Not reading much right now. A bit ago i finished rereading Asimovs major series (my favorite author btw, and Foundation is my favorite series, counting all 15 books) so now im reading his complete short stories volume 1. After is Buy Jupiter, another ss collection (has a few stories not in the other one). Also gonna start rereading A Dance of Dragons soon too.
-
Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.
What are you reading? (March 2012)
- Thread starter Maklershed
- Start date
Finshed Jay Taylor's The Generalissimo: Chiang Kai-shek and the Struggle for Modern China.
Gives a great modern and somewhat tragic account of Chiang as the helmsman of Nationalist China, and disproves many of the long-held stereotypes of him as the man who gave away China to the CCP.
Taylor shows how Chiang's personality contained the right mix of Confucian-principled incorruptibility and surprising practicality that made him the ideal candidate for the job of reforming Chinese society and government for the modern world. Though realistically, the job was an impossible one, given Communist interference, the Japanese invasion, the rampant corruption and reactionism endemic to Chinese culture, and a fundamental misunderstanding by Western powers of Chiang's methods.
Great read.
Gives a great modern and somewhat tragic account of Chiang as the helmsman of Nationalist China, and disproves many of the long-held stereotypes of him as the man who gave away China to the CCP.
Taylor shows how Chiang's personality contained the right mix of Confucian-principled incorruptibility and surprising practicality that made him the ideal candidate for the job of reforming Chinese society and government for the modern world. Though realistically, the job was an impossible one, given Communist interference, the Japanese invasion, the rampant corruption and reactionism endemic to Chinese culture, and a fundamental misunderstanding by Western powers of Chiang's methods.
Great read.
This book gets so much praise everywhere I look. Really tempted to try it, in the mood for some epic fantasy. Though the only thing I've read from Sanderson is Mistborn. Wasn't a big fan so, I dunno.After that is done (this week hopefully) I am moving on to this:
I have been putting this off for a while but I am ready to dive into it, and can't wait for him to get the final book of the WoT out.
Clever Pun
Member
I just randomly read through the first few pages again yesterday and was rolling. I love that book so much. I think I'll reread it again this year, though I will probably take a break between each section instead of reading the whole thing straight through.
I'm currently 6 stories into For Esmé with Love and Squalor (otherwise known as Nine Stories) by J.D. Salinger. I've never really read short stories before but I'm really enjoying this collection. High quality throughout the book so far.
I'm not sure what to read next. I'm thinking of finally getting around to Hemingway like I said I would in the other thread or possibly getting back into American Gods.
I also read both of Chris Jericho's autobiographies over the last couple of weeks.
I'm not sure what to read next. I'm thinking of finally getting around to Hemingway like I said I would in the other thread or possibly getting back into American Gods.
I also read both of Chris Jericho's autobiographies over the last couple of weeks.
nakedsushi
Member
Hah, that's like the time I accidentally read Ender's Shadow instead of starting with Enders Game. Oops.
Attackthebase
Member
Finished god is Not Great the other day, so I'm going to continue reading Mockingjay. Hunger Game film is almost out, so I thought it would be the best time to finally finish the series.
I might read Forever War afterwards.
I might read Forever War afterwards.
I did this with Wheel of Time, actually. Off the top of my head I still don't think I ever read the first book.
or the last four
maquiladora
Member
Bill Murray
Banned
Maklershed
Member
Oh shit I was just looking at this the other day and almost bought at full price. Thanks for the heads up. Purchased for a quarter.
It's pretty amazing how much money the US has poured into theater missile defense for the last thirty years. An effective black-ops money hole.
Lately I've been rereading The Master of Go by Yasunari Kawabata. I highly highly recommend this to all you game fans out there...
Finished
Started
I just love George MacDonald's fairy tales. I read Penguin's collection of his short stories, but that's the first full children's novel I'd read. It's very Victorian (the authorial asides being one of my favorite parts), but with some great subversive - for his time - gender role stuff that goes on, which is a common element in a lot of his fairy tales. And naturally he Christian / religious allegorical elements in it, though I probably more than I picked up if the Penguin book is any indication of how he wrote his full length fairy tales. The Princess and Curdie is the sequel to The Princess and the Goblin, naturally.
The Hollow Hills, which was in my last post, was excellent; basically historicizing the tale of Merlin and Arthur, setting it in the fifth-century and making the magic rather limited. It's a really interesting approach that I think works very well. I have liked all of the Arthurian mythos-related fantasy I've tried (though I thought Fionavar was weaker than Mary Stewart's Merlin series or The Once and Future King). I have Le Morte d'Arthur out from the library so I'm going to try that eventually.
Started
I just love George MacDonald's fairy tales. I read Penguin's collection of his short stories, but that's the first full children's novel I'd read. It's very Victorian (the authorial asides being one of my favorite parts), but with some great subversive - for his time - gender role stuff that goes on, which is a common element in a lot of his fairy tales. And naturally he Christian / religious allegorical elements in it, though I probably more than I picked up if the Penguin book is any indication of how he wrote his full length fairy tales. The Princess and Curdie is the sequel to The Princess and the Goblin, naturally.
The Hollow Hills, which was in my last post, was excellent; basically historicizing the tale of Merlin and Arthur, setting it in the fifth-century and making the magic rather limited. It's a really interesting approach that I think works very well. I have liked all of the Arthurian mythos-related fantasy I've tried (though I thought Fionavar was weaker than Mary Stewart's Merlin series or The Once and Future King). I have Le Morte d'Arthur out from the library so I'm going to try that eventually.
I was not impressed with Mistborn at all, but I really liked this book a lot. One of the problems I had with Mistborn is that I felt that the characters were really quite poor. I felt that they all spoke with the same 'voice', if you get my meaning. None of them really felt alive or dynamic.
Way of Kings does a much better job of differentiating character voice and makes the characters feel more distinct and interesting. The plot is not defeat typical bad guy either
Damn, you hit the nail on the head as far as one of my problems with Mistborn. All I can remember is every character raising a "single eyebrow" every page :lol wasn't really a fan of any of the characters.
Guess I might try it sometime soon. Thanks.
Damn you Amazon! I've spent like... a dollar this weekend I had no plans to!
*Shakes Fist*
I can agree with this about Mistborn, despite really enjoying it. It was more about the roller coaster ride of the plot than the characters for me, I think. It's good to hear that he's apparently getting better there, though.
eattomorro
Neo Member
Currently reading A Dance of Cloaks, by David Daglish. For $2.99 on the Kindle you can't go wrong.
I have taken a break from my usual reading and decided to REALLY experiment.
So I borrowed a stack of chick-lit from a friend and started reading.
I swear reading 3 or 4 of these books will make you glad to be a man if this is the sort of neurosis women connect with.
Still some of them are not bad reads if you are like my and find generic romcoms a guilty pleasure. I'll type up some mini reviews a bit later.
So I borrowed a stack of chick-lit from a friend and started reading.
I swear reading 3 or 4 of these books will make you glad to be a man if this is the sort of neurosis women connect with.
Still some of them are not bad reads if you are like my and find generic romcoms a guilty pleasure. I'll type up some mini reviews a bit later.
Hitmonchan107
Member
Picked up "Kafka on the Shore" by Haruki Murakami to read on my way to GDC. It's a fantastic novel so far. I'm loving the split story structure. (This is my first Murakami.)
What are the titles? The only book I've read that is chick-lit-y is Jane Eyre, but I would be interested in trying others.
ThaneKrios
Banned
Finished:
And tonight I'll start reading this:
And tonight I'll start reading this:
The God of Nonexistence
Member
Try Bridget Jones, those books are hilarious.
Just finished and enjoyed, Assassin's Apprentice
Will be returning to the Farseer trilogy, but just to mix things up a bit will next start in on either...
I really enjoyed the farseer trilogy. The ending is fantastic. Make sure you stick with it.
Currently reading this and it's great -
I'm surprised I don't see more Scott Lynch love on GAF.
I'm surprised I don't see more Scott Lynch love on GAF.
He's fairly popular around here, just hasn't put out a book for a few years so there's not much to talk about.
kruis
Exposing the sinister cartel of retailers who allow companies to pay for advertising space.
Eh? Jane Eyre is a bona fide literary classic. Chick lit are books specifically written for young *modern* woman like Sex and the City, The Devil Wears Prada or the Bridget Jones books. Jane Austen and the Bronte sisters aren't chick lit.
This book was also the first one I read written by him. I really recommend you to go to The Broom of the System after you finish it instead of reading Infinite Jest or another short story collection.
backflip10019
Member
Damn, I'm gonna have to pick this up. When will the deal go into effect?
sparky2112
Member
Woot! Another convert!
But I would NEVER start someone on DFW with Brief Interviews. A lot of folks think it best to start with his nonfiction, and I'd be tempted to agree. In fact, I'm pretty sure I never actually finished Brief Interviews, so maybe it's time to revisit that...
sparky2112
Member
You know, if you're into big horkin' books that are complex/difficult/all-those-things-while-still-being-accessible, there's no reason NOT to read IJ. It was my first DFW, and while I'm a stubborn bastard, I'm pretty sure that had nothing to do with blowing through IJ; once you get into the swing of it, I find it somewhat stupifying that people DON'T finish it.
Why can't it be both? Wasn't Jane Eyre written for the modern 19th-century British woman?
I agree, of course. In fact, I'm still reading Infinite Jest to this day (bit by bit).
What I meant is that reading The Broom of the System before IJ is a way of not being intimidated by the latter, and the thruth is I really enjoyed it. I always prefer reading books chronologically, as they were written, but that is just my own preference.
I'm pretty sure that Austen and the Brontes wrote for people in general, not women or men specifically. 'The Novel' was still a fledgeling genre itself at the time they were writing. But hey I haven't studied English Lit past school so I could be wrong.
Hopefully soon. Amazon hasn't been this late so far in matching Google's price.
kruis
Exposing the sinister cartel of retailers who allow companies to pay for advertising space.
The Brontë sisters used male pseudonyms to get their debut novels published. I don't think they were doing this in order to sell more copies to 19th century 20-30 year old women.
sparky2112
Member
Funny you should mention, because I read Broom after IJ. And of course the former felt like an ace pitcher throwing in the bullpen before going out and throwing a no-hitter. But seriously - he wrote Broom as an *undergrad*, so that, in and of itself, is mind-blowing.
Ok, as promised a short selection of Chick-lit from a male perspective. The friend I borrowed these from knows that I LOVE the movie Notting Hill so there is a bit of a theme to the ones she loaned me.
Fanfare by Renee Ahdieh
The current heart throb movie star in town for a meet and greet at mall meets a woman who has wasted her entire day waiting in line so that her nieces could meet him. She leaves her ipod behind on accident. Said movie star ends up with it and in the process of returning it they start exchanging emails. Romance follows from here. This one deals mainly with the female lead getting over her ex who dumped her just before her wedding and learning that she deserves to be happy. Was a pretty enjoyable read overall though.
Too Perfect by Julie Ortolon
Woman is on a trip to overcome her fears of traveling when she somehow misses her cruise ship leaving her stranded on St. Barts. Determined to not rush home with her tail between her legs she takes a job as a housekeeper for a rich recluse who she thinks is some disfigured man. Turns out he is actually a world famous guy who is hiding from the paparazzi. They establish a connection without ever meeting face to face. Romance follows from here. Another one dealing with a woman overcoming her issues (image perception is the main one here) A light read with a bit of a weak third act. Still reasonably enjoyable.
Just the Sexiest Man Alive by Julie James
Hotshot lawyer is in LA for a big case and gets saddled with the biggest womanizing movie star in town to show him the ropes for an upcoming legal thriller. Standard hate each other at first but fall for each other by the end. This one was actually very entertaining and funny.
I read a few more and will type those up later. Pretty much my takeaway is that they are light reading that are 100% predictable but still fun reads. They have all been pretty much romcoms in book form, so you know probably know how you feel about them already. Still a decent look at what women think they want and some of the stuff they deal with on a daily basis, because these types of books would not be nearly as popular if normal women did not see bits of themselves in the characters here.
Not sure how many more from this stack I will make it through before I burn out, but not a terrible waste of a few days of reading time. They are all super easy reads that I tend to go through in just a few hours.
Fanfare by Renee Ahdieh
The current heart throb movie star in town for a meet and greet at mall meets a woman who has wasted her entire day waiting in line so that her nieces could meet him. She leaves her ipod behind on accident. Said movie star ends up with it and in the process of returning it they start exchanging emails. Romance follows from here. This one deals mainly with the female lead getting over her ex who dumped her just before her wedding and learning that she deserves to be happy. Was a pretty enjoyable read overall though.
Too Perfect by Julie Ortolon
Woman is on a trip to overcome her fears of traveling when she somehow misses her cruise ship leaving her stranded on St. Barts. Determined to not rush home with her tail between her legs she takes a job as a housekeeper for a rich recluse who she thinks is some disfigured man. Turns out he is actually a world famous guy who is hiding from the paparazzi. They establish a connection without ever meeting face to face. Romance follows from here. Another one dealing with a woman overcoming her issues (image perception is the main one here) A light read with a bit of a weak third act. Still reasonably enjoyable.
Just the Sexiest Man Alive by Julie James
Hotshot lawyer is in LA for a big case and gets saddled with the biggest womanizing movie star in town to show him the ropes for an upcoming legal thriller. Standard hate each other at first but fall for each other by the end. This one was actually very entertaining and funny.
I read a few more and will type those up later. Pretty much my takeaway is that they are light reading that are 100% predictable but still fun reads. They have all been pretty much romcoms in book form, so you know probably know how you feel about them already. Still a decent look at what women think they want and some of the stuff they deal with on a daily basis, because these types of books would not be nearly as popular if normal women did not see bits of themselves in the characters here.
Not sure how many more from this stack I will make it through before I burn out, but not a terrible waste of a few days of reading time. They are all super easy reads that I tend to go through in just a few hours.
BanShunsaku
Member
Finished this over the weekend:
Pretty good, enjoyed it more than Weeks' Night Angel Trilogy. The world feels more developed and the magic system is fairly unique. Some good twists and turns as well.
Still working on:
I am definitely seeing why people have warned me about this series slowing down. I'm about halfway through and nothing has happened at all, really.
Also reading:
About 150 pages in, very good so far.
And these just arrived in the mail today:
Been looking forward to reading both of them but will probably finish something else off first.
Pretty good, enjoyed it more than Weeks' Night Angel Trilogy. The world feels more developed and the magic system is fairly unique. Some good twists and turns as well.
Still working on:
I am definitely seeing why people have warned me about this series slowing down. I'm about halfway through and nothing has happened at all, really.
Also reading:
About 150 pages in, very good so far.
And these just arrived in the mail today:
Been looking forward to reading both of them but will probably finish something else off first.
Finished. God bless whatever fucking sorcery is employed
in order to turn this vile, unmitigated slop into a halfway
coherent screenplay. I'm officially done with YA, probably
for the rest of my life.
About halfway through this. Liking it a lot so far, even
though it covers stuff I have learned over my last half
decade of watching food related television. It's still great
to hear Tony's take on it.
After that I'm probably gonna start Storm of Swords.
To be honest, I'd kinda rather read some sci-fi/fantasy
that isn't currently being turned into popular, visual
entertainment, but I'm getting kinda sick of internet
exposure nickle and diming spoilers for the rest of this
series into me.
Read Nation by Terry Pratchett. It will change your mind.
And yes Mockingjay was absolutely 100% abysmal.
Snowman Prophet of Doom
Member
I'd just like to point out that Jane Eyre is not a literary classic, unless you're only using "classic" in the sense of "tried and true." The book has a certain power in that it's actually still alright 150 years later, which is more than can be said for a lot of 19th Century literature, but it doesn't really stack up against the big dogs of literary history. Ditto Wuthering Heights.
Also, chick-lit is a good and proper term for it. It may not have been intended as such, but modern-day chick lit is probably the closest thing to an antecedent that it has. That's not to say that Jane Eyre is on the same level of pulpiness, mind, but it certainly does have that "romance novel" air about it in certain respects. The problem is in the idea that "chick-lit" and "bad" must necessarily be congruent, which, while often the case, will not hold true 100% of the time.
Also, chick-lit is a good and proper term for it. It may not have been intended as such, but modern-day chick lit is probably the closest thing to an antecedent that it has. That's not to say that Jane Eyre is on the same level of pulpiness, mind, but it certainly does have that "romance novel" air about it in certain respects. The problem is in the idea that "chick-lit" and "bad" must necessarily be congruent, which, while often the case, will not hold true 100% of the time.
About halfway through this. Liking it a lot so far, even
though it covers stuff I have learned over my last half
decade of watching food related television. It's still great
to hear Tony's take on it.
Nice, will probably read that next. Do you read it in Tony's voice? I fear I might
Nice, will probably read that next. Do you read it in Tony's voice? I fear I might
Yeah, it reads just like his voice overs in No Reservations. It's impossible to read it any other way.
e: spoiler:
Anthony Bourdain did a whole lotta drugs!