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[Asbel]

I've also been really enjoying it. I'm about 2/3-3/4 of the way through Game of Thrones and have gotten to the point where seemingly

Spoiler

the shit simultaneously hits the fan for pretty much everyone. King dies, Ned gets screwed, and the Night Watch gets attacked by zombies.

Damn, those were an exciting few chapters. I look forward to reading more when I get home from work/classes.

Oh, I really want to talk about the book but fear spoilers. But I can say that my favorite characters from the Game of Thrones are the bastard lord Jon Snow, the midget lord Tyrion Lannister and Liege Lord Eddard Stark.

I know! I was like, "Well, GAF said it was amazing, but I dunno..."
Then I started reading it.
I can't wait for the show.

When does the show start? I've been keeping away from that thread.

 

[Night_Trekker]

Well, I finally finished The Demolished Man. All I can say is...

Very good book. Cool concept. I'm not sure how I feel about the ending. The setup/situation for the story (a world where your thoughts are not private) is horrifying to me. I realized at some point I was pulling for Ben the entire time, despite disagreeing with what he was trying to do.

I guess I'm on to Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World now.

 

[Salazar]

'The Corner', by David Simon. Just finished 'Homicide'. Amazing. Deepens my respect for the man so very much.

 

[JoshuaJSlone]

Well, I finally finished The Demolished Man. All I can say is...

"Tenser said the tensor"?

 

[CiSTM]

Took a little break from books and decided to read some comics... To be exact

The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck.

Probably my favorite comic book ever made. I highly recommend it to everybody. You don't need to be Duck-lover to enjoy it, you don't even have to like comics to enjoy it. Humorous and heart-warming stories Read it !

 

[MyEpitomeCliché]

A friend of mine got me into King recently with a gift of The Talisman (which was an incredible read), and since finishing it, I've read The Stand, Black House, some short stories, and now I've taken the plunge into The Dark Tower series. Should finish The Waste Lands today, and I've already picked up Wizard and Glass. Wonderful stuff, although I understand the last three books take quite a dive in quality compared to the first four. Think I will probably will take a break after IV and read either Eyes of the Dragon or 'Salem's Lot before I continue on to Wolves of the Calla.

 

[Tim the Wiz]

Finished Wonder Boys by Michael Chabon. The superlative-friendly praise on the back cover describes it as a great comedic tale. Yes, it's strung together inside a weekend of profoundly absurd, entangled events, but I think that somewhat misrepresents a novel that is filled with consistently fascinating characterization and a plot that manages to provoke feelings of highly-strung anticipation and generously-bought satisfaction, all the while covered by a protagonist of insightful, pervasive wit mired in a pit of abundant flaws. I'm glad I chose to read this before The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Klay; I could have missed this bittersweet fling of undeniable, engrossing fun.

Edit: Also been reading a nice piece of melodrama: Walter Jon Williams' space opera extravaganza, the Dread Empire's Fall trilogy. Halfway through the second book and a plot choice kind of threw me with its bothersome, contrived logic which mirrored that of a boiler-plate romance novel. However, it doesn't hurt the consistency of the competently constructed science-fiction milieu altogether much, and I'm half-sure the narrative will recover from this bump in suitably interesting ways that will hurriedly justify its necessity.

 

[GallonOMilk]

A friend of mine got me into King recently with a gift of The Talisman (which was an incredible read), and since finishing it, I've read The Stand, Black House, some short stories, and now I've taken the plunge into The Dark Tower series. Should finish The Waste Lands today, and I've already picked up Wizard and Glass. Wonderful stuff, although I understand the last three books take quite a dive in quality compared to the first four. Think I will probably will take a break after IV and read either Eyes of the Dragon or 'Salem's Lot before I continue on to Wolves of the Calla.

The last 3 Dark Tower books are different, yes, but I don't think they take a dip in quality. They're just not what you'd be used to if you read the first 4. I'm reading the last one right now, and I'm enjoying it quite a bit.

 

[JoshuaJSlone]

A friend of mine got me into King recently with a gift of The Talisman (which was an incredible read), and since finishing it, I've read The Stand, Black House, some short stories, and now I've taken the plunge into The Dark Tower series. Should finish The Waste Lands today, and I've already picked up Wizard and Glass. Wonderful stuff, although I understand the last three books take quite a dive in quality compared to the first four. Think I will probably will take a break after IV and read either Eyes of the Dragon or 'Salem's Lot before I continue on to Wolves of the Calla.

I recommend Salem's Lot--I read it just after Wolves of the Calla.

 

[BorkBork]

Half-way through it. It's a pretty interesting look into the world if we just up and vanished one day. Some things would revert to nature really quickly, but some things would stick around for tens of thousands to millions of years. The writing style is a little annoying though, as it tends to shift back and forth quite often.

 

[afternoon delight]

All the Shah's Men by Stephen Kinzer : A well researched and informed narrative describing the foreign interference in Iran since 1945. Amazing. It's even written in prose that doesn't overwhelm you. Definitely recommended.

 

[Night_Trekker]

"Tenser said the tensor"?

ha

 

[EviLore]

Just finished:

Interesting throughout and the story operates on multiple levels.

 

[Blackace]

reading Paddy Whacked now. So far so good. The writer seems to give the Irish a lot of credit for the start of the American underworld... seems like a little too much credit, but with that aside a lot of great info in here.

 

[Alucard]

I finished The Book of Lost Things by John Connelly a few days ago. Here is my mini-review.

The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly

The Book of Lost Things is a true modern fairy tale that follows the growth of a little boy after a family tragedy. The book toys with well-known fairy tales, twisting them into dark stories complete with blood, guts, and a bit of sex. While a book like this may have turned into an exploitative fantasy novel, Connolly's affection for storytelling, his knowledge of his audience, and his direct style make this an honest labour of love.

The book begins with the death of the main character's mother, and his adjustment to a new step mother and a little brother. The character's innocence, ignorance, and passion are traits that Connolly makes sympathetic, without relying on opaque characterization. As the lead is swept off to a fantasy world where all of his favourite stories have some truth, he is forced to make numerous difficult choices, and to shed his naivete towards life. There is genuine growth from beginning to end, as the little boy matures and questions his own superstitious upbringing, and learns what is real and important in life.

What I enjoy most about this book, aside from the fantastical re-imaginings of classic fairy tales, is its bold-faced honesty and realism. While it is certainly filled with magic and familiarity, it rarely descends into fantasy cliche, and Connolly's descriptions of horrific or unnatural events walk a fine line between being acceptable for children, while simultaneously being shocking and provocative.

This book is self-admittedly for children who are coming into adolescence, and for adults who have gone through the same process ages ago. It is as much for those who are losing their innocence, as it is for those who have already lost it. I have admiration for what Connolly was able to pull off with this title, and how he deftly mixes dread, hope, justice, and an almost crushing realism into a story that is beyond the fantastic, and which appeals to so many age groups.

I look forward to giving this book to my future children, although I will have to make sure they're ready for it, and that it won't scar them too heavily! 4/5.

Next up: Red Chameleon by Stuart M. Kaminsky. A Moscow murder mystery to satiate my sleuth tooth and interest in most things Russian.

 

[teiresias]

Will be starting on "Wolves of the Calla" tonight. I kind of want to read some more King stuff after I finish the series, but I think I'm getting Kinged-out and will need a break afterwards. Not sure what I'll go to next, probably some sci-fi or something.

 

[roosters93]

I finally finished One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest. What a great read.
It was quite funny in parts and then became incredibly sad at the end.
Now I really want to see the film.

 

[Night_Trekker]

Oh yeah, I'm also reading Berserk as well as watching the anime. I'm not really into manga, but both are shockingly good so far. (The anime's soundtrack is incredible.)

'The Corner', by David Simon. Just finished 'Homicide'. Amazing. Deepens my respect for the man so very much.

I'm planning to pick up a copy of Homicide soon. Not that I doubted it, but I'm happy to hear it's worth it.

 

[ArtG]

Third of the way through. It's been interesting so far--a look at Chinese immigrants trying to make their name in America--but there is something missing so far. The tension is being built slowly and thrown in a bit haphazardly, but by the end of the novel, I'm at the very least going to have enjoyed reading it. (If for nothing else than the leisurely pace it reads at)

 

[Tigel]

I anyone else going to pick up the new Dan Brown on the 15th?

Maybe not on the 15th since I'm in the middle of The Dark Tower II but when I'm done with it I'm picking The Last Symbol for sure. It's may not be grand litterature, but hell, it's entertaining

 

[batbeg]

So this last week I was greatly addicted to The Player of Games by Iain M Banks - thanks to the person who pointed out to me this is the second Culture novel on the first page. It was a great book, and I think I liked it more than Consider Phlebas, and can see myself running out of Banks' sci-fi efforts very quickly at my current rate.

Anyway, went to the bookstore today and probably bought enough to keep me up until November, haha. Need a recommendation for which one to read next! I'm leaning towards one of the one-offs, rather than the ones in a series or anything like that for now.

Use of Weapons - Iain M. Banks

The next Culture novel, though I might take a break having devoured the first two in the last couple of weeks. Unless it's really good.

Madness of Angels - Kate Griffin

Some sort of Neverwhere knockoff by the sound of the synopsis? "Enter a London where magicians ride the Last Train, implore favours of the Beggar King and interpret the insane wisdom of the Bag Lady. Enter a London where beings of power soar with the pigeons, scrabble with the rats and seek insight in the half-whisphered madness of the blue electric angels."

It doesn't sound terribly original so soon after having read Neverwhere, but I must admit it sounds quite tempting... enough so that I bought it, anyway.

The Great Dune Trilogy - Frank Herbert

I've never actually read a Dune book. This trilogy consists of Dune, Dune Messiah and Children of Dune - is it okay to read these then others in the series, or is there a preferred order meaning I'll have to dive back into the bookstore?

The Stars My Destination - Alfred Bester
(No easily accessible image from Amazon.co.uk - just as well, the cover is shit)
I'd never heard of it, but it's a classic according to the synopsis, and the vengeful sound of the protagonist sounds awesome

Stranger in a Strange Land - Robert Heinlein

Basically the exact same thing as the last book!

Just After Sunset - Stephen King
(Amazon doesn't have my cover, that's weird)
Short stories! Will read in between so I don't die from constant exposure to epic sci-fi shit going down.

Just finished:

Interesting throughout and the story operates on multiple levels.

Is that the American cover? It's fantastic, but I think two copies of the same book is enough for me.

Slightly Off-topic: Does anybody know how to get rid of those white borders from Amazon images? I know you can change the size by changing the 3-digit number after the "SS" (for example, I changed mine from the default 500 to 250, as I had so many to post - posting a ridiculously large number provides the greatest available size, I believe), and I recall somebody saying you can just as easily get rid of the white borders, but I'll be damned if I remember how.

 

[Night_Trekker]

The Stars My Destination - Alfred Bester
(No easily accessible image from Amazon.co.uk - just as well, the cover is shit)
I'd never heard of it, but it's a classic according to the synopsis, and the vengeful sound of the protagonist sounds awesome

This was the only Bester book they had in stock at Barnes and Nobles. I'm probably going to pick it up soon.

 

[Tim the Wiz]

Yeah, she's there, and the introduced romantic sub-plot is as unconventional as you would expect. Wish I hadn't read it, makes the wait for 2010 even more painful than before, which is quite some feat considering the amount of brilliant releases set for next year.

 

[Salazar]

I'm planning to pick up a copy of Homicide soon. Not that I doubted it, but I'm happy to hear it's worth it.

It's a good idea to read Homicide and then The Corner. Reading about Baltimore from the perspective of the dealers and addicts is a tremendous leap to take.

 

[Quake1028]

 

[M Tyson]

http://api.ning.com/files/razyimQvk...b2P3B8ybKX5mta/Brazier_ThriveFitnesssmall.jpg

 

[YYZ]

I've been reading Clash of Kings. Now that I'm back to school, I've been powering through this shit, reading about 90 minutes a day on the train+train+bus. I think I've already read more in the past week than all of August. What will I do when I don't need to commute anymore...

 

[Big-E]

Won't be able to read leisurely for the next year so I will be reading boring textbooks.

 

[Skittleguy]

Finally finished One Hundred Years of Solitude. Wow, that was intense.

 

[Oli]

About to go on a trip, and am taking HG Wells War of the Worlds. Any word on what I should expect from this one? Is it a good read for a long car ride?

 

[Gilgamesh]

Main:

On the side:

I love 19th century literature.

About to go on a trip, and am taking HG Wells War of the Worlds. Any word on what I should expect from this one? Is it a good read for a long car ride?

H.G. Wells is always a good read, but personally, I can't read for more than about an hour straight no matter what so I couldn't help you there.

 

[Alucard]

I finished Red Chameleon by Stuart M. Kaminsky. Here is my review.

Red Chameleon by Stuart M. Kaminsky

I picked this book up on a whim, knowing nothing about it, except that it was a Russian murder mystery. I have since found out that there are numerous books starring Detective Porfiry Petrovich Rostnikov, with this being the third in the series. That could explain the feeling that I was missing something. There are numerous allusions to the past in this novel, and while it is readable as a stand-alone book, I likely would have gotten more enjoyment out of it if I had read the other novels.

The adventures of Detective Rostnikov take place in Soviet Russia, and the world presented in this novel is complete with KGB intrigue, and some historical commentary on the lives of Jews during the Russian Revolution. I really enjoyed the stark and direct writing style, and Rostnikov is an incredibly likable old man. It is obvious that he is not very popular with the higher ups in the police force, as he has a tendency to push himself into situations where he is not wanted.

This book has three mysteries: one follows a sniper who is picking off policemen, one follows a ring of car thieves, and one follows the death of a man in his bathtub, and a mysterious candlestick. While the mysteries themselves are interesting enough, it is the way Kaminsky presents this time period that makes it so enjoyable. I felt utter despair for some of these characters, as they simply wanted to survive in the world. This sense of desolate living is painted in eloquent strokes by Kaminsky:

"Man proved himself, his worth, by accepting the weakness of the body and rising above it, not letting pain or emotion rule. Man, if he were to have dignity and meaning, had to rise above his animalism. An individual man was but a transient vessel. Mankind working together as a united organism had power and meaning."

The book has these little gems strewn throughout. Kaminsky captures the essence of life in a paranoid and almost animalistic Russia. The final confrontation in particular eschews the smoke and mirrors of communist society, and the hidden powers of the nation.

If you enjoy Soviet tales, this is a fine book to check out. If anything, I had a fun time imagining everything being spoken in a Soviet accent. 3.5/5.

Next up: Calculating God by Robert J. Sawyer.

 

[elitehebrew]

43 pages left in GEB

 

[Alucard]

About to go on a trip, and am taking HG Wells War of the Worlds. Any word on what I should expect from this one? Is it a good read for a long car ride?

I found the first half to drag on quite a bit. You also have to keep in mind that this book was written over one hundred years ago, so the style can be pretty dry at times. Once it hits its stride in the second half, though, it's pretty great. Either way, it's a classic of the genre.

 

[charsace]

A Game of Thrones
Crashed

 

[bengraven]

 

[BlueTsunami]

Guys... I just finished the final book in the Dark Tower series...

DO NOT HIGHLIGHT IF YOU ARE READING THE SERIES

Spoiler

What a horrible, horrible ending but an ending that definitely felt right to me. Having invested hours over the span of over a year, reading through the series... the weight (as a reader) you felt for Roland returning to this quest. Oh man. I literally laid back and thought about it for a bit. That was very heavy.

Amazing series though, its up and downs... no one book can be completely perfect (let alone Seven). But the main characters King created, their individual beginnings and endings, they became just these characters you knew almost personally. You can tell he had written them with the pure love and it certainly came across to me and how I ultimately felt about them.

Finally, Roland. What an absolutely tragic character. All of Book VII, all the hardships and deaths. You feel for him and the ones that are still living. Then you want to hate Roland for being so selfish as to want to keep them around (out of loneliness? some sort of means to an end?). I loved how Susannah ultimately knew this as she crossed worlds for the last time.

I was a bit flabberghasted at the Roland's epilogue. When I realized what was happening, that he was being dragged back into his quest for the Tower... ugh, it was heartbreaking. The gleam of hope though, that that could possibly be the final quest felt good.

It certainly one of those scenarios where he couldn't have written an ending that would appease everyone. I respect King for going with his gut, what he ultimately felt was the right ending to him, instead of what most of us want as readers. I definitely think that most of the enjoyment came from the journey itself (as King states in his Afterword). I love how he uses an analogy for sex and the subsequent orgasm. That its not about the "squirt" at the end but the experience leading to it and that he pities the person that doesn't realize this.

 

[Skerj]

Meant to read it since I bought it, just haven't gotten around to it until now. I hope it can light a candle to his others although I skipped Snuff. Also reading a lot of Phillip K. Dick lately and next up is more Kafka!!

 

[Night_Trekker]

It's a good idea to read Homicide and then The Corner. Reading about Baltimore from the perspective of the dealers and addicts is a tremendous leap to take.

I will do just that. Thanks

 

[npm0925]

The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown. About 100 pages in and can't wait to read more.

 

[Dan]

Took a little break from books and decided to read some comics... To be exact

The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck.

Probably my favorite comic book ever made. I highly recommend it to everybody. You don't need to be Duck-lover to enjoy it, you don't even have to like comics to enjoy it. Humorous and heart-warming stories Read it !

I want this badly. I tried to order it last Christmas and then it seemingly went out-of-print in the process so I've been out of luck. Looks like BOOM! is going to be republishing it in the spring, but it'll be split into at least two hardcovers, which if it's only the two will still be 32 pages shorter the paperback one :/ Ugh.

 

[batbeg]

So I've decided to start reading Madness of Angels first. It's... interesting, thus far. I like the style it's written in, but I can't deny it's also pretty distracting and awkward. It has a very meandering pace and is slightly poetic in the descriptions... maybe a little long-winded as well, but all in all, I'm enjoying it.

Guys... I just finished the final book in the Dark Tower series...

DO NOT HIGHLIGHT IF YOU ARE READING THE SERIES

Spoiler

What a horrible, horrible ending but an ending that definitely felt right to me. Having invested hours over the span of over a year, reading through the series... the weight (as a reader) you felt for Roland returning to this quest. Oh man. I literally laid back and thought about it for a bit. That was very heavy.

Finally someone else who seems to feel the same way about it as me.

Spoiler

I felt that I didn't like the ending, but I truly couldn't imagine it any other way. It just seemed right.

I'd like to re-read the Dark Tower books pretty soon, I think.

 

[Deleted member 1235]

it's written by my great uncle, a guy from NZ who enlisted in the war and survived as a bomber pilot based out of England. The family connection inspired me to read it but his attention to operational detail is highly interesting. His story telling is kind of amusing when it's just about life before the war as it's not very skillful and a bit disjointed, but once it gets to what most people will think is the 'good stuff' then it really takes off.

Lot of operational and technical data told in a very straightforward manner. The way he speaks about lost friends in such a matter of fact way makes me kind of emotional (but again, family connection)

Plus the dude gave me my first beer ever after making me walk up a mountain so that's pretty rad.

If anyones a war nerd then it's a good read!

 

[Fritz]

Main:

On the side:

I love 19th century literature.

Word! You're reading them in the wrong order though

 

[BlueTsunami]

Finally someone else who seems to feel the same way about it as me.

Spoiler

I felt that I didn't like the ending, but I truly couldn't imagine it any other way. It just seemed right.

Definitely and I just read a post about the ending

Spoiler

regarding the Horn of Eld. Apparently in "Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came" the final stanza of the poem has the protagonist blowing his horn.

There they stood, ranged along the hillsides, met
To view th elast of me, a living frame
For one more picture! In a sheet of flame
I saw them and I knew them all. And yet
Dauntless the slug-horn to my lips I set,
And blew. 'Childe Roland to the Dark Tower came'.

At first the meaning behind the horn felt like a nugget of hope thrown in at a whim to appease the reader but I'm amazed at its relation to the poem and that the original hope I felt is even stronger. Even though that's the last I'll ever read of Roland (possibly) the want as a reader for him to succeed is still with me after the book has finished.

Now about where I should go from here...

Neil Gaiman? Where should I start? I'm thinking of reading his work or maybe read a classic, possibly The Count of Monte Cristo.

 

[batbeg]

Now about where I should go from here...

Neil Gaiman? Where should I start? I'm thinking of reading his work or maybe read a classic, possibly The Count of Monte Cristo.

Ha, that's a great tidbit I hadn't known before.

If you're moving onto Gaiman, I personally feel like his best work would be the Sandman comics, which are just fantastic. If you're looking for a novel, my favorites would be... um, all of them. It depends what you're after, really. I guess I would say Anansi Boys = American Gods > Stardust = The Graveyard Book > Neverwhere.

Anansi Boys and American Gods bring Gaiman's great use of mythology and fate, Stardust is much like the film of course (I prefer each in their own ways), The Graveyard Book is more of a slow-paced children's affair akin to The Jungle Book, and Neverwhere concerns a self-created mythology of a second, magical London. They're all damn good novels though - I myself read all of them a couple months ago.

 

[movie_club]

All for classes =[

 

[afternoon delight]

All for classes =[

If you can't enjoy Brave New World.... I mean... Come on. You should read Revisited as well.

 

[movie_club]

If you can't enjoy Brave New World.... I mean... Come on. You should read Revisited as well.

i love BNW, ive read it beofre, the =[ was in relation to how much

 

[mrkgoo]

So I picked up my first real "book" in years. Wizard of oz. :lol. I loved this as a kid and was wondering if I'd still like it now.