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What are you reading? (November 2011)

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Visit the October GAF Book Club thread! The book this month is Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy


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Shelved Threads
What are you reading? (October 2011)
What are you reading? (September 2011)
What are you reading? (August 2011)
What are you reading? (July 2011)
What are you reading? (June 2011)
What are you reading? (May 2011)
What are you reading? (April 2011)
What are you reading (March 2011)
What are you reading (February 2011)
What are you reading (January 2011)

What are you reading (December 2010)
What are you reading? (November 2010)

What are you reading? (October 2010)

What are you reading? (September 2010)

What are you reading? (August 2010)
What are you reading? (July 2010)

What are you reading (June 2010)
What are you reading?(May 2010)
What are you reading? (April 2010)
What are you reading? (March 2010)
What are you reading? (February 2010)
What are you reading? (January 2010)
What are you reading? (December 09)
What Are You Reading (November '09)
What are you reading? (October 09)
What are you reading? (September 09)
What are you reading? (August 09)
What are you reading? (July 09)
What are you reading? (June 09)
What are you reading? (May 09)
 
Nothing at the moment. I started reading the Deus Ex Icarus something or other novel and it's awful. I need something, though...
 

Mrbob

Member
I just finished a Dance of Death, the third and final chapter in the Shadowlance trilogy:

51EjUet9SjL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA300_SH20_AA278_PIkin4,BottomRight,-46,22_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg


http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005XFCGS6/?tag=neogaf0e-20

First book is a Dance of Cloaks:

51M%2BJbkAs1L._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA300_SH20_AA278_PIkin4,BottomRight,-46,22_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg


http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003ZUYP80/?tag=neogaf0e-20

Second book a Dance of Blades:

51P3syy%2BvAL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA300_SH20_AA278_PIkin4,BottomRight,-46,22_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg


http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003ZUYP80/?tag=neogaf0e-20

A series by an indie author named David Dalglish. The books are a prequel about a character named The Watcher from his Half Orcs series (Not required to read first. I'm starting it now.). You see how The Watcher becomes the person he ends up being, and the trials and tribulations which lead to his current life. He says he has been influenced by GRRM and I definitely believe it. The books have a fast pace to them which I enjoy. Dalglish gets to the point and doesn't languish. The battle scenes he writes are some of the best I've ever read. Interesting political intrigue as well. Unexpected twists and turns you probably won't see coming. You can get the first book on kindle for $2.99, and if you enjoy any type of fantasy novels give the series a look.
 

T.M. MacReady

NO ONE DENIES MEMBER
Just finished

The+Postmortal.jpg


HIGHLY RECOMMENDED


Not sure if there's any Gaf buzz around it, but its about a cure for aging and the consequences. Clever and darkly funny.
 

Mrbob

Member
The last half of A Storm of Swords might be the best section of a fantasy novel I've read. So good. Which unfortunately makes it painful to read A Feast For Crows. It isn't bad, but compared to the whirlwind which is the back end of ASoS, it is a tiny let down. I'll finish it (70 percent done according to Kindle), but I gave it a break to read the Dalglish books, which have become a wonderful surprise.
 

Jarlaxle

Member
cover-tigana.jpg


I just finished A Storm of Swords (ASOIAF). I figured I would take a break from that so I started this. Only 20 pages in so far. I've heard nothing but good things though.
 

Vanillalite

Ask me about the GAF Notebook
Eragon_book_cover.png


Slow to start this as I should have started last week. Oh wells I'm going to reread all 3 books, and then I'll grab the final one when I finish after it hits next week.
 
TeethMummy said:
Just finished

The+Postmortal.jpg


HIGHLY RECOMMENDED


Not sure if there's any Gaf buzz around it, but its about a cure for aging and the consequences. Clever and darkly funny.
Looks super interesting - I'll check it out some time.
 
Taking a break from 1Q84 and going to read these 2

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and then read A Wild Sheep Chase and Dance Dance Dance. Then I'll jump back into 1Q84
 

Mumei

Member
9780451450524.jpg


In the topic about the NPR Top 100 Fantasy / Science Fiction list, there were more than a few people who said that this was their favorite or one of their favorite fantasy stories, so I picked it up. I'm just under a quarter of the way through, and I really like it so far. I don't usually find unicorns all that interesting, but I'm liking this.
 

Goody

Member
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I just finished Winter's Bone, by Daniel Woodrell. Great book. Absolutely love Woodrell's language. The lyrical and the comedic blend really well in this and the setting clashes with such wonderful violence against the modern time period.

Next up is All We Need of Hell, by Harry Crews. I've never read one of Crews' books, but I heard this was a good place to start. It's a shame that a lot of his earlier novels are completely out of print. I really want to check out his non-fiction as well.

Now that I'm moved into my new place, I have all of my books right in front of me. It's going to be such a joy picking new books to read.

More importantly, I finally have a place to write.
 

sazabirules

Unconfirmed Member
I stopped reading for over a month due to school but I'm starting to read again daily. I'm working on this.

515DqE%2BojGL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg


I'll start Blood Meridian after this.
 
Mumei said:
9780451450524.jpg


In the topic about the NPR Top 100 Fantasy / Science Fiction list, there were more than a few people who said that this was their favorite or one of their favorite fantasy stories, so I picked it up. I'm just under a quarter of the way through, and I really like it so far. I don't usually find unicorns all that interesting, but I'm liking this.
The Last Unicorn is one of my favorite fantasy books ever.

It's clever and hilarious, yet somber and heartbreaking. So good.
 

Erico

Unconfirmed Member
Moby Dick
51t1kyruRgL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA300_SH20_OU15_.jpg


Finally getting around to reading the free ebooks I put on my Kindle. I'm loving the dry humor and the little asides about life. Good stuff.
 

Rei_Toei

Fclvat sbe Pnanqn, ru?
ekq6tv.jpg


Got it as a gift with two dices attached. Already led to... interesting decisions on the night itself, now it's time to read the thing myself I guess.
 

Kosh

Member
I'm a big fan of the TV show and wanted to see if the books were any good. I'm about half way through it so far, and it's really pretty good. The first season of the show mirrored this novel, so I think I'll have to read the second novel to really decide whether or not I want to read the whole series.





Listening to this.

 

CiSTM

Banned
TeethMummy said:
Just finished

The+Postmortal.jpg


HIGHLY RECOMMENDED


Not sure if there's any Gaf buzz around it, but its about a cure for aging and the consequences. Clever and darkly funny.
Sounds interesting and reviews of it are really positive. Gonna check out if I find it a local book store.
 

Kraftwerk

Member
Enjoying it so far. Going to to take it slow. Same with Look to Windward, since they are the last two of the Culture....FOR NOW 'stares at Ian Banks'

o2xPY.jpg
 

Oozinator

Banned
Almost finished reading it, I'm not considering this book the holy bible for picking up women but it does provide some eye-opener tips on social interaction scattered throughout an entertaining story.

7hMs9.jpg
 

T.M. MacReady

NO ONE DENIES MEMBER
charlemagne said:
Looks super interesting - I'll check it out some time.

CiSTM said:
Sounds interesting and reviews of it are really positive. Gonna check out if I find it a local book store.

Be sure to let me know what you thought of it. I think this is one that Gaffers in particular will really enjoy.
 
Reading two new books at the moment:
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Out of Oz by Gregory Maguire which arrived this morning and Unfamiliar Fishes by Sarah Vowell which is an enjoyable popular-history of Hawaii.
 
Was reading Bill Bryson's At Home: A Short History of Private Life (now finished). HIGHLY recommend it. I've liked his other travel books and loved A Short History of Nearly Everything, and this is in that same vein.

r8WYS.gif
 

Kosh

Member


Ugh! This went down hill fast in the second half, so many plot holes. Maybe it's just the TV shows influence and differences, the TV show is so much better in my opinion. I'm not even sure I want to read the second novel, at least not right now.




On to this.

 

J-Roderton

Member
Erico said:
Moby Dick
51t1kyruRgL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA300_SH20_OU15_.jpg


Finally getting around to reading the free ebooks I put on my Kindle. I'm loving the dry humor and the little asides about life. Good stuff.

Reading this too. It was free for my Droid with the Books app. Kind of hard to read on my phone but it was free.
 

Tigel

Member
BertramCooper said:
Just wait until you get to the part with the dragons.

Shit gets CRAZY.
Can't wait, looks epic! I love me some good medieval fantasy in my biographies.
 

Milchjon

Member
TeethMummy said:
Just finished

The+Postmortal.jpg


HIGHLY RECOMMENDED


Not sure if there's any Gaf buzz around it, but its about a cure for aging and the consequences. Clever and darkly funny.

That's from one of the writers of kissingsuzykolber.com, isn't it? Love that blog, what's the book like (style & content)?

Still working through Infinite Jest. My usual pace is about one book per week, and I've only managed half of this book in about a month... Still, it's fascinating, funny and pretty different from most of what I've read.
 

Jenga

Banned
Do any of you have recommendations on biographies? Particularly on Nixon, FDR, etc...

How are the Walter Isaacson bios on Franklin and Einstein?
 
Just finished the second game of Thrones book and it killed any momentum of interest i had in the series. It was just so painful to slog through because nothing happened, and the stuff that did happen was stuff that had already happened...just with different characters. And a lot of characters that were focused on just act so incredibly dumb.

GAF says Book 3 picks up the pace but I feel drained from the second. I may have to wait a little bit :(
 

_Isaac

Member
Teh Hamburglar said:
Just finished the second game of Thrones book and it killed any momentum of interest i had in the series. It was just so painful to slog through because nothing happened, and the stuff that did happen was stuff that had already happened...just with different characters. And a lot of characters that were focused on just act so incredibly dumb.

GAF says Book 3 picks up the pace but I feel drained from the second. I may have to wait a little bit :(

I am currently reading A Clash of Kings. This isn't exactly reassuring. :/
 
Kosh said:
I'm a big fan of the TV show and wanted to see if the books were any good. I'm about half way through it so far, and it's really pretty good. The first season of the show mirrored this novel, so I think I'll have to read the second novel to really decide whether or not I want to read the whole series.


I read the first one after being a fan of the show, and they are fun and easy reads. I finished the book in about an hour I believe. Haven't gotten around to the other though.

Reading

"Ready Player One" Earnest Cline

I'm actually reading it on my iPhone using the Kindle App because I keep leaving my Kindle in my desk at work and I just want to keep reading.
 

Zona

Member
Kraftwerk said:
Enjoying it so far. Going to to take it slow. Same with Look to Windward, since they are the last two of the Culture....FOR NOW 'stares at Ian Banks'

The only real problem I have with Matter is
how out of left field the last hundred or so pages are. I mean really its not possible to see that comeing. Can we get some forshadowing in here?

I'm very slowly going through Peter F Hamilton's The Reality Dysfunction. Its good so far but I’ve just passed a part that makes me worry about the direction it might take. Here's to hoping hes a good enough writer to pull it off.
 

Rekubot

Member
_Isaac said:
I am currently reading A Clash of Kings. This isn't exactly reassuring. :/
I enjoyed all the ASOIAF books but the GAF consensus is that book 3 is by far the best, so at least read that one before deciding whether or not to drop the series.
 
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it's solid, but there's a lot of unnecessary explanation. Still, I'm really enjoying it and will definitely pick up the second book.
 
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