cheap mass market paperback isn't good to look at or placed on the shelf. Which is why I'm upset that my newly received Mistborn Trilogy copy is mass market paperback D:
Tragicomedy
Member
Yup, so glad I have a Kindle for Words of Radiance. Reading a book that big in hardcover/paperback is just not fun. Not to mention that the binding will likely go to shit anyways.
I agree that the eReaders don't do well for textbooks or when you have to go look up information again. Of course, one solution is to simply take good notes
Maklershed
Member
Got a Kindle Paperwhite last august, I was running out of shelf space at home, haven't looked back since.
Advantages:
-Integrated English and a few foreign language dictionaries, plus Wikipedia, is a huge deal. It doesn't break my immersion at all to tap on a word, look up the exact definition or translate a small passage and then get back to reading.
-On the Kindle there's a functionality called "X-ray", I assume other ereaders have an analogous feature. What it does is track frequently used words(this is ambiguous, more on that below), which happen to be character names most of the time. So, ideally, losing track of characters is eliminated because no matter what name is used(say a patronymic in a Russian book) the reader can always bring up a reference where all the instances where that character is mentioned are compiled, links to exact page number included. The downside is that it seems to be wholly managed by the publisher, so if they drop the ball you're shit out of luck.
-It really will save you money in the long run. Not to mention all the works that are public domain at this point, or are unpopular enough to warrant some two dollar price tag.
I was going to list the disadvantages of the kindle or the advantage of paper, but it seems sort of self evident.
Liked them a lot. Easy and good reads.
Hmm, tough question. Haven't really given much thought to comparisons, but it's well written with interesting characters and story. Pretty dark if you like those type of things. Recommended.