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[Maklershed]

Did you watch the tv series as well? I'm thinking of watching it but from what I've heard from a friend it's quite different from the book.

I tried. I watched the first three episodes I think. At that point it was still pretty faithful to the books but it was just boring for some reason. Plus it has the same problem (for me) that Revolution has - everything looks so sound stagey. All the houses look just built, all the yards are perfectly mowed, etc. I know it sounds silly but it just took me out of it.

 

[TheChewyWaffles]

Think I'm still in this weird funk where I'm never sure what I'm in the mood for. Not sure if I'm liking The Forever War a whole lot, as I keep thinking about what I'll just read next.

Keep going. It's a very surreal ending.

 

[AngmarsKing701]

I tried. I watched the first three episodes I think. At that point it was still pretty faithful to the books but it was just boring for some reason. Plus it has the same problem (for me) that Revolution has - everything looks so sound stagey. All the houses look just built, all the yards are perfectly mowed, etc. I know it sounds silly but it just took me out of it.

The show's nickname is Under the Dumb. My wife read the book. We watched part of s1. If the show did anything it convinced me the book isn't worth my time.

 

[ShaneB]

Keep going. It's a very surreal ending.

Finished it this morning. Gave it a 3/5. Liked it, but didn't really click with as me I hoped a sci-fi classic would have. Felt similar to how I was with Old Man's War, the battles and military stuff just felt kinda meh to me, but all the outside stuff was pretty fascinating, just the themes and technology presented.

Saw Gone Girl earlier today as well, and really loved the film in comparison to how much I liked the book. Kinda has me in the mood to read something unsettling next too, a tense gripping mystery thriller, etc.. I'm thinking maybe "Kin"

 

[Flunkie]

Star Wars: A New Dawn

 

[Celcius]

Head First Design Patterns

 

[Dan]

Just started this.

 

[Mr.Swag]

Hemingway's "A Farewell To Arms" right now. Liking it so far. Love The Sun Also Rises.

 

[HoJu]

just started Maurice by E. M. Forster.
also, just got this in the mail:

big fan of Housekeeping and Gilead, so i'm excited.

 

[Freeza Under The Shower]

Head First Design Patterns

that sounds about the worst possible title one could give a textbook.
the rest of the cover also provides additional reinforcement to the previous observation.

Ontopic:

decided to move to on to something else: Roy Porter's Flesh in the Age of Reason. Should be fun. <:

 

[fakefaker]

Finished up The Night Gardener by Jonathan Auxier and thought it was a really well done spooky story for kids. Now onto Devil's Hand by M.E. Patterson.

 

[Maklershed]

On the Kindle side I've finished Gone Girl and I'm starting Slow Getting Up


Slow Getting Up: A Story of NFL Survival from the Bottom of the Pile by Nate Jackson

 

[Cdammen]

I'm reading Gulp: Adventures on the Alimentary Canal - Mary Roach and it's really entertaining. I love general interest books that are not too heavy on the science, and this one is just up my alley. My third Mary Roach book, so I knew what I was getting into. I really recommend people to check out Packing for Mars and Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers if you're a curious person. Also, she has awesome footnotes

 

[ShaneB]

Slow Getting Up: A Story of NFL Survival from the Bottom of the Pile by Nate Jackson

Loved it, glad you're getting around to it after being the one who pointed it out to me!

I've started this..

Now reading,..

The Child Thief by Dan Smith

 

[Mackenzie 92]

^^^ looks interesting

 

[Nymerio]

This Southern Reach thing is pretty great. I'm only at about 60% through the first book but I'm hooked. It reminds me of House of Leaves.

 

[whatevermort]

Just started this.

Interested to see how you get on with this. I'm an enormous Cronenberg fan, and was very excited to read it. I gave up fairly swiftly due to reasons of me thinking it was pretty fucking awful.

 

[aidan]

Alright, GAF. Don't let me down.

 

[lightus]

Finished up Red Country by Joe Abercrombie a few weeks ago. I didn't really care about the plot or most of the characters but it was a fun little adventure regardless. I do have a small problem with how Abercrombie has handled the series. The original trilogy set the stage for a larger plot arc and grander events. I feel however, with the following three books he sorta shrugged off a lot of these things. I hope in the future he returns to pick up on some threads he started in the trilogy.

Now I'm on to The Wise Man's Fear by Patrick Rothfuss. I just love reading this book. I'm halfway in and it makes me a bit sad because I don't want to finish.

 

[Kard8p3]

Reading Invitation To Valhalla by Mike Whicker, it's for my WW2 history class.

 

[Nuke Soda]

Try The Tiger's Wife by Tea Obreht. It's beautiful.



I wrote the following in my review a few years ago, and still feel like it's absolutely accurate about my feelings towards the novel: "There are novels on the knife’s edge of perfection, that are so joyous and heartrending that to speculate on them, no matter how effusively, would be to mar their beauty. Stardust by Neil Gaiman is one such novel for me. The Tiger’s Wife is another. There’s magic in this novel and I recommend it with every ounce of my passion for literature."

Sold. Next time I wind up in a bookstore it will be at the top of my list.

 

[kswiston]

Finished up Red Country by Joe Abercrombie a few weeks ago. I didn't really care about the plot or most of the characters but it was a fun little adventure regardless. I do have a small problem with how Abercrombie has handled the series. The original trilogy set the stage for a larger plot arc and grander events. I feel however, with the following three books he sorta shrugged off a lot of these things. I hope in the future he returns to pick up on some threads he started in the trilogy.

Now I'm on to The Wise Man's Fear by Patrick Rothfuss. I just love reading this book. I'm halfway in and it makes me a bit sad because I don't want to finish.

Abercrombie is planning another First Law trilogy, but it's still 2-3 years out. The three standalone novels focused more on world building and smaller, often personal conflicts. I would imagine that the next trilogy is a return to epic fantasy. The thing that surprised me is the time lapse before we return to the original trilogy's main cast. This next trilogy will likely be 20 years later at this point.

 

[Hieberrr]

I'm reading Annihilation and while I like it, damn, there are barely any conversations. I'm halfway through the book and there have been maybe 10 so far.

 

[Tragicomedy]

Alright, GAF. Don't let me down.

Is your house in order?

I'm reading Annihilation and while I like it, damn, there are barely any conversations. I'm halfway through the book and there have been maybe 10 so far.

There is almost no dialogue at all in the first book. There's more in the next two, but it's still used sparingly. You spend more time in different people's thoughts than you will reading conversation.

 

[woodland]

PERCY JACKSON ON TUESDAY

 

[ShaneB]

^^^ looks interesting

Just read a couple chapters before bed and yeah, off to a tense start.

 

[KmA]

I just finished Ready Player One and my god I did not like it very much. It would have been cool if the pop culture references amounted to anything but everything was just... name dropped and then it just vanished. Other than one certain twist

Spoiler

(the reveal of Aech in real life),

I thought everything else in the book was poor. There was a wishy-washy message and nothing really felt resolved emotionally.

Anyway, I have Watchmen sitting here waiting to be read while I'm powering my way through Sabriel, The Last Unicorn, Legend, and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.

Now I'm on to The Wise Man's Fear by Patrick Rothfuss. I just love reading this book. I'm halfway in and it makes me a bit sad because I don't want to finish.

Name of the Wind is one of my favorite books. Really loved both so far, can't wait for the Auri novella that's coming out at the end of the month!

 

[Nakho]

Blindness is heartbreaking.

Been meaning to sink my teeth on it. Good thing too that I can experience it in its original language. Saramago fans, what are other good books from him? My father has quite a few of them, I want to sort out the good ones for my to-read list.

 

[Mumei]

Finished:

Hair Story is interesting, though aside from the opening chapters about hair culture in Africa and the effects of poor hair-care resources during slavery, there wasn't too much that I didn't have some idea of. But if you're less familiar with the subject, or are interested in a history of black hair culture products and styling / political trends, I'd definitely recommend it. I hadn't realized ~quite~ how fraught hair politics were, myself.

Wolf in White Van was great, and I'm still thinking it through. It's one of those books where I finish it and I'm not sure at all what I "got" and what I think I got, but actually completely missed the point. I can see why besada suggested it, though!

Currently Reading:

The Golem and the Jinni lives up to the hype so far. It's quite evocative. I planned on alternating between this and Vendler's Dickinson analysis, but I think I'll stick to the former for the time being. It's can't-put-down stuff for me.

Spoiler

This is now the second hyped-up debut book by a female author that has grabbed me like this, after The People in the Trees.

 

[Tragicomedy]

Finished:

Is that John Darnielle from The Mountain Goats?

 

[Mumei]

Is that John Darnielle from The Mountain Goats?

Yes.

 

[TestMonkey]

Finished John Dies at the End by David Wong and Know-It-All: One Man's Humble Quest to Become the Smartest Person in the World by A. J. Jacobs.

Starting One Nation: What We Can All do To Save America's Future by Ben Carson, MD on recommendation from my dad and continuing What Happens in Vegas Stays on YouTube by Erik Qualman for a class.

 

[Jimothy]

Finished John Dies at the End by David Wong and Know-It-All: One Man's Humble Quest to Become the Smartest Person in the World by A. J. Jacobs.

Starting One Nation: What We Can All do To Save America's Future by Ben Carson, MD on recommendation from my dad and continuing What Happens in Vegas Stays on YouTube by Erik Qualman for a class.

Ben Carson wrote a book? Fuck

 

[Biochet]

i like rud so far

already read it but just refreshing my memory before reading The Hunted

i dont want this series to end pls

 

[lightus]

Abercrombie is planning another First Law trilogy, but it's still 2-3 years out. The three standalone novels focused more on world building and smaller, often personal conflicts. I would imagine that the next trilogy is a return to epic fantasy. The thing that surprised me is the time lapse before we return to the original trilogy's main cast. This next trilogy will likely be 20 years later at this point.

That's good news about him making another trilogy. The time jump thing is interesting. I'm still unsure how I feel about it.

Name of the Wind is one of my favorite books. Really loved both so far, can't wait for the Auri novella that's coming out at the end of the month!

I've got the novella preordered. Should be good!

 

[FUBAR McDangles]

Just finished Joe Hill's Horns. Started off so promising and then went downhill hard. Was not a fan of the last 2/3s.

Trying to decide between Bourne Supremacy by Ludlum, The Town by Chuck Hogan, and Micro by Crichton. Don't know which one to choose.

 

[Tragicomedy]

Yes.

I love his music so much, and had no idea he wrote a book. How big of a limb am I going on in guessing it's depressing? His childhood abuse dominates his music.

 

[Mr.Swag]

Just finished Joe Hill's Horns. Started off so promising and then went downhill hard. Was not a fan of the last 2/3s.

Trying to decide between Bourne Supremacy by Ludlum, The Town by Chuck Hogan, and Micro by Crichton. Don't know which one to choose.

Yea I didn't love it

(Horns) coulda been better

 

[Nakho]

Finished John Dies at the End by David Wong and Know-It-All: One Man's Humble Quest to Become the Smartest Person in the World by A. J. Jacobs.

Starting One Nation: What We Can All do To Save America's Future by Ben Carson, MD on recommendation from my dad and continuing What Happens in Vegas Stays on YouTube by Erik Qualman for a class.

Can you comment a little on the books you've read? I have an interest in John Dies at the End, but it's also that I find it annoying that people just name-drop the books they've read. It doesn't make for good discussion, I think.

 

[Pau]

Why do you dislike JE?

Mr. Rochester is an asshole. Other than that, Gothic lit and romance usually aren't my thing.

I'm reading Consider Phlebas[/b] by I.M. Banks. About 100 pages in, and so far it feels rather generic. I guess it is just the beginning, and also one of the first novels?

 

[Ashes]

Nearly done reading Divergence. If you are looking for a quick read, read this. My first mass market fiction book in quite a while is alright I guess. Someone told me I tend to read a lot of dead authors. This isn't true but I suppose, even if I am in denial, it's nice to read a living breathing author for a change.

Edit: word to the wise, the plot can be more than a bit outlandish and silly.

 

[DiscoShark]

Going through :

... and its been really interesting so far! Definitely SciFi through and through and Vernor Vinge does a pretty fantastic job of exploring the diversity of life in a Galaxy wide civilization. It's just really refreshing to see someone with the insight not to make every "alien" life form a boring human-like bipedal life form. I love the shifting perspectives between the larger galaxy ending apocalypse that is the blight and the smaller adventures of the refugees on the planet of the Thines. Really introduces some interesting concepts with respect to hive minded creatures and the potential pitfalls that come down that evolutionary path as well.

 

[AngmarsKing701]

I read Abercrombie's new YA book, Half a King.

It was ok. Very fast-paced, decent characters. Extremely trope-y. I sort of expected that, like his First Law books, the tropes would be evoked and then completely turned inside out and subverted. Instead they were evoked and then... sort of mildly averted? Also he raises some ethical questions towards the end that are interesting but almost entirely ignored by the main characters.

Also there was a twist that was simultaneously a ridiculous out of nowhere coincidence and way too predictable. As impossible as that sounds.

Dunno if I'd really recommend unless you're already into Abercrombie. This is much less bloody than his usual though.

Yeah I thought it was good but not great. Sort of watered down Abercrombie. I'll finish the series I'm sure but I'm way more eager to read his next adult trilogy.

 

[Tragicomedy]

Edit: word to the wise, the plot can be more than a bit outlandish and silly.

If you continue the trilogy, just know it gets worse. Much worse.

 

[Christoff Yurievich]

Finished Un Lun Dun and it was an interesting read. Two things about the book stand out to me: the conversation with Mr. Speaker and the subversion of prophesies.

 

[O.DOGG]

I thought I'd read some non sci-fi for a change of pace so I started Dataclysm,

The subject matter is fascinating to me, and it's been an easy read so far.

 

[Ashes]

If you continue the trilogy, just know it gets worse. Much worse.

I can believe that. I've finished this first one now. & it got even more silly and outlandish than at the point I had written above.

I think I'll go back to my dead authors for a bit. I've been meaning to read The Thin Man by Dashiell Hammett. I found out today that he only wrote 5 novels. So might as well read the first one, which is Red Harvest.

And yes, before anyone asks, I know it was serialised.

 

[KingKiller]

Currently reading A Wise Man's Fear by Patrick Rothfuss and meandering my way through The Will to Power by Friedrich Nietzsche.

 

[KingGondo]

I'm putting aside The Blade Itself for now and moving on to Annihilation.

Just from reading a couple dozen pages I can already tell I made a good decision.

 

[nakedsushi]

Finished this last night:


When We Were Orphans by Kazuo Ishiguro

I was about to stop a little more than halfway in because it does get a bit meandering, but I'm so glad I soldiered on. The ending was unexpected and powerful. Ishiguro continues to be one of my favorite writers. Plus points for this taking place in my hometown.