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What are you reading? (August 2012)

nicoga3000

Saint Nic
This is something I want to do just to keep up with the movies. They are really fast reads.

I've heard that in this case movies are better.

Smashed through the first 244 pages tonight. Time to sleep. I'll finish it tomorrow so I can watch the movie this weekend with my fiancee when I finally get to see her again, haha.

I have to wonder how good the movie is tbh. I'm REALLY enjoying the book, and I'm very intrigued about where this series will end up.
 

Jintor

Member
Do tell how World War Z is once you are finished, I am interested in reading that.

It's a great read, but more in what Brooks envisions happening to the world than in its pure storytelling style, if you catch my meaning. Rereading it is slightly tedious once you know what's happening.
 

nicoga3000

Saint Nic
I have a book related question...

I really enjoyed Ender's Game when I read it both times (one of the only books I've read twice, the other being Fahrenheit 451). I was able to get through Speaker for the Dead, but I simply couldn't proceed past that. The rest of the series felt SUPER dry.

Do I just have bad taste or are the rest of the books in that series thick sci-fi?
 

Sleepy

Member
Finished The Virgin Suicides. I felt it fizzled out at the end, but it was still an enjoyable read; it's damn impressive for a first novel.

Reading:

41WUeugoRHL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg
 

Haly

One day I realized that sadness is just another word for not enough coffee.
I have a book related question...

I really enjoyed Ender's Game when I read it both times (one of the only books I've read twice, the other being Fahrenheit 451). I was able to get through Speaker for the Dead, but I simply couldn't proceed past that. The rest of the series felt SUPER dry.

Do I just have bad taste or are the rest of the books in that series thick sci-fi?
The rest of the Ender's Game books are bleh, go read the Ender's Shadow series instead.
 
Reading this in between my short breaks of A Feast for Crows.

tubes_blum.jpg


So far it is very interesting and a great read for an aspiring Network Engineer such as myself.
 

TCRS

Banned
I have finally finished The White-Luck Warrior (fifth book of the Second Apocalypse by Scott Bakker). The Judging-Eye had some slow moments but TWLW totally made up for them. I liked all story lines and chapters, especially the last chapter, the interlude and the showdown between
Esmenet and Maithanet
were simply brilliant. Can't wait for the next book! It's due next year me thinks.

Anyway for the last three years I have been reading fantasy and fantasy only. LOTR, ASOIAF, First Law etc. And before that I was reading mainly Star Wars books (so sci-fi basically). And while there is still so much fantasy to read (I thought The Wise Man's Fear is a good idea, I really liked The Name of the Wind) I'm thinking of trying something else. There is simply so much to read and I love how fantasy books have kindled my interest for all sorts of books now. Before that I hardly read any books.

Since the Bakker books are quite heavy on philosophy and insight etc (well the first three anyway) I thought of reading something philosophical. I googled a bit and Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance stood out since motorbikes are another hobby of mine. What do you guys think, a good book for beginners looking into philosophy? Any other recommendations?
 

Jintor

Member

Snuff by Terry Pratchett

I really liked this book, but it occurs to me that I've enjoyed Pterry's latest writings in a different manner to the way in which I enjoyed his previous Discworld novels. They used to feel more structured, more deliberate, or at least I read them that way; between this and Unseen Academicals, it feels more like I read the entire thing in a kind of weird fever-dream that leaves my head spinning.
 

Piecake

Member
Right now I am currently reading the second book of the Fionavar Tapestry

While I like it, I feel like its dragging a bit. I am also not a huge fan of the romance sections and feel that the
King Arthur
subplot is very tacked on

Ill give Tigana a shot after this though since being one book i imagine that my first complaint won be all that relevant
 

IronRinn

Member
camp14.jpg


Continuing my, admittedly, morbid fascination with North Korea. And, yes, the book is just as fucking depressing as you would imagine.
 
Do you like Urban Fantasy and its ilk?

Do you like Lovecraftian horrors Not Of This World?

Do you have $0.99?

If you answered "Yes" to all of the above then do I have the book for you (ignore the shitty cover art):

child-of-fire.jpg


Child of Fire is about a man named Ray Lilly and his boss, Annalise Powliss. Annalise is a mage, and a high ranking member of the mysterious Twenty Palace Society. Ray, on the other hand, is a "wooden man", and his job is to act as a decoy while Annalise does her fire and brimstone thing. Together, they hunt down rogue mages who summon extradimensional horrors for their own selfish ends. Horrors which, if left unchecked, can easily devour all sentient life on earth.

Annalise also wants to kill Ray for something he once did, which does not make their job any easier.

Child of Fire is, even by urban fantasy standards, pretty dark. People die, they don't get better later on. It's about sacrifices, what people are willing to do for power and what the heroes have to do to stop them. And it's about trust, with all the various emotional trappings that come with that kind of plotline. This book is also niche, so niche that it doesn't even have a tropes page despite being 3 years old.

Alternatively, you can think of this as Harry Dresden in the Lakeside setting from American Gods. You can buy the ebook from Amazon for a measily $0.99, provided you have/are willing to use their Kindle for PC app.

You almost made me cry. :(

This is one of my favorite urban fantasy series, I don't remember how I ended reading this, the first book, but I tought it was very good, even if it keeps referencing the past and doesn't explain much about it, But then the second book came out and then the third, and the relationship between Ray and Annalise keeps getting better and stronger and then I found out that the series has been cancelled indefinetly due to poor sales but the author is self-publishing a prequel that turns out to explain a lot of Ray's past and how he meet Annalise and the origin of the villain and you are left waiting for more knowing that it may never come.

Please, buy this book. I really want this series to continue. :(
 

aidan

Hugo Award Winning Author and Editor
Just got my hands on this:

386c044ce64b11e1b3ea1231381b679f_7.jpg


The Blinding Knife by Brent Weeks.

Might have to put down my current read to give it a shot.
 
Just got my hands on this:

386c044ce64b11e1b3ea1231381b679f_7.jpg


The Blinding Knife by Brent Weeks.

Might have to put down my current read to give it a shot.

I've been waiting for that book and you just made me double check the release date on my kindle pre-order, still 4 weeks of wait for me.
 

Sleepy

Member
Finished:

41WUeugoRHL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg


Interesting, if repugnant, story and protagonist. Eco's narrative structure worked for me, though it was a bit contrived. Not as good as The Name of the Rose or Foucault's Pendulum.

Starting (I think):

410YIX8%2B1aL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg
 
cover.jpg


Almost done, and holy shit do I love this book. Maybe it's because I identify so strongly with Newland. Anyway, super excited about the new Brent Weeks, I really enjoyed The Black Prism.
 

aidan

Hugo Award Winning Author and Editor
I've been waiting for that book and you just made me double check the release date on my kindle pre-order, still 4 weeks of wait for me.

Yeah, I'm among a few people who got an early copy of it. I started it last night and enjoyed what I read. Great action right off the top.


41M74fv8XhL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA300_SH20_OU03_.jpg


Im about halfway through and loving every single page of it.

I couldn't get enough of this book! Probably my favourite read in the last couple of years.
 

ultron87

Member
Finished up the Wool Omnibus the other day. Loved it. Thanks to everyone on here for the recommendation as I wouldn't have heard about it otherwise. My only real problem with it was
the very end where Bernard was suddenly careless enough to broadcast a bunch of secrets over an open radio frequency just trusting that everyone else would turn their's off. This seemed pretty out of character for him.

Up next I'll either read the Wool prequel, First Shift, pick my re-read of Hyperion back up, or read Night Circus or Gone Girl on the recommendations of some friends.
 

thespot84

Member
Finished up the Wool Omnibus the other day. Loved it. Thanks to everyone on here for the recommendation as I wouldn't have heard about it otherwise. My only real problem with it was
the very end where Bernard was suddenly careless enough to broadcast a bunch of secrets over an open radio frequency just trusting that everyone else would turn their's off. This seemed pretty out of character for him.

Up next I'll either read the Wool prequel, First Shift, pick my re-read of Hyperion back up, or read Night Circus or Gone Girl on the recommendations of some friends.

I'm still on the fence about reading first shift, as I want to keep the Wool series prestine for as long as I can (at least until they make it a movie lol). It seems that it has mixed reviews... anyone here read?


as a side note, does anyone know of any decent non fiction books about the dot-com bubble burst?

I haven't read it but if you want something from a financial perspective Irrational Exuberance makes a compelling argument (I was taught from the book in college).
 

Hari Seldon

Member
200px-Hyperion_cover.jpg


Based on going back and looking at old gaf threads, I decided to give this a shot. I think I'm nearing the end of the first story (the priest). This book was harder than usual to get into, but I'm starting to dig it now that there is finally something interesting going on.

I don't know if I would consider this a top sci-fi novel, but I will withhold my judgement until I finish it.
 

Emerson

May contain jokes =>
200px-Hyperion_cover.jpg


Based on going back and looking at old gaf threads, I decided to give this a shot. I think I'm nearing the end of the first story (the priest). This book was harder than usual to get into, but I'm starting to dig it now that there is finally something interesting going on.

I don't know if I would consider this a top sci-fi novel, but I will withhold my judgement until I finish it.

I agree it's a slog at first. But the later stories are far, far better than the beginning so I think your opinion will improve.
 

Piecake

Member
Well, I gave up on the Fionavar Tapestry. I just started to feel that the plot was getting in the way of the good parts of the novel - the characters and writing. What I mean by this, instead of dealing with their own personal issues and internal conflict amongst the group, the book started to focus on battling teh evil and making ridiculous poetic speeches that I had a hard time believing anyone would say

So yea, my enjoyment definitely nose-dived when the good versus evil bit took center stage. I just find that sort of story boring
 
Does anyone care to talk about Haruki Murakami with me? I havent read any of his books, but from what I hear most of his stories are realistic in setting. However there is always a little surrealness them. I also hear he is known for how well he can write a female character. Is that an a good description of him?
 

Cosmic Bus

pristine morning snow
Just got these two in the mail today, and since school's now out for a while, I'll probably get started on 'em right away.

morethan_night.jpg
tumblr_m51g5qjv8o1qbhsbe.jpg
 

ymmv

Banned
Well, I gave up on the Fionavar Tapestry. I just started to feel that the plot was getting in the way of the good parts of the novel - the characters and writing. What I mean by this, instead of dealing with their own personal issues and internal conflict amongst the group, the book started to focus on battling teh evil and making ridiculous poetic speeches that I had a hard time believing anyone would say

So yea, my enjoyment definitely nose-dived when the good versus evil bit took center stage. I just find that sort of story boring

Too bad. That was one of the reasons I enjoyed it so much. The book is a modern epic (with the true meaning of that word). The characters are archetypes, not real living breathing humans. I thought it was wonderful to have a story that felt just like Scandinavian or Finnish mythology - with characters that were larger than life, with magic and gods, with death and resurrection, sacrifice and fate. I absolutely loved it.
 

Jarlaxle

Member
can anyone recommend a good horror book?

preferably not king

House of Leaves by Mark Z Danielewski: It's not technically horror but it is pretty disquieting and can at times raise some hairs. I know some didn't like this because of the structure but I really enjoyed this book (especially the Navidson Records parts).

I recently finished up Beyond the Shadows by Brent Weeks. After a slow start I wound up liking this book almost as much as the first in the trilogy. It went back to the main character which I think the second book steers away from at times and loses it's focus a little bit. The last 200-300 pages had me in it's clutches to the point I couldn't put it down. I would reccommend this as a nice light read.

Just started:


I'm only about 150 pages in so far but I'm really enjoying it. Sanderson comes up with some really incredible and new magic systems. Between this and the Mistborn Trilogy, everything of his I've read so far has seemed really fresh. I'm looking forward to finishing this and then eventually starting up The Way of the Kings.
 
D

Deleted member 1235

Unconfirmed Member
I'm still on the fence about reading first shift, as I want to keep the Wool series prestine for as long as I can (at least until they make it a movie lol). It seems that it has mixed reviews... anyone here read?

yes and it was great. I wanted more standard wool, but finding out how they got there was really really good, like wool in general can give you 0 details. But it's good stuff all of it.
 

finowns

Member
You almost made me cry. :(

This is one of my favorite urban fantasy series, I don't remember how I ended reading this, the first book, but I tought it was very good, even if it keeps referencing the past and doesn't explain much about it, But then the second book came out and then the third, and the relationship between Ray and Annalise keeps getting better and stronger and then I found out that the series has been cancelled indefinetly due to poor sales but the author is self-publishing a prequel that turns out to explain a lot of Ray's past and how he meet Annalise and the origin of the villain and you are left waiting for more knowing that it may never come.

Please, buy this book. I really want this series to continue. :(

Prequel has been out for awhile. Agreed this was a good urban fantasy series right up there with Dresden shame the author is not continuing it.

51Q957ipGIL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA278_PIkin4,BottomRight,-64,22_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg


City of the Lost is some what in the same vein. Next book in Feb.
 

MoGamesXNA

Unconfirmed Member
Finishd Tigana by Guy Gavriel Kay. It was great. Loved the characters and Kay's prose was a pleasure to read. Now starting:

underseacover300.jpg


Interesting since like the second paragraph. The premise is great. Set on post-apocalyptic Earth, but instead of people living in the usual crumbled buildings in the middle of a scorched desert or something, they've all settled in a pair of giant, rundown, and damp submarines ("citysubs" as they call them).

I just bought this based on your description. I love me some post-apoc fiction. Cheers for the heads-up.
 

Jintor

Member
For the first time in a long while I think I'm dropping a book without finishing it.


The Straight Razor Cure by Daniel Polansky

I just don't like it. It's a fantasy noir dealy so the premise in itself sounded okay, but it doesn't really mesh the two well. The protagonist is an asshole, but worse than that, he's an unsympathetic asshole. The world is crapsack, but worse than just being shitty, isn't interesting to boot. I bought it on the strength of its Amazon preview which was kind of interesting, but it just hasn't panned out on its implied promises. Nothing holds my attention. I'm ditching it.
 
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