A couple on my to-read lists are..
'After The Golden Age' by Carrie Vaughn and 'A Once Crowded Sky' by Tom King. Seemed to me like they could be fun reads, and maybe something you'd enjoy.
What are you reading? (January 2015)
- Thread starter Maklershed
- Start date
A couple on my to-read lists are..
'After The Golden Age' by Carrie Vaughn and 'A Once Crowded Sky' by Tom King. Seemed to me like they could be fun reads, and maybe something you'd enjoy.
coolfighter1993
Banned
Do you guys have any recommendation for Dark fantasy books?
I've read:
I'm now reading a Throne of Glass (good but sometimes a bit cheesy in terms of dialogue).
I've read:
- The First Law
- A Song of Ice and Fire
- A Plague of Angels
- The Darkness that comes Before
- Prince of Thorns (trilogy + spin-off)
I'm now reading a Throne of Glass (good but sometimes a bit cheesy in terms of dialogue).
Psssssh. Sorry Mumei, without this deal, it looks like I have several Murakami books (book 3 of 1Q84, and Wind-Up Bird Chroncles), and House of Leaves to read for my fiction selection.
Hmmmm. I would actually be more interested in your reading The People in the Trees by Hanya Yanagihara and The Habitation of the Blessed by Catherynne M. Valente.
I'll trade those two for your two.
You'd probably enjoy the Black Company books by Glen Cook. Excellent series.
Christoff Yurievich
Member
Apparently I have read that, I wondered why it sounded to familiar. Looked at the synopsis and it came back to me.
The thing about having a kid to read to? You read a lot of books that are below your level, and sometimes they are actually good books.
All of these are obviously geared to young readers and the writing reflects it but they're all interesting 'super' books in their own right.
coolfighter1993
Banned
Thank you.
Sounds good.
I have actually read Soon I Will Be Invincible, and I recommend it to anyone who's a fan of superhero novels.
coolfighter1993
Banned
To people who love Dark fiction, here are my recommendations:
Number 1: The First Law Trilogy + Spin-off books:
This is a superior alternative to A Song of Ice and Fire. It has a better setting, better characters and a better story. The characters are flawed but still interesting enough and they have the same amount of plot armour as the main characters of ASOIAF.
10/10
Number 2: the Last Werewolf Trilogy
Werewolf story but more "realistic", it's dark and has an awesome main character and supporting characters. Warning: has lots of werwwolf sex haha
Number 3: Broken Empire + spin-off:
It's about an outcast who seeks revenge and his throne with an unholy band of murdering scumbags.
Number 4: A Plague of Angels:
Three angels who were banished by God for rebelling against him, plot with Jesus who is still butthurt for being crucified. Involves real historic characters and a ton of murder. Contains blasphemy.
Number 1: The First Law Trilogy + Spin-off books:
This is a superior alternative to A Song of Ice and Fire. It has a better setting, better characters and a better story. The characters are flawed but still interesting enough and they have the same amount of plot armour as the main characters of ASOIAF.
10/10
Number 2: the Last Werewolf Trilogy
Werewolf story but more "realistic", it's dark and has an awesome main character and supporting characters. Warning: has lots of werwwolf sex haha
Number 3: Broken Empire + spin-off:
It's about an outcast who seeks revenge and his throne with an unholy band of murdering scumbags.
Number 4: A Plague of Angels:
Three angels who were banished by God for rebelling against him, plot with Jesus who is still butthurt for being crucified. Involves real historic characters and a ton of murder. Contains blasphemy.
Tragicomedy
Member
I Googled it. Yeah...not gonna happen. They say not to judge a book (or show) by its cover, but I'm out. Too many current or recent shows I need to catch up on first. Let's just say you could make a "best of TV" list out of the stuff I haven't seen: Breaking Bad, Marco Polo, House of Cards, Justified, The Wire, Orange is the New Black, Lilyhammer, True Detective, Deadwood, Homeland, Arrow, Flash, Fargo, Peaky Blinders, The Walking Dead, Sons of Anarchy, Mozart in the Jungle, etc.
I do enjoy Alexis Bledel eye candy...but she would have been 18ish when that show aired. We may be the same age now, but ain't about that life!
Always a good decision. The Black Company is so damn good.
Mackenzie 92
Member
Nearly half-way now. My boss told me it was one of the better books he has read:
It jumps between telling the life story of David (present day) and his future descendent David 24 which is his clone with inherited memory (to a degree).
Not quite sure what to think yet but its well written and I have read 200+ pages since borrowing it Monday.
It jumps between telling the life story of David (present day) and his future descendent David 24 which is his clone with inherited memory (to a degree).
Not quite sure what to think yet but its well written and I have read 200+ pages since borrowing it Monday.
I had a huge crush on Luke when I was younger. Have always gone for the older men.
Haven't watched Gilmore Girls regularly, but yeah, the few bits and pieces I've seen I've thought seemed hilarious.
Hope you like em, and if so, perhaps I'll eventually get around to reading them!
Really need to pick up my reading pace and storm through the last couple hundred pages of Lonesome Dove, I'm loving it, but ready to think about what to read next really.
Hope you like em, and if so, perhaps I'll eventually get around to reading them!
Really need to pick up my reading pace and storm through the last couple hundred pages of Lonesome Dove, I'm loving it, but ready to think about what to read next really.
Hmmmmmm, deal. Though, next time you recommend a book, make sure it's available digitally, since I'll be living in rural South Africa.
I'll start on those after I complete my two current novels.
At least you have fine tastes, Sir. I am way overdue in watching Gilmore Girls again. I haven't seen it since high school.
I had a huge crush on Luke when I was younger. Have always gone for the older men.
Luke was the best male on the show.
Edit: Which translation of Crime and Punishment should I read?
Oh, right. Well, one of them is! And I suppose you could listen to the other one through Audible? Amazon has some free 30-day trial thing on the page for The Habitation of the Blessed if that's something you'd be interested in.
Pevear and Volokhonsky.
Oh, it wasnt meant to be a dig. GotG and Winter Soldier were among my favorite movies last year. It is just a recognition that that Sanderson's novels are probably not going to become classic fantasy lit. They are great, fun books, but nothing really more than that.
I have enough room in my luggage to carry *one* more book. So I ordered The Habitation of the Blessed since it was only $4.
I will get that version then!
Wait, Crime and Punishment is under 250 pages? I always thought it was a 800 page novel!
DedalusJoyce
Member
Started reading Malazan: Book of the Fallen. I'm about halfway through Gardens of the Moon. People who said it was a difficult read weren't lying. Erikson sure loves dropping you in the middle of conversations between people you've never met talking about things you don't know anything about. But all the fantasy is very interesting and I'm excited to learn more about the world.
????
It is around 600 pages. And it's apparently out of stock on Amazon at the moment, but this is the correct edition.
Tragicomedy
Member
The version I own is 700+ admittedly small pages. I'd say it's well over 500 pages in a more traditional print version.
My non-spoiler opinion after two reads:
I only find ~100 pages interesting. Once you get past that point, it's 400 very slow pages of (almost literally) beating a dead horse. Extremely well-written, mind you, just not for my philistine mind.
I only read it once, in 2008. It's one of my favorite novels, though I prefer The Brothers Karamazov. The Grand Inquisitor is one of the most memorable sequences that I've read in any work of fiction.
You definitely shouldnt read Dostoevsky expecting much of a plot or action. Its all about characters, character interaction, and themes.
*brofist*
My favorite novel. You should read The Magic Mountain by Thomas Mann. I think you'd love it.
fierrotlepou
Member
I'm literally scared of starting The Brothers Karamazov. My expectations are sky high after reading Crime & Punishment and I just don't want to be disappointed.
It's also a huge book.
Maybe it's abridged!
That is actually something I check for regularly when I'm at the bookstore. The problem seems to be that at the local bookstore they never have it; at the Barnes & Noble the edition has pages that have become sort of wavey, and at Half-Price Books they never have the right edition in the right condition. I'm picky.
Sure, I could get it from Amazon, but when I'm sitting there about to order, I think to myself, "You know, you could be reading that copy of War and Peace you bought three months ago..." and then I don't do it.
And now I'm curious: Aside from The Story of the Stone and The Brothers Karamazov, what are your favorite works of fiction?
You might find this topic interesting reading. It's what got me to read it after putting it off for much the same reason.
That is actually something I check for regularly when I'm at the bookstore. The problem seems to be that at the local bookstore they never have it; at the Barnes & Noble the edition has pages that have become sort of wavey, and at Half-Price Books they never have the right edition in the right condition. I'm picky.
Sure, I could get it from Amazon, but when I'm sitting there about to order, I think to myself, "You know, you could be reading that copy of War and Peace you bought three months ago..." and then I don't do it.
And now I'm curious: Aside from The Story of the Stone and The Brothers Karamazov, what are your favorite works of fiction?
You might find this topic interesting reading. It's what got me to read it after putting it off for much the same reason.
Tragicomedy
Member
The Brothers Karamazov has always been a gaping hole in my classics column. I think the way it's broken down into "books" might make it more palatable to old man attention span. I've always heard it's better than Crime and Punishment...is that true in your opinions?
I just edited your post. :3
Maybe it's abridged!
That is actually something I check for regularly when I'm at the bookstore. The problem seems to be that at the local bookstore they never have it; at the Barnes & Noble the edition has pages that have become sort of wavey, and at Half-Price Books they never have the right edition in the right condition. I'm picky.
Sure, I could get it from Amazon, but when I'm sitting there about to order, I think to myself, "You know, you could be reading that copy of War and Peace you bought three months ago..." and then I don't do it.
And now I'm curious: Aside from The Story of the Stone and The Brothers Karamazov, what are your favorite works of fiction?
War and Peace by Tolstoy
The Master and Margarita by Bulgakov
Stoner by John Williams
The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Kundera
Hopscotch by Julio Cortazar
I am probably missing a few, but those are a few of my favorites. The Magic Mountain would probably be slightly below that tier.
I think it is better.
I would rate Dostoevsky's novels as such:
TBK
Demons
Notes from Underground
Crime and Punishment
The Idiot.
I think all of his work is excellent though. TBK is simply godly.
I found Crime and Punishment to be a more challenging read than The Brothers Karamazov. Maybe because it's so relentlessly bleak, tied as it is to one unpleasant main character, whereas Brothers K affords some relief by bouncing between multiple characters.
While Karamazov is probably the best book of Mr. D's that I've read, Notes from Underground is my favorite. Really short, funny, and shockingly ahead of its time.
While Karamazov is probably the best book of Mr. D's that I've read, Notes from Underground is my favorite. Really short, funny, and shockingly ahead of its time.
BuckRobotron
Member
Solid overview of the evolution of canids, well-illustrated and also dealing with competitive and/or convergent species.
Continuing the Dresden Files books. A good read as usual (I'm halfway) but it does go in an odd direction that seems to have resulted in it not being quite as well-received as others.
A dark, violent manga series yet illustrated with pleasing efficiency such that in just a few pages one becomes enthused about each new character. But don't get too attached, as character longevity is minimal in this story of various people trying to breach the gates of Wolfsmund.
Oh, man. I was really, really tempted about buying Hopscotch a few months ago. I think I passed because I didn't want to pay whatever the cover price was - $17 or $18 or something - and I couldn't bring myself to buy it over some other things. And I already had so much out at the library that I wanted to read some of those. I'll have to add that to the mental Things To Read This Year queue.
Also, when I said "works of fiction," I would include epic poetry, poetry collections, and short story collections in that. Would that expand it for you?
Its been a while since I read it, but I remember loving it when I read it. It is definitely interesting, thats for sure.
Nope, poetry bores me to tears and I much prefer novels to short story collections because I feel they do a better job at characterization, development and interaction (likely why poetry bores me to tears)
The thing about having a kid to read to? You read a lot of books that are below your level, and sometimes they are actually good books.
All of these are obviously geared to young readers and the writing reflects it but they're all interesting 'super' books in their own right.
I never finished this, but Adam Rex wrote what may be my all-time favorite children's book in The True Meaning of Smekday so I should finish that sometime. When I learned a Smekday sequel was coming next month I was incredibly hyped despite being far above the recommended age. Fuck it.
---
I finished The Uncanny Valley: Tales from a Lost Town - it was okay. Some of the stories were interesting but most of them lacked the sting I need from short stories, and the overall narrative was probably the most interesting, but not fleshed out enough part.
Still reading Name of The Wind with a slow-reading friend so I'm gonna keep doing a chapter a day but finally, finally, finally this came in so I'm excited to join the hype:
Book looks so damn good in real life. Tried to get a couple photos but the lighting was poor so stock image for you. Annihilation here I come.
But poetry is so great.
I'm sorry, Mumei!
One thing I have noticed about my reading habits is that I really dislike figuring out the basic meaning of sentences (die, Joyce, die) and need the work to have interesting characters to catch my interest. I think that basically eliminates all poetry for me.
Then why don't you like Paradise Lost!
But poetry is so great.
I'm sorry, but you're wrong.
Typical English Lit poems (i.e. Shakespeare's sonnets), and some contemporary poems collection that won some sort of award. When I read the New Yorker, I always make it a point to skip the poems (granted, I only read the feature articles). Poetry has never clicked for me.
Dandy Crocodile
Member
I tend to stray more toward "YA realistic fiction about people (generally teens) who are sad about something" when I'm reading for fun so I don't know if my currently reading list will align with the classic lit, modern lit, and sci-fi/fantasy y'all usually post but I'm working on the 50 books/50 movies challenge this year and I need a place to blab about what I'm reading!
Attachments by Rainbow Rowell
Finished Attachments last week and it was a fast, light read about an IT guy in his late twenties working at a newspaper at the turn of the millennium. His job is to read email that has blacklisted words in it in order to monitor employees who are shirking their duties and tell them to quit doing that. Then he starts reading the emails of one girl in particular and begins to fall for her. It's super stalker-y but it's all okay because Rowell's books tend to be saccharine and everything falls into place. It's just fun to see the journey of how the things fall there.
Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver
And now I'm 70% done with Before I Fall which is basically Groundhog Day + Mean Girls. It's okay so far and I'll have more to say once I've finished.
Attachments by Rainbow Rowell
Finished Attachments last week and it was a fast, light read about an IT guy in his late twenties working at a newspaper at the turn of the millennium. His job is to read email that has blacklisted words in it in order to monitor employees who are shirking their duties and tell them to quit doing that. Then he starts reading the emails of one girl in particular and begins to fall for her. It's super stalker-y but it's all okay because Rowell's books tend to be saccharine and everything falls into place. It's just fun to see the journey of how the things fall there.
Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver
And now I'm 70% done with Before I Fall which is basically Groundhog Day + Mean Girls. It's okay so far and I'll have more to say once I've finished.
Ah, that might be the problem.
I didn't really like poetry myself until recently; it can be an acquired taste. Well, I liked Shel Silverstein and Dr Seuss but that's not what people usually mean by "poetry." Anyway, I actually started by reading epic poetry - Beowulf in high school was something I knew I liked, so I decided to try other things in college. I read The Odyssey, Faust, The Divine Comedy, and Paradise Lost. Poetry has a way of sort of seeping into your mind - when I first read, say, Faust, I had a lot of trouble with it. I went back to it months after finishing it, just to open it and I flipped open to a passage and it just clicked. I didn't have to think about it; I didn't feel weird about the line breaks or the rhythm; it just felt natural. I found the same thing happened with the other poems - when I first read them, it was an uncomfortable feeling, but when I read them later they clicked in a way that they hadn't before.
After that I started reading shorter poems once in awhile, but I've only explored a very small sampling.
Dickinson is probably my favorite. She's witty, she's funny, she's heartbreaking, she's clever, and she's perfect. <3
I'm a particularly big fan of The Gorgeous Nothings edition. It's fascinating to read the poems on the facsimile reproductions. It actually changes the experience of reading them for me...
even if I have sometimes have to cheat by looking at the printed text because her handwriting is :x
I'd also recommend an edition of William Blake's Songs of Innocence and of Experience with the engravings.
BearFlexington
Member
The Soldier's Sympathy
If you like cyberpunk, check it out.
http://www.amazon.com/The-Soldiers-Sympathy-Chris-Guillory-ebook/dp/B00RN8J0VM
If you like cyberpunk, check it out.
http://www.amazon.com/The-Soldiers-Sympathy-Chris-Guillory-ebook/dp/B00RN8J0VM
Maybe I can get into this whole poetry business after all. I'll start reading Cyan's poems.