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I need to buy World War Z and Zombie survival Guide.

Currently I'm reading:

 

[Tim the Wiz]

Anyone got any good audiobook recommendations? Ideally something that's both a good story and well read.

Almost finished with my current running book.

Why not try a radio serial? Absolute Power, for instance, is intelligent, witty and happens to include Stephen Fry as its star.

 

[ItAintEasyBeinCheesy]

Anyone wanna do a book club for June/July?. July might work best since it gives everyone time to find the book. Might be easier if its a smallish book, 300-400 or so pages. If you have any recommendations.

Will post this on Goodreads as well.

 

[Musashi Wins!]

Do you guys read multiple books at the same time or just 1 by 1?

I always have a pile, and frequently hop back and forth. If something is so good I get stuck there, then it was meant to be.

 

[tirminyl]

I started reading the Southern Vampire or Sookie Stackhouse series around April 5th and I am now on book 10 which just released this month. I will be done with 10 by Wed so I will have to find something else to read.

I lied. I have just finished all 10 books of the Sookie Stackhouse series. Another year to go for book 11.

I've downloaded samples of "Game of Thrones" and "American Gods" to start reading during lunch tomorrow.

 

[AstroLad]

i always read two books at once -- one for light reading on the train (klosterman, eating the dinosaur) and one for serious reading (patry, moral panics and copyright wars). i only read non-fiction tho

 

[Wellington]

Currently reading:

Not bad.

 

[Salazar]

I'm reading Enemies of Promise by Cyril Connolly - half wonderfully languid and cynical reflections on British and American literary culture, and half terrific memoir.

Also Falstaff by Robert Nye - which is glorious. More for the rich oddity of its language than anything. Ballsy way to write.

 

[movie_club]

Currently reading:

Not bad.

ugh, I really wanted to like this book, but I feel he spends way to much time proving a point and uses some of the same "big words" a lot.

 

[ronito]

Anyone got any good audiobook recommendations? Ideally something that's both a good story and well read.

Almost finished with my current running book.

The audio book of The Godfather is really good.
I believe it was the BBC that did a fantastic job on the "His Dark Materials" trilogy.
Any of the George R. R. Martin books that are read by Roy Doctrice
Also you can download the radioshow version of The Hitchhiker's guide.
BBC also did radio dramas of a few of the Sherlock Holmes short stories.

If you wanna learn something use The Teaching Company. They have a bunch of really informative stuff.

Right now I'm listening to:

Holy freakin' crap! I gave up reading Stephen King ages ago, I never really cared much for his style but never read the Dark Tower series. After seeing a lot of GAF rant and rave I decided to pick this up for my long commutes to see if it was good or another "In the Name of the Wind". I'm totally floored. What a brilliant idea. And the narrator is fantastic on this too. I'd highly recommend it.

 

[stupei]

Thanks for the suggestions, guys. Will probably go ahead with The Shining first and then Different Seasons. Then the third King book I read will probably be The Stand.

 

[Jedeye Sniv]

If you want to get the most of your first read take it slow and look up every word that stops you. You'll still have to read it twice to get the most out of it.

Also keep in mind it's written in first person and so you have the unreliable narrator, and Severian in spite of his claims that he has perfect memory often lies or forgets to mention things. You mention a good example of this.

You are going to find it very hard to argue it's poorly written. It's very dense with many levels to it.

I understand what you mean there, but I think that for a book to be truely well written it the reader needs to be able to find a way into it. Difficult does not necessarily mean worthy IMO. As it is this book may well have some lovely passages, but it's so inaccessible. I've read some tricky books in my time, but very few books have me scratching my head like this one does. It seems so over described in places and yet so barebones in others. I'm having a very hard time visualising the world and the architecture, hell he doesn't even mention that the sun is red for about a hundred pages.

Dodgy style aside though, is there anything in the story that makes this worthwhile continuing with? Does it get good?? Where I am in the story Severian has just found the Claw of the Conciliator and seen some kind of castle in the sky - should I carry on? (we're talking about Book of the New Sun by Gene Wolfe for readers on this new page)

 

[Tim the Wiz]

Right now I'm listening to:
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51AETRF1S6L._SS500_.jpg

Holy freakin' crap! I gave up reading Stephen King ages ago, I never really cared much for his style but never read the Dark Tower series. After seeing a lot of GAF rant and rave I decided to pick this up for my long commutes to see if it was good or another "In the Name of the Wind". I'm totally floored. What a brilliant idea. And the narrator is fantastic on this too. I'd highly recommend it.

Maybe I was in the right mood for the claustrophobic atmosphere it emits and the tightly-woven internal (and external) struggles at its core, but it remains my favourite Dark Tower novel - even if the next three volumes are probably better stories with greater depth. Enjoy!

 

[roosters93]

Currently reading Wit, a play by Margaret Edson. (for English class)
I also bought my mum The Kite Runner (film) for Mother's Day and after watching it, I found it to be an interesting story with an anti-climactic ending. As we have the book I've decided to see if it's any better.

My copy of American Psycho arrived in the mail today so that's what I'll be reading next.

Do you guys read multiple books at the same time or just 1 by 1?

I like to read them one by one.

Anyone wanna do a book club for June/July?. July might work best since it gives everyone time to find the book. Might be easier if its a smallish book, 300-400 or so pages. If you have any recommendations.

Will post this on Goodreads as well.

I'd be interested.

 

[ItAintEasyBeinCheesy]

Welp think of some books, we can do that "Feed" or something else everyone's keen on.

 

[Blindfutur3]

Currently on page 219 of The Master and Margarita

Behemoth has to be the most lovable character in literature

 

[malingenie]

Wishlisted

 

[Carlisle]

These threads depress me because I'm still reading the same (gigantic) book I was reading like 10 of these threads ago. I'm just too busy to read as often as I want... but at least I have a nook now, so carrying around 1200 pages of literature is a lot more manageable now.

 

[LQX]

Great so far. Trying to catch up on books that were required reading for High School yet I never read them.

 

[Futureman]

These threads depress me because I'm still reading the same (gigantic) book I was reading like 10 of these threads ago. I'm just too busy to read as often as I want... but at least I have a nook now, so carrying around 1200 pages of literature is a lot more manageable now.

Infinite Jest?

 

[eznark]

So The Big Short is finally available in ebook format, picked it up last night and will be setting aside The Unincorporated Man to breeze through Lewis' latest.

Was thinking it would be a good book for the Good Reads group read?

 

[Maklershed]

Thanks to Dresden's suggestion, I'm now reading Ship of Fools and I'm really loving it so far.

 

[blanky]

Reading War by Sebastian Junger inbetween preparing and working on my Hemingway thesis.

Very nice book so far, looking forward to seeing Restrepo when I can.

 

[Jedeye Sniv]

Ah fuck. I'm reading The Book of the New Sun by Gene Wolfe, and as suggested upthread I'm looking up unfamiliar words. I come across one, Merychip. It sounds like it's an animal/vehicle of some kind. Unfortunately the first result for it contained a massive fucking spoiler for the book.

And I still don't know what a Merychip is...

 

[jambo]

 

[sparky2112]

Reading War by Sebastian Junger inbetween preparing and working on my Hemingway thesis.

Unger's Vanity Fair stuff from Afganistan was great, so I'm really looking forward to this. He was in a few actual firefights, and some of that reporting was just - WOW.

 

[Jedeye Sniv]

Just finished the first volume of Book of the New Sun now, I think I'm going to put it down for a bit and come back later should the inclination take me.

What does GAF suggest for my next book?

or

Excited for both so either or is good. Run my life for me GAF!

 

[Wellington]

ugh, I really wanted to like this book, but I feel he spends way to much time proving a point and uses some of the same "big words" a lot.

He totally lost me by spending two full chapters, and one section of the epilogue, on parenting. Can't say I give a crap about baby names or anything of the sort.

Started this today, a GAF recommendation:

 

[blanky]

Unger's Vanity Fair stuff from Afganistan was great, so I'm really looking forward to this. He was in a few actual firefights, and some of that reporting was just - WOW.

I'm only 50 pages in, but he has a great writing style and the book is very nice in depth with history of the area and the squad he's with. You'd expect him to be a few firefights yeah the way he describes the area. Especially the story of the Navy Seals getting swamped and this other company getting overwhelmed without their gear.

 

[VistraNorrez]

Ah fuck. I'm reading The Book of the New Sun by Gene Wolfe, and as suggested upthread I'm looking up unfamiliar words. I come across one, Merychip. It sounds like it's an animal/vehicle of some kind. Unfortunately the first result for it contained a massive fucking spoiler for the book.

And I still don't know what a Merychip is...

He uses archaic or obscure words, but in new ways. Often typing archaic after the word will help when searching it.

Here's the definition: any one of an extinct group of horses
believed to be an ancestor of the modern horse.

It took me about 10 seconds, found it in the The World Book dictionary through google books under merychippus.

 

[npm0925]

Just finished the first volume of Book of the New Sun now, I think I'm going to put it down for a bit and come back later should the inclination take me.

What does GAF suggest for my next book?

Excited for both so either or is good. Run my life for me GAF!

I haven't read the other title, but this is probably Zelazny's best novel and certainly one of best in the science fiction genre.

 

[Jedeye Sniv]

He uses archaic or obscure words, but in new ways. Often typing archaic after the word will help when searching it.

Here's the definition: any one of an extinct group of horses
believed to be an ancestor of the modern horse.

It took me about 10 seconds, found it in the The World Book dictionary through google books under merychippus.

Thanks very much To be honest, I clicked out of the tab as soon as the preview on google told me that

Spoiler

Dorcas was Severian's grandmother and the guy on the ancient horse was a cyborg

. Utter cunts :lol

I might try and come back to the book later, but it's as reader unfriendly a book as I've ever read and I'm a fairly big reader. I'm no Salazar (that dude looks well read) but I've got two 6ft bookshelves filled with just the books I've bought and read. This book made me feel very stupid, which I don't appreciate :lol

 

[VistraNorrez]

Thanks very much To be honest, I clicked out of the tab as soon as the preview on google told me that

Spoiler

Dorcas was Severian's grandmother and the guy on the ancient horse was a cyborg

. Utter cunts :lol

I might try and come back to the book later, but it's as reader unfriendly a book as I've ever read and I'm a fairly big reader. I'm no Salazar (that dude looks well read) but I've got two 6ft bookshelves filled with just the books I've bought and read. This book made me feel very stupid, which I don't appreciate :lol

Yea it's hard to deny Wolfe's way of making one feel unintelligent, at first anyway. It's just so rewarding when you crack the shell.

I also stumbled across the same spoiler as you.

 

[Jedeye Sniv]

Yea it's hard to deny Wolfe's way of making one feel unintelligent, at first anyway. It's just so rewarding when you crack the shell.

I also stumbled across the same spoiler as you.

I might come back to it later since it definitely got better towards the last 50 pages of vol 1 I think. I feel I should give it a fair shake if it's so highly regarded. Just not right now.

I just started Lord of Light by Zelazny today though and it's fantastic already, it has everything I was missing from the Wolfe. Distinct and immediately interesting characters, some awesome science/magic concepts and words so well written it's like drinking water but for the eyes. Phew, that's better.

 

[Dresden]

Thanks to Dresden's suggestion, I'm now reading Ship of Fools and I'm really loving it so far.

 

[BattleMonkey]

 

[HiroProtagonist]

I’m about half way finished with The Return of the Crimson Guard, and I’m out. Esslemont has fifty threads going at once, and they’re all too thin for me to care about any of them. I was hoping this would give me a little Malazan fix, but instead it’s just made me sad.

 

[Prentice]

So dark and brooding. But fucking absolutely brilliant. Highly recommended.

 

[Salazar]

Crowded with Genius: The Scottish Enlightenment. Edinburgh's Moment of the Mind, by James Buchan.

For work, needless to say, but it's pleasurable enough. Also the second volume of John Haffenden's biography of William Empson, Against the Christians - which is a delight.

 

[Vox-Pop]

 

[Wellington]

Damn I am blasting through The Screwtape Letters. It's so fucking good, exactly the type of book I was looking for when I took down the recommendation. Thanks to whoever it was that said to check it out.

 

[ronito]

Damn I am blasting through The Screwtape Letters. It's so fucking good, exactly the type of book I was looking for when I took down the recommendation. Thanks to whoever it was that said to check it out.

Hey! There's a slight chance that might've been me. I'll take the credit regardless! You're welcome.

 

[finowns]

Just got this.

 

[T.M. MacReady]

It's ridiculously good.

 

[Aurelius]

My first book by Murakami and I'm loving it. I had to reread the first chapter three times because it was so moving.

 

[malingenie]

I might come back to it later since it definitely got better towards the last 50 pages of vol 1 I think. I feel I should give it a fair shake if it's so highly regarded. Just not right now.

I just started Lord of Light by Zelazny today though and it's fantastic already, it has everything I was missing from the Wolfe. Distinct and immediately interesting characters, some awesome science/magic concepts and words so well written it's like drinking water but for the eyes. Phew, that's better.

I loved lord of light, and if you haven’t GET chronicles of amber.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/0380809060/?tag=neogaf0e-20

I think I read the chronicles last year, and I probably extolled how awesome it was then, but it doesn't hurt to recommend it again. This compendium had me flat out at my best reading nirvana for a month.

It is so original, frantic, full of memorable moments that I absolutely must whore it out every time I have a chance. I think I found out about it here on GAF and want to repay the favor.

 

[npm0925]

I loved lord of light, and if you haven’t GET chronicles of amber.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/0380809060/?tag=neogaf0e-20

I think I read the chronicles last year, and I probably extolled how awesome it was then, but it doesn't hurt to recommend it again. This compendium had me flat out at my best reading nirvana for a month.

It is so original, frantic, full of memorable moments that I absolutely must whore it out every time I have a chance. I think I found out about it here on GAF and want to repay the favor.

And don't forget about This Immortal, which actually beat out Dune for the Nebula or Hugo award in its year of publication. And his short story collections are not to be overlooked either. Zelazny is the undisputed master of the science fiction short story.

 

[LM4sure]

It's ridiculously good.

I just finished it. The ending was fantastic! Now I'm anxiously awaiting The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet's Nest. It comes out in paperback on Tuesday in the states. I'm glad the wait between the second and third books isn't as bad as the first and second.

 

[tim1138]

I'm a sucker for well written YA literature. Portman's first novel, King Dork, was pretty endearing and he used to be the lead singer of the Mr. T Experience.

 

[_Isaac]

The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz

Oh wow. You must read this. This book is now one of my favorites. It's such a fast read and just breezes on through. I loved every single character in this book even El Jefe. The way the narrator talked about him was just nuts. The whole time reading the book, I couldn't wait to finish, so I could look up Trujillo and see if he really was all that. Anyway, I strongly recommend this book. It's such an odd mixture tones. It's funny and tragic all within the same page and it works like a charm. I loved all the footnotes by the way. The epilogue was a little meh, but other than that great.