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[CiSTM]

Year 2011 is behind us so yet again it is time to list the best books of last year. I have to admit I have been really lazy this year with new books so I can't even give you top 10 of my own

1.

Pale King by David Foster Wallace

The agents at the IRS Regional Examination Center in Peoria, Illinois, appear ordinary enough to newly arrived trainee David Foster Wallace. But as he immerses himself in a routine so tedious and repetitive that new employees receive boredom-survival training, he learns of the extraordinary variety of personalities drawn to this strange calling. And he has arrived at a moment when forces within the IRS are plotting to eliminate even what little humanity and dignity the work still has.

The Pale King remained unfinished at the time of David Foster Wallace's death, but it is a deeply compelling and satisfying novel, hilarious and fearless and as original as anything Wallace ever undertook. It grapples directly with ultimate questions--questions of life's meaning and of the value of work and society--through characters imagined with the interior force and generosity that were Wallace's unique gifts. Along the way it suggests a new idea of heroism and commands infinite respect for one of the most daring writers of our time.

I have always liked Wallace's style and while it is unfinished work and far from his best works it is still easily the best book of 2011 for me. Sad that we won't be reading more DFW in the future

2.

The Quantum Thief by Hannu Rajaniemi

Jean le Flambeur is a post-human criminal, mind burglar, confidence artist, and trickster. His origins are shrouded in mystery, but his exploits are known throughout the Heterarchy— from breaking into the vast Zeusbrains of the Inner System to stealing rare Earth antiques from the aristocrats of Mars. Now he’s confined inside the Dilemma Prison, where every day he has to get up and kill himself before his other self can kill him.

Rescued by the mysterious Mieli and her flirtatious spacecraft, Jean is taken to the Oubliette, the Moving City of Mars, where time is currency, memories are treasures, and a moon-turnedsingularity lights the night. What Mieli offers is the chance to win back his freedom and the powers of his old self—in exchange for finishing the one heist he never quite managed.

As Jean undertakes a series of capers on behalf of Mieli and her mysterious masters, elsewhere in the Oubliette investigator Isidore Beautrelet is called in to investigate the murder of a chocolatier, and finds himself on the trail of an arch-criminal, a man named le Flambeur

Interesting concept and interesting world. Can't wait for rest of the series to come out.

3.

11/22/63 by Stephen King

Jake Epping is a thirty-five-year-old high school English teacher in Lisbon Falls, Maine, who makes extra money teaching adults in the GED program. He receives an essay from one of the students—a gruesome, harrowing first person story about the night 50 years ago when Harry Dunning’s father came home and killed his mother, his sister, and his brother with a hammer. Harry escaped with a smashed leg, as evidenced by his crooked walk.

Not much later, Jake’s friend Al, who runs the local diner, divulges a secret: his storeroom is a portal to 1958. He enlists Jake on an insane—and insanely possible—mission to try to prevent the Kennedy assassination. So begins Jake’s new life as George Amberson and his new world of Elvis and JFK, of big American cars and sock hops, of a troubled loner named Lee Harvey Oswald and a beautiful high school librarian named Sadie Dunhill, who becomes the love of Jake’s life—a life that transgresses all the normal rules of time.

Haven't read King in years! Well I did try to give Gunslinger a chance but couldn't get into it but this was really gripping story and hey, Time Travelling is always fun concept.

4.

Onward Towards Our Noble Deaths by Shigeru Mizuki

semiautobiographical account of the desperate final weeks of a Japanese infantry unit at the end of WorldWar II. The soldiers are told that they must go into battle and die for the honor of their country, with certain execution facing them if they return alive.

Art is lovely and the story is great too. Shigeru Mizuki has long career in Japan but this is his first work published in english, well worth the read.

5.

Swamplandia! by Karen Russell

Thirteen-year-old Ava Bigtree has lived her entire life at Swamplandia!, her family’s island home and gator-wrestling theme park in the Florida Everglades. But when illness fells Ava’s mother, the park’s indomitable headliner, the family is plunged into chaos; her father withdraws, her sister falls in love with a spooky character known as the Dredgeman, and her brilliant big brother, Kiwi, defects to a rival park called The World of Darkness. As Ava sets out on a mission through the magical swamps to save them all, we are drawn into a lush and bravely imagined debut that takes us to the shimmering edge of reality.

Disappointment of a year

1Q84 by Haruki Murakami

A young woman named Aomame follows a taxi driver’s enigmatic suggestion and begins to notice puzzling discrepancies in the world around her. She has entered, she realizes, a parallel existence, which she calls 1Q84 —“Q is for ‘question mark.’ A world that bears a question.” Meanwhile, an aspiring writer named Tengo takes on a suspect ghostwriting project. He becomes so wrapped up with the work and its unusual author that, soon, his previously placid life begins to come unraveled.

As Aomame’s and Tengo’s narratives converge over the course of this single year, we learn of the profound and tangled connections that bind them ever closer: a beautiful, dyslexic teenage girl with a unique vision; a mysterious religious cult that instigated a shoot-out with the metropolitan police; a reclusive, wealthy dowager who runs a shelter for abused women; a hideously ugly private investigator; a mild-mannered yet ruthlessly efficient bodyguard; and a peculiarly insistent television-fee collector.

I'm a huge fan of Murakami and have been since the early 90s and his recent decline has been rather sad. Given that I still liked most of his books of 00s but the quality was just not the same. 1Q84 is just bad book, I mean really bad. I was waiting something epic since Murakami had been working on this book for so long and it was rather hefty but it's pretty much like most of his works from last decade and unnecessary long.

He has done this all before but much better. Book starts out strong but soon you start to see how much shit there is. Same characterisation are told over and over again, stupid gimmicks are given so Murakami can keep up the "suspense" for another 100 pages. Fat middle part of the book was really a crime against good taste, two main characters are rehashing the plot points for some time, I mean what's up with that? Paper thin and boring characters are hard to care so it was even harder to care about the love story between Tengo and Aomame that was big part of the book.

If they said Pyncho wrote himself out from the Nobel Award by writing Inherent Vice then I can't imagine what this book has done to Murakami's reputation as a writer. Doesn't help either that he is planning on writing prequel and fourth novel to the saga.

 

[justjohn]

Sad to hear about IQ84. Was really looking toward to it.

 

[Witchfinder General]

Book of the decade (or maybe, no definitely, more):

Future Babble - Dan Gardner

In 2008, as the price of oil surged above $140 a barrel, experts said it would soon hit $200; a few months later, it plunged to $30. In 1967, they said the USSR would have one of the world’s fastest-growing economies in the year 2000; in 2000, the USSR did not exist. In 1911, it was pronounced that there would be no more wars in Europe.

Let’s face it: experts are about as accurate as dart-throwing monkeys. And yet, every day, we ask them to predict everything from the weather to the likelihood of a terrorist attack. Future Babble is the first book to examine this phenomenon, demonstrating why our brains yearn for certainty about the future, why we are attracted to those who predict it confidently, and why it’s so easy for us to ignore the trail of outrageously wrong forecasts.

In this fast-paced, example-packed, sometimes darkly hilarious book, bestselling author Dan Gardner shows how pundits who are more famous are less accurate — and the average expert is no more accurate than a flipped coin. Gardner also draws on current research in cognitive psychology, political science, and behavioural economics to discover something quite reassuring: The future is always uncertain, but the end is not always near.

'If you are paying a lot of money for forecasting services — be they crystal ball gazers or math modelers or something in between — put your orders on hold until you have had a chance to read this book — a rare mix of superb scholarship and zesty prose. You may want to cancel, or at least re-negotiate the price. For the rest of us who are just addicted to what experts are telling us everyday in every kind of media about what the future holds, Future Babble will show you how to be a bit smarter than what you usually hear.'
Philip Tetlock (Author of Expert Political Judgement and Mitchell Professor of Organizational Behavior, Hass School of Business, University of California)

THIS IS MANDATORY READING FOR EVERY PERSON ON THE PLANET!!!!

I really should do a thread on this book.

 

[faridmon]

I hope more people would post in this thread as I haven't read many books last year and would love some good reccomendation

Infact, I have read only one booke and it's:

The monster showed up just after midnight. As they do. But it isn’t the monster Conor's been expecting. He's been expecting the one from his nightmare, the one he's had nearly every night since his mother started her treatments, the one with the darkness and the wind and the screaming... The monster in his back garden, though, this monster is something different. Something ancient, something wild. And it wants the most dangerous thing of all from Conor. It wants the truth. Costa Award winner Patrick Ness spins a tale from the final idea of much-loved Carnegie Medal winner Siobhan Dowd, whose premature death from cancer prevented her from writing it herself. Darkly mischievous and painfully funny, A Monster Calls is an extraordinarily moving novel of coming to terms with loss from two of our finest writers for young adults.

Loved it. The production value on the book itself is the best I have seen within fiction world. Patrick Ness not only created a grim world full of atmosphere and disposition, but he strengthen it with charcoal artworks that brings the book full to life. Its short and I would really reccomend to anyone.

 

[Ultima_5]

I keep hearing about 1Q84 and about the author. I never heard of either. Are any of this other books worth a read?

Here's my choice.

I'm a sucker for "secret of my sucess" type books, and I'm quite into apple products. Good and interesting read. Especially liked the parts when they were young and just getting going.

I just started this, and it seems about on part with the other books in the series. Always been a big fan... Not far enough in to have a definite opinion, but I'm certainly enjoying it so far. Might make a thread about this upon completion

 

[Maklershed]

The only book published in 2011 that I read last year. It was also my favorite book (of 25 read)


A Dance With Dragons by George R.R. Martin

 

[bengraven]

I hope more people would post in this thread as I haven't read many books last year and would love some good reccomendation

Infact, I have read only one booke and it's:

Loved it. The production value on the book itself is the best I have seen within fiction world. Patrick Ness not only created a grim world full of atmosphere and disposition, but he strengthen it with charcoal artworks that brings the book full to life. Its short and I would really reccomend to anyone.

This sounds pretty fantastic, actually. And I love the Scary Stories To Tell in The Dark vibe from that charcoal picture on the cover.

A traditional ghost story with a literary theme is right. up. my. alley.

 

[CiSTM]

I hope more people would post in this thread as I haven't read many books last year and would love some good reccomendation

Infact, I have read only one booke and it's:

http://yalitlovers.oklibshare.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/monstercalls.jpg[img]



Loved it. The production value on the book itself is the best I have seen within fiction world. Patrick Ness not only created a grim world full of atmosphere and disposition, but he strengthen it with charcoal artworks that brings the book full to life. Its short and I would really reccomend to anyone.[/QUOTE]

Sounds fantastic! Will check out it asap, thanks for the tip mate.

[quote="Ultima_5, post: 33901775"]I keep hearing about 1Q84 and about the author. I never heard of either. Are any of this other books worth a read?[/quote]
I love pretty much all his books prior 00s. Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World, A Wild Sheep Chase and Wind-Up Bird Chronicle are my favorites from him. He also has written great short stories and some of them you can find free by some googeling. Norweigian Wood is probably his most known work but I never really liked it since it lacks the usual Murakami trademarks. Kafka on the Shore isn't bad either, it's just kind meh overall experience.

 

[tino]

New Neal Stephenson book was pretty disappointing.

 

[Ultima_5]

Sounds fantastic! Will check out it asap, thanks for the tip mate.


I love pretty much all his books prior 00s. Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World, A Wild Sheep Chase and Wind-Up Bird Chronicle are my favorites from him. He also has written great short stories and some of them you can find free by some googeling. Norweigian Wood is probably his most known work but I never really liked it since it lacks the usual Murakami trademarks. Kafka on the Shore isn't bad either, it's just kind meh overall experience.

Thank you!

 

[thomaser]

Sad to hear about IQ84. Was really looking toward to it.

Just have to say that the "decline" in Murakami's writing that CiSTM talks about is his own opinion, not something that's generally agreed upon. I haven't read it yet and won't say anything about it, other than that I know several people who think 1Q84 is among the best Murakami-books, and some of them think it's his best.

 

[CiSTM]

Just have to say that the "decline" in Murakami's writing that CiSTM talks about is his own opinion, not something that's generally agreed upon. I haven't read it yet and won't say anything about it, other than that I know several people who think 1Q84 is among the best Murakami-books, and some of them think it's his best.

I know many people have said that 1Q84 is Murakami's worse book. Also if you stop reading the day one reviews of the book and go bit deeper you will see that 1Q84 got many "rotten" reviews too. 1Q84 seems to have many haters among the long time fans and less among the people who jumped in to the wagon after Kafka on the Shore.

 

[Count of Monte Sawed-Off]

The only book published in 2011 that I read last year. It was also my favorite book (of 25 read)


A Dance With Dragons by George R.R. Martin

Easily my favorite book of last year! Mainly because it was the only book I read last year!

Spoiler

Aside from soooooo many school books.

 

[bengraven]

This is the year I swear I will read Murakami.

 

[fadetoblack]

CiSTM, its funny you loved the King novel but hated 1Q84. It's the exact reverse of most critics (although, like you said, later Murakami reviews are more tepid). Not that I'm in a position to disagree (haven't read King).

1Q84 was my first Murakami novel and you're right that it gets really repetitious. Especially in the bits where they talk about the religious sect and the interview with the professor in the Tengo sections of the first book. Like, two or three chapters spent on the same thing with no real development or movement.

I really wish I could've edited the novel. There are so many changes I could have requested. Murakami does a good enough job telling the story when he's actually telling it and not rehashing details, but he doesn't strike me as an altogether economical writer which is unfortunate.

I also have Death Comes to Pemberley on the docket. Not that I like PD James, and not that I like crime fiction necessarily, but it was on sale on Amazon UK and I'm curious to see how it turned out.

 

[Gaborn]

 

[Large Professor]

Book of the decade (or maybe, no definitely, more):

Future Babble - Dan Gardner

Does it have a lot of common ground with The Black Swan, which also deals with our inability to predict?

 

[SolKane]

This is the year I swear I will read Murakami.

I've been intending to read a Murakami work also, but I've heard that several of his books have been abridged in translation to English. So unless I'm able to teach myself to read Japanese, I'm afraid I won't be reading some of his work until there are new translations.

 

[Weenerz]

I really enjoyed the Steve Jobs bio.

 

[Freeza Under The Shower]

Smile or Die by barbara ehrenreich.

here is a speech by her that summarizes part of the book. But the important part about the book (which is not in the video) is that this kind of thinking basically generates a very nasty kind of culture, that is effectively incapable of dealing with actual reality.

 

[teruterubozu]

Good advice. I was about to read IQ84 but you dissuaded me from it. I'm actually getting sick of Murakami and his parallel world schtick. In fact, I think he's a better short story writer than a full on novel writer. "Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman" is his last good work.

 

[CiSTM]

CiSTM, its funny you loved the King novel but hated 1Q84. It's the exact reverse of most critics (although, like you said, later Murakami reviews are more tepid). Not that I'm in a position to disagree (haven't read King).

1Q84 was my first Murakami novel and you're right that it gets really repetitious. Especially in the bits where they talk about the religious sect and the interview with the professor in the Tengo sections of the first book. Like, two or three chapters spent on the same thing with no real development or movement.

I really wish I could've edited the novel. There are so many changes I could have requested. Murakami does a good enough job telling the story when he's actually telling it and not rehashing details, but he doesn't strike me as an altogether economical writer which is unfortunate.

I also have Death Comes to Pemberley on the docket. Not that I like PD James, and not that I like crime fiction necessarily, but it was on sale on Amazon UK and I'm curious to see how it turned out.

Well I really didn't have any expectations for King's book since I never got into his work but I think it was good story with good pacing. It felt like good friday night popcorn film, not an masterpiece but it was entertaining. I just had high hopes for 1Q84.

Edit. But this thread is not about 1Q84 so I'll stop whining

Edit. Not yet

Good advice. I was about to read IQ84 but you dissuaded me from it. I'm actually getting sick of Murakami and his parallel world schtick. In fact, I think he's a better short story writer than a full on novel writer.

My problem with Murakami is that all his characters and their reactions are too much a like. Hey, I have been transformed into some weird world where there is two moons, well that's ok, I'm not gonna freak out about it, instead I will have group sex. Hey, I'm chatting with dead WW2 soldiers and I'm ok about it. *There is huge talking frog in my kitchen, let's drink tea and etc.

*super frog was actually great story

Murakami is writing wind-up Bird over and over again. I don't mind that his characters are the same but when everything else is the same too then it starts to bother me. I understand he wants to mimic Kafka but he seems to lack range to do it properly on the long run. He should write something closer to Norweigian Wood next or a new non-fiction book.

 

[Salvor.Hardin]

I have such a hard time buying new books. In fact the only book I read published in 2011 was the Steve Jobs biography, and the rest are from past decades. My thought process when deciding on a new book is that if I'm going to risk a new author, wouldn't I instead be better off just reading a book from a renowned author of the past, and there are so many famous "must-read" books that I just end up digging into the past decades' work.

Anyone else have the problem of not knowing where to start on new books by relatively new authors? Any advice?

 

[fadetoblack]

Okay then

I feel comfortable calling this my favourite book of the year. Despite my dislike for recent Booker winners, Barnes really did write a great book. I thoroughly dislike the talk that has surrounded it. Is it a novel or a novella? Is it too short to win the Booker? I think the people asking those questions are doing the book a tremendous disservice. Of course, it wasn't the best Barnes novel (Flaubert's Parrot for me is the obvious winner of that distinction, I think), but it was easily the best of the short list. I don't think any other novel on the shortlist really would have won. Carol Birch's Jamrach's Menagerie was, I think, the only real challenger (did we really expect first time novelists like A.D. Miller or Patrick deWitt to win?), and I didn't think that was an altogether compelling novel (although most will disagree).

 

[faridmon]

I have to disagree with you CiSTM regarding your opinion on Murakamis later books. Granted, I haven't read the one you mentioned in your OP, however, I have read all of his books prior to that and I have to say that Kafka on the Shore and After the Dark are in my top 3 of Murakamis books and they are some of his latest books. Yes, I did not like Wind-up Bird Chronichles as much as many out there (including you) as I found it very archaic and aimed for abstraction just for the sake of it. Also, it did not have any closure that constructed some of the elements the book decided to re-tell.

Also, I am glad some of you are sold on A Monsters Call. Its a Childeren book, so don't expect a mind bending story. But I would put it above Coraline in terms of atmosphere and subversion. Also, it has the usual youngsters naivity which forms the greater metphorical point of the book.

 

[SolKane]

I have such a hard time buying new books. In fact the only book I read published in 2011 was the Steve Jobs biography, and the rest are from past decades. My thought process when deciding on a new book is that if I'm going to risk a new author, wouldn't I instead be better off just reading a book from a renowned author of the past, and there are so many famous "must-read" books that I just end up digging into the past decades' work.

Anyone else have the problem of not knowing where to start on new books by relatively new authors? Any advice?

You could do this with just about any media form (i.e., there being so much worthwhile material already produced that any future material to be produced is extraneous to one's current needs), like music, films, etc. I'd recommend you pick up a contemporary literary journal or magazine and read through that to see if any authors pique your interest. Paris Review is well-regarded, and magazines like New Yorker or Harper's (not exclusively literary albeit) would also be good places to start. They also have online content which you could look through. And if you want to dive into a novel I think you could also look at recent prize winners or the short-list of winners and find a book there that interests you. Prizes don't always determine quality of course but it would be a beginning.

 

[thomaser]

I've been intending to read a Murakami work also, but I've heard that several of his books have been abridged in translation to English. So unless I'm able to teach myself to read Japanese, I'm afraid I won't be reading some of his work until there are new translations.

That won't happen in the foreseeable future. Murakami himself does not want new translations. I saw a panel discussion about this (with Murakami and several translators present) in 2010, and they all agreed that the translated versions were tighter and better than the originals. Murakami never plans out his books, and just writes without thinking ahead, which leads to some of them having parts that seem aimless or redundant. One of his weaknesses. In addition to this, Japanese books are often released with little or no editing, which makes these problems larger. The abridgements were made to cut out the most pointless parts and repetitions, and nothing of value was lost according to those who have read or worked with both versions.

Edit: Just remembered, Murakami was not at that particular debate, it was just three translators. But he talked about the same issues at a q and a session the next day.

 

[SolKane]

That won't happen in the foreseeable future. Murakami himself does not want new translations. I saw a panel discussion about this (with Murakami and several translators present) in 2010, and they all agreed that the translated versions were tighter and better than the originals. Murakami never plans out his books, and just writes without thinking ahead, which leads to some of them having parts that seem aimless or redundant. One of his weaknesses. In addition to this, Japanese books are often released with little or no editing, which makes these problems larger. The abridgements were made to cut out the most pointless parts and repetitions, and nothing of value was lost according to those who have read or worked with both versions.

I'm very much a purist when it comes to translated work so it just bothers me on some level that I don't know what specifically is cut or edited. I suppose if the author OKed it then the translations are authoritative to some degree though.

 

[teruterubozu]

I'm very much a purist when it comes to translated work so it just bothers me on some level that I don't know what specifically is cut or edited. I suppose if the author OKed it then the translations are authoritative to some degree though.

For Murakami, he writes knowing that it will be translated. I can understand your purist approach, but probably more than any other non-English writer, Murakami's translations are the most spot-on in terms of capturing his original style. Unfortunately, his "global" approach to writing seems to be saturating his work.

 

[faridmon]

Wow, so many intresting discussion here. I should post in the monthly Reading thread.

 

[wormstrangler]

 

[coldvein]

hmmmm.. i don't really read "new" books usually. looking at my shelf all i read that came out in 2011 was the apparently controversial (!!!) You Deserve Nothing by Alexander Maksik which I thought was damned good.

 

[Ken Masters]

this was a great book

 

[Mumei]

I think the only two books I read that were actually published in 2011 were The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making and The Folded World, both by Catherynne Valente. And there's the The Once and Future King which had a new edition put out this year, but that doesn't count.

 

[Tuck]

Steve Jobs was great. A very interesting read.

Also read a Game of Thrones, but thats not from 2011.

 

[coldvein]

i didn't even end up reading my two most anticipated books of the year.. Dance With Dragons and The Pale King.

By the time DWD came out i realized i had waited so long that i didn't really care about the story anymore. i blame the author completely. i'm sure he doesn't care up there on money mountain, but making people wait like seven years between installments of your series is bound to make people lose interest. I am one of those people. When the series is finished i'll read through it all. OR, when George "RR" Martin dies i'll read up to wherever the series ended. until one of those things happens, i'm holding off.

With the Pale King.. i dunno. i was super hyped for it, and then when i was in the bookstore holding it in my hands somehow i just couldn't do it. maybe felt like it was too soon. or that it shouldn't have been published. i dunno. conflicting emotions on that one. will eventually read it.. probably once it hits paperback.

 

[Deadly Cyclone]

I am reading Halo: Cryptum now and it's pretty damn good.

 

[bengraven]

I read two books that were published in 2011. Dance with Dragons was fine, but this was better:

Still had a few books of 2011 to finish that I started, including Mrs. Peregrine's House, etc.

I've been intending to read a Murakami work also, but I've heard that several of his books have been abridged in translation to English. So unless I'm able to teach myself to read Japanese, I'm afraid I won't be reading some of his work until there are new translations.

Sounds like the translators need to work on The Count of Monte Cristo next. I couldn't get into it because there was soooooo much fluff.

 

[coldvein]

I read two books that were published in 2011. Dance with Dragons was fine, but this was better:

always been curious about those books. i think when the first one (Wicked?) came out, it was on oprah's book club or something and everyone and their mom was reading it. at that time i intentionally avoided anything popular. heh.. are they good, are they great? should i give em a shot?

 

[bengraven]

always been curious about those books. i think when the first one (Wicked?) came out, it was on oprah's book club or something and everyone and their mom was reading it. at that time i intentionally avoided anything popular. heh.. are they good, are they great? should i give em a shot?

I was always an Oz fan, especially of the Witch, and I read it before anyone paid attention to it. Hell, the only people I heard talking about the book were the magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction who gave it a highly positive review.

When I read it, it quickly became my favorite book of all time. It was seriously that good.

I don't think it ever became an Oprah book, but when the musical arrived and became huge I groaned loudly, feeling like something personal and awesome to me was being taken and turned into something it wasn't.

But the four books, if you disregard how popular it is in the musical audience, are solid, fantastic books. They never dropped in quality though it could be argued Wicked was the best, but none of them were less than "very good".

I can't recommend them enough. Maguire is dark, and funny, and writes beautiful prose and you start to love his characters as much as the classic characters who reside near them.

 

[Pau]

This was the one of the two books I read that was published in 2011, so I guess it wins by default.

Never picked up the third of Maguire's Oz books. Should probably pick that up with Out of Oz. Although I remember not enjoying Son of a Witch too much when it came out. Are the later sequels an improvement?

 

[NekoFever]

I have the same problem as Salvor.Hardin. Read about 20 books this year but the only two new ones were A Dance With Dragons and the Steve Jobs bio.

Still, too much to read is a nice problem to have. It's great finally getting around to an old classic that I've been meaning to read and falling in love with it.

 

[JDSN]

I read 1Q84 based on Gaf`s recommendation, im pretty sure it was mostly initial impressions because the end was a redundant piece of shit with no direction, it was annoying realizing that you only had like 100 pages to finish it and no true development had ocurred.

Also, the little one little one little one little one little one little one little one little one little one little one little one little one, that shit was straight out of the lastest Metroid game.

 

[fadetoblack]

Man, I don't even know if I want to read Book 2 now. It's on my iPad waiting but... god damn.

Can we turn this into a general literature thread? Literature |OT| Thread of taking a look in a book


Is anyone looking forward to anything being released next year? The Guardian book podcast mentioned a new novel from Martin Amis but I haven't seen anything about it. Nevertheless, the prospect gets me very excited. Most people think he's pretentious (duh!) but that's partly why I like him.

 

[silvon]

The only book I read that came out in 2011 is Snuff, which is good, as can be expected from Pratchett.

I also read The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet, which is fun, parts of it reads like a thriller, which surprised me.

Considered reading 1Q84, but decided against it, because I don't know whether I can commit to such a thick book, and I was not impressed by Kafka.

 

[AAequal]

Man, I don't even know if I want to read Book 2 now. It's on my iPad waiting but... god damn.

Can we turn this into a general literature thread? Literature |OT| Thread of taking a look in a book


Is anyone looking forward to anything being released next year? The Guardian book podcast mentioned a new novel from Martin Amis but I haven't seen anything about it. Nevertheless, the prospect gets me very excited. Most people think he's pretentious (duh!) but that's partly why I like him.

2012 seems rather interesting, top of my head there are the following:

- Neil DeGrasse Tyson's Space Chronicles will be out in late january and since I'm a big space geek it's must have for me.

- Dan Brown has new book coming and while I'm not fan of his work it will be biggest release of 2012.

- Roberto Bolano's The Secret of Evil (short stories) is also getting translation and is coming around spring.

- Mark Haddon is also releasing his second(?) novel. His first book was huge success and it was listed in all top 10 books of year when it was released. Been in my backlog for too dam long.

- Shadows in Flight by Orson Scott Card is probably going to be good. Haven't read much of him besides Ender's Game.

Then we have the unannouced wild cards that I'm expecting. Cormac Mccarthy should be finishing up his latest novel, crime drama set in 80s New Orleans. Ian McEwan might come up and surprise US with new book and even tho his last two books haven't been that good it's still a pleasure to read his work. Sthephen King is also working on Shining sequel and IIRC it will come out this year. Also dude who wrote House of Leaves (good book with interesting "gimmick", check it people!) might give us something.

 

[goldlion054]

Been enjoying this alot. I think it is definitely worth a read. Not too long and great pacing/story

 

[Dresden]

Probably because I can actually remember them:

The White Luck Warrior, R. Scott Bakker -

Second novel in what is probably the best epic fantasy going on right now. Has potential to be one of the greats in the genre.

Embassytown, China Mieville -

Odd SF from a writer of monsters and grotesques. Loved the premise and the world and although I was dissatisfied with a few of the elements in the book, it was still a great read.

Mr. Fox, Helen Oyeyemi -

Surprisingly brutal, absurd, funny and sad. It's really a series of short stories connected together by the overarching narrative of the duel between the writer St. John Fox, and his muse, Mary Foxe.

The Pale King, DFW -

One of those books where I have no idea why I'm reading it because it bores me so tremendously but I keep moving forward anyways. Still not done, I drop it every month and pick it back up before the next month is over.

 

[sazabirules]

Embassytown, China Mieville -
Odd SF from a writer of monsters and grotesques. Loved the premise and the world and although I was dissatisfied with a few of the elements in the book, it was still a great read.
.

It's not set in his Bas-Lag universe is it? I need to check out more of his novels.

I'm going to have to go with A Dance With Dragons because I haven't read any other books from 2011.

 

[alysonwheel]

Embassytown, probably my favourite new book of the last few years. Sci-fi, linguistics, and beautiful prose.

I spent 2011 discovering new authors, so just about everything else I read doesn't count.

edit:

It's not set in his Bas-Lag universe is it?

No, nothing since Iron Council has been set in Bas-Lag.