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What are you reading (March 2009)

GDJustin

stuck my tongue deep inside Atlus' cookies
bengraven said:
I have a paperback edition printed by, I believe, Barnes and Nobles from a few years back. I had a hard time getting into the stories when I was a teenager, but somehow the illustrations absorb you into the atmosphere and make the reading more entertaining.

Very much agreed. I can't imagine reading a Sherlock Holmes that wasn't illustrated. For one, the stories were published so long ago, that as years go by it's only going to become harder and harder to read them plainly. Descriptions of clothes and places lose their meaning. So the illustrations are invaluable.

For another, the Holmes stories are written very very densely. Some of the looongest sentences I've ever seen in my life. The illustrations break up the pages wonderfully. I think it would be hard to just read page after page of that prose.

For the curious, the collection includes the following, all in their original magazine format:

- The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (12 short stories)
- The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes (12 Short stories)
- The Return of Sherlock Holmes (13 short stories)
- The Hound of the Baskervilles

So, it's true that it's missing some Canon (19 short stories and 3 novels), but honestly they honestly aren't too much of a loss. The 19 short stories were the final 19 published, and show a marked decline in quality. The missing novels are better, but it's less of a problem to pick them up in reprinted form, since they weren't illustrated by Paget or originally published in the Strand.

Normally I'm VERY anal about collected works, and have to own ALL of something, if I'm going to get involved. But the good Holmes stuff is sooo much better than the bad that I make an exception, in this case.
 

Danielsan

Member
I'm almost done with this:
34erxir.jpg


And then I'll start with this:
15hbehu.jpg
 

GDJustin

stuck my tongue deep inside Atlus' cookies
In addition to the Holmes treasury, I bought (but haven't yet started):

00015981.jpg


gabriel-garcia-marquez-one-hundred-years-of-solitude-04.jpg


0060874465.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg


I'm not starting any of them until I'm through with the Holmes, and that's pretty slow going, so who knows where I'll be at the end of the month in these three.
 

bengraven

Member
GDJustin said:
Very much agreed. I can't imagine reading a Sherlock Holmes that wasn't illustrated. For one, the stories were published so long ago, that as years go by it's only going to become harder and harder to read them plainly. Descriptions of clothes and places lose their meaning. So the illustrations are invaluable.

For another, the Holmes stories are written very very densely. Some of the looongest sentences I've ever seen in my life. The illustrations break up the pages wonderfully. I think it would be hard to just read page after page of that prose.

For the curious, the collection includes the following, all in their original magazine format:

- The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (12 short stories)
- The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes (12 Short stories)
- The Return of Sherlock Holmes (13 short stories)
- The Hound of the Baskervilles

So, it's true that it's missing some Canon (19 short stories and 3 novels), but honestly they honestly aren't too much of a loss. The 19 short stories were the final 19 published, and show a marked decline in quality. The missing novels are better, but it's less of a problem to pick them up in reprinted form, since they weren't illustrated by Paget or originally published in the Strand.

Normally I'm VERY anal about collected works, and have to own ALL of something, if I'm going to get involved. But the good Holmes stuff is sooo much better than the bad that I make an exception, in this case.

We have the same edition, basically!

I have this edition printed a few years ago.

71G9D0T712L._SS500_.gif


You've got me inspired to dig through my book collection and pick it back up. I'm reading the Complete Conan the Cimmerian right now, but I think it would be interesting to read them together.
 

GDJustin

stuck my tongue deep inside Atlus' cookies
bengraven said:
We have the same edition, basically!

I have this edition printed a few years ago.

71G9D0T712L._SS500_.gif


You've got me inspired to dig through my book collection and pick it back up. I'm reading the Complete Conan the Cimmerian right now, but I think it would be interesting to read them together.

Yup. Looks like that's the exact same book, just a newer edition.

It's the same ACD works, at least.
 

bengraven

Member
You know, based on recommendations here, I'm still having problems finding books recommended in these threads without having to resort to buying them online.
 

Timo

Member
2qjx4ir.jpg


It's awesome so far. I was a huge fan of the movie, so, I figured the book would be good too. I was correct. Is Less Than Zero good too?
 

deadbeef

Member
I'm reading Before the Storm: Barry Goldwater and the Unmaking of the American Consensus by Rick Perlstein, author of Nixonland.


It's in the same vein as Nixonland with respect to style, though this one was written first.


0809028581.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg
 

Musashi Wins!

FLAWLESS VICTOLY!
Interactive Fiction said:
Here's my recommendation for GAF. Best fantasy novel I've read in a while.

Terry Brooks blurb. No!!!!

What's it about?

I'm reading this now,

51vicFFQg4L._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA240_SH20_OU01_.jpg


German novel translated. Brilliant, hilarious, other good things, etc.
 

Mifune

Mehmber
Just finished Midnight's Children. Book was beautiful and exhausting. I don't know if I "got" it all but it was quite the journey.

Not sure what's next. I need to rest.
 

Proc

Member
I finished up watchmen just like some of you did before I saw the movie.

As for current reads, I'm really enjoying this:

51EV8KEWNFL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA240_SH20_OU15_.jpg
 

Wraith

Member
Where do you guys go to keep up with what's coming out and what's worth reading? I know that there are thousands of books that I should probably be reading and more are coming out all the time, but I have no idea where to go to find out what they are.
 
Finished:

1632_cover.jpg

It took a few weeks to finish, but it was definitely worth it. Eric Flint's 1632 series. A solid first book with a stellar concept (time travel: modern-day American small-town whisked off into 17th century war-torn monarchist Europe by way of freak cosmic accident) that led into a fascinating experimentation in shared-world fiction. With Flint co-writing all novels and editing the anthologies of short-form entries, the series itself turns out to be a force of nature similar to what any group of small-town Yanks stuck in medieval Europe actually would be.

Not entirely serious, the broad nature of its commentary on society at the time is charming and insightful. There's also plenty of diversity in the characters, and Flint appears to have learned from the table of Poul Anderson: technological superiority never guarantees total superiority in the series. I'm eagerly awaiting the next novel which has been currently post-postponed.

steel-remains.jpg

The Steel Remains by Richard K Morgan. He's someone who has quickly become a favourite in recent years. A reminder of what once was and a great turn from a science fiction writer doing his first fantasy novel. The main character has similarities with Takeshi Kovacs, but most definitely isn't him. He's a stone cold hero. So are his friends, who make up the rest of the main characters. Of course, being heroes can't change who they are: outcasts, each in different ways. The characters, their personal histories, how they interact with their respective societies and especially the final few chapters, all work to elevate this novel to something quite special. It's not just a fond and much-needed visitation of the sword and sorcery genre, but something great on its own and entails the growth of some fantastic characters. And that ending. Looking forward to the two sequels, which are apparently as self-contained as the Kovacs books.

Currently Reading:

Woken+Furies.jpg

Woken Furies by Richard K Morgan. So far, so good. Only halfway through and it's the same combination of noir, science fiction and thriller that made the first two so readable.

lankhmar_2008.jpg

Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser ("Lankhmar" collection) by Fritz Leiber. The greatest fantasy writer doing the greatest fantasy series. Reading this over again is joy.

Bleak House by Charles Dickens. Starting law school in the last few weeks and watching the excellent BBC adaption a few months ago put me in the mood to revisit this for quite some time. In fact, it was mentioned once or twice in an introductory textbook to place emphasis on the importance of efficiency in the modern legal system. (Legal academics read Dickens? Hey, I'm surprised, too!)

the_darkening_sea_min.jpg

The Darkening Sea by Alexander Kent. What to do when you've finished CS Forester and Patrick O'Brian? Give Alexander Kent - pseudonym of British author Douglas Reeman - a chance. (Julian Stockwin's Kydd series is also worth the effort, entailing better vision of the navy's lower decks) More Forester at sea and more O'Brian on land, Kent's novels center on Richard Bolitho, son of a proud seafaring family. The series, like its protagonist, starts out in joyful abandon, but soon turns more pragmatic as life turns more complex and death keeps a constant presence. The man, at age 84, is still writing; having released the 29th installment of the series in 2007.

I need to read more Wodehouse soon. I don't know why, but it's something of a powerful urge I have.

Interactive Fiction said:
3354499509_71bcd74e6c.jpg


Here's my recommendation for GAF. Best fantasy novel I've read in a while.

Totally agree. The Painted Man (or The Warded Man in the US) was brilliant last year, but suffered for recognition due to a lot of equally great fantasy debuts in recent years.

Cyan said:
Feeling like I should read something by Philip Jose Farmer (RIP), since the only thing I've read of his is the short story "Riders of the Purple Wage." Crazy, but fun.

Definitely try out the Riverworld series. Such an underappreciated author.

Cyan said:
SFF debut of the year? Could be, it was pretty well done. Not brilliant, but good. Starts off with a bang... literally. Windwir, the central city of the world, and home of the Great Library where all knowledge is kept, is destroyed by the equivalent of a nuclear blast--on the first page.

Sounds similar to the start of Kearney's Monarchies of God series. If it's anywhere near as good, I'll give this a try.

Cyan said:
or will he flame out like so many before him (Lynch, Rothfuss, Bakker).

Lynch and Bakker have been arguably inconsistent. (although still better than most) But as for Rothfuss, perhaps it'd be wiser to wait until Wise Man's Fear hits?

FnordChan said:
A friend of mine who's a huge fan has assured me that, after the first couple of books, I'll have the hang of the nautical jargon being used. This is reassuring, as I occasionally glimpse at the illustration in the front identifying the sails of a ship and it still doesn't really help me keep up. That said, I'm thoroughly enjoying the book so far, even if I tend to reduce some passages of the book to "sailors do naval stuff". The characters of Aubrey and Maturin are terrific, the period detail (and, let me tell you, there's a lot of detail) is fascinating, and the depictions of ship to ship combat are thrilling. While I should probably reserve judgment until I'm finished, I'm already looking forward to having many more novels in the series to enjoy after this one.

I'm not sure, the nautical jargon becomes more understandable as you go along or O'Brian eases out of it as he goes along. Either way, I didn't have much of an issue with it outside of reading the first book for the first time. Glad to hear you've been bewitched as well. O'Brian's series is a special one and simply transcends genre. It's more than yet another stab at Hornblower's crown on nautical adventure fiction.
 
currently reading:

9780140120905.jpg


I've read it before, re-reading it... great book, would recommend to anyone who is interested in the Junk Bond saga, or just in the 1980's corporate culture and its scandals in general.

As soon as I finish, I'll be reading this...

0809058405.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg
 

CiSTM

Banned
Just finished Mian Mian - Candy for the second time. Still great <3.

Now I'm gonna start reading Murakami Haruki's work. Should I start with Kafka on the shore or Norwegian wood ?
 

Verdre

Unconfirmed Member
2jg818k.jpg

Finished Glen Cook's The Chronicles of the Black Company, an omnibus of the first three books in his Black Company series.

Sort of a first person journal of a man in the mercenary outfit Black Company.
 

Barrett2

Member
0140441182.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg


Reading for 3rd time in my life. A buddy of mine is a philosophy professor and we are reading it together. I can't wait for him to embarrass me with significantly more profound insights than I am sure I will have. :lol
 

FnordChan

Member
Tim the Wiz said:
Glad to hear you've been bewitched as well. O'Brian's series is a special one and simply transcends genre.

I liked Master and Commander enough to dive right into Post Captain immediately upon finishing it, so I reckon that's a good sign. I'm a bit over halfway through the book now, and even though a lot of the novel was spent on land (with all manner of wacky hijinx ensuing), now that they're back at sea it does seem that I'm getting the hang of the nautical jargon at least a bit more. It's damn fine stuff and I'm looking forward to reading more of the series, though I may take a break after this installment.

Also, you've gotta love the Lankhmar novels.

Cyan said:
Rothfuss has also been delayed for a long time.

I have yet to get around to reading Name of the Wind (the hardcover is sitting on my shelf daring me to tote it around), but I did recently read a blog post from Rothfuss explaining the delay somewhat. The short version: "Writing a follow-up under pressure is hard and you wouldn't like what I wrote if I just tried to bash it out, so everyone be cool."

FnordChan
 

Fritz

Member
Musashi Wins! said:
I'm reading this now,

51vicFFQg4L._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA240_SH20_OU01_.jpg


German novel translated. Brilliant, hilarious, other good things, etc.

Yeah, Im reading this too. Too bad it doesn't live up to the hype it created over here imho. I can see why you say its brilliant and hilarious but I find myself disliking Gauß and Humboldt which ruins the whole experience. Good read nontheless. It gets some bonus points as I know most of the german locations like the universities of Göttingen and Berlin, the Humboldt family's castle etc.
 

Monocle

Member
102qm42.jpg

Letters to a Young Contrarian by Christopher Hitchens (That man's a brilliant prose stylist.)


2h4dl6v.jpg

The Andy Warhol Diaries edited by Pat Hackett

Recently finished a few very short biographies of Martin Luther King Jr. and Benjamin Franklin that were written for children. Also paging through a bunch of books I found on Literature.org and Gutenburg, including The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli (just reached chapter 20) and the Malleus Maleficarum.

Bought but haven't had a chance to read:

2ewhdli.jpg

Why Evolution is True by Jerry A. Coyne

So it's next on my list, along with The Long Hard Road Out of Hell by Marilyn Manson, which I dug out of one of my book boxes yesterday.
 

otake

Doesn't know that "You" is used in both the singular and plural
I'm reading "The Sum of All Fears" by Tom Clancy. I'm over 100 pages in and I think it's garbage.
 

Barrett2

Member
otake said:
I'm reading "The Sum of All Fears" by Tom Clancy. I'm over 100 pages in and I think it's garbage.

I tried to read that back in the day. Same problem I had with a lot of Clancy books. They start strong, but I just ran out steam and lost interest. For spy thrillers, I enjoyed books by Nelson DeMille much more. Less tech-talk fetishizing, and more concentration on characters. But then again, I read all the DeMille books while a teenager, so in retrospect they might all be shit, and I never knew it at the time.
 

Musashi Wins!

FLAWLESS VICTOLY!
Fritz said:
Yeah, Im reading this too. Too bad it doesn't live up to the hype it created over here imho. I can see why you say its brilliant and hilarious but I find myself disliking Gauß and Humboldt which ruins the whole experience. Good read nontheless. It gets some bonus points as I know most of the german locations like the universities of Göttingen and Berlin, the Humboldt family's castle etc.

Yes, I hear it's especially popular in Germany. I agree, I don't think the characters are likeable in normal ways either. But I still find it hilarious, and some of that is the cringe factor of their personalities. And I do think it's pretty clever and I like the magical realist portrait of the time period. It sort of reminds me of many South American writers.

Also, the whole reason I picked this book up was a little blurb in a stupid section of the New York Times about what books authors brought to eat recently. Kehlmann said he was reading Schopenhauer, which pretty much blew my mind, but now makes perfect sense. Schopenhauer could totally be one of his characters. Late German enlightenment, funny, totally unlikeable.
 

PantherLotus

Professional Schmuck
ItAintEasyBeinCheesy said:
destiny.jpg


Last one, awesome book.

DON'T READ THE CHAPTER PREVIEW AT THE END OF THE BOOK!!! IT'S NOT FROM THE NEXT BOOK, IT'S FROM THE BOOK AFTER THAT!!!

That burned me pretty badly about a month ago. Anyway, yeah, that's a great series and I assumed you read the Assassin's series before? If you have, definitely stick with it. I just finished Fool's Errand. That is excellent too:

foolserrandus.jpg
 
I'll admit it. I teared up a bit reading the end to the Tawny Man trilogy. Apparently Hobb is returning to her Elderlings universe with her next book, more connected with the Liveship Traders environment than the Fitz books. Hopefully, a return to form after the disappointing Soldier Son trilogy.
 

ItAintEasyBeinCheesy

it's 4th of July in my asshole
PantherLotus said:
DON'T READ THE CHAPTER PREVIEW AT THE END OF THE BOOK!!! IT'S NOT FROM THE NEXT BOOK, IT'S FROM THE BOOK AFTER THAT!!!

That burned me pretty badly about a month ago. Anyway, yeah, that's a great series and I assumed you read the Assassin's series before? If you have, definitely stick with it. I just finished Fool's Errand. That is excellent too:

foolserrandus.jpg

Oh yeah i read em a couple of times already, this time i went all the books to do with Fitz so the Assassins and Tawny Man THEN the Liveship books, seemed to make a bit more sense of it overall. Anyways definetly awesome.

Like the John Howe cover art better though :)

fools.jpg


Tim the Wiz said:
I'll admit it. I teared up a bit reading the end to the Tawny Man trilogy. Apparently Hobb is returning to her Elderlings universe with her next book, more connected with the Liveship Traders environment than the Fitz books. Hopefully, a return to form after the disappointing Soldier Son trilogy.

Yeah meant to be out this year some time, only gonna be the single book though not a trilogy :( but anything in that world is welcome. Didnt mind the Soldier Son books, werent brilliant but not overly bad either.

Cyan said:
I haven't been able to bring myself to read Tawny Man yet. Hobb can be really brutal to her characters.

Do it :lol read the Assassin books again before you do, i almost choked and did shed a few tears after just the first book then felt a bit numb after i finished them all. The first person persepective really draws you in then you just feel gutted when its all done.

She is really brutal with them all but it usually turns out ok for them lol
 

pjberri

Crotchety Old Man
Danielsan said:
I'm almost done with this:
34erxir.jpg
I'm about halfway through this now, it's so good. No shit, though, right? Can anyone recommend me some more post-war American classics. I'm really in the mood for this shit right now, but I'm malnourished and can't make decisions for myself.

This bad boy is next:

0140437843.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg


Might do some more Vonnegut and Murakami after.
 

Danielsan

Member
pjberri said:
I'm about halfway through this now, it's so good. No shit, though, right? Can anyone recommend me some more post-war American classics. I'm really in the mood for this shit right now, but I'm malnourished and can't make decisions for myself.
At first the old American slang caught me off guard but it really grew on me. I thoroughly enjoyed it.


I'm currently reading this:

w6pjlt.jpg


for the first time.
I'm only two chapters in but I'm loving it so far.
 
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