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What are you reading? (June 2017)

4

4Tran

Member
Morat said:
41q1VH5ZIsL._SX325_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg


Rather good.
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Are 600 pages going to be able to cover the entire history of such an enormous country? I imagine that that would be barely enough to cover one major dynasty or one particularly eventful period.

Right now, I'm learning about the stark differences between early-Ming and mid-Ming China, and I can't imagine such a short work being able to cover it. And I know that the English-language historiography about China tends to overlook tons of major events like the Han-Xiongnu War:

http://scholars-stage.blogspot.ca/2014/09/what-edward-luttwak-doesnt-know-about.html
http://scholars-stage.blogspot.ca/2014/09/what-edward-luttwak-doesnt-know-about_6.html
 
S

Servbot #42

Unconfirmed Member
MrOogieBoogie said:
How does Royal Assassin compare to the first book?

I'm almost done with Assassin's Apprentice, and I absolutely agree, Hobb has a way of making her writing flow effortlessly.
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I'm pretty early but it does compare very favorably, the beginning is a bit slow since you kinda get a recap of what happened in the first book but things pick up from there. I also think the author is gonna throw some romance mixed with the royal intrigue so that's interesting. I'm really liking it, there's just something about the writing and the well-developed characters that keep pulling me in.
 
B

BrianRoyale

Member
Finished "Men at Arms" and currently reading "Feet of Clay" by Pratchett. I love me some Sam Vimes stories.

I really miss Pratchett.
 
M

mu cephei

Member
Mumei said:
Until recently I had about thirty books on request, many of which I had suggested for purchase. For about a month and a half I would go to the library and find that there were books waiting for me.

"... I don't remember requesting this but it must've looked interesting!"


I know why they did it, but it's still annoying. I mean, they are finally releasing a right-to-left release of the Akira manga, so it's not like they don't know how to fix these things.
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Some sort of anniversary edition like that Akira one would be very nice! I think there's a chance.

I find it cool that libraries accept suggestions for purchase, those books you requested to buy in will be there for years to come, shaping the reading habits of countless library users...

Servbot #42 said:
I'm pretty early but it does compare very favorably, the beginning is a bit slow since you kinda get a recap of what happened in the first book but things pick up from there. I also think the author is gonna throw some romance mixed with the royal intrigue so that's interesting. I'm really liking it, there's just about the writing and well-developed characters that keep pulling me in.
Click to expand...

Hobb is great, and yeah she writes some of the best characters in fantasy imo. I'm currently re-reading Royal Assassin, and Kettricken and Verity <3
 
R

Raticus79

Seek victory, not fairness
I finished reading the first two books of the Stormlight archive over the last month. All set for the next one coming up in November.

The attempt to create a coherent magic system is interesting. I hadn't read the other books in his "cosmere" and apparently there are a lot of tie-ins - I thought I was missing a lot of details but there are things that just rely on having knowledge of the other books. The tvtropes page helped make sense of all that once I was done. With that said, it still worked well enough on its own.
 
F

fakefaker

Member
Mumei said:
Which version did you get?
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I chose the version translated by Dennis Washburn. I found a website that reviews the 3 main translations, and seeing that there was a newer 4th translation and after checking some reviews on amazon, I decided it was the best choice for me. I liked this version's cover the best too haha.

Which is your fave?
 
S

Switch Back 9

a lot of my threads involve me fucking up somehow. Perhaps I'm a moron?
BrianRoyale said:
Finished "Men at Arms" and currently reading "Feet of Clay" by Pratchett. I love me some Sam Vimes stories.

I really miss Pratchett.
Click to expand...

I'm also currently about 2/3 through Feet of Clay. I just love stories about The Watch. I wish there were more.

mu cephei said:
Hobb is great, and yeah she writes some of the best characters in fantasy imo. I'm currently re-reading Royal Assassin, and Kettricken and Verity <3
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Fitz is one of the worst written, most awful, least developed go-nowhere characters in fantasy. I'll never understand why people praise Hobb.
 
M

Mumei

Member
mu cephei said:
Some sort of anniversary edition like that Akira one would be very nice! I think there's a chance.
Click to expand...

I kind of doubt it. It's one thing for a more contained six volume series of an iconic manga and anime; it's quite another for a 31 volume manga.

I find it cool that libraries accept suggestions for purchase, those books you requested to buy in will be there for years to come, shaping the reading habits of countless library users...
Click to expand...

It's great for academic press books that I don't have the money for. :D
 
M

MrOogieBoogie

BioShock Infinite is like playing some homeless guy's vivid imagination
Raticus79 said:
I finished reading the first two books of the Stormlight archive over the last month. All set for the next one coming up in November.

The attempt to create a coherent magic system is interesting. I hadn't read the other books in his "cosmere" and apparently there are a lot of tie-ins - I thought I was missing a lot of details but there are things that just rely on having knowledge of the other books. The tvtropes page helped make sense of all that once I was done. With that said, it still worked well enough on its own.
Click to expand...

How'd you like the Stormlight books overall? And how would you compare them to other sci-fi/fantasy?

Switch Back 9 said:
Fitz is one of the worst written, most awful, least developed go-nowhere characters in fantasy. I'll never understand why people praise Hobb.
Click to expand...

Like I said, I'm still on Assassin's Apprentice, so maybe I'd understand better having read the latter novels, but I haven't seen anything that makes me think Fitz is poorly written. Huh?
 
M

Mumei

Member
fakefaker said:
I chose the version translated by Dennis Washburn. I found a website that reviews the 3 main translations, and seeing that there was a newer 4th translation and after checking some reviews on amazon, I decided it was the best choice for me. I liked this version's cover the best too haha.

Which is your fave?
Click to expand...

I am in the middle of reading the translation by Royall Tyler that I've been finding rather frustrating (I haven't read it in months). I actually saw the Washburn translation at the book store and was much happier with it. I have been thinking that when I am motivated to read it again I'll probably continue with that edition.

MrOogieBoogie said:
Like I said, I'm still on Assassin's Apprentice, so maybe I'd understand better having read the latter novels, but I haven't seen anything that makes me think Fitz is poorly written. Huh?
Click to expand...

Honestly, I wouldn't worry about defending or prosecuting Fitz until much later. :p
 
V

Veelk

Banned
MrOogieBoogie said:
How'd you like the Stormlight books overall? And how would you compare them to other sci-fi/fantasy?
Click to expand...

Well, that's a pretty broad question. There are ALL SORTS of sci-fi/fantasy books. Rather than do that or a minireview, I'm just gonna say that, imo, they're worth reading. Especially if you happened to like the Wheel of Time books, as they feel very much like an evolved and competent execution of that kind of style of storytelling, while still being unique. And if you didn't like WoT (like me) I recommend it for the same reason. That's how I see, Wheel of Time done right.



Re: Assassin's Apprentice

I read those sometime 2 years ago, and I didn't really see what the fuss is about. I didn't think it was offensively bad or anything, but I read the first book and it just felt average to me. Is this one of those that gets better as it goes along or what?
 
M

Mumei

Member
Veelk said:
Re: Assassin's Apprentice

I read those sometime 2 years ago, and I didn't really see what the fuss is about. I didn't think it was offensively bad or anything, but I read the first book and it just felt average to me. Is this one of those that gets better as it goes along or what?
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I had a lot of feelings about those books (both good and bad), but "average" wasn't one of them. I don't think I've read any other fantasy series with as much attention to detail insofar as the perspective from which a story is being written is concerned. I don't think that this gets "better" as it goes along (though in other series where she has multiple character perspectives it is more obvious how she is doing this than in a series where you are locked into a single, often myopic, perspective).
 
M

More_Badass

Member
Jag said:
Need some more older YA for my 13 year old boy. Mystery preferred. I don't think he loves fantasy unfortunately. He's already gone through Potter, Percy Jackson/Riordan, Hunger Games, Enders Game, Sanderson's Alcatraz, Artemis Fowl and the Carl Hiassen YA books that were recommended here.
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Has he tried the Pendragon series, he might like that. I was obsessed with that series when I was that age and my currently 15-year old brother just got into the series as well. Interesting mix of sci-fi and fantasy, good action, enjoyable characters and stories, cool lore and world-building
 
B

besada

Banned
The Mule said:
Greg Egan makes all other sci-fi authors seem like simpletons with small minds and narrow vision.
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He is the only author I've read that invented his own universe with its own physics, just so he could write stories in it. I love Egan.

Although I think Gregory Benford (theoretical plasma physicist) is pretty great, too.
 
D

dakini

Member
Currently reading The Leopard by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa and I can't say that I like it. The book is quite short, but it feels like it's taking forever to get through. My main issue is that the author spends an inordinate amount of time narrating which doesn't allow for much character development. I love classics, but this isn't doing it for me.
 
S

Sadsic

Member
Are there any good, unbiased books on critical race theory that someone could recommend me? I am sincerely confused on the subject and could really use some insight into both sides of for and against the idea
 
R

Rayven

aka surume
John Kowalski said:
Almost finished with Fifth Head of Cerberus and starting The Three Stigmatas of Palmer Eldritch, shit is nice
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Great books and boy are you in for a treat. Cerberus has a super thought provoking ending which forces you to look back and question some stuff. Palmer Eldritch is really solid PKD. One of my favs.
 
H

Haly

One day I realized that sadness is just another word for not enough coffee.
The man haunts me even in my weeb MMO.

ipQPnuj.jpg
 
Jag

Jag

Member
More_Badass said:
Has he tried the Pendragon series, he might like that. I was obsessed with that series when I was that age and my currently 15-year old brother just got into the series as well. Interesting mix of sci-fi and fantasy, good action, enjoyable characters and stories, cool lore and world-building
Click to expand...

Never heard of it. Looks good though. Thanks.
 
R

Raticus79

Seek victory, not fairness
Veelk said:
Well, that's a pretty broad question. There are ALL SORTS of sci-fi/fantasy books. Rather than do that or a minireview, I'm just gonna say that, imo, they're worth reading. Especially if you happened to like the Wheel of Time books, as they feel very much like an evolved and competent execution of that kind of style of storytelling, while still being unique. And if you didn't like WoT (like me) I recommend it for the same reason. That's how I see, Wheel of Time done right.
Click to expand...

I'd agree with that - I actually bailed out of Wheel of Time pretty early since the writing style put me off for some reason (will probably revisit it someday). Didn't have that problem here.
 
P

Pau

Member
Jag said:
Need some more older YA for my 13 year old boy. Mystery preferred. I don't think he loves fantasy unfortunately. He's already gone through Potter, Percy Jackson/Riordan, Hunger Games, Enders Game, Sanderson's Alcatraz, Artemis Fowl and the Carl Hiassen YA books that were recommended here.
Click to expand...
Chaos Walking by Patrick Ness. I'll co-sign on Pendragon. But yeah, most of the YA I know is some sort of fantasy.
 
A

aidan

Hugo Award Winning Author and Editor
Just a quick note to mention that my novelette, "The Red-rimmed Eyes of Tou Ma," hit the Kindle store today: http://amzn.to/2rAXguH

Here's the cover:

VULJBzZl.jpg


And a blurb:

To save his friend, Farid Sulayk, the Patchwork Priest, needs to get to O’oa Tsetse before the next full moon. But between here and there are highways crawling with rebels, and a range of sky-scraping mountains riddled with blood ghosts, k&#333;-dan, and worse. Ethereal Tóu M&#462; offers Farid passage through the mountains, but at a cost: defeat the warlock Wu-jiu, who holds the village of Tt’Hsiung in her blood-soaked fist.

Accompanied by Tóu M&#462;, a mischievous fire djinn, and his growing doubts, Farid races to reach O’oa Tsetse before it’s too late; but first he must defeat the deadly warlock and her ghostly Yoo-in. As secrets are revealed and blood is spilled, will Farid’s battle-hardened mechanical arm and djinn magic be enough to see them through alive?
Click to expand...

If you're interested, it's just $0.99!

[/usedcarsalesman]
 
M

mu cephei

Member
Switch Back 9 said:
Fitz is one of the worst written, most awful, least developed go-nowhere characters in fantasy. I'll never understand why people praise Hobb.
Click to expand...

no hes not

Mumei said:
I kind of doubt it. It's one thing for a more contained six volume series of an iconic manga and anime; it's quite another for a 31 volume manga.
Click to expand...

Well, I didn't think Akira was a very practical example of what they could have done with BotI. So I decided to disregard all mundane considerations (such as likelihood of financial return) and view it simply as an example of abstract possibility :p

Manji is currently held captive getting experimented on. After this arc it's all new stuff to me.

It's great for academic press books that I don't have the money for. :D
Click to expand...

I see them pop up on goodreads and try not to get jealous.
 
A

AP90

Member
Count of Monte Christo- by Alexandre Dumas.

One of the hardcover leather-bound books from my collection that purchased from Barnes and Noble last year.

Just started today.

** I read the illustrated classics version as a kid and the young adult one as a teen. Now I have the full version that I am excited to read. Will prob need to keep a pocket dictionary handy =D

Edit: Here is a photo of the edition I own https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&ccid=hJ406ugI&id=B1A5034DFA452FCCE9A93D73A0DD6DD282AE008C&thid=OIP.hJ406ugI0Vnm4Aw9sdieQwEsEc&q=the+count+of+monte+cristo+leather+bound&simid=607997590593407043&mode=overlay&first=1
 
R

Relceroi

Neo Member
After a month or so of managing only about 10 pages a day, if even that, I finally finished The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet. For Sci-Fi, it was quite character focused for a change so I suppose it was good that I ended up liking the characters well enough. At times, a few of them seemed to disappear and not be present for extended periods of time, but just about everyone got their time in the spotlight at one point or another. Mostly I enjoyed how, for once, the characters did and said things that I wanted them to do and say on several occasions throughout the book. A very pleasant read, if not especially memorable.

Also, I somewhat recently listened to the two already published Bobiverse books by Dennis E. Taylor and I enjoyed them quite a bit. Certainly a lot more than I had initially thought when I stumbled upon the first one a few months back. The narration is, at least for me, excellent and there are aspects in this book series that I found very fascinating. Despite the circumstances of the main character(s), time is always a limiting factor.

I don't remember seeing too many mentions of this series here, but I heartily recommend it if you are at all interested in Sci-Fi that has a sense of exploration, discovery and trying to make the best out of a bad situation. I'd say it reads very similarly to The Martian in tone, which may or may not be a good thing.

Now I'm faced with the challenge of having to decide what I'm going to be reading next. Right now, it's a tie between The Goblin Emperor, A Natural History of Dragons (as well as the rest of the series), and Star Maker. I've also been meaning to read the Farseer trilogy for a while now as well. I already have the trilogy all set and ready to go on my bookshelf. Actually my backlog in terms of books that I already own is over 40, but that's a positive problem.
 
M

Mumei

Member
AP90 said:
Count of Monte Christo- by Alexandre Dumas.

One of the hardcover leather-bound books from my collection that purchased from Barnes and Noble last year.

Just started today.

** I read the illustrated classics version as a kid and the young adult one as a teen. Now I have the full version that I am excited to read. Will prob need to keep a pocket dictionary handy =D

Edit: Here is a photo of the edition I own https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&ccid=hJ406ugI&id=B1A5034DFA452FCCE9A93D73A0DD6DD282AE008C&thid=OIP.hJ406ugI0Vnm4Aw9sdieQwEsEc&q=the+count+of+monte+cristo+leather+bound&simid=607997590593407043&mode=overlay&first=1
Click to expand...

It's a very pretty edition, but you'll still want to read this edition. The Robin Buss translation is the only good English translation; every other translation you'll find is based on one of several versions of a nineteenth-century translation that censored and bowdlerized the material, and in some cases abridged or rearranged material.
 
A

AP90

Member
Mumei said:
It's a very pretty edition, but you'll still want to read this edition. The Robin Buss translation is the only good English translation; every other translation you'll find is based on one of several versions of a nineteenth-century translation that censored and bowdlerized the material, and in some cases abridged or rearranged material.
Click to expand...

My friend at work told me to eventually read the penguin publishers version as well (will probably do so in a few years) This one is Victorian in nature they way it is written/reads. Wanted a nice leather-bound collection of some of the great classics that are both a great reads and will be something future kids will maybe like to read.

I worked in a library growing up and I still prefer turning physical pages and reading from an actual book. Don't see myself reading out loud from a kindle lol.
 
A

AP90

Member
DemWalls said:
Pretty unostentatious.
Click to expand...

Don't worry.. This book and my collection are not just for display but also reading enjoyment =)

You see, I started buying these books last year or so.. And my collection is building.. Around 20+ books now. Barnes and Noble is discontinuing many of the current leather bound editions amd replacing them with these cheap plush ones.. And I dislike paperbacks and even some of the hard cover books as the build quality is not as good imo.

So I have this awesome collection of books that I will like to fill an awesome glassed in book case by my computer and desk that I have not bought yet.
 
F

Funyarinpa

Member
Oddly enough, with longer classics, I tend to prefer cheaper paperbacks, stuff I can bend and crease and toss around. Wordsworth Classics are sublime for this. I got War and Peace for three pounds!

That said, Penguin's new paperback covers (with those patterns, like a pocket watch for Oliver Twist) are REALLY tempting ;_;

I really can't stand clothbound books, worst of all. Just... Irksome to the touch.
 
M

MrOogieBoogie

BioShock Infinite is like playing some homeless guy's vivid imagination
I finished up Assassin's Apprentice today, which I thought was great. Really enjoyed it.

Also, that marks the 18th book I've read since I got a Kindle a year ago. I think prior to my Kindle the most books I've read in a year's time was, like, four. I pretty much do all of my reading on the go, and a Kindle has been a godsend for commuters like myself who can sneak in several pages anytime he or she is traveling.

Because I like lists, I'd rank my reads as follows (favorite to least favorite):

1. Hyperion - Dan Simmons
2. 1984 - George Orwell
3. The Forever War - Joe Haldeman
4. The Fall of Hyperion - Dan Simmons
5. Senlin Ascends - Josiah Bancroft
6. Assassin's Apprentice - Robin Hobb
7. Deadhouse Gates - Steven Erikson
8. Altered Carbon - Richard K. Morgan
9. The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien
10. The Lies of Locke Lamora - Scott Lynch
11. The Stand - Stephen King
12. The Ocean at the End of the Lane - Neil Gaiman
13. Memories of Ice - Steven Erikson
14. Gardens of the Moon - Steven Erikson
15. The Claw of the Conciliator - Gene Wolfe
16. The Lions of Al-Rassan - Guy Gavriel Kay
17. The Son - Philipp Meyer
18. The Shadow of the Torturer - Gene Wolfe

I definitely caught up on some fantasy. :p
 
M

Mumei

Member
MrOogieBoogie said:
I finished up Assassin's Apprentice today, which I thought was great. Really enjoyed it.

Also, that marks the 18th book I've read since I got a Kindle a year ago. I think prior to my Kindle the most books I've read in a year's time was, like, four. I pretty much do all of my reading on the go, and a Kindle has been a godsend for commuters like myself who can sneak in several pages anytime he or she is traveling.

Because I like lists, I'd rank my reads as follows (favorite to least favorite):

1. Hyperion - Dan Simmons
2. 1984 - George Orwell
3. The Forever War - Joe Haldeman
4. The Fall of Hyperion - Dan Simmons
5. Senlin Ascends - Josiah Bancroft
6. Assassin's Apprentice - Robin Hobb
7. Deadhouse Gates - Steven Erikson
8. Altered Carbon - Richard K. Morgan
9. The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien
10. The Lies of Locke Lamora - Scott Lynch
11. The Stand - Stephen King
12. The Ocean at the End of the Lane - Neil Gaiman
13. Memories of Ice - Steven Erikson
14. Gardens of the Moon - Steven Erikson
15. The Claw of the Conciliator - Gene Wolfe
16. The Lions of Al-Rassan - Guy Gavriel Kay
17. The Son - Philipp Meyer
18. The Shadow of the Torturer - Gene Wolfe

I definitely caught up on some fantasy. :p
Click to expand...

Your inability to appreciate Gene Wolfe properly aside, that is a great looking list.
 
M

Mumei

Member
AP90 said:
My friend at work told me to eventually read the penguin publishers version as well (will probably do so in a few years) This one is Victorian in nature they way it is written/reads. Wanted a nice leather-bound collection of some of the great classics that are both a great reads and will be something future kids will maybe like to read.

I worked in a library growing up and I still prefer turning physical pages and reading from an actual book. Don't see myself reading out loud from a kindle lol.
Click to expand...

Whatever made you think I wanted you to read the Kindle edition? Heaven forfend. I linked the paperback!
 
A

AP90

Member
Mumei said:
Whatever made you think I wanted you to read the Kindle edition? Heaven forfend. I linked the paperback!
Click to expand...

Lol, I didn't mean to give that impression. Sorry if I did!

I was explaining my reasoning for wanting a high quality hard cover Aka leather-bound! Every person that has been to my home has asked me why I didn't buy it my books an e-book. They are like, you can just read it on your phone/tablet. And I am like It's just not the same.
 
S

Saphirax

Member
Finished a few books this month:

233679.jpg
1371.jpg
18693771.jpg
26883558.jpg


I utterly adored Guards! Guards! The Ballad of Black Tom was simply 'ok'. It was also a quick read so that was a plus.

These two are the ones I'm currently reading. As much as I'm enjoying Quicksilver, it can be quite a slog from time to time.
823.jpg
28660.jpg
 
M

Morat

Banned
4Tran said:
Are 600 pages going to be able to cover the entire history of such an enormous country? I imagine that that would be barely enough to cover one major dynasty or one particularly eventful period.

Right now, I'm learning about the stark differences between early-Ming and mid-Ming China, and I can't imagine such a short work being able to cover it. And I know that the English-language historiography about China tends to overlook tons of major events like the Han-Xiongnu War:

http://scholars-stage.blogspot.ca/2014/09/what-edward-luttwak-doesnt-know-about.html
http://scholars-stage.blogspot.ca/2014/09/what-edward-luttwak-doesnt-know-about_6.html
Click to expand...

It's definitely an overview. I intend to do some more focused reading on Chinese history when I'm done with it. As an introduction it's good though.
 
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