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What are you reading? (September 2013)

S

Seanspeed

Banned
commish said:
Yes. That's all I can say. Yes. It's such a "FUCK YEAH!!" moment. Can't wait for the next book in the series.
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suzu said:
I loved that part! Can't wait for the next book too.
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-NeoTB1- said:
Definitely. I was grinning from ear to ear. Such a great book. One of my favorites from recent memory.
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Wasn't just me then. :)

sparky2112 said:
That's actually one of my big bitches about a series like this. I don't want to have to marathon a series each time a new book comes out so I can pick up references in Book 1 that the author finally bothered to explain in Book 7. Just build the world. Meh - one man's mystery is another man's annoyance, I guess.
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I don't see that its different than a TV show or movie series or something, that doesn't explain anything til later. I admit that picking this up now and only having a short wait to the next book will keep things fresher in my mind than others, but its still a small price to pay for a great series to follow. You don't *have* to re-read the entire series anytime a new book comes out. Most good authors do a commendable job of reiterating the important/relevant bits of the earlier books. Its my first Sanderson book, so maybe he's bad about that, but I'm not going to get annoyed for my faulty memory, either way.
 
L

Loxley

Member
Would anyone be able to recommend me some books on the Cold War? Possibly something that talks about the espionage and other weird things that the US and Soviet Union did behind the scenes during that time period.
 
M

melonrabbit

Member
Making my way through the first Harry Dresden. I started out strong -- supposed to be a fast read -- but I started to lose progress halfway in. The book is very by the numbers plot wise, the dialogue is very predictable, and the most of the characters just don’t pop.

I do normally enjoy Noir but this book isn't quite working for me. I wouldn't go so far as to say it’s bad. It has a lot I should be finding both interesting and enjoyable. Also, I do like Harry as a character. But I really think Butcher’s execution as a writer is ultimately was causing such disappointment.

Does the series pick up? I really want to like this one.
 
N

Narag

Member
melonrabbit said:
Making my way through the first Harry Dresden. I started out strong -- supposed to be a fast read -- but I started to lose progress halfway in. The book is very by the numbers plot wise, the dialogue is very predictable, and the most of the characters just don’t pop.

I do normally enjoy Noir but this book isn't quite working for me. I wouldn't go so far as to say it’s bad. It has a lot I should be finding both interesting and enjoyable. Also, I do like Harry as a character. But I really think Butcher’s execution as a writer is ultimately was causing such disappointment.

Does the series pick up? I really want to like this one.
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IIRC second follows the same formula as the first before books feel like they're doing their own thing. They smooth out too as that first one is really really rough.
 
S

Sleepy

Member
Fuck Amazon. I still have not received Pynchon's latest. What the fuck is the point of pre-ordering and paying for shipping if I don't get the book the week it is released.
 
T

Tragicomedy

Member
Salvor.Hardin said:
So I'm interested in starting some Brandon Sanderson. Should I begin with The Way of Kings or the Mistborn series.

What would make for a better read?
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Honestly? Pick up The Emperor's Soul and see if you like his style. It's a shorter novella and it's really wonderful. Another short one of his is Legion, but it's not quite as good.
 
K

Krowley

Member
melonrabbit said:
Making my way through the first Harry Dresden. I started out strong -- supposed to be a fast read -- but I started to lose progress halfway in. The book is very by the numbers plot wise, the dialogue is very predictable, and the most of the characters just don’t pop.

I do normally enjoy Noir but this book isn't quite working for me. I wouldn't go so far as to say it’s bad. It has a lot I should be finding both interesting and enjoyable. Also, I do like Harry as a character. But I really think Butcher’s execution as a writer is ultimately was causing such disappointment.

Does the series pick up? I really want to like this one.
Click to expand...

I'm very early in book 3. So far I wouldn't say the writing has improved all that much. Maybe a little bit. One thing that's kept me interested is that Butcher does a good job writing tense and exciting action scenes. You'll see some (minor) examples of this in the second half of book one, and even more in the second half of book two, which is a really fun roller coaster ride.

Both books also have some terribly weak plot elements and lackluster stretches that can be tough to endure, but there is a gratifying sense that the world is expanding with each book. Butcher is gradually introducing more characters that seem like they'll eventually become series regulars, and also building up the lore. I'm starting to see the outer edges of larger storylines that might span several books, and I'm definitely intrigued.

I'm still not blown away, but the series is growing on me very slowly. It has certain strengths that may not be obvious during the first book.
 
P

Piecake

Member
Salvor.Hardin said:
So I'm interested in starting some Brandon Sanderson. Should I begin with The Way of Kings or the Mistborn series.

What would make for a better read?
Click to expand...

WoK is definitely better, but yea, if you dont want to start out with a huge monster than go with Emperor's Soul. After that, go WoK
 
A

Akahige

Member
Finished Voice of Our Shadow by Jonathan Carroll, I liked it until the ending turned into a rehash of his last book.

now reading:
RMIELAg.jpg
 
M

Mumei

Member
Seanspeed said:
Came here to talk about this. Just finished it. Had a 300 page marathon as I got close to the end of this huge book. It was just too good to put down and I absolutely needed to know what happened next. I love the characters so much. And the world Sanderson created is wonderful. Its extremely interesting and very mysterious, leaving lots of details left in the air for explaining later. Also has some very surprising philosophical moments that made me think. Lots of authors attempt this, but very few accomplish it in the way this did.

Big spoiler!:

The part where Kaladin and crew go to Dalinar's rescue, with Dalinar fighting through the Parshendi ranks and finally breaking through to see the bridgemen fighting and declaring it the most glorious thing he had ever seen actually swelled a tear or three in my eyes. :)
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I just finished this yesterday, too!

I always feel like there's something a tad formulaic about Sanderson's style (his characters across novels sometimes seem overly similar, the deliberative plotting and the way you can see the general direction that things are going to go, the prose that "works" but isn't really more than adequate), but he pulls it off with just enough panache and has likable enough (
/Obama
) characters that I still really enjoy it.

I'm really looking forward to the next book, and I'm glad I waited so long to read it.

I'm now 90 pages into 1Q84. I like it, but so far it does seem like a step down from the last Murakami novel I read, The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle.
 
T

Tragicomedy

Member
[*] James S.A. Corey - Abaddon's Gate ★★★★½ - What a ride this series has been! I didn't want the book to end, and now I'll have to wait for the next one to be published. Holden, Naomi, and Amos remain my favorites, although some of the new characters (especially Bull) were very enjoyable. This book was heavier on the philosophical and religious elements, but balanced that nicely with more space warfare and firefights. There's also some interesting looks at the gray area between good and evil, and the road to redemption.

Doors and corners.
 
S

ShaneB

Member
Tragicomedy said:
[*] James S.A. Corey - Abaddon's Gate ★★★★½ - What a ride this series has been! I didn't want the book to end, and now I'll have to wait for the next one to be published. Holden, Naomi, and Amos remain my favorites, although some of the new characters (especially Bull) were very enjoyable. This book was heavier on the philosophical and religious elements, but balanced that nicely with more space warfare and firefights. There's also some interesting looks at the gray area between good and evil, and the road to redemption.

Doors and corners.
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As we discussed yesteday, hell yeah!!

I started reading 'Love Anthony', and it's not at all what I expected. Terrible, boring uninteresting "chick-lit" so far. 25% done, and the synopsis made it sound interesting, but I've not got to anything of interest so far. Bah.
 
N

Necrovex

Member
Mumei said:
I
I'm now 90 pages into 1Q84. I like it, but so far it does seem like a step down from the last Murakami novel I read, The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle.
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This is what happens when you read the best Murakami novel around. :p

I still need to read Norwegian Wood, and The Wind-Up Bird Chronicles. My comment stems from Amazon and Goodreads impressions!
 
M

mu cephei

Member
I'm reading The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell at the moment, and so far it is fantastic. Possibly it's a little bit Guy Gavriel Kay, with overly worthy characters who feel everything deeply and profoundly. But I'll take that over the last scifi book I read, Ship of Fools, where the story was banal and the characters utterly shallow.

I'm also reading Her Smoke Rose Up Forever by James Tiptree Jr (Alice Bradley Sheldon) which is excellent. For the stories I like best she basically takes an idea, and builds a kind of mystery story around it. Just the first three stories cover human-caused environmental damage, genetic manipulation of mating impulses tied up with alien invasion, the human urge to mate with the outgroup.
 
S

survivor

Banned
Finished reading Beautiful Ruins. It was decent, I guess. Not a fan of this Pat guy or most of the latter half, but the reunion thing was a good page turner.

I was also reading The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, about 80 pages into it. As far as BS reasons to get someone to walk across the country goes by, the one in this book isn't that convincing. It also doesn't help that all the people Fry met so far haven't been overly interesting. Will keep reading though since the writing is simple yet engaging and I want to see what's the conclusion to this long walk.
Ec5ddVP.jpg
 
M

Mumei

Member
Necrovex said:
This is what happens when you read the best Murakami novel around. :p

I still need to read Norwegian Wood, and The Wind-Up Bird Chronicles. My comment stems from Amazon and Goodreads impressions!
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Hah.

Personally, I have never been able to narrow down a favorite Murakami novel, though Hardboiled Wonderland, Norwegian Wood, and Wind-Up have all been up there. Anyway! I'm on page 355 of 1Q84 now and it has gotten better. I've been trying not to get my hopes up since I remember a few people on GAF talking about how they were disappointed with it. We'll see how I feel when I finish it.

Speaking of disappointment: I also learned recently that a friend of mine (excelforward) tried to read Lolita, got about halfway through, and couldn't do it anymore. While this decision does prove comments made by Alfred Appel in The Annotated Lolita about when many readers quit Lolita to be amusingly accurate, this news comes on the heels of disappointing me by not getting into Pale Fire!

Clearly my Nabokov evangelism is not working very well.

He did like Hyperion, though, so maybe I can get him to read The Book of the New Sun!
 
S

sikkinixx

Member
Just finished the Belgariad by David Eddings for the xth time. Always fun for a super easy vacation read. His more light hearted fantasy is a nice relief even if his theme of "love is all you need" grates on me after a bit.
 
S

Sotha Sil

Member
So, has anyone read Daniel Abraham's The Tyrant's Law? (Looking at you, Dresden). Kind of lukewarm about this series, but I'll read it anyway sooner or later.

Still savoring Hilary Mantel's Wolf Hall, which I started ages ago. Really impressive.
 
A

aidan

Hugo Award Winning Author and Editor
Sotha Sil said:
So, has anyone read Daniel Abraham's The Tyrant's Law? (Looking at you, Dresden). Kind of lukewarm about this series, but I'll read it anyway sooner or later.

Still savoring Hilary Mantel's Wolf Hall, which I started ages ago. Really impressive.
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I really enjoyed it, and feel the series is getting better by the book. But, then, I'm an unabashed Daniel Abraham fanboy, so I'm my opinion is coming with a bit of a bias. I wrote a fairly extensive review of The Tyrant's Law.
 
S

Seanspeed

Banned
Mumei said:
I just finished this yesterday, too!

I always feel like there's something a tad formulaic about Sanderson's style (his characters across novels sometimes seem overly similar, the deliberative plotting and the way you can see the general direction that things are going to go, the prose that "works" but isn't really more than adequate), but he pulls it off with just enough panache and has likable enough (
/Obama
) characters that I still really enjoy it.

I'm really looking forward to the next book, and I'm glad I waited so long to read it.
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It was my first book by Sanderson, so I guess I'm lucky to experience the book with some freshness in that regard.
 
S

Sotha Sil

Member
aidan said:
I really enjoyed it, and feel the series is getting better by the book. But, then, I'm an unabashed Daniel Abraham fanboy, so I'm my opinion is coming with a bit of a bias. I wrote a fairly extensive review of The Tyrant's Law.
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Hey Aidan, I haven't checked out your review yet; thanks for the link.

I'm an Abraham fanboy too, which is why I'll read it no matter how I feel about the series. I just feel like he woke up one day and told himself "let's do mainstream fantasy!"; it feels very safe and predictable. Guess The Long Price Quartet spoiled me.
 
N

Nezumi

Member
Finished:

RetributionFalls.jpg


Really fun read. Looking forward to the rest of the series.

abfk-square-400.jpg


I already liked the first one so I'm glad that this one was even better. The twists weren't as foreseeable and the characters got a little more depth to them.

51FnHQUIHNL._SY300_.jpg

(A wild Sheep Chase)

Been at this for months. Compared to Norwegian Wood this was a lot more difficult to read. Still liked it a lot.

Currently reading:
thedragonpath.jpg


Was a bit overwhelmed at the beginning due to all the characters races and what not that got thrown at me, but once I figuered out who was who and where I started to enjoy it. It does feel a lot more "save" than the Long Price Quartet but I really like Abrahams writing, so I can see myself enjoying this series just as much.

518b8n2f4PL._SL500_AA300_PIaudible,BottomRight,13,73_AA300_.jpg


After where the second book left off I'm really excited how the story continues.

Also about to start:

348_1.jpg


Husband's been bugging me to read this for ages, since he is a huge fan of Conrad and considers this to be one of his favorite books. Which makes me sceptical, because in the past our taste in books hasn't exactly overlapped that often.
 
Z

Zona

Member
Nezumi said:
Currently reading:
thedragonpath.jpg


Was a bit overwhelmed at the beginning due to all the characters races and what not that got thrown at me, but once I figuered out who was who and where I started to enjoy it. It does feel a lot more "save" than the Long Price Quartet but I really like Abrahams writing, so I can see myself enjoying this series just as much.
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I just finished this. I liked it overall. The best metaphor I can think of for it is that he took the paint by numbers template for Epic Fantasy and then used the opposite color for every space.
 
C

commish

Jason Kidd murdered my dog in cold blood!
Salvor.Hardin said:
So I'm interested in starting some Brandon Sanderson. Should I begin with The Way of Kings or the Mistborn series.

What would make for a better read?
Click to expand...

I would start with the Mistborn series. I loved those books and the series is complete. Way of King is probably better but it's just one part of a long, long, long series that won't finish for 10 years.
 
A

AngmarsKing701

Member
commish said:
I would start with the Mistborn series. I loved those books and the series is complete. Way of King is probably better but it's just one part of a long, long, long series that won't finish for 10 years.
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Gonna be longer than 10 years, even with Sanderson's track record.
 
P

Pau

Member
nakedsushi said:
I finally read


Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood

It was pretty good and the world building was nice. Oryx is kind of one-note and annoying though. I'm still wondering what the deal with Crake is. Does the next book (Year of the Flood) explain what happened or his motivation more?
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Definitely agree with your point about Oryx. For a feminist author, Atwood really loves her female "prostitute with a heart of gold" characters. I didn't pick up Year of the Flood because once again, the two main characters are prostitutes and I'm just tired of the trope.
 
M

Mumei

Member
Nezumi said:
Finished:

RetributionFalls.jpg


Really fun read. Looking forward to the rest of the series.
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I'm going to read this soon. I also read this recently but forgot to mention it here:

761819.jpg


Prez suggested it sometime in June. It was absolutely fantastic and everyone should read it immediately.
 
W

Woorloog

Banned
Cyan said:
One of his weakest books, though. I'd put it on about the same level as Elantris.
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I liked it a lot more than Elantris, or Mistborn Hero of Ages. Not flawless but good.
And the setting and magic were refreshing, in some way i cannot quite explain.
 
R

rac

Banned
Just picked up If on a Winter's Night a Traveler and Good Omens. Don't really know what to expect with If on a Winter's Night but it was on my goodreads want to read list and gaf's September book so might as well read it.
 
M

Mumei

Member
rac said:
Just picked up If on a Winter's Night a Traveler and Good Omens. Don't really know what to expect with If on a Winter's Night but it was on my goodreads want to read list and gaf's September book so might as well read it.
Click to expand...

*glomps*
 
L

Leeness

Member
Oh lawd getting into the back half of my Misery audiobook.

Paul just found Annie's ~memory lane book~.

It's so old, I'm sure most people, myself included, know exactly where it's headed, but I can't help but be so tense! Aaaah!
 
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