I'm halfway through Gerald's Game by Stephen King and it's a pretty tough read. Great, but tough. I keep having to put it down. Obviously I was in the mood for horror when I picked this one up but the central theme of
child molestation
might be a little too horrific for me.
I'm also about halfway through Jim Butcher's Fool Moon. I wouldn't call it anything special but Butcher can keep the pages turning and it's a lot of fun.
I'll probably move on to Dolores Claiborne and Dresden #3 after these two. I've got some fantasy stuff I want to start (Way of Kings, Age of Myth, Shadow of What was Lost) but until then I'm kinda cleaning up my TBR.
I just finished reading all 4 of Nick Cutter's horror books, ending with Little Heaven. I think that was my favorite of the four, although The Deep was pretty good, too. The Troop was a bit too gross for me; thankfully his later books weren't nearly as graphic. I've had a hard time finding horror authors that I like, so I'm happy I gave him a chance.
I'm completely switching gears and starting on some Agatha Christie. And Then There Were None is fantastic so far!
Finished part 1 of Knight Descendent yesterday. Very fun, quick read. I love the monk character. I'll definitely be picking up the rest of the series. But for now, EverythingShiny's post has piqued my curiosity and I started reading The Troop. I'm about 30% in and really enjoying it so far. Reminds me very much of Stephen King. Sorta like a mix of Stand by Me and Dreamcatcher but a lot more horrific and gross.
EDIT: Also, I appreciate the fact the scoutmaster drinks Glenlivet.
Just finished Stolen. I really thought I would like this one but it was quite a slog to get through. The format was intriguing for a bit but it became a tough read as it went on. Seems highly rated...but I don't get it.
Almost done with 13 Reasons Why. Finished the Netflix show and was intrigued how the book was. So far it's a quick read but, like the show, not sure if I am really enjoying it.
I'm listening to Wise Man's Fear, and at first I had no idea why people rated it differently from the first book. I'm about halfway through now and I'm blown away by how much it's taken a turn for the worse.
I just can't figure out WHY these decisions were made. Why the protagonist is deliberately one of the most annoying, unsympathetic protagonists I've ever read who wasn't purposely portrayed as some kind of antihero, why the pacing of the book constantly falls apart with entirely new groups of characters and no transitions, why plot lines just come and go with no reasoning, why I'm halfway through a trilogy with no coherent arc of any kind actually established that doesn't rely on me caring how a very annoying, unrealistic character becomes a quiet, modest, and depressed unrealistic character in his later years. I liked the first one (though I wasn't in love with it by any means) but this is just sloppy.
Also reading this, which has been fun and light. I like the author's surrealist style so far.
I'm listening to Wise Man's Fear, and at first I had no idea why people rated it differently from the first book. I'm about halfway through now and I'm blown away by how much it's taken a turn for the worse.
I just can't figure out WHY these decisions were made. Why the protagonist is deliberately one of the most annoying, unsympathetic protagonists I've ever read who wasn't purposely portrayed as some kind of antihero, why the pacing of the book constantly falls apart with entirely new groups of characters and no transitions, why plot lines just come and go with no reasoning, why I'm halfway through a trilogy with no coherent arc of any kind actually established that doesn't rely on me caring how a very annoying, unrealistic character becomes a quiet, modest, and depressed unrealistic character in his later years. I liked the first one (though I wasn't in love with it by any means) but this is just sloppy.
Also reading this, which has been fun and light. I like the author's surrealist style so far.
It's a book about history of adventure games, it goes from 1975 and early text adventures to 2015 and Telltale's stuff. I quite like it, finished with it soon. Lucas Arts and Sierra were a big part of my gaming childhood. And will start a book about history of XCOM games (obviously) from the same author after that. Unfortunately these haven't been translated into English.
Slowly working my through Crime and Punishment. The names are difficult, the plot isn't drawing me in, and I find the setting and characters "suffocating" (for the lack of a better word- this is a feeling I have with almost all classics. I guess I am just not fond of historical settings.), yet it's still a decently enjoyable read. Especially striking is Raskolnikov's characterization and the depiction of poverty (I belong to a fortunate family, so I appreciate it for broadening my horizons). A few scenes were especially haunting
the old woman's murder is incredibly tense, I burned through that segment.
I'm not trying to say Dostoevsky is unremarkable, but I'm failing to properly appreciate it, I believe. I quite like the English, which is thanks to an apparently new translation by Oliver Ready (from Penguin, and it's apparently really good):
Also trying to finish this up:
It's like a popular science book, but it drops "approachable description of cosmology and quantum mechanics" halfway through and focuses on proving that four different levels of multiverses exist and every mathematical structure exists physically as well, some of which inhabits spacetime.
It starts off like a run-of-the-mill popular science book and then proposes a philosophically and physically radical idea, which I found entertaining. I've been taking my time with it, and I have 60 or so pages left.
It's like an extremely condensed physics textbook, pretty much- it REALLY doesn't shy away from formulae or abstractions the way most other introductory physics courses do. 100 pages in, and it's already gone far beyond interludes on derivatives and integrals or saying v=dx/dt; conservation of momentum and energy are mathematically proven, terminology like the Lagrangian or "a trajectory through 6N-dimensional phase space" is used (and is understandable), and perhaps except the lack of answers to the few exercises and questions provided, it's exactly what I wanted to read as an aspiring student of physics (going on to my last year of high school next September). It's hardcore popular science, in other words. I love it, it's a challenge. It also has a second volume on quantum mechanics that is twice as long, and I'm really excited to get to it.
Finished part 1 of Knight Descendent yesterday. Very fun, quick read. I love the monk character. I'll definitely be picking up the rest of the series. But for now, EverythingShiny's post has piqued my curiosity and I started reading The Troop. I'm about 30% in and really enjoying it so far. Reminds me very much of Stephen King. Sorta like a mix of Stand by Me and Dreamcatcher but a lot more horrific and gross.
EDIT: Also, I appreciate the fact the scoutmaster drinks Glenlivet.
Glad you're enjoying it! If you like The Troop, you'll probably like his other books, although The Acolyte is a bit different from the other three. Also, yeah, the bolded is a great way to describe it. There were entire passages I had to skip over because it was too much for me, hah.
Haha, well it's been years since I read it, is halfway the fae stuff? For me it felt like the book was just skipping along, not really sure of what it was trying to accomplish. It got too bogged down in the minutia of things that aren't the story (ie. paying bills), at least from what I remember.
Wrapped up and really enjoyed Son of a Trickster by Eden Robinson. My next read is Skitter by Ezekiel Boone which I was lucky enough to win through Goodreads. I wish I was as lucky at the lotto.
It's a book about history of adventure games, it goes from 1975 and early text adventures to 2015 and Telltale's stuff. I quite like it, finished with it soon. Lucas Arts and Sierra were a big part of my gaming childhood. And will start a book about history of XCOM games (obviously) from the same author after that. Unfortunately these haven't been translated into English.
Haha, well it's been years since I read it, is halfway the fae stuff? For me it felt like the book was just skipping along, not really sure of what it was trying to accomplish. It got too bogged down in the minutia of things that aren't the story (ie. paying bills), at least from what I remember.
I'm not even at the fae part yet. I can't really explain to myself or others why I'm entertained enough to continue but perplexed enough to dislike the experience, but here I go.
Been on a bit of a Pratchett binge recently, he has always been my favourite author and pretty much the reason I read at all so I like to blitz through a couple of his books when I'm a bit down or something.
Just reread The Truth
And finished relistening to the brilliant BBC radioplay of Good Omens (okay okay, not really a book or even an audiobook but shhhh)
Next on my plate are two I've been...putting off for a long time now. The Fifth Elephant which I somehow just missed out on when I originally worked my way through the series and Raising Steam. It's the only other Discworld book I haven't read and while I've heard it's a pretty good one it has been hard to get to it because...well it's the end of a series that got me through school, through highschool, etc etc. I can see myself crying at the end, regardless of how funny and light hearted it is.
Picked this novel up after a favorable NY Times article. It's about a detective whose daughter has recently gone missing, an event which somehow coincides with the public revival of a notorious unresolved kidnapping that happened 14 years earlier.
I finished Royal Assassin by Robin Hobb, i really enjoyed it but...i feel that BIG SPOILERS:
Regal's plot went way too smoothly, the good guys kinda left him be at a critical juncture and paid the price, too much passivity for my liking. To be fair there were scenes explaining the reasoning for not acting and it did make sense.
The blurb for the final book in the trilogy sounded really nice so i'll definitely read it soon.
Picked this novel up after a favorable NY Times article. It's about a detective whose daughter has recently gone missing, an event which somehow coincides with the public revival of a notorious unresolved kidnapping that happened 14 years earlier.
I am about halfway through, and I haven't had too many problems keeping track of the characters. The novel also follows a single perspective, so whenever a new character is introduced it's in relation to the detective (Mikami). There's a character list at the front of the book which I've found useful to refer back to. If you at all like mystery or detective fiction at all, I'd recommend it.
I'm listening to Wise Man's Fear, and at first I had no idea why people rated it differently from the first book. I'm about halfway through now and I'm blown away by how much it's taken a turn for the worse.
The middle of the book drags for sure but I think the last third of it is amazing. Totally worth finishing. That said I know plenty of people that hate the last third of the book so you're firmly into YMMV territory.
Picked this novel up after a favorable NY Times article. It's about a detective whose daughter has recently gone missing, an event which somehow coincides with the public revival of a notorious unresolved kidnapping that happened 14 years earlier.
Finally finished up The Gunslinger, book 1 of The Dark Tower. Thought it was okay. Definitely felt like a book King wrote before he really knew what he was doing. Still, it had promise, and I might eventually read the next book because people say it gets better.
Now, I am about 30 pages into Night's Master: Tales From the Flat Earth by Tanith Lee. So far, this book is great. Her descriptive writing is quite vivid, and the mythologically-inspired stories are very interesting. I will definitely read more of her books after this.
Picked this novel up after a favorable NY Times article. It's about a detective whose daughter has recently gone missing, an event which somehow coincides with the public revival of a notorious unresolved kidnapping that happened 14 years earlier.
I have now finished the entire Wild Cards series, from books one through twenty three. There are some short stories, but I think I'll wait a little before finishing those off. The final book -- until later this year -- is a full on elder gods erupting, stop the portal or the world is doomed scenario done with the WC universe's standard grittiness. Lots of people get dead in this one: aces, jokers, and nats.
Finally finished up The Gunslinger, book 1 of The Dark Tower. Thought it was okay. Definitely felt like a book King wrote before he really knew what he was doing. Still, it had promise, and I might eventually read the next book because people say it gets better.
I've made a bit of progress on Luna: New Moon, and Eon. The economy of storytelling in Luna is really impressive. Also I'm finding it quite nerve-wracking to read in places. By nature of when it was written, Eon's going a bit far into alternate history territory, I'm not loving the amount of politics, and I'm not really understanding the sciency explanations (I need to concentrate more). But I'm still really enjoying it.
I've been reading more manga than books recently. The ending of Blade of the Immortal wasn't quite up to the standard of the rest of it. Still great though. I'm now on a Hikaru no Go re-read. After that I'll be onto re-read Berserk. Then maybe Monster. The 50/50 challenge is most likely out the window this year.
I finished Royal Assassin by Robin Hobb, i really enjoyed it but...i feel that BIG SPOILERS:
Regal's plot went way too smoothly, the good guys kinda left him be at a critical juncture and paid the price, too much passivity for my liking. To be fair there were scenes explaining the reasoning for not acting and it did make sense.
The blurb for the final book in the trilogy sounded really nice so i'll definitely read it soon.
I've not finished my re-read of RA yet, but Regal is infuriating.
The explanations sound varying degrees of reasonable: 'he's a prince, it's treachery to even think he might be a murdering arsehole', 'challenging him about his being a murdering arsehole would destabilise the Farseer rule at the worst time' etc etc. It's difficult trying to believe they would act that way, be that trusting or that blind or that passive. But maybe it only seems they wouldn't because so much fiction, across all media, is about people seeing and making plots and conspiracies everywhere, seeking revenge, not letting anything go. Maybe it is actually more realistic that people would stick their head in the sand. I'm not sure.
I imagine that has to do with a large chunk of the book dealing with the inner workings of the Japanese policeforce instead of focusing purely on the kidnapping case. I would say it's similar to how the new Godzilla film focused on the Japanese government's reaction to Godzilla over the monster just wrecking stuff. I thought both were excellent, but they're not for everybody.
I think the problem is that a western audience is expecting more action and thrills and this novel is more about the characters, their relationships and the mystery that brings it all together. If people are hoping for an action packed police procedural, they will go away disappointed.
I imagine that has to do with a large chunk of the book dealing with the inner workings of the Japanese policeforce instead of focusing purely on the kidnapping case. I would say it's similar to how the new Godzilla film focused on the Japanese government's reaction to Godzilla over the monster just wrecking stuff. I thought both were excellent, but they're not for everybody.
It's silly, well written and just thoroughly entertaining.
I love the detail of London (even if I find myself looking up images/Street view of the places to try and immerse myself more), and the pacing is ludicrously tight.
The first book in a while where I really haven't wanted it to end.
I recently got around to reading my copy of Caravaggio: The Complete Works. It's absolutely lovely and I couldn't recommend it more highly. Some pics from a blog:
Almost seems like a neogaffer wrote this. I can't believe it isn't a lot more common to see online interactions presented in modern books. Not just social media. I mean there are a few examples. But none really capture it quite right. There is a section in the book that reads exactly like something you might find here.
I can't tell if he wrote this post-Trump either. But its a pretty good representation of what it currently feels like. Maybe a few steps removed and we might slip into this dystopian hell hole. The scariest part to me is that everyone just accepts this status quo. There isn't any revolution coming. Just a slow crawl into the corporatist fascism.
Its just bleak and colorless. There aren't any lessons to be learned. The characters don't have any moments of epiphany where the world makes sense. The world crushes you and you stand around looking for someone to come and save you. It kinda leaves you asking why they don't just step out of the way. I guess its just easier to give up? To let the inevitable happen because its all too inevitable. Going out to vote is too hard. The world doesn't care but if you just wait something will happen.
Not all these themes are actually explored in the book. But this isnwhat it left me wondering. The book is about the family of Juan Diego the creator developer of the world most popular "Game". A platform that I'm sure everyone in video game development dreams about. A social media OS. Part PlayStation Home, Mii, Facebook, and pretty much anything you can think of.
It not only allows you to create an avatar. It procedurally creats games you can play from within the virtual space. You can make and spend virtual money. It can access your information and you can use it like Tinder. Etc etc
I'm not sure what to think of it yet. But I wanted to write down my thoughts before I made up my mind. Its on the Prime First deal. So its free and it was the most interesting looking cover and description.
I recently got around to reading my copy of Caravaggio: The Complete Works. It's absolutely lovely and I couldn't recommend it more highly. Some pics from a blog:
Thanks. After the superlative Skippy Dies, I couldn't but help be attracted to the title. But between John and its sequel, I think I spent all of $4, so I'll just have one less beer golfing this weekend.
I will have to! I started reading my copy of Velazquez; I need to buy Michelangelo soonish. The library has da Vinci, so I might hold off on getting that for a bit.
Finished Peter F. Hamilton's A Night Without Stars, it wasn't very good writing, but Hamilton is a guilty pleasure and I loved every minute I spent with it.
Also read How to Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia by Mohsin Hamid. The title is pretty clickbaitish but the part of me that was once a sociology major really enjoyed it. There is a lot of honesty here of what it means to be human.
One chapter into Rob Reid's Year Zero: A Novel, going to try to give it a chance but not loving it so far - so far it feels like a very derivative 21st century take on The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy.
Night's Master is really good. I already picked up the sequel, Death's Master, for reading once I finish this book. I'm also ordering a book that has been out of print by the same author (Tanith Lee), titled Sounds and Furies. I'm using her style as a sort of study on mythological/dark fantasy writing.
I recently got around to reading my copy of Caravaggio: The Complete Works. It's absolutely lovely and I couldn't recommend it more highly. Some pics from a blog:
Just finished The Troop. Wow, that was intense. One of the more horrific and disgusting books I've ever read but I enjoyed it. Now I need something a lot more tame and grounded so I'm going with The Personal History of Rachel Dupree.
