Support NeoGAF

Maklershed · Oct 1, 2013

Maklershed · Oct 1, 2013

Finished Orion Offensive and started Edward Adrift

Edward Adrift by Craig Lancaster

Haly · Oct 1, 2013

Although at the moment Mr. Darcy is still in the smouldering phase.

aidan · Oct 1, 2013

Still reading Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie.

On a remote, icy planet, the soldier known as Breq is drawing closer to completing her quest.

Breq is both more than she seems and less than she was. Years ago, she was the Justice of Toren--a colossal starship with an artificial intelligence linking thousands of corpse soldiers in the service of the Radch, the empire that conquered the galaxy.

An act of treachery has ripped it all away, leaving her with only one fragile human body. And only one purpose--to revenge herself on Anaander Mianaai, many-bodied, near-immortal Lord of the Radch.

It's a lot of fun. The two concurrent storylines, a thousand years apart, but featuring the same POV character/narrator, offer different experiences/pacing/atmoshere that really makes it hard to put the book down. Also, the main character is a genderless AI hosted in a human female body that doesn't differentiate gender, so refers to everyone as 'she/her' as default, despite sometimes identifying them as male. Very good so far, lots of big SF ideas.

HP_Wuvcraft · Oct 1, 2013

Just finished Hunting Saddam, now on to Steve Jobs.

Forsaken82 · Oct 1, 2013

Just started Brilliance by Marcus Sakey.

So far its pretty good. Definitely a nice change of pace from everything else I have been reading.

Protein · Oct 1, 2013

This is one long book. There's a feeling of dread and hopelessness throughout. I'm about 450 pages into it so far.

The men on board HMS Terror have every expectation of finding the Northwest Passage. But as another winter approaches, a Terror on the ice stalks them southward. Crozier and his men begin to fear there is no escape. A haunting, gripping story based on actual historical events, The Terror is a novel that will chill you to your core.

Removed potential spoilers from the synopsis. Wouldn't recommend reading the actual synopsis on Amazon. I thought it gave too much away about the expedition. Best to go in fresh.

ShaneB · Oct 1, 2013

Maklershed said:
Finished Orion Offensive and started Edward Adrift

Edward Adrift by Craig Lancaster

Yay!!! I hope you like it too.

I started watching Breaking Bad, so I think that might be my heavy narrative focus for the next couple of weeks while I marathon that, so I started something a little lighter, and it's funny too. And certainly much more engaging than 'America's Game'.

Now reading.. Notes from a 12 Man: A Truly Biased History of the Seattle Seahawks

ThisWreckage · Oct 1, 2013

Haly said:
Although at the moment Mr. Darcy is still in the smouldering phase.

Those comics are hilarious. I particularly like the, "I had fun once. It was awful."

Protein · Oct 1, 2013

Books I hope to start soon:

Once in a great while a book comes along that changes the way we see the world and helps to fuel a nationwide social movement. The New Jim Crow is such a book. Praised by Harvard Law professor Lani Guinier as "brave and bold," this book directly challenges the notion that the election of Barack Obama signals a new era of colorblindness. With dazzling candor, legal scholar Michelle Alexander argues that "we have not ended racial caste in America; we have merely redesigned it." By targeting black men through the War on Drugs and decimating communities of color, the U.S. criminal justice system functions as a contemporary system of racial controlrelegating millions to a permanent second-class statuseven as it formally adheres to the principle of colorblindness. In the words of Benjamin Todd Jealous, president and CEO of the NAACP, this book is a "call to action."

Called "stunning" by Pulitzer Prizewinning historian David Levering Lewis, "invaluable" by the Daily Kos, "explosive" by Kirkus, and "profoundly necessary" by the Miami Herald, this updated and revised paperback edition of The New Jim Crow, now with a foreword by Cornel West, is a must-read for all people of conscience.

Around the world, countries are beginning to feel the effects of the ocean's revenge as the seas and their inhabitants begin a violent revolution against mankind. At stake is the survival of the Earth's fragile ecologyand ultimately, the survival of the human race itself.

The apocalyptic catastrophes of The Day After Tomorrow meet the watery menace of The Abyss in this gripping, scientifically realistic, and utterly imaginative thriller.

Ultima_5 · Oct 1, 2013

just ordered this..... so this. like soon

Kyleripman · Oct 1, 2013

Protein said:
This is one long book. There's a feeling of dread and hopelessness throughout. I'm about 450 pages into it so far.

Removed potential spoilers from the synopsis. Wouldn't recommend reading the actual synopsis on Amazon. I thought it gave too much away about the expedition. Best to go in fresh.

Always thought that sounded pretty interesting. May check it out next.

Just finished Doctor Sleep today, it was pretty good. Hoping he and Peter Straub get around to writing a third Talisman someday.

meijiko · Oct 1, 2013

Haly said:
Although at the moment Mr. Darcy is still in the smouldering phase.

Edit: To actually contribute to the thread, I just started this:

Trying to improve my writing quality by reading quality writing for a change.

Empty · Oct 1, 2013

currently reading these two. them both being by catholic writers is coincidental.

greene's prose is wonderful and the story moves at a nice tick but it's only just starting to explore the more interesting catholic guilt themes. about 100 pages in.

read a few of these so far. they're good, i like how much rich detail she seems to pack into each story and the sad characters seem true to life. there's one about someone trying to argue politics at a barber which perfectly captures the failure of every political debate i've ever had in public haha. that said there's lots of coarse racist language, as the people she depicts are pretty racist, which can be quite shocking to my system.

fakefaker · Oct 1, 2013

Still happily plowing through The Count of Monte Cristo by Dumas. I'm at page 686 and still have over half the book to go. Time for bed.

Tenrius · Oct 1, 2013

Hey, what's up? It's been a while since I last posted in one of these threads.

My summer wasn't particularly rich with reading: after finishing David Hollow (which was pretty decent), I reread some Harry Potter books and that was basically it.

As for present time, I'm reading Wool by Hugh Howey. Grabbed the first novel way back when it was free, got the rest of them recently. It's pretty gripping, gives you that great Fallout vibe and has a good sense of mystery, too.

leroidys · Oct 1, 2013

I'm about 80 pages in right now and it's really good so far. The only other books I've read by Mishima are After the Banquet, which was good, and The Temple of the Golden Pavillion, which was amazing.

GasProblem · Oct 1, 2013

Still this:

On the last book, it's a great trilogy so far. Logen and Glokta <3

After that, it's on to:

Can't wait, heard good stories about it. If I like it Shift and Dust will be after that

Mifune · Oct 1, 2013

leroidys said:
I'm about 80 pages in right now and it's really good so far. The only other books I've read by Mishima are After the Banquet, which was good, and The Temple of the Golden Pavillion, which was amazing.

Been meaning to read Mishima for years. Temple of the Golden Pavilion is a good place to start, I take it?

relaxor · Oct 1, 2013

Kate Beaton rules.

$(KGrHqUOKnQE4S1e9lFcBOOFmj!+Wg~~_35.JPG

I am just about done rereading this nice book. He's a British writer who was allowed into the USSR during the early Khrushchev thaw years and there are a few quips from characters he meets - it is a road piece. It reads as an editorial on the mid 50's political transition from Stalin to ultimately Khrushchev but mostly it's about the national character of the Soviets, how we in the West misunderstand their peoplehood, particularly during the crushing Stalin years. Interesting to read now as well because it contains that Khrushchevian optimism in the future, that the USSR was going to overtake the USA by 1970, and all the undertones of the beginning of the space age. It's short and snappy. Good read.

Been reading this at work, still in Twilight of the Idols. As usual Nietzche is being a troll, this time to middling effect. His formal argument against the Platonic and Christian perceived vs hidden 'real world' mixup is persuasive and orderly. Worth it for his discussion of Athens. In later chapters he just lists his favorite philosophers, art, music, and references himself a lot. Nietzche slagging of all things woman is a drag, there's always something terrible in each of the books of his I've read. I like his writing a lot though.

ymmv · Oct 1, 2013

This book has the feel of Bernard Cornwell's Saxon series, since it also has a Anglo Saxon viking as the protagonist. So far I'd rate the Cornwell books higher, faster paced, more humor and action, but I'm less than 100 pages in and it's been mostly introduction. I think I'm getting to the part where the the real plot begins.

Roflobear · Oct 1, 2013

About 60 pages into this:

I'm sure a lot of the stuff in these kinds of books are embellished a lot, but I love these military novels. Hope this one's as good as Howard Wasdin's SEAL Team Six book

NekoFever · Oct 1, 2013

I bought this when the Kindle version went on sale recently:

It's quite good so far. Better written than most game novels and provides some interesting background. I've heard it gets a bit drier and more mechanical when it starts to follow the events of the game more closely but I'll have to wait and see.

hEist · Oct 1, 2013

Finally finished the The Song of Ice and Fire-Series and i don't know, how i will be able to wait 2-3years for the next chapter.

Also read Ender's Game finally. 4 of 5 stars i would give it.

Started to read The Hedge Knight (german junction of "The Hedge Knight", "The Sworn Sword" and "The Mystery Knight")

After that i wanted to read the 2nd of the wool series and the trilogy of Dan Wells Mr. Monster series.

Zhengi · Oct 1, 2013

I'm about to finish A Study in Scarlet that I started in September and will continue to read all the stories of Sherlock until the end.

siddx · Oct 1, 2013

Finishing up Hyperion. I've had it on my kindle for ages but never got around to as the first couple of pages just didn't draw me in at all. I am very glad I gave it another shot, really really loving this book and I'm excited for the last 1/4. Are the sequels worth reading? How connected are they to the first? (without spoiling anything).

phoenixyz · Oct 1, 2013

siddx said:
Finishing up Hyperion. I've had it on my kindle for ages but never got around to as the first couple of pages just didn't draw me in at all. I am very glad I gave it another shot, really really loving this book and I'm excited for the last 1/4. Are the sequels worth reading? How connected are they to the first? (without spoiling anything).

The Fall of Hyperion is really great and pretty much directly connected. Do not read the Endymion books. They are really bad, at least in my opinion. They ruined the two Hyperion books (at least in part) for me.

NekoFever · Oct 1, 2013

siddx said:
Finishing up Hyperion. I've had it on my kindle for ages but never got around to as the first couple of pages just didn't draw me in at all. I am very glad I gave it another shot, really really loving this book and I'm excited for the last 1/4. Are the sequels worth reading? How connected are they to the first? (without spoiling anything).

I loved Hyperion when I read it earlier this year, particularly the Scholar's Tale. You'll definitely want to read Fall of Hyperion when you reach the end. I'll say no more than that.

Jag · Oct 1, 2013

ymmv said:
This book has the feel of Bernard Cornwell's Saxon series, since it also has a Anglo Saxon viking as the protagonist. So far I'd rate the Cornwell books higher, faster paced, more humor and action, but I'm less than 100 pages in and it's been mostly introduction. I think I'm getting to the part where the the real plot begins.

I'm just about finishing Long Ships and it has given me the itch to go a-viking. Let us know what you think when you finish.

AngmarsKing701 · Oct 1, 2013

Still working on The Stress of Her Regard by Tim Powers. Should finish in the next couple weeks.

Mr.Swag · Oct 1, 2013

I have three Vonnegut novels on my kindle that I want to read: "Sirens of Titan", "Slaughterhouse Fve" and "Jailbird".
I fell in love with Vonnegut after I read Cats Cradle and breakfast of champions. His books are always on sale for kindle users, so this collection has only cost me around $15

The Artful Dodger · Oct 1, 2013

Mr.Swag said:
I have three Vonnegut novels on my kindle that I want to read: "Sirens of Titan", "Slaughterhouse Fve" and "Jailbird".
I fell in love with Vonnegut after I read Cats Cradle and breakfast of champions. His books are always on sale for kindle users, so this collection has only cost me around $15

God Bless you, Mr. Rosewater is, in my opinion, his best book.

Liha · Oct 1, 2013

not bad

Tragicomedy · Oct 1, 2013

Thanks for the gentle reminders that I need to read Wool. I'll get to it soon.

Mifune · Oct 1, 2013

siddx said:
Finishing up Hyperion. I've had it on my kindle for ages but never got around to as the first couple of pages just didn't draw me in at all. I am very glad I gave it another shot, really really loving this book and I'm excited for the last 1/4. Are the sequels worth reading? How connected are they to the first? (without spoiling anything).

Fall of Hyperion is a fantastic book and is directly connected with the first one. In many ways I actually prefer it to the original. Endymion is okay. Rise of Endymion is complete garbage that actually undoes the fabric of Simmons' universe. Avoid like the fucking plague.

I say stop after the second Hyperion book.

Mackenzie 92 · Oct 1, 2013

Pulled the trigger on this bad boy. Went with the paperback, same price and I like the cover.

Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie

TetraxShards · Oct 1, 2013

Heads up to UK folk, "The Lies of Locke Lamora" is one of October's 100 Kindle Books for £2.99 or less. It's actually a pound. I couldn't buy it fast enough. Had a full-on Jim Ross "STONE COLD! STONE COLD!" moment when I saw it.

Krowley · Oct 1, 2013

Recently finished:

Patternist book 2 - Mind of my Mind by Octavia Butler
This is a really great series so far. The basic premise is to assume the existence of certain paranormal powers (various kinds of psychic phenomena, along with a few other things that are a bit more out there), and then extrapolate how they would really affect human behavior if they existed. The results are very twisted, to say the least. The first book, Wild Seed, was a little better than this, but only a little. Both are way above average. From here on the books apparently head into more futuristic territory, and I'm curious to see how that turns out. Should be very cool.

Jack Reacher book 18 - Never go Back by Lee Child
This was fun to read, but the ending left a lot to be desired, and damn near ruined the whole book. Overall it's the weakest Reacher book in a while. It does have some potentially interesting character development for Reacher that may point to changes in future books, but other than that it would be skippable. Might be skippable anyway.

The Shining book 2 - Doctor Sleep by Stephen King
Very good, but not quite great. For the first couple hundred pages I thought this was going to be a masterpiece, but the plot goes absolutely crazy in the last third. The eventual ending is totally insane, and not entirely in a good way. The book never stops being entertaining, and I couldn't put it down, but it doesn't ever manage to live up to its potential. I read The Shining a few months back in preperation for this, and I do think reading both of them close together is a good Idea. This book works very well as an extension of the original book, and actually makes The Shining a better book in retrospect because it turns it into an origin story of sorts. Taken together, I think both books are better than they are singularly, which is pretty neat considering the amount of time that's passed since the publication of the original.

The Hawkline Monster by Richard Brautigan
This was just as weird as advertised, which would have been great if I'd been able to relate to any of the characters even a little bit. I would say it fits into the absurdist/surrealist catagory, and the author makes the mistake of treating his material a little too lightly, resulting in a total lack of gravity that kept me from getting involved with anything.

ringlord · Oct 1, 2013

Barron returns with his third collection, The Beautiful Thing That Awaits Us All. Collecting interlinking tales of sublime cosmic horror, including Blackwoods Baby, The Carrion Gods in Their Heaven, and The Men from Porlock, The Beautiful Thing That Awaits Us All delivers enough spine-chilling horror to satisfy even the most jaded reader.

Amazon is featuring it as one of their monthly Kindle deals, only $1.99 for October. Such a deal.

Tragicomedy · Oct 1, 2013

ringlord said:
Amazon is featuring it as one of their monthly Kindle deals, only $1.99 for October.[/URL] Such a deal.

I'll buy that for a dollar

and ninety-nine cents

.

bengraven · Oct 1, 2013

Robopacalypse.

Krowley said:
Recently finished:

The Hawkline Monster by Richard Brautigan
This was just as weird as advertised, which would have been great if I'd been able to relate to any of the characters even a little bit. I would say it fits into the absurdist/surrealist catagory, and the author makes the mistake of treating his material a little too lightly, resulting in a total lack of gravity that kept me from getting involved with anything.

Yeah, it was a massive disappointment. I was told it was a straight western/gothic novel amalgam, not that it was a satirical novel that barely touched on both subjects but instead reflected popular fiction of the time. It read like Irvine Welsh wrote a penny dreadful and was really fucking dreadful.

That said, some of the dialogue was fun to read.

Tenrius · Oct 1, 2013

ringlord said:
Amazon is featuring it as one of their monthly Kindle deals, only $1.99 for October. Such a deal.

Bought it. Don't know what I'm getting myself into, exactly, but it looks interesting and I was looking for something unfamiliar.

Wigwam · Oct 1, 2013

Just started this:

Maklershed · Oct 2, 2013

Anyone? Bueller? ...

Maklershed said:
Also, any recommendations for a fantasy novel with a similar sorta feel as The First Law trilogy? And by that I mean set in a cold, forest sorta setting. Somewhere you can imagine being right now in fall. Cold, crisp, leaves changing color, etc?

What I mean specifically is part of the story in 'the north' country.

CarpeDeezNutz · Oct 2, 2013

About to start on some Carlos Castanada.

teruterubozu · Oct 2, 2013

CarpeDeezNutz said:
About to start on some Carlos Castanada.

Don Juan approves.

Akahige · Oct 2, 2013

Finished Foucault's Pendulum by Umberto Eco, tough read but worth it, it was very tedious for the first third.

Now Reading:

jtb · Oct 2, 2013

anyone reading Bleeding Edge? curious to know how difficult/how much of a time-sink it is.

Hellbender · Oct 2, 2013

Maklershed said:
Anyone? Bueller? ...

What I mean specifically is part of the story in 'the north' country.

Have you read The Heroes by Abercrombie? It mostly takes place in the north.

aidan · Oct 2, 2013

Mackenzie 92 said:
Pulled the trigger on this bad boy. Went with the paperback, same price and I like the cover.

Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie

Good choice!

Support NeoGAF

What are you reading? (October 2013)

Member

Member

One day I realized that sadness is just another word for not enough coffee.

Hugo Award Winning Author and Editor

Banned

Member

Banned

Member

Banned

Banned

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Mehmber

what?

Banned

Member

Member

Member

Member

Magnificent Eager Mighty Brilliantly Erect Registereduser

Member

Member

Member

Member

Banned

Member

Banned

Member

Mehmber

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Neo Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Banned

Member

Hugo Award Winning Author and Editor

Similar threads