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What are you reading? (November 2012)
- Thread starter Maklershed
- Start date
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It's still Abercrombie style fantasy, but with a definite Western setting and all the tropes that go along with that. Gold mining rush, lawless Western town on the frontier, duel at sunset, creeping industrialization. All that, but with the Abercrombie flavor.
The industrialization part will be a theme in the new trilogy as well. Joe said it'd probably take place 20-30 years in the future, with some of the kids of former central characters taking center stage. Setting in the Union with a background of Civil War, so I'd bet Starikland comes more into play here.
I'm aware of his history but when you're born in Japan, live there until you're 5, and have a name like Kazuo Ishiguro I have no problem calling you Japanese.
Mackenzie 92
Member
Sappy already covered it better than I could, but yeah it definitely is a western at heart.
He's ours you hear?
Similarly, Orwell may have been born in India, but he's English too.
In fact Orwell is Arthur Blair, but Arthur Blair is... who? Eric?
Tim the Wiz
Banned
But doesn't he self-identity as British? I remember him making fun of people asking him for advice on Japanese culture and economics on Charlie Rose.
You can't be Dutch, if you come from Afghanistan?
What happens if you're born on a flight from London to New York? Do you belong to the sky republic?
Globalisation happened. Travel is more frequent. Identification is closer to self identification. National identity is up in the air. So to speak.
I'm sure legally he is Dutch. Then again, argubly (maybe) he is an Afghani living in Holland. For example, Mozart doesn't suddenly become non-Austrian, because he travelled a lot.
I think I'll go with Tim's self identification perspective. I mean one can be born in Honolulu, Hawaii, and be African-American.
T.M. MacReady
NO ONE DENIES MEMBER
Gave up on the shitty Last Policeman book. Now reading this:
And damn. Heavy stuff.
And damn. Heavy stuff.
Lot of conversation based off an off hand comment I made about following an Ishiguro book with a Murakami book. All I was originally saying is it's just coincidence that I'm reading books back to back by authors with distinctively Japanese names, particularly since my next book AFTER this one is likely to be The Sailor Who Fell From Grace with The Sea by Yukio Mishima. That's it, just a little comment about names.
At any rate, the way I see it a guy named Kazuo Ishiguro who was born in Nagasaki to people named Shizuo Ishiguro and Shizuko Ishiguro is Japanese. Going by his quotes in his Wiki he was brought up by Japanese parents in a Japanese-speaking home that tried to keep him in touch with Japanese values. That doesn't mean I think it's wrong to also call him British since he's lived there for so long or that it's wrong for him to self identify as British. I don't see any reason why he can't just be both. He may be predominantly British culturally but he's Japanese by Ancestry/ethnicity with a solid amount of culture there as well.
All I was originally saying is it's just coincidence that I'm reading books back to back by authors with distinctively Japanese names, particularly since my next book AFTER this one is likely to be The Sailor Who Fell From Grace with The Sea by Yukio Mishima. That's it, just a little comment about names.At any rate, the way I see it a guy named Kazuo Ishiguro who was born in Nagasaki to people named Shizuo Ishiguro and Shizuko Ishiguro is Japanese. Going by his quotes in his Wiki he was brought up by Japanese parents in a Japanese-speaking home that tried to keep him in touch with Japanese values. That doesn't mean I think it's wrong to also call him British since he's lived there for so long or that it's wrong for him to self identify as British. I don't see any reason why he can't just be both. He may be predominantly British culturally but he's Japanese by Ancestry/ethnicity with a solid amount of culture there as well.
Sounds awesome.
That's great that he has another trilogy coming and is moving the entire universe forward. Love that.
Now if some of Abercrombie's speediness could wear off on GRRM
And damn. Heavy stuff.
I read that back in college. Very good book and certain sections reminded me of the very few stories my father ever told me about Vietnam.
As for me, I'm still working my way through Red Seas Under Red Skies by Scott Lynch. I really haven't been reading very much lately and am only 300 pages into this one. It really hasn't grabbed me. I was doing so well with my reading this year but I've really slacked off the past two months. Hopefully I'll get to a section that will compell me soon and I will blow through it.
Went through Born to Run, fun book. Short read, as well.
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About finished with Swamplandia, and its strong start--felt a lot like the opening to A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, really, with the beautiful, wry, melancholy look at their home & swamp--is let down a bit as the story moves forward, but it's been an interesting read all the same.
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About finished with Swamplandia, and its strong start--felt a lot like the opening to A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, really, with the beautiful, wry, melancholy look at their home & swamp--is let down a bit as the story moves forward, but it's been an interesting read all the same.
I am still on my Go (baduk / weiqi) kick. I finished reading The Long Ships and The Son of Neptune, and I also read Behind Deep Blue: Build the Computer that Defeated the World Champion by Feng-Hsiung Hsu, Go Fundamentals by Shigemi Kishikawa.
I have started reading Richard Bozulich and Peter Shotwell's Winning Go: Successful Moves from the Beginning to the Endgame and trying the problems. I am terrible at the opening (and reading... and life and death... and using influence... and oh, everything), though I suppose that is to be expected for someone who is around teens-kyu.
Oh, and I finished reading the Hikaru no Go manga.
I have started reading Richard Bozulich and Peter Shotwell's Winning Go: Successful Moves from the Beginning to the Endgame and trying the problems. I am terrible at the opening (and reading... and life and death... and using influence... and oh, everything), though I suppose that is to be expected for someone who is around teens-kyu.
Oh, and I finished reading the Hikaru no Go manga.
nakedsushi
Member
Your review of it sold me. Added it to my to-read. The cover isn't as bad as some of them. It's actually quite tame haha.
I think it's great book to read when you are depressed. Gives you whole new point of view for life, maybe things that depress you now won't even matter after you are done with the book. Meursault is such a great character, Abusrd man in flesh and blood.
VistraNorrez
Member
The Stranger wows me every time. Great art always makes me feel better whether it's depressing or feel good. When you connect with something or someone there is no better feeling.
My biggest fear is that I could already relate in the first page. Yet my mother is the person who is dearest to me. The first page made me feel terrible and isolated already.
Kyleripman
Member
I'm thinking of doing this, too. I read the first four or five in high school and then put it aside, but now that it's actually being finished, I want to start over.
AngmarsKing701
Member
Come to papa...
Me too. I finished Rendezvous with Rama a couple days before so I'd be ready day 1.
So far it hasn't disappointed. I love Abercrombie's stuff.
AngmarsKing701
Member
Red Country by Joe Abercrombie
"Conscience and the Cockrot" Best title for a chapter ever.
Anyway the book is great and is shaping up to be my favorite yet from Abercrombie. I hope he keeps his writing pace up, such a treat to get a new book every 18 months or so.
Also, Temple is awesome.
That cover is so much better than the one with guy wielding the sword. :-(
Phillip E.
Neo Member
Many fantastic books are being enjoyed in this thread.
I just finished:
I highly recommend this book. The book cover by Henry Sene Yee is fantastic as well and, if you are interested, you can view his process for designing the cover here.
This book will be on my mind for a very long time.
I am currently reading:
I still have much to learn from Christopher Hitchens.
I put this book down many months ago and I am excited to pick it back up again.
I just finished:
I highly recommend this book. The book cover by Henry Sene Yee is fantastic as well and, if you are interested, you can view his process for designing the cover here.
This book will be on my mind for a very long time.
I am currently reading:
I still have much to learn from Christopher Hitchens.
I put this book down many months ago and I am excited to pick it back up again.
Combichristoffersen
Combovers don't work when there is no hair
Slowly working my way through this.
I just finished Water for Elephants
Maybe because the only knowledge of this book I had going in was a poster from the movie adaptation with the dude from Twilight, but this book hadn't been on my radar and my expectations were low.
My mistake. I found it very entertaining.
A fast read, but the setup leading to the payoff we 'knew' was coming was very well done.
Maybe because the only knowledge of this book I had going in was a poster from the movie adaptation with the dude from Twilight, but this book hadn't been on my radar and my expectations were low.
My mistake. I found it very entertaining.
A fast read, but the setup leading to the payoff we 'knew' was coming was very well done.
Zombie, Ohio by Scott Kenemore
Started decent enough, rapid decline as it progressed with a pretty bad third act. Lesson learned here is stop buying so many random kindle daily deals.
All the map covers to his stuff are great.
Maklershed
Member
Finished The Last Argument of Kings. So bummed the series is over. I want to remain in that world. Oh well. Now, thanks to McKenzie's recommendation, I'm going to start Hull Zero Three ..
Hull Zero Three by Greg Bear
Hull Zero Three by Greg Bear
Since browsing OT has been pretty depressing these last couple of days, I decided to read something a bit more uplifting. After this, Red Country!
Bakker, uplifting?
So should I risk reading L'Etranger or not?
Tim the Wiz
Banned
Bakker and Abercrombie? Ha, good one.
Mackenzie 92
Member
And finished. Don't want to say too much since I know a lot of people will be reading it, but all in all it was an awesome journey start to finish. The characters were written really well, it was pretty shocking come from North Road where all the characters thought the same and were flat and not very interesting. Where in this the inner monologues were unique and fit the characters personality and style, Abercrombie seems to have a real knack for that.
Finished The Last Argument of Kings. So bummed the series is over. I want to remain in that world. Oh well. Now, thanks to McKenzie's recommendation, I'm going to start Hull Zero Three ..
Hull Zero Three by Greg Bear
Enjoy man, it's quite the ride. I kinda wanna re-read it at some point to see all the little things I probably missed the first go around.
Oh and not sure if you know all of Abercrombie's books take place in the same world with some of the same characters speckled in with new ones, so you got 3 more books to go when you want to revisit.
After finishing Infinite Jest last weekend, I spent this week reading Bakuman #11. Debating on what to read next: should it be Borderlands, the Terri Windling collection, or should I finally sit down and read the Lensmen books?
This talk of re-reading WOT makes me think I should give it another try. I have never been able to get past the second book.
This talk of re-reading WOT makes me think I should give it another try. I have never been able to get past the second book.
Mackenzie 92
Member
Kinda hooked on these short story anthologies.
Redshift:: Extreme Visions of Speculative Fiction by Al Sarrantonio
This is alright, ran into a turd or two, but a few have been really neat.
Flirting with starting this bad boy, but even in the introduction Erikson warns that this first book is complicated and dense.
Gardens of the Moon by Steven Erikson
Eh, challenge accepted. I'm in the mood for some epic fantasy.
Redshift:: Extreme Visions of Speculative Fiction by Al Sarrantonio
This is alright, ran into a turd or two, but a few have been really neat.
Flirting with starting this bad boy, but even in the introduction Erikson warns that this first book is complicated and dense.
Gardens of the Moon by Steven Erikson
Eh, challenge accepted. I'm in the mood for some epic fantasy.
nakedsushi
Member
^-- So is it a spoof of the zombie genre + teenage romantic comedy? I saw the trailer too and that seemed like what the vibe was. Haven't read the book yet, but I'm mildly curious.
I made it to the fourth book, and mean to go back. If you can get past the first 100 pages and some of the wonky ideas laid out there (you'll see what I mean) the ride becomes much smoother. Like WOT, it's a series I want to get back to. Enjoy!
As for WOT, I started back in on The Great Hunt last night. I'm beginning to remember the things that drove me crazy.
Just finished
This guy is a great fantasy writer. Lots of fun, great characters, and an absolutely killer magic system.
Great book, not as good as the first though. I LOVE his website though, with commentary and deleted scenes for all his books.
Edit: The only real problem I have with these books is that Vin's internal feelings of insecurity and whatever else go on and on and on. At least until she finally snaps out of it. And he writes (or at least wrote here) romance/love a bit simplistically.
This guy is a great fantasy writer. Lots of fun, great characters, and an absolutely killer magic system.
Great book, not as good as the first though. I LOVE his website though, with commentary and deleted scenes for all his books.
Edit: The only real problem I have with these books is that Vin's internal feelings of insecurity and whatever else go on and on and on. At least until she finally snaps out of it. And he writes (or at least wrote here) romance/love a bit simplistically.
It's more of a life through the eyes of zombie thing, free will, and the prospects of rebuilding after the end of the world. The love story is never super in your face and mainly serves to drive the real point of the book home.
It's enjoyable and took me all of 3 hours to blow through.
Now I am in the mood for something more serious, so I just started:
Mattdaddy
Gold Member
Red Country by Joe Abercrombie
"Conscience and the Cockrot" Best title for a chapter ever.
Anyway the book is great and is shaping up to be my favorite yet from Abercrombie. I hope he keeps his writing pace up, such a treat to get a new book every 18 months or so.
Also, Temple is awesome.
Mine arrived today, ready to get to it. Cannot wait!!! BLOODY NINE RAWWWRR!!!
Only downside is the inferior American cover.
Neffarias_Bredd
Member
Red Country by Joe Abercrombie
"Conscience and the Cockrot" Best title for a chapter ever.
Anyway the book is great and is shaping up to be my favorite yet from Abercrombie. I hope he keeps his writing pace up, such a treat to get a new book every 18 months or so.
Also, Temple is awesome.
whoaa Im gonna be reading this soon
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