I've been pretty dry lately, after reading the Commonwealth Saga, no sci-fi seems to stand a chance (cept the Expanse series, which is good in it's own different way) - so I am moving away from sci-fi this month and looking at fantasy again - the blinding knife is only a few days away, right?!
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What are you reading? (September 2012)
- Thread starter Maklershed
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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....
Just about to finish this up. Its a faster pace for his writing. It generally clips along, but is still a long book. Richard Forthrast has a very good back story. Satisfying.
Just picked this up, and it goes to the top of the pile.
Have heard its like the King of old, and I'm a big Kennedy assassination buff.
megashock5
Member
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.
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.
Well, I'm only about 3 chapters in, so that could definitely happen. There's a lot of really interesting stuff so far though.
Finished up Bossypants by Tina Fey. Really enjoyed it. Now onto the next book:
Life of Pi by Yann Martel
Life of Pi by Yann Martel
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....
I thought this book was pretty boring. I put it down halfway through, which is EXTREMELY rare for me. Considering the subject matter, I thought I'd really get into it, but... just couldn't.
Right now I'm finishing up book 1 of the Malazan series. Good enough for me to continue reading the series, but not blown away.
For my grade 12 English course I need to write a term paper on a book from a predetermined list. Some of the books that I am thinking of reading for it are:
The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry
Lives of Girls and Women by Alice Munro
The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz by Mordecai Richler
Three Day Road by Joseph Boyden
Does anyone have any insight on these novels? Which one do you think would be the best to choose?
The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry
Lives of Girls and Women by Alice Munro
The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz by Mordecai Richler
Three Day Road by Joseph Boyden
Does anyone have any insight on these novels? Which one do you think would be the best to choose?
Mackenzie 92
Member
The Handmaid's Tale is a really easy paper, women in subjugation, christian theocracy. So that would be my choice since I'm incredibly lazy in that regard. I also thoroughly enjoyed Three Day Road, but I'm not sure I'd want to write a report on it.
finally finished this
just WTF
this is the first book where the rhythm of sentences was fucking with my head so hard that I wasn't able to enjoy fantastic writing and the book itself. It was like a wet soap in my hands - just when I thought I hold it firm it sliped out. I checked River of Gods - same shit. The Dervish house feels better though.
confused if I should buy more books by him. On the one hand it's fantastic. On the other hand some books seem to share that painful style.
just WTF
this is the first book where the rhythm of sentences was fucking with my head so hard that I wasn't able to enjoy fantastic writing and the book itself. It was like a wet soap in my hands - just when I thought I hold it firm it sliped out. I checked River of Gods - same shit. The Dervish house feels better though.
confused if I should buy more books by him. On the one hand it's fantastic. On the other hand some books seem to share that painful style.
The Handmaid's Tale is the only one I have read of those, but I agree that it seems rather straightforward. I saw a study guide thing for it that my local library got recently. If he ends up doing that I can find out what it was called.
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. Am I going to be disappointed?they get to the Time Tombs
I don't really want to answer fully here, because it will spoil you, but [and don't read this if you don't want to know more about the pacing, which might give some things away inadvertently...]
this story is kind of a slow burn, and relies on keeping you somewhat in the dark for a long time. By the time you finish the next book you will be saying 'holy shit that's really cool" but there were times leading up to that point when I was frustrated by certain aspects. I think it's well worth it though. There are a lot of really cool ideas presented, and the characters are well drawn.
Grenouille
Member
I read The Invisible Man.
I didn't enjoy it much, even though it had nice moments like the beginning, epilogue and the origin story. Worth reading if only for some of those paragraphs. Sadly every time the author turned the story into the Invisible Man running around and beating people up things got a bit boring.
I didn't enjoy it much, even though it had nice moments like the beginning, epilogue and the origin story. Worth reading if only for some of those paragraphs. Sadly every time the author turned the story into the Invisible Man running around and beating people up things got a bit boring.
I think I'm going to choose The Handmaid's Tale. Read a bit about it and it sounds like a book I would enjoy. It was between that and Three Day Road, but the amount of secondary sources and criticism available for The Handmaid's Tale makes it seem like a writing a paper will be easier.
BanShunsaku
Member
Just picked this up, and it goes to the top of the pile.
Have heard its like the King of old, and I'm a big Kennedy assassination buff.
I'm eagerly awaiting this to arrive from Book Depository.. Been enjoying The Dark Tower and looking forward to reading some more King, like you I've heard this is back to his best. Hoping it arrives today as I'm almost done with Leviathan Wakes, which is proving to be fantastic.
Collete
Member
I tried my best reading it.
...I'll just put it nicely, it makes my run-on sentence issues look better.
I mean the content is good but I just...It feels like a mess that I'm reading it.
I looked up analysis of the chapters and it's a nice novel but I don't know about the organization of the book as a whole.
I think it's just me; but even my professor says she doesn't understand this book.
But wants us to take a quiz over the whole damn book.
....Professors, pfft....
I tried to read it very recently and gave up on it halfway through. My big beef is that it changes characters too much jumping from generation to generation. Each chapter is like a new short story, basically, and it doesn't really feel like a cohesive novel. Some of the early chapters are excellent, but it lost steam for me somewhere around the one-quarter/one-half mark.
I think it handles the generation hopping worse than a lot of other books I've read. For example, I've enjoyed some of James Michener's novels even though he always covers several generations of characters in his books. The name issue is probably part of the problem.
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.
Good George man, so nostalgic. While I NEVER got to read this series, I was an avid reader of DLS. Notably chaos series, and Huma, Knights of the crown, that sort. I really love this series, and I got into reading as a hobby because of this.
Currently reading war40k novels, just love bolter porn. Horus Heresy: Nemesis is my next book, along with black company by Glen Cook.
ThankeeSai
Member
*Really* enjoyed the first 1/3rd and although the
jump to the future
Vanillalite
Ask me about the GAF Notebook
Maklershed
Member
Good choice. And when you're done doing that for school, read Oryx and Crake and The Year of the Flood for fun. Both great books as well .. I actually liked them more than The Handmaid's Tale. Well, I liked The Year of the Flood more anyway. Looking forward to Maddaddam next year.
I´m 150 pages into it. I have to say I really like it so far. The little introductions Rand gave so far really make me want to explore the world she created, i find her vision of the future really intresting. Some characters seem more like caricatures so far, esp the president of the train company. I hope that changes soon.
I´m 150 pages into it. I have to say I really like it so far. The little introductions Rand gave so far really make me want to explore the world she created, i find her vision of the future really intresting. Some characters seem more like caricatures so far, esp the president of the train company. I hope that changes soon.
It doesn't.
I personally liked The Fountainhead more because it seemed not only more plausible (until some ridiculous stuff at the end) but because it seemed like more of a story with a message than the extremely thinly veiled straight philosophy book that Atlas Shrugged turned out to be. Not a coincidence that after Atlas Shrugged Rand stopped fiction altogether and started doing non fiction.
Started reading this
.
If you like Rothfuss you will like this. The book is great so far but it could definitely use some editing. The next book is due out in december and since he got picked up by penguin maybe he will re-edit the first. All in all I've really enjoyed it and I hope I can find more self published books like this one.
If you like Rothfuss you will like this. The book is great so far but it could definitely use some editing. The next book is due out in december and since he got picked up by penguin maybe he will re-edit the first. All in all I've really enjoyed it and I hope I can find more self published books like this one.
I finished The Portrait of a Lady by Henry James the last week of August. It was good, but totally wretched. Also sometimes I really like the way he writes, but other times it seems needlessly convoluted and it annoyed me.
I was going to start the book club book, but I couldn't go from one classic to another so I read Childhood's End by Arthur C. Clarke. Well, it was written in the 50's, I think, and it's aged badly. The way women were written had me very irritated. They're only ever girlfriends or wives or mothers. Not a single one had a profession (apart from a woman in the much later re-written first section, but that doesn't count). The storytelling - the mystery, wonder, anticipation - was really good, though.
After that I still couldn't start the book club book, and more possibly subjugated women, so I read Six Moon Dance by Sheri S. Tepper, which I hoped would be suitably refreshing. And my god, it was. Not that 'reverse' sexism is any better than sexism, but she was doing something with it. I thoroughly enjoyed it, though not to say there weren't a few minor niggles.
I was going to start the book club book, but I couldn't go from one classic to another so I read Childhood's End by Arthur C. Clarke. Well, it was written in the 50's, I think, and it's aged badly. The way women were written had me very irritated. They're only ever girlfriends or wives or mothers. Not a single one had a profession (apart from a woman in the much later re-written first section, but that doesn't count). The storytelling - the mystery, wonder, anticipation - was really good, though.
After that I still couldn't start the book club book, and more possibly subjugated women, so I read Six Moon Dance by Sheri S. Tepper, which I hoped would be suitably refreshing. And my god, it was. Not that 'reverse' sexism is any better than sexism, but she was doing something with it. I thoroughly enjoyed it, though not to say there weren't a few minor niggles.
Started reading this
.
If you like Rothfuss you will like this. The book is great so far but it could definitely use some editing. The next book is due out in december and since he got picked up by penguin maybe he will re-edit the first. All in all I've really enjoyed it and I hope I can find more self published books like this one.
Check out the Mageborn series, The Book of Deacon, Dragonprince trilogy, Morcyth Saga, Zero Sight, and Kinshield Saga
Collete
Member
Exactly.
Who names their kids the same name 17 times anyways?
The book jumped way too much (supposedly that represents the human mind how it is not in one place) that I just can't wrap my head around it.
I liked the first chapter, kind of. But yeah I just could not read this book.
I don't understand the hype of it much I guess.
The whole book just made my head spin that I now regret spending money on it for this class...*sigh*
I've posted in this thread a couple of times but forgot to mention what I was reading. My habit of late is to read bunch of books at a time, cycling between them from chapter to chapter.
In the last couple of days I just finished:
The Wind through the Keyhole by Stephen King
This was fantastic and is a must read for anybody who enjoyed the other Dark Tower books. It also opens the door to the idea of more books in that universe with a different main character.
Jhereg by Steven Brust
If you like the idea of reading about a bad-ass, fantasy assassin character, I would recommend this with only a few reservations. I read this the first time when I was about 14 and loved it then. This time I found it fairly entertaining, but not as good as I remembered. There are some clumsy moments in the plot. I read a few of the other books in the series when I was a kid but I don't remember them very well. The universe has a bit of a sci fi bent; it's fantasy but also hints at sci-fi explanations for a lot of the magic, and I enjoy that kind of thing. I've heard from others with more experience with the series that the books get better as they go along, and I liked this one well enough to continue.
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Currently, I'm reading several other books, but primarily I'm focused on these three for the moment:
The Wizard of Earth Sea by Ursula K. Le Guin
Absolutely fucking brilliant. She really does a good job of creating the feel of a mythic tale while still keeping it personal enough to have an emotional impact. I've always heard these were great but I never dreamed I would like them this much. I will probably devour the whole series in short order since they aren't that long.
The Fires of Heaven (wheel of Time 5) by Robert Jordan
I'm going through these again because I want to read the series conclusion and I'm several books behind. I think I stopped around book 9 and this story is so complicated that you can't just jump back in. A reread is mandatory if you've been away for very long. I devoured the early books really fast, despite their length, because they're about as entertaining as books can be. This one seems to be where things start slowing down. I don't remember having trouble with it back in the day, but it's been tougher this time. Even the weak books in this series have great moments, and this one has already had a few, but there's a lot of slogging as well. Regardless, I'm in it to win it this time, and I love this series, warts and all.
Dune by Frank Herbert
This one has really been a slog for me. One minute I love it, the next, I have trouble making myself pick it back up. I'm not sure what the problem is either. I like the writing style and find the universe interesting. I could still end up thinking this is great by the time I finish it, or I might decide it was terrible.
In the last couple of days I just finished:
The Wind through the Keyhole by Stephen King
This was fantastic and is a must read for anybody who enjoyed the other Dark Tower books. It also opens the door to the idea of more books in that universe with a different main character.
Jhereg by Steven Brust
If you like the idea of reading about a bad-ass, fantasy assassin character, I would recommend this with only a few reservations. I read this the first time when I was about 14 and loved it then. This time I found it fairly entertaining, but not as good as I remembered. There are some clumsy moments in the plot. I read a few of the other books in the series when I was a kid but I don't remember them very well. The universe has a bit of a sci fi bent; it's fantasy but also hints at sci-fi explanations for a lot of the magic, and I enjoy that kind of thing. I've heard from others with more experience with the series that the books get better as they go along, and I liked this one well enough to continue.
--------------------------------------------------------------
Currently, I'm reading several other books, but primarily I'm focused on these three for the moment:
The Wizard of Earth Sea by Ursula K. Le Guin
Absolutely fucking brilliant. She really does a good job of creating the feel of a mythic tale while still keeping it personal enough to have an emotional impact. I've always heard these were great but I never dreamed I would like them this much. I will probably devour the whole series in short order since they aren't that long.
The Fires of Heaven (wheel of Time 5) by Robert Jordan
I'm going through these again because I want to read the series conclusion and I'm several books behind. I think I stopped around book 9 and this story is so complicated that you can't just jump back in. A reread is mandatory if you've been away for very long. I devoured the early books really fast, despite their length, because they're about as entertaining as books can be. This one seems to be where things start slowing down. I don't remember having trouble with it back in the day, but it's been tougher this time. Even the weak books in this series have great moments, and this one has already had a few, but there's a lot of slogging as well. Regardless, I'm in it to win it this time, and I love this series, warts and all.
Dune by Frank Herbert
This one has really been a slog for me. One minute I love it, the next, I have trouble making myself pick it back up. I'm not sure what the problem is either. I like the writing style and find the universe interesting. I could still end up thinking this is great by the time I finish it, or I might decide it was terrible.
Just finished this and awaiting the 2nd part from Amazon.
Awesome book. I can't believe I'd never heard of Gene Wolfe before (picked the book up at random at Barnes & Noble not knowing what to expect). Difficult to read at first due to the exotic vocabulary, but after a couple chapters I couldn't put it down. I love how the author presents a culture that's degenerated past the point of understanding its own technology (e.g. a mechanism powered by 'lightning' instead of electricity).
Amazing, amazing book. If anyone on GAF ever arranges a group re-read of this series then I'd be extremely up for that. I read it solo the first time through, but feel like it's a book that would benefit massively from having other people to bounce ideas off as you work your way through.
I'd arrange it myself but my lack of thread making privileges prevent me
Grenouille
Member
I tried back when the book clubs were a more regular thing (and more of a democracy
try again pls.
I tried back when the book clubs were a more regular thing (and more of a democracy
Who dissuaded you?
I'd also recommend The Blind Assassin, which is personally her best book. Actually, I found The Handmaid's Tale to be her weakest from what I've read, so if you enjoy that one I really think you'll really enjoy these others.
BrokenFiction
Member
It's almost a cliche at this point, but read Book 2 (Deadhouse Gates) and re-evaluate the series. It is light years beyond the first book.
Devolution
Member
Well he still makes this statement
Which still begs the question if people can have open relationships sans the jealousy, what's the harm?
KuwabaraTheMan
Banned
Been reading a lot lately, especially since I just got my computer back after it being in the shop for a couple of weeks.
I finished up Dune Messiah recently. Great book, and I was really blindsided by the way it ended. It was a very different novel than the first in terms of pacing and conflict, but I really enjoyed it.
I've also started reading Leviathan Wakes, and I'm pretty far along. It's really a page turner, and I've gotten pretty invested in the characters, as well as the world. There's so much going on in the background here, and there's such a rich tapestry. Definitely a great space opera.
In into Part 2 of The Brothers Karamazov. Dostoyevsky's writing is always such a joy to read. I'm still not sure exactly where the plot is going in the book, but I don't care. Every chapter is just joyous to read, and the prose is absolutely gorgeous.
I'm reading Cryptomonicon, which is my first Stephenson book. I wasn't sure about the writing at first, but after around 30 pages or so everything clicked into place, and now I'm really loving the style.
I finished up Dune Messiah recently. Great book, and I was really blindsided by the way it ended. It was a very different novel than the first in terms of pacing and conflict, but I really enjoyed it.
I've also started reading Leviathan Wakes, and I'm pretty far along. It's really a page turner, and I've gotten pretty invested in the characters, as well as the world. There's so much going on in the background here, and there's such a rich tapestry. Definitely a great space opera.
In into Part 2 of The Brothers Karamazov. Dostoyevsky's writing is always such a joy to read. I'm still not sure exactly where the plot is going in the book, but I don't care. Every chapter is just joyous to read, and the prose is absolutely gorgeous.
I'm reading Cryptomonicon, which is my first Stephenson book. I wasn't sure about the writing at first, but after around 30 pages or so everything clicked into place, and now I'm really loving the style.
Have you been posting in the topic? I don't recall seeing your avatar!
And yes, I agree. There's a really great article (with some spoilers about the story) I found at work today about Constance Garnett and P/V's translations in the New Yorker (as well as stuff about Nabokov and Edmund Wilson and Russian translation in general) and I really enjoyed P/V's characterization of Dostoevsky's prose:
Dostoyevskys detractors have faulted him for erratic, even sloppy, prose and what Nabokov, the most famous of the un-fans, calls his gothic rodomontade. Dostoyevsky did write in a hurry, Pevear said. He had terrible deadlines to meet. He wrote Crime and Punishment and The Gambler simultaneously. He knew that if he didnt finish The Gambler on time he would lose the rights to all his future books for the next nine years. Thats when he hired his future wife as a stenographer and dictated it to her. Tolstoy was better paid, and he didnt even need the money. And yet Dostoyevskys roughness, despite the rush and the pressure, was all deliberate. No matter what the deadline, if he didnt like what he had, he would throw it all out and start again. So this so-called clumsiness is seen in his drafts, the way he works on it. Its deliberate. His narrator is not him; its always a bad provincial writer who has an unpolished quality but is deeply expressive. In the beginning of The Brothers Karamazov, in the note to the reader, there is the passage about being at a loss to resolve these questions, I am resolved to leave them without any resolution. He stumbles. Its all over the place.
And this is how people speak, Volokhonsky said. We mix metaphors, we stumble, we make mistakes.
Other translators smooth it out, Pevear said. We dont.
And this is how people speak, Volokhonsky said. We mix metaphors, we stumble, we make mistakes.
Other translators smooth it out, Pevear said. We dont.
There is something in the apparent messiness of the prose that seems intentional, so it is interesting to learn that it is intentional. I recommend reading the whole article if you don't mind a few spoilers.
I tried back when the book clubs were a more regular thing (and more of a democracy
Who dissuaded you?
Whoever it was, we need to hunt them out and ridicule them. Madness. It's almost the ideal kind of book for a group discussion.
Very much this - I stopped reading the series after the first book for a few years, thinking that I really didn't enjoy it enough to carry on. On a whim I picked up the second a few months ago and haven't looked back since. Currently just about to start book 6. The gulf in quality from book 1 to 2 is huge.
Maklershed
Member
I'm halfway through Leviathan Wakes and I'm loving ...
Also, I think when I'm done with this I'm gonna read The Sisters Brothers next. Heard it recommended on Co-Main Event and I remembered seeing a few people in these threads reading it. Description sounds like it would be right up my alley.
The Dead Space type imagery with the vomit zombies and the mass of human/alien parts lumped around the Scopuli's reactor.
Also, I think when I'm done with this I'm gonna read The Sisters Brothers next. Heard it recommended on Co-Main Event and I remembered seeing a few people in these threads reading it. Description sounds like it would be right up my alley.
Quoting myself for new page and because I'm sure reading-GAF can recommend something.
Maklershed
Member
I make this recommendation with the full acknowledgment of the fact that I never actually read the book but saw the movie (which was great) but The Girl with the Pearl Earring was really good and if the movie is that good I can only imagine the book must be as well.
Disclaimer 2: Johannes Vermeer is my favorite painter of all time so I'm a bit biased. :b
Girl with a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier
Thanks a lot Maklershed. This sounds like what I'm looking for. I'll be sure to check it out.
Please keep the recommendations coming. I'm sure GAF will deliver.
MentallyCritical
Member
women by charles bukowski
fun so far.
fun so far.
Mackenzie 92
Member
Just finished
The Black Cloud by Fred Hoyle
Mad Men meets a Star Trek episode. Really enjoyed it, it was charming and a quick read with a great protagonist. Would definitely recommend.
And now onto-
Songs of Love and Death: All-Original Tales of Star-Crossed Love by George R.R. Martin
So far the stories have been pretty good, it started out with a great little Harry Dresden tale which inspired me to pick up those books at some point.
The Black Cloud by Fred Hoyle
Mad Men meets a Star Trek episode. Really enjoyed it, it was charming and a quick read with a great protagonist. Would definitely recommend.
And now onto-
Songs of Love and Death: All-Original Tales of Star-Crossed Love by George R.R. Martin
So far the stories have been pretty good, it started out with a great little Harry Dresden tale which inspired me to pick up those books at some point.
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