-
Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.
What are you reading? (September 2012)
- Thread starter Maklershed
- Start date
- Status
Finished -
I had a few niggles with certain aspects of the book - the narrator exclamation marks started to irk me when they got used too often in a short space of time and the use of swearing which, while present, has never been a staple of conversation in Erikson's set of books, so far anyway, felt slightly jarring but aside from that it was incredibly enjoyable. It felt like more of a straightforward 'action adventure' book and it was nice to have a nice compact (in relation to the main novels) tale set within the Malazan universe.
There were a few things I felt that I'd have liked to read more about, such as
and I hope these get covered in future Esselmont books, as I've not seen any mention (that I can remember) of them in Erikson's books. But, for a first novel, it gets a thumbs up from me.
Then moved on to -
Loved the writing style of this book. I'm led to believe it's a novella set within the larger world of 'the half-made world' so will definitely pick that up at some point, if it carries on in the same style. Felt a lot like Firefly without the space bits so am looking forward to getting a bigger fix of this in the future.
Next up -
I had a few niggles with certain aspects of the book - the narrator exclamation marks started to irk me when they got used too often in a short space of time and the use of swearing which, while present, has never been a staple of conversation in Erikson's set of books, so far anyway, felt slightly jarring but aside from that it was incredibly enjoyable. It felt like more of a straightforward 'action adventure' book and it was nice to have a nice compact (in relation to the main novels) tale set within the Malazan universe.
There were a few things I felt that I'd have liked to read more about, such as
the Stormriders
Then moved on to -
Loved the writing style of this book. I'm led to believe it's a novella set within the larger world of 'the half-made world' so will definitely pick that up at some point, if it carries on in the same style. Felt a lot like Firefly without the space bits so am looking forward to getting a bigger fix of this in the future.
Next up -
I read 'Brave New World' yesterday, I enjoyed it, very easy reading and some great imagery
I also read Orwell's 1984 a couple of weeks back, so it was interesting to compare the two in some ways
Next I'll be reading Paradise Lost once it arrives!
If you're on a dystopia kick, you really should finish off "the big 3" and knock off Fahrenheit 451. It's my personal favourite of the three novels, with 1984 coming in at a close second. Brave New World wasted way too much time on technical scientific explanations from what I can remember of it. Still liked it, but it just didn't hit me the same way that the other two did. I'd probably enjoy it more today, though...books like that tend to get better with a person's age. A book you read at 25 is not the same book you read at 31.
The Albatross
Member
Cloud Atlas because I've wanted to read it and just found out it's going to be a movie.
Guileless
Temp Banned for Remedial Purposes
I read it this summer. Took me from late May-August. It's incredibly dense. Worth it though.
The Culture Vulture
Member
Finished "World War Z" and "Breakfast of Champions". Z was solid but not as great as I had hoped it would be. Champions was a strange read. Entertaining in it's strangeness if you can avoid being turned off by it.
Started "Day of the Triffids" - good so far
Hoping Amazon has a decent Kindle sale in the near future....running low on fiction.
Started "Day of the Triffids" - good so far
Hoping Amazon has a decent Kindle sale in the near future....running low on fiction.
Eaten By A Grue
Member
I thought the second book was definitely as good as the first. I am on the third right now, which I think is great and better than most books, but not as mind blowing as the first two. Definitely worth reading them though.Finished this on a plane. Boy, was I mad that I couldn't buy the second book right away. Cliffhanger-central!
Hyperion by Dan Simmons
As good as everyone else made it out to be. I only gave it 4 stars because I wish they could have revealed more aboutin the first book. Is the second book just as good? Better? Worse? Am I going to be disappointed?the Time Tombs
sparky2112
Member
You also have to keep in mind that this is essentially a self-published unedited first novel. Yeah, it's a bit of a mess, but some of it is quite good, and I thought the overall arc of the book was well done.
I just finished:
For a first crack at Wallace by a first-time biographer, it was pretty good, although in spots it read like a really, really long magazine feature. Still, it filled in quite a bit of his life that I didn't know about (or at least much detail about). Still, if you have Wallace on some kind of pedestal, don't read it. If you know much about him, you know he was a mess - depressive, needy, and addict, wracked by insecurity, terrible in relationships, etc. Although, ultimately, I suppose, this is a story of redemption, despite Wallace's ultimate fate.
I think the problem here is that Bujold essentially ended the Vorkosigan saga with A Civil Campaign, a book that combined a comedy of manners with substantial challenges and change for the characters. It's a brilliant finale to a wonderful series - but naturally fans want more adventures from beloved characters (myself emphatically included) and Bujold no doubt has things that she wants to flesh out and isn't adverse to some nice paychecks. So, you get "Winterfair Gifts" (which is a pleasant epilogue to A Civil Campaign), Diplomatic Immunity (which is a pleasant mystery but not an amazing one), Cryoburn (ditto, except for the epilogue), and now we have The Ivan Book. If the previous three books are doing some Where Are They Now? style wrapping up (i.e. Taura, Bel Thorn), then it's nice to see Ivan get his chance to shine, and it's difficult to imagine our Captain Vorpatril in a deeply serious, weighty sort of adventure.
Like I said, I'm not adverse to this sort of thing and when Captain Vorpatril's Alliance arrives (I'm holding out for the hardcover release in November) I'm sure I'll devour it in short order. But, you're right that the recent Vorkosigan novels haven't had enough gravitas to really pack a punch in the same way that, say, the Brothers In Arms/Mirror Dance/Memory sequence did. I wouldn't argue much if Bujold came back to the Vorkosigan universe with some very serious, high stakes challenges for the characters to overcome, but I think she's happy with everyone where they are and doesn't really want to put folks through the wringer like that again. I can't argue with her overly, but I do hope that she'll find another wonderful universe and set of characters to start exploring in earnest before long.
FnordChan
Salvor.Hardin
Banned
Crazy. Brave New World is easily the best of the lot, both from a literary stand point (which puts Fahrenheit at third) and from the enduring nature of its ideas.
I thought the first two Chalion books were excellent, but the third wasn't as good. Not bad, mind you, but not up to snuff. I bounced off the first Sharing Knife novel and plan on giving the series another go at some point, now that I've had plenty of time to recalibrate my expectations to "romantic fantasy".
I'm wondering if Bujold could find an entirely separate viewpoint character away from the whole Vorkosigan clan and dive back into their universe that way, since I'd certainly like to see more adventures in that setting. Unfortunately, I don't know that I see this happening...though that may turn into fortunately if Bujold takes some time from hereon to craft an entirely new world and series to work with. Fingers are crossed.
FnordChan
Bujold is definitely a goddess among men. When she stumbles it is still better than 95% of fantasy or sci-fi. Can't get into the Sharing Knife though. At an earlier age I would have loved the heavy love focus, but not anymore. We read books for different reasons depending on our current life circumstances.
FnordChan said:
Chalion books are my favorite from Bujold. The one with the wolf bond is one of the best books I have ever read. I wish she would go back to that world. Challion > Vorkosigan >>>> Sharing Knife. However, I have to admit my internal prejudices here. It is not a coincidence that I enjoy the male perspective books a whole lot more than the female perspective ones.
I am not a huge sword & sorcery guy who reads books for the action, but what Sanderson does with Kelsier at the end of this book is the best I have seen.
2 of my favorite authors on the same page. GAF has good tastes.
BrokenFiction
Member
Finished Brent Weeks' The Blinding Knife last week and it was just fantastic. Better even than the great 'Black Prism'. Waiting for Lightbringer 3 is gonna be a killer.
After that was The Skybound Sea, the 3rd book in the Aeon's Gate Trilogy. Sykes is an amazing talent, and he's gotten better with every book. He's got the writing gene - his mom is Diana Gabaldon.
Also, dat cover...
Just started Paolo Bacigalupi's The Windup Girl - heard amazing things about it.
After that was The Skybound Sea, the 3rd book in the Aeon's Gate Trilogy. Sykes is an amazing talent, and he's gotten better with every book. He's got the writing gene - his mom is Diana Gabaldon.
Also, dat cover...
Just started Paolo Bacigalupi's The Windup Girl - heard amazing things about it.
Vanillalite
Ask me about the GAF Notebook
Pretty poweful novel even knowing the subject matter going on. I figured it wouldn't really be that kind of book for me, and when I started out reading it wasn't. By the end though I can see why this book was and still is such a big deal.
Screaming_Gremlin
My QB is a Dick and my coach is a Nutt
I thought this book was fantastic. If you enjoy it as well, I would recommend hunting down his novella, "The People of Sand and Slag." I want to say it is included in some post-apocalyptic short story collection, but I can't think of the name of it right now.
Mackenzie 92
Member
Dead Prince
Banned
Finished I am not a serial killer. enjoyed it. idk about how the ending was done but I guess we'll see in the second book Mr. Monster
the story is finally picking up after 10 chapters.
the story is finally picking up after 10 chapters.
Mackenzie 92
Member
Thank you amazon uk.
Great North Road by Peter F. Hamilton
Think I might still get the hardcover for my shelf, really like this cover.
Great North Road by Peter F. Hamilton
Think I might still get the hardcover for my shelf, really like this cover.
Ohh, didn't know that was out already. Just put a hold on it at my library. Mild anticipation, since I haven't really truly loved a Vorkosigan novel since "A Civil Campaign" can't get enough of the characters though
I really should give a re-read of the whole series someday!Trent Strong
Banned
I"m struggling through Infinite Jest. I really like about half of the chapters, but the other half I find pretty boring. Some of the chapters are deliberately written with horrible grammar, spelling and punctuation, and those are brutal to get through. I fell like I've been reading this for an eternity, and yet I'm only 25% done. It'll probably take a month to finish it. It's brutal. But I also kind of like it.
Personally, I like The Snows of Kilimanjaro
I heard it's really good. I think I want to pick up The Snow of Kilimanjaro and other stories collection.
Can anyone suggest a Hemmingway novel?
MoGamesXNA
Unconfirmed Member
Thank you amazon uk.
Great North Road by Peter F. Hamilton
Think I might still get the hardcover for my shelf, really like this cover.
Amazing, I had no idea this was out yet. Thanks for the post. I'm really looking forward to something new from Hamilton.
A Farewell to Arms is great.
The Old Man and the Sea is perfect too but it might be a bit shorter than you're after.
sparky2112
Member
He was a piece of work, for sure. Fortunately for us, he was also a genius and left quite a bit of work behind.
nakedsushi
Member
Finished:
In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
It was okay. I think all the hype around the book ruined it for me. I got pretty bored while they were trying to find the killers. I think I would have been more disturbed by the book if I hadn't read Columbine first. I think I liked Breakfast at Tiffany's more.
Now on to:
Rabid: A Cultural History of the World's Most Diabolical Virus by Bill Wasik
Some of the anecdotes in that book are disturbing me plenty.
In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
It was okay. I think all the hype around the book ruined it for me. I got pretty bored while they were trying to find the killers. I think I would have been more disturbed by the book if I hadn't read Columbine first. I think I liked Breakfast at Tiffany's more.
Now on to:
Rabid: A Cultural History of the World's Most Diabolical Virus by Bill Wasik
Some of the anecdotes in that book are disturbing me plenty.
Squirrel Killer
Member
Just finished up The Hunger Games trilogy in an embarrassingly short period of time, especially compared to how long it took me to get through 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (I blame a bad translation, yeah that's the ticket.) Can't see that I'd give the series to any real "YA" reader, it seems more geared to adult Dan Brown/Harry Potter readers and easy translation into movies.
DieUnbekannte
Member
I started reading "The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out The Window and Disappeared" from Jonas Jonasson just a few days ago and I really like it so far. Before that I read "the fifth elefant" from Terry Pratchett. I finished it on a rainy weekend and enjoyed it a lot - particularly because it's the first book featuring the city watch that takes place outside of Ankh-Morpork.
Salvor.Hardin
Banned
Enjoying it quite a bit.
One of my favourite books ever. Hope you like it.
Grenouille
Member
The Turn of the Screw is a great title for a book.
The book itself though...i don't know. I'm still thinking about what i just read. It starts off pretty well, at least.
The book itself though...i don't know. I'm still thinking about what i just read. It starts off pretty well, at least.
was she really insane all along? That would make things a bit more interesting.
I just finished The Sun Also Rises, my second read-through, and it is terrific. Even better the second time. If you are getting the short stories just go with The Complete Finca Vigia Edition. You'll like 'em...you'll like 'em all.
It's been a while since I read Brave New World. I recently went through 1984 again, and it still holds up incredibly well. Lots of brain food and a very clear style. Love Orwell's writing.
I finished Paradise Lost, after starting and then dropping it several years ago. Milton's Lucifer / Satan is my personal canon of favorite characters now. It is a much more interesting tale than what is in the Bible itself, though I'm not really sure how successful Milton was at justifying the ways of God to this particular man.
And just to keep things on theme for the time being, I'm continuing reading the other series I started around the same time as that, Phillip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy. I had already read the first book, so now I am on The Subtle Knife. I will then read the last book in the series, and then it will be on to The Last Enchantment to finish Mary Stewart's Merlin trilogy.
They were both good; I think I probably agree on Dick's novel being more interesting in the long-term.
And just to keep things on theme for the time being, I'm continuing reading the other series I started around the same time as that, Phillip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy. I had already read the first book, so now I am on The Subtle Knife. I will then read the last book in the series, and then it will be on to The Last Enchantment to finish Mary Stewart's Merlin trilogy.
They were both good; I think I probably agree on Dick's novel being more interesting in the long-term.
CHEEZMO
Obsidian fan
I started reading High Castle today and I'm solidly enjoying it so far.
CHEEZMO
Obsidian fan
I'll keep that in mind. Thanks.
- Status