Well...fuck. I'll keep going tho, I'm not against a flashback itself, just think it's kinda boring so far. Maybe it'll chance.
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What are you reading? (July 2017)
- Thread starter Maklershed
- Start date
Well...fuck. I'll keep going tho, I'm not against a flashback itself, just think it's kinda boring so far. Maybe it'll chance.
Ravensmash
Member
So, How to Stop Time was fantastic despite my early apathy.
So glad that I stuck with it as it's one of the best reads I've had recently. Matt Haig is a very talented writer - light on description but flows so well.
And now... I'm reading the third book in The Gentleman Bastards series - Republic of Thieves by Scott Lynch.
Read the first two in quick succession at the start of this year, and I really don't have a strong recollection of the specifics of the previous.
Luckily, it's feeling rather standalone at present (with explanations for the larger stuff), so loving it so far.
Edit: Also finding that a lot of stuff is coming back to me, which builds some confidence for when I return to Game of Thrones....
So glad that I stuck with it as it's one of the best reads I've had recently. Matt Haig is a very talented writer - light on description but flows so well.
And now... I'm reading the third book in The Gentleman Bastards series - Republic of Thieves by Scott Lynch.
Read the first two in quick succession at the start of this year, and I really don't have a strong recollection of the specifics of the previous.
Luckily, it's feeling rather standalone at present (with explanations for the larger stuff), so loving it so far.
Edit: Also finding that a lot of stuff is coming back to me, which builds some confidence for when I return to Game of Thrones....
Servbot #42
Unconfirmed Member
These were the last two books that i finished. The sixth Extinction was decent, is kinda fucking insane that the tech depicted in the book is real and could potentially be used to create all kinds of stuff, it blew my mind. Now White Noise i don't think i liked it a lot....i didn't hate it but its themes kinda flew past me, so i was left with the plot that i didn't particulary care for. I think i may re-read it at some point because doing some research the major themes of the book are fascinating.
Maklershed
Member
Putting The Closers on pause while I read The Miracle of Dunkirk. I just saw the movie (incredible btw - go see it) and this happened to be $1.99 so I figured I'd switch to this quick.
The Miracle of Dunkirk: The True Story of Operation Dynamo by Walter Lord
The Miracle of Dunkirk: The True Story of Operation Dynamo by Walter Lord
Massive Nights
Member
This is the second part of the Plague Times trilogy, the third part has just been released. It's a UK set series about the survivors of a flu-type virus that wipes out most of the human race.
Maklershed
Member
Oh sounds interesting. Gonna add this to my wish list.This is the second part of the Plague Times trilogy, the third part has just been released. It's a UK set series about the survivors of a flu-type virus that wipes out most of the human race.
scarface983
Member
Putting The Closers on pause while I read The Miracle of Dunkirk. I just saw the movie (incredible btw - go see it) and this happened to be $1.99 so I figured I'd switch to this quick.
The Miracle of Dunkirk: The True Story of Operation Dynamo by Walter Lord
I bought this also.. I think they had it for $1 the other day.
I started book 4 of the Malazan Empire
This is the only fantasy series that I have come across where I can be several books deep into the series and still have no idea what the hell is going on for dozens (sometimes hundreds) of pages with the start of each new book.
This makes Game of Thrones look like Animorphs when it comes to convoluted lore and character webs. At least the fanbase is dedicated enough that there are some decent fan wikis out there.
This is the only fantasy series that I have come across where I can be several books deep into the series and still have no idea what the hell is going on for dozens (sometimes hundreds) of pages with the start of each new book.
This makes Game of Thrones look like Animorphs when it comes to convoluted lore and character webs. At least the fanbase is dedicated enough that there are some decent fan wikis out there.
Wildfire by Ilona Andrews came out today. It's got a horrible cover that does nothing to sell the book so I won't post it, but the series is awesome if you're looking for a Urban/Paranormal Fantasy series. I'm currently re-reading the first two before starting the new one.
Finished Dungeon Crawl by Annie Bellet last night. I liked the series at the beginning but at this point I feel like she's dragged it out too long and the books have gotten too short. It was alright, but didn't really do much for me.
Finished Dungeon Crawl by Annie Bellet last night. I liked the series at the beginning but at this point I feel like she's dragged it out too long and the books have gotten too short. It was alright, but didn't really do much for me.
sparky2112
Member
Started this. I'm obviously aware of its reputation, and a blurb on the jacket says it's the most important thing written since The Book of Genesis. I kid you not. So far, it's Spanish Salman Rushdie. Waiting to have my world rocked.
Maklershed
Member
Some decent kindle books on sale today on Amazon - Life of Pi, Blindness, A Little Life, Gwendys Button Box, etc
sparky2112
Member
Is it Summer? Is that why the thread is creeping along like it's wounded?
Magic Mushroom
Member
Peter Watts' Blindsight. Bleak, hard sci-fi. An excellently written first contact story that dives deep into biology and the mind in particular. Good stuff.
Maklershed
Member
Yeah it's cyclical. It's at it's slowest now and will build starting in October until it's peak in Jan/Feb and then goes down again. (I was nerdy enough to chart previous years post counts at some point last year)
Just finished:
Not only goes through women's treatment and representation in media, but also does a good job of giving a rundown of how the media treated feminist since the end of World War II. Sadly, they are all almost all the same arguments you hear today.
Starting :
Not only goes through women's treatment and representation in media, but also does a good job of giving a rundown of how the media treated feminist since the end of World War II. Sadly, they are all almost all the same arguments you hear today.
Starting :
First Robin McKinley book I'm read with a male protagonist. Well, so far.
Trying to get into
Really not grabbing me like the first one did. The protagonist switch was not a good decision in my opinion, Mulaghesh is just goddamn boring.
The book itself is still okay. I'm like 5 chapters in already and cba to try and find something new to read so whatever, I'll finish this over the next week or two.
Really not grabbing me like the first one did. The protagonist switch was not a good decision in my opinion, Mulaghesh is just goddamn boring.
The book itself is still okay. I'm like 5 chapters in already and cba to try and find something new to read so whatever, I'll finish this over the next week or two.
Must be about time for me to try and get through Infinite Jest again.
MedicUnderFire
Neo Member
I've got 2 chapters left of this, it was a very well written book.
sparky2112
Member
DO IT. (a bit biased, as it's my favorite novel and I've read it twice)
I'm close to finshing my current book, I'll probably start it after that. I struggled with the logistics of constantly referring to notes on the Kindle which is why I stopped in th end.
sparky2112
Member
My 2nd read was on Kindle, and I didn't think they were that hard to deal with. I also know nothing about the Kindle's OS and e-book formatting, so I don't know if there's various combinations of that come into play...of course when footnotes have their OWN footnotes...yeah.
Alcotholic
Banned
I finished Howl's Moving Castle the other day. It was vastly different from the movie, but I thoroughly enjoyed them separately. Howl was more of a dick and Sophie was annoying, but the novel as a whole was compelling. It was hard jumping from something as detailed as Pillars of the Earth to a children's novel like Howls moving castle. I had a hard time understanding the context of the situation since it was so simple and would generalize a lot.
Anyway, good book.
Now I'm on to Ready Player One.
Anyway, good book.
Now I'm on to Ready Player One.
Anyone familiar with McCammon's Mathew Corbett series?
I was recently stuck at a car dealership for 8 hours and it was the right kind of thing. Not brilliant and sometimes weak plot wise, but I don't know, kinda like it. Premise is detective fiction set in colonial(1700ish) America.
I was recently stuck at a car dealership for 8 hours and it was the right kind of thing. Not brilliant and sometimes weak plot wise, but I don't know, kinda like it. Premise is detective fiction set in colonial(1700ish) America.
I could read it on my iPad, that might help a little.
Depends on what sort of Murakami you want. Deep surrealism or just shades of it.
Theoretically just shades but then I'm not at all familiar with his brand of it.
Wind-up seems to have some kind of WWII bits which should be right up my alley.
Then it shpuld be good for you.
Subterranean
Member
My first Murakami book was Wind-up and I don't regret it at all. Captivating read.
I first heard about Thomas Cullinan's The Beguiled in the discussion around Sofia Coppola's upcoming film adaptation. At the time, I couldn't find any editions extant, but it's been reissued now (with, as you can see, an appropriate tie-in cover). It took me a while to finish this once I started, because I didn't find it all that compelling, but I powered through eventually. The setting (an isolated, largely abandoned Virginian boarding school) is well-done, and there's some good sequences here (I can easily see why somebody would think it had cinematic potential). On a writing level, though, the story is told through a multi-POV structure of the various teachers and students at the school, but most of the POVs are pretty samey to me. It's not like with, say, George R. R. Martin where the tenor of each character's POV is unmistakeable.
Funyarinpa
Member
Absolutely wonderful choice on both accounts.
Atraveller
Banned
Finished Uprooted (which was ok) and 29. The Winter Fortress: The Epic Mission to Sabotage Hitler's Atomic Bomb, I learned a lot about Axis nuclear project that I didn't know about, and the joint Norwegian/British effort to thwart it.
She was one step behind with her every step while swearing a lot. "I'm too old for this shit" manifests as a person, it was ok when she was only a side character, but she doesn't have the depth to carry the whole thing.Trying to get into
Really not grabbing me like the first one did. The protagonist switch was not a good decision in my opinion, Mulaghesh is just goddamn boring.
The book itself is still okay. I'm like 5 chapters in already and cba to try and find something new to read so whatever, I'll finish this over the next week or two.
Mossybrew
Member
Same here. That book made me an instant fan. Though the downside is I've read three of his other books and while certainly good, haven't lived up to Wind-Up IMO.
Anyway I read Tana French's In The Woods maybe two years ago and it was fantastic, though for some reason I'm finally getting around to another of her novels - and I know I skipped a bunch, but I'll get back to them for sure, right now in the middle of
and really digging it. Generally I have a book going at work to read on breaks and lunch and one going on at home - in this case Wolves of the Calla which I'm also enjoying, but The Trespasser is so on point I am actually looking forward to going to work Monday to read more.
I finished Hyperion and loved it. Simmons juggled with different genres for each story and made them all work. He never outrights explains the terminology of his universe, but it gets explained indirectly as you progress through the stories. I'm still confused about the
The ending with them
I guess more will be explained in Fall, already have it ordered.
I bought that trilogy set. Started the first book and didn't get far into it. It was some of the worst written fantasy I'd read. I don't get how that first book sits at a 4+ rating on Goodreads. A friend of mine said that his other series (Black Prism) is better but is filled with plot twists. Even that rubbed me the wrong way. Don't think I'll be reading anything by Weeks soon.
I couldn't handle that book because I kept comparing it to Assassin's Apprentice and how that was in a different league altogether.
real origin of the Shrike and whether he's a Technocore or human creation but I guess that's the point. I don't see why he would be a human/Ouster construct since he's out to kill humanity... Not clear why the Ousters wanted to willingly set him loose, since he kills Ousters and Hegemony folk alike.
The ending with them
singing along to 'Somewhere over the rainbow' holding hands was surprisingly cheesy though
I guess more will be explained in Fall, already have it ordered.
I bought that trilogy set. Started the first book and didn't get far into it. It was some of the worst written fantasy I'd read. I don't get how that first book sits at a 4+ rating on Goodreads. A friend of mine said that his other series (Black Prism) is better but is filled with plot twists. Even that rubbed me the wrong way. Don't think I'll be reading anything by Weeks soon.
I couldn't handle that book because I kept comparing it to Assassin's Apprentice and how that was in a different league altogether.
His writing has that compulsive readability magic. But it can only overcome so much! I got through the first two night angel books (hey I was on holiday) but couldn't face the third. The Lightbringer series really is very good, though, imo. Starts decent, gets great.
And yeah, Assassin's Apprentice is in a different league, it's demeaned by even being in the same sentence.
AngmarsKing701
Member
Age of Myth or Theft of Swords.
Age of Myth is the beginning of his newest series that is currently unfinished. It stands alone quite well and book two just released. Thousands of years before Theft of Swords, it wont have direct links. Just historical names referenced in the other series.
Theft of Swords is the weaker book but it's the book that sets up the pay off that is the rest of the Riyria Revelations.
Age of Myth has a larger cast of characters and many more names dropped all around while Theft of Swords follows just two main characters entirely.
Zelenogorsk
Banned
I really liked Theft of Swords. It has a nice old school feel to it with great characters. Hadrian is legit. And its technically two books in one! The pages just flew by for me.
I have a copy of Rise of Empire and Age of Myth, i'll probably continue with the Riyria for now.
I'm also gonna start Stephen King's IT. It's gonna be nice to get back to horror King after finishing up The Dark Tower. I guess i still have to read Wind Through the Keyhole but that's nice and short.
I have a copy of Rise of Empire and Age of Myth, i'll probably continue with the Riyria for now.
I'm also gonna start Stephen King's IT. It's gonna be nice to get back to horror King after finishing up The Dark Tower. I guess i still have to read Wind Through the Keyhole but that's nice and short.
Yeah, exactly.
The first book answered many of the mysteries of the world so I figured it'd be unlikely this would have any interesting mystery elements to it, but it almost looks like a murder mystery so far. I might actually end up liking this a lot more than how I initially felt. And it is still very pleasant to actually read. Fingers crossed.