A Tale of Two Cities is what I'm starting the month with. I hope to get to the Road after and may go for the Hemingway Short Stories recommended in last months thread.
-
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? (October 2012)
- Thread starter Maklershed
- Start date
I just finished Never let me go by Kazuo Ishiguro and really enjoyed it. Partly because the setting reminds me of tons of YA novels I read as a kid about schools on the English countrysixe, but it's got a dark undercurrent running alongside the entire way which made it very interesting. In short, it begins with following the life of a girl and her friends growing up in the school, knowing that they're different from their teachers and that they're futures are set. I liked how the novel flowed, revealing detail after detail about the setting and characters in a very natural way. It was easy to feel with the characters trying to make what they could with what they had: love and friendship, equal parts good and bad. The ending hit me quite hard after that.
Also finally got hold of an Earthsea novel, The farthest shore. I enjoyed it a lot and will be checking out more of Le Guin from my library.
Also finally got hold of an Earthsea novel, The farthest shore. I enjoyed it a lot and will be checking out more of Le Guin from my library.
Have to read this for English class. The first 40 pages so far have been terribly boring (my French teacher was right about this). Here's hoping it picks up soon as I have no idea what Flemish ambassadors have to contribute to the story right now (all I wanna know is when Quasimodo and Esmeralda come in :/).
I'm halfway through By Nightfall by Michael Cunningham and i'm not particularly enjoying it. I loved The Hours deeply, but this just isn't working for me. It's collapsing under the weight of its literary allusions (Ulysses, Middlemarch, Death in Venice & The Portrait of a Lady within the first 30 pages or so, and there are probably more I haven't picked up on) so it feels like he has nothing interesting or original to say. Mostly it has failed to move me beyond slight dislike for the main character. Plus it's another gay novel where a middle-aged man falls madly love with a young, beautiful man and I'm just utterly bored by that particular trope. I'll probably plough through the rest of it tonight and move onto something more interesting.
Here is my goodreads profile if people are interested in seeing what I've been reading so far this year. I didn't have time for any fiction until my Finals were finished with in June, so I've been devouring anything i get my hands on ever since.
Here is my goodreads profile if people are interested in seeing what I've been reading so far this year. I didn't have time for any fiction until my Finals were finished with in June, so I've been devouring anything i get my hands on ever since.
Maklershed
Member
Finished The King's Blood. The Dagger and Coin series is really shaping up. Can't wait for book 3. Now reading Eternity Road ...
Eternity Road by Jack McDevitt
Eternity Road by Jack McDevitt
I recently finished Caleb Carr's The Alienist, which I enjoyed quite a bit. When I mentioned reading it last month, Mumei commented that they felt like Carr was trying too hard, and while I wouldn't argue overly with that comment I don't entirely agree with it. The structure of the novel is an account of serial killings in Manhattan in 1896 being recounted in 1919, so if the prose style is a bit overwrought at times, I think it's a reasonable attempt to capture the writing style of the era. I certainly thought of Lovecraft (though not nearly as florid) in the descriptions of horrific events throughout the novel. Prose aside, I thought that the plot was compelling (if not absolutely engrossing), I liked the characters, and I absolutely loved the setting and the way the characters used cutting edge knowledge of the era to track the serial killer. All in all, a fine novel, if not a perfect one, and I think I'll pick up The Angel of Darkness in the not too distant future. Also, for the record, I very much want to travel back in time and dine at Delmonico's.
While I'm still intending on reading more Westlake in the near future, a friend of mine positively raved about Seanan McGuire's Discount Armageddon, which is the first novel in the InCryptid series, even if none of the other novels have actually been published yet. The schtick here is that our heroine comes from a long line of cryptozoologists who study all the supernatural creatures of myth and legend that secretly live in our world. This puts them at odds with the fanatical Covenant who is trying to wipe out these creatures and this job puts our heroine at odds with her dreams of being a professional ballroom dancer. I'm a third of the way through the novel and so far it's all very pleasant in a lighthearted urban fantasy sort of way, with our long suffering heroine experiencing the stress if not the joys of life in NYC while fending off an uptight Covenant member who has come along to kick the plot into gear and generally being a badass ninja chica. (Also, in case you're wondering, she has a job as a waitress in a joint ala The Flying Saucer that explains her attire on the cover.)
The competitive dancing subplots help keep the tone suitably fluffy and there's a group of religious mice living in our heroine's apartment that are pretty fantastic. So, like I said, it's all very pleasant and I'm hoping enough hooks are in place by the end of the novel that I'll be looking forward to the already announced sequel. By the way, I had no idea who Seanan McGuire was, but apparently she won the Campbell award in 2010 for the first novel in her October Daye series (which I've already tucked away in my Amazon wishlist) and she's won the Pegasus award for filking a number of times in recent years, so she basically sounds just like my kind of author.
FnordChan
I finished His Dark Materials. It was a bit, shall we say, transparent and preachy towards the end, but I still quite enjoyed it.
I gratefully accept the rebuke.
And yes, Delmonico's did sound absolutely lovely. It was one of the things I looked up from the novel to see if it was real!
I recently finished Caleb Carr's The Alienist, which I enjoyed quite a bit. When I mentioned reading it last month, Mumei commented that they felt like Carr was trying too hard, and while I wouldn't argue overly with that comment I don't entirely agree with it. The structure of the novel is an account of serial killings in Manhattan in 1896 being recounted in 1919, so if the prose style is a bit overwrought at times, I think it's a reasonable attempt to capture the writing style of the era. I certainly thought of Lovecraft (though not nearly as florid) in the descriptions of horrific events throughout the novel. Prose aside, I thought that the plot was compelling (if not absolutely engrossing), I liked the characters, and I absolutely loved the setting and the way the characters used cutting edge knowledge of the era to track the serial killer. All in all, a fine novel, if not a perfect one, and I think I'll pick up The Angel of Darkness in the not too distant future. Also, for the record, I very much want to travel back in time and dine at Delmonico's.
I gratefully accept the rebuke.
And yes, Delmonico's did sound absolutely lovely. It was one of the things I looked up from the novel to see if it was real!
O.DOGG
Member
Just finished reading this:
It was excellent. Not quite as good as Childhood's End but way up there. I guess I should be happy that I'm now discovering the genius of Arthur Clarke and have more of his classics left to read for the first time.
Not sure what I'll start reading next. I'm thinking The Count of Monte Cristo but it's October, and... Anyone care to recommend me a spooky book to read around Halloween this year?
It was excellent. Not quite as good as Childhood's End but way up there. I guess I should be happy that I'm now discovering the genius of Arthur Clarke and have more of his classics left to read for the first time.
Not sure what I'll start reading next. I'm thinking The Count of Monte Cristo but it's October, and... Anyone care to recommend me a spooky book to read around Halloween this year?
O.DOGG
Member
Thanks, I'll check it out.
Salvor.Hardin
Banned
Started this today. It's meant to be really darn good.
Mackenzie 92
Member
Awesome deals, thanks for posting. Also picked up The Sisters Brothers.
Also, +1 for The Alienist. My favorite serial killer mystery book ever. Angel of Darkness isn't as good in my opinion, but still worth a read.
Great North Road by Peter F. Hamilton
Started out kinda slow, but now it's cooking. Enjoying it very much.
The Pastel City by M. John Harrison
Here's my review of it, on Tor.com: http://www.tor.com/blogs/2010/10/review-the-pastel-city-by-m-john-harrison
Finished:
Enders Game by Orson Scott Card- Pretty good story. Didn't realize it had a ton of sequels. Are they worth checking out?
Requiem for a Dream by Hubert Selby Jr.- Not much different than the movie but it was cool to see all the character's fleshed out more.
East of Eden by John Steinbeck- Awesome book. I really like his writing style and defiantly want to read more books made by him.
Currently Reading:
Gun's Germs and Steel by Jared Diamond
The Gambler by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
Enders Game by Orson Scott Card- Pretty good story. Didn't realize it had a ton of sequels. Are they worth checking out?
Requiem for a Dream by Hubert Selby Jr.- Not much different than the movie but it was cool to see all the character's fleshed out more.
East of Eden by John Steinbeck- Awesome book. I really like his writing style and defiantly want to read more books made by him.
Currently Reading:
Gun's Germs and Steel by Jared Diamond
The Gambler by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
The Pastel City by M. John Harrison
Here's my review of it, on Tor.com: http://www.tor.com/blogs/2010/10/review-the-pastel-city-by-m-john-harrison
Not available for Kindle unfortunately...
Why, that sounds like yet another opportunity to pimp Lois Bujold! Check out Falling Free, which won the Nebula award, has a Kindle edition available, and clocks in at an estimated 235 pages. It's about genetically engineered humans with an extra set of arms in place of legs who have been created to work in 0-G environments and what happens when their lives get very complicated.
FnordChan
It's available as part of this collection: http://www.diesel-ebooks.com/item/9780307418692/Harrison-M.-John-Viriconium/1.html
BanShunsaku
Member
Finished up this last night:
Pretty damn good. Was hoping for
but was still satisfied with how everything wrapped up.
Started this on my way to work today:
Was tossing up between this and 11/22/63 but wanted to get back into the Dark Tower while the events of book 2 are still fresh.
Pretty damn good. Was hoping for
a more violent end to Big Jim Rennie
Started this on my way to work today:
Was tossing up between this and 11/22/63 but wanted to get back into the Dark Tower while the events of book 2 are still fresh.
Well, it's considered one of the greatest Fantasy series of all time. So, yeah.
Just finished The Devotion of Suspect X. As somebody who generally passes by thrillers and mysteries, I rather enjoyed the book, and while there are a few rather unbelievable ideas involved to make the plot fully work, the conclusion was satisfying nonetheless. I'll probably check out Salvation of a Saint when it hits the Kindle Store this month.
Angry Fork
Member
Memories of Lenin memoir by his wife. Only 1 library in Manhattan had the volume up to 1917 and I'll have to go to another which may not lend it out for 1918-death.
Gullivers Travels
Gullivers Travels
New favorite book series. After trying to start Gardens of the Moon for 3 years, I'm finally addicted
Ditto. I'm 25% of the way through TBH so far and loving every minute of it. It's so amazing going back to all these great characters after the book-long break that was Midnight Tides (even if it was a good book in its own right).
Bowflex
The fact that anyone supports Hillary boggles my mind... I have tested between 130-160 on IQ tests
The Sister's Brothers just dropped $5 from $7.99 to $2.99. Not sure how long this will last. I heard good things about this book ...
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004CFA91Y/?tag=neogaf0e-20
The Sisters Brothers by Patrick deWitt
His first book, Ablutions, is one of the best novels I've read in the last decade. Surely this will be good too.
nakedsushi
Member
Just a head's up: Sanderson's novella Legion is up for free on Audible for a limited time!
I'm listening to it in the car on my commute. The different voices the author uses is kind of creepy.
http://www.audible.com/pd/ref=sr_1_2?asin=B009GJVJC4&qid=1349398624&sr=1-2
I'm listening to it in the car on my commute. The different voices the author uses is kind of creepy.
http://www.audible.com/pd/ref=sr_1_2?asin=B009GJVJC4&qid=1349398624&sr=1-2
bob_arctor
Tough_Smooth
Dead Prince
Banned
BrokenFiction
Member
This just showed up yesterday. I dig Cory Doctorow's YA fiction.
Nope, I just signed in with my Amazon account details and went through the checkout. No subscription needed.
Maklershed
Member
Any recommendations for some really great fantasy on Kindle? Preferrably similar to ASOIAF?
BONUS: Autumn setting
BONUS: Autumn setting
This just showed up yesterday. I dig Cory Doctorow's YA fiction.
His YA fiction to me pretty much just feels like a dump of technology posts from BoingBoing being used by a bunch of kids that are WAY too perfect at what they do against some terribly stereotypical villains. Not a fan at all, which is sad because I used to like his other novels.
Prophet Steve
Member
Well, received this wednesday, needed it for school.
But except for the entirety of the appendices I'm pretty much done with it. Quite a short read but fairly interesting. After that I'll finish the book I was reading before that, and have been reading for quite a while now. Have read fairly little the past few months so I'm already somewhat around four months busy with this book. But it should be done in a week or so.
After that I'll probably do the Halo Forerunner saga before Halo 4 releases.
But except for the entirety of the appendices I'm pretty much done with it. Quite a short read but fairly interesting. After that I'll finish the book I was reading before that, and have been reading for quite a while now. Have read fairly little the past few months so I'm already somewhat around four months busy with this book. But it should be done in a week or so.
After that I'll probably do the Halo Forerunner saga before Halo 4 releases.
Mackenzie 92
Member
Have you read any Abercrombie? His stuff is the first that comes to mind in being similar to Martin for me. I haven't read a ton in the genre though.
Dead Prince
Banned
i change my mind. i'm going to finish the other trilogy i started ages ago.
It just flow much more better.
Koroviev
Member
"Lolita" is such a sad novel. I'm not rereading it in its entirety, but it's really very tragic, especially the themes of alienation and exile
I think I might read Nabokov's "Pale Fire" next.
I haven't been able to focus on any one book lately, so I've mostly just been revisiting old favorites.
I think I might read Nabokov's "Pale Fire" next.
I haven't been able to focus on any one book lately, so I've mostly just been revisiting old favorites.
DigitalDevil
Member
I've been on a game of thrones kick. Book one took me a month, book two just two weeks.... Just started book three. One week?
Sounds about right, storm of swords is amazing. Depending on how much reading time you can get away with, I guess you could do it even faster. I think I did it in two days on my second read. Enjoy it, it's definitely the best book so far in the series.
Edit: Started this a few days ago. Liking it so far.
Edit: Started this a few days ago. Liking it so far.
"Lolita" is such a sad novel. I'm not rereading it in its entirety, but it's really very tragic, especially the themes of alienation and exile
I think I might read Nabokov's "Pale Fire" next.
I haven't been able to focus on any one book lately, so I've mostly just been revisiting old favorites.
Pale Fire is amazing! One the best, if not the best, books I read last year - or ever.
Koroviev
Member
That sounds like an endorsement
I have it sitting on my nightstand, so I suppose I don't have an excuse to neglect it any longer. I just hope that it has much more in common with Lolita than Speak, Memory. The latter felt like such a narcissistic exercise in navel-gazing that I couldn't bring myself to finish it. A more apt title might be "Portrait of an Ivory Tower."
Have you read Lolita?
The Horror the horror
Banned
Blood Meridian or The Evening Redness in the West
One of my favorite novels ever, just doing a re-read. Love it.
Big fan of Cormac and even a bigger fan of the western genre, but I couldn't stomach reading this book again.