encephalon
Member
About 40% of the way into 1Q84 the "fantasy" is starting to become a bit disturbing.
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What are you reading? (July 2012)
- Thread starter Maklershed
- Start date
Emerson
May contain jokes =>
While I'm thinking about it, I thought I'd ask for recommendations on something I've been craving.
Can anybody recommend me any genuinely good, well-written mystery novels (preferably murder-mystery) with good twists/surprises? Not just fun pulp mystery, but something that actually stands up to critical reading?
Can anybody recommend me any genuinely good, well-written mystery novels (preferably murder-mystery) with good twists/surprises? Not just fun pulp mystery, but something that actually stands up to critical reading?
bengraven
Member
Sequel to Leviathan Wake. Pretty decent so far and way more tightly narrated than the previous book.
I want to read this, but his writing is so schizophrenic.
I recently started
But gave up after a few chapters due to intense boredom and some confusion over characters, too many too fast. Trying to decide if I will give it another go later.
I have never really gotten into the epic fantasy genre before, but this came highly recommended by a friend who has a lot of similar reading interests as me. I just finished it and loved it.
Just started the sequel
The Wise Man's Fear
But gave up after a few chapters due to intense boredom and some confusion over characters, too many too fast. Trying to decide if I will give it another go later.
I have never really gotten into the epic fantasy genre before, but this came highly recommended by a friend who has a lot of similar reading interests as me. I just finished it and loved it.
Just started the sequel
The Wise Man's Fear
I just finished Bone 4 The Dragonslayer by Jeff Smith
I'm at the beginning of The Pragmatic Programmer: From Journeyman to Master by Andrew Hunt and David Thomas.
It's been pretty good so far, but I've taken a break from it to read....
Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal by Christopher Moore
I'm at the beginning of The Pragmatic Programmer: From Journeyman to Master by Andrew Hunt and David Thomas.
It's been pretty good so far, but I've taken a break from it to read....
Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal by Christopher Moore
nakedsushi
Member
I recently started
But gave up after a few chapters due to intense boredom and some confusion over characters, too many too fast. Trying to decide if I will give it another go later.
Keep going. The beginning is really hard to keep up with because he drops you in media res and uses terminology he completely made up just for these books, but once you kind of get a sense of what's going on, it gets exciting. I think the payoff at the end is worth it.
I'm at the beginning of The Pragmatic Programmer: From Journeyman to Master by Andrew Hunt and David Thomas.
That's a great general programming book. I like that it's not about a specific language, or even teaches you hard programming skills. More like best practices and how to organize and think about your code. We make every new developer we hire read it.
It's a technique where a book drops you into the middle of events, rather than starting at the beginning.
FilthyLies
Member
Very, very common literary technique- you'll see it all over the place if you're looking. Especially opening chapters where the main character is reminiscing about long past events, then the narrative jumps back and starts again.
Anyways. Just finished
Good read, really hit home for me as I just finished up a relationship with a suicidally depressed woman- Murakami nails the affect and makes a terribly beautiful novel. A Murakami without surrealism is actually a bit strange itself, but this is a worthwhile novel. I'd like to one day read the Birnbaum translation, but it seems quite rare. Watched about 30 minutes of the film on Netflix, not sure how well it's going to translate, but willing to see it through to the end. At least we got his rad poster out of the affair.
Interesting little Kerouac novel. Read it for a class on the Beats, certainly a good novel to try and dive further into the period and the group. The Buddhism is shallow but there's a good story and good moments, and a sense of melancholia and learning within the rocket-speed prose.
Trying to knock out some of DFW's essays and short stories currently, probably head on to more Murakami after this. His dreamy surrealism seems a great fit for summer.
lol
Finally finished the scar, now to finish up legacy of kings and then on to starship destination. Might read the Mongoliad as well.
anonymous_abc
Member
its f'ing hilarious,
i sit in bed in the evening giggling away ^^
gotta love Terry Pratchett
Halfway through this book and I'm enjoying it immensely. It was a bit slow to start but once it picked up I can't really put it down. Love Neil Gaiman's work!
I came here to post exactly this. I'm even halfway through the book....well, 45% according to my kindle.
After this, I'm moving on to Connie Willis's Doomsday Book:
Oh....almost forgot, I just finished The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco for a history class I'm taking. It's a decent murder mystery if you don't mind 14th century monks and around 200 of the 500+ pages of the book being a history lesson while the rest is plot.
I finished Prince of Thorns this morning, I enjoyed it quite a bit. It's not great, but it was a really easy read and had some interesting twists I look forward to reading the sequel.
Not sure what I'm going to read next. I have the Wind-up girl sitting half finished, so I'll probably attempt to slog through that.
One of his finest books, if you haven't already you should read Reaper man and Thief of Time after it.
Not sure what I'm going to read next. I have the Wind-up girl sitting half finished, so I'll probably attempt to slog through that.
its f'ing hilarious,
i sit in bed in the evening giggling away ^^
gotta love Terry Pratchett
One of his finest books, if you haven't already you should read Reaper man and Thief of Time after it.
Maklershed
Member
The foreword is written by Jesus.
Good choice, friend.
Awesome Animals
Member
Help me, I am ashamed. I haven't read anything since forever. I want to get into reading. So, I bought a Kindle, can you guys recommend me something to read.
I'll be on holiday for 11 days so something I can read while lazing by the pool.
Out of two genres; I was thinking (maybe because I'm playing Alan Wake and really into to it atm) a Horror or maybe a fantasy/sci fi...
I just want something "fun" to read
If you want a book that will pull at your emotions, try 'Pillars of the Earth' by Ken Follett I don't know anyone who I've gotten to read that book who doesn't love it.
Awesome Animals
Member
I have a kindle, and a 'new' iPad, and I've recently began reading on my iPad more than my kindle. I would get eye strain in college all the time from reading off a computer for hours, but reading off my iPad has been pretty easy. No problems at all. My poor kindle
twisteddeeds
Member
finished
onto
onto
Can the twists and surprises be about how twisted the morals of the main character are and how you're surprised that he can function with that much booze in him? Because, let me tell you, Don't Point That Thing At Me by Kyril Bonfiglioli is tremendously entertaining and definitely more than just a pulp novel, though it does have fun in spades.
Alternately, for something more serious (but certainly not conventional), Josephine Tey's The Daughter of Time is a bona fide classic about a detective laid up in the hospital who finds himself researching Richard III. If you like that and want more from Tey, follow it up with The Singing Sands.
I've been curious to read at least some of this ever since I became a fan of Neal Stephenson's The Big U.
FnordChan
Mackenzie 92
Member
Head of Vengarl
Banned
I finished this on Tuesday:
And yesterday my mom went to the library and brought this home for me:
Really cool of her, considering she's pretty religious.
And yesterday my mom went to the library and brought this home for me:
Really cool of her, considering she's pretty religious.
Weirdly enough, God is Not Great is the book that made me no longer identify as an atheist.And yesterday my mom went to the library and brought this home for me:
Really cool of her, considering she's pretty religious.
DOBERMAN INC
Member
I meant to start it forever ago and my brother swears by it. Hope it delivers.
the mom clearly has a secret plan.
Freeza Under The Shower
Member
Ah, so that's where the thesis comes from. I was wondering a bit about that.
I finished this on Tuesday:
Your judgement?
Emerson
May contain jokes =>
Thanks for those mystery recommendations above, I've added them to my reading list on Goodreads. Still open to more from others though!
Being about a hundred pages in now I'd definitely recommend it. Haven't read any other Russo but likely will in the future now. I've heard from a few sources that this book is hilarious or some other similar word, but I've not laughed out loud. It's very droll really. I'm also really enjoying Russo's writing. This book specifically has a lot of instances that one might point to as examples of poor writing or characterization, but to me it's all obviously due to the central character being a sociopath and his views coloring the world we're seeing through him.
Being about a hundred pages in now I'd definitely recommend it. Haven't read any other Russo but likely will in the future now. I've heard from a few sources that this book is hilarious or some other similar word, but I've not laughed out loud. It's very droll really. I'm also really enjoying Russo's writing. This book specifically has a lot of instances that one might point to as examples of poor writing or characterization, but to me it's all obviously due to the central character being a sociopath and his views coloring the world we're seeing through him.
dear god...
SerArthurDayne
Member
Is this a Fry "I see what you did there" moment?
Or legitimately bad structure and/or editing complaint?
Regarding Daniel Abraham, I read and really enjoyed his first series, the Long Price Quartet. I thought the Dragon's Path was pretty mediocre, and just started the King's Blood. Hopefully I will like this one better.
Head of Vengarl
Banned
Because it was too hateful? Not judging you, just wondering. Do you identify as an agnostic now, for the reasons Neil deGrasse Tyson gave?
Heheheh. Now that's some chess-like strategy.
The first 1/3rd of the book had me bursting into fits of laughter numerous times. Then it started to get super repetitive he goes out with friends, gets shitfaced, acts like an asshole, and does something stupid/crazy/funny but it still had me laughing occasionally. I had never heard of Tucker Max before getting this book, but apparently that's what he's famous for. It did its job as an easy read, but after the first half of the book you'll never need to read another one of his stories again.
TLDR: Easy read, good for the bathroom. Hilarious at times, but gets very repetitive. Try to see if your library has it, or borrow from a friend, because there's no need to buy it.
disappeared
Banned
Halfway through The Sun Also Rises.
I can't believe he wrote that novel in his mid-twenties. It makes me want to get off my ass and finally compile all the shit I've been working on over the last fifteen years.
I can't believe he wrote that novel in his mid-twenties. It makes me want to get off my ass and finally compile all the shit I've been working on over the last fifteen years.
rainking187
Member
Just read Empire State. I thought it was alright.
The book had so many double crosses that by the end I didn't know who I should actually be rooting for.
I'm on a gigantic sci-fi binge and have been loving it.
First I read The Forever War, which really lended it's sparse and detail-less writing style to it's surroundings. Loved the hell out of it, but it was only the beginning.
Currently about 60% into Starship Troopers but I've put it down for my next book. It's similar, but not as cut and dry as Forever War, which I liked more so far.
And right now I'm knee deep in Snow Crash and really digging it. After hearing that Hiro is in talks to be played by Keanu Reeves thats the only way I can picture him now, and I don't really mind. I'm like 1/4 into it right now and I'm sure the plot will pick up, but reading about the Metaverse and all that good stuff has been cool so far.
My kindle has made it waaay too easy to buy things, for instance right now I have the following on the back burner: Red Mars, The Longships, Homocide: Life on the Streets, Skagboys, Cloud Atlas, and The Last Wish.
First I read The Forever War, which really lended it's sparse and detail-less writing style to it's surroundings. Loved the hell out of it, but it was only the beginning.
Currently about 60% into Starship Troopers but I've put it down for my next book. It's similar, but not as cut and dry as Forever War, which I liked more so far.
And right now I'm knee deep in Snow Crash and really digging it. After hearing that Hiro is in talks to be played by Keanu Reeves thats the only way I can picture him now, and I don't really mind. I'm like 1/4 into it right now and I'm sure the plot will pick up, but reading about the Metaverse and all that good stuff has been cool so far.
My kindle has made it waaay too easy to buy things, for instance right now I have the following on the back burner: Red Mars, The Longships, Homocide: Life on the Streets, Skagboys, Cloud Atlas, and The Last Wish.
Canis lupus
Member
Een kleine geschiedenis van bijna alles - Bill Bryson
PhoenixSFT
Member
Yeah, that book is just weird. There were parts I absolutely enjoyed reading, and most of it was the slice-of-life type stuff, and then there were the sections where I wish I had a masters degree in mythology to even understand what the hell was going on and who was who.
PhoenixSFT
Member
Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal by Christopher Moore
I love this book! I wish I had that copy though, it looks great.
Ethereal Ardor
Banned
Enlightening.