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[sparky2112]

How is it?

He was interesting on 60 Minutes last night. He's still a complete dumbass and will probably be prosecuted in some form or another, but he was interesting. The best part was the 'after our debrief, they gave us two days off, so I got in my truck and went to Taco Bell.'

 

[sparky2112]

I've only read Pandora's Star and Judas Unchained but I loved them both. Judas Unchained got really intense in the last 3rd of the book.

Yeah, if you throw out all the Ozzie parts like yesterday's trash, these are fairly good books.

 

[DesertEater]

I'll have to read this for my English course:

I'm a little weary of this book, a lot of reviews say it's just confusing and boring.
Anyone read this book and thought otherwise?

Confusing and boring? That's really weird because when I was reading it I heard nothing but praise for the book.
I really enjoyed it. Just make sure to pay attention to the names.

 

[angelkimne]

Could a kind person please advise me on how quick a read they found Slaughtehouse-Five?

I know it's pretty short, but I was wondering how quick it flows.

 

[megashock5]

Absolutely fascinating.

 

[DesertEater]

Could a kind person please advise me on how quick a read they found Slaughtehouse-Five?

I know it's pretty short, but I was wondering how quick it flows.

It flows quite quickly. I started reading it on an 8 hour flight. Ended up finishing most of it.
Keep in mind I wasn't reading the whole the time.

 

[Mumei]

On no account should you overlook The Urth of the New Sun once you've finished all four parts of The Book of the New Sun. It will hugely intensify your appreciation of the series by expounding many fascinating details and plot strands that were only hinted in the earlier volumes. The overarching narrative it reveals blew my mind, and the insights it offers about several major characters made me want to read the series all over again.

Urth of the New Sun is a satisfying conclusion to Severian's journeys and an exceptionally rich reward for all of the time you invested in the preceding books.

Absolutely. The Urth of the New Sun took the series from being merely amazing to being completely mind-blowing. Interestingly, you do not necessarily need the book to figure out a lot of these things; one of my favorite little analyses of the book is Joan Garden's Starmont's Readers' Guide #29 which was released before The Urth of the New Sun and gets many - though not all - of the major elements correct.

But the Urth of the New Sun is described as the "coda" to the series in one of the blurbs, and that's essentially what it is.

Yep, I picked that one up as well. =)

Also got The Fifth Head of Cerberus.

The Fifth Head of Cerberus is really great, and really, really bizarre. The whole thing, and especially the second story, has this bizarrely surreal quality to it. It was my first Gene Wolfe book, though, and probably the hardest for me to read. He's sort of an acquired taste when it comes to how he writes his stories. Peace was also similarly strange because of the flashback nature and the highly unreliable narrator and the way that time seemed to shift so much. On a surface level, at least, I thought The Book of the New Sun appeared more straightforward though things are more complex than they appear at first blush.

 

[Zerokku]

So the first 100 or so pages of Snow Crash weren't anything to write home about (though I imagine it was a far crazier concept when it first came out) but after that initial part I haven't been able to put it down. About 2/3 of the way through it now.

So good.

Spoiler

It helps that I have an intense love for anything and everything mythology related.

 

[Deleted member 1235]

I'm reading

The night circus. by erin morgenstern.

So far it's really good. two young magicians must have some kind of 'mysterious contest' as arranged by their teachers, who may be friends, or may be enemies.

 

[Monroeski]

So the first 100 or so pages of Snow Crash weren't anything to write home about (though I imagine it was a far crazier concept when it first came out) but after that initial part I haven't been able to put it down. About 2/3 of the way through it now.

So good.

Spoiler

It helps that I have an intense love for anything and everything mythology related.

I'm trying to imagine a world where the whole Deliverator segment is nothing to write home about but I can't. Probably my favorite intro to a book ever.

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51H76eGi5xL._SS500_.jpg[IMG]

Absolutely fascinating.[/QUOTE]

I stopped reading it partway through. Way too much sunshine pumping about how games are better than EVERYTHING ELSE ON EARTH EVER for me. Felt like she was trying to sell me something.

 

[Vard]

Currently reading The Crossing by Cormac McCarthy.

He was interesting on 60 Minutes last night. He's still a complete dumbass and will probably be prosecuted in some form or another, but he was interesting. The best part was the 'after our debrief, they gave us two days off, so I got in my truck and went to Taco Bell.'

I thought that part was really funny too.

"2 tacos and a bean burrito. It's like routine."

 

[VALIS]

Could a kind person please advise me on how quick a read they found Slaughtehouse-Five?

I know it's pretty short, but I was wondering how quick it flows.

I suspect you're really talking about prose style and whether it's on the basic or complex side, and it's definitely more toward the basic. So it reads pretty, ah, "smoothly."

 

[-Kees-]

 

[Drinkel]

Slowly going through

This book is to me kind of mind blowing, I'm not sure if I will end up a more functional human being after it's done messing with my head or if it will have the opposite effect.
It does however raise my faith in humanity somewhat.

 

[Zerokku]

I'm trying to imagine a world where the whole Deliverator segment is nothing to write home about but I can't. Probably my favorite intro to a book ever.

It seemed really bizarre and almost out of place given the expectations people had given me before reading it. I'm sure it'll be much better on a reread and knowing the context, but what people told me the book was going to be like and how it started just threw me off a bit.

 

[dgenx]

Hey
I have the attention span of a 5 year old, last book I was hooked in was stories of your life and others, any recommendations?

 

[nakedsushi]

Halfway done with:


Hyperion by Dan Simmons

What the hell. This was not what I expected. I thought it was going to be a space opera. It kind of is, but it's blowing my mind with all the seemingly connected stories. I'm expecting something very big when

Spoiler

they get to the Time Tombs

. Am I going to be disappointed?

 

[8BitsAtATime]

Finished a couple of days ago. The only thing I have to say is the book puts the movie to shame.

 

[Maklershed]

Ohh, nice. Also coming out this october is...

Can't wait!

Ohh the description sounds great but unfortunately it looks like its book 10 of an ongoing series. :/

Or is this the type of thing where you don't need to read the preceding books?

EDIT: Looks like ultron answered already

Consider Phlebas is a perfectly fine start, though in my opinion it is one of the weaker Culture novels (though still pretty good). You can start with any of them really, as they are all self contained.

 

[ElectricBlue187]

Ohh the description sounds great but unfortunately it looks like its book 10 of an ongoing series. :/

Or is this the type of thing where you don't need to read the preceding books?

Culture novels just have the same universe but different stories/characters/settings
It's helpful to read the earlier books but not necessary

 

[Devolution]

Slowly going through

This book is to me kind of mind blowing, I'm not sure if I will end up a more functional human being after it's done messing with my head or if it will have the opposite effect.
It does however raise my faith in humanity somewhat.

Finished it a couple months ago, raised some great questions about how we treat/view sex.

 

[kinn]

Finished J. Edgar Hoover: The Man and the Secrets and started Leviathan Wakes


Leviathan Wakes by James S.A. Corey

Half way through this and so far so good! Let us know what you think of it.

 

[coldvein]

FINALLY getting towards the end of good omens by terry pratchett and neil gaiman. its getting interesting!

 

[teruterubozu]

Post apocalyptic tale of a virus that turns people into vampire-esque creatures and pretty much wipes humanity out.

1st part of a trilogy (second part out this October).

About 1/3 of the way through and it's really enjoyable so far.

The first 1/3rd is great. But the rest

Spoiler

in the future

I thought was pure crap. Such a shame too, I love Cronin's previous books (non-horror, New England-style literature). Bastard sold out with a lukewarm vampire trilogy.

 

[Puckmarin]

The first 1/3rd is great. But the rest

Spoiler

in the future

I thought was pure crap. Such a shame too, I love Cronin's previous books (non-horror, New England-style literature). Bastard sold out with a lukewarm vampire trilogy.

Agreed.

The first 1/3 was great but the book sort of fell apart in the middle and end. I don't think I'll be reading the sequels.

 

[joseranulfo]

went back to reading this on my kindle the other day. only on chapter 8.

I really liked this book. I bought it as a fan of the thriller/suspense genre, but mid-book it becomes an

Spoiler

urban-phantasy book

(another genre I love) with an unlikely protagonist. the sequels are good too, It's almost like the

Spoiler

Dexter and Grimm

tv shows had sex and this was the result.

 

[nakedsushi]

Finished it a couple months ago, raised some great questions about how we treat/view sex.

Did you read this article? http://chronicle.com/blogs/brainstorm/sex-at-dusk-2/50099

 

[nakedsushi]

Agreed.

The first 1/3 was great but the book sort of fell apart in the middle and end. I don't think I'll be reading the sequels.

Pretty much. It had such potential. Not reading the next one.

 

[Dead Prince]

I really liked this book. I bought it as a fan of the thriller/suspense genre, but mid-book it becomes an

Spoiler

urban-phantasy book

(another genre I love) with an unlikely protagonist. the sequels are good too, It's almost like the

Spoiler

Dexter and Grimm

tv shows had sex and this was the result.

yeah. i bought the other books. hoping to read it soon.

 

[Mumei]

Did you read this article? http://chronicle.com/blogs/brainstorm/sex-at-dusk-2/50099

I have now! Sex at Dusk sounds interesting.

And by the way, your updates on Hyperion are making me almost want to break down and purchase the - sigh - mass market paperback edition.

 

[bobbytkc]

I just read ender's game and speaker for the dead. Ender's game was good bit completely overrated, and I don't know why it is on so many top 10 lists. I read speaker for the dead, and I thought it was good, bit I am not quite sure I like where the plot is going. Are the sequels good? Or should I just stop here?

 

[Mumei]

I just read ender's game and speaker for the dead. Ender's game was good bit completely overrated, and I don't know why it is on so many top 10 lists. I read speaker for the dead, and I thought it was good, bit I am not quite sure I like where the plot is going. Are the sequels good? Or should I just stop here?

I think part of the reason why it is on many peoples' top ten lists (including mine at one point) is that a lot of us read it in middle school or early high school and there's some element of wish fulfillment and easy self-insertion to it.

Speaker for the Dead is very different; completely different tone, planet, setting, time, etc. It does not read like something from the same series; there's very little continuity beyond Ender, and Ender himself is completely different as an adult.

 

[bobbytkc]

I think part of the reason why it is on many peoples' top ten lists (including mine at one point) is that a lot of us read it in middle school or early high school and there's some element of wish fulfillment and easy self-insertion to it.

Speaker for the Dead is very different; completely different tone, planet, setting, time, etc. It does not read like something from the same series; there's very little continuity beyond Ender, and Ender himself is completely different as an adult.

Sorry, but I actually meant the sequels to speaker of the dead - xenocide and children of the mind. I have already read speaker of the dead, and I know what you mean when you say ender is completely different.

 

[Mackenzie 92]

I just read ender's game and speaker for the dead. Ender's game was good bit completely overrated, and I don't know why it is on so many top 10 lists. I read speaker for the dead, and I thought it was good, bit I am not quite sure I like where the plot is going. Are the sequels good? Or should I just stop here?

Just stop. Read Bean's saga if you want a little more in the series, but even that jumps the shark after a couple books.

 

[Mumei]

Sorry, but I actually meant the sequels to speaker of the dead - xenocide and children of the mind. I have already read speaker of the dead, and I know what you mean when you say ender is completely different.

Ah.

Yeah, forget it, then. They get progressively worse after Speaker.

 

[Caoz]

Confusing and boring? That's really weird because when I was reading it I heard nothing but praise for the book.
I really enjoyed it. Just make sure to pay attention to the names.

I started 100 anos de soledad probably like 5 times before I was able to finish it... I remembered I really enjoyed it each one of those times... I also confessed I was confused at times with all the names and that is why I restarted it many times.

This is what I am reading. Both quite good but I found the Einstein biography much more interesting.

 

[Monroeski]

It seemed really bizarre and almost out of place given the expectations people had given me before reading it. I'm sure it'll be much better on a reread and knowing the context, but what people told me the book was going to be like and how it started just threw me off a bit.

The beginning is definitely a bit different than what I remember the rest of the book being, but damn I just remember that intro being incredible IMO. Love the intro and love the rest of the book, even if for different reasons.

It's been too long, I need to re-read that. I re-read VERY few books (Neuromancer is all that comes to mind) but when I finish The Fortress of Solitude I may just kick off a spree of re-readings; Snow Crash, Neuromancer, Never Let Me Go, Norwegian Wood (or another Murakami), and Good Omens have all been calling to me from my bookshelf.

 

[Jintor]

My problem is that I tend to get stuck in an endless loop of re-reading books and don't read anything new. I'm making a conscious effort to read outside my comfort zone this year and it's doing me well so far.

 

[Mumei]

My problem is that I tend to get stuck in an endless loop of re-reading books and don't read anything new. I'm making a conscious effort to read outside my comfort zone this year and it's doing me well so far.

I went through a few years of doing that. Now I have broken out of the cycle so completely that I'm beginning to wonder when I am going to reread something again.

 

[Salvor.Hardin]

Almost finished with this one

I'll admit, it's a bit tough to get into because the narrative can be obtuse and the vernacular dated. But once you sort through that and better understand the relationships it becomes a really good read.

The monologues remind me of those in Terrance Malick's films. I wonder if he was inspired by Faulkner.

I went through a few years of doing that. Now I have broken out of the cycle so completely that I'm beginning to wonder when I am going to reread something again.

My problem is that I just about never reread a book. I sometimes open one up and flip through it to catch a certain paragraph or something but that's about it. I really need to start rereading through a bit of my collection for fear of not remembering why I loved those stories in the first place.

 

[sgossard]

Just finished this one

And loved it, easily one of my faves to come out this year.

Can GAF recommend anything similar? I don't mean other Christopher Moore books, I'll be sure to check those, what I want is more Art History books that are not textbooks. They can be novelized, like Sacré bleu or artists biographies you've enjoyed.

Also, just started this one and really like it thus far

 

[coldvein]

i feel like there should be some kind of gaf book exchange.. i'm suddenly about to be very poor, and instead of buying new books (which ive always done) ill be going to the library and/or borrowing books from friends. its a scary new world o_o

 

[sgossard]

i feel like there should be some kind of gaf book exchange.. i'm suddenly about to be very poor, and instead of buying new books (which ive always done) ill be going to the library and/or borrowing books from friends. its a scary new world o_o

Awesome idea. And very easy to do with ebooks.

 

[Monocle]

i feel like there should be some kind of gaf book exchange.. i'm suddenly about to be very poor, and instead of buying new books (which ive always done) ill be going to the library and/or borrowing books from friends. its a scary new world o_o

If you can get a Kindle (or your e-reader of choice), there are a lot of great free and legal ebooks available on sites like Gutenberg.org, Literature.org, and Archive.org.

Of course, virtually all of the texts can be read on your phone or any other computing device. But you can't beat an e-reader for convenience.

 

[coldvein]

thanks monocle. i've got a nook, which i never really liked using. i guess now would be a good time to force myself to read on it.

 

[Monocle]

thanks monocle. i've got a nook, which i never really liked using. i guess now would be a good time to force myself to read on it.

Yeah, ebooks take some getting used to if you prefer physical books like I do. After a while, though, the unfamiliar display method will feel a lot less awkward.

 

[Mumei]

I have recently relearned the joys of libraries, though I still occasionally go to the bookstore or Amazon and get something for myself, but I limit myself to the great stuff that I would like on my shelf.

 

[Quake1028]

How is it?

Not ignoring you, just haven't gotten too far into it yet.

 

[sparky2112]

Recently finished:

Pretty good, not great. Eggers is on a U.S. offshoring manufacturing rant here, coupled with a middle-aged guy who finds his skills no longer all that needed in the 'new economy'. It takes place entirely in Saudi Arabia, where the Saudi king is supposedly trying to build his own Dubai, albeit very half-heartedly.

Also finished:

Lots of folks around here have read this, I think. This too was good, but I think a little overhyped. A nice, quick read. The ending was a complete copout, however.

Now on to:

I love that Stephenson writes nothing but big giant slabs of books. My one complaint about his is that for all the thousands of pages he writes, I always feel like I never really *know* his characters - except for maybe Jack Shaftoe. Still, nobody info-dumps like Stephenson, and that's really one of his primary draws....

 

[Xena]

Finished reading this DL book again, more than a decade after having read it for the first time...

Now I'm almost done with the second in the trilogy. I miss my teenage years! And I missed Tanis and the others, the world... Dragonlance has always been my favorite D&D setting... never really read Forgotten Realms novels, but I would like to start in the near future. I'm also into Pathfinder novels now, since it's the current system I play, but they are not overwhelming yet so I know the order.

What is the best place to start with FR novels? I do have knowledge of basic FR places, people and such, but I'd still like to read a novel as if I didn't know. Also, I'd rather it be available on kindle as well, since I'm not getting physical copies of novels anymore.