-
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? (March 2015)
- Thread starter Maklershed
- Start date
I remember that Hyperion was sometimes slow and also had some part a skimmed a bit faster through. Are you at the Father Dure/ Father Hoyt story yet?
Tragicomedy
Member
I made it through the first two books. They were painful.
Rowling is a solid writer and a terrific storyteller. Pretty sure I'm about the same age as tragic.
I age in dog years. Honestly, I think the military ages you faster physically and mentally than a lot of other jobs. I'm 34 going on 40. I don't look it, but I certainly feel it. The past 11 years have felt like an eternity. Maybe I need some Harry Potter magic to keep me young.
You say that as if it's a bad thing! You'd be surprised, though. I go through life with a Richard Simmons level of optimism. You are all so fabulous. Even Joanne Rowling, PBUH.
Tragicomedy
Member
Alternatively, you could use that time to learn how to cross-stitch, write complaint letters to your shampoo company, watch all seven Police Academy movies, deep clean your HVAC system, wait on hold with a telemarketer, correspond with a prison inmate, stalk your ex on Facebook, train to be a champion DOTA player, or attend a furry convention.
I did one of those things last year, and it was still a better use of my time than reading Harry Potter.
I just finished that. If that is the best part of the book (someone else mentioned that story too), then I think I might put this down and move on to something else. I am just curious about the Shrike, more than anything, but I am having trouble caring about the universe of Hyperion.
Jag
Member
Morgan has written some decent stuff, but his bad has been really bad. I'm done with him.
Switch Back 9
a lot of my threads involve me fucking up somehow. Perhaps I'm a moron?
Just finished this
Might be my favourite Mieville book, he's just so godamn creative and original with his world building. Admittedly, I spend most of the book thinking that
But once I got the gist of it, the story flew by. Loved it. I normally don't read crime fiction or the like, but in this particular setting I really enjoyed it.
Also really, really enjoyed this.
Not nearly as dry as other books I've read on the war, the first hand accounts from actual participants really added to the narrative and made it much more engaging.
Might be my favourite Mieville book, he's just so godamn creative and original with his world building. Admittedly, I spend most of the book thinking that
the two cities existed in separate dimensions, and only in certain places did the two planes overlap.
But once I got the gist of it, the story flew by. Loved it. I normally don't read crime fiction or the like, but in this particular setting I really enjoyed it.
Also really, really enjoyed this.
Not nearly as dry as other books I've read on the war, the first hand accounts from actual participants really added to the narrative and made it much more engaging.
You must choose one, read the Harry Potter series, or The Sword of Truth series.
You are in a tiny, tiny minority of people who think the series is genuinely bad and with poor writing. You have to wonder if perhaps you could more objectively see that your opinion doesn't even reflect that of the learned reader, let alone a general populace.
Christoff Yurievich
Member
Glares at Sword of Truth series.
That's like asking someone if they want to talk about puppies and rainbows or war crimes and political affiliations.
That's like asking someone if they want to talk about puppies and rainbows or war crimes and political affiliations.
Still chuggin' along on this:
It's enjoyable, but the style's repetition is getting a bit grating. For such a hefty text, I'm not sure how much longer I'm going to be able to handle it without getting frustrated (or bored).
I've got the following two on my Kindle (which has been a great buy, I must say) waiting for some love once I finish the above book:
I had to take a break from A Storm of Swords, but will finish it before the next season begins.
I've also got some holds that'll be trickling in any day now....I'M OVERWHELMED BY BOOKS!
That actually brings me to something I've been wondering: how do y'all manage to read so much? I've never been a voracious reader, and the only time I really read a significant amount was in college when it was assigned. I think I do best with structure, but I can't really uphold myself to said structure. Lately, most of my reading has been coming at work during downtime. Just wondering how y'all find the time to take in so many books.
It's enjoyable, but the style's repetition is getting a bit grating. For such a hefty text, I'm not sure how much longer I'm going to be able to handle it without getting frustrated (or bored).
I've got the following two on my Kindle (which has been a great buy, I must say) waiting for some love once I finish the above book:
I had to take a break from A Storm of Swords, but will finish it before the next season begins.
I've also got some holds that'll be trickling in any day now....I'M OVERWHELMED BY BOOKS!
That actually brings me to something I've been wondering: how do y'all manage to read so much? I've never been a voracious reader, and the only time I really read a significant amount was in college when it was assigned. I think I do best with structure, but I can't really uphold myself to said structure. Lately, most of my reading has been coming at work during downtime. Just wondering how y'all find the time to take in so many books.
I remember liking the fourth and sixth book the best. A lot of my friends love the fifth book but I can't remember being too fond of it. Though I hear a lot of grief for book 4 among the fanbase. Screw it, I'll reread the series at some point.
Mackenzie 92
Member
Yeah, was really upset with the way he let Edith, well for lack of a better term, fuck up his daughter. But that's the kind of person he was, bit of a pushover until his older days and of course people were different in that time period, when it came to marriage and divorce. From the way Edith couldn't stand to be touched and the way she destroyed her father's things after his death, I think it was heavily implied that she was sexually abused and that was the reason for her mental issues. Not sure if she was bi-polar or just suffered from bouts of depression.
I'm glad he experienced true love with Katherine as well. I agree it was really well done.
His death at the ending I thought was also brilliantly handled. I felt like I intimately knew this man who was passing, and I was right there in the room with him.
I'm glad he experienced true love with Katherine as well. I agree it was really well done.
His death at the ending I thought was also brilliantly handled. I felt like I intimately knew this man who was passing, and I was right there in the room with him.
Such a brilliant book.
If you're ever in the mood for something similar, I highly recommend The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck. Really beautiful and well written as well.
Murakami's first two novels, recently for the first time translated in Dutch (He never really wanted those translated before, don't know why he came around).
I'm in the first one, Listen to the Wind. About one third in (it's only a hundred pages or so, so not really far). I understand why he looks back on this as a first excersise. It's a bit aimless, but not entirely in the way some of his novels seem to be later on. Like a stream of consiousness about a guy in a bar with a friend. The first few chapters are even a justification of why he writes, as if he just sat down, started to write and couldn't think of anything else to write then 'why am i doing this?'
But as a Murakami fan, it's an interesting read. It's very fluently writen, it has the first seeds of his trademark style and an interesting atmosphere.
sparky2112
Member
OH NO YOU DI'INT
Not nearly as dry as other books I've read on the war, the first hand accounts from actual participants really added to the narrative and made it much more engaging.
You should try this one too then, if you're interested in the war:
Follows a dozen or so characters troughout the war, from all sides of the conflicts. All based on their diaries or writings. I liked it a lot as a human history of the war
reading:
Some of the worst fantasy writing I've ever read. Words like 'wannabe' and 'wanking' etc should not be appearing in high fantasy. :/
I'm planning on reading this series this weekend, I liked the first book, and I thought this last one is supposed to be pretty good. Also, I think that kind of language can fit fantasy fine, but I guess I'll see if I think it works in a few days...
I was pretty sure that she was abused when her mother mentioned that Edith was very 'close' to her father and when she then destroyed all his gifts. From everything we knew about her I never figured her to be someone that was close to anyone.
Thanks for the recommendation, I'll put it on my to-read-list, but for now I think I'm need of something a bit lighter
squarerootofpie
Neo Member
Ok will have to give it a go then. Ended up reading this, turning out to be a great read
GasProblem
Member
I'm still reading Tower Lord:
So far I think Blood Song is better because it solely focused on Vaelin and his coming of age, going through the trials and all the shit that happens. In Tower Lord chapters are more in a Game of Thrones style, you switch between characters every chapter. This makes the story move a bit slower in the beginning because the story of each character gets set up, and the characters seem to travel alot. Still, I'm enjoying it.. Heard the book gets better the closer you are to the end. Seeing as I'm only 200 pages in I'm looking forward to getting further.
After that it's Jurassic Park: The Lost World, Bone Clocks and Half a King. I'll probably buy the Mistborn boxset and read that, unless I really like Half a King, then I'll buy the sequal to that first. After that, well, want to read the Kingkiller Chronicle books. Have the first book of the Expanse series, should get into that as well. Want to read the Southern Reach Trilogy. City of Stairs because of all the GAF hype. Wheel of Time series sometime... The Lies of Locke Lamora, Hyperion books etc etc.
I have enough books on my Want to Read list I won't be bored this year
So far I think Blood Song is better because it solely focused on Vaelin and his coming of age, going through the trials and all the shit that happens. In Tower Lord chapters are more in a Game of Thrones style, you switch between characters every chapter. This makes the story move a bit slower in the beginning because the story of each character gets set up, and the characters seem to travel alot. Still, I'm enjoying it.. Heard the book gets better the closer you are to the end. Seeing as I'm only 200 pages in I'm looking forward to getting further.
After that it's Jurassic Park: The Lost World, Bone Clocks and Half a King. I'll probably buy the Mistborn boxset and read that, unless I really like Half a King, then I'll buy the sequal to that first. After that, well, want to read the Kingkiller Chronicle books. Have the first book of the Expanse series, should get into that as well. Want to read the Southern Reach Trilogy. City of Stairs because of all the GAF hype. Wheel of Time series sometime... The Lies of Locke Lamora, Hyperion books etc etc.
I have enough books on my Want to Read list I won't be bored this year
Cover art revealed for Scott Lynch's The Thorn of Emberlain. Set for publication before the end of the year.
I'm not reading this.
Really? House of Leaves is strange but it's hardly difficult to read. I thought the book felt like a fun trick rather than a good piece of literature. The beginning sections had some really beautiful writing. The narrator admitting to his habitual lying, "everyone makes stories to protect themself."
Switch Back 9
a lot of my threads involve me fucking up somehow. Perhaps I'm a moron?
Yeah, me neither. First book was awesome, second book was good (at least I thought so, I realize everyone else wasn't as happy with it), third book was terrible. Legit don't even care what happens to Locke anymore.
You should try this one too then, if you're interested in the war:
Follows a dozen or so characters throughout the war, from all sides of the conflicts. All based on their diaries or writings. I liked it a lot as a human history of the war
Cool, I'll definitely check it out. Quite possibly my favourite subject for non-fiction reading, I never get tired of learning more.
Cover art revealed for Scott Lynch's The Thorn of Emberlain. Set for publication before the end of the year.
I'm not reading this.
Woo! Looking forward to this one.
Just finished half a king. I missed Abercrombie's style. Half the world next up I think, or whatever the second one is. I haven't looked into it. So many books to read.
Switch Back 9
a lot of my threads involve me fucking up somehow. Perhaps I'm a moron?
How is Abercrombie for YA fiction? His shit is so dark and violent that I wonder how much he cleaned it up for kids.
Oh, I meant I'm not reading it at the moment. I'll certainly be reading it when it comes out. I loved The Republic of Thieves.
It still has an edge but its as if a lot is left unsaid, left to the imagination. No swearing, not describing grisly scenes in detail, but you can easily imagine it. Its a good balance. This isn't really like any YA I've read nor is it like typical Abercrombie at all. You have to be realistic about these things, can't combine the two! Its still dark at times. A lot of vengeance. He's good at that.
Rug Monkey
Member
I'm with Tragi, although I got to "it's not for me" half way through book 2 because of her 'style'. I wasn't a kid or even young adult so I just came to it too late
I don't condemn her for it because she's been brilliant at getting kids back to actual books and that's never a bad thing.
My view is that my 'to read' list is massively long without needing to fit 'try again's into it
Jag
Member
Ahhh. Don't tease us like that. I thought it was out!
Regarding Abercrombie's Half a King, I thought it was ok, not great. He cleans it up, but I like his stuff much better when he is dark. No Logans or Glotkas here.
I doubt I'll continue the trilogy unless I hear the next book is amazing. I don't mind YA at all, but the book just didn't grab me.
Tragicomedy
Member
Good one! How to pick between a shit and a fart...I'd probably read the Harry Potter books. It's easier to suffer through a poorly written series with bad pacing, crappy dialogue, and simplified characters than it is to read an insane person's Randian love letter to fantasy and objectivism. I gave up on the Sword of Truth series 100 or so pages into the first book. I've read excerpts from the later books and his views get geniunely offensive. Harry Potter never shifts outside the realm of harmless pulp fiction meant for kids, and the books are generally shorter.
Allow me to introduce you to something called Google. 2.2 million hits. The tiniest of minorities. We are legion.
SPOILER
no.
I gave up on The Saint. It was interesting, but not what I'm in the mood for, and moved on to:
.jpg)
which I am devouring. Blew through a quarter of it in a single sitting and with any luck will finish it today. I love it.
What a coincidence, I finished Ubik yesterday. I really loved it, but I think I still like Electric Sheep more.
Rowling is a solid writer and a terrific storyteller. Pretty sure I'm about the same age as tragic.
Mm. You can tell she didn't plan out Harry Potter that well, though.
Could Harry Potter have been better? Of course. Doesn't mean it was bad though.
Christoff Yurievich
Member
Cover art revealed for Scott Lynch's The Thorn of Emberlain. Set for publication before the end of the year.
I'm not reading this.
But...why would he go to war? I don't understand that at all. I've only read the first book so maybe the others explain motivations better but as of what I've read right now, that doesn't sound like the characters at all.
I remember reading the sequel and thinking, "wow, they wrote a movie here. It should be pretty good." and then it was almost nothing like the book.
Tragicomedy
Member
You're being far too generous. You can tell she didn't plan out the series at all. Once the first book or two starting selling like hotcakes, she transitioned stages from "I would like to support myself writing full-time" to "How the hell do I milk this cow to oblivion?" I've only read the first two books, but judging from the movies (which my wife says are fairly faithful), the storyline quickly spirals into the repetitive and nonsensical. Nobody thought to sit back and stop being a complete idiot for even a moment?
Doesn't mean it was good, though.
A lot changes in the following books.
Fun Fact: The Thorn of Emberlain is where Lynch originally believed the series should begin. However, he knew he needed to explore the back story, what led to the eruption of war, and then realized that it was so labyrinthine and dramatic that it needed three novels of its own. So was born The Lies of Locke Lamora, Red Seas Under Red Skies, and The Republic of Thieves. They are, essentially, an extended prologue.
And here's the exact moment where this argument shriveled on the vine.
Hyperion was a really slow burn for me. I wasn't totally into it until pretty late, and then it all came together. I say keep with it, and keep in mind that everyone has different opinions on which story is the best. Hell, I prefer Fall of Hyperion to Hyperion since that's where most of the rich mythology stuff is, and it does away with the slightly gimmicky Canterbury Tales structure.
whatevermort
Member
You don't think nonlinear unfinished narratives are a tricky read? Backwards writing, fragments of text, holes in the text? Three consistent narratives working with each other? I mean, sure, it's no Pale Fire in terms of literary style, but it's a tough book if you're only used to linear narratives. My students visibly balk when I tell them that they're reading it.
I am about to finish David Vann's Aquarium, which is very good indeed. It's fucked up - some seriously strange stuff regarding undiagnosed mental illness in there, and memory - but beautifully written.
Tragicomedy
Member
Bro, the "official" Harry Potter wiki has a large database of plot holes in each book. Everything from minute lack of attention to detail from JK Rowling up through massive continuity errors that completely alter the outcome of the story. If she really did plot everything out for a long period of time before writing it, then that reflects poorly on her writing ability.
Nothing in the story supports that she did that detailed planning, however. Huge plot elements appear in books 6-7 that change the fundamental core of world and story, and serve to reduce the purpose of any previous conflicts or disasters the characters faced. None of it really matters.
What? You've never reviewed a book or two in a series, discovered they sucked, and then formed an opinion about the author and series as a whole from that experience? Really? I find that highly dubious. I made it clear from the get-go that I gave up after the two books. I did watch the entire series because my wife loved it, so I'm quite familiar with the story.
Arthr2ShdsJcksn
Banned
It's a bit dry, but it does a great job at explaining how we know that evolution is a fact.
This is weird. Each book covers one year of a 7 year school. There are 7 books. That's milking?
I try to refrain from making judgements about the structural integrity of a seven volume series after only completing the first two volumes, yeah.
You have to admit Horcruxes were a last minute addition though.
Still, it worked magnificently.
Why is it Dune always gets flak about this?
By the way, there's a glossary in the end. Or should be anyway.
Frank Herbert seems to have been wise enough to expect this issue...
JaseMath
Member
Because it's warranted.
An extreme example, but as a new reader, I can see why some would be turned off. I'm around page 60 and it's getting easier, but it's a legitimate complaint IMO.