Nice. I'm going to try the first book on Kindle. Glen Cook has never disappointed in the past.
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What are you reading? (April 2013)
- Thread starter Maklershed
- Start date
CF_Fighter
Member
With my internship wrapping up I finally have time to read. Got a hold of these two:
I've been wanting to read these for a few weeks now since a number of the shows I watch, Colbert, Daily Show, and Real Time were talking about them. The Detroit one especially, I loved hearing Charlie LeDuff being interviewed. Only a few pages in, but am enjoying them immensely. I've been stuck reading about the past for the last semester so I'm excited to start reading about current issues again.
I've been wanting to read these for a few weeks now since a number of the shows I watch, Colbert, Daily Show, and Real Time were talking about them. The Detroit one especially, I loved hearing Charlie LeDuff being interviewed. Only a few pages in, but am enjoying them immensely. I've been stuck reading about the past for the last semester so I'm excited to start reading about current issues again.
Mackenzie 92
Member
I wasn't a big fan of the first dread empire book and never read any of the others. All in all it felt like a step backwards from The Black Company and you can tell it was some of his earlier stuff.
Also read the first book in the Starfishers series about a space mercenary dragged into a war. Wasn't bad, but haven't continued it yet either, probably will at some point though. I remember it being very dark, like the Black Company books.
Speaking of fantasy, finished this over the weekend. Gotta say, Jorg is an evil son of a bitch, but I like him. If you are sick of fantasy characters like Kvothe, then this might be for you.
Prince of Thorns by Mark Lawrence
Mackenzie 92
Member
Maklershed
Member
Is the show that's debuting tonight on SyFy based on that book?
Mackenzie 92
Member
Don't think so. Apparently that new MMO Defiance is related to the TV show tho.
Just the first three omnibuses for the Black Company. All great.
Dr_Boris_Goltz
Banned
It already exists and that's sarcasm right?
If that's the case sign me up!
Edit: Oh wow there's a link in the OP... I can't believe I missed that. Sorry gents.
sparky2112
Member
You know, for all the buzz behind this book, I have to wonder if part of it is because the publisher paid an obnoxious amount for it. It's good, for sure, but can you really start a novel out with a hundred pages of fairly detailed baseball and expect it to sell like wildfire? Pretty sure this ultimately under-performed, but what do I know? However, when the character storylines kick in, things start to gel. I'm about halfway, I think?
Finished. I probably liked it quite a bit, I have ZERO idea, still, who this was really targeted at. Yeah, it's not really about baseball but about life in general, blah, blah, but there's still A LOT of baseball in it. It was good. Great? No.
Btw, this was edited by Michael Pietch, David Foster Wallace's editor. Absolutely no similarity, save for the admittedly funny banter between the teammates.
sparky2112
Member
That's okay, just wait to get on board until after Ayn Rand. Word to the wise.
FelixOrion
Poet Centuriate
i'm finally getting around to reading katawa shoujo that totally counts right
I'll listen to what you gotta say
I got done with The Road by Cormac McCarthy. It was a good, quick read. There are no chapters in the novel, and it contains mostly short passages which help convey the mood. The novel has both sparse and poetic prose which I enjoyed.
I'm about halfway through The Yiddish Policemen's Union by Michael Chabon. It's been interesting, poignant, and funny so far.
I'm about halfway through The Yiddish Policemen's Union by Michael Chabon. It's been interesting, poignant, and funny so far.
You're just stuck in time, it would seem.
FelixOrion
Poet Centuriate
I'll probably share my thoughts when I've got it all done. I've finished two routes totally done and have 53% completition overall right now.
Finished up The Brothers Karamozov today. Got sidetracked a bit with this one and it took me a while to get going again. Still a fantastic book.
I think I am gonna put a fork in the classics for a bit now though.
I need something nice and fun to read next. Gonna plow through this and last month's thread looking for a winner.
I think I am gonna put a fork in the classics for a bit now though.
I need something nice and fun to read next. Gonna plow through this and last month's thread looking for a winner.
I got done with The Road by Cormac McCarthy. It was a good, quick read. There are no chapters in the novel, and it contains mostly short passages which help convey the mood. The novel has both sparse and poetic prose which I enjoyed.
I'm about halfway through The Yiddish Policemen's Union by Michael Chabon. It's been interesting, poignant, and funny so far.
I'm reading this right now as well. Enjoying it, but not nearly as much as I enjoyed Kav and Clay.
TestMonkey
Member
Have heard good things. Opening is kinda generic though.
foomfoom415
Member
Just finished:
Use of Weapons by Iain M. Banks
Immensely enjoyable and fantastically written.
Use of Weapons by Iain M. Banks
Immensely enjoyable and fantastically written.
Depends. You might want to read The Twelve Chairs and its sequel, The Little Golden Calf. Those books form a classic satire on life in Soviet Russia and a great adventure.
If you're looking for modern stuff as well, consider the Watch series by Sergei Lukyanenko, it's a decent urban fantasy trilogy, there is also a couple of film adaptations, which are very loosely based on the books themselves.
There's also the Strugatsky brothers, if you like light sci-fi with a twist. I'd particularly reccomend Monday Begins on Saturday, a book about a typical Soviet research facility studying magic and sorcery. Very light hearted and fascinating. Check out their other work too, Dead Mountaineer's Hotel and The Second Invasion from Mars are probably the most interesting.
Finally, a lot of the nineteenth century authors were not as serious and grim as Dostoevsky. They all did have a bit of "we have to carry a burden of our intellect" in them, but Dostoyevsky went a bit too far in that. Check out Dead Souls by Gogol, maybe some Chekhov's stories and Pushkin's prose is not half-bad too (The Captain's Daughter, etc).
Sadly, some of what I'd like to recommend is not available in English, particularly H. L. Oldie's books (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H._L._Oldie). They wrote some really good books of "sci-fi/fantasy with a twist" kind, continuing Strugatskys' tradition and expanding it. They also did some fairly unique books with mythological settings: quite a few set in the world of Ancient Greek myths and a trilogy based on Indian mythology and Mahabharata, which is a very overlooked theme.
Well, I wouldn't know about that since I read them in Russian. Doubt there are multiple translations for some of the books I mentioned, though.
To hop into
Do share how this is when you're finished. When it first mentioned in this thread it certainly did peak my interest.
Easystride
Member
Finished the first Mistborn book, and moved right on to the second one.
Mackenzie 92
Member
DesertEater
Member
Hey everyone,
Is any of you guys familiar with Chomsky's book on language? Was thinking of picking one up but don't know where to start, or if its too technical.
Is any of you guys familiar with Chomsky's book on language? Was thinking of picking one up but don't know where to start, or if its too technical.
nakedsushi
Member
Count me on that boat. It's sitting on my desk at work, but I'm hoping to finish another book or two I'm in the middle of before jumping into that one.
Maklershed
Member
Adam Blade
WWKC
Just finished.
Just finished.
This sounds interesting. How was it?
A third of the way done, and so far it has been the life and times of a video game designer in 1997 with geek culture name drops ala Ready Player One.
The name drops are not as in your face and as heavily involved with the plot of the story as they are in RPO.
So far it has not been what I was expecting, but may be at the point where the story starts to develop.
Will give final thoughts when I wrap it up in a day or two.
just read this on the toilet
it's the good Palahniuk. $0.99 Kindle Single on Amazon, 28 pages. Recommended.
Tim the Wiz
Banned
Just finished.
I've always wondered why there isn't more Industrial-based fantasy. It's not that difficult to avoid the infantile elements of the steampunk movement (see: early China Mieville). I still need to get around to Saladin Ahmed and NK Jemisin, too. Nice to see some fresh takes on epic fantasy, however superficial that 'freshness' may be.
NekoFever
Member
I'm reading World War Z and I think it's terrible. Does the praise come from people who still think that zombies are interesting and not completely overdone?
There's no variety at all in the voices of the characters, a lot of them are flimsy stereotypes, and it's just so dry, a handful of interesting scenarios aside. I guess the format prevents any tension because it's impossible for the interviewees not to survive, no matter how bleak their situation.
I'm about 80% of the way through now but it's taken me like two weeks because it's such a slog.
There's no variety at all in the voices of the characters, a lot of them are flimsy stereotypes, and it's just so dry, a handful of interesting scenarios aside. I guess the format prevents any tension because it's impossible for the interviewees not to survive, no matter how bleak their situation.
I'm about 80% of the way through now but it's taken me like two weeks because it's such a slog.
Maklershed
Member
Or from people like me that read it closer to when it first came out when this new glut of zombie stuff wasn't out yet. The only major main stream stuff around before the zombie revival was The Walking Dead books which were just gaining popularity and 28 Days Later. World War Z was on the crest of the new wave of the craze.
Most people that scream it's praises will tell you to grab the audio book.
It's awful. One of a handful of books I truly did not like. Found it really boring and the characters are walking clichés. Ugh.
Currently working my way through:
I normally like Sagan, but at the same time can't help but think that he spends too much time in this novel establishing theoretical principles and teaching me about what it means to be a radio astronomer instead of getting to the actual fiction part. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love his non-fiction books, but he's way too focused on making a competent argument for the feasibility of each of his plot turns here and I think it's hurting the pace of the whole thing. Also, he spends waaaay too much time introducing new characters in very non-subtle ways.
Maybe I'm just too used to Arthur C. Clarke. I still want to finish it though.
I normally like Sagan, but at the same time can't help but think that he spends too much time in this novel establishing theoretical principles and teaching me about what it means to be a radio astronomer instead of getting to the actual fiction part. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love his non-fiction books, but he's way too focused on making a competent argument for the feasibility of each of his plot turns here and I think it's hurting the pace of the whole thing. Also, he spends waaaay too much time introducing new characters in very non-subtle ways.
Maybe I'm just too used to Arthur C. Clarke. I still want to finish it though.
Maklershed
Member
Any Prime Lending recommendations? I haven't picked anything out for April yet and I can't seem to locate anything that interests me.
