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What are you reading? (July 2011)
- Thread starter Maklershed
- Start date
Just finished:
The Fantastic- Todorov
Categorizes the aspects of the fantastic to the smallest sliver of actual use/effect.
A Short History of Fantasy- Mendelsohn
A bit tedious in places, but her chapters on Tolkien, Rowling, and 2000-2010 were worth the read. Also, the suggested reading list for both fiction and theory will keep me busy for a while.
Just started:
Rhetorics of Fantasy- Mendelsohn
A taxonomy of fantasy into four "types": portal-quest, immersive, intrusive, and liminal, also provides texts that fall outside the classification system: the irregulars. I finished the introduction...seems like it will be worthwhile.
The Golden Age- Ajvaz
A travelogue of an island; a much denser read than I was anticipating. Reads like literary theory, but it is incredibly fun. Much more philosophical than The Other City.
The Fantastic- Todorov
Categorizes the aspects of the fantastic to the smallest sliver of actual use/effect.
A Short History of Fantasy- Mendelsohn
A bit tedious in places, but her chapters on Tolkien, Rowling, and 2000-2010 were worth the read. Also, the suggested reading list for both fiction and theory will keep me busy for a while.
Just started:
Rhetorics of Fantasy- Mendelsohn
A taxonomy of fantasy into four "types": portal-quest, immersive, intrusive, and liminal, also provides texts that fall outside the classification system: the irregulars. I finished the introduction...seems like it will be worthwhile.
The Golden Age- Ajvaz
A travelogue of an island; a much denser read than I was anticipating. Reads like literary theory, but it is incredibly fun. Much more philosophical than The Other City.
D
Deleted member 1235
Unconfirmed Member
Melhisedek said:Am on my Abercrombie bingeHow is The Heroes compared to his previous works?
I like the trilogy equally and found heroes better than best served cold (I liked best served cold)
I'm still reading the dresden files. who doesn't like detective wizards?! The series is outstanding and each book is a decent, but quickish read. And there is 12 of them.
is anyone else reading these or has read em? Cause it's great.
Melhisedek said:Am on my Abercrombie binge
It's fucking awesome. Especially if you like the whole Northmen thing. It's more focused than TFL, since it revolves around one battle in three days, so the entire story is zeroed in on that event.
Maklershed
Member
Sweet those are by far my favorite kind of books. What have read in that genre so far? I'm always looking for new ideas.mrkapawutzis said:
Salazar said:
Yeah, looking forward to getting back into that series. Last I read was Fulgrim then I put it down for a while.
Qwomo said:
Snow Crash is funny for me. Anytime I read it I have a blast but when I look back at it after a reading, I'm always left feeling meh! I've no idea if I'm in the minority or not but I seem to recall the last half being weaker than the first.
HarryHengst
Member
Mailman just deliverd it. So excited!
Maklershed
Member
Pics or it didn't happen!
Thanks for the recommendation. I'll add it to my wishlist.
Qwomo said:
Thanks for the recommendation. I'll add it to my wishlist.
I'm so pissed some people actually have DWD. If I were an evil person I'd seek out a leaked file and save myself from the inevitable suicide I'll commit after being spoiled.
What's a good military Sci-fi novel? I've read Starship Troopers, Forever War, its sequels and that horrible John Scalzi book.
What's a good military Sci-fi novel? I've read Starship Troopers, Forever War, its sequels and that horrible John Scalzi book.
Fjordson said:
Ex Machina has been pretty solid. I picked up books 1-5 at a used book store and the jumping between political carrier and superhero the story does with the main character keeps it interesting. The semi-realistic art style is also amazing to see.
The Hunter was made into a graphic novel that I hear is really pretty good. My intent was to read the GN so I threw it on my birthday list and my gf got me the book. Not a bad thing since the book is good in a really noire/pulp kind of way.
LocoMrPollock
Banned
Help Me! said:
Seconded. Fuck you, Harry!
LocoMrPollock
Banned
Ratrat said:
The Lost Fleet series is pretty boss.
Edit: Shit DP.
Still digging through The Rotters (so good), then it's on to Aubrey and Maturin. I bogged down my first time through that book, so hopefully GAF will provide the impetus to get over some of the obstacle-y naval terms.
To lighten the darkness of all the graverobbing in The Rotters, I've gone back to this series:
Yeah, I know. But it's actually very enjoyable.
And yes, Cherie Priest is highly attractive.
To lighten the darkness of all the graverobbing in The Rotters, I've gone back to this series:
Yeah, I know. But it's actually very enjoyable.
And yes, Cherie Priest is highly attractive.
Finishing up Beyond the Shadows before DwD:
About a third of the way through. I'm already fearing that there's no way in hell he's going to wrap up everything that is happening in this book.
I'm also starting a complete read of Gaiman's Sandman:
I've only ever read up to the fourth collection before, so I'm still in review territory right now.
About a third of the way through. I'm already fearing that there's no way in hell he's going to wrap up everything that is happening in this book.
I'm also starting a complete read of Gaiman's Sandman:
I've only ever read up to the fourth collection before, so I'm still in review territory right now.
rocksteady1983
Member
About 100 pages left or so. Its not too bad, Jericho style. Kind of a checklist of "this will all go wrong when an EMP goes off" but in story form. I'd say its probably pretty accurate though. Really shows our dependence on electricity.
Just finished The Way of Kings. I'm pretty gutted at the thought of having to wait for the second book (and then the rest). Excellent book though. Feels like the successor to Malazan for epic super-powered characters battling it out.
And now I'm reading the 2nd book of the Temeraire series. I read the first book a couple years ago but never finished it so I'm reading it until A Dance with Dragons comes out.
Maklershed
Member
Earl Cazone
Member
simon beckett - the chemistry of death. i like it so far. nothing too special but a good read
Maklershed
Member
^ great avatar ngower
bengraven
Member
Cyan said:
The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan
I've always gotten a kick out of YA books. They're usually decently short, they don't feel the need to encode deeper meanings, and they tend to present the world the way people wish it was--good and evil, right choices and wrong choices. Not so many shades of gray. Unfortunately, they can also fall into easy patterns.
The author does a decent job bringing her world and her main character to life. But she throws in the standard YA tropes without really bothering to justify them--the love triangle doesn't seem grounded in reality, the malevolent (religious) authority figures don't have any purpose to what they're doing, and the "choose your dreams" decision that we're meant to be impressed with... was a poor and selfish decision.
Bonus points for decent prose and for (mostly) scary zombies, at least for the first half of the book.
I agree with you: I've actually said that most adult books are rehashes of old themes, but children's and YA books sometimes have extremely clever, original stories. I suppose adult books are aimed at cynics occasionally?
I don't know. Let's collaborate on a YA novel sometime! ha
Attackthebase
Member
Getting back into my reading groove. I'm reading two books at the moment:
Hard to read, but I'm liking it. Classic Hitchens.
And I'm trying to up my game. And it's actually a pretty good read thus far. I'm trying to read a chapter a day.
Hard to read, but I'm liking it. Classic Hitchens.
And I'm trying to up my game. And it's actually a pretty good read thus far. I'm trying to read a chapter a day.
StarCraft: Shadow of the Xel'Naga by Gabriel Mesta
Awful even against the low bar set for licensed books like this.
coldvein said:
You really should. I shall get started tomorrow for the book club.