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Maklershed · Jun 1, 2011

Maklershed · Jun 1, 2011

Thread here: http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?p=28983370#post28983370

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Past month threads:
June - The Happiness Project
May - A Visit From the Goon Squad
April - The Afghan Campaign
March - Stranger in a Strange Land
February - Flashman
January - Child 44

Zaraki_Kenpachi · Jun 1, 2011

Just finished Fellowship of the rings and just started the Two towers. First time ever reading LOTR.

survivor · Jun 1, 2011

About 100 pages in Norwegian Wood. I never knew I can get so much reading done on the bus. Anyway, it's good book. Plus I needed something different after only reading fantasy books for the past year.

Maklershed · Jun 1, 2011

Still working on The Dragonbone Chair

The Dragonbone Chair by Tad Williams

Salazar · Jun 1, 2011

My second Newbury and Hobbes mystery. The first, The Affinity Bridge, was pretty fucking good. Nothing very sophisticated, but well-made.

This is good stuff.

opticalmace · Jun 1, 2011

Just started this. My second Asimov book ever. I have a feeling I'm going to be reading a lot of his books (read my first Asimov a couple days ago).

Kraftwerk · Jun 1, 2011

The Culture Novels are disgustingly brilliant.

chiba · Jun 1, 2011

opticalmace said:
Just started this. My second Asimov book ever. I have a feeling I'm going to be reading a lot of his books (read my first Asimov a couple days ago).

Nice, just started this two days ago. My second Asimov book too(I Robot being first). Really loving it so far.

Finished The Windup Girl last week(sorry, no cover). One of the most memorable books I've read in awhile. The story itself wasn't the greatest, but the world he crafted and the characters make up for it. I highly recommend it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Windup_Girl

besada · Jun 1, 2011

I'm re-reading ASoIaF in preparation for the new book. When I'm done, I'll be reading some Jeff VanderMeer as a palate cleanser.

Goody · Jun 1, 2011

So, Swamplandia!

I'm about 100 pages in. I'm really having a hard time staying interested. I just don't give a crap about what's going on in this book right now. I think after reading Yonder Stands Your Orphan, which was also a little tedious, and Postcards, which was a bit of a long book, I'm having a bit of trouble with this one. Normally, I'd just push through, but I'm really debating putting this one down and reading something else.

SolKane · Jun 1, 2011

I see the Mr. T image was fixed (missed it in the May topic).

BrokenFiction · Jun 1, 2011

Still finishing up The Wolf Age, which is just so fantastic I'm going to be sad to conclude it.

Can't decide what to read next, though. Here's the short pile:

BrokenFiction · Jun 1, 2011

Oh, and if there are any fans of Brent Weeks' Night Angel Trilogy out there, don't forget that he drops a new Durzo Blint novella on June 1st (tomorrow). It's eBook only, as far as I know.

The Amazon link is here for the Kindle version. The NOOK version is here.

I preordered, so I'm just counting down until midnight.

Zekes! · Jun 1, 2011

Right now I'm reading:

Soon I'll be reading:

Also I always carry around Haruki's Murakami's after the quake for short reading sessions such as when I'm on the bus:

Monocle · Jun 1, 2011

The Road by Cormac McCarthy. Got the film adaptation on Blu-ray thanks to Blockbuster's sale, and I've had the book for a while. Looking forward to my super double decker post-apocalyptic heart-wrench-a-thon.

Just finished The Urth of the New Sun by Gene Wolfe, which I'd somehow overlooked before now. AMAZING. Totally justifies the four volume trek through The Book of the New Sun with platinum-grade jerkface Severian. (That prong.) What a series! I need to reread the whole thing now after all those crazy revelations.

Got a kickass edition of The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam with three translations from Amazon. So awesome.

I've been skimming The End of Science by John Horgan, which isn't as ludicrous or hyperbolic as it sounds. I found it in a library while I was looking for something else. Loads of fascinating bite-sized interviews with some serious rocks stars of science and philosophy, including Stephen Hawking, Daniel Dennett, Richard Dawkins, Karl Popper, and Paul Feyerabend.

Lastly, I've sort of been reading Oscar Wilde essays while brushing my teeth, because standing in front of the mirror like a knob for five minutes feels like a waste of time (as opposed to posting about it on GAF, lol).

My backlog could crush a bear. I'm going to force myself not to look at any new books until I've done something about this. If books were seeds the stacks on my desk alone could save the fucking rainforest.

senahorse · Jun 1, 2011

edit: oops posted the wrong book

Just finished:

So I have just started:

Amazing series thus far, hype redeemed

.

Lafiel · Jun 1, 2011

Why would you read a feast of crows without reading a storm of swords first?

senahorse · Jun 1, 2011

brain fart lol, copied from a post in may without checking...

MacGurcules · Jun 1, 2011

I'm just wrapping up that Hunger Games joint that everyone's been talking about. First book was pretty decent, the subsequent books then kinda proceed to wring the whole love triangle thing pretty dry. Shoulda stopped at the first one.

Following that up, a few buddies and I just started up a weekly book club to read through those Twilight books to see if they're as awful as everyone says. I haven't read any of them or seen any of the movies but I've heard stories. Should be a pretty awesomebad time. I'm gonna be taking notes.

Fjordson · Jun 1, 2011

Whoa, xn305, put that book down! I'm guessing you just grabbed the wrong picture and meant to put Storm of Swords in there. That post just reminds me how badly I need Dance With Dragons.

Edit: Ah, nevermind. Enjoy Feast!
---

Posted at the end of May's thread, but currently reading The Big Nowhere by James Ellroy. Already 3/4 of the way through. Really, really good. Perfect supplementary material after beating L.A. Noire. Before that I read Storm Front from the Dresden Files series. Didn't really like that one. Highly doubt I'll be picking up any other entries.

Also, quick question for any Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy fans. I consider myself a big sci-fi fan, but have ashamedly never read any of these books. Has anyone gone through the Kindle collection? Called "The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy". Is that all I'll need?

senahorse · Jun 1, 2011

Haha I am reading the right order (just a mistaken image copy), I just read about (BIG BOOK 3 SPOILER INCOMING)

Littlefinger pushing you know who out of you know where

DrMungo · Jun 1, 2011

Infinite Jest is my project, punctuated by Dance Dance Dance by Murakami. Thank good for my nook, because Infinite Jest is a monster of a book.

MacGurcules · Jun 1, 2011

Fjordson said:
Before that I read Storm Front from the Dresden Files series. Didn't really like that one. Highly doubt I'll be picking up any other entries.

I kinda like the Dresden books as filler. They're chewy and dumb and completely transparent in their serial pulp crap nature. I hear they get better after the fourth or fifth one.

Lissar · Jun 1, 2011

MacGurcules said:
Following that up, a few buddies and I just started up a weekly book club to read through those Twilight books to see if they're as awful as everyone says. I haven't read any of them or seen any of the movies but I've heard stories. Should be a pretty awesomebad time. I'm gonna be taking notes.

First one is hilarious bad, second one is bad bad, but I didn't get beyond that one because even the thought of reading any more of the series made my brain melt out my ears.

First one is worth it for the laughs though.

Currently I'm going through my backlog of half finished books. Most of these books I stopped reading because I just weren't enjoying them (like MetaGame, which I just finished today... yikes, don't even want to talk about that one.) It drives me nuts to have unfinished books though, so I'm trying my best.

Also reading Mirror Kingdoms by Peter S. Beagle (a short story collection of his.) So good.

BanShunsaku · Jun 1, 2011

Still working on:

51Mn3ZTVVML._SL500_AA266_PIkin3,BottomRight,-17,34_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg

About 75% through, and overall I am enjoying it, but what is with all the rape in these books? The scene where

Renna is beaten and raped by her father

made me want to smash my Kindle.

XeroSauce · Jun 1, 2011

I know, I know. But it itches the dystopia itch very nicely.

Last 1/3 of the book was kinda meh but the first bits

with the Capital and the 13 Districts

is pretty cool.

BertramCooper · Jun 1, 2011

Will watch the TV series once I'm done.

MacGurcules said:
Following that up, a few buddies and I just started up a weekly book club to read through those Twilight books to see if they're as awful as everyone says. I haven't read any of them or seen any of the movies but I've heard stories. Should be a pretty awesomebad time. I'm gonna be taking notes.

My sister bet me $100 that I couldn't finish them.

I got about 150 pages into the first book before giving up. It's the worst excuse for literature I've ever read. The writing is completely inept; it's like it got published without ever seeing an editor.

relaxor · Jun 1, 2011

About halfway through this, really enjoying it so far. It was a smart decision on Eggers' part to place the reader behind somebody so confident and kind as Zeitoun, it makes the whole apocalypse more relatable and empathetic. It is a drama on people scale, difficult, horrible, but real. I am really impressed by it so far, I haven't read any Eggers since Heartbreaking Work which I know means I have missed all his apparently recent successes. I was really turned off by that book at the time but after this I'll probably go back and read at least What is the What

I've read this before but just finished it again. It's great easy classic nonfiction, much of it written during the Second World War, which Orwell is convinced will necessitate a Socialist revolution in the United Kingdom. As I read it again I was struck by how little "relatable" prose I've read from WWII, it's either numbing Holocaust accounts, drama/intrigue semi fiction or just war books. This one is interesting because it reads and feels like a conversation with the man, or many normal dudes like him, in the conflict.

Fjordson · Jun 1, 2011

MacGurcules said:
I kinda like the Dresden books as filler. They're chewy and dumb and completely transparent in their serial pulp crap nature. I hear they get better after the fourth or fifth one.

Ah, really? Damn. Might have to not give up so quick then. I don't know what it was about the first one that didn't click with me. Everything felt really...generic? For lack of a better term. Even though the premise is somewhat unique, the individual pieces just seemed very rote. Like I had seen all of the major story beats and characters in other genres and Butcher just rounded 'em all up and dropped them into modern day Chicago.

LocoMrPollock · Jun 1, 2011

Finished The Hunger Games Trilogy over the weekend, not really sure what to start next. Kind of thinking about something post-apocalyptic but can't seem to find anything that sounds interesting since I've read most of the big ones.

Can anyone recommend some good historical fiction?

meadowrag · Jun 1, 2011

I just finished Fathers and Sons by Turgenev.
That book is truly art in the highest sense of the word. He writes with such graceful subtlety.

I guess I might start A Hero of Our Time by Lermontov next.

SolKane · Jun 1, 2011

meadowrag said:
I just finished Fathers and Sons by Turgenev.
That book is truly art in the highest sense of the word. He writes with such graceful subtlety.

I guess I might start A Hero of Our Time by Lermontov next.

Read the Nabokov translation, it has excellent footnotes and a great introduction.

Lissar · Jun 1, 2011

BertramCooper said:
Neverwhere

Will watch the TV series once I'm done.

Probably my favorite Gaiman book. Even did a series of paintings based on it. It gave me such vivid imagery.

Tapiozona · Jun 1, 2011

Finally caught up on all my other series where I can read this...

I've always been a huge fan of that cover. Spiney dude looks so badass.

JaseMath · Jun 1, 2011

Probably going to start reading this in the next week or so. Hope it's good...heard good things anyway.

Drewsky · Jun 1, 2011

Just started this. It's okay so far.

J-Roderton · Jun 1, 2011

The Hobbit. I've never finished it. Working on it as we speak.

XeroSauce · Jun 1, 2011

LocoMrPollock said:
Finished The Hunger Games Trilogy over the weekend, not really sure what to start next. Kind of thinking about something post-apocalyptic but can't seem to find anything that sounds interesting since I've read most of the big ones.

Can anyone recommend some good historical fiction?

Would you reccommend the second and third book of the Hunger trilogy? I finishe the first but I didn't enjoy the ending at all. I fear that it moves away from the dystopia theme later.

movie_club · Jun 1, 2011

I just finished this:

It was ok...I dont know. I just dont like Philip K. Dicks writing as much as his ideas.

About to read my first foray into Joyce:

Ashes · Jun 1, 2011

Going to have to read Dubliners sooner or later. Maybe this month or the next.

UltimaKilo · Jun 1, 2011

Kinda just started reading both. I think I'll drop one depending on which I like better.

Nappuccino · Jun 1, 2011

Reading The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo...

I have no idea why. Lisbeth has been the only semi interesting thing about this book so far.

chiba · Jun 1, 2011

Fjordson said:
Also, quick question for any Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy fans. I consider myself a big sci-fi fan, but have ashamedly never read any of these books. Has anyone gone through the Kindle collection? Called "The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy". Is that all I'll need?

I have that on kindle. Awesome collection for that price. It has the original five books by Adams and a short story he wrote so you should be good to go. It doesn't include And Another Thing... which is the 2009 sequel not written by Adams, haven't read that so no clue if its any good.

disappeared · Jun 1, 2011

Just finished McCarthy's The Road tonight. Truly a masterpiece.

Granger Danger · Jun 1, 2011

TestMonkey · Jun 1, 2011

I also picked up Return of the Crimson Guard since it got printed to mass market paperback. Any recommendations on when I should read the Esselmont stuff?

fredrancour · Jun 1, 2011

TestMonkey said:
I also picked up Return of the Crimson Guard since it got printed to mass market paperback. Any recommendations on when I should read the Esselmont stuff?

Just finished Gardens of the moon (first of this series to anybody reading the thread who doesn't know) yesterday. I'm severely tempted to run out and get the next one, but I wanna go through some more of the books i have first. Game of thrones and the gunslinger are probably next. Maybe some shakespeare as make-up classwork from when I got sick during term-term (3 cheers for supportive administrators).

Granger Danger · Jun 1, 2011

fredrancour said:
Just finished Gardens of the moon (first of this series to anybody reading the thread who doesn't know) yesterday. I'm severely tempted to run out and get the next one, but I wanna go through some more of the books i have first. Game of thrones and the gunslinger are probably next.

This series has really ruined all other fantasy for me. Whenever I try to read something else these days I just get a feeling like I'm wasting my time and would rather be (re)reading Malazan instead. There's just nothing else in this genre that lives up to it.

LaserBuddha · Jun 1, 2011

Emonga said:
This series has really ruined all other fantasy for me. Whenever I try to read something else these days I just get a feeling like I'm wasting my time and would rather be (re)reading Malazan instead. There's just nothing else in this genre that lives up to it.

Have you read ASOIAF? I haven't read Malazan yet but I'm having a hard time imagining anything outclassing ASOIAF.

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