What are you reading? (January 2017)

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Zelenogorsk said:
I feel like half my posts in What are you Reading threads are just telling people about how awesome Drawing of the Three is. So i'm gonna do it again. Go read Drawing of the Three. It blows The Gunslinger out of the water. If The Gunslinger is sitting in a lazy river at a water park then Drawing is white water rafting without a life vest.
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Yep. This.
 
Working my way through Political Order and Political Decay by Francis Fukuyama.

Fukuyama gets a lot of flak for his end of history argument, but this and The Origins of Political Order are really fun to read, and I think they raise a lot of good points.
 
I'm not even sure the last time I've posted in these threads. As a result, just gonna give a quick update of the past few books/current book.

Read The Player of Games by Iain M. Banks. Definitely a step up when compared to Consider Phlebas. A lot of fun characters in this one and I liked the more narrow focus. I'll definitely be picking up the next one in the series.

After that I went back to Stephen King with Salem's Lot. Surprisingly good! I read it around Halloween, which paired well. The ending felt rushed like every other Stephen King novel, but the journey was fun!

Finally, I'm on to Shadow & Claw (Book of the New Sun part 1 and 2) by Gene Wolfe. I love this book. It's not an easy read, but it's so much rewarding for it. I feel like I'm only barely getting a taste of the real meat of the story. I regret putting this series off for so long.
 
I'm pretty sure I saw a GOTY thread for books the other day. Was one created? I would like an overview of what I should look out for.

Is the 50 Shades trilogy enjoyable? I like the first few pages of the preview. I'm also looking at Calendar Girl.
 
j0hnny_385 said:
I don't understand these Kindle Daily Deals.
Are they US only or geolocked or what? Because 99% of the deals posted in this thread are either unavailable for me or they're normal, full price.
I'm in Croatia, btw, with the newest Kindle Paperwhite. Uggghhh. :(
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I'm pretty sure they're different for certain countries/regions. I remember someone posting a deal for Bird Box for UK Amazon a few months ago that wasn't available in the US.

Pachimari said:
I'm pretty sure I saw a GOTY thread for books the other day. Was one created?
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Yes. Not enough activity though. :(

http://neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1329817
 
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I just finished my first foreign-language novel yesterday, at 450 pages it took me all of December but as I got further and further in I read quicker and needed the dictionary less. Very proud of myself for it, a great book too.

I don't know if I'll be able to read anything for enjoyment in this month, I've got too many exams. Might try and squeeze in a few short books, can anyone recommend some novellas @ under 200 pages?
 
j0hnny_385 said:
I don't understand these Kindle Daily Deals.
Are they US only or geolocked or what? Because 99% of the deals posted in this thread are either unavailable for me or they're normal, full price.
I'm in Croatia, btw, with the newest Kindle Paperwhite. Uggghhh. :(
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I'm from Croatia as well, but I bought and registered my Kindle from/on Amazon US and I can see and buy the deals posted.
 
Just started reading:

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The formatting of this book is really strange, or it could just be the copy of the ebook I have. Text is unnaturally large and the paragraph switching between character viewpoints is less evident.

Mist said:
Next up:
Gardens of the Moon:
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Not sure yet which one I'm gonna start with.
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If you go read Gardens of the Moon, just immediately go read Deadhouse Gates. Book 1 tends to put people off the series, but Book 2 shows the true colours of the series. Thus, just persevere if book 1 disappoints you.
 
j0hnny_385 said:
I don't understand these Kindle Daily Deals.
Are they US only or geolocked or what? Because 99% of the deals posted in this thread are either unavailable for me or they're normal, full price.
I'm in Croatia, btw, with the newest Kindle Paperwhite. Uggghhh. :(
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You can add a US address to your account and switch between the two. So if the US has a better deal, grab it there.
 
Typing from my phone but i am halfway through
Eisenhorn: Xenos
This is the forst book in a trilogy series by dan abnett set in the warhammer 40k universe
Eisenhorn is an Inquisitor who is investigating the cohorts of a criminal he had subdued and find out hat theyre after.

The writing is pretty good but it uses w40k lingo which imo only took a chapter cor me to get a handle of
I am enjoying it despite being half way thru
The funny thing a out the book is that 1 chapter would be action-centric whereas the next one would be character interaction and curther plot advancement.
Eisenhorn does not catch a break but he will get shit done.
 
So, I finally finished The Lies of Locke Lamora.

Simply put, it was amazing!

Onto the sequel now, Red Seas under Red Skies.

My only main criticism of Lynch is that he tends to be overly descriptive when it comes to geography/places. Maps, even fan made, have been a bit of a blessing when it comes to visualising.

Edit: In fact I'm very confused after reading and then viewing a map actually.
 
Maklershed said:
Kindle

Last Call: The Rise and Fall of Prohibition by Daniel Okrent

]
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this is on my list. how is it?

finished passage to india a day or two ago. characters behave strangely in this book, but perhaps that is the point. forster's language is beautiful but i can't say i loved the book. maybe i am just too far removed in time, space, and experience to relate.
Bookcover_a_passage_to_india.jpg
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about 100 pages into white teeth by zadie smith. really like it so far. knowing it is her debut novel is interesting since i could see how people would be taken by storm.
WhiteTeeth.jpg
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Wrist by Nathan Niigan Noodin Adler needed a really good edit. It's frustrating to finish a book that had so much potential, ruined by lack of editing. Hopefully onward and upward with Scythe by Neal Shusterman.

scythe.jpg
 
fakefaker said:
Wrist by Nathan Niigan Noodin Adler needed a really good edit. It's frustrating to finish a book that had so much potential, ruined by lack of editing. Hopefully onward and upward with Scythe by Neal Shusterman.

scythe.jpg
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This is the kind of cover that just sells me on a book, no matter its quality.
 
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Halfway through Night School. It's typical easy-read Jack Reacher stuff apart from
a woman getting fucked by a donkey suspended a harness, three men pissing on a woman's face and a woman sucking off a large dog
. I understand why these are in there
(to try and humiliate a Muslim messenger and put him/her at a disadvantage)
but there really was no need for the level of gratuitous pornography being described here. I'm no prude but I was really shocked when I got to this part. I've read all the previous Reachers and these events were so out of character with the other books I actually stopped to double-check that Lee Child had actually penned it.

Reachers are always social books, enjoyed then passed around the family. I'm almost embarrassed to do this now.
 
arglebargle said:
about 100 pages into white teeth by zadie smith. really like it so far. knowing it is her debut novel is interesting since i could see how people would be taken by storm.
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Yeah, it's great. I *think* she fell on her face with her second, but then rebounded. I still haven't read anything else by her, but it's all on my list.

Servbot #42 said:
Nice i bought it, i always wanted to read a light book about the US.
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This is 'light' only if you define light as shining one on the underbelly of U.S. history. Breezy it ain't.
 
arglebargle said:
this is on my list. how is it?
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I'm really enjoying it. It really gets into the nitty gritty of Prohibition. Not just the societal aspects and how it worked and what its effects were but also the backroom dealings and political machinations that kicked it off, kept it going, and then brought it down. Its amazing how much power Wayne Wheeler and the ASL held for a decade when they were a minority interest group. Also, the book is peppered with fun little trivia like Welch's grape juice was created by Dr. Welch, a Methodist minister, as an unfermented sacramental wine because he didn't want his congregation touching alcohol. Or how Coke's first 'Even better than the real thing' advertising campaign came about when they wrapped foil on the bottles to make them look like champagne.
 
Wolvers said:
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I just finished my first foreign-language novel yesterday, at 450 pages it took me all of December but as I got further and further in I read quicker and needed the dictionary less. Very proud of myself for it, a great book too.

I don't know if I'll be able to read anything for enjoyment in this month, I've got too many exams. Might try and squeeze in a few short books, can anyone recommend some novellas @ under 200 pages?
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His other book, The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair, for me was a total desillusion, you're telling me this one is good?
 
I finished this tonight,

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Gets a solid 8/10 from me. I really enjoyed it, probably a lot more than A Head Full of Ghosts if I'm being honest. It was one of those books that reminded me why I love reading books because I couldn't wait to see how it ended and enamoured it as quickly as possible.

Next up, I'm going to read The End of the World Running Club.
 
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Paul Beatty's novel will go down in history as the first American winner of the formerly Commonwealth-exclusive Man Booker Prize, which is to the author's credit. I must, however, dissent on the merits. Notionally a scathing satire of racism in America, examined through the device of a fed-up black man attempting to reintroduce segregation in the belief that it would be superior to the status quo, the result is intermittently funny and sometimes pointed in its asides, but it never really comes together for me. There's one truly comic genius creation, the character of Hominy, an elderly and deluded former Little Rascals castmember who insists on becoming the protagonist's slave and acting like a Stepin Fetchit caricature.
 
Started on After Dark by Haruki Murakami.

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I remember liking it a lot the last time I read it, but as I had pneumonia and was in a fever induced trance on a shitty military hospital bed, I'm going through this with a clearer mind this time.
 
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Im currently on book 2 at the moment but this series is steadily becoming one of my must read fantasy series. Its very similar to the Gentlemen Bastards but its world and characters still feel new and its a joy to read.
 
Still chipping away at The State of Africa. Makes me so happy my country doesn't have a one party system. My physician assistant friend gave me two books to read, Bad Science, and Pelican Human Evolution. Looking forward to reading all of them.
 
Meteorain said:
Just started reading:

7562764.jpg


The formatting of this book is really strange, or it could just be the copy of the ebook I have. Text is unnaturally large and the paragraph switching between character viewpoints is less evident.
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The Quantum Thief is is my favorite sci-fi books. I love the "show and don't tell" way of writing that's used. Enjoy.
 
Tugatrix said:
His other book, The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair, for me was a total desillusion, you're telling me this one is good?
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I really enjoyed both, the guy's prose isn't the best but I think he has a wonderful flair for characterisation and suspense. This one is a follow up to that book with the same protagonist, but very different; far less of a thriller and much more psychological.

Edit: still looking for a new book to read, I'm trying to branch away from my go-to genres of fantasy/sci-fi. Any recommendations?
 
am reading game of thrones for a second time... havent read since i first read it in like 09 or 2010

am kindve enjoying it and think i will read it via one of the chronologically straight reading guides... not for anything but experience, i managed fine the first time

i notice that my enjoyment comes from the breaks from common fantasy, low magic, more grounded political fantasy background... but also realise it is not as engrossing as before the tv show. will give the second and third a shot and see how they fare post tv show

oh also looking out for point of view tricks and the way martin is hinting at/created the surprises or theories for the future
 
Ravensmash said:
So, I finally finished The Lies of Locke Lamora.

Simply put, it was amazing!

Onto the sequel now, Red Seas under Red Skies.

My only main criticism of Lynch is that he tends to be overly descriptive when it comes to geography/places. Maps, even fan made, have been a bit of a blessing when it comes to visualising.

Edit: In fact I'm very confused after reading and then viewing a map actually.
Click to expand...

I'm glad to hear that it stays great all the way through! I'm around the halfway point now. I haven't had a problem with the geographical descriptions really - if I had to pick one thing to criticize, it's the way the plot keeps shifting back and forth in time. I'm finding that the plot when Locke is older is much more appealing to me than when he's a kid. For example, (spoilers, obviously)

The scene where Locke is impersonating the Gray King, and Capa Barsavi captures him and seals him in the cask full of horse urine. I want to find out how Locke is gonna get out of this situation! But Lynch immediately shifts to when they were kids and the little Gentleman Bastards are having problems with a rival gang.

I'm pretty sure I know why he put that chapter there, to illustrate how Jean will always have Locke's back. But putting it right after the scene with the cask just really killed the tension for me.

I'm still loving the book though!
 
EVOL 100% said:
Started on After Dark by Haruki Murakami.

WkSDY0B.jpg


I remember liking it a lot the last time I read it, but as I had pneumonia and was in a fever induced trance on a shitty military hospital bed, I'm going through this with a clearer mind this time.
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This sounds like a weirdly appropriate way to read After Dark considering the situation of one of the characters. Did you have a television next to your bed?
 
The 'paradox of choice' is real, y'all. I have hundreds of unread books and non of them are screaming READ ME NOW!!!!!! Sigh...it's like there's a lull in the wake of an engrossing reading experience where I just need some recovery time...
 
sparky2112 said:
The 'paradox of choice' is real, y'all. I have hundreds of unread books and non of them are screaming READ ME NOW!!!!!! Sigh...it's like there's a lull in the wake of an engrossing reading experience where I just need some recovery time...
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Hey if there's snow outside your place you could go make a snow man!
 
Currently reading Johnathan Strange and Mr Norrel.

I've only read one chapter so far, but it seems really interesting. Looking forward to reading it.


I tried reading Yes please by Poehler and just couldn't get into it. It's short, but I had no drive to finish it. I might come back to it as it seems like it's less of a bio and more of a collection of short memoirs.
 
Fuu said:
This sounds like a weirdly appropriate way to read After Dark considering the situation of one of the characters. Did you have a television next to your bed?
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As a matter of fact, I did. I was also in an isolated room, so it really was the situation of one of the protagonists to a tee, complete with an estranged relationship with a sibling and an existential crisis

I guess that's why I liked it so much and it became my favorite Murakami book out of the ones I read (1Q84, hated it, Hardboiled Wonderland, pretty good, Sleep, okay) despite it not being one of his more popular works
 
Finally finished the 10th book in Erikson's Malazan book of the fallen series. It's going to take a few months to decompress and figure out what I think about it all. But initial impressions are somewhat positive (I did really enjoy the 2nd and 3rd ones, the later ones not so much but I was invested enough to want to finish the series), but I have a lot of issues with them and don't foresee reading any of the other books set in the Malazan universe any time soon.

Started The Count of Monte Cristo. Loving it so far, but if I keep picking up 1000+ page novels i'm never going to meet my 50 books in 2017 reading goal.

The last few months have made me realize that my mental model of what America and its values are isn't quite correct. Mulling over starting one of these three but not sure which i'm most interested in yet:
Strangers in Their Own Land: Anger and Mourning on the American Right by Arlie Russell Hochschild
Thank You for Being Late: An Optimist's Guide to Thriving in the Age of Accelerations by Thomas L. Friedman
Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis by J. D. Vance
 
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“My schedule for today lists a six-hour self-accusatory depression.”
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It's been awhile since i watched Blade Runner but i think it differs in some major ways from this book, i'm gonna watch the movie again. I enjoyed the book and now Kipple has entered my lexicon.

Also I have decided to finally finish this book:

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sparky2112 said:
This is 'light' only if you define light as shining one on the underbelly of U.S. history. Breezy it ain't.
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I was just a paltry attempt at a joke xD.
 
Will F said:
Started The Count of Monte Cristo. Loving it so far, but if I keep picking up 1000+ page novels i'm never going to meet my 50 books in 2017 reading goal.
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I read that some years ago. It's such a huge book that even though there have been a million adaptations and references to it over the years, it's full of characters and plot elements that are never adapted.
 
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