ZQQLANDER
Member
Wow, some of these look amazing. Thanks for the suggestions.
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What are you reading? (July 2014)
- Thread starter Maklershed
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Wow, some of these look amazing. Thanks for the suggestions.
City of Saints and Madmen is his best that I've read; the Southern Reach Trilogy (two books are out, third comes out in September) is not quite as good but is more approachable / easier. And if you've read Wolfe, you're more than fine with City of Saints and Madmen.
It's a very wide range of stories and topics because I'm unsure of what you like, so feel free to pick and choose something that strikes your fancy.
Noted and bought.
I saw your Goodreads backlog and I may be pilfering from it in the coming months, although I'm surprised you have not read Catch in the Rye. This says to me that you weren't schooled in America, is that right?
Maklershed
Member
Here we go Mak, making my way through the prologue. I certainly was not expecting it to be so funny.
Now reading...
Empire Falls by Richard Russo
Nice. And when you're done with that, on to The Long Ships!
Nope, I am American. But I never read that or The Scarlet Letter, for that matter, while I was in school. Or since, obviously!
And my Goodreads backlog is very pilferable, if I do say so myself.
Tis a good backlog.
First 3 Dark Tower books were great to me as a child.
You read the first three Dark Tower books as a child?
Stephen King's Pet Sematary.
I've read a lot of books but for some reason skipped Stephen King's. I've so far also read Joyland and Mr. Mercedes. Those were very good and I thought Pet Sematary was excellent. I have not seen the movie which I take it is a cheesefest.
Any recommendations for my next Stephen King? I've heard The Shining is really good but I have seen the movie. Opinions on The Stand seem to be divided.
Opinions on The Stand should not be divided. It's his best standalone book, and I think most fans agree with that--King has even commented on the fact before, and it bothers him that many people think his best work was something he wrote so many years ago.
Suffice to say, The Stand is much, much, better than The Shining, which is very good but also a tad overrated. There is too much exposition in The Shining.
Salem's Lot, and IT are fantastic. Salem's Lot--the best Vampire horror novel ever IMO--is a bit more approachable than either IT or The Stand, just by being a bit shorter, so you might want to go there. Salem's Lot would probably be a great followup to Pet Semetary.
The Dark Tower taken as a whole is probably his best overall work, but that is a much bigger investment, and it's a full on epic fantasy saga, much different than anything else he's written. I would recommend reading a few more of his standalone works before diving into it.
elrechazado
Banned
The stand > IT >>>>>>>>>> rest of king
Switch Back 9
a lot of my threads involve me fucking up somehow. Perhaps I'm a moron?
Not the genre you're looking for, but I'm about 3/5 of the way through this and it's bloody fantastic so far.
Different than a lot of WW1 books because it doesn't focus so much on the war itself but on all the events leading up to it. Pretty fascinating read, highly rec'd.
Personally I'd read Perdido Street Station before The Scar. They're not direct sequels but one leads into the other and they take place in the same world.
Both are better than Iron Council though, *snooze*
I couldn't get into Under The Dome, probably because I've read so much King. It sort of felt like a retread of certain other things he's written--I'm not sure exactly which books, but there was a vague sense of familiarity that bothered me a little bit. Also some of the characters seemed really one-dimensional. It may have just been the mood I was in at the time.
The basic premise is great, and the book gets off to a roaring start. I didn't make it very far before I put it down, and I sort of feel like I gave up on it too quick, so I'll probably give it another shot at some point.
“He'd arrived too late from Baltimore – when it was all over and she was lying on the hospital bed. But he hadn't. He'd arrived early enough to see their baby, and to hold him before they cremated him”
Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri is a collection of short stories, concerned with the lives of people of South Asian descent, Bengali and Indian, set mostly in the diaspora. The first story, A Temporary Matter, deals with a Boston couple trying to live together after a miscarriage of their first child. A daily scheduled power outage forces them to spend time with each other for a week, during which they get talking again, about both the silly, and heartbreaking secrets they carry.
With that story as well the rest, using perspectives that are familiar with South Asian culture as well as from outsiders, Lahiri probes the everyday lives and thoughts of her characters, finding strengths and flaws. People grow through love and reflection, come to understand others, are rejected or find themselves casting aspersions. Lahiri's prose almost never makes note of itself, letting the reader flow through. Every story in this collection is remarkable.
"Books were only one type or receptacle where we stored a lot of things we were afraid we might forget. There is nothing magical in them at all. The magic is only in what books say, how they stitched the patches of the universe together into one garment for us. "
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury is a classic science fiction novel, taking place in a society in which the firemen start fires, with the purpose of destroying books and the people who hold onto them. In our popular culture this novel has been thought of as an anti-censorship manifesto, while the text and Bradbury himself seem to argue against mass media culture, its homogenizing and “dumbing down” effects, which have edged out literature and academics. Literature is able to hurt and offend people, while other media coddles folks.
Bradbury's prose is good as well, long-winded at times, and I don't think I've ever seen so many damn similes in a novel. The development of the main character is interesting, as is the change in plot in the last third. Bradbury is pretty heavy handed with his message, and his acerbic afterwords are off putting. Yet, it's highly relevant, and hits home harder than it probably did in the 1950's.
---
I'm making my way through a new anthology, The Best Science Fiction and Fantasy of the Year: Volume Eight, edited by Jonathan Strahan. I'm a little more than halfway through, and it's been an excellent collection of stories. The standout stories in here so far have been by Joe Abercrombie, Greg Egan, Yoon Ha Lee, Ramez Naam, Ted Chiang, Thomas Olde Heuvelt, Priya Sharma, and Lavie Tidhar. And there are a lot more great authors left.
:O
David Mitchell's The Bone Clocks. It's utterly astonishing.
/jealous
Jokes aside, good to hear it's great! Looking forward to it.
That is one nice sci-fi list.
Haven't read most of the fantasy side though
Yes, Anvil/House/Bird are all great books.
Her Company series is also a decent read but it goes into some really weird territory in the later novels, like, super weird.
The things old white female authors come up with...
Her Company series is also a decent read but it goes into some really weird territory in the later novels, like, super weird.
The things old white female authors come up with...
I was taking a look at The House of the Stag on Goodreads, can that be read as a standalone novel? Also, is it a young adult novel?
All three of those can all be read as standalone novels. They are simply loosely related, taking place in the same world with some recurring characters and themes.
No, it's not really YA in any sense of the label. Only the third book, The Bird of the River, can be seen as YA, because the protagonists are two young siblings.
Thanks
Looking at my shelves, it appears that at some point I also picked up In the Garden of Iden (that is probably me going out of control at the local Half Price Books warehouse sale and then forgetting what I bought...), but I'll try Anvil first. Even though now I'm a bit curious to find out what's super weird about the Company series...
Thanks, I've seen Barker's name bandied about online, but I hadn't gone looking for a specific recommendation.
Just finished up Flowers for Algernon, read the short story version this morning, googled it for some thoughts found out there was a novel and just steamrolled that. What a great read, I like the short story for its pacing, there was a few points in the novel where it felt it got a bit drawn out but the attachment to Charlie was much greater as you spend more time with him.
Funny how found out about the book, I used to listen to a band named algernon cadwallader, a misspelling of their name on google led me to the book a few years ago and I've been meaning to read it ever since.
Funny how found out about the book, I used to listen to a band named algernon cadwallader, a misspelling of their name on google led me to the book a few years ago and I've been meaning to read it ever since.
Just finished Cibola Burn last night, had a hundred or so pages left, and couldn't put it down, so I'm totally going to be a zombie at work today.
So, spoiler free "review":
All in all it was a step up from the last book. Granted, it's not the best book of 2014, maybe not even best book of July, in literary terms, but damn, it's entertaining, and exciting, and sometimes (most times for me apparently) that's all you need.
There are issues with the book, like the characters "voices" all virtually reading the same, there are hints of trying to distinguish them at times, but it sort of falls flat.
And getting closer and closer to the end, a thought that kept popping up in my head, was, "how are they going to tie this all together with so few pages left". And sure by the end, it's all tied up, a setup for the next book in the epilogue, and boom, it's over. But what I feared, back when the thought of tying it all up popped in my head was realized, the ending just felt rushed. And this is a problem I've found with a few other books, Neil Gaiman's American Gods for instance, just rushes through the end game in a very short while. I don't know if the writers just get tired of their books by the end and just want to get it over with, but it's something that's been irking me for a while.
Another big issue I had, and it's the same for at least the prior book in the series Abaddon's Gate, is that the main protagonist, is there just as a vehicle for the reader, he does almost nothing of substance himself, he only ever -reacts- to other peoples actions, or follows suggestions by others. Very rarely, too rarely does he actually take charge and decide something on his on volition.
But all in all, it's a great, entertaining book, that hooked me early on and keept me reading till the end, well recommended.
Anyway, that's as much as a "review" as I can give I suppose, on to spoiler discussion for those who've read it:
Also, these are the 5 last books I've read, I think I may have a problem:
So, spoiler free "review":
All in all it was a step up from the last book. Granted, it's not the best book of 2014, maybe not even best book of July, in literary terms, but damn, it's entertaining, and exciting, and sometimes (most times for me apparently) that's all you need.
There are issues with the book, like the characters "voices" all virtually reading the same, there are hints of trying to distinguish them at times, but it sort of falls flat.
And getting closer and closer to the end, a thought that kept popping up in my head, was, "how are they going to tie this all together with so few pages left". And sure by the end, it's all tied up, a setup for the next book in the epilogue, and boom, it's over. But what I feared, back when the thought of tying it all up popped in my head was realized, the ending just felt rushed. And this is a problem I've found with a few other books, Neil Gaiman's American Gods for instance, just rushes through the end game in a very short while. I don't know if the writers just get tired of their books by the end and just want to get it over with, but it's something that's been irking me for a while.
Another big issue I had, and it's the same for at least the prior book in the series Abaddon's Gate, is that the main protagonist, is there just as a vehicle for the reader, he does almost nothing of substance himself, he only ever -reacts- to other peoples actions, or follows suggestions by others. Very rarely, too rarely does he actually take charge and decide something on his on volition.
But all in all, it's a great, entertaining book, that hooked me early on and keept me reading till the end, well recommended.
Anyway, that's as much as a "review" as I can give I suppose, on to spoiler discussion for those who've read it:
Right now, as I've just woken up, after falling asleep right after finishing the book, all I can think of is "I hope Miller's not dead, dead!"
Also, these are the 5 last books I've read, I think I may have a problem:
Whoa, I had to be careful quoting this not to read that spoiler since I'm yet to finish Cibola Burn, but I had to ask- How is the Star Wars book Corey wrote? I'm not a giant Star Wars fan, but if it's as fun as the Expanse series is I'd like to read it.
Stephen King's Pet Sematary.
I've read a lot of books but for some reason skipped Stephen King's. I've so far also read Joyland and Mr. Mercedes. Those were very good and I thought Pet Sematary was excellent. I have not seen the movie which I take it is a cheesefest.
Any recommendations for my next Stephen King? I've heard The Shining is really good but I have seen the movie. Opinions on The Stand seem to be divided.
Different Seasons. Four novellas (or mini novels) that showcase King at his best. Three of those stories have been turned into very successful movies (Shawshank Redemption, Apt Pupil, Stand By Me)
Other King novels I can recommend:
-The Dead Zone
- Misery
- Dolores Claiborne
- 11/22/63
samurai1226
Member
Best Stephen King books are definitely the Dark Tower series. I think the 6th or so book was a bit of a letdown, but overall the series is amazing.
There are so many things like symbolism in nearly every king book that you would just miss when you didnt read the Dark Tower.
There are so many things like symbolism in nearly every king book that you would just miss when you didnt read the Dark Tower.
I thought I was the only one who read that book. Great choice, it's refreshingly different from US fantasy. I hope Tor will translate more books by Sergey and Marina Dyachenko.
Vicetrailia
Member
I only like reading about history and art related things nowadays. Have very limited time on weekdays, so I tend to read short works and as much as I can on the weekends.
July:
Egypt: Histories of an Ancient Civilization
Plutarch Lives VII - Compares the parallel lives of Alexander vs Caesar and Cicero against Demosthenes
Art During the Reign of Phillip III
Epictetus Discourses Books 3-4 Fragments the Encheiridion
Catullus, Tibullus, Pervigilium Veneris - Poems....vulgar poems!
The History of Greek Vases (Started in March)
July:
Egypt: Histories of an Ancient Civilization
Plutarch Lives VII - Compares the parallel lives of Alexander vs Caesar and Cicero against Demosthenes
Art During the Reign of Phillip III
Epictetus Discourses Books 3-4 Fragments the Encheiridion
Catullus, Tibullus, Pervigilium Veneris - Poems....vulgar poems!
The History of Greek Vases (Started in March)
Shit, sorry about that, hope you managed it without catching anything of the spoiler.
The Star Wars book is... ok. You might actually like it more than I did, since you're not a "giant Star Wars fan" as you put it.
My shitty review is available on Goodreads if you're interested, it's spoiler free too
whatevermort
Member
Re: Stephen King. Please please please don't read the Dark Tower series until you've read more of the rest of the canon. They're wonderful, but tougher than most of his books - and they're pretty much made 100 times better by knowing all the references to the rest of his work throughout.
If you care, I'm writing this series for the Guardian's newspaper, where I'm rereading every single King novel and writing about them.
If you care, I'm writing this series for the Guardian's newspaper, where I'm rereading every single King novel and writing about them.
Horseticuffs
Full werewolf off the buckle
Whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa.
Isn't that the book with "Silver Bullet" in it? That's legitimately one of my favorite Werewolf movies ever.
Shit, sorry about that, hope you managed it without catching anything of the spoiler.
The Star Wars book is... ok. You might actually like it more than I did, since you're not a "giant Star Wars fan" as you put it.
My shitty review is available on Goodreads if you're interested, it's spoiler free too
Might give it a shot if my libraries get it/if I see it cheap. Thanks for the review!
And nah, didn't see anything in the spoiler
Nope, Silver Bullet was based on the short novel "Cycle of the Werewolf". See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cycle_of_the_Werewolf
I recently read the original Bourne Trilogy, which I struggled through (my brain clearly couldn't visual Matt Damon at 50). So I decided to track down a few old Forgotten Realms books - more specifically the Harpers run. I'd read the first and second - and Amazon came up trumps with a whole batch of 1p used copies of the remaining books in the set. I have a few yet to pick up, but currently working through:
So I finished Gunslinger - Stephen King yesterday. A few thoughts on the book.
First things first; overall I enjoyed the book. The fragmentary manner of storytelling initially was very strange to me as the flow of the narrative getting broken up messed with me a bit. However once I finished the book, I believe I understood why such a method was used and appreciated it somewhat.
I think the most enjoyable part of the book was when
was explaining the Universe to Roland, and especially his theory on
. I really enjoyed the imagery and fantastical nature of his description and for me has probably become one of my favourite descriptions of the Universe.
Currently reading some nice trashy urban fantasy:
First things first; overall I enjoyed the book. The fragmentary manner of storytelling initially was very strange to me as the flow of the narrative getting broken up messed with me a bit. However once I finished the book, I believe I understood why such a method was used and appreciated it somewhat.
I think the most enjoyable part of the book was when
The Man in Black
a "multiverse"
Currently reading some nice trashy urban fantasy:
Beyonce Beytwice
Member
Reading "The Giver" by Lois Lowry. In preparation for the upcoming movie, which looks excellent.
Hmm. The premise is interesting and the main character somewhat different to the other Urban Fantasy, as well as the dual-POV nature it takes on.
The writing itself is somewhat mediocre, but the content itself is enough for me to keep reading. One thing of note is the lack of "humour" though. Normally I equate the genre with having a humorous approach to the story telling, but it's somewhat lacking in this book.
I'd only recommend it if you haven't got anything else of note you want to read.
postcyberpunk
Banned
Since I am still reading The Swerve, I thought I would brush up on my understanding of the concept. Also,
cool, cheers. I'm shopping around for trashy magic/crime stuff atm (as usual) so just wanted to get some opinions
nakedsushi
Member
Move on. Life is too short to read something you don't enjoy. I quit about 10% into World War Z too. It was just boring and all the voices were telling the same story in the same way.
Haven't had much time to read lately so thank god for audiobooks.
Finished:
Overall it wasn't that good. Mostly because there doesn't really happen all that much. I'd say that some 80% if not more of the book are people talking it is almost like reading a play. maybe it was all set-up for the next book though...
and
Both were excellent, especially since I thought that Ghost Story was probably the weakest of the books so far.
Now listening to:
The first book is a strong contender for my favorite book this year, and as far as I can tell this might just be as good as the first one. I just love these kind of imaginative and slightly dark fairy-tales. Also, this one is read by a different narrator who does a much better job than Ms. Valente did herself.
Finished:
Overall it wasn't that good. Mostly because there doesn't really happen all that much. I'd say that some 80% if not more of the book are people talking it is almost like reading a play. maybe it was all set-up for the next book though...
and
Both were excellent, especially since I thought that Ghost Story was probably the weakest of the books so far.
Now listening to:
The first book is a strong contender for my favorite book this year, and as far as I can tell this might just be as good as the first one. I just love these kind of imaginative and slightly dark fairy-tales. Also, this one is read by a different narrator who does a much better job than Ms. Valente did herself.
I'm having kind of a hard time getting into The Way of Kings.
I'm about 300 pages in and it just isn't pulling me along. There are parts I enjoy, but overall I find it to be a bit tedious.
Did anyone else have this experience? I bought the first two books of The Stormlight Archive because of the praise here, but I'm tempted to give up.
I'm about 300 pages in and it just isn't pulling me along. There are parts I enjoy, but overall I find it to be a bit tedious.
Did anyone else have this experience? I bought the first two books of The Stormlight Archive because of the praise here, but I'm tempted to give up.
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