I can't wait to hear your opinions on it! We'll need to do another book swap at some point, especially with you better knowing my literary taste (I.e preference in writing style) now.
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What are you reading? (March 2015)
- Thread starter Maklershed
- Start date
I can't wait to hear your opinions on it! We'll need to do another book swap at some point, especially with you better knowing my literary taste (I.e preference in writing style) now.
FUBAR McDangles
Member
Kindle had the same problem with the Mistborn trilogy. It is pretty darn annoying and discouraging, yeah.
NandyRewman
Member
Just finished Consider Phlebas
Thought it was great, though I liked the last third of the book less than the first two. I felt it dragged a tad when they got to
Just started Armadale
Enjoying it so far. Bit of a change of pace coming after Eliot, but it's certainly good fun.
Trying to decide between The Woodlanders, by Hardy, and Bleak House, by Dickens obviously, for my next read. Any opinions?
Thought it was great, though I liked the last third of the book less than the first two. I felt it dragged a tad when they got to
Schar's World and the command system
Just started Armadale
Enjoying it so far. Bit of a change of pace coming after Eliot, but it's certainly good fun.
Trying to decide between The Woodlanders, by Hardy, and Bleak House, by Dickens obviously, for my next read. Any opinions?
I finished 'One of Us' by Michael Marshall Smith. It was pretty good, but it went even more bonkers near the end than 'Spares' did,
and it didn't hold together that well. But it was entertaining, his style is great fun.
I've just started
The Beauty by Aliya Whiteley. It's less than 100 pages so I should finish it tonight. It has fungus, which freaks me out, so I'm hoping I'll find it nice and disconcerting.
After that I'll probably re-read The Steel Remains. However, I really feel like reading some sort of literary contemporary fiction, something that really gets inside people's heads. But I don't know what fits that bill. I'd appreciate any recommendations.
god and angels
I've just started
The Beauty by Aliya Whiteley. It's less than 100 pages so I should finish it tonight. It has fungus, which freaks me out, so I'm hoping I'll find it nice and disconcerting.
After that I'll probably re-read The Steel Remains. However, I really feel like reading some sort of literary contemporary fiction, something that really gets inside people's heads. But I don't know what fits that bill. I'd appreciate any recommendations.
Tragicomedy
Member
Jag
Member
Thanks. I'll go grab the first book. I guess Time Traveler's Wife is not on Kindle because the author fears piracy which is ironic because not having it available drives people to pirate it.
Tragicomedy
Member
Ironically enough, you can purchase the Spanish version of it on the Kindle, and her most recent (and poorly reviewed) book is available in English on the Kindle. It strikes me more like a case of incompetence than anything else.
You can check out the audio copy from Overdrive for free. So she's leaving money on the table.
Saw this mentioned in last months thread, It's not something I would usually pick up but every now and again I will read a random book, this was it.
Having no experience with sailing, the sailing terms were very hard to follow. Really really happy eBooks exist, the number of words I had to look up words in the dictionary many times more than other books I have read.
The actual story was solid and the different perspectives of the two main characters worked well.
I probably will move onto Post Captain at some point but not as my next read.
Having no experience with sailing, the sailing terms were very hard to follow. Really really happy eBooks exist, the number of words I had to look up words in the dictionary many times more than other books I have read.
The actual story was solid and the different perspectives of the two main characters worked well.
I probably will move onto Post Captain at some point but not as my next read.
Tragicomedy
Member
Have you seen the movie? See the movie! It's quite good.
BOND CO STOOGE
Member
I lurk this thread every month, and I've noticed that most posters seem to reference reading on Kindle rather than Nook. I know the Kindle is the leading platform for dedicated ereaders, but I'm not sure why people seem to prefer the Kindle. I usually read on my Nook or their the app on my phone. However, I also have a Kindle that I never use. Is there a significant difference in the ecosystems? I just want to make sure I'm not missing out on anything when I have access to both.
Jag
Member
The new kindle paperwhites blow away the nook. I went through several nooks (got them for free), but even paying for a paperwhite was better than a free nook. Lighter, better screen, more comfortable to hold and I prefer the Amazon ecosystem.
I am enjoying the crap out of the first book so far, as for the other two you mentioned I will keep them in mind when I am done with these two.
Tragicomedy
Member
System wise, they are likely quite similar. I don't know if the latest Nook competes well with the Paperwhite 2, but I can't imagine one being significantly better than the other.
It's more of an ecosystem thing. People buy books on Amazon. Click one button, the book pops up on your Kindle, your phone, your computer, etc. They own Audible so there's synchronization between audio books and digital books. They have great deals of the day.
I think most people are like me and default to Amazon for book purchases.
Rug Monkey
Member
bengraven
Member
I have this collection as well and wanted it for years, but the density is so thick that I just have a hard time getting through it. I think I'm maybe 15 pages in and it feels like I just spent the last 15 pages running a marathon. The idea of the entire book being like that sounds mentally challenging to me.
And this is a guy who loves a good intelligent story.
Still on George Eliot's Middlemarch. Very slow going. Partly because it has an uncommonly complex language and vocabulary, partly because I'm doing a handful of Coursera courses simultaneously. I'm probably a fourth into the book. Not much happening so far except from an engagement. But it's so deep and thoughtful and biting in its depiction of village life and intrigues that I'm quite fascinated by it.
Wilderness series is good! (as an Outlander-obsessed fan).
Lots of my favorite books have strong female protagonists. I read a lot of historical fiction and fantasy.
If she likes the paranormal at all, she might like A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness (it's the first book in the All Souls Trilogy). The premise seems cheesy, but I like to think of this as a fantasy/romance for bookish types. The protagonist is a professor, she's a witch, and there's vampires and yes I said it was cheesy but it's well-written and has an awesome setting (Oxford).
There's also (these are all historical fiction with the exception of the Red Tent which is biblical fiction):
Empress Orchid by Anchee Min
The Commoner by John Burnham Schwartz
The Winter Palace: A Novel of Catherine the Great by Eva Stachniak
The Red Tent by Anita Diamant
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See** (really loved this one!)
Shanghai Girls by Lisa See
Those are mostly all historical fiction with female protagonists. I wouldn't say they all feature protagonists that can be described as "strong" in the same sense as Claire in Outlander, but some are at least about major female historical figures (Empress Cixi, Catherine the Great, etc).
I'll also throw out Clan of the Cave Bear by Jean Auel (Earth's Children series). Not exactly like Outlander, the White Queen, etc but it focuses on a girl in prehistoric Europe living with a clan of Neanderthals after she loses her family/tribe in an earthquake. First book is fantastic, second and third are good, then the series gets a little worse with each book that follows. I'd say Ayla is less of a "strong female protagonist" and more of a "unrealistically perfect protagonist" though, but that's not really too obnoxious until the later books.
I read on my iPad, using either Kindle of iBooks.
I loved The Clan of the Cave Bear when I read it when I was 13 and visiting my aunt in Pennsylvania, and I agree with your description of it. You don't really get a true sense of how unrealistically perfect she is until she is compared to other Cro-Magnon people; before that you can sort of attribute things to her having advantages that the other characters don't.
Also, there's lots of sex. Looots of sex. It's basically prehistoric erotica at points. I'm surprised my aunt suggested I read it, honestly.
BOND CO STOOGE
Member
Thanks for the responses. I don't intend to buy a new ereader, so I guess it doesn't really matter. Most of the time I read on my phone, and I can sync with my Nook any time. So, it doesn't seem like I'm missing much. It's funny though, how I see something I might be interested in while reading this thread, switch to my Amazon tab to read reviews, then download the sample on my Nook app. I guess I could cut a step out of the process if I used the Kindle app.
Aside from that, thanks to this thread I got into Peter F. Hamilton's books last month. I really enjoyed "Pandora's Star" and "Judas Unchained". I saw where the author caught a lot of flak over the length of the books. I thought they were just about the perfect length. I have just gotten back into Sci-fi for the first time in years, and it was nice to read a book with so many ideas and concepts. It kind of reminded me a playing through "Mass Effect" for the first time; there were just so many ideas expressed.
Aside from that, thanks to this thread I got into Peter F. Hamilton's books last month. I really enjoyed "Pandora's Star" and "Judas Unchained". I saw where the author caught a lot of flak over the length of the books. I thought they were just about the perfect length. I have just gotten back into Sci-fi for the first time in years, and it was nice to read a book with so many ideas and concepts. It kind of reminded me a playing through "Mass Effect" for the first time; there were just so many ideas expressed.
The central conceit is that mana is a non-renewable resources under normal circumstances, and nearly everything devolves from that.
Set aside Red or Dead and started reading Ready Player One at work yesterday during slow periods. Burning through itcurrently at the halfway point. It's a lot simpler than I anticipated (was expecting something more...) but it's a super easy read and I'm enjoying the nostalgia references (for the most part, it's definitely a bit heavy-handed). I'm eager to see how the story plays out, but I do think it's a bit obvious and can predict the probably plot "trees." Either way, super enjoyable read. I might give this to my nephew in a couple of years (he's ten) once he starts to get curious about culture of the past.
I've only read a third of Mistborn, but that's the feeling I was getting - it was like reading someone's writeup of a campaign or something
Just ran through The Martian. Typical space survival story as I'm sure you all know. It has bits and pieces of pretty much every space movie from the last 15 years. As such, the most fun parts were the Martian explaining his thought processes as he solved problems. It touched the engineer in me enough that I could suspend disbelief.
The tone might have been a problem for me if I expected more from the book.
It was a fun read all said.
The tone might have been a problem for me if I expected more from the book.
The Martian's constant sarcasm and joke making - while good for a laugh here or there - never allowed tension to build. Combined with him solving every issue as they popped up, the book quickly became one of those kung fu movie where the protagonist is an untouchable force, except trade random goons for the abject inhospitability of Mars. The general plot and characterizations rose to about the level of a Steven Segal movie, as well. That's actually cool in its own way, but I'll gladly ignore the final page which extolled the virtues of mankind's sentimentality. The Martian doesn't have that kind of backbone, and such a conclusion feels tacked on as a result.
It was a fun read all said.
Yes, it was rather light but fun read for a change.
I also sometimes thought that he way always way to "positiv" and in good faith for someone beeing 500 days alone on mars. I also thought that he would face harder problems in the end for more tension but like you said, he managed everything pretty easily.
I'm now through half of Stephen King's 11/22/63. Still good.
Some of my readings from the last month or so:
The most enjoyable read was The Goblin Emperor (though I did find the created language mostly irritating), with Stoner and City of Stairs not too far behind. The History of Middle-earth series continues to be an absolutely fascinating look at Tolkien's never-ending tinkering with his mythology. I found Inkheart to be boring and a waste of an interesting premise, while A Burnable Book failed to excite me at all, despite my love for everything related to the middle ages.
Now reading:
The most enjoyable read was The Goblin Emperor (though I did find the created language mostly irritating), with Stoner and City of Stairs not too far behind. The History of Middle-earth series continues to be an absolutely fascinating look at Tolkien's never-ending tinkering with his mythology. I found Inkheart to be boring and a waste of an interesting premise, while A Burnable Book failed to excite me at all, despite my love for everything related to the middle ages.
Now reading:
That i have heard. Read. I read too much TV Tropes.
Mm-hmm. Limited mana... economics of magic. Hmm. *Scribbles some notes*
Maklershed
Member
Finished Less Than Zero yesterday. It was ok but didn't really scratch the L.A. itch for me so now I'm starting The Black Echo
The Black Echo by Michael Connelly
The Black Echo by Michael Connelly
sparky2112
Member
Saw this mentioned in last months thread, It's not something I would usually pick up but every now and again I will read a random book, this was it.
Having no experience with sailing, the sailing terms were very hard to follow. Really really happy eBooks exist, the number of words I had to look up words in the dictionary many times more than other books I have read.
The actual story was solid and the different perspectives of the two main characters worked well.
I probably will move onto Post Captain at some point but not as my next read.
There's a whole dictionary dedicated to the series called Sea of Words, so don't feel bad. And O'Brian is unforgiving when it comes nautical terms. As the series goes on, things get explained to Maturin, and that's really O'Brian's only concession to the reader.
There also *another* companion book to the series, which breaks down the historical context of each book and includes plenty of maps, etc, - another detail that O'Brian doesn't bother with. It's called Harbors and High Seas.
I found some of his chapters in this book were very much like that as well, glad to hear it continues in the series.
Thanks for the other info as well, Will have to take a look before I delve into the next book
sparky2112
Member
It really is worth the effort. Aubrey/Maturin are right up there with Holmes/Watson. For serious. I've always said this series is literature disguised as adventure stories.
Rowling's world, and the magic therein, worked about as well as it could. The primary concern with building magic systems - and I'm sure Mr. Sanderson will agree - is to make them interesting and understandable. Not many will care how complicated and logical your systems are if they're overwritten, as he points out.
When it comes to Harry Potter, the characters are the main attraction. Charming and memorable characters will shine brighter than the internal inconsistencies of made up systems most of the time for most of the people.
fredrancour
Member
He does agree, yeah. In one episode of writing excuses where Sanderson and friends discussed his laws, they talked about how the harry potter series sticks to the concept in the first one because information is generally coherent enough within a given novel that any magic involved in a plot's resolution is sufficiently foreshadowed so as to not feel like a deus ex machina.
Even if there's no overall structure to magic, or if time turners break the universe, they still have the coherence needed to be functional stories. Even a character-driven story feels crappy if the climax feels like an ass-pull.
Sanderson's first law isn't so much a statement of"Every fantasy book needs to be Mistborn" as it is "Using magic as a blank check to do anything at any time in a story with no warning will not make for a fulfilling story."
scarface983
Member
I finished Skeleton Crew and fancied something lighter in tone so chose one of my Christmas books. I still have 6 to go!
It is fascinating reading how Mitnick social engineered people to get the info he wanted.
It just goes to show, people are very trusting.
I enjoyed this book when I read it. I like reading about Social Engineering, and Computer stuff.
Christoff Yurievich
Member
Literally just finished Roadside Picnic. First, the unspoiler-talk: I loved it. Yep, that's it.
Spoiler:
Again, I loved it. It's a great example of what I posted a bit ago about the Southern Reach trilogy:
That said it's limited to scifi stories, which is where it makes sense.
Spoiler:
It really did feel like a proto Area X. The way it changes you, but you don't really notice because it's so gradual but it affects everyone around you (expats). Or it doesn't really change you obviously but it changes enough so that your kids are the ones affected. The way it's taking over the area but in ways that no one can figure out.
I liked how there was enough in the story to enable you to see what was going on but also left you clueless in some regards - using slang and colloquialisms for swag items and never explaining what they mean (because no one knows what they do!) - so that you know what's going on but you don't know.
I was confused at some points, maybe some closer readers can help out. Arthur and Dina, what are they? It says that the Zone gave them to the Vulture, and its implied that he 'wished' them into being with the Golden Sphere, but it isn't explained beyond that. I understood that to mean that they aren't 'human' per se but something else. Do you think that it is like the dead coming back to life, maybe?
Also, I almost feel like the aliens are still there. The 'random' attacks, the reports of goings-on in the Zone, the sparkles that move around...I just can't read that and think that it's 'garbage' left behind. Maybe it's the aliens but they're outside of our spectrum.
I read an interpretation that the aliens were going to try to use Arthur to go into politics as he wanted to be president. Yay/nay on that one? It's an interesting theory, and kind of goes with what I said above in that the aliens are still around. The only problem with that is if it were true he wouldn't have been destroyed by the transparent darkness.
Again, I loved it. It's a great example of what I posted a bit ago about the Southern Reach trilogy:
Because of this, The Southern Reach trilogy isn't really about the aliens, it's about how that errant spark of life is affecting Earth. There's no way to know where it came from because that's impossible to know without ascribing some human element to it. Don't explain, don't get too far into the weeds, and it stays outside of human understanding. I normally hate it when stories leave too much out but I'm coming to appreciate it and books like this, Solaris, and the SR trilogy.
That said it's limited to scifi stories, which is where it makes sense.
I've decided to make a conscious effort to start reading more. I used to read all the time as a kid, and then.. well, I got a PlayStation and I've barely turned a page since. I want to start enjoying some of my more abandoned and unloved interests a bit more now I'm getting older (as much as something I've not done for twenty years can be described as an interest).
It's quite nice actually that the first book I've decided to read on this journey, I've thrown myself completely into. I seem to carry it around the house and read a bit more whenever I get a quiet moment.
That book being Nineteen Eighty-Four. Had it recommended to me a number of times and I've been aware enough of its subject matter and classic status for a long time. Seemed a logical (read; essential) jumping off point to get me back into reading properly. I'm about half way through and loving it.
It's quite nice actually that the first book I've decided to read on this journey, I've thrown myself completely into. I seem to carry it around the house and read a bit more whenever I get a quiet moment.
That book being Nineteen Eighty-Four. Had it recommended to me a number of times and I've been aware enough of its subject matter and classic status for a long time. Seemed a logical (read; essential) jumping off point to get me back into reading properly. I'm about half way through and loving it.
Ubik blew my mind wide open. I wasn't super feeling the first half, but I breezed through the second and absolutely loved the ending stuff. So weird. On to A Scanner Darkly now and the tonal shift is amusing. Did someone teach Dick how to say "fuck" because it's his new favorite word.
I just finished The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet (Goodreads) by Becky Chambers, and I loved it!
If you're looking for a space-opera with a character driven story (and amazing characters at that) with an adventure on a wormhole-tunneling spaceship crewed by multiple different alien species, then I highly recommend this book. Think Firefly, with some Mass Effect (although this is a civilian and unarmed spaceship, not a warship). Wonderful world building too in my opinion.
If you're looking for a space-opera with a character driven story (and amazing characters at that) with an adventure on a wormhole-tunneling spaceship crewed by multiple different alien species, then I highly recommend this book. Think Firefly, with some Mass Effect (although this is a civilian and unarmed spaceship, not a warship). Wonderful world building too in my opinion.
User 479360
Banned
kinoki
Illness is the doctor to whom we pay most heed; to kindness, to knowledge, we make promise only; pain we obey.
Wish I could go back and re-read Dick like I did back in the day. I read so many of them that I've lost track if there's any books that I haven't read. Could very well be that I've read them all but there are some I'm not sure about. Don't think I've read The Man Whose Teeth Were All Exactly Alike, but I'm not sure.
A Scanner Darkly, Ubik, Time Out of Joint, The Divine Invasion, VALIS and The Man in the High Castle are all great works of fiction.
Thanks for this recommendation. Always liked the cover of this book. Will need to check it out soon.