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[Imp the Dimp]

Done with the ebook of this:

And it was amazing. Evans is a fantastic writer who turned a historical book into an incredibly compelling read. I knew what'd happen and yet seeing things unfold just gave me the chills. I honestly felt like screaming through the book at the people in the 20s and 30s to PLEASE not do this shit, to PLEASE not fall for the propaganda, to PLEASE not undererstimate the Nazis as they were made the coalition partner of the German National Party.

Downloaded this now and will finish it before I hope into the supposedly gut-wrenching "The Third Reich in Power". Can't wait for it.

I hope it's as good as everyone says. I'll start it later this evening.

 

[Fuu]

Finished Lincoln In The Bardo. I LOVE Saunders, but I struggled with this one, short as it is.

Didn't want to read anything heavy, so I'm digging into this:

There's A LOT of weird stuff in this world, for sure...

This looks like a fun time.

 

[Haly]

This was incredible, thanks for posting. I'm reading my first Miéville (Embassytown) at the moment, and it's interesting to see authors I recognize just being passive aggressive and shit-talk the industry and genre conventions from 13 years ago.

It was like a gaf thread except everyone is extremely literate and intelligent.

 

[sparky2112]

This looks like a fun time.

I'm about 100 pages into it, and it's good. Like, I had no idea that Europe is basically one giant ossuary - we used to do some macabre stuff with - in some cases - *thousands* of bodies. Also Europe is one giant tunnel system. What are we, a bunch of ants? And if it weren't for monks, I think half of Europe wouldn't even exist.

Can you tell the book is arranged by geographic locations?

 

[brawly]

What's everyone's opinion on Kindle? I'm thinking about getting a Paperwhite 2015 6".

I like physical books but honestly don't need every book physical. It's starting to take up space and some of the price differences are staggering.

I'm worried about the size. 6" seems rather small. My tablet is 10" and I think it's the perfect size, but the screen is terrible to read.

 

[Dec]

What's everyone's opinion on Kindle? I'm thinking about getting a Paperwhite 2015 6".

I like physical books but honestly don't need every book physical. It's starting to take up space and some of the price differences are staggering.

I'm worried about the size. 6" seems rather small. My tablet is 10" and I think it's the perfect size, but the screen is terrible to read.

I've never thought of the kindle as small. Any larger and I think it becomes kind of bad to hold in one hand.

I have a small collection of physical books, but most of what I read is on the kindle and I have no complaints besides maybe sorting and searching a shit load of books takes time (but it isn't that bad).

 

[aidan]

What's everyone's opinion on Kindle? I'm thinking about getting a Paperwhite 2015 6".

I like physical books but honestly don't need every book physical. It's starting to take up space and some of the price differences are staggering.

I'm worried about the size. 6" seems rather small. My tablet is 10" and I think it's the perfect size, but the screen is terrible to read.

I adore my Paperwhite. Equal or superior to reading a physical book.

 

[Sean C]

My recent enjoyment of the Riverdale TV series prompted me to reacquaint myself with recent goings-on with Archie Comics, which I'd dimly heard had been undergoing a revamp of late. When I saw that the newest series is being written by Mark Waid, one of the best superhero writers of the last generation, that was enough to get me to read it (the first three issues are pencilled by Saga artist Fiona Staples, also a draw). The resulting series is quite a lot of fun, which is pretty much what you'd want from an Archie story (there's some fairly sharp writing in places, too, particularly in regard to the incident that broke up Archie and Betty before the main series begins).

Sarah Waters' debut novel was the third novel of hers that I've read, after the later Affinity and Fingersmith. All three share a Victorian setting and a focus on feminist/LGBT issues (as well as, to a lesser extent, issues of class), but Tipping the Velvet lacks the Gothic thriller atmosphere that would suffuse the author's later works. This feels somewhere between a more modern riff on a picaresque Victorian drama and some earlier novels by Daniel Defoe that followed the trials and tribulations of his female leads through numerous different rungs and locales in society. Waters' skill as a writer is evident from the beginning, with a high degree of verisimilitude in the setting and well-drawn characters. The middle section, tracking main character Nan's time with a coterie of debauched aristocrats, is perhaps the least-compelling part of the story overall, but it's quite a good read on the whole.

 

[Rock And Roll]

Finished Giovanni's Room the other night and wow, what a novel. Definitely a top 10 book in my rankings.

Next up, The Fishermen by Chigozie Obioma. A few chapters into it and am also enjoying it so far.

 

[DemWalls]

Finished Tod und Teufel by Frank Schätzing a few days ago.
Although I barely knew anything about it, my expectations weren't low, and yet I still liked it more than I thought I would. A really gripping thriller set in 13th century Cologne, with great plot and pacing, brilliant characters and commendable historical accuracy. Unexpectedly funny, too. Recommended.

 

[Funyarinpa]

What's everyone's opinion on Kindle? I'm thinking about getting a Paperwhite 2015 6".

I like physical books but honestly don't need every book physical. It's starting to take up space and some of the price differences are staggering.

I'm worried about the size. 6" seems rather small. My tablet is 10" and I think it's the perfect size, but the screen is terrible to read.

6 inches is the perfect size for an ebook reader, IMO. Remember that you'll be holding it (often one-handed) for extended periods of time,it helps that it is smaller. While reading, the text appears very similar to how it would appear on a small-ish sized paperback.

Disclaimer: Going by the screen size of my Kobo Glo HD.

 

[x-Lundz-x]

Done with the ebook of this:

And it was amazing. Evans is a fantastic writer who turned a historical book into an incredibly compelling read. I knew what'd happen and yet seeing things unfold just gave me the chills. I honestly felt like screaming through the book at the people in the 20s and 30s to PLEASE not do this shit, to PLEASE not fall for the propaganda, to PLEASE not undererstimate the Nazis as they were made the coalition partner of the German National Party.

Downloaded this now and will finish it before I hope into the supposedly gut-wrenching "The Third Reich in Power". Can't wait for it.

I've been in the mood to read some History Non Fiction and this looks like a great read I'm going to check it out thanks.

I'm currently finishing up The Omen Machine by Goodkind. I put this series on hold for a while so I could read some others like Brandon Sanderson. Will blow through the remaining books to get to the Nicci Chronicles book that just came out.

 

[Fuu]

What's everyone's opinion on Kindle? I'm thinking about getting a Paperwhite 2015 6".

I like physical books but honestly don't need every book physical. It's starting to take up space and some of the price differences are staggering.

I'm worried about the size. 6" seems rather small. My tablet is 10" and I think it's the perfect size, but the screen is terrible to read.

Got a Paperwhite last week and it's a game changer. I read several e-books on an iPad Air 2 last year and just after a few days of reading on a Kindle I can't go back. The legends were true.

I'll still use the iPad to read comics and certain books with colors, pictures, etc, but for everything else it's the Kindle.

I'm about 100 pages into it, and it's good. Like, I had no idea that Europe is basically one giant ossuary - we used to do some macabre stuff with - in some cases - *thousands* of bodies. Also Europe is one giant tunnel system. What are we, a bunch of ants? And if it weren't for monks, I think half of Europe wouldn't even exist.

Can you tell the book is arranged by geographic locations?

haha, I'll pick this one up in the future.

 

[brawly]

Thanks for the replies guys. I'm gonna buy one next week with my birthday money.

 

[Fevaweva]

Imajica by Clive Barker. I am only about 30 pages into it but I am enjoying it so far. It is very intriguing.

 

[MrOogieBoogie]

What's everyone's opinion on Kindle? I'm thinking about getting a Paperwhite 2015 6".

I like physical books but honestly don't need every book physical. It's starting to take up space and some of the price differences are staggering.

I'm worried about the size. 6" seems rather small. My tablet is 10" and I think it's the perfect size, but the screen is terrible to read.

Without trying to sound overly dramatic, Kindle and e-books have changed my life.

I am an avid reader because of it. I have read more books in the year I've owned my Kindle than I have in all the other years of my life. I have bought books that I already own physical copies of just so I could experience the convenience of reading them on my Kindle. Books like The Stand, which daunting in paperback form, are a treat to read on my daily commute with a Kindle. I read ALL THE TIME now. One book after another.

People ask me, "Don't you miss the 'smell' of physical books?" What good is the "smell" or "nostalgia" of a physical book if I never read it? Physical books have never been comfortable for me. I don't enjoy carrying them around. One of my favorite features on Kindle is the ability to hide any onscreen page number display as I don't care for being reminded of my progress. That's impossible to do with physical books.

The list of conveniences is so grand that unless I end my post now I'll keep going and going. Easily one of the greatest devices I have ever owned and I will be a fan for the rest of my life.

 

[AngmarsKing701]

What's everyone's opinion on Kindle? I'm thinking about getting a Paperwhite 2015 6".

I like physical books but honestly don't need every book physical. It's starting to take up space and some of the price differences are staggering.

I'm worried about the size. 6" seems rather small. My tablet is 10" and I think it's the perfect size, but the screen is terrible to read.

I adore my Paperwhite. Equal or superior to reading a physical book.

This. Paperwhite is amazing.

 

[Ravensmash]

Another Kindle vote here.

I was exclusively ebook until recently where I tried some physical books.

Loved going back to them, because it's nice to physically get through a book and have something visible there.

However, I found them unwieldy on public transport. The ease of purchasing and browsing new books is absolutely fantastic also, especially with the very generous samples offered.

Back on the Kindle train now, but I'm going to buy certain special books in physical. Primarily for long reading sessions when I'm off work.

 

[mu cephei]

Here's a longwinded but good essay about the "New Weird", which was a movement/genre/gimmick that popped up in the 00s. It talks about Mieville, VandarMeer, Reynolds and M. John Harrison, and is especially interesting for recounting a longwinded thread back in '04 where many then-contemporary sci-fi/fantasy authors talk about what the New Weird is.

Later on it segues into a discussion about the shift in genre culture (that is, the subset of readers/viewers who no longer view sci-fi and fantasy as separate things) and the erosion of genre boundaries.

Thanks for the link. I'm only half way through and will need to finish it tomorrow but it's pretty interesting so far. Esoteric and kind of sad in a way but articulate people being snitty is fun.

 

[AngmarsKing701]

How do you go on a business trip without even a carry on bag? Just buy new clothes when you get there?

I have a SwissGear backpack that is TSA rated for laptops. Meaning I don't have to take the laptop out of the backpack. The backpack is big enough to fit a few days' worth of clothes in it as well. So basically: clothes, toiletries, laptop, tablet all in one bag.

Edit - so basically it's a carry-on bag, but instead of having a bag + a laptop case, I have just one bag.

 

[Servbot #42]

"She was alone, and she liked it. It was the way she had learned everything important in her life"

I finally finished, I really liked this book. My lack of knowledge in Chess wasn't too much of an impediment while reading but i'm sure chess players will certainly get more of this book than me, the matches description kinda went over my head, chess is hard. I still want to learn chess later on, it's a fascinating game.

 

[Mumei]

Haly, thanks for posting that article. I'll read it tomorrow; it looks interesting.

 

[EverythingShiny]

FYI, for people looking to get into the Expanse series, Leviathan Wakes is a Kindle Daily Deal today at $2.99.

 

[ClosingADoor]

Finished: The Dry

Good read, nice writing, decent story. Seems this is going to be a series, will pick up the next one also.

Now reading: Pilot X

Just started this yesterday, about a pilot who can travel through time and has ended the universe or something.

 

[Imp the Dimp]

FYI, for people looking to get into the Expanse series, Leviathan Wakes is a Kindle Daily Deal today at $2.99.

Book sucks, man. Some of the worst sci-fi I've read. The Goodreads average is completely misleading.

 

[Jag]

Book sucks, man. Some of the worst sci-fi I've read. The Goodreads average is completely misleading.

I totally disagree. I think it's a fantastic series and has a massive fan following. It's obviously doing something right.

Highly recommended.

 

[Necrovex]

Without trying to sound overly dramatic, Kindle and e-books have changed my life.

I am an avid reader because of it. I have read more books in the year I've owned my Kindle than I have in all the other years of my life. I have bought books that I already own physical copies of just so I could experience the convenience of reading them on my Kindle. Books like The Stand, which daunting in paperback form, are a treat to read on my daily commute with a Kindle. I read ALL THE TIME now. One book after another.

People ask me, "Don't you miss the 'smell' of physical books?" What good is the "smell" or "nostalgia" of a physical book if I never read it? Physical books have never been comfortable for me. I don't enjoy carrying them around. One of my favorite features on Kindle is the ability to hide any onscreen page number display as I don't care for being reminded of my progress. That's impossible to do with physical books.

The list of conveniences is so grand that unless I end my post now I'll keep going and going. Easily one of the greatest devices I have ever owned and I will be a fan for the rest of my life.

I liked my Kindle, and maybe it's because of the case, but it always feel weird to hold it, which is quite the pity. My favorite aspect of the Kindle is the built-in dictionary. Such a grand feature when one is reading a complex book.

Also the E-Book library is so mediocre compared to its paper counterpart. Publisher love to stranglehold its literature from libraries when it comes to E-Books.

Book sucks, man. Some of the worst sci-fi I've read. The Goodreads average is completely misleading.

Disagreed. I only read the first book, and it was quite enjoyable. #TeamMiller.

 

[osu61303]

Crichton is a fantastic writer. Check out some of his other stuff as well.

Do you have any recommendations for any of his work that did NOT end up as a movie? (I plan on reading Jurassic Park, Lost World, and Sphere at some point, I've even been told Timeline is much better in book form...just huge backlogs and all that)

 

[Ratrat]

Book sucks, man. Some of the worst sci-fi I've read. The Goodreads average is completely misleading.

I quit after a few chapters. It was boring and not particularly well written pulp. There is plenty of better stuff.　I feel the same about Altered Carbon and Old Mans War. Its not good SF imo.

 

[Hanzou]

I quit after a few chapters. It was boring and not particularly well written pulp. There is plenty of better stuff.　I feel the same about Altered Carbon and Old Mans War. Its not good SF imo.

Huh. Can I ask what SF you have enjoyed?

 

[AngmarsKing701]

I quit after a few chapters. It was boring and not particularly well written pulp. There is plenty of better stuff.　I feel the same about Altered Carbon and Old Mans War. Its not good SF imo.

I guess the question is whether you enjoy what is considered "hard scifi" (think Alastiar Reynolds) vs. "space opera." I think Leviathan Wakes and Old Man's War fall more into the space opera (i.e., Star Wars) kind of sub-genre.

 

[Jag]

Do you have any recommendations for any of his work that did NOT end up as a movie? (I plan on reading Jurassic Park, Lost World, and Sphere at some point, I've even been told Timeline is much better in book form...just huge backlogs and all that)

There is very little that didn't end up as a movie. Andromeda Strain was fantastic as a book and still worth reading. Eaters of the Dead was good as well, although it became 13th Warrior. I think Timeline was made into a movie, but I never saw it.

 

[Mackenzie 92]

I didn't like Leviathan Wakes either. I thought it was boring and poorly written, and the reveal near the end was just silly.

 

[aidan]

I didn't like Leviathan Wakes either. I thought it was boring and poorly written, and the reveal near the end was just silly.

I think most readers agree that the series really improves from the second volume onwards. I've only read Leviathan Wakes myself.

 

[EverythingShiny]

I think most readers agree that the series really improves from the second volume onwards. I've only read Leviathan Wakes myself.

Yup. I actually didn't make it through the book at first. Then the show started and I decided to give it another chance - blew through all five books really quickly. It definitely improves after Leviathan Wakes.

 

[brawly]

Looks like I lucked out and got an ad free Kindle for the price of the Special Offers version.

Feels really weird to touch the screen...I'm assuming it's trying to emulate a book. I'm not a fan of that weird effect where things turn black (or invert) for a second, though it seems infrequent.

 

[aidan]

Looks like I lucked out and got an ad free Kindle for the price of the Special Offers version.

Feels really weird to touch the screen...I'm assuming it's trying to emulate a book. I'm not a fan of that weird effect where things turn black (or invert) for a second, though it seems infrequent.

That's not a feature so much the e-ink screen having to reset itself to prevent "burn-in" from content or pages left on the screen for too long. Used to happen on every page turn with older Kindles, but it's slowly getting better.

 

[Funyarinpa]

That's not a feature so much the e-ink screen having to reset itself to prevent "burn-in" from content or pages left on the screen for too long. Used to happen on every page turn with older Kindles, but it's slowly getting better.

To add to this, don't know if Kindles have this but on Kobo readers you can set that "refresh rate" to anything between once per 1-6 page(s). I don't mind it.

 

[Pau]

Yup. I actually didn't make it through the book at first. Then the show started and I decided to give it another chance - blew through all five books really quickly. It definitely improves after Leviathan Wakes.

Hmm. Maybe I should give the second book a try. I don't tend to be a fan of space opera stuff in general though. Maybe the only series I like that falls into that genre is the Vorkosigan stuff.

 

[Haly]

The Expanse is just really pulpy space opera. If that's your thing then it's great but I got burned out by the time I got to Abbadon's Gate. It all just felt like one big lead up to Mass Effect.

 

[Mumei]

Haly, have you read Little, Big?

 

[Haly]

Haly, have you read Little, Big?

Nope, what dat?

 

[Mossybrew]

I think most readers agree that the series really improves from the second volume onwards. I've only read Leviathan Wakes myself.

I dunno, I gave up after the second book. I found the writing fairly dry and the characters largely uninteresting. The show makes much better use of the material IMO.

 

[Mumei]

Nope, what dat?

Your next read!

I first heard about it when Cat Valente said in an AMA—here—that if she could steal someone else's writing style and general ability, it would be like John Crowley circa Little, Big, and that it was his favorite book. I always like reading books that authors I like have given high praise to, and I'd never heard of him or the book, even from other "genre" writers, so it's been on my radar since I read that. I'm just now getting around to it (about a third of the way through) and it's absolutely lovely.

This is a good read. It doesn't tell you much about what it is about, but they should tell you if it sounds like something you'd like.

 

[Haly]

Your next read!

I first heard about it when Cat Valente said in an AMA—here—that if she could steal someone else's writing style and general ability, it would be like John Crowley circa Little, Big, and that it was his favorite book. I always like reading books that authors I like have given high praise to, and I'd never heard of him or the book, even from other "genre" writers, so it's been on my radar since I read that. I'm just now getting around to it (about a third of the way through) and it's absolutely lovely.

This is a good read. It doesn't tell you much about what it is about, but they should tell you if it sounds like something you'd like.

Okay but I need to finish this first:

 

[Mumei]

Okay but I need to finish this first:

Do you recommend it?

 

[fakefaker]

Interesting article about how ebook sales are going down in the UK. It's great to see that there are so many choices in how to read tho right?

Ebook sales continue to fall as younger generations drive appetite for print

Readers committed to physical books can give a sigh of relief, as new figures reveal that ebook sales are falling while sales of paper books are growing – and the shift is being driven by younger generations.

More than 360m books were sold in 2016 – a 2% jump in a year that saw UK consumers spend an extra 6%, or £100m, on books in print and ebook formats, according to findings by the industry research group Nielsen in its annual books and consumer survey. The data also revealed good news for bricks-and-mortar bookshops, with a 4% rise in purchases across the UK.

While sales through shops increased 7% in 2016, ebook sales declined by 4%. It is the second year in a row that ebook sales have fallen, and only the second time that annual ebook sales have done so since industry bodies began monitoring sales a decade ago.

 

[kswiston]

Interesting article about how ebook sales are going down in the UK. It's great to see that there are so many choices in how to read tho right?

Ebook sales continue to fall as younger generations drive appetite for print

I wonder if a small portion of European e-book readers are signing up for American Amazon accounts. I'm Canadian, and the US ebook deals are way better. I own dozens of ebooks, but technically 0 were sold from Canadian sources.

 

[Puck Beaverton]

I'm never going to finish my reread of Against the Day D:

 

[fakefaker]

I wonder if a small portion of European e-book readers are signing up for American Amazon accounts. I'm Canadian, and the US ebook deals are way better. I own dozens of ebooks, but technically 0 were sold from Canadian sources.

Don't know, that's a good question. And to be honest I do the same thing.