What are you reading? (July 2010)
- Thread starter Maklershed
- Start date
ElectricBlue187
Member
I'm close to finishing The Diamond Age and next I'm going to read
I'm sort of worried even though I've heard it's good Hyperion's ending is legendary. I feel like the guy who gets fooled twice...
I'm sort of worried even though I've heard it's good Hyperion's ending is legendary. I feel like the guy who gets fooled twice...
cantona222
Member
I'm reading: Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus
I'm getting married soon. That's why I wanna learn about females.
Man......... I'm just starting to notice how they are from a different plant.
I'm getting married soon. That's why I wanna learn about females.
Man......... I'm just starting to notice how they are from a different plant.
googoomuck22
Member
Just finished Dracula for the first time, it was really great and at times very unnerving . now i'm about half way through The Woman In Black which, so far, has been very compelling.
For some reason I am reading the Assassin's Trilogy by Robin Hobb. I'm on the third book (Assassin's Quest) and it's pretty good, though I wish I had read this maybe two years ago. I've just started getting into more fantasy after reading A Song of Ice and Fire, and while I don't think these assassin books are as good, I am really enjoying them for the plot. A good series for guys in their mid to later teens.
I'm thinking about starting the First Law (I think?) trilogy next because of the Ice and Fire thread.
I'm thinking about starting the First Law (I think?) trilogy next because of the Ice and Fire thread.
Finished with the First Law trilogy. Taken as a whole, it starts out excellent, muddles around in the middle, then takes a dump on you in the end. I understand that was sort of the point and from a few chapters into the first book you can see how it's all going to end but I've never been a fan of books that shit on everything just for the sake of being different.
Pretty obvious there will be another series of books set in this universe (I guess there already is one?) and if so, I hope the flashes of light-heartedness that shone through in The Blade Itself come back and the bleak "everything sucks then sucks even worse later" tone of the second two books takes a bit of a back seat.
That said, it's mostly entertaining in a schlocky kind of way. Seems like Abercrombie wrote all the battles scenarios first, then figures out how to loosely tie them together with a story. At the very least you can tell he spent about 10x as much effort crafting the killing and torture scenes than he did anything else.
Pretty obvious there will be another series of books set in this universe (I guess there already is one?) and if so, I hope the flashes of light-heartedness that shone through in The Blade Itself come back and the bleak "everything sucks then sucks even worse later" tone of the second two books takes a bit of a back seat.
the scene with Bayaz and Glotka, where Bayaz sits down and wraps up every little thing neatly....utterly abysmal and insulting to the reader.
That said, it's mostly entertaining in a schlocky kind of way. Seems like Abercrombie wrote all the battles scenarios first, then figures out how to loosely tie them together with a story. At the very least you can tell he spent about 10x as much effort crafting the killing and torture scenes than he did anything else.
I'm a 'novice' reader I guess, read heaps as a kid, read nothing at all between 14 and 24 though, trying to ease back into it slowly.
I tried to read the hobbit a couple of months ago and it killed my love of reading, I couldn't get into it at all. I might try it again in a while. Finished Tom Clancy's Patriot Games a couple of weeks ago and loved it, very easy read and now
I'm hoping this will show up today or tomorrow, I have some of HR's spoken word albums and love them, hoping his writing is as approachable.
I tried to read the hobbit a couple of months ago and it killed my love of reading, I couldn't get into it at all. I might try it again in a while. Finished Tom Clancy's Patriot Games a couple of weeks ago and loved it, very easy read and now
I'm hoping this will show up today or tomorrow, I have some of HR's spoken word albums and love them, hoping his writing is as approachable.
Been reading LOTR: Two Towers. Great read so far. It was a hard decision to not see the movie first, but I decided it's better if I read the book then see the movie.
BTW I have been trying to expand my reading time this summer since I got a lot of free time. Out of these books which ones are quick and easy to read: Name of the Wind, The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, and The Night Angel Trilogy.
BTW I have been trying to expand my reading time this summer since I got a lot of free time. Out of these books which ones are quick and easy to read: Name of the Wind, The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, and The Night Angel Trilogy.
Just finished this yesterday. It is my first book by this author and I must say that it is one of the best that I have read in a long while.
Abercrombie's use of irony is probably my favorite thing about his writing. I particularly enjoyed the fact that the character whose touch allowed most of the novel to turn out the way it did dies in the first chapter, and you continue to see that characters hand right until the end.
Started this today. Wolfe is a very good writer, but this novel really tests my patience.
Probably my biggest issue with it is the 'dream logic' that seems to govern events and the transitions between them. Not necessarily bad, but it forces the reader to pay a lot more attention as he has to make sure to pick up the subtexts or else become very lost very quickly.
Still good though, and I will probably read the second after I finish this tomorrow.
All three of those choices are easy reads. The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms is the most unusual in terms of style, prose and tone, but is one of my favourite reads so far this year. The Name of the Wind is the best of the three, but be prepared to wait for the final volumes of the trilogy. The Night Angel trilogy has the benefit of being finished, but I've not read it, so I can't give any in depth feedback.survivor said:
cantona222
Member
eznark said:
I'm from Kuwait, here it's different. it's kind of "arranged" marriage. You may think it is weird, but it works. Here's how it is done in our conservative Muslim society:
1- When you declare you are ready for marriage, your mother, sisters, and sometimes your females relatives look for a "potential wife" for you . They look for a girl based on the details you give. . . . In some cases, the boy can point out to a girl that he thinks fit (met at school, work, a neighbor or whatever)
2- They'll come back to you and tell you what they know about the girl they found.
3- If you initially like what you heard, they can arrange for you to take a look at her without her noticing. (with the help of her relatives or friends.)
4- If you like what you saw, your family can arrange an official meeting with the girl in her house for you to have a private meeting with the girl and have a conversation. (you will be in the same room with both families, but you'll be with the girl far enough from the rest to have your semi-private conversation.)
5- step #4 can be repeated up to 3 times in order for both the boy and girl to make up their minds.
6- After the meetings, each side will ask about the opposite potential spouse. Ask people who know him/her and see if they fit together.
7- If they both sides agree. Both families will meet in the girl's house to get to know each others, and make an official engagement.
8- When both are engaged. They can talk on the phone and visit to get to know each other more. While engaged, meetings should happen with other family members. the boy and girl cannot meet privately (similar to #4). This stage takes from 2 weeks - 3 months
9- Then they will agree on a date to get married (no wedding yet.).
10- After signing the papers and getting married officially. the boy and girls can go out on dates and such. Also, they will prepare the place they are going to live in. (No sex yet
). This stage can take between 1-6 months11- After the wedding, now they can live together. (The reason for "no sex before the wedding" is that if there was a divorce in this stage, the girl is still a virgin, and that will not stop other guys to marry her)
Note: the boy and girl can stop for any reason (maybe they don't feel that they are fit for each other) at any time before #10 with no harm done.
Well.......Sorry for the long post. to answer your question, I'm in stage 8
ElectricBlue187
Member
cantona222 said:
fascinating. so people in Kuwait REALLY don't have sex outside of marriage? because I find that difficult to believe.
In the mood for something....... lighter last month i read,
Surprisingly decent, but definatley about as much story as you'd expect (ie not much), still it was enjoyable.
Moved on to:
Which is, to be honest, fantastic. Just a pleasure to read. I thorougly enjoy the prose, the characters, and the story.
Surprisingly decent, but definatley about as much story as you'd expect (ie not much), still it was enjoyable.
Moved on to:
Which is, to be honest, fantastic. Just a pleasure to read. I thorougly enjoy the prose, the characters, and the story.
Monocle
Member
I want to read Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fate of Human Societies, but my backlog is a bit too big to justify a new purchase or library loan.
Anyway, my current reading list looks something like this:
Letters to a Young Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke
Collected Stories by Saul Bellow
Letter to a Christian Nation by Sam Harris
Who am I kidding? I'm gonna buy that bastard this week.
Anyway, my current reading list looks something like this:
Letters to a Young Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke
Collected Stories by Saul Bellow
Letter to a Christian Nation by Sam Harris
Last Friday I finished A Wild Sheep Chase:
I loved Norwegian Wood, but this one was kinda disappointing. A bit too strange for my taste and it didn't flow very well although it was only 300 pages long.
Then I started reading Hyperion:
I am about 200 pages in and I really like it so far. I have not read Sci-fi in a long time and I got this because of GAF recommendations.
I loved Norwegian Wood, but this one was kinda disappointing. A bit too strange for my taste and it didn't flow very well although it was only 300 pages long.
Then I started reading Hyperion:
I am about 200 pages in and I really like it so far. I have not read Sci-fi in a long time and I got this because of GAF recommendations.
Speschal K
Member
jonremedy said:
Have you read anything by Ursula K. Le Guin? If not, I'd recommend The Left Hand of Darkness.
Also, currently working on The Passage by Cronin and enjoying it on my brand new Nook!
jonremedy said:
Peter F Hamilton - The Night's Dawn Trilogy
Greg Bear - "Eon" and "Eternity"
Walter Jon Williams - Aristoi, Dread Empire's Fall trilogy
Alfred Bester - The Stars My Destination, The Demolished Man
Dan Simmons - Ilium, Olympos
Joan D Vinge - The Snow Queen, The Summer Queen
Robert Charles Wilson - Spin, Darwinia
Iain M Banks - The Player of Games
Dreams-Visions
Member
Red Storm Rising.
I know I'm late, but what the fuck ever. Good so far.
I know I'm late, but what the fuck ever. Good so far.
Heidalloon
Member
MyGirlFriday
Neo Member
Finished The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle a few months ago and this one's next up on my book purchases. I'm really excited!demon said:
Also currently rereading It's Too Late To Say I'm Sorry by Joey Comeau and Batman: Year One.
Jedeye Sniv
Banned
Recently started:
Not nearly as good as the Nylund books IMO, which I thought were really good pulp-SF with a good pace to them. THis seems a little slower but it still is entertaining. After this I have the Halo short story collection as well, getting my hype up before Reach comes out.
Not nearly as good as the Nylund books IMO, which I thought were really good pulp-SF with a good pace to them. THis seems a little slower but it still is entertaining. After this I have the Halo short story collection as well, getting my hype up before Reach comes out.
Just finished The Girl with the Dragon Tatoo this morning. Yeah, I'm pretty late with that. Was a great book, though, better than I imagined. Can't wait to start reading the second one.
You should give Hard-boiled Wonderland and the End of the World a try. Probably my favorite Murakami.
Sheep Chase is his worst book imo, the sequel (Dance Dance Dance) on the other hand is one of his better works. If you don't like it strange, though, it's possible that you won't like any of the other books by Murakami. Norwegian Woods is pretty much the only non-strange book he's written (which is a good thing imo, Murakami's novels live by being strange).Xater said:
You should give Hard-boiled Wonderland and the End of the World a try. Probably my favorite Murakami.
Xater said:
Strange and incoherent are pretty much Murakami's trade marks
Well not really but for example Wind up bird & Kafka on the shore are probably his most famous works right after Norweigian wood and they are bizzaar as shit. I personally loved Wind up but for time to time it got so strange that I really had to read some chapters twice so I would understand what I just read :lol
Maynard Mack's Alexander Pope: A Life - which is terrific.
Dave Sim's Church & State Vol.1 - which is also extraordinarily good. I can't get enough Cerebus at the moment.
Christopher Hill's Some Intellectual Consequences of the English Revolution, which is a beautifully (controversially) compressed study of a boundless, depthless period.
Dave Sim's Church & State Vol.1 - which is also extraordinarily good. I can't get enough Cerebus at the moment.
Christopher Hill's Some Intellectual Consequences of the English Revolution, which is a beautifully (controversially) compressed study of a boundless, depthless period.
Freeza Under The Shower
Member
Salazar said:
strange question maybe, but how fast would you say that you read (those)?
innervision961
Member
Currently Reading:
Carl Sagan - Varieties of Scientific Experience: A Personal View of the Search for God
I would definitely rate this one 5/5 stars, although I haven't finished it up quite yet, I just started it last night during my break at work and almost couldn't put it down. I know its been said a thousand times over, but this man was just so brilliant and eloquent. He is my favorite human mind ever, no doubt.
Not sure where to go next, I tried to read "The Road to Reality" by Roger Penrose, but I'm having a hard time keeping interest.
Carl Sagan - Varieties of Scientific Experience: A Personal View of the Search for God
I would definitely rate this one 5/5 stars, although I haven't finished it up quite yet, I just started it last night during my break at work and almost couldn't put it down. I know its been said a thousand times over, but this man was just so brilliant and eloquent. He is my favorite human mind ever, no doubt.
Not sure where to go next, I tried to read "The Road to Reality" by Roger Penrose, but I'm having a hard time keeping interest.
innervision961 said:
Read it a couple months ago. Even as a series of lectures..yea it's still good. His flagship book (if you call it that) The Demon Haunted World, is even better. Still looking forward to reading Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors on my bookshelf, heard that one is pretty great. And I'd love to read Cosmos, but I've already seen the show and fear I'd bore myself treading old ground.
demosthenes
Member
_Isaac said:
Wellington
BAAAALLLINNN'
Crap I missed this thread. So what were the book club rules? I guess I'll just get the book and blast through it. :|
I'm reading this:
In Spanish. Last month I tried to Read, Neverland, Mr Norrel and Dr. Strange, and some lock lamora book. All were terrible. It's back to latinamerica for me. At least for one book...
Two pages into this book and it reveals it's a magical realism book. In English, magical realism sounds nice, right? In hispanic coulture, magical realism books tend to have nothing pleasant about them. Any one who has read "A Hundred Years of Solitud" knows what I'm talking about. I suppose I'm in for another sad hispanic novel.
In Spanish. Last month I tried to Read, Neverland, Mr Norrel and Dr. Strange, and some lock lamora book. All were terrible. It's back to latinamerica for me. At least for one book...
Two pages into this book and it reveals it's a magical realism book. In English, magical realism sounds nice, right? In hispanic coulture, magical realism books tend to have nothing pleasant about them. Any one who has read "A Hundred Years of Solitud" knows what I'm talking about. I suppose I'm in for another sad hispanic novel.