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UltimaKilo · Jul 7, 2011

ZephyrFate said:
The word you're looking for is fantastical, and hardly, but the thing you have to realize going in is that magic has ALWAYS been in the world and thus if you go in thinking "there's gonna be no magic!", you will be disappointed.

Actually, I meant fanciful. I don't mind if there are some elements of "magic" so long as it can be explained, much the way Star Trek tried to explain something. If the author can logically explain everything in his world, I'm open to it. I thought Dan Brown had the right idea in his last novel (though the book was lacking severely and I did not like him using Freemasonry for monetary gain).

What irks me most of all is that fantasy novels are rarely original in their mysticism. Goblins, wizards, dragons, warlocks, vampires, werewolves etc. Those are not original ideas and to use them seems rather lazy.

BruceLeeRoy · Jul 7, 2011

demon said:
Absolutely love it so far.

This sounds fantastic. Thanks for posting I am picking it up tomorrow.

SyNapSe · Jul 7, 2011

James Rollins Alter of Eden

I've only been so-so on Rollins before but this has been fairly entertaining. I've read it over a long period though. I suppose I have an affinity for the Crichton-style knockoffs

Adam Blade · Jul 7, 2011

mike23 said:
Finished this last night. Not as good as the first two in my opinion, but still very good.

Are there any good urban fantasy books with a successfully villainous main character? Something like the Irredeemable comic maybe, but urban fantasy with magic and myth.

I liked it, but it left more of a cliffhanger than the first two.

Urban fantasy with a villainous-ish/lite. main character. Good? Well, I'll leave it up to you.

8BitsAtATime · Jul 7, 2011

The tom clancy books are pretty cheap so I think i'll give his books a chance. What order am i suppose to read them in?

ZephyrFate · Jul 7, 2011

UltimaKilo said:
Actually, I meant fanciful. I don't mind if there are some elements of "magic" so long as it can be explained, much the way Star Trek tried to explain something. If the author can logically explain everything in his world, I'm open to it. I thought Dan Brown had the right idea in his last novel (though the book was lacking severely and I did not like him using Freemasonry for monetary gain).

What irks me most of all is that fantasy novels are rarely original in their mysticism. Goblins, wizards, dragons, warlocks, vampires, werewolves etc. Those are not original ideas and to use them seems rather lazy.

If you're looking for explanations of magic in ASOIAF, you won't find it. Magic is very much an 'unknown' factor. It is immensely powerful, but always has consequences. It is wild, uncontrollable, a part of nature.

Gvaz · Jul 7, 2011

Yeah if GRRM explained away the magic, the magic wouldn't be as mystical. It'd suffer for it.

Sonicbug · Jul 7, 2011

Aside from the usual manga stuff and the stuff Im still reading (Bards of Bone Plain) because I tend to read more than one book at once, the current slate:

This is the long awaited translation of the sequel to "Dragon Sword and Wind Child." It dovetails nicely into the mythology set up in the first novel, taking place probably a thousand years later. The quest the lead is on isnt exactly clear cut and the characterization is stronger than in Dragon Sword.

I also just finished the latest Spice & Wolf novel:

Its more of the same, Laurence and Holo roll into town and get in trouble and have to find a way out of it with a profit. I can see why the anime skipped over this volume of the series, its all talk and very little action, more about relationship building than making a big profit.

lcd604 · Jul 7, 2011

Eaten By A Grue said:
I liked her books when I was in high school. I really should read more of her works. You should try one of her more famous works if you haven't already, "And Then There Were None."

Just finished the book, it was alright, not bad but not great either. Decent enough to keep me guessing till the very end about who done it. Guess that's a sign of a well crafted mystery.

Now I'm debating on starting either

or

arglebargle · Jul 7, 2011

i just finished freedom by jonathan franzen. im sorta casting about for what to read next. im open to suggestions (my interests are pretty wide ranging; id say i care more about quality than books being in a specific genre), but was thinking about giving the song of ice and fire a chance.

elrechazado · Jul 7, 2011

8BitsAtATime said:
The tom clancy books are pretty cheap so I think i'll give his books a chance. What order am i suppose to read them in?

Hunt for Red October first, because it's so freaking awesome.

Narag · Jul 7, 2011

elrechazao said:
Hunt for Red October first, because it's so freaking awesome.

Doesn't hurt it's also the first Jack Ryan book.

Here's the publication order, 8BitsAtATime, courtesy of wikipedia.

The Hunt for Red October (1984)
Patriot Games (1987)
The Cardinal of the Kremlin (1988)
Clear and Present Danger (1989)
The Sum of All Fears (1991)
Without Remorse (1993)
Debt of Honor (1994)
Executive Orders (1996)
Rainbow Six (1998) (Ryan does not appear, but is mentioned)
The Bear and the Dragon (2000)
Red Rabbit (2002)
The Teeth of the Tiger (2003)
Dead or Alive (2010)

elrechazado · Jul 7, 2011

Narag said:
Doesn't hurt it's also the first Jack Ryan book.

Here's the publication order, 8BitsAtATime, courtesy of wikipedia.

The Hunt for Red October (1984)
Patriot Games (1987)
The Cardinal of the Kremlin (1988)
Clear and Present Danger (1989)
The Sum of All Fears (1991)
Without Remorse (1993)
Debt of Honor (1994)
Executive Orders (1996)
Rainbow Six (1998) (Ryan does not appear, but is mentioned)
The Bear and the Dragon (2000)
Red Rabbit (2002)
The Teeth of the Tiger (2003)
Dead or Alive (2010)

I believe patriot games is chronologically first.

RobertM · Jul 7, 2011

I need your help guys. I just finished NieR and looking for a novel about metaphysics, dualism, some twists about reality. Basically something like NieR, Matrix, Ergo Proxy.

Narag · Jul 7, 2011

RobertM said:
I need your help guys. I just finished NieR and looking for a novel about metaphysics, dualism, some twists about reality. Basically something like NieR, Matrix, Ergo Proxy.

Neuromancer?

UltimaKilo · Jul 7, 2011

RobertM said:
I need your help guys. I just finished NieR and looking for a novel about metaphysics, dualism, some twists about reality. Basically something like NieR, Matrix, Ergo Proxy.

Anything by Michael Crichton.

lawlohwhat · Jul 7, 2011

&

elrechazado · Jul 7, 2011

RobertM said:
I need your help guys. I just finished NieR and looking for a novel about metaphysics, dualism, some twists about reality. Basically something like NieR, Matrix, Ergo Proxy.

ANATHEM by stephenson. All about philosphy and metaphysics and math and theory and all sorts of great stuff.

Crazylegs · Jul 7, 2011

elrechazao said:
ANATHEM by stephenson. All about philosphy and metaphysics and math and theory and all sorts of great stuff.

I concur. Amazing book.

Uriah · Jul 7, 2011

Started reading this

reminds me a lot of The Stand.

I had a question regarding the sequel and prequel to The Forever War. Are they as good as The Forever War? Or will I regret reading them?

nakedsushi · Jul 7, 2011

Just got done with:

Heartless by Gail Carriger

Meh, I think I'm finally done with this series despite the cliffhanger ending in this last book. It's definitely jumped the shark.

I hate babies

grumpy · Jul 7, 2011

Just finished

By far, King's most uninteresting compilation. All four stories were pretty fucking depressing, too. :[

"Millenium Trilogy" next

WJD · Jul 7, 2011

Finished this in the early hours of this morning and overall I loved it. I've always been a fan of the whole real world/fantasy genre of books but this gave that whole genre a wonderfully edgy feel. It's been called "Harry Potter for adults" by a lot of people but I think that's doing a disservice to it.

Maklershed · Jul 7, 2011

arglebargle said:
i just finished freedom by jonathan franzen. im sorta casting about for what to read next. im open to suggestions (my interests are pretty wide ranging; id say i care more about quality than books being in a specific genre), but was thinking about giving the song of ice and fire a chance.

I'd like to suggest this ...

World Made By Hand by James Howard Kunstler

JaseC · Jul 7, 2011

I just finished reading the first five chapters of The Lovely Bones. I haven't read a book in years, probably since senior high school (~7 years). Prior to about an hour ago I had long forgotten the amazing feeling that washes over you when a novel pulls you in and your mind becomes a living, breathing part of that world being described in seemingly infinite detail and subequently projected to your subconscious.

The novel itself is great. Peter Jackson and co. really screwed the pooch on the film adaptation screenplay. Having seen the film twice now, I can't help but read the novel in the voice of Saoirse Ronan's Susie Salmon. This is hardly a bad thing, though, as in a way it actually completes the experience; that Susie Salmon is the Susie Salmon I know her to be and I'm essentially creating for myself a temporary alternate universe in which Jackson actually made an all-around great film adaptation.

I'd love to keep going, but it's nearing 1AM here.

ChoklitReign · Jul 7, 2011

It's really good. I don't know why there aren't any reviews yet. It's about the cultural roots and history of punishment for crimes in America. It's depressing sometimes but it all makes sense and is fun to read.

Reeeeally in-depth criticism of American history from a culturally relative POV. I'm still reading about Columbus and Native Americans. I can't believe that Thanksgiving as I was taught is a fairy tale.

It's so sad that 90% of history books on the Kindle are over $10. Most of them are even $15 or above. Protest with me!

arglebargle · Jul 7, 2011

grumpy said:
Just finished

"Millenium Trilogy" next
[IMGhttp://i.imgur.com/7Uqd5.jpg
[IMGhttp://i.imgur.com/fhc4D.jpg[/IMG]
[IMGhttp://i.imgur.com/rqdpP.jpg[/IMG]

i read these three this year on the kindle. enjoyed them more than i expected to.

Guileless · Jul 7, 2011

I finished American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld, a novel from the point of view of a lightly fictionalized Laura Bush about how a bookish, liberal, small-town teacher from a middle class background wound up married to someone like George Bush. (The setting is Wisconsin instead of Texas and the future president buys the Brewers instead of the Rangers.)

It is readable but pretty long and I think most of the readers of this forum would be off-put by the perspective of the Laura stand-in.

I just read fiction on my Kindle. With history books you generally need maps and those don't work on Kindle.

Gummifaust · Jul 7, 2011

@kanugo, what do you think of that Philip K. Dick novel so far?

RobertM · Jul 7, 2011

elrechazao said:
ANATHEM by stephenson. All about philosphy and metaphysics and math and theory and all sorts of great stuff.

Sound like it's right up my alley, great suggestion.

Tawney Bomb · Jul 8, 2011

Halfway through A Storm of Swords, then moving onto A Feast for Crows, but won't finish before A Dance with Dragons is out.

After all that is done, I'm left with nothing.

magichans · Jul 8, 2011

I'm soon going to start In with the Devil.

Guy basically goes to jail for 10 years for being a druglord. His prosecutor calls him, tells him about a "deal", the only catch is it involves transferring to a maximum security prison for mentally ill people and befriending a serial killer responsible for the deaths of over 20 women and then finding out more information about his victims as well as where he put a body. Oh, and it's all a true story. He ends up apparently finding a weirdass map with locations marked on it with handmade wooden falcons and the serial killer replies, "they watch over the dead".

elrechazado · Jul 8, 2011

started the first hyperion novel and I'm loving it, thanks for all of the recommendations on that one.

The_Monk · Jul 8, 2011

Waiting for this to arrive from Amazon. It's gonna be my 3rd Murakami book and the 4th it's on it's way too.

Hope it is good, any GAF-Murakami fans here?

mike23 · Jul 8, 2011

Just read this straight through. Definitely a worth the $3 on Amazon. Ignore the awful cover art ;p

Zero Sight

B.K. · Jul 8, 2011

I read 1984 while I was banned. It was an interesting book. It took me a few weeks to read it. The first two parts of the book were so slow that it was hard to read sometimes.

coldvein · Jul 8, 2011

The_Monk said:
any GAF-Murakami fans here?

there are many. don't count myself among them, but that's just mostly due to not being familiar with the dude..

HarryHengst · Jul 8, 2011

The_Monk said:
Waiting for this to arrive from Amazon. It's gonna be my 3rd Murakami book and the 4th it's on it's way too.

Hope it is good, any GAF-Murakami fans here?

Of course there are, everyone and their brother likes Murukami because it's one of those authors you like to show how well-read and literate you are.

Salazar · Jul 8, 2011

HarryHengst said:
Of course there are, everyone and their brother likes Murukami because it's one of those authors you like to show how well-read and literate you are.

Man, what a dick post.

Finishing off Malazan, starting The Madonna of the Astrolabe by J.I.M. Stewart.

Yes, there are many Murakami fans on GAF. Natsume Soseki should be someone you check out afterward, along with Kenzaburo Oe.

Lace · Jul 8, 2011

Picked up the girl with the dragon tattoo based on Fiance's recommendation. Only about 200 pages in so far, quite interesting to say the least. Definitely one of the most in depth books I've read in a while.

Jezbollah · Jul 8, 2011

elrechazao said:
I believe patriot games is chronologically first.

Timeline-wise, the books in the Jack Ryan universe have been judged as being in the following order..

Without Remorse (1970)
Patriot Games (1981)
Red Rabbit (1982)
The Hunt for Red October (1984)
The Cardinal of the Kremlin (1986)
Clear and Present Danger (1988)
The Sum of All Fears (199091)
Debt of Honor (199596)
Executive Orders (1996)
Rainbow Six (19992000)
The Bear and the Dragon (2000)
The Teeth of the Tiger (2006)
Dead or Alive (2007)

Personally, I've read all but Without Remorse, Red Rabbit, and Executive Orders onwards.. so I am currently going back to read WR...

elrechazado · Jul 8, 2011

oh you have to read without remorse, it's very very awesome

Sleepy · Jul 8, 2011

Is The Way of Kings by Brian Sanderson worth reading?

Mr Biggles · Jul 8, 2011

On a Storm Of Swords book 2, loving it so far, although pretty pissed at what just happened..

Piecake · Jul 8, 2011

Help Me! said:
Is The Way of Kings by Brian Sanderson worth reading?

I really enjoyed it, and I quit on Mistborn because I thought it was terrible

Deleted member 1235 · Jul 8, 2011

currently reading

The Magicians by Lev Grossman

And it's.... a bit shit. All of the characters are vain stupid assholes, they somehow managed to make magic like reading about calculus and even though I'll finish it, the sequel that's coming definitely won't get a read.

mike23 · Jul 8, 2011

catfish said:
currently reading

The Magicians by Lev Grossman

And it's.... a bit shit. All of the characters are vain stupid assholes, they somehow managed to make magic like reading about calculus and even though I'll finish it, the sequel that's coming definitely won't get a read.

I had the same opinion after I read it. I found myself angry at the characters most of the time while reading it. It wasn't a very enjoyable experience for me.

Sleepy · Jul 8, 2011

Gonaria said:
I really enjoyed it, and I quit on Mistborn because I thought it was terrible

Kings would be the first I have read from Sanderson. Thanks for the post.

Necromanti · Jul 8, 2011

Mac_Lane said:
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, in French, obviously

Weird how they tried to adapt the original Swedish title, but changed it from "Men Who Hate Women" to "Men Who Don't Like/Love Women". At least they didn't change it radically...

Gummifaust · Jul 8, 2011

And why is young Christina Ricci on the cover?

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