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[Incandenza]

Tigana by Guy Gavriel Kay

After a good two and a half months, I finished it! I thought it was good, but definitely flawed. There are several moments when Kay's prose and the raw emotion of a scene really come together that had me totally enraptured. But some of the plotting felt a bit too convenient. Too many elements dependent on coincidences and chance meetings, too many instances of characters using Sherlock-style preternatural intuition to get themselves out of trouble. Mostly this applies to

Spoiler

the Alessan side of the story. Dianora's stuff was pretty great all the way through.

The last 20% or so is excellent though. Had me up late last night turning pages.

 

[jesu]

Still The Gunslinger, it's alright.

 

[Necrovex]

What's up with this recent explosion for the Anniliation series? Haven't seen this much attention for a trilogy since Hunger Games or Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Even a local bookstore is pimping it out.

 

[Piecake]

What's up with this recent explosion for the Anniliation series? Haven't seen this much attention for a trilogy since Hunger Games or Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Even a local bookstore is pimping it out.

Its the new hipster series

 

[Necrovex]

Its the new hipster series

Would that make Tragic and Mumei hipsters then for liking it?

 

[Mr.Swag]

Why is Annihilation hipster? Is it the covers?

I think its the LOST factor.

 

[TetraxShards]

"If people reach perfection they vanish, you know."

and just started:

 

[peakish]

Got through a few horror novels by John Ajvide Lindqvist. Lilla Stjärna (Little Star) had a great first half, showing a small girl being raised in a family where the father emotionally stunts her by never allowing her any contact outside of her cellar room. She is contrasted against an extremely introvert girl in a normal family, ending up overweight and bullied in high school. It's very easy to relate to her problems. I thought that the second half was very contrived though and the book lost me when I couldn't relate to any of the characters anymore as they continued their transformation into monsters. There are quite a few icky scenes in it, but by the end I was bored, not frightened.

Tjärven (the name of the light house isle where the story takes place) was short, simple and a mostly fun zombie story. Again not as scary by the end as in the beginning, there are only so many paragraphs of zombies running over rocky cliffs that one can read before getting used to it I guess.

Best of them all was Himmelstrand, where four families on vacation wake up with their caravans overnight having been transported into a huge, almost empty area. This kept the creepy mood constant almost all the way through and presented quite a few good, relatable characters to care about. Some arcs were a bit underdeveloped as things went to hell around them, and one of the characters was a bit too much like the Mayor in Under the Dome, a completely self centered cardboard cutout asshole who was a bit too obvious in his role of escalating the situation. Him aside though it was still good.

Overall it was fun to follow the author varying the scenarios and villains quite a bit from Let The Right One In (although he seems to enjoy creepy preteen girls to an absurd level). I was mildly disappointed in that they weren't as scary in the end as in the beginning or middle. I don't read a lot of horror, are there any recommendations for books who don't end up like that?

 

[Piecake]

Would that make Tragic and Mumei hipsters then for liking it?

Especially those two

 

[Mumei]

What's up with this recent explosion for the Anniliation series? Haven't seen this much attention for a trilogy since Hunger Games or Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Even a local bookstore is pimping it out.

And it's not even as interesting as his previous work!

Spoiler

Still great, though

 

[Cade]

Really good so far.

Was a pretty big fan. Just a fun read from start to finish.

Meanwhile I'm never going to finish The Long War now that I'll be busy and I'm glad I found the end of The Long Earth to be closure enough that I don't NEED sequels.

 

[Necrovex]

And it's not even as interesting as his previous work!

Spoiler

Still great, though

Pssh, I liked Annihilation before it got popular.

What makes that series good?!

 

[Tragicomedy]

Would that make Tragic and Mumei hipsters then for liking it?

Especially those two

I wish I was a book hipster, but I'm still catching up from the last two decades of great science fiction and fantasy.

I'm a Johnny-come-lately for everything literature these days. I basically scavenge these threads and the 50/50 one to find interesting stuff. Almost all the good stuff I've read these past few years (the Expanse series, the Black Company, the Vorkosigan Saga, the Stormlight Archives, etc.) came directly from GAF recommendations.

The only thing I can recall pimping on here was Blake Crouch's pulpy Wayward Pines trilogy, and I don't think many people ended up giving it a shot. The lesson here is if you are an aspiring author, don't have me run your ad campaign.

What makes that series good?!

For starters, the tone of the writing and the world is incredible. You really get lost in the wilderness, so to speak. VanderMeer places you directly in the story, and leaves you in just as much of a bind as the characters. You think you know what's going on. You don't know what's going on. You get glimpses and hints towards answers. You get people's conflicting theories. You encounter mind-blowing creatures and circumstances that hint at larger developments, but you aren't given truly firm answers.

It's not apocalyptic fiction, but at the same time it is. If you are looking for a book with firm answers and resolution, this trilogy is not something I would recommend. If you recognize that the beauty of a great story is in the journey and discovery, it's incredible. A lot of things make sense in the end. A lot of things don't. A lot is left up to your imagination and interpretation. Ultimately, it's a challenging set of books with a great story line, very interesting characters, and close to zero dialogue (the second book has the most, and that isn't much).

 

[Cade]

Wayward Pines' ending left me kinda sour after how good the first book ended. Second book and third book could've all been one book (I don't remember which book was which) and third book ended in just such a.. ehhh way.

 

[Tragicomedy]

Wayward Pines' ending left me kinda sour after how good the first book ended. Second book and third book could've all been one book (I don't remember which book was which) and third book ended in just such a.. ehhh way.

Gotta cash those Fox TV checks, bro! I'm actually not sure if the show is still a go or not. Given the state of current Fox ratings, I imagine they'll toss it out over the summer to die. For shame.

 

[Neffarias_Bredd]

Just read the unabridged robin buss translation of the Count of Monte Cristo for the first time since I was 14 or 15...my god it is such a fantastic book. May be my favorite of all time. I forgot how philosophical the book gets at points, and how quickly the story moves along. I also forgot what a dick the count was (understandable considering what he went through). What do I even read now that can match up??

 

[LProtag]

Just starting it.

 

[Necrovex]

For starters, the tone of the writing and the world is incredible. You really get lost in the wilderness, so to speak. VanderMeer places you directly in the story, and leaves you in just as much of a bind as the characters. You think you know what's going on. You don't know what's going on. You get glimpses and hints towards answers. You get people's conflicting theories. You encounter mind-blowing creatures and circumstances that hint at larger developments, but you aren't given truly firm answers.

It's not apocalyptic fiction, but at the same time it is. If you are looking for a book with firm answers and resolution, this trilogy is not something I would recommend. If you recognize that the beauty of a great story is in the journey and discovery, it's incredible. A lot of things make sense in the end. A lot of things don't. A lot is left up to your imagination and interpretation. Ultimately, it's a challenging set of books with a great story line, very interesting characters, and close to zero dialogue (the second book has the most, and that isn't much).

Your description has sold me on the series. But I am wondering how I will feel a book without much dialogue. It certainly will be a different approach from my normal fiction reading. Your mini description makes it sounds somewhat Lynchish.

 

[Tragicomedy]

Your description has sold me on the series. But I am wondering how I will feel a book without much dialogue. It certainly will be a different approach from my normal fiction reading. Your mini description makes it sounds somewhat Lynchish.

If you ignore flashbacks, I'm not sure if they're are more than thirty lines of dialogue in the first book. I didn't count, mind you, but about halfway through I realized there weren't conversations flying around.

 

[Cade]

Gotta cash those Fox TV checks, bro! I'm actually not sure if the show is still a go or not. Given the state of current Fox ratings, I imagine they'll toss it out over the summer to die. For shame.

I'll definitely give the show a shot if it ever surfaces. Don't see it making it past the first season though so I hope they condense all of book one into that..

 

[LProtag]

Italo Calvino's "If on a Winter's Night a Traveler."

Dude has instantly shot up as one of my favorite authors. Can't wait to read his other books. Any suggestions? I've also read the first story from "Cosmicomics" and loved it.

Try Invisible Cities. It's got an interesting style where essentially each page or so is the description of a city. There's also a frame story of Marco Polo and Kublai Khan, who are the ones discussing the cities.

Amazon has a preview where you can read a bit of it, to see if the style jives with you.

Calvino is great!

 

[LProtag]

Also reading about all this Annihilation stuff in this thread has gotten me interested. I might ask for the hardcover version coming out in a few weeks for my birthday. Sounds right up my alley.

 

[Mumei]

Italo Calvino's "If on a Winter's Night a Traveler."

Dude has instantly shot up as one of my favorite authors. Can't wait to read his other books. Any suggestions? I've also read the first story from "Cosmicomics" and loved it.

<3!

I would second the suggestion of Invisible Cities, and I'd also recommended Six Memos for the Next Millennium. It's a series of five essays about qualities that he cherishes in literature - lightness, quickness, exactitude, visibility, and multiplicity - and he talks at length about works that exemplify those qualities, and how he attempted to have that in his own works. It's a really enlightening look at his thought process as a writer.

Just read the unabridged robin buss translation of the Count of Monte Cristo for the first time since I was 14 or 15...my god it is such a fantastic book. May be my favorite of all time. I forgot how philosophical the book gets at points, and how quickly the story moves along. I also forgot what a dick the count was (understandable considering what he went through). What do I even read now that can match up??

I feel bad for people who read an English translation other than the Robin Buss translation. It's wonderful. <3

 

[Balphon]

Haven't had much drive to read recently, but I've slowly been making my way through The Yiddish Policemen's Union. Like it so far.

 

[Necrovex]

If you ignore flashbacks, I'm not sure if they're are more than thirty lines of dialogue in the first book. I didn't count, mind you, but about halfway through I realized there weren't conversations flying around.

I will see how I resonate with the first novel. I could see myself liking it as much as I could see disliking it. I love dialogue!

 

[Secks4Food]

Just read the unabridged robin buss translation of the Count of Monte Cristo for the first time since I was 14 or 15...my god it is such a fantastic book. May be my favorite of all time. I forgot how philosophical the book gets at points, and how quickly the story moves along. I also forgot what a dick the count was (understandable considering what he went through). What do I even read now that can match up??

It's tied with The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoyevsky as my favorite book of all time so I'd recommend that.

 

[fredrancour]

I just borrowed a friend's copy of Gateway by Frederick Pohl. I intend to read all Nebula/Hugo Best Novel joint winners, and this is one of my friend's favorite books, so I figured I'd go with this one next.

As to WHEN Nanowrimo will let me read IDK man.

As far as where I am in my Hugo/Nebula joint winner reading list:
I've read Neuromancer, Ender's Game, Speaker for the Dead, and American Gods.
I just started listening to the Ancillary Justice audiobook.
I also have copies of Rendevous with Rama, Ringworld, The Left Hand of Darkness, and The Dispossessed floating around from a billion different book sales.

 

[sooperkool]

Just finished the first two trilogies in the Fitz and Fool series. Had something major spoiled for me from Fool's Assassin, the seventh book, and between that and the emotional rollercoaster I've gone through for the last few months with these books, I think I need a vacation.

I'm at the last book of the 2nd trilogy (Fool's Faye) and I am so tired of Fitz wallowing in self pity. I hope it stops soon.

 

[Althane]

Finished:

I liked it. Story hit a lot of my "guilty pleasure" buttons. I could see why others wouldn't like it; and honestly, some of the theology is very whiny. But hey, I liked it; might read it again to try to pick up on more of the symbolism (though they were pretty heavy handed with it)

I like Alex Verus. He's like a meaner, less badass Harry Dresden. Good tide over while waiting for my next Butcher fix.

Took me like 30 minutes to read. Totally worth the $3 I paid for it. Don't know if I found it quite as interesting as other Sandersonian worlds, but eh. Legion was better than this; but Legion was amazing. This was good, but not his best.


Have about a hundred other books I need to be reading, but here's what I've started on:

How do I keep everything straight? ... dunno. Practice?

 

[obin_gam]

In two days (two long days) I'll start with Star Wars: Tarkin (since it releases in audiobook format the 4th of November)

The biography about Peter Cushings badass Death Star Commander. And the second book in the new Star Wars cannon (the first being that Star Wars Rebels book). This will also be the first Star Wars book I will have read so I'm quite excited about it.

 

[thebeeks]

"If people reach perfection they vanish, you know."

Does your copy end at Candle in the Wind or The Book of Merlyn? My physical copy ends at Candle in the Wind, but I recently got a version on Audible that adds Book of Merlyn.

Maybe it's because it wasn't there in my first read through, but BoM feels very tacked on. Not a fan. Don't much care for BoM's ending, either.

 

[Tugatrix]

I finish this one from a portuguese writer that everyone call Saramago sucessor. The book is about his home village where my mother family also is from and I fell the personal attatchment to the places in the book and the people described in it, 4 out of 5(but I may be partial on this one.

may soon be available in english like his other books

 

[Androidsleeps]

Half way through. Very different from the first book, yet still intriguing and interesting

Spoiler

though less creepy so far

.

Is it true that the trilogy has been picked for movie rights?

 

[Mumei]

Half way through. Very different from the first book, yet still intriguing and interesting

Spoiler

though less creepy so far

.

Is it true that the trilogy has been picked for movie rights?

For my money, the creepiest moment in the series occurs in the second book. Spine-crawling.

*shudders*

 

[Tragicomedy]

I'll definitely give the show a shot if it ever surfaces. Don't see it making it past the first season though so I hope they condense all of book one into that..

TV networks like to ignore facts and believe every one of their shows will reach six seasons and a movie status. So no, they will design the show to completely milk the content from the books, I imagine. I'm not even convinced season one would reach the stopping point of book one, even though the books are basically written to fit seamlessly into a television series or movie. The ending of the first book would be an ideal stopping point for a cliffhanger TV show.

In two days (two long days) I'll start with Star Wars: Tarkin (since it releases in audiobook format the 4th of November)

The biography about Peter Cushings badass Death Star Commander. And the second book in the new Star Wars cannon (the first being that Star Wars Rebels book). This will also be the first Star Wars book I will have read so I'm quite excited about it.

I'm right there with you except that I read the first "new" cannon book, A New Dawn. I wouldn't recommend it. It's not bad at all, per se, but it's really more of a tie-in for the new Rebels cartoon. I lasted ten minutes with the cartoon before I had to turn it off. The book was most definitely better than what little part of the show I saw, but it's totally a one-off for me since I don't intend to stick with the rest of the material that has the characters.

Tarkin looks much more appealing and in keeping with what I want from a Star Wars novel. With the exception of the Thrawn trilogy, I am completely unfamiliar with Star Wars extended universe material, so I appreciate the cannon reset. I'll give the first wave of four books that have been announced a shot, and then see from there if it's worth continuing.

For my money, the creepiest moment in the series occurs in the second book. Spine-crawling.

*shudders*

Spoiler

Was it the attic scene? Tell me it was the attic scene!

 

[Maklershed]

Finished Dracula and starting The Savage Boy


The Savage Boy by Nick Cole

 

[Hieberrr]

I'm feeling asleep while reading Authority. Way to many unnecessary details are Nguyen, imo. Some things are explained in so much detail that I feel like it's drowning it the actual story. I'll keep reading, but I really hope it picks up.

 

[MrOogieBoogie]

I've only read one chapter thus far, but I've never had to look up the definitions to so many words as I have for this book. McCarthy's vocabulary, and the unique ways in which he USES the words, is astounding. Is there an author with a a larger vocabulary? I can't think of any. The first two pages alone took me ten minutes to read because I could not grasp my head around some of the language and had to divert to my dictionary every other line.

The dialogue is excellent even if the imagery isn't quite as poignant as, say, Blood Meridian or The Road. But the atmosphere is there and it is heavy. Reminds me a lot of True Detective, which I'm currently watching.

 

[thomaser]

Is there an author with a a larger vocabulary? I can't think of any.

James Joyce likely has the largest vocabulary among authors. Ulysses alone has a much larger vocabulary than most authors use in their complete works. If you count Finnegan's Wake, which has a large amount of words made up for the occasion as well as many words from other languages, Joyce wins by a landslide.

 

[hardcastlemccormick]

For my money, the creepiest moment in the series occurs in the second book. Spine-crawling.

*shudders*

I'd say the second book (Authority) was the most disturbing and effective to me. It builds so well and really settles into this infectious, roving mindset.

The only book I've read that compared to such a feeling was probably House of Leaves.

EDIT:

For starters, the tone of the writing and the world is incredible. You really get lost in the wilderness, so to speak. VanderMeer places you directly in the story, and leaves you in just as much of a bind as the characters. You think you know what's going on. You don't know what's going on. You get glimpses and hints towards answers. You get people's conflicting theories. You encounter mind-blowing creatures and circumstances that hint at larger developments, but you aren't given truly firm answers.

It's not apocalyptic fiction, but at the same time it is. If you are looking for a book with firm answers and resolution, this trilogy is not something I would recommend. If you recognize that the beauty of a great story is in the journey and discovery, it's incredible. A lot of things make sense in the end. A lot of things don't. A lot is left up to your imagination and interpretation. Ultimately, it's a challenging set of books with a great story line, very interesting characters, and close to zero dialogue (the second book has the most, and that isn't much).

While I agree with a lot of this, there's plenty of dialogue in books 2 and 3, and I wouldn't classify the Southern Reach series as challenging in any capacity.

 

[Roo]

I'm new to this thread but I wanted to share something lol
I know I'm probably too late to the party but still, my SO surprised me today with this book:

I always wanted to get the book shortly after the movie came out but for whatever reason I never got my hands on it.. until today.
I'm really excited. I loved the movie so I'm sure the book is even better

 

[thomaser]

Finished Roadside Picnic. A great little sci-fi novel. Down-to-earth, gritty, creepy and surprising.

Now, about to start The Prague Cemetary by Umberto Eco. He's one of my favourite authors, so I have high hopes for this!

 

[Mumei]

Spoiler

Was it the attic scene? Tell me it was the attic scene!

Yes, it was that scene.

 

[Tragicomedy]

While I agree with a lot of this, there's plenty of dialogue in books 2 and 3, and I wouldn't classify the Southern Reach series as challenging in any capacity.

Sounds like you have a very limited definition of what you consider challenging. I'm talking in terms of mainstream science fiction and fantasy. Very few novels in those genres withhold information and answers from their readers through the course of an entire trilogy.

I won't go into spoilers, but off the top of my head I can easily post 30+ things we witness or are alluded to in the story that lack concrete explanations. The author leaves you with lots of five Ws to question and come to an acceptable answer on your own. That is challenging.

 

[Diatribe1974]

Nagash: Immortal. 3rd book in the series before I (ultimately) get into the "End Times" 6 book series starring him (and countless others)

 

[hardcastlemccormick]

EDIT: Ah, never mind. No need to respond to that sort of thing. Let's keep this wonderful thread free of bickering.

I started reading Generation X by Douglas Coupland. Kinda depressing and gimmicky, but it's also funny and potent. And short. We'll see.

 

[Bazza]

Just finished the 1st book of the Liveship Traders trilogy, my feelings are a little mixed, the change from a single persons perspective to following several different characters took a little adjusting to. Its a good book but nowhere near as good as any of the books in the Farseer trilogy. I felt it took such a long time to get up to speed, the story didn't really capture me till I was about 70% into the book, the setting is interesting with quite a lot taking place on various ships isolated in their own stories. Hoping the 2nd books hits the floor running.

 

[RedFyn]

I've been rereading the eragon books, currently on eldest. Has anyone read Under Heaven? I haven't read any of his previous work but i looks interesting.

I noticed overdrive isn't in the op. I've found it to be very handy. I prefer physical books in most cases but ebooks are just so convenient.

 

[Meteorain]

Currently reading: Fallen Angels - Mike Lee

Nearly finished it. It's not so bad for a sci-fi Warhammer 40k book. Enjoying it for what it is. good revelation for a WH40k fan.

 

[MikeHaggar]

just finished "7 habits of highly effective people" and now reading "emotional intelligence." yes, i'm in self-improvement mode haha