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[TheExodu5]

Finally got back to it. At 500 pages now, and it's gotten really interesting.

My only complaint is that sex is a little too graphic for this kind of novel. Not that I mind it too much, but it's the really only embarassing part if I were to present this to my family to read.

 

[The_Inquisitor]

Not the most intellectual piece I have read obviously, but not terrible so far.

 

[Karakand]

I just recently read Ilium and Olympos by Dan Simmons. I am a greek myth dork. I absolutely love the Iliad and the Odyssey to the point of obsession.

As such, it is one of the weaker narratives that Dan Simmons has done, but it is a masterful book if you like Homer, Shakespeare, or Faust.

I read about 3 hours a day because my job sucks, so eh, but I am very limited and tend to get far too into individual authors.

But, just saying, if you like the Iliad, it is great fun to read Ilium.

It's a mess.

 

[Sniper McBlaze]

I was very surprised when this booked was the first book to ever make me cry. I actually had to put it down and not read more for that day.

 

[vandalvideo]

I am reading Run For Your Life by James Patterson. Good book. Kinda Death Noteish in a way, only realistic.

 

[PantherLotus]

I'm in the final chapters of Robin Hobb's Tawny Man trilogy (the third trilogy in the same world). One of my favorite series ever.


Looking for recs for my next series, possibly reading Otherland again.

 

[Fritz]

I was very surprised when this booked was the first book to ever make me cry. I actually had to put it down and not read more for that day.

Seriously? What part at?

 

[Undeux]

Looking for recs for my next series, possibly reading Otherland again.

It's more fantasy than sci-fi, but I liked Tad Williams' other series, Memory, Sorrow & Thorn, a lot.

 

[Sniper McBlaze]

Seriously? What part at?

Spoiler

The dog thing. The "In a week the dog was dead." just hit me hard. The trouble Robert went through and all he got was to hold the dog for a short time with tears running down his cheek. Such a bittersweet moment.

 

[Fritz]

Spoiler

The dog thing. The "In a week the dog was dead." just hit me hard. The trouble Robert went through and all he got was to hold the dog for a short time with tears running down his cheek. Such a bittersweet moment.

Oh yeah, I actually forgot about that part. that was quite depressing.

 

[Hari Seldon]

Right now I'm with Foucault's Pendulum.

Also, I haven't yet read the Foundation series by Isaac Asimov (please, don't kill me) and I don't know in which order I should read them. In the order they were published? First the prequels and then the others? Could you help me?

Thank you!

Read it in published order. Don't read the prequels first. From wikipedia:

Foundation was originally a series of eight short stories published in Astounding Magazine between May 1942 and January 1950. .....

The first four stories were collected, along with a new story taking place before the others, in a single volume published by Gnome Press in 1951 as Foundation. The remainder of the stories were published in pairs as Foundation and Empire (1952) and Second Foundation (1953), resulting in the "Foundation Trilogy," as the series was known for decades. In 1981, after the series had long been considered the most important work of modern science fiction, Asimov was convinced by his publishers to write a fourth book, which was Foundation's Edge (1982).[3] He followed this with a sequel, Foundation and Earth (1983), and five years later prequels Prelude to Foundation and Forward the Foundation.

I think you can get the first 3, collectively known as the "Foundation Trilogy" in 1 book.

 

[Hari Seldon]

I'm in the final chapters of Robin Hobb's Tawny Man trilogy (the third trilogy in the same world). One of my favorite series ever.


Looking for recs for my next series, possibly reading Otherland again.

I have never read Robin Hobb but have wanted to. Where should I start?

 

[Uncle]

I have never read Robin Hobb but have wanted to. Where should I start?

1. The Farseer Trilogy (Assassin's Apprentice, Royal Assassin, Assassin's Quest)
2. The Liveship Traders Trilogy (Ship of Magic, The Mad Ship, Ship of Destiny)
3. The Tawny Man Trilogy (Fool's Errand, Golden Fool, Fool's Fate)


The Liveship Traders is a bit separate from the other two, but if you like the first trilogy, I'd recommend reading it as well.

 

[Hari Seldon]

Finished the Mistborn Trilogy in April. I liked it.

I'm currently listening to the audible rendition of:

Which is the 3rd and final book of Conn Iggulden's historical fiction trilogy regarding Genghis Khan. The 1st book and this book are awesome, the 2nd was a little slow.

 

[Hari Seldon]

1. The Farseer Trilogy (Assassin's Apprentice, Royal Assassin, Assassin's Quest)
2. The Liveship Traders Trilogy (Ship of Magic, The Mad Ship, Ship of Destiny)
3. The Tawny Man Trilogy (Fool's Errand, Golden Fool, Fool's Fate)


The Liveship Traders is a bit separate from the other two, but if you like the first trilogy, I'd recommend reading it as well.

Thank you saving this information for future purchasing!

 

[Salazar]

Right now I'm with Foucault's Pendulum.

Excellent choice; I cannot but prefer it to 'The Name of the Rose'. I'm done with O'Brian's 'Post Captain', and have moved on to C.P Snow's 'The Masters'. It's very good, so far.

 

[Janken]

Read it in published order. Don't read the prequels first.

I think you can get the first 3, collectively known as the "Foundation Trilogy" in 1 book.

Thanks! But from what I've found so far, the trilogy edition seems to be quite rare and expensive...

Also, Salazar, I haven't read The Name of the Rose. Would you still recommend it? What about the other novels by Eco? I know him for his work on semiotics, basically, so I don't know if all of his fiction is really worth it, since there appears to be divergent opinions about it. The general consensus is that his novels are good, so I guess I will read them all, eventually.

 

[tekumseh]

I've dug out some oldies I haven't read for several years, but which I recall enjoying quite a lot:

About Francis Ouimet's improbable, if not impossible, win in the 1913 US Open against Harry Vardon.

Herbert Asbury's fantastic tome about the history of the earliest street gangs and territories in New York City. Such vivid and immersive storytelling...

Louis Bayard's fabulous murder mystery revisit to the life of Dickens' Tiny Tim, set 20 years after the events of A Christmas Carol. It's a terrific recalibration of a character most of us probably felt we knew. Highly recommended!

 

[BruceLeeRoy]

I'm in the mood for a really good revenge book off the top of your head do you guys have any suggestions?

 

[Uncle]

I'm in the mood for a really good revenge book off the top of your head do you guys have any suggestions?

The Count of Monte Cristo?

 

[BruceLeeRoy]

The Count of Monte Cristo?

Excellent recommendation unfortunately I have already read it. Thanks though man.

 

[Alucard]

Well, I finally finished reading The Fall of Hyperion today. Here is my rough review.

Dan Simmons is an incredibly gifted writer. He knows how to paint a scene, create atmosphere, and develop his characters. He also knows how to build a massive universe and create meaningful interactions between its characters. Where he faulters with The Fall of Hyperion is the plot structure.

I enjoyed the distinct stories in Hyperion. Simmons did an incredible job of drawing the reader into numerous different short stories, and tied them all together wonderfully. However, in this fast-paced sequel, characters disappear for fifty pages at a time, and while Simmons' goal of pushing the narrative forward to a culminating point is admirable, the execution falls flat. There are simply too many things happening at one time, and it leaves the reader sometimes feeling frustrated. Just when you start to get involved in one particular scenario, Simmons jumps away from it for dozens of pages. It's an exercise in buildup and a lack of payoff, repeated over and over. When the various climaxes occur, they feel a little underwhelming.

Overall, I did enjoy this book. As I mentioned, Simmons is a fantastic writer. I just wish the structure of this book didn't feel so disjointed, which made it a bit of a chore to get through. There are numerous references to authors and books that Simmons obviously enjoys, but they sometimes felt forced and distracted me from the messages that Simmons was attempting to accentuate. The most frustrating part is that I didn't feel enough questions had been answered by the end of the book. I'm not sure if I'm willing to put in more time into the Endymion series to anwer them, if reading those books is going to be as arduous as getting through this sequel to a fantastic first chapter.

This isn't a book for everybody, but when it's good, it's very good. It's a shame that it's so inconsistent. 3.5/5.

 

[Musashi Wins!]

Picked up some stuff today.

Perhaps one of the most poetic philosophers I've ever read. I can become so hypnotized by his use of language that I have to reread sections to get at the concepts.

I have no knowledge about this book but a few sections seemed interesting to me in the store and I got it for half price because I bought this,

I had picked up a different translation recently, but the way the French was presented was irritating me. This seems solid so far.

 

[PantherLotus]

1. The Farseer Trilogy (Assassin's Apprentice, Royal Assassin, Assassin's Quest)
2. The Liveship Traders Trilogy (Ship of Magic, The Mad Ship, Ship of Destiny)
3. The Tawny Man Trilogy (Fool's Errand, Golden Fool, Fool's Fate)


The Liveship Traders is a bit separate from the other two, but if you like the first trilogy, I'd recommend reading it as well.

I would recommend reading all of them, in order. The last series has more than several major plotlines (if not the last half of the book) that are dependent upon knowing what happened during the Liveship Traders. Speaking of which, I haven't read much seafaring/piracy novels, but these are simply excellent.

Btw, thanks to the person above, I will read Memory, Sorrow, & Thorn next. Otherland is my favorite series ever, but I mostly read fantasy anyway.

If you like fantasy, I recommend David Eddings (start with Pawn of Prophecy).

 

[Mifune]

It's sort of a history of religious "crazy-think" (my descriptor), from the Zealots of Jerusalem in the 60s BC to Al Qaeda of today. Aslan as always makes an engaging guide. Seriously, the dude can write. I really look forward to reading his fiction someday (he's an assistant professor of creative writing so it's gotta happen).

 

[nyong]

Try reading it in it's original Latin. The only true way.

I'm actual taking a year sequence of Latin over the summer, followed by a translation class in the fall. Guess what we're translating? I'm psyched.

 

[Dina]

I'm in the final chapters of Robin Hobb's Tawny Man trilogy (the third trilogy in the same world). One of my favorite series ever.

I have no interest in the liveship traders, but at the end of the Assassin trilogy I was well glad it was over. Man did that story drag at the last half of the book. It ended well, but the start-up to the conclusion was unbearable.

I'm now halfway through Forest Mage (2/3 of Robin Hobbs's new Soldier's Son trilogy) and thinking of quitting that book also. Once again it drags. Somehow Hobb paints a convincing and surprisingly real fantasy world (with believable characters), but lacks in delivering excitement.


Oh yeah, finished today The Gap into Power: A Dark and Hungry God Arises by Stephen Donaldson (of the Thomas Covenant books).

on to!

The Gap into Madness: Chaos and Order

 

[Alucard]

1. The Farseer Trilogy (Assassin's Apprentice, Royal Assassin, Assassin's Quest)
2. The Liveship Traders Trilogy (Ship of Magic, The Mad Ship, Ship of Destiny)
3. The Tawny Man Trilogy (Fool's Errand, Golden Fool, Fool's Fate)


The Liveship Traders is a bit separate from the other two, but if you like the first trilogy, I'd recommend reading it as well.

Is there a proper order to the trilogies? Is it exactly the way you have it set up here? I've got Assassin's Apprentice, and Royal Assassin sitting on my bookshelf. I'd definitely like to read the books in order.

 

[Ollie Pooch]

just finished the first book (shadow on the glass) and starting this one tonight.
i don't often get pulled into fantasy-type stuff but i find this one pretty gripping. enjoying it a lot

 

[54-46!]

My comics dropped in the mail yesterday, do they count? Recently read:

- Astonishing X-Men #29
- Captain America #48, #49
- Thor #601

I can't recommend Cap and Thor enough, two of the best titles on the market - you need to read these!.. I wish I could afford to buy more comics each month but the shipping cost is killing it for me, I guess I'll have to stick to paperbacks for now..

 

[Alucard]

I started reading The Man in the High Castle last night. Ever since having my mind and senses blown away by A Scanner Darkly, I've really wanted to read more by Philip K. Dick. I'm so glad someone got this for me as a Christmas gift. I'm 50 pages into the first novel, and it's starting to get really good.

Spoiler

Robert Childan just found out that his handicrafts may all be fakes, and that the man who visited his store lied about his customer waiting on a ship, which was blown up long ago.

 

[HarryHengst]

i adore this book. it's such a rich description of life in a medieval abbey and Eco really knows his medieval theology and philosophy. <3

 

[Uncle]

Is there a proper order to the trilogies? Is it exactly the way you have it set up here? I've got Assassin's Apprentice, and Royal Assassin sitting on my bookshelf. I'd definitely like to read the books in order.

That's the order, so you can start reading.

 

[FnordChan]

Thanks! But from what I've found so far, the trilogy edition seems to be quite rare and expensive...

Fortunately, Asimov's original Foundation trilogy is readily available as individual trade paperbacks or used mass market paperbacks. Go wild.

I'm in the mood for a really good revenge book off the top of your head do you guys have any suggestions?

You should follow the fine example of others in this thread and read Alfred Bester's The Stars My Destination. It's top notch science fiction about a society where teleportation is commonplace and a man named Gully Foyle, left for dead in outer space, is determined to have his revenge. It's a bit like a SF Count of Monte Cristo. When you're done with that, be sure to read Bester's other major novel, The Demolished Man, about a world policed by telepathic cops and a man determined to commit murder.

I recently finished Donald Westlake's early novel Killy. It's about a college student in a work study program with a major Union who winds up going out with his mentor to a town where the company has things wrapped up tight in an attempt to bust it open. Things get complicated when foul play becomes involved and pretty soon our protagonist realizes that the world isn't what he thought it was. I didn't enjoy this as much as 361 but it was still a damn fine read, with some interesting twists along the way and an ending I wasn't expecting. Recommended.

Inspired by Tim the Wiz giving Total War a go, I went back to the Survivalist series for volumes 12 and 13. They continue to be a hoot, in a Male Harlequin sort of way. John Thomas Rourke is the biggest Marty Stu to ever walk the face of the post apocalyptic Earth and it's always a hoot to see people fawn over him while he has internal monologues about his beloved Detonics Combat Master .45 ACP pistols, which are, of course, Metalifed and Mag-na-ported. By this point in the series our hero has jumped ahead 500 years into the future thanks to the miracle of cryogenic technology. Unfortunately, even after virtually all of humanity was wiped out, there are still Commies and South American Nazis to contend with. Like I said, it's a hoot.

I just started reading Kit Whitfield's Benighted this morning. It's about a world where lycanthropy is the norm and our heroine is a regular human working for a government agency that helps keep the werewolves from rampaging during the full moon. I'm all of ten pages in so I dunno what the plot is going to be like, exactly, but the setup is certainly intriguing.

FnordChan

 

[Witchfinder General]

Not an easy read but fascinating thus far.

 

[AndresON777]

A book gaf will love

Just started it, pretty interesting

 

[Monroeski]

I saw this yesterday and was thinking of picking it up. How is it?

Just about finished with it, and it's decent enough. Like most books of this type, the "what are games and who are gamers" type stuff is nothing new if you're already an enthusiast, but the sections on foreign gaming culture are interesting.

 

[andycapps]

Probably 1/3 the way through this. So far it's good, kind of like his previous books so far in the whole serial killer thing and trying to figure out who it is or what exactly is going on. Very well written of course. Have a good hunch who it is, given how he usually develops his books, but I'm thinking he may be stringing me along on a bait just to blow my mind at the end. :lol Right now it seems too easy to figure out.

 

[BruceLeeRoy]

You should follow the fine example of others in this thread and read Alfred Bester's The Stars My Destination. It's top notch science fiction about a society where teleportation is commonplace and a man named Gully Foyle, left for dead in outer space, is determined to have his revenge. It's a bit like a SF Count of Monte Cristo. When you're done with that, be sure to read Bester's other major novel, The Demolished Man, about a world policed by telepathic cops and a man determined to commit murder.

Damn that sounds great Ill definitely pick that up thanks man.

Just about finished with it, and it's decent enough. Like most books of this type, the "what are games and who are gamers" type stuff is nothing new if you're already an enthusiast, but the sections on foreign gaming culture are interesting.

Sounds up there with Game Boys thanks.

 

[Danne-Danger]

Barely started it, but the first few stories have been good so far.

 

[Duane Cunningham]

I bet a lot of people on GAF would really like this. It's about how in Japan, baseball is a ritualistic, almost zen-like activity with a huge emphasis on team effort, and explicit disapproval of individual glory. There's a phrase that literally translated means "the nail that sticks up gets hammered down", and this epitomizes the Japanese approach. American players who move to Japan to play, experience culture shock, and hilarity ensues.

The book is well presented and entertaining, and provides a lot of insight to the Japanese thought process in a way that anyone who has played, say, Metal Gear Online with Japanese players will find familiar.

 

[GriffD17]

gotta_have_wa_bookcover.jpg

I bet a lot of people on GAF would really like this. It's about how in Japan, baseball is a ritualistic, almost zen-like activity with a huge emphasis on team effort, and explicit disapproval of individual glory. There's a phrase that literally translated means "the nail that sticks up gets hammered down", and this epitomizes the Japanese approach. American players who move to Japan to play, experience culture shock, and hilarity ensues.

The book is well presented and entertaining, and provides a lot of insight to the Japanese thought process in a way that anyone who has played, say, Metal Gear Online with Japanese players will find familiar.

That actually sounds quite interesting. Damn, too much stuff on my wishlist.

 

[CajoleJuice]

That's really interesting to me, but due to the baseball aspect, not due to me being a Japanophile. Thanks!

 

[FnordChan]

I only read part of it for a class years ago, but I can second the recommendation for You Gotta Have Wa.

FnordChan

 

[Uncle]

http://www.pici.se/pictures/FMtGhLlul.jpg
Barely started it, but the first few stories have been good so far.

I recently bought some Lovecraft as well:

The cute sales clerk started gushing over it when I bought it. Too bad it's too big to read on the train comfortably and my backlog is huge already.

 

[Musashi Wins!]

I bet a lot of people on GAF would really like this. It's about how in Japan, baseball is a ritualistic, almost zen-like activity with a huge emphasis on team effort, and explicit disapproval of individual glory. There's a phrase that literally translated means "the nail that sticks up gets hammered down", and this epitomizes the Japanese approach. American players who move to Japan to play, experience culture shock, and hilarity ensues.

The book is well presented and entertaining, and provides a lot of insight to the Japanese thought process in a way that anyone who has played, say, Metal Gear Online with Japanese players will find familiar.

I read this a while ago because of a great love of baseball and I would also recommend it, fun read!

 

[Smidget]

OK, just finished The Road and am a bit drained, but it was so amazingly good. There's way too many books and probably like movies there are a lot of stinkers. Any recommendations on how to follow The Road up?

 

[Vinci]

I've read the first three, Consider Phlebus, Player of Games and Use of Weapons. I thought they were uniformly excellent and all different in their focus. I can't think of any high theory genre writers that outclass him. I think Use of Weapons I found most effecting, though I don't say it easily. I did read however that it was his personal favorite (from whenever the interview was) of the Culture series.

I'm about to start -

Definitely looking forward to it.

 

[Musashi Wins!]

Awesome. Report back!

 

[Verdre]

Robert Olmstead - Far Bright Star

Got an advance copy. Having never read anything by this author, I thought the blurb on the back sounded interesting.

I'm very glad I read it. At first I thought Olmstead's style was a bit odd, but it's very fitting and he uses it wonderfully to tell a stunning story of war, delirium, and human nature.

His style masterfully evokes the delirium the main character goes through as he's left wandering the desert.


Summary:

Set in 1916, Far Bright Star follows Napoleon Childs, an aging cavalryman, as he leads an expedition of inexperienced soldiers into the mountains of Mexico to hunt down Pancho Villa and bring him to justice. Though he is seasoned at such missions, things go terribly wrong and the patrol is brutally attacked