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What are you reading? (July 2012)
- Thread starter Maklershed
- Start date
Awesome Animals
Member
Found this by accident and bought it out of curiosity. Just started, so can't really comment on the quality yet.
I've heard good things about it. I haven't read it, but, as an Archer fan, I really want to.
Finally started reading Endymion:
I hope it is as good as the previous books.
It's good! Perhaps not as impressive as the preceding books, but still a fun read.
Drinking game: take a shot every time you see the word "gossamer" in this book.
Maklershed
Member
One doesn't dissect gossamer.
I LOVE Speaker for the Dead and Children of the Mind as well. Don't expect them to be like Ender's Game and you will probably enjoy them.
edit: Xenocide too, almost forgot. I did really love the whole series but can understand why others don't. It gets very philosophical and becomes a moral thinker with less and less action and sci fi as it goes.
Mackenzie 92
Member
Speaker was great, but after that the books get worse and worse. Children of the mind jumps ship completely and comes off like bad fan fiction.
Bean's Saga isn't too bad.
AngmarsKing701
Member
I am about 2/3 of the way through Pandora's Star by Peter Hamilton. I started it in January.
I hope to have it done before Joe Abercrombie's new book comes out in November.
I used to read 20+ books per year and this year I might only finish one.
Spending too much time on GAF, I guess.
I hope to have it done before Joe Abercrombie's new book comes out in November.
I used to read 20+ books per year and this year I might only finish one.
Spending too much time on GAF, I guess.
Mackenzie 92
Member
Great book. Judas Unchained is awesome too.
Also didn't know Abercrombie's next book was that soon.
Damn, that looks and sounds awesome. Also has a pub date of OCT 23 so maybe it got bumped up.
What does gossamer mean in the context of this novel?
I am not reading Endymion in English. I went to the library to start reading the Malazan series, but since they only have the first two books I have decided to finish the Hyperion Cantos.
The library only has a handful of English books, mostly not interesting to me.
Does anyone know if there is a Malazan complete series on bookdepisotory.com?
Or maybe I should acquire Revelation Space after this?
The library has the complete Mars trilogy, any thoughts on that? Is it good?
p.s.: Is it worth reading Fire Upon Deep? I have started it a few months ago, but I cannot get over the dog like aliens. Or maybe it is the translation...
It's nothing important, just an adjective Simmons must have been hung up on at the time. That word is the main thing I remember from that book, so I have a (probably wrong) impression in my mind that it was used all the time.
CleverGirl
Neo Member
It (American Gods) gets hate? I was always under the impression that it was a well recieved novel by readers and critics alike. Anyways I finished last week and I loved it through and through. The beginning was a bit slow but it really picked up halfway through and it was just nonstop fun from there imo. I had to stop and look up some of the mythological names on wikipedia along the way but I enjoyed that
Is Anansi Boys worth checking out?
I loved American Gods. But then I'm a big mythology buff. Also I am in the middle of Anansi Boys, and am liking it too. Although it is a little more...frustrating to me than Gods was.
Also just finished this and thought it was great! Apparently we do come with instruction manuals!
Mackenzie 92
Member
I had the same problem with Fire Upon the Deep, but a lot of people rave about it here, so I may try it again at some point.
Mars Trilogy bored me to tears, but I didn't even make it past the first installment, so no idea if it gets better. But it's very technical, and wordy and a little dated, imo.
LoL, my thoughts exactly.
It is hard SF, that is why I am asking. I suppose hard sf is either very good or incredibly boring. Thanks for the input.
TY.
EDIT: I like this video of D. Simmons talking about Sci-Fi movies and the adaptation of books into movies (Hyperion in this case):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YpQXu1sX6IA&feature=relmfu
Skip to 5:00
Freeza Under The Shower
Member
Also just finished this and thought it was great! Apparently we do come with instruction manuals!
She is called 'Moran' and nobody at the publisher saw any problem with that name?
wow (I have no idea who she is btw)
Mgoblue201
Won't stop picking the right nation
CleverGirl
Neo Member
Are you suggesting that an author's name should be changed because some people might make fun of them for it? Wow indeed.
Also she's apparently a very well known columnist in England.
Fairly well known yes.
Can someone recommend me the most readable book ever? The shorter the better. The better written, the er better.
edit: I just noticed the two people being quoted on the book: claudia Winkleman and Jonathan Ross. They being TV personalities are probably a lot more well know than Moran. << sounds wrong to call her anything but Caitlin Moran. o.0 And I had to google to see if she was ever on tv, and it seems my memory isn't as rubbish this week as it normally is. woot¬!
Freeza Under The Shower
Member
Half in jest, though.
Lamel
Banned
finished Huckleberry Finn; it was a really fun novel, and I liked the characters of Huck and Jim. Tom Sawyer was started pissing me off in the end, he is just too extravagant, but it made for a great story.
Also, I hate how people say this book is racist. That's the point, it is showing life in those times.
One thing I didn't understand though, so maybe one of you can help me.
Just started The Republic by Plato. Don't really know what to expect from this, but it seems good so far.
Also, I hate how people say this book is racist. That's the point, it is showing life in those times.
One thing I didn't understand though, so maybe one of you can help me.
When Huck and Jim started sailing on the raft, they started going north right? Then they thought they missed Cairo and decided to go back south until they ran into the King and the Duke. How far south did they exactly go, and why? Did they pass St. Petersburg again on the way down south? The navigation in the story kind of irks me.
Just started The Republic by Plato. Don't really know what to expect from this, but it seems good so far.
I finished reading Changeless (pretty fun, in need of editing) and have also read William Blake's Songs of Innocence and of Experience, though I still have all of the commentary to read.
I love William Blake's poetry. There's something about a lot of them that speaks to me. I had forgotten that The Tyger is one of the poems. It was the poem I memorized for my eighth grade English class, and I still remembered most of it. I was actually introduced to a lot of these from Oe Kenzaburo's Rouse Up O Young Men Of the New Age, which used stanzas from the Songs as (I guess one way to put it) a way of understanding events in his life and framing them.
While The Wire is my favorite television show and I haven't even seen Homicide, I would suggest starting with Homicide because it probably isn't as good (and so going from it to The Wire will be an improvement, rather than a downgrade), Homicide came first anyway, and Homicide seems like the thing to watch if you liked the book.
I love William Blake's poetry. There's something about a lot of them that speaks to me. I had forgotten that The Tyger is one of the poems. It was the poem I memorized for my eighth grade English class, and I still remembered most of it. I was actually introduced to a lot of these from Oe Kenzaburo's Rouse Up O Young Men Of the New Age, which used stanzas from the Songs as (I guess one way to put it) a way of understanding events in his life and framing them.
While The Wire is my favorite television show and I haven't even seen Homicide, I would suggest starting with Homicide because it probably isn't as good (and so going from it to The Wire will be an improvement, rather than a downgrade), Homicide came first anyway, and Homicide seems like the thing to watch if you liked the book.
Got a bit into I HOTEL by Karen Tei Yamashita.
It's been very enjoyable so far. The first chapter was a whirlwind juxtaposition of a young Chinese man dealing with the death of his father/legacy, the chaos surrounding the civil rights movement after MLK's assassination, and the conflict in Vietnam--and it all worked well. Gotta keep reading.
Blue Blood by Edward Conlon.
Thanks Dres.
Mgoblue201
Won't stop picking the right nation
The introduction to my own copy of Huck Finn indicates that this point in the story represents a literary turn in the narrative, when Twain set aside the novel for two years and, upon returning, decided to abandon the previous structure he had established. The sudden and unannounced change in the story reflects this trend. However, I don't quite remember the precise sequences of events that preceded the meeting with the King and the Duke, so I can't help you there, but it probably doesn't matter too much either.
terrdactycalsrock
Member
Amazing book. Looking for more in its vein. IRL Police Procedurals, anybody got recommendations?
Debating whether to start watching Homicide or start watching The Wire...
I think you would want to pick up a copy of tokyo vice its about an american who move japan and becomes a reporter, and works with all of the criminal on goings in Tokyo and the surrounding area. Its a true story and there is a kindle version. Oh and its written by Jake Adelstein
DieUnbekannte
Member
I finished Jasper Ffordes "well of lost plots". I really liked the first and second book of his Thursday Next series. They were funny, interesting and had a lot of good ideas. Unfortunatelly I missed all of those things in his third book. Despite the fact that I had problems finishing "well of lost plots" I'm really looking forward to the next one.
Currently I'm reading a german book: "Hiobs Brüder" from Rebecca Gablé:
Currently I'm reading a german book: "Hiobs Brüder" from Rebecca Gablé:
Lamel
Banned
Okay that map clarifies a lot.
so they had to go south to go "north and be free", I understand now. However why did they continue on to go south once they passed Cairo?
Also, as it is Ramadan, reading the holy book again.
The Holy Quran - God
D
Deleted member 1235
Unconfirmed Member
DieUnbekannte
Member
Found this book on a blog and immediately put it on my reading list. I'm really interested in your opinion when you've finished reading it.
Blake'sGrave
Member
My Summer reading list always ends up with me reading too many at once:
On the Road by Jack Kerouac
The Ripening Seed by Colette
various Shakespeare plays (for uni)
just finished American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis
Scott Fitzgerald's short stories
On the Road by Jack Kerouac
The Ripening Seed by Colette
various Shakespeare plays (for uni)
just finished American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis
Scott Fitzgerald's short stories
TinMachine
Neo Member
Just finished Dan Simmons «The Rise of Enymion», starting on «Summer of Night» this evening. The Hyperion Cantos was such an entertaining read from start to finish.
what gender are you looking for?
D
Deleted member 1235
Unconfirmed Member
i'm almost done with the first book and will pick up the sequel. it's very interesting in that the english warlocks are completely unlikeable and pretty much about as rotten as the german characters in the sense that (will put it in spoilers, but I think what I'm spoilering is written in the book description/back cover)
there is a very high price for their magic, arguably worse than what the germans are up to
I'd say give it a go, i'm quite interested to see how it finishes up, should get it done tonight I think.
British Monsoon
Member
Finished reading Grass by Sheri Tepper;
Thoroughly enjoyed this one, just a very inventive and unique science-fiction fantasy setting, an intriguing story and some excellent characters. It drags somewhat in the later third, but never outstayed its welcome.
And now I'm reading Prince of Thorns;
Thoroughly enjoyed this one, just a very inventive and unique science-fiction fantasy setting, an intriguing story and some excellent characters. It drags somewhat in the later third, but never outstayed its welcome.
And now I'm reading Prince of Thorns;
ClosingADoor
Member
Finished Earth Abides. Very good book, the ending was a little weak, but overall a good read.
Now onto The City & The City.
Has an interesting setting. There are two cities that share the same geographical location, but they live totally seperate. So if you live in one, you have no contact with people from the other, even when some of them might be living in the house next to you. You have to 'unsee' them. If you don't, you are in Breach and that's a major crime. Very fun, 100 pages in now.
Now onto The City & The City.
Has an interesting setting. There are two cities that share the same geographical location, but they live totally seperate. So if you live in one, you have no contact with people from the other, even when some of them might be living in the house next to you. You have to 'unsee' them. If you don't, you are in Breach and that's a major crime. Very fun, 100 pages in now.
Maklershed
Member
Started up two new books ...
Kindle
Bleak House by Charles Dickens
Hard copy
Skeletons on the Zahara: A True Story of Survival by Dean King
Kindle
Bleak House by Charles Dickens
Hard copy
Skeletons on the Zahara: A True Story of Survival by Dean King