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[-Babyteks-]

(Re)-discovering classics lately so I'm onto:

Lord of the Flies - William Golding
&
Fahrenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury


Not really a fan of Lord of the Flies so I'm kinda struggling to stick it through to the end. Fahrenheit 451 promises to be better.

 

[justin.au]

About halfway through American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis at the moment. I must say I haven't quite figured out what to think about it just yet. Sometimes I feel like I'm reading a masterful portrait an "American psycho", whilst at other times the violence feels so gratuitous that I think I'm reading a sick porno rag.

Maybe the second half of the novel will help clarify my thoughts.

The Simpsons: A Complete Guide to Our Favorite Family. I've had this book for years now and it's always nice to just leaf through and remember the glory days of the show.

 

[ramyeon]

I've been slowly working my way through this for the past few weeks, reading a little bit every time I get a chance. So far it's pretty entertaining and it certainly does keep the pace going well, making it a perfect pick up and put down book for me. I'm interested to see if it can keep it up, as I'm just around half way through it now.

Anyone have any non-spoiler thoughts on this one?

 

[ymmv]

I finished Firethorn last week. It's a fantasy novel about a peasant woman who becomes the "sheath" of her soldier lover and travels with him to war. Most of the book takes place in an army encampment where the king is waiting for the right time to cross the sea. Here a bet leads to feuds and murder that have severe repercussions for Firethorn and Sire Galan.

Sarah Micklem like Patricia McKillip has a nice smooth writing style that's often poetical, folksy and magical but can be tough as well. If you like fantasy with a dollop of romance, this is nice book to pick up.

The second book in that series now sits on top of my 'to read' stack, but because of a number of references to Lois McMaster Bujold's Miles Vorkosigan series I got a sudden urge to pick up that series again. I've got about ten of her Miles books, but I'd only read the first three or four. So now I'm reading

 

[hiryu]

and

 

[Fjordson]

Now Starting:

The Wise Man's Fear by Patrick Rothfuss

Damn, extremely jealous.


Been on a detective kick lately. Mostly Raymond Chandler stuff. Finished The Long Goodbye a few weeks ago, now starting up The Big Sleep.

 

[Eaten By A Grue]

Thanks, I'll take a look after I finish the third Millennium book.

One question: I'd rather read the kindle version, but I heard there are maps in this book which could render the experience useless. Is it true? And does the kindle convert it in a good way?

I read the Kindle version. I do not remember the map if that means anything. I never used it once reading the book.

 

[nakedsushi]

I'm halfway through with

The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness

I like the setting and the whole thing with the Noise, but man, what a stupid construct to get the plot moving along. You'd think that if you were the main character and you had a book and map that told you what to do on your adventure, but you didn't know how to read, you'd uh...I dunno, find someone to read it to you? Seems like common sense.

It's frustrating to read a book that's so blatantly hiding important plot points from the reader just to string them along.

edit: Just finished it. Skimmed the last 1/3 of the book. Didn't like it at all. Meandering, heavy-handed, and predictable. Seemed like the author was so into his oh-so-horrible twist/secret and hiding it from the reader till the last part, but it was pretty much what I guessed. Spoiler about this book and Hunger Games:

Spoiler

I like the premise more in Hunger Games.

 

[DesertEater]

Has anyone here read a Franz Kafka book ?
I'm thinking of getting either The Trial or The Castle but I don't know which translated version to get.

 

[LOCK]

So far this month I have finished The Night Angel Trilogy, and some manga. I'm currently reading Tokyo Doesn't Love Us Anymore by Ray Loriga. I'm almost done and was pondering over what to read next since I wanted to start something epic but also in the sci fi realm. I think I have settled on Revelation Space.

Oh and just to rate the books since I'm bored.

The Way of Shadows - 4/5 stars, great introduction to a story and character, but I felt the detailing could have been more grittier to flesh out the lifestyle idk

Shadow's Edge - 3.5/5 stars, lots of twists and more fleshed out characters, but it didn't have that apprentice beginning story charm

Beyond the Shadows - 3.5/5 stars, the ending felt rushed and it left me with more questions than the answers that the author tried to piece together

Overall great series, and I'd recommend it to anybody who wants an assassins story or unlikely character saves the world story.

Tokyo Doesn't Love Us Anymore - 4/5 stars, great story, sad, funny, but also makes you think about the future and insignificant things in life which could be significant

 

[LProtag]

Pynchon's Gravity's Rainbow, at breakneck speed. It's due for class on Friday, but I only have 200 pages left. I'm currently doing a contemporary (post-1970's) American literature independent study, so I've gotten to pick out all the books I want to read. I don't know why I assigned myself a week to read this complicated 800 page book, but I did.

I think I might have to go back and read it again sometime to fully understand it.

 

[LProtag]

Has anyone here read a Franz Kafka book ?
I'm thinking of getting either The Trial or The Castle but I don't know which translated version to get.

The one thing to worry about with Kafka is the fact that his novel length stuff is all unfinished. So if it doesn't bother you that some chapters will just completely cut off with no resolution, by all means go for it. As far as translations, I haven't paid much attention and just read whatever I could get my hands on; I don't know if there's a real definitive translation among academics or anything.

 

[Natedeezy]

 

[brianjones]

Has anyone here read a Franz Kafka book ?
I'm thinking of getting either The Trial or The Castle but I don't know which translated version to get.

reading the trial right now.

i'm enjoying it but as said it's unfinished quality makes it a little weird and disjointed. it's a fun read though

this is the translation for what it matters

 

[Bloodbeard]

Has anyone here read a Franz Kafka book ?
I'm thinking of getting either The Trial or The Castle but I don't know which translated version to get.

You won't regret reading Kafka. The Trial is my favorite of the two but The Castle is a must read also. I personally prefer the Breon Mitchell translation, because I think the Muir translation is a little choppy but either translation will do you well. I haven't read The Trial in German so I couldn't tell you how close either translation is to the original but by all accounts Kafka's style was difficult to translate.

 

[Ashes]

Okay well, does anyone here have an opinion. Usually journalist opinions count for shit.

I thought it was the best thriller I've read in years. It's not a masterpiece as far as prose is concerned and it never let on to be. This isn't literary fiction. The fundamental criticism cited in the review you posted is in my eyes, the equivalent of calling out 'to kill a mocking bird' for not being an action blockbuster. It's silly to the point of being absurd.

If you want to hate something you will, and popular books are hated on much too easily.
I will disclose however, if you haven't guessed already, that I have a dislike for people who go into books, with a grudge against populist society as evident in the review you posted; I don't think it is this book which has convinced them of the 'trite' on the best seller list, and the authors on them - I'm willing to bet that it is the latest edition to that set. I see them as part of an elitist snobbish readership; I wouldn't neccessarily see it as a failure of a reader; I for example deplore the Meyer vampyre books; but you won't see me criticise it for it's popularity.

Of the book in question, I thought it hit the right notes in the right places; though I concede that the Mikael in the film version does not match what I had thought of him in the book; I thought he would be an adonis or something similar; the way women just fall at his feet. That get's tiresome.

 

[Doncamatic]

Just recently finished

&

both for the one class.

While I enjoyed the maltese falcon I think I've been consuming a bit too much noir, private dick on a case, films and novels. For the most part they seem a bit formulaic in the sense that it's clear that this is the period where the notion of the post-war vixen was popularised. Everytime a young woman is introduced I have to try and turn off the part of my brain that is going "2:1 odds that this is the girl that is lying through her teeth and is willing to commit murder".

Clockwork Orange is really something I should have read long ago, I'm not sure whether I'm glad that I saw the film before reading it or not. I can't help but prefer Kubrick's Alex than the repentant Alex of Burgess' 21st chapter. But maybe that is just me wanting a dreary ending. Who knows.

To interrupt the class reading I also picked up

after hearing the GFW/Out of the Game guys rave over it so long ago, and seeing the pilot. Now aus doesn't have anywhere near the comic culture of the states so I never grew up reading any comics regularly. There was always the occasional simpsons comic, beano, or dandy (the relatives live in the UK) but apart from that nothing. After getting over the initial hump of actually taking in the illustrations while maintaining a natural reading rhythm it was smooth sailing. I've been really enjoying it. I'm up to the 7th chapter, so just two more are in this volume, and I think I might have to splurge and pick up the next collection, if it's out yet. Definitely a series that I will continue to follow in the form of larger collections.

Along with The Walking Dead I picked up The First Law trilogy and The Long Ships on Gaf's recommendation. Got my eyes locked on The Long Ships

Spoiler

dat horn on the cover

so I think that shall be the next book to fall from my mountain of, backlogged, reading material.

 

[MidnightCowboy]

I should be reading The Trial for class.

 

[keyboardcat]

I've been slowly working my way through this for the past few weeks, reading a little bit every time I get a chance. So far it's pretty entertaining and it certainly does keep the pace going well, making it a perfect pick up and put down book for me. I'm interested to see if it can keep it up, as I'm just around half way through it now.

Anyone have any non-spoiler thoughts on this one?

great book, thoroughly enjoyed my time with it

a non-spoiler thought, hmmm... the story kinda goes from wtf a wild dome appears to this crazy good character drama, I'm sure you'll have the same feeling as you're halfway through.

Some of the characters made me absolutely furious.

 

[Ulairi]

i'm often curious about this, so i'll ask reader-gaf.. do people really read more with an e-reading device? if so, why? if you have an e-reader thingy..do you now read in places where you didn't before? if so, why?


repetetive story, bad characters. 4/10. do not suggest it for other readers.

I read more because I'm able to carry my Kindle with me everywhere and have access to a huge library without having to hit the book shop for a new book. Now, when I finish a book I start on another. Whereas, before, I'd wait until I hit the book shop which could be a couple weeks.

 

[Jshep]

One of my favorite books ever and one of my most disliked books ever.

 

[ramyeon]

great book, thoroughly enjoyed my time with it

a non-spoiler thought, hmmm... the story kinda goes from wtf a wild dome appears to this crazy good character drama, I'm sure you'll have the same feeling as you're halfway through.

Some of the characters made me absolutely furious.

I definitely like the direction it's starting to take with all the different characters and their motivations. There's also enough weird stuff going on

Spoiler

like the seizures and prophecies

to keep it all creepy at the same time.

 

[CoffeeJanitor]

 

[IGotBillySoSpooked]

I'm parsing my way through The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich.

It is kind of a difficult read...Shirer isn't one to use many commas.

 

[lawlohwhat]

Has anyone here read a Franz Kafka book ?
I'm thinking of getting either The Trial or The Castle but I don't know which translated version to get.

I read both of these last month. I enjoyed the trial more, despite how clumsy it is sometimes. They are similar books, in terms of the tone, though some of the themes are certainly different. I can't speak about both translated versions, but the beron mitchell version of the trial is pretty good. I don't speak much german, so I can't really compare it to my untranslated copy in a meaningful way.


Just finished:

One of my favorites this year. Waitzkin's prose is god awful, but the message is great. Very motivational.

Existentialist kick is in full gear these days.

For some reason, I had never read this.


Currently reading:

Up next:

 

[Trent Strong]

The Berrybender Narratives. They're awesome.

 

[lawlohwhat]

Also, fuck this e-reading nonsense. I understand the benefits of having an entire collection of books on such a small device, but you people are killing awesome independent book stores

 

[IGotBillySoSpooked]

Also, fuck this e-reading nonsense. I understand the benefits of having an entire collection of books on such a small device, but you people are killing awesome independent book stores

Not to mention conglomerate book stores.

 

[DieH@rd]

Now Starting:

The Wise Man's Fear by Patrick Rothfuss

JESUS, IS THIS OUT? IF YES THEN....

 

[ramyeon]

While having a Kindle seems really novel and all I just don't think anything can replace the feeling of real books for me. It's just a better experience all around, despite the inconvenience I guess. That said I usually only read one at a time anyway so I can't see myself getting much benefit out of having one.

 

[lawlohwhat]

Not to mention conglomerate book stores.

Well, I guess there is an upside to any bad situation.

 

[Lafiel]

Finished

Damn good noir cyberpunk. Can't believe i hadn't read it earlier.

Now reading (since it's due back next week).

After the awesomeness of the vorkosigan series. I'm really interested in her take on fantasy. (it should hopefully be more awesomeness).

 

[Jira]

Reading this

in prep for:

After that I'm probably going to make some kind of system and tag all of my backlog with a number and generate a random one to choose what I read next.

 

[Lissar]

Also, fuck this e-reading nonsense. I understand the benefits of having an entire collection of books on such a small device, but you people are killing awesome independent book stores

I heard about this a few days ago and was quite surprised. Every time I go in there it's packed with people, both tourists and locals. It has become quite the tourist trap. So much so that I don't even enjoy going in there anymore. Too many people, not as peaceful as it once was. And yet Smiths (in Eugene) seems to be doing fine (but of course, I don't really know what is going on with them. They may have problems I haven't heard of.) Whenever I go in there I see maybe 4-5 other people. Of course the scale is entirely different, but I can't help but compare them. I suppose it's possible that all these people go there but no one buys anything.

I have a Kindle myself, but I don't only buy e-books. I usually use my Kindle for authors I haven't read yet but would like to try out, and public domain books. So my purchases even out. I go shopping at my local stores as often as I can.


Anyway, as for what I'm reading: Johannes Cabal the Necromancer by Jonathan L. Howard. I was quite surprised when I got the book to find that it was written by the same guy who wrote the first three Broken Sword games (I had just played the first two a few days ago.) Really good so far. I love the humor.

 

[ymmv]

While having a Kindle seems really novel and all I just don't think anything can replace the feeling of real books for me. It's just a better experience all around, despite the inconvenience I guess. That said I usually only read one at a time anyway so I can't see myself getting much benefit out of having one.

Besides the fact that you're actually paying more for ebooks than physical ones.

My biggest turnoff with ereaders is that you've got to start from scratch with a book collection. I've got close to 2000 books, with hundreds of books not read yet because I buy more than I can read. You can easily convert all your CDs to MP3s and use them on your brand new iPod, but it's unfeasible to OCR your books to ebooks, so you either have to rebuy them, pirate them or just forget about it.

 

[lawlohwhat]

I heard about this a few days ago and was quite surprised. Every time I go in there it's packed with people, both tourists and locals. It has become quite the tourist trap. So much so that I don't even enjoy going in there anymore. Too many people, not as peaceful as it once was. And yet Smiths (in Eugene) seems to be doing fine (but of course, I don't really know what is going on with them. They may have problems I haven't heard of.) Whenever I go in there I see maybe 4-5 other people. Of course the scale is entirely different, but I can't help but compare them. I suppose it's possible that all these people go there but no one buys anything.

I have a Kindle myself, but I don't only buy e-books. I usually use my Kindle for authors I haven't read yet but would like to try out, and public domain books. So my purchases even out. I go shopping at my local stores as often as I can.


Anyway, as for what I'm reading: Johannes Cabal the Necromancer by Jonathan L. Howard. I was quite surprised when I got the book to find that it was written by the same guy who wrote the first three Broken Sword games (I had just played the first two a few days ago.) Really good so far. I love the humor.

I got a smith's tote bag for spending over $50 there the other day (actually spent over $100). Maybe it's me keeping them in business.

 

[brianjones]

Also, fuck this e-reading nonsense. I understand the benefits of having an entire collection of books on such a small device, but you people are killing awesome independent book stores

bookstores are nice for reading magazines for free otherwise theyre pretty irrelevant. what advantage do they offer?

 

[Lissar]

bookstores are nice for reading magazines for free otherwise theyre pretty irrelevant. what advantage do they offer?

If it's primarily book buying you're after then yes, I think bookstores are at a disadvantage. Online just does it better. But there is something about the atmosphere that a bookstore provides that is appealing to many people. Spending a few quiet hours browsing through books, picking out titles and covers that might catch your eye. Asking the (hopefully) knowledgeable staff their opinions on books you're thinking of purchasing. Chatting with other customers. It's not as informed a buying experience as online provides, but maybe a more leisurely one. I guess these days you could consider it a leisure activity more than anything. Personally I enjoy doing both, I don't think one needs to be sacrificed for the other.

 

[AgentOtaku]

Currently on my iPod...

 

[Masked Man]

Just started reading this:

Which is the Japanese translation of this:

Spoiler

Never read the novel in any language. :X

 

[eznark]

What is that Witcher book??

 

[AgentOtaku]

What is that Witcher book??

First book in the series. Believe the original PC game follows some of it.

 

[Narag]

What is that Witcher book??

Translation of the first Polish Witcher book, I think. Reads more like a collection of loosely related short stories. I think the first story is the Strega cutscene from the first game as well.
Upon further review, it is indeed a short story collection according to wikipedia.


There's a translated followup called Blood of Elves too.

 

[dittohead]

Again.

 

[Pennywise]

I read about a half-dozen Palahniuk books before I realized I didn't care for his writings, but if memory serves this was one of the better ones.

Indeed like Sparky said nearly everything after choke was quite Bleh....
Hopefully there will be another good one from him another time but maybe all the fuzz about him wasn't so good.

 

[jiffy38]

I just finished reading Tom Clancy's Dead or Alive. My first Clancy novel and it was fantastic.looking forward to reading Rainbow 6. That is out of order but good so far none the less

 

[sparky2112]

One of my favorites this year. Waitzkin's prose is god awful, but the message is great. Very motivational.

So he never learned to write?

 

[crowphoenix]

Reading Dune for the first time, which would be an amazing book if Herbert would quit pelting me with jargon.

 

[-Babyteks-]

@justin.au


Did you reach the nipple part yet?
I was fine-ish for the rest of the book but that scene actually made me put down the book so I could collect myself before reading on.

 

[Guileless]

Also just wrapped up Any Chance of a Game?: Goals, Girl Trouble, and Growing Up by Guardian football writer Barney Ronay. The writer deals with the problems that come with turning 30 through the lens of his terrible Sunday league team, which has stuck together despite the fact that everyone is getting old, their lives are much more complicated than they were when they started playing right out of school, and the team is on the verge of relegation into oblivion from the absolute bottom rung. He has friends that cover the various archetypes of people we've all known that deal with aging differently.

I enjoyed reading it. If you are around 30 and played football/soccer, you will probably like it too.