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[Mumei]

Finished:

Currently Reading:

I hate Tuon slightly less than before! And I'm about halfway through The Gathering Storm. I'll have it finished by tomorrow, and then it's onto the next book. It's a pretty smooth transition from Jordan to Sanderson, I must say. There's a few kinks in terms of character voices (Aviendha and Mat, particularly), but the characterizations still feel right to me.

I have no idea what I'm going to do when I finish The Wheel of Time. There are too many things that have caught my interest!

 

[StrongArmSteady]

^ WoT worth reading?

Just finished The Girl on the Train, looking for a saga, its either that or the Cosmere stuff

Edit: and Hobbs Universe

 

[Donos]

Funny enough, i thought after finishing Wheel of Time "I need another big fantasy saga" and started Malazan book of the Fallen. Shoved in some smaller non fantasy books before it but after reading such long/big book (series) the whole time, normal books are so fast to read through.

^ WoT worth reading?

You have like one year paid leave from work and can stomach 200 characters beside the main ones? Go for it.

 

[Stasis]

I'm diving into the Vorkosigan saga. Starting with Cordelia's Honor omnibus, which I guess is a prequel? Reading order seems to vary depending on where you look, either by publication date, chronologically or as I'm doing: by omnibus.

Only downside to starting a long series is reading this thread and seeing my backlog grow. Maybe I'll briefly deviate to read a few common suggestions like City of Stairs or The Goblin Emperor.

 

[Woorloog]

There's a few kinks in terms of character voices (Aviendha and Mat, particularly), but the characterizations still feel right to me.

IIRC, Sanderson claimed the Mat chapters were mostly written by Jordan (ie Sanderson just put some finalizing touches on them, perhaps).
I can believe that claim, considering Jordan himself changed some characters quite a lot at times (Mat especially, he got changed a couple of times actually, between books).

 

[Althane]

I'm diving into the Vorkosigan saga. Starting with Cordelia's Honor omnibus, which I guess is a prequel? Reading order seems to vary depending on where you look, either by publication date, chronologically or as I'm doing: by omnibus.

Only downside to starting a long series is reading this thread and seeing my backlog grow. Maybe I'll briefly deviate to read a few common suggestions like City of Stairs or The Goblin Emperor.

Cordelia is straight ballin'.

The books I've been reading have a suggested reading order in them (And Mumei has one as well, I forget where it is). I'd follow on that.

I finished the audiobook of the first Black Company novel. Loved it, calllllled the twist ages ago, but loved it.

 

[Tragicomedy]

Cordelia is straight ballin'.

first Black Company novel. Loved it

You are a very smart and attractive person.

 

[Damerman]

George Orwell - 1984... I like how romantic this book is in it's own oppressive, totalitarian way.

 

[justjohn]

Just started 'Life and Fate' by Vasily Grossmann. Like a lot of russian novels I've read, it takes at least two or three readings of a page to sink in. Absolute concentration is needed.

 

[nakedsushi]

I enjoyed the first two of the Gail Carriger novels, but I wasn't sure I liked the direction it seemed to be going after the third. I've thought about continuing it but I haven't had the itch yet.

I feel the same way except in my case, I didn't stop till book #4, which wasn't very good. I think the novelty of the setting wore off on me. BUT, if you liked the first two and you want a light read, I recommend at least trying out the first Agency novel. It'll be super quick for someone who reads at your pace.

 

[Mumei]

Cordelia is straight ballin'.

The books I've been reading have a suggested reading order in them (And Mumei has one as well, I forget where it is). I'd follow on that.

I finished the audiobook of the first Black Company novel. Loved it, calllllled the twist ages ago, but loved it.

Right here. You'll note that Cyan also provided one in the post after, but I beat him so I think we can safely ignore that post.

IIRC, Sanderson claimed the Mat chapters were mostly written by Jordan (ie Sanderson just put some finalizing touches on them, perhaps).
I can believe that claim, considering Jordan himself changed some characters quite a lot at times (Mat especially, he got changed a couple of times actually, between books).

Oh. Really? I wouldn't have guessed.

^ WoT worth reading?

Just finished The Girl on the Train, looking for a saga, its either that or the Cosmere stuff

Edit: and Hobbs Universe

I don't really know.

I complain about it constantly, and yet I keep reading it and I really enjoy reading it. It has a lot going for it - good descriptive writing, memorable character voices, great set piece battles, (really, really) long-term character development, and so forth. And there are also things that are insufferable - dull plot arcs that last for multiple books, insufferable characters, Jordan's constant prattling on about How Men and Women Are Completely Different, which is reflected throughout the plot, the characters' internal monologues, the systems of magic; if the series has a more important theme than, "Women and men are mutually incomprehensible to one another," I'm not sure what it's supposed to be. Which I find rather tedious, because it causes both men and women to act in really stupid ways towards one another that are often (barring cultural differences) really quite easy to parse.

I think it's deeply ambitious, deeply flawed, and very fun in spite of its flaws.

You have like one year paid leave from work and can stomach 200 characters beside the main ones? Go for it.

There are 2872 named characters... according to this count I found. Oh, and you don't need to take off work!

 

[Stasis]

I finished the audiobook of the first Black Company novel. Loved it, calllllled the twist ages ago, but loved it.

I loved the Black Company novels. All of them. Read them after I wrapped up the Malazan series a long while back when I was searching for something similar. Both series will warrant rereads from me eventually. I've never tried an audio book, always been curious about that. Maybe I should have TBC be my first trial since I've already read it all.

I also wanna read Cook's sci-fi series. Starfishers trilogy I think? Anyone read that?

 

[Althane]

Right here. You'll note that Cyan also provided one in the post after, but I beat him so I think we can safely ignore that post.

Let's be honest, you have the better avatar (if only just), so we're good on ignoring Cyan there.

Stasis, I have a 4 hour drive to see my girlfriend, so audiobooks kick butt for that. It's also a 1 hour commute (approx. depending on traffic) to work, and another hour back, so audiobooks rule for me.

Also, I really like the guy who did Audible's audio book of The Black Company. I didn't read the books first, but damn if his voice doesn't fit the image I get of "Croaker" perfectly.

Just started Deadhouse Gates, I've had the book for a while, but after Gardens of the Moon, it was a bit of a momentous task to begin. (read GotM about 2 years ago)

Narration is strong, and so I'm liking it. Remembering a lot of the details of GotM, so that's good.

Edit: For those wondering, Cyan and Mumei's lists are the same, except Mumei's includes the Cordelia component.

Cyan, to make that useful, you need to actually cut the quote off mid quote, y'know.

 

[Mumei]

I'mma let you finish, but my reading order post is the best one of all time.

It's pretty good, I suppose.

My understanding was that this is true of a specific segment of Towers of Midnight, not all the Mat POVs.

Oh, I see. That might make more sense; I'll have to see when I get there.

History repeats. Which is more an explicit theme than implicit, since it doesn't come across in the story nearly as much as "men vs women lol."

Please. You know good and damn well what Jordan's hobby horses were:

1) Men and women are different
2) Spanking solves everything

 

[Woorloog]

Oh. Really? I wouldn't have guessed.

As i said, if i recall correctly.
...
I dug around and found what i was looking for.

http://www.theoryland.com/intvmain.php?i=1067 (BTW, likely contains spoilers about WoT and other Sanderson's works).
" In Towers of Midnight, if it was Mat it was probably from his notes or written by him, "
But that was about ToM.

Another QA (http://www.theoryland.com/intvmain.php?i=1025, also spoilers) has Sanderson noting he was not sure about he got Mat right until the final book, and he is aware that some fans do not think he got him right at all.
It seems Mat in The Gathering Storm is mostly by Sanderson.

...

Gotta delve into those QAs more deeply, they have interesting stuff. (And again, i warn they have heavy spoilers at times.)

 

[Althane]

Please. You know good and damn well what Jordan's hobby horses were:

1) Men and women are different
2) Spanking solves everything

*blink*

Where did number 2 come from?

 

[Kyleripman]

I hate Tuon slightly less than before! And I'm about halfway through The Gathering Storm. I'll have it finished by tomorrow, and then it's onto the next book. It's a pretty smooth transition from Jordan to Sanderson, I must say. There's a few kinks in terms of character voices (Aviendha and Mat, particularly), but the characterizations still feel right to me.

You're almost there...and Sanderson really picks up the pace of the story, too, for good and for ill.

Spoiler

But mostly for good.

I felt like you were supposed to like and appreciate the competence of characters like Tuon and a few other Seanchan, but I could never divorce them from the whole damane aspect of their culture.

^ WoT worth reading?

I think so! Just finished it over the past 6 months and really enjoyed it.

 

[Woorloog]

*blink*

Where did number 2 come from?

You didn't notice...?

 

[Althane]

You didn't notice...?

I stopped at Winter's Heart, and was also like.. 12...

But, uh, no. Didn't notice.

 

[Althane]

How dare you

Monster is good, and Calvin and Hobbes is good, but his image quality looks better.

Sorry man.

 

[Mumei]

You're almost there...and Sanderson really picks up the pace of the story, too, for good and for ill.

Spoiler

But mostly for good.

I felt like you were supposed to like and appreciate the competence of characters like Tuon and a few other Seanchan, but I could never divorce them from the whole damane aspect of their culture.

Yeah. It's monstrous and I cannot get past that.

It does make me wonder why, for instance, I find a character like, say, Hannibal in the new current series so interesting and manage to like him in spite of his, er, moral shortcomings (or rather, not "in spite of" but "because of", but am not willing to let this slide.).

*blink*

Where did number 2 come from?

On a number of occasions, a character is able to deal with another character's intransigence by spanking them. It even works on one of the Forsaken! Trust me, RJ is really into spanking, and I suspect wearing collars.

 

[Althane]

On a number of occasions, a character is able to deal with another character's intransigence by spanking them. It even works on one of the Forsaken! Trust me, RJ is really into spanking, and I suspect wearing collars.

O...kay...

Wait...

Trust me, RJ is really into spanking, and I suspect wearing collars.

Fuck. Me.

How did I miss that? (rehtorical question; was like 10-12 when I was reading the series)

...

Goddamn. Looks like I need to go read WoT and see what I missed 10 years ago.

 

[0.1.1.2.3.5.8.13.21.34.55]

Just finished Ready Player One, now reading:

 

[Woorloog]

TV Trope's Author Appeal page has a rather long entry on Robert Jordan. Scroll a bit down, if you care to see it. (Again, spoiler warning.)

 

[Orcastar]

Just finished

last night. And I even understood most of it! I think. Need to reread the whole trilogy at some point.

 

[Mr.Swag]

Just finished The Wind Up Bird Chronicle.

All that needs to be said about this book is that it took me two weeks to read the first "two books" and three weeks to read the last book.

God, I had to force myself to finish that crap. I read that they cut out 25,000 words for the translation, well they should have cut 50,000 more, and added in an actual third act.

Why introduce two Kano sisters?
Why have May write so many letters if Bland McBlandster doesn't read em?
Maybe it flew over my head, but wtf did Nutmeg do for people?


Damn, someone give me back two hundred pages of my life please.

Oddly, I very much enjoyed LT. Maliya's stories.


Edit: Had free time today so I also finished Michael Lewiss Flash Boys. God that books was infotaining. I can already plot out the Sorkin adaption in my head.

 

[LProtag]

I'm just around the beginning of Part II of Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell and it's really starting to hit its stride.

 

[Piecake]

I just finished this up and I thought it was great. The author really did a good job of balancing the human drama with the science and wrapped both of those under the greater theme of tissue consent and profit in the medical field.

Up next is this book. I am only about 30 minutes in so I don't really have an opinion yet, but I like his approach to it so far.

 

[KidDork]

Please. You know good and damn well what Jordan's hobby horses were:

1) Men and women are different
2) Spanking solves everything

And let us not forget braid pulling and foot stamping.

Thank you Sushi for the Agency recommend. I'll keep an eye out for it.

 

[Kyleripman]

Yeah. It's monstrous and I cannot get past that.

It does make me wonder why, for instance, I find a character like, say, Hannibal in the new current series so interesting and manage to like him in spite of his, er, moral shortcomings (or rather, not "in spite of" but "because of", but am not willing to let this slide.).

Yeah, they definitely don't work as sympathetic villains. Maybe because it's the story's actual protagonists who are being victimized by them. But I know there were moments when I forgot about the Forsaken and the Dark One and all the really "evil" elements of the story in my blind Seanchan hatred.

Almost finished up with The Name of the Rose. The interrogation scene had some of the most well-crafted dialogue I've ever read - not necessarily in a believable, conversational sense, but in cleverness and logic.

 

[Mumei]

I'm just around the beginning of Part II of Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell and it's really starting to hit its stride.

It's really wonderful stuff. I was searching for discussions about the novel's use of the mundane and the numinous and found this review by Jo Walton:

What it's about is the tension between the numinous and the known. The helical plot, which ascends slowly upwards, constantly circles a space in which the numinous and the known balance and shift and elements move between them. It's a truly astonishing feat and I've never seen anything like it.

Fantasy approaches the numinous, that's my definition of it, that's what, for me, divides it from SF and historical fiction. There's a problem in writing about the numinous, especially about magic that works, denizens of faerie you can converse with, in that as you approach it, it becomes mundane. It approaches Clarke's Law from the other side, and magic risks becoming nothing but technology. The terrible enemy dissolves into an old cloak. (The Dark in Hambly's Darwath books are the easiest example of this.) There are ways of dealing with this, which have been laboriously worked out and laboriously copied -- Tolkien does it by sheer use of language, other people have explored what it would mean for magic to be technology. Magic has costs is one typical answer, seen well done in Hobb's Farseer trilogy and Kay's Fionavar. There's Dean's Dubious Hills answer, of what is numinous when magic is as everyday as making dinner. But part of the problem is the difficulty of approaching the numinous directly. Fantasy typically tries to edge around this and approach it from different directions.

Clarke goes straight at it in the structure of the novel and the balance of the novel and the plot. It's the fulcrum of the whole thing. It's quite incredible that she makes it work, but there it is, as one thing moves from the numinous to the known, another appears in that direction, and the whole thing pivots around the space in which this is happening, never losing anything in either direction.

I also like it how blends elements of the numinous and the mundane (and the horrifying and (blackly) comedic) in the same scenes. Anyway, it's fantastic stuff, the sort of fantasy novel where the magic actually feels magical.

And let us not forget braid pulling and foot stamping.

Thank you Sushi for the Agency recommend. I'll keep an eye out for it.

This is true. But you forgot sniffing, skirt smoothing, folding arms under breasts (though never over), staring daggers, and - to balance things out - ear-lobe rubbing.

Yeah, they definitely don't work as sympathetic villains. Maybe because it's the story's actual protagonists who are being victimized by them. But I know there were moments when I forgot about the Forsaken and the Dark One and all the really "evil" elements of the story in my blind Seanchan hatred.

This is true, though it's also what makes them work. If we find them so odious that we forget about the Shadow, just imagine how the Aes Sedai or the Aiel or kingdoms neighboring those already reclaimed by the Seanchan feel about them. It definitely makes them work as secondary antagonists, in that they are a credible threat and awful enough that I'd personally like to see them driven out of the cities they've claimed.

 

[Cerity]

(Mahouka Vol 5 - Summer Holiday Chapter)

Opened this up to check on a few things and ended up re-reading the entire thing anwyay.

Not sure if I quite 'got it', maybe it was a revolutionary thing in the time period it was released but I never felt all that invested in anything that happened. Billy was interesting but that was it really. Didn't mind the whole "so it goes" thing though.

Not sure what to move onto next, I'll let my kindle recharge before deciding I guess.

 

[survivor]

Finished reading Dear Life. Didn't really like it as much as I thought I would. Short stories these days tend to be more about everyday life showing a small part of it and ending suddenly. But these short stories were so mundane that I just could not care that much for them or any of the characters. However the last 4 stories were great as they were sort of an autobiographical nature of Munro's childhood.

I only read another book by the same author which was Lives of Girls and Women which I thought was much stronger than this. It is sort of a short stories collections, but since they all follow the same character showing different episodes of her life as she grows up, it made the book much better. The cohesiveness and the continuity made it much easier to connect with the scenarios and the characters unlike this book.

 

[Loke13]

And let us not forget braid pulling and foot stamping.

Thank you Sushi for the Agency recommend. I'll keep an eye out for it.

Also skirt smoothing and sniffing.

 

[besada]

Finished Moby-Dick; or The Whale today. It was one of the greatest books I've read in my entire life. Only thing I actually didnt like was the ending, which feels kinda anti-climactic. I loved all the chapters explaining the whaling industry and everything else around the setting, and found the story of the mad Ahab chasing the whale the least exciting.

Now off to Ringworld. A couple of chapters in and I already adore Nessus. He's so cute ^_^

I was scrolling past and saw a Pierson's Puppeteer. Nessus, the mad man of the Puppeteers. I may have to re-read all of Known Space again, you bastard.

 

[Nuke Soda]

About halfway into Ancillary Sword by Ann Leckie and really enjoying it.

 

[StrongArmSteady]

Thanks for the WoT reviews guys, I've picked up the Eye of the world, lets see how it goes.

 

[whatevermort]

I've just started this:

and it's amazing.

Some info:

A propulsive and ambitious novel as electrifying as The Wire, from a writer hailed as the West Coast’s Richard Price—a brutal and mesmerizing epic of crime and opportunity, race, revenge, and loyalty, set in the chaotic streets of South Central L.A. in the wake of one of the most notorious, incendiary, and racially charged trials of the 1990s, involving the severe beating of a civilian black man and three white LAPD officers.

So far, that's exactly what I'm getting. Some totally immaculate writing here.

 

[Donos]

Thanks for the WoT reviews guys, I've picked up the Eye of the world, lets see how it goes.

I have fond memories of the beginning (i think it was like 8 years ago). Crazy how the main characters "grow" till the end.
Have fun!

 

[FUBAR McDangles]

I just finished Lee Child's Bad Luck and Trouble. Definitely one of the better Reacher books I thought. At least, it had a better start and a reason for Reacher to be involved. Most of my complaints of the other books I have read is that he gets caught up in dilemmas just for the sake of the book, rather than him actually having a reason to be involved.

This one obviously made a lot of sense in that aspect, with him investigating the death of one of his best friends. Kind of a suspect ending but for the most part I enjoyed it. Still kind of disappointing though as a series. The second one I read, Persuader, was easily the best. For the most part it has been a steady decline. Although this one was one of the better ones like I said.

Going to start this one next:

 

[Kyleripman]

I also like it how blends elements of the numinous and the mundane (and the horrifying and (blackly) comedic) in the same scenes. Anyway, it's fantastic stuff, the sort of fantasy novel where the magic actually feels magical.

I think part of what makes magic "work" in the book is that it is being rediscovered and isn't common knowledge. At least that helps it feel like something special. I also feel that it is never overexplained, which would take away much of the mystery and appeal.

I'm very interested in the upcoming BBC adaptation of Jonathan Strange and hope that it translates well to the format without losing the literary qualities that I love about it. Did you read Ladies of Grace Adieu?

This is true. But you forgot sniffing, skirt smoothing, folding arms under breasts (though never over), staring daggers, and - to balance things out - ear-lobe rubbing.

This is true, though it's also what makes them work. If we find them so odious that we forget about the Shadow, just imagine how the Aes Sedai or the Aiel or kingdoms neighboring those already reclaimed by the Seanchan feel about them. It definitely makes them work as secondary antagonists, in that they are a credible threat and awful enough that I'd personally like to see them driven out of the cities they've claimed.

Good points, and I suppose that's part of the threat they actually represent - forgetting about the biggest danger by reacting to the one that is more personally offensive. Last book spoilers:

Spoiler

Although that's what I don't like about the ending. Rand "learns" that the free will to choose between good and evil can't exist without the Dark One, but clearly there is evil without him, because the Seanchan slavery is awful even though they aren't Darkfriends.

 

[Woorloog]

. Last book spoilers:

Spoiler

Although that's what I don't like about the ending. Rand "learns" that the free will to choose between good and evil can't exist without the Dark One, but clearly there is evil without him, because the Seanchan slavery is awful even though they aren't Darkfriends.

Spoiler

Because the Dark One exists, people do choose evil sometimes. If there were no Dark One, the Seanchan would not enslave anyone, yet at the same time, the world would be.... well, what it is i don't know, but it sure would not be a recognizable world.

EDIT

Spoiler

Perhaps the existence of the Dark One means defining evil is possible? Perhaps a world without it would mean evil is not defined, and thus evil acts may be committed but no one would care, because there is no evil?
Of course, why evil needs a personification to be something that can be defined would be odd... OTOH, human psychology is such that we like to personify a lot of things in some way...

 

[sparky2112]

Just started 'Life and Fate' by Vasily Grossmann. Like a lot of russian novels I've read, it takes at least two or three readings of a page to sink in. Absolute concentration is needed.

Still kicking myself that I stalled out on this one (forgot why, exactly) with only like 200 pages to go. I may make another run at it.

 

[bengraven]

Speaking of stalling and earlier, Jonathon Strange, I think I tried three times to read Norrel/Strange and always quit around the time or before Norrell was going to cure that fiancee/wife of that nobleman. I've never read a bit of the story that actually features J. Strange.

 

[Kyleripman]

Spoiler

Because the Dark One exists, people do choose evil sometimes. If there were no Dark One, the Seanchan would not enslave anyone, yet at the same time, the world would be.... well, what it is i don't know, but it sure would not be a recognizable world.

Spoiler

Yeah, this seems to be what the book is saying...it's just such a black and white interpretation of the nature of evil that I find uninteresting/unsatisfying...especially in a series where the the overzealous Whitecloaks and Seanchan actually are interesting in their degrees of evil.

[
EDIT

Spoiler

Of course, why evil needs a personification to be something that can be defined would be odd... OTOH, human psychology is such that we like to personify a lot of things in some way...

Spoiler

Good point; I think this is even touched on in the book, when Rand realizes that the Dark One possesses no gender and is more of a force than a persona.

 

[Regiruler]

I hate Tuon slightly less than before! And I'm about halfway through The Gathering Storm. I'll have it finished by tomorrow, and then it's onto the next book. It's a pretty smooth transition from Jordan to Sanderson, I must say. There's a few kinks in terms of character voices (Aviendha and Mat, particularly), but the characterizations still feel right to me.

I have no idea what I'm going to do when I finish The Wheel of Time. There are too many things that have caught my interest!

I think the biggest difference between Jordan and Sanderson is that Sanderson writes his sentences with somewhat of an abruptness, whereas Jordan tends to have his sentences go on longer with a heavy use of dashes.

It has very little impact on storytelling but I found it an interesting contrast.

 

[BenjaminBirdie]

I've just started this:

and it's amazing.

Some info:



So far, that's exactly what I'm getting. Some totally immaculate writing here.

ughhhhhh it's not out yet

I HATE THIS POST

;D

 

[Mr.Swag]

Ughhhhh I dont know what to read next. Someone pick for me please
City of Saints and Madmen by Jeff Vandermeer
Decision Points by George Bush
The Plague by Albert Camus
Killing Floor by Lee Child
Persepolis by Marjane (the graphic novel)

 

[PassiveObserver]

Still reading Dead Souls, but I also chomped up The Death Ray by Daniel Clowes. This guy is an American treasure. I liked it as much as Wilson.

 

[Mr.Swag]

Sounds like you should read this one so you can learn to be the Decider.

I hate his politics, but I like him.