Femmeworth
Banned
Thanks, I'll give that a look.
I tried reading Fingersmith two years ago, couldn't get past the dialect. I'm not all that interested in historical fiction.
What are you reading? (October 2013)
- Thread starter Maklershed
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Eaten By A Grue
Member
I think this is the first time that GAF let me down with a book choice. It was really painful for me to get through Neuromancer and took me forever to read even though it was really short. I did not understand what was going on in the book 99% of the time, I found it really hard to follow. I am not sure if it was the style of writing or the slang, but I was so confused the entire time. I have been meaning to read Ender's game and wanted to start it before the movie comes out and someone ruins it for me.
Finished:
Starting:
Finished:
Starting:
Finished:
Neuromancer made me feel truly stupid. I think I read each phrase at least twice and the whole thing never made any sense to me. In fact, I had to resort to Wikipedia to get a general understanding of the plot.
Reading -
And it's amazing. I'm fairly convinced he made up some of these stories - no one's life could be this interesting.
It's pretty straightforward actually, I'm surprised you had trouble with it.
It might've been due to Gibson's self-important prose.
Promise of Blood by Brian McClellan
It was alright. Really bad start that smoothed itself out. Thought Adamat chapters were a chore and Tamas stuff was hit or miss. Taniel chapters were fab though.
Also Olem is a true bro.
There's no such thing as a shallow book, only poorly written ones. Thanks for the Pratchett guide, I never know whith which I should start.
Quite a list, thanks a lot.
I've started the Karamzov Brothers (last time I read a "classic" I was in High School), will continue with catch-22 and dig something up with all your suggestions afterwards.
Eaten By A Grue
Member
I am glad it was not just me. I actually read 10% of the book and then was so confused I started all over again, but it did not help.
RepairmanJack
Member
Carrion Comfort - I finally got to the Chess part that everyone seems to bring up when talking about this book. Maybe I'm desensitized, but I didn't really think it was anything special. There wasn't really too much that was bizarre or brutal, the scene at Melanie's house
have been ten times worse.
So far though it's a pretty good read. I'm liking the mystery of not knowing who's doing what at any given time.
with the little girl, and the scenes with rape
So far though it's a pretty good read. I'm liking the mystery of not knowing who's doing what at any given time.
ElectricBlue187
Member
You have to consider Neuromancer for what it is, one of the clumsy starts of an awesome genre. I don't think Gibson is a great writer but he has a gift for imagination. I think the same thing of Vernor Vinge.
Care to elaborate?
It was near impossible to know what was going on half the time and the writing was barely above Harry potter fanfic level.
Maybe I missed the brilliance because I'm not a native speaker, but then again I can read Pynchon and McCarthy without significant difficulties so I doubt it.
Snowman Prophet of Doom
Member
I would venture to say almost all poorly-written books are shallow by the very nature of what that means. Part of what it means to be a good writer is having the ability to invest your words with depth.
Tragicomedy
Member
I'm seven books into the series and the correct answer here is: in chronological order of publication.
I know some people seem to argue the first two or three books aren't the highlights of the series, but so far they've been some of my favorites. While the series isn't 100% serialized (there's actually 5-6 different "lines" you can read to follow your favorite characters), every book does build on previous concepts and characters from previous stories.
The sole exceptionion for me has been Pyramids (book #7). Lots of folks seem to rave about that book in online reviews, but it's such a mess. I would advise skipping it. I'm a bit of a completionist, so I intend to read the entire series, but that book had the least interesting characters and plot so far. When the most interesting person in the story is a camel that's a genius at math...
There are well written books that are also shallow, just like there are well made movies that are, in the end, simple entertainment.
EDIT: I think people like Pyramids because the Assassin's Guild is super cool and Pratchett has always been restrained on that front so they don't lose their luster.
EDIT: I think people like Pyramids because the Assassin's Guild is super cool and Pratchett has always been restrained on that front so they don't lose their luster.
Tragicomedy
Member
This is true, but outside of one or two really neat guild admittance test sequences, they aren't featured much in the story. It strikes me more of Pratchett telling us how amazingly cool the assassins are but not showing us in the book.
I'm happy to hear they are featured again in the series. There's a lot of potential with those characters.
Iv gone through the entire series in the last 2 months so all the books a pretty fresh in my mind, I wouldnt suggest skipping any of the books. It isnt the best but I quite enjoyed Pyramids, personally its somewhere in the middle for me, it felt to me that it was written to introduce a new main character but was never followed up with future books.
I liked the prodigal son coming home part of Pyramids and
Considering how much I remember of it I think it is one of the highlights of the Discworld for me.
I think I like 'middle period' Pratchett anyway. He seems to have transitioned slowly from outright comic parody (RinceWind) to deep characters and their struggles with serious themes (Vimes and Granny WeatherWax) and the middle had elements of both.
Small Gods I think balanced both parts of so very wonderfully.
the culture clash the main character experiences when he goes back home from Ankh Morpork. I also found Dios to be an incredibly interesting and well realized antagonist. The parts where he was truly lost after the event that turned the whole society upside down was actually pretty moving.
I also liked the side bits about the architect and his sons as well as the embalmer and his apprentice.
Also the sequence where one of the minor priests suddenly turned into a sports commentator when all the Solar Dieties appeared and started battling over the Sun was one of the straight up funniest bits in Pratchett overall (and that takes some doing), that the priest was almost immediately after thrown to the crocodiles was just cake.
I also liked the side bits about the architect and his sons as well as the embalmer and his apprentice.
Also the sequence where one of the minor priests suddenly turned into a sports commentator when all the Solar Dieties appeared and started battling over the Sun was one of the straight up funniest bits in Pratchett overall (and that takes some doing), that the priest was almost immediately after thrown to the crocodiles was just cake.
Considering how much I remember of it I think it is one of the highlights of the Discworld for me.
I think I like 'middle period' Pratchett anyway. He seems to have transitioned slowly from outright comic parody (RinceWind) to deep characters and their struggles with serious themes (Vimes and Granny WeatherWax) and the middle had elements of both.
Small Gods I think balanced both parts of so very wonderfully.
Well, If I were to offer up a Pratchett Guide, specifically referring to discworld, then it is probably a little different. The first 2 books are a good introduction to the world. If you enjoy fantasy, then you will get a kick out of those. From there, you primarily have a choice of which "sub-series" you want to go at. There is: The Watch, The Witches, Death, Rincewind, and more recently Moist. There are also some books here and there that actually have nothing to do with any of the subplots, but those are some of the best one, namely Small Gods and Monstrous Regiment. My favorite sub series is The Watch. It has one of my favorite literary characters ever. Following that its probably the witches. Keep in mind all of the books have been good, in my opinon, but some stand out as his best. The Night Watch, Small Gods, Monstrous Regiment, and Wyrd Sisters. Terry Pratchett has an amazing ability to use the medium of satyrical fantasy to say alot about real issues of race, sex, and justice.
And I am just now realizing having typed this that you probably were not asking for a guide to Pratchett, but w/e there it is.
Neuromancer
Member
Welcome to my ignore list
Just finished reading:
I did go in without knowing this was a YA novel. I was not disappointed at all though. Very nice world building, a strong female lead character and nicely laid out plot. The only thing I didn't like about it is that it's pretty slow at the first two thirds. I'll gladly read the second novel in the series when it comes out.
Next in line:
I did go in without knowing this was a YA novel. I was not disappointed at all though. Very nice world building, a strong female lead character and nicely laid out plot. The only thing I didn't like about it is that it's pretty slow at the first two thirds. I'll gladly read the second novel in the series when it comes out.
Next in line:
Pyramids is definitely very forgettable. Its been so long since I read that book, I barley remember anything about it. But I read Men at Arms a long time ago as well, and I don't think I will ever forget how the main character comes into his own.
Mackenzie 92
Member
sharkmuncher
Member
Currently:
The Emperor of Maladies by Siddhartha Mukherjee
A really interesting and in depth look at the history and current state of cancer research and treatment.
Finally getting through Gaiman's Sandman series. Great, great stuff.
The Emperor of Maladies by Siddhartha Mukherjee
A really interesting and in depth look at the history and current state of cancer research and treatment.
Finally getting through Gaiman's Sandman series. Great, great stuff.
I'm not sure i'd ignore someone who hated Neuromancer, but I sure wouldn't take advice from them on what to read. Great book, interesting prose, interesting ideas for the time in which it was written. I think part of the modern reader's issue with it might be that it's considerably less science-fictional today than it was in 1984, and that nearly every cyberpunk book or movie since then has shamelessly ripped it off.
I read it a long time ago and what bugged me after I finished it was how little agency the protagonist had. He was just buffeted along by events and manipulated by the plots of entities far far higher up in the hierarchy than he. Which is kind of a defining element of cyberpunk but still off-putting.
And I can understand that, although the theme of being a pawn in a much larger game probably resonated with us more in 1984, during the Cold War, than it does now. Case is being used by everyone, while he desperately tried to use everyone in return.
nakedsushi
Member
I work for Goodreads, and yes we're owned by Amazon, but our reviews are still as independent as they were before Amazon bought us, just sayin'
Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov
In his afterword, Nabokov registers his regret that in writing Lolita, he was forced to abandon his natural Russian for what he describes as a 'second-rate brand of English'. If his use of the language is only second-rate, then, I must be a fourth- or fifth- class plebian. It took me a month for various reasons, at least some of them just because I felt so bloody uncomfortable sometimes with what I was reading, but this is probably one of the best books I've ever read.
Just did the One-click kindle purchase of All you Need is Kill based on the cover, thanks Fl4tw4v3.
Awesome recommendation, I love Tom Robbins books, they were so formative on my teenage years but at the time I was so taken by his absurdity that I didn't even realise it.
Awesome recommendation, I love Tom Robbins books, they were so formative on my teenage years but at the time I was so taken by his absurdity that I didn't even realise it.
Anyway, I had a look over at my to-read shelf and somehow I've used up my entire stock of non-fiction but still have almost 7 fiction books left to look at (though 3 of them are IQ34). Any help? I alternate non-fiction and fiction so this will be crippling.
First and foremost I'm looking for a decent crime non-fiction (I really liked Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets and Tokyo Vice, if that helps any) but following that I'll read a GAF-recommended non-fiction on just about anything.
No more Studs Turkul though, I realised I've nearly read almost all of his stuff.
First and foremost I'm looking for a decent crime non-fiction (I really liked Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets and Tokyo Vice, if that helps any) but following that I'll read a GAF-recommended non-fiction on just about anything.
No more Studs Turkul though, I realised I've nearly read almost all of his stuff.
nakedsushi
Member
Finished:
Bedtiming: The Parents Guide to Getting Your Child to Sleep at Just the Right Age by Marc Lewis
I hope anecdotal evidence isn't a trend to parenting books. This one has a lot of little stories but I didn't care about them. It was also pretty repetitive. I thought this would be more of a "how to sleeptrain your baby" type thing, but it's more of a "*when* to sleeptrain" thing, which I should have figured based on the title.
I stopped reading this:
Of Blood and Honey by Stina Leicht
It was okay, but I eventually got bored 75% of the way. I appreciated that it was like a more manly-man urban fantasy and I liked the setting of the uprising in Ireland, but I just wasn't interested in the characters anymore. Didn't even care about the
Bedtiming: The Parents Guide to Getting Your Child to Sleep at Just the Right Age by Marc Lewis
I hope anecdotal evidence isn't a trend to parenting books. This one has a lot of little stories but I didn't care about them. It was also pretty repetitive. I thought this would be more of a "how to sleeptrain your baby" type thing, but it's more of a "*when* to sleeptrain" thing, which I should have figured based on the title.
I stopped reading this:
Of Blood and Honey by Stina Leicht
It was okay, but I eventually got bored 75% of the way. I appreciated that it was like a more manly-man urban fantasy and I liked the setting of the uprising in Ireland, but I just wasn't interested in the characters anymore. Didn't even care about the
fae war or the mystery behind Bran
dinazimmerman
Incurious Bastard
Continuing my chronological reading of the Vorkosigan Saga, I finished the above. I'm officially addicted to these books.
phisheep
NeoGAF's Chief Barrister
I do the same sort of thing. Just went to my non-fiction shelves and pulled out three that I reread a lot because each of them is truly awesome in its own way:
- Frank Arnaud: "3,000 years of deception in Art and Antiques"
- Guy Deutscher: "The Unfolding of Language"
- Peter Thompson: "Creative Propogation"
I might add to that, depending on your background, Karl Sigmund's "Games of Life". Even if you are familiar with the intellectual content, the writing and the humour throughout is a joy in itself.
There's more, and more varied, where those came from. But if you're after true crime you can't do much batter than Ann Rule's "The Stranger Beside Me".
Finished Consider Phlebas today:
The action was fun, entertaining is a good word for my impression of the book. That being said, I wasn't thinking much about it all during the week or so it took to read and I can already feel it slipping from my interest only hours after finishing. There are low points here as well. The main character's impetus for fighting in the war is relegated to a few(I think I counted 3) conversations with the Culture agent that sound academic at best. It's interesting what Vonnegut(the sci fi I was reading before this) can do in a few lines for the nature of his characters that eludes Banks, in spite having hundreds of pages with a small cast of characters to focus on. The appeal is the action filled plot then and it mostly succeeds. I think the moments before the climax were hopelessly drawn out, it doesn't pay to stretch out a small length of time that far when the reader knows what's coming. Same goes for another chapter where the main character finds himself stranded on an island, that detour takes forever, nothing gained.
Anyway, a lot of action that mostly worked and an interesting universe. Too bad it rang a little hollow, being left on its own without interesting characters or exploration of interesting themes(as the title suggested!)
The action was fun, entertaining is a good word for my impression of the book. That being said, I wasn't thinking much about it all during the week or so it took to read and I can already feel it slipping from my interest only hours after finishing. There are low points here as well. The main character's impetus for fighting in the war is relegated to a few(I think I counted 3) conversations with the Culture agent that sound academic at best. It's interesting what Vonnegut(the sci fi I was reading before this) can do in a few lines for the nature of his characters that eludes Banks, in spite having hundreds of pages with a small cast of characters to focus on. The appeal is the action filled plot then and it mostly succeeds. I think the moments before the climax were hopelessly drawn out, it doesn't pay to stretch out a small length of time that far when the reader knows what's coming. Same goes for another chapter where the main character finds himself stranded on an island, that detour takes forever, nothing gained.
Anyway, a lot of action that mostly worked and an interesting universe. Too bad it rang a little hollow, being left on its own without interesting characters or exploration of interesting themes(as the title suggested!)
nakedsushi
Member
The sleep training says there are windows of ages where it's good to start sleep training. The earliest window is 2.5-4 months. The latest window is around 3 years old.
nakedsushi
Member
Yes, it was pretty good. You are in for a ride. I liked her other book, Dark Places, a little better.
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