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Maklershed · Feb 1, 2012

Maklershed · Feb 1, 2012

This morning on my bus ride in to work I read ..

The Merchant and the Alchemist's Gate by Ted Chiang

And I'm still working on ..

Heechee Rendezvous by Frederik Pohl

The Culture Vulture · Feb 1, 2012

Back into...

after being sidetracked by Game of Thrones and Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

thomaser · Feb 1, 2012

Two books for school:

Brooklyn by Colm Toibin. It's about an Irish girl who emigrates to New York around 1950. It has received accolades up the wazoo, and I really like what I have read so far.

English: One Tongue, Many Voices by Jan Svartvik and Geoffrey Leech. It shows how the English language has evolved and branched out into many different types all over the world. Not dry at all, very readable.

GasProblem · Feb 1, 2012

Got the Hunger Games trilogy yesterday. At page 60 into the first book and so far I'm enjoying it

Maklershed · Feb 1, 2012

Any recommendation of what book I should read next. These are all the unreads on my Kindle right now ...

Steve Jobs
It
Heart of Darkness
The Architecture of the Ozarks
Empire State
Debris
Page from a Tennessee Journal
Gotham: A History of NYC
These is My Words
The Way of Shadows
The Grove
The Eden Hunter
Gardens of the Moon: Book one of the Malazan Book of the Fallen
Revelation Space
Mass Effect: Ascension
The Blade Itself: The First Law Book 1
Free Will Flux
The Shadow and Night
The Night's Dawn Trilogy
The Void Trilogy

sk3 · Feb 1, 2012

I'm wrapping up Shadows in Flight, the latest book in the Ender's Game series. Terribly short and incredibly derivative. Bean's children are practically direct copies of Ender/Peter/Val. It's lazy work by OSC.

And the Kindle version doesn't come out until Feb 2013. Lololololol. Is that normal? A year delay?

Ratrat · Feb 1, 2012

Its been like 2 years since reading the previous book so I'm well confused. Hopefully it'll all come back.

Mastadon · Feb 1, 2012

I'm about 55% of the way through and to be honest, it's really starting to drag. It's all interesting enough, but the plot is barely advancing and the pacing is incredibly slow. Debating whether or not to put it down for a while and come back to it in a few months or so. For those who have read it, does it pick back up?

Qwomo · Feb 1, 2012

Just a few pages into this,

and it seems perfectly serviceable but I'm not immediately grabbed by a sense of OH MY GOD THIS IS GREAT. But I think that's mostly because I'm reading it after a long stretch of PG Wodehouse, and in comparison to Wodehouse everything else seems a little dry.

Anyway, I'm really looking forward to getting into this book. Heard nothing but good things!

Sotha Sil · Feb 1, 2012

Reading Dickens for the first time ever; quite an experience. Great Expectations is creeping me out in a very good way. Oliver Twist is next! Recommendations are welcome, though.

Deleted member 1235 · Feb 1, 2012

Mastadon said:
I'm about 55% of the way through and to be honest, it's really starting to drag. It's all interesting enough, but the plot is barely advancing and the pacing is incredibly slow. Debating whether or not to put it down for a while and come back to it in a few months or so. For those who have read it, does it pick back up?

I remember thinking it was a rad book the entire way through, so uh.... maybe not.

Any recommendation of what book I should read next. These are all the unreads on my Kindle right now ...

Steve Jobs
It
Heart of Darkness
The Architecture of the Ozarks
Empire State
Debris
Page from a Tennessee Journal
Gotham: A History of NYC
These is My Words
The Way of Shadows
The Grove
The Eden Hunter
Gardens of the Moon: Book one of the Malazan Book of the Fallen
Revelation Space
Mass Effect: Ascension
The Blade Itself: The First Law Book 1
Free Will Flux
The Shadow and Night
The Night's Dawn Trilogy
The Void Trilogy

ding ding ding

Mastadon · Feb 1, 2012

Maklershed said:
Any recommendation of what book I should read next. These are all the unreads on my Kindle right now ...

Steve Jobs
It
Heart of Darkness
The Architecture of the Ozarks
Empire State
Debris
Page from a Tennessee Journal
Gotham: A History of NYC
These is My Words
The Way of Shadows
The Grove
The Eden Hunter
Gardens of the Moon: Book one of the Malazan Book of the Fallen
Revelation Space
Mass Effect: Ascension
The Blade Itself: The First Law Book 1
Free Will Flux
The Shadow and Night
The Night's Dawn Trilogy
The Void Trilogy

I love this book. It's widely regarded as the worst in the series, but it's probably my favourite. If you do give it a go, just be content in the knowledge that the book will drop you right in the middle of a vast ocean of information with very little explanation to start with. Just flow with it all and you'll be fine.

jackrubyn · Feb 1, 2012

Just finished The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, so now I'm reading The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Good stuff.

Erico · Feb 1, 2012

Finished Moby Dick (finally). Great, great read except for all the chapters about whale physiology and phylogeny. Though the dry wit of the narrator made those sections enjoyable, too.

Starting Haruki Murakami's Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World

hamchan · Feb 1, 2012

Hell yeah February book thread. Last month was the biggest reading thread ever apparently so here's hoping people keep reading and stick to their new year's resolutions. Anyways I increased my Goodreads challenge to 52 books this year and I'm 9 down so far.\

Currently reading:
Catch 22
Restaurant at the End of the Universe
The Dragon Reborn
11.22.63
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

Which seems quite a lot to be reading at one time imo. This makes me wonder, do you guys read multiple books at once or do you finish books one at a time?

Kwhit10 · Feb 1, 2012

Currently reading this on my commutes.

A-Life-Decoded-My-Genome-Venter-J-Craig-9780143114185.jpg

Melhisedek · Feb 1, 2012

Am reading (listening to) Elantris by Sanderson:
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/68427.Elantris

pretty good so far but I was wondering about Malazan books... I've been waiting for the series to end so I can start reading them but how is it? Are the series any good? I've heard some good and some bad things about the books but haven't read them yet. So any Malazan fans around here

Giard · Feb 1, 2012

On that note, are Endymion and Rise of Endymion worth it?

ClassyPenguin · Feb 1, 2012

bluehat9 · Feb 1, 2012

I started reading Moby Dick last week after a few days down staring at the ocean. I was liking it, but last night the chapter was some kind of encyclopedia on large, medium, and small whales and I almost fell asleep reading it.

And I'm not a big book reader and don't follow anything really, can anyone recommend any detective stories, maybe in the vein of Sherlock Holmes? Are any of the newer stories written by other authors worth reading? And if not, any decent detective book will do.

Thanks.

LProtag · Feb 1, 2012

bluehat9 said:
I started reading Moby Dick last week after a few days down staring at the ocean. I was liking it, but last night the chapter was some kind of encyclopedia on large, medium, and small whales and I almost fell asleep reading it.

A lot of these chapters or kind of things pop up in Moby Dick. They're pretty integral to the theme of the book while also giving an interesting historical look on just how whaling was done. I'd recommend pushing through them.

Alucard · Feb 1, 2012

Giard said:
On that note, are Endymion and Rise of Endymion worth it?

I don't think the Hyperion books were for me. :-/ I liked the first one in parts, but was just happy to be done with the second. I've heard good things about the Endymion books, but I guess your enjoyment of them will depend on your enjoyment of Hyperion.

Giard · Feb 1, 2012

Alucard said:
I don't think the Hyperion books were for me. :-/ I liked the first one in parts, but was just happy to be done with the second. I've heard good things about the Endymion books, but I guess your enjoyment of them will depend on your enjoyment of Hyperion.

Thanks. I did some research and pretty much everyone seems to agree that the Endymion books are sub-par....I guess I'll skip them. Loved Hyperion.

Keen · Feb 1, 2012

From January's thread:

Finished The White-Luck Warrior last night, so now on to Orb Sceptre Throne by Ian C. Esslemont

Also working on Proven Guilty by Jim Butcher and Legacy of Kings by C.S. Friedman.

My goal of 80 this year is off to a shaky start, only 3 in january. :/

joeyjoejoeshabadoo · Feb 1, 2012

Mastadon said:
I'm about 55% of the way through and to be honest, it's really starting to drag. It's all interesting enough, but the plot is barely advancing and the pacing is incredibly slow. Debating whether or not to put it down for a while and come back to it in a few months or so. For those who have read it, does it pick back up?

It picks up. I'm guessing you are at the part where

he is surveilling Oswald

. I thought that was the slowest part of the book as well.

What's funny is that besides the premise it's kind of a quiet story. It felt very personal and not as bombastic as one would expect from a time travel/let's change the future type of book.

Kosh · Feb 1, 2012

My plans for this month.

ultron87 · Feb 1, 2012

Need even 20% in yet because I'm reading it super slow. It isn't really grabbing me so far. : /

remist · Feb 1, 2012

Qwomo said:
Just a few pages into this,

http://i.imgur.com/4sy8W.jpg
and it seems perfectly serviceable but I'm not immediately grabbed by a sense of OH MY GOD THIS IS GREAT. But I think that's mostly because I'm reading it after a long stretch of PG Wodehouse, and in comparison to Wodehouse everything else seems a little dry.

Anyway, I'm really looking forward to getting into this book. Heard nothing but good things!

Any recommendations for the best Wodehouse story to start with?

Mastadon · Feb 1, 2012

joeyjoejoeshabadoo said:
It picks up. I'm guessing you are at the part where

he is surveilling Oswald

. I thought that was the slowest part of the book as well.

What's funny is that besides the premise it's kind of a quiet story. It felt very personal and not as bombastic as one would expect from a time travel/let's change the future type of book.

Haha yeah that's exactly where I'm at. I'll stick with it, as the story has grabbed me enough to see it through to the conclusion.

KingGondo · Feb 1, 2012

Mastadon said:
I'm about 55% of the way through and to be honest, it's really starting to drag. It's all interesting enough, but the plot is barely advancing and the pacing is incredibly slow. Debating whether or not to put it down for a while and come back to it in a few months or so. For those who have read it, does it pick back up?

I'm about where you are, and it's starting to pick up a bit.

But yeah, I could really do without the forced love interest, small-town hijinks and school play BS. The first part

Derry

was tremendous, I have high hopes for the last third of the book.

I had the same complaints about Duma Key--great concept, but I find it really grating when the main character is an autobiographical version of King himself. He's much better when he's imagining the perspective of others.

Wthermans · Feb 1, 2012

Saw the movie years ago when it first came out and found the book at a local yard sale for a nickel. Surprised by how close the movie was to the source material and I'm enjoying it so far.

FnordChan · Feb 1, 2012

Regarding 11/22/63:

Mastadon said:
I'm about 55% of the way through and to be honest, it's really starting to drag. It's all interesting enough, but the plot is barely advancing and the pacing is incredibly slow. Debating whether or not to put it down for a while and come back to it in a few months or so. For those who have read it, does it pick back up?

While I didn't personally have any problems with the pacing, yeah, I'd say that things definitely pick up in the last third of the book. Stick with it a bit longer and see what you think.

Speaking of Mr. King:

Maklershed said:
Any recommendation of what book I should read next. These are all the unreads on my Kindle right now ...

It

I read It around this time last year and loved it. It's a significant pile of book - my paperback edition was roughly 1100 pages - but it's also compelling as all hell and damned scary too boot. You've got plenty of good material to read sitting on your Kindle, but my vote goes for It.

bluehat9 said:
And I'm not a big book reader and don't follow anything really, can anyone recommend any detective stories, maybe in the vein of Sherlock Holmes? Are any of the newer stories written by other authors worth reading? And if not, any decent detective book will do.

Have you read all of the Holmes stories? I'm making my way through the canon as we speak and I'm enjoying myself thoroughly. If you're already a fan, you might enjoy Laurie King's Holmes novel The Beekeeper's Apprentice, where a retired Sherlock Holmes takes a young woman under his wing. For a classic, Josephine Tey's The Daughter of Time is about a police detective laid up in the hospital who finds himself researching Richard III; it's not what you would call action packed, but it certainly is a fascinating mystery.

FnordChan

Neffarias_Bredd · Feb 1, 2012

Finished

...It was a little hard to get through but I enjoyed it a lot. Weird genre, not quite cyber or steam punk, but something that would come after it. I had it recommended to me by a friend, and I didn't realize Snow Crash took place before it(?) so I definitely have to read that next.

I'm currently reading

which most definitely is cyber-punk and is super awesome. It was also a little hard to read at first but once I got Gibson's style down I was hooked. Only about halfway through but I can't wait to read more.

kittens · Feb 1, 2012

Up next: The Collected Fiction of Nella Larsen.

Buckethead · Feb 1, 2012

Nothing.

Starting A Clash of Kings next week

backflip10019 · Feb 1, 2012

Just finished:

Just started:

The Atticus · Feb 1, 2012

Currently reading five books. Some I purchased months back, but haven't got round to reading them. The others are just from peruzzing Amazon on a late night.

Ken Kesey's One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby

Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray

Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness

Plato's The Republic

Will post impressions once I've finished reading through all of them.

RatskyWatsky · Feb 1, 2012

Qwomo · Feb 2, 2012

remist said:
Any recommendations for the best Wodehouse story to start with?

I'm not too sure because I've only just started reading him and I was also pretty familiar with Jeeves & Wooster beforehand, but this is the book I got and it does the job just fine. Although if you have an ereader, it looks like you can't beat this.

Maklershed · Feb 2, 2012

After much debating on what to read I went with FnordChan's recommendation

It by Stephen King

Mumei · Feb 2, 2012

Erico said:
Finished Moby Dick (finally). Great, great read except for all the chapters about whale physiology and phylogeny. Though the dry wit of the narrator made those sections enjoyable, too.

Starting Haruki Murakami's Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World

... I love that cover.

I'm still reading Richard Dawkins' The Ancestor's Tale

After that, I think I'll finish Blankets

Deified Data · Feb 2, 2012

Still reading Iron Council by China Mieville.

It's slow going. Definitely the worst in the Bas Lag series, but I'm finishing it out of duty to the previous two.

Jarlaxle · Feb 2, 2012

Keen said:
Finished The White-Luck Warrior last night

What did you think of it?

As for me, I'm moving through this after having finished Tigana last month:

brianjones · Feb 2, 2012

smokeandmirrors · Feb 2, 2012

I'll third this:

Gotten through the first three in the last two months betixt work and classes. Relatively pleased and a little upset I hadn't discovered the series before.

JLG- · Feb 2, 2012

I finished reading An Apple for Zoe
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10644437-an-apple-for-zo

It was a wild ride. It had me hooked can't wait for the next book.

Haven't decided on my next read yet.

Heel · Feb 2, 2012

Still plodding through Neuromancer. Over half way done now...haven't found it very gripping so far. Seems to be building towards an event that will be interesting to see unfold, though.

"The Straylight Run"

Grady Durden · Feb 2, 2012

ultron87 said:
Need even 20% in yet because I'm reading it super slow. It isn't really grabbing me so far. : /

I stuck through it and enjoyed it in the end.

MegaKungFuRadio · Feb 2, 2012

For some reason, reading the first few books of the Dresden files made me think of Dirk Gently, so I decided to finally read the first book and reread the second. Reading them not only reminded me of how much I love Douglas Adams, but where my sense of humor came from, so I see no reason to stop here and will probably crack open my untouched copy of Salmon of Doubt next, and maybe reread the Hitchhiker "trilogy".

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