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What are you reading? (September 2011)
- Thread starter Maklershed
- Start date
Danne-Danger
Member
I'm 30 pages into Ready Player One and it's already nerd heaven. If you have any background playing video games, or if you grew up during the 80s (which I didn't!), you should give it a go.
I hear it will only get better from here.
I hear it will only get better from here.
Arment said:
Such vivid and amazing worlds so far. I can't wait to read more. Each night is a treat.
Back in the day I had the first through fourth books and the sixth and seventh. The ending is pretty satisfying and the books aren't overly long. I'm debating re-reading it by buying it on bn.
Quote
Member
I'm on chapter 6 or 7 now. The 80s stuff feels so forced and I cringe every time something is mentioned. Why can't he just mention a thing here or there, instead of paragraphs of buzz names. I hope it becomes a little more subtle because minus the 80s cheap thrills its pretty good.
Guileless
Temp Banned for Remedial Purposes
Finished On the Road by Daniel Harris. He's a Manchester United fan disgusted with the Glazers who vowed to quit going to games at Old Trafford and only watch United at away matches. He wrote a blog about the season and then collected it as a book. As a fan of a shit team, I've always been fascinated by the bitching of fans of super teams. I can't relate.
This guy lays it on thick as United loses the title in a close race to Chelsea. Since they won last year and look good now, some of his criticism is over the top.
This guy lays it on thick as United loses the title in a close race to Chelsea. Since they won last year and look good now, some of his criticism is over the top.
Finished Soulless, by Gail Carriger. An unexpected surprise. Carriger takes a Victorian world where the supernatural exists (under strict government control) alongside everyday people, and shows us this world through a heroine with a rather intriguing connection to both worlds. A little more sexual than I expected, as well, without being pandering. It was like reading a Jane Austen novel where Emma is aware of the lump in Mr, Knightley's breeches.
Picked up the second book in the series, but will take a break with Ready Player One first.
Picked up the second book in the series, but will take a break with Ready Player One first.
Finished reading A Tree grows under brooklyn by Betty Smith today, i thought it was absolutely amazing in every way, i loved it so much i wouldn't hesitant to put in my top 5, something about it clicked with me in every way - from the characterization, the writing style, the way the setting was portrayed, the themes, there was also some meta / autobiographical elements to the story that i found extremely compelling, but yeah it's rare to see a novel like this push all the right buttons as far as my personal taste is concerned, so I'm really glad i read it.
Up next either a re-read of A Storm of swords or my first foray into Jorge Luis Borges with Labyrinths.
Up next either a re-read of A Storm of swords or my first foray into Jorge Luis Borges with Labyrinths.
just got it as a birthday gift. I cannot wait!
this too:
anyone else read it? I think the movie is pretty popular here. I personally remember little except that it was weird. really weird.
edit: id be grateful if anyone wanted to recommend some japanese books. Ive delved the usual: Murakami, Battle Royal, Abe Kobo and Natsume Souseki. Absolutely love Murakami.
ElectricBlue187
Member
Is that a book about the Satoshi Kon anime? Or the other way around?Ratrat said:
just got it as a birthday gift. I cannot wait!
this too:
anyone else read it? I think the movie is pretty popular here. I personally remember little except that it was weird. really weird.
nakedsushi
Member
Cyan said:
Hahaha, I've never had this happen to me before, but maybe I just have more forgiving friends. OR they're scared I might delete their account! Seriously, I wish people would give more opinion about my reviews of books. It promote discussion! =)
Is three stars bad? I think that's a pretty good rating. If I read and enjoyed a book, I'd give it 3 stars. I do personally think that the gr ratings are a little skewed toward the higher end, but for me, 3 is good.
I'm currently reading this at a recommendation by a co-worker.
Columbine by Dave Cullen
I was put off when I heard this book was out just because it seems so opportunist or predatory to what happened there, but I have to admit, the book so far is pretty good. It's sensitive, illuminating, and terrifying at times.
Snowman Prophet of Doom
Member
Just read White Noise by Don DeLillo for a class.
Gotta say, I wasn't particularly impressed. The humor is not nearly as sharp as, say, Kurt Vonnegut (to name somebody of a somewhat similar style), the characters are all pretty thin, the structure of the book is rather obvious, there's nothing all that special about the prose style, and frankly, the philosophy underlying it is somewhat ill-thought on the whole, even if it is correct in parts. It's the sort of book that has fully made its point within the first few chapters, and you spend the rest of it wondering if he's taking this whole thing anywhere. He's not, and it's disappointing. It's better than, say, Eggers or Wallace, since at least I did chuckle at points in his book and found some parts interesting, but on the whole, it's nothing all that significant.
Gotta say, I wasn't particularly impressed. The humor is not nearly as sharp as, say, Kurt Vonnegut (to name somebody of a somewhat similar style), the characters are all pretty thin, the structure of the book is rather obvious, there's nothing all that special about the prose style, and frankly, the philosophy underlying it is somewhat ill-thought on the whole, even if it is correct in parts. It's the sort of book that has fully made its point within the first few chapters, and you spend the rest of it wondering if he's taking this whole thing anywhere. He's not, and it's disappointing. It's better than, say, Eggers or Wallace, since at least I did chuckle at points in his book and found some parts interesting, but on the whole, it's nothing all that significant.
Cyan said:
Consider Phlebas is definitely a hard one to get into. Hell, all of The Culture books are hard at the beginning. CP is one of the hardest tho.
If you want to get into The Culture, I recommend starting with The Player of Games.
Very easy to get into, and it is the perfect book to describe the differences between The Culture and every other civilisation. I hope you give this another chance and read The Player of Games. Shame to miss out on such a rich series.
nakedsushi
Member
Karakand said:
That sounds like a bug. When people (librarians, I'm assuming) delete a book from a list, it should show up in the librarian log (ie: http://www.goodreads.com/list/edits/43.Best_Young_Adult_Books) but it looks like it doesn't. I'll put in a bug ticket for that.
nakedsushi
Member
Oh, the list starter can also. But I was under the impression that the librarians were doing it to try to "clean" the list.
Since my last update, I've read four books:
Fool Moon, by Jim Butcher
Sleight of Hand, by Peter S. Beagle
If on a winter's night a traveler, by Italo Calvino
Infinite Worlds: The Fantastic Visions of Science Fiction Art, by Vincent di Fate
I had read the first third or so of If on a winter's night a few years ago, but the combination of second-person narration and switching chapters and no fourth wall made it so that when I took a break for some reason or another for about a week, I felt completely lost. I liked it when I first read it, but I wasn't really in love with it. I don't know if it is the passage of time, my tastes have changed, or what, but I loved it this time. It's a really fun book and quite different from anything I've read before.
Fool Moon, by Jim Butcher
Sleight of Hand, by Peter S. Beagle
If on a winter's night a traveler, by Italo Calvino
Infinite Worlds: The Fantastic Visions of Science Fiction Art, by Vincent di Fate
I had read the first third or so of If on a winter's night a few years ago, but the combination of second-person narration and switching chapters and no fourth wall made it so that when I took a break for some reason or another for about a week, I felt completely lost. I liked it when I first read it, but I wasn't really in love with it. I don't know if it is the passage of time, my tastes have changed, or what, but I loved it this time. It's a really fun book and quite different from anything I've read before.
charlemagne
Member
Started on A Storm of Swords. Sah excited.
Blue Submarine No. 6
Member
Graphic Novels: just finished Batman Gotham by Gaslight and Master of the Future...
Novels: Broken Angels by Richard Morgan (finished two days ago) and Sailing to Sarantium by Guy Gavriel Kay (started yesterday)
Novels: Broken Angels by Richard Morgan (finished two days ago) and Sailing to Sarantium by Guy Gavriel Kay (started yesterday)
Maklershed
Member
^ Phenomenal book. One of my all time favorites in the PA genre.
LocoMrPollock
Banned
About 40% done with this and thinking about putting it down. Not sure if I want to waste any more time with it.
LocoMrPollock
Banned
aidan said:
Nothing particular, it's just not doing it for me. I don't care about the characters, Holden and Miller are boring. The universe isn't that interesting and the main plot has been stalled for most of the book. It has a lot of filler and I find myself zoning out while reading.