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What are you reading? (January 2014)
- Thread starter Maklershed
- Start date
163 for me, 140 or so not counting rereads. Thank you Job for giving me so much time to read.
Stairouais
Member
Nearly finished.
Ugh. I don't know a single thing about Judaism and I feel like i'm missing a huge part of the plot. The writing is really good though.
FUBAR McDangles
Member
I got quite a few books for Christmas and cannot wait to delve into them more.
Starting with this one. I'm about 150 pages in and am really enjoying it so far. But I love pretty much everything Tom Clancy has been involved in.
Starting with this one. I'm about 150 pages in and am really enjoying it so far. But I love pretty much everything Tom Clancy has been involved in.
cubicle47b
Member
Maklershed
Member
Just set my Goodreads challenge for this year - going for 70 this time around. (did 60 this year)
My feelings exactly. Enjoyed the book but the version with extensive commentary and/or FAQ could have helped.
Finished:
The main reason I bought this book was because I loved the Cover so much. The book itself was a bit erratic for my taste. There were some scenes that I thought were brilliant, while others dragged on too long for my taste.
Currently reading:
About 40% into it and I am enjoying it like just like the first two. Wooding's characters might not be the most complex but he sure as hell writes awsome action scenes.
I really don't like Cawti. I think me liking the last book so much was mainly due to the fact that she wasn't in it.
The main reason I bought this book was because I loved the Cover so much. The book itself was a bit erratic for my taste. There were some scenes that I thought were brilliant, while others dragged on too long for my taste.
Currently reading:
About 40% into it and I am enjoying it like just like the first two. Wooding's characters might not be the most complex but he sure as hell writes awsome action scenes.
I really don't like Cawti. I think me liking the last book so much was mainly due to the fact that she wasn't in it.
Shoot me
You can tell this book wasn't peer reviewed
"It describes how, with dynamic and determined leadership, and no small measure of self-belief, a band of Theban Loyalists succeeded against all odds in expelling the hated Hyksos invaders and reunifying the Nile Valley"
Makes me just roll my eyes. Enough loaded words in there? Yea, I am sure the 99% of the population who was toiling away in the fields gave a shat which nation ruled them, and I doubt the officials who benefited from Hyksos rule were happy to see them go, and the officials who sided with the Nubians sure were glad when they were expelled from Egypt.
Urghh, he tries to place these modern concepts on Ancient Egyptian history and it simply just doesnt work. Hell, the Hyksos were started to appropriate Egyptian culture and motifs and made their area extremely wealthy through trade, so why the fuck where they hated?
Oh right, by the elite's in Thebes who wanted power, but didnt have it. But apparently he leaps to the conclusion that 'everyone' wanted to expel these evil foreign invaders and establish home rule, just because, or something
Well, I will be reading another book that is partly on Egypt, so hopefully that one is better. Right now, the only good section is when he talked about the rise of the cult of Osiris. That was interesting stuff. The rest, a bunch of blah.
Its honestly made me a bit worried about the other popular narrative histories that I plan to read. If they are all as brain-dead like this, urghh...
You can tell this book wasn't peer reviewed
"It describes how, with dynamic and determined leadership, and no small measure of self-belief, a band of Theban Loyalists succeeded against all odds in expelling the hated Hyksos invaders and reunifying the Nile Valley"
Makes me just roll my eyes. Enough loaded words in there? Yea, I am sure the 99% of the population who was toiling away in the fields gave a shat which nation ruled them, and I doubt the officials who benefited from Hyksos rule were happy to see them go, and the officials who sided with the Nubians sure were glad when they were expelled from Egypt.
Urghh, he tries to place these modern concepts on Ancient Egyptian history and it simply just doesnt work. Hell, the Hyksos were started to appropriate Egyptian culture and motifs and made their area extremely wealthy through trade, so why the fuck where they hated?
Oh right, by the elite's in Thebes who wanted power, but didnt have it. But apparently he leaps to the conclusion that 'everyone' wanted to expel these evil foreign invaders and establish home rule, just because, or something
Well, I will be reading another book that is partly on Egypt, so hopefully that one is better. Right now, the only good section is when he talked about the rise of the cult of Osiris. That was interesting stuff. The rest, a bunch of blah.
Its honestly made me a bit worried about the other popular narrative histories that I plan to read. If they are all as brain-dead like this, urghh...
CharminUltra
Member
Just finished "Death of a Salesman." Can't say I loved it. I disliked most of the characters in it with very few exceptions. I think I'm in a situation slightly similar to Biff's, but I still find it hard to identify with him or anyone else in this play.
I'm now moving on to Redwall and then probably The Pearl by Steinbeck.
I'm now moving on to Redwall and then probably The Pearl by Steinbeck.
try the Ice Trilogy by Vladimir Sorokin.
Tragicomedy
Member
AngmarsKing701
Member
I finished 11 in 2013 and will target 15 in 2014.
I remember that one being breezy outside of a challenging opening chapter where it introduces the conspiracy members. Stick with the series, 3 and 4 have really interesting core concepts.
sooperkool
Member
I am reading that and
Mistborn
nailbombxx
Member
The Odyssey, a Dramatic Retelling by Simon Armitage
Sorry, could not find a decently sized cover.
It is basically new take on Homer's tale, but in sort of like in condensed play form. It was commissioned to be en-acted on BBC Radio but it is still a good, entertaining read.
The language is very understandable and not as dense as other translations of the actual tale. Because of that it is much shorter and has less information.
I'm half-way through it.
Sorry, could not find a decently sized cover.
It is basically new take on Homer's tale, but in sort of like in condensed play form. It was commissioned to be en-acted on BBC Radio but it is still a good, entertaining read.
The language is very understandable and not as dense as other translations of the actual tale. Because of that it is much shorter and has less information.
I'm half-way through it.
Well, I can't continue with The Rise and Fall of Ancient Egypt. It is just so bad. The final straw was when he talked about the Syrian-Palestine campagin of Thutmose III. The author painted it this as some grand achievement that cowed the other powers into sending tribute to Egypt out of fear and honoring their great achievement.
Completely ridiculous considering that the last book I read talked about the Syria-Palestine area was a buffer zone of vassal states that was constantly fought over by the great powers and that gift giving was expected to be returned. It was a form of reciprocity that deepened relationships and allowed rulers to get a hold of exotic goods without having to take, trade or buy them directly.
You can guess which explanation I find more plausible. I simply can't trust the book after that.
So now I am going to read Egypt, Greece and Rome: Civilizations of the Ancient Mediterranean
Peer reviewed (thank god) and has a world history bent, which I always find interesting. I always like history about cultural interaction, trade, diplomacy, sharing of ideas, influences, etc. Hopefully i will learn enough about Egyptian history that I won't need to pick up another Egyptian history book. I think ill stop halfway before I get to Athenian Greece because I want to read Persian Fire and a Greek history book first.
Completely ridiculous considering that the last book I read talked about the Syria-Palestine area was a buffer zone of vassal states that was constantly fought over by the great powers and that gift giving was expected to be returned. It was a form of reciprocity that deepened relationships and allowed rulers to get a hold of exotic goods without having to take, trade or buy them directly.
You can guess which explanation I find more plausible. I simply can't trust the book after that.
So now I am going to read Egypt, Greece and Rome: Civilizations of the Ancient Mediterranean
Peer reviewed (thank god) and has a world history bent, which I always find interesting. I always like history about cultural interaction, trade, diplomacy, sharing of ideas, influences, etc. Hopefully i will learn enough about Egyptian history that I won't need to pick up another Egyptian history book. I think ill stop halfway before I get to Athenian Greece because I want to read Persian Fire and a Greek history book first.
Ether_Snake
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I am reading Dune. It's not good at all:/ There are a lot of interesting ideas from a world-building standpoint, but the writing itself is really bad.
I am very hesitant to even read any sort of fantasy novels. I ordered LOTR, but I'm guessing I would have a hard time finding anything great in the genre. It seems really easy to build a world, but it's another to make us care about the characters. I like the idea of a good story in a made up world, but I think it must be pretty rare.
I am very hesitant to even read any sort of fantasy novels. I ordered LOTR, but I'm guessing I would have a hard time finding anything great in the genre. It seems really easy to build a world, but it's another to make us care about the characters. I like the idea of a good story in a made up world, but I think it must be pretty rare.
Tragicomedy
Member
That opinion makes zero sense to me. Some of the best writing, stories, and characters I've ever read are in fantasy books. What fantasy have you read? Is LOTR even top tier fantasy?
It was a really nice surprise for me especially coming off Mistborn.
As with most things, a large majority of fantasy is trash and you'll have to dig to find what you're looking for. Since you seem to want character focused stuff, you'll mostly want to avoid Tolkienesque fantasy, which tends to focus way too much on world building and groups going on quests.
beersofwar
Neo Member
reading several right now
Dune
Speaker for the Dead
Greatest Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
Space Chronicles
Dune
Speaker for the Dead
Greatest Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
Space Chronicles
Maklershed
Member
Character fantasy = The First Law, Mistborn, The Black Company
I think Mistborn's characters are pretty mediocre. He does a much better job in Way of Kings.
For good characters in Fantasy, you really can't beat ASOIF.
Long Price Quartet is excellent too
This is why I stick to mostly non-fiction these days. Even widely acclaimed fiction books like Slaughterhouse Five and Dune didn't do much for me. Real life creates better stories and characters more than any single fiction author can, although guys like Cormac McCarthy and Stephen King give it their best shot.
Tragicomedy
Member
That's definitely on the list of winners.
Ether_Snake
å®å®å®å®å®å®å®å®å®å®å®å®å®å®å®
I'm expecting that. The reason I ordered the LOTR is actually because I'm curious to see how it is written.
It makes sense to me. A writer will have to spend a lot of time building the world, which might mean less time spent on reviewing the rest of the narrative. It can also sometimes be difficult for the reader to not end up disoriented, which can be made up for by detailing the world in ways that would not otherwise be necessary.
Right, I think a good real-world foundation can work really well, and then it's possible to move out of this somewhat.
I tried writing science-fiction before, and noticed that it was much more pleasant to write the less I wrote about the world, which made short-stories much more fun to write. Anything else became questionable as it seems increasingly difficult to take science-fiction seriously due to all we know today. It becomes quickly unbelievable, pushing one either towards fantasy a la Star Wars, or into plausible science-fiction which is inherently more limited than before.
Tragicomedy
Member
Well, sure, if you're reading bad books. As I asked earlier: what fantasy have you read?
Read Sanderson's The Emperor's Soul. It's very short, coming it at 176 pages. It also has an incredible world, very interesting expression of the "magic" system, and an extremely likable protagonist.
I just finished up:
S. by J.J. Abrams and Doug Dorst
This is definitely one of the most unconventional books I've read in a while. For those who don't know, the novel is meant to emulate an old library book written by a mysterious author, and it's filled with marginalia and inserts (postcards, newspaper clippings, etc.) from two characters who are analyzing it. The conversations between the two annotators are by far the most compelling part of the story; they were really interesting and the relationship between them felt natural. The fictional work itself, Ship of Theseus, has some fun ideas and setpieces but I don't think it would quite work on its own without everything else surrounding it. The overarching conspiracy/mystery that ties everything together is the weak point, I think; while it was fun to watch the characters get way into it, I never found it all that exciting myself.
But overall I think it's definitely more than the sum of its parts. I got pretty engrossed in it, and it's absolutely stunning to look at. Even in its slower moments, I was still excited to turn the page so I could see what the next set of handwritten notes or physical insert was going to look like.
Just finished chapter one myself... not caring for the ""book" itself at all. Love the notes though.
Same here. As much as I've always thought I've loved Fantasy and Science fiction, I'm finding that it's among the very bottom of things I want to read. I just think I get overwhelmed fairly easily, so I just would rather something smaller scale it seems.
I think I am going to read this next, after I finish The Way Of Kings (which I don't want to end).
That, or Elantris. I have Warbreaker too .. may just marathon as many Brandon Sanderson books as I can get my hands on before moving to another author.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13569581-blood-song
Read this after Emperors Soul
Elantris and Warbreaker are definitely weaker than WoK and Soul. Still pretty decent though. Blood Song is awesome though.
I just finished The Road by Cormac McCarthy (for the second time, lovely book) yesterday and started Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep by Philip K. Dick immediately after. I'm only ~ 60 pages in but I really enjoy it - I'm already planning to invest in some more of his work, most likely starting with Scanner Darkly. I also just purchased The Fall by Albert Camus and Child of God, another book by Cormac McCarthy.
Tragicomedy
Member
A Scanner Darkly is in my top ten. I think it's by far his best work. I'd also give the movie a watch.
"What does a scanner see? he asked himself. I mean, really see? Into the head? Down into the heart? Does a passive infrared scanner like they used to use or a cube-type holo-scanner like they use these days, the latest thing, see into me - into us - clearly or darkly? I hope it does, he thought, see clearly, because I can't any longer these days see into myself. I see only murk. Murk outside; murk inside. I hope, for everyone's sake, the scanners do better. Because, he thought, if the scanner sees only darkly, the way I myself do, then we are cursed, cursed again and like we have been continually, and we'll wind up dead this way, knowing very little and getting that little fragment wrong too.
Thank you for the recommendation! It'll definitely be the next book I purchase then, I love his writing style thus far.
Book 8 of 10.
Started off really good but the past 50 pages or so (I'm on pg 200) have been really fucking confusing. Chapters are divided into sections, with each section corresponding to a certain character. Except he often starts each section with a shitload of text before telling you which character he is talking about, which makes it somewhat infuriating to read. Theres also times when he is deliberately confusing and withholds half the information you need to understand wdf he is talking about. Or he'll go off on some bullshit existential tangent for a page or two.
I'm enjoying the series, mostly. But damn this writer needs to get a better editor.
lastflowers
Banned
A scanner darkly is fantastic, definitely pick it up.
Already purchased thanks to the "What Are You Reading 2014" thread and Amazon.com
XT Vengeance
Member
I've been reading this off and on for a little while now. It is pretty damn entertaining.
Freeza Under The Shower
Member
Almost done with the Dutch translation of Er ist wieder da.
Wunderbar!
Although I guess people who aren't trained in reading might object to Hitler's point of view as narrator. But it is an excellent exercise in 'the language' as Stephen King calls it, or more the point the interplay between the character's voice and the writer's, as pointed out in 'how fiction works' (no, not "our" fiction here on gaf, the general kind).
Wunderbar!
Although I guess people who aren't trained in reading might object to Hitler's point of view as narrator. But it is an excellent exercise in 'the language' as Stephen King calls it, or more the point the interplay between the character's voice and the writer's, as pointed out in 'how fiction works' (no, not "our" fiction here on gaf, the general kind).
My Resolution was to consume books in one medium or another by the truckload this year.
I'm listening to "Hyperion", and its a REALLY good reading.
I'm reading "Raising Steam" in ebook format because I have a need to. I like it so far. I must admit its not as good as it used to be and some of the complaints I've heard are legitimate , but its still a fun read so far.
I'm going to finish that up quick so I can join everyone in "The Quiet American". I have been meaning to get in on the book club and have just made excuses for myself until now.
I would also like to again read "Different Seasons" which I have a paper copy of. Soon. Soon.
I'm listening to "Hyperion", and its a REALLY good reading.
I'm reading "Raising Steam" in ebook format because I have a need to. I like it so far. I must admit its not as good as it used to be and some of the complaints I've heard are legitimate , but its still a fun read so far.
I'm going to finish that up quick so I can join everyone in "The Quiet American". I have been meaning to get in on the book club and have just made excuses for myself until now.
I would also like to again read "Different Seasons" which I have a paper copy of. Soon. Soon.
Got me beat, managed 114 last year, i think im gonna find that hard to match as i had the entire Discworld, The Culture and Sharpe books to read last year.
I haven't read Dune since high school and I was thinking about reading it again this year. What did you dislike about the writing?
And you probably won't like The Lord of the Rings as much. I certainly like the writing and characters, but given that you didn't like Dune... it's probably a safe bet. The Lord of the Rings was written as a mythopoetic work, so it might help to approach reading it from that perspective.
As far as other fantasy goes, I'll try some suggestions:
There are more character-driven works - T.H. White's The Once and Future King comes to mind, as does George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire. If you want something with more of a historical-fiction angle, perhaps Mary Stewart's The Crystal Cave, or Gene Wolfe's Latro in the Mist. Gene Wolfe's The Book of the New Sun is an excellent science fiction / fantasy hybrid, and has (probably) the most vividly baroque prose the genre has to offer, while Le Guin's (Earthsea) and Beagle's (The Last Unicorn) fantasy works have a lighter, more lyrical prose that can be just as beautiful. George MacDonald's The Complete Fairy Tales might be something to look at if Victorian era fairy tales in the form of novellas and short stories. The essay The Fantastic Imagination is a must read, and several of the short stories and novellas are personal favorites. Dan Simmons' Hyperion is also excellent, and something of a science fiction/fantasy-ish homage to The Canterbury Tales and John Keats.
I also rambled at length about Jeff VandeerMeer's City of Saints and Madmen and Shriek: An Afterword here; it was one of my favorite fantasy horror / new weird fiction books this past year.
Yes.
I think it does what it sets out to do perfectly; the real question is whether what it tries to do is something you'll like or not. The Lord of the Rings is a mythopoetic work - appropriately enough Tolkien coined the term - and represents the tip of the iceberg of an entire mythos with histories going back thousands of years, multiple cataclysmic wars, a well-developed cosmogony, and entire pantheon of heavenly spirits. And it's written with this perspective in mind.
You know how if you read the versions of myths in epic poetry, like Metamorphoses or Beowulf, where the poem spends very little time talking about the inner life of the characters, and almost all the emphasis is on narrating the plot or on the characters' words and actions? You can certainly discuss the characters, but you basically have to extrapolate almost entirely from words and actions; you aren't really given that window inside as often. The Lord of the Rings (or The Silmarillion) is essentially a prose version of that approach, and is an attempt at creating a synthesis of a wide range of European mythologies. This is particularly noticeable in The Silmarillion, and perhaps less noticeable in The Lord of the Rings (which is why I think LotR benefits enormously as a book when it is contextualized within the larger mythos, as opposed to being treated as a stand-alone fantasy story, where it will likely be judged on the same terms as most modern fiction and be found wanting by those standards).
Edmond Dantés, as ever, has a wonderful post on the matter:
Edmond Dantès;45816251 said: