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Maklershed · Jan 1, 2015

Maklershed · Jan 1, 2015

What were your favorite books of 2014? Vote here:

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=947161

itsinmyveins · Jan 1, 2015

Doctor Sleep. It's alright, I guess.

Maklershed · Jan 1, 2015

Kindle

The Son by Philipp Meyer

Hard Copy

Dark Places by Gillian Flynn

Audio Book

A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson

Deleted member 1235 · Jan 1, 2015

im ill and re reading the name of the wind is really hitting the spot

obin_gam · Jan 1, 2015

Continuing on with

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after that I'm thinking of starting either Ringworld or Foundation

Danj · Jan 1, 2015

I've actually had the third book in this trilogy for ages now, no idea where I picked it up, but finally got around to getting the first and second books.

NekoFever · Jan 1, 2015

Finally reading The Dark Tower so that I can finish off the series, which I've been working my way through for almost a decade.

I've read enough about it to keep my expectations low and found it OK so far. It definitely gets better once

the main characters get back together.

HORRORSHØW · Jan 1, 2015

house of leaves (again) for gaf book club.

Cerity · Jan 1, 2015

Really liking the imagery in this.

toweringinferno · Jan 1, 2015

Golden Son (Red Rising Trilogy, #2) by Pierce Brown
The Providence of Fire (Chronicle of the Unhewn Throne, #2) by Brian Staveley
Firefight (Reckoners, #2) by Brandon Sanderson

Books releasing this January that i'm looking forward to reading

Protome · Jan 1, 2015

At the request of my girlfriend I'm reading The Taxidermists Daughter by Kate Mosse

ComputerMKII · Jan 1, 2015

Soumission, by Michel Houellebecq:

Michel Houellebecq provokes France with story of Muslim president

Award-winning French novelist Michel Houellebecq has sparked an outcry after it emerged that his new novel tells of France being run by a Muslim president.

In 2022, with the help of the French Socialist party and the centrists, Mohammed Ben Abbes defeats the far-right Front National and takes up residence at the Elysée Palace. The country is in turmoil.

Soumission (Submission), which will be published in the new year, will confirm Houellebecq’s reputation as one of France’s most provocative writers.

Even the title has been described as provocative, suggesting a translation of the word “Islam”, which in Arabic means submission to the will of Allah.

The narrator of the plot, described as a typical Houellebecq antihero, is a 44-year-old literary professor, who occasionally frequents prostitutes and is attracted by women half his age.

The novel suggests that despite record unpopularity, France’s Socialist president, François Hollande, clings on to power until 2022, but is eliminated in the first round of the presidential elections by a far-right Front National candidate and by Ben Abbes, representing the imaginary Muslim Fraternity party. With the support of the left, centre and the centre-right UMP party led by former president Nicolas Sarkozy, Abbes wins the election.

Les Inrockuptibles magazine said the plot “completely overturns society”.

Houellebecq, 56, whose real name is Michel Thomas, caused a row with his book Les Particules élémentaires (Atomised in English) in which he suggested the hippies of the May 1968 student movement had created the “serial killers of the 1990s”.

In an 2001 interview with the review Lire he attacked Islam describing it as “the most stupid religion”.

“I say to myself that the fact of believing in a single god is the behaviour of a cretin, I can’t find another word. And the stupidest religion is, let’s face it, Islam … the Bible, at least, is beautiful because the Jews have a huge literary talent … and for that they can be forgiven much.”

Afterwards, four Muslim organisations took legal action against him claiming he was “insulting a group of people because of their religious beliefs” and was “complicit in inciting racial hatred”.

Houellebecq told the court he did not despise Muslims, but held contempt for their religion adding that like Christianity and Judaism it was based on “texts of hate”. The court dismissed the case against him.

Soumission is Houellebecq’s first novel since 2010 when he published La Carte et le Territoire (The Map and the Territory), which featured as its main character the “celebrated novelist Michel Houllebecq”. The novel won the Prix Goncourt, France’s top literary award.

Houllebecq is the most translated, and hence internationally renowned, of all France’s contemporary writers, but has been accused of racism, xenophobia and playing up to the media.

Soumission will be his sixth novel.

On Tuesday, France’s culture minister, Fleur Pellerin, told French radio she would certainly read it, adding that Houellebecq had always been a “provocative novelist” who had a “strange sense of humour.”

France24 television said the 300-page book risked “inflaming passions”.“We all know the writer’s taste for provocation and soundbite declarations,” it said.

In the 2011 Lire interview, Houellebecq, who admitted he was “always on the side of the Jews” directed his bile not only at Islam but other “monotheisms” for which he said he felt a “total rejection”. In an interview in August he told French journalists he found “the figure of Christ to be very unpleasant”.

http://www.theguardian.com/books/20...-submission-soumission-muslim-islam-president

moojito · Jan 1, 2015

Shogun - James Clavell

Not bad so far, though I'm still near the start.

I have Sanderson's Alloy of law sitting on my bookshelf waiting to go next.

Maklershed · Jan 1, 2015

Protome said:
At the request of my girlfriend I'm reading The Taxidermists Daughter by Kate Mosse

Has your gf read the Languedoc books by Mosse? I've only read Labyrinth so far but I enjoyed it.

neotokyo360 · Jan 1, 2015

Hunger Game Serie.

Verdre · Jan 1, 2015

Finished Labyrinth of Reflections by Sergei Lukyanenko

Mid-90s take on the internet, the future of the internet, and and the nature of it. Dated, but enjoyable.

thomaser · Jan 1, 2015

The Long War by Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter. Got it from a friend for Christmas a year ago. I haven't read the prequel, The Long Earth, but I don't think that should matter much. Pratchett's books are usually self-contained enough despite being parts of various series.

hythloday · Jan 1, 2015

Happy new year, reading thread!

The last book I finished was:

Without You, There Is No Us: My Time with the Sons of North Korea's Elite by Suki Kim

It's written by Suki Kim about her 6-month stint teaching English to students at the Pyongyang University of Science and Technology. Just about every other book about North Korea I've read talks extensively about the labor camps and the conditions for the poor, but this was interesting because it was a look at the "upper class" (at least in a very narrow context). I also found it interesting that Kim's fellow teachers were at times just as controlling as the North Koreans. It's not a long book, and it's about an extremely small piece of the population during a short time, but I recommend it for people who read Nothing to Envy and Escape from Camp 14.

moojito said:
Not bad so far, though I'm still near the start.

I hope you like it - that's a really good book. My only complaint was I finished and wanted more of it!

ag-my001 · Jan 1, 2015

I got the "what if" book for Christmas and already tore through it. Fun, light read that's easy to pick up and get one or two scenarios done.

Not sure on what's next, possibly Tristram Shandy. Could be my new year's resolution.

hammertomb · Jan 1, 2015

Currently reading Carnal Surgery. I love short horror stories and this fits the bill almost perfectly except for a few stories where there does not seem to be any pay off.

Protome · Jan 1, 2015

Maklershed said:
Has your gf read the Languedoc books by Mosse? I've only read Labyrinth so far but I enjoyed it.

She hasn't read Citadel yet but she really liked Labyrinth and Sepulchre.

Tenrius · Jan 1, 2015

My second Maugham book.

whatsinaname · Jan 1, 2015

Yes! Just got to the head of the hold queue for this at my library. About the only current sci-fi author whose books I look forward to.

kmax · Jan 1, 2015

The Prince by Niccolò Machiavelli

It's a scary book.

RepairmanJack · Jan 1, 2015

Finished The Shining, thought it was kind of meh overall. Liked the first half and the build up more than the second half and some of the payoffs.

Now I'm onto House of Leaves for the GAF/GB book club.

LProtag · Jan 1, 2015

I'm finishing this up. My roommate is a big fan of David Mitchell, but this is the first book of his I've read. I'm enjoying it so far.

Still reading the Iliad on the side.

Necrovex · Jan 1, 2015

The new year means I have to drop the George W Bush Administration book and return to my two African novels. Time to hit 50 books this year!

EnlightenedMint · Jan 1, 2015

It's a dense book, but I've been enjoying it so far.

Fleet_of_Foot · Jan 1, 2015

I just now finished Revival by Stephen King. I've always been a huge fan and this was one of the best of his recent books.

Off the top of my head, and only mentioning his most recent novels, it's better than Duma Key. It's better than Doctor Sleep. It's way better than Mr. Mercedes, which was, I thought, his weakest in a long time and I was disappointed to hear he's working on a sequel to it.

It's on par with Under the Dome, which I thought was pretty great.

It is not better than 11/22/63, which I think is his best recent novel.

Revival is not particularly long. I read it in four days without really trying to. It has a grim ending which I appreciated. It seems like most books leave at least a possibility of happiness for the characters, but Revival kind of doesn't.

fakefaker · Jan 1, 2015

Not really a "book" per se, but reading Amazing Stories, the April 1947 edition, while I wait for my book to arrive from the UK. Anyone else read the pulps?

SupremeLoser · Jan 1, 2015

Currently I am in the middle of 2 books:

Gears of War: Aspho Point- this is my 2nd time reading this book. I've read all of the books in the series but I feel like going through them again. Love the writing by Karen Traviss.

One Shot- this is the 3rd Jack Reacher novel that I've read so far; this is also the book that the film was based on. I'm surprised how different the book is from the film so far.

AngmarsKing701 · Jan 1, 2015

Just about 50 pages into Words of Radiance and I just love Sanderson's style. So smooth and easy to read.

kinoki · Jan 1, 2015

Going into 2015 I'm reading Red Dragon by Thomas Harris and Finnegans Wake by James Joyce. Hopefully it'll mark the beginning of a new year.

kmax · Jan 1, 2015

kinoki said:
...and Finnegans Wake by James Joyce. .

Good luck.

God knows I tried.

hythloday · Jan 1, 2015

AngmarsKing701 said:
Just about 50 pages into Words of Radiance and I just love Sanderson's style. So smooth and easy to read.

That's what made me really love Sanderson. I hate to say "plain" because it makes people think "boring. And the books are far from boring. But the writing is very straightforward and easy to get through. I was plowing through chapters without even realizing it.

zsswimmer · Jan 1, 2015

I ended up getting a Kindle for Christmas so I got that unlimited service 30 day trial. Right now I'm reading The Man in the High Castle by Phillip K Dick

Mumei · Jan 1, 2015

I'm reading The Safety of Objects: Stories by A.M. Homes, per besada's suggestion~

sparky2112 · Jan 1, 2015

ag-my001 said:
Not sure on what's next, possibly Tristram Shandy. Could be my new year's resolution.

Good luck. I revel in breaking off difficult reads, but Sterne was just too much. Loved the Steve Coogan movie, though. TS is often at the top of 'unfilmable books' lists, and the movie is about failing miserably in attempting to turn TS into a film.

Empty · Jan 1, 2015

given that's its january, i have some reading new years resolutions

inspired by these two pieces i read recently by tim parks, which i found very persuasive. i'm going to try reading with a pen in hand and making annotations. then see how it works out for me, if i get anything out of it.

http://www.nybooks.com/blogs/nyrblog/2014/dec/18/how-i-read/
http://www.nybooks.com/blogs/nyrblog/2014/dec/03/weapon-for-readers/

i also want to try and read longer books. i aim to tackle a big novel every other month (so six over 500 pages). i also think i'm going to try and write a little review of every book i read this year, to help think more critically about what i'm reading and get into the habit of communicating about books - often someone will ask me what i'm reading and what's it's about and i won't really know what to say.

affleck1981 · Jan 1, 2015

Currently reading 'The Drowned World' by J. G. Ballard. Liking it so far - a post apocalyptic world with what seems like a bit of a mystery about sleeping as well.

Necrovex · Jan 1, 2015

Empty said:
given that's its january, i have some reading new years resolutions

inspired by these two pieces i read recently by tim parks, which i found very persuasive. i'm going to try reading with a pen in hand and making annotations. then see how it works out for me, if i get anything out of it.

http://www.nybooks.com/blogs/nyrblog/2014/dec/18/how-i-read/
http://www.nybooks.com/blogs/nyrblog/2014/dec/03/weapon-for-readers/

i also want to try and read longer books. i aim to tackle a big novel every other month (so six over 500 pages). i also think i'm going to try and write a little review of every book i read this year, to help think more critically about what i'm reading and get into the habit of communicating about books - often someone will ask me what i'm reading and what's it's about and i won't really know what to say.

It makes sense writing notes down as you read would improve your memory and critical skills. I used to do that a ton back in college. Writing stuff down usually leads to a greater memorization since you're being active with retaining it rather than passively reading it.

But I'm also too lazy to do that in my casual reading. :-(

Piecake · Jan 1, 2015

Empty said:
given that's its january, i have some reading new years resolutions

inspired by these two pieces i read recently by tim parks, which i found very persuasive. i'm going to try reading with a pen in hand and making annotations. then see how it works out for me, if i get anything out of it.

http://www.nybooks.com/blogs/nyrblog/2014/dec/18/how-i-read/
http://www.nybooks.com/blogs/nyrblog/2014/dec/03/weapon-for-readers/

i also want to try and read longer books. i aim to tackle a big novel every other month (so six over 500 pages). i also think i'm going to try and write a little review of every book i read this year, to help think more critically about what i'm reading and get into the habit of communicating about books - often someone will ask me what i'm reading and what's it's about and i won't really know what to say.

That is a good way to do it. You'll remember a lot more of what you read if you engage with the text instead of just passively absorbing it. Since I read on my kindle, I end up highlighting a lot and taking a few notes here and there. It is not as good, but I will have easy access to all of my highlights afterwords, which is pretty sweet.

I am currently reading

So far I quite like it. It is rather comprehensive. That can be a good thing and a bad thing. I found the part where he really delved deep into Southern Reconstruction politics a bit dull, but the next chapter looks like it is on Redeemer reaction to Reconstruction policies, which sound be fascinating.

I am about 2/3rds of the way through this book and it is absolutely fantastic. It just feels very different than your typical fantasy novel. The characters are great, the story feels different and unique, and the world is quite interesting. The prose is also quite good and the author is obviously one smart dude.

I am also listening to Demon Under the Microscope, which I talked about in the last thread, and just finished with Living in the French Revolution and the Age of Napoleon, which was fantastic. It definitely got me more interested in listening to more great courses.

Goodreads challenge, I went with 100 books. I failed last year (79), but I feel like I can do it this year!

Diablos54 · Jan 1, 2015

Just finished the 4th book of the Expanse series, now I have to wait for the next one. I have no clue what to read next!

Dan · Jan 1, 2015

2312 by Kim Stanley Robinson

I'm really just getting to where the plot reveals itself.

LProtag · Jan 1, 2015

I just finished my first book of 2015. I don't know whether I could count it as being read in 2015 though... but I probably read about half of it this year already as I was up late last night and spent most of the morning reading.

I think I'm going to read American Gods by Neil Gaiman because I've never read one of his books before.

Plasticine · Jan 1, 2015

I finished Deadman's Road by Joe R Lansdale a while ago. Really fun book. Reverend Jebidiah Mercer is sort of Lansdale's take on Solomon Kane. Mercer is a fire and brimstone Old Testament type. He hates God for being a hateful motherfucker, but will still spread His word and deal with Evil in all its form. He's also a terrible alcoholic given to horrible acts of violence and easily tempted by women of all kinds.

The short novel Dead in the West makes up the bulk of the collection, and is the best of the tales presented. Initially published as this story introduced Reverend Jebidiah Mercer and the Weird West he inhabited. A splatter-fest in the early 80s horror tradition, its filled with flesh hungry zombies, vengeful Indians and lots of rip-roaring action. It's considered a classic in the genre for good reason. Easily worth the purchase of this collection by itself.

The rest of the stories are genuine short stories, and act as self-contained moments from the life of Reverend Mercer. While some of them are better than the others, they're all consistently entertaining and do a great job of building the Weird West the Reverend brings the Message of God to. It's a nasty pulp west filled with disgustingly crude men who eat decaying horse meat, exhibit poor hygiene and lust after morbidly obese prostitutes. If you enjoy the idea of a fire and brimstone Reverend wandering the old west in search of werewolves, zombies and Lovecraftian inspired monsters gets you all hot and bothered, you should definitely check out this collection.

Up next:

I thought I'd start the year off with an old favorite. I consider this Barker's best full length novel. Its been years since I last read it, so I hope the book holds up.

Haly · Jan 1, 2015

.

Mumei · Jan 1, 2015

Haly, how are you liking Seiobo There Below? I don't think I've heard an update!

LeadProtagonist said:
I think I'm going to read American Gods by Neil Gaiman because I've never read one of his books before.

No, no. If you start with his novels, read Stardust or Coraline or The Graveyard Book first.

Haly · Jan 1, 2015

I guess I'm liking it? It's a very hard book to judge, for me, because it's not the kind of stuff I read but it is nonetheless very interesting.

Which is to say, I'm reading it out of educational curiosity rather than genuine investment.

Up to Christo Morto.

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