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[Koroviev]

Ooohhhh one of my favorite PA fiction authors, Octavia Butler, has a book as a Kindle Daily Deal today

Dawn (Book 1 of the Xenogenesis Trilogy) = $1.99


Dawn by Octavia E. Butler

Thanks for pointing this out! I've picked up a few of her books from Goodwill, including Parable of the Sower, but I've never been able to find Dawn.

 

[eattomorro]

I'm just curious if any of you ereader's out there think $20.19 might be a wee too much for a digital copy when you can get the paperback for almost less than half?

For Whom the Bell Tolls [Kindle Edition]

Any reason why the publisher would do this other than to gouge us?

 

[Jintor]

Emma by Jane Austen

Finally finished. Slogged through the first book, but started getting more interested during the second and flew through the third. It's really quite a nice read once you get into it, and I really like that Emma is kind of unlikable and completely non-cognisant of the fact that she's an interfering kid who thinks she knows what's best for other people. It makes her character development that much sweeter. Glad I read it.

 

[Fjordson]

I'm glad to see I'm not the only person that thinks this way. I hate ending my reading session in the middle of text. I always try to make it to the end of a chapter.

Haha, I definitely do the same. Just feels like a cleaner break or something, I don't know. Also, it's tougher to read before bed if a book has super long chapters because I'll occasionally feel myself nodding off right in the middle of one. Haven't had that problem with The Blade Itself.

And I should mention that my world building issue is starting to subside. Abercrombie is starting to flesh out the setting more the further in I get.

I'm just curious if any of you ereader's out there think $20.19 might be a wee too much for a digital copy when you can get the paperback for almost less than half?

For Whom the Bell Tolls [Kindle Edition]

Any reason why the publisher would do this other than to gouge us?

Anything even remotely close to $20 is way too much for an ebook, but that's just my opinion. I try to stick to $10 and under, sometimes $12 if it's a newer release that I'm dying to read.

Though with the link you posted I see $12.99. Not sure if that's a mistake or not.

 

[aLaxLuthor]

Just starting this. I read a book about Dave Grohl at the start of the year that was more about the punk rock scene, which I wasn't that in to. I love me some 90's alternative though, so this should be good.

 

[Randolph Freelander]

Was going to play a game this weekend, but my wrist is aching (programmer by trade) so I'm letting it rest a bit. Reading Treasure Island to pass the time.

 

[Lafiel]

Finished

Really liked this; after struggling to get into Charles Dickens with a Tale of Two Cities a couple of year ago. (which I found to a bit of a borefest). I'm glad I gave him a another chance with my um more developed tastes in novels.

Best part about the novel was the sense of place, particularly how he captured the realism of victorian era london, the atmosphere and world-view were so good based on that aspect. He spends a lot of descriptive detail describing the locations and surroundings of the characters, which is something that used to be bore me, but it's ultimately something that really adds to the atmosphere of the novel. Characterization and plot were also excellent, and surprisingly despite the obvious one-dimensional nature of some of the characterization, I felt characters like nancy and mr. sikes were surprisingly nuanced in their portrayal.

Definitely excited to read more of his work in the coming weeks, he's no doubt the real deal as far as classic english authors go! I'll also be sure to re-visit A Tale of Two Cities and see if my opinion has changed from what it was a few years ago.

Now Reading

Second Richard Dawkins book after The Selfish Gene. 10 chapters in, should hopefully give me some ammo lest I encounter a creationist in my personal life.

The way he explains some of the basic concepts of evolution and biology is really really good though. Feels like I'm learning new things, despite being already familiar with evolution beyond a basic level.

 

[Vanillalite]

 

[Karakand]

That Nabokov never received one is mind-blowing. Wow.

In 1974 Nabokov, Greene, Borges (IIRC), and Bellow were in the running but the winner(s) were two of the Nobel panelists.

 

[Randolph Freelander]

Finished

That's actually next on my list. Picked up Treasure Island and Oliver Twist together.

 

[eattomorro]

Anything even remotely close to $20 is way too much for an ebook, but that's just my opinion. I try to stick to $10 and under, sometimes $12 if it's a newer release that I'm dying to read.

Though with the link you posted I see $12.99. Not sure if that's a mistake or not.

Well I'll be damned. Everything in Canada is more expensive. Thanks for the tip!

 

[AAequal]

In 1974 Nabokov, Greene, Borges (IIRC), and Bellow were in the running but the winner(s) were two of the Nobel panelists.

Aren't the names of runner-ups concealed for 50 years so we really don't have way to know if they even were running for the prize.

 

[fierrotlepou]

 

[Uncle]

 

[thomaser]

Just finished Black Money by Ross Macdonald. A pretty good detective novel with lots of meaningful literary allusions. Not hardboiled like the novels by Hammett or Chandler. The detective, Lew Archer, is quite sympathetic and uses dialogue to discover things instead of violence. The view on women is still very much the same as in the hardboiled novels, though: they're sexy and pretty much mean trouble.

Next up on my syllabus:

Promised Land by Robert B. Parker.

 

[nakedsushi]

I finally finished a book from StoryBundle:


Bypass Gemini by Joseph Lallo

It was a humorous and action-filled romp. Got a little Inspector-Gadgety at the end, but was a fairly quick read.

 

[xBigDanx]

So just finished 11/22/63 by Stephen King. Such a damn good book. I don't really have much to say other than it is definitely greater than the sum of its parts - so good in so many way.

Going to start on Gone Girl now by Gillian Flynn.

 

[Randolph Freelander]

Was going to play a game this weekend, but my wrist is aching (programmer by trade) so I'm letting it rest a bit. Reading Treasure Island to pass the time.

And done. Short book, fun read.

 

[argon]

About halfway through this:



Going to read The Fifth Head of Cerberus afterward.

 

[Jintor]

I read that as Gene Wolfe and Cub for a second there

 

[BrokenFiction]

I read that as Gene Wolfe and Cub for a second there

I think I have my NaNoWriMo mash-up now...

 

[dream]

It's quite possibly the worst book I've ever read in my life. About the only thing I enjoyed in the book was the term "saucebox" as an insult.

 

[xBigDanx]

So I was talking with my wife and had an interesting discussion. Thought I'd ask here to see what you guys think/do:

How much do you like to know about a book before you read it? 100% of my reads are from personal recommendations or from authors I've previously read (initially from a personal recommendation). So for me, I only want to know if the book is good. I don't want to know anything else, not even a plot summary as I want to experience everything from reading the book.

How much do you guys want to know about a book before you read?

 

[thomaser]

It's quite possibly the worst book I've ever read in my life. About the only thing I enjoyed in the book was the term "saucebox" as an insult.

Did you read the whole thing? That book is one of the few classics I've decided to not bother with. Henry Fieldings's parody "Shamela" is pretty good, though.

 

[dream]

Did you read the whole thing? That book is one of the few classics I've decided to not bother with. Henry Fieldings's parody "Shamela" is pretty good, though.

I have about a hundred pages to go and I'm desperately hoping it ends the same way Clarissa did. Shamela is next on the agenda, followed by Daisy Miller...

 

[hardcastlemccormick]

So I was talking with my wife and had an interesting discussion. Thought I'd ask here to see what you guys think/do:

How much do you like to know about a book before you read it? 100% of my reads are from personal recommendations or from authors I've previously read (initially from a personal recommendation). So for me, I only want to know if the book is good. I don't want to know anything else, not even a plot summary as I want to experience everything from reading the book.

How much do you guys want to know about a book before you read?

Depends on how much it costs and if I know the author. If I can get a book that sounded interesting but I don't know more than the initial blurb on Wikipedia, if it's cheap that would be actually preferable. But if it's pricy and I'm hedging my bets, I'll want to know a little bit more.

 

[PaleFolklore]

Just finished reading The Prince by Machiavelli. Enjoyed it quite a bit. It's amazing how applicable some of the things in the book are even today.

I love how the cover of the paperback I bought looks like an early 90's rap album as well.

Just started reading through Walden by Thoreau. Not sure why I waited so long to read it. Loving it so far.

 

[Jarlaxle]

So I was talking with my wife and had an interesting discussion. Thought I'd ask here to see what you guys think/do:

How much do you like to know about a book before you read it? 100% of my reads are from personal recommendations or from authors I've previously read (initially from a personal recommendation). So for me, I only want to know if the book is good. I don't want to know anything else, not even a plot summary as I want to experience everything from reading the book.

How much do you guys want to know about a book before you read?

Back of the book is usually good enough for me.

 

[Lear]

and

I haven't really read much genre fiction lately, and even when I was younger and read a lot I never read much 'proper' sci-fi, but I'm liking Consider Phlebas so far. I only started it late last night so I'm not far into it at all, but it seems promising.


Just out of interest, has anyone read Amsterdam, by Ian McEwan? I read it a few days ago, and it was genuinely awful. The prose itself wasn't bad, as Ian McEwan obviously knows how to construct a sentence, but the plot and characterisation were just plain bad. Basically this review says it better than I can. How it won the Booker Prize is beyond me. Beryl Bainbridge should have won that year, easily.

 

[Maklershed]

So I was talking with my wife and had an interesting discussion. Thought I'd ask here to see what you guys think/do:

How much do you like to know about a book before you read it? 100% of my reads are from personal recommendations or from authors I've previously read (initially from a personal recommendation). So for me, I only want to know if the book is good. I don't want to know anything else, not even a plot summary as I want to experience everything from reading the book.

How much do you guys want to know about a book before you read?

If its an author whose works I've had experience with and enjoy, I'm ok with not knowing any of the plot or just a very basic summary. If the author is unknown to me I must know a little about the plot and the general ratings/reviews/complaints.

 

[Koroviev]

If its an author whose works I've had experience with and enjoy, I'm ok with not knowing any of the plot or just a very basic summary. If the author is unknown to me I must know a little about the plot and the general ratings/reviews/complaints.

I like to read a little bit about the context of the book and some negative reviews. Going in with tempered expectations almost always helps.

 

[heliosRAzi]

Put a pause on The Blinding Knife.

Starting up The Hydrogen Sonata.

Not very far into it so far, but the subject matter, a civilization about to Sublime, seems really interesting.

Same, though I'm almost half way through it

 

[Koroviev]

I try to never read negative reviews before reading a book or watching a movie. Whatever flaws they point out tend to rise to the top of my attention, and ruin the experience.

I understand that for movies and games, but in my experience, book criticisms tend to be considerably more vague. I'm just talking about Amazon/GoodReads reviews. I'm sure an NYT review would reveal more, but those also have this frustrating tendency to unveil all of the major plot elements. (I'm not a fan of the "style trumps all, so it's okay if we spoil every little detail" mentality.)

 

[xxracerxx]

What version of The Count of Monte Cristo should I be looking to read? There seems to be so many variations on length.

 

[Koroviev]

What version of The Count of Monte Cristo should I be looking to read? There seems to be so many variations on length.

I accidentally picked up an abridged version. It doesn't even mention the fact.

 

[AAequal]

Anyone here read the last two novels by Jonathan Franzen? I kinda would like to dig in but there has been such a big backlash for his work that I'm not sure if I even want to bother with them.

 

[xxracerxx]

Variations on length are due to abridgement. You probably want the unabridged version.

And get the Robin Buss translation!

Thank you! I read an abridged version over 15 years ago for school and want to read the whole thing.

 

[nakedsushi]

So I was talking with my wife and had an interesting discussion. Thought I'd ask here to see what you guys think/do:

How much do you like to know about a book before you read it? 100% of my reads are from personal recommendations or from authors I've previously read (initially from a personal recommendation). So for me, I only want to know if the book is good. I don't want to know anything else, not even a plot summary as I want to experience everything from reading the book.

How much do you guys want to know about a book before you read?

I'm the same way. As long as I know the book is good, I'll give it a try.

Generally, I like to know what the book is about in a very hand-wavy sense. Ie: Vampires, drugs, mermaids, cooking, etc. But I don't want to know the actual plot because I'm super spoiler-phobic.

I'll read through my friends' reviews of the book (if they've read it) on Goodreads, but other than that, I don't try to read any negative or positive reviews because I'm scared it might taint my opinion of the book.

If I start a book and am 10% in and end up hating it or have trouble with it, *then* I'll start reading some reviews to figure out if I should continue or not.

 

[sparky2112]

Anyone here read the last two novels by Jonathan Franzen? I kinda would like to dig in but there has been such a big backlash for his work that I'm not sure if I even want to bother with them.

It was such a long time for me between reading The Corrections and Freedom that I can't really compare the two.

The Corrections was a big book at the time for more reasons than just Franzen pissing Oprah off. It was very, very good.

Freedom was a bit of a mess and quite long, but contained some great writing and insight. Plus, the aging rock star character was strongly based on DFW, who Franzen as bffs with.

 

[Jay Sosa]

It's like reading a book in japanese.

 

[eattomorro]

Awesome book, highly recommended at the .99 price tag on kindle.

And now onto something a wee bit thicker...

 

[wbsmcs]

Just finished The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood a couple of days ago. It was the book I chose to do my English ISP on and I'm glad I chose it. It was the first book I've read by Atwood, but now I want to check out more of her work, notably The Blind Assassin.

The book I'm currently on is:

I read Slaughterhouse Five about a month ago and now I'm interested in Vonnegut's other novels. Started Breakfast of Champions and it is quite a funny book. A nice light read with comical use of illustrations. Wide Open Beavers.

 

[KidDork]

Still chugging through Infinite Jest. This is my third month on this book.

 

[Mumei]

Just finished The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood a couple of days ago. It was the book I chose to do my English ISP on and I'm glad I chose it. It was the first book I've read by Atwood, but now I want to check out more of her work, notably The Blind Assassin.

I'm glad you liked it! I felt like the whole premise was more than a bit of a stretch at least based on the setting. It felt almost banal in its normality when comparing it to places where women's public and personal lives are as circumscribed as they are in The Handmaid's Tale, though.

 

[Maklershed]

Just finished The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood a couple of days ago. It was the book I chose to do my English ISP on and I'm glad I chose it. It was the first book I've read by Atwood, but now I want to check out more of her work, notably The Blind Assassin.

Great! Now read Oryx and Crake and The Year of the Flood!

 

[wbsmcs]

I'm glad you liked it! I felt like the whole premise was more than a bit of a stretch at least based on the setting. It felt almost banal in its normality when comparing it to places where women's public and personal lives are as circumscribed as they are in The Handmaid's Tale, though.

Enjoyed it more than I thought I would! Book really touched me...I actually felt scared for Offred and some of the moments had my heart racing. Although I am a bit emotional...I did cry when I got to the end of To Kill A Mockingbird.

Great! Now read Oryx and Crake and The Year of the Flood!

So many books I want to read, so little time.

 

[Maklershed]

I am a bit emotional...I did cry when I got to the end of To Kill A Mockingbird.

What better gift could a book provide than to provoke an emotion?

 

[Koroviev]

What better gift could a book provide than to provoke an emotion?

That's what defines all of my favorite books.

 

[Jezabel]

Justin Cronin' sequal to "The Passge" "The Twelve" is out today and i can't wait to get my hands on it!

 

[Monroeski]

So I was talking with my wife and had an interesting discussion. Thought I'd ask here to see what you guys think/do:

How much do you like to know about a book before you read it? 100% of my reads are from personal recommendations or from authors I've previously read (initially from a personal recommendation). So for me, I only want to know if the book is good. I don't want to know anything else, not even a plot summary as I want to experience everything from reading the book.

How much do you guys want to know about a book before you read?

I like to know absolutely nothing about the books I read except perhaps something about the pacing/depth or tone so I know about the time commitment. Knowing if I'm reading something with some heft or reading something that's the equivalent of a mindless Summer blockbuster movie helps decide what I'm in the mood to read but outside of that I prefer to know nothing about things like genre, setting, plot, etc.

What better gift could a book provide than to provoke an emotion?

Provision of knowledge would be up there, though I think you were talking more about fiction and that's more of a non fiction type thing. Provoking some kind of critical thought or new idea is what I look for in books also; for example, Neuromancer is one of my favorite books of all time and I don't recall getting any particularly strong emotional feelings from it.