Not its a book about Stoner
That's just the name of the protagonist.
I see, lol.
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What are you reading? (March 2015)
- Thread starter Maklershed
- Start date
I see, lol.
Atraveller
Banned
Some older ebooks are like that, and have typos. I reported quite a few, but the books were never updated.
Yeah, I spot typos in eBooks a lot. My endgoal in life is to have Amazon hire me to proofread ebooks before they hit the market.
sparky2112
Member
I take it these are pretty good? Haven't read Scarrow yet...
Was in a bit of a funk with what to follow up the last book I read, that sense of wondering if anything would be as good, and kept bouncing back and forth. I see the Kindle daily deals and it seems they did their part in choosing something I should really love, and the reviews seem incredible, so I'll start this next.
Thrown by Kerry Howley
Thrown by Kerry Howley
Is Glasslands somewhat of a sequel to Ghosts of Onyx? That was my favorite of the 3 or 4 Halo books I read as I liked all the Spartan characters in that one, and the ending left on a huge cliffhanger if I remember correctly.
It was good, a bit draggy at times, but some moments really moved me. The world building was remarkable, original, very realistic and held nothing back which was refreshing. If you're willing to read fantasy that's more about politics and characterization, then I think you'll enjoy it.
Atraveller
Banned
I forgot tons of details, but I remember half of the story is about the Spartans and Dr. Halsey after they went to a Shield World, the other half is ONI dealing with some shady shit.
After a long hiatus, I finally finished The Bone Clocks by David Mitchell last night.
Boy, it really went straight up Harry Potter near the end, and am I to understand that *big picture David Mitchell novels spoiler*
. The writing's still really good for the most part in the smaller episodic chunks and for a few of the main characters, but I found the overall sweep of the plot pretty weak and the pop culture references annoyed me. Especially the Bieber name drop. Am I just over David Mitchell? Someone please redact my memory of the bad parts.
Boy, it really went straight up Harry Potter near the end, and am I to understand that *big picture David Mitchell novels spoiler*
all his books are interconnected or in the same universe? Or is it just distracting, cheap, tongue-in-cheek references to his older books?
I gave up on The Saint. It was interesting, but not what I'm in the mood for, and moved on to:
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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.
I just picked up a collection of his short stories from the library, I love his writing so much. I guess I like "weird" in general, HP Lovecraft, Dick etc.
As a public service announcement, I'd highly recommend people pickup a local library card. You can login to their website and easily download e-books right to your Kindle. It helps me save quite a bit of money.
So, the 2015 Hugo Award Nomination period closed last night at midnight. I posted my final ballot, which includes lots of good SFF-related stuff, but I thought it would be fun to repost my Best Novel selections here, too.
- City of Stairs by Robert Jackson Bennett Even as I was startled by its twisted depth, I adored every moment I spent with City of Stairs. Colonialism lies at its centre, and RJB handles it with equal parts boldness and delicacy. The ruined beauty of Bulikov and its fallen gods haunted me long after I turned the final page.
- Ancillary Sword by Ann Leckie (Review) Will Ancillary Sword be able to recapture its predecessors lightning-in-a-bottle success? Probably not, but its one of the years best novels and, due to its more focused storyline, smoother narrative, and introspective thematic elements, I actually liked it better than Ancillary Justice. No sophmore slump for Leckie.
- The Eternal Sky Trilogy by Elizabeth Bear (Review) Calling on the Wheel of Time rule, Im including Bears trilogy here as a bit of a self-indulgence and pie-in-the-sky dream scenario. The Eternal Sky trilogy Range of Ghosts, Shattered Pillars, and Steles of the Sky is a fascinating epic fantasy that eschews the tired medieval tropes the genre is known for and replaces with a vivid world based on the Turkish-Mongolian khanates of 13th century Asia.
- The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison In a modern fantasy landscape that is littered with the broken corpses left in Grimdarks wake, Katherine Addison (a pseudonym for Sarah Monette) is a shining light, a beacon of nostalgia and hope on the horizon.
- Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel (Review) A quiet, riveting post-apocalyptic tale that succeeds because Mandel avoids playing prophet of the apocalypse and shifts focus to the intense personal relationships of the novels various protagonists. Beautiful.
Tragicomedy
Member
Take it from someone who is six or seven books into the series: you've made a wise decision. They all follow almost the exact same story flow, nothing has any sort of long term consequence, and the writing just isn't great. I end up reading a new one when I can't think of anything else to read or stuff is on hold at the library.
I look to your lists for suggestions, so I'm grateful. City of Stairs and Annihilation are two favorites. I have everything else on your list already queued up on Goodreads.
Finished the Martian after three days (my free time nowadays amazes me), and it was a very well written survivalist story.
After some thought I'm moving onto Harry Potter. My opinions have been colored for years and I want to revisit JK's works. Since I last read the last book a decade back, I'm counting it for the 50/50 challenge. Suck it!
After some thought I'm moving onto Harry Potter. My opinions have been colored for years and I want to revisit JK's works. Since I last read the last book a decade back, I'm counting it for the 50/50 challenge. Suck it!
RepairmanJack
Member
Thanks! Seems like something I'd like to read now.
Rug Monkey
Member
'I really don't need this kind of competition... It's a great read'
(Bernard Cornwell )
Scarrow does great accurate historical detail, and writes good action sequences so I can forgive slack characterisation, although the main protagonists get fleshed out over the series ... It's as good as any of the other 'Roman' historical novels (excepting Robert Graves) and better than most.
His Standalone novel on the great siege of Malta: The Sword and the Scimitar is damned good also.
sparky2112
Member
Thanks! Not concerned about shallow-ish characterization - it's not like Cornwell is a master of character, either. Doesn't mean I don't love his writing.
obin_gam
Member
I had to jump out of Green Mars. It became terribly slow after about 50% of the book and I just couldnt get myself to care anymore. Too bad. Red mars was one of the best books I've read in my life. This was just... bad.
Jumping into something quite a lot lighter now as a change of pace.
it's also fun to get the opportunity to start reading the new Star Wars canon from the beginning. I never got to do that with the Legends stuff, so now I will instead try to devour as much as possible. Tarkin is the best one yet though.
Jumping into something quite a lot lighter now as a change of pace.
Am a couple of chapters into it and while I wish it could be more 1 story instead of several small happenings, it's entertaining enough to not bore me.
it's also fun to get the opportunity to start reading the new Star Wars canon from the beginning. I never got to do that with the Legends stuff, so now I will instead try to devour as much as possible. Tarkin is the best one yet though.
You are a good human being. And yes, that "ending."
ClosingADoor
Member
Just finished: City of Stairs
Great book. Did see some of the twists coming a mile away. Don't know if that was intended or not. Pretty unique universe, loved the characters (Sigrud is the man) and looking forward to more later this year. Pre-ordered City of Blades already, so I don't forget in time.
Going to browse through the thread for some recommendations and see what I have on my Kindle to read still.
I've read City of Stairs, The Goblin Emperor, and Hyperion. All where excellent in there own way. City of Stairs had the imagination of China Miéville without the seemingly pathological reliance on a word of the day calendar and thesaurus. The Goblin Emperor was a wonderful bit of Court Intrigue with a much more Optimistic outlook then I've recently seen in this apparent era of Grimdark. Hyperion felt slightly dated but I liked the Canterbury Tales in Space theme. Thank you to everyone who recommended them.
I also got halfway through Royal Assassin by Hobb but have had to give it up. It's not that it's badly written, far from it, it's that the main character seems to be suffering from a realistically portrayed case of depression which is not something I want to be reading about in my current mental state. I may pick it back up in brighter days as I hate to leave a book unfinished but it's just not for me right now.
I also got halfway through Royal Assassin by Hobb but have had to give it up. It's not that it's badly written, far from it, it's that the main character seems to be suffering from a realistically portrayed case of depression which is not something I want to be reading about in my current mental state. I may pick it back up in brighter days as I hate to leave a book unfinished but it's just not for me right now.
Mackenzie 92
Member
Picked up City of Stairs and The Goblin Emperor.
Will start one of them next.
Will start one of them next.
Just finished: City of Stairs
Great book. Did see some of the twists coming a mile away. Don't know if that was intended or not. Pretty unique universe, loved the characters (Sigrud is the man) and looking forward to more later this year. Pre-ordered City of Blades already, so I don't forget in time.
Going to browse through the thread for some recommendations and see what I have on my Kindle to read still.
Yesssss. RJB continues his domination of GAF's reading time.
So I've been pushing through the Rothfuss stuff and couldn't quite understand why The Wise Man's Fear seemed to be reviled compared to The Name of the Wind as it seemed to just be more of the same until...
This is as bad as his feud with notMalfoy at notHogwart's in the first book.
This is as bad as his feud with notMalfoy at notHogwart's in the first book.
Intheflorsh
Banned
Never mind.
It really bugs me that the fairy's patter isn't capitalized for reasons, unless she's referring to herself, in which case the i is now an I. I'm sure Rothfuss is just hinting at her narcissistic self-regard that trivializes everything else around her to a sadly uncapitalized state.
bengraven
Member
Speaking of narcissists, I love Rothfuss but we better get some payout in the next book. I've never read a writer who asks 50 questions for 1 he barely answers.
You should read it.
Should I?
Yes.
So it's good?
Yes.
Yes.
Yes.
I think I will.
You should.
I will.
Good.
We carry the fire.
Fuck'n right.
You should read it.
Should I?
Yes.
So it's good?
Yes.
Yes.
Yes.
I think I will.
You should.
I will.
Good.
We carry the fire.
Fuck'n right.
Thanks, Besada. Now I'm going to go watch 'This Year' by the Mountain Goats for the ten thousandth time.
bengraven
Member
I'm liking it a bit so far. Definitely wears it's "post-modern western" badge on it's sleeve (aka the "I'm a literature novel, not a 'western' thank you") thanks to the heavy emphasis on dialogue and allegory over actual description. Reminds me of The Hawkline Monster: A Gothic Western in that regards, which as I said after I read that book was neither gothic nor western. But I have to say I'm enjoying it much much better than that horrid piece of shit.
It's a rambling series of encounters in the old west with two brothers that have some really enjoyable dialogue.
25% in and just got to the "California" section and honestly kind of hoping it starts going faster or we get some more to the plot than sibling abuse and horses.
Damn, started thinking about it and saw some gifs on GIS and damn...
I can't watch the film, I canNOT watch it. The book devastated me.
AngmarsKing701
Member
Excellent. Thanks.
Within the last 90 pages of The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater, it is a sequel to The Raven Boys.
It is alright, but it feels like sequel the book, hopefully that makes sense. What I mean is that it feels like the first book, but on a slightly bigger scale. We learn more about the three Raven Boys and honestly I don't like any of them; Gansey is manipulative, Adam is sexist, and Ronan is a horrid hypocrite. Blue sadly is not a character, she is more like a set of wacky clothes wearing a person. Though I must say The Grey Man and Maura (Blue's Mother) are pretty interesting, a book with a case of way more interesting side characters. Don't get me wrong, I still want to finish it and read the sequel to see where this story goes. I just unfortunately don't care about the characters, but then again a good story is more than likable characters. Hopefully my opinion changes by the ending, which I hope to reach tonight.
It is alright, but it feels like sequel the book, hopefully that makes sense. What I mean is that it feels like the first book, but on a slightly bigger scale. We learn more about the three Raven Boys and honestly I don't like any of them; Gansey is manipulative, Adam is sexist, and Ronan is a horrid hypocrite. Blue sadly is not a character, she is more like a set of wacky clothes wearing a person. Though I must say The Grey Man and Maura (Blue's Mother) are pretty interesting, a book with a case of way more interesting side characters. Don't get me wrong, I still want to finish it and read the sequel to see where this story goes. I just unfortunately don't care about the characters, but then again a good story is more than likable characters. Hopefully my opinion changes by the ending, which I hope to reach tonight.
ActuallyHulk
Banned
Yeah I'm late on this one. I'm enjoying it though. Grabbed the whole trilogy because I had read the first one a few years ago and loved it but for reasons I can't remember never did pick the others up despite intending to. I'm fixing that now.
Yeah I'm late on this one. I'm enjoying it though. Grabbed the whole trilogy because I had read the first one a few years ago and loved it but for reasons I can't remember never did pick the others up despite intending to. I'm fixing that now.
Most people disagree, but that one was my favorite of the three, although I really loved all of them.
I haven't read the Eternal Sky trilogy yet (will remedy sometimes this year, hopefully), but I loved everything else on your list (including those that just missed your ballot) =] I'd say that my very favorite is The Goblin Emperor, with City of Stairs a close second.
Overall I was very happy with the 2014 releases I've read so far, hope this year is as good!
Atraveller
Banned
World War Z'a premise is interesting, however I don't think Max Brooks is good at writing people. There are interviewees from all over the globe, and most of them feel fake, artificial, to me. It seemed like the author didn't know how to write people of different nationality and ethnicity at all, they were all filled with clichés, and both stereotyped and eager to stereotype other people(profiling, throwing nicknames around...). Special terms were unnecessarily brought up with explanations dumped on you for no good reasons other than a pathetic attempt to add more flavor, to make it all seemed more "authentic". I mean who talks like that? Normal people would replace them with easier to understand names that achieve the same thing. Right now I'm a quarter in, not sure if I should continue reading.
Yeah I'm late on this one. I'm enjoying it though. Grabbed the whole trilogy because I had read the first one a few years ago and loved it but for reasons I can't remember never did pick the others up despite intending to. I'm fixing that now.
What's with this cover? Didn't the mistborn carry these glass daggers? What's with the huge ass sword? Or did she use some sword from the koloss at one point?
I'll follow your reading suggestion in between breaks of my Harry Potter reread.
I also forgot how much I enjoyed this series. The Gaf opinion must have really tainted my perception of it. A third of the way of the first book and I'm really liking it.
fredrancour
Member
Yeah you're right, there's a point at which she grabs a Koloss sword.
sparky2112
Member
My eyes are burning after reading that. I'm sure it's a fine book - as was the first - but that's some terrible writing right there.
hardcastlemccormick
Banned
I finished Stoner. A beautiful, heartbreaking novel.
Tragicomedy
Member
He will be missed! RIP.