Y'all see that Annihilation trailer? The lighthouse was burning and then Natalie Portman was all like pew pew pew.
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What are you reading? (September 2017)
- Thread starter Maklershed
- Start date
Ravensmash
Member
So Grapes of Wrath is really good.
AngmarsKing701
Member
Hmm... Hard pass from me. I'm just now finishing up To Green Angel Tower in a year long re-read of Memory, Sorrow and Thorn. Maybe somewhere down the line but when every single one of these 10 books in this series is a trilogy in itself... that's insane.
More_Badass
Member
Any specific tier, or are they all good?
Curious about this too! Really want to start reading more science fiction from other countries.
Ive only read Legend of the Galactic Heroes. The anime is a must and was a very faithful adaptatin.
Been meaning to read Marduk Scramble.
Sure looks like an Alex Garland movie. Looks nothing at all like what I imagined when I read the book though.
I don't know what's up with the... colors? I don't have the vernacular for it, but there's just a lot of bloom and sunbeams all over the screen and lens flares. The palate is so vibrant it makes it seem like they're in a jungle half the time. My impression was a realistic, STALKER/Roadside Picnic like nature with decay to inorganic materials "sped up." I remember the flora is supposed to be weird, but I pictured it much more grounded.
The trailer is obviously a very limited look, but it's almost like the intent is to pass all light through that border membrane and it comes out all supernatural and busy
like a bad Crysis mod
EDIT: Thinking back, the book was going for an ordinary nature, ordinary nature, whoa look at that shit! So different, but somehow obviously organic and made out of the familiar effect often. That's not where Natalie Portman has ended up at all from the look of things, everything is made strange.
Rug Monkey
Member
I got the first 2 as I'd been thinking about getting Yukikaze by Chohei Kambayahi after several people here liked it. That and 4 others in the $1 selection was a steal, got the $8 tier because I hadn't read any of them. Even if they are rubbish it's still a bargain for what I liked the look of plus there's the charity bonus.
Any thoughts on the Haikarosu book bundle? As in, are any of these books actually good?
Rug Monkey
Member
BannedEpisode
Member
Just finished The North Water. A quick read at 250 pages. My local bookstore recommended it and Id seen it on the NYT top ten list from last year. It is about an Irish Surgeon who decides to enlist on a whaling ship to distance himself from his past. Arctic whaling in the 1800s is already a dangerous but this guy is lucky enough to be crewmates with a sociopath who gets backed into a corner.
It was definitely an enjoyable read, it never loses momentum. I really dont think it is for everyone though. It is brutally violent and deals with some extremely dark plot points. Not a feel good story in the slightest, but there are some very beautiful passages in the authors descriptions of the sublime & horrific.
Also, a bit on the nose with some foreshadowing.
It was definitely an enjoyable read, it never loses momentum. I really dont think it is for everyone though. It is brutally violent and deals with some extremely dark plot points. Not a feel good story in the slightest, but there are some very beautiful passages in the authors descriptions of the sublime & horrific.
Also, a bit on the nose with some foreshadowing.
sparky2112
Member
So after the somewhat meh-ness of The Forever War, I wanted to go with a SURE THING. So I picked:
And for the first 20%, I was like, 'Well, this is nice, but it's not....' and then Stoner meets his future wife and the writing, like, goes hyper-drive. Like, WOW. It's like I got lit-jumped out of nowhere. I'll weigh in again once I'm done.
And for the first 20%, I was like, 'Well, this is nice, but it's not....' and then Stoner meets his future wife and the writing, like, goes hyper-drive. Like, WOW. It's like I got lit-jumped out of nowhere. I'll weigh in again once I'm done.
AngmarsKing701
Member
So I decided to fiddle with my Kindle content given Amazon lets you create Collections on the web now. Not sure how long that ability has been there. I've been pretty consistently reading 10-15 books/year, so I figured I'd create Collections for "To Read 20xx" with xx being the year, out to 2020. I put 10-12 books in each, leaving room for stuff that comes out and automatically jumps to the top of the queue, or series where I plopped the first book because I bought it on sale and if I like it I'll buy the rest of the series.
And ...
Well ...
I have bought A LOT of books on sale. A lot. Only sticking 10-12 of them in Collections for the next four years puts like a 10% dent into them.
I think I need to stop buying books, even if they're on sale.
And ...
Well ...
I have bought A LOT of books on sale. A lot. Only sticking 10-12 of them in Collections for the next four years puts like a 10% dent into them.
I think I need to stop buying books, even if they're on sale.
So after the somewhat meh-ness of The Forever War, I wanted to go with a SURE THING. So I picked:
And for the first 20%, I was like, 'Well, this is nice, but it's not....' and then Stoner meets his future wife and the writing, like, goes hyper-drive. Like, WOW. It's like I got lit-jumped out of nowhere. I'll weigh in again once I'm done.
Make sure to read Augustus, too, if you haven't!
Mackenzie 92
Member
I'm there as well. It's a bit sobering to realize you have accumulated more media than you can possibly consume in a single lifetime.
Nappuccino
Member
So after the somewhat meh-ness of The Forever War, I wanted to go with a SURE THING. So I picked:
And for the first 20%, I was like, 'Well, this is nice, but it's not....' and then Stoner meets his future wife and the writing, like, goes hyper-drive. Like, WOW. It's like I got lit-jumped out of nowhere. I'll weigh in again once I'm done.
I had the exact same response. I haven't been able to keep reading because my school work load is insane right now, but goddamn did the book get incredible as soon as he met that girl.
Seveneves is getting to be a chore. I can't believe I'm 700 pages into a near 900 page book and I'm thinking of dropping it. I could probably finish it in one sitting if I wanted to but God the plot just seems to stop moving at scores of pages at a time.
Anyone reading Sleeping Beauties by S. King and O. King? Got about 50 pages into it sitting in the waiting room at doctor's office and it's okay thus far. Getting totally shelacked on Amazon ratings though, I guess it nosedives or something.
Anyone reading Sleeping Beauties by S. King and O. King? Got about 50 pages into it sitting in the waiting room at doctor's office and it's okay thus far. Getting totally shelacked on Amazon ratings though, I guess it nosedives or something.
Yup. Augustus is one of my favorite books, can't recommend it enough. I still sit down and read that final chapter from time to time.
I finished The First Law trilogy yesterday and it's really good. If we consider ASOIAF as the gold standard in the genre, this trilogy stands up alongside just fine. The action is certainly much better, man can Abercrombie write some good action. Characters have a surprising depth, I mean their actions and wrinkles are often pleasantly surprising rather than a slight on the genre(but maybe both). Abercrombie doesn't have a knack for moving them around on the board with quite the same flair and intrigue, and his cast is much smaller as well, but pound for pound? They're much more interesting than Jon Snow anyway. It's been a long time since ADWD, so I'll stop the comparison here and just say that the prose and dialogue especially can be quite sharp as well.
I don't think there's much, if any, bloat to these books. There's no amateur hour bullshit or boy fantasy garbage either. I know that's not really a description of anything, but if you're familiar with Rothfuss and Sanderson, you know how these things go in the milieu of fantasy. You won't be cringing or rolling your eyes often, Abercrombie is very very rarely less than competent.
So, The First Law is a lot of fun and if you're looking for that you should try it. Where does it fall short? The "lore" and "world" are boilerplate. Thankfully the books aren't stuffed with either, but it's not at The Witcher level of fascinating, but simultaneously not ever mired in the telling of it. One of the main character's final conflict/arc is rather unsatisfying and artificially dramatized, but he's one facet of an otherwise good ending and he's a star in the first two books anyway. What else? There's not much to pick apart here really, just solid fun writing. I suspect if I read it in real time, as they were being released, I would have problems with the second book, but as a complete trilogy it's fine.
Maybe stop arguing about how the tv show sucks and we'll never get another book out of GRRM. The First Law by Abercrombie isn't just worthwhile, it's often better.
I don't think there's much, if any, bloat to these books. There's no amateur hour bullshit or boy fantasy garbage either. I know that's not really a description of anything, but if you're familiar with Rothfuss and Sanderson, you know how these things go in the milieu of fantasy. You won't be cringing or rolling your eyes often, Abercrombie is very very rarely less than competent.
So, The First Law is a lot of fun and if you're looking for that you should try it. Where does it fall short? The "lore" and "world" are boilerplate. Thankfully the books aren't stuffed with either, but it's not at The Witcher level of fascinating, but simultaneously not ever mired in the telling of it. One of the main character's final conflict/arc is rather unsatisfying and artificially dramatized, but he's one facet of an otherwise good ending and he's a star in the first two books anyway. What else? There's not much to pick apart here really, just solid fun writing. I suspect if I read it in real time, as they were being released, I would have problems with the second book, but as a complete trilogy it's fine.
Maybe stop arguing about how the tv show sucks and we'll never get another book out of GRRM. The First Law by Abercrombie isn't just worthwhile, it's often better.
I've just received the monthly newsletter from goodreads and my heart almost stopped when I saw George RR Martin in the headline. But of course it was some kind of comic book (I guess).
Anyway, I'm halfway "I'm Thinking of Ending Things", it's a slow starter but now it's getting really creepy, I love it.
Anyway, I'm halfway "I'm Thinking of Ending Things", it's a slow starter but now it's getting really creepy, I love it.
Got a copy of this yesterday:
Anybody heard of this Brenden Sundstrom guy before? He any good?
Can't. Wait.
Just started Ed McDonald's "Blackwing" as a recommend from Nicholas Eames (Kings of the Wyld - awesome book) and so far so good, but I'm very early in.
Age of Swords (Legends of the First Empire #2) by Michael J. Sullivan was great. Just finished that.
After this I'm due for some history or sci-fi.
I still need to finish the other stormlight book. It took me like 3 years to finish the first one, lol...
Too much fantasy at one time drags on me. I burned through the last 500 pages of the first book and then read about 400 pages of the second about a year ago now and just stalled out. Good series and the back half of that first book was just awesome. Dunno why I keep kicking the can down the road on it, really. I enjoy it every time I pick the books back up but other things drag me away every time.
Too much fantasy at one time drags on me. I burned through the last 500 pages of the first book and then read about 400 pages of the second about a year ago now and just stalled out. Good series and the back half of that first book was just awesome. Dunno why I keep kicking the can down the road on it, really. I enjoy it every time I pick the books back up but other things drag me away every time.
You mean Jezal, or...?
Regarding the lore, given the distinctively subversive nature of the trilogy I think it being so 'ordinary' is, to a degree, intended. But who knows, I may be giving Joe too much credit. Honestly, I rather enjoyed it in its simplicity with a few twists here and there.
Anyway, glad you enjoyed it.
Reading a book about Antifa and while it has its biases it makes good points and is interesting (fuck fascists)
Also found myself rereading game of thrones after how the catching up with the show reminded me how much better the books are.
I'm kinda interested in starting the Dark Tower but I guess I should read some king first. Best places to start? Not a big fan of horror outside of lovecraft so Carrie, Cujo, the car one, Shining, don't interest me
Also found myself rereading game of thrones after how the catching up with the show reminded me how much better the books are.
I'm kinda interested in starting the Dark Tower but I guess I should read some king first. Best places to start? Not a big fan of horror outside of lovecraft so Carrie, Cujo, the car one, Shining, don't interest me
Dandy Lyin
Member
Jealous.Got a copy of this yesterday:
Anybody heard of this Brenden Sundstrom guy before? He any good?
I found WoK a bit slow/dull at times, but really enjoyed WoR.
I'm reading The Shadow of What Was Lost by James Islington at the moment. Well, I started it anyway. It's been a week and I've only read about 30 pages, but I've been in a TV mood this week.
In terms of connections I'd say probably The Stand is most important.
If you want to get into DT though don't worry about getting into king's writing style because dt he intentionally writes it differently than anything else he does, so if you want to jump in just do it!
Also if you like Lovecraft King's Revival is a massive Lovecraft homage and a very good read.
I really liked the first book, especially the characters (mostly logen and Glokta, they really steal the show) but by the end of the book, I was starting to feel a bit bored. The action scenes are nice but I felt the overall plot was moving way too slowly for my taste. I decided to complete the mistborn series and started Dune before getting Before They Are Hanged. If only to see where Gloktas character ends up.
I really like the names of the books too.
Glokta actually.
Sult turned all occult on a dime to create some drama that rang false and all 3 of the practicals fizzled out and went nowhere. Bayaz rendered all machinations irrelevant of course, so it was always going to be hard to make that work, but it was a poor effort anyway. And Pike was just ridiculous btw.
There's a lot more action in the sequels. The third book especially is like a master class on fantasy battles. From duels, to large scale encounters, to magic, all of it is excellent. You can't go wrong with Dune though.
sparky2112
Member
GET OUT. Man, I've wanted this feature for, like, *forever*. Happy dance!
Interesting and how is his Shattered Seas trilogy?
Good stuff. Basically all of Abercrombie's strengths are there, just in a 'lighter' form since, as you probably know, it's a YA series. If you liked the First Law, you'll probably like the Shattered Sea too.
Personally I find the first book pretty banal and unremarkable, but I still think it's worth a read as an introduction to the world and characters, since the sequels are so much better.
The (more or less) general consensus seems to be that the best one is the second, but I liked the third book the most. If I had to rate the trilogy, I'd probably go *** -> **** -> *****.
AngmarsKing701
Member
Abercrombie is great. Loved The First Law. Loved the stand-alones as well, with Red Country being the highlight imo.
Shattered Sea was solid, with book 2 being the best of the lot.
Really eager to see him return to the lands of The First Law with this next series.
Shattered Sea was solid, with book 2 being the best of the lot.
Really eager to see him return to the lands of The First Law with this next series.
On about pg. 230. Trying to read it to better understand Austen fans and why people say Pride and Prejudice is one of the most amazing books ever written.
I think it's OK, but don't think it's jaw-droppingly awesome nor necessarily a page turner. Don't really get why so many people love it (2 million people rating it on average 4.24 stars on goodreads, which is really hard to get...).
I do understand most of the satire, but just don't find it funny enough to laugh. I just say to myself "well, that was kinda funny" but don't physically laugh. Don't get me wrong, I think it's a good book, even a great one, but not an amazing one.
My main problem is that it's, well...a bit boring. It's completely character driven, and there's nothing wrong with that, but the plot revolves around marriages. That's hard for me to get into, because I don't find marriages for the sake of marriages to be mindblowingly fascinating. To make novels revolve around marriages and virtually nothing else seems kind of lame, despite all the social commentary it can bring.
Since we're talking about Abercrombie, he posted an update on his blog two days ago...
175k is quite a bit shorter than most of his other books. Not a problem, obviously - especially since it's very provisional - but it's interesting to note.
175k is quite a bit shorter than most of his other books. Not a problem, obviously - especially since it's very provisional - but it's interesting to note.
AngmarsKing701
Member
Red Country is listed as 172K, but yeah it's a bit shorter than the three in the First Law trilogy.
Some of those word lengths. Doorstops. I'm doing the novella/month thing this year, so the full Knight's Journal when mashed all into one volume will be ~360K, which is ~30K shorter than Way of Kings all by itself.
Well, there's little shame in being slower than Sanderson. That guy's a robot.
How do you define dark and gritty? I don't want to give away character arcs, so we can go off your taste.
I usually like to take a break from a writer after a book, especially a trilogy like this, but maybe not this time. They're just such an entertaining punch, it's great if you're trying to read something slower and harder alongside as well.
Currently reading Fahrenheit 451 and I got so many mixed feelings about this book. Reached the end of chapter 1 today which is about half way through but I'm still not sure how I feel about it. Sometimes the writing is brilliant, but mostly I've found it annoying. It's a shame because I'm a fan of how he relates the simple concept of book burning with other aspects of dystopian civilization. Is this the kind of book that gets better on a second reading (Like Book of the New Sun)? I don't see why Fahrenheit is so vague with it's narrative telling, except for some artistic merit, unless there's something I'm missing between the lines.
Well the plot revolves around marriages but the book is character driven as you say and the books are really about characters, and society, and characters in society. Courtship, friendship, marriage, those are convenient vehicles for a study of society as a whole. The specific as something universal, etc. I just don't get why it matters that the plot is then about marriages, you don't have to think about marriage at all to see how the satire of norms, rules, female/male roles applies in general and even today. It's completely reductionist to say it's just about marriage. That's like saying 'Moby Dick' is about fishing.
There are even better Austen books though.
enbred
Banned
Have you read The KingKiller Chronicles? Its pretty good fantasy. Well reviewed and recent.
I think that's what he meant by "shadow of the wind"? lol
Someone also said "The biggest impediment to understanding the past, is that we know their future"
But sorry I have no recommendations, you just reminded me of the quote.