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[nakedsushi]

Yikes. I haven't read any of the books in any categories. The closest I came is that I've checked out two of them from the library, then returned them without cracking the cover.

Damn, maybe I need to read some newer books.

I know. A couple have been on and off my to-read list all year. I added them back on though.

I'm surprised that big-names like The Casual Vacancy and Zadie Smith's NW didn't make it to the list. Maybe they came out too late in the year to gain any traction.

 

[aidan]

I'm currently reading Bloodfire Quest by Cyan's favourite author, Terry Brooks.

It's good, so far. I have a feeling that Brooks fans are going to be very happy with this trilogy when it's completed. Halfway through, it's starting to read like a direct sequel to The Elfstones of Shannara, which I consider Brooks' best Shannara book.

 

[Jintor]

Shit, that voting page just wants to make me read more and more and more

 

[Lafiel]

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
I want to finish this before I see the movie. So far it's great and the people-interactions sometimes makes me chuckle. Unfortunately, if a character isn't mentioned in a couple of chapters, I forget what their relationship to the other characters is so now it seems like everyone is just related to everyone else, which gets kind of creepy when so-and-so mentions his wife.

That's why I always have a character list printed next to me when I read a russian novel.;p

 

[Beaulieu]

Im reading "This book is full of spider" and I think it's way better than "john dies at the end"

 

[Dresden]

The Goodreads 2012 Choice Awards has begun its opening round!

http://www.goodreads.com/choiceawards/best-books-2012

I'm sad to say that I didn't vote in all the categories yet because I haven't read any of the books in some of the categories. I'm going to try to read at least one book from each category just so I can justify my votes.

Only one I've somewhat read there was Throne of the Crescent Moon, and that was garbage so eh.

 

[nakedsushi]

That's why I always have a character list printed next to me when I read a russian novel.;p

That's a really good idea. I might make a little chart or something. It's really confusing that everyone seems to be named Alex*

 

[aLaxLuthor]

Just started this. So far so good.

I recently blazed through this. It was pretty good, but everything seemed to work out a little too easily for him.

 

[ACE 1991]

Currently working through McCarthy's Border Trilogy. I finished All the Pretty Horses last night, what a wonderful book.

 

[TheFightingFish]

I've been going through reading phases over the last couple of years. I grew up reading Sci-Fi / Fantasy, spent most of the last couple of years reading non-Fiction (mostly history) after burning out on genre fiction. And now having finally picked up the cheap e-ink Kindle I'm currently moving onto classics.

Finished Crime and Punishment and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea so far, and I'm currently moving onto Treasure Island. It's great, I'd always been kinda anti-Kindle as I make huge use of the library and paying for books period just seemed silly. But it's a great way to knock off those classic Project Gutenberg texts, plus it fits in my running backpack, which I usually can't even squeeze in a paperback.

 

[Mattdaddy]

Red Country delayed again until Nov 20th for US. BOOOOOOOO!!!!! BOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! I was supposed to be reading this by now!

 

[aidan]

Red Country delayed again until Nov 20th for US. BOOOOOOOO!!!!! BOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! I was supposed to be reading this by now!

*Stokes his copy of Red Country*

 

[Jintor]

I've been going through reading phases over the last couple of years. I grew up reading Sci-Fi / Fantasy, spent most of the last couple of years reading non-Fiction (mostly history) after burning out on genre fiction. And now having finally picked up the cheap e-ink Kindle I'm currently moving onto classics.

Finished Crime and Punishment and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea so far, and I'm currently moving onto Treasure Island. It's great, I'd always been kinda anti-Kindle as I make huge use of the library and paying for books period just seemed silly. But it's a great way to knock off those classic Project Gutenberg texts, plus it fits in my running backpack, which I usually can't even squeeze in a paperback.

Most def. Aside from what I already have on my Kindle library, I'm gonna use it basically as my classics repository.

 

[SonnyBoy]

Guys, do books come in a bundle format where I can purchase a hard copy and a digital? I want to get the book below.

Bowl of Heaven by Gregory Benford & Larry Niven
https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/bowl-of-heaven/id528286150?mt=11

 

[Jintor]

Telegraph Avenue by Michael Chabon

This book was so confusing to me. The prose is so far up its own asshole but every once in while there's a turn of phrase or a way of saying something in there that just makes me smile despite myself. I love the characters but hate how they do things, the primary story threads felt needlessly hard to follow, and also there was a chapter that was like 20 pages of a single run-on sentence.

I don't know if I can recommend it, but I don't regret reading it.

 

[Junior Asparagus]

For some reason, I totally missed when this came out. About halfway through and it's just as engaging as the first one. Even with the basic plot summary of the first book at the start, I'm still having a little trouble keeping track of who is who. I should probably just start from the beginning, but I'll probably save that until the series is done.

 

[Mackenzie 92]

Guys, do books come in a bundle format where I can purchase a hard copy and a digital? I want to get the book below.

Bowl of Heaven by Gregory Benford & Larry Niven
https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/bowl-of-heaven/id528286150?mt=11

I've never seen any bundles. Usually just have to buy them separate.

Sounds like a cool book, putting it on my wishlist.

Red Country delayed again until Nov 20th for US. BOOOOOOOO!!!!! BOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! I was supposed to be reading this by now!

Red Country

I did this with Great North Road, just made a UK account, downloaded to PC removed DRM and then emailed it to my kindle. Didn't occur to me until later that it wouldn't be associated with my US account, but when you email books to your kindle, they are actually stored in the cloud for future use as well, so I guess it doesn't matter much.

 

[Nuklear]

Memories of Ice, The Malazan: Book of the Fallen. Book III. This quickly becoming my all-time favorite fantasy series. Such a deep well though-out world.

 

[Guileless]

Red Country delayed again until Nov 20th for US. BOOOOOOOO!!!!! BOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! I was supposed to be reading this by now!

Importing books from the UK is very easy. Unless you're waiting for digital or the library.

 

[yonder]

Currently working through McCarthy's Border Trilogy. I finished All the Pretty Horses last night, what a wonderful book.

I'm halfway through All the Pretty Horses at the moment. Having read The Road and No Country for Old Men, Horses does not disappoint.

 

[Burger]

For some reason, I totally missed when this came out. About halfway through and it's just as engaging as the first one. Even with the basic plot summary of the first book at the start, I'm still having a little trouble keeping track of who is who. I should probably just start from the beginning, but I'll probably save that until the series is done.

I discovered after finishing there is a character guide at the end of the book. Sucks if you are on a Kindle tho.

 

[Blatz]

Red Country delayed again until Nov 20th for US. BOOOOOOOO!!!!! BOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! I was supposed to be reading this by now!

While I'm bummed by this, I have plenty to read until it finally does come out.

I just finished this:

The Tawney man Trilogy was good. I liked it better than the Liveship traders overall. But I'm happy to leave that lore behind for a while.

And I just started this:

 

[Keen]

Red Country delayed again until Nov 20th for US. BOOOOOOOO!!!!! BOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! I was supposed to be reading this by now!

I bought it from the US Amazon on Monday, but I live in Sweden so it might have released earlier. Plan to read it after I finish The Wrath of Angels by John Connolly

 

[WascallyWabbit]

Just started this. So far so good.
I recently blazed through this. It was pretty good, but everything seemed to work out a little too easily for him.

Really enjoyed this, read it as part of curriculum for British Lit. in College, best prof ever. We read the above and Never Let Me Go

Unlike most english profs, she wasn't going to just torture us with old stuff

 

[sparky2112]

Telegraph Avenue by Michael Chabon

This book was so confusing to me. The prose is so far up its own asshole but every once in while there's a turn of phrase or a way of saying something in there that just makes me smile despite myself. I love the characters but hate how they do things, the primary story threads felt needlessly hard to follow, and also there was a chapter that was like 20 pages of a single run-on sentence.

I don't know if I can recommend it, but I don't regret reading it.

Lost of stuff has more or less landed with little more than a big thud this Fall: Chabon, Zadie Smith, Tom Wolfe (no shock there, but still), JK Rowling...

 

[AAequal]

Telegraph Avenue by Michael Chabon

This book was so confusing to me. The prose is so far up its own asshole but every once in while there's a turn of phrase or a way of saying something in there that just makes me smile despite myself. I love the characters but hate how they do things, the primary story threads felt needlessly hard to follow, and also there was a chapter that was like 20 pages of a single run-on sentence.

I don't know if I can recommend it, but I don't regret reading it.

Didn't know Chabon had new novel out :O I'm going to check it out this weekend.

 

[The Chef]

Gaf, please dont laugh at me or make fun of me but I have a serious question.

I, for the longest time, have felt like "Well...I must just hate to read." because I can never ever finish a book. I get tired or it or it gets way too complicated for me and I just toss it.

This was all true until I read Name of the Wind and Wise Mans Fear. For the first time in my life I stayed up late and got up early TO READ. I was engrossed in it and couldn't get enough. I had finally experienced the euphoria that people mention when they get wrapped up in a good book.

I think I narrowed down what it is I hate from a book and hopefully I can find another that will consume me like those did.

What I loved about Name of the Wind:
-Its fantasy but not crazy deep. The story of a young boy becoming crazy powerful. Overdone, Im sure but still awesome and not overly complicated.
-Its not young adult. I do not like Harry Potter and Eragon sounds like it was written by a 10 year old.
-No politics bullshit. Cant stand that.
-Romance. Not over the top but just enough to keep me interested in their relationship and how it would pan out.
But most importantly: The Name of the Wind is told from ONE characters perspective. It never leaves Kvothe ever. I LOVE THAT.

I have been searching for another book for a month now and no luck. I am seriously considering giving up and switching to non-fiction from now on.

 

[aidan]

Gaf, please dont laugh at me or make fun of me but I have a serious question.

I, for the longest time, have felt like "Well...I must just hate to read." because I can never ever finish a book. I get tired or it or it gets way too complicated for me and I just toss it.

This was all true until I read Name of the Wind and Wise Mans Fear. For the first time in my life I stayed up late and got up early TO READ. I was engrossed in it and couldn't get enough. I had finally experienced the euphoria that people mention when they get wrapped up in a good book.

I think I narrowed down what it is I hate from a book and hopefully I can find another that will consume me like those did.

What I loved about Name of the Wind:
-Its fantasy but not crazy deep. The story of a young boy becoming crazy powerful. Overdone, Im sure but still awesome and not overly complicated.
-Its not young adult. I do not like Harry Potter and Eragon sounds like it was written by a 10 year old.
-No politics bullshit. Cant stand that.
-Romance. Not over the top but just enough to keep me interested in their relationship and how it would pan out.
But most importantly: The Name of the Wind is told from ONE characters perspective. It never leaves Kvothe ever. I LOVE THAT.

I have been searching for another book for a month now and no luck. I am seriously considering giving up and switching to non-fiction from now on.

Robin Hobb, Assassin's Apprentice.

 

[Maklershed]

Gaf, please dont laugh at me or make fun of me but I have a serious question.

I, for the longest time, have felt like "Well...I must just hate to read." because I can never ever finish a book. I get tired or it or it gets way too complicated for me and I just toss it.

This was all true until I read Name of the Wind and Wise Mans Fear. For the first time in my life I stayed up late and got up early TO READ. I was engrossed in it and couldn't get enough. I had finally experienced the euphoria that people mention when they get wrapped up in a good book.

I think I narrowed down what it is I hate from a book and hopefully I can find another that will consume me like those did.

What I loved about Name of the Wind:
-Its fantasy but not crazy deep. The story of a young boy becoming crazy powerful. Overdone, Im sure but still awesome and not overly complicated.
-Its not young adult. I do not like Harry Potter and Eragon sounds like it was written by a 10 year old.
-No politics bullshit. Cant stand that.
-Romance. Not over the top but just enough to keep me interested in their relationship and how it would pan out.
But most importantly: The Name of the Wind is told from ONE characters perspective. It never leaves Kvothe ever. I LOVE THAT.

I have been searching for another book for a month now and no luck. I am seriously considering giving up and switching to non-fiction from now on.

I know the exact series you want - The First Law trilogy (starts with The Blade Itself). I'm on book 2 right now and its incredible. So intense. I didn't want to get off the bus today because the part I'm at is so exciting and action packed. It's fantasy with all the greatness of A Song of Ice and Fire but its more action based and easier to read.

The Goodreads 2012 Choice Awards has begun its opening round!

http://www.goodreads.com/choiceawards/best-books-2012

I'm sad to say that I didn't vote in all the categories yet because I haven't read any of the books in some of the categories. I'm going to try to read at least one book from each category just so I can justify my votes.

Sweet. I can't see the books here at work - is The Dog Stars in there anywhere? That's probably gonna get a vote from me if it is. I'll have to check out the voting when I get home.

 

[Keen]

Robin Hobb, Assassin's Apprentice.

Good one, maybe Memory, Sorrow an Thorn by Tad Williams as well

Edit: dunno if it's only one character's perspective tho. Definitely a classic tho

 

[nakedsushi]

Robin Hobb, Assassin's Apprentice.

Uh, that series doesn't get "crazy deep" but gets pretty "crazy" and somewhat "deep" in the last book. Okay, mostly crazy. But the first two books are great and I love the series in general. But the third book. Man.

I know the exact series you want - The First Law trilogy (starts with The Blade Itself). I'm on book 2 right now and its incredible. So intense. I didn't want to get off the bus today because the part I'm at is so exciting and action packed. It's fantasy with all the greatness of A Song of Ice and Fire but its more action based and easier to read.

Sweet. I can't see the books here at work - is The Dog Stars in there anywhere? That's probably gonna get a vote from me if it is. I'll have to check out the voting when I get home.

I can't believe i still haven't read the First Law trilogy yet even though everyone is in love with it. This is like how i got a late-ish start on Song of Ice and Fire. I've always been put off by The First Law's bro-ish covers. It makes me think of a Buckheimer movie.

Yep, Dog Stars got nominated in Fiction. Sounds like you liked it? Do you recommend it? I was debating whether or not to read it, but now I guess I should if I want to read at least one book from each nominated category.

 

[The Chef]

Thanks for the help guys. Assassins Apprentice sounds great. I'll get the kindle sample right now.

 

[aidan]

I can't believe i still haven't read the First Law trilogy yet even though everyone is in love with it. This is like how i got a late-ish start on Song of Ice and Fire. I've always been put off by The First Law's bro-ish covers. It makes me think of a Buckheimer movie.

 

[ACE 1991]

I'm halfway through All the Pretty Horses at the moment. Having read The Road and No Country for Old Men, Horses does not disappoint.

Those are both great books. I think Blood Meridian is my favorite McCarthy novel, though.

 

[Maklershed]

Yep, Dog Stars got nominated in Fiction. Sounds like you liked it? Do you recommend it? I was debating whether or not to read it, but now I guess I should if I want to read at least one book from each nominated category.

Definitely. Its by no means a deep book that will make you think or has some kind of hidden deeper meaning but its a very fun, very satisfying little PA novel. Certainly up there amongst my favorites.

 

[thomaser]

Finished another of the detective novels on my syllabus: The Devil in a Blue Dress by Walter Mosley. Perhaps my favourite so far. Lots of great characters. Easy Rawlins, of course, and Mouse, and Daphne Monet, Frank Green... not hard to see why it was made into a movie.

Taking a little break from detective novels now to read a real classic. Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov. This has been on my to-read list for ages. I've seen the movie, but that was probably 8 years ago, so I don't remember much of it.

 

[sphinx]

I am reading "The city and the dogs" (La ciudad y los perros) by Mario Vargas Llosa, Nobel Price 2010

 

[Koroviev]

Finished another of the detective novels on my syllabus: The Devil in a Blue Dress by Walter Mosley. Perhaps my favourite so far. Lots of great characters. Easy Rawlins, of course, and Mouse, and Daphne Monet, Frank Green... not hard to see why it was made into a movie.

Taking a little break from detective novels now to read a real classic. Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov. This has been on my to-read list for ages. I've seen the movie, but that was probably 8 years ago, so I don't remember much of it.

The Kubrick film? That 90s thing scares me. Dominique Swain looked way too old for that role.

And Lolita is wonderful. One of my personal favorites.

 

[thomaser]

The Kubrick film? That 90s thing scares me. Dominique Swain looked way too old for that role.

And Lolita is wonderful. One of my personal favorites.

Yes, the Kubrick. Didn't even know there was a later one. I'll see the movie again after reading the book, and see if it was as good as I thought back then.

The book certainly starts well. That first tiny little chapter is amazing.

 

[Nymerio]

Thanks for the help guys. Assassins Apprentice sounds great. I'll get the kindle sample right now.

You could also try The Prince of Thorns. It's entirely from the main characters perspective, there's magic but it's not especially deep, there's only a little bit of politics, the main character has a love interest and he is quite a badass and only gets more powerful as the book goes on.

 

[Mumei]

Taking a little break from detective novels now to read a real classic. Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov. This has been on my to-read list for ages. I've seen the movie, but that was probably 8 years ago, so I don't remember much of it.

You're in for a treat. A disturbing and erudite treat.

 

[Uncle]

I'm always tempted to read more Robin Hobb, but after the Assassin's trilogy I'm just not sure I can stand it. I hate the way she treats her characters.

If that's your biggest problem with The Farseer Trilogy then I think you might enjoy The Tawny Man Trilogy.

 

[xBigDanx]

Let me know what you think of that one. I feel like Stephen King is at his best when he writes huge books and gives himself time to fully explore an idea. This story, for me, seemed like a cool basic idea that ultimately was underdeveloped and unfulfilling.

That's pretty much my exact feelings for the story.

Personally, I find short stories are either incredible, awesome, must reads - or just OK. Rarely do I find a short story to be bad. This one was just OK. I think they could take this concept and turn it into a great novel... but as is, I have no reason to care and the story itself needs a bit more fleshing out to stand on it's own.

And for short stories, the story itself really needs to stand on it's own because there isn't much time to develop relationships with the characters. (The funny thing is that I just finished reading Legion by Branden Sanderson, another short story, and felt the exact opposite. Great characters, pretty developed for 50 or so pages, with a terrible story.)