Nappuccino
Member
The Crying of Lot 49
I'm about 50 pages in and I'm not sure I get it. Am I supposed to get it?
What?
I'm about 50 pages in and I'm not sure I get it. Am I supposed to get it?
What?
-
Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.
What are you reading? (June 2014)
- Thread starter Maklershed
- Start date
- Status
AngmarsKing701
Member
Yes and no. It's a short novel, so you might find out how you feel about it pretty quickly. The last quarter of the novel is a panoply of deliriousness, and I love the ending.
Currently reading this bio of Lewis Carroll, which I picked up at Barnes & Noble in their bargain section. It appealed because it claimed to be a bio based on the facts, rather than the tack taken by other writers, who've used essentially wild speculation to claim he was Jack the Ripper/a pedo/etc. So far, it's well done and interesting. Frustrating that he and his family destroyed so many documents.
Also started The Panopticon, which I haven't gotten far enough into to judge where it's going. Seems promising.
Also started The Panopticon, which I haven't gotten far enough into to judge where it's going. Seems promising.
Well, just finished this and I wasnt very impressed. I thought the history was rather shoddy and one sided and it just dragged as well. It didnt keep my interest even though the topic is fascinating. I think the reason why is that it really felt like a propaganda piece for the progressives, TR and Taft. There was a lack of tension, conflict and analysis, meaning it just got boring.
I was planning on reading Team of Rivals, but after this book, I don't think I am going to do that anymore.
I am currently listening to this and it is excellent so far.
Had this on my shelf for a year or two and finally getting around to reading it:
That is a fantastic book.
Gordon0Freeman
Member
Hey Gaf, which should I read first?
Nappuccino
Member
It's been a weird experience. I enjoy it on a page by page basis, but I'm trying to figure out how all the pages add up together and I'm struggling with that. I feel like I missed some key information that got tucked into a larger paragraph or something . . . but then maybe that'll come through later and tie it all together. I'm definitely going to finish it, but I hope it starts pulling together a little bit more than it has.
One of the things I'm currently reading is Range of Ghosts, the first book in the Eternal Sky trilogy by Elizabeth Bear.
Normally I wait to finish a book before I post about it in this thread, but this one is off to such a great start that I feel compelled to share it right away. If it holds up, and if the rest of the books in the series deliver, it could easily compare to any of my favorite epic fantasy sagas.
Worldbuilding is a particular strong point so far. The setting is unique in that it seems to be based around a sort of fantasy version of the conquest of the Mongols.
In addition to the nomadic Mongolian culture, there is a culture that seems to be akin to ancient China, and another that seems to be vaguely middle-eastern, and some others that I'm not sure about yet. A European style culture seems to exist in the book, but little is known about them by the main characters (so far).
Magic seems to be fairly common, and very powerful, with hints of interesting mechanics underlying it all.
The writing style is quite good: somewhat formal, but very readable with great descriptions that really suck you in, and not many wasted words.
Most importantly, all the characters are great, and the plot grabbed me right away. I have very little time to read right now, and I'm reading several other books, but this one has totally monopolized my reading time for the last several days. I can't wait to see what happens next.
Normally I wait to finish a book before I post about it in this thread, but this one is off to such a great start that I feel compelled to share it right away. If it holds up, and if the rest of the books in the series deliver, it could easily compare to any of my favorite epic fantasy sagas.
Worldbuilding is a particular strong point so far. The setting is unique in that it seems to be based around a sort of fantasy version of the conquest of the Mongols.
In addition to the nomadic Mongolian culture, there is a culture that seems to be akin to ancient China, and another that seems to be vaguely middle-eastern, and some others that I'm not sure about yet. A European style culture seems to exist in the book, but little is known about them by the main characters (so far).
Magic seems to be fairly common, and very powerful, with hints of interesting mechanics underlying it all.
The writing style is quite good: somewhat formal, but very readable with great descriptions that really suck you in, and not many wasted words.
Most importantly, all the characters are great, and the plot grabbed me right away. I have very little time to read right now, and I'm reading several other books, but this one has totally monopolized my reading time for the last several days. I can't wait to see what happens next.
One of the things I'm currently reading is Range of Ghosts, the first book in the Eternal Sky trilogy by Elizabeth Bear.
Normally I wait to finish a book before I post about it in this thread, but this one is off to such a great start that I feel compelled to share it right away. If it holds up, and if the rest of the books in the series deliver, it could easily compare to any of my favorite epic fantasy sagas.
Worldbuilding is a particular strong point so far. The setting is unique in that it seems to be based around a sort of fantasy version of the conquest of the Mongols.
In addition to the nomadic Mongolian culture, there is a culture that seems to be akin to ancient China, and another that seems to be vaguely middle-eastern, and some others that I'm not sure about yet. A European style culture seems to exist in the book, but little is known about them by the main characters (so far).
Magic seems to be fairly common, and very powerful, with hints of interesting mechanics underlying it all.
The writing style is quite good: somewhat formal, but very readable with great descriptions that really suck you in, and not many wasted words.
Most importantly, all the characters are great, and the plot grabbed me right away. I have very little time to read right now, and I'm reading several other books, but this one has totally monopolized my reading time for the last several days. I can't wait to see what happens next.
Congratulations on starting the best fantasy trilogy of the past five years!
BrokenFiction
Member
I finished Lady of Mazes and jumped right into Kameron Hurley's God's War.
So far it's very good, and alien to me in the same way that Jeff Vandermeer's fungi-based stories are, except here it's bugs, bugs, bugs. Insects are everywhere. Much of the technology is predicated upon the use of insects. Really inventive stuff. The protag is Nyx, a former government assassin ("bel dame") turned bounty hunter along with Rhys - a "magician" who can manipulate the insect-based technology everything runs on. The prose is really excellent and this is going to be a fun book (1st in a trilogy) to read.
So far it's very good, and alien to me in the same way that Jeff Vandermeer's fungi-based stories are, except here it's bugs, bugs, bugs. Insects are everywhere. Much of the technology is predicated upon the use of insects. Really inventive stuff. The protag is Nyx, a former government assassin ("bel dame") turned bounty hunter along with Rhys - a "magician" who can manipulate the insect-based technology everything runs on. The prose is really excellent and this is going to be a fun book (1st in a trilogy) to read.
A heads up, since I see a couple people are reading The Expanse series:
Cibola Burn, the 4th book in the series, comes out June 17th. I'm pretty excited!
For now, I'm reading through the Foundation series by Asimov. Finished the first book and I'm not super enthusiastic about it. Its interesting, but I don't think the writing is that great and there are some major issues with the overall concept that I'm having trouble overlooking. Namely,
Cibola Burn, the 4th book in the series, comes out June 17th. I'm pretty excited!
For now, I'm reading through the Foundation series by Asimov. Finished the first book and I'm not super enthusiastic about it. Its interesting, but I don't think the writing is that great and there are some major issues with the overall concept that I'm having trouble overlooking. Namely,
that events are supposed to be predictable by psychohistory, but only based on larger-scale populations, yet pretty much every pivotal moment seems to be entirely based on an individual being genius enough to know exactly what to do and play things *just* right. Also, it was all only supposed to work if people didn't know about the premise, yet seemingly everybody knows about it now. I don't know. It all just doesn't sound quite as plausible as I was hoping.
Mackenzie 92
Member
Haven't read Lies, but Pushing Ice is great. Easily in the top 5 of of all the sci-fi I've ever read. Great North Road is incredibly slow and boring for approximately 2/3 of the book. There's literally 300 pages about tracking the route of a taxi.
Gonna have to give that series a go sooner or later.
It's next on my queue as soon as I finish up Console Wars. The Prince of Thorns trilogy is one of my favorites, so I have high hopes for Fools.
BrokenFiction
Member
I second this. It's a really unique epic fantasy that doesn't rely on any old tropes. Enjoy!
It has all the elements of Gothic lit, so if you like that stuff, you might enjoy this. It just doesn't feel well put together. Granted, I'm not a fan of Jane Eyre or Wuthering Heights. Also, if you haven't read Rebecca, read that instead!
This sounds really cool!
Oh awesome. It sounds like the female characters are great.
Don't want to say much more, just that Pynchon's MO in a lot of his work is an overwhelming sense of paranoia and confusion, and the reader is likely going to be as bewildered as the protagonists. Enjoy the ride.
A heads up, since I see a couple people are reading The Expanse series:
Cibola Burn, the 4th book in the series, comes out June 17th. I'm pretty excited!
Same. So excited, but it should've been out today =(
I'm having mixed feelings on "A Dog's Journey". I mean I like it, but it's really hard to really like a novel when you pretty much don't like any of the new characters introduced.
I got it delivered on my kindle today!
Magna_Mixalis
Member
Currently revisting The Stand by Stephen King as I need the literary equivalent of comfort food right now.
Tried reading Game of Thrones, and can't get into it. Not sure why, though, as it seems like a series I'd enjoy.
Tried reading Game of Thrones, and can't get into it. Not sure why, though, as it seems like a series I'd enjoy.
I got it delivered on my kindle today!
Well that's just not fair.
I was writing a reply of my own, but yours pretty much says what I wanted to say.
The confusion and weirdness and not being sure about anything is a large part of Pynchon's appeal.
But that's coming from a huge Pynchon fan. I can see why other people would dislike or even hate his books, but I love everything he's written and probably for the exact same reasons others might not.
Not quite yet done with my exams, but will be tomorrow. Couldn't wait until then to start reading something outside books in the curriculum, and read the introduction to Daniel Kahneman's "Thinking, Fast and Slow" today. Looks very interesting! I love popular science-books like this.
Maklershed
Member
Only a few more pages left in Words of Radiance *sigh* I dont want it to end.
Pushing Ice
1. Because its great
2. Because I havent read the others yet :b
Pushing Ice
1. Because its great
2. Because I havent read the others yet :b
foomfoom415
Member
Chiming in with the same answer, for precisely the same reasons.
Sold!
Ditto!
Maklershed
Member
Good news fellow Atwood fans, MaddAddam is being made into an HBO series:
http://www.slashfilm.com/darren-aronofsky-hbo-maddaddam-trilogy/
http://www.slashfilm.com/darren-aronofsky-hbo-maddaddam-trilogy/
Actually, I think it was your comments in another thread a long while back that initially made me notice this series.
Now I'm wondering if Elizabeth Bear's other stuff is as good as this seems to be. A lot of it sounds quite interesting from reading blurbs.
Aronofsky is the one adapting it too. Damn cannot wait for that.
breadtruck
Member
Im finally catching up to the rest of the world and reading the Game of Thrones books. Got the collection fairly cheep on my kindle.
You shouldn't expect all of the stuff to be resolved though.
Tragicomedy
Member
Glen Cook - She Is the Darkness (1998) - ★★★★½ - I now like Murgen as a narrator. The previous book seemed to meander tremendously, revisit material we already covered in the previous book (albeit from a different perspective), and generally come across as a bunch of filler. This book paints an increasingly complex portrait of all the players involved, adds a lot of depth to some of the minor characters, and builds up to a cliffhanger that has made me jump straight into the next book in the series. Two novels to go in what will likely go down as my favorite fantasy series ever.
James S.A. Corey - The Churn (2014) - ★★★★ - I've read everything published in the Expanse series, including the three novellas. This was by far the best of that bunch. It's a great story, but more importantly it reveals the past of one of the fan-favorite characters in the series. I have a much stronger understanding of Amos Burton and what makes him tick. If you're a fan of the series, this is a must-read. Cibola Burn hits just around the corner on 17 June. I'll have to wait and see if Amazon and Hachette can work out a deal or this will be my first physical book copy in a long time.
Hugh Howey - Sand Omnibus (2014) - ★★★★ - There is always something overwhelmingly intimidating and oppressive about the worlds Howey builds, and this is no different. This isn't set in the Wool universe, but he explores many similar themes about survival, human ingenuity, and the horrors of human nature. Some of the technological discussions in the book were quite interesting, and I enjoyed that it is set exactly where I live (though in a far less recognizable form). I fully expected the book would lead straight into a sequel, and I'm still convinced that will be the case. There are a lot of doors left to open and places to explore. Howey has shown a tendency to serialize his writing and build up his worlds via sequels, so I'm all for it. This could easily become the next Wool/Shift/Dust cycle if he wants.
James S.A. Corey - The Churn (2014) - ★★★★ - I've read everything published in the Expanse series, including the three novellas. This was by far the best of that bunch. It's a great story, but more importantly it reveals the past of one of the fan-favorite characters in the series. I have a much stronger understanding of Amos Burton and what makes him tick. If you're a fan of the series, this is a must-read. Cibola Burn hits just around the corner on 17 June. I'll have to wait and see if Amazon and Hachette can work out a deal or this will be my first physical book copy in a long time.
Hugh Howey - Sand Omnibus (2014) - ★★★★ - There is always something overwhelmingly intimidating and oppressive about the worlds Howey builds, and this is no different. This isn't set in the Wool universe, but he explores many similar themes about survival, human ingenuity, and the horrors of human nature. Some of the technological discussions in the book were quite interesting, and I enjoyed that it is set exactly where I live (though in a far less recognizable form). I fully expected the book would lead straight into a sequel, and I'm still convinced that will be the case. There are a lot of doors left to open and places to explore. Howey has shown a tendency to serialize his writing and build up his worlds via sequels, so I'm all for it. This could easily become the next Wool/Shift/Dust cycle if he wants.
Mackenzie 92
Member
Had the same problem with it, though it does get a little better by the end. Still ended up just being 3 stars for me.
Tragicomedy
Member
Trending the same. Will finish it either on my break, or will stick around late after work to finish it up, with just a few chapters left. Really easy read and blazing through it, but certain a dip from "Purpose".
Finished:
I loved everything about this. It's a truly wonderful book that despite being mainly written for a younger audience touches many themes that "grown ups" can relate to as well. It actually made me cry at one point and I don't know when was the last time a book managed that.
Also finished:
The first one jumped around a bit too much for my taste but still managed to engage me enough to keep reading and made me jump right into the next one which, while more polished, keeps all the things that made the first book so much fun to read.
It's just refreshing reading something that is just pure and good fun. No complex world-building or "magic systems" or overly gritty stuff. The characters are all sarcastic badasses and magic gets flung around in a wonderful flashy and over the top fashion (not to mention flying carpets!). I like it.
So onto:
Also listening to:
Picked this up again. When it came out i had just binge listened to the whole series for the second time and when i got to this one I didn't finish it because I needed a change of scenery, so to speak. But now that Skin Game is out, it is due time that I return to the series. Almost forgotten how much I liked those books.
Just started
I loved everything about this. It's a truly wonderful book that despite being mainly written for a younger audience touches many themes that "grown ups" can relate to as well. It actually made me cry at one point and I don't know when was the last time a book managed that.
Also finished:
The first one jumped around a bit too much for my taste but still managed to engage me enough to keep reading and made me jump right into the next one which, while more polished, keeps all the things that made the first book so much fun to read.
It's just refreshing reading something that is just pure and good fun. No complex world-building or "magic systems" or overly gritty stuff. The characters are all sarcastic badasses and magic gets flung around in a wonderful flashy and over the top fashion (not to mention flying carpets!). I like it.
So onto:
Also listening to:
Picked this up again. When it came out i had just binge listened to the whole series for the second time and when i got to this one I didn't finish it because I needed a change of scenery, so to speak. But now that Skin Game is out, it is due time that I return to the series. Almost forgotten how much I liked those books.
Just started
tauroxd
Member
It's GOLD.
Pokémon and Harry Potter! Oh, my... Now I have to read that thing...
British Fantasy Award nominations have just been announced!
Also on the list, in the "Non-Fiction" category, is Kameron Hurley's essay "We Have Always Fought," which I published last year. So that's exciting.
Also on the list, in the "Non-Fiction" category, is Kameron Hurley's essay "We Have Always Fought," which I published last year. So that's exciting.
Ranger Taffles
Member
Since exams got over I finally finished:
I had decided to start the summers with this because I was longing for something local to read. Turned out to be a worthwhile read. While Daniyal knows the deeper issues conflicted within a society and covers the feudal life exceptionally, he does tend to signal repetition in his short stories. It may very well be deliberate, signifying the relations of poor and rich in different settings and how they accommodate accordingly. It's like serving a piece of reality in a broader form. My major complaint though has to be with his cultural fixation that sometimes felt out of place. Maybe it's because I myself am from these places, but I personally felt that it stepped out of the normalcy of the common society for the sake of leaving a cultural impression. For instance the portrayal of Pakistani women suffered the most from this in my view, and ultimately left an dismal impression from the actual reality. I don't really object too much to it, but it was just far-fetched to some extent. More so, it left some bigger social aspects out of the picture, like the role of religion.
His descriptive writing though definitely suits his style of storytelling and when it gets going, it's ridiculously good. The stories Saleema and About a Burning Girl were my most favourites. Overall, this is a decent collection of stories that glimpses into the lives of all sorts of folks from here in Pakistan. Fellow South Asians can definitely relate and be familiar with the settings and characters.
I had decided to start the summers with this because I was longing for something local to read. Turned out to be a worthwhile read. While Daniyal knows the deeper issues conflicted within a society and covers the feudal life exceptionally, he does tend to signal repetition in his short stories. It may very well be deliberate, signifying the relations of poor and rich in different settings and how they accommodate accordingly. It's like serving a piece of reality in a broader form. My major complaint though has to be with his cultural fixation that sometimes felt out of place. Maybe it's because I myself am from these places, but I personally felt that it stepped out of the normalcy of the common society for the sake of leaving a cultural impression. For instance the portrayal of Pakistani women suffered the most from this in my view, and ultimately left an dismal impression from the actual reality. I don't really object too much to it, but it was just far-fetched to some extent. More so, it left some bigger social aspects out of the picture, like the role of religion.
His descriptive writing though definitely suits his style of storytelling and when it gets going, it's ridiculously good. The stories Saleema and About a Burning Girl were my most favourites. Overall, this is a decent collection of stories that glimpses into the lives of all sorts of folks from here in Pakistan. Fellow South Asians can definitely relate and be familiar with the settings and characters.
Nappuccino
Member
I definitely get that. But I don't feel like it's well established that is what I should be experiencing. I think, in part, because I don't feel like I understand Oedipa Maas's motivations so I'm extra disassociated from the happenings. Instead of paranoid, I'm just like "what is the purpose of this?"
Granted, I still have a ways to go, and I am enjoying it on a page-by-page basis
- Status