-
Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.
What are you reading? (August 2010)
- Thread starter Maklershed
- Start date
phisheep
NeoGAF's Chief Barrister
survivor said:Three Act Tragedy
Not my favourite Hercule Poirot book since 75% of the book isn't even about him. The mystery was actually very good, I just didn't like the way it was handled.
Ah, but this is a book that you read for that wonderful and character-defining final line!
Witchfinder General
punched Wheelchair Mike
So, after reading nothing but non-fisction for a good long while I decided to indulge my sweet-tooth and read some genre for a while.
Neil Gaiman - The Graveyard Book
Amazing, but that's Gaiman for you.
P. G. Wodehouse - Carry On, Jeeves
What can I say? Perfection. Every English writer of the last 80 years owes a debt to this god.
Neil Gaiman - The Graveyard Book
Amazing, but that's Gaiman for you.
P. G. Wodehouse - Carry On, Jeeves
What can I say? Perfection. Every English writer of the last 80 years owes a debt to this god.
Witchfinder General said:P. G. Wodehouse - Carry On, Jeeves
What can I say? Perfection. Every English writer of the last 80 years owes a debt to this god.
Please, please, please read Kyril Bonfiglioli's Mortdecai trilogy. Wodehouse's prose style is nowhere else received and refashioned as skilfully.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/0141003774/?tag=neogaf0e-20
Finished this tonight. The middle of the book was gripping stuff--the bloodiest conflict in Europe until the battle at Stalingrad in the 20th century. The last third of the book is rather uneven, though, when the battle at Vienna is resolved and goes into the reconquest in Hungary and the motivations of each participant in the conflict.Dresden said:Reading this right now:
About the battle between the Hapsburgs and the Ottomans at Vienna. Bloody stuff, liking it so far.
T.M. MacReady
NO ONE DENIES MEMBER
I bet it would be pretty funny if someone tallied up the amount of times the phrases "coffee and sandwiches" and "turned on his/her heel" appeared in the Millennium trilogy. Great stuff, but I kept noticing how frequently those two things came up.
Anyway, currently reading:
Anyway, currently reading:
Vanillalite
Ask me about the GAF Notebook
BigNastyCurve said:
I too had the same opinion. I thought the creepy stuff over the wall, and even maybe the 1st chapter with the wolves stuff more interesting than where it went for a lot of the book.
I like the series now, but I can totally see how people would think it's extremely dry.
Haters gonna hate on me, but I find that I enjoy other stuff done by Martin a lot more than this.
creslin_black
Neo Member
Cyan said:Just finished:
Beautifully written, interesting characters, weird but clever story. Three different POV characters whose stories are semi-related to each other, but are braided around in just the right way to come together perfectly at the end! ...was what I was hoping. But really, they just sort of ended, none of the three branches really feeling like they'd impacted the others, and none of them ending in a way that tied up their POV character's threads. Which was maybe the point? Dunno.
I loved that novel; somehow it just doesn't really need to go anywhere.
Right now I'm reading Beowulf.
ItAintEasyBeinCheesy
it's 4th of July in my asshole
Tim the Wiz said:Reading copious amounts of legislation and case law and commentary has ruined my resolve to read, but I actually finished something yesterday:
A solid follow-up to a strong debut. Now that the dust has settled, though, it feels like inspired mediocrity rather than anything more. But it does entail a lovely opening reminiscent of the Malazan volume, House of Chains.
For any Peter V. Brett fans
http://www.subterraneanpress.com/Me...de=brett02&Category_Code=CAT&Product_Count=63
I already order 2 of the signed ones
The Great Bazaar was really really good imo and well worth it, they are also a pretty solid investment if you can get the signed collectors one. Checked ebay and some people are selling them for 200-300 bucks new, so if you wanna grab one do it now before the scammers get em all.
afternoon delight
Member
Finished South of the Border, West of the Sun by Murakami for the third time and started The Forever War by Joe Haldeman after seeing it so much on here. Love it so far.
Next up, The Master and the Margarita.
Next up, The Master and the Margarita.
Maklershed
Member
Finished Water for Elephants and on to Foundation
nakedsushi said:Just got done reading for last month:
Help me pick what to read next:
How did you like Lathe?
Haven't read the Atwood book, but I would recommend Left Hand of Darkness first. It's a bit slow in the middle, but the last third is incredible.
Dispossessed after. Takes place in the same universe but vastly different. Bar none my favorite sci-fiction novel, and probably one of my favorite books overall.
The Take Out Bandit
Member
Brave New World, thanks a lot Iron Maiden!
nakedsushi
Member
BorkBork said:
I really liked Lathe. It's the first Le Guin novel I finished. I started her fantasy books (the first Eartsea one, I think) but couldn't really get into it, which is weird because I read a lot more fantasy than sci-fi usually. Loved her prose in Lathe and the concept was great. Reminded me of a Twilight Zone episode. The only complaint I had was that the characters were kind of flat, but I can see that they're not the main point of the story.
BenjaminBirdie
Banned
Still no one else reading the new Rick Moody with me??
The Franzen is out in like TWO WEEKS!!! TIME IS RUNNIN' OUT!!
The Franzen is out in like TWO WEEKS!!! TIME IS RUNNIN' OUT!!
BenjaminBirdie
Banned
Mifune said:
You were my only hope, Mifune.
*dies*
Combichristoffersen
Combovers don't work when there is no hair
The Take Out Bandit said:
The only reason I ever read Rime of the Ancient Mariner in its entirety was due to Maiden :lol
DarkGiygas
Member
Just finished The Shadow of the Wind... now one of my favorite books ever.
Now about to start
Now about to start
johnsmith said:
I'm about a hundred pages in and I have no idea what the hell this book is about.
Welcome to post-modern literature, where narrative structure takes a backseat to punching out expectations.
I was a fan of the epic feel of the book, and many of its descriptions as well as Murakami's ultra-clean style, but it didn't really tie everything up for me by the end. Regardless, it's worth the trip.
Aquavelvaman
Banned
Kindle says I'm 54% through
going to try to finish it by tomorrow night.
going to try to finish it by tomorrow night.
Vanillalite
Ask me about the GAF Notebook
johnsmith said:
I'm about a hundred pages in and I have no idea what the hell this book is about.
We were talking about books on vent, and this got brought up. Think this might be the next book I check out to read!
Tim the Wiz
Banned
A series slaving away alongside its brethren in the shadow of titans - namely, the age of sail adventures of Hornblower and Aubrey & Maturin - but worthy of its inspiration and certainly bringing something intriguing and decidedly unique to the table. Kydd, unlike most naval protagonists drawn from the era, rises to captaincy from the position of unwilling press-ganged Jack Tar. Undoubtedly, the series has lost some of this unique element now that we're almost a dozen volumes in and Kydd has made post-captain, but Stockwin's characters still glisten as they enter a tense period. Not dissimilar to one of its great inspirations, though, is the enduring friendship between Kydd and Renzi, long-time shipmate and disavowed scion of a wealthy family, which has somewhat stuttered in interest since Renzi's frustrated romantic entanglement with Kydd's sister began to field center stage a few volume's ago.
And while Stockwin's command of naval action is no less masterful, there is some failing in the frightless portrayal of the 'Great Terror' England finds itself in at the prospect of Napoleon's invasion. Moreover, after a riveting and sometimes morose start, there is an almost enfeebled, comfortable passage on the way to Trafalgar which could, admittedly, be primarily caused by the evident nature of its place in history. The novel is in this way quite sparse, almost as if in trying to take on the gamut of Nelson and his great last victory, Stockwin was overwhelmed and decided to keep it simple. Nevertheless, much like the series on the whole, it is a dependable take, bathed very much in blood and fire.
finowns said:
You got an ARC? Lucky fish.
The Boondocks: All the Rage. Damned good. I could have done without quite a few of the interviews and profiles in the middle, though.
A Storm of Swords pt. 1. Reread. Still finding Daenerys chapters dull.
McSweeney's #35. Only just started it. The Roddy Doyle story that starts it is fine. Looking forward to the rest.
A Storm of Swords pt. 1. Reread. Still finding Daenerys chapters dull.
McSweeney's #35. Only just started it. The Roddy Doyle story that starts it is fine. Looking forward to the rest.
Tim the Wiz
Banned
finowns said:
Evil. Thanks for reminding me it's coming out next March.
blazinglord
Member
ElectricBlue187
Member
Blood Meridian was great
Fatal Alliance was about what you'd expect from Star Wars novels
I've moved on to yet another campy video game tie in...
and I know what you're wondering GAF and the answer is yes, there is indeed a slow elevator joke and it's pretty early on (oops spoilers)
Otherwise so far it's a pretty awesome continuation of the story of these people who seem to have nothing to do with the story in the game except to give you a little bit of mass effect flava
Fatal Alliance was about what you'd expect from Star Wars novels
I've moved on to yet another campy video game tie in...
and I know what you're wondering GAF and the answer is yes, there is indeed a slow elevator joke and it's pretty early on (oops spoilers)
Otherwise so far it's a pretty awesome continuation of the story of these people who seem to have nothing to do with the story in the game except to give you a little bit of mass effect flava
Tim the Wiz
Banned
Salazar said:
It's odd seeing this become so visible recently with Chabon co-signing it and everything. I'm happy, though, Red Orm deserves the love.
BenjaminBirdie
Banned
Mifune said:
A lot of this book is very different than his other work so that actually might not be the worst idea.
afternoon delight
Member
Just a heads up Book-GAF, seems Barnes and Noble is clearing out hardcover stock IRL stores. Found David Sedaris' new book "Engulfed in Flames" for five dollars. Steal!
manofmandango
Member
Half way through. Looking forward to A Feast For Crows. Yet at the same time that just means a torturous wait for A Dance With Dragons. Not to mention the last two books. Good thing I've got the Wheel of Time on the backburner.