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[Apt101]

Update: digging into The Man in the High Castle, and man, the world Dick created in this novel is far more horrific than the show (I only watched the first three episodes, so it might escalate?). Wow. I mean,

Spoiler

exterminating Africa and turning the corpses into experiments, resources, and "chemicals"

. Holy shit.

 

[Harothewanderer]

Update: digging into The Man in the High Castle, and man, the world Dick created in this novel is far more horrific than the show (I only watched the first three episodes, so it might escalate?). Wow. I mean,

Spoiler

exterminating Africa and turning the corpses into experiments, resources, and "chemicals"

. Holy shit.

Man, I have this one on the pile of books I want to read and its only getting bigger. Im still reading Hesses Steppenwolf and The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. Well, actually I never find the time to read.

 

[fakefaker]

Wrapped up Stallo by Stefan Spjut last night. It's a slow ass thriller up until the ending, but for me it was always intriguing. Now onto what will probably be my biggest read this year: The Inheritance Trilogy by N.K. Jemisin.

 

[Dwight Schrute]

What does GAF think of Gormengast?

 

[More_Badass]

Picked up a nice selection with some Xmas gift cards

And some far future/post-human sci-fi because I'm really excited for Torment: Tides of Numenera

 

[Mumei]

What does GAF think of Gormengast?

I think that it sits on my bookshelf making me feel guilty for not having read it.

 

[Stratosphere]

I just finished Hyperion, what an amazing journey.

Spoiler

Dat cliffhanger ending though, is the sequel worth reading? An entire book of buildup with no resolution.

 

[MrOogieBoogie]

I just finished Hyperion, what an amazing journey.

Spoiler

Dat cliffhanger ending though, is the sequel worth reading? An entire book of buildup with no resolution.

Sequel is great, in my opinion. Not quite as good or original as the first book but a necessary read to get the whole story.

 

[j0hnny_385]

I just finished Hyperion, what an amazing journey.

Spoiler

Dat cliffhanger ending though, is the sequel worth reading? An entire book of buildup with no resolution.

Absolutely worth reading. Read all 4 books. You're in for a treat.
I love those books so much.

 

[Nezumi]

What does GAF think of Gormengast?

Currently listening to the first one. It's strangely captivating and I'm in love with the sheer weirdness of the castle and its inhabitants.

 

[Paganmoon]

Finished book 6 of the Expanse (Babylons Ashes), it was ok, took two books to come to a conclusion that was obvious from the start. And I still feel it's really clear which chapters are primarily written by Abrahams, and which are mostly Ty Franck.


Also not sure if I'm starting to get a short attention span, but I stopped reading a book before completion for the first time this fall (dropped sevenes halfway through), then dropped Count Zero by William Gibson, and now this month I've also given up on The three body problem, and thinking of dropping Piers Anthony's On a Pale Horse. Just can't push through on these books anymore.
Hell, last year I freaking finished the Assassin's Creed syndicate novell, and that book was utter shit.
Come to think of it, that could be the reason...

 

[phoenixyz]

I just finished Hyperion, what an amazing journey.

Spoiler

Dat cliffhanger ending though, is the sequel worth reading? An entire book of buildup with no resolution.

Fall of Hyperion is great. The two Endymion books are terrible. I wouldn't touch them with a ten foot pole if I were you.

 

[Chiaroscuro]

So did I. Stories of Your Life and Seventy-Two Letters were really good, what did you think?

Yes both stories are very powerful.

"Stories of your life" is the best story of the book by a great margin. Ted Chiang is a great world building, creating rules for his worlds and exploring those rules to maximum consequences. But beyond the interesting world and ideas from "stories" there is an human component, a very powerful and emotional personal story of the protagonist, that mixed with the world ideas turn the whole picture even greater.

"Seventy-two letters" is great and a neat idea. But I think in the end I liked "Tower of Babylon" more. There is one thing that bothers me about the story.

Spoiler

It is that Chiang made an extensive use of Chekov's gun for the story. Too much background is needed to explain the story, and it is provided to the reader as pieces of the protagonist story. Which is too much of a coincidence to happen to a person. I understand the the protagonist is interested in what we call automation and robotics, but early in live he had to have friends which interests resides in biology, so the particularities of that world view can be explained to the reader. Plus he has to be exposed to a religion view of God´s words, so he can break with the usual mindset and propose something new in the solution at the end of the story. Too much side stories are needed, and many of them just to inform the reader, not the protagonist, about this world peculiarities. Anyway, the story is great, the mix of creationism theories (actually in practice in that world) and genetics (which was the final solution), plus showing a different interpretation of what is writing, what are words, in the views of God (or a god) in order to create life. A solid piece of concept, but somehow I dislike the execution a little.

 

[kevin1025]

All right, so progress time.

I finally, finally finished Fall of Giants by Ken Follett.

I enjoyed it quite a bit, even if the amount of time it took me would say otherwise. I certainly took my time on it, and read a ton of other books along the way, but I kept coming back to this one, piece by piece, and finally defeated it! It might take me a little bit to get to the next two, though, as I want to do the 50 movies, 50 books challenge on here.

Now I'm solely locked into:

Swan Song by Robert McCammon.

I'm 30% in. But I'm reading more, so I'm betting I can finish this in a week. It is starting to pick up after a little too much time focusing on popping blisters and the characters being trapped. It's unfortunate to hear about the problems others had with the book, and I'm starting to see them a little bit as I continue on. But I am dedicated to finishing this one!

 

[Rug Monkey]

What does GAF think of Gormengast?

I think it's strange, convoluted and truly wonderful. Fuchsia is of my favourite characters of all literature.

 

[aidan]

Got my physical copy of Unfettered II in the mail today!



I'm particularly excited for the story that starts on page 215:

 

[shaowebb]

I'm reading the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences book series

Its what you would get if MIB met X-files met Steampunk. The dead cases of a clandestine MIB style agency that serves the queen and handles peculiar occurrences that range from magic to mad science. The archives are where all agents cases and artifacts are filed, catalogued and kept and its Archivist now has a demoted loose cannon field agent as his new partner.

Its a fun series that has a lot of mystery elements and high fantasy steampunk to it. A librarian teamed with a female super spy with a love for fieldwork that involves shootouts, fights and explosions. Its a great oddcouple dynamic that works in the series and they act as terrific foils to one another. I could easily see it as a netflix series honestly. I'm on the next to last book and I've enjoyed every moment. I highly recommend it to anyone and everyone.

Here's an image of the first book Phoenix Rising.

 

[Jag]

Got my physical copy of Unfettered II in the mail today!

I'm particularly excited for the story that starts on page 215:

Looks like some good company to be in. I'll be grabbing a copy!

 

[Maklershed]

Got my physical copy of Unfettered II in the mail today!



I'm particularly excited for the story that starts on page 215:

Nice!

 

[kevin1025]

Got my physical copy of Unfettered II in the mail today!



I'm particularly excited for the story that starts on page 215:

Super cool, that is an incredible line-up to be part of. Congratulations!!

 

[MrOogieBoogie]

Finished my first book of 2017, King's massive tome of a story, The Stand. Took me about a month to read, which is pretty fast for me considering I only really read on my commutes.

Anyway, I really enjoyed it for the most part. The book certainly feels bloated (I read the uncut edition), and it feels meandering during certain parts of Book I and during the

Spoiler

committee sections

in the middle. While I enjoyed a good majority of the characters, some of them never quite developed in any meaningful way. Frannie, for example, started off really interesting and compelling but by the end I couldn't stand her.

The ending of course is a love-it, hate-it deal, and while I didn't quite fall solidly on either side of the spectrum, I did think it felt somehow rushed or abrupt. The whole book is full of sudden, inexplicable phenomena, so it isn't necessarily unfounded, but after a while you want solid answers, you know?

Thinking about jumping into Way of Kings next. At this rate, reading all these large-ass books, I'll be lucky to read a dozen this whole year.

EDIT: I do find it funny that one of my favorite and most memorable chapters of the book (Trashcan Man and the Kid) was one of the ones cut out from the original release.

 

[richardhawk]

Pretty enjoyable so far. About half way into it.

 

[Mumei]

Got my physical copy of Unfettered II in the mail today!



I'm particularly excited for the story that starts on page 215:

Congratulations~

 

[Ravensmash]

So, how do people deal with the visualising aspect of reading when it's something really unfamiliar?

I'm reading Red Seas Under Red Skies and I love it, but my knowledge of ships or nautical terms is basically nonexistent.

As an example, I'm not sure exactly where a location might be in relation to the overall setting and it irks me.

Am I worrying too much and should I just focus on the 'What' rather than the 'Where'?

It feels like it detracts from the overall prose but its always something I've struggled with.

 

[Dylan Sexbang]

I'm about to start Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace. Seems like a doozy, but heard it was a good novel for those facing depression and the struggles of life.

 

[More_Badass]

Pretty enjoyable so far. About half way into it.

I remember reading that book years ago. I remember it seeming more complex and mature than most YA novels I was reading at the time

 

[aidan]

Looks like some good company to be in. I'll be grabbing a copy!

Nice!

Super cool, that is an incredible line-up to be part of. Congratulations!!

Congratulations~

Thanks! I'm very excited.

So, how do people deal with the visualising aspect of reading when it's something really unfamiliar?

I'm reading Red Seas Under Red Skies and I love it, but my knowledge of ships or nautical terms is basically nonexistent.

As an example, I'm not sure exactly where a location might be in relation to the overall setting and it irks me.

Am I worrying too much and should I just focus on the 'What' rather than the 'Where'?

It feels like it detracts from the overall prose but its always something I've struggled with.

I read a lot of fantasy and science fiction, and I've learned it works best when I just roll with it and make things up in my head as I go along.

That said, no harm in Googling some of the real-world terms that you're unfamiliar with.

 

[Haly]

So, how do people deal with the visualising aspect of reading when it's something really unfamiliar?

I'm reading Red Seas Under Red Skies and I love it, but my knowledge of ships or nautical terms is basically nonexistent.

As an example, I'm not sure exactly where a location might be in relation to the overall setting and it irks me.

Am I worrying too much and should I just focus on the 'What' rather than the 'Where'?

It feels like it detracts from the overall prose but its always something I've struggled with.

That's another good thing about e-readers. Unfamiliar term? Look it up on wiki just by pressing it.

 

[Ravensmash]

Thanks! I'm very excited.



I read a lot of fantasy and science fiction, and I've learned it works best when I just roll with it and make things up in my head as I go along.

That said, no harm in Googling some of the real-world terms that you're unfamiliar with.

This is the route I'm finding myself going down, and it seems to be working. I'm shamefully quite new to reading for pleasure, so I'm probably thinking back to over analysing text during my education.

And congratulations! I'll purchase a copy if I can

That's another good thing about e-readers. Unfamiliar term? Look it up on wiki just by pressing it.

Haha, it's also a curse because it's so tempting.

I'm just going to enjoy the story and see how I get on.

... With a few quick look ups in between!

 

[TTG]

So, how do people deal with the visualising aspect of reading when it's something really unfamiliar?

I'm reading Red Seas Under Red Skies and I love it, but my knowledge of ships or nautical terms is basically nonexistent.

As an example, I'm not sure exactly where a location might be in relation to the overall setting and it irks me.

Am I worrying too much and should I just focus on the 'What' rather than the 'Where'?

It feels like it detracts from the overall prose but its always something I've struggled with.

A lot of it is down to the writer. I've been reading The Fellowship of the Ring as a second book for over a week now and while I don't have much to complain about overall, yesterday there were passages describing landscapes that had about a dozen specific terms that had me guessing(good luck visualizing a fosse in a forest with nothing else to go on). Add on top of that naming a bunch of types of brush and plant by specific name and rattling off landmarks that I would need to go look up his fake map to get any sense of orientation, and you have descriptions of an area that don't work.

That being said, lot's of books take place aboard ship, at some point you're gonna have to learn the difference between quarter, orlop, and poop decks.

I'm about to start Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace. Seems like a doozy, but heard it was a good novel for those facing depression and the struggles of life.

Look up our book club if the going gets tough!

 

[IndieJones]

I was recommended Ready Player One by a friend and I'm going to have to seriously consider not taking any more of their book recommendations!

I'm a little over halfway through the book and so far I'd put it somewhere roughly between "Worlds Of Power: Blaster Master" and "GI Joe: Operation Jungle Doom".

 

[Haly]

I was recommended Ready Player One by a friend and I'm going to have to seriously consider not taking any more of their book recommendations!

 

[Mumei]

I was recommended Ready Player One by a friend and I'm going to have to seriously consider not taking any more of their book recommendations!

I'm a little over halfway through the book and so far I'd put it somewhere roughly between "Worlds Of Power: Blaster Master" and "GI Joe: Operation Jungle Doom".

It is very popular with a certain kind of nerdy person, or so I've gathered.

 

[Green Embers]

I was recommended Ready Player One by a friend and I'm going to have to seriously consider not taking any more of their book recommendations!

I'm a little over halfway through the book and so far I'd put it somewhere roughly between "Worlds Of Power: Blaster Master" and "GI Joe: Operation Jungle Doom".

Okay that made me laugh. I found RPO to be okay, but I definitely understand why it gets a lot of the hate. I finished Babylon's Ashes and thought it was alright. I do think the ending was kind of dumb.

Currently I am reading Jerusalem Inn by Martha Grimes, #5 in the Richard Jury detective series. I really like her writing style and was pretty surprised to find out she is an American author.

 

[IndieJones]

It is very popular with a certain kind of nerdy person, or so I've gathered.

I like Joust as much as - more than! - anyone else, but literally every second paragraph is either a) a ham-fisted reference to Zork or b) the main character complaining because he has to, ugh, not be in cyberspace.

It's like that Steve Buscemi "How do you do, fellow kids?" gif was turned into a whole book.

Also, sorry, I don't mean to offend anyone who enjoyed it.

 

[Mumei]

I read The Last Policeman the day before yesterday. I'm in the middle of Middlemarch (~halfway), but I started TLP and it was such a breezy read that I ended up reading it all at once. I enjoyed it, and I'm looking forward to reading the sequel sometime soon.

Middlemarch is still fantastic, and you (yes, you!) should still make it a priority.

I like Joust as much as - more than! - anyone else, but literally every second paragraph is either a) a ham-fisted reference to Zork or b) the main character complaining because he has to, ugh, not be in cyberspace.

It's like that Steve Buscemi "How do you do, fellow kids?" gif was turned into a whole book.

Also, sorry, I don't mean to offend anyone who enjoyed it.

That book and especially Armada are kind of punching bags around here. There are people who like them, but don't let that stop you.

 

[Karu]

I was reading Virginia Woolf's The Waves, halfway-through, but might have to stop here. It's just a little bit too much right now. I think the way she tells the story from the perspective of six friends growing up and going through life is really interesting and at times done beautifully, but also kind of confusing and frustrating at times.

I bought Anne Frank's Diary & Thomas Mann's Buddenbrooks and will probably read either one next. I want to make an effort to read more german (written) literature.
(Having used a tablet for reading books for a bit, I'm still in favour of physical books. It's just more comfortable. Might be because I use a ten inch tablet, but still. Turning the actual page and having something in your hand that is not so thin makes the experience more comfortable for me)

 

[Mumei]

I was reading Virginia Woolf's The Waves, halfway-through, but might have to stop here. It's just a little bit too much right now. I think the way she tells the story from the perspective of six friends growing up and going through life is really interesting and at times done beautifully, but also kind of confusing and frustrating at times.

I bought Anne Frank's Diary & Thomas Mann's Buddenbrooks and will probably read either one next. I want to make an effort to read more german (written) literature.
(Having used a tablet for reading books for a bit, I'm still in favour of physical books. It's just more comfortable. Might be because I use a ten inch tablet, but still. Turning the actual page and having something in your hand that is not so thin makes the experience more comfortable for me)

I loved The Waves. I don't know if it would help, but this edition has some light annotation. I didn't read that edition when I read the book, but it had some interesting observations when I was looking through it at the store.

 

[Switch Back 9]

Almost done! What an interesting (and difficult at times) ride it's been.

Will post thoughts once I'm finished.

 

[Mumei]

Almost done! What an interesting (and difficult at times) ride it's been.

Will post thoughts once I'm finished.

I just sent you that essay. I'd hold off on reading it until you're actually done.

 

[kevin1025]

For me, Ready Player One was a quick, inoffensive read that relied too heavily on pop culture but flew by so quickly that it never really bothered me much. But I can see why it would rub some the wrong way, definitely.

 

[Switch Back 9]

I just sent you that essay. I'd hold off on reading it until you're actually done.

Haha yes I mentioned that in the reply. Staying blind on all related literature until I'm finished-finished.

I am looking really forward to reading it though.

edit: On that note, I sure wish there was more fan art online. The series is just asking for it

 

[Karish]

 

[rickyson1]

just finished reading the Black Company so now i'm in that sad zone after finishing a lengthy series where I need to start something new and can't be bothered

 

[More_Badass]

I honestly never would have imagined that a sci-fi novel that's almost 100 years old could be so imaginative. And yet Last And First Men is my favorite sci-fi work in a while. The history book structure, the concept that it isnt a work of fiction but a far future being transferring the information to a past mind, the massive ambition of the book's scope, it's all quite impressive

And for a book that came out in 1930, this is insanely prophetic and relevant

With either a little less bad luck or a fraction more of vision and self-control at this critical time, there might never have occurred that aeon of darkness, in which the First Men were presently to be submerged.

For had victory been gained before the general level of mentality had seriously begun to decline, the attainment of the world state might have been regarded, not as an end, but as the first step toward true civilization

But this was not to be

 

[TTG]

edit: On that note, I sure wish there was more fan art online. The series is just asking for it

What it's really asking for is a videogame. Move over Elder Scrolls, Game of Thrones, Witcher, whatever else, that world is absolute king.

Speaking of worlds, I finished Fellowship of the Ring. It starts really slow, but by the last quarter it's hitting a lot of good notes. Maybe I'll even stick it out through the last two books.

 

[Bazza]

just finished reading the Black Company so now i'm in that sad zone after finishing a lengthy series where I need to start something new and can't be bothered

Yea now you have the terrible wait to see if A Pitiless Rain is ever released. If you haven't read his other stuff his Dread Empire and Garret P.I. books are great.

I honestly never would have imagined that a sci-fi novel that's almost 100 years old could be so imaginative. And yet Last And First Men is my favorite sci-fi work in a while. The history book structure, the concept that it isnt a work of fiction but a far future being transferring the information to a past mind, the massive ambition of the book's scope, it's all quite impressive

And for a book that came out in 1930, this is insanely prophetic and relevant

Good to know Last and First men is on the SF Masterworks list I'm working through but had to skip for the time being as it was pulled from the Kindle store because of some problems with the digital version.


As for my books this month, only read these so far

The Fifth Head of Cerberus was OK but it was the least enjoyable of the SF Masterworks books I have read so far.

The Necronomicon No real surprises, I kind of knew what to expect going in.

As for Babylon's Ashes I was a little disappointed with it if I'm honest, compared to the first four books, this and Nemisis Games have been pretty average.

These are what I am reading now

 

[TomServo]

Update: digging into The Man in the High Castle, and man, the world Dick created in this novel is far more horrific than the show (I only watched the first three episodes, so it might escalate?)

That's what's currently on my nightstand. I've watched both seasons of the show, and it's clear they're setting up for many seasons, and it's generally a slow burn, so I'm really interested in what Dick did with this setting in only a few hundred pages.

Blew through The Road in a couple of days earlier this month. As a father to a boy, it was too tense to put down.

Last month I finally finished Choke (Palahniuk); huge step down from Fight Club. Same rambling style without the undertones of cultural commentary to hold it together. Not recommended.

I'm a little over halfway through the book and so far I'd put it somewhere roughly between "Worlds Of Power: Blaster Master" and "GI Joe: Operation Jungle Doom".

You leave Jungle Doom alone! That was one of my favorites in grade school.

 

[Bonethug]

Gaf recommended (and maybe former gaf book club?)

The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon et al. is on sale for $1.99 on Amazon Kindle

Link

 

[Tugatrix]

Gaf recommended (and maybe former gaf book club?)

The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon et al. is on sale for $1.99 on Amazon

Link

I would love to buy it, but I only have a kobo, I don't know how much I would lost in conversion to epub