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What are you reading? (August 2011)
- Thread starter Adam Blade
- Start date
Granger Danger
Member
Suzanne Collins, Harper Lee, Kathryn Stockett, Maya Angelou,thomaser said:
Stephenie Meyer
ViolentJ317
Neo Member
pitcairn55
Member
Just finished this:
It is very good indeed, better even than Heart-Shaped Box.
While hunting down a pic of the cover I discovered this:
Shia LeBeouf is apparently starring in the film adaptation. I find myself displeased with this notion.
It is very good indeed, better even than Heart-Shaped Box.
While hunting down a pic of the cover I discovered this:
Shia LeBeouf is apparently starring in the film adaptation. I find myself displeased with this notion.
Easystride
Member
Gonna give A Feast for Crows another chance, I think. Got about half way through earlier this summer before setting it aside.
krameriffic
Member
Easystride said:
A little advice for you: when you get to a Brienne chapter, just skim it/skip it. They are pretty much pointless boring bullshit until the very last one. Honestly, you could probably get away with just skimming the whole book and reading the last page or two of each chapter, because those are the only times that anything happens to advance the plot.
I just started reading ADWD and I can already say just from the first two chapters that it seems FAR better than AFFC. His books just need Tyrion for the comic relief.
Alpha-Bromega
Member
Qwomo said:
it's pretty easy, you could get it done in a sitting or two. just prepare for Xenophon spending an entire book defending himself in at least 15 different ways every page. "Let me explain to you, sirs..."
It's an awesome adventure story bogged down in the conventions of the age Xenophon wrote it in. You can't blame the guy, he was a totally eloquent bad ass and we know so much about the age from him, i just don't think he was looking for the 3 act structure or anything :lol
mike23 said:Agree 100%
Read the Belgariad series, so I figure I have to read the Malloreon too.
There's really no need to. The Mallorean feels like a complete rehash of the first series. I read the first series years ago and loved them, but my love for Eddings burned out during the reading of the Mallorean because everything that was so fresh and enjoyable had gotten stale and uneventful.
ymmv said:
Garion even mentioned it in the second book I think. He basically said "It seems like we're doing the same exact thing as last time, going to the same places and meeting the same people" lol
I'm not able to leave a series half read, so I basically have to finish it at this point.
LocoMrPollock
Banned
thomaser said:
The lovely Cherie priest is one of my favorites.
Margaret Atwood isn't someone I consider to be a great stylist, but The Blind Assassin is probably my favorite work of the past decade. It's a book within a book: part family drama and part pulp science fiction. I didn't like The Handmaid's Tale nearly as much, but it's solid dystopian fiction.thomaser said:
For science fiction and fantasy that blows almost everything in those genres out of the water, try Ursula K. LeGuin. Some works you might want to look into are the Earthsea books (starts with A Wizard of Earthsea), The Left Hand of Darkness, The Dispossessed, and Gifts.
For children's novels that can still be enjoyed by adults: Diana Wynne Jones. Miyazaki made a movie out of Howl's Moving Castle. If you've seen it, this is definitely one of the cases where the book is much better than the film. Other great reads for when you want something light and fun: the Chrestomanci books, The Dalemark Quartet, Fire and Hemlock.
There's also Barbara Kingsolver. However, I've only read The Poisonwood Bible, so I can't recommend her other novels.
I'm never sure how to describe Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca. It's kind of a modern take on Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre, but it's a mystery rather than a romance. Du Maurier also wrote a short story called The Birds. Hitchcock made both of these works into movies, although he completely changed the characters, setting, and tone of The Birds.
Combichristoffersen
Combovers don't work when there is no hair
amrod said:Finished reading it... Good ideas in the book but its dated :\
according to the guy who wrote it we will be on mars in 1982
Now to find a new book
Däniken is fun if you don't take his writings seriously, and read them as fiction
Delio said:
HiroProtagonist
Member
Congrats on owning that set. It is the crème de la crème of food porn.agrajag said:
Crypto by Stephen Levy
I found this while cleaning yesterday, so I'll give it a shot.
Finished The Unknown Soldier by Väinö Linna, it was really good. The different characters grew on me very quickly, at the end it was very tense to see who of those left would survive the war. On that subject, the battle scenes were quick and at times frightening. Good stuff.peakish said:
My favorite parts were the thick dialects of Hietanen and Rokka, they were presented very well (Swedish translation). A chapter where the group steals a cooking pot and secretly brews some brännvin to get drunk was also marvelous. In general these chapters between the fighting were the most interesting.
Deified Data
Banned
Probably posted a million times before, but I'm late to the party. 1/4 of the way through, and still not sure what to think. Hard to find drama when the protagonist is so damn perfect.
elrechazado
Banned
He gets even perfecter.Deified Data said:
Probably posted a million times before, but I'm late to the party. 1/4 of the way through, and still not sure what to think. Hard to find drama when the protagonist is so damn perfect.
Thoughts on Bottomfeeder: How to eat ethically in a world of vanishing seafood:
Short version: Id give it an 7.5/10. Someone compared this to a seafood version of the Omnivores Dilemma. While I dont think Grescoe is quite as philosophical and illuminating about his adventures into seafood as Pollan was about his meals, there were still quite a few aspects of the book that were fascinating, even to the most seafood conscious of consumers. One of the things I liked was that he gave credit where credit is due, even if it IS McDonalds sourcing sustainable shrimp, or his praise of the Japaneses incredibly detailed seafood labeling system even as they continue to do retarded things like stockpiling whale meat with no demand.
While most of the information isn't super new to me, a few interesting nuggets stuck out in my mind. One was his conversation with Eric Ripert, who if you are remotely a foodie, you know this is a very thoughtful and brilliant chef who champions sustainability on a regular basis. But Grescoe finds that he serves monkfish at La Bernadin, which is a ghastly option (not just in appearance); trawls used to catch them literally destroy the ocean floor along with all sorts of bottom-dwelling species. Grescoe states that sourcing local yet overfished species is not enough; thousands of other restaurants without the ability to do things in a proper way will still follow the trends set by these top chefs. How the movers and shakers view seafood significantly influence trends for years to come. Grescoe summarizes the situation with a scathing indictment:
-The destruction of mangrove forests vital as fish nurseries and tsunami buffers for shrimp farm locations.
-Monopolizing land and water resources that once went to local fishing and rice production.
-Gobbling up two pounds of edible wild fish to produce one pound of shrimp
-Minimal short term profit (after rising feed costs) and maximum local social, economic, and ecological damage to countless poor fishing villages.
-Wanton dosing of piscicides, antibiotics, suspected neurotoxicants, bleaching powder, and caustic soda in the ponds and in the marketed products.
Gresoce writes that food safety experts have discovered that some people who believe they have shellfish allergies are actually exhibiting reactions, like itching and swelling, to antibiotic residues in farmed species. I know so many people that have developed new and recent seafood allergies. If even a few of them were associated with these practices...
Endless popcorn shrimp - no thanks, Red Lobster.
Grescoe summarizes with a list of seafood choices: Avoid, Sometimes, and Always. The red list includes things like farmed Atlantic salmon, Bluefin tuna, atlantic cod (whats left of it), and farmed shrimp from Asia. Good choices include farmed Arctic char (on land based systems), herring, sardines, farmed oysters and mussels, and jellyfish. Get used to eating the last, there's going to be more and more of it.
Personal note: For a more comprehensive list, go visit seachoice.org for their guide or their iphone app. I use it all the time.
Overall, this book is recommended both for someone whos just learning about the issues and for those who are already pretty knowledgable about the plight of the oceans and are looking for some interesting stories. The writing is not the greatest, but it does the job. I was encouraged to look for some local, in season Pacific sardines (Trophic level of 2.6) after this passage:
I could totally relate. So good.
Amazon description said:
Short version: Id give it an 7.5/10. Someone compared this to a seafood version of the Omnivores Dilemma. While I dont think Grescoe is quite as philosophical and illuminating about his adventures into seafood as Pollan was about his meals, there were still quite a few aspects of the book that were fascinating, even to the most seafood conscious of consumers. One of the things I liked was that he gave credit where credit is due, even if it IS McDonalds sourcing sustainable shrimp, or his praise of the Japaneses incredibly detailed seafood labeling system even as they continue to do retarded things like stockpiling whale meat with no demand.
While most of the information isn't super new to me, a few interesting nuggets stuck out in my mind. One was his conversation with Eric Ripert, who if you are remotely a foodie, you know this is a very thoughtful and brilliant chef who champions sustainability on a regular basis. But Grescoe finds that he serves monkfish at La Bernadin, which is a ghastly option (not just in appearance); trawls used to catch them literally destroy the ocean floor along with all sorts of bottom-dwelling species. Grescoe states that sourcing local yet overfished species is not enough; thousands of other restaurants without the ability to do things in a proper way will still follow the trends set by these top chefs. How the movers and shakers view seafood significantly influence trends for years to come. Grescoe summarizes the situation with a scathing indictment:
Another point that was unequivocally hammered home was that Asian farmed shrimp are probably the most environmentally and socially destructive seafood out there. Gresoe went to India to look at farms there and paints a horrific picture, far worse than what my imagination can conjure up. Just a few of the details:
-The destruction of mangrove forests vital as fish nurseries and tsunami buffers for shrimp farm locations.
-Monopolizing land and water resources that once went to local fishing and rice production.
-Gobbling up two pounds of edible wild fish to produce one pound of shrimp
-Minimal short term profit (after rising feed costs) and maximum local social, economic, and ecological damage to countless poor fishing villages.
-Wanton dosing of piscicides, antibiotics, suspected neurotoxicants, bleaching powder, and caustic soda in the ponds and in the marketed products.
Gresoce writes that food safety experts have discovered that some people who believe they have shellfish allergies are actually exhibiting reactions, like itching and swelling, to antibiotic residues in farmed species. I know so many people that have developed new and recent seafood allergies. If even a few of them were associated with these practices...
Endless popcorn shrimp - no thanks, Red Lobster.
I'm Chinese, and I can vouch for the authenticity of that statement. Grescoe looked at the different seafood meals served at a fancy Shanghai restaurant through the concept of trophic levels. A good rule of thumb is that the lower you eat on the trophic level, the better for your health and for the environment. Eating jellyfish at a trophic level of 2 is more energy efficient than eating a napoleon wrasse at a 4 (roughly 100 times) and much less toxic, as toxins tend to bioaccumulate the higher up you go. The rule doesnt always hold true though. Sea cucumbers (at a 2.3) are being overharvested badly. Frankly, I dont understand why, they have no taste and the texture is like gummy shoe leather. One of those Chinese obsession with wealth and status that I wish the culture could move beyond.
Grescoe summarizes with a list of seafood choices: Avoid, Sometimes, and Always. The red list includes things like farmed Atlantic salmon, Bluefin tuna, atlantic cod (whats left of it), and farmed shrimp from Asia. Good choices include farmed Arctic char (on land based systems), herring, sardines, farmed oysters and mussels, and jellyfish. Get used to eating the last, there's going to be more and more of it.
Personal note: For a more comprehensive list, go visit seachoice.org for their guide or their iphone app. I use it all the time.
Overall, this book is recommended both for someone whos just learning about the issues and for those who are already pretty knowledgable about the plight of the oceans and are looking for some interesting stories. The writing is not the greatest, but it does the job. I was encouraged to look for some local, in season Pacific sardines (Trophic level of 2.6) after this passage:
I could totally relate. So good.
MrOogieBoogie
BioShock Infinite is like playing some homeless guy's vivid imagination
Just came back with a bunch of books:
Dune Messiah, by Frank Herbert
Blood Meridian, by Cormac McCarthy
The Stand, by Stephen King
Cat's Cradle, by Kurt Vonnegut
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, by Michael Chabon
A Tale of Two Cities, by Charles Dickens
The Pillars of the Earth, by Ken Follett
A mix of brand new and barely used for a total of $40. These should last me a while. lol
Dune Messiah, by Frank Herbert
Blood Meridian, by Cormac McCarthy
The Stand, by Stephen King
Cat's Cradle, by Kurt Vonnegut
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, by Michael Chabon
A Tale of Two Cities, by Charles Dickens
The Pillars of the Earth, by Ken Follett
A mix of brand new and barely used for a total of $40. These should last me a while. lol
My thoughts on the Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable by Patrick Lencioni:
Short version: Id give this one an 8.5/10. Usually books about leadership, teamwork, and organizational culture bore me to death, but this one is different; I finished it in around two hours, and it was an interesting read all the way through. As the description notes, Lencioni crafts a fictional but realistic story around a high-tech Silicon Valley startup in crisis: although they have better technology, expertise, and initial investments, in recent months they are rapidly ceding their advantage to competitors. A new CEO renowned for her experience in building teams is brought in to shake things up; the story revolves around her dealings with the various personalities within the company and her attempts to steer the company around.
The five dysfunctions of a team outlined in this book are quite simple, and their results are also outlined:
1.) Absence of trust LEADS TO need for invulnerability
2.) Fear of conflict LEADS TO fear of conflict
3.) Lack of commitment LEADS TO ambiguity
4.) Avoidance of accountability LEADS TO low standards
5.) Inattention to results LEADS TO individual status and ego over the team
Im not going to go into too much detail here; read the book. Many of us have seen and been part of touchy feely team-building exercises. Chances are they work for a little while, and then we settle back into our old habits. Lencioni even admits that while there are certainly some benefits derived from rigorous and creative outdoor activities involving collective support and cooperation, those benefits do not always translate directly to the working world. But he contends that it is teamwork, not finance, not strategy, not technology that is the ultimate competitive advantage, because it is at once so powerful and so rare. So its worthwhile to focus on building one properly if you have a group of highly skilled people who have to constantly work together. (So this emphasis on teambuilding might not be relevant for short term hot groups that are just put together for short durations to get a task done and then disbanded afterwards)
This storytelling approach works wonders for material that might otherwise be too fluffy or abstract; I was under the impression that it was a bunch of short fictional examples to depict specific concepts, but I was pleasantly surprised. Its uninterrupted length gives the reader an opportunity to relate to the various characters within the story, and keeps him/her engaged throughout. Indeed, I immediately began to associate those fictional characters to past team members in the real world: the insufferable know-it-all, the socially inept and tactless, the genius introverts, the awesome dude that fills whatever role that needs doing to get the job done. Theyre all here.
On a personal level, I also recognized my own personal dysfunctions in team situations, and will seek to work on them in the future. Two examples:
1.) On many teams, I just want to get my stuff done, without regard for the performance of the overall team. Putting the individual ego aside is tough to do without someone holding you accountable.
2.) I actively avoid interpersonal conflict, even when it would be prudent and constructive to engage in it. Its a character flaw.
In summary, I highly recommend the book. Its a super easy read, simple but engaging (a difficult thing to pull off), and very relevant if you spend any time slogging it out with a group of individuals instead of working as a team. Im sure weve all been there.
Amazon description said:
Short version: Id give this one an 8.5/10. Usually books about leadership, teamwork, and organizational culture bore me to death, but this one is different; I finished it in around two hours, and it was an interesting read all the way through. As the description notes, Lencioni crafts a fictional but realistic story around a high-tech Silicon Valley startup in crisis: although they have better technology, expertise, and initial investments, in recent months they are rapidly ceding their advantage to competitors. A new CEO renowned for her experience in building teams is brought in to shake things up; the story revolves around her dealings with the various personalities within the company and her attempts to steer the company around.
The five dysfunctions of a team outlined in this book are quite simple, and their results are also outlined:
1.) Absence of trust LEADS TO need for invulnerability
2.) Fear of conflict LEADS TO fear of conflict
3.) Lack of commitment LEADS TO ambiguity
4.) Avoidance of accountability LEADS TO low standards
5.) Inattention to results LEADS TO individual status and ego over the team
Im not going to go into too much detail here; read the book. Many of us have seen and been part of touchy feely team-building exercises. Chances are they work for a little while, and then we settle back into our old habits. Lencioni even admits that while there are certainly some benefits derived from rigorous and creative outdoor activities involving collective support and cooperation, those benefits do not always translate directly to the working world. But he contends that it is teamwork, not finance, not strategy, not technology that is the ultimate competitive advantage, because it is at once so powerful and so rare. So its worthwhile to focus on building one properly if you have a group of highly skilled people who have to constantly work together. (So this emphasis on teambuilding might not be relevant for short term hot groups that are just put together for short durations to get a task done and then disbanded afterwards)
This storytelling approach works wonders for material that might otherwise be too fluffy or abstract; I was under the impression that it was a bunch of short fictional examples to depict specific concepts, but I was pleasantly surprised. Its uninterrupted length gives the reader an opportunity to relate to the various characters within the story, and keeps him/her engaged throughout. Indeed, I immediately began to associate those fictional characters to past team members in the real world: the insufferable know-it-all, the socially inept and tactless, the genius introverts, the awesome dude that fills whatever role that needs doing to get the job done. Theyre all here.
On a personal level, I also recognized my own personal dysfunctions in team situations, and will seek to work on them in the future. Two examples:
1.) On many teams, I just want to get my stuff done, without regard for the performance of the overall team. Putting the individual ego aside is tough to do without someone holding you accountable.
2.) I actively avoid interpersonal conflict, even when it would be prudent and constructive to engage in it. Its a character flaw.
In summary, I highly recommend the book. Its a super easy read, simple but engaging (a difficult thing to pull off), and very relevant if you spend any time slogging it out with a group of individuals instead of working as a team. Im sure weve all been there.
tyguy20204
Member
Just finished it, and I'm glad, because I can't say that I had much fun reading it. I enjoyed The Magicians quite a bit, and I was really looking forward to this one. Unfortunately, the narrative is a mess, pointlessly rehashing the same themes from the first book for a good portion of the book, and then moving on to a climax that is disappointing to say the least.
Maybe I wasn't in the right mood, I don't know, the book has been getting good reviews elsewhere. But I truly thought it was a dud. Even the prose, compared to what I remember from the first one, falls short.
And Grossman, you're writing a book about Magicians, it's okay to have a little fun sometimes. Part of the charm of the first one was that it explored a darker side to magic. I found that fascinating. But here it's just done poorly. Over-the-top melancholy to the point where it feels artificial.
I finished up the other two big series installments I was working on:
First off, Ghost Story by Jim Butcher. The previous book in the series, Changes, was true to it's title and was one helluva act to follow. Ghost Story, however, isn't the next act so much as it's the setup for the rest of the series, and it works very well as a sort of breather between halves. This works just fine for me, as it provided a good chance for our boy Dresden to be a bit introspective for a change. At the same time, the events of the past book have shaken up the supporting cast, and there are plenty of opportunities to check in and see where folks have wound up post-Changes. So, yeah, a good solid installment in the series. Thirteen books in and I'm still enjoying the hell out of the Dresden Files and I'm terribly excited to see how Butcher kicks off the next half.
Then there's Ghost Ship by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller, which by my count is the 14th novel in their long-running Liaden series. For folks not familiar with the Liaden books, they're space opera with a heavy dash of Georgette Heyer that tracks the fortunes of a powerful trading family that doesn't entirely fit into the uptight society of their homeworld. The main storyline in the previous books dealt with said family becoming hunted and hall hell basically breaking loose, but Lee and Miller spent more time publishing side-stories and far-flung prequels in order to fill out the stories and relationships of all the major characters involved. This does wonders to fill out their universe and add depth to the characters, but it does leave you occasionally hoping that they'll get back to the main story. With Ghost Ship they've finally done so...after having first spending two novels setting up the backstory of their new protagonist Theo Waitley, along with an extra novel to elaborate upon a previous side-novel about her parents. I'm not complaining, but it was nice to see things really kick back in gear, and Ghost Story does a nice job of setting up the next phase of the Liaden saga, showing Theo getting to know the family, their troubles continuing to follow them, and all sorts of space opera adventure in the mix. It looks like they've got at least two more novels after this one due out from Baen in the near future, so I've got plenty to look forward to. Meanwhile, if my rambling about Liaden has sparked any interest, the earlier volumes are back in print as omnibus editions; start with either The Dragon Variation or The Agent Gambit. In particular, I'd recommend the Liaden books for any Vorkosigan fans jonsing for their next fix.
Now, having been distracted for three new releases that wouldn't wait, I can finally get back to Assassin's Quest the third book in Robin Hobbs' Farseer trilogy. I'm a fifth of the way in and, man, it's fantastic. Hobb is putting absolutely everything in sight - our hero, his friends, the whole goddamned kingdom - through the wringer, and it makes for damn fine reading.
FnordChan
First off, Ghost Story by Jim Butcher. The previous book in the series, Changes, was true to it's title and was one helluva act to follow. Ghost Story, however, isn't the next act so much as it's the setup for the rest of the series, and it works very well as a sort of breather between halves. This works just fine for me, as it provided a good chance for our boy Dresden to be a bit introspective for a change. At the same time, the events of the past book have shaken up the supporting cast, and there are plenty of opportunities to check in and see where folks have wound up post-Changes. So, yeah, a good solid installment in the series. Thirteen books in and I'm still enjoying the hell out of the Dresden Files and I'm terribly excited to see how Butcher kicks off the next half.
Then there's Ghost Ship by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller, which by my count is the 14th novel in their long-running Liaden series. For folks not familiar with the Liaden books, they're space opera with a heavy dash of Georgette Heyer that tracks the fortunes of a powerful trading family that doesn't entirely fit into the uptight society of their homeworld. The main storyline in the previous books dealt with said family becoming hunted and hall hell basically breaking loose, but Lee and Miller spent more time publishing side-stories and far-flung prequels in order to fill out the stories and relationships of all the major characters involved. This does wonders to fill out their universe and add depth to the characters, but it does leave you occasionally hoping that they'll get back to the main story. With Ghost Ship they've finally done so...after having first spending two novels setting up the backstory of their new protagonist Theo Waitley, along with an extra novel to elaborate upon a previous side-novel about her parents. I'm not complaining, but it was nice to see things really kick back in gear, and Ghost Story does a nice job of setting up the next phase of the Liaden saga, showing Theo getting to know the family, their troubles continuing to follow them, and all sorts of space opera adventure in the mix. It looks like they've got at least two more novels after this one due out from Baen in the near future, so I've got plenty to look forward to. Meanwhile, if my rambling about Liaden has sparked any interest, the earlier volumes are back in print as omnibus editions; start with either The Dragon Variation or The Agent Gambit. In particular, I'd recommend the Liaden books for any Vorkosigan fans jonsing for their next fix.
Now, having been distracted for three new releases that wouldn't wait, I can finally get back to Assassin's Quest the third book in Robin Hobbs' Farseer trilogy. I'm a fifth of the way in and, man, it's fantastic. Hobb is putting absolutely everything in sight - our hero, his friends, the whole goddamned kingdom - through the wringer, and it makes for damn fine reading.
FnordChan
D
Deleted member 1235
Unconfirmed Member
wow Fnord Chan, I think youmight actually be me.
Ghost story and Farseer trilogy, that's exactly where I'm up to as well.
Liking the farseer trilogy quite a bit, the main guy doesn't exactly get a very easy deal.
I'm hopelessly addicted to the dresden files as well, such an easy/good read. Shame I finish those books in about 2 days most of the time. Was great when I started out as I had about 10 to get through in a row. Now I must wait
Ghost story and Farseer trilogy, that's exactly where I'm up to as well.
Liking the farseer trilogy quite a bit, the main guy doesn't exactly get a very easy deal.
I'm hopelessly addicted to the dresden files as well, such an easy/good read. Shame I finish those books in about 2 days most of the time. Was great when I started out as I had about 10 to get through in a row. Now I must wait
Vanillalite
Ask me about the GAF Notebook
Fucking GENIUS premise. GENIUS!!!
Adam Blade
WWKC
Fnord is so LTTP.
catfish said:
Like-minded high five!
No, he really doesn't. Poor Fitz.
I'm hopelessly addicted to the dresden files as well, such an easy/good read. Shame I finish those books in about 2 days most of the time. Was great when I started out as I had about 10 to get through in a row. Now I must wait
On the bright side, Jim Butcher plans on writing at least another then or so books in the series, and he's been consistently publishing two books a year for quite some time now, so at least you have a lot to look forward to and not a lot of downtime between books. In the meantime, have you read his Codex Alera series? It's not the most original fantasy series you'll ever read - you see, there's this young peasant man who perhaps has more to him than you think and who must go on a journey - but it's fast paced, the characters are likable, the action is top-notch, and Butcher proves on a dare that he can go a long way with the twin challenges of a lost Roman legion plot and Pokemon. For a fan of the Dresden Files looking for another series to plow through, I'd happily recommend the Codex Alera books. As a bonus, the series has already been wrapped up, and in only six books, so you won't have to sit around waiting for the next volume.
Adam Blade said:
I usually am!
FnordChan
I just wrapped up reading A Song of Ice and Fire: A Clash of Kings, and just bought A Storm of Swords a few minutes ago for my Kindle app. I'm at work, so I'll probably just read a little bit while we wait for a new build to show up.
So far, I'm really loving the series, and wish I had heard of it earlier (I really enjoy fantasy books, but I never knew which series to get, and I was kind of burned on recommendations after absolutely hating the Wheel of Time books).
So far, I'm really loving the series, and wish I had heard of it earlier (I really enjoy fantasy books, but I never knew which series to get, and I was kind of burned on recommendations after absolutely hating the Wheel of Time books).
joseranulfo
Member
Just finished The Count of Monte Christo for the gaf book club.
Now reading
I think I saw it in the last "What are you reading" thread and the cover, some reviews and the fact that it's only $5 in amazon convinced me to buy it.
I'm about halfway through it and really enjoying it. It has a lot of tense moments and while the premise is not that much better than your average horror movie, it keeps you entertained because theres always something happening.
Once finished will go on to read some comfort generic cop thrillers, I have the las couple of books of the Alex Delaware and The Woman Murder Club series wating for me.
Now reading
I think I saw it in the last "What are you reading" thread and the cover, some reviews and the fact that it's only $5 in amazon convinced me to buy it.
I'm about halfway through it and really enjoying it. It has a lot of tense moments and while the premise is not that much better than your average horror movie, it keeps you entertained because theres always something happening.
Once finished will go on to read some comfort generic cop thrillers, I have the las couple of books of the Alex Delaware and The Woman Murder Club series wating for me.
Today I finished The Angel's Game (Carlos Ruiz Zafon)
Bit of a let down after The Shadow of the Wind. It has a similar premise of a mystery surrounding dark events from the past that seem to be reoccurring, but it didn't feel very well planned out. Motives are unclear for a lot of the stuff that happens, and there's not much resolution at the end. Although to counteract that the characters aren't really interesting or likeable so I didn't care too much.
Bit of a let down after The Shadow of the Wind. It has a similar premise of a mystery surrounding dark events from the past that seem to be reoccurring, but it didn't feel very well planned out. Motives are unclear for a lot of the stuff that happens, and there's not much resolution at the end. Although to counteract that the characters aren't really interesting or likeable so I didn't care too much.
Not sure what made me pick it up (I guess fate, and needing another book to get 2 for £7 in Sainsbury's) but I liked it too, really invigorating book.Burger said:
Loving it.
